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Chapter Text

The Ninja needed to free the fearsome Sorcerer so that he could finally defeat Evil Julian, however, the Sorcerer betrayed him soon after. With his powers, he broke the Ninja sword, and it would all be over if not for an unexpected help from Howard, who fell on top of the villain.

The Ninja used one of his weapons to get rid of the Sorcerer's power-giving spheres (Howard lost a shoe in the process), and thus beat him, Norrisville was at peace at last.

Howard's main concern was knowing his best friend was moving, but for Randy, another question arose: What to do with the poor peddler who was once a Sorcerer?

The power was gone, his soul was freed, and now here he was, a poor man with nowhere to go, 800 years into the future. Everyone he'd ever known was gone.

“What will happen to you now?" the Ninja asked.

"I don't know..." replied the man "I never thought this day would come..."

"Can't you just throw him into the Viceroy's time machine and send him back?" asked the redhead.

"And how do you know I have a time machine?" The scientist crossed his arms.

“I think that would create a time paradox." Said the Ninja "I think McFist should take responsibility."

"Hey, you released him because you wanted to!" protested the man.

"I don't want to bother you…" said the peddler, a little embarrassed "After all the trouble I've caused in this school, I can't ask you to do anything for me."

“I can't ignore this!" Said the Ninja.

"But I can!" said Howard impatiently. "We have another topic, have you forgotten?"

he didn't want to repeat the history they lived with Dickie, another boy trapped outside his time who almost made them miss the premiere of a new game. The issue was even more important now: Randy Cunningham was going to move and there was nothing he could do to stop it, but he still put other things first.

“I can't take you to my house,” said the Ninja, “but I need to find a safe place."

There were a lot of people in that room, McFist knew he couldn't ignore that. To maintain his millionaire benefactor pose, he ended up following the Ninja game:

"You can stay in the guest room at my Mansion. At least until you decide what you're going to do."

“Thank you, Mr. McFist." The peasant bowed "Do you mind if I take my pet?"

"Your what?"

A sound came from the ventilation tube, a little mouse appeared running and jumped into the man's lap:

“He stayed with me when I was trapped down there, listened to my wails, even tried to comfort me." He laughed while caressing the pet "You must think I'm crazy..."

No one answered, it was a man who had been lonely for 800 years.

"Very well," coughed McFist. "You can take him with you. The city is saved, I think this deserves a big party."

"Are you going to honor the Ninja for saving us?" Viceroy arched an eyebrow.

Hannibal forced a smile. He still didn't like the masked boy, but he couldn't let anyone in town know what he'd done all these years and, in the end, not even gain the powers the Sorcerer had promised him.

With the problem apparently resolved, the Ninja disappeared in his smoke bomb so he could return home.

***

The truck was just picking up the last of the boxes, Randy and Howard with tears in their eyes. They never imagined that one day they would be separated, and now they could barely speak. They did their last "high five," so Randy was taken away by the moving truck.

The redhead was at his house, bored playing video games. Not having the company of his best friend was frustrating. He heard the doorbell ring, and with no one to answer it, he was forced to pause the game and open the door. To his surprise, it was Randy who was there, so elated and excited that the words slurred, but Howard could decipher:

“You moved to another house on the same street and your parents forgot to mention that part?"

The taller one laughed and jumped, invited his friend to see the new house. After a little joke where the smaller one closed the door in his face, the two left together.

The Mysterious Cowboy watched them, Ninja's next challenge was right around the corner.

****

The peddler was lost in the huge McFist mansion, so many servants to serve him, new clothes different from the ones he wore. His mouse got a cage and a wheel to run, as well as all the food it wanted. They Promised he could stay until he found his own corner, the tycoon told Viceroy to find a position he fit in.

"Very well," began the scientist, he had a clipboard in his hand. "What do you know how to do?"

"I had a wagon..."

"And what else?" Viceroy took notes

"I... I spent years taking advantage of the bad in everyone... I don't think I can go back as if I were a normal human being..."

"I'm not here to judge your character, but since you brought it up…" he lifted his head. "Do you remember everything you did while you were the Sorcerer?"

"It haunts me while I sleep, it feels like a nightmare..."

“So if you want to redeem yourself, there's a place you can start." he extended his hand "come with me.'

The monk brought his arms to his sides, but followed him. They went to McFist's office, who was playing with a ping pong paddle. He put it away as soon as he saw them approach:

"Viceroy! Sorcerer! I'm Glad you came, I was... Uh... Never mind." He smile a little nervously

The scientist motioned for the monk to take the lead, his head was down:

"Mister McFist... I came to apologize..."

"To apologize?" He arched an eyebrow.

"For everything!" He raised his face, eyes teary "For not being able to give you super powers like I promised, for all the times I yelled at you, for making you harm the whole city! For that time with the Meat McSquidless I turned you into a monster!"

The man was silent for a moment. After everything he'd been through, the last thing he expected was an apology from the Sorcerer, even though he knew it wasn't the same anymore.

“Uh…” he scratched his head, “apologies accepted, I guess... Now I need to focus on moving my empire forward."

"Hannibal?" said Viceroy, curious.

“There are no more Sorcerer, so no Ninja to capture. Marci told me that I can now try to pursue my work and—” he took a deep breath—“try to spend more time with Bash, create a stepfather-stepson bond."

"Then that's it?" asked the Peddler. "Am I forgiven?"

"Yes yes. Now, if you don't mind, I have to get back to work. Follow him, Viceroy."

"Yes sir."

When their backs were turned, he went back to playing with his ping pong racket.

The Scientist guided the Monk to one of the McFist Company offices.

"Feeling better now?"

"I still owe the whole town an apology..."

“We'll see that later. As you don't have any technological experience, I'll leave you with one of our employees to learn the basics." He knocked on the door, it didn't take long for a red-haired man with a mustache to answer "This is Mr. Mort Weinerman. He will help you."

"Nice to meet you, sir..."

"Great, great." said Viceroy, cutting the formality short.

It didn't take long to leave and leave the two alone, Mort was trying to be friendly:

"So... what's your name again?"

"I haven't had a name in a long time... You can call me Peddler. I was a traveling salesman before... I lost hope."

"It's a start." Mort smiled "We can put you in one of the millions of stores of McFist Industries! We have everything from nose-blowing tissues to virtual reality video games! My son loves these things."

"Son?"

"I have two kids!" He started to get excited "The oldest is Heidi, my little girl, she even has a driver's license! She presents a program on the internet that even the boss watches."

"Internet?"

"The other is Howard! Norrisville High School student, he's my little Howie."

The man lowered his head upon hearing that. If that man's son was a student, he had probably already turned him into a monster at one time or at least put him in some dangerous situation.

"Are you okay?" Mort asked worriedly. "I don't think I should go around talking about my family like that, do I? You are far from home... Do you have a wife or children?"

"I have a pet… The girlfriend I had is long gone… But I was a different person then…"

“You know, I had an idea!" Mort said. "you could come to dinner at my house!"

"What?"

"It's hard to start a new job away from home. When McFist bought the company and became my new boss I could feel the responsibility on my shoulders. He's the most powerful man in Norrisville, you know? You will soon adapt, I assure you."

Peddler managed a smile. That man looked a little crazy, but his excitement was contagious. What harm could he do if he accepted the invitation?

“I appreciate it, Mort. What I need most is a fresh start."

"Excellent! I'll show you the company so I'll give you a ride after work!"

They did their tour of the place. The former Sorcerer still felt lost, but he might not be alone anymore. A new hope was beginning to emerge.

Chapter Text

Mort told his wife that he would have a dinner guest and wanted to make a good impression. As Howard had already arranged with his best friend that they would spend the night playing video games, his father let him stay for dinner too, after all, Randy was practically family now.

"I'm sorry I dragged you to this 'business dinner,'" Howard said.

"It's OK." Randy smiled.

They sat down at the table, Heidi put her cell phone away. They could already hear Mort's voice outside talking to his colleague, opened the door and invited him in. He was a bald man with big eyes, even with a suit Randy recognized him at once, hid under the table and pulled Howard along:

"What's he doing here?"

"Cunningham, what is wrong with you?"

"That guy was the Sorcerer!" He whispered

Howard stood up for a better look, then bent down again:

"Are you sure?"

"I have no doubts! What is he doing here?"

“I think a certain Ninja gave McFist the responsibility of finding him a place."

"But at your house?"

"What are you afraid of? He's not that guy anymore, so relax. And he came for dinner, not to sleep here."

"Boys?" Mort called. "I'd like you to say hello to Mr. Peddler." The man nodded, a little embarrassed. "Those are my son Howard and his best friend Randy."

They got up quickly:

"It's a pleasure, Mr. Peddler!" The taller one nodded, a little nervous.

The man looked at him for a few moments, looked him in the eyes:

"Do we already know each other?"

"No, no, of course not!" Randy stuttered

“Your voice is…familiar."

"Can we have dinner soon?" asked the redhead.

"Howard!" scolded the father "look at the manners!"

Everyone sat down. Randy knew he wasn't what he was before, his soul was free, but it was hard not to tense up. What if the Ninja identity was revealed at this dinner? He shook his head, McFist no longer had any interest in his capture, that man sitting at the table just wanted to start over, nothing bad could happen.

“Dad said you came a long way." Heidi said "where did you come from, exactly?"

"Norrisville." he replied "but an older place."

“We live in Norrisville." she commented

"Let's not fill the man with questions." said Randy, chuckling nervously.

"Have you worked elsewhere?" She continued, totally ignoring the boy's request and taking her cell phone from her purse.

"I had a wagon, I was a traveling salesman."

"Heidi, what are you doing?" Howard whispered

"Now that the Highschool is safe and no one turns into a monster, I'm looking for new subjects to show."

“Heidi, no recordings at dinnertime." Mort warned, then turned to his guest. “Children, you know."

"Did you say the Highschool is safe?" asked Peddler.

"After the brave Ninja defeated the imprisoned Sorcerer, Norrisville was finally able to find peace." she said excitedly.

Randy and Howard looked at each other, it was really hard to pretend they weren't directly connected to everything that happened. The expressions of the former Sorcerer were attentive, at first he seemed crestfallen, thoughtful, but then he opened a smile:

"I am very grateful to Ninja for that."

"We all are." said Mort. "My son is his number one fan, you know that?"

Peddler's attentions turned to the red-haired boy. That certainly wasn't the first time he'd seen him."

"You're not that boy..."

"Look at the time!" Randy got up from the table. "I appreciate dinner, Mr. Weinerman, but I think my parents are expecting me."

"Weren't you going to sleep here today?" asked Mort

"No! I mean... yes! But it turns out I haven't finished tidying up my room since moving in, so I think I'd better get going."

“I accompany you." Howard got up too, grabbed some more potatoes from the table to eat on the way.

They left the house, when they were far away, the redhead asked:

"What's happening with you?"

"He recognized you! But of course he would recognize you! The boy who fell on top of him and gave Ninja the chance to win!"

“And I lost my shoe."

“Yes, that too. But the point is, if he knows who you are, he'll know who I am!"

"Cunningham, so what? You already won! Ended! I think the whole school should know who you are."

“This is an 800-year-old secret, I can't just tell it like that!"

“You're worrying for nothing. Relax."

“Alright, I won't let this occupy my head. Sorry I didn't stay for our game night, I thought I wouldn't break any more commitments now that I'm not the Ninja anymore...

“Hey, calm down! Who said you're not the Ninja anymore?"

“You said it yourself."

“But you still have the mask and that stupid book, so legally you're still the Ninja."

Randy was silent, thoughtful. If he'd already finished the mission, how come no one came to take his stuff back?

"Earth calling Cunningham!" The redhead waved his hand in front of his face "What's happening with you?"

“I need to get on the Nomicom. I have a bad feeling about this."

"Are you going to do it now?"

"He's at home."

"Did you leave a Ninja wisdom book lying at home in the middle of moving?"

"Oh, now it's a 'Ninja Wisdom Book'?" He folded his arms "what happened to the 'stupid book'?"

“I'm not going to discuss this with you." He stretched out his fist "we'll see you tomorrow, if I'm late my father will come after me soon."

"Beware of that 'Mr Peddler'."Randy responds, touching his fists "I want to believe he's free from all evil"

“He's totally lost, just like a time traveler. He'll listen to Heidi talk for a few hours without understanding anything, maybe my dad will call him to sleep at home, you know, show the boss that he's committed to helping the newbie."

"Right. I'll let you know if the Nomicom tells me anything."

He went into the house but watched until Howard disappeared around the corner. He went to his room, it was still a mess, but he knew where he had left the book: inside the backpack on top of the bunk. It glowed red, Randy took a deep breath:

“Okay, I shouldn't have left the house without you, but I'm back. Is there anything else I should know?

He opened it, so his soul slipped between its pages, leaving his body behind.

This time it wasn't just the usual Japanese scene, he came across the First Ninja and Plop Plop who seemed to be waiting for him.

"Randy!" the smallest greeted him excitedly "It's been a long time!"

“We heard of your great deed." The masked man extended his hand "So finally the Sorcerer has been defeated."

The boy looked embarrassed as he shook his hero's hand, but he figured that wasn't why the Nomicom was calling him:

"He returned to being human, but I don't think it's over... I mean... Why didn't anyone come to get the mask or the book?"

“The legacy is passed on when you graduate from high school." explained the First Ninja "But, in fact, there is still a pending matter."

"And do you know what it is?"

“Better sit down." said Plop Plop as chairs appeared on the stage.

“You must remember that the Sorcerer had a mate." said the masked man

"The Sorceress? But she fell into the Land of Shadows!"

“Just as you also left there once, it's not impossible for her to break free. We believe the first thing you're going to do is look for the Sorcerer."

"But he's just Mr. Peddler now! He's totally harmless!"

“And that's why the Ninja needs to help hum"

Randy took a deep breath. That would be his last battle.

"I don't have my sword anymore... The Sorcerer broke it..."

“Don't worry, the blacksmith was there, he knows it. The rest is up to you."

He came out of the book, he had a lot to tell Howard when he went to Highschool.

Chapter Text

Many things did not exist 800 years ago, the world was totally different.

Mort Weinerman was willing to help, but he had already lost three coffeemakers in the process. Peddler was very scared of simple things, he asked about the horseless car and the TV thing. As Sorcerer has always seen Viceroy's robots at work, he even transformed one with the ability to feel and learn, but nothing compared to seeing them live and having to operate machines with his bare hands. McFist even gave him one of his McPhones so he could communicate more easily, but the man had a hard time messing with him. Whenever it rang, Mort taught again how to answer:

“Just drag your finger in that direction."

“Thank you very much, Mr. Weinerman."

"You must be from somewhere out of town, right? Technology is slowly arriving to such remote places."

He just nodded. No one would believe it was over 800 years old. When he had to fill out a form with his details, the receptionist almost kicked him out thinking it was a joke.

The clothes he wore were also different from his usual, the suit with a tie squeezing his neck. Viceroy and Marci had gone out with him to clothing stores, but the ones that caught his attention the most were models a "grandfather" would wear.

“You don't look your age, dear." said the woman kindly.

"I don't know if I'll be able to fit into this society..."

“Of course you will." replied Viceroy "Not everyone has a good sense of fashion, can go unnoticed with any outfit."

Peddler looked around, paid attention to what other people wore. For years he'd only had a green Sorcerer blanket with his hood. He looked a little longer at the dress-up session, where they came across Principal Slimovitz trying on a suit.

"I know that guy..." The former Sorcerer narrowed his eyes.

“He's the Principal of Norrisville High, where Bash studies."

"The car man!" exclaimed Peddler. "I turned him into a blue beast once.. And most of what he spent on car repairs was my fault.." he looked at Viceroy "and your robots"

“Robots I created to help you, by the way." the scientist retorted

"I need to apologize to him..."

"But he doesn't know you were the Sorcerer, darling!" Marci said

"I think he was at school that day... Maybe he remembers me..."

He wasn't good with interactions, as for centuries he only talked to a mouse, but he wouldn't be at peace with himself if he didn't risk it:

"Excuse me, sir..." he began, a little nervous.

"Slimovitz." The man turned around, smiling "Can I help you with anything?"

He couldn't tell who he was, it would sound crazy.

“I… I like the suit you're wearing."

"You are too kind! I love this vintage style, although I'm also a fan of formal wear. I'm a principal at a school, I need to command respect!"

"It wouldn't be Norrisville high, would it?"

"Exactly! Students always make fun of me, but I take my job very seriously."

"And what about the 'rumors' about a Sorcerer?"

"The Ninja got rid of him. It was a great achievement, since that horrible villain turned the poor children into monsters, not to mention all the damage to the classrooms, cafeteria, laboratories and my car!"

Peddler sighed. It wasn't easy to hear all that, but he knew it was the truth.

“You don't look good to me." commented the director "Do you need help?"

"I don't think there's any forgiveness for that, is there?"

"What do you mean?"

“No, nothing." the man forced a smile "it was good to have spoken with you. I think the school just didn't collapse for good because it has a strong director in charge."

Mr Slimovitz was speechless on hearing this, as it was very difficult to be complimented by anyone, let alone a stranger he had just met at the clothing store.

“I would love for my students to think that way. You should visit the Highschool one of these days."

That was like a light for him. If he really wanted to redeem himself, Norrisville high was the place to go. He could talk to McFist about it, since he wasn't born to be a man of industry.

"I will, yes, you can count on it." he waved as he turned around, heading back to where Marci and Viceroy were.

"And then? How was it?" the woman asked in a friendly tone.

"I couldn't apologize, but I think I have an idea where to start, I mean, if Mr. McFist isn't disappointed in me..."

“He won't mind, believe me." said Viceroy

He didn't mean to sound rude, but the truth was that Hannibal didn't want the responsibility of inserting the ex-sorcerer into society and he had been doing some damage to the machines Mort tried to teach him how to use, so if he preferred to try and connect to the school, he'd get all the money support.

They spent more time looking for new clothes, Marci ended up taking things for herself and her son Bash. Peddler accompanied them to the limousine, but before getting in, he caught Marci's attention:

"Mrs. McFist... I need to thank you for such a good day we're having..."

"You don't need to say thank you.” she laughed, “shopping is always fun."

“I… I wanted to apologize to you too. For turning you into a monster years ago when your son was still in daycare... and apologizing to Bash when I turned him into a monster on his big day..."

“It was more Ninja's fault than yours." she replid "If he hadn't destroyed my son's minibike, nothing would have happened."

"But my powers...

“It only works because people are already sad, and you weren't the one who made then sad." she sketched a smile "it's going to be okay."

She got into the car, he and Viceroy close behind. He didn't expect to hear something like that from her, but in a way, it made him feel a little better. It would be a long journey to get the entire town to pardon.

Chapter Text

Randy went to school and soon told Howard about the First Ninja's suspicions about the Sorceress's return.

"I do remember." said the redhead "I lost my 'hero of the day' star on that occasion."

"I'm sorry about that..."

“Relax, Cunningham. At least I didn't lose you too..."

Memories came back to his mind, the Nomicom saying "A hero sacrifices everything" and how he'd almost lost his best friend forever. He glared at him, then punched him in the shoulder.

"Ouch! Why you did it?"

"Don't ever do that again!"

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, it's just this stupid book that makes you do insane things and risk your life! Then when it's finally over, it's telling you to do one more risky mission!"

“The Sorceress still hasn't shown up and 'Mr Peddler' is safe somewhere in McFist Industries."

"Uh…" the redhead scratched his head "about that…"

“I know your father will have a hard time teaching an eight-hundred-year-old gentleman, but it will work!"

"Cunningham..."

"So for now, let's relax and..."

"CUNNINGHAM!" he shouted impatiently.

"What?"

The smaller one pointed to the end of the hall, where Principal Slimovitz was on a tour with the former Sorcerer. Randy jumped behind Howard, trying to hide:

"What's he doing here?"

“I was going to tell you. He asked McFist for a position at the Highschool, so my dad doesn't have to keep an eye on him anymore."

"What? But why?"

“I don't know, bullshit about redemption, I didn't pay attention to what my dad said."

"Howard! This is a disaster! I need to keep an eye on him!"

“Here you go again." the smaller one slapped his forehead "He doesn't know you're the Ninja! And if there's no sign of the Sorceress, then nothing will happen! Why can't you just let it go?"

“Because I'm not going to make the mistakes of the Ninjas of the past like they did with Dickie. Do you remember?"

"Of course I remember. Just don't do anything stupid or risky, okay?"

“I'll be careful. By the way, I have to stop by Mr. S. Ward Smith's office to see if he's made my new sword."

"I'll go with you."

They went to the door and knocked, waiting for the blacksmith's confirmation to enter.

“Greetings, dear Ninja."

"How did you know it was me?"

"I recognize your voice, and the fact that you're the only student who visits me often." he banged the hammer on something "I'm finishing forging the new sword, just as you asked, but I would like you to explain the urgency, since the Sorcerer has been defeated."

“I hear the Sorceress will return, I need to be ready."

"Oh yes. The girl Amanda Levay."

"Did you see her?" Howard asked, then became embarrassed. "I mean, do you know any other way she's around?"

“She has a characteristic smell of dead flowers, rotting flesh and lavender. Trust me, it won't be that hard to recognize if she is among the students."

"But is she?" Randy was starting to get desperate "Has she already freed herself from the Land os Shadows? Mister Peddler is in danger!"

“Boy, calm down." The blacksmith finished, then raised the sword "This is my best work, tougher than the last."

"But did she break free or not?"

“Boy, I've been here in my room a long time, I can't say for sure. I just advise you to be careful." He handed the sword to Randy.

"Thank you very much, sir. I promise to be more responsible with this sword."

“That one would cut through an excavator." joked Howard

"Don't even begin!" warned the blacksmith "Do you think I have no more work to do besides forging Ninja swords?"

“Thank you again, sir." Randy slipped away, pulling Howard with him.

They had a few classes to attend before they could decide how they would go about finding the Sorceress' whereabouts, but they didn't expect Principal Slimovitz to suddenly enter the room, especially in the company of his new "friend".

"Children, this is Mister Peddler! I hope you'll be kind to him, as he's getting ready to take on a janitor's position here."

"And Mr Sundown?" Bucky raised his hand and asked.

"Don't worry, it will be good for him to have a helper."

Some students stared at the man, a little curious. Thereza Fowler nudged Randy's arm, whispered:

"Isn't that the man who appeared in the final battle of the Ninja?"

"Man?" he tried to hide it "what man?"

"That guy was the Sorcerer!" Doug stood up and pointed.

That caused a little uproar in the room, the headmaster tried to contain the students, Peddler lowered his head. Of course they would recognize him, many students watched what happened to the arrests that Evil Julian had made.

Randy needed to help him, get around the situation. He got up from his seat, calling attention:

"Guys, calm down! That man may have been the Sorcerer, but he isn't anymore! Just as each of you was once transformed into a monster in the midst of despair, the Sorcerer was also a human being gripped by fear! Come on, give him a chance!"

“And how do you know that?" Doug asked, crossing his arms.

"I... It's just that I..."

"Mr Peddler came to my house for dinner." Howard stood up. "He tried working with my father at McFist Industries and now he's trying here, isn't true?"

The man looked at the students, at the director and at these two who defended him. They had something else, something familiar, but he didn't know exactly what. He raised his head:

“You are right. I was once the Sorcerer, but I'm not anymore. I will dedicate my life to apologizing to each of you for what I've done these eight hundred years." turned to the Principal "I didn't say it before, but that day, in the clothing store, I really wanted to apologize to you. I understand if you don't accept them."

Everyone was silent. It was real, the Sorcerer was there, in front of them, apologizing.

"I..." began Slimovitz. "I can't believe it... So... you didn't come for the janitor job?"

“I want to do whatever I can to make amends for my mistakes. It would be an honor to stay in office, if I may."

Looking at him and the students, he cleared his throat:

"Well, here at Norrisville High we teach our children about forgiveness and respect, I couldn't leave you helpless, could I?"

Peddler hugged him, grateful for the opportunity. He wished he'd kept it a secret longer, but it was for the best. He would thank Randy and the boy Weinerman for their support, but when the doorbell rang, they were the first to disappear.

They were heading to the cafeteria when someone tugged on their arm, drawing their attention. It was the Mysterious Cowboy, the school bus driver:

“I want to talk to you two."

They followed him without understanding.

"Did we leave anything on the bus?" Risked the redhead "Was it the soda I dropped in the backseat?"

"I didn't come to attend to school matters." He looked to the sides, then whispered "I came to talk about the Ninja."

The boys looked at each other, then started laughing:

"Nonsense, why would we know anything?" asked Randy

“You don't have to pretend. I was the one who gave you the mask and NinjaNomicom, I've been watching you for a long time."

They froze with wide eyes. Randy took a step back:

"You... So you..."

“I thought it was very brave of you to defend the Sorcerer. Really a great choice as a Ninja."

"But wait!" Howard Said "So you're some kind of 'keeper' of the book? And how did you not say anything before?"

“I thought I'd talk to you guys after graduation, when I'd get the Nomicon back and get through the Ultimate Lesson properly."

"I think with Mac Antfee it wasn't quite like that..." Randy muttered.

“What matters now is that your last battle is really coming. You should already be aware of this."

"Yes..." he sighed, "the First Ninja told me through the Nomicon... And mister S. Ward Simith made me a new sword..."

"Good to know." He straightened his hat "I see you soon, Ninja."

He turned away. Randy swallowed, but Howard put a hand on his shoulder.

“You'll make it and I'll be there to support you, even if it's hidden under the table."

He cracked a smile, he had already beaten the Sorceress twice, he could do it again

Chapter Text

Mr. Peddler was being briefed by the Janitor Sundown about cleaning the school. It was a position that suited his purpose, since it was about cleaning up the impurities present at Norrisville high, somehow, it would help him redeem himself, already. Most of the damage was caused by Ninja battles.

“Here in my class is the boys' drums and keytar." explained the janitor "They have a band..."

"30 Seconds to Math..." completed the man.

"You Already know?"

"Oh? What?" He shook his head, "No, I don't think so..."

He vaguely remembered the time he'd bewitched a guitar for an ex-member to get revenge. In fact, come to think of it, the Weinerman boy has been there several times. A Ninja fan, perhaps? There was the familiar finding when he was invited to dinner with Mort Weinerman, but since he was a high school boy, he thought he might have been one of his victims.

"Are you okay, man?" the janitor called him

"Oh, sorry. I was just thinking about these boys."

"A couple of troublemakers." he laughed. "You should have seen the yearbook pictures, they were doing everything they could to spoil them and leave their mark."

Peddler was a little confused, besides not understanding the concept of "photo", he didn't expect them to be that type, after all, they defended him when the truth about being the Sorcerer came out.

"These boys seem very present..."

“They were once a judge on a talent show, where Howard blasted the contestants."

He remembered that, the time when he made one monster after another. Marci's words came to mind: 'It only works because people are already sad, and you weren't the one who made then sad.'

He couldn't be free of guilt, but the number of complex plans to stir up fear and despair were not that many. There was the game of chess, where a programmed robot was winning the competition and making the students unhappy; and the turn with Lucius Thunderpunch, which served to make the Ninja disappear and make the Highschool vulnerable.

He held the mop and rubbed it on the floor, as he had been instructed. He wasn't sure it was enough to apologize anymore. 800 years of history didn't erase like the stains on the wall, Ninja after Ninja fighting, giving up so many things... That's when an idea came to him: he had to apologize directly to the student with the powers. But how to find him? He no longer needed the powers, as all evil was fought and everyone was safe.

Several days went by with this new life at Norrisville High, he got to know every corner of the building, some employees even invited him for coffee, the "rumors" about being the former Sorcerer didn't seem to bother most of them, in fact Mrs Driscoll seemed excited about the idea, as her late husband Jerry Driscoll was a mad scientist.

Randy walked attentively through the school corridors, all that peace was really suspicious.

“Seriously, man." Howard said. "You need to relax."

"A Ninja never lets his guard down!"

“I hope you didn't take that from the Nomicom."

“No, it's my own Ninja wisdom based on the experiences I've had."

“Maybe the Sorceress is still trapped, you're paranoid."

"Or maybe she's already among us!"

“You can't find her unless she does something sinister or cast a spell on someone."

"And that's the problem! Even finding it will have done some damage! I want to avoid the attack and the best way is to avoid the attack!"

"Doesn't the book have some tracking power or something?"

Randy looked thoughtful. The most striking feature of her was her horrible smell, maybe he could smell her.

"Remember the cooking competition?"

“When did you burn my tongue?"

"That one! I used a power to sharpen my senses, and since 'the nose always knows,' I could trace its dark scent of rotting flesh and dead flowers with a hint of lavender."

“Last time you lost control of your senses completely."

"But then I managed to control it! I'll be careful, it's just until I find her, I promise."

Howard wasn't going to stop him, it was better to let him do it as soon as possible because otherwise he'd keep talking about it.

The boy opened his book and his body passed out, as usual. He was in a boat in the immensity of the ocean, two ninjas rowed

"Last time I asked for a 'super taste', now I just need a 'super smell' to find the Sorceress, so if you can skip to the part where you do that weird thing...."

From the bottom of the sea emerged a figure similar to Randy, only made of water. Last time, they touched their tongues to sharpen his taste, but as the focus was now on his sense of smell, the water creature brought his face closer to the boy until their noses touched. It was still weird, but it got the expected result. When he returned to his body, he could identify all the smells around him:

"Now I'm ready!" He exclaimed

"And how will it work?' Are you going to run around like a dog?"

“I thought I'd try to act normal and wait for her scent to come to me." He took a deep breath, then started coughing, covering his nose.

"Did you find her?" the redhead asked

"No... I just don't think you should wear the same underwear for so many days in a row!"

“In my defense, I didn't know you were going to do this."

"Doesn't matter. I will adapt to the odors of this school. Lunch seems to be pasta with bolognese sauce with meatballs."

"And what are we waiting for?' Let's eat!"

As they headed for the cafeteria, a mixture of odors invaded his sense of smell, from the sweet scent of Theresa Fowler to the suspicious substances in the kitchen. It was difficult to identify everything, lots of students, food, mess. They took the line, helped themselves and sat at the table, Randy looked around, a lot of people around him, but he noticed the Janitor and Mr. Peddler in the back, talking. At those times, it would be good to have a super hearing to hear what they were saying, although it was most likely about work, as they both carried buckets and mops that for now smelled of chlorine.

"Are you going to eat this?" Howard asked already taking the meatballs from his friend's plate.

“I don't think she's here." He said "I don't know the limit of this 'power', if I'm going to have to keep going back to the book to ask for help..."

“Nobody knows when she's coming back, man. Now do me a favor and bring me more meatballs."

The largest rose without question, carrying his tray. Everything seemed too calm until there was a strange smell. He turned quickly, trying to find where it was coming from, but there were too many people, too many smells, but he knew he had sensed something strange. He had to be sneaky, he closed his eyes to try to focus only on the scent, but he ended up bumping into someone. He opened his eyes quickly, it was Bash with his clothes all soaked in sauce:

"Don't you look where you're going?" He said irritated

"Oh! I'm sorry about that!"

He cringed, waiting for the punch he was about to take, but the big man was stopped by Mr. Peddler:

“Calm down, boy. We can clean this up."

Bash fumed, pointed at Randy:

“Lucky for you to have an adult around, you asshole."

If he left complaining, the janitor would accompany him to get another outfit while the ex-sorcerer was still looking at the purple haired boy:

"What were you doing?"

"Who? Me?" He tried to hide it "I didn't do anything!"

The man looked around, then whispered:

"Were you trying to track someone by scent?"

He was silent, unresponsive. How could he know? Did he still have some of the old Sorcerer's magical instincts?

"I didn't mean to scare you!" Peddler took a step back "But you were totally focused walking with your eyes closed, for a moment I thought you were..."

He hesitated. He should take it easy, if he wanted to redeem himself, he couldn't go around asking which of the students was probably the Ninja who defeated him, but those blue eyes, his voice, his sense of justice in defending him before the class and the company of the Weinerman kid who was always around, his best guess was that Randy Cunningham was the Norrisville Ninja.

"Were what?" the boy asked, waking him from his thoughts.

"Boy…" he took a deep breath "Why did you defend me even though you knew who I was and what I did?"

"I've seen a lot of high school people turn into monsters, good people who, scared, lose hope. You don't look anything like the Sorcerer, so for me it's like you're another victim of him."

He hoped the answer would be satisfactory, but he seemed to have hit a sore spot. The man took a deep breath:

“Can we talk somewhere else?" he asked. "There are a lot of people here in the canteen."

"Uh..." he looked at the table he was sitting on earlier, Howard was watching him from afar not knowing if he should go to him "I... I have class in a little while..."

"So after class?" He insisted

“I don't see why not." He forced a smile "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to get more meatballs for my friend who is waiting for me."

He left in a hurry, the break was about to end and he hadn't located the Sorceress yet, if she was even at school.

"Cunningham, what happened?" Asked the red-haired "And only managed to bring this?"

"I think he knows I'm the Ninja! He want to talk to me after class! What do I do?"

“He's harmless and powerless. Relax, man." he said while eating.

“Maybe he knows where she is or where she would go. I think the best thing to do is tell the truth."

“First see what he wants. From what I've heard my dad say, he's a guy totally alien to our world, he barely knows how to answer a cell phone and takes care of a sewer rat as if it were his pet."

“I'll be careful."

The bell rang to go back to the classrooms. Among the students, a beautiful girl very familiar.

Chapter Text

When classes were over, Randy and Howard headed to their lockers to put away their stuff. They spotted Mr Peddler in the hallway, he really didn't go unnoticed.

The taller took a deep breath, he had no idea what kind of conversation they would have, Howard would watch from afar.

"Mr Peddler?" Randy approached and called him "What did you want to tell me?"

The man looked around to make sure there was no one else, they went to the courtyard with the carp drawing drawn from the floor, where the Sorcerer's prison was, Howard followed them and hid behind a column so he wouldn't be seen.

“I know this is going to sound weird,” he said a little awkwardly. “But you're the Ninja, aren't you?"

More to the point than he realized, but at this point, he wouldn't gain anything by denying it.

"And if I am...?"

"Well, I…" he scratched his head "I know you've already rid this school of my evil, but I need help."

"But how can Ninja, who I still haven't said is me, help?"

“I've been having strange dreams since returning to my human form. I told Viceroy, he turned on machines in my head, but nothing seemed to give me the answer. I think only Ninja can save me."

"But what kind of dreams?"

"A... a woman..."

"Am I old enough to hear these dreams?"

“I think it's the Sorceress, but in another form."

Randy's eyes widened in surprise.

"Do you know where she is?"

"At first she came as a young student, in the last ones she was a beautiful woman, trying to use her charm to call me." He put his hands on his head, in panic "I think she wants me to be the Sorcerer again, but I don't want that!"

"Is she... is she in Norrisville? Escaped from Land of Shadows?"

"She used the same portal as the Ninja, entering the mouth of a beast, had an object of this dimension to locate herself..."

"Do not be afraid, the Ninja will protect you at all costs!" he put his hand on his shoulder "by the way, you're right." He whispered, bringing his index finger in front of his lips "I'm the Ninja, but don't tell anyone."

He quickly put on his mask, then started coughing:

“Man, I should wash this. I'd forgotten about the super sense of smell."

"Was it really the mask?" Mr Peddler looked distressed about something, the Ninja could smell a really strong horrible smell of rot with a hint of lavender. He looked in the direction from which he came, it was really a very beautiful woman who exuded an evil purple aura:

“Looks like we've finally met, dear." she smiled

"Leave me alone!" He crouched behind the Ninja with his hands on his head.

"Pathetic." She rolled her eyes, crossing her arms "All this time to break free and turn this depressing creature. I don't recognize you anymore."

“Hey, that wasn't cool!" Said the Ninja pulling out his nunchaku "He's a better person now!"

He advanced on her, but that smell was utterly unbearable for his keen sense of smell. She started shooting magic towards him:

"Do you have any idea how long I was languishing in that horrible place?" she said nervously. "I hoped you'd get me out of there when you got your freedom!"

"I..." Mr Peddler trembled "I'm sorry..."

"Do not apologize!" The Ninja jumped back "You didn't do anything wrong! Don't let her mess with your head!"

"Do not make me laugh!" said the Sorceress. "Do you really think someone like him can be accepted as a citizen after all he's done?" she fired at the masked man, who dodged it with his heels.

"She's right..." the man lowered his head "I don't deserve the city's forgiveness..."

She was getting what she wanted, her necklace of purple spheres glowed, smoke began to envelop the place:

"You are mine, Sorcerer! Surrender to power and let's fulfill our 800 year wish!"

"NO!" shouted the Ninja. "You must resist!"

The man fell to his knees, head down. He just thought about how no one would accept him and that he had disappointed the one who was once his great love.

"Mr Peddler!" Howard decided to appear, only he spoke from afar "you are not evil! My father believes in you! Mort Weinerman, remember?"

He lifted his head, he could remember a human who was nice to him. The Ninja fought for his cause, he needed to fight too. His determination freed him from that purple smoke, with a little difficulty, he got to his feet:

"I'm not going back to being the Sorcerer! I don't want to hurt anyone else!"

“Then you leave me no choice. " she replied, returned to her Sorceress form with her gray cloak, extended her hand with the palm facing forward "You will fall with this city!"

The Ninja drew his new sword and stood in front of the man, countering the magic that was fired:

"Your fight is with me, Sorceress!" He turned to Howard "Get out of here and take Mr. Peddler with you!"

"No need to ask twice!" The redhead ran to him and pulled him by the arm, leaving the courtyard free for the two to fight.

"Great irony!" laughed the Sorceress "Our last battle right where it all began! I will hold you here forever!"

"Not if I can help it!" he jumped over her "Fireball Tengu!"

He fired a flaming orb at her, which she narrowly dodged:

"I see you've evolved since our last fight, but you'll need a lot more than that to beat me!"

"If fire doesn't help, how about water? Hydro Hand!" He shot a jet of water at her, pushing her back.

It didn't hurt her, but it sure made her annoyed at being soaked:

"You're nothing but a brat!" She used her magic against him, and he jumped up and started running up the walls.

“I help you dry off with my Ninja Air Fist!"

He used a gust of wind that threw her to the other side of the wall, but she got up again:

"No matter how hard you try, you won't beat me! I am more powerful than the Sorcerer ever was!"

"He's no longer the Sorcerer, he just wants to live a normal life! Why don't you leave him alone?"

"If you're not on my side, then you're against me!" She replied "Do you have any idea what I went through to get out of the Land of Shadows? The long way to find the beast that contained the portal... I only got it thanks to that!" She pulled a small star-shaped badge that read 'Hero of the Day' from her sleeve. "This amulet helped me locate you!"

"Howard's star!"

"I never forgot that day when you were going to sacrifice yourself to save everyone and that damn friend of yours saved you!" She kept firing, getting close enough to grab his scarf. "I'm not just going to destroy you and Norrisville! First I will kill the ones you love right in front of you! You will have to lose everything, and then you will beg me to die!"

"won't work your plan

dodge Earth Attack if you can"

"What?"

The ground began to shake:

"I will escape from your hand

and block you with a column of sand!"

A column appeared in their midst, which made her drop his scarf and gave him a chance to walk away:

"I'm free, I want to see how long..." he grumbled, he needed some strategy to win. He hoped Howard was already gone, he would never forgive himself if something happened to his best friend.

At the moment he was going to use the stealth ability, as he always knew where she was by her scent, but she would have a hard time finding him.

"Fool!" she exclaimed "I don't need to look for you! I can make you come to me!"

She went off in the direction where the ex-sorcerer had fled with the little red-haired boy. He couldn't allow her to reach them, he used the lace scarf to tie her foot and knock her to the ground:

"I already told you that your fight is with me!"

She grabbed the scarf in her hands and pulled it off, throwing the hero off balance.

"Maybe it wasn't my best plan..."

She stood up, held onto her necklace of purple spheres, concentrating more of her power:

“You're finished, Ninja!

"Tengu Fireball!" He fired at her once more, hitting her squarely and burning her cloak. She lost her concentration trying to put out the fire, it was his chance to throw his ninja discs, hitting the necklace so that it released it from her neck, then with his new sword he destroyed the magic spheres, releasing purple smoke.

"NO!" she yelled. "MY POWERS!"

That horrible form of Sorceress was disappearing, leaving only an ordinary woman, only, unlike Mr. Peddler, she didn't seem regretful:

"You... You're a bastard! What did you do to me?"

"I think this is you for real..." He was scratching his head, a little confused.

“I will never forgive you! You'll still feel Amanda Levay's wrath!"

"Maybe another day. I think the rest is up to the police now, my part as a Ninja is over.”

He wasn't quite sure what to do, then he heard the sound of someone clapping:

"Great job." said the Mysterious Cowboy. "I knew you could do it."

"And did you see it all?"

“I'm always watching." He adjusted his hat "You can let me take care of her, you can go after your friends."

"Are you sure? I'm not going to lie, I thought it was now that you erased my mind."

“After graduation, kid. In the meantime, enjoy your time." he winked

The Ninja nodded, for the moment he just wanted to meet with Howard and Mr. Peddler and make sure they were okay, if need be, use a "Art of healing".

he disappeared with his smoke bomb

Chapter Text

Randy went to meet Howard and Mr. Peddler as they went to the field behind the school. The redhead got scared when he came across the Ninja:

"Why are you here? And the Sorceress?"

“That sinister Cowboy will take care of her now that she no longer has her powers."

"Amanda..." the ex-sorcerer sighed. "And to think I've liked her in the past..."

"Don't be like that, sir." the Ninja patted him on the back "She wasn't a flower to be smelled. Even without her powers, it didn't strike she as a trapped soul like yours."

"Her powers were different from mine... When I met her, she was already that Sorceress."

“I think with that my ninja mission is officially over."

"Wait!" said Howard. "So now you won't have to fight or do anything dangerous?"

"Exactly."

"But aren't you also going to do the nice things you always do?"

"Well, yes..."

"And will you have to go through the process of erasing your memories?"

"Howard, stop! I hadn't stopped to think about it!"

"What are you talking about?" asked Mr Peddler, confused.

"When a Ninja ends his legacy, his mind is erased and his knowledge is stored in the NinjaNomicon to be passed on to the next." explained the masked boy

"But why do you have to forget everything?" asked the man

"So as not to go mad with power, as has happened before. And the identity needs to be secret to protect everyone."

"So none of the Ninjas I've faced throughout my life remember anything they did?"

"Well, yes. In fact, nobody knows that there are several ninjas."

"Which is kind of obvious," Howard commented, "since the last ninja was big and strong and Cunningham is no example of an athlete."

"Said the guy with the delicate hands who already tried to impersonate Ninja." Randy joked

"But I know who you are," said the former Sorcerer. "What will happen? I can't let them erase my memories, no matter how terrible they are, because it's the only way I can redeem myself for what I've done in the past."

“Your desire to be a better person is already a big step." Said the masked "If you stay here at the school I know you can do great things."

“I thank you once again, Ninja." the man bowed "I will never forget what you did for me."

"Cunningham, can we talk?" Howard called

"Of course buddy."

"Alone."

He looked at Mr. Peddler, who got the message. Now with the danger neutralized, he could focus on his new life. He would go to the janitor to ask for more tasks.

"What is it, Howard?"

“I don't know what it's going to be like without the ninja thing."

“Only after graduation. We have more time until then."

“And I have an idea of what we can do."

"I can't use my powers for useless things, you know, 'If you abuse the power, you lose the power'."

“But even the Nomicon will have to agree with me."

“This one I want to see."

The redhead told him his idea, he wanted it to be perfect, since after graduating life would be totally different.

Time passed, Mr. Peddler was promoted from janitor to general assistant, the new generations who studied at the college didn't need to fear the attacks of the Sorcerer, and now that he was absent, McFist didn't send any robots anymore.

Life went on in complete peace, Amanda Levay was behind bars, without her powers she no longer offered any danger.

The day of the long-awaited graduation arrived, where they would finally say goodbye to Norrisville High and be on their way to college or a job.

As they tossed their graduating hats in the air, Randy reflected on everything he's been through in those four years, the adventures he's lived, everything he's learned not only as a ninja but as a person. Howard smiled, he would always be by his side.

When the ceremony ended, the Mysterious Cowboy was waiting for it to close.

"Want to say something before you do this?"

The boy denied it, he had already completed what he had planned. The man took the Nomicon in hand and opened it, Randy's soul entered and walked down the long hallway to the Ultimate Lesson.

“I thank you for everything, Nomicon."

He entered the door willingly.

When he woke up, he was in his room, not quite sure how he got out of graduation and left. Howard was beside him eating cereal.

“At last you woke up."

"What happened? How did I get here?"

“They left you a gift and I promised not to see you until you wake up."

"Gift?"

The box was already open, the redhead had certainly stirred it in his sleep. It was a videotape.

"What is this thing?"

"Let's just watch it soon!"

"And who sent this?"

"Cunningham, never mind!"

The taller shrugged his shoulders, he was curious about that. He put it on the TV, it looked like some kind of home video, but he was surprised when Ninja appeared on the screen.

"Is it the Ninja?" He asked

"Ninja!" Howard celebrated

They watched together:

"Hello my friends!" He spoke to the camera "That's right, it's me, the Ninja. I recorded this message for you guys because I'm going out of town for a while and I know that Randy Cunningham and Howard Weinerman are my biggest fans." looked up "are you sure? I think I want to record again."

"Just go!" A voice whispered in the background.

"Well, I mean you two were very important to my victory against the Sorcerer, and if you're a little confused, well, I couldn't let anyone remember who I am, or who I was, so I had to use my ninja powers. 'Ninja Powers'? Seriously Howa..."

"Don't say my name on the recording! We won't understand anything when we watch it!"

"I know! I think it was better to record again."

A cut-scene, the Ninja was seated again:

"Are you sure you deleted the previous one?"

"We'll worry about that later!"

"But you will forget!"

"No, I won't!"

"Stop recording!" he got up "give me this!"

There was one more cut, Randy and Howard looked at each other

“Hi, dear Norrisville students. I recorded this message to say goodbye and thank you for everything. Remember, there is a Ninja inside each of us, and even without your mask, remember to always be good. I trust you, Randy Cunningham.”

There was some laughter in the background before the recording was cut for good.

The two were silent for a while, then cheered:

"Ninja made a video for us!" Randy said "He knows our names!"

"This is the coolest thing that ever happened in my life!" Howard said excitedly.

They rewind to watch it again.

The Mysterious Cowboy watched from the window, it really seemed to be the best way out, because even without being the Ninja anymore, he had all the merits for being the hero who saved Norrisville.