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When Master Zane returned from his adventure to search for Arin, Mr. Frohicky did not expect him to return with his long-lost love.
Over the years, Mr. Frohicky has heard all about Pixal. She was Zane’s favorite subject. He spoke of her for hours and hours…never growing tired of sharing stories of his love.
Mr. Frohicky never dared tell him that he thought Pixal had perished. In what little he knew of her, he was certain that she would do whatever it took to return home. And that she had not returned by now was…worrying.
But then, when he least expected it, Zane returned and with her by his side.
“Mr. Frohicky! Mr. Frohicky!” The frog man stumbled into the hangar bay as he heard Zane’s voice—more cheerful and full of energy than he has ever heard it. “I would like you to meet Pixal!” A nindroid with silver hair pulled back into a ponytail blinked at him. She had bright green eyes and was clad in white-and-purple armor that matched the markings on her skin paneling. She looked exactly like the photograph Zane always carried with him except…
“You changed your clothes.” Pixal blinked at him.
“Oh,” she looked down at her body. “Yes, well, it was time for an update.” The nindroids shared a small smile before Pixal extended a hand to the frog man. “I am Pixal and it is nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you too?” Mr. Frohicky shook her hand with a light grip (he was quite startled to discover that Pixal was very much real and not at all a figment of his (and Zane’s) imagination).
At first, Frohicky did not think much of the nindroid’s return. He felt pleased that Master Zane had a big smile on his face and was bounding from place to place with renewed vigour. However, this new attitude had some other consequences.
Almost every time Mr. Frohicky attempted to clean Zane’s or Pixal’s room, the nindroids would be in there. The first few times were nothing more than embarrassing—the droids liked to play minidroid chess together while sitting on the bed. However, the most recent was…mortifying. It was the middle of the day and the room was quiet and he thought no one was there and well—
Zane and Pixal were sleeping in each other's arms. At Mr. Frohicky’s scream, they both awoke, Pixal drawing katanas and Zane springing in front of Pixal with the grace of a large cat.
“Oh, Mr. Frohicky. It’s just you.”
“What are you doing in here!?!” Mr. Frohicky demanded. “It is the middle of the day!”
While Zane’s face continued to bear confusion, Pixal’s hardened.
“We were taking an afternoon nap. And, this is Zane's bedroom. You should have knocked.”
“Well, well, I uhhhh….”
“Oh, my dear.” Zane touched her arm. “It’s alright. He just usually cleans at this hour. But, yes, my love is right. You really should have knocked.”
“Well, I will be sure to do that next time,” Mr. Frohicky said, fuming as he slammed the door behind him.
After several occurring incidents, the other ninja began to take notice of this peculiar new dynamic.
All of them but Zane, Pixal, Frohicky, and the young ninja were seated in the common room when Lloyd thought to bring up the question.
“So, has anyone noticed that Frohicky has been acting weird lately?”
“What kind of weird?” Kai said.
“I don’t know…just off after we came back from the Thunderfang battle.”
“Do you think he’s jealous?” Cole said. When the others turned to face him, he continued. “I mean, Zane and Frohicky used to spend a lot of time together. But now that Pix’s back…”
“Ohhhhhhhhh,” Jay said, his eyes growing wide. “Ohhhhhh.”
“What is it, Jay?” Nya said.
“No, don’t, sis. That sounds like another one of his bad ideas,” Kai said.
“Shut it, Kai. I mean, what if Frohicky is jealous of Zane and Pixal?” Jay said.
“You’ve lost me,” Cole said.
“Because Frohicky…” Jay hesitated. “Is in love with Zane!”
Cole choked on his coffee. Lloyd and Nya’s jaws dropped.
“No! No no no no no. Not another. Oh boy, oh no.” Kai shoved his face into a pillow and started heaving. “Deep breaths deep breaths deep breaths!”
“Zane and Pix and Frohicky?! Where did you come up with that, Jay? Did you pull that out your—”
“Nooo. I’m serious. Do you see the way he looks at them? He always stumbles into the room when they are together like when they were snuggling in bed and when they were building a car together…”
“Zane and Pixal snuggled in the same bed?” Everyone turned to stare at Kai. “Sorry, it’s just that they’re not married and they are like the most ethical rule-following tin cans ever. Wait, are they married?! Did they get married and not tell me?!”
“I actually don’t know. But you can’t blame them, right? They haven’t seen each other in like forever. And snuggling is not a crime by the way,” Cole said.
“Stop talking about snuggling!” Nya said. “What about this supposed love triangle?! Have you seen Frohicky like try to kiss Zane or steal him away from Pix?”
“Nope nope nope. I’m outta here. See ya.” Kai stood from his seat and marched out the door with the pillow covering his face.
“Hey guys, I…what happened here?” Arin walked in the room and frowned at the team.
“Jay thinks Mr. Frohicky is in a love triangle with Pixal and Zane,” Cole says.
“WHAT?”
“Not listening!” Kai called from outside the room. Lloyd’s face instantly turned into a scowl.
“Never mind, Arin. I just need to talk to them.” And Lloyd walks out the door, leaving the others staring behind him.
***
“Alright, you three. We need to talk.”
Lloyd had sat Mr. Frohicky down with Pixal and Zane outside the Monastery wall out of the reach of prying ears. Unfortunately for him, all of the other ninjas were attempting to eavesdrop.
“What is this about?” Mr. Frohicky asked. “Is my cleaning not up to par?” He swallowed. “Did a snake person ask to eat me?!”
“No no. It’s not about that. It’s about you. I think that you three have been having problems ever since Pixal showed up.” The group looks at each other in confusion.
“I do not understand…” Zane said. “Pixal is wonderful. Everyone loves her.” Mr. Frohicky’s eyes grew wide at this. He groaned.
“Oh no,” he mumbled.
“The others tell me that…well, there’s no easy way to say this but that Mr. Frohicky is jealous of Pixal for spending time with Zane.”
Zane and Pixal’s eyes grow in size to match Frohicky’s. The frog man put his head in his hands.
“I’m sorry. I am so so sorry. That is not the case, I swear.” He looked up at the two nindroids who were frowning quizzically at him. “I just was used to spending a lot of time with Zane and now that he spends some time with Pixal…I just get lonely.”
“Well, that can be solved,” Pixal ventured. “You can schedule time to spend with Zane. I will not be offended in any way and I am sure Zane would agree.”
“Excellent idea, love!” Zane squeezed her hand with a grin and she rolled her eyes and shoved him playfully in the shoulder.
“Okaaaaay,” Lloyd said. “Now that that’s settled I think we can go off and do…other things.”
“Okay, thank you, Lloyd,” Zane said. He and Lloyd walked to the Monastery while Pixal and Frohicky remained behind. But Frohicky, realizing who he is being left alone with, tries to stumble away, Pixal stopped him with a wave.
“Mr. Frohicky,” The frog man stiffened, swallowing and trying to keep his toe pads from trembling. “Do you feel…something towards Zane? Do you…love him?” Her voice was soft and there was not a trace of anger on her face. Frohicky swallowed.
“No…” He whispered.
“It is alright if you do.” Pixal glanced at the floor. “I have been gone a long time and would understand if Zane developed a close bond with someone else while I was gone—”
“No!” Mr. Frohicky yelled, flinging his hands. “Oh, never never. Master Zane would never do that. Here, let me show you the broom.” And the frog man rushed out of the space, leaving a stunned Pixal in his wake.
“Here!” Mr. Frohicky charged back outside the wall and shoved a broom into Pixal’s hands. “What do you see?”
“Uh, a cleaning utensil?”
“No! Ugh, darn it. Just please turn it around.” The frog man covered his face with his hands in embarrassment. Pixal pivoted the broom in her grasp. As soon as it is turned, her eyebrows rose.
“Is that…me?”
“Yes. Every day while you were gone, Master Zane would speak to this picture of you. He would carry it around with him everywhere. And, if he had a nightmare, he would go into my cleaning closet and grab it. I know because I would find it gone the next morning,” he grumbled. “I had to pry it from his hands. He always slept like a baby when it was near him.” Pixal covered her mouth. The purple patterns on her face emitted a faint glow and Frohicky remembered Zane telling him that that signifies a blush.
“Oh, my Zane.” While she appeared confused, there was a soft smile on her lips that turned into a teasing one as she met Frohicky’s eyes. “Well, sir, I believe I understand everything now.”
“You do?”
“Yes. and,” she reached out a hand to him. “I appreciate all that you have done for Zane. He can get…lonely sometimes and needs a friend. But, if you ever need to talk to me about anything. Anything of a certain—”
“NO!” Pixal jumped at Frohicky’s yell. “Anything but that. I mean-” He cleared his throat. “That will not be necessary, Lady Pixal.” Pixal blinked.
“Sir, I am not a ‘Lady,’ I have not been designated a ‘Hero of the Realm’ by the Royal Family of Ninjago…”
“Well, neither am I and you still call me ‘sir’!” After his spluttering, Pixal chuckled and Frohicky found himself letting out an awkward laugh. Zane was right, he wondered. Her laugh does sound like little bells.
“Good day, good sir.”
“Good day, fine lady.”
And the two parted ways, not entirely friends but not enemies either. Though whatever distance never lasts long as the Monastery always needs cleaning and the two diligent workers were more than happy to get the job done.