//------------------------------// // A New Mission Begins // Story: G5 Adventures in Scooby-Doo! Camp Scare // by ponydog127 //------------------------------// “And then, we asked my mom if we could come here instead of going to the beach,” Seashell concluded her story, “and well… you guys kinda know the rest.” Seashell, Glory and Peach Fizz had just got done telling the Mane 6, Sparky, Rocky and Jazz about the feuding that had went on between their parents over the past few months, ending with the argument that happened earlier that day. Needless to say, the other ponies and Sparky were shocked at this kind of behavior and felt bad for the fillies. Hitch was the first to approach them with a sympathetic look. “I’m so sorry you girls had to go through that. I met with each one of your parents personally, and unfortunately, they never told me about this. But I’m sure that maybe if I talk to them, maybe we can reach some sort of personal agreement.” “Thanks, Sheriff Hitch,” Glory sighed, “but when my dad makes a decision, he usually sticks to it.” “My mom too,” Peach Fizz sighed, looking down at the floor. “I just wish we could spend one more summer together before we had to leave.” As everypony tried to think of a way to help the fillies, Jazz suddenly looked at all their cutie marks and gasped. “Looks like you had your wish answered, Peach Fizz! Look at all your cutie marks!” The Mane 6, as well as the Pippsqueaks, looked down at their cutie marks and realized they were glowing brightly-- a sign that they were being summoned by the Unity Crystals for another mission. Seashell gasped excitedly at this. “Does this mean we get to go with you this time?!” “I guess it does!” Izzy giggled. “But, you fillies have to promise that you’ll do what we say at all times,” Sunny told them sternly. “Okay?” “We promise!” the Pippsqueaks said. “Jazz, can you take Sparky over to Grandma Figgy’s?” Hitch asked, handing the baby dragon over to her. “I think it might be best if he doesn’t come this time.” “Sure thing, Hitch,” Jazz nodded and took the baby onto her back. “Now, do you fillies need to grab anything from home before we leave?” Zipp asked before suddenly realizing what she said. “Sorry, force of habit.” “All we need is to stay with you,” Peach Fizz said, hugging up against Zipp. “That’s the only thing we want.” The Mane 6 looked at each other sympathetically, realizing that this may be the fillies' one ticket to having a good summer memory before they were ripped apart. They had to try and make it a good one for them. Sunny sighed at this. “Okay, then… everypony, back to the Brighthouse!” XXXXXXXX Back in the mortal world, the day after the Woodsman attack at camp, Shaggy and Scooby-Doo were seemingly having lunch in the woods, with Scooby sitting in a hammock while Shaggy handed him a freshly made sandwich. “Here you go, Scoob, 18 inches of hoagie heaven.” “Ooh! Yum!” Scooby said in delight, licking his lips in hunger. “Now this is what I call camping,” Shaggy said before taking a bite out of his sandwich. “Good friends…” “Good food…” Scooby continued. “And,” said Shaggy, “most importantly…” “...no monsters!” Shaggy and Scooby continued to feast on their sandwiches for a few moments, until a sound caused them to turn toward a wooded area, where they saw some sort of figure approaching them slowly, with its arms stretched out. To them, that only meant one thing only. “MONSTER!!” Shaggy leapt into the hammock with Scooby for protection… just as the figure fell out into open view, revealing itself to be only Velma wearing some sort of suit. “Sorry, guys,” she apologized for scaring them. “I was just checking out this mosquito-proof suit. Maybe I should try a small.” That's when Daphne approached the three with a shopping cart full of supplies for their trip. “You guys, quit messing around. We're here to pick up supplies,” she said, revealing that they weren’t ACTUALLY camping yet-- just in a camping themed store. “You know how excited Fred is about taking us to his old summer camp.” At that moment, Fred appeared, dressed in different camping accessories with a wide smile on his face. “I am so excited to take you guys to my old summer camp!” “Like, you don’t say,” Shaggy said sarcastically before he and Scooby giggled. “You guys are gonna love being counselors at Camp Little Moose,” Fred told them before being reminded of something. “Did I ever tell you the time me and Davey Reynolds tried canoeing Schmidt's Creek without a paddle?” Unfortunately, this was a story the gang had heard before... about 20 times, to those who want to keep track. “Yes…” “There we were,” Fred began retelling the tale. “10 years old and not a paddle between us.” Daphne sighed as everyone walked toward the checkout… only to be stopped by a familiar portal opening up because of them. “Oh, thank goodness!” Velma sighed quietly. “Sunny and her friends showed up just in time to stop that story.” However, it wasn't Sunny and her friends who popped out of the portal first. Instead, it was the Pippsqueaks, who looked a bit dazed from the wild ride. “Whoa…” Seashell looked around after a moment. “Where are we?” “I don’t know,” Peach Fizz shook her head. “But we definitely don’t have anything like this back home.” That’s when the Mane 6 finally emerged from the portal before it closed, lighting up at seeing their friends. “Hey, guys! It’s great to see you!” Zipp said, high-fiving Fred as the others gave their friends hugs. “We actually have some guests on our Unity Quest this time.” “Everyone, meet the Pippsqueaks! This is Seashell, Peach Fizz and Glory!” Pipp gestured to each filly. “Girls, meet Mystery Incorporated-- Scooby, Shaggy, Fred, Velma and Daphne! We’ve been on a bunch of quests with these guys.” “It’s nice to meet you, girls,” Daphne smiled sweetly. “Pipp’s actually told us quite a bit about you.” “Really?!” Seashell said excitedly. “That’s awesome! I mean, uh… good things, I hope.” The gang couldn't help but giggle at the filly's answer, and Glory flew up to Scooby and began rubbing his head, giggling to herself. “Awww, he’s so cute!” she cooed before reaching into her mane and pulling out a cookie. “Can I give him a treat?” “Like, sure,” Shaggy nodded. “Though he and I usually go through 5 boxes of cookies on a weekly basis.” “Sit, boy,” Glory said, prompting Scooby to sit before she tossed the cookie into his mouth. “Wow! He’s amazing!” “They don’t allow pets in our apartment building at home,” Peach Fizz said, “so Glory loves to be around animals whenever she can.” But then, the smiles from the Pippsqueaks faded upon remembering their own dilemma. “I just… don’t think we’re going to have a home in Maretime Bay for long,” Glory said quietly. “Not after what happened.” Sunny felt her heart twinge at this, and when she noticed Mystery Inc looking sympathetic and confused, she had an idea and turned to the Pippsqueaks. “Hey, girls? Why don’t you, Shaggy and Scooby go find some snacks? That way you guys can get to know each other a little.” “Okay,” Peach Fizz nodded, and the three fillies walked off with their new friends while Pipp turned to Fred, Velma and Daphne. “The Pippsqueaks are kinda going through some stuff with their parents at home-- they’re fighting, and Glory and Peach Fizz might have to move back to Zephyr Heights and Bridlewood.” “Oh, that’s awful,” Daphne frowned. “Nopony should have to be put through that.” “Well, maybe the girls will like where we’re going for a few weeks,” Fred said. “We’re volunteering at my old summer camp, Camp Little Moose, and I’m sure the Pippsqueaks would love going there as much as I did.” “You know, Fred… that’s actually not a bad idea,” Zipp said in thought. “It would really help take their mind of things, and give US time to find a solution for when we have to go back to Equestria.” “We’d love to have you guys along… especially if it means that you guys can stop Fred from retelling his old camp stories,” Velma whispered to avoid Fred’s earshot. “Now, let’s get this stuff checked out and into the van before it weighs anymore.” XXXXXXXX After the camping supplies were paid for, the Mane 6 helped the gang load it into the van, just as the owner of the store, an older white man, came out to speak to them. “Sure do appreciate your business, kids,” he said. “Say, if you're heading up to Little Moose Lake, you best get a move on. Those mountain roads can be mighty tricky come nightfall.” “Loud and clear, sir. Thanks for everything,” Hitch said politely. “Hold on a second,” Daphne said, looking around. “Where are the Pippsqueaks, Shaggy and Scooby?” “Look out!” The next thing the group knew, Shaggy and Scooby were riding on a shopping cart out to the van with the Pippsqueaks, and while the Pippsqueaks were able to jump off in time, Shaggy and Scooby landed in the huge pile of supplies. Seashell gasped and hopped up to the bumper of the van to see if she could see any kind of movement from her friends. “Scooby? Are you okay?” “Don't worry about him,” Shaggy reassured the filly, sitting up. “He landed on a cushion of freeze-dried ice cream.” Scooby took out a packet of freeze-dried ice cream and placed the contents into his mouth, his mouth watering at the savory flavors. “Mmm… rocky road!” As Scooby licked his chops to get the leftover ice cream off, and as the others laughed at the dog's antics, Velma saw another smaller building off to the side of the camping store. “Camp City Historical Museum. What's that?” “Oh, just a little hobby of mine,” the store owner said. “There's a lot of history in this area. Myths, legends. Even a few ghost stories. You wanna hear one?” Glory gulped nervously. “Um… no?” “I’m good,” Scooby said before he and Shaggy instantly slammed the back door of the Mystery Machine shut. “Thanks again for the supplies, sir,” Misty said. “But like you said, we have a long way to go before nightfall, so we need to get going.” And that's just what our heroes did, getting into the Mystery Machine and driving down the road. On the way there, Pipp and Zipp decide to narrate the tale of Zombie Island-- the Unity Quest that let them all meet for the first time. From the Moat Monster to the zombies, all the way to the cat creatures, it was truly an amazing tale. “And after we all got on the boat to leave Moonscar Island, the portal appeared, and we said goodbye to these guys and came back to Equestria,” Zipp finished. “And that’s the true story about how we all met and solved our first mystery together.” “Wow… that’s an incredible story!” Glory exclaimed. “I mean… except for the cat creatures part.” “Luckily, we haven’t heard any kind of trouble from Moonscar Island,” Sunny reassured the fillies, “so I assume the cat people haven’t made any kind of come back.” “On another note,” said Velma, looking at the GPS that Fred had recently installed, “according to the GPS, we should be able to see the camp right now.” “Hey, guys!” Hitch pointed out the window. “This is something you have to see!” Everyone looked through the window to see a glamorous camp just near a gorgeous lake that seemed to be well-liked and well enjoyed, due to how many people and ponies were walking around. “Wow!” Daphne exclaimed. “That place is beautiful!” “OMP, yes!” Pipp said, taking pictures through the window. “This is my kind of place!” “You know, Freddy,” Zipp admitted, “I wasn't too excited about roughing it. But I think I'm going to like Camp Little Moose.” “Oh-ho, sweet innocent Zipp,” Fred chuckled. “That’s not Camp Little Moose.” “It’s not?” Scooby asked in confusion. “That’s Camp Big Moose,” Fred turned his nose at the other camp and instead pointed down below the camp in the valley next to a huge dam. “That’s Camp Little Moose.” Compared to Camp Big Moose, this camp was smaller and a bit... worn down. The cabins were a bit old-fashioned, and there was an old dirty lake right nearby-- even the camp sign seemed older than dirt. “Oh,” Fred smiled as they drove through the camp, “they've really fixed the place up.” Pipp sighed, her ears pinning. “You gotta be kidding me… we have to stay here?!” “Pipp, don’t be rude!” Sunny scolded. “I don’t think it looks all bad… right?” However, Fred was oblivious to the Mane 6's current conversation, still excited about the experience. “I've spent a zillion summers here as a camper… but now, I'm finally gonna be a counselor!” “...I hate to be a bit of a downer,” Seashell whispered to Daphne and Velma, “but this place is, uh… kind of a dump.” “It’s… rustic, Seashell,” Daphne tried to put it another way. “And it could really use some of Izzy’s unicycling talents.” “Man, I don't care what it looks like,” Shaggy told the group, “as long as it isn't haunted.” Suddenly, Darryl ran out in front of the Mystery Machine, causing the ponies to gasp as Fred immediately put on the brakes. “Stop! Turn back!” Darryl shouted. “This place is haunted!” After hearing this, Shaggy and Scooby immediately slapped themselves out of frustration, just as Fred leaned his head out the window to speak. “Hey, buddy, what seems to be the problem?” “He’s real!” Darryl exclaimed. “Get out of here while you still can. I'm going to Camp Big Moose! YAAAAH!!!” And just like that, Darryl was gone. “What do you think that was all about?” Misty asked in concern. “Beats me,” Fred shrugged, unbuckling his seatbelt. “But we're gonna find out.” “Good idea, Fred. Ponies, let’s move out!” Zipp said, and everyone except Shaggy, Scooby and the Pippsqueaks left the van. “What part of ‘Get out, save yourselves’ didn’t you understand?!” Shaggy called after their friends. “How about this one time we listen to the wild-eyed lunatic?!” “But what if the camp is in trouble?” Glory asked the boys. “We can’t just leave without finding out the problem! Come on. guys!” Reluctantly, knowing the filly was right, Shaggy and Scooby followed the Pippsqueaks out of the van while the others looked around. “This is not a Camp Little Moose welcome,” Fred spoke, clearly not pleased as he looked at the sign. Turns out, the words "GET OUT" had been scraped against it... an utterly terrifying warning. “Where is everybody?” Sunny wondered. “Maybe if we look around a bit,” said Misty, “we can find someone to answer these questions.” “Pippsqueaks, better stay close,” Zipp said with a narrowed gaze. “This could be Allura’s doing.” The Pippsqueaks gulped nervously, but nodded to this, and stuck behind their friends as they walked around the cabins a bit, not a single person in sight… …at least until they began hearing a voice. “...just a campfire story, but he was here!” “Did you hear that?” Daphne asked as they all listened to the voice again. “...madder than a bear with a bee sting!” “Oh! It’s coming from down there!” Pipp pointed down the nearby path toward the lake, and they all galloped and flew down the path to see what or who they might be able to find. XXXXXXXX Turns out, this voice belonged to Burt, who was talking to one of the local rangers about the boathouse explosion the night before. “He was laughing when he threw his ax at me.” “I think it'd be a good idea to cancel the second session of camp,” the ranger advised as he took down the report. “Way ahead of you, Ranger Knudsen,” Burt nodded. “I've already notified all the parents. Camp Little Moose is officially closed for the summer.” “What?!” Fred cried, screeching to a halt at the end of the path. “You can’t cancel camp!” Burt seemed to recognize this voice immediately and turned to Fred with a wide grin. “Why, I'd know that ascot anywhere-- Freddy Jones! Get over here and give me a Little Moose welcome!” That’s when Fred and Burt approached each other and began the rhyme that every kid who went to Camp Little Moose knew by heart. “High in the mountains…” “...deep in the spruce…” “...on the shore of the lake…” “...it’s Camp Little Moose!” “Little Moose, Little Moose, Liiiittlllle Moose!” Fred and Burt chuckled before hugging, and this made the ponies and the rest of the gang smile at the connection. “Ah. The Little Moose welcome always warms my heart,” Burt smiled before Sunny approached. “Excuse me, sir, but what’s this we heard about canceling camp?” “And what happened to the boathouse?” Fred asked. “I don't mean to scare you kids…” said Ranger Knudsen, “but we're having a little trouble with an ax-wielding maniac.” “It was the Woodsman!” Burt told Fred with wide eyes. “Oh no!” Shaggy cried. “Not the Woodsman!” “Uh… who’s the Woodsman?” Scooby whispered. “Like, I don’t know,” Shaggy shuddered, “and I don't wanna find out.” “The Woodsman?” Fred questioned before smirking. “Oh, come on, Burt, you don't believe that old campfire story.” “Nah, I swear, Fred!” Burt protested. “I saw him with my own eyes!” However, Fred still seemed hesitant to believe such a thing. “t's probably just a prank by those snobs at Camp Big Moose.” “Fred, this seems really serious,” Misty pointed out with a frown. “Besides, if Burt saw the Woodsman with his own eyes, I think we need to at least take his word for it.” “Besides,” Velma said as she inspected the damage. “I've heard of camp rivalries, but this is a little extreme.” “You,” said Ranger Knudsen, smirking at her, “hit the nail on the head, beautiful.” “Oh, I didn't say anything,” Daphne said politely. “Well, I wasn't talking to you,” the ranger told her bluntly before going back to his jeep. “It's best if you folks just head on home. Let the professionals handle this.” As Velma shot him a look, the ranger drove off in the direction of his ranger station, and Daphne turned to Velma with an excited look. “Somebody likes you!” “...shut up…” XXXXXXXX When everyone gathered at the Camp Little Moose sign to discuss what to do, Fred and the Pippsqueaks seemed extremely disappointed about the camp being shut down... but Fred was actually the first one to speak. “But I was gonna be a counselor, mentor, hero...” “I'm sorry, Fred,” Burt apologized, “but I had no choice. No campers means no camp.” “But... you have me, Seashell and Glory,” Peach Fizz spoke. “We’ll be happy to be campers... especially if it means getting away from our problems.” “Well, that's mighty nice of you, little fillies,” Burt told them, “but it takes more than three campers to make a summer camp... well, a summer camp.” Suddenly, a large yellow bus pulled into the camp, and off of it came three young middle school aged kids: The first was a young boy with average build and had short, blond hair and a Camp Little Moose shirt. The second was the only girl of the group, and her attire consisted of glasses, a dark purple hoodie, black shorts, and black shoes with long socks. Lastly, the third kid was a chubby young boy with glasses, a Camp Little Moose shirt and an orange baseball cap. As soon as the kids stepped off the bus, the blonde haired boy looked around, confused. “Where is everybody?” “Camp's canceled,” Burt tried to tell the kids. “Didn't you kids get the message?” “...what message?” the girl deadpanned. “The one that said welcome to Camp Little Moose!” Fred told them cheerfully, interrupting Burt. “I'm Fred-- I'll be your counselor, mentor, hero.” “Good to meet you, Fred. I'm Luke,” the blonde haired boy shook Fred’s hand. “Trudy...” the girl muttered before walking off. “Deacon,” the chubby boy took a breath out of his inhaler before shaking Fred's hand. “Hi! I'm Seashell,” the earth pony filly introduced, “and these are my friends Glory and Peach Fizz.” “Wow! Real ponies!” Luke said fist-bumping Glory, who was flying at his level. “This is totally gonna be sweet!” As the fillies were trying to socialize with their fellow campers, Burt pulled Fred off to the side. “I don't know if this is such a good idea, Fred. Maybe we should just put these kids back on that bus.” But before anything else could be said, the bus began to drive away. “Hey. Hey! Hey, where are you going?” Burt asked, running after it. “You get back here!” At the same time, Fred began to think of the activities to do. “So, what will it be first? Equestrian-back rides through the woods? No, no, no, I got it. Zip line!” “Sounds awesome!” Luke exclaimed. “Sounds awful...” Trudy muttered as she and Deacon, as well as Seashell, Peach Fizz, Hitch and Zipp, followed Fred away, leaving the others alone. “This may just be my jinxie sense,” Izzy said in thought, “but it kinda feels like Fred's forgetting something.” “You mean, the fact that we have a mystery on our hands?” Velma asked her. “Oh, yeah!” Izzy nodded in response. “That's it!” “Like the only mystery I'm interested in solving...” Shaggy spoke, “...is The Case of What's For Dinner. What do you say we look for clues in the kitchen, Scoob?” And as quick as a flash, Scooby had grabbed a bag of groceries and a chef hat from the van. “Way ahead of you.” “I'll give you a hoof with that, fellas,” Sunny said. “The kitchen is one of my happy places.” “Um... could I help you with them, Sunny?” Glory asked timidly. “I helped my dad with cooking a lot back home.” “Oh, sure. We'd love some extra help,” Sunny nodded. “Come on, let's get into that kitchen and cook the night away!” As the groups split up to cover the activities, they were blissfully unaware that this adventure would be more frightening than it seemed... ...more frightening by a long shot.