Ninjago: Amplified - [A Ninjago Fanfiction]

[51] - Love and Loss

Aurora's eyes darted around the dark corridor that encompassed her, her heart racing in her ears.

No, no. She couldn't be back there.

"Hello, Manticore."

The voice hollowed a pit of dread within Aurora's gut. The vigilante turned, a strangled gasp escaping her lips at the sight of the looming shadow.

Aurora raised her arms to defend herself, growing slack-jawed. Her silver veins glistened along her skin, and Hikaru laughed, as if her suffering was a mere joke.

"You've done EXACTLY what I wanted you to do."

"N-no--" Aurora stammered, taking a step back. "You won't have them!"

The vigilante swallowed dryly as the shadow continued his approach, his wicked laughter ringing in her ears. Acting purely on instinct, Aurora leapt backwards, bolting in the opposite direction...

Instead of the underground stronghold's familiar staircase, the vigilante was met with a gleaming white hallway.

Not having the proper time to react, Aurora urged herself forwards, making a beeline for a wooden door at the end of the glowing tunnel. She careened to a halt before the exit, nearly slamming against it as she reached for the handle...

Hikaru's laughter faded into nothingness as she stepped through the exit, a surge of cool wind whisking through her ginger hair.

Yet what the vigilante saw next rendered her completely speechless.

She found herself within a secluded woodland clearing alongside five others. Four of them, including Aurora herself, were standing at the sidelines, watching the remaining two spar in the center of the area.

"Too slow, Mermaid!" Eris stuck her tongue out as she evaded a kick from Onyx. "Gonna have to do better than that to catch the undead!"

"Oh, really?" The Merlopian challenged, swinging an arm in the ghost's direction. "You'll be changing your mind in a few minutes!"

"They're doing really well!" Gold chirped as the training continued. "Looks like Eris is developing her own sort of strategy."

"They are both pretty good." Yuri agreed, though her voice lowered into a whisper. "But are we sure about-- the new addition?"

"She's a little chaotic, but I think she'd do well." Akiri chimed in, turning to the shocked Aurora at her side. "What do you think, Aura?"

All eyes went to Aurora, making her throat run dry in bewilderment.

"I--" She struggled with her words, mystified by the familiar yet foreign sight around herself.

But, then, a voice spoke above her own.

"I think we can trust her." Aurora's past self replied. "Well, after the camping incident, that is."

Aurora's eyes widened as her younger form stepped out from where she'd been standing, leaving her in a puzzled state. Her past self laughed with her friends, joking about their meeting with the ghost that had occurred just a few weeks prior.

"This... this is a memory." Aurora breathed. "Before..."

She fondly watched the scene unfold before her, a small smile making its way to her lips.

"How did I do?!" Eris asked eagerly, hovering into the air in glee. "I've gotten better, right? Onyx could barely even catch me!"

"That's exaggerated." Onyx clarified, brushing off stray bits of dirt from her attire. "But I'll admit, you have improved."