The last of the monkey ninjas had been beaten and taken away by students to the biology room, where there were a number of empty cages. Ron cautioned them that the monkeys were very bright, and to seal the cages with more than just the regular bar.
Ron, Kim, and Rufus, a bit scratched but little worse for wear, went into the closet. Kim turned on the overhead light, but it did little to help them see.
They split up and looked carefully around, dust puffing off the objects that had been stored there. Ron ran into a thick spider web, and backed away just in time to avoid being bitten by the annoyed owner.
Suddenly they heard Rufus whistle. "Over here!" came the squeaky voice of the naked mole rat.
They hurried over to find a black cloth covering an object. Kim reached for it, but Ron grabbed her hand. "This is Monkey Magic, Kim, better let me." She pulled her hand back and didn't argue.
Ron pulled off the cloth to reveal the monkey statue, the jeweled eyes glowing with different colors, and the croquet-sized crystal they were holding up was glowing pink, the same color as Jenny's power.
"Stoppable, Possible, you in there?" came the voice of Mr. Barkin, "I got a report of you fighting with a bunch of monkeys?"
"Yes, sir, we did, and we've found what we were looking for," answered Kim.
Barkin came in and looked around. "Where are the monkeys?"
"Some other students are taking them to the biology room," answered Kim, looking at the statue.
Barkin came over and looked at the statue, plainly puzzled. "What is it?"
"Probably the cause of all the accidents lately," said Ron as he pulled the Ronnunicator and keyed Wade. "Wade, get hold of Sensei, stat!" he said.
"On it, Ron," said Wade, typing, "Finally had some good luck?"
"Yeah, and we need to find out what it is," Ron replied.
Just then the wizened visage of the Master of the Yamanouchi School appeared on the screen.
"Stoppable-san! It is good to see you. How may an old man be of service?"
Ron ducked his head. "Nice to see you too, sir. Do you know what this is?" He turned the video pickup toward the statue, and heard a gasp from the speaker. Ron turned the screen back.
"Yes. It is the Luck-Shield of the Mystical Monkey Monks, an artifact long thought lost," said Sensei, "It was placed on the battlefield before the opposing army arrived, and kept luck-magic within its sphere, causing damage and chaos to the enemy when they tried to use it against the Monkey Master."
Kim and Ron looked at each other. "That explains everything. It kept Jenny's bad luck on campus, doing all that damage and hurting those people," said Kim.
"But how could it do that, if Jenny wasn't using her powers?" asked Ron.
"Magic-users have a magical aura about them at all times they have no control over," answered Sensei, "The Shield would collect that aura and discharge it at random."
"Barkin looked over Ron's shoulder at Sensei. "I don't believe in magic as such, but I've seen some strange things since these two started at this school, so I'm willing to give the benefit of the doubt. If I understand correctly, this statue is what caused all of the accidents, and Wheeler is not responsible for any of it?" said Barkin.
"That is correct, sir," said Sensei.
"I better get on the phone to the school board and see if I can reverse their ruling," said Barkin, and turned to the door. "You two get that thing out of here, and see if you can find Wheeler."
"We will, sir," said Kim. Barkin nodded and left.
"How do we get it to stop working?" asked Ron.
"Besides the spoken spell to activate it, it has to be aligned very carefully with the compass points. Just moving it should break the spell," answered Sensei.
Ron moved his hand slowly towards it, then paused. "Monkeys, ugh," he muttered, and got a nudge by Kim. He carefully wrapped his hand around one of the monkeys and pulled. The statue shifted, and the jewels went dark, as did the large crystal.
"That object is very dangerous," said Sensei, "I will send Yori immediately to collect it."
"Thank you, sir," said Ron, and keyed off. "Let's get it out of here." He shuddered again, but picked up the statue. Kim by his side, they left the closet.
"Can we keep it at your house, Kim? I want it as far away from that garden gnome in my garage as it can get," said Ron.
Kim rolled her eyes. "I doubt it's going to infect your gnome, but okay, fine. Let's take it into the gym, where we can get a better look at it."
Kim held the door open for Ron, and guided him over to the bleachers. He sat it down, and they spend a few minutes inspecting it. Wade, on the Ronnunicator, was taking readings.
Mrs. Finch came over, and about that time the door opened to admit Felix, Monique, Tara,
and a crowd of other students, Bonnie among them.
Ron and Kim explained what it was, and that it was the cause of all the accidents, and not Jenny. She added Mr. Barkin was calling the school board.
"I'm glad to hear it, Kim," said Mrs. Finch, "If the school board reverses their decision, she will be welcomed back to the squad."
Tara spotted Bonnie, and went over to her. "Hi, Bonnie. I've missed you."
Bonnie blushed, and said in a low voice, "You too. Think that monkey statue made us have that fight?"
"Well, you did say some things that weren't like you at all, so I guess it's possible," replied Tara.
"Friends again?" asked Bonnie, hope in her voice.
Tara looked at her, then grinned. "Friends again. But you should be less judgmental on people you don't know."
Bonnie looked down. "I guess." She had the grace to look embarrassed.
Just then the doors to the gym blew open, and in came Jenny, eyes glowing and hands ready to hex anything in her way. She dropped her backpack by the door. Fiske came in beside her.
Kim stood up. "Jenny!" she said in surprise.
"Forget it, cheerleader!" said Fiske, "She's joined my cause now. And with her by my side,
nothing will stop me becoming Ultimate Monkey Master!"
"No way!" cried Ron, "She'd never go back to evil! She's part of our team!"
"Jenny, tell me he's lying!" said Tara, tears starting to form.
Monique said nothing, but wrinkled her brow. Something was off...
"Jen, if it's true, we're no longer together," said Felix.
Jenny made no answer, but her evil grin grew wider. She held up her pink-glowing hands and flexed her fingers.
Kim and Ron took fighting stances, and the rest of the crowd moved away from them. Fiske's eyes grew wide as he saw something he didn't expect to.
"The Shield! How did you find it?" he said, pointing at the statue.
"That's what I needed to hear," said Jenny, who quickly turned and blasted Fiske with a hex.
Fiske flew towards the gym equipment, where he grabbed a parallel bar, stopped his flight,
and crouched on it. "What are you doing! Hex them, not me!"
"Did you think I'm stupid? They figured out there was a connection between the bad luck and you, and you just provided the proof!" said Jenny, hands glowing again.
"But-- our deal!" said Fiske in desperation.
"I am NEVER going back to evil, you slime ball!" she shouted, "Do you have any idea what you've cost me? I had friends, maybe even a family. I was being accepted, welcomed, for the first time in my life. Now I've lost all that because of you!" The glow around her hands and in her eyes faded. "And now you're going to feel every bit of the pain you've caused me, and everyone who got hurt!" She took a fighting stance.
Ron took a step towards them, but Kim put an arm in front of him. "He may be your arch-foe,
but this is her fight." Ron looked at Kim, nodded, and stepped back.
Fiske jumped down and took a stance. "You cannot defeat me! I am a master of Tai Sheng Pek Quar!"
"Then bring it," growled jenny, and ran towards him.