It had been two days since the alchemist had laid out his plans, and the imps had immediately become a nuisance for Norrisville, Amity Park, and surrounding cities. More and more places were getting hit; cars and valuables ransacked and destroyed, damages to buildings increasing. Whenever the creatures had been fought off, they disappeared into thin air without so much as a trace or a hint.

They then came back the next day. Worse yet, no one knew where they were coming from and why they were attacking at all, and Norrisville and Amity Park were among the most attacked. The heroes of each respective place were frustrated; at least once a day they'd be attacked by them, fight them off, and then they'd disappear. Couldn't do a thing about it.

In Norrisville, Randy Cunningham and Howard Weinerman crowded in Randy's room as the Ninja lamented the situation. "I don't get it, Howard," he groused, tugging at his hair with an eye twitching, "they're not robots or stanked kids. What do I do? I can't just keep letting it happen. It's my duty as the Ninja."

Howard rolled his eyes. "Why are you asking me, Randy? What the juice are they, anyways? They're like elves or even ghosts or something and they just disappear when hit. I have no idea what to do." His eyes fell on the Nomicon in Randy's lap. "Have you looked in there yet?"

Randy looked down at it and then blinked, a bit embarrassed. "Um...actually...no."

"Then what the juice, man? Open it." Howard insisted. The Nomicon flashed and Randy opened it hastily. Immediately his eyes went crossed, jaw loose, and his head fell onto it. He found himself falling through it, through words and images and ending by landing on a rough dirt ground. With a blink, he sighed and stood up. He brushed himself off and spoke.

"Nomicon, I don't know what these things are. They're not usual Sorcerer-grade stanked people. In fact, they're not stanked people at all. I don't know where they're coming from and I don't know why they're coming. What do I do?"

An image formed a little ways away from him and Randy watched in silence, crossing his arms. There was a ninja who pulled off his mask, revealing a young man no more than seventeen years old. He had curly dark brown hair and gray eyes, and he was muscled and toned. His clothes were very old fashioned; brown coat, breeches, and white culottes. A young woman appeared beside him, with blonde hair curled tightly against her scalp, hair not powdered. Her dress was fairly simple, light gray close-bodied gown.

Another man, this one also with a dancing partner, appeared. The girl with him argued and then stormed off, leaving the man heartbroken. With a puff of green smoke, he was stanked, transforming him into a colossal monster, tearing at his fine suit. Cockily, young man who happened to be the ninja of the time's voice became heard. The voice was booming and yet silvery. "I can best this monster without the suit. Watch me."

"William, no," the woman pleaded, her voice tremulous, "without it, you will die."

"Victoria, my darling, you must trust me as I have trusted you with my secret all these years."

"Will-" Her pleas fell upon deaf ears as he tossed the mask into her hands and faced the stanked man. Randy's eyes widened.

"Oh, that is not a good idea. He's not really gonna try that is he?...He's not, right?"

William stabbed the monster in the knee with a dagger. It roared, lifted its fist up, and Randy gasped and looked away as it came down. "Is it over? 'Cause that can't have been a pretty scene."

He received no answer and opened his eyes. The last image was Victoria nervously facing the monster when the mask flashed. Hesitantly, she pulled it over her head, transforming her immediately into the new Ninja. It faded and the scene was gone, and although slightly interested by the tale, he gave an irritated groan. "Come on, Nomicon, what does that have to do with the...thingies?"

Another image formed, this time of William's spirit flying through the Ghost Zone. Randy cocked his head. "Where is he?"

Arrows surrounded the image, and the words Ghost Zone came up. "What's a Ghost Zone?"

The Nomicon chose to ignore Randy finally and went on with the scene. The ghost, wailing and floating aimlessly, passed by green globs of ectoplasm and screeched for help. None of the passing by ghosts even bothered to look at him. Further frustrated, he continued his screaming. "Victoria! Victoria, where are you? Where am I? What happened?"

Desperately, he flew until he came across an abandoned castle on a floating rock island. He stopped and examined it, and then flew inside. The inside was clean and sparkling, as if it was a lair just for him. It was beautiful, fancy and glittering, but he did not care. Finally, he fell to his knees in desperation and pulled a robe hanging on the wall over his head. The scene faded away and a new one came up. This time it was of the man looking more emaciated and stirring a cauldron. The cauldron toppled over and the first imp tumbled out. Although frightened and saddened by the scene, Randy tried to brush it off as best he could. He cleared his throat and spoke, unfolding his arms.

"Oh, so he's a ghost and he's angry and crazy? Piece of cake, just tell me how to get there and-"

Finally all images disappeared and words came up. Randy read aloud. "To fight an ex-Ninja, you must ally yourself with the Ghost and the Dragon." He frowned. "Alright, but, um, who are the ghost and the dragon?"

The words faded and Randy felt himself being pulled away, like being sucked through a tube. He woke up back in his room, head shooting up and narrowly missing knocking his head against his overhanging bed. The Ninja looked to Howard, who was still engaged in the McFist pad. "Howard!" he yelled quickly.

Howard nearly dropped the device in surprise, forgetting Randy had been there at all. He composed himself and paused the game. "Yeah, what did the Nomicon tell you? What's happening and what do we do?"

"Well, um, there was this guy who got stanked a few hundred years ago and the Ninja of that time tried to fight without using the suit to show off to his girlfriend or something and he got killed and-"

"Get to the point, Cunningham. What's going on?" Howard snapped impatiently. Randy nodded.

"You're right. Basically, in this place I don't know called the Ghost Zone, there's a crazy evil Ninja who's plotting to destroy us all because he died fighting a stanked dude without the suit."

"Wait, where now?" Howard's eyes were slowly widening.

"Some place called the Ghost Zone." He didn't understand Howard's sudden fascination with that term. Howard's eyes got wider and his jaw dropped in shock.

"We're fighting ghosts now? That's...that sounds like something Danny Phantom should be doing. Shouldn't we get to him about this?"

Randy gave him an odd look. "What, weird ghost guy that's hours away from us in a town that's creepier than creepy? I mean..." Suddenly his eyes widened and he shot up on his feet. "Oh my gosh, Howard, oh my gosh!"

Howard gave him a nonplussed look. "What? What, tell me! Tell me, dude!" he insisted, shaking Randy from his reverie, pulling him back and forth with his shirt. Randy did his best to calm himself, briskly clasping his hands together.

"Okay, so, along with that, the Nomicon said I had to ally myself with 'the ghost and the dragon.' That must be it! I have to ally myself with Danny Phantom!" He slapped his face in realization. "That actually makes sense for once! Amity Park is the other place getting hit, and that guy must be it!"

"That's great! Danny honkin' Phantom!" Howard exclaimed, eyes full of glee, "Who's the dragon?"

"I have no idea. Maybe Phantom knows."

"Cunningham," Howard said, starting to slowly calm down from all the excitement, "if he's a ghost, how are we going to find him?"

"Relax, Howard," Randy said, wrapping an arm around him, "Nomi-cool said we've got to team up with him. We'll figure it out. Oh, this is so bruce!" Randy continued talking, back turned to the rest of his cluttered room. Howard then noticed a small and yet expanding floating green light behind him. He nervously frowned.

"Uh, Cunningham?"

"...I wonder if he knows about the Ninja?..."

"Randy?"

"...Of course he must know about the Ninja, what am I saying?..."

Howard lost his patience. "Randy Cunningham!" The use of the full name woke up his best friend, who looked at him with a kind and patient smile.

"Yes, Howard?"

He said nothing and pointed behind Randy. Randy slowly turned his head, smile dissipating. Both watched in confusion and fear as the green light opened wider yet. As a figure began to pull himself out of it, both boys whispered two words.

"Holy cheese." They both murmured, clinging to each other in awe.