Lucy was at the New York City dump. She walked over to the garbage piles and more. She then heard what sounded like snoring. She found a bubbling puddle of sludge.

"Ickis?" Lucy asked. "Is that you?"

Then Ickis emerged from the mass. "Lucy? What are you doing here?"

"I had a feeling something was going to happen here in the next few minutes," Lucy explained.

Oblina arrived. "Ickis, what are you doing out here?"

"I was getting my ugly sleep," Ickis explained.

"Hey Lucy," said Oblina in greeting.

"Hey, Oblina," Lucy replied. "I had a feeling something was going on here."

Suddenly, a solar eclipse began.

"Gasp!" cried Lucy. "It's a Solar Eclipse."

Krumm, The Gromble, and a few monsters emerged.

"Is this the end of the world?" Oblina wondered.

"No," Gromble answered, "it's a sign. A message to the Monster World. Follow me."

The Gromble led them to a poster and peeled it off before unlocking and opening a door.

"The time has come for a young monster to enter this passageway and journey in search of the Ancient Garbage Cans," Gromble explained.

"The Holy Pail," everyone except Lucy said.

"What is the Holy Pail?" Lucy asked.

"It's said to be a magical artifact that can grant any monster the power to instill traumatizing fear in any human they come across," Oblina explained.

"That sounds like a very powerful item," Lucy noted.

"It is," Gromble admitted.

"I guess it should be me who should go. After all, I have the best overall grade average," Oblina suggested. "Mm-hmm."

"In this case, and only in this case, your performance in class is unimportant," Gromble clarified. "We must wait for a sign to see who is chosen to be the Golden Monster."

"Well, it should be based on grades," Oblina argued.

"Yeah, base it on grades," Krumm complained. "I don't want to go. Sounds like too much work."

"Work?" Ickis questioned. He burst out laughing. "What is it with you guys? This isn't work. It is an adventure. If I were chosen, I'd march into the unknown, face every danger, and return with the Holy Pail before dinner."

"I may be the Monster World's goddess of horror, but adventure is also my strongest suit," Lucy explained.

A paint can levitates and floats above Lucy.

"Would you look at that?" Ickis marveled. "What is making it do that?"

"That's the sign!" Gromble gasped.

"That?" Ickis asks, pointing to the can.

"No," Gromble muttered as the paint poured onto Lucy. "That."

Lucy was standing beside a sludge river.

"In this crate, Lucy is everything you will need for a successful journey," Gromble explained. "The Monster Manual refers to this as the "Box of Really Useful Stuff." Snorch?"

Snorch grumbles and empties the contents.

"First, a ball of string," Gromble began. "Then there's a trash can lid and another trash can lid. Something that goes sproing, and of course the sort of human thi... Oh, just take it."

Lucy pointed at the objects and said, "A ball of string, two trash can lids, an exercise spring, and a window shade. I have a feeling this stuff is going to come in handy."

With a backpack on, Lucy entered the crate.

"Good luck, Lucy," Krumm added.

"Now legend has it that you must pass through the Sludge Cascade to Pick-A-Door Cave and beyond," Gromble explained. "And I can tell you this. Lucy, tread lightly through Belchsplat Caverns. The Wall Warriors are more dangerous than they appear. Go to the top of the heap. That is where you will find the Holy Pail."

"I'll be back, Gromble," Lucy promised. "I have a feeling that there is a Holy Pail."

The crate slid down the river, past some sludge rapids, and eventually arrived at the Sludge Cascade.

"The Sludge Cascade," Lucy murmured, "Gross."

Lucy spread her wings and covered herself as she landed.

She arrived at Pick-A-Door Cave. It was a bunch of broken airplane bodies connected together to form an endless hall of doors.

"So this is Pick-A-Door Cave," Lucy realized. "You can easily get lost in here. But let's see here."

Lucy takes out the ball of string and rolls it on the ground; it passes through the doors and leads Lucy to the right passage. She found herself in Belchsplat Caverns. It was a cave full of chimneys resembling volcanoes.

"So this is Belchsplat Caverns," Lucy thought to herself. "I'm not sure why they call it that."

A chimney erupted, letting out a belch of glowing red slime that landed with a splat by Lucy.

"I see why it's called that," Lucy added.

She could hear a malevolent laugh coming from a temple that had an evil look.

"I guess that's where I have to go," Lucy said.

She opened her wings, flew to the temple, and then boarded a mine cart. She went down a track and noticed warriors on the mine tunnel's walls.

"These have to be the Wall Warriors," Lucy surmised.

Spears struck the cart, and as more spears flew by, Lucy grabbed them. She arrived at a ladder, climbed it, and continued until she reached the Old Garbage Cans.

"These must be the Ancient Garbage Cans," Lucy remarked. "Incredible."

She molded the spears from the Wall Warriors' normal-sized spears, and then, when she reached the top of the pile, she found an old monster sitting in meditation.

"I hate this thing," the Old Monster muttered. "Has it been 400 years already? Time flies when you're bored out of your skull, huh?" He stands up, but he's stiff. "Oh, wow! Ouch. I need to remember to move around every 100 years or so."

Lucy Loud introduced herself and said, "I know you have the Holy Pail, and I've come for it."

The Old Monster agreed, saying, "You're right. I do have it. Follow me."

Lucy was led to a special vault, where the monster produced a golden bucket bearing the letter M for the Monster World.

"Here it is," the Old Monster answered.

Lucy accepted it. "Thank you. Now I can head back to the Academy."

She put the Pail in her backpack and went back.

"That's quite a journey up here, huh," the Old Monster noted. "Here, Lucy, for your trouble." He hands her his toothpick. "I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did."

"Thank you," Lucy expressed gratitude.

After grabbing the toothpick, Lucy goes back.

It took her 45 minutes to return to the classroom.

"Lucy!" yelled Krumm. "You're back!"

"Yes," Lucy confirmed. "And I came back victorious."

Everyone gasped as soon as she pulled out the pail.

The Gromble was astounded. "It... It's Real?" He then passed out.

Everyone cheered and made their way to Lucy.

"So what was it like, Lucy?" Oblina asked.

"It was an incredible adventure," Lucy said. "Lana, my little sister, would have liked this. I used my wings to protect myself from the Sludge Cascade, I went through Pick-A-Door Cave, I flew over Belchsplat Cavern and I protected myself from the Wall Warriors. I made it to the top of the heap in the Ancient Garbage Cans. I met an old Monster who actually had the Holy Pail in a vault. All it took was a little persuasion."

"That's incredible!" Krumm exclaimed.

"You've become even more of a legend in the Monster World," Ickis added.

"So, what are you going to do with the pail?" Krumm asked.

"Take it home and put it on display in my crypt room," Lucy answered.

"It's your choice, Lucy," Oblina replied.

"What a dream," Gromble groaned, waking up. "I could've sworn that Lucy found the Holy Pail."

"That wasn't a dream, Gromble," Lucy pointed out. "I did find it."

"That's amazing, Lucy," Gromble said with a smile. "Congratulations. You have succeeded where so many monsters have failed."

"Thank you," Lucy said.

"It's true, your Grombleship," Ickis added. "Lucy braved everything and successfully found it."

"She met an old monster in the Ancient Garbage Cans and persuaded him to give it to her," Krumm explained.

Gromble gushed, "Lucy, I'm very proud of you."

"Thank you," Lucy replied. Now I have to go home and tell everyone about my adventure."

"See you later, Lucy," remarked Gromble. "Now, everyone, get back to work!"

Lucy returned home, took a bath, and told everyone about her adventure.

"And then I brought the Pail back and became an even bigger legend," Lucy recounted.

"Wow, Lucy, that was incredible!" Lana exclaimed. "It must have been hard to trek through a garbage dump like that."

"That's really gross!" cried Lola.

"Yes, I know," Lucy admitted. "Even so, it was considered a quest I will never forget."

"I can believe it," J.D. said. "That must have been a great adventure. Even if it's a disgusting one."

"Yes, it was," Lucy agreed.

"I'm glad I didn't come," Laney commented.

"You probably wouldn't like it, Laney," Lucy agreed.

"I'm glad you had a great adventure, Luce," Lynn replied.

"Thank you, Lynn," Lucy replied.

Lucy had an amazing adventure in the Monster World, and they have a feeling there will be more adventures in the Monster World.

THE END