Shaggy's Showdown

chapter 7

Eventually, everyone finished eating their food.

"Mike, I'm gonna snoop around this place," Jess told his niece. "I have a bad feeling about this."

"Me too, Uncle Jess," Mike agreed with her uncle. "I'm going to Fred to help them."

"Be careful." Jess advised.

"You too." Mike nodded.

Mike and Jess shared an uncle/niece hug together before splitting up to go their separate ways.

Fred looked into a barrel.

"Any idea what we're looking for?" Scott asked.

"Clues." Fred replied.

"Great." Chicken said.

"So, I'll see if I can find anything clue-shaped then." Shaggy stated.

Scooby looked up.

"Come on, Scoob," Shaggy smiled as he put his hat on. "Let's see what you can sniff up!"

"Reah! Reah! Rlues!" Scooby smiled back as he sniffed like the dog he was and he then saw a pair of feet. "Ruh?"

"Hey there, little pony." An old man said.

"Rony?" Scooby asked.

"How'd you get out? There, there, little pony, it's okay," The old man said as he grabbed a saddle. "Come with old Zeke; I'll take you back to the barn."

"Whoa there, partner," Mike stopped the old man. "Scooby's not a horse, he's a pedigree Great Dane."

"Reah," Scooby agreed. "Redigree."

"This is a dog?" Zeke asked out of confusion. "Gah... Why should I listen to a talking tree or candy cane anyway?"

"Uh, what?" Shaggy asked.

"It's a joke son, because of my near-sightedness." Zeke explained.

Shaggy and Mike could only look to each other in confusion. They both just shrugged to each other.

"Is this something?" Scott asked as he picked up something before the saddle was on his back as he was on his hands and knees. "Hey, what's the big idea?!"

"Here you go, little pony." Zeke said before holding out an apple to Scott.

"Uh, thanks, but I already had breakfast and I'm not a pony!" Scott replied.

"Consarnit!" Zeke complained as he took the saddle then. "Could you point me in the general direction of the stables?"

Everyone then pointed to the right.

"Much obliged." Zeke replied as he went to the wrong direction.

"Hey, guys, I found some powder in the grass," Scott said. "It's like some sort of tiny crystals."

"Like, what could that be?" Shaggy wondered.

"I don't know, some kind of fertilizer?" Fred shrugged.

"Maybe Tawny will know what it is." Trent suggested.

They then came to Tawny to see if she could help them.

"Looks like florid acid," Tawny observed. "We use it as a pesticide. But I dunno why it would've been where ya found it, that's right peculiar."

"Do you know if anyone has a grudge against you or the ranch?" Katrina asked.

"Oh, I sure hope not," Tawny frowned. "We're struggling enough as it is. I've worried about losin' the ranch for a long time. It's the only home I've ever known. This ghost is just the last straw."