As Jay and the others approached the monastery, they heard voices. Voices Jay recognized very well. He stopped Kai from going any further.

"Nelson and Mia are talking," he whispered.

"But... Nelson was there like five minutes ago!" Nya exclaimed, pointing to the warehouse in the distance.

Jay shrugged. "They're full of surprises."

They hid behind the wall, where they could hear and see Nelson and Mia, but where they couldn't see them.

"I mean, I like how Jay and Nya fit together like you and me," Mia was saying as she swept the courtyard with her broom, "but sometimes I can't help but feel sad."

"Why?" Nelson asked, his eyes following her movements.

"Because, though Nya might not realize it, half the time she's pulling Jay away from me! Like the other day, Jay and I were supposed to go to the arcade together. But Nya wanted to go dancing, and Jay caved in without realizing I was waiting for him there, or the fact that I asked him first. Then, later, I found out why he didn't come."

She turned to Nelson and grabbed his hands. "Nelson, I want you to know, if you have other plans anywhere, anytime, tell me. If you want help, tell me."

Nelson nodded, and Mia hugged him. "You know I love you, right?"

Nelson kissed her gently. "Yes."

Behind the wall, Jay's face softened with understanding. He looked at Nya, who seemed both touched and a little guilty.

Kai whispered, "Looks like you two have some talking to do."

Nya nodded, her eyes glistening slightly. "Yeah, we do."

Jay squeezed her hand. "We'll make it right."

However, they had no time to make it right. Because Nelson and Mia had a lot of catching up to do. 

And they decided to do it at the beach.

The sand was warm between their toes as Nelson and Mia strolled along the shore, the rhythmic crash of the waves a calming backdrop to their conversation. The salty air whipped Mia's hair around her face, a welcome change from sweeping the monastery courtyard.

"So," Nelson began, kicking at a pebble with his bare foot, "about what you said earlier..."

Mia stopped and turned to face him, her brow furrowed slightly. "About wanting you to be more upfront with me?"

Nelson rubbed the back of his neck, a nervous habit. "Yeah. I guess... sometimes I worry things might sound selfish if I say no to something. Like, if you and I have plans, and then Lloyd asks for help with training, I don't want to ditch him."

Mia's expression softened. "Nelson, you wouldn't be ditching anyone. We're all friends, and we all understand needing to help each other out. But if we have plans, then those plans matter too. Just tell me what's going on, and we can figure it out together."

A relieved smile spread across Nelson's face. "Really? You wouldn't get mad?"

Mia nudged him playfully. "Maybe a little if it happened all the time, but not if you're honest with me. Communication, remember?"

Nelson chuckled, wrapping his arm around her. "Right. Communication. You're the best, Mia."

They continued their walk, a comfortable silence settling between them for a moment. Then, Mia spoke up, her voice laced with a hint of curiosity. "So, what did you want to do today besides catching up with your favorite person?"

Nelson grinned. "Well, besides that very important task, I was thinking we could try building something cool out of sand. Maybe a Ninjago City replica?"

Mia's eyes sparkled. "Challenge accepted! But we're adding a giant ice cream stand, because let's be honest, those are the best parts of Ninjago City."

Nelson laughed. "Agreed. Now come on, Master Builder Mia, let's show Ninjago what a real beach creation looks like!"

With renewed energy and a newfound appreciation for honesty, they raced towards the water's edge, ready to transform a pile of sand into their own sandy Ninjago adventure.

The rhythmic crunch of Nelson and Mia's footsteps and bucket scooping on the sand was interrupted by a disgruntled meow. Blackie, Mia's sleek black cat with an eternally unimpressed expression, sauntered out from behind a beach umbrella, his tail flicking disdainfully.

"Finally decided to grace us with your presence, Your Highness?" Mia teased, kneeling down to scratch behind Blackie's ears. The cat purred reluctantly, momentarily forgetting his royal airs in favor of a good scratch.

Nelson chuckled. "Took you long enough, Blackie. We were starting to think you got lost in the snack bar."

Blackie swatted playfully at Nelson's leg with a paw, his emerald eyes glinting. "As if that greasy excuse for food could hold my attention for more than a second. Unlike some of you humans, I have standards."

Mia rolled her eyes fondly. "Oh, don't play coy with us, Blackie. We all know you secretly love those seaweed snacks they sell there."

Blackie let out a haughty sniff, but a small purr rumbled in his chest, betraying his love for the salty treats. He weaved between their legs, nudging Nelson's hand with his head.

"Alright, alright," Nelson conceded, reaching into his pocket. "Here you go, Your Cranky Majesty. One seaweed snack, fit for a feline king."

Blackie snatched the offering with a dramatic flourish, then sauntered off towards the water's edge, finally deigning to join their beach day. Mia and Nelson watched him go, both suppressing smiles.

"Well," Mia said, brushing the sand off her knees. "Looks like we have a royal supervisor on our sandcastle project."

Nelson grinned. "Just the kind of critical eye our Ninjago City replica needs. Besides, who knows, maybe Blackie will inspire us to add a giant fish statue. You know, for our feline overlord."

Mia laughed. "Now that's an idea I can get behind. Alright, Blackie, how about a magnificent tuna statue as a tribute to your awesomeness?"

Blackie, perched on a nearby rock, flicked his tail in what could almost be construed as a nod of approval. With their feline supervisor (kind of) on board, Mia and Nelson returned to their sandcastle building with renewed enthusiasm, ready to incorporate some impressive seafood architecture into their Ninjago beach creation.

As the afternoon sun began to dip towards the horizon, casting a warm golden hue over the beach, Nelson and Mia stood back to admire their creation. Before them rose a sandy masterpiece that mimicked the skyline of Ninjago City, complete with towering buildings, intricate bridges made of shells, and even a miniature representation of Sensei Wu's dojo nestled in a corner.

"Look at that," Nelson marveled, brushing sand off his hands. "Our very own Ninjago City."

Mia grinned, surveying their handiwork with pride. "I knew adding the ice cream stand was a stroke of genius."

Nelson nodded in agreement. "Definitely. And the giant tuna statue in honor of Blackie was a brilliant touch."

Speaking of Blackie, the sleek black cat had stationed himself atop the tuna statue, looking every bit the regal overseer of their sandy domain. His emerald eyes glinted with approval as he surveyed the scene below.

"Your Highness seems pleased," Mia teased, nudging Nelson playfully.

Nelson chuckled. "He better be. He inspired a whole new level of architectural innovation."

Blackie flicked his tail lazily, as if to acknowledge their praise, before settling down for a nap in the sun.

As Mia and Nelson basked in the satisfaction of their creation, a voice called out from behind them. "Wow, that's incredible!"

They turned to see Jay and Nya approaching, both wearing surprised and impressed expressions.

"You two did all this?" Nya asked, eyes wide with admiration.

Mia nodded enthusiastically. "Yep! Nelson had the idea for the Ninjago City replica, and I added the ice cream stand. Oh, and don't forget Blackie's contribution."

Jay grinned, ruffling Mia's hair affectionately. "Nice work, kiddo. You guys really nailed it."

Nya knelt down beside Mia and Nelson to get a closer look. "I love the attention to detail. And the tuna statue? Genius."

Mia beamed at the praise. "Thanks, Nya! We wanted to make it special."

Jay glanced around the beach, taking in the scene. "Looks like you've had quite a day. What's next on the agenda?"

Nelson exchanged a glance with Mia, both of them sharing a mischievous grin.

"Well," Mia began, a twinkle in her eye, "we were thinking of challenging you two to a sandcastle-building contest. What do you say?"

Nya laughed. "You're on! But don't expect us to go easy on you."

Jay nodded in agreement. "Prepare to be amazed by the master builders."

With that, the friendly competition began. Jay and Nya joined Mia and Nelson on the beach, each team vying to create the most impressive sandcastle. Blackie, awakened by the excitement, supervised from his perch atop the tuna statue, occasionally issuing a disdainful meow to express his critique.

As the sun dipped lower and painted the sky in hues of orange and pink, laughter rang out from the beach. Jay, Nya, Mia, and Nelson worked side by side, their competitive spirit driving them to new creative heights. The sound of waves crashing against the shore provided a soothing background to their friendly banter and the clinking of buckets and shovels.

By the time the sky darkened and the first stars appeared overhead, both teams had constructed magnificent sandcastles. Mia and Nelson's featured intricate towers and a moat filled with seawater, while Jay and Nya's boasted a sprawling fortress complete with seashell decorations.

"Okay, time for judgment," Jay declared, gesturing grandly to both creations. "Who's the winner?"

Nya pretended to ponder for a moment, hand on her chin. "Well, Mia and Nelson's ice cream stand was a stroke of genius..."

"But Jay and Nya's fortress is a fortress," Nelson countered, grinning.

Mia tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Tough call."

Suddenly, Blackie leaped down from his perch and strutted over to Mia, emitting a dignified meow.

"You heard him," Mia announced with a grin. "Blackie has decided."

Nya laughed. "Alright, Your Highness. Who's the winner?"

With a regal flick of his tail, Blackie turned and settled himself comfortably atop Mia and Nelson's sandcastle, his declaration clear.

"Looks like we have a winner!" Jay exclaimed, laughing along with the others.

As they gathered to admire both sandcastles one last time before the tide inevitably washed them away, Jay wrapped an arm around Nya's shoulders, a content smile on his face. Nelson and Mia stood side by side, exchanging proud glances over their victory.

"We make a pretty good team, huh?" Nelson remarked quietly to Mia.

Mia nodded, leaning against him. "Yeah, we do."

" I want my ice cream." Blackie lazily said. " A   marshmallow-strawberry-cotton-candy-with-Oreos-fudge-caramel-M&Ms-and-a-cherry-on-top, to be exact."

Blackie's demand for a specific ice cream flavor drew amused chuckles from everyone gathered on the beach. Mia, always ready to indulge her feline friend, turned to Nelson with a grin.

"I think Blackie wants you to make that happen," Mia teased.

Nelson laughed. "Alright, Your Majesty. One marshmallow-strawberry-cotton-candy-with-Oreos-fudge-caramel-M&Ms-and-a-cherry-on-top coming right up."

Jay raised an eyebrow, feigning skepticism. "Are you sure you can handle that, Nelson? Sounds like a challenge even for a master builder."

Nya joined in, nudging Jay playfully. "I think Nelson's got this. He's proven he can handle intricate creations today."

With good-natured determination, Nelson set off towards the nearest ice cream stand, ready to fulfill Blackie's extravagant request. Mia and Jay exchanged amused glances, while Nya settled down on the sand, her smile softening as she watched the scene unfold.

Soon enough, Nelson returned triumphantly, balancing an elaborate ice cream cone that looked almost too extravagant to be real. Blackie, ever the discerning critic, regarded the dessert with a critical eye before deigning to approach and inspect Nelson's offering.

Mia giggled as Blackie finally took a tentative lick, his expression turning from skepticism to pure delight in an instant. With a satisfied purr, he settled down next to Mia, content to enjoy his treat in the company of his friends and family.

But after ten licks, Blackie burped, them nudged it towards Mia with a flick of his tail. Mia, surprised but delighted, accepted the cone with a grin.

"Well, thank you, Your Majesty," Mia said with a chuckle. "I'll take over from here."

Nelson and the others laughed, settling down around Mia as she enjoyed the sweet treat. Nya scooted closer, sharing a spoonful with Mia as they savored the marshmallow, strawberry, cotton candy, Oreos, fudge, caramel, M&Ms, and cherry flavors in each bite.

Jay reached over, snagging a piece of Oreo from Mia's cone. "This is the craziest ice cream combo I've ever seen, but it's surprisingly good."

Nelson nodded, licking his lips. "I think Blackie has a future as an ice cream flavor designer."

Mia shook her head. " No. No. No."