"Remind me why we're here, again…?" I asked as casually as possible.

"I just need to pick something up," Garmadon responded, the same way he had every other time I'd asked him. "You said they have every kind of shop here, right?"

I looked down the expanse of shops that stretched before us. Cash Street was still decked out in full DOTD gear, and stores were growing ever busier as ghosts prepared for the holiday. By tomorrow evening, however, the streets would be empty— all would be gathered in the park to celebrate the coming of the Departed Lanterns.

"Yes, you should be able to find whatever you need," I said. I wasn't sure exactly why he wanted to keep whatever he was buying a secret, but I wouldn't pry if he was so intent on it. "Anyhow, I'm going to pick up some parts at Chrome Depot. It's towards the middle of the street, on the left side, with a steel sign and a symbol that looks kind of like a metal beach ball."

"Got it. I'll find you when I'm done," Garmadon said, nodding, and went over to a window display, pretending to admire it until I was safely out of eyeshot. At least, I'm pretty certain that's how it went.

I reached Chrome Depot and pulled out the papers tucked away in my inner pocket. As well as Tiya's blueprints, I'd written a list of the pieces I'd need to construct her, as well as some basic supplies I was low on for when I wanted to tinker. I hadn't been in the shop in quite a long time, but I knew my way around. Screws, bolts, and other small versatile parts were near the front, raw metals were in the back right-hand corner, and chewing gum was at the front counter. Lots of inventors liked to chew gum while they worked, apparently.

"Let's see…" I muttered to myself as I followed my list. "Binary power cord, two minuscule flashguns, two size 3-NB shutters, at least four rolls of microfilm to start, a telephoto lens, some sheets of silver to cut out adjustable feathers… hmm, I'm going to need a space for the aperture, perhaps the beak, so I'll have to get a flexible metal for that…"

"Um, sir?" A young worker was standing behind me with one eyebrow raised. "Do you need help finding something?

"Oh, sorry," I apologized, "I was just talking to myself." I slunk down the aisle, a bit embarrassed. I tried to stay focused on my work.

I remembered the first falcon I'd built. I had noticed Zane playing with another one of my inventions and cradling it fondly, and it occurred to me that he needed a companion of his own. Of course, building another android (or nindroid, as Jay had apparently later dubbed him) was out of the question, and would have taken far too long. So I'd opted instead to make him a pet of sorts: another robot that would be as lifelike as he was. I don't really know why I settled on a bird model instead of another animal, but it was good at tracking him and keeping watch over him from the skies.

Of course, this time I won't have to deal with those pesky faux feathers, I thought to myself in amusement. Making realistic synthetic feathers had taken MANY trials and errors, and I had to create each one by hand. I wasn't about to recreate that process again— metal plates would work just fine for Tiya.

After filling a bag, I double-checked that I had everything on my list and purchased my items. The clerk asked if I'd like to add any gum to my purchase, but I declined. I never did like gum, I was fairly certain Garmadon refused anything that had artificial sweetener (he was very approving of most of my purchases at Trader Godot's), and Morro…

Actually, I wasn't sure about Morro. I made a mental note to ask him later when we met back up with him; currently he was out playing in the park. I wondered in amusement if he was starting another game of pirates with the kids there. It was oddly fitting that he got along so well with the little ones, considering his less-than-mature frame of mind.

"Thank you, come again," called the dull-set voice from the counter as I left the shop. Most workers were either in a constant state of frustration or boredom, especially those who had long work shifts. Personally, I always thought they should just make the best of their situation for their own sake— I always found that being kind and cheerful while working made the work seem significantly less bothersome— but I kept my opinions to myself.

I admired the street decorations and people-watched while I waited for Garmadon to finish with whatever he was purchasing and find me. The whole street was abuzz with good cheer and anticipation for the biggest holiday of the year. Entire groups of friends gossiped and shared memories from their lifetimes, older folks like me complained about their long Nights of Flashback to each other, and a few parents tried to patiently explain to their kids what all the excitement was about. One couple walked out of a store with matching knit sweaters that had lantern patterns on them. That I thought was a bit much, but it was smart of them to buy sweaters— if tradition kept up, the night of DOTD would be freezing.

"There you are," a voice from behind me called. I turned and waved back to Sensei Garmadon, who was holding an opaque bag rather defensively against his chest.

"You find everything you need?" I asked with a smile. I wished I could see what was in the bag, but I restrained myself from trying to peek inside. Curiosity too often got the best of me.

"I did," he said gruffly, with a firm nod. "Shall we start heading home?"

It was a simple thing, but I suddenly found myself unexpectedly overwhelmed with emotion at the last statement.

Home.

My house is their home.

…They are my home now.

Garmadon tapped my shoulder in a concerned manner when I didn't answer. "You okay?"

I pushed aside my sudden bout of sentiment and nodded in affirmation. "…Yes, I'm fine, thank you. Let's head home."

(A/N: Short chapter this time, but the next one will [hopefully] be longer. Per suggestion, I'll be posting the "special chapter" as usual, on SDLPC, but with a title and A/N explaining that it's a unique one. So, this next one will be be pretty different, but I really hope you guys like it! I've been excited to get to it for a while. As usual, thanks for all your reviews and feedback! My muse is very happy :D)