UPDATED FEB 15 2017 *** I RE-ORDERED THE CHAPTERS AND ADDED A NEW ONE (YEA!) TECHNICALLY THE NEW CHAPTER IS # 3 WHATEVER THE HELL WE WANT PART 2 SO IF YOU HAVE READ THIS COMPILATION OF MINE YOU MIGHT WANT TO GO TO CHAPT 3 - I reordered the chapters so it would make more sense as I move forward in the timeline of the show. Thank you my lovies!
The old man pulled his canteen out of his timeworn, weathered pack before letting it drop carefully to the ground; he took a big drink of the cool liquid and then poured a little water onto his bandana and used the soft, slightly frayed cloth to wipe the sweat and dirt from his face as he looked out over the town he used to call home.
When he comes for a visit, he always comes here first to spend a few moments reflecting on how far they have come as a people. From his vantage point at the top of the ridge that overlooked the valley below, their little town seemed quiet and serene, peaceful and prosperous, not the way he remembers it and certainly not the way it was in the early days.
Arkadia had grown beyond what the Arkers had originally hoped for. Of course in the early days it was just a makeshift camp filled with people who didn't know how to live on Earth and hadn't expected to find that here were survivors of the great apocalypse. All they really wanted in the early days was to survive.
There have been a lot of changes in Arcadia over the years; there was no longer a fortress like wall surrounding the town offering meager protection from the indigenous people hell bent on making war with the invaders from the sky.
And the massive gate, which was once the only way in or out of camp Jaha, had long ago been pulled down. He could see that the remains of Alpha station were still there, a partially buried circular remnant of the space station that had slammed into Earth 40 years ago. But now there were dozens of other buildings surrounding it. And spreading out in all directions were huts and cabin….. homes. He could see a network of streets and alleys radiating out from the city center and as he looked off to the west he could see four green houses and acres and acres of lush gardens. There were at least six large barns each with its own corral filled with horses, pigs and other animals they had domesticated over the years. And everywhere there were people. Arcadia was a thriving hamlet.
The old man looked thoughtful but his face showed no expression as he pulled his pack over his shoulder and he turned to begin the long hike down. He was going home, perhaps this time for good.
Bard was a traveling story teller. He lived nowhere and everywhere and he hadn't called any one place home in many years but if he were being honest with himself he would admit that Arkadia was as close to his heart as any one place could be, and it was the only place that he could call home now that she gone. When she was alive they came home almost once a year, but after …. well it was much harder for him to face his family and his friends and so he stayed away only returning a few times over the years.
They still had family here, living and buried and he had always been welcomed by all the eastern clans. He traveled freely between the villages and towns near Arkadia, like Polis and TonDC. His travels had taken him to many faraway places like Hudson in the Ice Nation and as far west as the Big river. He'd traveled all along the eastern ocean and hiked the high mountains far to the west. So when he came to town it was always to a big welcome and to the people who couldn't wait to hear the wonderful stories about all the different places he had been and all the different people he had met. But Bard was much more than just a storyteller; he was also the keeper of their history, the history of Arkadia. He knew all the stories, the true stories not just the myths, rumors and legends of the last 40 years, but the actual stories of the ARKers themselves and their first days on the ground, the stories of the 100 criminals sent to earth because they were expendable. He knew the true tales of their survival, of their war with the grounders, Trikru and Azegada, he knew the sacrifices that had been made in the name of peace and he knew it was his duty, his destiny to make sure no one ever forgot.
Bard managed to slip quietly into town, he hadn't been to Arkadia in several years and he had something he had to do before people noticed his presence. The town was no longer just a piece of space debris surrounded by a wall of metal parts. It had grown and thrived in the peaceful years following the Grounder wars and the dark time of ALIE. Arkadia, along with Tirkru, Azgeda and what was left of the other 10 clans had fulfilled the last Commander's wish for a peaceful coalition. From those early dark days grew a new society one they could all be proud of. They were all grounders now.
Bard made his way to the center of town and looked at the wall that partially surrounded the city center known as Old Arcadia. It was part of the original wall that was built to keep the ArKers safe but now it stood as a memorial to the early days on the ground and as a reminder of the generations spent living in space. He smiled as he saw the original plaque that had hung on the ARK for almost 100 years, on it were the names of the people that had come from Earth and had survived the great apocalypse; the original grounders, the founders of the ARK.
All around the plaque, there were other names etched into the metal walls. They were scratched, painted, burned and inscribed; they were the names of those that had come from the ARK, those that had returned to the ground. They had survived, some only days, some lived long enough to fight the first grounders they encountered, some died so others could go on fighting. And a few had lived long lives helping to build the community they have today, they were all the founders of Arcadia.
They were Skaikru.
Most of them were dead now, life on the ground was uncertain, especially in the early days. But there were a few still alive, a few still fighting to survive, a few still telling their story.
Bard ran his hand over the names scratched into the wall. Marcus Kane, Lincoln Kom Trikru, Abby Griffin, Jacupo Sinclair, David Miller. The list went on and on. Bard shook his head as he read the name Thelonius Jaha, now there's a story; a dark cautionary tale of the need for redemption and how it could go so wrong. So many names were inscribed on the wall now. When the 100 first came to the ground the dead were buried but no markers were put up. On the ARK the dead were floated, cast out into space to drift for eternity, or to burn as they fell through Earth's atmosphere never quite making it back to the ground. But now the dead were remembered and honored, they were buried in a cemetery about a half mile away, a quiet, peaceful place nestled among the trees and Bard was always reminded of a quote he read in an old book on the ARK "Show me how a nation cares for its dead and I will measure the tender mercies of its people and their loyalty to high ideals".
And now the dead were not only remembered but honored, it shows how far they had come as a people. As he slowly walked down the wall he finally found what he was looking for. A large plaque, a sheet of gray brushed metal, that he knew was from the remains of the first drop ship that came to the ground and etched into the metal were 102 names. The first of the Arkers sent to Earth to see if the Earth was habitable again. There were 100 criminals and one stowaway on that first drop ship, and two weeks later a young mechanic survived the drop to the ground in an ancient escape pod. She became an integral part of their family of delinquents.
One hundred and two of them…..
He ran his hands gently over the names. And in his mind he could see each of their faces.
Atom, Charlotte, Finn, Roma, Fox, Jasper, Monty, Sterling, Wells, Clarke, Troy, Connor, Raven, Miller, Harper, Monroe, Bellamy & Octavia…each name had a face, each name had a story. Whenever he came to town this was the first place he visited, to pay homage to those that went first and to pray for those still surviving. Of the original 100 + 2 only a small handful still lived.
Almost half of them were gone within the first month, another third didn't make it to 6 months and of those that made it to the end of the first year only a few still lived in Arcadia, some lived in the surrounding towns, but most had struck out on their own many years ago. He had been one of them.
He took a deep breath and looked down sensing he was no longer alone.
"Bard is a funny name what does it mean?" ask the small child that stood alongside him as he silently read each name to himself. The innocent voice continued "I can read now and last time you were here said you were one of them, but your name isn't on that list" she pointed her little finger at the plaque.
Bard looked down at the face of the young child with cheeks that were dirty and eyes that shone brightly; she had expectation written across her face.
He sighed, smiled as he answered "Bard is an old word that comes from the time long before the bombs, it means storyteller." He paused "and yes my name is up there, but I took the name Bard many, many years ago since it's my duty to tell our stories, to keep our history alive."
"But what's your real name?" the child asked "Who were you when the drop ship came down?"
Bards smiled faded a bit "I was no one; none of us were, not really."
He slung his pack over his shoulders and smiled "Bard is my name now, and since I have been a story teller most of my life it seemed a fitting name don't you think."
Together they walked over to the center of town; Arcadias people were starting to set up for the Unity Day festivities. This will be the 40th anniversary of the first Unity day celebrated on Earth. Only now they weren't only celebrating the coming together of different space stations to form the ARK almost 150 years ago, but also the coming together of SkaiKru and The Grounder clans, celebrating the peace that had lasted between their people for almost 40 years.
At the center of town there was still the fire pit from many years ago. It was bigger now and there were tables and chairs nearby. He deposited his pack in one of the chairs and looked at the small crowd that had begun to follow him and he smiled. At least after all these years they still wanted to hear his stories.
The crowd around him was growing, mostly children with faces he didn't know and a few adults who were equally unfamiliar and he realized he had been away a long time. It was always a bit unsettling at first to be here, where the memories could be so strong, so sweet and touching. And so painful.
He put his hands in his pockets and he smiled as his hand felt it, the one thing that always kept him grounded, that reminded him of who he truly was. He ran his thumb over the small smooth glass surface, as his other fingers felt the worn leather straps and he smiled at the crowd.
"Ok" he said "How about a quick story, before the Elders pull me away." He knew that once the council elders heard he was in town they would seek him out. He had sat on the council many years ago and they valued his wisdom but they also wanted to tell him about all the ways in which Arkadia had grown.
"What do you want to hear?" Bard said as he pointed to a young child about 7 or 8 years old with dark hair pulled back in elaborate braids, light brown skin and dark eyes, he studied her for a moment 'why she could almost be….' He started to think to himself when the young girl said…
"Clarke" she said crossing her arms over her chest and tilting her head "My name is Clarke" she said again proudly, almost too proudly, some of the kids around her groaned as if they had heard it too many times.
The Bard raised his eye brows in surprise "Clarke?" He knew that over the years naming children after some of the kids from The 100 was common place. There were many Ravens and Octavia's. Jasper was a very popular name along with Wells, Finn and Murphy. But Clarke and Bellamy were not as common, out of respect he assumed.
"Yes, my grandfather knew her, he was one of the 100, and he named me after her."
"Who was your grandfather?" the old man asked as he looked around the village, looking for a face he might recognize.
"Nate Miller com Skaikru" the child said proudly.
The troubadour's smile faded for a moment and then the corners of his lips turned up.
"Did you know him Bard?" the little girl asked watching as his smile grew.
"I did child, I most certainly did. …" he looked into the face of the children and the few adults that had begun to trickle in to hear his stories. "I knew them all. They were my people, my friends. They were my family."
Bard looked at the little girl, and leaned a little closer "Your grandfather" He began "Was a great warrior and he survived many terrible times in the early days. You know he was Bellamy's right hand man; he was strong, excellent with a gun and he was one of the heroes of the battle at the DropShip. He survived captivity in Mt Weather and he was very important in helping Clarke and Bellamy in the fight with ALLIE. He was even part of the underground movement to over throw Chancellor Pike." Bard leaned back "There were many heroes from the early days; perhaps you would like to hear a story about the first Skikru to reach the ground?"
Before any of the children could answer a voice called a voice from the back of the crowd "Yea Bard, tell us about the early days, those first days on the ground."
An old man walked out of the shadows with barely a slip of a smile on his face.
Miller! Bard thought to himself as the man approached and reached his hand out. Bard grabbed his forearm and pulled him into a big bear hug. Miller clapped him a few times on the back before releasing him.
"Tell them about the time from before we were heroes and warriors" Nate smiled "….Whatever the hell we want…"
Bard chuckled and shock his head "Whatever the hell we want" He said quietly as he looked around and found a table near the fire, he sat down on the top so he was higher than the crowd and began his tale…
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OK so this is 40 years out, after ALLIE, and I am going with the scenario that ALLIE lied about the power plants…..I mean she could have, even Becca said she could be bluffing….
Each Chapter will be a different story prompted by a song. Each chapter & song will be about a specific character or events surrounding said character or a pairing. I already have most of the songs assigned to characters but I need a great Finn song. I have Clarke, Bellamy, several Bellarke songs ( I already have a plan for ALL the Bellarke songs, I mean there are soooo many), I have a Raven song (it's awesome!) I have Octavia, I have Jasper (I really like this one it's almost finished too) I have an awesome Murphy song story planned 'cause ya know Murphy is awesome (Can I just take him home)…. I even have a Lexa song and its about ½ written but I want to get the drop ship kids first. Oh and Miller and Harper have a song too (yea I ship Miller and Harper I think they are perfect!)….- -And I have Abby and Kane songs and I am on the lookout for a KIndra song….What?... Hey I love Kabby as much as the next shipper…Lots….. mainly 'cause I love Kane ( can I take him home, and keep him) but come on there is a whole lot more than just mutual respect building between Kane and Indra. I think it's something worth pondering.
So Taking suggestions my friends!