Zane woke to a soft voice. He immediately opened his eyes and called out.

"P.I.X.A.L.?"

But his female friend wasn't there. Instead, it was Nya, who was shaking his shoulder.

"Sorry, Zane, but I thought you'd might like to know that Lloyd is home, along with Misako."

The Titanium Ninja visibly relaxed, and broke into a huge grin. "That is wonderful news, thank you Nya."

She smiled back. "No problem. Now, come one. Everyone's getting ready to eat."

She laughed when Zane asked if Cole was the one who cooked. "No, I did. Now hurry up!"

Zane felt light as a feather as followed Nya to the dining room. Lloyd was back! That meant he didn't have to play leader anymore!

As he settled into his usually seat between the Green Ninja and Jay, he felt...strange, as if someone was watching him.

He glanced around at everyone at the table. Cole and Kai were still fighting, obviously still mad at each other from earlier. Zane sighed. Couldn't those two get along for two minutes?

"So, nephew," Sensei Wu started, raising his voice to be heard over the arguing Black and Red Ninja. "How was your trip to the New Ninjago City?"

"It was good," Lloyd replied, smiling slightly. He looked exhausted. "I had to stay and Borg's tower during my stay instead of the hotel. People kept mobbing me, asking for autographs and stuff. I probably spent more time running from the people than actually doing what I was called there to do."

"Wow, that sounds awesome!" Everyone turned to face Kai. The Fire Ninja looked at them in return, confused. "What? Am I not entitled to my own opinions?"

Zane shook his head, and turned his attention back to the tired Lloyd. The poor man was practically using his food as a pillow.

"How about you go to bed, Lloyd," the metal man suggested. "You can tell us about it tomorrow."

"Mm...yeah, okay." The Green Ninja yawned once, then promptly fell asleep then and there, and would've banged his head on the table if Zane hadn't caught him.

"I'll take him to his room." Zane lifted him up, struggling slightly with the weight. "Here, let me help." Jay took the other side, and, together, they carried Lloyd between them, Lloyd himself snoring lightly, his feet dragging on the ground.

When he was safely tucked into his bed, Jay pulled Zane to the side. "Hey, are you okay? You've seemed a bit off lately."

Zane stiffened slightly, but nothing on Jay's face said he noticed. All that was displayed was a slight worry. He blinked. "I am fine. Let's get back to the others."

During the short walk back to the dining room, Zane mulled over Jay's actions. He seemed more protective and more worried than before. He wondered if the Blue Ninja suspected anything. He hoped not. That would make tomorrow all the more difficult.

When dinner was through and all the dishes were washed and put away, everyone went their separate ways into their separate rooms. Zane had just closed the door to his room when he locked up again. He didn't say a word. She didn't show herself. But he could still hear her, crying softly in the back of his head.

When she finally did appear, digital tears were streaming down her face. It took every ounce of Zane's control not to speak, for he thought it would only make her cry harder.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, her crying stopped, and Zane worked up the courage to speak. What he said, though, was something neither of them expected.

"Do you remember when we first met?" His voice soft. He could barely hear himself.

To his surprise, P.I.X.A.L. actually smiled. "Yes, of course. How could I forget?"

He remembered it very well. It held a special place in his mind. He smiled as he thought back to that day, just three years after the Great Battle between the Ultimate Spinjitzu Master and the Overlord.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

The three Ninja walked through the front door, followed by their students, Wu, and Nya. Unknown to them, their fourth member, Kai, had gotten stuck in the new, automated door of Borg Industries, built on the very spot the Overlord was destroyed, scattered into nothing but ash and dust.

The kids all looked around, their eyes as big as saucers. Everything was digital, screens of all different sizes decorating the lobby. Escalators on either side lead up to the next floor. A huge set of elevators was set into the back wall, made completely of glass. People flocked to the different reception counters.

Suddenly, an angelic, feminine, yet auto-tuned voice rang out.

"Welcome to Borg Industries. I'm P.I.X.A.L., Cyrus' Primary Interactive X-ternal Assistant Lifeform."

A droid wearing a purple sash-like dress walked toward the group, and stopped right in front of Zane. She was beautiful, with silver hair held up in a messy bun and a white exoskeleton, purple wires and sockets visible on the exposed metal. Her glowing green eyes captivated him, and he stood there with a dumb look on his face.

"I'm sorry to hear about the traffic accident," P.I.X.A.L. continued, still looking right at him.

"Wow, news travels fast," Cole whispered in Zane's ear. It was still loud enough for most of the group to hear.

"Everything in New Ninjago City is fully automated and interconnected. Your antiquated bus should be ready shortly."

She stepped a little closer. Zane could see his reflection in her emerald green eyes.

"You are Zane, a droid like me." She tilted her head to the side. "What does 'Zane' stand for?"

He was flustered at her being so close, and so he just started to talk, not really thinking about the question, or his answer.

"I stand for peace, freedom, and courage in the face of all who threaten Ninjago," he said, placing his hand over where his heart should be.

Jay tapped his shoulder, interrupting his speech. "She means your name, tin head."

He turned to face P.I.X.A.L. again, slightly embarrassed. "I guess I'm just...Zane."

"Permission to scan?"

"Uh...permission...granted?" He was slightly confused, now. He could faintly hear Jay whispering off to his side. "Heh, check it out. Zane has an admirer."

Blue lights sprang from P.I.X.A.L.'s eyes, sweeping over Zane's body. "Your hardware is outdated and your processor is slow and incompatible with ours." Zane was slightly offended at this comment. Was she calling him old?

He was distracted yet again by her voice as she spoke. She seemed...confused now. "Peculiar. All droids must recharge our batteries, yet curiously, I'm unable to locate your energy source." The lights stopped and she looked back up at him again. "What powers you?"

"I, uh...I don't know." He would be blushing if he were able as P.I.X.A.L. placed a hand on his chest. She was surprisingly warm, as if she had body heat, like him.

To his disappointment, P.I.X.A.L. stepped back, becoming business-like once more. "Mr. Borg would like to see the Ninja on the one-hundredth floor. If the others would follow me for the rest of the tour."

Kai finally sprung free of the doors and chased after Cole and Jay as they walked toward the elevators. Zane stayed, standing in the same spot, staring after P.I.X.A.L. His heart had been stolen. He was in love. He knew it. Now he just had to get her to feel it, too.

___________________________________________________________________________________

Zane sighed as the memory faded. "I wish we could go back to those times. Before everything was so hard. When we were ignorant of the hardships ahead."

"Don't say that," P.I.X.A.L. criticized. "We wouldn't be who we are now. You wouldn't be who you are."

"I know. Maybe I wouldn't have this issue then."

"We'll work it out, Zane. You just have to trust yourself."

"But I can't, P.I.X.A.L.! Every time Lloyd leaves, the responsibility as leader automatically goes to me. I don't know why, but it does. And I can't trust myself enough to keep all of them safe! They depend on me in those times! And if I make the wrong choice, make the wrong move, they'll all pay for it! I can't do it anymore!"

"Then speak to them. Tell them about it. They'll help you, Zane."

His gears released and he fell to the floor, curling into a ball. "But what if they don't? What if they laugh at me because I'm not strong enough? Not only can I not trust myself, I can't trust anyone!"

"You can trust me."

Zane began to sob on the floor, the tiny droplets of sparkling salt water glinting in the dim glow of his eyes. He didn't quite understand how his tears worked; as far as he knew he could just be imagining them, but all the same, he let the tears pour out and pool underneath him. Just as he was about to drift into sleep, Zane could've sworn he felt a warm, gentle, metal hand caressing his head. Then he was lost to the world.