DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN RANDY CUNNINGHAM 9TH GRADE NINJA NOR LIFE AND TIMES OF JUNIPER LEE

"It is amazing," Howard said awe as he looked upon the marvels before him. Shortly after the battle with Ghoulian, June invited both him and Randy to her house so that Monroe can work on a solution to Randy's dilemma. There Howard was given a magic medallion so that he can see the magical world that is normally hidden from human eyes via the magic veil. "Yeah I'm bored now, what's on tv?" he asked completely losing interest in the magical world.

"How can you say that?" Ray-Ray stunned with disbelief. "You are seeing things beyond your wildest imaginations. Monsters everywhere!"

"Kid, I come from a place where there are not only are there monsters everywhere, but robots as well. And the best part is, they are not invisible. They go around terrorizing everyone, destroying everything from library books to the principal's car. Compared to that, your no see monsters who just go around doing nothing are just lame." Howard countered.

"But they-" Ray-Ray tried to argue.

"Lame," Howard cutting him off.

"Sometimes they-" Ray-Ray stuttered.

"Lame," Howard interrupted again.

"You know-" Ray-Ray getting frustrated.

"They...are...lame..." Howard said slowly as if to emphasize this conversation is over.

"Whatever man," Ray-Ray spat as he stormed off.

"Hey where are you going?" Howard asked.

"I'm going to see if Monroe has finished making his anti-curse potion." Ray-Ray said. Anything to get away from Howard.

"Yeah I'll watch that," Howard replied since he had nothing better to do, and he kind of enjoys annoying the little boy.

Off to the side, Randy and June were watching the drama unfolding. "That's quite a friend you've got there," June giggled not knowing whether to be impressed or disgusted with Howard.

"Well Howard may have his faults, but I know I can always count on him when I need to." Randy forcing himself to smile, but feeling depressed over recent events.

"You know, what happen to Julian wasn't your fault," June said already picking up on what's troubling the young man.

"Isn't it? Julian came to me for help, and like a total shoob I blew him off which ended up getting him trapped in the land of shadows. Now we have an evil doppelganger running around; and to top it off, I was the one who exposed him to the sorcerer's orb in the first place. So how is any of this not my fault?" Randy demanded.

"I'll get back to you on that," June cringed not really sure how to put a positive spin on that.

"Bet you've never wonked up this badly," Randy said half jokingly. Seeing as how June is far more dedicated and competent than him, he's almost certain that she's the straight arrow type that always does what's she's suppose to and therefore never messes up. Unlike him.

"Don't be too sure," June sighed catching Randy's interests. "You see my brother over there," June pointing to Ray-Ray. Randy nodded. "He's not my real brother. Well actually he is, but it's not the real him. No that's not right, it is him but kind of not. You understand?" June stuttered.

"Huh?" Randy getting all confused.

"Look a few months ago Ray-Ray accidentally turned himself into a dinosaur," June started saying.

"How do accidentally turn someone into a dinosaur?" Randy asked. "That sounds so Bruce!"

"We put too much lizards tail in a growth potion or something...that's not important. Anyway I couldn't change him back. So to keep my parents from finding out, I created an artificial body and transferred his soul into it." June confessed. "To this day I still wonder if I did the right thing. I mean sure he looks normal now, but his body is still fake. It could start to break down at any moment. I don't even know if he'll be able to grow up and live a normal life because of this."

"Wait one honking minute, are you saying that your little brother is actually some kind of living doll?" Randy gasped.

"The technical term homunculus, but yeah." June corrected him. Randy's jaw dropped not sure how to process all of this. "The point is that even those of us with magic, we can't just magically fix everything so that everything goes back to normal. We all make mistakes and we just have to do the best we can in every situation." June preached.

"So do you know how to save the real Julian from the Land of Shadows?" Randy asked.

"Maybe but right now let's just focus on the Julian problem we have right now." June advised.

"You mean Gh-o-o-o-oulian," Randy teased.

"I'm not calling him that," June told him. The two shared a friendly laughed when the bookshelf fell and nearly crushed Randy. It was only due to his quick reflexes from months of being the ninja that he was able to avoid getting smashed, but it didn't end there, the bookshelf knock up some loose boards catapulting the nails right at Randy. Again thanks to his heighten senses, Randy was able to see the nails coming and dodge them accordingly. With the exception of the last one which June manage to catch with her bare hands just inches from Randy's eye.

"Whoa that was way too close," Randy gulped.

"Yeah we better check up to see how Monroe is doing with that cure." June agreed.

Down in Monroe's lair, the little dog was busy boiling a potion in a small cauldron. "A drop of rainbow dew, mix in some troll dander, and dash of parsley for flavor." Monroe said stirring his brew.

"Man I thought magic would be more exciting. This is just like watching my mom cook dinner." Howard complained.

"Excuse me, there's a lot more to what I'm doing here than just cooking laddie!" Monroe turning around so that all could see his pink 'Kiss the Dog' apron.

"So will this help my problem?" Randy asked.

"Just one more ingredient," Monroe said reaching for a small jar with a small plant inside. "A four leaf clover growing beneath a rainbow."

"A four leaf...ah come on, you can't seriously believe in that is real!" Howard ranted.

"Boy we're talking about thousands of years of superstition. Of course it's real." Monroe argued. Dropping the four leaf clover into the pot. The potion started to bubble then explode. Inside the cauldron, instead of a liquid potion, is now some kind of powder.

"Okay that was epic. I wish my mom's cooking did that." Howard chuckled.

"So..." Randy stepped forward only for his shoe to break causing him to trip. Monroe quickly grabbed a pawful of powder and tossed in at Randy. Randy immediately regain his balance before he could fall.

"Phew, it worked." Monroe cheered.

"Is that it? Am I free of the curse?" Randy asked.

"Sorry lad, but this wasn't a cure, it's a spell that helps increase your luck." Monroe explained.

"My luck?" Randy getting confused again.

"As you know the Monkey's Paw grants wishes by altering fate. Making it seem that you are just having a series of bad luck. So to protect you, I made a little concoction that will increase your good luck to offset the bad." Monroe getting into the technical details.

"So you're saying that this stuff will make us super lucky?" Howard asked.

"In a manner of speaking," Monroe confirmed.

"Sweet, Cunningham do you realize what this means?" Howard asked his best friend.

"That I won't die in some shoob-tastic way because of this dumb curse," Randy figured.

"Yeah that, but more importantly we can use this to become super lucky and be the win at everything! Every sport, every competition, every game, think about it." Howard and Randy already daydreaming of everyone back in Norrisville worshiping their cheese.

"Don't even think about wasting this spell for such frivolities. Listen very carefully, curses are nasty business. The longer they go unfulfilled the stronger their influence becomes." Monroe warned.

"Say that again...in English." Randy getting all confused.

"He means that the longer you're cursed the stronger it gets." June clarified, but seeing as how Howard and Randy weren't getting it, she tried again. "Right now the curse is relatively weak, dropping chandeliers, breaking your shoes and such. But since it's not killing you, it will try bigger and more dangerous things."

"You mean like getting Cunningham to eat expired baloney?" Howard gasped. One of his greatest fears was that Randy dies of food poisoning, which meant that he couldn't steal his food.

"Something like that," June said rolling her eyes. "But more likely the curse will try to drop a building or airplane on him."

"Here," Monroe handing Randy a bad of the powder. "If things start going crazy just add a dab more, but don't waste it, I don't have the ingredients to make more."

"Thanks, now we just have to find Ghoulian." Randy said.

"How are we going to do that?" Howard asked but Randy already shloomped into the nomicon. "Oh you're going to your book."

Inside the nomicon, Randy found himself in what looked like a farm with the ninja chasing after chicken. Despite his best efforts, the chicken continued to evade him. Just then the ninja got an idea and backed off. Later when the chicken came back to the roost, the ninja sprung out and caught it. That's when the doodles appeared: 'The best way to track someone is not by knowing where they've been, but knowing where they are going'

"Alright I can figure this out. Okay I know Ghoulian was at that larping thing so he's probably not there. Know where he is going? So obviously I have no idea where he might be going, but since he wants to destroy the Ninja I should use myself as bait. That way I know he's going to me! Is that right?" Randy asked, but as always the nomicon just threw him out.

"I think you're half right," June said after Randy told them what the book showed him. "We know that Julian I mean Ghoulian is trying to reactivate the Monkey's Paw. So that means he'll most likely try to find someone or something that might reactivate it."

"And that means what exactly?" Howard not getting it.

"It means that he'll probably ask one of the magical creatures to try and reactivate it for him." June clarified. "If we can figure out which monster he's going to, then we can intercept him there.

"Do you know of any monsters that can do that?" Randy asked diligently.

"I know of a few, but we better split up. No telling how long it will be until he realizes that the amulet is still working." June suggested.

Later Ray-Ray was guiding Randy and Howard to one of the local monsters that deals with black market magical items. "Okay he normally operates just around this corner, past the game center." Ray-Ray said.

"Hey Cunningham look," Howard stopping his friend.

"What is it...oh my ninja!" Randy gasped peeking into the game room, or more specifically the prize on the top of the prize rack. "The Ultra-mega prize," Randy drooled. "It is so beautiful."

"Yes and we only need 1 million tickets to win it," Howard drooling as well.

"But how are we going to get that many tickets?" Randy asked.

"Duh," Howard pointing to Randy's sack of lucky powder.

"Howard," Randy facepalming himself. "That has to be...the most awesome idea ever!"

"Hey what's keeping you guys?" Ray-Ray demanded after he noticed that they weren't following him.

"I'll handle this," Howard said in a smug tone. "Change of plans kid, instead of doing whatever it is we were doing, how about we use that there magic stuff to win us the Ultra-mega prize?"

"Are you nuts? You heard Monroe, we can't waste it. In case you forgot, which I think you did, this spell is the only thing keeping him alive from the curse!" Ray-Ray reminded them.

"Maybe we shouldn't do this," Randy not liking the prospect of him dying.

"We're not going to use all of it. Just a grain or two is not going to make much of a difference." Howard argued.

"I don't know," Randy still hesitant.

"Cunningham look at that Ultra-mega prize. We missed our chance at winning one once in laser tag and now fate has giving us another even greater opportunity. Don't you think that's worth the risk? Because I know that if it was me, I would gladly put your life on the line for it!" Howard assured him.

"Yeah it's definitely worth it," Ray-Ray agreed getting completely mesmerized by the Ultra-mega prize.

"Eh why not," Randy conceded. "I'm sure we'll find and stop Ghoulian long before we run out of magic."

"That's the spirit Cunningham," Howard chuckled mischievously.

Meanwhile in an old movie theater. "So do we have a deal?" Ghoulian asked.

"You free me and my father from this movie dimension and I'll see what's wrong with your Monkey's Paw; is that what you call it?" the Demoness agreed. Ghoulian shot an immense amount of stank at the movie screen creating a small vortex. Soon Demoness and her father Cordath stepped out. "Finally we're free!" Demoness cheered.

"Yes my child," Cordath laughed manically. "Now can you tell me where I can find the nearest burger joint? I'm starving."

"Excuse me, I hate to interrupt but I believe you still need to hold up your end of the bargain." Ghoulian said holding out the Monkey's Paw.

"Oh yeah about that," Demoness said checking out the amulet. "Sorry I have no idea what's wrong with it." handing it back to Ghoulian.

"But we had a deal!" Ghoulian protested.

"Yes and I promised to look at your little trinket and I did." Demoness laughed.

"So you tricked me," Ghoulian sputtered.

"Um hello demons," Demoness pointing to herself. "That's what we do."

"Yes and this is what I do," Ghoulian shot more stank at the Demoness and Cordath. "If it's any consolation, I was going to do this anyway," Ghoulian laughed. The demons two screamed in terror as the stank engulf them. Ghoulian smiled as the stank was absorbed into their bodies, transforming them into...humans.

"We live to serve master," the humanize Demoness and Cordath said at the same time. Dropping to one knee.

"Yes, I know you will." Ghoulian discovered that stanking monsters not only turns them human, but they become completely obedient to him; and the best part is, they still retain the powers they had when they were monsters. "Now if only I can find someone who can fix this," Ghoulian griped staring at the Monkey's Paw.

"You could try Jean-Claude, he was a former elder." Demoness suggested.

"Former elder huh, that sounds promising." Ghoulian grinned.