Ninjago: Amplified 【 Midnight Masquerade 】

【8】 - The Right Time has yet to Appear

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【8】

The Right Time has yet to Appear

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It had been two hours since their escape from the masquerade.

Aurora and her friends unfortunately had to leave their current abode earlier than anticipated. After their final encounter with the Den of Snakes, they weren't willing to stick around for another.

So, to prevent being caught, the six headed straight for the forestry closest to the village. They only stopped once they were deep in the heart of the greenery, far from the site of the masquerade. Even if the Den of Snakes tried to search for them, their chances of scouring the woods was slim.

They were safe at last.

Once they were sure of that fact, the vigilantes had set up camp. They came across a wider gap in the trees through their journey– after clearing away some fallen branches and pointed thorns, it was the perfect place for them to rest.

Aurora felt her body relax as they broke into their familiar routine. While the others finished cleaning their makeshift camp, Gold started a campfire in the clearing's center. Fortunately, they hadn't run out of food stores yet that week; they set to work on cooking dinner soon after the fire flickered to life.

Once the camp was done, the remainder of the group tended to their injuries. None of their wounds had been major, but it was important to look over them to prevent infection.

Yuri headed right for Gold first, pulling out a small collection of tools from the android's duffel bag. The android themself shook their head as she approached, ushering her in the direction  of their other friends, but the hypnobrai pretended not to notice. Instead, she carefully grabbed onto their arm, pulling them away from cutting vegetables. Caving in, Gold rolled up their sleeve, revealing a section of the appendage that had almost lost its plating. The scrap had nearly been torn off by their constrictai opponent; now, it barely hung onto its place.

While Yuri tended to Gold, Onyx was giving Eris another lesson in first-aid. She treated some nasty scratches on her arms without so much a wince, explaining her process to the ghost as she went. Of course, Eris repeatedly interrupted her words with undead puns relative to her demonstration, but the merlopian didn't seem to mind the occasional distraction.

Aurora couldn't help but smile at the interaction as she watched from a few paces away. She sat with her back to one of the surrounding trees, Akiri sitting close to her side.

Stubborn, Aurora refused to let the oni treat her injuries first. Although she was just as insistent, Akiri nonetheless went along with it. She propped her arm against her knee, giving Aurora a better view of a bleeding cut.

It didn't take long for a conversation to start as they worked.

"Well, that could've gone better." Onyx started flatly, catching the group's attention.

"Tell me about it." Aurora groaned as she finished wrapping Akiri's wound. "Don't even get me started."

"I can't believe Aurora had to dance with a crime boss." Eris snickered, nonchalantly phasing into the air again. She hovered over them as they continued to talk– a sight that her friends had quickly become accustomed to.