The blizzard raged through the night, the wind whipping against the barrier, spooking the livestock, and giving everyone pause. When bedtime rolled around Shaggy, unable to sleep, wandered outside where he watched the sky clear, rainbow-colored stars shining down. What had become of his family? His parents? Sister? Scooby? The possibilities frightened him, not that he would let on. He had to be strong! Brave! If not for himself then for his people. Even so, he was startled when the door opened.
"Can't sleep?" Christina joined him, wearing a borrowed night dress.
"I really can't," Shaggy softly replied, "Like, being made of wood and all"
"I'm sorry, I didn't think"
"No, it's a perfectly normal question. What are you doing up?"
"Storms make me anxious but I heard it die down, came out here to think"
"About your family?"
"Yes, I hope they're alright, I don't want them to worry about me"
"I understand but you seem more than capable of taking care of yourself," Shaggy offered kindly.
"No, I'm not really," Christina shook her head, "I spend more time with animals and my garden then I do with my peers, content to just sit in my window seat, watching the world go by"
"I like, have no doubt that you'll have no trouble with the journey, Christina"
"You think so?"
"I do. If you can't sleep I could like, tell you another story? If you'd like"
"Please"
...
Early the next day before the sun had woken the traveling party was just setting off. Pantaloon astride his horse, while the others marched alongside. Christina wearing borrowed clothes, carried a basket full of food. Shaggy beside her, with his hand on his sword at all times while Cal walked behind them, whistling while carrying a knapsack full of supplies. The villagers gave them a wide berth watching as they slipped one by one out of the barrier. Christina was the only one to look back, pained by how many sorrowful faces she saw watching them leave. Blinking back tears, she pressed forward.
They had a long walk ahead.
...
"That is a bridge?!" Christina asked dubiously, "Maybe we should find another way to cross"
The party stood at the edge of a ditch, no doubt Drew's doing to slow them down, flat polished stones suspended on a sorry rope with no side guards awaited them.
"Nonsense," Pantaloon objected, "There is no other way"
Christina still had her doubts but bit the inside of her cheek to keep quiet. Instead, she watched Pantaloon, dismount his horse before taking the first shaky steps across the bridge.
"Come on, no trouble at all," he waved to the others.
"I don't like this, Christina," Shaggy whispered watching Cal hurry after the general.
"I could try to lift you," she pulled her wand from the basket, "Magically"
"It's like, no doubt safer than that bridge but what about you?"
Christina flapped her wings, "I'll be fine, now hold still"
Shaggy couldn't help but yelp in shock when he was lifted from the ground. Before he could reconsider Christina was sending him over the heads of their traveling partners to land on the other side of the bridge, quickly following behind him.
"Thank you"
"You're welcome," she smiled up at him.
Shaggy couldn't help thinking she had a pretty smile. He would've gone on thinking about it had Cal not cried out, jarring them both. Turning their attention back to the bridge they found Pantaloon had crossed without issue but Cal had fallen and was desperately clinging to the fraying rope for his life.
"Hold the basket!"
"Christina!"
"Is she mad?" Pantaloon cried after failing to catch the hybrid.
"Grab my hand," Christina knelt on the stone reaching down to Cal.
He shakily reached up to her only for the knapsack to slide from his shoulder. With a gasp, he went back to holding onto the creaking rope.
"Cal, forget the sack and grab on"
"But-but- all the-"
"You are more important, please!"
Again, he reached for her but this time he let the knapsack slide from his shoulders once he had ahold of her arm she hoisted him into the air and across the bridge, the poor boy was scared to let go even after his feet were firmly on the ground, Christina had to shake him off.
"What happened?" Shaggy asked, "How'd you fall?"
"I mistepped, that's all, my apologies,"
"We're just happy that you're safe," Shaggy reassured, "Let's keep moving"
"Yes, right so," Pantaloon took the lead once more, "Let's be off"
...
Meanwhile.
Chase still sat in the living room, staring at the mouse hole his sister had disappeared through. Broken ornaments littered the floor, shards glinting in the firelight while the garland drooped, bows coming unraveled. How was he supposed to fix this mess? His mother would faint at the sight if she saw this.
"And what are you doing up?"
Chase hit the ceiling from shock. Turning he found his grandmother smiling at him from the shadows.
I promised not to tell he thought with a glance at the mess, But Christina could be in trouble. With no pen and paper on hand, Chase mimed everything.
"I know," Maleficent stepped into the glow of the firelight, "Let's fix this mess, shall we?"
With the mess gone in the blink of an eye Chase demanded an explanation by tugging impatiently on his grandmother's arm. With a knowing smile, Maleficent pulled Chase back to the sofa, handing him Christina's new book as they sat down.
"Check the last page"
The book was much the same but it was thicker, and more pages had appeared. Following Maleficent's instructions Chase opened to the last page only for his jaw to hit the floor again. There was his sister, trekking through a forest with the nutcracker and two men.
"We can observe but we can't interact nor interfere," Maleficent explained.
...
Several hours after crossing the bridge, Shaggy noticed how worn down Christina seemed to be.
"Maybe we should stop for lunch?" he suggested.
"Ah, yes, well, whatever you say, Highness," Pantaloon stopped where he was causing Cal to crash into him.
Scanning their surroundings, Shaggy spotted an area just off the path where some of the regular trees had been chopped down, their stumps left behind forming a half circle. This was as good a place as any to sit down he decided, guiding Christina to the center stump where she began to unpack the basket, pulling out tea sandwiches and candied fruit.
"I'll look for fresh water," Cal decided before the general could bark an order or grump again about the loss of the knapsack,
"And I'll hunt for firewood," Pantaloon decoded, not wanting to be shown up. He was, after all, a good man but proud to a fault.
"I guess that leaves us," Christina observed, "Aren't you hungry?"
"I...can't.."
"Eat anything?" she finished with a gasp, "I-I-"
"I'm okay, go on," Shaggy insisted when he noticed how Christina faltered, "Like, I won't have you starving"
"Okay," Christina nibbled on a sandwich.
Not too far away Pantaloon was still going on about how 'that klutzy boy lost our only map '. Christina wasn't sure whether she should laugh or roll her eyes, after all, there had to be more than one way to reach the coast. Of course, crossing the sea was another ordeal. There had been talking of building a boat but the tools had been in the knapsack. Perhaps she could magic a boat? Christina's thoughts were disrupted by the shaking of the bushes behind her. Dropping the sandwich she slowly turned to find a pair of eyes watching.
"Shaggy?"
"Hmm?" he was turned the other direction.
"What lives in these woods?"
"Birds, squirrels, like, maybe a reindeer or two," Shaggy turned to her, "Why?"
He followed her gaze to the pair of eyes.
That wasn't a reindeer. From what he could see, the thing had spines all down its back, some sort of barbed tail, and was dripping saliva.
"ZOINKS!" he scrambled for his sword.
"Raggy?" the thing croaked, "RAGGY!"
The thing wasn't a 'thing' at all! A half-starved, very dirty Scoop-Doo leaped from the trees to knock Shaggy over in excitement.
"Scooby!" Shaggy laughed in surprise, "I missed you!"
"A dog?" Christina realized it had just been a very hungry dog.
With a little effort, Shaggy managed to push Scooby off of him but found he was having trouble getting to his feet again.
"Here," Christina rushed over, helping him up as Cal and Pantaloon returned.
"Stay back!" Pantaloon drew his sword, "The animal could be a spy"
"Lower your weapon," Shaggy commanded, "That's Scooby, he's my best friend"
"Yes, sir, right away, sir"
"But where did he come from?" Cal wondered.
The Dane was covered in sticky syrup, gumdrops, and peppermint twigs knotted into his fur, leaves stuck fast to his tail, entire body dripping snow.
"Scoob, what happened after we were like, separated?" Shaggy coaxed softly, "Like, did someone try to hurt you?"
"Ro," the dog shook his head, "Ri ran"
"Looking for me?"
Scooby nodded sadly, "Rorry"
"Scooby you like, have nothing to apologize for," Shaggy promised, "I'm okay, different maybe, but okay"
Satisfied, Scooby sat.
Meanwhile, Christina eased the water jug from Cal's shocked grip. Uncorking it she quietly set to work, cleaning Scooby up, brushing the debris from his fur slowly so as not to hurt him. It took several minutes but Scooby was cleaner than he'd been in months when she finished, offering the Dane half of her lunch.
"Rhank rou," Scooby wagged his tail, happy to be clean and happier still to have some actual food.
"You're welcome," Christina undid his collar while he ate, mending it.
"Scooby," Shaggy realized he hadn't made introductions, "This is Cal"
"Hello," the young soldier greeted around bites of his sandwich.
"General Pantaloon"
"Pleased to meet you"
"And this is Christina"
"Here you go," Christina had finished the collar, sliding it back over Scooby's neck.
He licked her face in thanks causing her to laugh.
If Shaggy had a heart it would've been flipping nonetheless he strangely felt warm and fuzzy inside though he wasn't sure why.
After they'd finished with their meal the group pressed on, the woods around them growing thicker, silent with neither animal nor insect to be heard. The trees smelt heavily of peppermint but the smell did nothing to soothe the frazzled nerves. Christina in particular found it unsettling.
It was too quiet.
Much too quiet.
Until it wasn't.
"Is that..." Shaggy turned his head to hear better.
"Music?" Christina finished, head tilted, "And growing closer"
It wasn't much longer until they encountered the source. A very pretty purple-skinned phantom with vibrant red hair and a half mask over one eye stepped out from the trees strumming a banjo. She wore a black & white tunic with warm leggings and sturdy boots. Seeing them she stopped playing, sliding her instrument across her back.
"Well I don't see many people in this part of the wood," she smiled brightly, "Where Y'all headed?"
"The coast, we're in search of an island," Cal answered.
"We'd be there if you hadn't lost the map!" Pantaloon remarked.
"I was dangling over a ditch!"
"Gentlemen!" Christina scolded, "Enough, we're getting tired of hearing it!"
"Sorry, Christina" the men quieted, sheepishly turning their attention elsewhere.
"You gotta git ta Fairy Isle? ", Operetta smiled. "Well then Ah'm yer huckleberry! Ah know how ta git ta just about anywhere with a full belly, a smile on yer face and a song in yer heart! And ain't this yer lucky day, 'cause Ah'm heading in that die-rection already! And lucky us, turns out the only way from here is over the Big Rock Candy Mountains! And it ain't no exaggeration ta say it's one'a the sweetest places in the world!"
Operetta twangs an opening riff with her pet Daddy-O-Longlegs accompanying on his tiny fiddle
"Oooohh...
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains
There land's all fair and bright
Where the pastries grow on bushes
And you sleep out ev'ry night!
Where the hobos are all happy
And the sun shines ev'ry day.
Oh, I'm bound to go where there ain't no snow
Where the rain don't fall and the wind don't blow
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains.
Oh, the buzzin' of the bees in the peppermint trees
'Round the soda water fountains
Where the lemonade springs and the bluebird sings
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains
Your lunch doesn't need a box
And little streams of cherry cola
Come a-tricklin' down the rocks.
The hobos there are friendly
And their fires all burn bright.
There's a lake of stew and soda, too
You can paddle all around in a big canoe
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains.
Oh, the buzzin' of the bees in the peppermint trees
'Round the soda water fountains
Where the lemonade springs and the bluebird sings
In the Big Rock Candy Mountains
(the others join in the song, the simple joy addictive)
Oh, the buzzin' of the bees in the peppermint trees
'Round the soda water fountains
Where the lemonade springs and the bluebird sings
In the Big Rock Caaannndy Mountaaaaiiinss!"
"But the only way to the other side is through Hot Fudge Pass, between the Caramel Craters", Operetta said after finishing her song.
"Then let's be going," Pantaloon declared, "We're burning daylight"
"Oh," Christina realized how much the sun had shifted, "My family, they're sure to know I'm gone, now"
"It's going to be okay, Christina," Shaggy promised quietly as they walked, "You can like, explain everything when you get home,"
"I might sound insane," she fretted.
"They'll believe you"
"How can you be so sure?"
"I just am"
He sounded so certain that Christina couldn't help but believe him.
...
"His party keeps growing!" Drew growled.
He paced about the large stolen king's chambers banging the scepter on the floor every few feet. What to do? The bridge had failed to slow them down, the blizzard hadn't stopped them. He needed to do something! Then he caught sight of the decorative stone pillar near the door.
That was it!
"Rock that will walk, destroy whom I seek, Carnage and Havoc will be yours to reap"
The pillar broke under the magic, crumbling and reforming into a haphazard rock monstrosity. A dumb monstrosity that seemed on the verge of falling to bits if not for the magic holding it together.
"Find the wooden mutt and crush him!" Drew ordered.
The giant looked both ways, joints grinding noisily together before he lumbered toward the wall.
"Stop!"
It stopped, head doing a full three-sixty to look at Drew.
"Bring me the fairy he has with him, unharmed"
With that, Drew magically opened the wall, letting the creature through.
"FELIX"
Felix flew in. If bats could scowl he would have been.
"I want you to babysit that thing, understood?"
He flapped indignantly.
"What?" Drew zapped him into human form causing him to fall unceremoniously on the floor.
"You want me to babysit a rock?"
Drew growled, scepter glowing dangerously.
"All right, all right, better than being a rock"
...
"I don't believe it," Christina was dumbstruck, "Chase would faint if he saw this"
"Yes, the mountains have that effect on travelers," Operetta smiled kindly, "There's the pass, be mindful of the fudge, it'll burn if it splashes you"
Shaggy grimaced.
"Here, I don't burn," Christina stepped in front of him, "I'll be a moving shield"
"Don't burn?"
"I'm pyrokenetic, fire is kind of my thing"
"Can you control anything else?" Cal piped out of curiosity.
"No, not really, plant's but very rarely"
With that, they entered the pass single file behind Christina for their safety. The path was semi-melted candy, fudge at various temperatures pooling in random spots where pieces of the surrounding craters had broken off, some hanging by a single gooey thread as if they'd been struck by fire.
"Hey, this isn't so bad," Shaggy decided.
Christina froze, causing the others to crash into her
"Christina-"
She threw up a shield in the nick of time, a fireball exploding against it with enough force that she staggered back a few steps!
"ZOINKS" Shaggy almost fell over from the shockwave, "Like, where did that come from?"
"GO BACK, NOW," came a voice several feet ahead, squinting, Christina could just make out the form of a well-built teenage boy standing in the middle of the pass.
"NO," Christina shouted in response, "I WILL NOT BE SPENDING THE REST OF MY LIFE THE SIZE OF A MOUSE, THANK YOU FAIRY MUCH"
I don't WANT to hurt you", he seemed to almost plead. "But I WILL if I have to!"
"May-maybe we should listen?" Shaggy grabbed Christina's shoulder.
"Oh, HEX no!" She swatted his hand away. Whoever this guard was, he was BREATHING FIRE, and Shaggy was made of WOOD right now! "Take cover, I have a feeling things are about to heat up"
"I'm beginning to think she IS crazy!" Pantaloon shuddered as the rest of the group ducked behind some boulders, Scooby licked his lips excitedly despite the danger, the boulders were chunks of rock candy that had rolled off the mountains; the blasted-off pieces he eagerly chomped out of the air.
"*crunch!*GULP!*slurp!*Yum-yum-yum-yum!", the dog praised, gulping down the sweet candy shrapnel.
Christina meanwhile, marched ahead.
Mom always said I had Grandmother's temper. She thought. with her wand left in the basket, her hands burst into violet flames. This was NOT going to be easy. Whoever he is, this red & gold scaly-she could see now-young man seemed to possess power on a level in a similar league to Grammy Maleficent! But she could NOT let that stop them...wait...are those chains?
"THIS IS YOUR LAST WARNING! GO BACK SO I DON'T HAVE TO HURT YOU!", he roared.
"NO! For the good of the kingdom, we like, CAN'T go back!", Shaggy shouted.
"So be it", the guy sighed resignedly, then inhaled deeply and gathered his full power.
'Forgive me, Clawdeen', he thought to himself, a tear rolling down his cheek as he breathed a sustained jet of intense flames that would put a full-grown dragon to shame! Christina responded in kind, pushing back with her own mystical purple flames with all her strength... but she was losing ground. The battling flames drew inexorably closer until it seemed she was trying to hold them back with her hands alone! As the heat intensified, sweat poured down most of her friends' faces, but Shaggy? Shaggy was beginning to smoke! If he burned...!
It was like a switch flipped inside Christina. Her inner magick shifted instantly to the opposite element, turning her flames into a sustained blast of intense cold and ice, pushing back the draconian flames! Finally, Christina dropped from magical exhaustion.
Hot Fudge Pass was no longer so 'hot'. Scooby broke off a piece of newly solid chocolate to happily munch on.
Shaggy watched somewhat sadly, "Like, I bet it would be great with peanuts,"
"Like, right, Scoob! Gotta have milk with fresh-made chocolate!", Shaggy agreed while he and Operetta helped Christina up.
"My word, Christina!", General Pantaloon said. "You never told us you had ice magick!"
"I-I never did before", Christina breathed heavily, trying to catch her breath.
"Uh, sirs? Oops!*oof!*", Cal called, just before tripping and falling on his face...again. "*ahem* Now's our chance to move! Our opponent seems to be encased in a block of ice."
"But not fer long", Operetta said urgently, looking at the popsicle in question; which began to shake violently, then crack! "Look out!", she yelled just as the block exploded, dropping their chained...chained?...attacker to the ground; where he too fought to catch his breath.
"I don't think he's going to be any threat now," Pantaloon observed, "We should get by while we have the chance"
"Right!" Cal saluted.
But, Christina as breathless as she was, was more concerned with Shaggy.
"Are-Are you okay?"
"Like, I'm fine, maybe a little crisp but fine"
There was only one notable spot on his right arm, smack in the center where the red paint of the soldier's uniform was scorched black. Christina touched it softly, ready to jerk her hand away at a moment's notice, "Doesn't hurt?"
"No," Shaggy had the inexplicable fuzzies again which he dismissed as a phantom sensation.
When Christina moved her hand away Shaggy's arm was 'healed' much to everyone's shock.
"How did you do that?"
"I don't know," Christina was as bewildered as everyone else.
Moving forward they shortly came upon their adversary who was chained up. Pantaloon moved on, Cal stumbling after him with Operetta keeping him upright but Shaggy and Christina stopped. This boy was no older than them, an obvious prisoner who looked up at them with a pained expression which morphed into realization "Shaggy, is that you?"
"Hi, Duncan"
"You two know each other?"
"We're friends," Duncan explained, "Oh, I-I almost...I'm so sorry"
"You didn't know," Shaggy assured, "Like, everyone who would was turned into a brainless mouse, how did you end up here?"
"Drew, he drugged me,"
"How?"
"It wasn't that long after you were banished," Duncan began explaining, "Clawdeen and I were traveling at the time of the incident so imagine our surprise when we arrived at the castle only to be accosted by mice, we were separated, I was taken to the dining hall where Drew was waiting, I was tied to the chair, he said he wanted to talk, it goes black and I woke up here he said that if he didn't do exactly as I said he would k-k-kill Clawdeen," Duncan shook his head, "Normally he wouldn't have the power to do so but with the scepter..."
"I understand"
By now, the others had circled back.
"The arrogant punk laughed at me as I put the chains on myself", Duncan said in sour recollection. "So proud that he'd finally 'beaten' me, 'forced' me to submit to him. Coward! He...ORDERED me to stop anyone from going through the Pass in either direction, but especially from 'his' kingdom out to the coast. He promised he'd free me when he didn't need me here anymore and in the meantime he would keep Clawdeen safe and...'comfortable' in his dungeon."
"But why would he need ta do somethin' so crazy ta block the Pass?", Operetta asked, voicing the question on all their minds.
"I don't know", Duncan shrugged. "He said something about making sure nobody could get out and find some fairy on an island off the coast."
"The Sugar Plum Fairy," Shaggy explained.
"But-But she's a myth...isn't she?"
"She's our only hope," Christina said fiercely.
"Yeah," Shaggy agreed.
"Well, I wish you luck," Duncan resigned himself.
"No way am I like, leaving you here"
"These chains are magic," Duncan pointed out, "There's no lock to pick and I've tried breaking them myself with no luck"
"We should be able to break them if we work together," Christina stepped forward, snow dancing on her fingertips, "If you heat them up, I'll blast them with cold a few times ought to be enough for them to snap"
"It's worth a try,"
It took only a few minutes. Even magic chains couldn't handle such rapidly changing temperatures, growing brittle until they broke into small pieces,
"Thank you!" they helped Duncan to stand, limbs shaky after the fight.
"You're very welcome," Christina smiled, "Are you okay to walk?"
"I should be," Duncan nodded, "Let's hurry the farther away I am the better I'll feel"
...
Meanwhile, back in Drew's palace, in the dungeons...
Clawdeen Wolf paced back & forth in her, admittedly, lavishly comfortable cell. It resembled a suite of rooms fit for a Princess in a Royal Palace... except for the magically reinforced and locked door of silver bars. A gilded cage was still a cage! With her, the Alpha of the Lycan Kingdom, Drew's prisoner not only were her family and armies helpless to free her, but Duncan was forced to obey that psycho AND no one in her kingdom could help her cousin Shaggy either.
"As much as I dislike 'Prince' Drew, I really must thank him for letting me see this", a voice giggled from outside the bars.
"Amora", Clawdeen growled when she saw the smug grin of the succubus who was the Demon Princess. They had been friends once, back when they were children, along with Duncan, cousin Norv...Shaggy, her twin brother Clawd, and Amora's cousin Draculaura. They were all inseparable, the best of friends, all the parents dreaded when they were all together what with the mischief they would get into!
But then as they got older, Amora fell obsessively in love with Duncan. Oblivious to her desires, Duncan and Clawdeen unknowingly imprinted on each other as destined mates. The couple had only just realized what had happened between them and accepted their feelings for each other when Amora confessed her own to Duncan. Duncan told her the truth as gently as he could, but to say Amora's reaction was "a ballistic conniption" would have been putting it mildly! She blamed Clawdeen with accusations of betrayal because Amora had told her often over the years of her attraction to the Dragon Prince. When no others in the group would take her side in the matter, Amora angrily 'broke-up-the-band' and left, swearing to make Duncan hers one day by ANY means necessary. "What are you doin' here? Just come to gloat? To laugh at the 'caged wolf'?"
"Now don't be like that, Clawdeen", Amora smiled 'sweetly'. "We were best friends once; almost like sisters. So I came to give you some good news. Duncan is going to be freed. And once he is, Drew will release you unharmed to return to your people."
"Really?", Clawdeen asked, unable to keep the hope from her voice.
"Oh yes", Amora grinned, then smirked wickedly. "Not that Duncan will be going with you."
"Whatd'you mean?", Clawdeen asked suspiciously, eyes narrowing. "Duncan is my MATE; of course he'll come back to me!"
"Afraid not,'old friend'!", Amora giggled. "You see, I'M headed up to Hot Fudge Pass to release him myself. I came into my FULL POWERS on my birthday last week. *lusty giggle!*Daddy says he hasn't seen a succubus of my seductive power since the lilim daughters of Lilith herself millennia ago! I always wondered if one of my mom's ancestors might have been one of them? Anyway, just. One. Kiss. That's all. And Duncan will be MINE...for Eternity! And you can do nothing to stop me!"
...
"Of all the things he has me do!" Felix complained, "Babysit a rock?"
He still couldn't wrap his mind around that one especially after the failed scouting mission from earlier where the bumbling rodent army was sent into the forests only to get turned around, lost, and then spat back out at the castle. It had sent Drew into an absolute hissy fit.
"GET OUT OF M SIGHT YOU UTTER NINCOMPOOPS, NOW" he had screamed, scepter going nuts, feeding off his emotions.
Felix had been hanging upside down from the windowsill at the time giving him a hilarious perspective as the mice ran around in circles, one getting his foot stuck in a discarded mop bucket, staggering around before crashing into his brothers and sending them all falling into the line of decorative pillars which of course fell one by one to the ground, knocking the remaining mice on the head before pinning them to the floor. He couldn't help himself, stifling a laugh while his brother cringed before rubbing furiously at his face.
"I'm SURROUNDED by idiots. Felix! We know they'll head for the mountains to reach the coast eventually. Got out there and scout every possible route and report back immediately! GO, you mangy batling!"
Of course, the forest grew so thick over the paths that Felix could do little more than circle around and around and around while thinking up excuses as to why he hadn't been able to find them only to be saddled with BABYSITTING DUTY. The poor forest was no match for such a gigantic, brainless rock who thoughtlessly crushed many a tree underfoot on their cumbersome journey to the seacoast.
...
The forest sandwiched the mountains but thinned considerably the closer they came to the coast, the minty smell of the trees blending into the salt of the oncoming ocean though it was still several miles away.
"It's growing dark," Shaggy observed before stumbling over a root in the path.
Without missing a step Christina pulled him upright again.
"If I may make a suggestion?" Cal nervously spoke up.
"Yes, Cal?" Christina asked brightly.
"My cousin lives but a short way from here, we could stay with her for the night"
"We should press on-" Pantaloon began to say only to snap his mouth shut at the look Shaggy gave him.
At this point, Christina was leaning heavily on Scooby, still exhausted from the battle earlier.
"Like, lead the way," Shaggy told Cal.
"Y-Yes sir!" Cal exclaimed only to faceplant, "Sorry," he blushed with embarrassment when Duncan hauled him to his feet.
Fifteen minutes later they came upon a lone gingerbread house.
"It looks like the one in my kitchen at home," Christina remarked, taking in the frosted roof, gumdrop porch with licorice railings, and chocolate door with a mint knob.
Cal knocked on the door. The curtains inside twitched before the door was pulled open by a girl slightly younger than Cal, her cotton candy pink hair tied into bouncy twin tails while her bright purple eyes sparkled behind her glasses.
"Cal!" she threw her arms around him, "You're okay, I-I-I was so scared"
"Hi, Ginger," Cal gasped, the air knocked out of him, "Long time, no see, may we come in?"
Ginger finally noticed her cousin wasn't alone. Where Cal had fallen onto his face when he caught sight of Shaggy she managed to drop into a curtsy, "Your Highness, please come inside"
The inside of Ginger's home was just as sweet smelling as the outside but the inside was made of stone painted in candy colors, the colors continued throughout the furniture.
"Please," Ginger bustled into the kitchen, "Sit get comfortable,"
Pantaloon, Cal and, Duncan took a seat on the sofa, Scooby stretched across the rug in front of the fireplace Operetta, Christina and, Shaggy took the remaining seats around the coffee candy smelling coffee table just as Ginger returned with a tea tray and a pan of freshly baked finger cakes.
"Please, tell me everything, how did you get through the pass? Where are you headed?"
"We're in search of the Sugar Plum Fairy, so I can like, get this curse removed and Christina can like, go home," Shaggy explained, "As for the pass we freed Duncan"
"Drew had me prisinor there"
"Oh, my," Ginger's eyes grew wide, "You must be exhausted, I don't have much room to offer but I insist you stay the night"
"We would be much obliged," Pantaloon smiled.
...
Okay, I'm breaking this into two. I hope you enjoyed it. A big thank you to my friend, DRAGONDAVE45
Please review!