During the few moments that the Scooby gang, the Mane 6 were knocked unconscious by the mysterious mist that Morgan le Fay unleashed, it felt like time was rewinding.
Farther back when the two groups first met... farther back than when magic returned... farther back than all the members were kids... way way WAAAAAAY farther back, at least several hundred years.
A clap of thunder woke them, and they found themselves spinning in mid-air, right in the center of a swirling storm. “Shaggy… where are we?” Scooby asked. “Like… I don’t know, man…” Shaggy replied back, still dizzy. “Shaggy, Scooby!” Fred called out to them. “Grab my hand!”
All of a sudden, they stopped spinning, and everyone grabbed onto each other as they began to plummet while Pipp and Zipp tried to slow their fall, Sparky cheered happily as if nothing was wrong and Daphne made childish airplane sounds at a totally inappropriate time. “We appear to be falling at a standard 9.8 meters per second as dictated by the Earth’s gravity,” Velma theorized, “but where’s the ground?!”
“Skydiving’s not a party, man!” Shaggy whimpered. Before anyone else could say anything, Sunny’s eyes widened as she saw them falling closer and closer to the ground, fear all over. “I found the ground!”
Seeing the ground quickly getting closer caused everyone to panic-- if Pipp and Zipp couldn't slow their fall in time, they were probably going to get themselves killed from the fall! “Everypony, brace for impact!!” Zipp screamed to her friends, squeezing their eyes tight. Luckily, when they all landed, they were sore, but appeared to be just fine. “Did we make it in one piece?” Shaggy asked before he and Scooby began to feel themselves for any sign of broken bones, when Scooby suddenly froze. “I can’t feel my legs!!”
Shaggy suddenly became fearful when he checked his legs too. “Like, I can feel my legs, but… I can’t feel my fingers feeling them!”
Turns out, Shaggy was feeling Daphne’s legs instead of his own, and Scooby was feeling Shaggy’s legs instead of his own-- this made Daphne giggle lightly. “Well, I sure am glad that nopony’s hurt!” Sunny said as she and Zipp helped them up. “But… my memory feels a little foggy. What just happened?”
“And where are we?” Fred wondered, just as Pipp let out a horrified shriek. “Pipp, what’s wrong?!” Misty wondered. “I-I-I-It’s too horrible!” Pipp cried, pushing her phone away. “Keep that thing away from me!!”
Velma picked up the phone, and after looking over it for a moment, she sighed. “It’s okay, guys-- we just don’t have bars out here,” she said, causing everyone to sigh in relief. “Pipp, I told you that you should have gotten the international plan.”
“And Pipp shouldn’t have scared us half to death!” Zipp snapped. “Uh… can we settle this debate later?” Izzy asked. “I mean… some freaky-deaky stuff has happened in the last little bit, and well… look!”
Looking around, the gang saw that the area they were in now was unlike the landscape that they were in before-- the henge was better built, and more rocks were in the gaps. It was also morning, too, a big difference in what was around them. “Did I leave my curling iron on in 1600 years?” Daphne asked. At that moment, it occurred to Misty that there was only one simple explanation as to what Morgan did. “Morgan le Fay cast a spell on us!”
“A spell to send us back in time?!” Hitch cried. “Even though we don’t know how far back that sorceress sent us… I gotta admit, that’s kind of impressive.”
“Oh, come on,” Velma dejected the thought. “I’m sure that was… some kids playing some kind of prank.”
“Velma, look around,” Shaggy insisted. “You’re telling me that there’s no way time travel could happen?”
“Well, I mean, wormholes, black holes, Tipler cylinders. But these are cosmic-level events we're talking about.”
“So, not like fantasy, but science-fiction; like Thundarr,” said Daphne, making a reference to a TV show they all watched. “No, Thundarr is more dumb fantasy than sci-fi,” Velma disagreed. “But, you like Thundarr,” Fred protested. “I like Thundarr’s abs, okay?” Velma replied sassily. “I watch it for the abs.”
“Me too…” Daphne sighed dreamily. “Wait… what’s an ab, exactly?” Izzy asked curiously, and Hitch only chuckled. “Izzy, that’s sort of a… ‘talk to you about later’ subject.”
However, the first half of the conversation got Shaggy confused immediately. “So wait-- we time-traveled?”
“I guess so, but… I thought that was impossible,” Sunny spoke. “The Time Scroll created by Starswirl the Bearded was destroyed hundreds of moons ago, so nopony would ever be able to use it again. Although… the subject of how Morgan was able to time travel intrigues me.”
Fred let through a grin, despite the confusing circumstances. “Welp, gang,” he started, “it looks like we have another--”
But, Velma quickly stopped him before he could finish. “No, not a mystery. It’s a hoax.”
“Then, how did we time-travel?” asked Scooby in confusion. “We did NOT time-travel,” Velma spoke again. “This is a prank, or a Japanese game show. We all just need to chill and take a deep breath…”
At this, everyone took a deep breath and began to hold them. “...and hold our horses,” Velma finished. At this, a horse behind her whinnied, causing her to exclaim, startled, and the rest of the gang burst out in laughter while Velma looked at them a bit crossly. “You gotta admit,” Sunny said as Scooby and Shaggy tried to hold in their laughter, “Velma’s usually right about this stuff. If she thinks we need to wait here and see what happens, then that's what we should do.”
“But… what about the cutie mark crystal? And Mom?” Misty asked. “We’ll never be able to find the crystal or help Mom if we’re stuck in the past!”
“I know you wanna help her, Misty, but first, we have to help ourselves,” Fred spoke. “And that means resting after whatever just happened. Let’s all wait here a bit and see what…”
As he turned around, he saw something that no one from their time would ever be able to see. His eyes widened out of shock, and he immediately tried to get the others’ attention. “Gang… gang, gang,” he exclaimed. “Gang, gang, gaaang!!”
At this, Shaggy, Daphne and a majority of the Mane 6 turned around and saw whatever Fred saw, and their eyes widened and their jaws dropped in shock as Fred pointed in the distance. “It’s real!”
Sunny, Misty and Scooby let out a gasp of amazement and shock all rolled up into one. There on the hill, to their eyes’ bewilderment, was the city of Camelot! And even one look at the mythological city caused Shaggy and Scooby to pass out, falling right to the ground. “Okay, forget staying here and waiting for nothing!” exclaimed Pipp. “We gotta go and check that place out!”
“I agree,” Daphne said. “We may not ever get the chance to do this again, so we gotta take a leap while we still can!”
“What do you think, Sunny?” Hitch asked, just as many of the others gave her pleading looks. “Well… my dad would have wanted me to experience this, and… even I wanna experience this, so… why not?” Sunny said. “Just as long as we can figure out how to get home afterwards.”
“Yes!” Pipp pumped a hoof. “Camelot, and the mysteries within, here we come!”
XXXXXXXX
Immediately after coming to a anonymous group decision, the gang began to traverse into the kingdom of Camelot, with Misty and Izzy dragging an unconscious Scooby and Shaggy all the way to the city gates. And once they were to that point, Shag and Scoob were bright eyed and bushy tailed, and they went into the city, looking around in amazement. “This can’t be real…” Velma murmured to herself. “It doesn’t make sense. This shouldn’t be possible!”
“If I had known I was gonna time travel, I’d have brought my good sheriff badge,” Hitch said, trying to shine his badge to look impressive to the locals. “I keep tellin’ y’all-- reality is just a simulation,” Daphne said with a shake of her head. “Now’s not the time to worry about what’s real,” Shaggy said to the others frantically. “That time is in, like, hundreds and hundreds of years-- where we should be!”
“And we will figure out how to get back,” Zipp promised. “We just… have to figure out how first.”
Now, Fred decided this was the right time to say the line, so he grinned again. “Well, gang, it looks like we have another mystery on our--”
But, once again, Velma stopped him before he could finish. “Ahh, just you wait,” she told her friends. “Any second now, someone’s going to pop out and yell ‘surprise’ or blow a horn…”
As soon as she got done, a herald came out on the balcony and blew a long trumpet. Before Velma could celebrate her victory, the gang darted behind some hay bales to listen in on what they could. “Hear ye! Hear ye!” the herald cried out to the people. “I, Herald of the court, doth ask you to bow before the King of Camelot. The lord of the land. The knight of the--”
“Oh, get on with it!” said a voice from nearby, making the herald clear his throat. “Ah, yes, uh… peasants and surfs, I give you… King Arthur and Queen Guinevere!”
The two combined groups gasped as the king and queen made their arrival to the sound of heralding trumpets. But, what caught the pups’ attention was that there were not one, but two pegasi with them, one significantly younger than the other.
The first was a light bubblegum pink pegasus with a dark blue and dark purple mane and tail, those same colors in the feathers on her wings, brown eyes, anklets around her hooves and a cutie mark of a dark, swirling vortex.
Lastly, the second pegasus was a colt with a fern green color with a forest green and light green mane and tail, blue eyes and a cutie mark of a growing tree. “Ooh…” Daphne couldn't help but find King Arthur attractive, eyes sparkling with interest. “He's kinda hunky.”
“I guess, if you're into authoritarian dictators,” Zipp rolled her eyes at the thought. “He kinda reminds me of my dad,” Fred smiled while looking up at the king. Just then, the queen literally PUSHED the king forward, causing the pegasi to leap back in surprise. “Sorry… sorry,” the king apologized to the crowd as he stood up. “New cape. Haven’t broken it in yet.”
From below as the villagers gathered, Shaggy couldn’t help but think that King Arthur looked familiar to him.
VERY familiar, in fact.
But he couldn't place where he had seen him. “Unwashed common people,” said King Arthur. “I, your king, and my brave Knights of the Round Table have, with great effort and sacrifice, finally defeated the villainous Saxons and brought peace to the Isles.”
“I love your hair!” a female peasant said from nearby. “So…” the older pegasus said as she flew up a little ways into the air. “We’re throwing a party!”
Everyone cheered at this, and even the gang became excited-- maybe being stuck in the Dark Ages wasn't going to be as bad as they originally thought.
But, unfortunately the king shook his head as the cheering began to die down. “No, no… Royal Enchantment misunderstood me before. It’s not a party for you lot-- it’s for me!” he said, making the peasants rather upset. “The rightful king of the Britons, who made you the proud people you are today. Now, I'm going to have my Knights of the Round Table come around and collect some taxes.”
The peasants began to boo and jeer in disliking, and the two pegasi looked rather disappointed, but the king was too wrapped up in his own fame to notice. “He is like your dad-- a big meanie!” Daphne told Fred with a huff. “The unwashed common people don’t seem to like him very much,” Fred agreed before realizing with a gasp. “Oh my gosh! You’re right, Daph!”
“Enough about your dad, Fred!” Hitch said to his friend. “Did you see how King Arthur totally disregarded Royal’s attempt to cheer up their subjects?”
“I sure did,” Zipp nodded. “That was totally unfair.”
“And rude!” Pipp added. “Why doesn’t she or her little friend there stand up for themselves?”
“Well… standing up to a ruler back in these times could result in harsh punishments,” Sunny stated. “So… I can kinda see why they WOULDN’T want to stand up to him. Let’s keep listening in to see what else we can learn.”
“All right… good talk,” Royal stated nervously. But before anyone else could make a move, a clap of thunder echoed above, and everyone began to panic, for they knew that if a clap of thunder struck out of nowhere, Morgan le Fay was definitely coming.
Scooby ducked behind the others as the swirling storm clouds began to form above where the king and queen were. “Oh, not again…” King Arthur shuddered before Morgan lowered herself closer. “Greetings, Arthur! It is I, Morgan le Fay,” the enchantress said, black hair flowing in the wind. “Come to take my rightful place as ruler of Camelot.”
The peasants screamed and began to dart in different directions as the gang remained hidden. “Like, it’s her!” Shaggy screamed before he, Scooby and Izzy leapt into another hay pile nearby to hide, while the rest of the group remained frozen in fear. “Stay behind me, Aspen,” Royal whispered, sheltering the younger pegasus with her wing as Morgan floated closer. “I’ll get you someplace safe if the situation gets too dangerous.”
“Wend home to Avalon, vile enchantress,” King Arthur threatened, ready to unfurl his sword. “You call your folk fair, yet I judge you anything but!”
But, when he drew Excalibur from his holder, the sword slipped and clattered to the ground. “Oh my gosh. Really? Really?” a nearby knight asked, and King Arthur smiled nervously. “Oh, ah… ah, sorry. Sorry,” the king apologized. “I had butter for lunch.”
“Cede the throne to me, son of Uther Pendragon, and I shall spare your miserable life,” said Morgan as a few more of the king’s knights came forward. “Uh, my life is amazing, FYI,” King Arthur shot back. “And also, I'm hiding behind my knights. You'd have to literally tear them apart to get to me.”
At this remark, the knights looked at the king, as if he was crazy, and the king only chuckled sheepishly. “Well, if you won’t give me the throne,” said Morgan, making a blue fireball appear in her hands, “I’ll just have to take it!”
She threw the fireball at them, causing everyone on the balcony to duck for cover. “King down!” King Arthur shouted. “King down, everyone!”
“Hurry, Aspen! This way!” Royal shouted, and the two pegasi flew off and into hiding while the knights ran inside to avoid Morgan. Then, Morgan fired another blast at where the gang was observing the events, scorching the hay pile where Izzy, Shaggy and Scooby were hiding. Thankfully, no one was hurt, but definitely shaken.
Then, to the group’s horror, she went after all the citizens, ponies and humans alike for a few moments before she seemed satisfied with the evil she had spread. “Soon you will all bow before me-- your true queen!” Morgan cackled, flying back into the clouds. “Phew… that was way too close,” Hitch shuddered as the gang came out of hiding. “It’s like she’s the human version of Opaline!”
“Well… at least she has some good looks,” Pipp shrugged. “But, I don’t understand… what do you think King Arthur meant by ‘not again’? Does this mean Morgan’s terrorized them like this before?”
Suddenly, a thought within Velma's mind suddenly revealed itself. “It’s just like the book we read in the library!”
“What do you mean?” Fred asked. “Remember when Velma was like, ‘Blah blah blah, Morgan le Fay kept on annoying Norville o’er Morgania’?” Daphne tried to help the others recall, which caused Sunny to nod. “That’s right-- until Sir Norville appeared!”
Suddenly, what Sunny said made Velma develop a theory-- a good one at that. “Sir… Norville…! That’s it!”
“What’s it?” Shaggy questioned as Velma continued to gaze at him. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Because,” said Velma, “maybe Sir Norville is actually Shaggy sent back in time!”
The others looked at Shaggy mysteriously, and Shaggy became just as confused. “Me? A knight? With this goatee?” he questioned with a chuckle. “Besides, I don’t look anything like the statue!”
“But… it does make a lot of sense,” Zipp said. “And it would explain why Morgan was glaring at Shaggy so hard earlier.”
“Wow… Shaggy secretly being a brave knight from almost 1000 moons ago?” Izzy spoke. “I’d wanna see that for sure!”
“Oh, so now you’re on the time travel train, too, Velma?” Daphne asked with a small smirk. “You said it yourself, Daphne. Science fiction,” Velma countered. “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. We do seem to have traveled in time. We just need to find out how. You can say it now.”
Fred smiled-- he could finally say it without being interrupted. “Well, gang, it looks like we have another mystery on our hands!”
XXXXXXXX
“Mother, there she is!” Paradise pointed toward Morgan le Fay from their cover in the trees. “That’s the legendary sorceress!”
“Good… now stay here, daughter,” Opaline ordered. “I must talk to our new partner alone and without further interruption.”
The alicorn strutted from view, clearing her throat with a proud smile on her face. “I believe that you are one called Morgan le Fay, correct?”
“Who wants to know, meddlesome pony?” Morgan snapped. “Clear out of my way, or else!”
“I only want to speak with you, Morgan. And I am no pony… I am a fire alicorn of the land of Skyros,” Opaline said, “and I want to make a deal with you that could help us both get what we want.”
Morgan huffed at this remark. “What kind of a deal?”
“You give me some of that fire magic of yours,” said Opaline, “and I can help you not only get the throne of Camelot, but you can also help me become queen of my realm of Equestria!”
“Uh… Mother?” Paradise spoke. “Have you made the deal yet?”
“Silence!” Opaline snapped. “This is my business, not yours!”
“...your daughter seems to worship you,” Morgan noticed. “As all ponies should worship a true queen.”
“Finally, somepony gets it!” Opaline said out loud. “So… do we have a deal?”
The purple alicorn held out a hoof, and after considering the offer, Morgan smirked and shook it. “Deal. What must we do first?”
“Observe, first. My daughter can sneak inside the city and keep an eye on our foes,” Opaline said. “And once she returns with valuable intel… we strike.”