When I first touched you, I could feel the sparks fly

You were always so mysterious,

And you made me curious

To see what type of girl was really hiding behind that smile.

~a Kailor tale~

Skylor had always intrigued me.

     The first time I ever saw her, all I could see was a mysteriously lovely girl biting back a smile. She was cloaked in thick fabric, hiding her identity behind the folds. Everything about her sparked my curiosity. Maybe it was her coldness when I tried to fight for her. Maybe it was the gleam in her eyes that never seemed to make sense. Maybe it was the way she talked and moved, acting so strange while I couldn't put a finger on why.

     I had been enraptured by her the minute I laid eyes on her, every inch of me wanting to know more about this secretive beauty.

     Her fighting was both graceful and cunning during the Tournament of Elements. She wasn't cold, yet she wasn't too friendly either. There was something off about her, and I could never figure out what. I wanted to know why she intrigued me. I wanted to know why she was so open to being friendly yet so closed off to anything more than a temporary truce.

     It turned out she was working for her father, who the was the villain who trapped us in the Tournament in the first place. As much as my heart hurt at finding that out, I couldn't help but admire her loyalty to those she loved, even when it went against her own values.

    It didn't help me own personal conflictions when she bargained for my life. Somewhere in that mysterious mind of hers, she actually saw something worth saving in me. I was the idiot who fell for her act, yet she still thought I was good enough to rescue. Skylor then went on to help me and my friends stop her father after he tried to steal her powers.

     She kept fighting for those she loved, even when she was turned into a hideous snake.

     There was a fire to her, a fire that was familiar. I had seen it in myself, and it was nice to finally find a soul where it matched. It made me wonder if our similar demeanors meant something more. 

     We had both been filled with adrenaline the day the battle was over. Our minds were clouded with excitement, which overcame logical thought. I had thought to myself that day that she, the girl I had only met a few days prior, was the answer to all my hopes and prayers. She was my other half, the one I needed to spend the rest of my life with. We could spend our days together when all this ninja business was done, laughing, hanging out, and having a great time.

     I tried to get her to join the team.

     She had the sense to refuse.

     She chose responsibility over frivolity, choosing a secure life over me.

     I shouldn't have been offended, but I was being stupid that day.

     I didn't see her much after that. The team was always so busy with villain after villain after villain that I never reached out. Soon, I gained back control over the infatuations that had plagued me. Skylor was still an enigmatic girl I didn't know much about. She was an elemental master, and probably still an ally, but there wasn't more to us than that. She wasn't my soulmate; she was just an intriguing individual.

     At least, I had thought that was what she was. When I started to suspect my father was working with the Time Twins, I needed to explain the situation to someone. Nya was preoccupied with the whole Samurai X ordeal, and all of my friends would just pat me on the back and tell me it was going to be okay. I needed someone who understood me. And when my mind went to her, it started a cycle I couldn't undo, no matter how much I tried.

     Skylor understood my pain. She did agree to meet us and gave me calm comfort on the situation I was going through. I never realized how much I wanted to stay with her until Nya dragged me away.

     There was something about that mysterious girl, something that made me want to pour out my troubles and listen to her voice over and over and over.

     The Time Twins stole our master. Master Wu was gone, and we weren't sure if we were ever going to see him again. Almost immediately, everyone split up to go and search for him. I wanted to help them, but there was something I needed to do even more.

     My parents had returned. I had practically worshiped them when I was a kid and was devastated when I thought they died. To see them again, alive and in the flesh, made me more than ecstatic. Finally, I was going to be able to have a set of parents in my life. Finally, I was going to have my family entirely back again.

     They left soon after Ray's recovery, claiming they needed to rest from the years of labor. They didn't want to join our adventures. They didn't want to spend time with me and Nya. They just wanted to get away from it all.

     And it broke me.

     Somewhere in that haze of grief, I had stumbled into Chen's Noodle House, propped an elbow on the counter, and asked Skylor if she'd like to accompany me to a fancy sushi restaurant downtown.

     She just stared at me. "Kai, you barely know me. Why are you interested all of a sudden?"

     "It's not all of the time someone this handsome asks someone out. If I were you, I'd be pretty honored right now." I ran a hand through my immaculate hair, causing her amber gaze to follow my hands.

     "Okay, but why?"

     I fumbled for an answer. Why had I even done it? Somewhere in the mess of losing someone I loved and being practically rejected by my parents I had thought of her. My brain had latched onto her vocal tones and connected Skylor with comfort. If I spent time with her, maybe the pain would go away.

     "I need to have some fun."

     That was the sentence that popped out of my mouth. All because I was too egotistical to say what I was really feeling.

     "Fun." Skylor repeated, her voice flat and emotionless. "You're asking me out because you want to have some fun."

     "Yes?" I replied, questioning my own methods. I must really be failing at being charming if she was this hesitant.

     "At the most expensive sushi restaurant in Ninjago City."

     "Where else would we go?" There was no way I had the money for that, but she didn't need to know those details. I was pretty sure I could convince my friends to help me pay for the night.

     Someone cleared their throat behind us.

     A waiter stood in front of a family, awaiting Skylor's instructions.

     She stepped out from behind the counter with enough grace to mesmerize me once again. I had to try and be charming, but for this girl, it was effortless.

     "Hello, I'm Skylor, and I'll be your host for this evening." She smiled at the family. "Just follow me to your table please."

     I frowned as she started to lead the family towards me, about to pass me into the restaurant beyond without answering my simple question. Then, she suddenly got close to my ear and whisper-hissed, "Go sit down at the fourth table to your right. Don't move; I'll be there in a second."

     I could only blink at the redhead as she led the family away.

     Skylor did not come to the table until many seconds had passed. Other waiters had brought me some soda and an extremely large plate of Puffy Potstickers while I was waiting. When Skylor did finally sit down, she had removed her apron and visor. Her eyes drooped with darkened circles beneath them, but she still managed to act perfectly awake.

     "You've got less than thirty minutes to spill, so be quick." Skylor instructed, helping herself to several of my potstickers.

     "This isn't exactly the date I had in mind, but if it's what you want—"

     "You need something from me. What do you want?"

     "What do you mean?" I casually played with a straw wrapper, trying not to appear too interested.

     "The only other time you've come to me was when you needed help. Do you need something now, or have you suddenly developed feelings for the rich girl?" She shoved a whole potsticker in her mouth to muffle the sourness in her tone.

     "Ouch," I messed with my hair again. "I'm not that shallow."

     "What's going on?"

     "Who says there is anything going on? Maybe I just wanted to take you out somewhere."

     "And maybe you think you're cleverly lying. You're not." She huffed. "You have some nerve asking me out and not being honest about it. I thought relationships were all about honesty."

     "I didn't think you were so eager to throw yourself at me, but if you want to get into a relationship no—"

     "Kai."

     "Fine." I exhaled, shoving my own potstickers into my mouth. As much as I hated to admit it, she did have a point. I wanted to spend time with her, yet I wasn't even willing to tell her why. I came to her to feel better, and the only way that was going to happen is if I stopped being so stubborn and opened up.

     "Master Wu is gone." I said quietly.

     Her eyes widened.

    "Not gone, gone; he's just vanished. As far as we know he's trapped somewhere in the temporal void. The others have started going to look for him, but we don't know if we'll ever see him again."

     "I'm sorry." She said.

    "It was supposed to be a brighter note, but my parents finally came back into my life. They just decided to leave me behind again. It... it hurts."

     I couldn't meet her eyes, so I just focused on eating the potstickers. Those things were good for melancholy discussions; I'm not sure why the company had ever decided to discontinue them so long ago.

     "Why did you come to me?" Skylor's voice was small, unsure.

     "I don't know," I groaned, "maybe it's because I think you get me. You had to deal with rejecting parents and losing your life. Somewhere in my mind I thought you might be a good person to talk to."

     "And that led to asking me out?"

     "Kind of?"

     She bit her lip, avoiding my eyes. "Are you asking me to distract you?"

     "To be completely honest, I just need some closure." I laughed awkwardly, trying to cool down my warming cheeks. I just overshared, didn't I? What was it about her that made me act like that? She was mysterious, yet she wanted to know the truth.

     She paused. "So, let me get this clear. You want to take me to a nice restaurant, so I can help you through work through the troubles of your life."

     "Sounds about right. Does seven work for you?" When she didn't respond, I leaned closer. "Please? You're probably the only one who knows about this. I just... need someone there with me... if you know what I'm saying? It's hard bearing the burden by yourself."

     Her fingers twitched. "Fine. I'll do it on one condition."

     "What would that be, dearest Sky?"

     "First," She pinned me to the booth with her flaring gaze, "quit stealing my food."

     I looked down to see I had indeed been grabbing her potstickers (which she had stolen from me) to shove into my mouth.

     "For a surprise but necessary second condition: no nicknames until the third date, which we will not be having."

     "Is there something special about the third date?"

     "I have a business meeting on the weekend which is going to last all morning. I can go that night."

     "It's a date." I cheered weakly.

     Her expression softened. "I really am sorry about what happened to your family. Just... don't make my life an angst-fest okay? I have enough to deal with."

     Skylor did meet me that weekend. Both of us decided almost immediately that the food at the sushi restaurant was too expensive and decided to eat at a pizza joint somewhere. We joked and laughed the whole time, eating too much pineapple pizza and running around the nearby mall. Barely any stressful or worrisome topics were mentioned, so we spent the date just simply having a good time.

     In fact, we had such a great time at the first date that she actually agreed to a second.

     It was strange, seeing how much of my life I could forget by spending an evening chatting with her. She talked a lot about her company, which was mostly hilarious customer stories; things that would have bored a normal person to death. However, she told them in such a way that I couldn't help but just be enraptured by every single word.

     The pain of my parents leaving me: gone.

     The pain of Master Wu not being there for us: gone.

     The constant stress of saving the world weighing on my back: gone.

     All because of her.

     I asked her to be my girlfriend on our third date (like she said I should), and she accepted my proposal with a joyful smile (like she said she would). I don't think a day passed after that where we didn't talk to each other. At first our conversations were half me talking about my hair, half her stress-dumping her business troubles onto my back. But, over time, I began to share more about my team's adventures. The hours spent on the phone, or simply taking a walk downtown, were something I looked forward to more than anything. Sure, I loved my friends and all, but they could be so loud sometimes.

     It wasn't long before the Sons of Garmadon struck.

     The events of life dragged us apart, and I didn't see her again for a long time. However, we had made it a habit to at least send one text nightly, and we both made up scenarios to fall back on if we weren't able to do it.

     If I wasn't able to text, it was because 'ninja business probably got me stuck in a place with no cellular data', and if she couldn't text, it was because 'her evil dad probably came back from the dead just to steal her phone.'

     I'd say getting stuck in the First Realm counted as 'ninja business'.

      After that whole ordeal was over, I was stuck helping out with rebuilding efforts. Ninjago City was a mess, and we had promised to help the city put it back together. I didn't see Skylor a lot then either. She was preparing a massive business maneuver that involved moving her headquarters to her father's island.

     He already had the buildings and factories set up. All we have to do is move in and perform a few renovations, she texted me one night, it will lessen the risk of HQ getting destroyed in another attack on Ninjago City.

     Don't you live at HQ though? I replied, saluting a few construction workers as I made my way over to my friends.

     Yeah...

     What's that going to mean for us? I hesitated, pressing the send button before I could change my mind. Jay saw my face before everyone else and started making obnoxious comments about my love life. I was forced to put my phone away so I could tackle him. Lloyd muttered something about us being immature, while Nya, Zane, and Cole watched on in amusement.

     It wasn't until much later when I saw her replies.

     Nothing is going to change between us, you weirdo.

     Kai?

     ...

     I'm still going to be visiting Ninjago, because I'm pretty sure there is also a big legal debate going on about colonizing my father's island. If I get permission to move there, then all of my factory workers are probably going to need to move there as well. This whole ordeal has the pro-colonization people all excited because they've been looking for an opportunity to push their agenda.

     Kai? Are you there?

     I guess I'll just assume you were cut off from cellular data.

     I stared at the messages, feeling something inside me twist. The Ninjago City officials would approve Skylor's request, since Master Chen's Noodle House was a huge money-making corporation in the Ninjago economy. Soon, Skylor would be shipped off to her own private island, and I'd be stuck here, cleaning up Garmadon's mess. Skylor and I had been long-distance for so long it felt natural. But was that the way we were always meant to be?

     Next time you come to our messy little city, meet me at that one pizza place next to the downtown plaza. You remember it, right? The place we ate on our first date...

     "We're both still pretty young." Skylor told me later that evening as we walked around the verdant plaza. She had covered her fiery hair with a very large sunhat, which made it hard to see her face. "It's completely normal to be busy with life."

     "Yeah, but what about in five years? Am I still going to have to spend every day away from you as I continue to save the city? It's not healthy for a relationship."

     "Wow," Skylor laughed. "No offense or anything, but you're handling this way more maturely than I have. To be honest, I've been so swamped with business stuff that I haven't put much thought into... er... a future..."

     "With me?" I nudged her arm. "It's not that hard. Imagine being able to see this amazing face every day."

     "You're hopeless."

    "It's why you love me."

     Skylor lifted the corner of her hat, shyly meeting my eyes. "You make my troubles disappear," she whispered, "I can forget about all the stress and just be happy for a few minutes."

     "I tend to have that effect on people."

     She laughed as we neared the large fountains that sat in the center of the plaza. The city had built them there to help stir attention away from the decay and towards beauty. Right as the sun was descending below the horizon, the water began to glow with artificial light. It sprinkled with golden beams as it swirled through the air, creating an almost magic-like feeling in the air.

     "Have you ever considered it, though?" I asked her as she held a hand out to catch the falling droplets. "Maybe having a future with me?"

     "I can't imagine one without you." Her voice was barely audible. "Our nightly talks are the only thing keeping me sane. It's easy to get lost in the people and papers and constant business meetings. Sometimes I wonder if I've aged too fast over the past couple of years. Everything is so complicated that I've had my hairdresser tell me I might grey early with stress."

     "Take a break." I suggested, reaching out to interlace our fingers.

     "You know I can't." Skylor stared at our hands. "Just like you can't take a break from your duties to the world."

     "We can do this." I murmured, stepping closer. "This is a break."

     She pressed our hands against her heart, smiling sadly. "I don't think you know how many strings I had to pull to be here. I've got at least three different lawyers mad at me now for being an 'immature teenager.'"

     "Tell me where they are, and I will personally change their minds."

     "Kai—"

     "Skylor."

     She rolled her eyes at my tone, pulling away to rub her arms for warmth.

    "It doesn't need to be a three-hour excursion twice a week." I said, not hesitating to drape my jacket around her shoulders. Sure, I was going to be cold now, but being the master of fire did have its perks. "Just one day, one day we can spend time together. At least promise me that."

     "I will if you will." She snapped baby flames over her fingers, using the heat from them to warm herself.

     I just stared at the sparks; I had forgotten she could do that. She grinned when she saw my expression.

     "It seems we have ourselves a deal." I said.

     The Oni invasion came and went, a simple problem that was cleared out of Ninjago in only a couple days. The only things they left behind were more reminders that Ninjago City should always be cautious of attacks, and mass destruction. My team and I spent so much time working with people to rebuild the chaos that I could barely remember anything from that timeframe other than Skylor's ever constant soothing words.

     It made me think about my life.

     I was trapped in a constant cycle of saving and working, trapped within a constant divide between my loyalty to my team and my loyalty to Skylor. If I stayed a Ninja for the rest of my life, then there would be no hope for Skylor and I ever settling down together. She would always be busy with her business; that would never change. It was my choice to decide whether I wanted to eventually go with her or stay with my friends.

     And if I didn't choose her, then it was best to end our relationship now.

     "Skylor, I think you need another factory worker."

     "Just one?" She asked, rubbing sunscreen on her arms. We had agreed to go to Mega Monster Amusement Park, since that was an easy escape from the still-rebuilding main city. Skylor burnt up like a crisp whenever she spent long periods of time in the sun, so her extremely large sunhat had returned to her floral attire.

     Somehow, she had managed to look both stylish and comfortable, which was stark contrast to my attire. I had gone so far as to wear a collared shirt just to look nice. I was probably going to regret that action later; amusements parks were the epitome of sweat and grime.

     "Well, to be a bit more specific on this guy's qualifications," I rambled on as I paced in front of the car. "I think he needs to be handsome. Probably the type that charms everyone he meets at first glan—"

     "What are you trying to tell me?" She closed her eyes as she massaged the cream into her face.

      "I... I want to learn how to work with you." I blurted out, not exactly meeting her eyes. If the others found out what I was about to do, they'd never stop teasing me about it.

      "What?" Her cheeks flushed as I lifted up the edges of her ridiculously large headwear.

     "I want to learn how to work alongside you; to learn how to handle taxes, stock values, and that type of business jargon. I want to lighten your stress, not only because I care about your personal health, but also because I love you."

     "What about—" Her breath caught as I took her hands in mine. "—what about being a Ninja?"

      "I've made up my mind, Skye. I want to work with you, I want to spend every day helping you through life—Skylor, I want to marry you."

      She squeaked in surprise as I dropped to my knees. "Even though it'll be impossible to say no to this face, I'm still going to ask. Skylor, will you marry me?"

     "Marry you?" Her face, despite the cream, was redder than her hair. "Now?!"

     I blinked.

     "I mean, you want to learn how to be a manager... and if we're married then I guess I'll have to promote you to my co-owner... which requires a lot a lot of training to do properly... not to mention you literally just told me you want to give up your life... oh my goodness, Kai, I never saw this coming—"

     "Hold up," I held up my hands, slowly standing up to her level. "I didn't mean to throw you into panic mode."

     "You don't know how long I've dreamed for you to ask me this." She said from behind her hands. "It's just going to take so much work and time and effort..."

     I was still trying to figure out whether she had technically given me a yes or no. By the time I had started focusing on reality again, she was staring at me with an expectant look.

     "Um, yes?" I said, really hoping she had just asked a question.

     Skylor snorted in amusement, finally tossing her bottle of sunscreen in the car's back door and locking it shut. "Good gravy you know how to distract me."

     "I'm really confused right now."

     "I guess I..." She paused, scuffing the ground with her sandals. "I want to marry you, Kai—"

     "But..."

    "—but I don't think I can do it right now. I'd like you to at least get some experience working in my position before you agree to work it for the rest of your life. It's a lot of responsibility, and you only have a high school degree."

     I smiled when I caught onto the meaning of her words, hooking one of my arms around hers. "Does that mean I just landed myself a job?"

     She finally surrendered her own grin, leaning her head on my arm as we walked up to the entrance. "Yes, Kai. I think it does."

     We plotted out a schedule for my training, which involved me taking a lot of breaks from 'ninja business'. The city had pretty much taken care of the Oni's destruction; my friends spent their time lounging around the monastery. My long trips to the island caused me to lose muscle mass as my ninja exercises were replaced with endless math and leadership experience.

     By the time my seven am to nine pm daily shift was over, and Skylor had arrived in the dinner hall to eat her usual nine-thirty meal, I realized that neither of us really had the energy to do anything other than go our separate ways and collapse into the few hours of rest we'd get before the next day. Each day made me even more tired than the one before. It took all my willpower to not yell at every single official who constantly pointed out my mistakes. Life was hard, and not being able to talk to my fiancée that much was making everything worse. I ended up using the 'one day I'm going to be promoted to your boss' line to get some of Skylor's schedulers to let us have some alone time during dinner. We ended up stuffing our faces on the lavish sofas in the guest rooms, simply leaning on each other as a silly tv program played.

     We didn't need to talk, we just needed each other's presence.

     It was during this time that I didn't need Skylor to explain how she was feeling. She was no longer mysterious to me. Our relationship was open and honest, so we didn't need endless conversation to give each other comfort.

     Despite each and every day being some of the most mentally challenging I'd ever experienced, I wouldn't trade this life for anything.

     Next thing I knew, I was released from my training for a week's break, a week in which my team decided it was time to go 'adventure seeking' because we were all 'getting soft'. An accident in a pyramid unleased Aspheera, who raised an army of fire snakes to take over Ninjago. Right after fighting her off, Zane was transported to a different realm and became a heinous villain, which caused us to have to travel there to get him back.

     Then, we all had to travel to a digital universe to fight Unigami.

     Next, we were all dragged into going to Shintaro, in which we had to fight off a sorcerer and save the mountain from destruction.

     An island with a kind of cool looking dragon greeted us with adventure and peril after that.

     Many more adventures followed.

     My hands felt chained with the various callings in my life. Choose the Ninja and neglect my future wife. Choose Skylor and risk the world falling to evil. I wanted to break free of it all; to take Skylor's hand and go someplace where no Pyro Snakes or villains or legal procedures would ever bother us again.

     Like a miracle, it all stopped.

     Peace started to spread throughout Ninjago, giving us ample free time.

     It gave me time to decide.

     I went straight to Skylor when it was all over, claiming that there was more than enough time to finally get married.

     "We've waited this long," I told her one day as she wrapped her hair into a tight bun for work.

     Skylor peered at me as we walked down the halls towards a meeting room. She stuck a large pin through her hair, securing the bun in place. "Waited for what? The Puffy Potstickers finally getting kicked off the menu again?"

     "No!" I started but stopped when she started laughing. The worry-crease between her eyebrows disappeared as her whole face lit up with delight. My reaction, only for a moment, had helped her cope with the stress of this upcoming meeting.

     I did that.

     And I wanted to do it for the rest of our lives.

    "Skylor, you know what I'm talking about." I said gently, helping her fasten her collar outside the door. "And I don't want to get mortally injured someday in a fight without finally being able to show you how much I care. I hate that responsibility keeps us apart, but hopefully this period of peace will finally bring us some closure."

     "You're saying you want to get married soon?" She asked as she made sure her kimono's sleeves were straight.

     "If you think I've done enough training, then I'd like to get married as soon as possible."

     She messed with my hair, laughing again at my startled reaction. "I guess we'll have to start planning then."

     Of course, as soon as we started to make preparations, Harumi and Morro had to magically resurrect from the dead.

     They caused a lot of drama that would eventually end up in Nya and me fighting Malevolence and said she-demon permanently scarring my face with poison. I don't remember a lot of what happened while I suffering from the effects of it; I only remember Skylor somehow being there to take care of me.

     "What about your b-business?" I babbled in the fog of my fever. Skylor smiled, gently patting my head with a damp cloth.

     "Kai, when are you going to realize that you're more important to me than any business?"

     "Y-you love m-me more than...?" I couldn't even think properly through the pain of the chilling sickness, so I was pretty sure my words made no sense. My fingers clenched and unclenched at the thick comforter on top of me, reaching for something to grasp. "Even though... even though I'm n-not handsome anymore?"

     "Yes, Kai." She gently grasped my hands, smoothing loose strands of my mousy hair out of my eyes. "Yes, I do. And don't delude yourself. You'll always be handsome to me."

     I never forgot those words, even when I recovered from the mental fog of the poison. After Morro's death and the Overlord's partial defeat, a timeframe finally opened up once again. This time, neither Skylor nor I hesitated.

     Our wedding was sloppily put together, but somehow the planners Skylor hired made it look beautiful. Skylor looked heavenly in her bright wedding gown and seeing the smiles on my team's faces made my entire day. I could hear Jay and Mother sobbing (yes, my parents had finally returned to me for this important day) in the front pews, which sparked tears of jubilance in my own eyes.

     After this, I was going to officially make my 'ninja business' a part time ordeal. No more dealing with villains unless the world was literally on the verge of collapse. After this, I was going to move onto the island with Skylor. After this, we were finally going to get to be together.

     Through every trial life gave us.

     Through sickness and through health.

     Until death did us part.

Finis.