I've recently reached 50 followers and I thought I would write a one-shot to celebrate.

Just so you guys don't get confused I thought about initially announcing this . . .

Zane is an android and a ninja, he's called a nindroid.

Pixal is an android and a samurai so she is a . . . . *drumroll*

🌟SAMUROID🌟

I'm gonna call her that and there's nothing you can do to stop me!
Mwuahahahaha!

Okay, sorry. I'm gonna stop now.
〜(꒪꒳꒪)〜

Anyway, this story is inspired by a comment I read somewhere made by stormysky-. She had said that she would love to see some Cyrus Borg and Pixal bonding in the show so I thought why not!
Thank you for unintentionally giving me the idea for this one-shot.
She is an awesome writer and I would suggest you check out her stories.

Now, let's start.
And have some candy! 🍭
_______________________________________

"Come on, Pix! We don't have much time! This could be disastrous!" the Master of Fire screamed, pulling at the spikes of his styled hair.

Lloyd nervously bit his nails and would've even chewed off his hand if Pixal hadn't been there to save the day.
"Don't tell me it won't work anymore. I won't be able to sleep soundly knowing we lost it!"

"Hurry! If you don't do this, the world as we know it will be doomed! You heard me! Doomed!" Jay yelled. He was practically hanging from Cole's neck as he attempted to find support since his legs were shaking due to the impending "doom" that was about to befall them.

Cole, though irritated with the way the blue ninja was strangling him, didn't pay much attention to it. Instead, he yelled encouragement at the samuroid.
"You can do this Pixal! I believe in you! Do it for me! For Zane! For Ninjago!"

"Done!" Pixal said, rising from her hunched position. The Ninja with the exception of Zane and Nya (who weren't in the room at the moment) all gave a collective sigh of relief.

Pixal took a few steps back, making space for herself between Lloyd and Kai and smiled at the boys.

"Testing," she announced, pushing a button. They all gazed hopefully at the blank TV screen. After a few seconds, the screen glowed white before turning dark green. Theme music poured out of the speakers as the green colour dissolved into a scenery of an arena. The words "Fist to Face 2" flew out of nowhere and displayed themselves on the screen with the usual "Start" blinking below it.

The Ninja cheered and whooped. Jay hugged Cole and cried fake tears while the black ninja patted him on the back.

"Your game console is fully operational and despite Jay's constant complaining, no data seems to be lost. Meaning your 'hardwork' was retained," Pixal stated happily, handing the controller to Kai.

"Thanks, Pixal. You're a life saver," he said, quickly visiting the "Hall of Fame" to make sure his highscores were still the highest.

They had been playing all morning and hadn't completed a single task which Master Wu had left them. The wizened master had had enough of that and wasn't going to put up with it any longer. He'd stormed over to the TV and had ripped out the plug along with the game cords. Still in a rage, he had hit the console with his staff a few times to show that he meant business.

It wasn't until after they had done all the work assigned to them did they find out that their game had completely shut down and would not turn on. Since Zane was busy cooking, Nya was helping Misako shelf the library scrolls and Jay refused to tamper with it (lest he made it worse), they had called upon Pixal; their only hope.

The sweet, helpful samurai had agreed and fixed it. Now the Ninja decided that they would quickly play a few more rounds before Master Wu was done with his meditation and then they would get back to training.

"You did it again, Pix," Cole beamed, slinking an arm around the female robot. "What would we do without you?"

Pixal folded her gloved hands and smiled politely. "This wasn't really the sort of job that required immediate attention. But, as you know, I'm always happy to help lazy friends who waste precious time that ought to be utilized in helping around the monastery or patrolling the city."

Cole's smile faltered as he removed his arm from around her and looked the other way, blushing.
"We don't waste our time, Miss Samurai X. Recreation and entertainment is important in order to maintain one's interest in his daily activities."

Jay took up a controller and sat down next to Lloyd on the sofa. The different coloured lights from the screen danced on his face as his fingers rapidly pressed the buttons.
"Dirtclod's right. Who would want to do anything in life if there isn't a break or free time to look forward to?"

Pixal tried to make sense of how wasting time on video games was helpful in achieving one's life goals before Misako walked in and addressed her.

"Pixal dear, there is a call for you from Mr. Borg. If you're busy, would you like me to put him on hold or tell him to call later?"

"There won't be any need for that. I'll be there shortly," the samurai replied.
She waved at the boys who thanked her once more before engrossing themselves in their newly fixed game.
She followed Misako out into the hall and towards the telephone.

"Why does he want to talk with me? He usually calls for the Ninja or Master Wu. He hasn't needed my assistance in a long time."

Misako handed her the receiver, a hand over the mouth piece. "Maybe this time he does," the woman whispered, smiling. "He did not inform me of the reason for his call but he wants to talk with you. He said it's a matter of utmost urgency."

Saying this, Misako left for the library once more. Pixal raised the receiver to her ear and said, "Hello?"

"Ah! Pixal, my wonderful creation! How are you?" Cyrus Borg's voice crackled out of the speaker.

"I'm fine. Thank you."

"I hope everything is well and you're not putting yourself in too much danger. The city's been buzzing about how Samurai X beat the Pre-eminent and almost got fried in electric cables," Cyrus said, concern creeping into his voice.

Pixal smiled and shook her head even though she knew that her maker couldn't see it. She wondered why he was inquiring about her safety. Sure a person would want to make sure that his "things" were safe and out of harm's way but this seemed different. Cyrus had never before asked about the well being of his hand-made creations. At least never when she worked for him years ago. It almost sounded . . . fatherly.

"I can assure you that I'm perfectly fine. Besides, as Samurai X, it is my duty to rush into danger and protect those who cannot protect themselves," Pixal replied, standing straight with dignity.

Cyrus Borg gave a cheery laugh. "That's my girl. I always knew you would turn out better than I expected when I made you. Oh, that reminds me about why I called you in the first place. I can be so forgetful at times,"
he said, chuckling once more.

Curious again, Pixal leaned against the wall, one arm folded under the one holding the receiver. "What is it? Is everything alright?"

"Oh, yes. Everything's fine. I just wanted you to come home."

Pixal furrowed her silver eyebrows.
"Home?"

"Yes, yes. Home. Borg Tower. We haven't talked properly in a long time. I just thought we could share with each other what's been going on in our separate lives. I also wanted to show you something," Cyrus Borg said, getting excited.

"So you want me to come back to Borg Tower just so we can talk? There isn't any work I can help you with?"

"Oh, Pixal. You're no longer my assistant. You're a samurai! I understand if you don't want to come. You're services are much needed at the monastery. I know you'd rather spend time with your fighting partners than with a crazy old inventor."

Disappointment seemed to be replacing the excitement in his voice. Pixal sensed it and quickly attempted to make things right.

"Mr. Borg, you are an inventor and a wonderful one at that. But you are also my maker. It is not possible that you ask a favour of me and I would not oblige. I'll be home in approximately ten minutes."

Pixal could practically feel the man's happiness at these words. He told her to hurry and that he would be waiting for her. He said a hearty goodbye and hung up.

The female samuroid quickly rushed into the living room where the Ninja were still playing video games now joined by Zane and Nya.

"Zane, I'm leaving for Borg Tower. Is there anything you need me for? I want to get all the work done here before I go," she informed the Master of Ice.

He turned around to face her as did the other ninja.
"Why? Is everything okay? Should I come along?"

She looked at the ground, confusion evident on her face. "It is . . . unclear to me. My fa- I mean, my friend, Cyrus Borg, has simply requested that I visit him. There is no emergency or danger. He wants to have a regular conversation with me. He also wants to show me something."

Something Pixal almost let slip brought Lloyd to attention. He could've just imagined it. Maybe he wasn't really paying attention to the samurai's confused ramble. But he was so sure he almost heard her say the "father-word" which he wished he could say once more and without shame.

Zane smiled kindly. "Well, if it's something Cyrus Borg wants to discuss with you then you should go."

"Of course. I'll be back as soon as possible."

Pixal ran out of the room and began searching for her Samurai X helmet. She found it and was about to put it on when Lloyd tapped her on the shoulder.

"Hello, Lloyd," she said happily.

The Green Ninja looked back at the living room over his shoulder where the grunts of the game avatars and the cheers of his friends could be heard. He turned back to face the samurai.

"Uh, Pixal. I just wanted to say that . . . you don't have to hurry back. Spend as much time with him as possible. I lost in this field. Most of us did. I don't want you to lose too."

Pixal stood silent, waiting for Lloyd to continue. She wasn't really sure what he was on about but she knew it was some sort of advice and it had to do with her creator.

"All I'm trying to say is don't take it for granted. Because once they leave, they never come back and no one can take their place. They're irreplaceable."

Silence reigned for a while before Lloyd cleared his throat and chuckled.
"So, be back soon . . . uh, don't be back soon . . . no, I mean, it's not that I don't want you to . . ."
Lloyd sighed and face-palmed. "You know what I mean," he added sheepishly.

Pixal giggled as the blonde stumbled over his words. "Yes, I do know what you mean."

She beamed and went to get into her Samurai X suit, leaving Lloyd standing in the hall, smiling at his own stupidity.
_______________________________________

"Good afternoon," Pixal greeted the woman at the reception. The woman nodded and smiled sweetly.

"You must be here for Mr. Borg. He is expecting you," she said.

"Where can I find him?" the samurai asked.

The woman quickly scribbled something on her clipboard before pointing upwards with her pen. "He's on the 100th floor."

"Thank you."

Pixal turned around. Behind her, she could hear the woman speaking into her microphone, "Please inform Mr Borg that his guest has arrived."

Pixal crossed the lobby and made her way towards the elevator. She spun around as she looked at her "home". She hadn't been here since she went inside Zane's head.

Every time she met Cyrus, it was always outside Borg Tower. She remembered that the lobby and mezzanine floor were like any other building with the usual potted plants, sofas and fountains. It was the upper floors that would take your breath away. At least of the tech loving folks.

The elevator dinged as the doors slid open to reveal a hallway lit with LED lights. Pixal's footsteps echoed as she quickly made her way towards the end of the hall where the door to her destination stood.

The double doors slid in their respective directions with a sigh. They closed behind the robot as she stepped into a dark room. Apart from the tiny, blinking lights of the monitors, the room was pitch black.

Her metal heart raced as she called out her creator's name, her voice echoing throughout the area.

"Mr. Borg? Are you alright? Hello? Mr. Borg?"

Suddenly a thud reverberated through the room. Pixal had to shield her eyes as it became brighter than day.

"Surprise!" a cheery voice yelled.

Pixal opened her glowing green eyes and gasped. There were fairy lights hanging from the ceiling to the floor, firecrackers going off inside the room, hundreds of helium balloons (with the Borg Industries logo on it) jumping out of nowhere and multi-coloured strobe lights illuminating a tall panel on which was written in gigantic purple neon lights:

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY"

Pixal took in all this with her mouth wide open. It felt like her systems were going haywire at the magnificence of the entire premises.
She looked to her right to find Cyrus Borg coming towards her on his wheelchair, smiling excitedly, his cheeks flushed.

"Happy Birthday, Pixal!" he wished, leaning forward and shaking her hand.

"Mr. Borg, what . . ." the samurai trailed off, looking around the room once more. As if on cue, her memory kicked in as the date "18th June" came flashing before her eyes.

She looked down at the beaming, bespectacled man, her vocal mechanism unable to speak. Finally, she blurted out, "You remembered!"

"Oh, yes I did!" He chuckled, wheeling himself over to a cluttered desk. "You thought I would forget?"

If an android could blush, Pixal would be red as a tomato. "I just did not expect you to memorize the date of my manufacture's completion," she said in a low voice as if she was shy about the whole thing.

In truth, she was. She had never been unable to meet anyone's eyes (not even Zane's) the way she was now. She kept her glowing eyes low with her head bowed a little and hands folded over her navy blue suit.
She could see her feeble reflection on the squeaky clean, marbled floor along with the golden glint of her shoulder pads which shone under the thousands of lights set up for her "birthday".

Cyrus Borg smiled kindly as he saw his former assistant standing with respect, eyes low. "Why would you say that?" the inventor asked, a mild curiosity in his voice.

The samurai fidgeted with her gloved fingers before replying, "You've never done anything of this sort for the other humanoid robots you've made. Why m-"

"Because you are special, my girl," Borg said. "And because I'm very proud of you."

My girl.

Those words kept repeating themselves in her ears. She remembered the conversation she had with him over the phone. How fatherly he sounded when he asked of her safety. And did he just say that he was proud of her?

"You are?" she asked, slowly lifting her gaze to meet his.

"Of course!" the man exclaimed happily. "Who isn't proud of their creation who exceeds expectations and promises to protect the weak and innocent?"

"But I'm nothing but a machine."

Cyrus Borg sighed as he picked up a cloth. He took off his glasses and cleaned them for a few seconds before putting them back on.

"Never let me hear you say that, Pixal," he said slowly but not angrily.
"Don't you think Dr. Julien was proud of Zane for what he's doing for Ninjago?"

Pixal couldn't see why he asked this question. Of course, Dr. Julien was proud of Zane. He was his father after all.

"Yes, he was. Very much, considering how lovingly Zane talks of him," she replied. "But, Mr. Borg, Zane was built to protect those who cannot protect themselves! I was made to . . . um, assist those who could not, uh . . . assist . . . themselves," she added, quite unsure of what she was saying.

Her creator chuckled again. "Oh, Pixal! You may not have been built to protect but you made that choice for yourself. Look at what you are right now. A hero!"

Pixal smiled shyly, intertwining the fingers of her right hand with her left. Her purple details seemed to glow.

"You have a brain to think, a heart to feel, common sense to make the right decisions and imagination to feel confident even when those decisions do turn out to be wrong," Cyrus continued, "and if those things don't make a person human, I don't know what does."

The samurai said nothing. She wasn't sure what to say. She had never been in this situation before and her database had no back-up information on it either. How was she to react to all this?

Cyrus Borg, not noticing the reply of silence from the samuroid, moved aside a stack of files and picked up what looked like a remote control complete with buttons and a pull-out antenna.

"Since it's your birthday, it seems only fitting that you receive a birthday present as well," he said, pulling at the antenna, making it longer.

Pixal looked at him, appalled. Did she hear him correctly or were her hearing devices malfunctioning? She couldn't believe he went and got her a . . .

"Birthday present?" the samurai asked, unsure whether her creator was pulling her leg or not.

Borg was fumbling with the various dials on the remote, not clearly paying attention to the shocked tone in the samurai's voice. "Yes, of course. Don't kids receive presents on their special day?"

It was a simple question. It was so simple even a two year-old could answer it without hesitation but this highly skilled female android equipped with incredible knowledge couldn't without being confused. If Borg was comparing the current situation with a child recieving a present then what was he trying to say? That she was a kid?

"Yes, they do."

Cyrus didn't respond. Instead he pushed a button on the remote. Nothing happened for awhile and Pixal was about to ask if the remote had some malfunctions or not. However, before she could say anything, a loud squawk was heard. Both inventor and samuroid looked up to see a winged creature of blue descending down on them in circles.

Pixal stepped back as the creature finally landed on the armrest of Borg's wheelchair. That's when she realized what it was. It was a bird. It had blue feathers covering every inch of its body with a black curved beak and gray talons. She scanned it.

"It is an Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus, commonly known as the hyacinth macaw or in simpler terms, the blue macaw," she read out the information stored in her database. "It is one metre long and exceeds the length of all types of parrots."

Cyrus Borg chuckled and stroked the macaw's blue feathers. "And it's your birthday present."

The samurai couldn't help but smile. "Really?"

"Yes! I know you find blue macaws interesting," Borg replied, picking up the bird so that it was perched upon his finger. He gave his hand a jerk causing the bird to fly and head for the female robot.

Pixal didn't step back nor did she flinch. Instead she extended her arm, allowing the macaw to land there. She too advanced to stroke its feathers. "It's made of metal," she said in astonishment, feeling the hard surface beneath the plumage.

The bird squawked in reply as if to say, "I am!"

"Oh yes!" Cyrus said, wheeling closer to Pixal. "Zane once told me how much you admired his falcon. I figured you would like a winged friend of your own. So here you are!"

Pixal looked closely at the macaw, detecting gears, wires and circuits underneath the metal covering. She smiled again.

"It's only just a present for you to have," the man continued. "I'm afraid it's not fit for missions and similar things like Zane's falcon is. But if you want I can redesign it to your liking later on."

Pixal shook her head. "No, it's fine. I like it." She couldn't believe how much Cyrus had done for her. How much he knew of her interests. A very common trait of a . . . parent.

"Mr. Borg," she began, "I really don't know what to say. I never expected all this. The elaborately setup room, the balloons, the present . . ." Pixal seemed to be at a loss for words. She went through her collection of words to express her gratefulness.

"Thank you!" she said finally.

The bespectacled man simply smiled and took her hand as the macaw shifted onto her golden shoulder pad. He looked up at her through his glasses. "You're welcome, my dear. I just wanted you to know how much I care about you. How much I'm thankful that you are here. You're irreplaceable."

Pixal suddenly remembered what Lloyd had said. She realized what he meant when he said that he had lost in this field. He had lost his father. He doesn't want her to lose one too.

"Are you okay, Pixal? You seem distant."

Borg's voice brought her back to reality. Should she ask him about the thing that was troubling her since he called this afternoon? She wished Zane was here with her right now. He would know what to do.

"Mr. Borg?"

"Hm?"

"All this that you've done," she said, gesturing around at the room, "is what a . . . parent does for their . . . child."

"Yes?" Borg said, waiting for her to continue.

Pixal hesitated before asking. She could feel the the macaw's claws tightening on her shoulder. The way Zane tightens his fingers around hers to reassure her.

"But . . . you are not my parent. Then why . . ." she trailed off.

Cyrus Borg looked down to his lap where the remote lay. He sighed sadly.
"I may not be considered a parent by you, Pixal. But I've always thought of you as my daughter."

"You . . . have?" she asked, not believing her ears.

A smile tugged at the ends of Borg's lips as he looked at her once more. "Don't you want me to be your father?"

She stopped and stood still. She pondered. She would be a daughter. She would have a father. She would finally have a family to go back to. Like Garmadon. Like Wu and Misako. Like Mr and Mrs Walker. Like Ray and Maya. Like Lou, the Royal Blacksmith. Like Dr. Julien. She would belong to someone. She would be . . . Pixal Borg.

Spend as much time with him as possible.

Don't take him for granted.

Because once they leave, they never come back and no one can take their place.

They're irreplaceable.

"I would . . . love to have you as my father."

The words were only out of her mouth when she ran forward (causing her 'present' to squawk in surprise and fly off) and threw her arms around Cyrus Borg. He chuckled and reciprocated the gesture.

"I love you . . . Father."

"I love you as well, Pixal."

The samuroid stepped back and looked at her beaming creator. "Your serotonin neurotransmitter levels have elevated. You are happy," she stated, scanning him.

"I am! I truly am, Pixal." Cyrus Borg was not just happy. He was ridiculously happy. He could finally call someone his own. He could finally be a proud father. He was a father. And his daughter loved him.

He took hold of the samurai's gloved hands. "You are P.I.X.A.L. The 'Perfectly Incomparable X-traordinarily Amazing Light-of-my-life'!"

Pixal beamed as her purple details started to glow even brighter than before. "And you are not Mr. Borg anymore. Now, you are my father and, even though we're different, we are still compatible."

"Yes, we are. We are complete in our family of two," her 'father' said.

"Binary," Pixal completed for him.

A very indignant squawk caused them to turn around. There they saw the blue macaw sitting on a monitor, probably waiting to be included in this family gathering.

"And I could never forget you, my new little friend," Pixal said happily as the bird flew and rested on her shoulder once more.
She was happy and she was complete. She laughed internally as she remembered something Jay used to say.

It takes two to tango.

Binary.
_______________________________________

"Hey Pixal!" Lloyd yelled as the samuroid entered through the gates of the monastery. "How was your visit?"

Pixal waved as she approached him.
"It was lovely. Very unusual and unexpected but lovely."

The Green Ninja raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean unexpected? And who's the bird?"

Pixal smiled as she turned to see her blue friend perched on her shoulder. It simply squawked and tilted its head, eyeing Lloyd with interest.

"Would you like me to explain?" she offered to which Lloyd nodded.

They both walked forward and sat down on the wooden porch of the monastery. The macaw made a noise and flew to the roof.

"I usually tell Zane things of this sort but since you seemed to have an inkling of what was about to happen, I feel I should start with you," the samurai began.

"Today . . . is my birthday and the hyacinth macaw is my birthday present. I am now Perfectly Incomparable X-traordinarily Amazing Light-of-Borg's-life or P.I.X.A.L for short. I now have a father and I'm very proud of him." She said this so quickly that Lloyd stared at her like a confused cow.

Then he yelled, "What?! Today was your birthday and you didn't tell me?!"

"I didn't know it either until today," Pixal said, trying to defend herself.

"And you changed your name!" Lloyd shouted disbelievingly. "Pixal, do you know what the number one rule is of being a part of this team?"

The samuroid replied without hesitation, "Not to eat a cake with Cole's name on it?"

Lloyd looked at her like she was crazy. "What? Who passed that rule?"

"Cole did."

"Well, no. It's to tell the others important things about yourself."

Pixal looked confused. "That is our first rule?"

The blonde tried to say something but he shrugged it away. "Not really. But it's just as important as whatever our first rule is."

"No wonder Master Wu is mad at us. Our leader isn't even sure what the first rule is," the samuroid said, smirking.

Lloyd blushed. "It's 'Ninja never quit', okay!" he yelled.

"There is no need to be aggressive about it. I was simply 'roasting' you as Jay would say," the robot said, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Lloyd shook his head. "Whatever. Now, come on! We gotta tell the others."

He grabbed Pixal's hand and pulled her inside. He found the other Ninja mopping and cleaning the floors (Wu had discovered that they were slacking off again) and yelled, "Guess who's birthday it is today?"

The cheering and clapping and the singing of the "Happy Birthday" song that followed after Lloyd's announcement could be heard all the way down the mountain.

Sure this was Pixal's weird new family but the one that was always there at the place called home will forever have a special place in her heart even when he's gone. They would be the perfect two.

Binary.
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Wow, it turned out longer than expected. Well, I hope you liked it. Don't forget to vote and comment! And also don't forget to wish Pixal happy birthday!

Anyway, the awesome cover is by LuckyBugBooks. Thank you so much! Go follow her if you haven't and check out her stories.

Have some candy! 🍭