Fred, Daphne, Velma, Muriel, Hitch and the pegasus sisters had activated a secret lever that took them behind the walls of the mansion and into a strange cave system, and being in there gave Pipp some bad vibes. “Where are we?”
“And what is that thing?” Hitch asked, pointing to a strange device close to them, compiled of different pieces of machinery. “It’s making a funny sound,” Muriel observed, just before a bell in Velma’s head went to ringing. “Jinkies! That’s it!” she said, just as the sound that they heard earlier made Hitch, Pipp and Zipp groan in pain. “That's the source. The machine is broadcasting the signal that is making the dogs and ponies and Eclipse act crazy. I wonder what it's doing.”
Turns out, the machine was creating telephone numbers to call all sorts of people in the area, and put them under some sort of hypnosis that made them bring all their valuables over to the Bagge residence as Eustace arrived.
And the site of such riches made him not want to question the strange behavior, but dance and take a money bath while doing so.
That makes you wonder... can things get any worse for our heroes?
XXXXXXXX
Shaggy, Scooby, Courage and their Equestrian friends kept getting scared repeatedly by the large cicadas and their queen chasing them all around the mansion and through several rooms and hallways, as well as the strange pop-up sightings of Mr. and Mrs. Glockenspiel, and they never thought that this madness was going to end.
As soon as they were about to go down another hall, they found it covered in holes where the cicadas had popped up from the ground, and an army of them was steadily approaching. “Everypony stay behind me!” Sunny said, turning into her alicorn form. “I’ll see if I can keep these things back!”
But, as they backed up with Sunny in the lead, they fell into one of the holes the cicadas created, prompting them to fall and destroy the machine that was creating the telephone calls, and a rockslide to cover up the entrance. “Hey, guys,” Fred smiled once the fallen group started to get themselves together. “Nice of you to drop in.”
“Ha ha, Fred… very funny,” Eclipse groaned sarcastically. “Oh-ho, Eclipse! Courage!” Muriel said with a relieved smile. “You’re okay!”
“Muriel!” Courage happily howled and ran into Muriel’s arms with his tail wagging. “Well,” said Velma, looking at the wreckage, “whatever this machine was doing, it's not doing it anymore.”
“Maybe that’s a good thing?” Hitch asked. “It did make all us animals go crazy.”
“True, but if we had examined it a little more, maybe we could have figured out who it belonged to.”
“Before we get into any of that, has anypony else seen Misty?” Sunny asked. “She found her mother after you guys left and we haven’t seen her since.”
“Oh, dear… no, Sunny, we haven’t,” Muriel shook her head. “But don’t worry,” Daphne said. “We’ll all find her. Maybe they just got so caught up talking, they lost track of the hour.”
“Or,” said Zipp, “they went outside?”
“Hmm… maybe.”
Before Shaggy was about to say something else, he noticed water coming up from the floor toward the ceiling, when it should be the other way around, causing mass confusion in him. “Like, man! This place is totally freaky! Like, why is the water dripping upward?”
“Whoa!” Izzy cried. “How is that even happening?” Daphne wondered. “Oh,” Muriel smiled. “How nice.”
“Also,” Shaggy stated another fact as they looked at the ceiling, “we’re all floating.”
Truth be told, Shaggy was right-- every single one of them was off the ground, causing them to gasp, startled. “Interesting,” Velma said as Courage, Scooby, Shaggy and Izzy had fun floating around. “The energy that is powering this machine is affecting the laws of gravity and physics. Hmmm.... there are only a few known substances that could have this effect. This mystery is really starting to come together. But I need more information. I need an internet connection to find some answers.”
That’s when Muriel suddenly thought of something. “Oh, we've got a lovely computer at the farmhouse. Don't we, Courage?”
“Uh-huh,” Courage nodded. “Uh-huh.”
That’s when Daphne suddenly spotted a nearby tunnel. “Let's see if this tunnel will lead us out of here and back to the surface.”
So, the group all floated down to the ground and started walking toward the tunnel... not knowing that the cicada queen was watching from the cave ceiling.
XXXXXXXX
Misty was sobbing to herself, wondering how her mother could be so despicably evil when she suddenly heard something coming her way, sounding like footprints…
A multitude of them!
That could only mean one thing!
She peeked from her corner of the cavern to see her friends, the gang, Eclipse, Muriel and Courage coming her way, and couldn’t help but gasp in relief. “Scooby, Sunny! Guys! You found me!”
“Misty!” Scooby cried, running toward her and hugging her, along with Shaggy. “We’re in total danger, you guys!” Misty told her friends as they approached. “It's my mom, Paradise! She’s the evil force Twilight Sparkle told us to protect Equestria from! Turns out, she was Opaline’s adopted daughter! Just like I once thought I was! And that makes Opaline my... oh pony, I hate to say it... my grandmother!”
Needless to say, many members of the group, Mystery Incorporated included, were shocked by the alarming news. “WHAT?!”
“Misty, are you sure?” Fred asked. “I know it was her, Fred! She told me the entire story!” Misty said before growling to herself. “I knew she abandoned me, but… she gifted me to Opaline to ‘carry on the family legacy’ while she went in search of the dragons. She’s gonna destroy Equestria and its all my fault… for just being born. W-Why did my family have to be so broken...?!”
Misty’s heartbroken sniffles were saddening to anyone around, and Courage was able to leap down from Muriel’s arms, walk over to Misty and hug her reassuringly, causing her to look up, broken, and nuzzle into his embrace, stiffly sobbing.
After a few moments of watching her best friend comfort Misty, the black sphinx cub found the need to take a step forward. “You’re not the only one with a broken family, Misty. My older brother abandoned me in the forests outside Nowhere, and I stayed under the farmhouse until Courage found me.”
“Mine and Zipp’s dad died after I was born,” Pipp said. “Sunny's mom disappeared when she was young, and Sunny’s dad died when she was a filly, remember?”
“Oh… yeah…” Misty sniffled, wiping her eyes with her hoof. “I forgot…”
“We all have our family faults, Misty. But like you said before… we’re a family, all of us,” Sunny told her. “We’ll find a way to convince your mom of Opaline’s lies and bring her back to the good side. But you gotta trust us, okay?”
Misty sniffled, eventually standing up. “...thanks, guys. I guess I needed to hear that more than I realized.”
“So… let’s get going, huh?” Hitch said before he started thinking of a way to brighten all of their spirits. “Hey, Pipp? Remember that song we sang to get the pega-mice to leave the factory? Well, what if we sing that song again while we find our way out of this creep zone?”
“Oooh, yes yes!” Pipp said before tossing Courage her phone. “Here, Courage. Tap the button!”
“Uh-huh!” Courage nodded before tapping the button, causing music to begin to play that caused Pipp and Hitch, and eventually Eclipse, to start singing.
Pipp: Making a plan
Hitch: Lending a hand
Eclipse: Helping a friend is…
Eclipse, Pipp and Hitch: Ni-ee-i-ee-i-i-i-ice
Hitch: Work together
Eclipse: Two manes are better
Eclipse, Pipp and Hitch: Findin' new ways
To fly-ee-y-ee-y-y-y-y
Pipp: With a little bit of confidence
Eclipse: And a little bit of kindness…
Eclipse, Pipp and Hitch: We can make it fun to do..!!
Eclipse, Pipp and Hitch tossed Courage up into the air, causing him to cheer before Eclipse caught him on her back and they proceeded on their way, making a little parade to the beat of the music.
Eclipse, Pipp and Hitch: Work together, make it better
Workin' smarter with each other
Work together, make it better
We are stronger with each other
Work, work, let's unite
Everypony shining bright
Work, work, work it out
Everypony shout it loud
Hitch: Play a new game
Pipp: Fun is the name
Eclipse, Pipp and Hitch: It’s all in the way you
Try-ee-y-ee-y-y-y-y
Eclipse: So come with me
Eclipse, Pipp and Hitch: In harmony
Discoverin' ways to
Shi-i-iine
Eclipse: With a little bit of confidence
Hitch: And a little bit of kindness
Eclipse, Pipp and Hitch: We can make it fun to do..!!
Work together, make it better
Workin' smarter with each other
Work together, make it better
We are stronger with each other
Work, work, let's unite
Everypony shining bright
Work, work, work it out
Everypony shout it loud
Work, work, let's unite
Everypony shining bright
Work, work, work it out
Everypony shout it loud
As the song came to an end, they reached a wooden door at the end of the tunnel, making the group cheer. “We made it!”
“Wow, that was really fun!” Eclipse said with a smile. “How did I not know that singing could make going through a creepy tunnel more exciting?”
“You never know what's more exciting if you never try,” Pipp elbowed her playfully. “Ready to get home and solve this mystery?”
Eclipse looked back at Courage on her back, and the small pink dog smiled and nodded, making Eclipse nod as well. “Definitely.”