Both groups of investigating teams (if you count Shaggy and Scooby's group and Velma's group as one whole group) had just faced two campfire legends that had come to life-- the Specter of Shadow Canyon and the Fishman swimming in Big Moose Lake.
And luckily, both groups managed to escape AND find clues that might help them point to who might be behind these so-called hauntings.
Once all the groups made it back to Camp Little Moose unharmed, but still shaken from these events, they reunited and discussed what they had found earlier that day. “Seashell and Scoob were right,” Fred told the group what they had found during the scuba dive. “It looked like an entire town on the bottom of the lake.”
“I’ve heard of ponies and people having lakeside properties,” Hitch said, “but what we saw was ridiculous.”
“It explains why someone was searching the lake with sonar equipment,” Zipp said. “They must have been looking for that underwater town.”
“But what about the dynamite? How does that fit into all this?” Daphne wondered. “I don’t know, but if someone wants to make something explode,” Sunny shuddered, “then we need to figure this case out before anyone else gets hurt.”
“Oh, are you guys really gonna just sit around here and try and solve this mystery?” Deacon asked rather bluntly. “Clearly, someone doesn't want us to be at Camp Little Moose. We should listen to them. I'm going to Camp Big Moose, where it's safe. Who's with me?”
Shaggy and Scooby immediately raised their hands and paws, but one look from Velma caused them to immediately lower their hands and paws again. “Trudy, Luke? Pippsqueaks?” Burt said to the other campers. “Maybe it's best if y'all go with Deacon.”
“Forget it-- we’re Little Moosers through and through,” Seashell said confidently. “She’s totally right for a girl,” Luke added, trying to ignore the glare he got from Seashell. “We wanna help you guys catch whoever's messing with our camp.”
Trudy then stood up, lowering her hood with a smile. “Me too.”
“Are you guys totally sure this is what you want?” Zipp asked in concern. “Yep,” Trudy nodded. “I wanna help solve the mystery.”
“And besides, if you guys have enough courage to do this sort of thing on ALL your Unity Quests,” said Glory, “then we wanna be just like you.”
The Mane 6 and Mystery Inc felt touched by these words, and nodded in understanding-- it was their choice, after all. However... Deacon was less than thrilled by this statement. “Oh... y-y-you're all nuts, you hear me? Nuts!” he said, taking a breath of his inhaler. “I’m outta here!”
And just like that, he marched off into the dark. “I better give him a lift up to Big Moose. I have to get the jeep back anyway,” Jessica said, waving the group goodbye before heading out after Deacon. “It still feels like we're missing a piece of the puzzle,” Fred spoke in thought. “You know… Fred’s right,” Misty said. “What we need is an expert on this area, who might be able to give us further insight.”
Suddenly, Velma grinned as she got an idea. “I know just the person.”
XXXXXXXX
Once leaving the Pippsqueaks, Luke and Trudy in Burt's care, the Mane 6 and Mystery Inc headed back out to the Camp City camping store and historical museum, where the owner was happy to let them inside and look around. “Yeah, you kids definitely came to the right place,” the owner spoke up. “I know just about everything there is to know about this area.”
“All right then. If you know all about this area,” said Zipp, “then what can you tell us about a town on the bottom of Big Moose Lake?”
“Ahh… you mean Moose Creek,” the owner recalled. “It used to be an old mining town. But years ago, they moved everybody out of there… dammed the creek and created Big Moose Lake. Of course, that's only part of the story.”
As Shaggy and Scooby were messing with a cat statue (which actually turned out to be a real cat), the owner got a file out from the cabinet of what they were looking for, set it out on the table for all to see before beginning the tale. “Moose Creek was home to a notorious gangster named Ricky LaRue. After pulling the biggest bank heist of his life, the cops were hot on Ricky's trail. So the legend goes… he stashed his loot somewhere in Moose Creek. They locked LaRue up and threw away the key. And not long after, the dam was built, flooding the town of Moose Creek. LaRue's treasure was lost forever… somewhere down in the depths of Big Moose Lake.”
“#CreepyLegend,” Pipp shuddered. “But at least we have a possible motive into those hauntings at the camps.”
“But we may need to dig a little deeper to find out more,” Zipp said. “Do you mind if we borrow this?” Velma gestured to the file. “Be my guest,” the owner complied with this. “But if you kids happen to find LaRue's loot… don't be afraid to spend a little of that scratch over at Camp City, you hear?”
“Thanks again for this, sir,” Sunny smiled as they began to head out. “We’ll bring this back as soon as we’re done with it!”
XXXXXXXX
In order to get some peace and quiet, the group headed out to a lookout spot overlooking Big Moose Lake, to get some feels as Daphne looked through the file until she found something rather interesting. “Guys, listen to this,” she said, pulling out an old piece of paper “Before LaRue died, he told his cellmate, BabyFace Boretti, the secret to finding his hidden gold: When dawn breaks on the summer solstice, the steeple will point the way.”
“The summer solstice?” Sunny muttered. “That’s today!”
“Or,” Velma corrected, “it will be when the sun rises in a few hours.”
“And get this article I found online!” Pipp pulled out a picture. “Two months ago, BabyFace Boretti escaped from jail!”
Shaggy looked at Pipp's phone, realizing that BabyFace Boretti was a lot shorter than anyone would have guessed. “Like, one thing's for sure, man,” he said. “This guy's too short to be the Woodsman or Fishman.”
“So, he’s gotta have an accomplice!” Misty realized what Shaggy was saying. “Or stilts,” Scooby shrugged. “Either way, we definitely have to keep this in mind,” Zipp told the others. “But the only question that remains,” said Hitch, “is why try to scare us away from Camp Little Moose? What does that have to do with it?”
Suddenly, looking at the map of Big Moose Lake and the actual lake itself, Velma suddenly thought of something that made her blood run cold. “Jinkies! Here’s Big Moose Lake, and here’s the dam!” she said, pointing these out on the map. “And below it, Camp Little Moose.”
“So, if someone wanted to get to the treasure,” Sunny realized, “all they would need to do is blow the dam!”
“The dynamite!” Daphne realized. “But if they blow the dam,” Zipp began to panic, “all that water will flood our camp!”
“Not Little Moose!” Fred panicked. “All of my beloved childhood memories will be underwater!”
“Not to mention, Burt, the Pippsqueaks, Luke and Trudy!” Pipp added. “Our friends and our camp are in big-time trouble!”
“Well, then it’s a good thing tackling big-time trouble is what we do best!” Zipp told her friends confidently. “Guys, this may be the biggest mystery we’ve ever had to face. But with courage…”
“Hope!”
“Kindness!”
“Confidence!”
“Creativity!”
“And empathy,” Misty finished, “we may stand a chance at saving our camp and solving this mystery!”
Shaggy, Scooby and the rest of the gang looked at each other before nodding and smiling at the ponies. “We’ll follow your lead,” Velma said. “Just tell us what to do.”
“First things first,” Sunny said, shifting into her alicorn form, “Pipp, Zipp and I will fly ahead and look for a shortcut. The rest of you need to follow our lead so we can get to the camp in time.”
“You heard her, people!” Izzy shouted in a military-like voice. “LET’S GO GO GO SAVE CAMP BIG MOOSE MOOSE MOOOOOOSE!!!!”
The others looked at her a little blankly, causing her to chuckle nervously. “Too much…?”
And so, with their plan in mind, the groups set off either in the air or in the Mystery Machine, hoping to save their friends before it was too late.