G5 Adventures in Chill Out, Scooby-Doo!

Chapters

Harvest and Hugs Day/Opaline's Master Plan
A Frightful Mountain Encounter/Vacations Misguided
Welcome to the Himalayas
Hiking up Mount Everest/Chased by the Snowman
Music on the Mountain
A Mountainside Investigation/Panic on the Radio
The Mystery Thickens/The Lost Kingdom of Shangri-la
Reunited at Last
A Mystery Comes to a Close...?
Coming Together
Embracing the Magic
Battle of the Ages
Finally, A Happy Ending

Harvest and Hugs Day/Opaline's Master Plan

A short month had passed since the ponies returned from their Halloween adventure in Salem, involving the 300 year dead and gone Sanderson Sisters (who in the ponies' opinion were far WORSE than Opaline)... an adventure that they will never forget in more ways than one.

But hopefully, now would be the time for a relaxing break, for it was the day of one of Equestria's most treasured holidays... Harvest and Hugs Day!

It was a special day in pony history where families gathered round for a great feast, sharing what they were thankful for that year and spending quality time with one another.

Sunny and her friends were determined to make it even better than the year before, because not only were very special people coming for the feast, but it was Misty's very first Harvest and Hugs Day.

But little did they realize that this special holiday would have to be put on hold very soon.

XXXXXXXXX

“Wow, Pipp, I'm actually impressed,” Zipp said as she and her sister hung a welcome banner for their guests above the Brighhouse door. “Last year, you were so close to being a total perfectionist and it was just Mom coming. Now look at you-- we have five guests coming and you seem fine.”

“Whoo... don't get me wrong, I do want everything to go well, since we're having more guests and it being Misty's first Harvest and Hugs Day,” Pipp chuckled. “But Mom helped me realize that nothing had to be PERFECT to be perfect.”

Suddenly, the door opened and Misty poked her head out and cleared her throat. “So sorry to interrupt, but Queen Haven should be here any minute, and Alphabittle and the Pippsqueaks should be arriving right after her.”

“Thanks, Misty!” Zipp smiled. “Roll out the red carpet!”

“Already on it!” Hitch helped Sparky roll a red carpet all over the walkway to the Brighthouse. About the time they finished with this, Thunder Flap and Zoom Zephyrwing arrived, signaling the arrival of the queen.

Her eyed were a glorious arctic blue with purple eyeshadow, and her mane and tail were a pale azure color with grayish orchids highlights. She had a pale grayish orchid coat with darker hooves, and a cutie mark of a royal goblet, along with her royal crown on her head.

When she saw her daughters, Queen Haven's face lit up in happiness. “Girls! It's been so long since I've seen my darling little fillies!”

“It's good to see you too, Mom,” Zipp said as she and her sister hugged their mother. “Really good-- you have no idea about the time we've had recently.”

“Perhaps not, but if you'd like, I could listen while you vent,” Queen Haven said. “I have to do that with Zoom and Thunder when I get too overwhelmed.”

“It's true,” Thunder nodded, keeping his firm guard expression. “She does do that.”

“Now,” said Sunny, “all we have to do is wait for the Pippsqueaks to get here.”

Within a few minutes of her saying that, the door opened, and in came three fillies, about the same age as one another.

The first was an earth pony filly with a lavender coat, white socks, light pink hooves, green eyes, a green mane and tail, a cutie mark of a conch shell and two pink stars, and a light pink ribbon on her tail.

The second was a unicorn filly with an orange coat, light green eyes and red hooves. She also had a whitish colored mane and tail with green, yellow and red highlights in them, a cutie mark of a sparkling peach and a red tail ribbon.

The last filly was a young light blue pegasus pony with white hooves, blue eyes, pink and white feathers on her wings and her mane and tail being light purple with light blue highlights, as well as a cutie mark of an exploding firework and a pink tail ribbon.

“Pippsqueaks! You finally made it!” Pipp ran to the three fillies happily and hugged them. “Welcome to the Crystal Brighthouse and its Harvest and Hugs Day celebration!”

“Thank you so much for inviting us, Pipp!” Glory exclaimed happily. “This is gonna be the best Harvest and Hugs Day ever!”

“I hope your parents don't mind you being out too late,” Zipp said. “We don't wanna keep you from them too long.”

“Our Harvest and Hug Day party doesn't start until later tonight,” Seashell said. “So we have plenty of time before we have to be at home.”

“Hey, everypony! Everypony!” Izzy called out. “We want you to meet our friend Misty! This is her very first Harvest and Hugs Day! Can you ever believe that?!”

Everyone bid their individual greetings to Misty, who simply smiled at them before speaking. “It's nice to meet all of you-- the ponies have told me so much about you.”

“And we can't wait to get to know you as well dear,” Queen Haven smiled. “Now, let's get cracking on the rest of the cooking. I hope the carrot cake is as good as it smells.”

XXXXXXXXX

Opaline had watched all the guests file into the Crystal Brighthouse one by one, a chuckle beginning to rise from her. “Now is the best time to put my new foolproof plan into action,” she said wickedly. “And when I take the cutie marks of Sunny and her friends, their friends and families will be to follow suit. Now... to brew the potion I require.”

She dismissed the vision of the Crystal Brighthouse from the mirror pool and began to pour in several ingredients.

Three leaves from the Poison Joke plant
Water from the sacred Fountain of Eternal Youth
Earth pony hoof clippings
Pegasus feathers
Unicorn sparkles

Once all the ingredients had been entered into the mirror pool, Opaline smirked. “Now, to charge the potion with the dragon fire from that incompetent baby dragon... Sparky, I believe.”

Closing her eyes, Opaline let the dragon fire magic envelope her horn and wings before sending a stream of it into the pool, letting its liquid glow a bright violet. “It's finished... at long, long last!” Opaline's eyes lit up in greed. “With this potion, I shall finally achieve the status an alicorn such as I is meant to achieve... SUPREME LEADER OF EQUESTRIA!!!”

As she cackled, the liquid from the potion flew out, wrapping around Opaline and lifting her off the ground, changing her form before sending her into the mortal world.

Phase 1 was officially complete.

XXXXXXXXX

As they conversed with their guests, Sunny felt a tingling on her flank, and noticed her cutie mark, as well as the cutie marks of her friends, were glowing brightly-- maybe the brightest yet. “Sunny?” Queen Haven called. “Are you feeling okay? You're getting a little pale in the face.”

“Uh, yeah, I'm fine,” Sunny lied quickly. “Ponies, meet me upstairs. We'll be right back, everyone. Don't worry.”

The rest of Sunny's friends quickly followed her up the stairs and into the bedroom. “Guys, I think the Unity Crystals need us again. They're glowing brighter than they ever had before! That could mean Opaline is on the rise!” Sunny tried to reason. “I know we have guests, but we have duties to tend to. Are you guys in?”

The ponies looked at each other for a few moments, before they eventually nodded. “We're in!”

“Thanks, guys,” Sunny smiled. “We better get up to the crystals so they can pause time while we're gone on our mission. Then... we have a fire alicorn to try to defeat.”

A Frightful Mountain Encounter/Vacations Misguided

As Sunny and her friends made their way to the Unity Crystals for their quest, on the other side of the world, something else was beginning to go down and take place.

Two men, a unicorn and a pegasus were climbing one of the tallest mountains in the world, Mount Everest, in hopes of finding something the world had never seen within its lifetime.

At the front of the group was Pemba Sherpa-- a tall Asian male with a sturdy build and dressed in heavy winter gear.

Behind Pemba was Professor Jeffries-- an adult Caucasian male with dusty blond hair, glasses and a mustache, also dressed in heavy winter wear to protect himself from the cold.

Coming up from behind Professor Jeffries was Ember Mysticlight-- a very light colored orange pegasus with a strong purple mane and tail, sapphire-colored eyes, dark opal colored winter wear and a cutie mark of a crystal ball.

And lastly, coming up behind Ember was a unicorn pony named Snow Spell-- a very gorgeous pony to say the least. Probably somepony out of a fairytale.

She had a light blonde mane and tail wrapped into braids, a white blaze on her face, white socks on her hooves, dark blue and sparkly hooves, deep blue eyes with burgandy/pink colored eyeshadow, a cutie mark of a single snowflake and a bluish-green cloak around her body.

The group continued to climb up the mountain a good ways until Pemba stopped them, staring up at something in amazement as Snow Spell came to his side. “Look.”

“Egads...” Professor Jeffries said in awe, and the four of them stared up at a statue with carvings on it. “Do you see this, professor?” Snow Spell asked, pointing up at them with a calm smile. “The ancient carvings, just as Pemba and I promised you.”

“These are... truly extraordinary,” Ember said, admiring the carvings with a growing smile. “And even better,” said Professor Jeffries excitedly, “the legend is true! Ember, quickly, dear! Retrieve my books!”

Ember scoffed and rolled her eyes, something that Snow Spell did not fail to notice, but the pegasus reached him the books he needed, and after running ahead to the statue, the professor looked through them until he found the right scroll. “Yes. It's all here, just as the manuscript describes,” he said. “I've found it at last. Come, Pemba, and bring the ponies with you. The lost kingdom of Shangri-la awaits.”

But as he and Ember tried to go forward, their ropes connected to Snow Spell and Pemba stopped them, leaving the pegasus to scoff. “What is this?”

“I am sorry, professor. We dare not go further,” Pemba shook his head as he pulled on the rope. “These lands are forbidden.”

“Forbidden?” Professor Jeffries laughed at the claim. “By whom? Look around. We're the only ones here.”

“No...” Snow Spell glanced over at some large and strange footprints in the snow next to them. “We are not alone.”

“Snow Spell, that is absolutely ridiculous!” Ember scoffed. “We are ponies-- whatever it is, we can handle it, can we not?”

“Not this being, I am afraid,” Snow Spell shook her head. “Trust us when we say that we must turn around.”

Suddenly, as a roar echoed across the mountainside, a snowstorm began to blow in as they were speaking, causing Ember to shiver. Truth be told, she HATED the cold. “We should not be here,” Pemba said fearfully. “He is coming.”

“No, Pemba. We can't quit now, not when we're so close,” the professor refused. “But neither of you understand!” Snow Spell argued. “We have to hurry and get down the mountain before he arrives.”

But then, Ember grabbed her rope in her teeth, as the professor pulled out his pocket knife. “Then Ember and I shall go alone.”

They cut their ropes and proceeded with their climbing, and disappeared into the storm as Pemba and Snow Spell fell back in the snow and tried to call out and stop them. Snow Spell sighed worriedly, looking up at her best friend. “They will not make it, Pemba... I know this mountain and what lurks on it like the back of my hoof... it isn't safe.”

“Then we must go after them,” Pemba decided. “Come along.”

But before they could move up the mountain, a figure ahead of them stopped them in their tracks... a figure at least 10 feet tall. They tried to escape from the monster, but fell through the icy floor below and slid down the mountain. Snow Spell managed to use her mountain hooves to keep from slipping, and looked to see her best friend struggling. “Grab my tail! Hurry!”

Pemba quickly grabbed her tail with both hands to prevent from sliding off the mountain, causing Snow Spell to sigh in relief. And the last they saw of the creature was it disappearing into the snowy storm.

That left Snow Spell to wonder... where was it going now? As soon as Snow Spell pulled Pemba up onto the mountain side again, he sighed after panting a bit. “Snow Spell... we have seen the creature.”

XXXXXXXXX

A portal opened up on a cobblestone road in Paris, and out of it fell Pipp, Zipp, Sparky, Izzy and Hitch, groaning in pain from the hard impact. “Ow... what a ride, huh guys?” Izzy groaned, and while she heard most of the others answer with groans and 'Yes', she didn't hear two of them, and called their names. “Misty? Sunny?”

“Hey... where are they?” Pipp wondered, glancing around. “I thought they were right behind us in the portal!”

“Ponies?”

Everyone turned to see Fred, Daphne and Velma waving to them from a nearby table, and Izzy gasped in delight. “Yay! Mystery Inc is here!”

The ponies ran over and hugged their friends, and Sparky babbled in greeting. “It's good to see you in good condition, Sparky,” Fred smiled. “You guys here for a Unity Quest?”

“We are,” Hitch nodded worriedly, “but Misty and Sunny aren't with us. What if they landed in a place completely different than us?”

“I'm sure they're okay, Hitch. They're strong ponies,” Velma tried to assure him. “But in the meantime, you can sit here with us until they come looking for you.”

Pipp sighed with a smile. “Thanks. We definitely need a break.”

“And Sparky definitely needs a snack,” Hitch began feeding Sparky a piece of bread. And during a moment of silence, Daphne sighed. “Don't you just love Paris? The city, the sights, the shopping. Isn't it romantic, Freddy?”

“Oh, man, I think I'm in love,” Fred said, but he was too focused on his phone to really pay attention to Daphne's words. “This new cell phone rocks. It's got hi-def video, an MP3 player, even satellite GPS. I'm, like, totally geeking.”

“Really?” Zipp rolled her eyes playfully. “How can you tell?”

This caused Hitch and the others to giggle in amusement as Velma went back to looking at her French newspaper. “I gotta admit, since these Unity Quests started, ” Pipp said, “Paris has been a place I wanted to visit.”

“Me too, but I don't know what's worse,” Daphne said, looking at her distracted friends. “Fred and his phone, or Velma and her newspapers. I thought we were supposed to be on vacation.”

“We are!” Velma looked up. “You know how I like reading in a foreign language. Listen to this, gang.”

She then set down the newspaper to show everyone a headline on the front page. “Climbers on Mount Everest claim to have seen the abominable snowman, a mysterious creature believed to exist in the high Himalayas.”

“Yeeesh... he doesn't sound like a pony friendly creature, and I know all kinds of critters,” Hitch said, and Sparky nodded, and Daphne grabbed Velma by her cheeks. “Oh no. Not this time, Velma. I don’t care if this is in French or Swahili. There will be no mysteries on this trip. Do you hear me?!”

“Yes, I hear you,” Velma said. “Can I have my cheeks back now?”

Daphne then let go as Fred checked his watch. “Speaking of mysteries, Shaggy and Scooby were supposed to meet us here over an hour ago. Where can they be?”

Daphne chuckled as she applied another coat of lipstick. “Knowing those two, they've probably been sidetracked by their stomachs.”

“I sure hope Misty and Sunny are with them, and safe,” Zipp shuddered. “After our last quest, I want us all to stay together from now on.”

XXXXXXXXX

Meanwhile, on a private plane, Shaggy and Scooby were dining for all they were worth, since it was just them and a multitude of food. Scooby burped after eating a huge sandwich, and Shaggy chuckled in amusement. “What a great idea, Scoob. Like, I've always wanted to fly an all-you-can-eat airline.”

“Yeah. Me too.”

“But I am kinda wondering about our pony friends back in Equestria,” Shaggy pondered. “I mean... we haven't heard from them in weeks. You think they're okay?”

Suddenly, a portal opened in front of them, and two familiar ponies tumbled out into the stack of pizza boxes. Luckily, Shaggy and Scooby recognized the ponies immediately, so there was no need to panic. “Misty!” they cried out. “Sunny!”

“Ugh... huh?” Misty looked around and saw her friends before running and hugging them. “Boy, are we glad to see you! But... where are the others? Didn't you see them?”

Scooby shook his head in response, and Sunny hummed in thought. “That's strange... we always did our quests together. Maybe they're with the others in... where are we going?”

“France-- home of the best European restaurants...” Shaggy said before clearing his throat. “Speaking of which, shouldn't we be in Paris by now?”

Everyone looked outside through the small window, but instead of seeing bright, sun-filled Paris weather, they were stunned to see heavy snow coming down from the skies above. “Snow? That doesn't make sense!” said Misty with a frown. “Why would it be snowing this much in Paris?”

“It can only mean one thing,” Sunny frowned. “And that is... this isn't Paris. Guys... I think we might be on the wrong plane, and who knows how far away from our friends!”

Author's Note

Snow Spell belongs to Potionpony on Deviantart-- give them your love!

https://www.deviantart.com/potionpony/art/Snow-Spell-Reference-441860742

Welcome to the Himalayas

Sunny and Misty had just exited the portal from the Unity Crystals, right onto the plane that Shaggy and Scooby were on, when they all discovered they were not in Paris, like they were supposed to be, but somewhere completely different and covered in massive amounts of snow.

That could only leave them to wonder... what in the world was going on?

Meanwhile, the pilot of the plane spoke to another one of its passengers, keeping his eyes straight ahead. “We're coming up on the drop zone. Mount Everest, dead ahead.”

A short Caucasian male, with a long, bushy red beard, and wearing a racoonskin hat and hunter's outfit got out of his seat with a triumphant laugh and smile. “Mount Everest, tallest mountain in ze world,” he said in a French accent, “and home to ze abominable snowman.”

“So you're really going through with this?” asked the pilot with doubt. “But of course,” the French man answered. “For I am Alphonse Lafleur, ze world's greatest hunter. Now, I come in search of ze world's greatest prize.”

“But I thought the abominable snowman is just a myth. How do you catch a monster that may not even exist?”

“Oh, mon fraire... with a bait no monster can resist.”

Suddenly, the cabin alarm began to go off repeatedly, making the French man become exasperated rather quickly. “Sacré bleu! What can they want now?”

XXXXXXXXX

Turns out, Scooby was the one pressing the cabin button, wanting to know why they were not in Paris with their friends yet. “Hello, anybody home? Hello...?”

“This doesn't feel at all right,” Misty said. “We should be in Paris, by now, but then, we wind up in some sort of blinding blizzard who knows where?!”

“I know how you feel,” Sunny said, trying to be comforting. “We have to be strong though. I'm sure it's all just a big misunderstanding. One word with the pilot and we'll be on our way to Paris in no time.”

Just then, Alphonse Lafleur came out dressed as a pilot/tour guide all in one. “Bonjour mis amis and thank you for flying Alphonse Lafleur's Le Monde Grande Tours,” he said. “We are going to be landing very shortly.”

Sunny and Misty let out a sigh of relief upon hearing that-- one plane right to Paris and their mission could begin sooner than expected. “Boy, are we glad to hear that,” Shaggy said with a chuckle. “Like, my stomach is already coming in for a three-snack landing.”

Thats when Alphonse finally saw the empty food boxes around them, his eyes quickly widening. “You have eaten everything?”

“Almost,” Shaggy lifted up a pizza box. “Like, I'm still saving the last slice of peanut butter and pineapple pizza, in case of an emergency.”

But, in a little act of selfishness, Scooby flipped the box, and the pizza went up in the air, and then Scooby ate it in one swoop. “Hey...” Shaggy whimpered poutingly. “Ah... ze pooch is still hungry, no?” Alphonse asked. “We have lots of yummy goodies waiting for you in ze VIP lounge.”

“VIP lounge?” Misty asked. “Is that something special?”

“Oui, petite licorne,” Alphonse said with a smile. “You will have all the snacks and refreshments you could possibly want.”

“Well... it would be nice to relax before we head to the next plane to Paris,” Sunny pondered for a few moments. “So... I say we should go for it.”

XXXXXXXXX

But, what the VIP lounge really was didn't really meet expectations... it was merely a shipping crate, full of mountain climber things and snacks. “This is the VIP lounge?” Shaggy asked. “Oui, mousieur,” Alphonse said with a smile and a nod. “You are on the package tour, no?”

And just like that, the hunter sealed the box shut, and Shaggy whimpered worriedly. “I didn't know that that meant we were the package.”

“Hey!” Misty kicked at the door angrily. “Let us outta here! This isn't a joke!”

“Misty, I don't think he's gonna let us go just like that,” Sunny said. “But we have to keep trying-- our friends are gonna be worried sick about us if we're not with them in a couple of hours.”

Misty sighed softly. “Just wait till they hear we've been kidnapped...”

Alphonse Lafleur opened the door of the plane, letting the cold snow fly in, and Scooby whimpered worriedly. “You said it, Scoob,” Shaggy agreed. “You said it, Scoob. Like, I think we've just been bumped from first class to worst class!”

Then, the pulleys activated, and the crate immediately fell out of the plane, causing Shaggy, Scooby and the girl ponies to start screaming, and the crate opened a parachute to slow its descent. “Zoinks...” Shaggy said, completely out of breath. “Like, now, we know how it feels to be lost luggage.”

Suddenly, the crate stopped its descent, and began swaying back and forth. Sunny managed to put her phone on video and reached it through the window to see what had stopped their fall, and when she pulled it back, she frowned in worry. “Bad news, guys. The wind blew our parachute right onto a rock, and we're stuck in this crate... on a really high mountain.”

“Oh, great! I guess that means we're not in Paris then,” Misty muttered. Suddenly, a ringing noise came from Shaggy's pocket, and Shaggy held his head when he heard it. “As if things weren't bad enough, now my ears are ringing.”

“Cell phone!” Scooby pointed to Shaggy's pocket. “Cell phone!”

“Hey, my cell phone!” Shaggy said, realizing as Scooby pulled it out of his pocket, and answered it. “Like, world's worst vacation ever, Shaggy speaking.”

“Shaggy?! I can barely hear you!” Fred shouted from the other end of the line. “Sunny and Misty's friends are here with us! Are they with you?! Where are you guys?!”

“We're here, Freddy!” Sunny shouted. “But we're not sure where we are, and we're in kind of a difficult situation right now!”

As she spoke, the parachute began to tear, and Shaggy yanked the phone from Sunny to talk to Fred again. “Hang on, Freddy. Like, I think Scoob, the girls and I are about to go from frequent fliers to frequent criers!”

XXXXXXXXX

The last thing Fred heard was Shaggy and Scooby screaming, but then, the call cut out. “Shaggy! Scooby!” Fred called. “I've lost their signal.”

“They must have got on the wrong plane,” Zipp deduced, “and they could be super lost by this point!”

“Can't you trace the signal with that high-tech GPS thingy?” Daphne asked. “I would,” Fred said, “if I knew how it worked!”

“Oh, give me that!” Pipp swiped the phone from Fred, got Shaggy's number from it and tossed Fred's phone back into his lap. “With this find a phone app,” Pipp said, punching in Shaggy's phone number and hitting the find button, “I should be able to pinpoint their exact location. Just a few seconds and... viola!”

The image of the Himalayas soon appeared on the screen, and this caused Pipp to frown in concern. “Wait... this can't be right,” she said before showing the others the screen. “Look!”

The others gasped in horror upon seeing the location on the screen. “The Himalayas?!”

“Home to Mount Everest... and the headline-making mystery of the abominable snowman!” Velma said, lifting the newspaper she showed them earlier. “But how could they have gotten on the wrong plane?” Hitch wondered while trying to keep himself calm. “Someone must have tricked them... and it must've been Opaline or someone worse!” Zipp realized with wide eyes. “We have to do something fast!”

“Now hold on,” Daphne stopped them. “Just because there's a mysterious monster on the loose, it doesn't necessarily mean that Shaggy and Scooby and the others are going to get in trouble... does it?”

The others blinked for a few moments before Fred eventually spoke up. “We've got to get to Mount Everest. Everybody in the van!”

“SUNNY!!!” Hitch wailed as he and Sparky dove into the van, and Zipp turned to glance at the red head of the group, since Pipp had absolutely no complaints about leaving. “Sorry, Daphne, but it looks like you're trading in your new heels for snowshoes!”

Daphne groaned as she got into the passenger seat, clearly not happy. “Just once, I'd like to have a vacation that stays a vacation!”

And so, the Mystery Machine sped off in the direction of Nepal... home of the Himalayas and the snowman they hoped was all just a legend.

XXXXXXXXX

Everyone turned incredibly worried as they heard the parachute ripping more... and more... and more until... it finally snapped, sending the group plummeting down the mountain side.

The second they hit the side of the mountain, the box smashed, and using the bottom part as a sled, Shaggy, Scooby, their luggage and their pony friends began sliding toward the nearby village.

XXXXXXXXX

At this very village, most of the villagers were leaving due to the monster, and Professor Jeffries and Ember reunited with Pemba and Snow Spell, hoping to make it up to them for their mistake...

...Professor Jeffries especially. “I'm very sorry, Pemba. I don't know what came over me,” he said as they stood before the fire. “We should never have cut that rope. Without you, Ember and I quickly became lost, and wandered in the blinding snowstorm for hours. Without her, I would have barely made it back here alive.”

“I'm sorry as well,” Ember said with ears pinned. “I should have listened to you both.”

“It's our fault as well, you two,” Snow Spell admitted. “We shouldn't have taken you as far as the forbidden lands.”

“But you did, Snow Spell. And now the discovery of a lifetime is still within our grasp. The lost kingdom of Shangri-la, hidden from mankind for centuries,” Professor Jeffries explained. “And it's right up there, just waiting for me. I mean, for us, of course. It's waiting for us.”

“Exactly-- us,” Ember nodded. “You may be right, but you forget. Something else is waiting there too,” Pemba reminded, but the professor just wouldn't let up. “Don't you see? The abominable snowman must be guarding the secret entrance. That's how close we are.”

“No. Neither of you understand,” Snow Spell said firmly. “We've angered the creature, and now he will seek his revenge. That's why everyone is fleeing the village... my home for as long as I can remember.”

Ember looked over the unicorn's shoulder with a raised eyebrow. “Not everyone, it seems.”

A young Asian woman wearing headphones was walking their way with some hot tea, and Pemba groaned in frustration. “Minga!” he said walking over to her. “What are you doing?”

“I've brought you some hot tea!” Minga said loudly, and Snow Spell took off her headphones. “Hey, I'm listening to that.”

“Why are you still in the village?” Pemba asked sternly. “You should be leaving with the others.”

“I'm not a little girl anymore, Pemba. You can stop trying to frighten me with your monster stories now.”

“You'll have to excuse Pemba's sister, professor,” Snow Spell said. “She can be as stubborn as a yak at times.”

“So, Minga, you don't believe in the abominable snowman?” Professor Jeffries asked, and Minga shook her head. “When I was younger, Pemba used to try to scare me. The yeti is coming to get you! Now he's going around telling everyone that he's actually seen the creature. And Snow Spell, the most rational unicorn in the village, believes him!”

“Minga, we aren't kidding this time!” Snow Spell argued firmly. “The yeti is real, and he's going to attack if we get too close!”

Suddenly, screams filled the air, and everyone looked to see Shaggy, Scooby, Misty and Sunny sledding down the mountain at a wild speed. “We may be freezing c-c-c-cold,” Misty shivered intensely, “but this sled is coming in hot!!”

The sled then went over a ramp and flew through the air, sending the group flying and screaming into the nearby temple. When Ember, Snow Spell and the rest of the group went to check on them, they found them in a heap with all their belongings. “Egads!” Professor Jeffries cried out, and they headed over to check on the newcomers, slowly rising to their feet, paws and hooves. “Are you all right? Did you break anything?”

“Ugh... I think so,” Sunny said slowly. “I like sledding as much as the next pony, but that ride was a little too much.”

“What is this intrusion?”

Everyone looked up on the nearby balcony to see a bald man dressed in robes with a long beard looking at them crossly, and Pemba and Snow Spell immediately bowed in respect, while Pemba spoke up. “I humbly apologize, most high lama, but...”

“The monastery is closed! Now go away!”

“But sir, please look,” Snow Spell said, gesturing to the new ponies, Shaggy and Scooby. “Four strangers have fallen from the sky.”

Sunny and Misty waved as Shaggy and Scooby smiled nervously. A smile graced the High Lama's face, and floated down to the newcomers with some hot tea cups on a tray. “May I offer you something warm to drink? You must be very cold and tired after your long journey, huh?”

“Like, you had us at 'warm',” Shaggy said, and they all took a cup of tea, but immediately spit it out after drinking some. The High Lama chuckled a bit at this. “I see you do not enjoy our yak-butter tea.”

“Well, I'm not saying we don't, but I do know one thing,” Sunny said. “You can really, uh... taste the yak.”

“Do you mind if we use your phone?” Shaggy asked the High Lama. “Our friends must think we've totally flaked on them. Like, snow-flaked, that is.”

Scooby sighed with the roll of his eyes. “Oh, brother...”

“I'm truly sorry,” Ember said as she approached them, a bit of a narrowed gaze. “But the villagers do not have any modern conveniences here.”

Scooby sniffed around a gong as Misty looked around the temple. “Welll... wherever here is, it seems pretty far from Paris. How are we gonna get to our friends, Sunny?”

“Don't panic,” Sunny assured. “All we need is a plan.”

Scooby grabbed the stick and hit the gong hard, causing him to be pushed by its vibrations, right into a creepy looking closet nearby. When he finally stopped shaking, he looked up and saw a statue that looked like a monster, and screamed and ran into Shaggy's arms. “Monster. Monster!”

“That's no monster, Scooby-Doo. It's just some kind of creepy carving,” Sunny reassured. And the High Lama entered the closet, looking extremely displeased. “You have discovered our most sacred chamber.”

“Like, way to go, Scoob,” Shaggy rolled his eyes crossly. “Why couldn't you discover something useful like the refrigerator?”

“Sorry...” Scooby apologized, and everyone entered the chamber and gathered around the statue. “So what is it about the chamber that makes it so... sacred?” Misty asked curiously. “In this chamber, we offer sacrifices to the yeti,” Snow Spell explained. “Half man and half animal, he lives in the snow caves, high on the mountain.”

“Like, there goes the neighborhood,” Shaggy whimpered, and Ember and Professor Jeffries examined the crystal that the statue was holding, Ember's eyes glittering greedily. “What an... extraordinary crystal! May we take a... closer look?”

“No, you may not!” the High Lama pulled a curtain, hiding the statue from sight and pushing them all out of the chamber. “The crystal is sacred. Its mystical glow protects us from the creature's evil power.”

Sunny, Misty, Shaggy and Scooby looked at one another nervously at the sound of this. “Evil power...?”

“Yes,” Snow Spell said. “That's why we never touch the crystal, since we are protected by its light. And I trust you will heed that warning.”

Suddenly, there came a hearty laugh, and through the gates came Alphonse Lafleur, in the flesh. “Bonjour, mes amis! Ha ha ha! I have found you...”

“Look out, Scoob!” Shaggy cried. “It's that terrible tour guide!”

He and Scooby immediately ran to hide, but Ember and Snow Spell immediately pulled them out to confront them. “Do you know this... man?” Ember glared over at Alphonse. “Yeah,” Shaggy huffed. “And like thanks to him, a great tour took a grand detour!”

“My sincerest apologies. There was a terrible mishap,” Alphonse apologized in a fake sincere tone. “I was so worried, that I jumped out of ze plane myself desperate to save you.”

“Yeah? Well what about all our friends?” Misty asked. “They just be worried sick about us!”

“We are kinda popular, you know,” Shaggy said, and this caused Scooby to nod. “I know. Why don't you try calling your friends from the weather station?” Minga suggested. “Hmmm... it might work,” Sunny said. “What are we waiting for? Let's go!”

“Like, hook us up with that satellite hookup!” Shaggy agreed. “It is a bit further up the mountain. I can take you there,” Minga offered, and Pemba was immediately against this. “The only place you are going is down the mountain.”

“We would be honored to take you to the weather station and call your friends,” Snow Spell said with a bow. “We'll go too,” Ember volunteered, raising a hoof. “With that snow creature out there, we'll have greater strength in numbers. And... better opportunities to look at the mountainscape.”

“Oui, oui!” Alphonse agreed. “We will all climb up the mountain together!”

“Beware, gentlemen. The yeti is the watcher of the guarded places,” the High Lama said, “a realm of terrible danger where those who seek the unknown meet their doom!”

And just like that, he disappeared into the darkness, leaving the others a little nervous. “Like, whatever happened to bon voyage?” Shaggy whimpered. “Don't mind the high lama,” Ember said. “He is stuck in his old ways, and very wise. We should be wary if he says such.”

“Thank you,” said Sunny. “I'm Sunny, and this is Misty, Shaggy and Scooby.”

“Can you guys really get us to that weather station?” Misty asked. “Of course,” Snow Spell smiled. “I'm Snow Spell, and this is Ember. We will so whatever we can to get you home safe and sound.”

“But we better get going... strange things happen when it gets too dark,” Ember said before going to get supplies. Misty hummed in curiosity, feeling as if she has seen that character before...

...and why does this Ember character give her a bad feeling? “Misty, come on!” Shaggy called. “Less thinking and more hiking!”

Misty cleared her thoughts and ran after her friends. There was time for theories later.

Right now, they had to get home, and do their quest before things got too out of hand.

Hiking up Mount Everest/Chased by the Snowman

“Breathe in, breathe out,” Izzy said in a calming voice while Hitch breathed into a paper bag, completely in panic. “Breathe in, breathe out... and just keep doing that.”

“Admit it, Freddy,” Daphne said with a scoff. “We're lost!”

Hearing the word 'lost' caused Hitch to start breathing faster, and Izzy sighed-- there went Hitch being almost calm. “We're not lost. We're just taking a shortcut,” Fred shrugged, much to Zipp's frustration. “Across Mongolia?!”

“Just keep an eye out for road signs to Timbuktu,” Fred simply responded. “So, Velma, what can you tell us about this abdominal snowman?”

Sparky hummed in confusion while the ponies gave him a look. “Not abdominal, Fred,” Velma said. “It's pronounced abominable.”

Fred tried to pronounce the word correctly, but ultimately failed to do such, making Sparky giggle. “There are a number of different theories regarding the abominable snowman,” Velma spoke. “And there have been many photographs taken of the yeti's footprints.”

“Hold it-- back up,” Pipp raised a hoof. “Yeti? What in hoof's name is a yeti?”

“The yeti is the name used by the local mountain people to describe the creature,” Velma flipped a page before Fred spoke up again. “So the yeti and the subliminal snowman are the same thing?”

“Not subliminal, Fred,” Velma said before trying to pronounce the name, but flubbed repeatedly and causing the others to laugh. “Now you've got me all mixed up!”

“Whatever the name is, I still don’t understand,” Zipp said after the laughing died down. “What does any of this have to do with our friends? And could Opaline have something to do as to why they’re in the Himalayas?”

“No mystery there, Zipp,” Daphne said as mountains came into view. “One thing we know is for sure… Shag and Scooby always know how to find trouble.”

XXXXXXXX

At the same time, Shaggy, Scooby, Misty and Sunny had gotten dressed in comfortable winter wear and followed their new friends and Alphonse up the side of the mountain, hauling some heavy equipment with them while the wind howled. After walking only a half an hour, Shaggy turned to his best friend, tired and cold and hungry. “Scoob, old buddy, how did we ever wind up on this frozen freak-fest?”

“I don’t know, Shaggy…” Scooby shook his head. “This honestly isn’t so bad,” Sunny said as she and Misty walked ahead of them. “We’ve been through snow before on Winter Wishday; who’s to say we can’t handle this?”

“No offense, Sunny, but this is NATURAL weather-- not weather caused by some sort of ancient unicorn ritual,” Shaggy said. “What was the spell called again?”

“Oh, frostyshivers, I think,” Misty said, and her horn glowed blue before some snow flopped down on her head. “Oh… right. Gotta avoid saying it too much, unless we wanna wind up in a blizzard.”

Shaggy sighed and tilted his goggles up to get used to the sunlight. “Like, what I wouldn't give right now for a nice warm Scooby Snack.”

“Scooby Snacks? Ho-ho-ho! Well, why didn't you just say so?” Alphonse stopped and broke open a crate, revealing a boat load of Scooby Snacks just waiting for eating. “Oh boy!” Scooby said excitedly. “Scooby Snacks!”

“Yeah. A whole year's supply of them. Ha-ha-ha!” Shaggy quickly dumped some snacks into Scooby’s mouth. “Like, maybe this trip wasn't such a bad idea after all, Scoob.”

The two instantly began to dive in for more, and Sunny and Misty giggled to themselves about it. “Mountain climbing requires a lot of energy…” Pemba explained, “...so we must eat many times a day.”

“Well, that sounds a lot like a job Shaggy and Scooby are made for,” Sunny joked, and after helping Shaggy and Scooby out from the crate, Misty went over to the supplies the professor brought. “What about you, professor? Got anything yummy to add to our impromptu potluck?”

When Misty threw the tarp off, there was no food on the sled, but instead were all sorts of explosives… like he wanted to blow something up. “Oh…” Shaggy said with wide eyes. “Like, what’s all this stuff?”

“Don’t touch anything!” Ember snapped, unfolding her wings as she got in front of them. “Ember, please!” Professor Jeffries pleaded, and Ember scoffed and walked forward so she could pull the sled. “I apologize for that,” the professor said, pulling the tarp back over the explosives. “But this equipment is very sensitive. We'd better keep moving.”

Ember pulled the sled ahead of the group, and once they were out of hearing range, Sunny turned to the group with a suspicious look. “Gee, it seems like their equipment isn’t the only thing that’s sensitive.”

“Yeah…” Scooby said. “Sensitive.”

“Hey…” Misty looked around as they prepared to walked forward, not seeing Snow Spell with the others. “Where did Snow Spell go?”

Suddenly, a soft humming came from the ledge below them, and they dropped their supplies so they could get closer. What they saw below was Snow Spell humming to herself, creating something small and icy within her hooves with her magic. “Snow Spell?” Sunny called, causing the mare to yelp and look up. “Did you fall down there? Want some help getting out?”

“Oh… thank you, Sunny, but I’ve lived in these mountains all my life,” Snow Spell said before jumping up to them. “I’m as agile as a snow leopard when it comes to climbing.”

“S-S-S-Snow leopard…?” Shaggy and Scooby gulped. “Oh, don’t worry! None of them live around here,” Snow Spell said quickly, before sighing. “Don’t… tell anypony what I was doing… please? Especially not Pemba-- I don't want to know what he may think of me.”

“Well… we won’t, but… what were you doing?” Sunny asked. “You can trust us, especially Shaggy and Scooby, to never tell a secret.”

Snow Spell sighed… she never wanted anypony else to know this, but they seemed so kind… so trustworthy… and kindness and being trustworthy are two things she valued. “All right… when I was a filly, back in my village, I discovered that I could sense a snowstorm a mile away, and when it snowed, I could stay out there longer than anypony else. That’s when… one day… I discovered I could do this.”

Lighting her horn in a blue aura, she swirled her hooves around in a certain way, creating a large snowflake within her hooves. This caused the group to gasp in awe and delight. “Snow Spell… this is beautiful!” Misty said. “You can control ice and snow?”

“Yes. My parents and brother were supportive of me, but… the rest of my village saw me as a danger to my family and others,” Snow Spell admitted sadly. “So, to avoid bringing harm to my loved ones… I left the village when I was seven, and I haven’t shown my ice powers to anyone since. Not even Pemba, or Minga, or anyone else in the village I call home.”

“Gee… I never knew ponies could be so cruel to one of their own,” Shaggy frowned. “We’re sorry, Snow Spell.”

“It’s all right. I have people who do care about me. It actually feels good to tell somepony after so long,” Snow Spell said. “We promise,” Sunny said, “we won’t tell a soul until you ask us to.”

“Hoof to heart,” all four friends recited, putting their hands/paws/hooves on their heads “Thank you… I know that my secret is safe with you,” Snow Spell said. “Come on… we need to catch up to the others before it gets too dark.”

XXXXXXXXX

The hike seemed to get more and more exhausting, but during the hike, Snow Spell found herself becoming closer to the four newcomers, talking with them quite a bit during their travel. Eventually, Shaggy and Scooby felt like they could no longer go on. “Man, Scoob,” Shaggy panted, “the air is so thin up here, like, I think my lungs are gonna pop.”

“Yeah…” Scooby wheezed. “Mine too.”

“We must keep moving,” Pemba urged. “The weather station is only a bit further.”

Suddenly, Ember turned around and stared back down the mountain while Alphonse got out his binoculars. “I think we’re being followed,” the pegasus sneered, and Alphonse nodded in response. “Oui, madam, lumitette mademoiselle. You see?”

Pemba looked through the binoculars to see his sister Minga climbing up the mountain, and sighed in exasperation. “What did I tell you, professor? She is stubborn as a yak.”

“Minga?” Sunny asked as she got closer. “What in Equestria are you doing up this way?”

“I was going to leave the village,” Minga explained, “but then I heard the weather report over the radio. There is a terrible snowstorm coming. I only followed to warn you.”

“You and that radio,” Pemba scoffed. “Every day, all you do is stare off into space… listening to that jabber-mouthed DJ playing his records.”

“He’s not a jabber-mouth!” Minga protested, bringing out her radio. “His beautiful voice is the only friend I have on this lonely mountain. Here, just listen.”

Pemba unplugged the headphones, and the DJ’s voice was able to be heard by everyone around. “And here's a cut from their last album, recorded just before the band's tragic breakup. The song went on to become a one-hit wonder, after its use in a popular Tv commercial for furniture polish.”

“Wow,” Misty commented. “Who’d have thought you’d find a radio station way up here?”

“You can’t, honestly,” Snow Spell frowned. “It’s just the man at the weather station pretending to be a DJ.”

Suddenly, Pemba gasped as he faced his sister with a smirk. “You have a crush on the weather man. And now you're tagging along just for an excuse to meet him!”

“That’s not true!” Pemba defended. “There is a snowstorm coming!”

“I think she might be right,” Sunny said. “Look at those clouds!”

The clouds seemed as big and black as the inside of Opaline’s heart, and Ember knew as much as the next pony that meant trouble. “It could blow us right off this mountain. We've got to find shelter, and fast.”

But the second they began to get moving, the snowstorm quickly came upon them. “We’ll never make it!” Pemba yelled through the howling winds. “We're going to have to set up our tents here.”

“You mean, camping?” Misty asked with wide eyes. “Out here? With that psychotic snowman and whatever else out there on the loose?!”

Shaggy chuckled nervously and placed a hand on Scooby’s head. “Scoob, old buddy, if there's one thing I don't like about this plan it's everything about this plan!”

“We have no other choice, guys!” Sunny said to the whimpering duo. “Grab your stuff and head for that side of the ledge! We’ll set up camp there!”

Everyone followed Sunny further to the spot she mentioned, while Ember straggled along with a scowl. “Soon… soon we don’t have to worry about this snow again. Not while I have to say anything about it…”

XXXXXXXX

Camp had been set during the storm, and everyone waited in their tents for it to die down. Pemba wanted a few words with his sister, so Snow Spell decided to bunk with her new friends to pass the time. All the while, Misty couldn’t help but feel suspicious about this character called Ember.

What was her deal? And why did she seem so mad about them touching the explosives earlier?

The storm eventually died down after it began to get dark, and once they made sure the coast was clear, Professor Jeffries and Ember climbed from their tent and walked off. While in Shaggy and Scooby’s tent, Shaggy had dressed Scooby in all sorts of loud objects to try and scare off any potential intruders. “Okay, Scoob. Like, you've got first watch,” Shaggy said. “If that big-footed bogeyman shows his frozen face, he'll have to deal with Scooby-Doo, guard dog extraordinaire.”

“Yeah–- guard dog!” Scooby said before saluting like a soldier. “Scooby-Dooby-Doooooooo!!”

Snow Spell blinked as Scooby marched outside. “You really think that’s going to keep the snowman away if he were to come this way?”

“Might wanna roll with it,” Sunny said. “When Shaggy and Scooby get an idea in their heads, there’s no stopping them… unless its food.”

XXXXXXXXX

Back outside, Scooby stood as still as a statue until he began to pace back and forth before the tent. “Hup-two-three-four, hup-two-three-four, hup-two-three-four, hup--”

“Uh, Scooby? Keep it down, huh, buddy?” Misty asked, peeking her head out from the tent. “You wanna wake up the whole neighborhood?”

“Oh…” Scooby said with a nervous chuckle. “Sorry.”

“Don’t worry, buddy. I’m not mad,” Misty said as she came out of the tent with a small sigh. “In fact, I could use a distraction right now. You saw how Ember acted earlier… right?”

“Yeah,” Scooby nodded. “She doesn't seem too friendly.”

“To us especially. And not to anyone else, other than the professor,” Misty pointed out. “I just can't help but get a bad feeling about her... am I just being paranoid? Or are my feelings completely valid?”

Scooby whined and licked the side of Misty's face, which caused her to giggle. “Thanks, buddy. Now, what do you say we get back to bed so we can get--?”

Then they heard a roar that made them scream and scared them back into their tent and Alphonse got out of his tent in excitement. “Ha-ha-ha! The creature! He knows we are here!”

Then, another roar echoed across the mountainside. “Zoinks, and, like, he doesn't sound too happy about it,” Shaggy shuddered, and Scooby nodded before they ducked back into their tent. But Alphonse wasn't in the mood to give up quickly, and opened the tent to face them. “Mes amis, you cannot quit now.”

“Uh, sorry, Mr. Lafleur, but after our hooficure,” Misty said as Scooby filed her hooves, “we really need to get some beauty sleep.”

But, Alphonse literally dragged them out into the cold by force. “Not to worry, mes amis. Come. I show you something you like, eh?”

He pressed a button on the remote, and lasers began to dance back and forth down the mountain a good ways. “Like, it's a laser light show,” Shaggy said. “I don't know...” Snow Spell frowned. “It feels too direct to be a laser light show... or any kind of show.”

“Of course not. You see? The traps, they are set,” Alphonse told them confidently. “First I catch ze monster, then Shaggy and Scooby, and their friends, they will go home.”

That seemed to catch Shaggy, Scooby and all three ponies off-guard. “What?!” they shrieked before turning to him in anger. “Like, I get it now!” Shaggy said. “You're no tour guide!”

“No, mon frère,” Alphonse shook his head. “I am Alphonse Lafleur, ze greatest hunter in all ze world!”

“And you were going to use me and my friends as monster bait,” Misty snarled, “to help you catch that ice cold cretin!”

“Yeah,” Scooby nodded with a huff. “Monster bait!”

“All of this, just for a monster that lurks in these mountains?” Snow Spell's gaze began to narrow, and a wind began to quickly pick up. “I hope you never catch that beast, so you can show the world how foolish you were to potentially let me friends get hurt!”

“Snow Spell, calm down!” Sunny said urgently. “If you get any angrier, the snow and wind could blow us off the mountain!”

“I appreciate you trying to help, Sunny,” Snow Spell said as she began to paw her hoof into the snow. “But I have this under control.”

Suddenly, a roar caught her off-guard, and the abominable snowman leapt down right in front of them. “Ha ha ha!!” Alphonse laughed. “At last, ze creature! He is here!”

“And, like, we're gone, man! Real gone!” Shaggy argued, and he, Scooby, Misty and Sunny broke out into a run. “Snow Spell, come on!” Misty called back. “Let's go!”

Snow Spell didn't waste any time and ran after her friends in order to keep away from the monster. During the chase, Alphonse tries to trap the monster but he failed when the traps were set off on him then the monster continued to chase the heroes.

The monster then encountered the five of them as Santa Clause, elves and reindeer, and Shaggy quickly gave him a gift. It unraps the gift revealing a snow globe, with him in it, but that made him angry and they binded him in a bag and they spun him away, and then they run as it chases them again to the igloo with them fishing. When the monster arrived, Shaggy handed him the fishing rod. And then he was pulled into and kicked out of the water, they ran. The fish slapping at the Abominable Snowman before going back to the water, and the angry monster went after the heroes again.

During the midst of the chase, Pemba quickly emerged from his tent. “What is going on out here?”

“Like, you don't want to know!” Shaggy wailed, and the snowman roared at Pemba before he ran, but unfortunately, Pemba got caught in one of the monster traps. “No!!”

“Pemba!!” Snow Spell cried, screeching to a halt. “We'll come back for him, Snow Spell, I promise!” Sunny said. “Right now, we have to get this monster off our rear ends!”

But they were immediately halted when the snowman jumped right in their path. And to make matters worse, the ground bridge undernesth them began to crumble! “Like, if I wasn't freezing,” Shaggy trembled, “I'd be having a major meltdown!”

“Come on, alicorn powers...” Sunny strained. “Come on, come on!”

The second she was able to transform and grab Snow Spell and Misty, the bridge broke, and Shaggy and Scooby began to plummet toward the ground! “No no no!!” Sunny cried. “When I get close, grab the boys with your magic!”

“Right!” both unicorns nodded, and Sunny began to dive after their screaming friends. But once they got close enough, Misty and Snow Spell grabbed Shaggy and Scooby in their magic auras. “We got them!” Misty cried in relief. “But...” Sunny strained. “I can't hold all of you up much longer! Hang on!”

The five began to drop quickly, falling into the snow and rolling into a giant snowball before falling into a large snowbank. “Ugh... is everyone alright?” Snow Spell groaned as she and her friends popped out of the snowbank. “Um... I would be...” Misty gulped. “If that light wasn't coming toward us!”

Indeed, there was a large set of lights coming their way, and they hid in the snowbank as they got closer. Turns out, it was a snowmobile coming closer, and a familiar figure to Shaggy and Scooby came out from it. “Shaggy? Scooby? Is that really you?”

“Huh?” everyone popped out of the snow as they looked toward an obese man in his young adult years with brown hair. “It's me, Del Chillman. Wow! What are you guys doing up here?”

“Would you believe it?” Shaggy groaned. “We're on vacation.”

“Yeah... vacation,” Scooby said. “Well, all of you hop in,” Del invited. “Let's get you someplace warmer than out here.”

Seeing no complaints, the group quickly got into the snowmobile, with Alphonse watching as it took off. “So, Shaggy, his friends, and ze puchy hitched a ride, eh? No matter, where they go, ze monster will sure to follow.”

Music on the Mountain

As Del Chillman took her and her new friends up to the weather station in his snowmobile, Snow Spell could only think about the two most important things in her life...

...Pemba and Minga.

They had been so kind and loving to her since they found her wandering into their village about 5 moons ago, and now... Snow Spell felt guilty about leaving the behind.

Soon enough, they arrived at the weather station, and Del opened the door to let them inside. “Brrrrrr!!!” Misty shivered. “It's freezing out there! Even with a bunch of fur on, I don't see how any animal, even the snowman, could stand being outside in the cold.”

A small feminine voice yawned before coming out. “Me neither. Even I can't stand it sometimes.”

Everyone turned to see a pegasus pony trotting out from the darkness-- a lavender pony with light violet eyes, darker hooves, a green and blue mane and tail and a cutie mark of an aurora coming from a dark cloud. “Everyone, this is Aurora Skies,” Del introduced. “She helps me out at the weather station. Aurora, this is Shaggy, Scooby and some of their friends. Apparently, they got lost up here.”

“Pleased to meet you, Aurora,” Snow Spell smiled. “Yeah, you too,” Aurora smiled back. “You guys go ahead and get comfy. Del and I will try and get through to your friends from the satellite dish.”

“Finally...” Misty sighed. “The best news we've had all day.”

XXXXXXXXX

But after a multitude of tries, Del and Aurora just couldn't get through to anyone-- just as Misty thought they were finally getting somewhere. “Well, sorry you can't call the rest of the gang. Looks like the snow storm has blocked out the satellite,” Del apologized as he passed out some hot chocolate. “But boy, am I glad to see you guys. Aurora and I don't get too many visitors up here.”

Scooby immediately downed the hot chocolate and got whipped cream all over his face, making Misty giggle and wipe it off. “The last time we saw you, all you cared about was the Loch Ness Monster,” Shaggy said to Del. “Like, what happened?”

“Nessie was a no show. I was so bummed,” Del said in disappointment. “But then it hit me. What if I got a job up here and used my free time to search for proof of the abominable snowman? That's where I met Aurora.”

“The people who worked here before Del got tired of the cold and left for Miami,” Aurora said, topping off the cups of hot cocoa with some chocolate sprinkles. “I love studying the weather, and its peaceful up here, so when Del wanted to come onboard, I thought I could use some company.”

Suddenly, a printer printed out a piece of paper, and Del went over to the microphone and spoke into it in a deeper voice. “Hello, out there. Today's weather report: a major snowstorm is blowing through with highs in the low minus 40s. You're chilling with Del Chillman, spinning music for your mountain morning.”

Once Del put on the music again, Sunny looked over the collection of records Del had. “Wow... this is some collection, Del.”

“Yeah,” Scooby nodded. “So, like, your big assignment is to be a radio disk jockey?” Shaggy asked. “Well, I'm only supposed to read the weather report but it got lonely after a while, just Aurora and me,” Del said. “It helps to have someone to talk to, even though nobody's really listening. Except for this.”

That's when Del put on a nearby hat. “Cool, huh?”

“On you, it looks pretty good,” Misty commented. “It just showed up one day, along with this note. Listen,” Del read the note outloud. “Dear Del, I listen to your show every day. I hope you never leave the mountain. Wow. Once I heard that, I knew I just had to keep on rocking, man. I only wish I could stay longer.”

Shaggy took the note and read the final line at the bottom. “Like... 'Signed, your number one fan'.”

“Hmmm...” the ponies said in thought. Who could this number one fan be? “Hey... I think I have a great idea!” Aurora said. “Why don't you guys be guest DJs on today's show?”

“You want us to be DJs?” Misty asked in surprise. “Sure,” Del nodded. “You guys can stay here and watch the station while we head out to search for the other members of your party.”

“Like, the five of us can just keep the party going here,” Shaggy said. “Yeah yeah!” Scooby nodded. “Party!”

“All right,” Del said as he and Aurora prepared to head out. “Now, remember, that monster is still out there somewhere. So while we're gone, whatever you do: do not open this door.”

And just like that, Del and Aurora left the station. “Heh... they don't have to worry about that,” Sunny said. “The last thing we want is another run-in with that winter-wonder weirdo. Hey... what if we open our show with a song sung by one of us?”

“Great idea! Hey, Snow Spell? Do you have a song you wanna sing?” asked Misty. “Me?” Snow Spell blinked in surprise. “Oh no no... I like to sing, but... not in front of people.”

“But you won't be in front of people other than us,” Sunny pointed out. “And all the people out there will love hearing you. Will you at least try?”

“Well... I guess I could try,” Snow Spell said, and Sunny and Misty helped her get set up as Shaggy went over to the microphone. “And now, Shag and Scoob's Radio Show presents a very special performance from none other than... Snow Spell!”

Scooby turned on some music from a speaker, and Snow Spell softly began to sing from her heart.

The snow glows white on the mountain tonight
Not a footprint to be seen
A kingdom of isolation
And it looks like I'm the queen

The wind is howling like this swirling storm inside
Couldn't keep it in, heaven knows I tried

Don't let them in, don't let them see
Be the good girl you always have to be
Conceal, don't feel, don't let them know
Well, now they know

As she began to get her confidence up, snow began to dance at Snow Spell's hooves, sparking awe and delight before her friends.

Let it go, let it go
Can't hold it back anymore
Let it go, let it go
Turn away and slam the door
I don't care what they're going to say
Let the storm rage on
The cold never bothered me anyway

“Whooo-hoo!!” Misty cheered and slid around on a small patch of ice that Snow Spell created, encouraging her to make more wintry magic for her friends to enjoy.

It's funny how some distance makes everything seem small
And the fears that once controlled me can't get to me at all

It's time to see what I can do
To test the limits and break through
No right, no wrong, no rules for me
I'm free

Let it go, let it go
I am one with the wind and sky
Let it go, let it go
You'll never see me cry
Here I stand and here I stay
Let the storm rage on

With the swirl of her hooves, Snow Spell began to create a flurry of snowflakes that began to swirl through the entire station.

My power flurries through the air into the ground
My soul is spiraling in frozen fractals all around
And one thought crystallizes like an icy blast
I'm never going back, the past is in the past!

As she began the final chorus, a dress of solid ice began to form around her body, as well as an icy tiara on her head.

Let it go, let it go
And I'll rise like the break of dawn
Let it go, let it go
That perfect girl is gone
Here I stand in the light of day
Let the storm rage on...!!!

The cold never bothered me anyway

And after the last words were spoken, everything that Snow Spell created vanished into thin air. “All right, give it up for that magical performance from Snow Spell!” Shaggy told the radio listeners. “Now, let's get onto our next song.”

Author's Note

Aurora Skies actually was based off this OC:

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/958774208148248671/

But I chose to give her the name of this oc:

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/pinterest--9710955440129285/

All credit goes to them.

Let It Go belongs to the Disney company.

A Mountainside Investigation/Panic on the Radio

At the same time, everyone had gotten out of the van and started pushing when the snow got too deep, and with the help of a man and his three yaks, they managed to push the Mystery Machine all the way up to Pemba, Snow Spell and Minga’s village. Everyone, by then, was cold and tired, not having much energy for anything else. “Wow, that sure was a long drive,” Fred commented, “but we made great time.”

“Great time?! Freddy, I can barely feel by hooves anymore cause of the cold, and you wanna call that great time?!” Pipp said, shivering from the cold and from her anger. “Pipp, calm down,” Zipp told her sister. “As soon as we find our friends, we can get back to sunny, warm Paris.”’

Pipp frustratingly sighed. “I hope you’re right…”

“Are you sure this is the place, Freddy?” Velma asked and Pipp handed Fred her phone, but he frowned upon seeing there were no bars. “I think so, but I’m not sure. None of the phones can find a signal up here.”

“Hey, wait. You can't just leave us here!” Daphne called to the man with the yaks. “No… this mountain is cursed,” he said. “The yaks are unhappy, for they feel the yeti's power. Come on, girls. We're going home.”

The yaks slowly started walking back the way they came, and Hitch began putting all the pieces together. “Okay. Deserted village, yeti's curse, creepy yak guy. Yeah, we're in the right place.”

“Hello?” Fred called as they entered the temple. “Anybody home?”

“Jeepers, this place gives me the creeps,” Daphne shivered. “Hey, check this out!” Zipp said, picking up a green, blue and orange box off the ground, and Daphne gasped upon seeing it. “Scooby Snacks!”

“And where there’s Scooby Snacks, our friends shouldn’t be too far away,” Hitch reasoned. “Don’t be so sure, Hitch. Come take a look,” Velma called from the doors, and beckoned them all outside to see footprints and hoofprints leading away from the village. Zipp put on her visor and began to examine them. “Hey… those are Shaggy and Scooby’s tracks!” Fred said. “And Misty and Sunny’s hoofprints! Along with a couple other ponies too!”

“But why in Equestria would they be heading up the cold mountain?” Izzy wondered. “I mean, heh… they’d wanna be somewhere warmer.”

“I don’t know, gang,” Velma shook her head. “But, I've got a hunch our next clue, will be waiting for us in thin air.”

“Then what are we waiting for?” Zipp asked. “The quicker we follow their tracks, the quicker we find them! But we better hurry-- the incoming snow could cover their tracks quick.”

XXXXXXXX

Back at the radio station, Sunny and Misty and Snow Spell were watching Shaggy and Scooby jam out to the records Del had laying around, and Shaggy stepped up to the microphone. “Like, greetings, radio listeners. Shaggy and Scooby, broadcasting live from the top of the world, spinning stacks of wax for all you frostbitten fans out there. Right, Scoob?”

Scooby then began to make several noises on different instruments for a response, causing him and the ponies to giggle. “Oh, you big goof, you,” Misty rubbed the top of his head playfully. “I gotta admit, bringing music to others seems like a lot of fun. No wonder Pipp has so much fun doing it.”

“Hey, guys! Wanna hear my radio voice?” Shaggy asked. “Yeah,” Scooby nodded, and Shaggy assumed a deeper tone for his radio-announcer position. “Like, put down your snow shovel and pick up that thin-air guitar. It's time to stay in and rock out.”

He put on another record and they all began dancing… unaware that the snowman was watching them from right outside.

XXXXXXXXX

At the same time as this, the rest of the ponies, Fred and the girls climbed up the mountain and right to the campsite where the group had stayed, finding it in ruins. “What happened here?” Daphne wondered, but then Velma (figuratively) froze when she saw something on the ground. “Daphne, freeze!”

“We’re waaaaaay ahead of you there, sister,” Pipp shivered, trying to flutter her wings to keep them from freezing. “No,” Velma shook her head. “Freeze as in don’t move.”

When they all looked down, they saw footprints bigger than two or three of Sparky put together right next to them. Seeing the size of the footprints made Sparky whimper and hug Hitch’s neck for comfort. “Jeepers…” Daphne said. “Giant footprints!”

“They must belong to the adorable snowman!” Fred reasoned, and Zipp muttered to herself and slapped her face with her wing. “You gotta be kidding me… adorable? That’s the best you can come up with?”

“Hold on, gang,” Velma stopped their chatter, noticing something peculiar. “There's something awfully strange about these tracks.”

“I’ll say. This snowman must wear a size-50 snowshoe,” Daphne said. “But look closer,” Velma pointed out. “The creature's footprint, while larger in size, only sinks half as deep into the snow as Daphne's.”

“Hey… they sink half as deep as our legs too!” Izzy said, noticing the same thing. “He must be in great shape.”

“But that doesn’t make sense,” Hitch shook his head. “How could we weigh more than a snow monster?”

“There has to be a reasonable explanation for this,” Zipp said in thought. Suddenly, there was a groan, and Izzy and Fred raced over to the edge and looked down. “Hey gang!” Fred called. “Over here!”

The others raced over at his call, and discovered a freezing Pemba in the cage below. “Oh no… he could get hypothermia down there!” Zipp said. “Let’s get him out and ask some questions-- maybe he saw what happened.”

XXXXXXXXXX

Izzy managed to get down to Pemba and unlocked the cage, and as soon as Pemba was brought up to safety, Pipp poured him a cup of tea, and Pemba soon recollected all of the events from earlier. “And that is the last thing I remember,” Pemba finished the story. “I don't know what happened to the others.”

Sparky whimpered and hugged up against Pemba’s leg in comfort. “Yikes… that’s some scary stuff,” Pipp frowned sadly. “Don’t worry, Pemba,” Velma assured. “By reading the footprints in the snow, we should be able to reconstruct the attack.”

“By the looks of these tracks, I’d say Ember and Professor Jeffries snuck off on their own,” Fred looked in the direction of the sled tracks, footprints and singular hoofprints. “But why did they go climbing on their own?” Zipp pondered. “At night in the middle of the snowstorm?”

“And what about Minga?” Pemba asked worriedly. “I do not see her footprints anywhere.”

“Now that you mention it… neither do I,” Hitch shook his head. “It’s like she just… vanished with the snowstorm.”

“Well, gang,” Fred spoke, “it looks like we've got a mystery on our hands.”

Velma walked over to a specific spot in the snow, and pulled something out from it. “Jinkies, look! It’s a radio!”

“That’s Minga’s!” Pemba gasped, getting up. “She never goes anywhere without it!”

“Then she must have dropped it,” Zipp pondered, ears pinning, “as the creature carried her away!”

Pipp gasped in horror, eyes widening at that. “You mean… Minga has been kidnapped by the abominable snowman?”

“Oh, this is all my fault. I should never have returned to the mountain!” Pemba said, overwhelmed with guilt. “Pemba, this was out of your control,” Izzy said comfortingly. “But we can find her; I know we can!”

“But what about Snow Spell, Sunny, Misty, Shaggy and Scooby?” Fred wondered with worry. “They could still be out there somewhere!”

“I know Pemba said that Snow Spell knows her way around the mountain,” Hitch sighed, “but… if something were to happen to our friends, I… I could never forgive myself.”

“Especially if Opaline found out they were out here alone,” Pipp said, causing the group to look worried. “Misty mentioned an Opaline before,” Pemba recalled after thinking a moment. “Who is she?”

“An evil fire alicorn set out to gain control of Equestrian magic,” Zipp said grimly. “We’ve stopped her on more than one occasion, but now she has 75% of Sparky’s dragonfire, and has gotten even more powerful than ever! Leaving our friends at a horrible chance at being captured... or worse.”

“Oh, Scooby-Doo,” Daphne said worriedly, “where are you?!”

Her call echoed over the mountains, and as the group tried to comfort each other, a familiar voice was heard over the radio with some comedy sounds following. “Scooby-Dooby-Doo!!!”

“Like, that’s right, old buddy!” another voice said, and this belonged to Shaggy. “It’s Scooby and Shaggy!” Fred cried. “They’re on the radio!”

Hitch sighed in relief. “Thank goodness they’re safe! And I bet Sunny and the others are with them too!”

XXXXXXX

Sunny was writing vigorously about different topics for Shaggy and Scooby to talk about on the radio, while Misty and Snow Spell sat behind Shaggy at the desk, making sure the equipment was working. “And now, for all you mountain music lovers…” said Shaggy, “it's time for your mid-morning traffic report. There's a six-yak pileup on the Tibetan tri-level, got you backed up all the way to the K2 off-ramp. So if you're traveling by yak this morning, try to give yourself an extra day or two, folks.”

During the traffic report, Scooby saw the abominable snowman watching through the window, and made several different comedy noises to try and alert Shaggy and the ponies. “What is it, Scooby?” Misty asked in a hushed voice. “Can’t you see we’re doing something here?”

“Uh… guys?” Sunny saw what Scooby meant and pointed with wide eyes. “Might wanna look behind you...”

“Hey, you're right. Like, I forgot to check the temperature,” Shaggy said, making Sunny slap her face as he turned to the thermometer, and Snow Spell and Misty finally saw what they were talking about, freezing in fear while Shaggy held up the mic again. “Oh, better wear your mittens today, folks. It's a chilly 15 degrees below zero out there.”

That’s when Shaggy finally noticed the monster outside, and he, Snow Spell and Misty screamed as the monster roared. “And,” said Misty, “with a 100% chance of snow monsters!”

The snow monster began to shake the station violently, and the ponies rushed to get their things with Scooby so they could make their escape. “Ladies and gentleman,” Shaggy broadcasted in panic, not knowing the gang was listening, “we interrupt our scheduled program to bring you this special report! Like, live! As it happens!”

Scooby quickly scribbled something on a piece of paper before giving it to Shaggy. “Hang on, folks; I’ve just been handed this important bulletin,” he said before reading it. “Like… HEEEEELP!!!”

Immediately, the group barricaded the door, and then hid behind a table as the snowman broke through. They took the table and hit the monster out of the way and ran outside, but darted right back inside and got on their winter outfits, and they ran to the storage shed to hide, but the monster busts it's way in, and found Shaggy and Scooby in disguise. “Table for one, monsieur?” Shaggy asked, taking him to a table. “Like, your menu, sir.”

Sunny, Misty and Snow Spell then came with a plate of frozen food and the monster finds it distasteful, and the the heroes run and the Abominable Snowman chases them until he sees snowmen, and the roars that them to melt them and then one ofthem reveals Scooby, Shaggy, and the others in it. And then we go to the snow-made boxing stadium, with Scooby preparing to face off against the snowman himself. “Okay, Scooby,” Misty said encouragingly. “Hit him with the old one two!”

“Yeah,” Scooby nodded. “One two!”

He began to fight the monster off, but after one fearsome roar, he got scared and backed away. “Come on, champ!” Shaggy encouraged. “Give him the old double, backwards, super-duper Scooby spin!”

Scooby nodded and spun snow back in the snowman’s face, calling him to fall on the weather station. Then, the monster roared at the group of friends, and they screamed and were chased around some more. Everyone climbed onto the roof of the station and climbed up one of the poles, but came to a dead end at the top…

…with the monster tailing behind them. “We’re trapped, everyone!” Snow Spell said in panic, while Scooby howled. “So… what now?” Sunny asked. “We can’t just give up!”

“I can think of something we can do…” Misty said. Then, in unison, everyone screamed at the top of their lungs, “HEEEEEEEEEEEELP!!!!!”

That was the last thing the gang heard on the radio before the signal blocked out.

The Mystery Thickens/The Lost Kingdom of Shangri-la

“Jinkies!” Velma cried in terror as the radio signal cut out. “We lost them!”

“And it sounds like the snowman got them!” Hitch shrieked. “We've got to get to that weather station,” Fred declared, “and fast!”

“Which way to the weather station, Pemba?” Zipp asked. “It is not far,” Pemba answered, pointing in a certain direction. “You will see it just over that ridge. I am going to search for Minga in the monster's cave.”

“Pemba's right. We should split up,” Fred spoke. “Daphne, you and I will head over to the weather station.”

“No thanks, Freddy,” Daphne declined. “I’m going with Pemba.”

“Okay, that’s… huh?!”

Daphne didn’t seem phased by Fred’s stunned expression, however. “You can pair up with Velma this time.”

“Lucky me…” Velma deadpanned, looking over at Fred. “Don’t worry,” Zipp assured. “Izzy and I will go with you two, while Pipp, Hitch and Sparky go with Daphne and Pemba.”

“All right, gang,” said Fred. “Let’s solve this mystery before Shaggy and Scooby and the girls wind up in the deep freeze.”

XXXXXXXX

The snowman had joined Shaggy, Scooby and the three ponies up on the pole, swiping at them every chance he got. “Shoo! Go away!” Misty swatted her hoof at him. “Pick on somepony your own size!”

The monster didn’t seem phased and merely swiped at her, causing her to scream and nearly fall, but Shaggy and Scooby managed to get her just in the nick of time. “Thanks.”

Suddenly, Alphonse Lafleur showed up at the roof of the weather station, since he had followed Del’s snowplow up this direction, wrapping a net around the monster's face with a laugh. “You think you can outsmart, Alphonse LaFleur, eh, beastie?”

“Like, what took you so long?” Shaggy asked with a nervous laugh. “A couple of more seconds and we would've been abominable appetizers!”

“Yeah!” Scooby nodded frantically. “What did I tell you, huh?” Alphonse asked them. “You must think like the creature, no?”

“Whatever your methods, just get us down from here!” Sunny demanded. The monster then swiftly grabbed the net with his hands and spun Lafleur around repeatedly. “Okay, maybe not so much thinking next time!”

He was thrown after a few seconds, but Alphonse managed to stop himself and got his weapon ready to fire. “You come for LaFleur, eh? No, no, no. LaFleur has come for you.”

But when he looked down at the sound of cracking, he saw that his ice pick he had shoved to stop himself was causing the ground beneath him to crumble. “Oh no…”

And just like that, the ground broke off in one piece, causing Alphonse Lafleur to fall into the abyss, right before the ponies’, Shaggy and Scooby’s eyes. “Monsieur Lafleur…” Sunny trailed off. “He’s… gone!”

Misty had seen the whole thing with terror filled eyes, which teared up immediately, and sobbed into Scooby’s side, leading the Great Dane to try and comfort her. But that sadness for the loss was soon replaced by fear as the monster inched closer. “Zoinks,” said Shaggy, “like, lucky him!”

“Shaggy! You don’t wish death onto a person!” Snow Spell scolded harshly. “No matter what the circumstance!”

Before the monster could take a swipe at them, they discovered that their combined weight was causing the pole to bend until it finally bent too far, causing them to fall back onto the weather station roof. When they landed, Scooby accidentally inflated the weather balloon, causing it to rise. “A makeshift hot air balloon!” Sunny cried, shifting to alicorn form. “Genius idea, Scoob!”

“Thank you… uh, I think,” Scooby blinked in confusion. Snow Spell, Misty and Scooby leapt onto the tether of the balloon before Sunny quickly flew upward, but Shaggy was left unable to fend himself before the snowman, causing him to scream. “SHAGGY!!”

Shaggy once again screamed before the monster roared in his face, but luckily, Snow Spell had a plan. She conjured up a snowball for herself and Scooby before they threw the snowballs right at the snowman’s face, and this bought Shaggy enough time to be levitated by Sunny. “Hang on, Scoob! I’m hitchin’ a ride!”

Sunny tossed Shaggy onto the tether before Shaggy cut the rope, allowing the balloon to fly away. Once they were out of sight, Sunny switched back to earth pony form and hung onto the balloon, laughing. “We made it! I can’t believe we did that!”

“Oh, I can’t believe it either!” Snow Spell said. “I never thought in all my time I would use my skills against the snow monster of Mount Everest!”

“We really make a great team. But first thing’s first,” said Shaggy. “Scoob, old buddy, point this balloon toward Coolsville… and let’s go home.”

XXXXXXXX

Meanwhile, Fred, Velma, Izzy and Zipp arrived at a large valley, and on a large hill overlooking the weather station. “There's the weather station, directly across the valley,” Fred said. “And since only one of us is a pegasus, we’ll have to find some other way across.”

“Hold it…” Zipp said, her ears beginning to swivel. “Does anypony else hear that?”

Indeed, there came the sound of an engine running, and it was getting closer. Suddenly, Del's snowplow appeared in front of them, and Del and Aurora popped out of the snowplow in surprise. “Fred?” Del spoke up. “Velma?”

“Del?” Fred blinked. “You know each other?” Zipp asked. “Sure we do,” Del said. “Man, I thought you guys were in Paris!”

Velma rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath. “You've gotta be kidding me.”

“Listen, I know I don't know you like Shaggy and Scooby know you,” Aurora said, “but we have something... well, five someones you should see.”

XXXXXXXXX

On the way to the weather station, Del and Aurora got acquainted with Izzy and Zipp, and Fred and Velma got acquainted with Aurora. But by the time they got to the weather station, it was completely wrecked and destroyed.

So, naturally, they went to go check out all the damage. “I asked them to fill in for me on the radio while I went out to look for the others,” Del said. “But meanwhile, the monster showed up,” Aurora said, “and it was more than Sunny and the unicorns could handle, so they fled with Shag and Scooby right behind.”

“Maybe there was something else the snowman was after besides our friends,” Velma said as she looked at a chart. “According to these inventory records, a few of your helium tanks are missing.”

“Our what?” Aurora looked at the records to discover that Velma was right. “Helium tanks?” Zipp frowned. “Yeah, we use helium to fill up the weather balloons, but, they're missing?” Del asked, and this made Aurora hum in thought. “What would a snow creature want with pressurized helium?”

That's when Del noticed the seismic device on the wall acting up. “This is super weird.”

“That looks like a seismograph. A device used to detect underground vibrations,” Velma explained, and Fred shrugged. “I knew that.”

“And it's picking up some really strange vibes deep inside the mountain,” Del observed. That led Zipp to realize something. “Then maybe the next place to search for clues won't be on the mountain... but in it!”

XXXXXXXX

Meanwhile, Daphne and Pemba led Pipp, Hitch and Sparky into the cavern of the monster, trying to avoid any hazardous ice in the cave. “Hello?” Daphne called. “Anybody in here?”

“Minga!!” Pemba cried. “Are you in here?!”

“If there are any monster's in here, we would appreciate you to speak UPP!!!!” Hitch screamed as he fell face first in the ground, causing Daphne to trip over on him. “Dada?” Sparky seemed to coo in concern. “Are you all right?” Pemba asked them, frowning. “We're fine,” Daphne said, “but I think Hitch and I tripped over a clue.”

And what that clue was? A helium tank set on empty. “What would helium be doing down in a deserted or... non-deserted cavern?” Pipp asked, leading Daphne to hum. “I'm starting to think this abominable snowman may be less snow and more man.”

XXXXXXXX

The three ponies, Scooby and Shaggy had been flying high for a while by that point, and Misty was starting to get a little airsick. “Okay, Scooby-Doo. You got us all the way up here, but now how are you gonna get us down?”

Scooby pondered at that for a moment before getting an idea and fidgeting with the handle a bit on the helium tank, making the pressure in the balloon slowly drop.

Unfortunately, this caused the balloon to fly out of control for a few moments before they got above the clouds, where Shaggy looked down in fear. “Like, don't look now, guys, but I think our stock is about to take a serious plunge.”

But before they could ask what that meant, the ponies felt themselves begin to plummet toward the ground at top speed, allowing them to shriek at the top of their lungs. However, Sunny was unable to activate her alicorn form in the heat of the moment, leaving them on their own.

And despite not being pegasi, Shaggy and Scooby got the idea to flap their arms to slow their fall. When they finally reached the group, they landed in a snowbank at the bottom of the ravine. Shaggy couldn't believe that fall actually went well, chuckling as the others got up. “That wasn't so bad after all.”

“Uh, yeah. Considering we fell from pony knows how high,” Sunny said, shaking out her fur from the snow as Scooby pounded the snow out of his ears. As soon as they all stood, a bright light from not far away caused them to gasp with wide eyes. “Do not be afraid, my young travelers,” said the voice of the High Lama. “Zoinks,” Shaggy quickly stammered. “Like, who's a-a-afraid?”

“Uh... uh... uh... I am!” Scooby whimpered. The light quickly disappeared, revealing the High Lama in its place. But the strange thing was... he seemed younger for some reason. “I am wondering. What are you doing among the gravestones of the spirits?”

“G-G-Gravestones?!” Shaggy and Scooby shrieked before diving into hiding behind the High Lama. “Fear not, honored ones. Your good karma has at last brought you to safety. Welcome to the lost kingdom of Shangri-la.”

From his hand, a butterfly flew around the group before leading them to a glorious, spring-like kingdom, with a glorious castle standing in the distance. Snow Spell gasped in awe. “I can't believe it-- we really found it... come on.”

“Huh?” Misty and Sunny appeared confused, but they followed the High Lama and Snow Spell further, Shaggy and Scooby trailing behind. As they got further in, however, they had to ditch their winter clothing due to how warm it had gotten. “Wow…” Shaggy said, looking around. “The vibes in this place are too groovy for words. And, like, it's done wonders for your complexion.”

“I’ve heard all about the kingdom when I was a little filly from my mother,” Snow Spell said, “but… I never thought it actually existed. This is what Professor Jeffries and Ember were so eager to find.”

“For thousands of years,” explained the High Lama, “ this mystical valley has been the source of eternal youth. Those who discover Shangri-la can never grow old, so long as they stay.”

“It’s so beautiful…” Misty said. “And the longer we stay, the longer we never age? That’s amazing!”

Scooby paused to take a look at their new surroundings, but then felt a yank on his tail, causing him to yelp and jump onto Shaggy for protection. “Like, what is it now, Scooby-Doo?”

“He pulled my tail,” Scooby whimpered. “Pulled tail.”

“Oh… you mean, somepony pulled your tail?” Sunny asked, comforting the large dog. That’s when they noticed a horde of chimps laughing at Scooby’s demise. “Hey,” said Shaggy. “Like, those chimps must think we're a couple of chumps.”

“Oh yeah?” Scooby challenged, and barked at the chimps before scaring them off. “Like, nobody makes a monkey out of you, right Scooby-Doo?” Shaggy asked, but then, Scooby started acting like a monkey to make everyone around smile. “Heh, Shaggy, I think you might’ve spoke too soon,” Misty said, and the High Lama chuckled. “Indeed. This way my friends. You may stay as long as you wish.”

The group began to follow him up the stairs of the palace, and Shaggy turned to look at his best friend with a smile. “You know, Scoob, I could get used to a place like this.”

“Yeah,” Scooby nodded. “Me too.”

They followed the High Lama into the palace, where he finally turned to the group. “You have full access to the palace. I must go make sure that everything is in order. Would any of you care to join me?”

“I would!” Snow Spell volunteered. “I’ll see you all later.”

Snow Spell and the High Lama walked out of sight, where Misty saw a piano over close to them. “You know, guys… if I was still serving Opaline, I might not be doing this with you right now,” she said. “And I… I wanna thank you guys for that.”

“Misty, you don’t have to do that,” Shaggy said. “But I want to,” Misty took a seat at the piano. “And if Pipp’s taught me anything, the best way to do it is with music.”

So, she began to play a soft tune on the piano, demonstrating how spending so much time with her new friends had changed her for the better.

Misty: Can’t believe
The world that you’ve revealed to me
For the first time, I feel truly free
And it’s all thanks to you

Sunny smiled… being friends with Misty, Shaggy and Scooby had helped her frequently as well, and she couldn’t think of any regular words to say thank you with.

So… she decided to sing as well.

Sunny: I feel the same
You’ve pushed me through the doubts, the pain
And as our paths collide again
I know what to do…

Misty stopped playing, and when she and Sunny looked around, they saw Shaggy and Scooby on a staircase heading upward into the palace.

Shaggy: Like, take our hands

All: As we stand
Let’s face the world
There is nothing that can defeat us

They climbed the staircase and up into the upper layers of the palace, beginning to explore this new land around them.

All: Day and night
You and I
Let’s show the world
That nothing can come between us

Misty: Thanks to you, I’ve become
Confident to know I am free

Sunny: When I feel overrun
It’s no longer all on me

Misty and Sunny: Hearts and minds, now combined
I am stronger…
When you’re by my side

Sunny leapt out of the nearby window, turning into her alicorn form and flying to the next level, where Shaggy, Misty and Scooby met her and continued the song.

Shaggy: We can share all our cares
You've laid bare our deepest flaws

Scooby: You've caught us unaware

Shaggy: That our fate is tied with yours

Scooby and Shaggy: Hearts and minds now combined
We are stronger, so stay by our side

Shaggy: Like, take our hands

All: As we stand
Let’s face the world
There is nothing that can defeat us

All: Day and night
You and I
Let’s show the world
That nothing can come between us

Misty: Nothing... will come...
Between us...

The song was finally over, and the four friends happily embraced. “Whatever comes next, I know we can all handle it... together,” Sunny said. “Come on... let's get inside.”

Author's Note

"Stronger Together" is a song from the new Ladybug movie, and I felt like this would be a great chapter for the song.

Reunited at Last

Del and Aurora offered to take Fred, Velma, Izzy and Zipp to the coordinated where the seismic tremors were highest in their snowplow, and had been driving for quite some time through the blinding snowstorm. “According to the data from the seismograph,” Velma said, looking at the map, “this should be the right spot.”

Suddenly, Del yelled and stomped on the breaks, halting the snowplow before they went over the side of the cliff before them. “Phew…” Izzy gasped. “That would’ve been pretty bad if we went over that cliff.”

“Jinkies!” Velma exclaimed as they got back out. “The underground vibrations must be coming from down there.”

“Then we better get down there too,” Zipp said, handing them some climbing gear. “Aurora and I will fly down there and meet you at the bottom.”

As soon as the two pegasi dove out of sight, Fred picked up one of the climbing ropes. “Come on, gang. It's time to put this mystery on ice.”

XXXXXXXXX

Meanwhile, Snow Spell had finally joined back with the others as they were preparing to go to bed for the evening. “Everyone, there you are!” said the ice-loving unicorn. “This palace is incredible! Dating back over 3000 years!”

“We’re glad you’re having fun, Snow Spell. Really, we are,” Sunny said before yawning. “But we’re pretty tired from all this hiking and being chased. You think we can keep exploring tomorrow?”

“Oh, of course,” said Snow Spell. “I’ll walk with you.”

They continued to walk for another good ways until Shaggy spoke up again. “Boy, guys, that High Lama sure seemed like an awfully wise man,” he said. “But, like, you'd think, he'd have remembered to tell us where to brush our teeth.”

“I’m sure he has other things on his mind, Shaggy,” Misty pointed out, frowning. “I don’t think we should judge the sweet man too much.”

As they continued to walk down the hallways of the palace, they came across spooky looking paintings on their left sides. “Gee...” Sunny said nervously. “For such peaceful people, they sure do have a lot of creepy paintings.”

“Check this guy out, Scoob,” Shaggy said, gesturing to the first painting. “Like, he must be the god of bad breath.”

Scooby laughed before pausing and smelling his own breath, shaking off the smell before they walked on to the next painting. “And who's this? Like, talk about a bad hair day,” Shaggy said. “Somebody paint this guy a hat.”

Sunny and the girls couldn't help but giggle... in a way, it was sort of true. Then, they moved on to the last 'painting' on the wall. “Now, this guy's the ugliest one of them all.”

Scooby and the girls looked up at the realistic art form and realized that it wasn't just a painting-- it was the real abominable snowman! So, they screamed and got back as fast as they could, Scooby trembling in the process. “You're not kidding, you guys,” Shaggy said with a smile. “Like, who'd be his date for the prom? Tyrannosaurus rex? Ha ha ha!!”

“Uh, Shaggy...?” Sunny said, but Shaggy paid her no mind. “I mean, with a face like that, he could go as himself for Halloween!” he laughed. “Like, he's so ugly, he probably has to sneak up on himself in the mirror!”

Suddenly, the snowman let out a roar, causing Shaggy to jump and squeeze the toothpaste he was holding tightly. “Zoinks, it's the abominable snowman!”

“And I don't think he appreciates your honesty!” Snow Spell said urgently. “This way!”

The group immediately darted off to avoid the snowman and its large stature, eventually losing him after a few moments. But, everyone knew it wouldn’t be long until the snowman found them again. “We gotta find someplace to hide from that bipolar polar bear!” Shaggy said as they ran along a path, and before long, Sunny noticed a minecart up ahead. “In here, guys! Hurry!”

They dove into the cart, but found it to be a dead end, and the abominable snowman was getting closer. Everyone began to say their final prayers… until Scooby activated a lever that sent the cart falling down into the mine shaft through the elevator, until the elevator crashed at the bottom and they started rolling along the tracks and into a crystal-filled tunnel.

Snow Spell was the first to take a breath of relief. “That was far too close for comfort.”

“Uh, I don’t think we’re out of this yet,” Misty uneasily said, pointing to the intersection of three tunnels before them. “Like, check it out,” Shaggy commented. “This tunnel’s got a split personality.”

“And we have no idea which way leads out!” Misty reasoned. “Do you think we should split up and take a different tunnel?”

“No. WAY too risky,” Sunny said firmly. “If the snowman catches one of us, who’s to say that he can’t catch all of us? It’s better if we stay together on this one.”

“Shaggy? Scooby? Guys?” called a familiar voice. “Is that you?”

Everyone watched as Fred, Velma, Del, Aurora, Zipp and Izzy came down one of the tunnels, immediately halting before them. “Guys!” Zipp cried in relief. “It IS you!”

“Zipp! Izzy! Aurora!” Sunny cried, and she and Misty ran out to greet their friends with a multitude of hugs, and Scooby and Shaggy leapt into Fred and Velma’s arms. Scooby happily licked Fred on the face, and Velma just looked at Shaggy. “Don’t even think about it.”

She immediately dropped him on the ground, and Snow Spell walked over. “You must be the friends that Misty and Sunny talk of so fondly.”

“We are,” Zipp said. “We’re so happy that you all are safe and sound!”

“But I have to know, guys. What happened up at the weather station?” Aurora asked curiously. But suddenly, before Shaggy could respond, the cave began to shake roughly. “More like, what’s happening down here!” Shaggy said. Suddenly, Daphne’s voice was heard, and she and the others found their way over to them. “Was that an explosion?”

“PEMBA!!” Snow Spell cried in relief, running into her friend’s arms. “Oh, I never thought I would see you again!”

“SUNNY!!!” Hitch screamed, diving into her and giving her a bone-crushing hug. “Oh, heh…” Sunny wiggled out of the hug when it got too much. “Good to see you too, Hitch.”

“Wait a minute… where did you guys come from?” Izzy asked. “Well, we’d love to catch up on our cave exploration, Iz,” Pipp said, “but we can’t stay here!”

“This cave could collapse at any moment!” Pemba agreed. The cave continued to rumble, and Zipp pulled out her visor and scanned around before finding a suitable exit. “This way!”

Everyone screamed and followed after the white pegasus into the exit tunnel… which led to a large, crystal-filled cavern. Everyone seemed to ‘ooh’ and ‘aww’ in delight, eyes widening in surprise and wonder. “It’s some kind of crystal cavern,” Fred observed. “It’s… it’s amazing!” Aurora said. “Like the aurora borealis was slipped into each crystal.”

“Wow… that’s a really poetic way to look at it,” Pipp nodded, not pulling out her phone to take a photo for once. “Now this is what I call an underground scene,” Shaggy agreed. That’s when Daphne suddenly pointed down into the cavern with a gasp. “Look; I think I see people down there!”

When Snow Spell and Pemba got a good look, the unicorn’s eyes widened in shock. “It’s Ember and Professor Jeffries!”

Indeed; the professor and Ember seemed to be using explosives, the same explosives that Shaggy, Scooby, Misty and Sunny noticed earlier, to mine the crystals in the cavern, and Misty suddenly got that bad feeling about Ember again… this time, even stronger. After a moment of observation, Fred turned to the group in a determined spirit. “Come on, gang. I've got a plan to catch this crystal-craving creep. But I’m gonna need everyone’s help… even our pony friends.”

“Just tell us what to do, Freddy,” Sunny smiled, “and we’ll be waiting.”

A Mystery Comes to a Close...?

Fred had given everyone their instructions to take down Professor Jeffries and Ember’s scheme, and now all they had to do was wait for the right moment to strike.

Down below, Ember and the professor were loading crystals onto the sled, and Professor Jeffries laughed triumphantly. “Once I get down this desolate mountain, it'll be nothing but room service and warm, sunny beaches. And you, my dear, Ember, will get your reward.”

“Yes…” Ember chuckled wickedly. “So I will.”

But when they turned again, the crystal on the sled was gone! That’s when they looked over and saw that Shaggy, Scooby, Sunny, Misty, Pipp and Zipp had the sled near them. “Looking for this?” Zipp smirked. “Sorry, professor,” said Sunny with a sneer. “This crystal stays in the cavern where it belongs.”

“Not while we have anything to say about it!” Ember snarled, and dove for the crystal, but Sunny and Pipp bumped it aside, letting her crash. And when she dove again, this time for Misty and Zipp, they merely ducked, letting her crash again. Seeing as his partner was no longer getting anywhere, Professor Jeffries picked up a pickaxe. “Come back here with that crystal!” he said, charging. “Finders keepers!”

“Zoinks! And like, losers snoozers!” Shaggy said, and the ponies grabbed ropes and pulled them away. “Mush, girls! Mush! Mush!”

Once they reached a certain point, Fred immediately gave the signal. “Hit it!”

Pemba, Dell, Aurora and Snow Spell pushed down a huge boulder, which held a net in place, and caught Professor Jeffries in the trap. Daphne put her hands on her hips with a huff. “A textbook example of how to catch a would-be snow monster.”

“What?” Professor Jeffries was confused. “No, you’ve got it all wrong! I’m not the snowman!”

“It makes perfect sense, though,” Hitch growled. “Professor Jeffries used the legend of the abominable snowman to scare everyone off the mountain!”

“And once everyone was gone and out of harms way,” Zipp agreed, “he and Ember were free to collect the crystals for their own gain. Speaking of Ember, where is she, Jeffries?”

The professor looked around for any sign of the pegasus, but she was nowhere to be seen. “She must have retreated once she saw you had bested her.”

“We’ll look for her later,” Sunny said. “Right now, what should we do with the professor?”

Shaggy gulped nervously as he approached the discussive trio. “I hate to interrupt, but it looks like there's still a few scares left to this snow-monster mystery!”

That’s when everyone finally looked up again to see that the snow monster was above them, roaring at the top of its lungs. “Come on, gang!” Shaggy shouted as he and Scooby were joined by the Mane 6. “We gotta skedaddle!”

“In other words,” Izzy said urgently, “get the hay out of here!”

“Daphne, keep an eye on Sparky!” Hitch shouted as they ran from the monster down another tunnel. “All aboard the Snowman Express!” Del shouted, and everyone else boarded a minecart train before setting off down the tunnel, leaving the professor alone. “You're not out of this race you Jeffries old boy,” he said, cutting the net. “Ember will have her reward… count on it.”

XXXXXXXXX

The chase took our treasured heroes through the mountain caverns at a rapid speed-- even Professor Jeffries got in on the chase after escaping from the net. They tried to stop him, of course, when the snowman got involved, but he did escape with the crystal

Eventually, after losing Professor Jeffries, the Mane 6, Shaggy and Scooby lost the snowman, but their friends in the process, in the dark tunnels.

As for the others, they came out of the tunnel, with Del screaming, 'This is gonna hurt', and landed in a fresh pile of snow. “Ooh... Del was right,” groaned Snow Spell. “That really did hurt.”

“But what about the others?” Daphne asked worriedly. “They must still be inside the mountain somewhere!” Aurora said worriedly, but Fred began to formulate a plan in his mind. “Okay, gang. I've got a plan to catch this freezer-burned bogeyman. But we'll have to work fast. Come on. Del, you are driving.”

“Right on!”

XXXXXXXXX

At the same time, the remaining group traveled down the dark tunnels of the mountain in the pitch black. “I can't see a thing...” Zipp strained with a blink. “Can somebody light one of those candles?”

Scooby managed to stumble and find a match, flicking it and lighting the candle... which was definitely not what they all expected it to be. “Zoinks, like, that's no candle! It's a stick of dynamite!”

“DYNAMITE!!” Scooby and the ponies wailed, and everyone managed to jump off the sled, just before it exploded, sending the group face first into the snowbank. After they managed to recover, Shaggy laughed joyously. “We made it, guys! We're alive!!”

“I'm free to parent Sparky another day!” Hitch said at the top of his lungs. But what they didn't realize, until it was too late, that the explosion from the dynamite caused the snow above them to crumble and collapse, heading down the mountain at a rapid pace.

Everyone screamed upon seeing the snow heading their way-- this wasn't just a bunch of snow coming at them... it was an avalanche! “Nopony panic!” Sunny quickly shouted. “We just need to figure out a safe but fast way down the mountain. Any ideas?”

“Oh oh oh! I know!” Izzy immediately raised a hoof. “Scooby, hand me those materials over there!”

Scooby tossed the remaining fragments of the sled to the lavender unicorn, and she immediately got to work constructing things as the avalanche got closer. “Uh, whatever you're working on, Izzy,” Zipp said, a tad bit panicked, “do you mind working on our way out of this alive FASTER?!”

Finally, Izzy's unicycling project was finally complete-- hoof-made snowboards! “Like, far out!” Shaggy cried, and they all raced to get on the snowboards. “Come on, guys!” Misty said. “Let's shred this mountain before it shreds us!”

Then, with one push from everyone, they sped down the mountain at an alarming pace, the wind and some snow flying into their faces and the avalanche just mere meters behind them.

But on one hoof, the snowboarding was actually a fun experience, and the avalanche heightened the thrill. “Way to go, Scoob! Way to go!” Shaggy shouted. “Like, who knew you were such a hot dog?”

“Scooby-Dooby-Doooooo!!!!” Scooby howled before yodeling. But as they continued to snowboard down the mountainside, Pipp suddenly had a startling thought. “Um, I don't wanna be a backseat snowboarder, but... I had a question. What happens when we run out of mountain?”

Scooby and the others looked down the mountain with wide eyes-- that was the one thing that they hadn't thought of!

XXXXXXXXX

At the bottom of the mountain, Velma and Del finally finished shaping the snow around them into a ramp and slope for Fred's trap. “Okay, I think that should do it,” Velma said, and Del responded with excitement. “Man, when they hit this baby, it's gonna be sweet!”

“Way to go, guys. The slope looks perfect,” Fred told them over the radio from the monastery, where he, Snow Spell, Aurora, Daphne and Pemba were waiting. “Once they hit this last ramp, they'll catch air over the monastery wall boosting right into the trap we made from the climbing ropes.”

“And not a minute too soon!” Daphne pointed at several figures making their way down the mountain. “Here they come!”

“Guys, it isn't the monster or Professor Jeffries! It's Shaggy, Scooby and the ponies!” Aurora said urgently as Snow Spell tended to Sparky. “And they're snowboarding right for the traps!”

They continued to snowboard down the mountain at a rapid speed, and then, they reached the slope, flying over the monastery walls. The ponies managed to stop themselves on the monastery roof, but Shaggy and Scooby went flying into the trap Fred set up.

But the thing was, they had so much fun, they weren't even scared!

“Like, that was wild!”

“Yeah! Wild!”

Meanwhile, the professor himself was sliding down the mountain with the snowman hanging on before he got a pickaxe and wickedly laughed. “Sorry, old chum, but this mountain is just not big enough for the both of us!”

He slammed the pickaxe onto the rope, cutting the snowman loose… just before he realized he was heading into the trap, flying over the walls and allowing the ponies to grab the crystal from his sled before he landed within the ropes. The High Lama watched this, an impressed look on his face. “Extraordinary.”

“Ha ha ha! Yeah, man! It worked!” Del cheered from the snowplow, but that was when Velma turned and saw the avalanche. “Uh… Del?”

When Del finally saw the avalanche, he turned and pushed the snowplow into high gear. “Hang on, Velma!!”

“Oh, I’m hanging.”

Everyone else watched from the monastery grounds with wide eyes, Hitch whimpering loudly. “They’re not gonna make it!”

“Not if I don’t slow down the avalanche first!” Snow Spell said in a determined tone, letting her eyes close and her horn fire up. She started to slow down the avalanche, but it was becoming a lot for her to handle, and it was making her really tired. “I… I can’t hold it for… much longer!”

“Just a few more seconds, Snow Spell! I think they can outrun it!” Sunny encouraged. But as Snow Spell tried to keep the avalanche from reaching them, the snowman leapt toward the snowplow and grabbed Del, who yelled out in horror. “Del!!” Velma cried before she was grabbed. “Jinkies!!”

Once the snowman had both of them in his grasp, he took a deep, inflating breath and jumped, letting the avalanche push the snowplow off the cliff. Everyone watched as they slowly descended, and Del couldn’t believe what he was seeing. “A flying abominable snowman? My mind is blown!”

“That’s no snowman,” Velma said, pulling off the snowman’s face, letting him deflate and sending them into the snow, as well as the mechanical suit used to work the snowman. “Try snow-woman!”

Everyone looked to see who was behind the mask… and it was none other than Minga herself!

XXXXXXXXX

Once everyone was back together, Velma decided to explain everything while Minga sat, completely defeated by her brother’s side. “Minga Sherpa has been behind this monster mystery from the very beginning.”

“She used the helium tanks from the weather station to fill her monster costume,” Fred added. “Ohh…” Hitch nodded. “So that’s why the monster was able to climb so easily!”

“And that's also why the monster's footprints didn't sink very deeply into the snow!” Pipp realized. “I’m very sorry,” Minga said, lowering her head. “I never meant to hurt anyone.”

“But, Minga… I don’t understand,” Snow Spell shook her head. “Why did you do all this?”

“All I really wanted was to listen to Del Chillman on the radio,” Minga said, a bit embarrassed. “You see, I am your number one fan.”

Del seemed a bit surprised, but smiled nonetheless. “Really?”

“When I learned that you were going to be leaving the mountain,” Minga went on, “I brought the yeti to life as a way of keeping you here.”

“So, like, that's why she's trying so hard to scare us all. She just wanted to convince Del to stick around,” Shaggy said. “Wow! That's so... I mean, it's real cool, mama,” Del said in his radio voice, making Minga giggle. “As for Professor Jeffries,” Velma said, turning to their captive, “he was using the legend to cover up his scheme.”

“And I would’ve gotten away with it too, if it weren’t for you meddling kids,” sneered the professor, “those ponies and that mountain climbing mutt, Scooby-Doo.”

“Who?” Scooby blinked. “Me?”

“NO NO NO NO!!!”

Everyone turned to see Ember standing at the gates, completely angered. “This is impossible!! None of you were meant to survive! Then I would have reigned supreme over ALL PONIES!!”

“What got caught up in her mane?” Aurora asked Pipp, who merely shrugged. Misty, however, knew that something wasn’t right, and what Ember just said solidified it. “She’s not really Ember… are you?” Misty asked. “You were just hoping to get close to us and finish us all off. So why don’t you show us who you REALLY are?”

For the first time, Ember let her smile widen and her wings unfolded. “With great pleasure, Misty.”

Suddenly, her wings began to flame up, and everyone watched as she was lifted up into the air in a ball of flames as she began to change; a horn began to grow, she became darker colored, her hair became white, and her eye color changed to dark blue.

When the flames finally cleared, Sunny and her friends cried out in disgust at the monster standing before them. “OPALINE ARCANA!!!”

Coming Together

Opaline smirked as she flew over the group with fiery wings and horn, and no one else said anything until Shaggy did. “That’s Opaline? Is it just me, or is she more… frightening in person?”

“Yeah,” Scooby nodded out of fear. “And she's taller in person too.”

“Ugh, I forgot how idiotic you two can be,” Opaline scoffed and lowered herself to the ground, her horn igniting. “But that won’t be a problem for much longer.”

“You're not going to lay a hoof on any of my friends!” Misty snarled, leaping in front of Shaggy and Scooby. “I don't know how I didn't realize it was you, but we're going to stop you now and that's all that matters!”

“Misty...” Opaline's expression softened a bit as she approached and placed a hoof under Misty's chin. “You know you're talking to the mare who raised you from a filly to the confident mare you are now... right?”

“You may have raised me, but you were NEVER my mother!” Misty slapped Opaline’s hoof away in anger. “I was lost as a filly, and I'm gonna find my mom and have her live in Maretime Bay with me and my friends! That is... if you hadn't done anything to her already.”

“I may be an alicorn, but I'm not a murderer-- you should know better,” Opaline scoffed, her softness fading away in an instant. “Let me be quite clear; your mother... didn't... want you... anymore.”

Misty felt her entire world crumble at that… her mother abandoned her? Was this some sort of sick joke? The blue unicorn’s stomach dropped, and her ears pinned tightly against her head. “No… you’re lying… it can’t be true…”

“Of course it is. Your mother showed up at the grounds of my castle when you were a tiny filly; much too young for you to remember the truth,” Opaline said as she walked around Misty, making a complete circle before facing her again. “I saw her right through the castle window, kissing your head while you were asleep before running off. I watched for a few hours to see if she would return for you… but she never did. Even though I didn’t have my powers, I thought a servant would do me good, and that’s how you ended up with me as your moth-- AGH!!!!”

Opaline felt her stinging cheek in shock, and everyone tried not to gasp… Misty had just slapped Opaline right in the face. “You’re lying… my mother would never abandon me!” Misty said in angry tears. “And I have friends who believe me when I say it!”

“Oh… do you now…?”

Opaline merely had to look at Pemba, Professor Jeffries, Minga and Del, and suddenly, their eyes glowed purple before they took one knee before the evil alicorn. “All hail Opaline; rightful ruler of Equestria…”

“Del? What… what’s going on?!” Aurora demanded, waving a hoof in front of his face. “Pemba, Minga! Wake up! Please!” Snow Spell pleaded, but Opaline merely laughed. “Nice try, but I have convinced them to come to my side. And once I have what is rightfully mine, nopony can stand in my way!”

The alicorn slammed her hooves onto the ground, and her horn began to drain more dragon fire from Sparky, making him groan in pain. “Oh no you don’t!” Misty shouted, firing a beam at Opaline and making her shriek in pain. “Everypony! RUN!!”

No one that wasn't under Opaline's spell wasted a single second after that, and screamed and took off running, Hitch holding the baby dragon in his hooves. “ARGH!!! You pathetic foals!” Opaline snarled. “Servants, after them! And don’t stop until the dragon is back in my clutches!”

The brain-washed humans marched after the gang, and they began to desperately search for a place to hide. “What do we do?!” Pipp shrieked as they flew/ran along each other. “They’ll be after us in no time!”

Snow Spell desperately searched along the hallways for an escape route, until she saw an ancient symbol on the walls… the same one that belonged to a previously visited kingdom! “This way! Follow me!”

“Through the wall?!” Daphne asked. “Not just a wall!” Snow Spell put her hoof on the symbol, and the wall opened up with a slide going down. “But a wall with a secret escape slide! Hurry! I think I can hear them coming!”

Not wasting a single second, the group followed her down the slide, and when Scooby was the last to enter, the door shut just as Opaline and her servants wandered in. “No no NO!! How did you idiotic fools lose them?!” Opaline snarled before sighing. “No matter… I’ll find them. And they’ll pay for taking away that dragon.”

XXXXXXXXX

The gang, the Mane 6, Snow Spell and Aurora screamed as they plummeted down the slide at a speed of who-knows-how fast, until they finally landed on the ground in the warm, sunny kingdom of Shangri-la; a place that it would take Opaline many a time to find. “We should be safe here for a while,” Snow Spell said as she got up. “But for how long? That’s the bigger question.”

“Come on; let’s get to the palace library,” Sunny told her friends. “I think we need to see if they have any Equestrian files. Maybe something can tell us how to finally defeat this evil fire witch.”

Everyone quickly followed Sunny into the palace, but Misty lagged behind, wondering something to herself.

What if Opaline really was right about her mother… abandoning her?

XXXXXXXX

They entered the palace library a few minutes later, and as they wandered around, looking for any clues that might have pointed to how Opaline got their friends on her side or any clues that might point to her eventual defeat… they began to sing about their problems.

Velma: I can’t believe it

Pipp: What an end

Daphne, Velma and Pipp: They were supposed to be our friends

Fred: It makes no sense

Daphne: Such false pretends

Izzy: We followed them to the bitter ends

Misty: Wait, gang!
Before you jump to conclusions
Our friends were acting with a lot of confusion

Shaggy: Like, in a trance
They were acting weird in that alicorn’s dance

“Misty and Shaggy are right; we can’t give up on our friends so easily,” Sunny went on. “Split up and search all the records you can! Remember; you guys are Mystery Inc!”

Thinking Shaggy and Sunny were right, the group split up to cover individual sections on their own.

All: The name’s Mystery Inc, gang
The team who calls the shots
Each time we will connect the dots
If we get tied up, we won’t let up

The name’s Mystery Inc, gang
The team who calls the shots
Each time we will connect the dots
If we get tied up, start up, cause we’re fired up!

It's dark

Sunny and Izzy: When facts are unclear

All: So dark

Fred and Hitch: When phantoms are near

All: The dark
We move with no doubt or fear

Misty: A good old mystery is here

After a moment of searching through the books and info in front of her, Velma suddenly got an idea. “That’s it!”

Velma: I gotta use my watch
Access the lab computer on my watch

A holographic image displayed over the group, and Shaggy smiled encouragingly. “Enlighten us, Velm-Einstein!”

Zipp: It's in the chemical composition
All the sulfuristic disposition

“Mixed in with these agents of hallucination,” Velma continued, “points to mind control. Questions?”

Hitch gulped nervously at this. “Mind control?”

All: The name’s Mystery Inc, gang
The team who calls the shots
Each time we will connect the dots
If we get tied up, we won’t let up

The name’s Mystery Inc, gang
The team who calls the shots
Each time we will connect the dots
If we get tied up, start up, cause we’re fired up!

It's dark

Sunny and Izzy: When facts are unclear

All: So dark

Fred and Hitch: When phantoms are near

All: The dark
We move with no doubt or fear

Ponies: Our good pal Scooby is heeeeeeere…

All: The name’s Mystery Inc, gang
The team who calls the shots
Each time we will connect the dots
If we get tied up, we won’t let up

The name’s Mystery Inc, gang
The team who calls the shots
Each time we will connect the dots
If we get tied up, start up, cause we’re fired up! (Pipp and Daphne: Uuuuuup...)

All: Cause we’re fired up!

At the end of the song, Sunny found a book and flipped through it, eyes darting left and right before she stopped on a certain page. “Hey, gang! I found some hoof-written notes on here!”

“Hmmm… looks like an old form of ponish,” Velma said. “Zipp showed me some when we were together the last time.”

“Any idea what it says?” Fred asked as Zipp lowered her visor and scanned the notes. But when it showed her the results, her eyes widened. “Guys… these look like notes written by Twilight Sparkle herself!”

“Then… these texts must be over 1000 years old!” Aurora realized. “But how did they get to the Shangri-la kingdom to begin with?”

“Honestly, I don’t care; as long as it provides us with the information we need to defeat Opaline once and for all,” Sunny said. “What do you think, Misty? What can you tell us about Opaline that might help?”

But when she and the others turned, Misty had disappeared, the sound of hooves clopping being their alert system. “Where is she going?” Daphne wondered. “She can’t leave like that!”

“Like, I really think all this talk about Opaline is getting her upset,” Shaggy frowned. “Scoob and I better go talk to her while you guys analyze this.”

“Yeah,” Scooby nodded, and the two of them set out in search of their friend.

XXXXXXXX

Misty was off in a room of the castle all by herself, trying to keep herself calm as all these thoughts going through her head.

Why did Opaline never tell her about her mother before? Would she have not believed it? Did Opaline EVER care for her? Was she why it took the blue unicorn this long to find her cutie mark?

All of this was really confusing, and she wasn’t sure what to do. Suddenly, the door creaked open, and Shaggy and Scooby wandered inside. “Hey, Misty,” Shaggy said softly. “How are you holding up?”

“How do you think?” Misty muttered softly, climbing on one of the beds as Shaggy and Scooby approached her and sar down next to her. “Opaline just spilled out the biggest truth of my life, and now she has our new friends under a mind-control spell that we don’t know if we’ll be able to break! …and it’s all my fault.”

“What?! How can you say that?” Scooby asked her. “It’s never been your fault!”

“But it is!” Misty said, slightly snapping at them before she took a breath. “When magic returned, Opaline sent me out to spy on Sunny and the others. I could have said no! I could have left her sooner! But I was so crazed for this cutie mark that I let it blind side me from what I really wanted! I… I wanted a family. Somepony who didn’t gaslight me into doing whatever they wanted. Somepony who wanted to make sure I was safe… somepony that wasn’t like Opaline. But instead… I stayed, and I made everything worse. The second I met Sunny and the others, I should have told them the truth… so maybe none of this never have happened.”

She looked back at the mark on her flank and sighed. “What good is a cutie mark when I don’t even know how to shine?”

“...I never knew how to shine either.”

The three of them looked to see Sunny coming in through the door, looking a little down at Misty’s words. “I was never taken seriously back in Maretime Bay, and in a way, I guess I’m still not,” Sunny admitted. “My dad was my only other friend besides Hitch, and when he passed, I felt like I was losing a part of myself too. But… no matter what others thought of me, I perservered. And look; we have magic again, and we got to meet you, and Mystery Inc, and SpongeBob and his friends, and the Dennisons, and the Warners. Those are memories you should cherish.”

Misty looked at the ground again. “...how can I cherish the memories when I was the one who brought Opaline into their lives?”

But then, Sunny suddenly thought of a solid reason Misty might be saying these things. “Misty… do you wish… you were never around?”

“...all the time,” Misty said, fresh tears flowing down her cheeks, not noticing the others were watching from the open doorway. “It’s clear my mom never wanted me, so… why would anypony else…?”

That was when Misty finally broke down; her eyes grew red and tear-filled, and her shoulders went up and down in countless sobs. Everyone grew stone silent, not knowing of anything else to do to comfort their fallen friend.

Well… everypony except one.

Zipp walked forward and sat next to Misty with Scooby and Sunny, and the others sat in the floor around them. “...we never told you how it was for each of us, did we?” Zipp asked. “When magic returned? And all the questions and confusion that came with it?”

Misty shook her head softly, and Zipp spoke again. “I loved having the thought of being able to fly just using my wings, but I was scared too. We pegasi hadn’t flown in a long time, and I was scared I was gonna crash. But when I took to the air, it’s like all my worries just… faded.”

“Me too,” Pipp nodded. “It was scary, but… it felt so natural, we just got the hang of it. Just like we got used to having unicorns and earth ponies as friends again.”

“And just like when earth ponies got their own magic, we all had to adjust to plants growing from the most unlikely places,” Hitch held up a glowing hoof. “But with my friends, I was able to find a way to harness my power for good.”

“Nopony could ever have all the answers,” Izzy added. “Not even Twilight Sparkle, from what all we’ve heard. But she had support… just like you do.”

“And you’re looking at your biggest supports right here,” Sunny finished the speech. “Because we’re not just your friends… we want to be like… your family.”

Misty felt her world slow down so she could think of everything, and finally, happy tears sparkled in her eyes. “Thank you… all of you. I want you to be my family too.”

“Your mom is out there, Misty. And whether she did abandon you or not, we’ll find out the truth… together,” Sunny said. “Hoof to heart.”

Everyone stacked their hooves, hands and paws on top of one another before shouting to the sky, “HOOF TO HEART!!!”

As they finished their cheer, the ponies’ cutie marks glowed brightly, filling the room with an aura the gang had never felt before, thanks to the colorful rainbow of sparkles, light and friendship that ignited above their heads… and the feeling lasted until it ended. “Whoa… that felt strange,” Fred commented. “But in a good way, almost. What happened?”

“I don’t know, exactly,” Zipp said, inspecting her wings before finding nothing different about them. “But maybe we can try it out together. I just hope we can do it before Opaline and her icy hot attitude burns the place to the ground.”

Misty felt the strong aura too, and looking at Snow Spell, then at the cutie marks, then at the gang, she began to get something. “Wait… you guys! I think I have a plan to defeat Opaline!”

“Really? You do?” Sunny asked. “Tell us, Misty!” Aurora begged. “I will, but first…” Misty said, getting up, “...I think we need to get back to the library. There’s something I wanna see.”

Author's Note

"Mystery Inc Gang" is a song from the Scooby-Doo! and the Lost City of Gold soundtrack, and all rights to go Monlove.

Embracing the Magic

Misty had galloped faster than anypony else to the library, looking through the hoof-written notes and looking at each member of the group to see if anything about them had changed.

And there was a change… within their hearts. Nothing negative, but they were overflowing with positive thoughts, kindness, and unity.

Something that Twilight Sparkle herself would have been proud of.

That’s when Misty started looking for books about alicorns, and when she finally found one, she gathered the group together. “Okay. According to this book, alicorns can harness other magical powers other than their own. Opaline being an example due to her stealing dragon fire with the dragon stone,” Misty explained. “But what it fire’s one weakness?”

“Ooh! I know!” Izzy said cheerfully. “Toasted marshmallows!”

“Wha…? No no no,” Misty shook her head. “Cold! That’s why Opaline waited for so long before revealing herself! If she got too close to the cold snow with her fiery magic, she could have been extinguished!”

“So… all you’re saying is that if we hit her with some snow, she’ll have her fire put out for good?” Snow Spell asked. “I think I can conjure up a snowstorm.”

“Not just snow, though. We need EVERYONE’S help…” Misty trailed off, looking to the gang. “...especially you guys.”

“Wait, what?” Velma blinked. “Misty, that’s crazy! We don’t have magic!”

“Not yet,” Misty said. “When we all shouted ‘Hoof to heart’, we all felt the aura change, including you guys! That must mean that there’s hidden magic just waiting to be brought out!”

“Hey… she could be right!” Sunny said, trotting forward to face the group. “With our earth pony, unicorn, pegasus, snow-making and whatever magic you guys possess combined, we could make sure Opaline never hurts anypony else again!”

“But… could it be possible that we even have magic?” Shaggy asked. “We’re just… ordinary meddling kids.”

“Hey… let me tell you something right now,” Sunny said, shifting to her alicorn form before beginning to sing.

So you have magic
And it’s not that great
But when it found you
You know it was fate

And it might seem scary now
But it can be wonderful, too
So how about we embrace the magic
And make the magic part of you?

They ran outside to the courtyard, where Sunny faced the gang and they began to explore the different magic types they had, as well as the ponies training with their own powers.

You take a little dash of magic
And you let it ignite
Mix things up a little bit
And it might start to go right

In just five seconds flat
How the story has changed
All cause now you've embraced the magic
And it just got better in every way

During the song, Shaggy and Scooby discovered that they could turn food into a weapon; even Scooby Snacks. Fred’s strength seemed to have gotten stronger, and Daphne could use fashion accessories in battle. Finally, Velma could use telekinesis and her book smarts to aid the perfect strategies.

Sunny continued the song as the gang and all their friends continued to explore their new powers.

I say, embrace the magic
No more holding back, just let it out
If you can take the magic
And learn a little more what it can do
Once the magic is part of you

What's standing in your way
That you can't move today?
You've got the strength in you
To make your dreams come true

No need to shield yourself
From the magic that can help
Protect from any harm that might come

But, Aurora and Snow Spell were unsure of their abilities matching up to the group’s, and Sunny flew down to assure them.

So you have magic
And it's not that great
But when it found you
You know it was fate

So if you listen close
You might make a new friend
And together we can make it!

I say embrace the magic
No more holding back, just let it out
If you can take the magic
And learn a little more what it can do
Once the magic is part of you
Once the magic is part of you
Once the magic is part of you

Once the magic is part of you…

By the time the song was through, everyone was feeling much more confident in their own strengths. “Sunny, you’re absolutely right,” Snow Spell said with a smile. “If we stick together, I know we can face whatever comes our way.”

“All we had to do was embrace the magic within us,” Daphne added, “and it really worked! Now we have strengths that I didn’t even know we had!”

“So… what do we do now? Are we ready to go kick some flank and get our friends back?” Izzy asked. “...not yet,” Misty shook her head. “In order for us to fully drain Opaline of her fire power, we need to blast her head on with ice magic. And the only pony here who can control ice is Snow Spell. But I was thinking, if our unity magic strengthens her just enough…”

“...that could overcome Opaline’s and she would be frozen toast!” Zipp finished. “Genius thinking, Misty!”

Misty only chuckled, blushing a little bit in response. “Thanks. Now, we better get some things ready. You never know what we’re gonna find up there,” she said. “Get some supplies and meet me back down here in 20 minutes.”

The group rushed off to get ready, but before Pipp could leave, Misty stopped her quickly. “Pipp, when we get back… I was thinking… do you think you can change the color of my mane and tail? The blue and green worked for a long time, but… I think I wanna try something new. To signal my freedom.”

Pipp blinked for a few moments before squealing and hugging Misty. “Of course I will! I’ve been thinking about mane colors for you and what might work for a long time. Oh, but uh, heh… first we need to defeat the evil power-hungry fire alicorn… right?”

“Right. We better go get ready.”

But while the two darted back upstairs, they were unaware that this may have been their biggest battle yet. Something that could change their lives for the benefit of both worlds…

…but it could also be something to END both their worlds all in the process.

XXXXXXXX

From up in the heavens, Twilight Sparkle watched with anxiousness, pride and worry as they prepared to face the fire alicorn, Opaline Arcana. A usual fit of emotions for her. But mostly pride, willing to put their lives at risk. “You can do this, Sunny and friends… I believe in you.”

Battle of the Ages

Opaline cackled like a mad woman as purple and blue flames lit the torches in the monestary, and the servants she created tended to her every whim. Not unlike the pathetic filly she took in several moons ago or so.

But enough about her… Opaline Arcana was so close to achieving her ultimate goal. “Finally… all of Equestria will be in the palm of my hoof!” she said. “Once Sunny Starscout and her friends are out of the way, nothing will get in the way of my ultimate salvation!”

“Why not serenade us with your wishes, oh mighty queen?” Pemba asked in his brain-washed trance. “So we may praise your talents more than before.”

“You know what…? I think I will,” Opaline stood up from her throne, flew over to the set of wardrobes Minga had brought for her, and chose one (a golden crown with a black cape) before beginning her song.

You could call me evil, but
I will go and take just what I need
Don't need nopony with me

Yes, it might be villainous
But that’s what makes me the perfect queen
You will bow to me…

So hush, filly, just
Get lost in the rush
Hypnotized by the words I'm saying
Feel the heat, then the beat
Mesmerized, put to sleep
Like a lullaby, I'll be singing

I've got the power (Power)
The fire that runs through my veins
I've got the power (Power)
And you're going to feel
You're going to feel the fla-a-a-ames, fla-a-a-ames
La-da-da-dee-da-da-da
Oh, you'll feel the fla-a-a-ames, fla-a-a-ames
La-da-da-dee-da-da-da (Oh, you'll feel)

But what Opaline didn’t realize was that the gang and ponies were in hiding around the monestary, watching the entire thing in confusion. “Misty?” Daphne blinked. “Did you know she could…?”

“Sing? No idea,” Misty shook her head. “But she is pretty good at it, though.”

Opaline: You might think I'm wicked, but
Don't be mad because I have a plan
It spells out victory (So, so, so)

So hush, filly, just
Get lost in the rush
Hypnotized by the words I'm saying
Feel the heat, then the beat
Mesmerized, put to sleep
Like a lullaby, I'll be singing

I've got the power (Do you hear me?)
The fire that runs through my veins
I've got the power (Power, power, power)
And you're going to feel
You're going to feel the fla-a-a-ames, fla-a-a-ames
La-da-da-dee-da-da-da (Feel the fire!)
Oh, you'll feel the fla-a-a-ames, fla-a-a-ames
La-da-da-dee-da-da-da (Oh, you'll feel)

[Evil laughter]

“Whoa… just… whoa…” Velma said after a moment of stunned silence. “I don’t know whether to be horrified at her actions… or impressed by her singing.”

“How about being disgusted by her actions?” Zipp said. “We have to stop her before its too late!”

“You’re right,” Fred told her, “but we need to think this through. Misty, you know Opaline better than anyone else. What’s your first thought?”

But when the group turned to the blue unicorn, they found that she was no longer with them. “Hey, Opaline!” Misty shouted, standing in the alicorn’s full view. “You wanted me, now here I am!”

Zipp sighed and looked over at her friends. “So much for the element of surprise.”

“Ah… Misty,” Opaline smirked, getting off her throne and trotting toward her former servant. “Finally come to your senses?”

But her question was answered when she was struck in the face by another one of Misty’s magic blasts. “Ergh… I don’t understand!” Opaline groaned. “You shouldn’t be able to…”

That’s when Opaline finally saw it-- a cutie mark of a purple, orange and pink butterfly, glowing on Misty’s flank. The dark purple alicorn’s blue eyes lit up in rage, and her wings and horn did the same. “You… you UNGRATEFUL PIECE OF FLESH!!!”

But as Opaline lunged at Misty, her horn merely lit up, and in a bright flash of blue and pink light, Misty and Opaline had disappeared! “Zoinks!!” Shaggy cried in panic. “Where did they go?!”

“Misty must have cast a unicorn teleportation charm!” Snow Spell realized. “For a unicorn who hasn’t had magic long, that’s pretty impressive.”

“Where do you think she teleported to?” Daphne wondered. “I think I have an idea,” Sunny said, flapping her ethereal wings. “But we have to hurry. Misty probably wanted to buy us some time to prepare our attack, but I don’t know how long Misty can buy for us!”

XXXXXXXXX

Misty and Opaline groaned as they impacted into some snow, far away from Misty’s friends, and Opaline quickly looked around at their surroundings as the wind let out a deafening howl. “What is this place?!”

“Someplace you can’t hurt anypony else!” Misty said, firing her horn for a few moments before stopping. “Hoping… maybe I could try and get through to you.”

“Get through to me? HA!! That’s a real joke,” Opaline scoffed. “What makes YOU think you could get through to ME? I am a QUEEN!! And you’re nothing.”

“Using force and fire isn't a way to get what you want out of life,” Misty shook her head softly. “Magic is something to be shared with everypony… no matter if you're an alicorn or not. Sunny is an alicorn because she helps ponies in need… you don't. But that's something you can change. And soon… your cutie mark could sparkle too.”

Opaline’s malicious sneer turned into one of thoughtful confusion. “Why are you speaking to me in this tone? I thought you were one to hate me.”

Sunny and the others came over as Opaline asked this, hiding in the snowbanks to avoid detection. “Because… I don’t hate you, Opaline. I hate the things you did and the things you believe, but… hating ponies is wrong.”

The gang looked at one another in surprise to hear Misty say such a thing, but then again… she had a point. “Opaline… there’s still a bright future for you… just like there was for me,” Misty said. “Can you trust me enough to see that I may be right?”

The unicorn slowly raised her hoof for Opaline to take, and the others watched in anxiousness to see what she would do. Opaline stared down at it for a moment before reaching out little… by little… by little, until…

…she slapped Misty into the ground, causing her to scream. “You pathetic weakling! Just like your mother that abandoned you!”

“PONIES AND MYSTERY INC, GO GO GO!!!”

Whipping her head around, Opaline saw that Sunny was leading the charge in her alicorn form, and the ponies were using all their magic types to try and strike Opaline down, the same way she struck Misty down. Opaline was good at dodging most of Izzy and Aurora’s snowball attacks, and the plants that Hitch grew, but Sunny’s alicorn magic blasts were able to get her every time.

But what she didn’t expect was the gang’s powers as well. Apparently, the unity magic was strong within the gang as well.

And this was the perfect chance for all of them to go down.

Sunny saw what Opaline was planning in her head, and knew that if this was the right time, it had to happen now. “Gang! Ponies! Get in position behind me! Snow Spell, you get in front! Misty, duck for cover!”

Though she was weak, Misty nodded and did as she was told. The rest of the gang and ponies held hooves and hands as the cutie marks began to shine, sending magic to Sunny’s cutie mark, which she transferred half of that magic to Snow Spell. But seeing as they weren’t attacking Opaline yet made her question what was happening. “If this is some sort of practical joke, Starscout,” she sneered, “it’s not very funny!”

“Oh, it’s no joke, Opaline,” Sunny smirked. “The only funny thing around here… is watching you finally be defeated.”

Snow Spell finally had enough energy, and delivered a big blast to Opaline’s chest, striking her down. After a moment, Opaline managed to get back up again, looking livid. “Ruh roh…” Scooby gulped. “It didn’t work!”

“Wait,” Snow Spell said, holding a hoof up to stop him. “It will. Trust me.”

Opaline merely chuckled and spread her wings. “A little snow? You think snow can get the better of me? The great and powerful Opaline? Watch!”

She ignited her dragon fire magic onto her horn and wings, but then, something strange began to happen. The more magic she seemed to use, the more cracks seemed to appear on Opaline’s body… like the fire and ice weren’t mixing well and were filling up inside Opaline. When she finally noticed it, her body was covered in cracks. “No… NOOOO!!!” she screamed. “You pathetic fools! YOU WILL NEVER DISPOSE OF ME FOR LONG!! OPALINE ARCANA WILL FINALLY RETURN!!!!”

And just like that… Opaline was finally destroyed, shattering into pieces far and wide... never to be seen again.

Finally, A Happy Ending

Misty shakingly stood up on her hooves after the explosion. She couldn’t believe it was finally over…

They had won.

Opaline Arcana was just a distant memory.

Upon seeing Misty get onto her hooves again, Scooby giggled and bolted over to her, giving her a tight hug. Misty sighed happily and gave into it, tears of relief pouring down her face. “Misty? Are you hurt?” Pipp asked. “Why are you crying?”

“These… these are tears of joy, Pipp,” Misty wiped her face. “I never thought I could say that Opaline and her evil are gone, but… they are. They’re finally gone.”

“So… the whole ‘trying to reform Opaline thing?” Fred questioned. “Did you mean all that?”

“...in a way, yes. But in another way, it was a way for me to distract her while you guys got close to us,” Misty said. “And defeating her, while reforming her would have been nice… is all I really wanted.”

“Wait… since her spells are gone,” Aurora spoke up, “does that mean our friends are free from Opaline’s control?”

“Only one way to find out,” Sunny smiled. “Let’s go and find out.”

XXXXXXXXX

Turns out, the spell over their friends were broken, and during tears and hugs, they explained how the battle went down, and that Opaline was finally gone forever. But during the midst of all this, Shaggy began to wonder something about their earlier mystery. “So, like, is the abominable snowman just a myth after all?”

“No, mes amis.”

Everyone turned to see a hunter enter the building, and he was one that Shag, Scooby and three of their pony friends recognized. “Alphonse Lafleur?”

“The abominable snowman is real,” the hunter said as he came in. “Wait…” Misty trailed off. “You’re alive?”

“Amazingly,” said Alphonse, “I survived a terrible fall from the high cliff. As I lay unconscious in the snow… something rescued me. The next thing I know, I find myself out on the mountain… all alone. I can remember nothing else.”

“Zoinks,” Shaggy said as he and Scooby trembled. “Like, I think you remembered plenty.”

“So… there really is an abominable snowman?” Zipp said, and she and Aurora high hoofed Del. “Right on!”

“Sorry for all the trouble I caused,” Minga apologized. But then, Del approached her with a sincere smile. “Gee, Minga, what you did is so romantic… in a kind of twisted way, which I like. I'm just not sure where we go from here.”

But that’s when Pipp and Daphne got the same idea.

XXXXXXXX

Everyone boarded the next plane to Paris, where they sat out in the sunshine and eating French pastries. Minga was having the time of her life with Del, who swooned her with his French accent. “Oh, I am just loving the Paris!”

“Like, us too,” Shaggy said from the food covered table. “They say Paris is for lovers, right, Scoob? Ha-ha-ha! Well, I'm in love with this springtime spread!”

“Oui oui, Shaggy!” Scooby said before biting into a pastry, letting all the cream come out and got on Shaggy’s face, causing him to lick it. “I’m glad everypony is having such a good time,” Hitch smiled. “But… where’s Freddy?”

“Good point, Hitch,” Daphne said. “He was supposed to be here an hour ago.”

Suddenly, a ringing noise began bothering Shaggy, just like before. “Can you believe it, Scoob? My ears are ringing again.”

“It’s your phone,” Scooby said as he brought it over. “Sheesh…”

“Like, hello?” Shaggy answered the call, and Fred was on the other side… in an exotic jungle location. “Uh, guys? I think I got on the wrong plane.”

“Oh boy… here we go again!” Zipp groaned. But then, the portal back to Equestria opened up next to them, and Sunny sighed. “Well… I guess we better get back to Equestria. Keep an eye on them, okay Aurora and Snow Spell?”

“Right, Sunny,” Snow Spell smiled. “We’ll miss you. Thank you for everything.”

The ponies waved goodbye again before diving into the portal, and everyone else got into the Mystery Machine, Scooby taking the wheel. “Like, step on it, Scoob. Next stop, the Amazon jungle!”

Scooby slammed on the gas, and as they sped out of Paris, he howled at the top of his lungs, “Scooby-Dooby-Doooooooooooo!!!”

XXXXXXXXXX

A few hours later in Equestria, everypony was finally sitting down to their Harvest and Hugs Day meal, with Misty sporting a purple, pink and orange gradient in her mane and tail to match her cutie mark. As they ate, Sunny nudged Misty playfully. “Feeling better, Misty?”

“Better than ever, Sunny,” Misty said. “Cause… for the first time… I feel as free as when a butterfly spreads its wings.”

“That’s great,” Sunny beamed. “And until the Unity Crystals send us out again… we’ll be enjoying it to the fullest.”