Author's Note: This is the first in a series of Scooby-Doo movie rewrites. The idea of this series is to retell the What's New era movies (Legend of the Vampire to The Samari Sword) but done in the same continuity and tone as the Mook era (Zombie Island to Cyber Chase.)
It's going to be a long journey but hopefully, it will be worth it.
Hope you all enjoy it.
Scooby-Doo and the Legend of the Bunyip
Chapter 1
The Beast
The night was very quiet as the dingoes awoke for a late twilight hurt under the starless sky. The pack hadn't made a successful kill for two days and they were famished. The dominant pair lend the pack to one of the favourite hunting spots. The younger members stayed in the middle, just to be safe from an attack from a reveal pack or something.
Under the moonless sky, other animals came to a small waterhole for a midnight drink. A family of Kangaroos nervously looked around just in case a predator was nearby. A wallaby began consuming the precious liquid, completely unaware of the danger that was nearby.
In the depths of the water, saltwater crocodiles swam closer to the edge waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Once they were close enough they lay motionless, not even their pupils moved as they waited.
Not that far from the waterhole, an Emu was guarding her nest. Laying on the ground, one would be forgiven for mistaking her for a large bush. For several days she had been sitting on her clutch of eggs waiting for them to hatch. She hadn't had a drink for a long time. Once her mate returned they would swap places and she could forage for food and head to the waterhole.
Little did she know that tonight, her precious eggs were in great danger. She was unaware that nearby, three poachers were hiding in the tall dry grass, waiting for the Casuariidae to stand up or leave the nest to steal her eggs and sell them on the black market.
"Any moment now boys." The head poacher whispered to his associates. "That overgrown chicken will go and those eggs will be all ours."
The other two tried to snicker or make any sound that would alert the bird to their presence.
The pack of dingoes had arrived not far from the waterhole. Two of the hungry canines licked their lips as the leader eyed a target. He looked for a weak one, a sick kangaroo or an injured wallaby, maybe an old emu if they were lucky. Some of the dingoes began to drool as the thought of their next meal could soon become a reality. The lead male was broken out of his concentration when he heard something. The rest of the pack heard it too. Their ears twitched as they listened. The leader's mate sniffed the air and caught an unusual scent. It wasn't common prey, or a carcass, or even a human. After a few more sniffs she recognised what the smell was. It was... no it couldn't be.
The rest of them began to recognise the scent, it was a scent of something they hoped they would never see again. The scent of something that hadn't been seen for over two decades.
As the kangaroo took a sip of water its right ear twitched. There was a sound of something large. Too large to be a dingo of a crocodile but it wasn't a jeep or some other sort of man-made object either. Whatever it was put the rest of the animal on high alert, some even want to bolt away.
Even the crocodiles began to get scared. It was one of those rare occasions where the mighty predatory reptiles were the ones who were being hunted.
The Emu lowered her head, sensing the uneasiness in the atmosphere. She kept as still as possible, hoping that it wouldn't be spotted. She was so busy trying to protect herself that she failed to notice the poachers creeping closer to her. "Come on you stupid poultry." The head poacher mumbled.
Another wallaby caught a glimpse of something in the darkness. Two small glowing soulless yellow eyes.
Unable to take the suspense any longer the wallaby bolted, using all the power in its legs. Suddenly out of the bushes, an enormous creature burst throw the vegetation. The animal's eyes widen in horror as the beast let out a monstrous roar, spit flung from its powerful jaws. The dingoes stood in fear. It was the creature of their nightmares, the one they never wanted to see again. The pack bolted as fast as their legs could carry them. All thoughts of food left their minds, replaced with fear of the water demon that had returned after twenty years.
The other animals made a mad dash for their lives. Even the crocodiles swam away into the deepest parts of the murky water.
"What the heck is that?" one of the poachers asked.
"I don't know, but I don't wanna be anywhere near it." The other one stated.
They turned tale and ran like the wind. The head poacher took a little longer, not wanting to give up on the eggs, but as the creature came closer he ran like there was no tomorrow. The beast's large webbed foot just missed the mother emu as it ran pasted her. The monster released another blood-curdling roar that shocked the leaves off of the nearby bushes and trees. Its eyes focused on the three humans in front of it. The poachers could feel its hot, stinking breath on the back of their necks. They dared not look back as the gap between them and this grotesque creature grew ever shorter.
In a desperate attempt to save himself, the head poacher knocked down his partners in crime. They fell to the ground before quickly being devoured in one bite, yet this did nothing to quench the beast's hunger.
The remaining poacher continued to run, his leg muscles aching with every stride. If he could just get to the Jeep then he could make a clean getaway. Besides he could always come back for the eggs another day.
He saw the vehicle was only inches away, he grabbed for the door handle but just as his fingertips touched the metal he was grabbed by the legs and tossed into the air. He somersaulted before landing head-first into the waiting jaws of the beast. One bite and it's all over.
The beast roared in victory. See that its' favourite food source was no longer available in its old hunting ground, the grotesque monster left in search of the one prey it desired more than anything else... humans.