December 30th…

Pixal sat back and sighed. It was 3am, and she had just finished assembling the last string of cranes. She admired the fruits of her labour: 25 strands of cranes – with 40 on each string – and looked over at Cole, who was loudly snoring as usual. He was a truly kind person, helping her with the idea and giving her a place to work; she would have to procure a nice gift for him to show her appreciation for his efforts.

She placed all the strands into his closet, hanging them from the rail in a cluster. It was very amusing when Cole told her how cautiously he opened it the morning after her first night of work, fearing an avalanche of paper cranes. Even now it caused her to quietly giggle. As she silently left Cole's room and made her way back to the room she shared with Zane, she imagined how she would display them. Perhaps she would get up early tomorrow and attach them to the ceiling of their marital bedroom, so that the cranes would dangle like wisteria flowers and surround the two of them; a colourful paper curtain that she hoped Zane would be impressed by.

Pixal crept into the room, and gently eased herself into bed, trying not to disturb Zane as he slept. As soon as she settled under the covers, he instinctively turned over and draped his arm over her waist. Thankfully, he was still asleep, and judging by the look on his face, he was also having a pleasant dream. He drew closer, pulling her towards him and nuzzling her hair with his cheek. He emitted a long, happy rumble from his throat, and she inwardly melted – he was just perfect, and his comforting presence was all she needed to drift away into the tranquil silence of a dreamless sleep…

…when she opened her eyes, Zane was gone, but his warmth remained. She glanced at the time on her internal vision.

It was 10:30am, much later than she would normally wake up, but not unusual given the time she finally went to sleep.

Pixal got up and changed her clothes, then headed downstairs to see where everyone was, only to find the temple almost completely empty. Almost. As she entered the kitchen, she was startled to see Nya sitting at the table with a hot drink in her hand.

"Morning sleepy-head," Nya chuckled. "what time do you call this?"

"Good morning," Pixal replied sweetly. "it looks like I overslept again."

"Not surprising, seeing as you went to bed at like, 3am." Nya stated with a sly grin on her face.

Oh dear… Pixal thought to herself.

"Wanna tell me why you were sneaking out of Cole's room at silly o' clock this morning?"

"Cole's room? Why would I be in Cole's room?" Pixal denied. "Are you sure you were not dreaming?"

"Nope, I was wide awake when I got up to use the bathroom, and saw you going from his room to yours," Nya smirked. "come on, sweetie, 'fess up."

"No point denying it, I suppose," Pixal sighed. "I didn't want to tell you, because it was intended to be a secret, but Cole has been letting me use his bedroom to make a gift for Zane."

"For your first wedding anniversary?" Nya baited.

Pixal nodded and sat down opposite her.

"That's so cute!" Nya squealed. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"In case Jay found out; he's not the most reliable secret-keeper," Pixal began. "I knew you wouldn't tell him on purpose, but he may have discovered it by accident – for this reason, only Lloyd and Jasper were informed."

"Jasper?" Nya tilted her head.

"Married or not, I am still a female that needed to be in his room at night," Pixal explained. "he said that he felt 'weird' about me being there while he was asleep, and I realised it was because he did not want Jasper to potentially hear of it and get the wrong impression."

"You're thorough, I'll give you that," Nya nodded, giggling softly. "so, I'm assuming you finished making this gift, are you gonna tell me what it is?"

"I have made Zane 1,000 origami cranes, using a special set of paper that incorporates 'our' colours," Pixal told her. "while helping me decide on a gift, Cole suggested that I make one instead of buying one, and we procured a senbazuru pack that contained the paper, string and beads to create it."

"You made 1,000 paper cranes in 3 nights?"

"Cole said that the traditional gift for a first wedding anniversary was paper or cotton, so it fit the criteria," Pixal clarified. "he also pointed out that Zane and I have known each other for more than 1,000 days, so it has a double meaning."

Nya looked as though she was about to cry, and seconds later she started weeping at the idea.

"I promise I won't say a word to anyone!" Nya squeaked, wiping away the tears that fell.

"Thank you," Pixal smiled. "you will not have to keep the secret for long, I intend to put the cranes on display in our room just after midnight tonight, so he will wake up to them tomorrow."

"Oh, my gods! You're killing me with how cute you are!"

Pixal giggled and her face glowed slightly.

"So, where is everyone today?" She asked.

"Zane and Cole are taking the others through their paces," Nya laughed. "your dad's party is tomorrow night, remember? And it's a Grand Ball this time, not a Gala, so the guys needed an etiquette refresh and some dance practice."

"Do you require any practice?" Pixal wondered.

"I was given a free pass from practice because I was in the fuyu no odori last time," Nya grinned. "did you have any plans for today? Besides sleeping in?"

"Not specifically."

"Cool, that means we can hang out," Nya declared. "but first, I wanna see these origami cranes."

"If you wish." Pixal smiled.

December 31st…

Pixal was awoken by the vibrations of an internal alarm. It was a feature she had switched off while she was doing her all-nighters to make the cranes, but she'd reactivated it so she could surprise Zane with her paper creations.

It was 1:30am.

Zane was still sound asleep, and contrary to his usual position of being curled around her, was presently facing the window. She did think it a little strange, but the past few days had been very strange; all-nighters were not something she typically did, neither were the resulting sleep-ins. Pixal gently slid out of bed, and quietly made her way into Cole's room to retrieve the mass of paper cranes.

Nya was suitably impressed when she saw them and had asked Pixal to teach her how to make them. So, while the guys were out practicing their dancing skills, the ladies were in Nya's bedroom practicing a similarly ancient skill. She was still stunned by Pixal's ability to make so many cranes in such a short amount of time, and Pixal temporarily showed the water ninja just how fast she was making them to get them done in time; Nya's eyes practically had stars in them when she saw for herself the droid's accuracy and speed.

Pixal held the strands of origami in one hand, while deftly setting up a ladder with the other. True to his word last year, Kai had used his element to destroy the old ladder and replaced it with a newer, sturdier one. Sensei Wu's defence training had also come in useful, as she was able to go about her task in almost complete silence, and she began to pin each string to the ceiling. Zane hadn't moved once while this whole process was going on, even though she was pinning them very specifically to create a rustling paper drapery. The colours were reminiscent of the annual wisteria of New Ninjago Flower Park, and as she finished putting them up, Pixal's heart swelled with pride.

She got down from the ladder and snuck out to take it back downstairs. Yes, she was tired, but that was no excuse not to put things back where she got them from. Pixal practically danced on her way back upstairs; she was so excited to see his reaction in the morning that she wasn't sure she'd be able to sleep, even with Zane's comforting embrace.

But as she got to the door of their bedroom, Zane was not in bed.

Pixal was very confused. Is this one of those dreams that Zane often had? The ones that felt so real but were not? Did she acquire the ability to dream due to some kind of system update? She approached the bed curiously, seeing only a large flat box adorned with a purple bow, and a handwritten note on top.

[My darling Pixal,

Put this on and wait for the snowball

Love Zane xxx]

She lifted the lid off the box and smiled widely. Inside the box was a beautiful purple m-slit dress, a violet velvet cape with glittering white faux fur trim, and a pair of matching knee-high boots sporting gold heels. Pixal was blown away by the stunning garments, and as she pulled them out one by one, she soon noticed a pair of long purple gloves, also trimmed with faux fur. Ecstatic, she began to change into the delightful ensemble. Everything fit her perfectly, as if they had been made just for her. Once she was fully dressed, she admired herself in the mirror for a moment; the moonlight sparkled against the sapphire necklace that she had not taken off since Zane gave it to her.

Suddenly there was a ~bomf~ sound.

Pixal turned to see the remnants of a snowball splattered on the window.

Wait for the snowball… She reminded herself.

She ran to the window and saw Zane, along with his dragon, waiting for her outside. Excited, she opened the window and called out to him.

"I'll be down in a minute!" She said happily, loud enough for him to hear, but not so loud that she woke anyone else up.

Zane had a feeling she wouldn't use the stairs and was ready to catch her in his waiting arms. Sure enough, she climbed onto the windowsill and literally jumped down from the second floor. He caught her and used the resulting momentum to spin her around a few times.

"Happy Anniversary darling." He beamed at her.

"Happy Anniversary!" She leaned over to give him a soft kiss. "How do I look?"

"Gorgeous as usual," He replied. "I hope you like it."

"Oh, angel, it's stunning!" She mewed. "Thank you so much!"

"Come on, let's go for a ride." He gestured to his elemental dragon, Shard, who rumbled at her melodiously.

Shard tilted his body so Pixal could get into the saddle. Once Zane was also up there, Shard stood up and stretched out his wings. Zane snuggled up close behind Pixal so that her body rested against his, put his arms around her and held onto the reins.

"Hold on tight, okay?"

"I will." She purred, leaning into him and gripping the handle of the saddle.

Zane flicked the reins in his hands, and Shard responded, swiftly taking to the sky. Pixal loudly giggled as the rush of cold air tickled her as it passed them. She looked down at the temple as it got smaller and smaller, before it vanished out of sight. It was amazing, looking at the mainland from this angle, especially as they passed the Wailing Alps and headed towards the Corridor of Elders – at this time of night, and from this perspective, it was truly a wonderous landmark.

Pixal rubbed the dragon's neck. His scales were cold to the touch, and sharp as knives at the tip, but his response to her friendly petting was soft, as he rumbled appreciatively. Zane smiled at her and leaned his head on her shoulder. She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, and he nuzzled her in response. Pixal's eyes lit up as she realised that they were about to fly over New Ninjago City. Even in the middle of the night, the city was alive with the twinkling of Christmas lights on trees and buildings.

"Do you want to go higher?" He asked.

"I would love to!" She replied enthusiastically.

"Come on, Shard, let's see if the lights are on!" He pulled on the reins again, and Shard roared loudly.

Pixal squeaked as she momentarily let go of the saddle during Shard's steep ascent upwards. Zane put one arm around her waist to reassure her while she fumbled to get hold of the handle again. Her heart skipped, before steadily speeding up. They had been together for a while – arguably longer than they had been married – but feeling his strong arms embracing her always made her pulse quicken. They passed through the thick clouds and into a crystal-clear night sky.

She gasped as the stars glittered between the rolling waves of green and pink and purple.

"Have you ever seen an aurora borealis before?" He wondered.

"No…" She said breathlessly. "It is the most magnificent phenomena I have ever witnessed!"

"It does not hold a candle to your beauty, but I thought you might like to see it." Zane murmured.

Pixal blushed furiously. He had such a way with words, it seemed that every time he complimented her it sent her temperature soaring. As Shard flapped his mighty wings and they cruised over the clouds, Zane beamed in delight. He had always wanted to do this with her – take Pixal for a romantic flight, lingering over the snow clouds with the northern lights gleaming around them – now was just the perfect time to do it.

"I could stay here, forever," Zane sang. "nothing can compare…"

"To this moment with you…" Pixal sang back.

"And winter in the air…" They both sang together.

Shard began a slow descent back down through the clouds and snow started to fall. The temple soon appeared on the horizon, and Pixal sighed. She really could've stayed in that moment forever, it was a wonderful, colourful, beautiful moment that made her feel as giddy as the day they got married.

"I love you Pixal." He whispered in her ear, sending chills down her back.

"I love you too Zane." She swooned.

He loosened his grip on the reins as Shard came in for a graceful landing, touching down without so much as a bump. Zane noticed that their window was still open and grinned at Pixal.

"Shall we?"

"Yes."

Shard stood on his back legs and levelled himself with the second story window so that his passengers could safely disembark straight into their bedroom. Zane assisted Pixal so she could climb in first, then followed behind her. He turned to look out the window at his scaly friend and gave some gentle scratches under the dragon's jaw. Shard puffed happily at them both.

"Thank you, friend." Zane smiled.

"And thank you too, angel." Pixal said to Zane, pulling him close for a warm hug.

"Anything for you darling," He vowed. "but I should be thanking you too."

Zane gestured to the pretty paper cranes that dangled from the ceiling.

"They must have taken you a long time." He beamed.

"Actually, I have to confess, I've spent the past three nights making these," She admitted. "I did not know what to get you, until Cole encouraged me to make you a gift."

"Is this why you have not been sleeping properly?"

"Yes," She nodded sheepishly. "the traditional gift for the first anniversary is paper or-"

"Cotton," He chuckled, finishing her sentence for her. "it is nice to know that we both went for a traditional gift."

Pixal touched the dress she was wearing and recognised the fabric as pure brushed cotton. Zane had not just given her a beautiful outfit, but also an exquisite memory that she would never forget. She beamed at him with an adoring smile, and he gazed back at her with love in his eyes. He sat down on the bed and encouraged her to sit beside him.

"You are the best thing that ever happened in my life," He growled. "stay with me forever."

"You saved me, gave me a new body and a home," She purred. "I'm not going anywhere."

Zane put his hand under her chin and delicately pressed his lips to hers, sealing his words with a luscious kiss. Pixal melted into the sweet affection he showed her, kissing back and placing her hand on his chest; she could feel the pulse of his artificial heart as it once again synchronized with her own. In that moment, they lost themselves to one another, falling into the ocean of their love.

Once again, Zane sat at the table and sighed at his breakfast. It was 8:30am, just seven hours after his night-time adventure with Pixal. He wore a smile so big that his cheeks hurt, but he didn't care. Last night, he finally went on his wistful dragon ride with his darling Pixal, and when he woke up half an hour ago, he was surrounded by the thousand origami cranes she had so painstakingly crafted. She was asleep in his arms, with an adorable flirty grin that told him she was just as elated as he was. He left her to get some rest, as she had to catch up on the sleep that she missed in the process of making his gift.

"Hey there, smiler," Kai smirked. "what's got you so happy at this time of the morning?"

Zane merely sighed again.

"Angel…" Pixal sang.

Upon hearing her dulcet tones, Zane immediately sat up straight and looked in the direction of the voice. She drifted into the kitchen as though she were floating on a cloud and kissed him on the forehead.

"Hello darling," Zane beamed. "did you sleep well?"

"Oh, yes," Pixal mewed. "thanks to you, angel."

She leaned down and gave him a direct kiss, lingering for just a moment.

"I need you to help me pick an outfit for tonight," She mentioned. "come find me after training okay?"

"I will, I promise." He winked.

She turned to see the other ninja, also sitting in the kitchen, but unlike last time – when she was startled by people seeing her and Zane being affectionate – Pixal simply smiled and waved at them.

"Hello everyone," She said sweetly. "I hope you're all having a good morning."

Without another word, she ruffled Zane's hair and calmly walked back the way she came.

Zane sighed longingly, then looked over and saw the stunned expressions on his teammates' faces. Lloyd and Cole seemed the most shocked, given that last time she was caught off guard, she pretty much bolted from the room.

"Did I miss something?" He openly asked.

"She's gotten bolder all of a sudden!" Lloyd stated.

"Yeah, what changed?" Jay laughed as he wiggled his eyebrows.

"I do not know," Zane shrugged. "she's just the same to me."

Hey y'all!

Hope you enjoyed this fluffy little adventure! This entire thing was inspired by a song called Winter in the Air by David Archuleta - check out the music video, it's super cute!

Also check out my dA or insta to see the fanart that goes with it! dA: SoulieReborn; insta: empress_pixal