Ken's POV
PIXAL took me to see the storage unit later that day. She wasn't kidding when she'd said that it needed work before people could live in it. There were leakage stains on the ceiling and walls, exposed wires sticking out of corners, and the whole building smelled like a place where mildew went to die. She could have mentioned, though, that there was a little more than "a few" items stored in the unit - there were boxes everywhere. So many, in fact, that PIXAL could find no complete record of the contents within its walls.

You know it's a problem when PIXAL can't find something.

But the view outside was worth it. The storage unit sat on a small hill that looked out onto the New Ninjago City skyline, which was white from a recent snowfall. There were several other hills in front that would confuse any curious onlookers who didn't know what they were looking for, yet didn't take away from the main view.

I was also happy at how large the storage unit was. PIXAL was right - it could house the entire Pizzaplex gang without anyone having to sleep outside. Even with all of the boxes, I could tell that each of the rooms were incredibly expansive. Three animatronics could go in a room, easy.

It was spacious enough to be suspicious and I asked PIXAL about the unit's true purpose - simply storage couldn't be it. She sheepishly admitted that its original design was that of a bunker, to only be used in the case of extreme emergency. Such an emergency never came about, and other smaller, better hidden bunkers were built in its place. With no use for such a large bunker, the Masters of long past had converted it into a storage unit. Then that use also became obsolete when technology continued to advance.

So now it was just a cluttered concrete building on a hill with great views.

I wanted to get it ready for the animatronics to move in as soon as possible, so I immediately set to work. I was prepared to clean the entire place myself - it had been my wayward adventure that had brought them here, after all.

It was clear, though, after the first fifteen freezing minutes that I would need help.

Luckily for me, PIXAL came through on her cleaning crew. She'd left me alone for the fifteen minutes that I'd struggled to make a dent in the cleaning. When she returned, she had the other Masters in tow, all similarly bundled up against the cold. After handshakes, fist bumps, hugs, and declarations of "I'm so happy you're awake" (those last two mainly from Valt), I explained my idea to them. They were skeptical, but they'd gotten attached to the animatronics like I did. They agreed to help me get it ready.

Well, most of them. PIXAL had to threaten Wakiya, Lui, and Free with extra, even harder training drills if they didn't help out.

PIXAL explained to me that my parents had stayed behind to keep the animatronics from finding out about the storage unit, though they hadn't been very happy about it. I could picture the question in their eyes: They're only colorful robots, why is our son getting so worked up over this? But regardless of how they felt over my actions, they'd still agreed to help us as we converted the storage unit into a home.

Did I mention that I love my parents?

With the team assembled, we started attacking the workload, the physical labor keeping us warm in the otherwise ice-cold concrete rooms. First we started inspecting the contents of the boxes, which was interesting - there was stuff in those things that were nearly a hundred years old. There were old movies that looked like plastic bricks with faded labels along their sides, old china teacup sets with dust and something else coating their insides, and even magazines that dated back to when Lloyd Garmadon was alive.

Was it true that there was a love triangle between the Masters of Lightning, Water, and Earth of the time? Scandalous!

Orochi even found a box labeled "Jazz Music" that was filled with old school vinyl records. Not too far from that box was a particularly big one that contained the clunky machine that could play them. Among the records were labels with names like Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong, though they didn't mean anything to us.

I'm pretty sure one of those guys was an astronaut...?

When we asked PIXAL about them, she laughed and said, "What can I say? America had good taste in music back in the 1920s."

In the end, we tallied up about a hundred and twenty boxes. We separated them into two piles: items we wanted and items that we could live without. Orochi was curious about the jazz records and record player, so those went into the Want pile. Wakiya also threw in the teacups, claiming he had a perfect place for them in his mansion - after he got them cleaned, of course. We added a couple old comics that looked interesting, then threw basically everything else into the Live Without pile. PIXAL assured us that she would find a way to safely dispose of them as soon as she could.

With that done, we tackled the actual cleaning. PIXAL provided us with spray bottles and cloths and we took to the walls, scrubbing everything that was discolored. It was back-breaking work, but by the time we were done, the place was already looking better than when we started.

The entire time, the guys kept trying to get me alone to talk about my night in the Pizzaplex. Every time one approached me with a questioning look, I would loudly proclaim about some odd job or other and throw myself into the work. It bugged them, I could tell, but I had already explained my experience to my parents and PIXAL.

Besides, they'd already seen the animatronics's ocular files - I simply didn't see the point in explaining what they'd already knew.

We worked on the storage unit until sundown, when PIXAL practically forced us back to the Monastery. I wanted to keep working - I wanted to get it done as soon as possible - but I was sorely outvoted. Everyone agreed that I needed my rest, even though I had been resting for the past FOUR DAYS. Even Lui begrudgingly admitted that it would be better if I recovered.

The one day everyone agrees on something, and it's about me. Damn.

I couldn't go against the entire group, though, so I had no choice but to follow them back through the portal to the Monastery, after the animatronics and Vanessa had gone to sleep. The guys had to go back home, though PIXAL told me and my parents that we were welcome to stay with her and Valt for as long as we needed. I still didn't like the notion of them babying me, but I was grateful for the offer. This way, I didn't have to go so far to hitch a portal to Ninjago.

Valt tried to catch me as we headed to bed, but I faked a yawn and claimed I was too tired to talk. I knew what he wanted to talk about and I still wasn't ready for that conversation.

That night, I got to sleep without my slings for the first time, which was a much more comfortable experience. It was also a lot more comforting to know that my parents were in their own room right down the hall instead of remaining at my bedside. I probably wouldn't be able to handle another night with them watching over me.

The next day, I woke up early and slipped a note under my parents' door to let them know where I would be the rest of the day, and to also ask them to keep distracting the animatronics so they wouldn't be concerned. Then I practically dragged PIXAL and Valt out of their beds so we could get to work on the storage unit. I had already eaten an apple for my breakfast (a fairly large apple - relax) and I waited impatiently for them to force down some food items of their own.

PIXAL asked me if I wanted to wait for the others so they could help us, but I refused. They had school and other things to worry about during the day - I wanted this to get done as soon as possible!

The animatronics were still asleep, so we had no problem opening a portal back to Ninjago. Once we were at the storage unit, we got to work and picked up where we'd left off. Most of the stains had been cleaned already, so we didn't have much to do in that regard.

Afterwards we had to decide the layout and which room would be which. Luckily some of the rooms were already designated as bathrooms and a kitchen for when the unit had been used as a bunker, though misuse had rusted the pipes and tarnished the cabinets. PIXAL and I could fix most of the appliances, but it was clear that some of them were beyond saving, even by centuries-old Nindroid and Master of Metal standards. We'd have to replace them.

"This is when renovation starts getting expensive," PIXAL warned me as our trio gazed upon a pipe that was green and crusty from water damage. "Are you sure that you still want to do this?"

"I'm offended you had to ask," I told her truthfully, though I meant it in good nature.

"Oh great... shopping," Valt grouched, lifting his fists in mock excitement. "Wha-hoooo..."

So we hit the streets. Ninjago has a surprising number of hardware stores and we were able to find replacements for the unusable appliances in practically no time at all. Back at the storage unit, me and PIXAL combined forces to replace the pipes while Valt took a screwdriver and got to work on the cabinets, though he grumbled about it the whole time.

I noticed that he kept looking at me out of the corner of his eye, mostly when I was using my Element to weld the pipes when he thought I wouldn't notice him. His expression was a mixture of wonder but worry. It made me uncomfortable just looking at it, and I averted my eyes before he could see me staring.

We still hadn't had our conversation yet.

Piping is usually a full day job, but with a Nindroid and a Master of Metal, we got it done in under four hours. With everything in the bathrooms and kitchen taken care of, as well as all of the other pipes in the unit, we had a small lunch courtesy of PIXAL and moved onto the rest of the storage unit. There wasn't much else to do on the inside besides buy some furniture, put down some flooring that wasn't concrete, and maybe put a coat of paint on the walls. But I still wanted to bring some natural light into the space.

I asked PIXAL if we could add some windows, to which she replied we could, but they had to be customized in order to fit the space, which could take days.

"Can't we just make the glass ourselves?" Valt asked. "It's just really hot sand, right?"

PIXAL and I both stared at him. "Do you really want to go through the trouble of going to the beach, gathering the amount of sand necessary to make eight, maybe ten windows, then stand around while they heat up under an open flame?" PIXAL asked him with a cock in her head. "Besides, naturally made glass isn't perfectly clear, anyway. Cutting it to predetermined sizes is a hassle as well."

Valt blanched. "Yeah, no thanks. I'm good."

So we resolved to measuring out the designated spaces and putting the order for the windows in early; we would tackle the rest of the workload in the meantime.

First up was the plain concrete walls, both inside and outside. I wanted the animatronics to have the most input on the design overall, though I also wanted to keep the storage unit a secret from them. And I definitely did not want to leave the walls as exposed concrete. I told PIXAL my dilemma and she proposed covering the walls with a flat white paint - that way, the animatronics would have no problem painting over it if they so chose, while it would still look nice and clean upon first entry. Perfect!

We went back to the hardware stores to find some flat paint, and was able to score about thirty gallons along with a bundle of paintbrushes for a surprisingly great price. When we lugged them back to the storage unit, though, PIXAL put her foot down and demanded that we wait for the others; the job was too big for just us three. I grouched, but she wouldn't budge. So me and Valt were stuck waiting at the storage unit while PIXAL portaled back to the Monastery to ferry the others.

It was then that Valt finally caught me alone. With nothing else to do with our time besides stack paint cans, we had no choice but to talk to each other. It may not be something one might want to do - like really really not want to do - but it's bound to happen at some point.

"Hey, Ken," Valt spoke up from where he was sitting against the unit entrance, sounding cautious. "Do you... want to talk about it now?"

I quietly groaned where I was adjusting the base of my Paint Can Pyramid. I could have easily levitated the cans to make the shape in a matter of seconds, but I was bored and PIXAL had made it clear that we weren't to actually open the cans until she got back with the others. "What exactly do you want to talk about, Valt?" I asked absently as I picked up another can to start on the second layer.

"I think you know, Ken," Valt replied evenly, and my hands shook around the can. I had never heard him so serious.

I shrugged and placed the can on the crux between four others. "It's nothing new," I told him over my shoulder.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You know what I mean," I shot back, now onto can #3 of layer #2 of my pyramid. "I know that you and the others have already seen the animatronics' ocular files. What's the point in explaining what you already know?"

"The videos can only explain so much," Valt insisted; I heard him get to his feet and approach me. "We only saw what you were doing - we couldn't see how you were thinking."

I felt his presence at my backside and flinched. I tried to disguise the action by reaching for another can. The second layer was nearly complete by now. "Fine, I was scared - is that what you wanted to hear?"

"And?" Valt pressed.

"And?" I repeated, glancing over my shoulder at him incredulously. "What more do you need to know?"

"The full story would be nice!"

"What?" The fury that shot through me surprised me, but I was too far in not to ride with it. I turned fully towards Valt on my knees so I could truly convey my irritation. "Why do you need to know?"

"It's not what I need, it's what you need!" Valt told me vehemently.

The venom in his eyes made me shrink back an inch, but I couldn't turn back now. It was my sense of privacy that he was breaching. "I don't need anything right now," I hissed, turning back around to focus on my pyramid. I needed something to do with my hands that wasn't strangling Valt. "I'm fine."

I picked up another can to start on the third layer, but my emotions traveled to my hands and caused them to shake uncontrollably. I tried to get a grip, but it only made the shaking worse. It was out of sheer self control that I didn't use my Element to crush it out of frustration.

Valt knelt down and gently took the can from my hands. I refused to meet his eyes; my face flamed at the fact that I had even needed his help. "Come on, Ken," He said beseechingly. "Out of all of us, you and I are the only ones who have Awakened both our Elements and our Dragon Forms. I have an idea of the stress you'd had to go through to." He set the can down and set one of his hands on my shoulder. "So if you won't talk to me about it, at least tell me this: Are you okay?"

I wanted to tell him I was, especially if it would get him off my back and give me my privacy. But the tremor in his voice and the worry I'd seen in his eyes asked, begged that I tell him the truth. And the truth was...

"No. I'm not okay."

The hand on my shoulder gave me an encouraging squeeze. "Okay, that's good," Valt said softly. "Do you want to talk about it?"

This time, the truth was slightly easier. "No."

"Why not?" He sounded disappointed.

It took me a minute to rope my emotions together enough to make sense of them and form an answer. That entire time, Valt didn't speak or remove his arm from my shoulder; I felt him making gentle movements with his thumb through my coat sleeve. It was almost like he understood that I needed time to process everything, even though I hadn't said anything.

I guess, out of everyone in our group, he understood my conviction the most.

"Because... everything seems so far away now," I finally said, the words tasting wooden and awkward in my mouth. "Like the entire thing was just a nightmare. Like it didn't even happen." I absently rubbed the pink scars on my forearms and tried not to wince. "I feel like if I talk about it, it'll make it come back to me in every painful detail." This time I did wince. "It'll make it real."

I held my breath, afraid of how Valt would respond. Would he stay silent? Would his thumb stop moving? Would he remove his hand from my shoulder? Would he tell me I was stupid and/or stubborn?

Which would be worse?

His thumb stopped. His arm lifted.

Oh.

Then he hugged me.

OH.

I stiffened but Valt didn't let up one bit. "I get it," He whispered in my ear. "You're in denial. You want to pretend what happened didn't actually happen."

"It's not denial," I told him, but the protest was weak. "I'm just... trying to put off dealing with it as long as I can."

Valt laughed slightly, the sound like those of birds in my ear. "Whatever you want to call it, I get it - I honestly do," He assured me, his arms tightening around my shoulders. "Five stages of grief and all that stuff. I went through it, too. The question is... do you think you'll ever be able to talk about it?"

I gave it some thought. Forever is a long time. While I would like to put off talking about it for that long, I probably shouldn't. Chances were it would eat me alive before then, anyway.

"I will, eventually," I said decisively. "Just... not now."

I felt Valt nod against my shoulder blade. "Okay then. And when you do decide to talk..." One of his arms left the embrace to pick up the paint can from where he'd left it, then place it to start the third layer of the Paint Can Pyramid. "We'll be sure to help you."

I wasn't at all surprised when tears started to prick at my eyes. "Thanks, Valt," I replied truthfully. I picked up another can to put it next to his, and he picked up another to add to it.

A few minutes later, the Paint Can Pyramid was standing in all of its tin-steel glory, only about a foot or two shorter than Valt and I. We looked upon our creation with admiration and wonder; for both the pyramid and each other.

It wasn't just the pyramid we'd built - it was a newfound respect for each other.

It wasn't long after that PIXAL returned with the others in tow, all of whom where equally excited to get back to work.

Well, almost all of them - Wakiya, Free, and Lui were still on the fence.

We split up the work - half of us would paint the outside of the storage unit while the rest would paint the inside. We all took a paint can and a paintbrush before heading to our respective places.

I noticed that Valt took a space not far from me; every time someone would try to approach me, he would stop them and turn them away. I couldn't hear much from my vantage point, but I could swear that I always heard him tell them, "He's just not ready."

My appreciation for him ran even deeper.

Night snuck up on us all too soon, though we thankfully were able to get every wall covered before the stars came out. We left the place smelling delightfully like new paint, and I went to sleep in the Monastery that night in decidedly higher spirits.

The next morning, it was Valt and PIXAL who were pulling me out of bed to go work on the storage unit. They shoved an apple into my hand, opened the portal, and away we went.

With the walls done, we could work on the flooring. Only question was... what kind of flooring? Should we do wooden paneling throughout, soft carpeting, or a mixture of the two? Would the animatronics care either way? I still didn't want to ask them in case they caught on to what we were doing...

In the end, we decided to do full wood paneling. It would be cheaper than doing a mix of wood with carpeting, and we couldn't do carpeting throughout - it could be a health hazard in several rooms. Besides, the place was supposed to be for the animatronics, anyway. They could add rugs or carpeting later if they so wanted.

Back to the hardware stores we went. By this point, I was starting to think that most stores in Ninjago were inclined to give the Masters a special discount, because we were able to find a couple bunches of wood flooring for a reasonable price. That wasn't even mentioning the glue and tools we got to lay them down with - we practically got them for free!

The load was a little too big for just us three to carry them; PIXAL was practically indestructible and us bladers had gotten stronger from our training, but we couldn't carry it all by ourselves. And it would be preferable to get them all back up to the storage unit in one trip.

It was then that I discovered a new aspect of my Element: I couldn't only just use metal to armor up and manipulate, I could actually produce my own!

I was just staring at the bundles of wooden flooring, wondering how in the heck we were going to get it all back up the hill, when I felt something in my body shift. I instinctively held out my arm and rolled up my sleeve along my bicep, and thin rods of metal extended from my skin to wrap around the bundles in front of me. They made a sound akin to a rubber band being stretched tight, then effortlessly lifted the bundles into the air.

We were all awestruck. "Ken... does that even weigh anything to you?" Valt asked curiously.

I tested it out, moving my arm up and down to watch how the rods responded. Other than moving with my arm and being an odd presence on my body that I couldn't ignore, I couldn't really feel any weight on my arm. "Nope," I responded proudly, making more exaggerated movements for emphasis. "Light as a feather!"

"You're progressing faster than I thought you would," PIXAL noted; when I glanced over my shoulder at her, she had an expression that looked like pride on her face. "Well done."

I grinned back at her and turned around to hold out my other arm. Metal rods also sprouted from my flesh and wrapped around the rest of the bundles. With those also levitated into the air, our hands were free to carry up the rest of the supplies.

We made quite the spectacle as we made our way back to the hill: A shiny Nindroid, a boy with blue hair, and a boy with literal METAL growing out of his skin that was holding at least one ton of wooden paneling above his head. Many people stopped to stare, cars slowed down for their drivers to gawk at us, and more than a few people took out their phones to snap some pictures. A couple people tried to follow us and ask questions, but it only took one stink eye from PIXAL to ward them off.

Absolutely no one messes with PIXAL.

Back at the storage unit, I was free to set the bundles down. I simply gestured towards the ground, which signaled the metal rods to let go. Unfortunately my control over them wasn't absolute yet and they ended up dropping to the ground from about a good three foot altitude, creating a magnificent crash when they landed.

I grimaced before attempting to slip the metal rods back into my skin; it felt even weirder than when it was sprouting out of me, almost like I was slurping an entire straw instead of just the liquid within. With that done, I turned to Valt and PIXAL with a shy smile. "Oops."

"Don't sweat it, Ken," Valt assured me, waving off my concern. "You're still new to your Element - some things will come easily while other things will be a little harder. Heck, do you think me and Jin learned how to use ours overnight?"

"Yes?" I answered hesitantly. It had seemed like the two had gotten control over their abilities rather quickly.

Valt stared at me after my response. "I honestly don't know whether to be flattered or insulted," He told me truthfully.

"How is 'yes' an insult?" I pointed out, but PIXAL talked over us.

"Anyway, we should make sure most of the wood is still intact," She said authoritatively. "I don't think the hardware store will give us another discount if we go back." We set about pulling apart the bundles to check the paneling. To our delight, only a few were cracked, and they could easily be reused as smaller boards.

So we started on the flooring, smearing glue on the concrete before layering the wooden panels on top. Every so often, we would come to a corner that required a panel to be cut; we would then gladly hand the panel over to PIXAL and her far more experienced hands.

It was slow going with just the three of us, but we were eventually able to fully panel at least two rooms before we had to break for lunch. Once again, PIXAL seemed to pull three bento boxes out of thin air, already steaming and ready for us to eat. I wanted to ask where she kept the food, but figured that it was better if I didn't know. A shared look with Valt over the rim of my box told me that he was thinking the same thing.

Afterwards, we continued on the floor. We got about two more rooms done before PIXAL announced that she was going back to the Monastery to wait for the others. On our own, Valt and I were able to put together at least half a room before PIXAL got back with backup.

With everyone's help, we were able to get the rest of the flooring done in what I was sure was record time. We were all sticky, sore, and had more than a few blisters by the time we called it quits, but it was one of the most productive days we'd had since we'd started renovations, and I was proud of us.

Night had long since fallen by the time we stumbled through the portal back to the Monastery, so I was surprised when I saw my parents waiting on the front steps. Their expressions were pleasant, yet guarded - something was up. The others seemed to respect our family privacy and wordlessly used their teleportation devices to zip away. When it was just original trio standing in the courtyard (me, Valt, PIXAL) I approached my parents cautiously. "What's wrong?"

They stood up, shooting each other glances and looking awkward. "Well..." My dad started, pressing his pointer fingers together in a repeating pattern. "Vanessa and the animatronics are starting to ask where you keep going everyday. They're starting to get worried."

The fact that they had started asking about me wasn't entirely unexpected, but I was surprised to find out that they were worried about me. It made guilt twist into an ugly shape in my stomach, but I assured myself it was for a good reason. "What have you been telling them?"

"When they ask, we tell them that you have to go to school during the day," My mom spoke up. "It seems to have placated them for now, but I don't think they'll be distracted for long." She glanced uneasily in the direction of their room. "To be honest, I'm surprised that they even went to bed. Sooner or later, they're going to want to see you."

"Okay, well, the storage unit is almost done," I told them. "We only have about..." I ticked off a mental checklist and turned to PIXAL to confirm. "Two days left? Three?"

"Two to three," She replied, nodding. "I got a message earlier today that the windows we ordered should be ready tomorrow afternoon."

"Wow," Mom commented; her magenta eyes were wide when I turned back to her. "That was fast! Didn't you only start on that old place, like, two days ago?"

"It's going pretty fast with all of us working together!" I told her with a proud smile. "You'd be surprised by how much we can get done in one day!"

My parents still looked skeptical, but they didn't ask any more questions. We all decided to retire to our rooms to get some rest before we had to go back to the storage unit in the morning. As I passed by the animatronics' room, though, I couldn't help but stop and stare at the door. I pictured the colorful bodies sleeping just beyond and the guilt in my stomach twisted into more painful knots.

They worry about me. They want to see me.

Hopefully my gift for them will make up for it.

The physical activity must have been working wonders on my sleep, because I woke up the next morning feeling completely refreshed. I tried to remember if I'd had any dreams the night before and came up empty. As a matter of fact, I couldn't remember the last time I'd even had a dream.

Just as well. With all that I went through, my dreams could very well turn into nightmares.

Valt and PIXAL were already waiting for me in the courtyard, my breakfast apple at the ready. Back in Ninjago at the storage unit, we assessed our work. The walls were painted, the floors were covered, the piping was fresh, and everything was pretty much clean. The windows would be coming later, so what else did we have to do besides furniture shopping?

Answer: The lighting. The only light sources were practically singular lightbulbs hanging from the ceilings by threads. They flickered on occasion and were otherwise a serious safety concern. It was a wonder we'd put it off for this long.

PIXAL's x-ray scans of the walls showed that there wasn't internal damage to the wiring, so all we had to replace were the light fixtures. Back to the hardware stores to pick out some LED lights, which we were also able to get at a great price. By now, most of Ninjago's residents had caught on that we were working on a big project, and were whispering loudly behind our backs about what we could possibly be making. I was able to hear a few guesses. A mansion? A luxurious hideout? A second Monastery?

I had to smile to myself. The answer would probably surprise them.

We found some impressive light fixtures and headed back. Once in the storage unit, we painstakingly unscrewed and screwed in every new lightbulb, and mounted every new fixture. The place quickly went from dingy and dark to bright and cheery, and the white paint shone in the new light. We all breathed a sigh of relief in the glow from the new rooms.

Not long after we'd had our bento lunches that PIXAL magically procured out of nowhere, she got a notification that the windows we'd ordered were ready for us to pick them up. The windows were reportedly very large and transporting large panes of glass by vehicle was both tricky and dangerous, so we had to physically go down to the company and retrieve the windows ourselves. Valt was whining about all of the walking in the chilling cold, but I didn't mind it one bit. After being asleep for three days and doted on for nearly everyday afterwards, the fresh air and physical movement was refreshing. It took all of my willpower not to sprint down that hill!

At the company, the sparkle of the ready windows was welcoming. A few employees offered to help us carry them back, but I readily declined. I held out my arms and metal rods instantly sprouted to wrap gently around the frames of the windows. My display brought forth gasps and awed whispers from those in attendance, many of whom probably had never seen a Master in action. I was beaming as I lifted the windows higher. There's something about being able to do something no one else can that makes you prideful!

Back at the storage unit, PIXAL left me and Valt alone so she could pick up the others. We were given the task of marking on the walls where the windows would go and wait for backup in order to break through. We'd already run scans on the walls to make sure we wouldn't bust through any essential wiring or plumbing, so we knew exactly where the frames would be installed.

All in all, there were about two dozen windows, nearly one for every room. And they were big - about eight by ten feet each. It was going to require some serious manpower to put them in.

Hopefully twenty young boys and a centuries-old Nindroid would do the trick.

When the others arrived, PIXAL handed us our tools and we got right to work. We split into teams that each went into a different room with a separate window. I automatically went with Valt, and together, we cut through the outer walls along the lines we'd drawn and watched in wonder as the piece tumbled onto the frozen terrain below. Then we combined our physical strength to mount the frames into the new holes; one of us struggled to hold it in place while the other quickly hammered and nailed it into place. When we were satisfied that it would stay, we moved on to another room. The sounds of productivity around us let us know that the others were on the same track.

The sounds coming from Wakiya and Honcho's room, though, made us concerned that a murder was about to take place.

By the time we'd finished, the sky outside was once again black. Another day, gone. This time, my parents weren't waiting for me when we got back to the Monastery. Yet that night, I found it hard to fall asleep because of my excitement. One day closer!

The next morning, I practically bolted out of bed. My mental checklist was showing all green check marks. We were nearly done! All that we had to do now was put some furniture in, and then it was ready to show the animatronics! I couldn't wait!

I quickly pulled my coat and pants on before rushing to the courtyard, where I'd suspected that Valt and PIXAL were already waiting for me. We stepped through the portal to the storage unit and surveyed the extent of the last of our work. Countless bedrooms, a semi-functional kitchen, a handful of bathrooms and communal areas. How were we supposed to fill these with furniture?

We just decided to keep it simple, since the place was supposed to be for others. For the first time since we'd started our project, we hit the Ninjago streets not for a hardware store, but a furniture store. We got simple chairs with white cushions, along with white pullouts and sheets. We didn't get any decorations - that would be up to the animatronics if they wanted knickknacks.

Using my new talent, we carried our simple furniture items back to the storage unit. We positioned and repositioned everything until I was satisfied that it looked like a home. I took a step back and looked at our handiwork. Then I nodded.

It was perfect.

It was ready.

That night, I could spend the night with the animatronics for the first time in days and tell the others that they could take the night off. Then it would be time to give this storage unit... this home... to its new owners.

And I knew the perfect day to do it.

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