"But Freddy, are you sure?"

"Positive. Shaggy needs us. He has always been there for us in one way or another. He and Scooby both. I think it is time we are there for him."

Fred looked away from the phone as he felt the ground shake. Looking out the window, he jumped when he saw a large black eye wrapped in scales staring back at him.

"Hey Daph, I need to go. Just make the call, please? Then get down here." After a long pause, he heard the redhead respond.

"Ok Freddy, I love you. We'll see you soon."

Hanging up, Fred turned to see Miss Grimwood running out of the door toward the giant winged lizard sitting outside the manor.

"Matches!" He heard her screaming as he stepped outside to join her. "Where are Mr. Rogers and Mr. Doo?"

As she took in his huffing and puffing and stomping around, Miss Grimwood just stared. She offered her own affirmative confirmations and a question or two. After a few moments, she tuned worriedly toward Fred.

"It would seem that Mr Rogers has entered Dracula's lair. Matches is worried about him and Mr. Doo, stating they have disappeared into the castle."

Smiling, Fred placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Miss Grimwood, there is nothing to worry about. I have some of our friends on their way, then we can try and go save your girls and Shaggy." Pausing to look at the large dragon, he continued. "Perhaps Matches would care to join us?"

A snort of flame and Fred could have sworn he saw the large dragon smile. He guessed that meant yes. Of course with such a toothy grin, it could just be the dragon and Fred knew he really didn't want to anger the large creature. He turned his attention back to Miss Grimwood.

"Miss Grimwood, I have some friends on their way. Soon as they get here, we are going to save Shaggy and Scooby-Doo!"

VXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVX

Shaggy was aware of himself. Well that was new. Every other time he had given in to this Wolf Man, he faded. The wolf took over and Shaggy was gone. Of course looking back, Shaggy wondered if forgetting was a bad thing.

He took stock of everything around him. He was indeed still in the Pit, but he felt different. He flexed his paws and felt his claws. He knew he was standing taller. He could feel his arms feeling bigger, but not heavier. And he could tell he was standing differently, almost on the balls of his feet. With these feet, however, it felt natural.

Looking up, Shaggy saw the orange haired werewolf standing before him. Her teeth were bared and he could see her preparing to pounce. Shaggy knew he needed to move. There was no way he could hurt Winnie. As he heard the growl rising in her throat, he crouched, waiting.

The instant he saw her twitch, Shaggy moved. He watched her flow by and felt like she was moving incredibly slow. Having known Winnie as long as he had, this really made him begin to question things. Had he hit his head? Was he already dead? This did seem a bit like hell, he thought, as he knew he was fighting Winnie and a quick glance told him the Sibella was still out cold on the balcony. But then the voice returned.

"This is real."

"What" Shaggy looked around, searching for the source of the voice. It was dark and grating. Of course it also offered a warmer feel than it had previously, not challenging.

"This experience, what you see and feel, it is all real. We are living this."

"And who is we?"

"Don't you know?"

Shaggy suddenly felt something new. He suddenly knew he was not alone in his mind. He had known this presence for years, he had just been fighting it. He had been hiding it. Suppressing it. Now he felt differently.

Before, the voice had offered a challenge. IT tried to break him, to free itself. Hearing it had led to fear and Shaggy had become adept at ignoring the voice. He had learned to push it down, most of the time. But now…

Now, he felt the voice wrapping him in power. He felt himself melting into this strength. Shaggy had learned to embrace certain aspects of his wolf side, but the entirety of it had evaded him. With Dracula offering his challenge, Shaggy turned to take the Wolf whole. It almost seemed as if nothing could stop Shaggy from his self-appointed task. It was almost as if the wolf knew better than to stand in his way.

"And now, we will do this together. I am you and if you are ready, you are me."

With that, Shaggy woke from within himself. He was no longer Shaggy Rogers, resident coward. As he felt the wolf melt into him and they truly became one, he knew he was Shaggy Rogers, the Wolf Man. Shaggy righted himself and stood squared at the balcony where Dracula stood. He could feel each and every monster in the room. He almost felt as if he could reach out and touch them, talk to them….maybe…

"I am The Wolf Man." The look in his eyes told Dracula that tonight would be dangerous. Dracula remembered how his last round with a Wolf Man had ended. He had been lucky enough that having a child had led to their peace. He also knew that he was standing between this new Wolf Man and his love. Of course that love happened to be his daughter, the very reason he had backed off last time. This remembrance led to Dracula becoming angry.

"Indeed you are, Mr Rogers, but I…I am the King of ALL Monsters!" He had been raising his cape as he stood there, making himself appear bigger. As he came to the end, he dropped his cape, a sign.

And Winnie lunged. Shaggy had been turned away from her and she went for his back. With claws out, she drove, trying to bury her claws in his back. She felt the cloth there, feeling it come as her sharp claws went deeper, she knew she had struck.

But then he was gone. Shaggy was not standing before her. With his shirt in shreds in her claws, he was suddenly across the room from her, facing her. He growled lowly at her.

"I am The Wolf Man." She was staring at him. Almost pausing. Then she growled back.

"My father is the only Wolf Man." She heard Dracula screaming that in her head. She knew she didn't want to fight Shaggy, but she knew she couldn't help it. As long as Dracula was in her head, she would be attacking him. She stared at the Wolf Man across from her. He almost seemed to be growing.

"I AM The Wolf Man!" She heard this scream. She watched him closely. Something was off. Then she heard Dracula again.

"Don't stand there, attack him."

"I AM THE WOLF MAN!" At this last phrase, Winnie knew something was off. She was watching closely and Shaggy had not moved. He was staring at her intensely, but his jaw had not moved. How had she heard him?

"Winnie, don't give in to him" This time she heard her name. And the voice wasn't Dracula's. It sounded different. It was softer. It took her back to her childhood. But how could he be in her head?

"Vinnie, come now child, tis time to fight this fraud." Dracula sounded almost as if he was whispering. She could feel his presence in her mind fading. She kept staring at Shaggy.

"Winnie, I'm here." With that, Winnie felt herself relax. And in that instant, she heard several more voices.

"What?"

"Whose there?"

"This can't be real."

"How can this be?"

Each voice was slightly different. Then she heard the safe voice again, over all the others.

"Listen, each of you. I am Shaggy Rogers. I am the Wolf Man. Dracula no longer controls you. He will never control the werewolves again for as long as I live. And he shall never control another monster while we stand together."

Winnie felt herself gasp. She had heard of this, but had never felt it. It was said that the strongest could speak to one another. She had heard her father talk of doing it previously, but she had never expected to actually hear another wolf man in her head. Even he own dad had not been that strong since his youth. And that was before Dracula became so strong. But now, here was Coach fighting through and over Dracula's voice. How could that be? In an instant, she made her decision.

She knelt down before the Wolf Man.

"WHAT?!" She heard an irate Dracula cry out from behind her.

"What are you doing? I have been telling you to fight him! Stand up and attack him!" She stayed where she was. She could no longer even feel the Vampire in her head. She could only feel the other voices of the werewolves, perhaps even a few other monsters as they slowly joined in. It seemed Shaggy had a following…either that, or Dracula was really that hated.

Then she heard voices she was worried about never hearing again after Grimwood's. She heard a ghastly giggle as Phanty and Elsa joined the conversation.

"Hehehee, well this is new. Not bad now, honey, just new."

"I'm confused a bit, but I'll take it."

Winnie felt herself smile as she heard one more voice join.

"Oh my head. Well, our heads, I guess. I hear Elsa and Phanty. Is everyone ok?"

"I'm here too." Winnie could almost feel the mummy smile at that.

"Good."

At this, Winnie looked up to see Shaggy. He did indeed seem to be growing. He was a full-fledged Wolf Man. With a smile growing on his face, he turned to face the Vampire King.

"Bats, why don't you come down here and fight your own battle rather than forcing someone else to do it. Are you that scared of me?" He grinned widely at the monster on the balcony.

"Don't you worry, Shaaa-Gy. If this stupid werewolf won't fight you, another one will."

Shaggy almost barked in laughter.

"Do try." It was all Shaggy said. While he stared down Dracula, Winnie could hear the conversation in her head.

"What is going on? Does Dracula really think we would fight that monster?"

"What Monster?" Winne heard Tanis ask.

"Phanty, Elsa, Tanis, Shaggy has embraced it. He is the wolf man. He is why we can all hear one another's thoughts. And since I won't fight him, Dracula just said he would make another werewolf fight him."

"I'd rather take a bite out of the vampire." Winnie could almost hear the grin in the werewolf's voice. Then Shaggy decided to step in.

"No one touches Dracula. He is holding several people very precious to me. He will have to deal with me first." Everyone could feel the command in Shaggy's voice and no one dared to challenge him. At this, the attention returned to Dracula, who now appeared incredibly angry.

"VHAT? How can this be? I can no longer control any of these verevolves?" Dracula looked down at Shaggy incredulously.

"So it seems, Bats." Shaggy threw the name out again, enjoying the twitch it caused in the Vampire King. "But don't let them stop you. Just come on down to face me."

Dracula seemed ready to give in. He was angry now and was ready to fight. As he dropped over the edge, his cape flew from his shoulder. This was going to be a fight for his life and Dracula did not want to be impeded by anything.

And a fight it was. Winnie ran to escape, being pulled up the side of the pit by some fellow monsters. At the first clash, everyone knew they did not want to be in the way. The two combatants were moving nearly too fast for the naked eye. It was only small instances when the two met where any other creature could even see them. It was blinding. It was mesmerizing. It was terrifying.

Winnie made her way up to the balcony with the help of some fellow monsters. As she came to sit beside Sibella, she carefully tried to wake the Vampire Princess. She tried tapping her cheek, snapping her eyes, even a wet willie. Nothing seemed to be working. Then she heard a wrenching scream from the pit and looked just in time to see Shaggy drag his claws across Dracula's back. The Vampire took it hard. He transformed into a bat, only to flutter back down to the ground where he returned to his humanoid form. He was nearly cowering before Shaggy now as the Large Wolf Man loomed over him.

Shaggy was seeing red. This creature before him had taken everything from him. His happiness, his peace, his love. All he wanted to do was end him. And that is what he would do. As Shaggy prepared to decapitate the vampire before him, he saw a flash.

In an instant, there was a flash of purple before him and Shaggy nearly clawed it in the process of stopping his hand. It took everything in him not to scream at the person foolish enough to get in his way. Till he realized who it was.

"SIbella…" Shaggy looked down at his claws. He had almost done something terrible, yet again. He slumped down to the ground and felt himself transform back into his human form.

Dracula noted this hesitance. He smiled to himself. Though still gravely injured, he took his opportunity.

"Shaa-Gy, I did promise you one wish. What would you like? I could take back the curse, so you would never again nearly kill someone you loved?" Dracula watched Shaggy twitch as he said this. Sibella turned on her father.

"How dare yo-" She was cut off as she heard a gentle moan come from behind her. She turned to see Shaggy collapsing on the ground. There was a pool of his own blood beneath him. She rushed over, tears brimming on her eyes. Winnie rushed down to join her, keeping a careful eye on the Vampire King. As they sat Shaggy up, they noted the long slashes on his back. While in his Wolf Man form, they had scabbed over and been healed enough not to bleed. As he had returned to his human form, all of that was torn off and he was bleeding profusely. Dracula laughed.

"And taking your powers away would even heal all of this, Sha-Gy. You would be whole once more."

Sibella glared daggers at her father, who just offered a fanged grin back at her. Then she felt Shaggy shudder as she spoke.

"Dracula, understand this. Whatever promise you make *wheeze* is made in the presence of this castle and *cough* company. Dare to break it and *whimper* you will no longer be the king of monsters."

Dracula smiled, but that faded as he stared around at the room surrounding him. He was their king, but based on the looks they were giving him that could change in an instant. He looked back at Shaggy.

"So be it."

"From this day forth, Promise me that you will never touch, let alone harm, a single Grimwood girl nor any of my friends."

Dracula looked with Fury on his face. He seemed ready to explode. Sibella looked back at Shaggy with teas brimming in her eyes. He had just given up life to protect her and the girls. How could she possibly ever deserve a man like this?

"Fine, Shaggy, I personally shall never lay a hand on anyone of them again."

Here the floor fell out from beneath the pit, leading Winnie, Sibella, and Shaggy to fall to the ground beneath. This ground happened to be the floor of the prison cells. As the ground above them closed, they could hear Dracula laughing.

"But I never promised any of my minions would not attack them."

Suddenly SIbella heard movement. She was instantly on guard. Of course she had no reason to worry. She saw Winnie, now back in her human form, instantly sprint over to hug one of the shadows creeping up on them.

"TANIS!"

"Winnie? We were so worried!"

As the rest of the girls came to where Sibella sat cradling Shaggy's head, their own spirits dropped.

"What happened?"

"I…I apparently clawed him. He is dying." Winnie sobbed into Tanis' shoulder.

"No Winnie, it will be ok. He can just change back into the Wolf Man and-." Sibella was cut off. She felt Shaggy's hand on her cheek.

"I told you. I told you I would save you my queen. But I can't change. Takes *wheeze* too much. I'm too far gone *cough* already." He broke down into a series of coughs before looking back up at her.

"Sibella, I need you to know…like…well…ummm…you see…SIbella, the thing is.." Here he seemed to fade. Sibella felt his hear tracing before is stopped. She searched for a pulse frantically but could feel nothing. This could not be happening. What was this!

"COACH!" The rest of the girls shouted. Sibella felt herself fall back. She was death. She brought death everywhere she went and he needed life right now. She started begging the others.

"Please, save him. Whatever it takes. Don't let him die. I can't lose him. I need him. I…I…"She drowned off. Tanis was feeling for a pulse.

"It is weak. He is alive, but only barely." She stopped and shook her head at Winnie. The werewolf took a deep breath before coming over and carefully raising the cowering vampire princess to her feet. She reared her hand back and smacked the whimpering purple haired beauty.

"Pull yourself together Sibella. You and I both know there is only one person here with the power to offer Shaggy any sort of life. The question is if that person loves him enough to do that." She stared deeply at SIbella's eyes. As Sibella realized what Winnie meant, her own eyes opened in fear. Then her shoulder fell.

"No Winnie, the fact is I love him too much to do that to him. He has already been through so much. He just gave his life trying to save us. I can't do that to him."

"Sibella." Sibella looked down at the dying man at her feet who was calling her name. With tears in her eyes, she fell down to his side. He pulled her into a hug so he could whisper to her.

"I would give anything to be with you, and all of me to save you."

Sibella stared at him. She was the thing that went bump in the night. She was the terror of the world. She was the spawn of the demon who had done this to him.

And he had still come with no care in the world but to save her.

She made her decision.