No One's POV
Everyone was excited when they came to lessons and found PIXAL in her kimono and knapsack with Valt bouncing on the balls of his feet beside her, which they took to mean that they were going back to Ninjago and the tea shop. When asked if they were to do so, PIXAL only smiled her mysterious smile and held her arm out to reveal that she was indeed wearing the portal generator. The boys had immediately thrown their packs against the Monastery wall with enthusiasm thumps and had gathered around her, eager to begin the journey. PIXAL eventually gave into their pleading and begging and stuck the generator out in front of herself, birthing the remarkable doorway from just pressing a few buttons.

In a few seconds, they were through and stepping foot into the futuristic world of Ninjago.

This time, PIXAL had enough sense to position the portal to deposit right next to Steeper Wisdom instead of on the other side of the city. She quickly assured her boys through the back door into the kitchen, where Dani stood there waiting with her hands on her hips. "So you're back for another day, huh?" She asked. "The work didn't scare you away?"

Xander smirked toothily at her as he selected an apron from its hook and tied it around his waist. "It's gonna take a lot more than an oppressive workload to scare us away - you can count on that!" He promised.

"I just hope there aren't as many fan girls this time," Orochi grumbled, plucking his own apron off the wall. "I'm pretty sure one stole one of my rings!" He held up his hand, displaying his ring less finger in exasperation.

"That's what you get for wearing jewelry on the job, Mr. Vain!" Honcho told him as he walked past with an apron already clothing his thighs.

"Hey - says the guy who would rather die then not have a lollipop in his mouth for five seconds!" Orochi called after him, showing his fingers in a much more creative fashion.

"They're tasty and they're soothing - sue me!" Honcho shot back over his shoulder. He grabbed a notepad and pencil from the counter and pushed through the bead curtain. "If you need me, I'll be taking orders!"

Dani chuckled, tapping her fist against the musician's shoulder. "Relax, Beethoven - once the public gets used to you, you'll just be another face in the crowd."

"Why do I think that'll be worse?" Wakiya, the actual vain one, griped.

After that somewhat rocky start, the rest of the day was nothing short of an adventure story with Dani as the staring character. The first time they'd come, they'd been too surprised with the workload to notice what she did, but now that they were getting used to it, they were starting to take notice of what exactly she did in the tea shop. Actually, it was a chore all on its own to find out what she didn't do - she was like a contained whirlwind, taking orders, brewing tea, baking pastries, fetching ingredients from the back.

Cuza eventually had to pull PIXAL aside and repeat his question from the first day, "Seriously - are you sure you're the manager?" The Nindroid laughed, but she had no answer.

Every time someone came through the door, they had to go up to the counter and one of the boys had to take their order. When all of the boys were busy, Dani took the orders, and she honestly made the guys look like bumbling fools.

One example is when all the boys were working in the kitchen and Dani had to man the counter. They were too busy to peak through the curtain, but they heard her compromise with a customer:

"I'm sorry, sir, but we don't make horchatas with tiger nuts here - mostly because we don't have tiger nuts."

Quon looked up from where he was sprinkling sugar on top of tea cakes. "Hor-what-as?"

"But we can make horchatas with lemon grass and rose geranium; will that be suitable for you? Yes? Alright then!"

"Lemon grass?" Ken muttered, even more confused. "Rose what now?" When Dani burst through the curtain, he felt the need to ask, "What was that all about?"

"Long story short - ya'll are about to learn how to make horchatas!" Dani yelled excitedly over her shoulder as she ran towards the back room to gather the ingredients. "I already signaled PIXAL to man the counter for now!"

Quon and Ken watched as she went, casting glances at each other and muttering, "Horchatas...?"

She also had a knack for children. There was a small play area in the tea shop that was decked out with plastic toys and art supplies, so when she was on her (incredibly rare) breaks, she hung out with the kids who played while their parents drank their tea.

Ukyo was walking by with dishes when he witnessed a child giving Dani a drawing she'd drawn of her. "Here, Dani - I made this for you," She told the brunette with an apple cheeked grin.

The drawing was a simple stick figure with blocky clothing and scribbles all over, which made Ukyo wrinkle his nose, but Dani accepted it with a smile that could rival the Sun. "Awww - thank you, sweetie!" She gushed.

Ukyo just gawked. She didn't even correct the kid about calling her Dani!

The child blushed shyly, toeing her shoe into the floor. "So...can I have some tea cakes?" She asked.

Dani laughed deeply, reaching out to ruffle the child's hair. "Nice try," She chuckled at the child's disappointed frown. "But if you want your mother to buy you some, try making her one of your amazing drawings!" As Ukyo watched, the child brightened as Dani slipped her drawing into her apron.

Amused and getting the feeling that he was intruding on something private, Ukyo hoisted his bucket of dishes and took his leave.

Then there was the Companion's Special - Dani's pride and joy, reserved for the less fortunate. The boys learned that some people may look the part of financially challenged while others were more subtle. A woman and her two children came in wearing clothing that was faded beyond recognition, and Dani sent them off with three large mint teas and a box of a dozen chocolate tea cakes. Then a man walked in carrying a briefcase and wearing a sharp, if not shabby, business suit, but his face was pale and his eyes were haunted; Dani sent him off with a black cherry tea and a barrage of raspberry crumpets.

Then there were the people who tried to take advantage of the Companion's Special in an attempt to get free food. There were few that dared to attempt to pull one over on Dani, but they were all shut down pretty quickly.

There was a middle aged woman wearing way too much makeup and speaking with a nasal, demanding that Dani gave her free food because there was a chance she was going to get demoted at work. "My condolences - now please pick from the choices you can afford at this moment in time," Dani told her dryly, gesturing to the menu above her head.

There was a young man that certainly looked the part of homeless - his face was dirty, his hair looked like it hadn't seen a bath in ages, and his clothing was practically rags. Yet Dani still gestured to the menu and told him to pick and pay. No matter how much the man gestured to his appearance and tried to accentuate the sound of his stomach grumbling, Dani only gestured to the menu more.

"How exactly did you know that he wasn't homeless?" Kit asked her after the man had stormed off in a huff.

"You can tell with the eyes," Dani told him, kneeling down to his level and holding two fingers in front of her own for emphasis. "The eyes are the windows to the soul, little Master; they reveal how you truly feel, though your face may hide it. The eyes of the challenged are always full of turmoil and stress, though there is always an inner strength beneath it all. That man's eyes were still full of liveliness and a bit of cockiness - those aren't the eyes of the challenged."

"Okay...and?" Kit asked, feeling there was more to what tipped her off.

"And there was a Borg Industry #110 wristwatch tan line on his left wrist - top of the line, and the edges were still crisp," Dani revealed, turning back to the counter with annoyance in her brown eyes. "Seriously, he may as well have written I'M A FAKE across his forehead."

"Right..." Kit muttered, just going along with it.

Then there was this one girl... THAT encounter was surely entertaining.

She came near the end of the boys' shift, posing in the door to the tea shop like she was on her own runway show. Platinum blonde hair swung to just below her shoulders, and her arms were weighed down with ten shopping bags apiece. Everything about her outfit was pink - pink t-shirt, pink skirt, and even her makeup was done in shades of pink.

"Do those glasses of yours double as sunglasses?" Daigo asked Naoki where they were clearing dishes, shielding his eyes from the neon sign in the doorway.

"Yes - so do not ask to use them," Naoki responded, reaching up to switch the lenses to UV PROTECTION. Daigo groaned and pulled his bandana down over his eyes.

The girl strutted up to the counter, casting her pink layered eyes over the selection. Dani, sending the hostility in the air, immediately took her place behind the counter; her base color turned a very unflattering tangerine in the glow from the girl's outfit. "Welcome to Steeper Wisdom," She said pleasantly. "I'm Danielle - how may I help you?"

The girl clucked her tongue at the menu. "Yes, I'd like the Companion's Special, please," She drawled, waving a hand of pink painted nails. "A large strawberry tea and a large strawberry tea cake."

"Jeez, she's really going with the whole pink diva persona, isn't she?" Boa whispered to Yugo where they were peaking from behind the beaded curtain.

"I wouldn't be surprised if she invented the very term," Yugo admitted.

When Dani didn't move, the girl huffed and snapped her fingers impatiently. "Let's go, hop to it, Shanelle!" She ordered. "Make it fast - I'm meeting with my friends in Ninjago Square."

"Okay, does she even know what planet she lives on?" Jin griped where he was serving a pleasant old man his tea.

"Yes - if she doesn't put a lock on her tongue, there's a good chance Danielle will take it," The man agreed.

Dani's expression didn't change, but a vein popped in her temple. "First of all, my name is Danielle," She corrected her. "Second of all, a large strawberry tea and cake combo will cost you $5.50."

The girl dramatically recoiled. "What?" She sputtered. "B-but I want the Companion's Special! Everything is free if you get the special, right? So give me the special!"

The vein in Dani's forehead was pulsing at a much steadier pace now. "I'm sorry, Miss, but the Companion's Special is reserved for those who are financially challenged. And-" She gestured to the bags swinging from the girl's arms. "You are obviously not financially challenged."

The girl rearranged her bags in her grip, her face turning a shade darker than her outfit. "I am too financially challenged!" She demanded. "I overspent on my shopping spree, so I don't have any money on me! So you have to give me the special!"

Dani's pleasant smile became strained. "Let me rephrase that - it's reserved for those who are financially challenged in life, not at the moment."

"But that means I should still get the special!" The girl continued to insist, brandishing her bags like maces. "My daddy isn't as high on the food chain in his company as I would like!"

"Boo hoo," Lui grumbled in the corner where he was wiping down tables. "Welcome to the club, missy."

"I'm sorry, but the price is still $5.50," Dani told her.

The girl stiffened, then smirked as she tried another tactic. "Wow...just wow. I thought this was Steeper Wisdom - the tea shop of the Elemental Masters, the people who are supposed to protect us!" She put on a wounded expression. "If you can't help a poor, penniless girl who's down on her luck, then how are we supposed to trust you with the safety of our city?" She gestured to the other customers for support; no one nodded or voiced their agreement, but that didn't take the bite out of her smirk one bit.

Dani was still silently glowering when the girl turned her attention back to her. "I'll take that Companion's Special, now...if you don't mind, Janelle," She said smugly.

Everyone in the tea shop let out a groan - PIXAL, the boys, the customers, even the kids in the play area. "Does she seriously think she can guilt Dani into giving her free food?" Valt asked where he was restocking the ingredients behind the curtain, sounding exhausted with the whole situation.

"Good luck with that - I don't think she has any guilt," Ren Wu added sullenly where he was pouring tea into cups.

Dani was silent as she regarded the not-too-subtle diva in front of her; then a beat passed and she smiled tightly. "For the last time, my name is Danielle, and the price is still $5.50," She said, oblivious to the shocked expression on the girl's face. "And if you don't have money to pay for it..." She gestured sharply to the door. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

The girl stammered and sputtered. "But - THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE!" She finally got out, her face matching her outfit. "I DEMAND TO SPEAK TO YOUR MANAGER!"

"Right here," PIXAL finally spoke up, taking her place by Dani's side. "And I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I am taking my assistant manager's side on this one."

The girl blinked at her for a second, then the color drained from her face in a snap. "P...PIXAL Borg Julien?" She stammered, her bags rattling in her shaking grip. "Y-you're the manager?"

"You said it yourself that the Elemental Masters worked here," Shu added to the conversation, approaching the group with his arms crossed. "How could you not know that PIXAL also worked here?"

"I-I heard the rumors that she worked here, but I-I thought that was just a marketing ploy!" The girl defended herself, looking more and more like a mouse that had been trapped in a corner.

"Jeez, just how out of touch with reality are you?" Free spoke up, also crossing his arms.

"Yeah, and just what were you trying to do with that whole 'trust in safety' speech earlier?" Fubuki added. "This isn't a democracy - this is the Republic of PIXAL and Dani!"

"Amen!" Kit spoke up, raising his fist.

The girl was sweating buckets now, her eyes searching the customers frantically for someone to come to her rescue. "I-I'll...I'LL HAVE MY DADDY SUE THIS ROTTEN PLACE!!" She finally roared.

"If you do, will you admit that you're ashamed of your father's position in his company?" Dani asked ruefully.

That did it. The girl's face turned to a color that did not match her clothing at all, then she yelled "WHATEVER" and stormed off, her bags swaying like pom poms.

Everyone got to their feet and clapped like they had just watched the closing sequence of a great play; even those who had been working in the back pushed aside the beaded curtain to congratulate Dani on her performance. The brunette's face flushed in embarrassment, but she simply said, "Alright, show's over - everyone get back to work!"

An hour later
Orochi and Cuza sat together in the kitchen, laughing at a video on Orochi's phone. Dani was walking by and about to scold them about not working when she heard her own voice come from the phone: "I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

"What the-? You recorded the whole thing?" She sputtered, rounding on the duo.

"Hell yeah I did!" Orochi said defiantly, holding the screen out for her to see the picture of her staring down the girl from before. "You dealt with a pink diva Karen - that's Grade A comedy gold right there!" He pulled his hand back and waved his phone almost teasingly. "Besides, if that girl does decide to get her dear old dad to sue this place, this video can be useful evidence!"

"As well as blackmail, since she totally insulted her own father!" Cuza added with a devilish grin.

Dani stared at the two of them with her arms crossed for a second, a thoughtful look on her face. Then she closed her eyes and smiled. "Fine, I'll allow it," She relented. "Just remember to send me the video in case Little Miss Pink does decide to rear her bleached head."

"You saw it, too?" Wakiya asked as he walked over to the group. "I was going to say, who exactly did she think she was fooling with that hair?"

The quartet let out a collective laugh, joyous at their shared amusement at the girl's stupidity. Curious at the noise, Valt pushed aside the beaded curtain and poked his blue head through; he smiled at the sight of the all-powerful Dani having a laugh with friends.

Which reminded him... "Hey, Dani," He called out, making her whip around as if she were embarrassed that she had been caught having fun. "What do you think? Are these guys any closer to calling you Dani?"

The brunette chewed the inside of her cheek and glanced at the boys she had just been laughing with. They stared back at her with a mix of hope and anticipation. Their expressions all asked Did we do it? Do we have the privilege of calling you your most sacred name?

Dani stared at them, then her mouth quirked into a grin. "We're getting there."

"Oh, come ON, DANIELLE!!"

Bonus scene!
At the end of their shift, the boys all gathered in the kitchen to say their goodbyes to Dani and so PIXAL could program the generating device to take them back to the Monastery. Once the blue portal lit up the kitchen, the boys went through one by one until it was just Shu and PIXAL left.

But the albino refused to go through. Instead, he turned to PIXAL with pleading eyes. "PIXAL, last time we came here, we saw the Lloyd Garmadon Memorial. I asked if you could tell me the story of how he died, but you told me it could wait until later. Well, it's later...so you can you tell me the story now?"

PIXAL stared at him for a while, slowly contemplating if it was a good idea to do so. She stared for so long that Valt poked his head back through the portal and asked, "PIXAL? Are you coming?"

"Go ahead, Valt," PIXAL told him, keeping her eyes on Shu. "We'll be along later."

"O...kay?" Valt said questioningly. He tried to catch Shu's eye, but the portal started to close and he had to pull his head back through.

PIXAL sighed and gestured Shu over to the kitchen door. "Come, young Master of Energy. It's time you learn the story of the Father, the Son, and the Golden Purge."

—————

A few minutes later, the duo was standing in front of the golden statue Shu had seen the first time they'd come to Ninjago. Few were still milling about the grounds, but those who were gave them a wide berth and even wider eyes. Shu didn't mind. He was too busy staring up at the statue.

The 5'5 man was wearing a torn gi outfitted with scarred armor and holding an equally scarred sword. His shining face was turned down and his eyes were clenched shut, as if the end was too much for him to bear. The hand holding his sword was pointed up to the sky in victory while the other was clenched tight at his side. His feet were spread shoulder length apart and each muscle was pulled taunt, as if he was still preparing for a fight.

The picture of a tortured hero.

But what was the real centerpiece was the pedestal the statue stood on. It wasn't metal or even stone - rather, it was a prism of glass, though you could tell the glass was thick enough to withstand a missile strike. While the ground around the glass was paved over with stone, the ground inside was simple torn up dirt that looked like a piece of a battlefield. If you looked close enough, you could see the outline of a man on his side in a halfway fetal position. The dirt was stiff enough that you could make out each individual finger and hair lock.

The entire spot of dirt was soaked with what Shu guessed was dried blood.

"What happened here?" He asked in a hushed tone.

PIXAL took a deep breath through her nose and closed her eyes. "Nearly two hundred years ago, Lloyd Garmadon was the first ninja to bear the color green. He was regarded far and wide as one of the true heroes of Ninjago. But Lloyd was not happy. His father, Lord Garmadon, caused the city more problems than he cared to admit. He'd tried to conquer it several times, but Lloyd and the other ninja had stopped him every time; Garmadon even tried to quit evil and live his life as a sensei, but the darkness pulled him back in. Even so, Lloyd loved his father, and it broke his heart when the two fought.

"However, the evil in his father's body kept him from feeling any love for his son, and he continued his attempts to conquer Ninjago. On one such occasion, Lloyd and Lord Garmadon came to blows on this very ground. Lloyd had his father on the ropes - he could have won the fight and ended the darkness forever - but he couldn't bring himself to deliver the fatal blow.

"So his father dealt one to him.

"As he lay in a pool of his own blood, Lloyd admitted to his father that he still loved him, no matter what. He also admitted that he loved Ninjago as well, but fate wouldn't allow him to have both. So as he took his last breath, he put all of his life force into his Element to complete one final action. An action that would save both items of his love.

"The Element of Energy exploded from his body in an event forever known as the Golden Purge. In the outburst, all evil was purified, all broken was healed, and all shadows were turned into light. After the light cleared and the Element vanished, Lord Garmadon was nowhere to be found, and neither was Lloyd's body. The people looked all over Ninjago's plains, but they could not find the body of the Green Ninja. Several theories as to what happened to him developed overtime - an entirely ludicrous one being that Lloyd survived the blow and made a new life for himself with his father somewhere in Ninjago's most remote villages. The most widely accepted one is that his body was disintegrated from the force of the Golden Purge, and his father was so full of evil that he was wiped completely from existence.

"No one in Ninjago knows the truth of what happened; if Lloyd's body was still intact after the Purge, they have no idea where it is buried, either. This one spot of land right here, where Lloyd took his final breath and released the Purge, is the closest thing they have to a gravesite." PIXAL reached out and laid one hand against the glass. "So they come here to honor his memory and the memory of his sacrifice. And they make sure nothing disturbs the dirt - the glass goes down another six feet, and both the statue and the glass are cleaned on a daily schedule." She laid her head against her hand and sighed once more. "Sometimes I wonder if this is the ending Lloyd saw for himself - and if he was okay with the outcome."

Shu was stunned into speechlessness. He kneeled down and pressed his own hand against the glass, making sure it aligned with the print of Lloyd's hand from his line of sight. As PIXAL watched, he laid his forehead head against the glass and stared at the dirt with hooded eyes. Then he spoke softly...

"I'll make him proud, PIXAL. I'll carry the torch he left behind and protect the home he loved."

—————
4162 words.

Hiiiii!!

Finally more Dani! And some scenes with her in action, too!

Also, now you know what happens to Lloyd in my AU. What do you think?

Let me know what you think!