" This is good!" Nelson said, slurping his popsicle with a grin.

" Yeah, this kitty-cup is delicious! Though, it needs a bit more.... Pizzaz." Blackie agreed.

Mia nodded, licking her sweet treat. " But now's not the time-"

" Ooooh, look!" Nelson tugged Mia's hand. " 50% off for a new suitcase!"

" Nelson, now's not the-"

But before she could finish, Nelson had already run into the store. Mia sighed and followed.

" Mia, here!" Nelson waved his hand, directing her to the suitcase section.

" I think this one'll be good for us." Nelson pointed to a small suitcase that could be carried as a bag. " We can collect lots of stuff from here!"

Mia sighed, knowing there was no reason to argue. And besides, she did want to get a few souvenirs.

Blackie, who had been pondering, finally spoke. " Okay, fine. But, I'm getting a new camera and some film!"

" New camera.... Film... Blackie, you're a cat! You can't-"

" It's not for me, it's for you! You REALLY need to loosen up."

Mia sighed once more, but inside she was smiling. Leave it to her boyfriend and cat to figure out what she needed.

" Fine." She said, following her cat to the camera aisle.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

" We have some very good finds!" Nelson commented, putting on his new hiking bag.

" Agreed. And the best part is, when we're going home, we can turn it into a suitcase!" Mia replied, putting her new camera around her neck.

" Let's go find Wu!" Nelson pointed to the wilderness, and Mia followed.

At first, they were walking in silence. But, the farther they went to the wilderness, the more they spoke.

" Do you think Wu's okay?" Nelson asked, looking for signs that would lead them to the wilderness.

" He's Wu.

"He's Wu," Nelson echoed, a touch of worry creeping into his voice despite his attempt at bravado. "But even the greatest ninja masters can get into trouble."

They continued their trek through the wilderness, the playful atmosphere of the mall a distant memory. The dense foliage offered dappled sunlight and an almost suffocating silence, broken only by the occasional chirp of a bird or the rustle of leaves beneath their feet.

Nelson, usually brimming with nervous energy, seemed subdued. He kept glancing back at Mia, his face etched with a concern that mirrored her own.

"Remember that time we sneaked out past bedtime to watch the meteor shower?" he blurted out suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere.

Mia chuckled, a warm feeling blossoming in her chest. "How could I forget? We almost got grounded for a month."

"Yeah, but we saw that shooting star together," Nelson continued, his voice tinged with a quiet wonder. "It felt like... like anything was possible."

Mia smiled. "It did, didn't it?"

They walked in comfortable silence for a while, the shared memory a bridge between the present and the past. Finally, Nelson stopped, pointing ahead.

"See that?" he exclaimed, his voice tinged with excitement. "Smoke!"

There, nestled in a clearing a short distance away, stood a small, ramshackle hut. A plume of thin smoke curled invitingly from its chimney, the only sign of life in this vast wilderness.

Mia's heart pounded with a mixture of hope and trepidation. "Do you think... that's Wu?" she whispered. 

" No. Wu's not that obvious."

" Then where do you think he'd be?"

" Teaching critters spinjitzu."

" And....?"

" And what?" Nelson was confused.

" And things about life!" Mia giggled, and Nelson joined in. 

Their laughter echoed through the trees, a welcome sound in the otherwise silent wilderness. Wiping a tear from her eye, Mia punched Nelson playfully on the arm. "You goofball! But seriously, you might be onto something."

Nelson rubbed his arm, a sheepish grin on his face. "Really? You think Wu's teaching Spinjitzu to... squirrels?"

Mia shrugged. "Maybe not squirrels, but who knows? Maybe it's some wise old owl or a grumpy badger. Wu always did have a way with animals."

The memory brought a smile to both their faces. They could practically picture Wu, his beard flowing in the wind, patiently guiding a group of raccoons through the intricacies of the Spinjitzu form.

"No, Wu's not that obvious," Mia whispered, peering through the cracked doorway.

Nelson snickered. "Then where do you think he'd be? Living in a five-star hotel?"

"Teaching critters Spinjitzu, probably," Mia giggled, earning a playful nudge from Nelson.

" I just said that!" Nelson protested.

" Yes, but it sounds better when I say it."

Pushing open the creaky door, they were greeted by a sight that made Mia's jaw drop. Nestled in the center of the ramshackle hut, a sleek, metallic bird with silver wings and a red beak perched on a makeshift perch. Dove, her newest invention, swiveled her head towards them, her crimson eyes glowing faintly.

"Dove, any sign of Wu?" Mia asked, approaching the robotic bird cautiously.

Dove chirped a negative response, a series of binary codes flashing on her chest display.

"Thanks, Dove," Mia said, patting the bird gently on her metal head. "Keep searching the area."

Dove hooted in confirmation, her mechanical wings whirring as she took flight through the open window.

Resigned to continuing the search manually, Mia, Nelson, and Blackie stepped back outside. The air was crisp and cool, a refreshing change from the cluttered hut.

"Well," Nelson remarked, slinging his new backpack over his shoulder, "looks like we're back to square one."

"Not necessarily," Mia countered, adjusting the strap on her camera. "Wu could be anywhere. Maybe Dove's search pattern just needs some tweaking."

Nelson chuckled. "Or maybe the old master's hiding in a tree, waiting to pop out and scare us half to death."

Mia swatted him playfully on the arm. "That's not funny! But you know what is?" she continued, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "The look on your face when we find Master Wu before you do."

Nelson scoffed, feigning offense. "Is that right? Well, then get ready to be disappointed, because I have a feeling I'm gonna be the one to stumble upon his secret training ground first."

Blackie, who had been diligently sniffing around the base of a nearby tree, let out a disgruntled meow.

"What is it, Blackie?" Mia knelt down, examining her furry companion.

Blackie yowled again, pawing at the base of the tree.

Mia and Nelson exchanged a curious look. Could Blackie have found something?