G5 Adventures in Scooby-Doo! Camp Scare

by ponydog127

Woodsman Frights and Discussions in the Moonlight

After the previous experience with the Fishman, there seemed to be one set of bad news and one set of good news.

The bad news was that they had TWO ghouls to worry about instead of just one.

But the good news was that everyone made it out of the Fishman experience safe and sound... even though many of them were scared out of their minds.

After Ranger Knudsen had been called to the scene, Burt told the ranger everything that had just occurred to the best of his ability. “Then I saw them coming down that hill,” he said, “faster than a pack of buzzards on a bobsled.”

“Yeah!” Peach Fizz agreed, still shaken. “We were almost Fishman food!”

“In a way, I’m actually kind of thankful he wasn’t able to follow us,” Hitch said. “But in a way, falling down a dam is something I never want to do again, with or without the fish freak.”

“Can you describe this Fishman?” the ranger asked the group. “Uh… let me see…” Seashell hummed in thought, trying to remember what the Fishman looked like before she saw Scooby impersonating the creature. “Oh, uh… he had gills… HUGE teeth and about yay high.”

“That’s Neil Fisher to a T!” Burt realized before starting to panic. “First the Woodsman, now the Fishman? All of Little Moose's campfire legends are coming to life!”

“...there really is no other explanation,” the ranger shrugged, catching Zipp in her detective stupor. “How about someone is using these monsters to try and scare us away?” Velma stated as if it were obvious. “Why don't you just stick to being pretty?” Ranger Knudsen shot her a little look before walking away, causing Velma to annoyedly turn to Pipp, Izzy and Daphne. “Did he just say what I think he said?”

“Uh, yeah!” Pipp gushed. “He thinks you’re pretty!”

Zipp slapped her face with her hoof. “...not the right time, sis.”

Suddenly, Scooby remembered something about the earlier dive, and whispered to Seashell, who suddenly remembered what it was. “Oh yeah! During our swim, Scooby and I could have swore we saw a building under the water!”

“Underwater building… I'll put it in my report,” the ranger said before getting in his jeep. “If there really are monsters loose, you kids better head back to town. This camp is just too dangerous.”

After shooting Velma one last flirty wink, he proceeded to drive off into the night. “Like, you heard the man,” Shaggy spoke up before turning to Scooby. “We're out of here, Scoob.”

That’s when Scooby zipped off and returned with his things, and Deacon did the same thing. “Let’s bounce!” said the Great Dane. “Whoa whoa whoa, hold it, you guys,” Sunny said sternly. “I speak for ALL of us when we’re not going anywhere.”

“We're not?” Deacon asked in surprise. “Sunny's right,” Fred agreed in a confident tone. “If someone's trying to scare us away, we need to find out why.”

“And the next time they come into our camp,” Glory said, “we're gonna be ready-- right, Pippsqueaks?”

“Yeah!”

“Absolutely!”

“Uh... I actually don't think that's a good idea, girls,” Zipp said. “The Woodsman and the Fishman both proved to be really dangerous, and your parents wouldn't like us leading you three into danger.”

“But... I know we can help!” Peach Fizz tried to protest. “You said yourself that other creatures that were close to our age helped you guys out before, so why not us?”

“...wow. That was something I didn't expect,” Shaggy said, “but they do have you guys there.”

The Mane 6 looked at each other, seemingly conflicted, but realized that the Pippsqueaks were right-- they did need a chance to prove themselves...

...even when they've let friends they've met on their quests help them in fights. Especially the friends that were around the Pippsqueaks' age or even younger.

Eventually, Zipp sighed and nodded. “Okay, okay... but you guys have to promise us that you'll stay out of harms way if the Woodsman were to show up. Hide, run... do something to keep yourselves safe.”

The Pippsqueaks each seemed to comply with the request, and nodded in sincerity. “We hoof to heart promise!”

“All right-- those of who who aren't going to be involved head back to your cabins,” Fred told everyone else. “We have a trap to set before the Woodsman rolls around again.”

XXXXXXXX

After the other campers had gone to bed, the others set up the trap and waited patiently for the Woodsman to show up... and then they could finally get some answers.

As they all laid in hiding, a coated figure trudged through the dark forest before eventually setting off the trap, hoisting the figure into a tarp and into the air. “We got him!” Zipp exclaimed as the entire group gathered around. “Now it's time to get some answers,” Fred declared, preparing to let the tarp down. “Ladies and gentlemen, say hello to the Woodsman.”

But as the figure was set down, they removed the coat and hat they were wearing, revealing to be someone Fred had encountered earlier that day. “You're not the Woodsman. You're that gorgeous counselor from Big Moose.”

“I'm Jessica,” the woman introduced, and while everyone else seemed friendly toward Jessica, Daphne gagged, seemingly not impressed. “If you don't mind me asking, young lady...” Burt spoke up, “...why are you sneaking around our camp after lights out?”

“I didn’t mean to scare you guys,” Jessica told them, standing up, “but some of our camping equipment has gone missing and, well, I thought it might be you Little Moosers playing a prank.”

“Little Moosers don't play pranks. We leave that to those snobs at Camp Big Moose,” Fred spoke before realizing what he just said. “Oh, no offense.”

“Sorry to disappoint you, Jessica,” said Hitch with a frown, “but we haven't seen any camping equipment. But if there's a chance that we do see the equipment, you'll be the first to know.”

“Thanks,” Jessica said with a smile. “Stolen camping gear? Monster attacks?” Velma said out of confusion. “What is going on?”

“GET OUT!!”

Suddenly, the group gasped and turned to see the Woodsman behind them, wielding his ax and looking like he was ready to kill somepony. “Y-Y-You don't have to tell us twice!” Pipp said fearfully. “EVERYPONY RUN!!”

The gang scattered in all directions around the campsite. Shaggy, Scooby, Izzy, and Seashell all scrambled up the center flagpole to escape the axe wielding, woodsman. Silence reigned through the camp for a few moments, at least until Izzy spoke up with a slight quiver. “Did he leave...?”

“You know, I actually think we lost him,” Shaggy said with a smile. “Phew...” Seashell breathed a sigh of relief. “That's a...”

Suddenly, the pole shook violently and the sound of splintering wood could be heard below. The woodsman was hacking away at the flagpole with his ax. “...relief?!” Seashell squeaked. “Like, I spoke too soon!” Shaggy spoke in fear. Every strike from the woodsman caused the flagpole to shudder and shake, which caused the four of them to slowly slip down from it. “Please, Mr. Woodsman!” Seashell begged. “Leave us alone!”

Shaggy, Scooby, Seashell, and Izzy frantically clambered higher up the pole to keep from getting anywhere near the Woodsman. And that's when the hacking finally stopped. “Maybe he'll give up,” Shaggy tried to assure. However, one last powerful swing of the axe caused the pole to begin to tip. “Uh-oh...” Scooby gulped. “You spoke to soon, again, Shaggy!” Izzy cried as the pole fell. The four of them screamed and held onto the pole for dear life as it crashed against one of the cabins.

Unfortunately for them, relief was only brief when they noticed the woodsman walking up the pole toward them. “RUN FOR IT!!” Izzy shouted, and quickly enough, the four climbed up the rest of the flagpole and onto the roof of the cabin. The Woodsman laughed evilly as Shaggy, Scooby, Seashell, and Izzy desperately tried to get away.

Suddenly, Scooby came to a grinding halt causing the other three to immediately stop behind him. “Scoob!” Shaggy said anxiously. “Now is NOT the time to stop!”

“No more roof...” the Great Dane pointed to ground, far down below. And as it turns out, he was right-- they were at the edge of the roof, high above the ground. “Oh, what do we do now?!” Seashell asked, now in a full-blown panic. “We're trapped!”

There was no time to think of a way down-- the woodsman quickly caught up to them and held his axe high in the air, ready to strike down when suddenly, Izzy thought of ONE solution. “SCATTER!!!”

Immediately after she leapt aside, Scooby, Shaggy, and Seashell did the same, just before the woodsman's ax slammed down onto the roof. The two pairs slid down either side of the of the cabin roof, each grabbing a hold of the gutter system. “Like, are you two okay?” Shaggy called to Scooby and Seashell.

“No!” the dog and filly cried out at once, causing Izzy to whimper nervously. “Us either!!”

To make matters worse, the gutter holders began to snap away, unable to handle the extra weight. One by one, the small brackets broke free from the building.

As the final holders snapped free, the gutters broke loose from the cabin, causing them to swing wildly toward each other. Shaggy, Scooby, Seashell, and Izzy went back to screaming as the swung away from the cabin. They sailed across the campsite and into a bush, and after a moment, she popped up from the foliage, frightened. “Scooby!” Shaggy said happily. “Shaggy!” Scooby returned the joy and relief, and the two immediately hugged, laughing. “Seashell! Are you okay?” Izzy asked frantically.

“Frightened, but, I don't think I'm hurt in any way,” Seashell looked over herself, causing Izzy to sigh in relief. “Thank hoofness for that...”

“But where's the Woodsman?” Seashell asked, frightened. “Is he coming?”

“Like, I don't think so,” Shaggy looked around, seeing no Woodsman in sight. “He's gone!”

XXXXXXXX

At the same time, Fred, Hitch, Misty, Velma, Jessica and Peach Fizz were hiding in the dining hall with the lights off, making it seem like no one was there... or at least, that's what they wanted the Woodsman to believe. “So, what's the plan, Fred?” Misty asked in a whisper. “How do we get out of this?”

“We hide here until he goes away,” Fred whispered back. “That’s your plan?” Jessica scoffed. “That is so Little Moose.”

“I suppose one of you might have a better idea?” Fred asked with the roll of his eyes. But suddenly, the Woodsman tossed the table aside, revealing the group underneath. “Yeah!” Peach Fizz shrieked. “RUN!!”

The group bolted from the dining hall as fast as they could, but they accidentally got separated from Jessica as they were trying to escape.

And to make matters worse, the Woodsman eventually cornered Fred, Velma, Hitch and Peach Fizz, his ax raised. “I told you to get out!!”

“Hold it right there, Woodsie!”

The Woodsman turned to see Daphne, Burt, Sunny (in her alicorn form) and all three pegasi flying down to them on the zipline, and once they got close enough, those on the zip line grabbed their friends and jetted them off to safety.

And during the flight, they lowered close enough to the ground so they were able to pick up Shaggy, Izzy, Seashell and Scooby. And needless to say, Shaggy was relieved to see them. “Like, am I glad to see you!”

Scooby was even so happy, he began to lick Zipp on the face, grossing her out. “Scooby! Cut it out!”

Eventually, the group got closer and closer to the ground, and the zip line eventually broke, sending everyone tumbling onto the ground.

Daphne was the first to rise and turned to her friends. “Is everyone okay?”

“Ugh... dizzy, but fine otherwise,” Sunny shook her head. “What about everypony else?”

“Like, ask me again when we're out of Camp Creepy,” Shaggy said as he sat up. Unfortunately, when Fred looked around, he realized that there was one person missing from the group. “W-Where's Jessica?”

Suddenly, Jessica's screams pierced the air, and they all gasped to see her being chased by the Woodman, deeper and deeper through the forest. “Come on!” Glory urged the others. “We have to save her!”

“Pippsqueaks, wait for us!” Pipp cried, and the group chased the Pippsqueaks after Jessica, hoping to save her in the nick of time.

XXXXXXXX

Jessica ran further and further down the path away from the Woodsman, looking back every once and a while to see if he was still chasing her. She didn't realize she passed a vine-covered sign that pointed to Devil's Peak not too far up ahead. A large shadow slowly loomed over the sign and the Woodsman huffed and chortled, his crooked grin gleaming against the moonlight.

Jessica soon found herself face-to-face with the massive canyon, and the only thing allowing her to the other side was a rickety, old footbridge. She stared at it, too afraid to cross.

I mean, who WOULDN'T be afraid to cross that thing?

That's when the Woodsman's ominous laugh echoed from behind her. She looked back and gasped seeing the figure's shadow against the jagged, rock walls.

With no other choice, Jessica slowly began crossing the bridge. The wooden panels groaned and creaked with every footstep. Suddenly, one of the boards broke, leaving Jessica to catch herself and leaving her legs dangling under the bridge. Jessica hesitantly looked down, seeing the broken wood drop into the river far below her. As she got back up, she heard the Woodsman's laughter again, this time much closer. She looked back to see the ghoulish being standing at the foot of the bridge with the same grin, making Jessica realize she was in the most danger.

Now what could she do?

“Hold it right there, Woodsman.”

The Woodsman looked back to see the rest of Mystery Incorporated, Burt and all the ponies standing behind them, ready to fight by any means necessary. “We got you. There's nowhere to go,” Daphne said sternly. “And we're not running away this time,” Sunny said firmly. The woodsman stared at them, then at the bridge... just before he got an idea.

In the blink of an eye, he swung his ax and sliced through the ropes holding one side of the bridge. The bridge lopsided, knocking Jessica off her feet. And then, to the others' horror, he sliced the other ropes holding the bridge in place.

With the deck of the bridge now free, it flung back from the recoil, taking Jessica with it, causing her to scream as it swung deep into the ravine. “JESSICA!!!!”

Not seeing any other choice, the Pippsqueaks darted over to the side of the ravine and jumped, with Shaggy and Scooby hot in pursuit as they grabbed onto the bridge. “Shaggy! Scooby!” Hitch yelled in shock. “Girls!” Zipp screeched in horror. “Don't worry, Jessica!” Peach Fizz cried. “We'll save you!”

As the deck swung back, nearing the other side of the ravine, The Pippsqueaks desperately tried grabbing the ledge. “Hurgh! It's too far away!” Seashell exclaimed, still reaching her hoof out. “I can't reach!”

The deck slowly began to swing backward, and the group clung on with all their might, while Jessica, unfortunately, couldn't hold on any longer. Her fingers slipped from the boards and she began to fall, but luckily, Shaggy was able to grab her just in the nick of time.

That's when Glory noticed a small stone ledge sticking out from the canyon wall just under the top... which gave her an idea.

Beating her wings as fast as she could, she swung the bridge toward the ledge, and with this added momentum, it was enough for Shaggy, Scooby, Jessica and the Pippsqueaks to land on the ledge just as the swinging portion of the bridge smashed into the jagged rocks below.

Scooby gulped nervously as soon as this happened. “Zoinks!”

“Like, you took the word right out of my mouth,” Shaggy told the Great Dane. “Guys!” Misty said, looking down at the ledge. “Are you okay?”

“We're fine... I think,” Jessica said, still a bit shaken. But, the Pippsqueaks knew by the others' stern gaze... they were in serious trouble. “What were you thinking? Running off the ledge like that?” Sunny scolded them. “Sunny, come on!” Seashell protested. “We had to do something to save Jessica!”

“But, you could've gotten yourselves killed!” Pipp exclaimed angrily. “I mean, it was one thing for Shaggy and Scooby to do something like that, but you three? You can't just run off a bridge like that.”

“You know, Pipp... if they hadn't, I probably wouldn't even be here right now,” Jessica spoke on the Pippsqueaks' behalf. “They were incredibly brave.”

“Even if they were acting brave, we told you girls not to get in harm's way,” Sunny said firmly. “Never do anything like that ever again. Do you understand that?”

The Pippsqueaks nodded their heads, a bit ashamed for not thinking the situation through before reacting. “We understand, Sunny,” Peach Fizz nodded softly. “We're really sorry we did all that.”

“We're not mad at you, girls. Okay... we are a little upset,” Zipp admitted, making the Pippsqueaks feel a little worse than before. “We were just scared for you.”

“We know. But we also understand that it wasn't the smartest thing to do,” Glory nodded. “And we'll never do anything like this again.”

“Here,” Fred offered his hand. “Let me help you up.”

“Oh, no. The woodsman is up there,” Shaggy crossed his arms, with Scooby doing the same thing. “Actually... he's not!” Hitch said, looking around. “He's gone!”

Turns out, Hitch was right-- the Woodsman was nowhere in sight. Nothing but the ghastly wind keeping the gang company. “That’s strange...” Misty muttered as she, Izzy and Sunny lifted their friends to safety. “Where do you think he went?”

“I don't know, but we better get back to camp and check on the kids,” Zipp said. “And one thing is for sure... this Woodsman business is NOT helping the camp stay open.”

XXXXXXXX

Later, when the gang arrived back at the campsite, a horrific sight awaited them. "Oh, would you look at this place?" Burt said in disbelief. "Now, that just ain't right."

All of the cabins now had the phrase "GET OUT" carved out all over them-- it was even marked in the dirt at their feet and hooves.

Then, Deacon and Luke emerged from their cabin, the latter rubbing his eyes tiredly. “Hey, what's going on out here?”

“Yeah,” Trudy nodded, emerging from her own cabin. “We're trying to sleep.”

“Seriously? Like, you kids slept through all that?” Shaggy asked in surprise. “I'm impressed.”

“Heavy sleeping aside,” Zipp said, “it seems like someone definitely wants us to leave.”

“But who? And why?” Hitch asked. “I'm not sure, but that's something we can wonder about tomorrow,” Sunny said with a yawn. “Right now, everyone needs some sleep... especially since we have a case to solve.”

The Pippsqueaks spoke not a word, but just entered their cabin with the most dejected looks on their faces... something Shaggy, Scooby and Pipp noticed more than anyone else.

Suddenly, Pipp seemed to have an idea. “Guys, could you do me the craziest of favors?”

“Anything, Pipp,” Scooby nodded, and when Pipp whispered the plan to the boys, they eagerly nodded.

Now this was something they could definitely do.

XXXXXXXX

“...Seashell? Glory? Are you girls awake?”

Seashell sighed and sat up when she heard Peach Fizz's sweet, gentle voice. “Yeah... I am.”

“Me too,” Glory spoke in a depressed tone. “I can't believe we actually jumped off a ledge-- what were we thinking?”

“I guess we were more worried about Jessica than anything,” Seashell admitted. “I know Pipp and the others said they weren't mad at us anymore, and that they were just scared, but... did you see how mad they were?”

“...it kind of reminded me how Mama reached when I told her I made friends that weren't unicorns after magic came back,” Peach Fizz admitted with a shrug. “Girls... we're no help to this case, and we still have no ideas on how to keep our parents from splitting us up. What are we gonna do when we have to go back to Maretime Bay empty-hoofed?”

Before anyone else could answer, the door to the cabin opened, causing the Pippequeaks to gasp, fearing it was the Woodsman again.

Thankfully, it was just Shaggy and Scooby coming into the cabin with their pillows and blankets. “Sorry to scare you, girls,” Shaggy spoke up, “but Pipp thought it might be fun to have a sleepover in your cabin tonight.”

“...she just wants you to keep an eye on us and make sure we don't do anything reckless again,” Glory assumed. “Well... maybe that too,” Scooby shrugged. “Dudes, what you did was super brave, no one can deny that part,” Shaggy told them, rubbing Peach Fizz on the head. “But... even the bravest of heroes have to know when to wait for their time to shine.”

“Is that what you guys did when you helped defeat Opaline?” Seashell asked. “Pipp told us the story once, but she and the other ponies weren't there when Opaline took control over Misty’s mom and stole Sunny's cutie mark.”

“Well, that was a real... experience, to say the least,” Shaggy chuckled nervously. “Hey... what if we told you that story from our perspective?”

“Yeah,” Scooby said before smirking. “I mean... if you're not too scared.”

“No way!” Glory said enthusiastically. “We leapt off a cliff and fell down a dam, for pony's sake!”

The group giggled at this, and Shaggy and Scooby brought the girls over to them before they began to tell the tale.

And after finishing the story, the Pippsqueaks, Shaggy and Scooby fell asleep, with some brand new friendships blooming.

Hopefully, these next few days would blow through easier than the last... especially with all these campfire monsters wandering around.

Author's Note:

I totally owe Indywriter one for helping me with this chapter-- give them your love!

Comments

[Magic135]

Man, the Pipsqueaks are lucky, not many people say they leapt off a cliff and fell down a dam and lived to tell the tale.