Ninjago stories

The return of the animals

One day, Jay was in the kitchen, meticulously putting rice into his bowl with his chopsticks. The soft clinking of the chopsticks against the bowl created a rhythmic background noise. As he focused on his task, he noticed Mia across the room, scratching at her freckles with increasing intensity.

"Mia, are you okay?" Jay asked, looking up from his rice.

Mia, still scratching, glanced at him with a frown. "Yeah, just itchy."

She grabbed a small brush from the counter and began to use it on her freckles, but the scratching didn't seem to help. Eventually, she walked over to the wall and started brushing her face against it, the motion looking rather peculiar.

Jay raised an eyebrow and chuckled softly. "Is it that time of year again?"

Mia paused and gave him a puzzled look. "What do you mean?"

Jay shrugged, still amused. "You know, when you get all itchy and start doing... whatever that is. Is it some sort of seasonal thing?"

Mia stopped brushing her face against the wall and let out a sigh. "Yeah, it is. Every year around this time, I get this weird itchiness. It's like my freckles just decide to rebel or something."

Jay laughed, shaking his head. "I guess some things never change. Well, if you need any help with that, let me know. And maybe try not to use the wall as a scratching post."

Mia grinned sheepishly, rubbing her face with the back of her hand. "I'll keep that in mind. Thanks, Jay."

Jay went back to his rice, a smile on his face, while Mia continued her unusual routine with a bit more restraint.

Kai's phone rang, breaking the relative calm of the kitchen. He glanced at the screen and answered with a casual, "Hello?"

"Hi, this is Clara from the Ninjago Gazette. We were hoping to schedule an interview with Mia. Could you let her know?"

Kai's eyes widened slightly. "Uh, sure. I'll let her know."

When he turned to Mia, who was still dealing with her itchy freckles, he said, "Mia, some people from the Gazette want to interview you. They're here, and they're waiting."

Mia's face went pale, her eyes widening in panic. "What? Now? Oh no, no, no!"

She darted out of the kitchen, her mind racing. "I need to look perfect! I need my best soap!"

Jay and Kai exchanged confused glances as Mia scrambled around the house. She burst into Wu's room, her eyes scanning frantically. Her gaze landed on Wu's iconic hat, resting on a shelf.

"Got it!" Mia exclaimed, grabbing the hat and carefully pulling out her favorite soap from inside it. She held it up triumphantly before darting back toward the bathroom.

Kai and Jay watched in bewilderment as Mia disappeared down the hallway.

"What's the deal with the soap?" Kai asked, genuinely curious.

Jay shrugged, chuckling. "I have no idea, but I've learned not to question Mia's quirks."

As Mia emerged from the bathroom a few minutes later, freshened up and looking much more composed, she took a deep breath and said, "Okay, I'm ready. Let's do this."

Kai nodded, leading the way back to the living room where the interviewers awaited. Jay followed, feeling a mix of curiosity and amusement at Mia's unusual but endearing preparation ritual.

The interview began with the Gazette reporters setting up their equipment, and Mia, looking slightly anxious but ready, took her seat.

Clara, started the conversation. "Mia, we've heard a lot about the amazing work you've done with animal rescues. Can you tell us about the animals you've helped?"