No One's POV
The warm, dry air that blew through the Monastery courtyard that afternoon was misleading, as on the other side of the world, temperatures were steadily dropping below freezing. Whereas those temperatures were nearly zero, the temperature of this day, on this side of the planet, was brisk and almost pleasant.

But the young Master of Metal didn't notice the abrupt change in weather as he jumped out of the blue portal, still wrapped in his winter best; the snowflakes that had dusted his shoulders quickly dried up. He didn't even bother to address the large DJ animatronic that glanced at him curiously for the first time in nearly a week. He was too busy going over a checklist in his head. Renovations? Check. Decorations? Check. Activities? Check. Attending parties? Half check.

No such items or parties were around him at the moment, of course. They were on the other side of the portal he'd just come from.

And that last item on his list was what he wanted to take care of.

Ken quickly walked up the Monastery stairs and made his way over to a slightly ajar door that faced the courtyard. He paused when he stood just beside it, taking a deep breath to steel his nerves. When he appeared satisfied with himself, he approached the open door.

The image that greeted him was peaceful. Foxy was taking an afternoon nap and the Daycare Attendants were taking turns drawing bizarre pictures on his red shell with a multitude of markers, cheeky expressions animated on their faces. Freddy, Chica, Roxy, and Monty were playing a friendly game of Uno, with Monty losing spectacularly. His bad luck was mostly because of Bonnie, who was sitting behind the gator "tuning his guitar", when he was actually peeking at Monty's cards and then signaling to the others which ones he had. The poor gator had no idea what was going on, but he voiced his frustration by slamming his handful of cards down and screaming towards the ceiling, with his fellow bandmates laughing at his expense.

Vanessa was there too, but she was paid no attention by the animatronics. She just sat there in her wheelchair, watching as those around her enjoyed themselves. She offered the occasional quip and laughed as Monty continued to lose, but otherwise looked largely out of place. Even Music Man refused to go anywhere near her as he skirted the outside of the Uno game, checking on everyone's progress.

Ken had never seen anyone look so lost.

He took another deep breath before daring to break the serenity of the scene. "H-hey, guys."

Immediately ten heads whipped up to stare at him. "Kenny!" Chica called out, waving one of her white hands at him. She gazed at his attire quizzically. "Why do you look like you're about to build a snowman? Isn't it nearly 60 degrees out?"

"Forget that!" Roxy butted in, holding up her hand of cards. "Care to join us in whipping Monty's tail at Uno?"

"Don't even think about it, kid," The green gator grumbled, staring sullenly at his large card collection. "This game is already rigged enough."

"Wasn't my intention, Monty," Ken told him with a slight giggle. He waited a beat before casting his hook, "Actually, I have something I need to tell you guys. Chances are you're not gonna like it."

The mood immediately soured. "Oh?" Freddy took the liberty of asking. "And what would that be?"

Ken braced himself. "W-well, it's been a little over a week since you guys have started living here. And... a new company bought Fazbear Entertainment and has put out a notice for you. All of you." He added this with a pointed look over his shoulder at the DJ animatronic behind him.

No one said anything at first, casting worried looks at their hands and each other. Surprisingly it was Vanessa that decided to break the silence, "And I'm guessing that you're not legally obligated to keep us here?"

Ken nodded, trying his best to appear somber. "I'm here to take you guys to your new home."

He had meant it as an incentive to get the gang up and moving, but it did a little more than that. They all let out cries of alarm and shot to their feet, instantly swarming the smaller boy. "Kenny - please tell me you don't mean that!" Sunny cried; his face transitioned into an emoji with watery eyes and a quivering lip. "Please tell me you're not going to give us away!"

"Yeah! We don't want to be owned by anyone anymore!" Chica begged, her hands together in a pleading manner. "We want to stay with you!"

"Ken, think about this," Freddy added, his hands out as if he could stop the boy's decision with just his limbs. "Are you sure that this is the best course of action?"

"I just got my body back - I can't lose it again!" Bonnie cried in dismay, clutching his limbs as if he expected to lose them at that very moment.

"And I can just got a voice, I can't let it go!" Music Man wailed from Freddy's shoulder.

"That, I would be okay with losing," Monty mumbled to Roxy before turning back to Ken. "But still! You can't just give us away, kid!"

"Yeah! What about everything we've been through?" Roxy asked rhetorically. Her amber eyes took on an accusatory look. "Or was all that 'we're in this together' talk just junk?"

"Ye can't abandon ye mates, Pirate King Ken!" Foxy begged, his hands together pleadingly like Chica's.

"I'll play any soundtrack you want if you let us stay!" DJMM promised; his voice sounded uncomfortably close to Ken's back.

"Do it, and my face will haunt you every time you close your eyes!" Moony threatened, leaning over the backs of his fellow animatronics to fix Ken with a furious red glare.

Ken took a step back, caught off guard. This wasn't part of the plan. Things were quickly going off the rails. Might as well follow it and go a little off script. "Whoa whoa whoa," He said quickly, holding his hands up as if to physically ward off their accusations. "I never said I was going to give you up to those people!"

This time it was the animatronics who were caught off guard, and they all took a collective step back. "B-but... you said you were going to take us to our new home," Chica stuttered, a question in her eyes.

"Exactly," Ken told her. "But did you hear me say where this new home was?" He held up his forearm and pulled down his coat sleeve. Strapped to his skin was a device with a glowing blue gem attached to a special holster.

The animatronics drew closer to eye it, curious. They had no idea what this new device was, having never seen it in action. But they could guess enough from its appearance that it was special. "What's your game plan, kid?" Monty asked, sounding mildly excited.

Ken pulled his coat sleeve back up over the device before answering. "No spoilers yet, Monty. First we need to gather everyone. Can you guys get the others from the basement?" His eyes cut to Foxy and failed to suppress a look of amusement. "Right after we get Foxy a towel."

Foxy tilted his head, his one good eye squinted in confusion. "Why in the Seven Seas would I need a..." He trailed off when he looked down and took in the state of his shell, and the crude drawings that littered its surface. His fingers wiped at his snout and came away black, having been dragged through the drawings there as well. The black fingers clenched into fists. "Bloody hell, ya ship rats!"

"Hey!" Sunny cried indignantly. "Who are you calling ship rats, sea dog?" He wrapped a thin arm defensively around Moony, who rolled his red eyes and put his illuminated forehead in his palm.

"I didn't know I was referring to ye," Foxy growled, turning his head menacingly towards the duo. By the time Sunny realized that he'd been led on, he and his brother were already pushing Ken out of the way as they made their escape. The enraged pirate fox immediately gave chase, bellowing after the two Attendants, "Get back here, ye ship rats!"

Ken struggled to regain his wits from where he had been shoved against the doorframe, hesitating for a few seconds before calling after the departing party, "Don't kill them, Foxy! And could you please gather the others from the basement while you're at it?" When he didn't get a response, he sighed and turned back to his audience. "Can you go after them?"

"Sure, but for the record, I'm not stepping in if he decides to kill them," Monty told him before squeezing past him out the door. The others neither confirmed nor denied their opinion on the matter before they followed him.

Soon it was only Ken, DJMM, and Vanessa waiting in the courtyard; the third party of which having joined them after taking a specialized ramp to ground level. The ramp had been added soon after it was clear that Vanessa wouldn't be able to move like she used to. Similar ramps had been installed at their destination, and Ken could hardly keep back a mixture of excitement and trepidation as he glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. I hope she likes it.

While they waited in tense silence, Ken fidgeted with the collar of his coat, grimacing. The abrupt change in temperature was finally catching up to him and he was starting to sweat something fierce. He didn't dare take off his coat, though. They would leave soon enough, and he could cool down in the welcoming wind and snow. If they would only HURRY UP, He griped, staring at the entrance to the Monastery.

"Hey Ken..." Came a voice that sounded like someone's poor attempt at a whisper. The boy glanced to his side to see DJMM's face surprisingly close to his. "It's just us now, ya know. You can tell me what we're doing!"

Ken blinked and shifted his gaze to Vanessa, who was the only other person present. She didn't seem to be interested in their destination like DJMM was - in fact, she didn't seem interested in anything at all. She was just staring at the cobblestones in front of her wheels with an expression that betrayed no emotion. It seemed like she wanted to be anywhere else that wasn't her current position.

Ken tilted his head, but decided not to address the issue as he turned back to DJMM. "Sorry - no surprises, big guy," He told the large animatronic, not unkindly. "It wouldn't be fair to the others. You're just gonna have to wait for them."

If the DJ animatronic could properly portray emotion, he probably would have a crestfallen face on at the moment. "Really~?" He whined, bringing himself low to the ground on his six hands in a begging pose. "Not even a clue?"

"No."

"A word?"

"No."

"A letter?"

"No."

"A vowel?"

"That's the same thing."

Luckily they were saved from their friendly bantering by the sound of many metallic feet slapping against wood, approaching them. A few seconds later, the Monastery doors slid open to reveal Freddy and Roxy, accompanied by dozens of endos and bots. The dozens quickly turned into hundreds as they continued to file into the courtyard, forming numerous rings around Ken; DJMM eventually had to climb over the wall to make room and it still wasn't enough. Several had to stand on the porch, and more still wound their way back through the Monastery. Freddy assured Ken that they had brought everyone up from the base, though it sure didn't seem like it.

When they were mostly assembled, Monty took the opportunity to ask again, "Alright kid - what's your game plan?"

Ken took another deep breath. This is it. No backing down now. He opened his mouth and started his speech, making sure to keep his tone loud and clear for all those listening: "Fazbear Entertainment has declared bankruptcy and a new company has bought it. That company has put out a notice for any and all Fazbear products; since none of you guys were found in the Pizzaplex wreckage, that includes you too. Since the original company wasn't very well-liked or popular amongst parents, this new company is most likely going to melt you all down and use you for other projects."

A few sounds of unease came from the crowd and Ken threw out his hands in an attempt to quell them. "Don't worry, I don't intend to hand any of you over to them. We've all gone through too much together for me to go through with it! That being said, it's a safe bet to assume that there's going to be a lot of people looking for you."

"Bounty hunters," Foxy interrupted with a shake of his head, crossing his arms and clucking his metallic tongue. "The lowest of the low on the high seas."

"How would you know - you've never been on the high seas," Bonnie pointed out next to him.

"Shush," Chica hissed at them before turning around politely to Ken. "Sorry, Kenny - continue."

Ken suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. "As I was saying, you're going to be on the Most Wanted list for a while. So in order to protect you... we've put together a little home for you guys!"

The noises that came from the audience were ones of excitement this time, but Roxy spoke up as the voice of reason, "That's great and all - and really, you didn't have to do that - but how can you be sure they won't find us?"

Ken let the question hang in the air before revealing the full thrust behind his plan: "Because this new home is in a place no one else has ever been before."

Curious whispers rang throughout the courtyard; even DJMM tilted his head down at the boy below him. "What exactly do you mean by that, Ken?" Freddy asked the question on everyone's mind.

"I mean that this a whole other world entirely," Ken emphasized, suddenly at a loss for words at how he would explain this to them. "I'll let you guys see it for yourself, but the point is that no one knows you there. No one knows the Fazbear name. You can all start over and make your own story - clean slate! You'll be free to make your own decisions. And you guys..." He made a pointed look at the endos throughout the crowd. "Will have the freedom to choose your own shell design! No more waiting for humans to decide where and when you're needed!" Every endo perked up at this.

"R-really Ken, this is too much..." Freddy tried to protest, but one firm look from Ken shut him up.

"Freddy, please," He stressed, softening his gaze. "You guys have already done so much for me. Let me return the favor."

Freddy opened his mouth, either to thank Ken or to protest further, but Music Man pressed one of his cymbals to the side of his snout. "Sounds great! Sign me up!" He proclaimed brightly, fixing Ken with an expectant expression. "So where is this new home?"

A small grin pulled at the boy's mouth. "That's the fun part," He revealed, holding up his arm to reveal the device still strapped to it. When the gathered party only stared at it, curious, he decided to demonstrate.

He took a step back and motioned for the others to do the same, which was no small chore in such a crowded area. Praying that he remembered the instructions from PIXAL, he pressed a series of buttons on the device and held it out in front of him. Almost immediately the gem started to glow in its holster, sparking a series of reactions across the device. A small blue circle appeared before Ken, washing those in attendance in its watery light as it continued to expand. Soon it was taller than Freddy and even rivaled DJMM in size. A cold wind swept through the opening, and even snow filtered out to lightly dust the brown cobblestones before inevitably evaporating in the warm air.

Everyone was stunned into speechlessness, staring at this anomaly in front of them, this window into a world that was still in the throes of winter. The air was filled with the sound of several processors whirring, struggling to understand what they were seeing. The sound of several warning signals could also be heard.

Something like this couldn't be so easily comprehended.

It was Sunny who decided to break the silence, shrieking with delight and rushing forward to get a better look at the portal, his eyes having turned into comical stars on his face. "Magic! I've never seen it in person, but it's beautiful!" He declared, his golden color scheme cast into a pale ombré palette from the new lighting. He made to move into the floating blue circle, but hesitated at the last minute and looked to Ken for confirmation. "Er... is it safe?"

"It is," Ken assured him before reconsidering. "However, these things don't tend to remain open for very long, so you guys might want to go like... now."

That was all the audience needed to hear. Within seconds of the incentive, everyone was rushing for the portal, for the chance of freedom. They were crowding the opening so much, Ken had to speak up to instruct them to at least go two at a time. They still hurried through with great haste, DJMM having to go through solo and with his head bowed.

Soon it was just Ken and a wheelchair-ridden Vanessa standing in front of a slowly diminishing portal. Ken would have followed the animatronics, but he was waiting - waiting for Vanessa to move towards the portal, waiting for her to do something. He wanted to make sure everyone went through before he followed.

But what he wanted didn't happen. Vanessa simply stared at the blue circle with an unreadable expression, her hands fiddling with the rims of her wheels. After a moment or two, she sighed through her nose and wheeled herself around. The angle of her path signified that she intended to head back up the ramp to the Monastery.

Ken blinked dumbly after her, dumbfounded. He glanced between her and the closing portal, confused at why she didn't take the opportunity to leave, to escape, to be free. She was a wanted woman, after all. She may not know it directly, but she must have heard the implication when he'd said that a notice had been put out for all of them. She must have wanted to leave the world behind just as much as anyone.

So why didn't she?

His jaw worked fruitlessly for a split second before he finally mustered the courage to ask, "Vanessa... aren't you coming?"

The blonde woman abruptly stalled her wheelchair. When she turned her head, her eyes were full of surprise. "You... want me to go with them?" She asked in a quiet voice.

Ken stared at her before glancing at the portal. In the time it had taken either of them to respond, it had closed, leaving the courtyard in its original lighting. With the only escape route gone, he decided to prod the bear a little further. "Well, yeah. You want to leave too, don't you?"

Vanessa also turned her head towards where the portal had been, as if thinking over her decision to stay. "I don't know..." She finally admitted. Her hands dropped from the rims of her wheels and she fell against the back of her chair, looking thoroughly exhausted. "I guess... I-I just think... I don't deserve to?"

That surely gave Ken pause, and he cautiously approached the distraught woman. "Don't deserve to? Why do you say that?"

Vanessa's head lolled along the back of her chair until she was looking directly at the boy; the look of annoyance in her green eyes could stop a grown man in his tracks. "I'm paralyzed, not stupid, Ken," She told him. "I see the way those guys look at me, or pretend that I'm not even there. React to things I say. And the things they imply to me aren't exactly subtle."

She closed her eyes and sighed. "I don't remember really what happened before I got here, but their behaviors make me think I did something bad to them. Like really bad. And part of me thinks I deserve their treatment." She opened one eye to stare at Ken. "So let's not kid ourselves here, please. There's no way they'd let me go with them."

Ken stared back at her. He'd predicted that she'd be slow to the new change, but what he hadn't predicted was her true feelings about it. To think - she actually believes that she doesn't deserve to be here. He hadn't known that her guilt ran that deep.

Oh boy... how do I fix this?

Ken glanced toward where the portal had been. He wanted to open it again and push Vanessa through it. He wanted her to be safe, to be home, to be free. It was what William had taken from her - it was what she deserved. She deserves to be happy.

He tried to think of something original to say to Vanessa that would encourage her, but came up short. Everything he'd used to motivate others had been used before, over and done. Most of his recent verbal motivations had revolved around helping him escaping the Pizzaplex, but seeing as he wasn't in the Pizzaplex anymore, that motivation didn't really apply here.

Man, I wish Valt or PIXAL stuck around to do this part. This is the job of a leader.

Why does the universe keep thinking I'm fit to be a leader? I thought I was done with this stuff, for crying out loud!

He grimaced slightly, suddenly well aware of how long he'd kept his mouth shut and chided his own silence. The heat in his winter gear was steadily building to something unbearable as he waited for an idea to come to him. Why is it so much harder to talk to a human than it is to an animatronic? Why doesn't she get the fact that I just want her to be happy?

Wait... maybe that same escape motivation does apply here. I just need to word it a little differently.

Ken took a deep breath and approached Vanessa, still sitting silently in her wheelchair with her head tilted back and her eyes closed somberly. "What's in the past is in the past," He tried slowly, cautiously, afraid she would lash out. His hands found their place on the chair's handlebars, brushing Vanessa's blonde hair out of the way; to her credit, she didn't even flinch. "Whatever you did, you can make up for in your new home."

"How?" Vanessa asked; the way she'd spat the word out almost sounded like a bullet. "Did you forget the part where the animatronics will never accept me as one of their own?"

"Then show them that you've changed, that you're not the same person," Ken continued carefully. "Show them that you're not someone to be afraid of. Show them that you're someone to trust. Show them that you can be their friend."

Vanessa snorted, her head still tilted and her eyes still closed. "You say that like it's as easy as flipping a switch."

"Sometimes it is," Ken told her, giggling. "You'd be surprised how many friendships I've seen happen because somebody had a change of heart. You remember Valt and Daigo? Let's just say they didn't exactly start out on friendly terms!"

Vanessa said nothing to that and the two fell into a tense silence, the smaller boy simply staring down at the older woman's face. Her eyes traveled aimlessly beneath her eyelids, seemingly lost in thought. Ken held his breath for her next statement, afraid of her answer.

But the next time she opened her mouth, it was with a question.

"Ken... do you know what I did before I lost my memories?"

The inquiry took him off guard, especially when Vanessa finally opened her eyes to fix him with an expectant stare. Her green eyes seemed to bore through his own, silently begging him to tell her the truth.

The truth was what he was desperately trying to avoid.

But he couldn't say no to the look in her eyes. "Yes," He relented with a sigh. "Or at least, I know most of it."

Vanessa didn't blink. "Will you tell me?"

Correction: This truth was the one he was desperately trying to avoid.

One he would keep trying to avoid. "I'm sorry... I can't," He said truthfully and with remorse. "It's probably better if you remember on your own."

Vanessa still didn't blink; Ken distantly wondered if her eyes were starting to hurt from staring at him. "And if I don't?" She asked with a raised pale eyebrow.

Ken couldn't stand the weight of her probing gaze anymore and tilted his head out of her line of sight. "Well, then you just... make a new persona for yourself." He chanced a look down at her again and lifted one of his hands from the handlebars to set it on her shoulder. "Like I told the animatronics - start completely over, clean slate. That applies to you, too."

Vanessa stared at him for a few seconds longer before she finally let her head drop until she was staring at her lap. Ken didn't need to be the Master of Metal to hear the gears turning in her head, weighing the pros and cons of her decisions. One choice offered solace and freedom; the other offered solitude and the possibility of being captured for a crime she didn't willingly commit. Ken hoped with all of his heart that she would choose the first option.

Finally after what felt like hours, Vanessa took a deep breath through her nose before she lifted her head to gaze at him again. This time, she was smiling. "Alright, Ken," She said softly. "Take me home."

The boy could barely keep his excitement down, his hands fumbling as he struggled to reactivate the device on his forearm. Sure enough, the blue portal blazed to life, and with the boy pushing the woman in her wheelchair, they both entered into the world beyond.

—————

As soon as they hit the cold and ice-filled air, Ken sighed with relief while Vanessa gasped in surprise. After checking if his company was relatively okay, the boy wheeled the chair up the thawed-out walkway up to their destination.

The storage unit was certainly looking better than when they'd started renovations. The outside was a sparkling white instead of the plain concrete it had once been, which made it nearly blend in with the white hills around it. Every window was full of light and trimmed with stylish black frames, which were currently a light shade of gray as a result of the present blizzard.

But what was really interesting about the outside was the decorations. Along every windowsill was a stretch of plastic green garland, lined with lights that twinkled softly in the next-to-vacant light. The front door, which had recently been replaced with one made of rich mahogany, was left ajar and the scent of something sweet coupled with the sound of loud laughter spilled out into the snow. A festive wreath of holly berries was hung on the door, further adding to the festive feel of the place.

Ken felt Vanessa stiffen in her chair as she took in the sights and he could only imagine her shock. It's Christmas? Already?

Where did the time go?

Before they reached the door, Ken stopped to address the older woman. "Are you still ready, Vanessa?"

The blonde's teeth were chattering and her hands were painfully clenching her biceps as she shivered, but the determined glint in her green eyes hadn't gone away one bit. "S-s-sure... i-if only t-t-to get out of-f this s-s-snow..." She gritted out through her locked jaw. Ken nodded in confirmation and pushed open the door.

Their presence was at first unnoticed, as everyone else was captivated by their own revelry. Everyone - the Masters, the animatronics, the endos, the maintenance bots, and even Ken's parents were standing in the corner having a very vivid conversation with PIXAL. Everyone was laughing and was wearing some article of Christmas clothing; the animatronics had been outfitted in similar colors as well. The scent of something sweet and spicy permeated the air, wafting in waves from the kitchen. Even more twinkling garland hung from the ceiling, though no Christmas tree could be found; there simply hadn't been enough time to throw one together.

Besides the lack of a tree, it was perfect.

Ken rolled Vanessa over to his Beigoma Academy friends, who immediately turned to greet her. The group started talking and Vanessa's expression steadily changed from one of unease to one of pleased joy. Ken watched the transformation with a small smile of his own before shedding his coat, revealing a Christmas green sweater and walking around to see how everyone was getting along.

He was interrupted by the feeling of a large hand on his shoulder. "You have some explaining to do, kid," An angry voice growled in his ear.

Ken didn't need to turn around to know who it was; he kept his cool. "What is it, Monty?"

"Don't pretend that you don't know exactly what I'm talking about."

"A lot of things happened today - you're gonna have to be more specific."

With a growl, the alligator dug his claws into the boy's shoulder and jerked him around until he was looking back the way he'd come. "Why is she here?" Monty growled, using his free hand to point a menacing claw at Vanessa, who was currently accepting an offered mug of hot cocoa from Valt.

"Why wouldn't she be here?" Ken asked rhetorically, his head at a weird angle thanks to Monty's grip. "This is her new home, too."

The alligator let out a sound that was a cross between a snort and a guffaw. "Her new home? You've gotta be kidding me!" He said mockingly. "Don't tell me you've forgotten what Vanny did to us. Or more importantly..." He leaned closer to Ken's ear to really get his point across. "What she did to you."

The boy gritted his teeth and ducked out of the animatronic's grip. "What happened wasn't Vanessa's fault," He said firmly to a mildly surprised Monty. "It wasn't her decision to do all those things. William Afton stole her freedom when he took over her mind, and she deserves to have at least some semblance of it back. So like it or not-" He poked Monty's sweater-clothed chest with every other word. "She is staying here, and I expect you and everyone else here to treat her with respect." He glared up into the alligator's red eyes with as much heat as he could muster. "Do I make myself clear, Montgomery?"

The animatronic had a good head and a half on the boy, and his fists had been known to break everything in sight, but even he felt himself shrinking back from the look in his green eyes. He'd seen firsthand what Ken could do when he felt strongly about something or someone, and he preferred to not be on the receiving end of his rage.

But still... all this for the woman that tortured us?

"Do you really think she's worth it?" He asked in a hushed tone, nearly unheard in the noise all around them.

Ken heard him, though. "I've seen retribution happen in the most unlikely of people," He assured the alligator. "So yeah - I think she's worth it."

Monty gave the boy a long look, an unreadable expression in his red eyes. Eventually he sighed and took a step back. "Fine - I've followed your lead so far and it hasn't done me wrong yet," He relented, fidgeting with the hem of his sweater. "And I guess I kinda owe you now, giving us an entire house and all..."

Ken smiled warmly before wrapping the animatronic's midsection in a hug. "Thanks, Monty."

"Yeah yeah," He replied sullenly, reaching up to awkwardly pat the boy on the shoulder. "You do realize that I'm gonna be keeping an eye on her, right?"

"Figured," Ken answered quickly. "PIXAL's already promised as such, so she's got you beat."

Monty snorted. "We'll see about that."

Ken rolled his eyes and released his hug, taking in the sights of the main room once again. Really, everyone was there. Even Music Man was perched on Naoki's shoulder as he sipped his hot cocoa, and the scientist didn't even look bothered. A rumbling beneath Ken's feet told him that DJMM had found his way to the basement and was making himself right at home. Everyone was there.

Except one.

"Wait... where's Danielle?" He asked, searching the crowd for a familiar brown ponytail. "I thought she was coming to welcome you guys to Ninjago."

"You mean your baker friend?" Monty clarified. When Ken nodded, he hooked his thumb over his shoulder towards  the kitchen. "She is here - who do you think is making us dessert?"

Ken thanked the alligator and rushed over to the doorway. There behind the counter was Dani with her signature brown ponytail and lemon yellow apron, wearing a festive red sweater vest dotted with spots of flour. She was sweating over a bowl of pale batter, occasionally adding the occasional pinch of sugar or cinnamon. Behind her on the counter were numerous trays of baked and unbaked treats, smelling delicious. She looked so at home, Ken almost believed for a second that they were back down the hill, in Steeper Wisdom.

Except for the endo standing next to her with a whisk and a batter bowl of its own.

"Hey, Danielle," He greeted, grabbing the brunette's attention with a wave. "Merry Christmas! Who's your new friend?" He said this with a point towards the endo.

Dani brushed some hair out of her eyes and gave the boy a wave of her own. "Hey, Ken - Merry Christmas to you, too! Isn't this nice?" She asked, gesturing with her head towards her new baking assistant. "I just started mixing things together, and this little guy came to help! Come on, say hi!" She elbowed the endo, causing it to look up and give Ken a quick appraising nod before turning back to its work, stirring the batter with careful jerky movements.

"Glad to see it," Ken noted, approaching the counter and eyeing the numerous utensils. "So... what are you guys making?"

"Um, a little bit of everything, I think!" Dani guessed, setting her spoon down and pulling a ready tray towards her. "I didn't know everyone's preferences and there are a lot of people here, so we're just steadily going through all the recipes in that cookbook." She gestured towards an open book amid the sugar and baking soda.

Ken lifted one side to read the stained cover. "Miss Betsy's Baking for Beginners?" He read in English; accompanying the title was the picture of a smiling woman with deep brown skin and a large afro, carrying a fluffy poodle.

"Yep - it's been in my family longer than I've been," Dani told him distractedly as she poured the batter into the tray. "I've had several of its recipes since I was a kid. I think a past Master brought it over from the other Realm, or something."

"Well, I'm excited to try them," Ken told her, just as a tune started up from the other room. Trumpets, basses, a low drum, and the smooth voice of a singer mixed to make an upbeat tune and cause a lull in conversation.

"What the - this isn't Christmas music!" Came Lui's voice.

"Nope, but it sure is addicting!" Came Orochi's response, followed by the repetition of fingers snapping.

Curious, Ken ducked out of the kitchen to check it out. He couldn't see much around the crowd of people and animatronics, so he asked the first person nearest to him, who turned out to be Cuza. "What's going on?"

"Orochi decided to show off the jazz records he saved from renovations," The acrobat answered, bobbing his head to the beat. "And I gotta say, they're not too bad!"

He wasn't the only one to think so. All around them, others were taking notice of the groove and adding their own movements. Ken was about to start snapping his own fingers to the beat when Dani suddenly cried out, "Yo Ken, you gotta see this!"

He immediately rushed back into the kitchen to a peculiar sight: the baking endo had also taken notice of the catchy jazz music and was bobbing its own head. A tinkering sound revealed that it was also tapping its foot. Dani had set her bowl down on the counter and was gazing upon the endo with a mixture of wonder and pride. "Isn't this the cutest thing you've ever seen?" She whispered under the noise to Ken. He nodded with a wide smile, at a loss for words.

As the music continued to fill the kitchen and the endo continued to dance to it, Dani decided to do something about it. She grabbed the endo's hands and pulled it away from the counter to an open space. There, she pulled its hands back and forth, moving its shoulders as well, and guiding it across the floor in a kind of broken waltz. The endo didn't have the ability to smile, but Ken got the impression that it would be if it could.

Eventually Dani got a hold of herself and guided their pair back over to the counter so they could get back to work. The spell from the dance session still lingered afterwards, though, so that when someone set a hand on Ken's shoulder, he shrieked and nearly jumped a mile high.

"Whoa, Ken," He heard through his momentary panic, looking up into the deep green eyes of PIXAL, dressed in Christmas cashmere and carrying a mug of hot cocoa. She waited until his breathing was normal before patting his shoulder and stepping away. "Relax. I just wanted to know how you were feeling."

Ken blinked at her. "How I'm feeling?"

"Sure," PIXAL confirmed, using her mug to gesture to the festivities around them. "You made this all happen, you know. It was your mission and sacrifice that brought everyone to this room. So... how do you feel?"

Ken thought over her words as he looked out into the room. He took in the sights, the smells, the sounds. The laughter, the smiles, the warmth. Everything was so warm, he felt himself heating up under his sweater as PIXAL looked on, sipping her hot cocoa.

His experience at the Pizzaplex after hours still prickled at the edges of his memory; would do so for probably the rest of his life. Vanessa's actions as Vanny couldn't be so easily forgotten, either. But it would be moments like these, happy memories like these, that would keep those bad memories at bay.

As for his answer to PIXAL?

"I feel... happy," He admitted, leaning against the wall with a smile and a sigh. "Exhaustedly happy."

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