Scooby Doo and all related Characters are owned by Hanna Barbera, The Loud House and Casagrandes are owned by Nickelodeon.
Great Lakes City was alive with festivities. The annual street fair was in full swing. Bobby Santiago could hardly keep up with the line of people coming into the Casagrande family mercado for bottled water and soda. His Abuelo Hector, cousins Carl and C.J. and sister Ronnie Anne were all helping satisfy the demand.
"I love street fair week, it's like black Friday for sales, only in August" Hector said as he restocked the fridge.
"I cannot wait for the parade tomorrow!" C.J. added.
Bobby suddenly got a phone call and answered it, he talked for a few minutes then hung up. "That was Lori, they'll be here any minute," he said.
"Well the mid-morning rush is basically over, you kids go wait for them and then y'all head over to the taco contest" Hector insisted, taking his place behind the counter.
"I can't believe Abuela isn't competing this year!" Carl exclaimed.
"Well after winning ten times, she decided she wanted to break the monotony and become the head judge," Aubuelo replied.
"Honestly, who better to tell you if a taco is good?" Ronnie Anne replied.
They waved goodbye to Abuelo and went outside just as Lori Loud's car pulled up outside their building. Lori Loud emerged excitedly from the driver's seat. "Boo Boo Bear!" she cried before dashing over to embrace Bobby. Then Lincoln, Luan, Lana and Lola disembarked from the car.
Lincoln hugged Ronnie Anne, "what's up lame-o" she greeted.
"Thanks for the invite, this is gonna be so fun!" Lincoln replied.
"I can't wait for the petting zoo," Lana replied.
"And the fudge!" chipped in Lola.
"Are we there yet?" everyone jumped at the voice. Lucy sat up in the back seat, after falling asleep on the ride over.
"Sorry Lucy," Luan replied.
"The others are coming, but they're riding up with Luna's band, the Moon Goats. They're performing at the fair tomorrow night!" Lori added.
"Well there's gonna be plenty of stuff all week, there's games, and a funhouse challenge with prizes, and so much food to eat" said Bobby.
"Come let's hurry, the taco contest is about to start. Carlota is waiting for us" said Ronnie Anne, and they all set off.
They hurried over to the park where a pack of stands filled with Great Lakes city's best amateur taco chefs. Carlota Casagrande waved over the group. "I was wondering where you all would get here! Abuela and the other judges are making their rounds" she explained.
"I thought it was just your Abuela judging?" Lincoln asked.
"Nope, according to this flier the tacos will be judged by a panel of three experts," Carlota read. "Ten time champion Rosa Casagrande, local hotdog cart owner Bruno, and this year's national taco eating champion Scoobert Doo. Huh, that's a funny name."
The Loud kids looked at eachother, Luan said what they were all thinking "Scoobert? I wonder if…"
Lana interrupted, "only one way to find out." She then hollered, "Scooby Doo! Where are you!"
The Casagrandes were confused. They heard the clatter of stampeding paws and the jingle of dog tags. From the crowd emerged a happy brown great dane who spotted the Loud children and pounced, knocking down Lana and giving her a doggy kiss.
"Rello!" shouted Scooby.
Lana laughed, "how are you buddy!"
"Hey Scooby, what are you doing judging a taco contest?" asked Lincoln as he patted Scooby's head.
"Wait, you know each other?" Ronnie Anne asked. Lincoln proceeded to recount their previous experience when their cousin Fred and mystery inc passed through Royal Woods and they all dealt with a whole gaggle of monsters including a tar monster and a spooky space kook.
"Awesome!" C.J. said
Suddenly, Shaggy and Rosa came out of the crowd looking for Scooby.
"Like Scooby you can't run off in the middle of a judging!" Shaggy exclaimed. Then he spotted the Loud children.
"Aww! He wanted to see the niños" Rosa exclaimed.
"Hola Mrs. Casagrande, we're friends of Scooby Doo too" Lori exclaimed.
"Bueno! You will all be at our house for dinner tonight." Rosa declared. "But for now Scooby you have a job to do!" She and Scooby then headed back to the taco entries.
"Like fancy seeing you Louds here!" Shaggy said.
"Yeah, this is a crazy coincidence," Lincoln declared. "Are Fred, Daphne and Velma here too?"
"Sorry Linc, they opted for a mystery solvers convention in Mobile Alabama. But Scooby and I come to Great Lakes City once a year anyway. His nephew lives here."
"His nephew?" Lola said before a Great Dane puppy with an uncanny resemblance to Scooby popped his head out of a popcorn bucket. She squealed and jumped backwards dog introduced himself.
"Hi, I'm Scrappy Doo."
"Is anyone else freaked out by the talking dog thing?" Carlota asked.
"You get used to it," Lucy replied.
Scrappy hopped out of the box, standing on his hind legs, he was shorter than both Carl and Lana.
"Hey you're Casey's dog aren't you?" Ronnie Anne asked, remembering her friend Casey showing off photos when his family got a new puppy.
"That's right, and you're Ronnie Anne from his skateboarding team! They've gone to visit his Aunt in Havana, she's allergic to dogs, so I'm spending time with Shaggy and my Uncle Scooby." Scrappy explained.
"Well that sounds like a dog-gone good time! Hahaha get it?" Luan joked. Only Scrappy and Shaggy laughed.
"Come you guys, let's head for the sample tables" Bobby suggested and they headed to the tables of tacos set aside for the spectators.
After loading up on snacks the Louds and Casagrandes headed to the game booths and funhouse while Shaggy and Scrappy waited to see who won the contest.
An hour later the judges declared Padma and Pierre, the owners of Burger Blast, the winners for their fusion tacos. They had to restrain Scooby from eating the winning taco so they could pin the ribbon to it for photographing.
"Good boy," Rosa said patting Scooby. "I'm gonna go home and get dinner started. Tell the kids to be home by six!"
"Like you got it Mrs C!" Shaggy replied and Rosa started home. "Come on let's find out where those kids got to."
First they found Lucy at the milk bottle game. She had her heart set on a giant stuffed spider. "Sigh" she said as she missed for the third time.
"Let us give it a whirl Lucy" Shaggy replied. He picked up a baseball, went into the windup then let it fly. It crashed into the ball and fell straight down. Shaggy sneered, "like this thing is rigged!"
"Come on Uncle Scooby, you try!" Scrappy encouraged. Scooby thought about it for a second and then he picked up the ball with his tail. Shaggy and Lucy backed up as he flicked his tail. The bottles crashed to the ground, and the carny passed Lucy the giant fluffy spider.
"Thank you Scooby" Lucy said as she hugged his neck. Scooby grinned and blushed.
"Like where are your sibs and Casagrandes?" Shaggy asked.
"They were gonna play the fun house maze challenge," Lucy explained. "I was gonna join them but got sidetracked."
"Well let's stuff your Spider in the Mystery Machine and then go find them. Mrs. Casagrande wants all of us at their place for dinner at six" Shaggy suggested.
The rest of Mystery Inc had flown first class, leaving the Mystery Machine with Shaggy and Scooby, it was parallel parked on the edge of the park.
"Like excuse the mess Lucy, we have a bunch of stuff in here that the gang didn't want to take to the convention" Shaggy said opening the door.
"That's ok, in the Loud house clutter is a regular thing," Lucy said.
A small avalanche of miscellaneous things and boxes of Scooby Snax spread on the sidewalk. Finally, a crystal ball rolled out and Scrappy caught it.
"Gasp!" Lucy said, "that's the most beautiful crystal ball I've ever seen." But she was the only one who was impressed. Shaggy, Scooby and Scrappy stared at the ball as it brought back a ton of memories.
"Remember when we got this in the Himilayas Uncle Scooby, and when"
Shaggy interrupted, "Like Scrappy, now is not the place for a trip down memory lane. Like let's put it away before," He was then cut off as the ball began to glow an eerie green.
"The spirits are trying to contact us!" Lucy exclaimed.
"Who's there?" the voice in the ball asked.
"Ruh-roh" Scooby said.
"Scooby Doo?" the voice repeated as a man's face became clear in the ball.
"And Scrappy and Shaggy, and new friend Lucy Loud too!" Scrappy announced. "Is that you Mr. Van Ghoul?"
"Ahh, thank heavens. I never thought I'd be so happy to hear your voices again" Vincent replied.
"You know this spirit?" Lucy asked, she was ecstatic by what was happening.
"Young lady I am not a spirit, one must be dead to be a spirit. I am, however, a prisoner within my own crystal ball" explained Vincent.
"Like what happened Vincent?" Shaggy asked.
Vincent sighed as the four of them huddled around the crystal ball. "A mysterious figure infiltrated my home and sent a bolt of magic at me, I dodged it but I realized too late the destructive blast was not aimed at me." Lucy listened with amazement while the others deduced what he was going to say next. "The blast hit the Chest of Demons, as fast as I could I plugged the hole but not before the warlock Maldor could free himself. We did battle and even though in the end he imprisoned me here, I bound him into an intangible mist form. It is a miracle this crystal is still linked to mine."
"So what do we need to do to get you out of there?" Scrappy asked.
"That can wait, Maldor is seeking revenge on you for reimprisoning him. He cast a transformation spell upon the other 12 ghosts and changed them into new forms taken from your memories directly. The first thing you must do is find and make sure the Chest of Demons is secure until Maldor can be recaptured" insisted Vincent.
"Well where is your chest?" Lucy asked.
"Maldor himself cannot open the chest and free the other ghosts, but it is likely he will try and get a willing or unwilling accomplice to do it for him and then destroy the empty chest. He and his ally are currently engaged in a search for a way to return him to his tangible form."
"Ro-no," Scooby yelped.
"Fear not Scooby-Doo, you are wise enough to not be tricked into opening this chest a second time" Vincent said. "But it is only a matter of time before some other fool is deceived."
"But like the Chest of Demons could be anywhere, the north pole, the top of the Statue of Liberty." As Shaggy continued listing Scrappy looked around and a poster on the Street Fair's bulletin board caught his eye. He dashed over ripped it down and brought it back,
"Actually Shaggy I don't think we have to go far, look!" Scrappy showed them the poster. The Chest of Demons was prominently displayed. The caption, solve the funhouse maze and win the prize!
"Um Lucy, didn't you say your siblings and the Casagrandes were playing this challenge" Shaggy said in a fearful whisper. Lucy nodded anxiously as every clicked for the four of them. Scooby and Scrappy darted like comets heading inside. Shaggy and Lucy followed, carrying Vincent Van Ghoul in his crystal ball. All the while praying they would get up there before anyone got too curious.
But while they were talking to the crystal ball. Lincoln, Ronnie Anne, Lori, Bobby, Carlota, Luan, C.J., Carl, Lana and Lola were solving the final puzzle in the maze. As they finished the picture puzzle the door unlocked and they entered the prize room within the funhouse that had been set up in the vacant lot across the street from the park. Inside they cheered as balloons were released. "That was so much fun!" Ronnie Anne said.
"It was A-Maze-ing, hahaha get it!" Luan joked.
The loudspeaker inside a stuffed bear congratulated them. "Well done children, your team has completed the maze and you now get a choice of two prizes, you can share a crisp twenty dollar bill or take the mystery prize in the treasure chest? You must agree!"
"Treasure chest, treasure chest!" Lana and Lola chanted.
"But what if it's just a gag that hits us with a pie?" Bobby asked.
"Then it would still be a win!" Luan interjected.
"Twenty dollars for ten people is only two dollars each, how can the chest not be worth it?" Ronnie Anne concluded.
"Well you guys take the chest and I'll take the whole twenty" Carl exclaimed.
"No Carl we have to all be in agreement," Lincoln argued.
Carl sighed and conceded. The ten of them pointed to the chest and the stuffed bear confirmed their choice. "Now it's time to see what you win!" All ten put their hand on the chest, as their imaginations went wild on what could await them inside.
Scooby and Scrappy burst into the room. "Ro!" Scooby cried.
"Don't open that!" Scrappy added.
But it was too late. As the lid lifted, an eruption of red smoke shot high up into the air like a geyser and made a booming ghostly moan. Shaggy, and Lucy entered the room and saw what was unfolding. "Oh no!" Shaggy exclaimed.
The rest of the Louds and Casagtandes were staring up at the blast where the contents of the chest formed the image of a demonic head when it reached the ceiling. Lana and Lola held each other as they trembled, Carlota protectively held C.J. and Luan freaked out falling backwards into Lori and Bobby.
"This is not a funny gag!" Ronnie Anne cried.
"What is that?" Lincoln asked, his eyes wide with fear.
"I knew we should've taken the twenty!" Carl exclaimed as he fell backwards taken completely off guard.
The loudspeaker in the bear laughed maniacally and then cut off. The red energy finished emerging and the lid snapped back shut. Scooby Doo lunged for the chest and darted back before the combined mass of the demons could descend and smash it.
"Good work Uncle Scooby!" Scrappy exclaimed. The enraged demons formed a fiery ball and began rolling towards the chest. "Oh no you don't, you'll have to go through us to get this chest!" Scrappy put his fists prepared to take on all 12 ghosts at once.
"That is not necessary, Scrappy," Vincent said. He turned to Lucy and instructed her to hold the crystal ball at the demons and say a pair of magic words. While the words made no sense when heard, they formed a forcefield over them, the chest, Shaggy and the dogs. The amalgamation of demons ricocheted off the shield and separated into twelve flaming red skulls that flew wildly around the room frightening everyone. Then they blasted through the ceiling and dispersed across the sky
On the street, Rosa, who was halfway home watched the haunting red fireballs flying from the direction the kids had gone. First she feared them; and hoped they didn't have anything to do with it.
As calmed returned to the room Lincoln, Lucy, Luan, Lana and Lola, ran to each other for comfort, and Lincoln, already smothered by hugs, extended a hand to Ronnie Anne who accepted it, still shaking and clinging to Bobby's hand with her other one. Carlota's brothers hugged her as they all quivered in fear.
"What literally was that?" Lori exclaimed, as she clung to Bobby.
"Rhosts!" Scooby replied.
"Yeah that is Chest of Demons, a prison for the thirteen vilest ghosts on earth!" Shaggy began as the others listened. "And like now they are gonna wreak havoc on the world until they are locked back inside!"
"Uh, how do you know all that?" Ronnie Anne asked.
He and Scooby looked at each other in shame then Shaggy explained, "Because we were tricked into releasing them over a year ago, we spent weeks recapturing them! And like we thought the chest was safely locked away but apparently not!"
"I thought Velma said your mysteries ended with some creep in a mask!" Lola said accusingly.
"She wasn't there when we caught them," Scrappy said, "Just us, Daphne and Mr. Van Ghoul here." He held up the glowing crystal ball and freaked out Lola.
"But how did you get a ghost trapped inside this" Lincoln asked, shaking the now empty chest.
"It wasn't easy. You better figure it out fast," Shaggy announced.
"What?" all the kids asked, some of them shocked, some scared and some offended.
"Are you joking?" Lori demanded.
"This is no joke" Vincent Van Ghoul warned as Scrappy held up the ball to address the crowd. "Those ghosts can only be returned to the chest by the ones who released them. Which in this case is all of you!" Lana, Lola, Lori, Bobby, Carlota, Luan, Ronnie-Anne, Lincoln, and C.J. all looked guiltily at each other.
"Are you insane!" Carl replied, "get somebody else!"
"No!" they heard a voice say behind them. They turned to see Rosa who had been standing there listening for the last few minutes. "If you kids caused all this mess, you are gonna fix it, and I'm gonna be with you every step of the way!"
"Abuela is right, if we are the only ones who can trap those ghosts, then we have to do it!" Bobby added. The kids just stood there for a second as the stakes sank in.
"Lucy, I know you weren't actually responsible, so it's okay if," Lincoln began before his younger sister cut him off.
"A chance to deal with real magic and ghosts, I wouldn't miss this for a million dollars!" Lucy exclaimed. Her siblings smiled at her.
The kids then looked at Shaggy, Scooby and Scrappy. The former two were still shaking in fear at the concept of restarting the hunt for the thirteen ghosts, especially now that they would be in different powerful forms. But Scrappy, ever the brave hero, volunteered, "you guys are gonna need our help too, we've done this once, we can do it again! Besides, Mr. Van Ghould said the ghosts are gonna be after us for revenge, and the best defense is a good offense. Right Uncle Scooby?"
With almost every fiber of his being Scooby wanted to say no, but he shook and cried as he nodded yes. He knew his nephew was right.
"Man, I wish this was just a nightmare" Shaggy added, he knew that he would be a monster if he chickened out and abandoned the Louds and Casagrandes.
"I am afraid my assistance will not be much help as I am still trying to escape this trap" Vincent added. He then turned to Lincoln and Lucy who was still holding the ball. But you can take my spell book, it's in one of these boxes, it's sure to come in handy. I will be in touch as I track the demons." Vincent disappeared into the crystal ball.
"Hmm, there's something else I don't understand," Scrappy said.
"What's that?" asked Ronnie Anne.
"Vincent said that someone trapped him in that ball and helped the first ghost escape, who would do something like that?" he explained.
"As cousin Fred once said, it looks like we have a real mystery on our hands," Lincoln exclaimed.
"No, first you will have supper then you will go hunting for those 13 demonios!" Rosa insisted.
So the quest was on, and the street fair would have to wait. The Louds wondered how their other sisters would react when they told them what had happened, would they be as willing to help as Lucy? Scooby and Shaggy were going over their brain's rolodex of monsters trying to imagine which ones might be the new forms of the ghosts that once occupied the Chest of Demons. For now all they could do was wait for Vincent to report to them where to find the specters and ghouls.
But they were all unaware that the first ghost was still in Great Lakes City.