AN: My account turns 18 years old today. It is a legal adult. On this day 18 years ago little baby 13 year old me sat down at my parents computer to make my very own account with my brand new, very own email account I'd been given for Christmas three days before. I have been on this site for over half my life, been reading and writing fanfiction longer than that.
It seemed appropriate to post this fic on this day. This is based on a dream I had in 2013, and I wrote the same as my dream, which is why there are some unexpected characters in it. Its been ¾ written for years, and this had been my motivation to finish it. Please enjoy reading!
Disclaimer: I don't own Scooby-Doo, Harry Potter or Thor.
. . .
For once the gang wasn't going somewhere haunted, mysterious, spooky or abnormal. They were going on vacation to a small tropical island that had a great reputation for being friendly and hospitable. As soon has the gang had settled into to the hotel Fred, Daphne and Velma split for the beach. Scooby and Shaggy went their own way, wanting to sample the local cuisine and take in the sights, then get a big lunch.
The pair went to all the different restaurants along the boardwalk, happily eating their own body weight. Tourists and locals alike watched them with astounded horror. Man and dog hardly noticed, too busy enjoying themselves. After they had eaten at every restaurant on the boardwalk, they decided to walk around the town.
"Man Scoob, it sure is peaceful here," Shaggy said as they wandered down a street.
Scooby nodded his agreement. They walked in silence, taking in the quant architecture and the city plant life. Scooby would sniff at the colorful flowerbeds. They found a little courtyard with no one around. In the center there was a circular concrete platform with a statue in the center. Flowering shrubs surrounded the base. The statue was of a beautiful woman in a simple flowing dress, with her hand held out as if asking the viewer to come with her.
Shaggy laughed. "She sure is pretty, isn't she Scoob? I wonder who she is."
Scooby looked at the statue and didn't understand Shaggy's attraction. He sniffed around the shrubs while Shaggy got closer to the inspection.
"She really is something." He touched the statue.
It took Scooby a moment to realize something was wrong. There was no sound and the light breeze had disappeared. He turned around to look at Shaggy. Shaggy wasn't moving. Scooby went over to him, concerned. He almost didn't see the ghost coming out the of statue. He yelped and wanted to run away, but he couldn't leave Shaggy. He grabbed Shaggy's shirt and tried to drag him away. It didn't work.
"You will not be able to move him," the ghost said. She looked exactly like the statue. "Neither of you will be able to escape me."
She waved her hand. Scooby realized he could not move now. He growled as she came closer.
"He is pure of heart. He shall be my sacrifice for this decade. You will bring him here by sunset tonight." She touched Scooby's nose.
Knowledge of a secluded temple filled him. He suddenly felt the need to bring Shaggy to there. He felt the need to push Shaggy into a pit.
He panicked, fighting the feeling.
She waved her hand and a satchel appeared in front of him. "You will do this. What is in there will ease your guilt."
She went back into the statue, and everything was unfrozen. Scoob's momentum and his grip on Shaggy propelled them both backwards.
"Scoob!" Shaggy yelped. The landed in a heap on the ground. "Ouch, what is wrong with you?"
Scooby went all over Shaggy, sniffing him to make sure he was okay.
"Hey, hey, Scooby, what's gotten into you?" Shaggy noticed the satchel. "What do you got there?"
Scooby grabbed the satchel when Shaggy moved towards it. The teen laughed and patted Scooby on the head. "Okay, like, it's yours. I'm getting tired though. Want to head to the hotel for a nap?"
Scooby nodded his agreement. The pair headed back to the hotel. Shaggy was cheerfully pointing out things that interested him. Scooby's belly was tightly wound; worry, fear and the compulsion to bring Shaggy to the pier tearing him up inside. The walk back to the hotel was peaceful for Shaggy. He was clearly enjoyed himself. Scooby faked being happy to the best of his ability so he wouldn't tip off Shaggy.
As soon as Shaggy walked into the hotel room he took his shoes off and fell face first onto the bed in a food coma. Scooby waited until he was sure Shaggy was asleep. The teen was muttering in his sleep about hotdogs with waffle buns.
Not even the thought of food could distract Scooby. He took the satchel and snuck out of the room. He wondered the town, trying to think of a plan. Nothing came to him. He stopped in a small park, under the shade of a tree. He opened the bag to see what was inside. He was very surprised to find money. He nosed around a little more and found lose gemstones. He didn't know what kind they were, but he knew they were valuable.
Scooby felt indignant. What kind of dog did this ghost demon think he was, that money would make up for losing his best friend, that it would make the guilt and horror of helping with his best friend's demise go away?
. . .
While Scooby had been roaming around the town he had attracted the attention of a man named Lucius Malfoy. Lucius liked to think of himself as an opportunist and a businessman. When he saw a healthy-looking dog, a dog that had no person with it, a dog that was carrying a bag, walking around the town he decided to follow it.
A healthy adult Great Dane would fetch a nice penny at market. Dog fighters liked the bigger dogs, but they could be hard to come by. So he followed the dog around, waiting for an opportune moment to snatch it. He was curious about what was in the bag too. He texted business associate to meet up with him, and to bring sedatives. A dog that big would not go down easy, and the drugs would make it much smoother.
Finally the dog settled down in a park. Peter would arrive in less than two minutes, so hopefully the dog wouldn't decide to move again. Then the dog opened the bag. Lucius was close enough to see what was in the bag. He swallowed. That was a lot of green. He'd have to make sure Peter didn't get the bag.
"Is that the dog?" Peter came up behind him.
Lucius rolled his eyes. "Yes. Do you have the sedatives?"
"Yeah. Found a decently clean needle too, so the risk of infection should be low. How you wanna play this?"
"I'll go to the front of the dog- it seems friendly enough. You go behind it and inject it."
"Gotcha."
Peter went in a wide circle around the dog, using the tree to block the dog from seeing him. Lucius causally approached it.
"Hello," he called out in a friendly voice. The dog didn't look at him, it was too focused on the bag. As he got closer the dog noticed him, but didn't move away. He kept the dog's attention on him as Peter got closer to the dog.
. . .
Scooby noticed the man who got close to him. He didn't trust the man, didn't trust anyone on this island, really. He kept his eye on him, but didn't do much else. By the time he noticed the second man behind him it was too late for him to get away. The man behind him jumped on him, pushing his head down. Scooby snarled and growled, trying to throw the man off him.
"Inject him!" Lucius yelled.
Peter grunted angrily. He used his teeth to pull the cap off the needle and stabbed it into the dog's neck. It thrashed around, almost throwing him off. The ruckus the dog was making attracted people's attention, including two police officers.
Lucius swore to himself. The bag was trapped under the dog. There was no way he would be able to snatch it without attracting attention to himself. Lucius slowly moved away, trying to subtlety distance himself from the commotion Peter was making. Two police officers ran through the crowd. They tackled Peter and dragged him off the dog. A concerned citizen went to help the dog. It was moving sluggishly now, the drugs taking affect.
Lucius faded into the background. He would wait and watch. Once he knew where the dog would end up, he would follow it there and take it.
. . .
Jane was just finishing up a nice, peaceful lunch when her assistant sauntered into her office. "Darcy-"
"Someone's brought in a dog that's been drugged with unknown substance," Darcy said. She sucked on the straw that was in the drink she was carrying.
Jane bolted up and rushed out the door. "Darcy! That's not something to take your time about!"
"Relax." Darcy followed her out, still drinking through the straw. "He's just sleeping. Wrong way. He's in the other room."
Jane switched directions. "And what if his internal organs are shutting down?"
"Why do you always think worst case scenario?"
"Because its best to be prepared for the worst." Jane stepped into the examination room.
There was a Great Dane was on the table. He was beautiful. Huge, log legs, big paws. His fur was a pretty chocolate color with patches of midnight black. She took a stethoscope, listened to his heart, took his vitals. As she worked she told him what a good boy he was, how pretty he was.
Darcy perched herself on a counter and watched the proceedings.
"Everything seems within the normal ranges. His breathing isn't labored, he isn't running a fever. What exactly did the people who brought him in say?"
Darcy shrugged. "Just that some guy was bothering him in the park. The dog was making a scene, so some people took notice. When they got closer they saw the needle, and the police got involved and someone brought him here."
"Needle!" Jane glared at her.
"Relax, boss," Darcy rolled her eyes. "I already sent it off to Thor, and he's checking it out. He," she gestured to the dog "came with a bag. Haven't looked it in yet. Its over there. Oh, and here's his collar. Says his name is Scooby-Doo." She tossed the blue collar at Jane.
"Huh. No address. No phone number. Nothing. Who would be so irresponsible to lose such a beautiful dog? He'd in good health, his fur is well maintained. Its obvious he's loved and cared for." Jane stroked the big dog's head.
"Dunno. But I say we keep him if no one comes looking for him."
"I don't think the shelter can handle a Great Dane running round. The cats and the macaw are enough."
"Aw, you're not fun."
. . .
Lucius circled the animal shelter the dog had been taken too. Peter had been taken to the police station. He wasn't worried. They wouldn't find a trace of Peter in their systems, and he really hadn't done anything illegal. Even if he was arrested and taken to jail he wouldn't betray Lucius, for fear of retaliation.
As he came to the front again Lucius considered his options. It might be best just to go in and claim the dog. No, that might bring up uncomfortable questions. Waiting out here was doing him no good, however. He needed more information, and he was not getting that out here. Lucius went into the building.
No one came out to greet him.
He waited by the reception desk. He saw no one. Lucius moved down the hall. He peeked in several rooms to find them empty. One room had a large bird in it. He slowly backed out of the room to avoid alarming it. The last thing he needed was it to squawk and bring people around. Finally, he found the room with the dog in it. It was lying in a large penned in area. The bag was on a table on the other side of the room. The dog should still be out, but Lucius walked carefully into the room anyways.
"What are you doing here?"
Lucius whirled around to face an insolent girl standing in the doorway. She was holding a drink with a straw in it and staring at him. "This is my bag and my dog."
"Your bag and dog, huh? How'd you lose them?" She sipped her drink.
"That is not of your concern," he snapped.
"It's my concern if you're sneaking in here." She took another sip of her drink.
"I'm taking my bag," he turned around.
"And not your dog? How messed up is that?"
"Can you do nothing but ask questions?" he demanded.
"Naw, I can annoy too." She tapped her lip thoughtfully. "See, I don't think Scooby-Doo or the bag belongs to you."
"Frankly, I do not care what you believe. I am leaving with this bag." He glared at her as he walked towards the doorway she was still blocking.
The girl sighed. "Why do they always wanted to do it the hard way?"
Lucius did not have time to process that remark before she threw her drink at him. He instinctively closed his eyes to protect them from the liquid. She took that opportunity to kick the side of his knee and knock him down. Lucius rolled as he fell but landed hard. He was able to doge the girl's next kick. He kicked her legs out from underneath her and got to his feet.
"Darcy, what- who are you?"
Lucius glared at the other woman who entered the room. He snatched the bag up from where it had fallen.
"Get out of my way!" He was going to shove the woman out of his way when something landed on his back. He dropped the bag to brace himself. It was yanked away from him by the dog as it ran out of the room and down the hall.
"Scooby-Doo!" the girl on the floor yelled
"What is going on!" the woman in the doorway demanded.
Lucius growled. He got up and shoved the woman to the ground then kicked the girl to make sure she'd stay down. He ran out of the building, looking around wildly. He had to find that dog!
. . .
Jane helped Darcy up. "Are you okay? What happened? Are you hurt?"
Darcy ran a hand through her hair. "Yeah, I'm fine. That guy claimed Scooby-Doo was his, but I think all he wanted was the bag."
"Scooby-Doo!" Jane gasped. She looked around the room and then into the hall for the dog.
"He's escaped," Darcy said. She scowled at the mess her drink made on the floor. She didn't have time to go get another one. And she'd have to clean up this mess. Maybe she'd text Thor, ask him to bring her one on his way over.
"Escaped!" Jane turned her attention back Darcy. "What is wrong with you? Why aren't you more concerned?"
"Eh, I think Scooby-Doo will be fine. He seems like a smart dog."
Jane opened her mouth to retort and then closed it. She had a point. But. "I'll ask Thor to look around town with me after work. It'll make me feel better."
"Sounds like a plan, boss."
"It does yes. Don't forget to clean up this mess either."
"Don't worry boss, I'm on it."
. . .
Scooby ran out of the building. He didn't know where he was. It didn't matter, he just had to get away. He didn't know what had happened, or why he had been there. When he woke up the villain from the park was fighting with two women. He waited for the opportune moment before snatching the bag and jumping on the villain. He had to think of a plan, he had to save Shaggy.
Since he'd woken up the need to take Shaggy to the temple was very strong. He was fighting it with all his will power.
Where were Fred and Velma and Daphne when he needed them?
No. He could do this. He didn't need to drag anyone else into this mess. He didn't want to risk anyone else's life.
Scooby looked to the sky. There were only a few hours until sundown. He headed back to the hotel and started to plan.
. . .
Shaggy woke up to Scooby's nose in his face. "Scoob! Stop!" He laughed as he tried to push his best friend away. "I'm hungry. What about you? Wanna get a Before Dinner Snack?"
Scooby barked. He wasn't nearly as enthusiastic as Shaggy would have thought.
"Like, Scoob? What's wrong?" He rubbed Scooby's head with a frown. "What are you upset about?"
Scooby nuzzled into him then shook off his attention. He grabbed the bag from before and went to the door.
"Like, alright. Let's go get something to eat!"
They ambled out of the hotel and down the street. Shaggy went to stop at several different restaurants and vendors, but Scooby urged him on. The further they went the more worried the teenager became. Scooby never passed up the chance for food and they were going further and further away from all the restaurants. It looked like they were going back to the place where the statue was. Maybe he wanted to return the bag before dinner?
As they continued to walk, Shaggy felt his mind drift. After several minutes of walking in silence Shaggy realized he had no idea where they were. Something tried to tell him this wasn't right, that there was danger, but Shaggy felt too floaty to pay attention. Wasn't he worried about Scoob? But, not, everything was alright. This island was far to peaceful… that was the last coherent thought Shaggy had for a while.
Scooby watched Shaggy closely, and felt the tinge of panic when his face started to go blank. Then Shaggy stopped responding to his nudges and whines. Then Shaggy started to make turns, and slowly started to lead them to a secluded part of the island, away from the city. His fur started to stand on end. This place wasn't natural. Then he saw the temple.
It was surprisingly small, it could maybe fit six or seven people in it. Made of smooth marble, strong columns on all four corners, twisting decorative garnishes at the top, it looked like it came right out of Greece.
He whimpered, trying to stop himself, but he couldn't. He followed Shaggy, bag clenched in his jaw like a lifeline. As they stepped into temple the temperature notably dropped, the air very dry, almost hard to breath. The inside was bare except for the back wall. There was an elaborate insignia taking up most of it. Infront of that was a pit that seemed to contain nothing but shadows. Nothing could be seen from away from the edges.
Scooby felt ghostly hands along his back, unintelligible words whispered in his ear. He couldn't see the ghost, but she was here. He growled, low and angry as he was compelled to take another step closer. Closer to Shaggy… and closer to the pit.
. . .
Lucius followed the dog and the man. He had initially been concerned about the man. After following them through the town he'd realized the man was weak. He would easily be able to overpower him. The knife he carried would take care of the dog. At this point he wanted it dead. The money in the bag would be enough compensation. The dog itself was an aggravation he would enjoy ending.
It seemed the fates where smiling on him. The pair moved away from the bustle of the town and further into the forest that covered most of the island. Lucius had never been to this area and he was not happy to be there currently. When the small building came into view he thought that maybe he should explore the area more. This looked like the perfect place to stash ill-gotten goods. Today was definitely looking up.
He slowly crept forward. There was no one else around. The dog and the man where just standing inside the building. Lucius pulled out his knife and went inside.
. . .
Shaggy was only a few steps from the pit, Scooby half a step behind him. The need to push Shaggy was nearly overwhelming. He fought with everything inside of him to not move. A whisper started moved passed his ears, swirling around him. His other senses dimmed, it felt like there was only him, the whisper, and Shaggy in the world.
A tug on the bag in his mouth broke Scooby out of his daze. He realized the villain from earlier was standing next to him, trying to take the bag out of his mouth. Scooby didn't allow himself to think, just react.
He let go of the bag and grabbed onto the man's arm. He used all his strength to pull the villain forward and throw him in the pit. The villain disappeared in the shadows. There was a loud scream and a rush of air. Shaggy collapsed. Scooby caught him before his head hit the floor and dragged him out of the temple.
He didn't stop until he could no longer see the temple. He then checked to make sure Shaggy was still breathing. He was, and groaned as Scooby licked his face. Satisfied he pulled Shaggy onto his back and headed back to the town. Shaggy came to when they were on the outer edges.
"Wh- wha? Scoob?"
Scooby stopped and laid down, making it easier for Shaggy to roll off.
"Like, Scoob. My head hurts," Shaggy sat next to his best friend and rubbed his head. "And, like, I'm super duper hungry. That's probably why my head hurts. You ready for dinner!"
Scooby licked him in enthusiastic agreement. The two of them headed into down and proceeded to devour food. They were on their third restaurant when someone yelled out.
"Scooby-Doo!"
Scooby and Shaggy looked over to see two women and a giant man. Shaggy gulped at his size. Scooby recognized the two women and went over to say hello. He tackled them to the group, licking them happily. Both of them where laughing as they petted him.
Shaggy walked over to the group, curious as to what was going on.
"Does this magnificent dog belong to you?" the man asked him.
"Like, Scoob is my best friend," Shaggy replied.
The man grinned and patted Shaggy on the back. The teen almost fell over. The woman stood up, though the taller one continued to pet Scooby, much to the dog's enjoyment.
"How did you lose him?" the one still petting Scooby asked.
"Lose?" Shaggy parroted.
"Let us introduce ourselves first," the man said. "I am Thor. This lovely lady is my Jane, who run the local veterinarian clinic. This spit fire it-"
"I'm Darcy, vet tech," Darcy cut in.
Both Shaggy and Scooby held out their hands to shake. "I'm Shaggy, and this is Scoob. Um, Scooby-Doo. How do you know him?"
Darcy grinned as she shook Scooby's hand. "Someone brought him into the clinic early this afternoon."
Shaggy raised his eyebrows as he looked at Scooby. He tried to look very innocent. "He must have snuck out while I was napping. I'm sorry if he caused any problems."
"Oh, no problems!" Jane rushed to reassure him. "Someone tried to take him, but obviously he got back to you safe and sound."
"Yeah, like, me too," Shaggy said, feeling sick at the idea of anything happening to Scooby.
"He is a mighty fine animal," Thor complimented. "Nearly fine enough to ride."
Jane smacked him. He just grinned.
"We will let you get back to your evening," Jane said. "I'm glad Scooby-Doo is safe."
"Enjoy the rest of your stay on our amazing island," Darcy said.
"Safe travels," Thor added.
The trio walked off, both groups waving goodbye.
"Well, ready to finish dinner before meeting up with the others?" Shaggy asked.
Scooby nodded enthusiastically. His best friend was safe, his other friends were safe, and his belly was getting full. Life was good for Scooby-Doo.