Proof that the remaining 10% is worth falling to your death for here:
These are recommendations made by tropers for Mystery Skulls Animated, all of which have been signed. After a few samples, you will be able to judge whether you might be interested in the 'fic, based on who recommended it. No-name recommendations will be zapped. Nobody would back up the rec. Discussion of the recommendation is welcome on the discussion page. As such discussion is important, do remember to add the discussion page to the watchlist, if need be.
Do warn when a fanfic may head into non-canon territory. Some people just don't like it, and as we all know, Shipping is Serious Business.
Authors and Websites
Any notable creators/writers/fanfiction sites. Note: Please make sure that the author in question has made more than one (1) story.None yet.
General Fics
Stories focused on the family and the friendly relationships of the cast. Plot-focused stories or light day-in-the-life stories. Pretty much anything that isn't focused on romance.Ghost Stories Series
by mermatee
- Recommended by: darkemyst
- Status: First four are complete, Reconnect is dead.
- Synopsis: Lewis, Vivi, Arthur, and Mystery, before and after the cave.
- Pairing(s): Lewis/Vivi, Lewis/Vivi/Arthur
- Comments: Consistent characterization and writing. While romantic relationships are present, they are not the focus.
- Recommended by: Bookworm Gal
- Status: Dormant
- Synopsis: It's been a year since Lewis vanished and now he's back. Unfortunately, no one ever said that everything will be okay again once all the players return to the game...especially if they have issues they're not willing to admit.
- Pairing(s): Lewis/Vivi
- Comments: It isn't always easy putting things back together after everything falls apart. There are bound to be some bumps along the way.
Okay Is Good Enough by PitViperOfDoom
- Recommended by: Bookworm Gal
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Lewis assumes that Arthur got possessed because of some kind of moment of weakness. And he's right...but it wasn't jealousy that caused said weakness.
- Pairing(s): Lewis/Vivi/Arthur
- Comments: The group fights a cerebus and sort out their past issues at the same time. What could be better than that?
Of Angels and Phantoms by dearest_harley
- Recommended by: Bookworm Gal
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: They say your life flashes before your eyes before you die. As Vivi is finding out, they're right.
- Pairing(s): Lewis/Vivi
- Comments: Through the use of her life flashing before her eyes while on the verge of dying, Vivi remembers the history of the Mystery Skulls. From before the cave all the way to after the mansion, their lives together are revealed.
- Recommended by: Bookworm Gal
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: A lover without her memories of him, a friend who can't forget him and a ghost in search of revenge. Putting the pieces back together is going to be hard at best and can Lewis even manage it at all?
- Pairing(s): Lewis/Vivi
- Comments: Explanations, reconciliation, and Lewis "pulling a Howl's Moving Castle" are all awesome parts of a well-written one-shot.
The Worth of the Anchor by LibraLibrary
- Recommended by: Bookworm Gal
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: When the Mystery Skulls run afoul of a very specific monster, nightmares threaten to rip apart what they've managed to piece back together. But Vivi isn't going to let that happen...not without a fight.
- Pairing(s): Lewis/Vivi/Arthur
- Comments: Comes with a sequel from Lewis' viewpoint: What's Left
- Recommended by: Bookworm Gal
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Promises made aren't always promises kept. And Lewis, in retrospect, realizes that the person he's let down most was also the person he's hurt for the flimsiest reasons.
- Pairing(s): Lewis/Vivi
- Comments: Forgiveness isn't exactly easy. Especially when someone clings to their denial. This story shows exactly that, jumping between flashbacks and the present.
Mystery Skulls - Broken Hearts and Shattered Memories by shedrak1221
- Recommended by: Bookworm Gal
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: It only took a single night to shatter the Mystery Skulls. Now they're a regretful kitsune, a woman with a hole in her memories, a ghost angry with no clear target and the man who thinks it's all his fault.
- Pairing(s): The main pairing is Lewis/Vivi. There is some Ship Tease for Lewis/Vivi/Arthur, but the main focus is the trio's friendship.
- Comments: While English may not be the author's native language and some of the earliest chapters aren't as good as the later ones, the sheer quality of the plot, the world-building, and the sheer length of the series makes up for any odd phrasing or the occasional wrong word choice. There are four stories in the series that extend from the characters' past lives, to right after the events of "Ghost", to the distant future after they are all dead.
Time Of Our Descent by KirbyChan
- Recommended by: Orbiting
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Years before the cave, the paranormal investigations group, the Mystery Skulls, come to try to find what has been causing the disappearance of hikers on a mountain. They weren't expecting or prepared to find a wendigo.
- Comments: An engaging, suspenseful, and in-character story about the gang back when they in their prime of investigating. Forewarning: there is some gore, mentions of cannibalism, and generally disturbing scenes in the story.
- Recommended by: Ladyofthelibrary
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Lewis couldn't have known disrupting that crazy lady's curse would wind up driving Arthur into complete terror...and he's realized his mistake far too late...
- Comments: Manages to be both very creepy and very heartwarming as Arthur's confusion and fear grow while Lewis is just confused as hell.
Exploring Nightmares by StarStorm21
- Recommended by: Ladyofthelibrary
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: When one encounters an alp, the only course of removal is to go into your dreams and fight it there. The Mystery Skulls find this FAR easier said than done.
- Comments: An interesting creature draws the Mystery Skulls into an in-depth look at the way they see both each other and themselves.
Home by Qpenguin98
- Recommended by: Ladyofthelibrary
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Lewis keeps telling Arthur not to blame himself...and he may be right. But how exactly do you put a family back together when betrayal cuts deep?
- Pairing(s): light Lewis/Vivi/Arthur
- Comments: A look at what it's like when "home" means something completely different from what everyone expects and when the family you chose falls apart. Light polyship.
Revenge Creates More Revenge by P.M. Seymour
- Recommended by: Storygirl 000, Crossover-Enthusiast
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Lewis got his revenge. Arthur is fully content to fade away, until a voice rouses him up... emotions are such an easy thing to twist, aren't they?
- Comments: Actually an audio file by a well-known voice actor who's played Arthur in a number of fan projects, it makes the assumption that Arthur died at the end of "Hellbent", and gives a chilling demonstration of the Cycle of Revenge. Definitely worth checking out. Also has a sequel.
Alternate Universe Fics
Stories that take place in a different history than the canon show, involve going into another part of The Multiverse, etc.Spooky Scary Skeletons by iaminlovewiththesky
- Recommended by: Ladyofthelibrary
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: In another world, Arthur noticed his possession in time to save Lewis...but not himself. But when Vivi and Lewis return to the cave where their best friend fell, there may be more to the story than either of them realized...
- Comments: An intriguing AU where Arthur's possession claims him instead of Lewis. Light polyship.
- Recommended by: Ladyofthelibrary
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Lewis didn't die when he hit the cave floor. Now fearing Arthur and hurting from his apparent betrayal, Lewis and Vivi leave him behind. And then Lance gets involved...
- Comments: So heartbreaking and yet so fitting for this what if.
- Recommended by: Diddlydarn
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Getting things to work out isn't on Lewis's agenda...or at least it wasn't. Now he's not so sure he can kill Arthur...or even that he wants to. Can love be reborn or will it all fade?
- Pairing(s): Lewis/Vivi/Arthur
- Comments: well-written and gripping, this Fic explores the psyche of the characters. Arthur-centric.
Vivi Yukino and the Cult of the White Forest by Phantoms Lair
- * Recommended by: Ladyofthelibrary
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Detective Vivi Yukino and her "dog" Mystery are hot on the trail of the Cult of the White Forest, an ancestral thorn in the side of Vivi's family, and they've tracked them to the town of Tempo, Texas. However, when they find out local boys Lewis Pepper and Arthur Kingsmen have gone missing, their mission gets a whole lot harder.
- Comments: A fascinating AU where Vivi meets the boys during the aftermath of Arthur being forced to murder Lewis (aware of it in this timeline).
Shipping Fics
Stories focused on the romantic relationships between the cast.- Recommended by: Ladyofthelibrary
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Arthur didn't know what to expect when he woke up to find Lewis had kidnapped him...certainly not what's happening.
- Pairing(s): Lewis/Vivi with eventual Lewis/Vivi/Arthur
- Comments: Despite the synopsis, this is a relatively light-hearted One True Threesome fic where reconciliation comes easy...even if Lewis had entirely the wrong idea of how to not terrify Arthur and Vivi.
- Recommended by: Ladyofthelibrary
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: A cold should be the worst of Arthur's worries but considering the feelings he's struggling to deal with, he might end up having to listen to Mystery's advice about his Cannot Spit It Out. But surely Vivi and Lewis don't feel that way about him, right?
- Pairing(s): Lewis/Vivi with eventual Lewis/Vivi/Arthur
- Comments: While overall light-hearted, Arthur is very much The Woobie with his self-esteem issues, and it doesn't help that he's thoroughly sick for most of the story.
Soup, Movies, and Confessions by StarStorm21
- Recommended by: Ladyofthelibrary
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Vivi decides to take Arthur's current illness as the perfect opportunity to tell him how she and Lewis feel about him. He unfortunately takes this completely wrong...
- Pairing(s): Lewis/Vivi with eventual Lewis/Vivi/Arthur
- Comments: Light and fluffy with Arthur being oblivious to the way Vivi and Lewis are flirting with him and Vivi's ultimate affectionate exasperation.
Through Your Eyes by FlowerOfRegret
- Recommended by: Ladyofthelibrary
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Arthur's dreams are haunted by the past but he's not the only one with a mind plagued by guilt. Can he help Lewis see past the mistakes of the past so they can move into the future?
- Pairing(s): Lewis/Vivi/Arthur
- Comments: A dark but ultimately heartwarming look into Lewis' perspective on trying to murder his best friend/lover over something he was forced to do and how baffling Arthur's easy forgiveness is to him.
Two Sides of the Same Ghost by StarStorm21
- Recommended by: Ladyofthelibrary
- Status: Complete
- Synopsis: Arthur wishes he could believe Lewis's kindness towards him was the genuine article but the marks hidden under his sleeve tell a different story, one that speaks of hatred and malice...but Vivi can't find out; he won't let her lose Lewis again...even if he's losing everything.
- Pairing(s): Lewis/Vivi with eventual Lewis/Vivi/Arthur
- Comments: A very plausible scenario for after Lewis found out the truth about the night he died. Arthur's very much The Woobie, and Lewis' Split Personality comes through clearly despite us never actually seeing it.
Crossover Fics
Fanfiction that combines elements, characters, etc. from two or more different franchises.Ghosts Gotta Stick Together by EmeraldTooth
- Recommended by: Ladyofthelibrary
- Crossover with: Danny Phantom
- Status: Dead
- Synopsis: Danny isn't thrilled to hear a team of world-renowned ghost hunters are coming to Amity Park, even if his parents are ecstatic. But it doesn't take long for Danny to realize his conclusions were completely wrong and there's much more to the Mystery Skulls than he ever could have dreamed.
- Pairing(s): Lewis/Vivi/Arthur, Danny/Sam/Tucker
- Comments: Danny's initial reaction to the Skulls makes perfect sense, as does their quick protectiveness of the teenager. Only two chapters as of this writing, but the author already has big plans involving Vivi shredding the Fentons' bad science and Lewis thoroughly trashing Skulker for coming after Danny.
The Mirror's Gaze (Tumblr link with more material, but still unfinished, here) by Eternal_Phantom
- Recommended by: Ladyofthelibrary
- Crossover with: Scooby-Doo
- Status: Ongoing
- Synopsis: A cult sought to use a strange mirror called the Lifestealer to murder one Arthur Kingsman for their nefarious ends. But the true nature of the artifact ends up transposing Arthur into the body of young Shaggy Rogers, leaving the teenager in Arthur's body. Now two teams with different pasts but similar goals must come together to restore their body-swapped friends...and maybe clear up some toxic secrets along the way.
- Comments: Captures all characters involved very well while also managing to have Arthur and Shaggy fill a void the teams they're both currently with didn't know they needed. Additional material confirms that the Skulls basically adopt Mystery Inc. by the end, which is adorable.
Miraculous Mystery Skulls by Eternal_Phantom and Providentially_Demonic
- Recommended by: Ladyofthelibrary
- Crossover with: Miraculous Ladybug
- Status: Ongoing
- Synopsis: A honeymoon in Paris should have been a dream come true for Arthur, Vivi and Lewis. Unfortunately, they've shown up in the middle of Hawkmoth's reign of terror and it's not long before the villain attempts to akumatize Arthur. The failure however puts the Skulls in the unique position of helping teen heroes Chat Noir and Ladybug and parental instincts quickly kick in...though the Skulls might not know what they're getting into...
- Comments: The Skulls quickly take their personally assigned roles as allies and protectors of Chat and Ladybug very seriously and while Vivi's chewing out of Fu made matters worse, it was very called for and hopefully will result in a positive change once his akuma's purified. Side note: The author actually seems to be taking some inconsistencies from canon and playing them up as plot points, namely the misuse of "akuma" causing Vivi to assume Chat and Ladybug are after Lewis with intent to harm until they clear things up.
