"I feel that the Pure Heart is beyond this mountain…" Tippi informed, once she, Scooby, and Scrappy had reached the foothills just beyond Lineland Road. "…but it's still far, far away. Something tells me that you'll need to put that new skill of yours to use."

Mario nodded and was off again. It was weird, being on an adventure alone. He was so used to having some sort of companion…well, there was Tippi, but she didn't seem all that animated. Nice, but there certainly was something odd about her. Beyond that…well, it was almost like Mario had the weight of all the worlds on his shoulders, alone.

"Hey! There's a house in the distance!" Scrappy pointed out.

Sure enough, a small house sat in the background, puffing wisps of smoke out of its chimney. It certainly did look cozy! Mario smiled and had plans to simply pass it by, but there was a giant chasm ahead and the only way to go was down a pipe.

"That's certainly odd…" Tippi pondered as Scooby leaned over the edge. Yep, that went down quite a ways and there was no jumping across. Pipe it was.

Down the pipe and in the house-

"Whoever lives here sure must like red…" Tippi observed as the duo entered the small abode. The first floor was mainly the entry way, then there was the stairs that took up half the house, and second floor which held a bed and a large red switch. Scooby and Scrappy climbed up the stairs to see if there was anyone in the tiny house, but when he reached the second floor, there was still no one.

"I wouldn't leave so quick…" Tippi told Mario. "I'm still picking up a foruth presence, but even with my powers I can find no one!"

Scooby thought for a few seconds, then decided the magic paintbrush would come in handy here too. He blasted the whole house with magic paint and they found a guy dressed in red, sitting on his bed, sweat dripping from his head.

"Hey! HEY! You can see me!" he cried ecstatically.

"Yes we can." Scooby said to the man.

"This is unbelievable! I've been freaking out here for days, and finally someone sees me! A couple mornings ago, I roll out of bed…and once I get my coffee, I realize I'm thinned out! I've been hollering and flailing for days, but no one could hear me…or even see me. Just when I was starting to think I'd be here forever, I see you!"

Scooby, even though he was still trying to process the entire 'tragic' event, agreed instantly.

It wasn't until our heroes had started staring at the guy weirdly that he realized it was fine. He started jumping happily on his bed while Scooby hopped to the floor to get out of the way.

"WHUH! We did it! I'm back to normal! Listen, you really bailed me out there. That thinner stuff was really freaking me out! The name's Red. Nice to meet you!" Red, as he was apparently named, exclaimed. "Say, uh…any way I can repay you?"

Scrappy began to explain. "Actually, there is one thing…there's a huge chasm outside that we need to cross."

"So you want the cross the chasm, huh? Well, you found yourself the right guy! But hey. I've got to warn you. You know this place is called Impasse Pass right? I'm only allowed to let a choice few cross the bridge. It's in my job description. I mean, that's why they pay me to stand here! You sure you want to pass?" Red asked.

"Yes!" Scooby said.

"Yeah…you did save me from being trapped in a parallel dimension and all… OK! I'm going to ask you a question. Get the right answer and I'll let you pass."

"Rokay!" Scooby answered.

"My Uncle Scooby can answer any question!" Scrappy said.

"What's the most manly color in the entire universe?" Asked Red "Red or green?"

"Red?" Scooby awkwardly asked.

"You are SO right! I knew it! You and me, we see eye to eye on fashion. Hold on a sec. I'll throw the bridge down."

Red leaped off his bed and toward the red switch located conveniently right next to it. Upon throwing it, Mario and Tippi glanced out the widow to see a small wooden bridge build itself onto the chasm.

"All right, you should be good to go. You take it easy!"

"Thank you!" called Scooby, Scrappy, and Tippi as they headed back out the door. Once the duo traveled back through the pipe, returned outside, and crossed the bridge…they found a quaint little town filled with a small amount of people.

"Huh, I wonder if anyone in this village knows anything…" Tippi pondered.

Scooby was beginning to realize that only have Tippi for company was very odd, because when things got too quiet or awkward, she would pipe up.

"Anyway, better get serious…" Scooby thought to himself . Asking a few people around town, they eventually got directions for where the mayor's house was- the westernmost house in the tiny town. Thanking everyone, Scooby and Scrappy headed toward said house and opened the door.

"Excuse me sir?" Scooby asked.

"Whoozit? I'm the elder around here so WATCH IT!" The old man yelled "What do you want anyway mutt? Get off my rug!"

"Actually we were hoping we could pass through town." Tippi said.

"Nothing but desert past here!" The old man exclaimed "There's treasure but you'll get grit in yer grunders! That's what Yold Town is for. To keep the treasure from you hooligans! So WATCH IT!"

"Hey you can't talk to us like that!" Scrappy exclaimed "We're the legendary heroes!"

"You're the heroes?" The old man asked "Fiddlesticks! If you were, you'd guys have a pixl shaped like a hand. And since you clearly don't, you'd better GET OUT!" He pointed to the door.

When they got out, they had pondered what to do next.

"That guy won't help us unless we have a pixl shaped like a hand" Scooby told his teammates.

"Do you have any idea of where to look?" Scrappy asked his uncle.

"I just know it has to be somewhere in this town" Tippi said.

"Hey wait minute!" Scrappy said "I remember we didn't check that building." Scrappy pointed to a building.

"Well let's go inside." Tippi said.

They got inside the building and there was nothing inside. The very second all three of them had stepped in t he room, the door slammed shut and iron bars formed, trapping them in.

"Oh no, the door…" moaned Tippi. "Now we're locked inside…how unusual."

"Rait!" Scooby squinted his eyes "Rye think I see something!"

He blasted the magic paintbrush at the place he "saw" and a big chest appeared.

He sprinted to the right toward said chest, being swiftly joined by Mario as he lifted the top. Before he even had the chance to peer inside-

"SWEET FREEDOM!" Said the thing inside.

-out popped a hand-shaped objected that was most likely a Pixl. Scooby, Scrappy, and Tippi all exchanged glances as the odd Pixl looked around.

"Wait a moment…if I have been set free, then the legendary heroes must have done it! I expressed concern when the Ancients stuffed me in that chest 1,500 years ago…but it seems my fears were quite unfounded. The heroes have finally arrived!" He said.

"Are you…a Pixl?" Tippi wondered, wanting clarification.

"Why…YES! I am indeed a Pixl! My name is Thoreau!" The Pixl introduced himself "You are a Pixl as well? But you don't look familiar…are you a newer model?"

Scooby and Scrappy glanced at Tippi, whom simply stammered in response. "I…well, I, um…"

"No matter! Details do bore me! What is important is the fact that I have waiting AGES to lend my skill to the heroes! And, glorious day, here you are! Do take me with you…you simply must! You will then? Smashing!"

"So…what can you do?" Scrappy questioned. "You're more like an object than a partner…"

"With me at your side, one may grasp objects with great vigor! Why not take a moment to get acquainted with my useful talent?" Thoreau asked.

"Ooh, Uncle Scooby! Can I use Thoreau?" Scrappy asked.

"I guess so." Scooby answered.

"All right then!" The puppy said.

Scrappy leaped over the giant chest, locating a small cube on the other side. He pointed at it, causing Thoreau to toss himself at it, grab it, then bring it back to Scrappy who held it over his head. Then the swordsman hurdled over the chest again, landed, jumped once more, and threw the block at a blue switch on the ceiling while in midair. The cube made direct contact, also removing the bars from the floor and allowing them to escape.

"Glorious day!" Thoreau bellowed. "Consider me fully at your disposal. Now, to adventure and beyond!"

"…or back to the crazy old man so we can finally get by…" muttered Scrappy, making his exit. Scooby admitted he wasn't looking too forward to that either.

They finally arrived back to the old man's house.

"Whoozit? I'm the elder around here, so watch it!"

"Aw, here it goes…" Scrappy groaned, once said old man had greeted them upon entering his home once again.

"Scrappy, this isn't Kenan and Kel." Scooby remarked.

"What do you want? Get off my rug!" The elder ordered.

"Actually, we were hoping to pass through town…" Tippi explained.

"Nothing but desert past here. There's treasure, but you'll get grit in your grunders. That's what here is for. Yold Town. Keeps the treasure safe from YOU. Watch it! Can't let you pass. See this hat on my head. It's got something to tell you. Know what it says? WATCH IT! So give it up."

"C'mon man! Don't you know who we are?" Scrappy inquired, gesturing to himself and Mario as he whipped up some excuse. "We're...the legendary heroes!"

"If you were, you'd have that Pixl that's shaped like a hand! If you had one, I might believe you're the heroes. But you don't…watch it!"

"Yes we do!" Link taunted, even tossing Thoreau at Old Man Watchitt to make sure he knew.

"Whuzzut? You do? Course you do! You're the heroes! Knew it all along! I'll give that Green feller a call. He'll let you across."

"Finally…" the three of them sighed. Meanwhile Watchitt pulled out a sleek-looking silver cell phone and hit the speed dial.

"Hello? Green? It's me, Watchitt. I said Watchitt…WATCH IT! WATCH IT! I said Watchitt, not botch it! These hero fellers want to get across the bridge. Yes, I told them about the grit. Ah…yes. Let's just keep that between us. Just let the mustache guy and his friend through." he hung up, then turned to the group for a final time. "Just get off my rug and go talk to Green at the edge of town…Watch it!"

He then seemed to soften up the slightest bit. "Well, looks like I can finally retire, my job is done. when you're in that desert, keep a watchful eye out for some ruins. The treasure is there. Nasty beasts too. SO WATCH IT!"

Tippi didn't think Scooby and Scrappy could move faster.

"About time…that has to be one of the hardest ways to get over a chasm ever!" huffed Scrappy, once they rushed out of the mayor's house, to the edge of town, and went down a pipe that led to Green's house. It was almost exactly like Red's house, only flipped and, naturally, green-themed.

"I got a call from Old Man Watchitt. So you're the hero guys then, huh?" Asked Green.

"That is correct!" Scrappy called.

"Right on! I'll put the bridge across for you straight away!" Green said.

Green hopped off his bed, leaped over to the big green switch, and gave it a throw. Instantly after, a large, fancy green bridge built itself over the second chasm.

"They you go!" Green replied cheerfully. "Mind if I ask you a question?"

"Go ahead!" Scooby replied.

"Go for it!" Scrappy added.

"Red or green? What's better?" Green asked.

Scooby and Scrappy traded unsure glances for a brief moment before turning back to Green and sheepishly replying, "Both."

Green was furious.

"Wh-what? Both of 'em? Grow some spines!" Green yelled "And when you do, you can use them to get out of my house!"

He gave them each a kick, sending them flying out of his house (presumably through the roof) and landing right in front of the pipe on their heads.

"Um…OW!" Scrappy shouted. "But it's true- red and green are pretty evenly matched. Along with blue."

"Yeah." Scooby answered.

They helped each other up, brushing off the dirt then lightly laughing at their misfortune as they crossed the bridge.

"You two must be pretty close, huh?" Tippi asked.

"Yeah!" Scooby answered "Scrappy and I used to solve mysteries together."

They continued walking.

With a bold quiver of his magnificent wet nose, Scooby let loose a hearty sneeze. A single grain of sand had flown along the warm wind and ticked the hero's nose. It wasn't long before Scooby, Scrappy, and Tippi found the source of the sand: The Yold Desert. Along the endless, sun-baked expanse, the trio continued their search…

Author's Note: Next chapter, Scooby and Scrappy will encounter O'Chunks and continue their search.