{I dedicate this one to someone in the PAC Discord, who helped me with this prompt. You better enjoy this! XD

Trigger warning for knives/daggers and "blood" (it's oil, but)}

~~~

"Look out!" Pixal yelled to Zane from across the empty courtyard covered with snow. Zane rolled under a sharp silver blade of a half-metallically-reinforced person. A blast of ice and another one of the Mechanic's henchmen fell. He had attacked Pixal and Zane when they were taking some time for themselves out in Birchwood Forest, away from the others for a few days.

It didn't matter how he found the couple, Zane just wanted him away from them. The Mechanic had always been after Zane and Pixal for their parts and special abilities, but the pair had always been able to avoid him--until today at least.

Early on, they'd been separated with mild jolts of electricity to their backs while they were strolling silently through the gentle flurry. The jolts had been just enough to startle them but not enough to put them out of commission. Now, they were fighting both a dozen of the Mechanic's henchmen and the Mechanic himself.

Being surrounded in ice strengthened Zane's powers but slowed his reflexes, as well as Pixal's. Clearly, Zane had the advantage, being in familiar territory and surrounded with his element. Now, he was trying to fight his way over to Pixal and protect her.

There were only two people standing between him and her--the Mechanic and one of his henchmen. The one Zane just knocked down tumbled over into the snow and he whipped around to look for Pixal again. What he heard made him freeze.

"Pixal!" He shouted and reached a hand out to her. She was too far away for him to stop it! Time slowed down as Zane watched the Mechanic's taser touch Pixal's back, right as she turned to see who it was. A piercing scream of "Zane!" broke through the air and everyone covered their ears, except him.

"Pixal! NO!" The Mechanic laughed lowly as Zane rushed forward to try to get to her. To add insult to injury, the Mechanic kept her standing up, drew his sword, and made sure Zane was watching before he took a swing right at her neck. Pixal crumpled to the ground as soon as the metal met her skin and dark silver oil soon stained the snow around her.

"NO!" Zane screamed and fell to his knees, still too far away. Tears welled up in his eyes and he shook his head in denial. Pixal had to be okay. She had to be okay. Satisfied with the damage he'd caused, the Mechanic chuckled and reached forward dragged Pixal up by the back of her shirt.

Only a few feet away still, Zane dared not move as the Mechanic held up a dagger to Pixal's central compartment, where all her vital functions were stored. "One more step and she becomes spare parts, as do you."

"No, please! Let her go. Take me instead!" Zane didn't hesitate to offer himself up {We all know what would be the first thing on his mind: to get Pixal out safely}. The Mechanic chuckled darkly and started to press the dagger tip into her abdomen.

"Nah, this works much better. She's much more valuable than you. You'll do whatever I want as long as I have her." The sight of silver "blood" dripping around the dagger digging into Pixal's skin made something inside Zane snap. The love of his life shouldn't be dangling above the ground with a knife in her and forced to be a prisoner just for his cooperation. Not while he was living and breathing.

White consumed his vision and a low growl came from his throat. He leaped forward and within a second he had the Mechanic pinned in the snow. The Mechanic had expected this reaction. He smirked and brought his dagger up to protect his face. Zane grabbed it straight with his hand and didn't even react when it cut deep into his own synthetically-skinned hand.

"Stay. Away. From. Her." He growled and with incredible force, tore the dagger away and flipped it around to put it at his enemy's throat. That wasn't part of the Mechanic's plan, however. So when Zane saw the fear on his face, he couldn't do it. He closed his eyes and backed off of the smaller man, then turned and threw the knife as far as he could into the white abyss of trees. "Get out of here and don't ever come back. This is a sanctuary and you've desecrated it with your filthy plans. If you return, I will have the Treehorns stomp you into snow pudding."

The Mechanic nodded and left his henchmen to freeze in the snow while he ran for his life. All Zane's worry for Pixal came rushing back and he dropped down next to her. He didn't hesitate to scoop her up in his arms and assess her injuries. To some extent, her skin would repair itself, but the dagger had been pressed far into her systems. Too far, Zane feared, as a long beep came from the spot where the dagger had been. His heart skipped a beat when he realized how close the strike had been to her power source. The edge had been nicked. Any closer and...

"Hang on, my fierce little flurry." He whispered and looked around for anything that could help. Snow, gray snow, trees, birds... wait, in the distance was the logo for his father's old workshop! It was far away, but he could make it. Hopefully. His own oil-dripping hand, Pixal's small but heavy metal frame, and his own weak legs made it hard for him to struggle to his feet, but he eventually did.

The thick snow that had seemed so comforting only an hour ago now seemed to have tripled in density as Zane attempted to navigate through it. The winds had picked up considerably and Pixal's physical state was deteriorating much too quickly for his liking. Just a bit further, he told himself. Then he could get her the help she needed.

What he couldn't see was the little screen on the inside of Pixal's head.

Reset complete.

Reboot in progress...

3...

2...

1...

Reboot complete.

Systems online.

Pixal's systems whirred back to life and her eyes fluttered open. "Wh-" Her voice was rough and stuttering, but Zane was overjoyed to hear it just the same. He looked down excitedly, despite everything, and slowed his pace so she wasn't being jostled. She coughed and tried again.

"Who are you?" The simple question stopped Zane in his tracks.

"Me? I..." She had to be joking. "I... am your boyfriend. Zane. Do you... not remember?"

She cocked her head confusedly. "Of course. I am Pixal, Primary Interactive Xternal Assistant Lifeform. What does Zane stand for?" She caught a glimpse of the oil stain on her chest and her eyes filled with alarm. "My memory database!"

A heavy pit settled in Zane's stomach and he clenched his jaw to keep it from quivering. One step, then another, keep going. They were almost to the treehouse. "Your neck as well." He whispered and glanced back down at her.

"Your hand." She said when she saw. "What happened? Why are we not back in Borg Tower with Cyrus Borg?" She paused. "You look familiar. Are you not part of the team of Elemental Masters coming to meet with him?"

Zane wanted to answer, how badly he wanted to answer. He stopped in front of the door with her still in his arms and wiggled the door open, then stepped inside and shut it with his shoulder before he answered. "Yes. You... could say that. We've already met him."

"Oh." Pixal looked back down as they descended the winding stairs. Ever so gently, she was set onto a bed and she leaned against the wall behind her. "What happened? Where are the others?" A prick in his heart made him wince and he turned away. He hoped their power sources would stay online. He didn't want today to be their last day together.

"Well..." Slowly, he explained where they were and what had happened while he gathered old parts and tools to try and fix what he could. A few times, he had to pause and swallow back a cry. He stayed turned away from her until the last possible second so she wouldn't see his silent tears. His power source steadily pulsed, both with part of her pain and part of his own.

He gathered the necessary tools and came back over to her. He kept his eyes downcast and hesitated to reach for her chest panel. Sensing his nervousness, Pixal felt a sense of comfort and security at having him so close. She nodded and put her hand on his. "It's alright. Go ahead. I trust you."

With a shaky nod, he opened the panel. His hand was leaking oil but he wiped it off and started to fiddle with the controls inside her. Every time he reached in, he got a little shock, but he kept going. Sometimes, he got a shock in his own power source if he nudged hers by accident. He wanted to shut off all thoughts besides fixing her until it was finished. He couldn't afford to lose time.

Aside from the occasional sniffle or beep, it was silent. After a while, he wiped his hands and went back over to the table to get more parts. He still had to fix her neck, even though she was in no immediate danger anymore. Though he'd fixed it temporarily, he couldn't afford to lose time, like before. He kept repeating that every time he faltered. She might not remember him, but he kept telling stories quietly whenever she got uncomfortable. He did it both to distract her and remind himself she was the same person. He could fix her. He knew it.

"Snowflake?" Pixal's soft voice filled the silence left after he trailed off during the same story for the third time, gripping the edge of the table with his head bowed. "Can I call you that? I... I don't know why... I just remember something with snowflakes and... it feels really good." A barely noticeable hitch in his breath and a nod, and she continued. "I... How do I know these things are all real? None of these are in my database. I want to remember but I don't anymore. I'm not the Pixal you know..." She trailed off when she heard a choked cry from him and he gripped the table harder, "...or...love. I'm not her anymore. I want to be, but... how can I be? I... I'm sorry."

The mental dam broke and Zane fell to his knees. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." He shook his head and put his hands over his face. "Forgive me... I was supposed to protect you! That's my purpose! If I can't even do that, what's the point?"

Pixal closed her panel and hopped off the bed, flinching at the sudden shot of pain up her leg. She slowly made her way over to... her boyfriend? That's what he said he was, right? What did one do with their significant other to comfort them?

Search query: How to comfort S.O.

Loading...

Results found:

Hold their hand.

Tell them how much you love them.

Listen to them if they need to talk.

Reassure them you're there for them.

If all else fails, just let them cry if they need to.

She closed the digital search bar and sat down on her knees next to him. Carefully, she put her hand on his leg. She could tell he was trying to control himself. She wished she could feel whatever he was feeling and help. What made it worse was that she was almost 100% certain it was because of her predicament that he was crying.

He peeked out from under his hands and placed a shaky hand on top of hers. He gulped and tried to smile. Even without her memories, she was still trying to help. He threaded his fingers through hers and squeezed. He remembered the first time he held her hand like this. Today was a cruel repeat of that day. Before he had time to delve into that memory, she started to speak.

"I know I don't remember you anymore, but... can I still ask what's wrong? I know it must be about me." She paused, thinking about what the list said. "Is it too soon to assume that since we are, well... dating? That is the term, correct?" A hint of a smile crossed Zane's face and he barely nodded. "Well, I assume at this point we have said 'I love you', correct? So... I do remember that I love you."

"Pixal, I... thank you. And I you," he shifted so he was sitting crossed legged and held out his other hand. Even without her head memories, muscle memory took over and Pixal crawled up into his lap. It felt so right to be here.

"What else is on your mind? I sense there is something else." She asked. He wrapped his arms around her and laid his head on her shoulder. She waited patiently for him to collect his thoughts. She was about to ask again when he inhaled deeply and spoke quietly.

"How can you sit here and comfort me when I let you get hurt?" He whispered hoarsely. "After everything we've been through... I still let you get hurt. Again and again. I should be able to protect you, and my brothers, and Ninjago, but I just...I can't," his voice got quieter and soon he trailed off again. Though Pixal couldn't see him, she knew he was crying again. She felt the warm drops on her shoulder and the silent sobs shaking his body.

She hugged him tighter and copied his pose by leaning on his chest. "I'm here because even without my memories, I trust you. The first thing I see when I come online is you carrying me away from what clearly was a horrible attack. How can I not love that?" She mumbled and pressed her body more into his to calm him. "I'm not going anywhere."

Up until now, Zane had tried to control his sobbing to a manageable volume, but he couldn't anymore. Gut-wrenching sobs wracked his body and for the first time in his life, he completely let go of his composed, mature exterior. He cried for Pixal's memories, for his own things he'd let happen to her in the past, and everything in between. This went beyond what happened today, though that certainly played a huge role.

Pixal's metallic heart broke as he continued to sob with raw, sad rage. She couldn't help but feel that she should be sad as well. If she could take his suffering away, she'd do it in a heartbeat. She had a feeling he'd do the same in an instant. She felt like she should be doing more, considering (by his words, anyway) they'd known each other for years now.

"I *hiccup* shouldn't even be allowed near you if *hiccup* if you just get hurt every *hiccup* time you're around me." Zane hiccuped. His grip on her tightened and she let herself melt into his embrace. "The others. What will they say?" He realized aloud. "They'll hate me for what happened. I have never let anyone get hurt this badly. Sensei will put me out and-"

He was cut off when Pixal suddenly pulled back and put a finger to his lips. "No. Snowf- Zane. They will not. I know nobody should ever 'put someone out' for making a mistake. I do not blame you, and your team members, from what you've told me, will not either if they really love you as I do."

"I-" Zane was going to protest, but realized she was right. Even having only been rebooted barely an hour ago, she was wiser than he. He smiled a sad smile, despite it all, and she removed her finger.

"My body is telling me, well... this seems like where I would usually, um... give you a kiss? Is that...is that alright? I understand if-"

"Yes. You know I- well, now you do. You know I would never deny you a kiss, my fierce little flurry." Zane smiled softly and cupped her face. If the workshop had anyone else in it, he wouldn't be like this. But since they were alone, he didn't hesitate to lean down and press a long, needy kiss to her lips.

All the emotions from the day were pushed into those precious few seconds. All the anger, pain, love, helplessness, trust, everything was poured from Zane into Pixal. And in those few seconds, Pixal knew this was right. She was with the droid she might not know very well anymore but trusted and loved completely.

She gently draped her hands over his shoulders as her eyes fluttered shut and let him pull her closer. Much too quickly, she was softly pushed away. She cuddled back into his chest anyway, intent on not leaving. With a soft smile she couldn't see, Zane leaned his head on top of hers and leaned against the table behind him.

It was like falling in love all over again. Except this time, he knew what was coming. And he wouldn't let it happen again.

~~~

{These endings are always so abrupt, huh? I can never end it sadly with these two, haha. I hope you enjoyed and thanks for stopping by! <3}

~~~

{Okay so! I wrote a lil extra for ✨personal reasons✨ so... here goes!}

✨ Bonus ✨

"Mr. Borg. I've brought the Ninja as you requested before I went offline." Cyrus' head shot up at Pixal's voice. He was at his desk back in Borg Towers in Ninjago City. He wasn't expecting to hear from them for at least another weeks. After he'd heard Zane and Pixal had taken a week to themselves, he'd assumed the team would be out at least another week or two.

"Pixal?" He turned in his wheelchair to see her with the team behind her. He smiled and wiped his hands on a cloth nearby. "My dear. Why are you back? And you've called me Dad since... well, since you left to be with Zane." He glanced over to said ninja, who looked up and shook his head sadly. "Did... did something happen?" He didn't want to believe something bad happened to his little girl.

"Mr. Borg, I've brought them to come see you about the Technoblades." Pixal continued, oblivious to the sad looks being exchanged.

"Techno...blades? But those were destroyed when..." he finally caught on when he saw Zane gulp and hold his chin up higher to prevent tears from falling. "Oh. I... I see."

"Mr. Borg? Should I leave you alone?" Pixal asked. She genuinely didn't understand why they were reacting this way.

"Perhaps just... let them wander, hmm? I..." Cyrus looked away and squeezed his eyes shut. "I have...other matters to attend to."

"Of course. Right this way." She motioned for the others to follow her out. Zane was the last to leave, casting a sad glance at Cyrus before he was ushered out by his girlfriend. Or was she still able to be called that?

~ Later ~

"Cyrus?" Zane knocked softly and entered the older man's lab.

"Hello, Zane." A quiet voice and a sigh greeted him back. "I assume you're here to tell me how...this happened?" Zane nodded when Cyrus turned from his desk to face him. Immediately, he felt ten times worse. Cyrus' face was red and tear-stained, his voice wobbly, and hands shaky.

"I am," Zane confirmed with a firm nod, "and I want you to know that if I could have taken her place, I would have in a heartbeat." Cyrus chuckled sadly.

"I know, my boy. I know you did everything you could. Just... tell me what happened so I can know what's really going on. Why doesn't she remember?" He patted a seat beside his desk and Zane sat down. With a sigh, he began to recount the tale. He didn't leave any details out.

He told of their time they were taking off, how he'd taken her to Birchwood Forest to show her his old home, and how the Mechanic had taken them by surprise somehow. He told him of how their enemy had not hesitated to harm Pixal just to get to Zane and then ran for his life when he was threatened. Lastly, he told of how he'd carried her back to the old workshop and they'd realized her memories were gone. He told of how comforting Pixal had been to him, even without her memories.

When he finished the tale, Cyrus swallowed thickly. "You were both very brave. But..." his prosthetic hand clenched into a fist and his face scrunched up in anger, "the Mechanic will pay for what he did to my daughter!" He slammed his fist on the table and Zane flinched when it dented. "I won't rest until every single corner of Ninjago is searched and he is found! He will pay for what he did to her! To my girl. My precious girl..." His hand flew to his mouth and tears spilled forth again, silently.

Zane didn't know what to do except nod. "I promise you, I will not rest until justice is served. Pixal means the world to me and I know she does to you, too." He stood again and a determined frown settled on his metal features. "I love your daughter more than I've ever loved anyone, Cyrus. If anyone can fix this, it should be me. I got her into this. Actually, if anything... I should be the one with no memories. I promise, I'll make this up to you and make him pay. I would bet my life on it."

~~~

{Just a lil extra I wrote bc I wanted to see Cyrus' reaction. Enjoy!}