So, the mayor was about to unveil a new statue for the so-called, "Hero of Brighton". Apparently he even had his own theme music. "My fellow Brightonians, unveiling this statue is my proudest moment as your mayor!" He announced. "Feast your eyes on Ezekiel Tugbottom." The statue revealed a man, who I assumed was Ezekiel, lassoing a tornado. The cloth came down on the mayor, but everyone still cheered. "Woo!" Molly shouted. "We love you, Ezekiel!" "Whoa! What's the big deal?" Scratch asked. "I mean, why do we care about this guy?" "I don't believe this for a second." I explained. "Catching a tornado with a lasso seems like a load of hogwash." "Wha..." Molly scoffed. "Every Brightonian knows the story of Ezekiel Tugbottom. Hero of Brighton! He saved the town from the biggest tornado ever seen! Plus, he was best friends with a grizzly bear!" "Yet another reason why I believe this is fake." I said. "If you both stayed awake while we were in history class, you'd know it, too." Molly finished. "And miss my 1:00 pm nap? I'd rather die..." Scratch said. "...again." "Ugh! But history is so boring!" I groaned. "Now, everyone, if you move over to the park, the post-unveiling potluck will begin shortly." The mayor announced. "Except you, Todd! No, cups don't count as a contribution! They didn't count at my 8th birthday party, and they're not gonna count now!" This Todd guy frowned, dragging his plastic cups on the ground. "Oh, finally!" Scratch exclaimed. "Potluck time, baby!"

Walking over to the park, Molly looked up at the statue. "I wonder what the great Ezekiel Tugbottom would say if he could see this now?" Molly wondered. "Well, the nose isn't quite right, but overall, not bad." We heard someone say. "Really captured my rugged indomitable spirit." We turned to see a bright green ghost, similar in color to Geoff and gloated in front of the statue. He looked exactly like... Shut up! It couldn't be! "Ezekiel Tugbottom?" Molly asked. "In the ectoplasm." He replied. "Honorary city council member, three-time winner of the Farm Times's Golden Husk Award, and..." "Brighton's burliest man 1871 through '76!" Molly chimed in. "Well, someone's fangirling over a dead guy right now." I commented. "Okay, okay. Molly, play it cool." Molly told herself. "Play it cool, you got this. Don't go full fangirl." "Too late for that, sis." I mumbled. "Oh my gosh! I can't believe I'm standing next to the Ezekiel Tugbottom!" Molly exclaimed. "Is this real?! Oh, no, I'm talking about him in the third person, and he's right here, how do I stop? I'm still talking." "Shut up!" I shouted. "Please, Miss McGee." Ezekiel said. "Friends call me Tug." "Nickname status." Molly gasped. "Well, potluck was a bust." Scratch said, coming back with a huge sandwich of everything, including turnips of course. "They ran out of food!" "Scratch, look!" Molly exclaimed. "It's Ezekiel Tugbottom!" "One guy brought cups." Scratch added, spitting out his food once he saw Ezekiel. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!" Scratch shouted. "This is the guy everyone's all excited about?" "I'm wondering the same thing." I added. "Indeed! And thank you for coming to the big unveiling! Uh, Stretch, was it? Always nice to see a fan. Oh, here you go!" Ezekiel replied, giving a book to Scratch after signing it. "Bottom's Up: Memoir of a Hero. A Tugbottom Press exclusive. Thanks for the support, Stitch." "This can't be the right guy!" Scratch exclaimed. "I know him. In the Ghost World, we call him Tug the Tornado..." "'Cause he fought a tornado?" Molly asked. "No! 'Cause he's a blowhard!" Scratch snapped. "He's always bragging, he's always acting like he's better than everybody else!" "I can see that." I said. "Guys, he is better than everyone." Molly commented. "He's a hero." "Who somehow broke the laws of science to lasso a tornado?" I questioned. "Okay, fine, don't believe us. Have a great time." Scratch said. "I'm just gonna sit back, see how long your little love fest lasts before you hit the wall." "I'm sorry about them." Molly apologized. "Mr Tugbottom... I mean, Tug, I'd love to give you a tour of the town you so generously saved!" "Nothing would make me happier!" Ezekiel exclaimed.

Molly, Scratch, and I took Ezekiel into town, where it looked more trashed than usual. "Golly! Brighton sure has lost its way since I departed." Ezekiel commented. "Well, yeah, we may have hit some tough times." Molly explained as a plastic grocery bag flew into my face. I swear, the world is out to get me. "But we've beat tough times before! Like you beat that tornado! With your fists!" "Exactly, Molly!" Ezekiel agreed. "I think what this town needs is a little more me!" "He's gloating again." I mumbled to Scratch. "Okay, that's one idea." Molly said.

All of Ezekiel's ideas were basically a bunch of name changes, which included the city of Brighton itself being named after him. Is this guy for real? "Rename the whole place. 'Tugbottom', or 'Zekeville'." Ezekiel gloated. "Either works. Why aren't either of you taking notes?" All of a sudden, we heard a fire alarm going off at the Brighton Historical Society, where a woman was calling for help. "Sweet baby corn! That building is on fire!" I gasped, pulling out my phone. "I'll call the Fire Department." "Fear not, child. Ezekiel Tugbottom is here!" Ezekiel exclaimed, going inside the building. "Finally!" Molly sighed as Scratch began counting down. "See? He is a hero! He just needed the right opportunity to let his true colors shine." Ezekiel came back with a painting of himself that must've been on display there. "Whew, that was close." He sighed with relief. "You're safe. The flames can't hurt you now, little one. Daddy's here." "B-but, that woman!" Molly shouted. "Didn't even try to save the painting!" Ezekiel argued as the lady made an escape from the flaming building. "I don't want to be insensitive, but she should be fired. Fire her." I dialed the number for the fire department on my phone to call about the fire at the Historical Society. "Hello, fire department?" I asked.

After a while, the fire department came by to put the fire out. "38 minutes, 9 seconds." Scratch said. "You know, that is the longest time I've ever waited to be proven right!" "This is all wrong! How could Brighton admire this guy?" Molly wondered. "How could I admire this guy?!" "I kinda figured he would be a joke from the start." I admitted. "Something weird is going on, and we have to figure it out." "I'm sorry, did you say, "We"?" Scratch asked. "Yes, we. To the Tugbottom library!" Molly shouted. "We should not have renamed that." "I'm coming too." I said. "I gotta know the truth about this guy."

We headed over to the library to research Ezekiel and his backstory. Unfortunately, all we could find was what the entire town has known, that he was a hero. "Every single one of these paints Ezekiel Tugbottom as a selfless hero!" Molly exclaimed, slamming her head on the table. "How could history have been so wrong?" "Hmm, something doesn't smell right." I heard Libby say behind the bookshelf just as Scratch became invisible. "And you've come a sniffin'." "You're asking the right questions, kid." Cleo added. "It's Libby and Cleo." Scratch tells Molly. "They're just wearing trench coats. "We know." I said. "You know nothing!" Libby snapped. "You two have no idea how deep this rabbit hole goes. You need to visit, the archives." "Ooh! Spooky!" Cleo joked.

Libby and Cleo took us to the section of the library, where Libby opened a hidden door behind the bookshelf. "Sponsored by the Brighton Women's Historical Society." Libby plugged. "Where history is no mystery!" We went downstairs to the archives to hopefully find answers. "So, you're a detective now?" I asked Cleo. "Sort of. Once Libby told me about her investigation, I was intrigued and wanted to help." Cleo explained. "Plus, I don't think lassoing a tornado is scientifically possible." Molly turned on the lights and Libby showed us the inside of an old record player and a dusty old book. "The answers you seek are in here." Libby said. Molly grabbed the book and blew off the dust. "The True History of Brighton?" I wondered. "All aboard. 'Cause the truth train is leaving the station." Cleo says.

After reading through the book, it turns out that Ezekiel was a fraud. Apparently, his sister, Sally was the real hero of Brighton. "I knew his story was a bunch of hogwash!" I exclaimed. "Science remains unscathed." "So, you're telling us that Ezekiel's sister, Sally, saved all those people from the tornado?" Molly asked. "And led the charge to rebuild Brighton." Libby replied. "This town is what it is today because of her." "She was forgotten for all these years." Cleo added. "Zeke wasn't even friends with a bear, was he?" Molly asked. Libby and Cleo nodded. "I told you that guy was bogus!" Scratch exclaimed. "You and Amber were right all along!" Molly admitted. "I am an agent of truth." Libby said. "Yeah, what she said." Scratch commented. "I tried to tell you, Moll." I explained. "But, I still don't understand!" Molly continued. "Why does history remember Ezekiel as a hero?" "I mean, they were living in a time period where women weren't taken seriously." Cleo responded. "Maybe it was a jealousy thing?" I wondered. "Sibling drama? I should know. I have two." Libby grabbed Molly's Ezekiel book and saw the Tugbottom Press printed before the first page. "Tugbottom Press!" Molly growled, slamming the book shut. "He wrote the history! He made himself the hero instead of his sister! This injustice will not stand!" "I'm surprised he knew how to spell." Scratch said.

I joined Molly back by Ezekiel's statue to spread the word about Sally's legacy. Molly knew I was excited about protesting since it involved angry mobs. "This is a monument of lies!" I shouted. "For the last hundred and sixty years, Brighton has put this fraud on a pedestal!" "But that ends today. The truth must come out!" Molly yelled. "Avert your eyes! Don't look at the statue! He doesn't deserve your admiration! Even those biceps are a lie!" "How dare you try to destroy my legacy!" Ezekiel snapped as a storm was brewing. "H-hey, you know what? Why don't you just buzz off, you big blowhard?" Scratch asked. "I'll show you blowhard!" Ezekiel shouted, blowing gusts of wind towards me, Molly, and Scratch. "Have you ever heard of mouthwash?" Scratch wondered, before going into one of his portals. "Scratch!" Molly screamed. "You don't deserve Brighton!" I shouted at Ezekiel. "We should've never looked up to you and your perfectly sculpted chin!" Molly added. "Time to live up to my nickname, Tug the Tornado!" Ezekiel shouted, spinning to form a tornado. "Oh, corn! We didn't think this through!" I panicked. "I wanted to be like my sister!" He explained as Molly and I hid behind a tree. "But being a hero is hard! In the end, it was easier to just make it up, and let history say I was strong, brave, and handsome. I mean, what more could people want?" "A real hero!" Molly and I shouted, showing Sally's picture in the book. Molly and I jumped out of the way of a tree that Ezekiel threw, but the tree ended up destroying the statue. "Oh, my beautiful statue!" Ezekiel cried. "Look what you made me do!" All of a sudden, the storm had stopped as Ezekiel was lassoed by his own sister. "Girls! I brought help!" Scratch announced. "Ezekiel Jeremiah Whifflethrope Tugbottom!" Sally exclaimed. "Sally? Wha... what are you doing here?" Ezekiel asked, playing dumb. "You have disgraced the proud Tugbottom name!" Sally shouted. "Scratch told me everything!" "Oh, come on, sis. I just wanted to be a hero!" He begged. "Stuff and nonsense!" Sally snapped. "All you wanted was praise and glory! That ain't what being a hero's about, and you know it." "I don't know anything." Ezekiel grumbled. "She's friends with a bear!" Molly gasped.

After a few days, Molly had told the mayor about Sally's story and decided to build a statue for her. Quite a few people showed up for this unveiling. "It was a dark day for Brighton when that freak tornado destroyed our brand new statue." The mayor announced. "But, on the bright side, new historical facts have come to light. Molly McGee, would you and your sister like to do the honors?" "My name is Amber." I pointed out. "Regardless, nothing would make us happier." Molly and I unveiled Sally's statue, accidentally dropping the cloth on top of the mayor. "Not again." He groaned. "Welcome to the club, Mr Mayor." I said. "It was actually Sally Tugbottom, not her brother, who saved Brighton and inspired folks to rebuild the town." Molly explained. "She reminds us that being a hero isn't about being the biggest or the strongest, it's about doing the hard work of helping other people." "I live for this!" Mrs Roop cried. "History is alive!" "Maybe. But the people in history..." Scratch said. "Eh... a little bit dead." "I will rest easy knowing that Brighton's in good hands, girls." Sally said. "Thank you for carrying on my work." Sally opened a portal back to the Ghost World. Ezekiel was about to follow, but comes back to us. "Okay, what if I had a second, smaller statue that..." Ezekiel said as Sally's bear dragged him into the portal. "Okay, okay. Just an idea." All of a sudden, Scratch turned invisible as Libby and Cleo clapped. "Congratulations." Cleo complimented. "But you've barely scratched the surface of this town's strange secrets." "I've been tracking supernatural occurrences..." Libby added. "Not now, guys." Molly interrupted. "Basking." "Gotcha. We'll come back later." Cleo said. "Whew." Scratch sighed with relief. "I hate history." I mumbled.