Pixal was working on one of her many technological projects and thinking about something. Her boyfriend, Zane, had been coming home to the monastery later and later each night.

She knew that he was undoubtedly loyal to her, but curiosity still plagued her mind.

And her train of thought began to wander more and more until she could hardly focus on building anymore.

She turned and picked up the magazine she had bought from the convenience store earlier that day. "I wonder what gossip the city is hung up on now." 'Hopefully, they aren't still stuck on Jay and Nya's relationship,' she thought. 'That is a nightmare I do not want to revisit.'

The android girl flipped through it, seeing the same old things at first. Within the pages, there were gossip columns about the city's favorite celebrities, thankfully not including the ninja, beauty hacks for impossible standards, and those crossword and word search games that she loved to do.

She stopped on a crossword and started to work it out. She was rather good at these, and the fact that it focused on the ninja made it even easier.

A four-letter word for nindroid. Hmm. What could that be?

A smile spread across Pixal's silvery lips as she filled in his name. "I wonder what he's doing now."

It was a little past noon on a Saturday, and he hadn't returned to make lunch, so the ninja had resorted to ordering a bunch of pizza.

'He will probably tell them off when he reappears.' She chuckled to herself.

She filled in the five-letter word for delivery food. But then she spotted something interesting off to the side—a little graphic of a mermaid.

'But, that doesn't make sense,' she thought. 'This a reality magazine.'

Her eyes roved over the page once more and stopped on an article next to the mermaid pictures.

"New Robot Merman at The Ninjago City Zoo and Aquarium!" The headline read.

Her brow furrowed. "What? This seems odd."

She continued reading.

"The mermaid prince arrived just last week."

'That's odd," she noticed. 'That's when Zane started coming home later.'

"He's rumored to have special powers..."

'Now, that is unusual.'

"He's a great swimmer, and kids love him, so come see him with your children! Feel free to let your kids ask him any questions they like."

Her eyes made it to the end. "No extra charge past zoo and aquarium entry! And lots of fun for the whole family!"

"Interesting," she remarked. "I guess this must be the new craze. Well, this may be important."

'More important than finishing this,' she thought, setting down her tools. 'And I am a little curious.'

'Why not?'

She walked into the living room where the others sat. "I think I am going to go out. Run some errands," she lied.

Kai grinned, sauce on his cheek. "Okay. If you find Zane, tell him-"

"Please come back before dinner!" Jay finished. "I don't wanna cook."

"I could cook!" Cole suggested.

"No way!" Lloyd said. "Do you remember what happened last time?"

"I'll cook something if he isn't back by then," Nya concluded.

Pixal smiled. "Problem solved. I will still try to find him, though. What did he say when he left?"

Jay shook his head. "I don't remember exactly. Wu and I were the only ones up then. And I hadn't had my cappuccino yet. Something about a job? It would make sense since he's been gone more often lately."

"I am not sure either. I was meditating at the time," Wu added.

She knit her eyebrows. "Interesting. I'll try to figure it out. See you later, everyone."

"Bye!" Most of them waved at her as she grabbed her bag and walked out the door.

She made her way down thousands of steps, and back into the city, before starting to stroll down the sidewalk.

A grin played upon her lips. It would be interesting to see how it would feel to blend into the crowd. Everyone around always stared at her. Either for the fact that she was a technological anomaly, or that she was connected to the ninja. Funny that there was another reason they didn't even know.

But to be an average human, that was something she thought she'd never be able to experience.

And that changed today.

She turned a corner into a small nook and pressed a button on her neck, activating a cloaking mechanism she and Zane had been perfecting recently.

Her appearance fizzled from well, obviously inhuman, pure white skin, purple circuits, silver lips and hair, and glowing green eyes, to an average human girl.

"It works!"

Sea green eyes, pale human skin, and chocolate brown hair tossed up in a messy bun. She wore a simple navy dress with a purple cardigan over top and black work boots.

Simple. Practical. Human.

Or at least that was what it would look like to others. She hoped. Convincing enough to fool most everyone.

She strolled out of the nook, trying to act casual, and waved at another citizen.

They waved back.

She smiled. 'Maybe it is convincing.'

She started to map a route to the zoo in her head, smiling all the while. She set it up on her phone.

A stranger passed by her. "Your boyfriend text you?"

Her mind flashed back to her other goal. "No," she said softly.

"Oh, sorry," the stranger replied, passing by her.

"Goodbye," she whispered, continuing down the path.

Soon enough, she reached the zoo's gates.

An employee greeted her, but then immediately requested payment.

Right. She hadn't been to one of these establishments in a while.

She pulled a few large coins out of her cardigan pocket, which thankfully paid the entry fee and smiled at the worker.

"Have a great visit!" They cheerily said. "And don't forget to see our new mermaid prince! The kids love him!"

"I was planning to," she replied, walking through the entryway.

They waved to her, she waved back, and once they were out of sight, she started to think about what they said.

'They keep talking about how much the children love him. He must play that baby shark song or something.'

She shrugged, not sure how an animatronic merman could be so popular.

She kept walking down the path until she reached a fork. The sign read, "Zoo," on the left. And, "Aquarium," on the right.

She turned right and continued moving. She passed penguins, a starfish pool, a sea turtle exhibit where they sold reusable straws, and even a dolphin tank.

She recalled the last time she had been here and missed her boyfriend's warm embrace.

The two of them would read the little articles and facts, taking pictures of the animals, and learning about them together.

He even paid extra so that they could pet the stingrays. She was on top of the world.

'Hopefully, I can find out why he has been gone so much after I see this supposed 'merman,'' She thought.

She spotted the entrance. It read, "Robot mermaid prince. Fun for the whole family!"

'Speak of the overlord.'

"Come inside!" one of the workers said. "Our merman loves to meet new people!"

She furrowed her brow. 'Maybe it's someone in a costume?'

Pixal nodded. "I would like to see." She tried to grin sincerely, but now that she had started thinking about her boyfriend, this whole endeavor seemed incredibly dull.

"Great! He has magical powers the kids love!" the employee exclaimed, letting her inside.

'Oh, right,' she remembered. 'That is why I am here.'

She strolled through the entrance and saw him sitting on a rock peeking out of the water in an open tank.

It was undeniably Zane.

His appearance was a mix of how he looked when they first met, and now. With pale skin, ice-blue eyes, and fluffy light blonde hair streaked with white flowing up towards the sky.

He had gentle, elegant hands, soft and intelligent, yet innocent European features, and a sweet smile that made her want to melt into a puddle of feelings.

He was so familiar, but the merman costume made him seem more glamorous and ethereal than she'd ever seen him.

His expression was a bit nervous behind the sweetness, as he had never really been the center of attention since...

Well, she doesn't want to think about those times.

His tail was pure snow white, with shimmering pearlescent scales, and a soft aqua airbrush down the side. His fin was a crescent shape with that same aqua trim, and he wore an icy blue top that wrapped around his torso, with a point at the top.

And to top it all off, he wore an intricate crown made of ice.

He was talking to a little girl who looked to be about six or seven. And she seemed to be quite a little conversationalist for her age, asking him many questions.

"Is it true? Are you really a prince?"

He smiled at her and reached out his hand, fin flipping a little in thought. "Well, what do you think makes someone a prince?"

Her face scrunched up as she pondered it. "Hmm." Her eyes lit up as she thought of a response. "Someone that does what's the best for ev'ryone. Who protects everyone they care about and never stops fight'n for peace."

His eyes glistened. "Well, then, yes. I am a prince."

The little's girl's eyes got big. "Woww."

He grinned. "What is your name?"

"Jamie." She smiled back. "What's yours?"

"Well..." His eyebrows rose. "It's a secret. So, you cannot tell anyone, okay? Because if the bad people knew, they might stop me from coming here, or hurt you."

Jamie's lips fell into a pout. "Okay...I understand. Just, whisper it in my ear."

He nodded elegantly. She got a little closer, and he leaned over and whispered in her ear.

She smiled wide. "That's a really cool name."

"Thank you." He smiled back.

"Do you have a princess?" She asked, curiosity in her eyes.

"What does it mean-"

"No!"

He laughed. "I was only joking. I know what you mean," he said, ruffling her hair.

She giggled. "Okay. So, do you?"

"Yes." He smiled.

Her mouth dropped. "Oh. Well, where is she? Is she in the ocean?"

He looked off into the distance, and Pixal could almost swear he was looking at her. "Yes. She's very busy, making special things for us to stop the bad people with."

He looked Jamie in the eye with a wise gaze. "And I love her very much."

The girl's face twisted into an exaggerated frown. "Yuck!"

He chuckled. "She's brilliant. Just like you."

Jamie's eyes widened. "Do you think I'll get to meet her someday?"

"I hope so," Zane said, touching her nose. "I am sure she would love to meet you."

The little girl giggled. "She sounds really cool."

A man who looked a lot like Jamie walked up. "Sweetheart, we've got to go. Say goodbye to the merman."

"Okay," she said reluctantly as her father picked her up. She waved back at her friend with a smile as they walked away. "Bye." She whispered, "Zane."

He waved back. "Goodbye, Jamie. See you soon."

After the girl left, Pixal stepped forward a little, and his eyes spotted her.

"Hello," she said softly.

He smiled. "Good afternoon. Did you come with one of the children?"

"No." She shook her head slightly. "I was just curious."

"Oh." His eyes glowed softly. "What is your name?"

"Pi-Patricia. Patricia," she replied.

"Well, nice to meet you, Patricia." He gave that same soft smile.

Her green eyes widened. "Are the rumors true?"

"Which rumors?" He gave a knowing glance. "That I am a robot, or..." Ice sprang up from his palm. "This?"

She tried to act shocked, but to her, the cold air felt like a warm hug. Her whole face smiled. She wanted to just jump into his arms right now and tell him how much she missed him being around.

But this wasn't the time or place for that.

"Wow," she marveled. "How did you-?"

He formed the frozen fractals into the shape of a seashell. He handed it to her. "It's a secret." He smiled.

"Do you befriend all the children?"

He nodded kindly. "They are nice to talk to. And a lot smarter than people think." He looked off to the side. "When they are not leaking bodily fluids."

She laughed despite herself. "You're good with them. Everyone kept saying that so much I thought you played one of those annoying songs they love."

He chuckled. "I was not around them much until now. I guess it just..." His eyes sparkled. "Comes naturally."

She smiled. "Hey, do you sing?"

He laughed a little more. "Only for some people. And not to the kids. If it got online, I am sure I would never live it down."

Pixal giggled. "Probably." Her hand fluttered to her mouth. "Uh, I-"

He took her hand. "Pixal, I knew it was you as soon as I saw you come in."

Her sea greens glistened. "You did?"

He nodded. "Your eyes are the same." He grinned softly. "Beautiful and intelligent."

"Zane," she said. "Why didn't you tell us? Tell me?"

His gaze faltered. "I did not want you to stop me. I wanted to pitch in, as we are low on funds. And...you know my brothers would make a big deal out of it."

"You are right." She nodded. "They definitely would."

He nodded along with her, watching intently.

"But..." Her eyelashes fluttered. "Zane." It almost seemed like she was going to cry. "I miss you being around."

And then he did something unexpected.

He leaned over and kissed her deeply, answering all her questions and stopping all her worries. She kissed back, holding him close, almost where it seemed like he would fall off the rock.

It felt like both forever and only a second at the same time. Pixal finally understood why Nya went on and on about Jay, although they had been through so much together.

They were only knocked out of this dreamlike state when they noticed an employee off to the side. "Uh, stop! I might need to get security," she rambled.

Pixal pulled away and was sure that if she had the human capability to blush, she would have been beet red.

Zane seemed slightly embarrassed as well but tried to compose himself. "Abby, it is okay." He motioned with his hand. "This is my girlfriend, Pixal."

"Oh." Abby's eyes went wide in realization. She turned to Pixal. "I am sooo sorry." Her cheeks were a little flushed, but overall, she seemed fine. "See, I'm supposed to make sure crazy people don't try to-actually, never mind. I've made this bad enough already, haven't I?"

Zane gave an apologetic smile. "It is alright, Abby. You were just trying to help."

Pixal pressed the button on her neck and flashed back to her normal form. "Yes, it is fine. You were only trying to keep him safe."

"Oh!" Abby rose her hand. "That's why I didn't recognize you! That makes a whole lot more sense."

"Yes." Pixal nodded. "It's a new cloaking mechanism Zane and I had been working on."

"Well." Abby put out her arm and received a handshake in return. "I'm Abby. Nice to meet you."

Pixal smiled at her as the handshake finished. "Yes, and as Zane already said, I am Pixal."

"Great." Abby smiled back. "Oh, and Zane?"

"Yes?"

"Your shift is pretty much over, so you can go home if you want."

"Oh, good!" He replied, flipping his tail a bit in excitement. "Can you help me remove the costume, please?"

Pixal rose her eyebrows. "Um, I have a question."

Abby's eyes lit up. "Oh, anything! I know everything about the zoo!"

"Are you hiring?"

-------------------------

A few days later, Pixal returned to join Zane, at one of his shifts.

No. Their shifts.

The two of them sat happily on the rocks together.

It had been a bit difficult for them to make her a costume on such short notice, but the costume designer had done beautifully regardless.

It was a sparkling purple and indigo tail, with an armored looking top, jewelry, and matching crown. They even fixed her brown hair-as she ended up having to be cloaked during the job for safety reasons-into a beautiful braided style and gave her some matching waterproof eyeshadow.

All in all, she looked like a mermaid warrior princess. No, queen.

The city went even crazier, and many kids came to see them.

But one, in particular, was very special.

"Zane told me you make things to stop the bad guys with! Is that true?"

Pixal nodded, a big smile upon her face. "Lots of things."

She turned to look at her lover. "But he stops them with his big heart and brain."

"Woww." The little girl bounced up and down. "And what do you do?"

"I help, and sometimes I get to teach the bad people a lesson."

Jamie laughed. "And do you get lots of money?"

Pixal shook her head. "No. But what really matters at the end of the day is that the city is safe."

Zane gave her a quick peck on the lips. "And that we have each other." He grinned.

Jamie made a barfing motion.

They chuckled.

But after a while, Jamie had to leave again, and the two of them had to go home.

They removed their costumes, said goodbye to Abby, and started to walk down the street together.

"I am glad you got a job," Pixal said.

"And I am glad that I was able to be with you and still do it." He smiled at her. "Because then, it does not even feel like a job anymore."

She took his hand. "Me too."

The two of them made their way home and made it up the many stairs, and into the monastery.

"Zane!" Everyone cheered.

"Wait," Jay noticed. "Why is your hair wet?"

Pixal glanced at him like he should have known better.

"Ah, Pixal and I were walking home, and a bus drove through a puddle and splashed us," he explained.

"Well, then why isn't Pixal's hair wet?"

"I-I did not want her to get wet, so I blocked it."

"Okay, but we are totally talking about this later."

"Agreed," Kai chimed in.

Pixal gave her a beautiful smile, that meant it would all be okay, even if he was made fun of for millennia, because he had her.

The End.

A/N: I loved writing this. It made me realize how much of a Pixane stan I am and that there aren't enough Pixane fanfics, and I really need to write more. I hope you loved this as much as I did writing it and have a great day! Also, let me know if you want a sequel to this about Pixal and Zane babysitting Jamie because I would love to write that. Peace out!