Sibella couldn't believe her eyes. Or her ears for that matter. How…what…where? She stared in disbelief at the Shadow before her as it became entirely solid before her. After the heartbreak and frustration, she was sure this had to be her eyes playing tricks on her. One quick glance at the other faces in the room, however, told her she wasn't imagining. And in that instant, she drew back from him.

At that, Shaggy dropped his smile and stood up. He was different. Not at all in a bad way. He looked stronger, sturdier than he had been before. Of course he was far sturdier than the last time they had seen him, since he was dying. Still, he looked even more confident than he had fighting Dracula as the Wolf Man. And Sibella was confused when she heard his heart beat. What was that?

Everyone was drawn out of their stupor when they heard Dracula scream as the wall rose once more to reveal the mass of armies. It had only been a few minutes since Shaggy had pulled each and every one of them from his grasp and he was pissed. He had not felt it coming and was not able to sense anyone within the castle. All he had known was that he felt cheated. So he had worked the monsters back up into a roar, waiting until he could sense something. And then he had found them beneath, back in the cells. With a smile, he had led the hoard down.

As the wall rose, and Dracula came face to face once more with the gang, he let out a laugh, but the laugh turned to a scream as Shaggy moved to stand between the gang and the monster. Dracula found more frustration and anger in that small moment than he had ever imagined possible. He had beaten the stupid Wolf Man. He had heard his heart stop. He had seen the pain in the friends and his daughter's eyes at the loss. But here was the foolish man, once more standing between Dracula and his fun. He cried for the monsters to attack, but they were stopped.

"STOP!" Shaggy bellowed through the chamber. At the strength of his voice, every last monster stopped and stared.

Shaggy stood there, drawn to his full height. He looked taller, stronger than before. He had hard eyes and the sound of his voice told the room that he was in charge. And then Shaggy ghosted as the shadow and appeared behind Dracula. In that instant, Dracula froze and true fear appeared on his face for the first time in his life.

"My Dear Dracula. It would seem you were planning to hurt some people very dear to me." There was almost a dangerous glint in Shaggy's voice. SIbella felt a shiver run down her spine as she watched the man. And he was a man. There was no sign of the Wolf Man showing, at least not yet. More than that, there was no hint of the vampire and she had heard the heartbeat. So what was this man before her? Was he still her Shaggy?

"Vell now, Shaa-Gy, you must understand-"

"Silence!" The power of Shaggy's shout brought Dracula to his knees. Everyone in the room stared in awe of what was happening. Dracula being shut up by the monster before them.

And then Dracula decided he'd had enough. He shot to his feet to attack. After a quick strike where he slashed Shaggy's shoulder, he began dancing around. Shaggy for his part didn't even wince or duck the attack. He just smiled and reared his shoulders back before engaging in the fight.

And if their previous fight had been hectic and powerful, this one was awe stopping. The two creatures were meeting with such force that Sibella felt it knock her over. Still, she couldn't pull her eyes from the fight happening before her. It was not only mesmerizing but terrifying. Not for the reason it had scared her before where she knew she would lose either her lover or her father. Since then, she had felt herself lose both. But yet here they were, once again fighting and she knew that at least Shaggy was invested in making sure she and her friends walked out of here.

As Sibella watched, she felt a tear sliding down her cheek. Almost as if that is what they had been waiting for, the fighters suddenly clashed and locked together. As they faced one another, Dracula saw something in Shaggy's eyes and he knew. He could feel it in his bones. In that instant, he stopped. He dropped. He was already worn out from all of the fighting. Then Dracula did something he had not done in many centuries. Not since shortly after having become the first Vampire.

He knelt down before Shaggy, bowing to him. A gasp rang out from the crowd. This had been far from the expectation. It was unexpected and terrifying. The king of monsters kneeling to another monster could only mean one thing. Not that anyone here had ever experienced this. Well, not nearly anyone. Miss Grimwood let out a small laugh as she smiled at the sight before her. Then, feeling the room could use an explanation, she stepped forward and called out.

"Monsters and beasts, as the torch is passed, so to should you kneel before your new king."

This led Shaggy to stare in disbelief. What had she said? What did that mean? But then, here was Dracula himself kneeling before Shaggy. What could it mean? Well, he knew what it meant. He had hear Miss Grimwood say as much. Though now he saw her differently as he watched. Somehow he knew she was not Miss Grimwood…or at least not just Miss Grimwood. She was Mother Nature herself. And Shaggy, well he could feel that he was something different. He was not quite a Wolf Man, but not quite a Vampire. He was also still human, somewhere in him.

At this he felt anger rising within him. This is what Dracula had done to him. Dracula had turned him into this monster. Had made him this beast with no real home. Had turned him into a freak that he wasn't sure anyone could love. He felt a growl rising in his chest. And he saw red. He prepared to strike.

Watching him rear back and hearing the growl, SIbella moved. She knew it didn't matter what had happened. She loved Shaggy and there was no way she was going to let him do this. He would hate himself for it. She had seen how Shaggy was when upset with himself and she would be damned if she was not going to stop that from happening again. So it was in that instant when she moved, streaking forth to grab Shaggy's arm. And he whirled, prepared to attack whatever had tried to stop him from dispatching Dracula.

The fear was apparent in Sibella's face, but she didn't move. She stood strong, her hand on his arm and she saw the anger fade as it was replaced. She could read the regret, the self-disappointment in his face. She sympathized, but she held him none the less.

And then the tears fell, he tried to pull away from her, to turn and run. But she wouldn't let him. She did as she had done on that night that felt so long ago, sitting on the roof. She pulled him into her hug, holding him tight.

Once he calmed down, the two turned to look at Miss Grimwood.

"Miss Grimwood, what did you mean by new king?" Shaggy asked, fearing he already knew the answer. As he felt Sibella grab his hand, he felt she knew as well.

"Naturally, Mr. Rogers, you have defeated the previous King of monsters in more ways than one. You have learned to control your Wolf Man powers. You have developed the abilities of the vampire. You overcame death, shown to us by your control of death's shadow power. Since then, you have even defeated him here now as his daughter chose love for you over him. That was largely due to his own inability to love, but that is beside the point. And I am sure you can see each person here as they really are?" She grinned here and Shaggy knew she meant herself.

"So then I have become the greatest monster in the world?"

"An interesting way to say it, Mr Rogers. I understand you see yourself as a monster. You have since the Wolf Man stuff started to plague you. Yet you do not hold that against anyone else here. You loved my girls. Some more than others." Here she winked at him and appreciated that he had the decency to blush. "So tell me, Mr Rogers, why do you hold it against yourself?"

"Because I am a coward and I am scared of what will happen. People have always been hurt and a lot recently because of me. And now you tell me I am some ridiculous combination of all these monsters?"

"Mr Rogers, there is something you should know. You and your gang in your mysteries always found that there was a man behind the mask. Who are you more likely to call a monster, the men and women behind those masks or my girls?"

Shaggy didn't even stop to consider her question. "The people behind the masks."

"See, Mr Rogers, your abilities do not make you a monster. How you use them will." She smiled at the entourage that was approaching him made up of the friends who had come to stand behind him before casting her eye over the still clasped hands of Shaggy and Sibella. "Just make sure you have the right people around you."

Here Miss Grimwood turned, preparing to leave. She climbed onto matches back with the rest of the gang. With only Scooby, Sibella, and Shaggy still on the ground, she smiled down at him once more.

"And remember that you always have a place at Grimwood's."

VXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVXVX

It had been a busy afternoon from there. Shaggy had gone about dispersing the monsters back to their lands, but not before decreeing several more relaxing requirements for monsters, particularly in their treatment of one another and humans. Dracula had been draconian in his stances and naturally that wouldn't fly with Shaggy. Sibella actually came to appreciate it.

What came later, however, had been a greater shock. Once back in Dracula's throne room, he had abdicated his position as King of Vampire's. It had been something Shaggy could not take, being as he was not entirely Vampire. This meant the title fell to SIbella, the new Queen of the vampires. Shaggy had been there, smiling to her as she felt overwhelmed with this new development.

"Congratulations, my queen." His words had sent a shiver down her spine as the two had finally retired to a quiet room to relax and enjoy being alone. They had once more climbed through a window in order to sit on a stone wall just beneath it, where they could leave Scooby to sleep in peace.

As they stood there, Sibella knew what she needed to say. She had wanted to say it for days, but had never had the courage. As she felt him cry, she felt her own tears begin to form and fight their way out. She wanted to make sure she said it before she got lost in her sobs. She steeled herself up, taking a deep breath and looked over into his eyes.

"I love you."

What? Sibella felt lost. He had beaten her to it. And now she didn't know what to say next. Be pulled back from her hug to look at her, tears still heavy in his eyes. And he went on.

"Sibella, I love you and I'm sorry it took me so long to say that. And more, I'm sorry for everything I have put you through." With that his hands dropped from her shoulders.

But Sibella wasn't ready to let go yet. She smacked him, hard on the shoulder, before jumping to wrap her arms around him again. Shaggy looked incredibly confused, so she clarified.

"The smack was for letting me thing you had died." She nuzzled up close to him so she could smell him. He smelled delicious. "And I Love you too Shaggy."

The two lovers turned to the laugh that came from behind them, knowing there was no more trouble from the monsters around them.

"Rit's Arout Rime."