Carrying the Chest meant that they couldn't walk through walls, but even with that as a factor Bogel and Weerd were sure that they had made their greatest move yet in stealing the Chest right out of the house.
Until Bogel happened to look behind him and saw a very angry dragon gaining on them. "Look out Weerd! We got trouble! It's that dragon!"
"Good thing the door is right here!" Weerd said. He flung the door open and the two ghosts went through it, closing it behind them. However, they had gone out the back door, which had Matches' pet door installed on it. Miss Grimwood's magic prevented anything other then Matches, and Legs on the rare occasion when he came inside, from using the door. When the back door closed, Matches didn't even slow down; instead going straight through his pet door and chasing the ghosts.
The Ghouls were out in the garden. They had started out by working in the garden, but now work was forgotten as Tanis, Phanty, and Winnie were regaling Mary, Goonie, and Godzina with the story of what had happened with Revolta. They were still talking when Bogel and Weerd came by, holding the Chest between them, and Matches close behind and gaining on them.
"Hey, those ghosts are stealing Mr. Warlock's Magic Chest!" Elsa noted.
"Oow-woooo! Let's get 'em, girls!" Winnie howled, and the Ghouls took off after the ghosts.
Now, chased by both Matches and the girls, Bogel and Weerd knew they were in trouble. "Let's fly for it!" Bogel said. They both tried to take the air, but Matches lunged out and latched onto Bogel's foot, dragging the ghost back down to the ground. The dragon refused to let go, in spite of Bogel's best efforts to free himself, and started to tussle with the ghost.
Weerd made sure that he didn't drop the chest. He tried to keep flying, but a purple bat was there to harass him and keep him from going any further. Phantasma came floating up and snatched the chest away from him. "I'll take this," she giggled, and fled back down to the ground, with Weerd close behind her. She ducked behind Elsa and Godzina, and Weerd came a to a crashing stop against them.
"You can't steal that Chest!" Elsa proclaimed.
"Oh yeah?" Weerd challenged. The look on his face was one that would have had Scooby and Shaggy running in seconds, but the Ghouls didn't seem fazed.
"Yeah!" Mary said.
"Grab that ghost, Godzina!" Sibella landed, changing back from a bat as she did, and ran over to help the other girls.
The chaos outside attracted the attention of Miss Grimwood, who came out to see what the matter was. The first thing she had to do was pull Matches off of a rather beat up looking ghost, which she did by grabbing the dragon by the tail and pulling him away. Then she took in the rest of the scene.
Another ghost was nearby, tied up in what appeared to be some of Tanis' bandages. And then there was the Chest of Demons now lying on the ground nearby. "Girls, what's going on?"
"These two were trying to steal the Chest," Sibella reported. She looked at Phantasma. "Do you know them?"
"Never seen them before, and I think I'd remember them," Phantasma said before devolving into another fit of giggles.
"Mercy, please!" The fat ghost that Matches had been using as a chew toy was now cowering on the ground. Matches snapped at him, and the ghost recoiled.
Miss Grimwood frowned, still holding Matches. She didn't like the situation, and she didn't like the fact that the Chest of Demons seemed to be at the center of it. "Elsa, go find Mr. Van Ghoul and ask him to come here."
"Okay," Elsa marched off.
(-)
Miss Grimwood had many books on magic, but having searched through them all, Vincent had to admit to himself if not the others that there were no books that would help fix the crystal ball.
Shaggy and Scooby were putting the books that had already been removed and looked through back on the shelves. Daphne and Vincent had reviewed dozens and dozens of the volumes and those books were stacked all over on the tables and chairs, some even on the floor.
"There's nothing here," Daphne said, closing the volume that she was holding.
"That is an accurate assessment," Vincent replied, sliding the volume that had been open on the table in front of him away.
"Rwhat now?" Scooby asked.
"I'm not sure yet," Vincent admitted.
Before he could say anymore, there was a sound from outside the library.
Bang! Bang!
Boom! The library door hit the floor and Elsa stood there, looking sheepish.
"Rnot ragain!" Scooby complained.
"Like, Elsa, I thought we talked about doors and knocking," Shaggy added, setting the stack of books he was holding down on a side table.
"Uh, sorry Coach," Elsa said. She looked at Vincent. "Mr. Warlock, could you come downstairs for a minute?"
"Certainly, my dear. What's the matter?"
"A couple of ghosts just tried to steal your Magic Chest," Elsa reported. "We stopped 'em in the garden. Miss Grimwood wanted me to ask you to come down."
Vincent's eyes had widened at the news that Chest had nearly been stolen. Without a word, he transported them all the garden.
Flim-Flam and Scrappy, having heard the racket, had come out of the house. "What's goin' on?" Scrappy asked.
"It's those two," Flim-Flam said derisively.
Weerd was tied up. Bogel was still cowering on the ground. Matches looked like if Miss Grimwood loosened her grasp on him for even a moment, he would be happy to go a second round with Bogel. Winnie was sitting on the Chest of Demons, swinging one leg idly, but there was a look on her face that said that if either ghost made a move for it, they would have to go through her to get it. Sibella, Mary, Goonie, and Godzina were standing there, waiting to see what happened next. Tanis was in Godzina's arms, and Phantasma floated overhead.
"Vincent, I'm afraid that I need your assistance in this matter," Miss Grimwood said. "The Ghouls tell me that these two ghosts were trying to steal the Chest of Demons."
"Some things never change," Flim-Flam muttered.
"You can say that again," Shaggy muttered.
"Have mercy, oh esteemed warlock," Bogel begged.
"And now you grovel, again," Vincent rubbed the bridge of his nose. He turned to Miss Grimwood. "Helewise, would you please take all of your students back into the house, and remain there until I give you permission to leave?"
"If you need us too, we will," Miss Grimwood told him. She looked at her students. "Come along, girls."
Winnie hopped down off the Chest of Demons and she and the other girls trooped away, following the headmistress back into the house. Matches, now freed, snapped at Bogel once more before stalking off after the girls, muttering under his breath as he did.
"Get the Chest," Vincent ordered, his voice hard. Flim-Flam quickly retrieved it. "Shaggy, tell me when all of the Ghouls are back in the house."
Shaggy turned and watched, and there was a pause as they waited for him to say something. "Godzina just went in. That's all of 'em. But what are you gonna do, Mr. V?"
Vincent took the Chest of Demons from Flim-Flam. "I'm going to give these ghosts something they've wanted for years: a chance to hobnob with the most foul spirits to ever roam the Earth."
If it was possible, the two ghosts managed to look even paler at this declaration. "Wait! Please!" Bogel started, but before he could finish, Vincent had opened the Chest of Demons, and both ghosts were sucked inside. The lid closed with a decisive click.
"We shoulda done that a long time ago," Flim-Flam said, kicking at a pebble on the ground.
"Well, it's done now. Those two ghosts won't be able to bother us anymore," Daphne offered.
"And they won't trick anyone into opening the chest ever again," Shaggy noted. He and Scooby turned away.
"Where are you going?" Daphne asked.
Shaggy used his thumb to point at the house. "Gotta get the spare hinges and fix the library door."
"Ryeah, since Relsa knocked it down ragain," Scooby added.
Daphne watched them go before she turned to Vincent. "What do we do now that there's no books here that can help us?"
"I'm still considering that matter," Vincent said, hefting the Chest of Demons back up. "Let's go back inside. I need to consult with Miss Grimwood."
"And we gotta tell the Ghouls it's safe to come back out," Scrappy added, marching back towards the door of the school. "And that they did a great job! Just like they did with Revolta!"
"I have to hear this story about Revolta," Flim-Flam decided as he, along with Daphne and Vincent, followed Scrappy back into the house.