"Shaggy! Shaggy!"
The man looks around until the voice calls for him again.
"Shaggy!"
It was Velma's protoplasm, stuck to swim in the pit of souls. The man just waves a greeting while calling out her name. He seemed to be freaked out on what he is seeing as of now. His first reaction was to grab his friend after whispering her name.
"Thanks Shaggy, I'm so glad to see you." said Velma, "Now let me go so I can return to my body then get out of here before they steal your protoplasm too."
Shaggy lets his friend go as she flew out of the cave screaming, "I always knew you were a hero Shaggy!"
The man then saw the protoplasm of his friend Fred as he went on to grab him too. He quickly grabbed the protoplasm and shook him to get the wet stuff off of him.
"Hey buddy." said Shaggy.
"Shaggy! Listen, someone must have spiked my drink." said Fred, "Talk me down man. Talk..me...down."
"Fred, you're a freaking protoplasmic head." explained Shaggy.
"I know." Fred winced, "But I'm still the best looking protoplasm head here, I mean..."
Shaggy then released him as he bounced the protoplasm to freedom. Now to find Daphne. Sadly his next pick was not it.
"Thank you so much, you saved me. Thank you." said a random protoplasm of a guy.
"Sorry, I'm, uh, looking for my friends." said Shaggy as he sadly puts him back.
Though at least his next try was Daphne as he founds her swimming by. He quickly grabs her as the protoplasm tries to resist him.
"Put me back Shaggy." said Daphne, "I'll figure a way out myself."
"Like how?" asked Shaggy.
"I don't know, uh." said Daphne as she switches from a nervous look to a confidant one, "I'll use my tongue as an oar and swim to the edge."
"How will that work?" asked Shaggy.
"Look, I want to be independent Shaggy. Do you find it annoying if you are forced to be spoon fed based on what others want you to eat?" questioned Daphne.
"I see your point, good luck then." said Shaggy.
"Also before I go back in, Mary Jane is here too." said Daphne before is went back to the vat.
"She is?" asked Shaggy as he seemed to be a bit excited, but at the same time worried, "I better start looking."
Shaggy at first has no idea who is who in the pit as they all the protoplasms look similar. Occasionally there is one that has some features, but they are moving too fast. It will take the man a while until he can find Mary Jane. He then picked up a random protoplasm without a thought and flicks it to dry it off. The one takes an appearance of a girl with a blue waist-long hair tied up in a loop. She looked as if she has gone through hell as she cried out for joy.
"Wah! Thank you thank you! You wouldn't believe how horrible it is in there. I have no hands or feet or my beautiful body! It feels odd from the neck down!" cried the protoplasm.
"Who are you?" asked Shaggy who looked confused.
The protoplasm went to a serious look while trying to look awesome, "My name is Aqua, goddess of..."
"Save it. I'm looking for a friend." said Shaggy as he prepares to put Aqua back.
"Please don't put me back! I want my body back! Do you know how it feels to be only a head and tail? It feels awful. I don't get to eat and I think I'm dead. It's also so boring in there with me just swimming around for who knows how long! All I wanted was to leave some forsaken world and I ended up here where a bunch of guys took me and put my soul in here! Please let me free so I can have my body back!" whined Aqua.
Shaggy stared at the protoplasm for a bit as the protoplasm stares at him with begging eyes. After some thinking, Shaggy quickly puts her back. All he cares about was Mary Jane at the moment, but he is doing a bad job at it.
Aqua on the other hand tried to swim up only to have her face fall flat as if she fell onto a window. She tried desperately to escape, but her golden ticket was lost. She started to cry more as she faded into the pit.
Ready to grab another protoplasm, Shaggy plunged his and into the blue substance and grabbed another protoplasm. This time, it was a normal man with short hair and a pretty average face.
"Thank you my friend, it's been months since I am here. But thanks to you, I'm finally free!" said the man.
"Who are you?" asked Shaggy.
"Oh, sorry, my name is Mike, nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you too, you look normal it seem."
The protoplasm looked at Shaggy with a eyebrow raised as he said.
"What...what are you trying to say?"
"Huhhhhh, nothing, anyway, I suppose you want me to release you?"
"Yeah, it really stink here, if you know what I mean. Plus, I have a...girlfriend to find."
Hearing that last bit, Shaggy thought that, if he is searching his girlfriend. Denying the right to someone else to do that would just make him a pure hypocrite. Since he was still alone and seem for now to have some time, Shaggy come to a conclusion.
"Alright, I will release you"
Mike face went from normal to very happy as he let out a scream of joy before thanking Shaggy, who released his ghost tail as he went flying in the air, as he flied toward the exit.
"Free at last! Oh and, Green Man, I wasn't precise enough, my girlfriend will be the first body of a hot chick I find in my way! So, goodbye sucker!!" said Mike as the echo of the cavern delivered his message to Shaggy. Who didn't heard the full message since he was bothered by the echo effect and that he was concentrate on finding Mary Jane.
"Zoink! This dude is mad or what? I feel like it was another bad choice..."
After releasing the man soul, which he feel like he will regret. Shaggy continue to look for Mary Jane soul. Not seeing her anywhere, Shaggy plunge again his hand into the cauldron and grabbed another protoplasm's tail that he didn't know. This time, it was a woman who had long hair tied by a clips, she looked like a young woman, but like Aqua, she seem to not come from this world. Not that it bother Shaggy in any form since she looked so beautiful.
"Oh, Woah! You really weren't gentle when you pick me up." said the blue woman head.
"Oh zoink, my bad, I'm really sorry."
"..Not that I will complain, in fact, I feel a little strange due to how you grabbed what seem to be my tail. Hmmm...it feel so-"
The woman stop when she realize that she was again acting weird in front of stranger. With Shaggy looking at her with a confused expression.
"Ah, sorry! My bad, I was just kidding, a little...Brief! My name is Darkness, nice to meet you."
Still confused a bit, Shaggy finally regain focus after a moment and say his name to Darkness.
"Shaggy? That sound a little weird, but I remember it for sure."
"Isn't Darkness a weird name to have?"
"Uh, I-I...Hmmm."
Darkness eyes looked away as she didn't want to talk about it. She closed her eyes for a few second and take a deep breath, before talking again.
"Yeah, it's weird, anyway, what do you want from me?" asked Darkness.
"Nothing, I am just going to free you and-"
"Wait, freeing me?" said Darkness in surprise.
"Yeah, I am hurry but I tough I could at least help some-"
"No! I want to stay like this!" said Darkness in excitement as she was enjoying her current form.
"Wait, you don't want to go to your body?!" said Shaggy loudly.
"No, it's just...I want to get my body back. Because I will need it if I want to help Kazuma. But I just want to stay like just a bit longer."
After saying this, the two of them starred at each other for a moment, with Darkness making a sad face to Shaggy who was still processing what he just heard, in the end, he just give up.
"Alright, you can stay here for now."
"Really?!"
Darkness jumped (or rather, shake her head) in joy and thanks Shaggy for understanding her choice. Shaggy put her back in the cauldron and before swimming away into the mass of protoplasm, she winked at Shaggy who did a "goodbye" gesture with his hand as he awkwardly smiled, and finally, Darkness wander off.
"Man, I think I'm going to give up if it continue like this."
Still searching for Mary Jane, Shaggy continue his research even though she was impossible to find. Trying again, he put his hands in the blue substance and taken another random protoplasm. This time, it was a girl with a long ponytail with some shoulder hair on her side, like some of the other girls. She seemed to be not from this world, but her big eyes combined how beautiful she look even as a blue head, making Shaggy even blush for a second.
"Uh, hello there" said Shaggy as he wanted to talk a little before doing anything time.
"Hello, nice to meet you and thanks for getting me out of this mess. My name is Sento Isuzu, I work for the Amagi Brillant Park and my body was stolen months ago." said Sento with a quiet tone.
"Hum, you seem strangely fine about it."
"Take my word for it. I am more angry than my face can show. I was sent to vacation here but I would prefer working right now than simply swimming and swimming on a loop endlessly." said Sento with more anger in her voice.
Shaggy didn't know what to do now, she is cute but he is kinda scared by her now.
"But, that's the past, now, if you could release my ghost tail. I should be able to find my body on my own and-"
"Sorry, it's not you, it's me. But I think I will leave you here for now." said Shaggy as he slowly put back Sento's protoplasm.
"Wait,what? H-hold on! What do you mean by this? I-*BLOURGH*"
Not able to finish her line, Sento was put back into the cauldron without knowing even why she did wrong or not. She looked at Shaggy confused, but she simply let the case go in disappointment and dive into the mass of protoplasm to swim as always.
"I should have let her go... Argh, I hate myself sometime, Scooby was right about me. I need to find Mary Jane and get out of here before the guards come and find me." said Shaggy before continuing his search.
Searching and searching, Mary Jane was impossible to find, so much so that Shaggy begin to doubt what Daphne said was really true. But he know that Daphne would never lie about that.
Looking at the substance, Shaggy put his hand in the substance and grabbed another girl protoplasm. She had a small pony tail and looked pretty cute, well, if it wasn't for her angry face ruining the view.
"Hey, you idiot! I never ask to be helped or something!" said the girl with a stubborn expression this time.
"Alright, I put you back then" said Shaggy being uninterested at the moment.
"WAIT, wait, wait! Huh...I didn't mean that! I-I'm sorry!" said suddenly the protoplasm in distress.
Shaggy looked at the protoplasm who looked like a completely different person for a moment.
"I-I mean, I'm thankful that you freed me of this blue hell. But I could have honestly did that my-"
"Alright, Daphne will have a friend then."
Shaggy then put back slowly the protoplasm who returned to her distressed attitude of earlier.
"NOOO!! I'm really sorry I swear! In fact, I'm really-"
But it was too late, the protoplasm was put back in the substance and looked at Shaggy in sadness, as if she wasn't meaning what she earlier but didn't know how to talk to him. Probably for the fact that she have been here for so long with the others.
"Alright, no more games, it's time to speed it up"
He found one protoplasm that seems to have wavy hair of a feminine looking protoplasm. That was a sign that it might be Mary Jane. He thrust his arm into the vat and grab the protoplasm who easily lets him picks it up. And then...
AARRGGHHHH!
"Zoinks!" screamed Shaggy, still holding onto the protoplasm.
"After thousands of years I'm free!" hissed the protoplasm.
"What are you?!" whimpered Shaggy as he is on his knees, afraid.
"You could say that I'm one of the first inhabitants of this island. My protoplasm along with others were stuck in that vat longer than the recent victims. This was not the first time something like this happened! That old priest took us away from our bodies and we are bound here for so long! The so called hero of legend never realize that we are here as he gave us a funeral speech! I cannot blame him since he was apparently a deaf and bind hero!" shouted the protoplasm.
"Geez, you need to calm down!" suggest Shaggy.
"Calm down! I'm essentially dead along with the others. Though now that I'm free, I can just take someone's body and live again! I don't care who it belongs to or what happens to their protoplasm, they haven't suffer centuries of torment!" scolded the protoplasm.
Shaggy rushed to the vat to put the protoplasm back in her place as the protoplasm is fighting back with her will and determination for freedom. Shaggy is getting weaker as the protoplasm manages to break free from Shaggy's grasp and flew off. This made Shaggy fall onto his back with him uttering in pain and holding onto his aching wrist. Who know such a soul can be that powerful? Though now he unleashed a vengeful spirits of sorts into the world and there are sadly more in the vat.
Shaggy decides to be more careful on who he picks out. So far he found some feminine looking protoplasms and any of them could be Mary Jane. He then looks at the protoplasms carefully as to make sure that the heads are not crazy like the last one. After sometime, he quickly grabbed one of them and... it's not Mary Jane.
It was sadly another Japanese girl, but this time with curls on the side of her head. Shaggy moans as he keeps getting random girls all day. It's as of he is in some romantic novel or game where there are many girls he can choose from. Though Shaggy has no time for games, but sadly he will have to play a mini one.
"Hi, I'm Seiko Shinohara and thanks for letting me out." said the Japanese protoplasm, "Ooo, I can speak English too. Nice."
"I'm looking for my friends." said Shaggy.
"So am I. See, I'm actually a ghost in a haunted school that I kind of died in with some of my friends and then there was this dog thing that lead me here. I thought my dead friends followed, but I'm not sure. I mean the moment I got here, that dog shoved me into this vat and now I'm a floating ghost head instead of a ghost." said Seiko, "Since I'm out now, I can find my friends who are alive somewhere."
"There's a haunted school here too? That's sounds really scary." said Shaggy.
"Of course it is. Now I just need to find a body to borrow and be on my way." said Seiko, "I wanted to feel the sensation of smacking my ass."
"Hold on there missy! I won't let you still any bodies today. Bad enough that I released an evil spirit today and I'm not doing to do another one!" asked Shaggy.
"But I was joking!" pleaded Seiko, "Though I am serious about my friends. I don't know where I am, but now that I am free, I can go see them again after a long time of suffering."
"Not taking any chances this time!" declared Shaggy, "I released a pervert and a dead girl. I am not releasing a combination of both!"
"Well, at least being a cute floating head is better than feeling neck pain for all eternity." said Seiko before Shaggy puts her back into the vat.
Even though Shaggy had a feeling that this protoplasm was more honest, he was not willing to take another chance. He really needs to be careful on which protoplasm head to take out. Shaggy looked at the vat again to see another feminine looking protoplasm barely out of the "water" calling for help.
"Gya! Please mister, help me get out of-"
She was unable to finish her sentence as she was absorbed back into the substance. Not sure if he should do it, Shaggy still end up taking her out of the substance, since he couldn't leave someone calling for help.
"Ah...Thank you, thank you so much for getting me out of here, I thought I would never get out of here." said the girl protoplasm. "My name is Rena Ryūgū, nice to meet you mister"
"Hum, glad to help I guess" said Shaggy in return. "My name is Shaggy Rogers"
"Shaggy? Hm, you must be coming from another country I guess" said Rena.
Speaking of Rena, her appearance was quit cute, she had short curved hair with shoulder hair on her side and, combined with her innocent look. Make her really cute and normal contrary to some of the crazy person Shaggy encountered before.
"My friends Shion and Mion were in vacation here for two weeks. When they came back, they suggest to me and my other friends to come to this island to see how great and fun it was. I didn't wanted to go at first but since my friends wanted to come here, I accepted to come only for them. But now, I should have pay more attention to their comportment, now look at me, I am just a floating blue head." said Rena in sadness.
"I understand, but..."
"...But?" said Rena in a more scared tone.
"..I'm sorry, really sorry, but I need to find someone else now. But I promise I will free you with your friends!...When I will find mine that is"
Rena looked at Shaggy silence as her face become scary and angry until she let out her rage.
"How can you do that?! Raise the hope of a innocent girl before breaking them!? Later you said? Why not now?!? I swear if I find you, I will kil-"
She was interrupted in the middle of her rant as Shaggy quickly put her back in the cauldron as he step back in fear.
"Zoink! Why all the girls that I find are either weirdo or scary? Man, and I tough Daphne was scary when she was angry..."
He remembers that Mary Jane has wavy blond hair, and sadly anything else is kind of a miss as she'll probably be all blue. Shaggy then picks up another protoplasm that seems to fit that description as the protoplasm seemed to look like Mary Jane, but...
"Hello stranger. Thank you for releasing me here." said the protoplasm.
"Mary Jane, is that you?" asked Shaggy.
"I don't know this Mary Jane, but my name is Princess...."
"I don't have time for this." said Shaggy.
Shaggy then thrust her back without patience and starts ravaging through the vat for Mary Jane. This montage is starting to annoy him as he prepares to go all out with some more efficiency. He notices that the protoplasms with short hair tend to have one tail more often while ones with long hair looks as if they have two tails flapping on each other, sort of.
He picks one that seems to fit that criteria and he hastily grabbed one and flaps her out, assuming it is a her. Sadly it was not Mary Jane again, but a girl with long hair and looks a bit shy.
"Uh... thank you so much sir." said the protoplasm.
"Nope." said Shaggy as he places the girl back in.
He then picks another one and it was someone he did not expect. It was literally the digital diva Hatsune Miku for some reason.
"Hello." said Miku.
"Do robots even have souls?" asked Shaggy as he puts the digital girl back. How was it possible that she's there?
He then remembers that blond ones seemed to have a lighter shade of hair and he so happens to find one. In an instant, he picks it up only to find someone he did not expect. Some reporter from two years ago.
"Shaggy Rogers, the Shaggy Rogers of Mystery Incorporated? Is that really you?" asked the reporter.
"I know it's been years, but I'm getting the gang back together." said Shaggy with haste in his tone.
"Man, I have a big story now once I get my body back." said the reporter.
Sadly, Shaggy places her back regardless like the others. He then picked a random one again as he is started to look impatient.
After going through so many protoplasms, Shaggy questions himself as to why he kept looking. Oh right, for Mary Jane. All these protoplasms he kept meeting are annoying him. He decides to pick out another protoplasm of a girl since he can only tell protoplasm by gender as of late after so much searching. He grabs quickly and have a quick glance at the protoplasm.
Turns out it was not Mary Jane yet again as it was a protoplasm of a girl with shoulder length hair. It was another failure and he prepares to place the protoplasm back. Before he does, the protoplasm actually bit him.
"Ouch!" cried the man.
"Alright buddy! You and I need a talk." scolded the protoplasm.
"Yes ma'am." said Shaggy as he is now afraid of a little blue floating head.
"First off, my name is Megumin and I want to tell you that you are annoying all of us in here!" said the protoplasm girl.
"I'm sorry." said Shaggy.
"Some of us have been here for a long time and the only way out is you, but you are such a meanie of putting us back to this hell! I looked above in that pit and saw everything from that first girl you freed!" said Megumin.
"It must be horrible in there."
"Of course it is! I have to hear Aqua crying for too long! Now I, Megumin order you to free me and the next soul you take will be freed too without prejudice." ordered Megumin.
"Yes ma'am."
"Good" said Megumin as she starts to look excited, "My lovely body, here I come!"
Shaggy lets the protoplasm go as she flew away with joy. After seeing this, Shaggy thought that maybe it is a good idea to do as she says. He was surprised at how scary that protoplasm is, but he does have an idea of why she is like that.
She looks like a cute and innocent girl, but the idea of being stuck as a floating head in a vat for too long could have drove her mad. Shaggy felt kind of sorry for the people in the vat and hope to find a way to free them all. At the same time, he is a bit traumatize by the way that protoplasm talked to him.
He then finds another protoplasm and it was not Mary Jane again. It was literally just a protoplasm of a tough looking girl with a high pony tail. Shaggy decides to be more patient this time.
"Hi. Thank you for saving me. Listen, I need to get back to my body and I could help you save everyone in that vat. All of us in there knows that you want to find only your friends, but can you do me a small favor and let my get my body? I promise to really help out." said the protoplasm.
Shaggy sighs and said, "Sure, why not? Better than nothing I guess, but are you a pervert of sort?"
"Argh, you met those heads? I'm sorry for their behavior." said the protoplasm.
"Well, time for you to go." said Shaggy as he frees that protoplasm as she flies back to her body somewhere.
"Well, I think I've been here too long." said Shaggy, "Maybe I'll come back later, but first..." said Shaggy as he swoops his hand down for Daphne's protoplasm who is still struggling.
When Shaggy tries to grab Daphne's head, she tries to resist like that ghost girl. Only difference is that Daphne wants to stay in the vat rather than escape it. Shaggy does question whether or not the protoplasms he met are crazier than Daphne. Though the moment Shaggy successfully got Daphne out, she glares at him with an angry look.
"Shaggy! What the hell? Put me back!" said Daphne.
"Sorry Daphne, but we need to go." said Shaggy as he released her to go back to her body.
Now he needs to get out as he heard some footsteps coming. He begins to leave, not only finding what looks like a pyramid like object or the Daemon Ritus and takes it with him.
...
Shaggy run out of the cavern and walk in the forest until he find his friends. However, while Velma is in her body. Fred and Daphne were in each other body due to Fred not controlling his protoplasm form correctly and thus losing track of his body. Which leaved Daphne with Fred body to take due to having no choice.
Suddenly, all of their protoplasm come out of their bodies and flew in the air. They then changed bodies several times before they all come back to their original bodies.
Fast forward, after the gang defeated Scrappy and his army of demon, released every soul in the cauldron and saved Scooby Doo. The gang celebrated their victory until Mary Jane come close to Shaggy.
"Mary Jane! You recovered your body!" said Shaggy in joy.
She moved her head to say yes, but she seemed to be unable to talk.
"Mary Jane, are you OK?" asked Daphne as she that something was wrong, before Velma answer her question.
"She is fine, but she probably lost her voice due to the traumatic events that happened to her. She would probably regain her voice, but no one can say when."
Hearing this, Shaggy looked at Mary Jane who seemed sad but hopeful, before he hug her while closing his eyes.
"Don't worry Mary, you will get better soon enough, I promise." said Shaggy as Scooby looked at them with a jealous expression.
However, while nobody was looking, Mary Jane sad expression changed to a evil one, with her eyes glowing blue for a moment before they come back to normal...
...
Some days later at the restaurant, Mary Jane waited for Shaggy who was supposed to be here ten minutes ago.
"Gah, this old elf can't move faster and I am forced to listen to everything he say while having a stupid smile on my face. Grah, I can't wait to be alone for good." said Mary Jane in a voice who wasn't her own voice.
She sighed as she looked if anyone seen or heard her. But everyone was too busy to talk about subject she wasn't interested. Until she heard someone complaining.
"Hey my little friendo. You see, this wonderful body that I have isn't for you. So please, go home and be a man if you want to have more private time with, OK?" said a person with a strange woman voice.
As Mary Jane looked to see who it was, it was a woman with huge breast, light brown hair with shoulder hair and a long ponytail behind her. She had a very cute face even tough she seemed pretty angry. She was wearing a hoodie who was open and revealed her exposed body, with only a red bikini to cover her asset, which was going well with her bottom bikini.
A man then tried to grab the woman, but she closed the door so violently that she knocked the man down. She then walked away without any care in the world.
"Geez, I just wanted to play with this body with someone else. But this man was just sooo boring! I'll try again when I be out of this island and-"
The woman was stopped in her walk as Mary Jane grabbed her arm before putting her arms behind her.
"Hey!! What are you doing-"
"Shut up or I reveal your identity" said Mary Jane in a serious tone.
The woman stopped talking in fear as she realize who she really was.
"Wait, you..."
"Yes, I know that you are not the original owner of this body"
The woman looked behind her to see if someone was hearing or looking at them. But beside some look here and there. Nobody was really paying attention, probably because they were talking alot or eating their meal.
The woman then begun to talk to Mary Jane...but this time, with a man voice.
"Alright, how did you know I wasn't Sento Isuzu?"
"Because of your voice, really. I was impressed that no one have see that you were a fake."
"Heh heh, being in a cauldron for months leave you a lot of time to train your voice. Plus, while she is not here with me. I have the protoplasm where this body belong. And I forced her to tell me how to act and who she was. And nobody here know her anyway! So, I am good for now." said the fake Sento with a smirk on her face.
"Glad for you I guess" said the fake Mary Jane with a sarcastic tone. "For me, while I could mimic the voice of this body. It's really not worth the effort, at the time this gang of idiots will go off the island. I will resurrect the demons here and take back every soul that were inside the cauldron and more! Then I will become the queen of this world!"
"Hmm...cool I guess, well, not for me, but cool" said the fake Sento who wasn't sure what to said.
"...But I might spare a few humans, with you being one of them, maybe, if you don't try to ruin my plans."
"Ah! I can say for sure that, as long I have this body. You can take whatever world you want. I be fine with it" said the fake Sento while playing with her boobs.
The fake Mary Jane looked behind her and see Shaggy coming from the distance.
"Now go away, I do not want to have this fool asking you questions about why you are here. Go back playing with your new body or whatever, but never come close to me when he is here" Said the fake Mary Jane as she looked behind her again if Shaggy was closer or not.
The fake Sento moved her head to say yes and said goodbye to the fake Mary Jane. The two fakers are now free with the body of their victim. Does the other protoplasms suffered a similar fate? Find out next time in part three.