What's New Scooby-Doo: The Ghost of Ontario

 An hour later, the gang had pulled large branches from the forest and lined them up on the beach.

 While they worked, Daphne asked Velma, "I have a question, Velma. The demon bear we saw was eight feet tall, but Ihaan only looks a few inches over five feet, so how would he have pulled that off?"

 "Easy." Velma pushed her glasses closer to the bridge of her nose and gestured at one of the branches. "Stilts. Remember when he built some while he showed us around yesterday? He's an expert craftsman, Daph."

 Fred jumped in. "I'm assuming he had to be to live out here this long... unless he's a ghost, spirit, whatever." Fred had a slight idea of who and what Ihaan was, but when Velma usually solved the mystery—it frightened him to say it aloud.

 A screech came from the overcast sky, and the gang looked up, seeing Ro flying toward them.

 A canoe followed behind her, and Fred's eyes widened when he recognized Ihaan sitting in it. He scooped up a branch and pulled his friends behind his arms, using himself as a human shield.

 Shaggy and Scooby dug holes in the sand and leaped into them, shaking.

 Fred tightened his grip on the branch and held it horizontally when Ihaan's canoe hit the beach.

 He crawled out and kept his distance from the Mystery Gang, holding up his hands to show he was unarmed.

 Fred felt the tension between them, but he would not joke around when this ghost, spirit, whatever, tried to murder him and his friends.

 Ihaan narrowed his dark eyes, dotted with grief and guilt, and said, "I want nothing to do with you guys, but I should not have lashed out like that. Let me at least get you to mainland."

 "Yes! Finally!" Shaggy shouted. He and Scooby emerged from their holes and rushed by Ihaan, knocking him down. Before long, they sat in Ihaan's canoe and looked over their shoulders. "Like, pedal to the metal, Scoob," Shaggy said. "Let's get Ihaan and us out of here before—" He cut off. "Oh, right."

 "Ihaan is rhost. Ihaan is rhost," Scooby reminded Shaggy, gesturing at Ihaan, who shakily stood.

 "Like, you had to remind me, Scoob?" Shaggy inquired.

 Fred pointed at Ihaan and argued, "How do we know you won't take us somewhere secret and finish the job?"

 Velma nudged him.

 Shaggy and Scooby searched and sniffed Ihaan's canoe, and Shaggy said, "Like, it's all good, Fred. There're no weapons in here." He then groaned. "Like, no food, either."

 "This is the last thing I'll do for you guys," Ihaan sternly stated, facing Freddie. "After this, I never want to see you again. I don't want to hang around people who support hurting nature."

 "Ihaan, wait," Velma said, "we are not who you think we are, just as you aren't who we think you are. We like solving mysteries, which means investigating where the culprit runs loose. It doesn't mean we don't support what you're fighting for."

 "This is our home, not yours." Lowering his head, Ihaan picked up Ro and stroked her wing. "I will fight to save it until I die. That means getting you guys out of the picture."

 The gang cringed and backed away, hurt in their eyes.

 "However," Ihaan continued, "even if I am a ghost, that doesn't mean I'll let you guys die out here. I acted irrationally because…" He sniffed. "I just want my home back." Finally, Ihaan's knees shook, and he collapsed onto the ground, dropping Ro. He buried his face and sobbed, repeating, "I just want my home back."

 Sadness flashed in Ro's dark eyes. She whistled quietly and pressed against Ihaan like a dog.

 "Aw." Scooby brushed a tear from his eye and exited the canoe.

 Clutching it, Shaggy asked, "Like, what are you doing, Scoob?"

 "Helping Rian," Scooby answered. He stopped before him and wrapped his paws around Ihaan, crying like a baby. "There, there," he said, patting him.

 Daphne and Velma chuckled mournfully, but Freddie still appeared unsure.

 It took a minute, but Ihaan returned Scooby's hug and said, "Niá:wen. That means 'Thank you'."

 Scooby released him and licked Ihaan's cheek.

 Daphne and Velma broke free from Freddie. He tried pulling them back, but they shook him off.

 Velma kneeled first and grasped Ihaan's shoulder, a light shimmering in her glasses. "You weren't in the right mindset at the time, Ihaan. While we understand you're upset, you must learn to stand up for yourself."

 "Stand up?" Ihaan studied his right foot. "I can hardly stand up with—"

 "It's an expression," Daphne explained, "but a mighty good one. It means fighting with words, not scaring people with a demon bear act. Oh"—she rested her hands over her heart—"that sounded better than I thought."

 "Daphne's right," Velma told Ihaan. "Just sit on that for a bit, all right, Ihaan? It comes with growing up."

 "Growing up," Ihaan repeated. "I guess I am fifteen, huh?"

 The gang, excluding Freddie, giggled.

 Ihaan rose and rubbed his eyes. "I can take two of you at a time to mainland."

 "Take Shaggy and Scooby first," Daphne said. "They're dying to get off this island."

 "They just want food," Velma included. "Right, Shaggy and Scooby?"

 "Like, how did you know?" Shaggy questioned while Scooby jumped back into the canoe.

 Velma playfully rolled her eyes. "Oh, intuition." She and Daphne waved when Ihaan pushed off the beach, climbed into the canoe, and paddled out. He returned ten minutes later with an empty boat and picked up Daphne and Velma next, leaving Fred as the sole survivor on the island now.

 He had to be honest—not having the gang near him felt strange because they always stuck together, so it was no wonder Fred found himself nervous. He didn't want to share a canoe with the Ghost of Ontario but didn't want to rot out there. After all, he didn't have the same survival skills as Ihaan—only mystery-solving ones.

 Hold on! Survival skills. Ihaan learned to survive after the canoe accident. And his injured foot… He said it had been like that for years. Survival skills plus an injured foot meant only one thing.

 Fred slapped himself in the head. Why didn't he realize it sooner? Freddie solved the mystery. He solved the mystery just like Hawenneyu wanted him to! However, that didn't mean he trusted Ihaan anymore, and sure enough, when he came to pick up Freddie, they remained quiet and distant for five minutes.

 The waves in the lake picked up, so Ihaan gently rode them. "Look," he finally said, stopping the canoe in a gentle lake section. Ihaan lowered the paddle and turned in his seat so he and Freddie sat side-by-side. "As the gang leader, you have every right not to trust me anymore," Ihaan added, not looking at Fred. "But…" A fresh wave of grief flashed across his tanned face. "I acted irrationally, thinking you guys were like those people at the construction site. For that, I'm sorry."

 "I know." Freddie nodded. "You were just trying to protect your home, and we thought you were like any of our other culprits. We're sorry, too, Ihaan, but Daphne's right. You must learn to stand up for yourself." He tittered. "We're always known as the 'meddling kids' when we catch someone; however, at the end of the day, we're just like you—trying to protect something."

 "Meddling kids?" Ihaan thought for a minute. "I can see why. You guys are a little meddling."

 "Hey, we wouldn't be the Mystery Gang if we weren't," Fred explained. "The point is, Ihaan, we've learned to stand up for ourselves with all the mysteries we solve, even if we are those 'meddling kids'. So now, you must do the same."

 "I'm sorry, Fred," Ihaan apologized. "I know you guys are trying to help, but scaring people is the only way I'll stand up for myself. I have to do this—for all of Ontario." He paddled on, and he and Fred reached the island where the construction site was five minutes later.

 The others sat on rocks, waiting for them, and their faces lit up in seeing Fred and Ihaan.

 Ihaan dropped Fred off.

 Daphne caught him before he dropped into the lake and lugged him onto the rocks. "Thank you, Ihaan," she said.

 "I'm sorry," Ihaan said back. "For everything. However, I must do this to save my home." With those words, he stuck his paddle in the clear water and left the gang, giving them a somber look over his shoulder before disappearing around a point.

 The gang looked defeated, except Fred, who turned and faced them. "Chins up, gang. I've solved the mystery."

 "Like, you have?" Shaggy questioned, grinning. "Well, great! Then let's skazut and get out of here." He and Scooby attempted to sneak away, but Freddie called after them.

 "Now, just wait a minute, you two! You know what comes next."

 "Like, do I want to get reminded?" Shaggy whimpered.

 Daphne and Velma excitedly stood on their tiptoes and leaned toward Freddie.

 "Go on, Freddie, say it," Velma ordered.

 Freddie clenched his fist and brought it to his lips. He cleared his throat and said, "It's time to set a trap."