Only about two weeks late, here's my Ninjago Valentine's Day special for 2018.

This story is set in the movieverse, but I have included some details and pairings from the TV show. And in this setting, only the Green Ninja's identity has been revealed; the other Ninja are still anonymous.

Cupid's Helpers

Kai stood in front of the restaurant, checking the coordinates Cole had sent him on his phone.

Although dressed in his civil attire, the red Ninja was on an important mission today – a mission he had been sent on by his teammates, rather than Sensei Wu.

"Welcome to Chen's Noodle House." A pleasant female voice greeted him as he entered the small venue, his eyes still glued to the screen. "How can I help you, Kai?"

Hearing his name, the Master of Fire looked up from his phone. A girl with bright scarlet hair in a high ponytail was smiling at him. Kai recalled having seen her at school. She was in the grade below himself and his friends. What was her name again? Kylee? Taylor? No, that wasn't right...

"Thanks, Skylor." Yes, thar was it! "I didn't know you were working here."

Not that Kai knew much about her at all, he had just barely remembered her name - a pretty name, in fact, for an admittedly pretty girl.

"Master Chen is my father." She told him. Her full name was Skylor Chen then, Kai was not going to forget that again. "Would you like a table for one, or are you expecting more people?" Skylor enquired.

"Uhm, I am actually not here to eat." The brunette explained. "I-I need your help."

"I do hope it has something to do with noodles." Skylor chuckled. "I wouldn't be the best person to help with chemistry or geography."

"No, it is about noodles. Well, sort of." Kai reassured her. "Do you know my sister?"

"Who doesn't?" Skylor simply asked back.

And it was true. Even though her secret identity as the grey Ninja of Water was still a secret, Nya was well known to be a smart, confident, strong, and sassy girl you don't want to mess with. And most girls at school either admired, envied, or despised her for that. But surprisingly, Skylor's remark hadn't sounded judgemental at all, it had been nothing but an objective tatement.

"You probably also know that Valentine's Day is coming up soon." Kai continued. "And me and my tea... uhm... friends are trying arrange a blind date for her with another one of my friends."

"Wow, I would have never expected that from you." Skylor sounded surprised.

"And why not?" He wondered.

"I mean, I don't know that much about you but... you seem to be more of the protective type." Despite not knowing Kai too well – and especially not about him being a member of the Secret Ninja Force that protected Ninjago City – she was spot on. "I am surprised that you would set up your own sister on a date."

And Skylor was right again. In Kai's opinion, Nya shouldn't be dating at all. At least not for another ten or fifteen years.

So, why in Ninjgao had he agreed to Cole and Lloyd's idea?

His teammates (including Kai himself) were rather fed up with the way Jay was acting around Nya, which could be best described as a lovesick puppy. But the freckled brunette was way to shy to act on it - and maybe he was a bit scared of her brother, too.

Which meant that the blue Ninja was quite frequently distracted admiring his crush during school or at training (luckily, it hadn't happened yet during an actual battle) and was just as reguarly disappointed to see Nya going out with another guy.

It had been Cole who had suggested this blind date arrangement for his best friend and their female team member. And while Lloyd and Zane had immediately supported the idea, it had taken a good bit of persuasion *nagging* to get Nya's brother on board with the plan.

But there was another, secret, reason why Kai had eventually agreed to help them.

And that was because he cared for his sister.

Due to her reputation, it was not necessary the nice guys who were interested in the Water Wielder. Or if they were, like Kai and Nya's blue teammate, they would admire her from afar and not dare asking her out. So usually, when she came home from a date, looking disappointed, his sister would immediately lock herself in her room. And when she reappeared, a fake smile on her pretty face, he would have to pretend that he hadn't heard her cry.

And Kai was definitely fed up with that. And he was even more fed up with keeping this secret to himself.

"My sis hasn't had much luck with the guys recently." Why was he telling this to a stranger? Although Skylor wasn't really a stranger; she was a girl from his school, which would make it even worse if she decided to talk to her friends. "Jay is not only one of my closest friends but he really likes her, so I can be sure that he would do anything to make her happy, you know? And it's not like I want the two of them to get married or something like that. I just want her to have a nice date this Valentine's Day."

"Awww, that's really sweet of you." Skylor smiled.

Kai had been called many things – stubborn, hot(headed), impulsive, attractive were among the most popular – but sweet?

"Uhm, thanks?" He blushed.

"Nya is lucky to have such a caring brother."

"If only she would see that as well..." Kai smirked. "But anyway, my other friend has suggested this place for their date."

"You're talking about Cole, right?" The redhead asked. "He's one of our frequent customers."

"Why am I not surprised to hear that?" The black Ninja's obsession with food, in particular cake and noodles, was not a secret among his team. "Do you by any chance still have a table for two?"

"Let me have a look." Skylor checked the book. "We are pretty much fully booked for Wednesday, but here at Master Chen's Noodle House, we always try to help our good friends." Of course, Skylor was referring to Cole, and Kai couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed about that.

He wondered why he had never properly noticed the girl before. "Okay, here we go. I can give you a table in a private booth from 6:30, would that be okay?" Skylor suggested.

"That would be more than okay, it would be absolutely perfect." Kai smiled at her. "Is there any way I can thank you for your help?"

"Well, we are still looking to hire some extra staff for Wednesday, but I assume you already have other plans..."

Surprisingly, Kai didn't.

Cole was going out with a pink-haired dancer he had met at the club. Zane had mentioned a girl from the Robotics Club that he was 'compatible with'. And Lloyd just wouldn't shut up about this 'Rumi' he had met at an award ceremony for the Green Ninja a few weeks ago.

And now Kai had helped set up the blue and grey Ninja on a blind date, which left him as the only member of the Secret Ninja Force (not counting Sensei Wu) without any plans for Valentine's Day.

Sure, if he had wanted to, Kai wouldn't have had any problem to find a date. The spiky-haired boy had always had more than enough admirers. And this number had even increased recently, when the identity of the mysterious Green Ninja had been revealed. Even though the rest of the team still enjoyed their anonymity, being friends with Lloyd Garmadon had all of a sudden turned their little group into the 'popular kids'. But Kai just wasn't interested in any of his fangirls. He was looking for someone special.

"No, I don't." He admitted. "And I'd really like to help out a friend."

"Great." Skylor beamed at him, her amber eyes lighting up.

Kai felt his heart thumping in his chest. With just one word, she had accepted his offer to help her – and his friendship. "If you can be here around 5:30, that will be great. I'll look forward to working with you."

"You're gonna be here as well?" Kai was surprised that a beautiful girl like Skylor wouldn't have plans for that day.

"Noodles don't sell themselves." Skylor sighed. "And Valentine's Day is super busy, so my dad wouldn't give me time off then. But I wouldn't have a date anyway."

"What about we just have no date together?" Kai blurted out.

To his surprise, a light blush appeared on her lovely face. "I-I'd like that."

"Skylor, stop chatting. This restaurant sells noodles, not conversations." A sharp voice coming from the kitchen interrupted them.

"Sorry, that's my dad." Skylor apologised. "I'd better go back to work."

"Alright, I don't want to get you into trouble. Thanks again for your help."

"No worries. That's what friends do, right?"

Now it was Kai's turn to blush. "Yes, it is." He confirmed happily. "I'll see you at school tomorrow?

"I'll be there." Skylor said.

"And I'll be here on Wednesday at 5:30." Kai promised. "For our un-date."

And he was looking forward to it.

Valentine's Day, one of the busiest days in the restaurant business.

Already for lunch, Master Chen's Noodle House had had more guests than usually, but the big Valentine's rush was still to come now, during late afternoon and evening hours.

As promised, Kai turned up to help, he arrived perfectly on time at 5:25. And to Skylor's surprise - and delight - he even brought her a single red rose to mark their 'un-date'.

"It matches your hair." He told her, causing the colour of Skylor's face to match that of both the hair and the flower.

"So, I am all yours tonight." He winked at her. "What do you want me to do?"

"I can't have you work in the kitchen, for health and safety reasons." The restaurant owner's daughter explained.

"Hey, I took a shower before I came here." Kai complained. And Skylor had to admit that he did smell nice.

"But you need special training to handle food, we don't have time for that." She told him. "Do you know how to wait tables?"

Customers were generally in a good mood today, so this was a good opportunity to make good money in tips. And Kai's good looks and his charming personality would also contribute to that - unless he decided to flirt too much with the girls...

"I do, but my sister shouldn't see me here."

"Unfortunately, this only leaves you with washing the dishes." Skylor apologised.

"Ugh, great." Kai mumbled, but he didn't object. A Ninja never quits. He thought.

"That's how we all started." She laughed, handing him a plastic apron. "And maybe you can swap later."

As Kai disappeared to his station, Skylor went back to her own place at the entrance, where she welcomed the guests.

Nya turned up just before half past six., dressed in a light blue top over a silver grey skirt. Skylor almost didn't recognise Kai's sister, for her black hair was styled not in her usual ponytail but in an elegant bun. She had applied just a hint of make-up on her tanned face as well as her signature red lipstick. And she was holding a small red letter in her hand.

"Happy Valentine's Day at Master Chen's Noodle House." The red-haired hostess greeted her schoolmate. "Please let me show you to your table."

"Thanks." Nya returned a little smile. As they walked to the table - as promised, located in a private booth and even in a more quiet back corner - Skylor noticed that the usually so confident girl looked rather nervous, she was playing with a loose strand of her raven hair.

Jay turned up at exactly 6:30, he was well known for being very punctual. He was wearing a pair of black trousers and a blue shirt in exactly the same tone as Nya's top. Hopefully, that was a good sign for their blind date. He was holding the same red letter in one hand. And he had even brought a small heart shaped box of chocolates for the mysterious girl.

And while Skylor had thought that Nya had looked rather anxious, the freckled boy was definitely beyond nervous.

"Uhm, h-hi." The timid boy stuttered, blushing profoundly. "I... uhm, m-my f-friend... uhm... I g-got th-this i-inv-..."

"Happy Valentine's Day at Master Chen's Noodle House, Jay." Skylor gave him an encouraging smile. "And don't be afraid, your blind date is already waiting for you, excited to meet you. Don't worry, you are perfectly on time." She quickly added in an attempt to make his feel better. "Please follow me."

As soon as he saw who his blind date was, Jay's cute face immediately turned from bright red to ghostly pale and he looked like he was going to pass out. He dropped the latter and firmly grabbed Skylor's arm, pulling her back into the main area of the restaurant.

"I-It's N-nya." He gasped. "I-I c-can' d-do this. I am s-sorry."

Remembering what Kai had told her, Skylor placed her other hand on his in a comforting way.

"And why not?" She asked gently. "I thought you were friends."

Jay's face could change colour faster than a chameleon, for it immediately turned the darkest shade of red again. "Y-yes." He stated. "B-but... I... sh-she's s-so am-maz-zing..."

"You like her?" That was a rhetorical question, it was common knowledge at school. "Then you should use this chance."

Jay's deep blue eyes were welling with tears. "I-I don't d-deserve h-her."

"Please apologise my bluntness, but you have two options." Skylor told him. "You can either leave now, blow this opportunity to spend a whole evening with the girl of your dreams. In this case, you will probably not get another chance and you might regret this for the rest of your life." And he would have to deal with an irate big brother, but Skylor didn't want to scare the poor boy even more. She looked straight into his eyes. "Do you really want to disappoint the beautiful girl who is waiting just for you? Do you know what it feels like to be stood up on a date?" Skylor knew from experience how much that hurt. "And on Valentine's Day?"

Jay vigorously shook his head, he could never do that, especially not to Nya.

"Then you should go for the second option and go to her. Enjoy this evening. And make sure she enjoys it as well."

"B-but you have seen the guys she would normally go out with..."

"And?" Skylor raised an eyebrow. "Did things ever work out with them for her? Maybe those are not the guys she should go out with."

"I-I've never had a date before." Jay admitted. "D-do you have any advice for me? How c-can I impress her?" He wondered. "I'm not in any sports team." Well, he was, but Skylor - or anyone except his teammates - couldn't know about that. "I don't even have any badges, because I was never in Little Scouts."

"Don't try to impress her. I'd say she's had more than enough of that." Skylor suggested. "Just be yourself."

"But who would like me?"

"I think your friends, including Nya's own brother, do." Skylor said. "And they must think that she might like you as well. Otherwise they wouldn't have arranged this blind date for you."

"Thanks." Jay smiled, surprised to hear that Kai had been in this.

"Now, c'mon. There's a pretty girl sitting over there on her own, you don't want to make her wait, right?"

"N-no." Jay took a deep breath. "I-I can do this. Thanks. "

He turned around and, tightly clutching the poor box of chocolates, walked back to the table, picking up the letter from the ground on the way.

The closer he got to the booth where Nya was sitting, the slower Jay's steps became.

Oh, how he regretted not having put on his favourite orange scarf, he missed being able to hide his face behind it.

C'mon, you can do this. A Ninja never quits. He kept telling himself. And you can't let Nya be stood up on on Valentine's Day.

The Water Ninja was sitting with her back turned towards the main restaurant, so hopefully she had not witnessed his earlier breakdown - not that this would have been anything new to her. As a member of the Secret Ninja Force, she had seen many of those before.

Finally, the blue Ninja had reached the table and awkwardly cleared his throat to notify her of his presence.

Nya elegantly turned around and Jay's heart for sure skipped a beat when she flashed him a beautiful smile. "Jay?" She asked. "What are you doing here?"

Jay's face fell. Did Nya really think that he would not be able to have a date today?

"Uhm, I-I am your b-blind date." He mumbled, showing her his red letter to prove his point. "I guess." He added, hoping that she wouldn't be too disappointed.

But to his surprise, the female Ninja didn't look disappointed at all. More like the opposite. "Really?" She asked excitedly. "That's great. C'mon. Sit down." She pointed at the seat opposite her, and Jay happily accepted the invitation.

"I've spent all day wracking my brain who it would be." Nya explained, after they had placed their orders. "I would have never guessed it would be you, but I am actually happy about it."

"You are?" Jay felt his face heat up. "Even though we see each other all the time?"

"Of course." Nya placed her hand onto his. "We may see each other at school and during training, but when do we ever get to spend time with each other without anyone else around?"

Definitely not as much as Jay would like. "You-you've noticed that?"

"Why wouldn't I?" She asked back. "I am a Ninja, I am supposed to be observant."

"You are an amazing Ninja." Jay emphasised. "And so... fearless." Unlike him.

"Thank you." Nya smiled at him. "I really hope I'll become as good as Lady Iron Dragon one day."

"I am sure you will." The brunette said.

"And what about you?" The girl wanted to know.

"Huh?" Jay was confused. What was Nya talking about?

"What is you goal?" She clarified.

"I-I don't know." Jay admitted. He sighed. "When we were fighting Lord Garmadon, all I ever wanted was to make it out there alive."

"Well, that's a good start." Nya laughed. But Jay noticed that she wasn't laughing at him. "But there must be something that you enjoy doing. Something you want to achieve."

"I like building stuff." Jay told her. "And I would like to invent things that... that actually work and that could improve our lives."

"Really?" Nya's face lit up. "I like building stuff myself. What kind of inventions are you talking about?"

"Uhm, I... promise me not to tell the other?"

"Pinky Promise. Now tell me." Nya could hardly hide the excitement in her voice. Did they actually have more in common than he had thought.

"I was worried that I might start to panic during a fight, so I secretly made some modifications to my Lightning Jet. Like an autopilot and an automatic missile evasion system." Jay told her. "I didn't want you guys to know about this, because... well, the jet wouldn't have needed a pilot anymore. And the team wouldn't have needed a blue Ninja."

"That's not true." Nya said firmly. "I don't mean to offend your engineering skill, but I doubt that any machine could have done a better job at piloting the jet than you. And it could have definitely not replaced you in our team. As our friend."

"You-you think so?"

"Of course. I would definitely miss you."

"I would miss you too." Jay blurted out. "I mean, I would miss everyone, but..." He sighed. "I would miss you the most."

The moment of awkward silence that followed this confession was luckily soon interrupted by the arrival of their food.

"Mmh, I love sushi." Nya tried to restart their conversation. "Have you ever been to this place?"

"No." Jay shook his head. "But Cole has mentioned it once or twice."

"Cole and his love for noodles, it's almost as bad as his obsession with cake..." His date laughed. "What is your favourite kind of food?"

"To be honest, I really love my mum's cooking." Jay told her. "And all kinds of sweets. There is a great candy store at the mall, right next to the Video Arcade. They make the best cotton candy in Ninjago City."

"I know the Arcade, but I have never been to the candy store." Nya replied.

"Oh, it's amazing!" Jay exclaimed. "You have to try their stuff... well, actually you can. I got these chocolates for you there." He slid the squished not-heart-shaped-anymore box across the table towards her

"You've brought me some chocolates?" Nya was genuinely impressed by his efforts. "That's so sweet of you."

"Yeah..." Jay sheepishly rubbed his neck. "Although... technically, I didn't get them for you but for my blind date. My mum told me to bring her a little gift, and who doesn't like chocolate?"

"Not me." Nya laughed. Chocolate was one of the Water Ninja's very few weaknesses.

The couple kept chatting throughout their meal and even long after the table had been cleared.

"I hope you have enjoyed your meal, was everything alright for you?" Skylor, the nice restaurant hostess who had helped him earlier, wanted to know.

"Yes, it was lovely." They confirmed. And it was not just the food they had enjoyed.

"I am so, so sorry about this, but we will need the table for another reservation soon." The red-haired girl was obviously very uncomfortable telling them. "You see, we are fully booked today and..."

"Oh, you don't need to apologise." Nya jumped up. "It was our fault, we didn't pay attention to the time. Could I have the bill, please?"

Jay suddenly felt like he was about to pass out. Sure Nya was a strong and confident young woman, and that's exactly what he admired most about her (and that she was the most beautiful person he had ever seen). But having been raised by rather old-fashioned parents, he still was slightly uncomfortable having her to pay for their dinner.

But Skylor just smiled at them. "Oh, don't worry about your bill, it has been taken care of already."

"Goodbye and thank you for visiting Master Chen's Noodle House." The red haired girl said to them as they were walking towards the exit. "And again, I am very sorry about the table."

"No problem. And thank you." Jay answered.

"I am always happy to help." Skylor winked at him. "Enjoy the rest of your evening."

This remark gave Jay an idea. "Uhm, Nya?" Mustering all his courage, Jay shyly took her hand into his.

"Yes?" She looked at him expectantly.

"Well, I... uhm, we didn't have to spend our money on the dinner and it's still early, so I'm wondering... would you like to try Ninjago's best cotton candy? I mean, you don't have to if you don't want to..."

"I'd love to." Nya beamed at him. "And we could maybe play some games at the Arcade afterwards."

The Lightning Master could hardly believe his luck. "That sounds amazing." He said.

The two Ninja walked out the restaurant and made their short way over to the brightly illuminated mall, keeping their hands firmly entwined.

"I am really glad that you turned out to be my blind date to ight." Nya told him. "I haven't had such a great evening in a very long time. So I am happy that it isn't over yet."

"Yeah, me too." Jay grinned. He couldn't think of any evening that had been even remotely as good as this one. And he never wanted it to end.

Skylor smiled as she watched the cute new couple leave the restaurant hand in hand.

She had felt really sad having to ask them for their table back earlier, so hearing Nya and Jay discuss plans to also spend the rest of the evening together made her feel a lot better about it now.

Checking her list with the bookings, the red haired girl gave out a sigh. It looked as if everyone had a date tonight...

Well, not everyone, she suddenly remembered.

Skylor decided to check on her newest employee. And now she could relief him of his current duty of washing the dishes.

Around the sink, Kai had caused a minor flooding, but the plates were sparkling clean as Skylor's trained eye observed.

"Looks like you're in your element." She giggled.

"No, that's my sister's." Kai said absentmindedly, fully focused on his dirty task.

"Huh?" Skylor wondered loudly and the spiky-haired boy looked up at her.

"Sorry, just a stupid inside joke." He blushed in embarrassment. "I actually don't like water that much." Kai admitted. "It's a bit too... wet for my liking."

"Yeah, dry water could sometimes be quite handy." Skylor remarked, trying not to step into the puddle. "Anyway, I wanted to let you know that your sister and your friend have just left. If you want to swap jobs, it should be safe for you to work in the main restaurant now."

"Oh, definitely." Kai exclaimed, excitedly taking off the rubber apron and tossing it over a stool. "Did they have a good time?" He asked, as they left the kitchen.

"I had the impression that they did." Skylor replied. "They wanted to go play some video games at the Arcade now. Together."

"Ah, that's great." A bright smile appeared on the other's attractive face. "I can't believe I am actually happy that my little sister had a successful date..." He added.

"She didn't look that little to me." Skylor said. "By the way, you were right."

"Of course, I was." Kai smirked. "What about?"

"About Nya asking for the bill and Jay almost fainting of embarrassment when she did." She explained. "Which means I had to follow your Plan B and take the amount from your paycheque. That was a really nice surprise for them. And as you are working here tonight, I have given you a staff discount."

"Thanks Skylor." Kai flashed her a grateful smile.

"Oh, don't thank me. You must be very close with your friends to do all this for them." Skylor said with a hint of jealousy in her voice. "It must be nice to have good friends like this."

"I trust them with my life." Kai stated firmly. "Nya, Jay, Cole, Zane, and especially Lloyd."

Ah, yes. Lloyd Garmadon. The heroic Green Ninja, the son of Lord Garmadon, and until recently the most hated teenager and second most hated person (after his father) in Ninjago was Kai's best friend.

Skylor herself had never participated in any of those anti-Lloyd rallies at their High School. The crazy noodle man's daughter knew all too well how hard it was to be judged based on where you come from rather than on the person whi you really are.

But during the short time she had gotten to interact with Nya, Jay, and especially Kai, she had learned that the young Garmadon had been incredible lucky to find these friends. And she would love to get to know all of them - again, especially the spiky haired brunette - better.

And working alongside each other in the restaurant was a pretty good start.

As she had thought, Kai did an amazing job waiting the tables. And despite being the new guy, he made a little fortune in tips, more than some of the more experienced staff.

"Great job." Skylor complimented him as she handed him his paycheque at the end of the evening. "You don't happen to be looking for a permanent part-time job, do you?"

"Sorry, Sky." Kai shook his head. "I already have one."

"Okay, no problem." She tried to sound not too disappointed. It was worth a try. "Well, if you ever feel like washing some dishes, waiting tables, or maybe just having some noodles and a chat, you'll know where to find all that..."

"And if you ever feel like having lunch at school with some new friends, you'll know where to find me - I mean us."

"I didn't know your little club was accepting new members." She retorted.

"We've never excluded anyone." Kai said firmly. "Only when it was suddenly cool to hang out with the Green Ninja, we had to make it by invitation only."

His amber eyes locked with hers. "But we would definitely have a space for someone like you."

"Someone like me?" Skylor raised an eyebrow. "I am not sure whether I should take this as a compliment or not."

"It definitely is." Kai said hastily. "What I meant was someone who is as kind and beautiful - uhm, I wanted to say helpful! - as you."

Skylor thought that the light blush that had appeared on his tanned cheeks made him look even more handsome. And she could feel her own face heat up as well. He thinks that I am beautiful?

She smiled. "I'll think about it." She said - although she really wouldn't have to think about it at all.

"That's great." Kai smiled at her. "By the way, do you by any chance know any kind of martial arts?"

Skylor gave him a confused look, where did this question suddenly come from? But if he wanted to know more about her, she was more than happy to tell him.

"I do." She confirmed. "And I know how to shoot a crossbow."

"I'll better make sure never to get on your bad side then." Kai joked.

"What about you?" Skylor enquired.

"Me and my friends, we've had a little bit of training as well. I kinda like close combat, double katanas are my weapon of choice."

That sounded like more than just 'a little' bit of training to Skylor, he was obviously keeping some kind of secret from her. But this mystery made the boy opposite her even more interesting.

"Well, I'd better go now." Kai finally and rather reluctantly said. "We both have school tomorrow."

"Yes, we do..." Skylor nodded, her heart pounding in her chest. "I'll see you then?"

"I'd like that." Kai smiled, slowly leaning towards her.

"Me too." She agreed, closing her eyes as she tilted her head forward.

And as their lips met, both Kai and Skylor were happy that they had agreed to help their - old respectively new - friends on this Valentine's Day.