"Scoota-Loo, Where Are You!?"

by Kieva Lynn

"It's The Great Pumpkin, Scootaloo!"

It was a beautiful October day in a small midwestern town. A pair of ten year old girls, Lucy Van Pelt and Patricia "Peppermint Patty" Riechardt were walking together along the sidewalk after hanging out at the local park. Lucy was in the midst of a relentless tirade against their neighbor, Charlie Brown, to Patty's great annoyance. "Look Lucy, you're my friend..." Patty said when she was finally able to get a word in, "But I wish you'd lay off Chuck. I know he's maybe a little odd but he's an okay guy!"

Lucy rolled her eyes. "Oh brother! Charlie Brown is the loseriest loser in the history of losers. Why are you defending him?"

"I told you! He's not a bad guy! And I don't like it when my friends pick on each other." Patty countered.

"Whatever." Lucy shook her head. "You think whatever you want, but I'll never stop making fun of a bald round-headed kid who always screws everything up!"

"Oh now... That's not very nice of you..." A mysterious creepy voice suddenly said from behind the girls. Lucy and Patty spun around to face the speaker, and found themselves confronted with a nightmare. The head/body was that of a massive Jack O Lantern, eyes, nose, and mouth glowing with inner fire. Thick vines and leaves grew from the bottom, holding the Pumpkin up and allowing it to move. Two more bunches of vines sprouted from the sides and served as arms and hands.

Lucy could barely more than whisper, "It's.... It's the.... It's the g.... The g.... The g...g...g...."

"The what?" The creature rumbled, leaning in closer."

"The gr.... The gr.... The grea..."

"THE GREAT PUMPKIN!?!?" The monster suddenly boomed out, causing Lucy to stumble back and fall. It spoke again, "Yes! Yes I am the Great Pumpkin! And it's not very sincere to make fun of an innocent boy! So I'll just have to punish you!" And with that it snatched up Patty in a vine-claw, then turned and slithered away, leaving a traumatized Lucy to scream and run...

Meanwhile, not far away as the crow flies, we find Mystery Machine sitting by the side of the road, with smoke rising from the engine compartment and the gang standing about while Freddy tries to diagnose the problem. After a few minutes he approaches his friends while wiping motor oil from his hands. "Well gang, I don't know. Whatever is wrong it's beyond my skill to figure out."

"Like it happens." Shaggy said.

Looking up at the beatnik, Scootaloo says in a surprised voice "Wow Shaggy. You're taking this well."

"And why wouldn't I?" Shaggy answered, "Look around! It's a bright sunny day with no creepy mansions or abandoned amusement parks or horrible monsters in sight! This is my kind of breakdown!"

"Reah! Me too!" Scooby agreed.

Daphne said "At least we're close to a town." She pointed to a sign that indicated a small town was less than a mile's walk further along the road. "I say we look for some help there."

Everyone agreed, and they made their way into town, taking note of how it seemed like something right out of the nineteen fifties. One of the first buildings they came to was a drugstore that still had a soda fountain manned by an old style soda jerk. They approached him and asked if there was a garage in town.

The man turned to them, smiled, and said "Wah wahn wahh. Wahn wah wom. Womm Wam wahm...."

"Um... Huh?" Scootaloo asked, head cocked.

"Womp womp wahn wom wahn."

"I... See." Dephne said, confused. "Well thanks anyway."

Uncertain what was happening, the gang tried speaking to a number of other adults from the town, but they were all equally incomprehensible. After several tries they conviened in the parking lot outside. "Could any of y'all understand a word of that?" Apple Bloom asked.

Velma replied "No... It's the strangest accent I've ever heard. I'd want to stay and study it if we we're in a pickle at the moment."

"Like how are we gonna get help if we can't understand anyone?" Shaggy wondered.

Just then, a young girl ran past the gang, screaming "Help! Help!"

"I understood her!" Scootaloo said, "Come on!" And she gave chase, the others close behind.

When they caught up with the girl, she was in the midst of a small group of children her age. She was gesticulating wildly and crying out "...And it took Peppermint Patty! We have to do something! Call the police! Call the National Guard!"

"Excuse me kids but is something wrong here?" Freddy asked.

"Lucy's just gone as nuts as her brother!" One of the kids laughed.

"No it's true!" Lucy wailed, "The Great Pumpkin is real and it took Peppermint Patty!"

"Okay just what is a 'Great Pumpkin?'" Velma asked.

"And why is it taking a piece of candy such a big deal?" Sweetie Belle added.

"Peppermint Patty is actually a friend of ours." One of the other kids said. He held out a hand to shake and added "I'm Schroder, and these are Charlie Brown, Violet, and Pigpen."

"And the Great Pumpkin?" Daphne asked.

Charlie Brown said "Our friend Linus, Lucy's little brother, believes in it. He says that 'Every Halloween night, the Great Pumpkin rises out of a pumpkin patch and flies around the world giving presents to every good boy and girl.'"

"So he's confused Halloween and Christmas?" Scootaloo asked.

"That's what we all thought. We all made fun of him for it, but now..."

"Now it's real!" Lucy cried out.

Velma said "I'm still confused though... If this 'Great Pumpkin' is supposed to be a good guy, why would it take your friend?"

"I think I can answer that." A new voice said. Another young child, a year younger than the others, approached, dragging a blanket. "Hi! I'm Linus! And I'm guessing Lucy was making fun of Charlie Brown again."

"So!? What does that have to do anything!?" Lucy demanded.

Linus said "It's quite simple really. The Great Pumpkin loves sincerity. And being kind and nice to friends is a part of sincerity. Obviously, he's gotten tired of you being so mean."

"Well gang, it sounds like we've gotten another mystery to solve!" Freddy said.

"Wait, you'll help our friends?" Charlie Brown asked.

"Of course! It's kind of what we do!" Daphne said. "But first... Look kids, for some reason we can't understand a word the adults in this town say. But I assume you can?"

"Oh sure. I wonder why you can't?" Schroder said.

"I have no idea. But if one of you could ask the mechanic at the town garage to take a look at our van? It's broken down just west of town." Daphne added.

Another new kid approached the group. "I'll ask my dad. He works on cars."

"Thanks, um...?"

"Franklin."

"Okay! Let's plan this out gang!" Freddy said, and they gathered in a huddle.

"So rhat's the plan?" Scooby asked.

Velma said "Okay... Shaggy, you take Scooby, Scootaloo, and Apple Bloom. Go check out the local pumpkin patches and other places around the outskirts of town for any clues to the true nature of this 'Great Pumpkin.' Meanwhile, the rest of us will talk to the kids and search for clues here inside the town."

"Right! Let's get to it!" Scootaloo cheered.

Scootaloo stood atop a large pumpkin in the third pumpkin patch they had checked. She looked all about, just as Shaggy, Scooby, and 'Bloom were doing, but saw nothing of interest. Shaggy looked to her and said "Like guys, I think this might be a wild goose chase."

"Reah! Wild Roose chase." Scooby agreed.

"You think or you hope?" Scootaloo asked.

"Both." Shaggy and Scooby said together.

Scootaloo just shook her head, but Apple Bloom said "Ah hate 't say it, but this is based on the word of a human kid even younger than we are. She mighta been makin' it up."

"No way!" Scootaloo argued, "Didn't you see how scared she was? No little kid is that good an actor."

"Maybe..." 'Bloom considered.

Shaggy said "Like I don't know. According to those kids this is the last pumpkin patch in town. If there's nothing here, where else will we look?"

"Maybe just wander around town?" Apple Bloom suggested.

"Rorks for me." Scooby said, and so that's what they did. Within just a couple of minutes, though, Shaggy caught sight of something and pointed down the street.

"Like hey! Look! A lemonade stand! Let's all get something to drink!"

They rushed to the stand, only to be disappointed when they arrived and read the sign: "Psychiatric Help: Five Cents."

"What in the world?" Apple Bloom wondered.

"That's either a really good deal or a really bad doctor." Scootaloo snarked.

Before anyone could say anything else, though, a shadow fell over the quartet. They looked up, and saw the Great Pumpkin, which had sneaked up from behind, looming over them. "Zoinks! It's him!" Shaggy exclaimed.

"Mu-ha ha ha!!" The Great Pumpkin laughed. "Now I will destroy you all!"

"Now hold on just one second there pardner!" Apple Bloom said, "We're sincerely trying 't help out a scared kid! Ain't that supposed 't be a good thing to you?"

The monster stopped laughing and rubbed in chin in thought. "Hmm... Yes little pony, ordinarily that would be an excellent point... But in this case you are getting in the way of my work! That's very naughty!"

"So you're gonna chase us then?" Scootaloo asked.

"I see no other choice."

Shaggy said "Oh, well in that case.... Like, Run!!" And so the chase was on.

Across the town, from one end to the other, in and out of multiple hiding places, crossing streets, dodging cars, climbing trees, including one filled with old kites, they ran, but the Great Pumpkin was surprisingly fast and managed to stay hot on their trail. In time, they found themselves in another residential neighborhood. They had gotten a small lead on the monster, and ducked out of sight behind a house, but could still hear it coming. And it was there that they met a small white dog with black ears and a black spot on his back. He was standing upright on his hind legs, next to a red doghouse, and motioning for them to take shelter inside.

"Like I don't think we'll all fit!" Shaggy said, but the dog motioned all the more.

"No time just do it!" Scootaloo argued, and along with the dog they all rushed into the doghouse. This was followed by the sounds of crashing and screaming as they fell down a flight of stairs.

"Ruh?" Scooby wondered as he looked around from the pile they had all fallen into at the base of the stairs.

"That was just a doghouse right?" 'Bloom wondered, "Why are there stairs in a doghouse?"

"Like not just stairs! Check it out!" Shaggy said in awe. All around them was a massive underground complex, like a hidden and lavishly appointed shelter house. "What is this?"

The dog motioned to himself. and grinned.

"All this is yours? Um..." Scootaloo read the name on the dog's tags, "Snoopy?" Snoopy nodded.

"Rood plan!" Scooby said.

"Hay yeah, Surely the Great Pumpkin will never find us down here!" Apple Bloom agreed.

"But we still haven't found any clues!" Scootaloo said.

"It rappens, Rootaroo."

"Yeah I know, but still..." Scootaloo thought for a moment. Looked all around at the underground complex. "Say, you don't suppose maybe this is a clue? I mean, this ain't normal."

"Like I dunno Scoots... Snoopy's right here so he can't be the Great Pumpkin. And I... Whoa! Look at this!" Shaggy walked over to a painting hanging on the wall. "Like, I think this is an original Van Gogh! Now that might be a clue!"

"Reah! Rue!" Scooby agreed.

"But if the Great Pumpkin is just an art thief, why'd he take Lucy's friend?" Apple Bloom wondered.

"Good question." Shaggy agreed.

As the group continued to explore the underground structure, a small yellow bird flew up to them, looping about in a randow flight pattern and landing on Snoopy's nose. It began to chatter loudly, while pointing back up the stairs with it's wings.

"Friend of yours Snoopy?" Apple Bloom asked. The dog nodded, then turned his attention back to the bird. After listening to the chattering for a few seconds, Snoopy's ears flew up and he started motioning in pantomime for everyone to hide.

"Guys I've got a bad feeling we've been found..." Scootaloo said.

"Ride!" Scooby agreed, and everyone took shelter behind various furnishings just as the Great Pumpkin appeared down the stairs...

Meanwhile, the rest of the gang were asking questions of the kids in town, with the aid of Schroder who was showing them around and introducing them. They had just finished speaking with Pigpen (And choking from all the dust in the air around him, seriously, the kid is a walking air quality warning,) when a girl in thick glasses came running up, calling out to Schroder. "Is it true!? Is it true!?"

"Yes, it's true. The Great Pumpkin kidnapped Peppermint Patty." Schroder explained.

"Oh no no no!" The girl wailed, then cried out to the heavens "Whatever will I do without you sir!?"

"'Sir?'" Velma asked.

"Army brat." Schroder whispered. "She seems to see Patty as a superior officer rather than a friend." He then said to the girl "Marcie!? It's okay, calm down. These people are here to help."

"R-really? You can save her?" Marcie asked.

"We'll do everything we can." Freddy said. "And, to start with, maybe you can help us out. Have you seen or heard anything unusual recently?"

"Hmmm.... Well, Sir hasn't been spending as much time with me the last week as normal. And just before I heard, I was out by a pumpkin patch and found this on the ground..." Marcie help up a gleaming metal pin, attached to a narrow ribbon, which Velma took and examined.

"Interesting..." Velma mused. "This is a U.S. Army Distinguished Service Medal. Not at all the kind of thing that would just be abandoned on the ground..."

"I wonder whose it is?" Sweetie Belle wondered.

Daphne said "We figure that out, I'll bet we'll be really close to cracking this mystery."

"Do you want me to show you where it was?" Marcie asked.

"Yes, please." Velma said, and Marcie led the way...

The Great Pumpkin crept into the underground room, looking all about. "I know you are here..." It grumbled, but no one answered. The monster pumpkin began grabbing pieces of furniture and tossing them aside, searching for it's quarry, but they were carefully moving about, keeping out of sight and just ahead of the monster. As luck would have it, the monster's search pattern took it further and further away from the stairs, while allowing the gang to slowly inch closer to them. Then came the crucial moment: The Great Pumpkin was sure it had their hiding spot narrowed down and grabbed up a large couch, tossing it aside with a triumphant "Ah-Ha!" and as it saw it was wrong again, the gang bolted from cover and up the stairs.

Unfortunately, the monster heard the ruckus and, with a loud roar, gave chase again. "Faster faster he's right behind us!" Apple Bloom exclaimed.

"Like I thought the stairs would slow him down!" Shaggy said.

Scootaloo replied "Maybe they just need a little help!" She grabbed a painting mounted on the wall and threw in back down the stairs behind them. This triggered a cascade reaction, as it struck other paintings and decorations on the walls, knocking them loose as well, and then those knocked even more things free, the entire mess tumbling down into the Great Pumpkin which lost it's footing and pitched back, just managing to save itself from falling, but at least being slowed down considerably.

When they reached the top of the stairs, Scooby looked down and said "Ruh-roh! He's rill coming!"

"Like we'll never outrun him! What do we do!?" Shaggy cried out.

Then to everyone's surprise, Snoopy let out a sound like "Ah-haa!" and climbed atop his doghouse. He sat down, with Woodstock in his lap, and motioned for everyone to grab hold of his legs.

"Um..." Scootaloo said, "How is this supposed to help?"

"Reats me." Scooby agreed.

Apple Bloom, though, just shrugged and said "Ah got nothin' better."

So they all grabbed hold as Snoopy wanted. And were amazed when his ears began spinning like helicopter rotors and he actually lifted off, carrying them with him. And just in time, as moments later the Great Pumpkin appears out of the doghouse. The monster was unable to reach them up in the sky, and shook it's arms in frustration yet continued to follow along on the ground as Snoopy tried to fly away.

A few minutes later, they were passing over the last pumpkin patch they had visited, when Scootaloo cried out for Snoopy to dive down. "Like are you crazy!? That thing's still after us!" Shaggy argued.

"I know, I know!" Scootaloo said, "But I think I see a clue! There's something down there that wasn't there before! Just real quick Snoopy, please? It's important!" Snoopy nodded and flew down, barely avoiding the Great Pumpkin's attempt to grab them, and Scootaloo reached out a hoof and grabbed hold of her clue: a small scrap of pale blue fabric.

"That's it?" Apple Bloom asked, "Don't look like much of a clue 't me."

"Maybe not, but it wasn't there before, I'm sure of that! I want Velma to at least take a look at it!"

"Like okay!" Shaggy said, "Now let's ditch Mister Freak-O-Lantern and find the gang!"

"You want the others, there they are now!" Apple Bloom said, and pointed to where Freddy, Daphne, Velma, and Sweetie Belle were coming around the corner of a house with Schroder and Marcie...

While Scootaloo's group were still hiding in Snoopy's doghouse, the other group was following Marcie and Schroder through town. Sweetie Belle asked "So, can either of you tell me just why everyone picks on this poor Charlie Brown kid?"

Schroder and Marcie exchanged a look, and Marcie said "I think it all comes from Lucy sir. She's been mean to him forever and everyone else just goes along."

"Well, almost everyone else." Schroder said. "And, I should add, Charlie Brown is, well... Things don't work out for him very often. His life is just one embarrassing failure on top of another."

"But he never lets it get him down. He never gives up... Which, might be what Lucy is so set off about I think." Marcie added.

Sweetie Belle said "Well after dealing with bullies of my own, I don't like it no matter what they think their reasons are! And besides-"

Sweetie stopped when Freddy motioned for silence. "Do you hear that?" A pair of familiar voices were coming from around a corner just ahead. They gang eased to the corner and peered around. They were at the town's main street, with small businesses lining both sides of the road. On the closer sidewalk were Charlie Brown and Franklin, down on thier knees looking for something. As they searched they were talking.

"Thanks for helping me search." Franklin said.

"It's okay! Besides, you and Linus are the only two kids in town that have always been nice to me. I want to pay it back." Charlie Brown said.

Franklin shook his head. "You're a good friend Charlie Brown. Don't ever let them make you forget it. And don't ever give up either. Things will get better my friend."

"Thanks Franklin... So, I don't think it's here. Should we look... Oh, hello!" Charlie Brown said as he looked up and saw the gang watching around the corner.

"Oh! Um, hi kids! Lose something?" Velma asked.

"Um..." Franklin started to speak, but Charlie Brown answered first. "I lost my favorite marble. Franklin's helping me look. But, I don't think it's here."

Franklin stood. "Yeah, you're probably right. Well, I guess I should go see how Dad's doing with your van. See you later Charlie Brown."

Charlie Brown waved goodbye then got to his feet, dusting off his knees and asked "So, how's the mystery going?"

"We're on our way to investigate a possible clue right now." Daphne explained.

Sweetie Belle asked "Would you like to come?"

"Me? Come along with an actual group of professional mystery solvers? That would be awesome!" the boy cheered.

"Alright then. Marcie, lead away again please." Freddy said, and they were on their way once more.

It took only a few more minutes to reach the place Marcie had told them about. It was in an open field, near a large pumpkin patch. "It was right here!" Marcie said, pointing to a spot on the ground.

The gang moved in closer to investigate, but could find nothing of significance. Finally Velma said "gang, I'm afraid this location may be a bust, even if I think the medal itself is important."

"Medal?" Charlie Brown asked. Velma showed it to him, and his eyes went wide for a moment.

"You recognize it?" Velma asked.

"Well maybe. I'm not sure."

"Think hard, it could be important." Sweetie Belle said.

"I'll try, but... Hey! here comes my dog Snoopy!" He pointed, and when the gang looked they were dumbfounded.

"Is that dog... Flying!?" Daphne exclaimed.

"The aerodynamics of this situation are completely impossible." Velma observed. "This is the strangest thing I've ever seen."

"Velma, I'm a magic unicorn from another dimension who lives in a van with a talking dog and it's the strangest thing I've ever seen..." Sweetie Belle said.

As Snoopy grew closer, it became apparent that he was carrying a load, and then as he got much closer they could make out who it was. Fred and Daphne began waving their arms to get Snoopy's attention. The dog saw, and came in for a landing, reuniting the gang.

"So, um... Question...?" Daphne said, pointing at Snoopy.

"I don't get it either, but he saved our lives!" Scootaloo cheered. "And I think I found a clue!" She passed the scrap of fabric to Velma who eyed it critically.

Shaggy said "Like yeah, we're happy to see you guys! But we need to keep running, and I mean like yesterday!"

"Running? Why?" Charlie Brown asked.

Shaggy pointed. "That's Why!!" And the Great Pumpkin loomed into view from around a house, still coming right for them.

"Jeepers! The Great Pumpkin is real!" Daphne cried out.

"That's what took Sir!?" Marcie wailed.

"Everybody run for it!" Freddy shouted, and the chase was on once more. Sticking together, they fled across town. Of course, there were idea on how to ditch the pursuit, especially from Shaggy and Scooby who had the most experience in tricking monsters, but the Great Pumpkin was so close on their heels that there wasn't time to set anything up. They ran through a field of late season tomatoes, and the Great Pumpkin began throwing the tomatoes at them, fruits rupturing and spewing slimy innards all about when they hit the ground, creating a slippery mess that no one could run through. Luckily, it was just as slippery for the monster which fell flat on it's face, giving the gang a chance to gain some distance in the chase.

Taking advantage of the added lead, they ran into a supermarket and quickly carved pumpkins, disguising themselves as Jack O Lanterns. The Great Pumpkin burst in, frightening off customers and the store employees who had been about to chastise the gang for using pumpkins they hadn't yet paid for. It stopped and stared at the Jack O Lanterns for several moments before bowing, saying, "Ladies..." and going on it's way.

But, sadly, just before the monster was out of earshot, Sweetie Belle sneezed. "Ah Ha!" The Great Pumpkin roared in triumph, turning back. Scootaloo tossed off her disguise and grabbed a box from a nearby shelf. A box containing a ready made pumpkin pie. "Back off! Back off or your friend gets it!" She shouted.

The rest of the gang saw the plan and joined in, threatening loaves of pumpkin bread, baked pumpkin seeds, and even a jar of pumpkin spice. Apple Bloom stepped forward, pointed to Shaggy and Scooby, and said "Mister Great Pumpkin sir? These two are world eating contest champions! Get on out now, or they'll eat all of your pumpkin friends!"

"No! No!" The Great Pumpkin cowered back. "Spare my pumpkin brethren!"

"I don't know... They look awfully hungry..." Velma said.

"I'll go! I'll go! But mark my words, this isn't over!" The Great Pumpkin declared, and it turned and slithered away...

A short time later. The gang had taken the younger kids home, for their own safety. And they were now gathered at Charlie Brown's house, where he and Snoopy were still there with them as they tried to figure out the mystery.

"What are you thinking?" Daphne asked Velma as the woman examined the scrap of fabric closely.

"I'm not sure. I recognize this though. I've seen this exact color somewhere here in town, today." Velma said. She shook her head. "Okay, let's list everything we have..."

Freddy said, "All right... Number one: A familiar scrap of blue fabric, left in a pumpkin patch..."

Scooby said "Rwo: Ran important medal."

"Three:" Scootaloo said, "A poor kid constantly bullied, and the monster seems mad about that."

"Like Four: A priceless Van Gogh in an underground doghouse." Shaggy said.

Apple Bloom said "Five: The monster didn't take the girl that was making fun of Charlie Brown... It took the one that wasn't."

"Hmm..." Velma mused. "Charlie Brown, did you remember where you'd seen the medal before yet?"

"Not exactly... But... I think maybe it belongs to one of the other kid's dads." The boy answered.

"I'm really not seeing how any of this adds up." Scootaloo admitted, and the others agreed.

Save, that is, for Velma who said "Yes. I wouldn't get it yet either, except for one last clue that makes the rest of the pieces fall into place. You see, someone lied to us earlier today, not knowing we'd already heard enough to know it was a lie. And if I'm right, the reason for that lie, combined with other things that were said and some of the other clues, tells us exactly who is behind the Great Pumpkin, and why."

"Velma you never cease 't impress." Apple Bloom said.

"Blushing at the compliment, Velma simply said "Freddy, it's time to design a trap."

"Great!" Freddy cheered, "And I might already have something in mind!" He looked at Charlie Brown and asked "What were you telling us about a 'Kite Eating Tree...?"

Two hours later: Scootaloo looked out on the results of the gang's hard work, the newest Fred Jones designed monster trap. A pair of hastily built wooden fences opened wide to the north, while narrowing inward in a funnel layout towards the town's small public park, ending at a pond which, according to Charlie brown, was a prime ice skating spot in winter. Of course, it wasn't nearly cold enough for the water to have frozen over as yet, a detail rectified by a large industrial cooling unit Velma had procured somewhere in town and set up to blow freezing air over the pond. On the other side of the pond, directly opposite the funneling fences, was a faked pumpkin patch. And in the middle of the patch stood the Kite Eating Tree.

Freddy clapped his hands together. "Okay gang, here's how this will work: Shaggy and Scooby will go out on foot and find the Great Pumpkin, while Snoopy flies high above with Scootaloo along for the ride. When they find the monster, Shaggy and Scooby will lead it back here, making sure to come in from the north, between the fences so that the Great Pumpkin is corralled to exactly where we need it to be."

"And this is where Scootaloo comes in, right?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"Exactly." Velma said, "Scootaloo will use her pegasus weather control abilities to create a small microburst just behind the Great Pumpkin, as soon as it is standing on the pond. The slippery ice will cause it be be propelled all the way across the pond and into the fake pumpkin patch."

"Where the rest of us will be hiding behind the pumpkins, waiting to throw scraps of kite fabric and string all over the monster, just as it ends up under the kite eating tree!" Apple Bloom said.

Charlie Brown finished "The tree hasn't had a kite to eat in months! It won't be able to resist! It'll snatch up the Great Pumpkin to gobble down the kite parts, and he won't be able to free himself!"

"Okay, well, everything is ready!" Freddy said. "Places everyone! Let's do this!"

Dusk was beginning to fall as Shaggy and Scooby crept through the town. They had been looking for nearly a half hour, with no sign of the monster. "Like, if I was a terrifying giant pumpkin monster, where would I be lurking?" Shaggy wondered.

"Rumpkin ratch?" Scooby suggested.

"Hmm... Maybe... Still, a little too obvious, you think?"

"Rut... That means rumpkin ratch is safest place to be."

Shaggy broke out in a grin. "Scoob 'ol buddy 'ol pal 'ol friend, that's brilliant thinking! Let's go!"

They made their way to the nearest pumpkin patch, which happened to be the same one they had investigated just prior to first encountering the Great Pumpkin. Shaggy occasionally glanced up, as they went, confirming that Snoopy and Scootaloo were still following along high above. When they got to their destination, Shaggy and Scooby both sat down, leaning their backs against a large pumpkin. "Like you were right Scoob. This is perfect. We'll just wait here a couple hours, then go back and tell the gang we couldn't find him."

"Rootaroo." Scooby said, realizing the pegasus was still watching from above.

"Hmm, yeah that could be tricky if she rats us out..." Shaggy pondered. "We'll just have to find a way to bribe her."

While they considered ways to do so, Woodstock suddenly flew down and hovered before the duo, chattering. "Romething wrong?" Scooby asked. Woodstock nodded and began chattering and gesticulating, but neither man nor dog could understand.

"Like we're gonna have to do charades." Shaggy said. Understanding, the little bird began pointing up to the sky with one wing, while motioning towards his lap with the other. "Hmmm, um.. Sky? No, the moon? No? Huh, lemme think..." Exasperated, Woodstock started spinning around while making helicopter noises. Shaggy got it. "Scootaloo!"

Woodstock cheered, then started motioning to his eyes. "Rootaroo... Saw romething?" Scooby asked.

The bird nodded, then pantomimed like a stalking monster, and pointed behind the duo. Shaggy swallowed, hard. "Like, I hope you're not saying what I think you're saying... Scooby ol' pal, don't you think this is kind of a really, really big pumpkin we're leaning on...? They turned slowly, and the Great Pumpkin laughed.

"Bwaa Ha Ha!! I have you both now! You've all been very bad this year, and deserve to be punished!" The Great Pumpkin roared, and then it's expression briefly changed to a smile. "Except for you, Woodstock. You've been very good! This is for you." And he handed the tiny bird a wrapped gift box, Woodstock happily tearing off the wrapping paper to reveal an appropriately sized for him winter hat and scarf. "As for the rest of you-" The Monster stopped short as it saw that in the few seconds it had taken to hand over the gift, Shaggy and Scooby were already on the run and gaining a considerable lead. The Great Pumpkin roared again and gave chase...

Meanwhile, high above and unnoticed by the monster, Scootaloo and Snoopy were on the case. They followed close behind the Great Pumpkin, Scootaloo preparing to use her pegasus powers. They followed as Shaggy and Scooby led the Great Pumpkin north, then in a big arc to guide it back south between the fences and into the trap. The Great Pumpkin was getting closer and closer to stepping out onto the frozen pond, and Scootaloo cheered inwardly as she thought to herself "For once a trap plan is going to work right on the first try!" And then Snoopy's ears got tangled up in each other, and with a cry of "AUUUGH!" they fell from the sky.

The good news is, Scootaloo managed to grab Snoopy and flutter her own wings to slow their fall. The bad news is, they landed on the pond directly in front of the Great Pumpkin, and next to Shaggy and Scooby. "Like do it Scoots!" Shaggy whispered.

"I can't! From here it'll send him the wrong way!" Scootaloo hissed back.

"Well we'd better think of something, and fast!" Shaggy said.

The Great Pumpkin scowled at them. "What? Is this a trap!? For me!? How very insincere! Oh, I'll really have to punish you now!"

The monster loomed forward, but as it did so, here came Woodstock, wearing his new hat and scarf, buzzing all around the Great Pumpkin's, well, pumpkin. He was joined by a number of other birds like himself, and they began to annoy the Great Pumpkin who tried to swat them away. As he did so, he took one step too far, out onto the slippery frozen pond, and began to slide. Then Woodstock and another bird used the scarf, holding it at either end, to hook a vine and pull, harder and harder sweeping up Shaggy, Scooby, Scootaloo, and Snoopy as they went, sliding across the pond and tossing the whole mess into the faked pumpkin patch, just under the Kite Eating Tree, allowing the rest of the plan to go as intended.

Kite parts were thrown all over the Great Pumpkin, as it tried to get back up. "You're all very naughty!" It's voice boomed out, "And you will... Wait... Where am I...?" He looked up to see a tree that somehow made a greedy, hungry smile from it's canopy. "No! No! Noooooo!!" The Great Pumpkin wailed, as it was captured, hopelessly ensnared in the tree's branches...

A short time later. Charlie Brown and Snoopy had went all around the neighborhood and gathered up the other kids. Conspicuously absent, however, were any adults. "Shouldn't we be, like, calling the police or something?" Sweetie Belle asked.

Velma explained "Ordinarily yes. But in this case, there's no actual crime. (And besides that, we wouldn't be able to understand them.)"

"Like no crime!?" Shaggy asked, "Weren't they trying to steal Snoopy's Van Gogh?"

Daphne said "In point of fact, no. I mean think about it, it's in a doghouse, with a single occupant who's gone frequently. If these were art thieves they'd just go in and take it, no need to bother with a fake monster scare."

"Exactly." Velma said. "The Van Gogh was a red herring. What wasn't, were the scrap of blue fabric, and the medal. The fabric I recognized as being from a belonging of someone we've already met. And a quick internet search turned up which of the kid's parents earned a Distinguished Service Medal!"

"So, if the Great Pumpkin is a fake then who is it?" Schroder asked.

"Let's find out for sure!" Freddy said, "Shaggy, help me out!" They stepped to either side of the Great Pumpkin, got a good grip, and lifted up, the top half of the Jack O Lantern separating from the bottom half, revealing the inside. There were three control stations, and seated at them were...

"Linus, Franklin, and Peppermint Patty!?" The kids all exclaimed. Charlie Brown let out a "Good grief!" while Marcie ran to Patty saying "Sir! Sir!" and Lucy shook a fist at Linus, yelling "You blockhead! I'm gonna clobber you for this!"

"But why? Why did you do this?" Charlie Brown asked.

"And how did you do it?" Scootaloo added. "I mean, you're like ten! There's no way you built this yourselves!"

Franklin said "I can answer the second question. After he left the Army, my dad got some engineering degrees. We went to him and said we wanted to build something really cool for Halloween and he agreed. Of course, we didn't tell him what it was really for."

"And as for the first question," Linus said, 'We did it for you, Charlie Brown. We're your friends and we were tired of everyone making fun of you and thought that if we scared them enough maybe it would stop."

"Fat chance of that!" Lucy screamed.

"Wow. Y'all just don't learn do ya?" Apple Bloom asked, staring right into Lucy's eyes causing her to blush in embarrassment. Then Snoopy kissed the girl, and she ran away screaming about poison dog lips and iodine.

Velma handed the medal to Franklin. "I think this belongs to your father."

"Oh thank you thank you thank you!" Franklin sighed in relief. " I um, 'borrowed' it, hoping it would be good luck. Dad would kill me if I actually lost it."

Looking at Linus, Scootaloo asked "Aren't you afraid the real 'Great Pumpkin' will be mad at you for this?"

"Nah, I was sincerely trying to help a friend. He'll be impressed not angry." Linus explained. "I just wish my blanket hadn't snagged and torn when I was following you through that pumpkin patch. You might never have figured it out without that clue."

"So how much trouble are we in?" Peppermint Patty asked.

"Oh, I don't think we're gonna do a thing about this one." Velma said. "Just don't pull this kind of thing again!"

Linus smiled. "Okay! Now let's all gather 'round and sing pumpkin carols!" The gang exchanged confused looks regarding just exactly what a pumpkin carol would sound like...