In the open plains of Kansas a huge monstrous tower on tank treads was being pulled along on four giant mechanical spider legs, the tower made it's way through Kansas until it reached a sign that read 'Welcome to Nowhere.' A elevator descended from the lowest level of the tower and the towers two occupants exited. The first was a tall man dressed in a lab coat followed by a large grey rat, the man had green skin, red eyes, neon purple hair, and skinny arms and legs, his name was Dr. Zalost and he was the worlds most unhappiest scientist that ever lived.
Nobody knew why Dr. Zalost was so unhappy, some say his parents never hugged him enough when he was a child, some say he had his heart broken at a very young age, and there were some who said that nobody ever came to Dr. Zalost's parties or gave him presents, whatever the reason Dr. Zalost was incredibly unhappy and nobody wanted to be around him except Rat.
Rat was Dr. Zalost's assistant, the two of them shared a odd family relationship that involved a lot of emotional abuse from Zalost with a bunch of muttering and groaning from Rat.
The two of them entered the town of Nowhere and made their way towards city hall to have a meeting with the mayor, Dr. Zalost had sent a letter of introductory to the mayor explaining who he was and that he wanted to meet with him, Dr. Zalost walked down the street and glared at all the happy citizens with loathing, he wondered what made them so happy. It angered him that they could some how have happiness and that he could not, oh well soon he would get what he wanted from the mayor and then perhaps Dr. Zalost would be happy.
Dr. Zalost and Rat stood outside of city hall, Dr. Zalost ordered Rat to stay outside, while he went to talk with the mayor. Zalost went inside and to the mayor's office. There he was met with the mayor at his desk with one of his aids by his side, the mayor was big muscular man with red hair and a mustache, dressed in a blue suit, the aid was a short old balding man with white hair. Both eyed Zalost as he sat down in front of the mayor's desk.
"You may already know me by reputation. I am Dr. Zalost the most unhappiest scientist who ever lived! And I demanded three billion dollars for my Unhappy Cannonballs Project," Dr. Zalost demanded, he magical pulled out a cannonball from behind his back and presented it to the mayor and his aid.
The mayor and the aid looked at the cannon ball then to each other, then they burst out laughing. A frown appeared on Dr. Zalost as he held the cannonball like a child, a glare appeared on Dr. Zalost's face.
"If you don't pay I'll use your town as research and that will make the people here...very unhappy!" Dr. Zalost threatened.
"Ha! Big deal! There already unhappy! We just raised the taxes!" the mayor said, as he and his aid burst into another fit of laughter.
Dr. Zalost continued to glare at the mayor and the aid, the mayor regained his composure and glared back at Dr. Zalost.
"Listen here, if you try to come in here and bamboozle us agin you'll be thrown in the click! Now Scram!" the mayor threatened as shot put on a ridiculously large boot.
The mayor grabbed Zalost and marched him to the front door where he gave the scientist a big kick to the backside sending him flying and crashing into a nearby telephone pole, Dr. Zalost's head was embed into the pole, but the scientist didn't look hurt at all, he just simply looked annoyed. Rat appeared, pulled Zalost from the poll and stood him up.
"Those fools! I'll show them!" Dr. Zalost as he who his fist in the air.
Dr. Zalost and Rat returned to the tower and made it travel towards the town, Dr. Zalost ordered Rat to load a large cannon with Unhappy Cannonballs and start firing at the town. Rat went to the middle of the tower and started firing a the cannon from the window at the town, Dr. Zalost went to the top of the tower and surveyed the scene using a telescope.
The cannon made a loud boom every time it fired. The cannonballs would fly out leaving a smoke ring trail and burst into a brilliant blue flash. Every time every they struck a person instead of exploding there was a loud puff sound like a flame being extinguish, the person would yip in shock as their skin turned green, their clothes turned grey, and a look of utter unhappiness appeared on their faces as they fell to the ground or any furniture that happened to be nearby. It was like their happiness and joy for life was just extinguished.
Muriel, Shaggy, Scooby and Courage were all in the kitchen, the trio watched Muriel take out some plums from the oven.
"Like, are they done yet, Aunt Muriel?" Shaggy enthused, as he couldn't wait to have some plums for desert.
"Just about, Shaggy dear... oh, boys, my secret recipe for happy plums will make anything happy!" Muriel said taking out a big batch of plums from the oven.
"Reah, happy! Respecially when it helps us completely forgot the scary stuff that happens in Rowhere!" Scooby said with a smile.
"Here, here!" Courage wagged his tail and wore a wide grin.
"Don't they smell delicious?" Muriel said, as she brought the oven of plums onto the kitchen table.
The warm and delicious smell of plums hit the cowardly trio's nostrils
"They sure are! And don't forget tasty, scrumptious, mouth-watering... Oh, man. Like, I wish I could go on, but I'm just so hungry right now!" Shaggy said happily, his mouth watering. He rubbed his hands together.
Courage smiled and shook his head at his friend. He knew when it came to Muriel's cooking, he and Scooby are beyond happy as if they're in heaven.
"Some for me, some for Eustace, some for Shaggy, some for Scooby and some for my sweet little Courage," Muriel said as she started filling the cups that were on the table with plums.
"Oh, boy! This is gonna taste so great, I just know it!" Courage smiled, as he grabbed his cup.
"Rou said it!" Scooby agreed with a smile, as he also grabbed his cup.
"Open the mouth, between the gums. Look out, stomach, here it comes!" Shaggy said, as he reached out his hands to lift up the cup and lift up the spoon to his hungry mouth.
"Hold on a moment, boys, before we all dig in, put a little sour cream in each, will you?" Muriel asked, as she put a large bowl of sour cream on the table.
Shaggy shook his head, grinning, "Like, of course! What we're thinking?! Sour cream definitely goes great with these happy plums!"
Scooby and Courage both nodded and grabbed a bowl of sour cream and started putting it in five mugs. But as, they're about to but last of the sour cream in the plums, it was all out.
"Uh-oh, looks like we used all of it up," Courage said, with a shrug of defeat.
"Don't sweat it, little pink dude, like, we'll help you out, won't we, Scoob?" Shaggy said to his best friend.
"Reah," Scooby assured, with a chuckle.
"Paper, where's my newspaper? G'ah, supposed to be here this morning," the cowardly trio heard Eustace complain.
Scooby rolled his eyes, "RI don't know about you guys, but I don't think even one bite of these delicious happy plums will make Rustace less grumpy."
"What kind of paper are they running?! G'ah!" Eustace yelled, from the living room.
"Given that nothing ever makes him happy, I can see why," Courage lamented, as he heard the grumpy old farmer complain.
"Oh, don't worry, Eustace, I'm sure it's on the way. You'll feel better after you've had some of my happy plums," Muriel told him.
"I don't want any happy plums, I WANT MY PAPER! And there's nothing good on television neither," Eustace complained bitterly.
"Like, seriously, I still don't get why Aunt Muriel loves that crabby old man, especially since the three of us can barely stand his attitude all the time," Shaggy frowned, as he took a bite at his plums.
"Life is full of mysteries, Shaggy," Courage replied, as he tried to even out, the three mugs.
Scooby looked at Courage, anguish written on his face. Not liking to remember the scariest mysteries that he and Shaggy had, while with the Mystery Inc gang, "Rease don't mention mysteries to me or Raggy, Rourage."
Courage rolled his eyes, you think after he and Shaggy spend almost two months in Nowhere, it is more scary than fake monsters. Then again, even with the fake monsters Scooby and Shaggy faced, they still sometimes almost got killed by some of them.
And that's as dangerous as Nowhere is, plus Scooby and Shaggy told him not all monsters they face were fakes, some of them were actually real, so who was Courage to judged.
Eventually Courage give up as, he couldn't dived the sour cream evenly. "Ay... I'll never get this right!" he shrugged with defeat, as he picked up his cup, "Oh, well, bottom's up," he gobbled down the plums as the juicy flavors hit his tongue.
"How was it?" Shaggy asked, as he finished his plums.
"Pretty good, just a shame I didn't have it with sour cream," Courage frowned, "Although..." His mouth filled with water. He knew he shouldn't even be THINKING about eating Muriel and Eustace's plums.
He needed to save those for his owners, , but the plums with sour cream smelled delicious.
"Rait, you're not thinking..." Scooby said, noticing a hungry look in Courage's eyes, as he finished up his desert.
"I'm sure Muriel or the farmer wouldn't mind if I had a little taste of their cups," Courage licked his lips, he did not wait to be asked again. He gobbled down two of the mugs, before realizing it was too late, as he looked at his friends with a timid smile.
Shaggy and Scooby shared teasing grins.
"Little taste, huh?/Rittle taste, huh?" Scooby and Shaggy teased, at the guilty pink beagle.
Courage grinned and chuckle weakly, showing his teeth that were also covered completely in cream and plums.
"Courage, did you eat the rest of our happy plums?" Muriel scolded, as she came into the kitchen.
Courage looked up at Muriel with shameful eyes and sheepish smile covered with sour cream, "Sorry, I couldn't help myself."
"Ah, don't blame the little guy, Aunt Muriel..." Shaggy said with a chuckle, as he put a hand on the beagle's back.
"Reah, he gets this habit from us," Scooby added, as he put an arm around Courage.
"That's okay, boys, there's plenty more. My goodness, I should put vinegar in all my recipes," Muriel said, kindly.
"Reven Scooby Snacks?" Scooby giggled, with a smile.
"Everyone, come quick! There's a special report on TV!" Eustace shouted.
Amazement swept over Shaggy, Scooby and Courage as they looked at one another, Eustace would never call for them to check a news report. Getting up from the table, the family all went to the living and saw the news anchor reporting something, but what caught everyone's attention was the fact that the reporter seemed like he was about to pass out.
"What is it?" Courage asked, as he looked at the TV.
What next happened on the screen made Shaggy' Scooby and Courage's stomachs lurched.
"Earlier today, the City of Nowhere fell under attack from an unknown tower," the reporter, reported as the screen changed to show a giant tower that had 'legs' to move around.
"But right now, I feel like going to bed, so that's all news for today," the reporter said, before passing out where he stood.
"Zoinks! Like, whoever lives in that humongous tower with the spidery legs must mean business!" Shaggy yelped in a panicked frenzy.
"Blah, blah, blah! Who cares?! I want my paper! Ugh, I just have to get it myself," Eustace complained, before getting up.
"Eustace, it sounds awfully dangerous! What about your happy plums?" Muriel asked, clearly worried, and hoping to keep Eustace from heading out.
But Eustace ignored her as he left the house.
"It's no use, Aunt Muriel, he's already gone," Shaggy sighed.
"Rut if it makes you feel any better, we wouldn't mind having more of your delicious happy plums!" Scooby said, happily.
After everyone finished their dessert, Shaggy, Scooby and Courage hang out in the attic and sitting on Shaggy's bed, while Muriel was downstairs watching TV.
"So... who do you guys think... lives all the way... up in that scary-looking tower?" Courage asked nervously.
"Like, you got me, little pink dude. Though if you ask me, I think it would best if we all just stay out of this one," Shaggy confirmed, not want to deal another of their crazy adventures.
"Yeah... you're probably right, Shaggy... still, I do feel sorry for... whoever that tower strikes to next," Courage replied, not feeling up to Nowhere's weirdness tonight. Suddenly, there was a strange sound. "Huh?" Courage then turn his head and raised an eyebrow at Shaggy and Scooby. "Guys, how can you two still be hungry? I mean we've just finished eating, remember?" he asked with a frown.
"Uh... that wasn't us, man," Shaggy spoke solemnly and honestly.
The rumbling got louder and louder, and the bed began to shake.
Dread rose up in Scooby, he hopped out of bed and walked over to the window to take a look. He jolted and held a horrified expression. "Rourage, Raggy, you both might wanna come see this," he called up, his tone turning to fear which caught Shaggy and Courage's attention.
Shaggy and Courage both got up from the bed and went to the window. Shock, horror and disbelief formed on their faces when they saw the TOWER from earlier seemed to be making its way over to them with a vengeance.
Courage screamed in fright, as he developed dozens of eyes, before they all popped off.
"ZOINKS! IT'S THE TOWER!" Shaggy exclaimed.
Scooby's heart began to beat wildly, "RAND IT'S HEADING STRAIGHT FOR US!" he screamed.
"But how?!" Courage expressed, "You, me, Shaggy and Muriel stayed inside our farmhouse like we were supposed to! Nothing could've caught that tower's attention, unless..."
Realization struck Shaggy, Scooby and Courage.
"The farmer!/Uncle Eustace!/Rustace!" Shaggy, Scooby and Courage all said together.
Eustace was out earlier, and must somehow attract the tower.
"Ooh!" Muriel and Eustace gasped in shock, as they both went went outside and saw just how big the tower really is.
"Eustace, look out!" Muriel shouted when a canon was fired with the cannonball flying towards Eustace.
"Oh, man! I can't watch!" Shaggy cried, hiding his eyes with his hands.
"What the?!" Eustace asked angrily and confusion.
But to the trio's bewilderment, the cannonball did not send Eustace flying back or explode when it reached him. Rather, it disappeared inside him. "Ugh! Huh? Lousy teenagers!"
"Rook at that, that cannonball hit Rustace, but he didn't feel a thing!" Scooby said, confusion rippling through his mind.
"Hey, who's that standing at the top of that tower?" Courage asked worried, as he looked out outside, and saw a man with green skin.
"He must be immune to emotions, hit the round woman!" the man ordered.
Muriel suddenly screamed when a cannonball targeted her, which horrified Shaggy, Scooby and Courage
"LIKE, WE'RE COMING, AUNT MURIEL!" Shaggy screamed, as he, Scooby and Courage ran out of the attic.
The cowardly trio ran downstairs just in time to see the cannonball race towards a screaming Muriel, Courage dove towards her to try to push out of the way, but he was too later as the cannonball struck her. But instead of sending her back or possibly seriously hurting her, it somehow caused her skin color to change to green while all the color in her clothes left.
"Oh..." Muriel groaned in sadness.
"MURIEL!/AUNT MURIEL!/RURIEL!" Scooby, Shaggy and Courage cried out in unison horror.
Shaggy ran over to Muriel and grabbed his aunt's side.
"Muriel, Muriel! This is no time for a nap!" Eustace shouted walking up to his family.
Eustace then started to help Shaggy get Muriel inside, but as soon as the two started moving her, Eustace got hit with another cannonball.
"Ooh-wee! That's it! I'm getting me mallet!" Eustace declared before heading inside.
"Uncle Eustace, I don't think that's such a good id-" Shaggy began, before he broke off giving out a loud cry. "WHOA!"
Scooby and Courage screamed out in unison, as the cannonballs headed towards them. The trio ran and dodged about just barely avoiding them.
"Guys! Whatever you do, don't let those cannonballs hit you!" Courage yelled to his friends, hoping they wouldn't get hit as well.
Shaggy managed to duck, as a cannonball almost hit him, Scooby moved to the side, as the cannonball neared his path, Courage put on fake glasses and nose as a disguise hoping the cannonball would go away, which thankfully it somehow stopped and turned to the other side.
Scooby managed to dodge a few more cannonballs, but he knew eventually they're going to be hit sooner or later and be in the same state as Muriel, the thought of it made him shudder. He shouted, "Re can't keep this up! Re need to get back inside!"
Shaggy lifted Muriel and wrapped her arm around his shoulders, Scooby quickly came up and did the same for Muriel's other arm.
Shaggy, Scooby and Courage were tempted to stay in the living room, but quickly changed their minds when cannonballs continued to rain down on them. Easily going through the walls and floors, they then decided to head to the kitchen and hide there.
Courage then stuffed Muriel into a large drawer.
"Sorry, Aunt Muriel, like, you need to stay in here where it's safe!" Shaggy said to his aunt.
"Rut what about us?! Rhere are we gonna hide?!" Scooby cried with panic.
Courage then looked at the cabinet under the sink, the cabinet might just protect them from the cannons
"Quick, under the sink! Hurry, hurry, hurry!" Courage quickly said, as he opened the cabinet under the sink for his friends.
The two obliged, as they all rushed over and hid in the sink. But this proved a terrible idea as the cannonballs nearly hit the terrified the trio making their hearts raced and they closed their eyes.
Shaggy, Scooby and Courage huddled close together and almost got hit a couple of times. It had suddenly grown very quiet, the cannons had stop firing.
Shaggy peaked an eye open, asking hopefully, "Did they stop?"
Courage risked a peak, he opened the cabinet they're hiding in and saw no more cannonballs heading towards them nor heard the canon being fired.
"Yes... for now," Courage sighed, still feeling his heart pound wildly in his chest.
Outside the house Dr. Zalost surveyed the house from the balcony with his telescope looking for movement, satisfied that he found none, he put his telescope away.
"I think we got them," Dr. Zalost said with a laugh, before turning to Rat. "Now we can go back to bed and hug."
Rat just sighed, as the two of them went back inside.
Shaggy, Scooby and Courage all headed into the living room and saw Eustace gazing out the window.
"Rhat happened? Ris it gone?" Scooby asked as he helped Courage seat Muriel in her chair.
"Uh... nope, that jeep's still standing out there," Eustace answered.
"Aw!/Raw!" Shaggy, Scooby and Courage groaned in dismay.
Eustace turned to Muriel and putting on a nervous smile. "Well... let's have some of those happy plums!"
"Uh, Uncle Eustace? Like, as much as I love to have more happy plums, what about Aunt Muriel?" Shaggy asked worried, pointing at his aunt.
Scooby and Courage tried to get a response from Muriel yet got nothing except a blank empty gaze, Courage even tried to get her to laugh by using fake lips but only got a sad sigh in return.
Scooby's ears twitch, "Reird, that does usually makes Ruriel laugh."
"Here, she likes you three best. One of you feed her," Eustace said while giving Courage a cup full of happy plums.
Courage shrugged, "Worth a shot, I guess. Open wide, Muriel. Say "ahh," he said, as if he were feeding a baby, as he brought the spoon the Muriel face, but she didn't bothered to open her mouth.
"Here, let me give it a try," Shaggy suggested, "Here comes the plane, Aunt Muriel," he grabbed the spon from Courage and tried to feed his aunt, but she didn't open her mouth at all.
"Rere comes the Happy Plum Express into the tunnel! Rhoo-choo!" Scooby smiled, as he also try to feed Muriel, but again she didn't obliged.
Whatever was in that cannonball did to her caused her to no longer experience joy of any kind as she did not even react to us trying to feed her.
Muriel give a sad weak groan, "Oh..."
"Roh, I give up!" Scooby groaned with defeat, as he pocketed the plums for later.
"Alright, I really REALLY didn't wanna have to do this, but you leave us no choice, Muriel," Courage said challengingly, as he sat down and began to calmly meditate. In his fantasy Courage visualize the tower outside.
Courage then pictured himself breaking into the tower, finding a vial of liquid, and then giving Muriel the vial and returning her to her normal happy self.
"Oh, thank you, boys," Muriel said.
"Yay!" Courage cheered.
"Let's hear it for Courage!" Shaggy cheered.
"Reah!" Scooby added.
"COURAGE, COURAGE!/ROURAGE, ROURAGE!" Shaggy, Scooby and Muriel shouted, while cheering.
"COURAGE!/ROURAGE!" Scooby and Shaggy snapped both of their fingers to Courage out of his trance.
"Guys, we need to find an antidote inside that tower! It's the only way to return Muriel back to her happy old self!" Courage barked urgently.
Shaggy put his hand up to his mouth in fear, as he looked at the tower from the window nervously. "Like, do we have too?"
Courage put his paw on the cowardly teen's arm, "Shaggy, I know your scared, but it's the only way to cure Muriel."
"Rourage's right Raggy, you wanna help your aunt, do you," Scooby encouraged.
Shaggy paused, he gazed over to his aunt, she look sad, daze confused and completely out of it. He didn't want to have his aunt to be like this for the rest of her life. He turn his head to the foreboding-looking tower, as terrified as he is, he had to help his aunt have her joyfully spirit back.
Shaggy gazed up to his friends, seeing that they're ready to help him out. He shifted aside, "Like, alright, let's do this."
"Rustace! Rustace! Re have to go in that tower!" Scooby cried, as he and friends rushed up to Eustace, while he was eating his happy plums.
"Sounds like you three got a plan," Eustace said.
"Hmm-hmm," Courage nodded.
"Yeah," Shaggy added.
"Just keep me out of it!" Eustace snapped.
Shaggy then look at his uncle and knew exactly how to get him to cooperate, "Like, I got a deal with you Uncle Eustace."
Eustace looked at his nephew, with narrowed eyes, "What sort of deal Shaggy-haired fella?"
Eustace was carrying a large pizza delivery bag and bringing it to the tower, as you can probably tell already, Shaggy, Scooby and Courage were inside. Unfortunately, they're also covered in actual pizza as well as it was the only way to help further prove that there was actual pizza in here. It took a bit of convincing, but luckily Eustace was greedy and went along with the plan the trio had, as Shaggy gave his uncle twenty dollars.
Eustace rang the bell a few times but stopped when the door slide opened.
"Here is the pizza you ordered, twenty bucks," Eustace told whoever opened the door.
There was a light groan heard before the trio felt themselves being transferred to the other person, soon followed by the sound of the door closing and the hissing sound of an elevator ascending. Though, even as Shaggy, Scooby and Courage were now inside the tower, the three could still hear Eustace cheer at the twenty bucks that he earned. Soon, the three were moving again into what they hoped was a safe area to get out of the bag.
A few minutes later, Shaggy, Scooby and Courage felt themselves being placed on a table or something, waiting a few seconds for whatever got them to leave the room, the trio then exited the bag, only to be remined that they were covered in actual pizza.
"Like, I can't believe that worked," Shaggy whispered to his friends wide-eyed, as he licked the pizza off of him.
"Rand, we get a snack in process," Scooby added, with a snicker, as he licked off the pizza as well.
Courage rolled his eyes at his messy friends.
"PIZZA?! WHAT PIZZA?! I DIDN'T ORDER ANY PIZZA! GET AWAY FROM ME!" a voice shouted getting the trio's attention.
Looking up, Shaggy, Scooby and Courage saw that it came a few floors above them.
Courage cleaned himself up and said to his friends, "We better hurry and find an antidote before whoever that was come back down."
"Right, behind you little pink dude, let's go Scoob!" Shaggy shouted, the cowardly teen wore a wildly determined look on his face. He took off running in the direction of Courage.
"Right!" Scooby exclaimed, as he ran after his friends.
The cowardly trio all went upstairs and found themselves in a huge room filled with cannonballs.
"What is this strange tower?" were Courage's first words, as he looked around the room.
Looking around, Shaggy, Scooby and Courage saw that this floor served both as the storage for all the cannonballs but also where they make more, lots more. Not to mention, there is a giant cauldron in the center of the room with cannonballs being dipped into it, apparently, whatever is in it is used to give the cannonballs their ability to make people sad and depressed.
"Like, this must be where they make those cannonballs that turn people miserable when they get hit by one!" Shaggy exclaimed, at seeing the millions of cannonballs already ready to be used.
"Those poor people! Why is the owner of this tower doing this for anyway?" Courage lamented, as he looked at his surroundings.
"I don't know, but one thing's for sure: we need to figure out how to put an end to all this, otherwise the whole world will become a planet of misery forever!" Shaggy said, trying to think of a plan.
Suddenly sensing that danger was right behind them, Scooby looked behind him and his eyes widened in fear, his heart skipping a beat, as he squeaked, "Rum... guys? Re got company."
When he heard the fear in Scooby's voice, Shaggy and Courage looked behind them as well, and they and Scooby screamed in horror when they saw what Scooby was afraid off. A RAT was racing towards them.
"Get a cannonball!" Shaggy shouted to Courage.
Courage raced over to the pile and yanked one of the bottom cannonballs out of the pile, the pile started to shake and fall apart sending cannonballs rolling and falling. The trio all screamed as one of the cannonballs got under their feet and started to take them away, luckily, the rat was also sent flying away because of this. Unfortunately, he was also hit by a cannonball.
"Ruh-oh," Scooby gasped as he and his friends watched the rat transform into a muscled monster.
It then jumped high into the air before lunging at the frightened trio and roaring ferociously.
Shaggy, Scooby and Courage looked at Rat and screamed in horror trying desperately think of a way to stop the rat.
A flood of Muriel's words poured into Scooby's mind. My Happy Plums can make anyone happy. "Rait a second," the Great Dane pondered as he took out the plums from earlier before placing one on the spoon, he then pulled the spoon back to fling the plum towards the rat.
To the trio's amazement, Scooby managed to successfully get it into the rat's mouth where it fell to the floor choking on the plum.
The rat crashed into the ground a few feet away from Courage still coughing and chocking, the monster rat shot a claw out towards the trio attempting to grab them by the throat, but then the rat's entire body started to shrink and change. Shaggy, Scooby and Courage wore looks of shock as the rat changed into a tiny baby version of himself in a diaper, the baby rat sat on the ground and started crying.
"Aww, like, look at the cute little rat," Shaggy cooed.
Scooby looked down at his plums in the cup and smiled, "Rit's Ruriel's happy plums."
Suddenly Courage realized something, I wonder if... "If we use Muriel's Happy Plums and put them in the cannon everybody will turn back to normal."
Shaggy grinned, "Good idea little pink dude."
"Thanks and I hope it works or my name is Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz and thank goodness it's not," Courage said.
"Rome on We gotta stop the owner of this tower!" Scooby urged.
Shaggy and Courage both nodded and the three went to the staircase, and started to climb them. The cowardly trio made their way up a long twisting staircase, until he finally reached the hatch at the top. Shaggy, Scooby and Courage were all panting from all the long stair climbing they did.
"So, like, this unhappy dude can create unhappy cannonballs, a walking tower, but not an elevator?" Shaggy whined, while panting in exhaustion.
"At least we made it to the top," Courage replied with a huff and a puff, as he was about to reach the hatch.
Before he could open it someone else did and and before the trio could react, a rope tied around the three friends and pulled them in. Shaggy, Scooby and Courage were then thrown to the other side of the room by the other individual of this tower. They're all tightly tied up together.
Shaggy, Scooby and Courage all moaned in pain from their heads hitting the hard wall, but their attention was quickly drawn to a rather tall green mad scientist looking figure.
"Welcome to the Tower of Dr. Zalost," he said laughing while he aimed a cannon at the horrified trio.
Fear surged through the three friends.
"Zoinks!" Shaggy cried.
"Rikes!" Scooby screamed in fear.
Courage screeched in terror at the cannon.
"I bet you three thought you would come in here and do something very heroic, right?" Dr. Zalost mockingly asked.
"Uh-huh!" Courage whimpered nodding his head, too afraid to speak.
"Like, we don't want any trouble, man! All we want is for you to turn my aunt back to normal and then we'll leave you alone, we promise!" Shaggy pleaded, he wriggled his hands trying to escape.
"Hmm, interesting," the scientist thought for a moment. "Alright, I'll tell you what, I'll turn your grandmother back to normal if one of you can guess what this four-letter word is before the cannon goes off, okay?" he told the tightened up trio while pointing to a chalkboard next to him.
"Raw, I hate these kinds of guessing games! Rhey're just so hard!" Scooby whined with a disappointing frown.
"I don't like this either, Scooby, but we have to try for Muriel's sake!" Courage told his friend of why they came here.
Shaggy and Scooby looked at one another for a moment, they both nodded to each other in agreement.
"We accept your challenge, man!" Shaggy declared.
"Wonderful," Dr. Zalost said, as he took out a giant match before lighting it and using it to light the fuse on the cannon. "Let's play."
"L!" Courage shouted out.
"No," Dr. Zalost said as he drew a head on the chalkboard.
Shaggy looked at the cannon and panic seized his heart, they didn't have much time left. "Is it... C?"
"No," Zalost faked gasped before answering and drawing the body.
"Row about T?" Scooby asked.
"No," Dr. Zalost answered while drawing the leg.
"R!" Courage asked his voice began to rise with fear, as beads of sweat dripped off of him.
"No R," Dr. Zalost, answered while drawing the next leg.
"Like, does it have a K?" Shaggy choked out, worried they might not guess the word in time.
"Oh... sorry, no K," Dr Zalost mocked before drawing an arm. "Would you like to buy a vowel? Only five bucks each."
Scooby got a confused look on his face, "Rait, you mean we can actually do that?"
"Yes, but one of you better make a quick decision. The clock is ticking," Dr. Zalost warned.
Shaggy, Scooby and Courage let out a shared gasp of fear of how much fuse they have left. It was already have gone.
"I'll pay, I'll pay!" Courage answered, his nerves getting the better of him before freeing himself from the ropes.
"A?" Courage asked as he gave Dr. Zalost a twenty.
"No, want to buy another one?" Dr. Zalost asked.
Courage began pulling his fur out of frustration and terror before giving his answer. "O?" he asked, desperately while crossing his fingers for luck.
"Oh, yeah," Dr. Zalost said annoyed, as he filled in two of the letters.
"Go, Courage!" Shaggy cheered for his friend, along with Scooby.
"I wouldn't be excited if I were you, there are still two more letters for you three to guess. Oh, and by the way, that's five for the A and ten for the two O's. That makes fifteen," Dr. Zalost pointed out.
Courage's fur went straight up, "Fifteen bucks?! What are you trying to do?! Stiff me?! I already gave you my twenty bucks!" he growled while Dr. Zalost went over to the cannon and snuffed out the fuse.
"What's the problem?" Dr. Zalost asked.
"You said we could only buy a vowel for five bucks! But when I said O, you raised five instead of ten which almost sounds like highway robbery if you ask me!" Courage argued before starting to speak in gibberish at the end causing Dr. Zalost to cover his ears in annoyance.
"WILL YOU SHUT UP?!" Dr. Zalost demanded. "One O, five bucks. two O's, 10 bucks. The vowels cost you fifteen bucks, those are the rules. Now I suppose you'll want your change?"
"That's right, so let's have it!" Courage replied impatiently.
"Fine, fine. Oh, this is so embarrassing, are you really going to need it?" Dr. Zalost asked, as he searched himself for a five dollar bill.
Courage glared at him as he tapped his foot impatiently, "Yes, I'm waiting."
"Will you, give me a moment!" Dr. Zalost said, as he searched his pockets for the money, finally he reached into his shoe and pulled out five dollars giving it to Courage. "Oh, here it is. There you go."
"Now that that's finally established, can we please get a move on already?" Shaggy asked with a frump.
"Reah, these ropes are kinda chafing us over here," Scooby added, feeling uncomfortable, by the ropes he was tied in.
Courage then returned and getting back into the rope while Dr. Zalost lit the fuse again. Shaggy, Scooby and Courage starred at the fuse as it grew shorter, much to their immense fear.
"Like, we only have two more letters left," Shaggy said with a panicked tone, "So we better guess correctly or this Zalost dude will make our lives miserables, literally!"
Shaggy, Scooby and Courage's eyes widened with fear and terror as the fuse was almost gone, their chances of escaping with falling into the effects cannon balls were getting dimmer with each passing second.
"Rome on, Rourage!" Scooby pleaded anxiously, "Ruess those next two letters, Ruriel is counting on us!"
Shaggy and Scooby were in a state of paralyzed panic, unable to do anything else but whimper in apt terror.
Panic gripped Courage and time seemed to slow. he desperately searched his mind for the answer, they only had a few seconds before the cannon went boom. His mind whirled as he tried to work out a word.
Dr. Zalost laughed as the fuse was nearly gone.
Courage stared at the ceiling, panic-stricken. Come on Courage! Think! What has two o's!? Then the mentioning of o's give him a word that popped into his brain. With a rush of hope, he uttered, "Uh... boom?" he gave the final answer which guessing by the fuse magically stopping by itself was the correct answer.
Dr. Zalost wrote the word down, he turned back to the cowardly trio with a death glare. "Ugh, you cheated!" he snarled as he pulled a rope making the cannon fire at the terrified trio.
Shaggy, Scooby and Courage shrieked in terror and all made mighty leaps into the air escaping their ropes and managing to grab a hanging chandler. The three friends started swinging as Dr. Zalost fired at them barely missing.
"Like, don't let it hit you guys!" Shaggy yelled.
"Reah, I don't wanna turned into a sad zombie!" Scooby panicked.
"Ditto!" Courage added.
Shaggy noticed a ledge up on the ceiling and called out to his friends, "Like, we gotta swing to that claw guys!"
Shaggy, Scooby and Courage swung away from the chandler and grabbed a nearby rafter, they saw another claw and chain and jumped to it using it to swing himself to a nearby trap door and reach the floor above. Shaggy, Scooby and Courage were all panting and wiping the sweat from their brows.
Suddenly a hand shot out and grabbed Courage's throat, with a painful grip. The cowardly pink beagle saw Dr. Zalost holding him in one hand as he licked an ice cream cone in the other.
"Courage!/Rourage!" Scooby and Shaggy cried out to their friend with alarm.
"Mmm, why didn't any of you take the stairs? It's much easier," Dr Zalost chuckled, as he threw the ice cream to the ground.
"Leave him alone, you green-face mope!" Shaggy yelled, as he and Scooby rushed towards the man and preparing to rescue Courage from his clutches.
But both stopped and gasped in horror, as the mad doctor dangled Courage over the HOLE. Courage looked down and saw the cauldron of bubbling green liquid down below, he give out a strangled terror stricken cry.
"Uh-uh-uh, one more step and this little canine will have the most unhappy demise in his whole life," Dr. Zalost threatened, as he held a helpless Courage dangling from the doctor's cruel grip.
Courage looked up at his friends with clear terror glistened in his wide eyes. Shaggy and Scooby were both horrified of what he was going to do to Courage.
"Rease don't hurt him, Rourage's our best friend!" Scooby begged at Dr. Zalost with tears in his eyes, feeling helpless.
Courage's eyes blinked, despite the strong gripped the Dr. Zalost has on his throat, he couldn't help but feel a touch of warmth by Scooby's words. They had gone a long away from not knowing each other the day they first met a mouth ago, the the three defeated fog spirit that invaded their farmhouse.
"Rhy exactly are you doing all this?" Scooby yelled, cutting off Courage's thoughts.
"You want to know why? As far back as I can remember, people used to make my life VERY unhappy!" Dr Zalost explained bitterly. "Always saying that I am nothing special and how I can never amount to anything! Ack, just the mere thought of it gives me a migraine! I could take it no more, which is why I have started my Unhappy Cannonball Project where I can turn those happy people into unhappy people. If I'm not happy, then no one deserves to be happy."
Shaggy and Scooby looked at each other, the both couldn't help but feel sorry for the pang of sympathy doctor. Even though he is threatening Courage's mental health. Everyone telling you aren't special is enough to drive anyone a little mad.
"Now back away or this puppy gets it," Dr. Zalost threatened, as he moved closer to the hole.
Courage give out a soft terror whimper, fearing he might be dropped any second.
Suddenly Muriel's voice echoed in Scooby's mind My happy plums will make anything happy. Suddenly he had an idea. He knew if he and Shaggy, took one more action, Courage would be dropped in the cauldron of sadness. To save Courage, to save Muriel and to safe the town of Nowhere, there was only one thing he could do.
Scooby reached, pulled out the mug, "Rell, there goes our treat," he barked, before hurling the cup at Dr. Zalost.
Dr. Zalost cried, as the cup bounced off his head and fell into the hole into the cauldron below.
Dr. Zalost glared at Scooby, then a twisted grin crossed his face making Scooby's heart sank as he let go of Courage and dropped him.
"NO!/RO!" Shaggy and Scooby shouted, as they saw their best friend falling to his doom.
Courage thrashed wildly with his paws and managed to clutch the edge of the hole. But he couldn't get a grip with his hind paws to thrust himself back to safety. He looked down and wish he didn't, as his heart dropped into his stomach.
He was dangling from the edge to the cauldron, one wrong move and he would fall in and be in the same state as Muriel.
"Oh, don't worry, you two will be joining your friend soon," Dr Zalost said.
Leave my best friends out of it! Courage puffed and panted, swallowing a scream. He kicked and churned his hind paws, but there was nothing under him, only air.
Shaggy and Scooby saw Dr Zalost glared down at Courage ready to stomp on his paws, they both started to panic.
There was a noise above Courage, and he looked up, terrified to see that Dr Zalost was up and ready to finish him off.
In Courage's mind he saw himself losing his grip, tumbling, falling. He's had this nightmare before, tossing and turning on the bed as he fell through the sky. Trying to grab hold of something, anything, as the ground rushed up to him, jerking awake in a sweat right before he hit.
Only this time, waking up wouldn't save him.
All of a sudden there was a strange bubbling noise from the cauldron. The green liquid turned bright pink and pink colored cannonballs started to fire out of the cauldron smashing into everything making the tower crumble.
"Zoinks! Like, what's happening?!" Shaggy asked, with a freaked out expression.
"Ah! No, NOOOOOOOOOO! What have you all done?!" Dr. Zalost shouted.
"HELP!" Courage yelped, his grip slipped from the rocking of the tower, he shut his eyes and he fell a few centimeters before Shaggy and Scooby caught him. Courage opened up his eyes, and looked up to see Shaggy and and Scooby hanging onto Courage.
"Re got you, Rourage!" Scooby yelled, pulling him up with all of his might.
Courage's fear and panic gave him a desperate strength, and he wriggled his chest up onto the edge of the hole and swung up a leg up and over.
Shaggy and Scooby dragged him the rest of the way over the edge, and they collapsed in each other's arms, weary but safe.
"Are you okay, little pink dude?!" Shaggy cried out worriedly, as Courage sat up.
"I'm fine, but we need to get outta here NOW!" Courage shouted, he knew there was no time to lose.
Shaggy and Courage ran out, Scooby was just about to follow his best friends, when he heard the sounds of someone crying. He glance over his shoulder and there he saw the baby rat from earlier crying from fright as the tower was collapsing. Not wanting him to be crushed, Scooby ran toward the baby rat.
"Scoob, where are you going?! The exit's this way!" Shaggy shouted worry written all over his face, and not wanting to leave his best buddy behind.
"Rotcha!" Scooby told the baby rat, as he scooped him up in his arms. "Rorry, but I couldn't just leave this poor little fella to suffer!"
"Nevermind that! Shaggy, grab one of those happy cannonballs and hurry!" Courage instructed the cowardly teen.
Shaggy managed to grabbed on of the pink cannonballs, "COME ON, DUDES! LET'S GO, LET'S GO, LET'S GO!" he shouted, as he, Scooby and Courage ran to the window.
Looking out, Shaggy, Scooby and Courage knew it was going to be a rough landing, but they didn't have much of a choice. Scooby grip the rat tightly, the three all jumped out and landed roughly on the ground, however, as soon as they landed, the tower started to explode. Not wasting a moment, the three ran inside towards the house for safety.
The three friends made it to the living room, setting the rat down, it cried before running away. Deciding to deal with it later, Courage grabbed the cannonball from Shaggy and was about to use it but stopped when the trio heard Dr. Zalost shouted from behind them.
"You stupid dogs!" Dr. Zalost shouted angrily.
Turning around, Shaggy, Scooby and Courage saw him badly burnt while holding a cannonball that was unaffected by the plums.
"That's what I tell them all the time, you stupid dogs! You stupid dogs!" Eustace shouted form inside the closet.
"RI hate it when people call us stupid," Scooby said to his best friends, not liking the insult.
"Me too," Courage replied in agreement.
"Why do most villains encounter have to call us stupid just like Uncle Eustace?" Shaggy complained with a shrug.
"I may have lost my tower, but at least I can take one of you down," Dr Zalost declared before raising his arms and throwing the cannonball at one of the trio.
"Ooh, now he looks pretty mad!" Courage yelped.
"Hit her, Courage! Change my aunt back to her happy self!" Shaggy shouted over to the pink beagle.
Courage quickly threw his cannonball at Muriel returning her to her normal color and a dazed look appeared on her face.
"Ooh! Ah..." Muriel weakly moaned.
Not giving her a moment, Courage pulled her out of the chair just in time to avoid getting hit by the cannonball.
"RUN!" Scooby called out.
Dr. Zalost hurled his cannonball at them. Shaggy, Scooby and Courage ran past the closet and into the kitchen just as Eustace stepped out carrying a mallet.
"Ha, I found me mallet!" Eustace said just before the cannonball hit him. "Ooh-wee!" But instead of making him upset like Muriel just was, it for some reason turned him to stone.
"Stupid dogs and nephew!" Eustace's voice shouted from the statue.
In the kitchen Shaggy, Scooby, Courage and Muriel were under a table that had a few plums in mugs on it. Muriel was looking less daze now, she looked around the kitchen confused.
"Oh... Courage, Shaggy, Scooby?" Muriel asked confused, it seems she's finally coming round.
"Yay!" Courage exclaimed.
"What are we doing here?" Muriel asked.
"Aunt Muriel's back!" Shaggy cried with joy, as he Scooby and Courage got all together for a group hug.
"Oh, my, boys!" Muriel laughed, as she hugged the trio back.
But the joyous reunion was ruined as Dr. Zalost entered the kitchen.
"Roh, no! Re's here!" Scooby exclaimed.
"Who's here?" Muriel asked, before Courage put one paw on Muriel's mouth, while Shaggy and Scooby grip each other in fear.
Tensing up, Shaggy, Scooby and Courage watch Dr. Zalost approach the table, their hearts thumped hard in their chests.
"What's this?" Dr. Zalost asked confused.
Shaggy, Scooby Courage and Muriel then heard him pick up something.
"Mmm, plums, my favorite," the trio then heard Dr. Zalost start to choke, it stopped a second later though, but after he stopped, he kneeled down and found the family.
Shaggy, Scooby, Courage and Muriel all screamed in terror, but stopped when they noticed that Dr. Zalost was no longer green and his eyes held confusion rather than anger.
"What is this?" Dr. Zalost asked while holding a cup. "I never felt so happy!"
"It's my secret recipe for happy plums," Muriel answered smiling.
"Really? I have forgotten how much these happy plums would always calm my nerves whenever I'm feeling unhappy. My mother use to make them for me when I was a little boy until she started pushing up daisies," Dr. Zalost explained.
"You see, dude? Like, there's no reason for you to make others unhappy," Shaggy sympathized. "Sure, the world can be a cruel place, but there are better ways of dealing with depression than making life miserable."
"I suppose you are right," Dr. Zalost nodded "I have been so unhappy in all my life, I didn't realize that the world is a million shades of grey. I owe you all my deepest apologies."
"Rit's alright, sorry about destroying your tower earlier. Rygones?" Scooby smiled, as he handed a paw to the scientist.
"Bygones," Dr. Zalost responded, as he shook Scooby's paw in forgiveness.
Then, the rat from before ran up to Dr. Zalost still crying.
"Rat. Come here, Rat. Give me a hug," Zalost said comforting the rat which gave a sigh of content before chuckling.
"I don't know how I could ever thank you all for helping me find true happiness," Dr. Zalost said.
"No need, seeing other people happy is it's own rewards," Courage informed with a broad smile.
"Boys, isn't that the coziest picture you ever did see?" Muriel asked smiling.
"Like, it sure is, Aunt Muriel! Guess you could say that this is one happy ending we'll never forget!" Shaggy marveled.
"SCOOBY-DOOBY-DOO!" Scooby shouted, with a grin.
End of Season 2
Well that's all for this one, season 2 is done! Onto season 3.
next will be The Fog of Courage. (I know it's not a season 3 episode, but I decided to do it between Season 2 and Season 3, and it's sort of like a pilot for my series.) I like to thank Angry9guy, schweenieboy and Aartman741999 for the quotes and ideas. Let me guys know in the reviews/comments of what should I do for the future episodes or next chapter. And what Courage should say in future chapters. And in the next chapter is more like a list of season 3 episodes I'm gonna be doing. Until then, this is Vakarns sighing out.
The Fog of Courage Summary: Shaggy Rogers along with Scooby-Doo his best friend and dog went to visit the town of Nowhere to stay with Shaggy's Aunt and Uncle, Muriel and Eustace Bagge, and meet a timid dog named Courage, who is untrusting towards the two. But when Courage finds a mysterious amulet while digging through the yard, a ghostly fog covers the farmhouse. Eustace, however, refuses to return the amulet that apparently belongs to the fog ghost's long lost love. Courage trust Shaggy and Scooby to help him protect his family from the vengeful fog spirit.
Here's the link to the short: watch?v=t95cMjcZ17k