The wind slowed to whistles, and a few animals emerged from their storm shelters, studying the Mystery Gang, who had washed up on the beach of their hidden island. Rays from the Sun poked out from behind the clouds and scanned them.
The gang, soaked, covered in sand, and in shock, groaned and rose to their knees.
Scooby shook and quickly checked on the others. Ro walked up behind him, and he yelped.
“Relax, Scoob,” Fred said, removing his hand from his head. “She-She saved us.”
“Rave?” It was as if Scooby couldn’t remember what happened for a second.
Daphne, still panicked, clutched her chest. “He-He tried to kill us. Why did he try to kill us?”
“This is all my fault, gang,” Fred admitted. He helped them stand and allowed Daphne to lean on him. “I should have never suggested for Ihaan to meet Stan. It was way too soon.”
“No, Freddie,” Velma said, caressing his shoulder. “We did it together. We all became too obsessed with the mystery, thinking it was like any other one. We had no idea what it entailed.”
“But... like,” Shaggy stuttered, “is Ihaan a”—he gulped—“a-a ghost?”
“Rhost?” Scooby hopped into Shaggy’s arms and shivered like someone trapped in a blizzard.
Velma faced Shaggy. “That... I do not know yet, but at least we know what we’re dealing with now: a young boy grieving the loss of his home who is scared spitless because he’s been at peace for ten years.”
“How did you figure out it was Ihaan?” Daphne wanted to know. She chewed her pinkie.
“Two things. One, Ro.” Velma faced the eagle, who stood tall. “I remembered that Stan told us she patrols the park with the ghost, and until a few weeks ago, she hasn’t searched for help for Ihaan. And two”—Velma gestured at her glasses—“my glasses.”
“Your glasses?” Daphne smirked a little at the sound of fashion.
“Yes,” Velma answered. “When the demon bear first attacked us, I fell and lost them, but he returned them. Then, when Shaggy and Scooby flipped the canoe to satisfy their hunger, Ihaan returned my glasses as the demon bear did. Everything came together just before he attacked us at his home. Granted, I wish it weren’t him, but—”
“He has an obvious motive,” Daphne interrupted, releasing herself from Freddie. “But... I don’t believe he’s evil, guys.”
“I don’t, either,” Velma agreed. “He’s just scared and doesn’t know how to voice his concerns because he lacks human contact. He’s also injured. Is that right, Ro?”
She nodded and slid her claws through the dirt, approaching Shaggy and Scooby.
“Ihaan’s good with animals, too,” Velma continued. “That’s another reason why you got us, Ro. You chose us because you learned that Shaggy and Scooby’s connection mirrors yours and Ihaan’s. I knew you were no ordinary eagle when we met you.”
Shaggy’s eyes widened. “So-So, she is the ghost eagle?”
“Not a ghost but a spirit.” Velma gave her friends a knowing look. “There’s a difference. A ghost is usually more aggressive and trapped in one particular area, such as a house, whereas a spirit can travel wherever they want.”
Freddie smiled. There was the Velma he knew and loved—using her big brain to piece together puzzle pieces. It only took a real mystery to rekindle her lost self, the self that said they weren’t too old for mysteries.
“So, what do we do now?” Daphne said. “I don’t want to go back there with the state Ihaan’s in.”
Shaggy almost looked relieved. “Like, you're finally on our side, Daphne.”
Fred glared. “We have to stop Ihaan, though. We can’t leave him like this.”
Shaggy’s shoulders slumped. “Oh, I was afraid you'd say that. It means you have a plan, Fred.”
“Well, my first plan is to find a way off this island,” Fred explained. He still couldn’t believe how fast and far he and his friends swam. Then again, it didn’t matter when the Ghost of Ontario was trying to kill them. Flight and fight saved and trapped them.
“We could always build a raft,” Velma suggested.
Where Shaggy and Scooby stood, Shaggy gulped again and pointed forward. “Or-Or we could ask them.”
“Them?” Fred turned in his direction. “What are you talking about—?” He cut off, seeing a group of large animals—wolves, bears, and eagles—emerging from the forest.
“Zoinks!” Shaggy jumped behind Freddie and nudged him forward.
Velma’s face brightened. She hooked her fingers behind her, picked up sand with one shoe, and tossed it on the other. “Spirit Animals.”
“Spir-Spir-Spirit Animals?” Shaggy quivered and looked at Scooby. “Well, Scooby, old pal, that’s our cue.”
“Right,” Scooby returned. He and Shaggy ran toward the lake, but Velma caught them.
“Spirits won’t hurt us, you two. Only ghosts.” She dropped the duo at her feet, and they whimpered.
Ro approached the Spirit Animals and communicated with them for about a minute. Afterward, she and them stepped aside and made room for a more prominent figure who had appeared within the crowd.
“Wait, hold on. I know you.” Fred recognized the animal as the figure he saw in the woods overnight when everyone had fallen asleep.
Under a gust of wind, the gang gave Freddie funny looks.
Daphne began straightening and patting her hair without taking her eyes off him.
The Spirit Animal moved to the front of the gathering, revealing a mystical moose who hovered over Freddie and the gang like a god. “I am Hawenneyu, the Great Spirit,” he explained unexpectedly, and the gang’s eyes widened. “I tried telling you last night, Fred, that taking Ihaan to the construction site wasn’t a good idea. The boy hasn’t been the same since the construction began.”
Fred diverted his eyes and blushed, groaning. This was his fault. He and the gang were so used to jokesters wearing masks. The mystery was nothing like their previous ones; it was more mature, like how the gang was preparing to begin college. “What can we do to help Ihaan?” Fred shakily asked the Great Spirit. “Is he a ghost, Great Spirit?”
Hawenneyu seemed to smirk. “You must figure that out yourself with your friends’—and Ihaan’s—help.”
Just another mystery to solve. Easy. Fred doubted it since Ihaan tried to kill him and his friends. However, there had to be some way to regain his trust.
“Ro’s Ihaan’s best friend and Guardian,” Hawenneyu elucidated. “She’ll ensure you guys get off this island.” His antlers moved with precision while he backed into the animal crowd. “Oh, and Freddie? You were the one intrigued by the Ghost of Ontario, so it’s up to you to discover if Ihaan is dead or not.”
A shiver ran down Fred’s spine. What about Velma’s big brain? Everyone in the Mystery Gang knew they could only solve a mystery with her; however, the Great Spirit didn’t seem to think so.
With a slight chuckle, he left the gang and disappeared into the forest, followed closely by the remaining Spirit Animals.
Fred had to be dreaming, right? At that point, he didn’t know what to believe and if Ihaan really was the Ghost of Ontario. Everything happened so fast, and now the gang had been dragged into another mystery.
Ro rejoined the gang, who huddled around her like when they first met her.
“Like, I-I never knew a moose could talk,” Shaggy stuttered, glancing at Scooby. “Maybe all our ghost-hunting has left us senile, Scooby.” His tummy rumbled, and he reached for it. “Oh, and so very hungry. I wish Ihaan were here to deep fry another fish for us.”
“Yeah, how on Earth will we get off this island?” Daphne inquired.
Shaggy plopped onto his backside and placed his palms behind him. “Like, whatever you do, gang, don’t make Scooby and I swim again. I don’t think we’ll be able to canoe after this.”
“I have an idea,” Velma suggested. “Why don’t we listen to the Great Spirit?” She faced Ro, who met her eyes. “Ro, could you get help for us?”
She nodded and flapped her wings, lifting into the sky. Whistling at the gang, she soared across the lake and disappeared behind the island’s tree line, leaving them alone.
Too many thoughts swarmed through Freddie’s brain like an overpopulated beehive. While it was true that he was the one who discovered the Ghost of Ontario mystery, Velma was the one who usually found the truth, not him. Therefore, Fred tried playing it safe and asked the gang, “What do you think? Is Ihaan a ghost or not?”
“Hm.” Velma thoughtfully rubbed her chin. “I wouldn’t say a ‘ghost’. I think it’s narrowed down to a spirit or alive with him. As I said, I have the mystery ‘pretty’ much wrapped up. We’re only missing this one detail.”
“Which means we need a plan, and we need it fast,” Daphne explained.
“Right,” Fred agreed. He glanced at Shaggy and Scooby, who salivated over the lake, and finished with, “And it starts with building that raft and finding Ihaan.”
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