Brightest {A RotG Fanfic}

Chapter 23 - Weapon Of Gold

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Track title: "We Three Kings"

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Chapter 23

WEAPON OF GOLD 

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    One of the seven greatest wonders of the world was the Great Stone Wall of China. It stretched for thousands of kilometres on end, and it took more than two thousand years of joint construction efforts and about a couple of dynasties to build the venerable Great Wall, Clara recalled. 

    The air smelled like distilled water, and it was cold. There were no tourists in sight, since there were little to no people who would dare to go on a literally bone-chilling adventure across China like this. Clara thought this was both a good thing and a bad thing. 

    The stone walk-paths snaked for miles through many mountains, plateaus, and grasslands. Lights lit up the paths in the dark winter morning, but no one was there to be guided. The view snatched the breath out of her lungs, like the first time she flew over Greenland with...  

    She remembered her great uncle Marcus bringing her and Karee there during their trip to Beijing a year before he died. She had once nervously asked her Uncle Marcus if they were going to hike the whole way, but she also specifically remembered Karee calling her a dimwit and the tour only went for a short portion of the Wall. She remembered relaxing a bit after that, despite the name-calling. 

    Therefore, Clara was greatly relieved now that the portal didn't spit her out on one end of the Wall but just in one of the sentry towers, which was near enough for Clara to sight the battle. Much to her great dismay, it was already in full swing. From her vantage point, she could see a splash of colour moving on one side of the Great Wall. 

    "Oh, no," she murmured, seeing the images of the fearful faces of the missing Tooth Fairies moving about in the magic mural. She can see white dots jumping around and guessed that those might be the Easter eggs. Some of the eggs were being carried by elves. They were trying to calm everyone down in the prison, at least. 

    From afar, Clara can make out an animated swirl of blackness in the shape of animals. "Horses..." Clara said, and remembered that they were Pitch's Nightmares. Their yellow eyes didn't look the least bit troubled by the commotion happening overhead; in fact, they looked bored. 

    A gust of wind blew Clara's way and she looked around, remembering the real reason why she came here. "Benny," she muttered under her breath. She squinted, searching for the poor toddler lost somewhere. When she couldn't find him, Clara decided to come closer to the battle. 

    She turned around and went through the open doorway, down the steps, and jumped over a coil of thick rope in the way. Clara hoped to Manny that Benny wasn't chained or tied to anything. The fanny pack bounced on her hip. She kicked the wooden gate open, the hinges screeching from lack of use and rust, and dashed out. 

    Up ahead, she can see the Guardians holding the front. It really looked like a war, with the added Yetis and Sentinels assisting the Guardians. She heard sounds like she was in a thunderstorm. Clara had a glimpse of weapons glinting in the sunlight. 

    The bursts of vibrant hues contrasted with the chaotic ever-swirling smoke of blackness. She heard North and Bunnymund's shouts. Clara also heard the Summer Spirit yelling to the others about converging something. 

    She heard North shout "Shostakovich!" as she saw him slice one of his swords at a smoke figure larger than him. 

    She reached the Guardians, but Benny was nowhere in sight. In her panic, Clara almost didn't notice the short smoke figure coming for her. She shouted in alarm and leaped, landing a kick to its semi-solid head. The figure howled and degenerated in the wind.