Ninjago stories

Part three- Anger

The air in the room crackled with a tense silence.  Blackie's pointed look towards the entrance offered no clear direction, adding to their growing frustration.  Nya, ever resourceful, recounted their failed attempts.

"We've contacted everyone – the police, our allies, even Lloyd's father for his underworld connections," she said, her voice heavy with disappointment. "Still, no sign of Mia."

A sense of despair settled over the group.  Just then, Master Wu entered the room, his face etched with concern.  He looked at their downcast expressions and sighed.

"I just meditated on Mia's emotional state," he revealed, his voice gentle.  "There's a strong presence of fear emanating from her.  She's scared, and…"

He paused, his gaze flickering towards Jay, who flinched under the sudden scrutiny.  "Her fear is specifically directed at you, Jay.  She's afraid you'll yell at her again, like you did about the ice cream."

Jay's face flushed red with shame.  The accusation, fueled by the recent rumors, felt like a physical blow.  "But… I wouldn't yell at her for just ice cream!" he stammered, his voice tight with a mixture of anger and guilt.

"Perhaps not," Wu conceded.  "However, the ice cream incident might have been a trigger.  Remember, after our mission to the Never-Realm, Mia felt neglected and unheard.  The ice cream argument might have been the final straw, the moment she felt you wouldn't understand her feelings."

Jay hung his head, the weight of his actions sinking in.  He hadn't meant to shut Mia out, but wrapped up in his own guilt and anger, he hadn't truly listened to her. 

"So, what do we do now?" Nya asked, her voice a mix of concern and determination. "We can't just sit here while Mia's scared and alone."

A flicker of resolve ignited in Jay's eyes.  He wouldn't let his anger cloud his judgment again.  He had to find Mia, to apologize, and to show her that he cared, no matter what.

"We need to find a way to connect with her," he declared, his voice firm.  "Maybe… maybe Blackie's trying to tell us something with that picture."

He pointed towards the drawing of Blackie proclaiming himself king.  An idea, however unlikely, began to form in his mind.

"Maybe," he continued, his voice gaining confidence, "we need to approach Mia on her terms.  Maybe we need to… appease the king?"  He looked at Blackie, who was now batting at a dangling string toy with regal indifference.

A collective sigh escaped the group.  The idea of kowtowing to a pampered feline was ridiculous, but at this point, they were willing to try anything.  Perhaps, just perhaps, Blackie held the key to finding their lost friend.

" Oh, yeah. I forgot. Mia is in Australia." Blackie said nonchalantly.

"Australia?!" Nya exclaimed, her voice a mix of disbelief and bewilderment.  "How on earth did Mia even get to Australia?"

"And why didn't she tell us?" Kai chimed in, his frustration bubbling over.  They'd been searching high and low, worried sick, and all this time Mia was… Down Under?

Blackie, the self-proclaimed king, stretched languidly, completely unfazed by the commotion he'd caused.  "Travel arrangements are a royal secret," he declared with a flick of his tail.

Jay, however, wasn't in the mood for feline arrogance.  "Blackie, this isn't funny!  Mia could be in danger!  We need to get to her, now!"

Blackie yawned, seemingly unimpressed by Jay's outburst.  Then, with a sly glint in his emerald eyes, he hopped onto a nearby chair and looked pointedly at Wu.

"Perhaps the Wise One has the means for intercontinental travel," he purred, a mischievous smirk playing on his lips.

Wu, ever the mediator, cleared his throat.  "While I wouldn't recommend intercontinental travel on a whim, especially for a teenager, perhaps there's a way to contact Mia first.  A simple phone call could clear things up considerably."

The others exchanged relieved glances.  A phone call was a lot more feasible than a sudden trip to Australia.  But then a new question arose.

"How do we even contact her?" Lloyd asked, his voice laced with worry.  "Mia doesn't have a phone, and if she's deliberately hiding…"

Blackie, as if sensing their hesitation, jumped down from the chair and sauntered towards a drawer in the room.  He nudged it open with his head, revealing a hidden compartment.  Inside, nestled amongst a collection of colorful feathers (presumably Blackie's trophies), lay a small, sleek device.

It looked like a high-tech communicator, unlike anything they'd seen before.  Blackie nudged the device towards them with a regal flick of his tail.

"Her Majesty's private line," he declared with a smug meow.

Speechless, the group stared at the communicator, then back at Blackie.  The cat, their supposed lead, had just presented them with a solution so outlandish it almost seemed believable.  With a mix of trepidation and hope, they exchanged glances.  This was their chance to connect with Mia, to understand why she'd run away and ended up halfway across the world.  But would she even answer?  And what would they say when they did?

Blackie pressed a few buttons, and the other line rang. A wave of confusion washed over the group as Blackie activated the communicator on speakerphone. A cheerful voice, unmistakably Mia's, filled the room.

"Blackie, my baby boy!" the voice chirped. "Mommy is on a trip to get some yummy food for you."

Blackie let out a disdainful snort. "When you say that, it means you're getting my pills, and frankly, I'd rather have a hairball."

A nervous giggle erupted from the communicator. "Nono! Nice food! Not… those! I found this really cool market with the most amazing smells, and I just had to share some with my favorite feline friend!"

Blackie scoffed. "Likely story. Now put the speakerphone down before you attract unwanted attention."

A muffled thump, followed by a disgruntled sigh, confirmed that Mia had indeed complied.

Jay felt a surge of conflicting emotions. Relief washed over him at hearing his sister's voice, yet confusion gnawed at him. What was Mia doing in Australia? Why was she talking about pills?

"Blackie, that wasn't…" he began, but Nya cut him off with a raised hand.

"Let's not spook her," she whispered. "We need to establish a connection first. Blackie, why don't you tell Mia we're all here, worried sick about her?"

Blackie flicked his tail dismissively. "Fine, fine. But only because you begged." With a dramatic meow, he relayed the message.

A stunned silence followed from the communicator before an ice voice filled the air. " The others?" She snorted. " You mean the animals?"