Shaggy yelped with fright. This couldn't get any stranger. Any worse.

"You don't remeber me," Christina's sadness deepend, "That's okay, I have something of yours, maybe you remeber this?"

She opened her right hand. A perfectly preserved Dynomutt floating above her palm. At first glance, it could have been any toy but he had handled it so much as a child that the D emblem on the chest was nearly gone.

"How-How-what?"

"You gave it to me the last summer you visited," she held her open hand closer to him, "Go on, he's yours, no tricks, I promise"

He snatched the toy from the air with a shaky breath. This didn't make any sense. Didn't he lose this toy? Playing...outside with the set. Yes, he'd been playing outside. But, but...

"Come with me," Christina startled him from his thoughts, "Let's get you and Scooby into a comfortable room while I figure out what to do"

Shaggy shook his head vigorously, Scooby Shaking like a leaf.

"I know you don't want to," Christina spoke gently, "But you'll be safest there"

"P-Promise?"

"Cross my heart"

For some strange reason, he believed her. So, back through the maze of nearly identical halls. The castle was built with smooth stones and enchanted greenery that moved almost in greeting when Christina passed. Glowing roses just like the ones they'd found in the forest covered the walls, intertwined above their heads with different flowers in between. After climbing many twisting empty staircases they finally stopped before a large pair of double doors that swung open on their own.

"It's alright," Christina waved them inside, "I hope this is an okay room? It's far from the other fae of the castle so no one bothers you"

"It's so...big"

"Too big? I can change it"

"No, that's okay, like, this room is good, thank you"

"If you're certain?"

"Yes, like, please don't worry"

"I'm afraid that's all I do now," Christina laughed humorlessly, "I've got things to attend to but I will figure this out, I promise" With those words she left, shutting the door behind her.

Shaggy slowly spun around trying to take in everything around him. The bed alone easily made the one in Francie's guest room look like a doll's. The same roses grew just outside the window, their scent being carried in by the warm breeze. Unsure of what else to do, he slipped out of his shoes and fell back on the bed to stare at the chandler sparkling far above his head. Terror-filled adrenaline finally wore off, a wave of utter exhaustion washing over him until he finally drifted to sleep.

...

Christina shut the door to her library with a heavy sigh. Everyone knew there were two places she wasn't to be disturbed, her library and the garden. Since the library was closer and she needed to restlessly research she headed there.

He doesn't remember you, the nasty little voice in her head taunted.

"Why would he?" she asked allowed stomping through the rows of shelves, "It was so long ago," pulling all the fae history books in her possession from the shelves and sat in her favorite alcove, drawing her knees to her chest, "Breathe, breathe, you have to help Shaggy"

Several hours of leafing through ancient tomes later, Christina slammed the last book shut with frustration, a painful headache throbbing from having to painstakingly translate forgotten dialects. Rubbing at her temples the hybrid let her head drop. Nothing, zero, zilch. There just HAD to be a way around it. There were ways around EVERYTHING the fae did, every rule they followed.

But you don't have access to all of the books, Cadfael has the rest on Avalon.

Grinding her fangs at the thought of her friend-turned-enemy, Christina stood with a snarl.

The Light and Dark Fae were at war. They had been since Christina ascended the throne four years earlier. No one knew how it was done but Cadfael had disposed of his parents, drove his siblings to banishment or death, and took the throne for himself. The day after her coronation he showed up with a wedding proposal, promising the ultimate alliance, and when she turned him down. Gently reminding him that she saw him as nothing more than a friend he declared war.

"If you won't accept, Christina I'll take you and your kingdom by force"

They'd been at it ever since but were more or less at a stalemate right now. Christina knew, however, that it could change in the blink of an eye. The sooner she removed Shaggy and Scooby from this mess the better off they would be.

But how am I supposed to do that if I don't have all the books?

That was the million-dollar question.

I could ask Mom or Grandmother...NO! I can fix this on my own. They shouldn't have to worry any more than they already do.

...

Shaggy woke with a start alarmed at how dark it had become outside. Dazed he stumbled from bed, haphazardly making his way to the door, opening it cautiously he found Christina waiting. Now, that he wasn't so consumed with fear he was startled to find she did seem vaguely familiar, like something from a half-remembered dream.

How was that possible?

"I'm sorry," she spoke softly, "I didn't mean to wake you especially given the news"

"We're like stuck here aren't we?"

"For now, but I swear I will find a way to free you and Scooby"

Rather than ponder confusedly about how she knew Scooby's name. Had he said it at some point? He began to worry about Francie and how stressed she must have been. But, much to Shaggy's surprise:

"I've already taken care of Francie and your family, as far as they know you're having a nice vacation, they aren't going to be worried or sad. Since I know you don't want to come downstairs for dinner I'll have it sent, it can't do anything more, most of it anyway," Christina opened her hands, and an image of a large tree bearing golden apples shimmered, "You're likely to see trees like this one but whatever you do don't eat the apples, promise me you won't"

"What happens if..."

"These are filled with fairy nectar, one bite by any human and they become like a puppet on a string, happy and eager to do whatever fae tell them no matter how deadly, while I had hoped that such cruel acts had died out with my ancestors after Fox's stunt today I can't be too sure, promise me you won't eat it, not even a nibble"

Christina's eyes were filled with such fear it shocked him. He was sure they were strangers but here she was waiting for a promise, fearful of something he couldn't comprehend. It made his wildly beating heart splinter with sadness. She truly wanted to help them, wanted to make sure they were safe.

"I promise,"

Christina's shoulders slumped in obvious relief, "Thank you, your dinner will be up shortly, goodnight, Shaggy, I'll see you tomorrow"

"Goodnight"

...

Christina swiftly retired to her rooms convinced if she stood a moment longer she'd shatter into pieces. It would do her no good to toss and turn with worry but she found herself doing just that. Kicking her blankets to the far side of her huge canopy bed, she flipped on her side, one arm tucked under her head.

He doesn't remember me.

The stars outside her window started to blur as her eyes filled with tears. As painful as it was Christina recalled the summer she eagerly ran barefoot into the human woods to wait for her best friend by the stream. She waited from sunup to long after sundown, so long that her mother had knotted herself up with worry and her Grandmother had to fetch her.

"He didn't come, Grammy"

"Perhaps tomorrow"

But, he didn't come the next day or the day after. Every single day. Every single summer of her childhood no matter how old she was she had waited by the stream hoping in vain that Shaggy would come back. That they could talk, laugh, tell stories, and play games once again. Until she turned sixteen.

"Aren't you going to the stream, Butterfly?"

"No, he's never coming back, Mom"

Now, here he was again. Tricked, trapped, and oh, so close but he didn't remember her. Not in the slightest. He was scared of her. Perhaps even terrified.

There was nothing she could do about it.

Christina finally allowed herself to cry, sobbing into her pillow until it was soaked with her broken-heated tears.

...

Shaggy was awake early the next morning so early he watched the sky shift colors, the rainbow of stars fading into the light of dawn. Scooby had spent the entire night shaking like a leaf beside him and only now was remotely calm. If Shaggy listened really hard he could hear the castle slowly come to life, the guards changing shifts, and what he assumed were the cleaning staff chattering away just outside the doors. Even though he couldn't hear their conversation he just knew it was about him. Unsure of what else to do he lay in bed, petting Scooby's back to keep him calm. He almost drifted back to sleep when there was a knock on the door that sent Scooby scrambling under the bed.

Shakily, Shaggy rolled from the bed to answer the door, poking his head into the hall with a slight panic only to see Christina already immaculately put together for the day in a flowy violet gown, her hair cascading down her back.

She smiled gently at him, "Would you like to come down for breakfast or have it brought up?"

"Can it like, be brought up? Scooby's still scared"

"Of course," Christina nodded, "You're welcome to explore the castle, the staff know better than to harm you"

"Just stay away from the apples?"

"Yes, do you still like waffles?"

"It's like, my favorite breakfast"

"It'll be up shortly"

Christina disappeared in a burst of flames.

Shaggy shut the door scratching his head in confusion. He was certain he'd never met Christina and yet, she knew his favorite foods, Scooby's name, and had kept a lost toy. A toy she claimed he'd given her. That was impossible! And, yet there was a bothersome itch scratching at his mind. Something was amiss. Something was wrong.

What? What was it? And why was it bothering him so badly?

...

Years ago:

Shaggy had stuck to his parents like glue for the first two days of their summer-long trip to the farm. Now, his mother gently pushed him out the door.

"Go play, get the fresh air in your lungs," Stacy smiled at her son, "Have fun"

With the door shutting softly behind him, Shaggy nodded at Scooby to follow. The duo set off, choosing a path at random. Jumping and flinching at every sound, every little movement. Shakily, they crossed a stream wandering along the path they fought the urge to run back the way they'd come.

"Raggy?"

"What is it, Scooby?"

"Hear that?"

Shaggy listened, there was music somewhere in the trees. No, someone was singing. They weren't supposed to talk to strangers but he was drawn to the sound. It took but a few minutes to reach the source. There was a girl planting flowers but the closer he got the easier it was to see she wasn't human. She had horns and sparkly wings. A fairy of sorts. Grabbing Scooby by the collar the duo hurried to hide behind a tree in their haste however, Scooby stepped on a twig.

The fairy startled, looking up from the flowers.

Maybe if they stayed quiet she would go away?

She stood up, dusting her hands off.

Shaggy held his breath watching her walk around looking under bushes and in the branches of trees. Just when he thought they were safe the fairy dropped from the overhead branches with a small fanged smile, "Hello"

"H-Hi"

"Don't be scared, I'm not going to hurt you, my name is Christina, what's yours?"

"Sh-Sh-Shaggy"

Christina giggled, "That's a nickname isn't it?"

"Yes, I don't like my name"

"Maybe it's something you have to grow into? That's something Mommy says all the time"

"My Mommy says it too," Shaggy was calming, Christina wasn't scary after all, "What are you like, doing?"

"Planting flowers"

He knew that already. Why did he ask?

"They're like, very pretty"

"Thank you, wanna help?"

"S-sure"

...

Now:

Christina wouldn't dare admit how she felt sitting in her private breakfast nook. Her heart was still turned inside out, upside down, and fractured into tiny pieces. Not even the sweet strawberries she was nibbling on could lift her spirits.

Was she truly so forgettable?

Had it all been a one-sided friendship?