Summary:
"When the moment comes that the fire burns blue, a duel shall bring a strengthening of bonds and shall mark an end to our suffering."
Clarke is a descendant of leaders from an ancient tribe who swore to protect her people. Through the powers granted to her by the Great Spirit she will try to protect the people of the Ark from the dangers that await them on Earth. Descending from another ancient tribe, Lexa, Heda of 12 Clans, gifted with the power of the Commanders spirit also seeks to lead her people towards peace. Will the ancient prophecy be fulfilled? Will Clarke and Lexa join forces to save their people? Or will the ancient powers consume them, leading the world towards a path of death and destruction once again?
Follows the story of the 100.
Notes:
Well, this just came to me one day. I hope you guys enjoy it. If you do want me to continue this story please leave a comment below.
(See the end of the work for more notes.)
Chapter 1: The Great Spirit
"When the moment comes that the fire burns blue, a duel shall bring a strengthening of bonds and shall mark an end to our suffering."
Jake Griffin sat at his desk going over the schematics of the Ark. He sighed heavily as he dropped the tablet to run his hands through his hair in frustration. The Ark was dying and he knew that he couldn't keep it running for very much longer. Maybe it had 20 years left…maybe.
His team of engineers could barely keep up with the amount of problems that seemed to occur on a daily basis. One problem would be fixed, only for two more to take its place. It was exhausting, and it was days like today that he wished he could quit.
The small giggle that sounded behind him however was a quick reminder as to why he would never stop fixing the Ark, why he would never stop fighting. Turning in his chair in the direction of the giggle, he couldn't stop the smile that formed on his face as his eyes came to rest on his 5 year old daughter Clarke. Her blonde hair draped softly down her face, curling at the ends as she stared down at the paper on the table. Her little hand grasped a blue crayon as she smiled down at the drawing she was creating.
It was moments like this that Jake was reminded as to why he needed to fight so hard to keep the Ark alive. His daughter, the light of his world needed him and he would do anything to protect her.
She must have sensed his gaze as she looked up from her drawing to stare up at him. The look of complete love and adoration that adorned his daughter's face when she stared at him always caused his heart to skip. But it was her eyes, those bright blue eyes that seemed to stare into his very soul, those always seemed to take his breath away.
"Daddy," giggled Clarke pushing her chair back, grabbing her drawing as she stumbled towards him.
Jake opened his arms and accepted his daughter into his embrace before lifting her on his lap.
"How is my Nirvelli today?" he affectionately asked as he hugged her close to his side. Nirvelli was the name his mother bestowed upon Clarke after she was born and it had become his daughter's nickname ever since.
His mother family was a part of the Tudas tribe before the war.
Before Clarke's birth his mother was old and grew very sick. Abby, his wife and head doctor on the Ark told him that his mother only had a few months to live. However, Jake knew better. His mother's name was Nina, meaning strength and his mother always lived up to her name. His belief in her rang true when he told his mother that he and Abby were expecting a child. The absolute strength and determination that he saw set into his mother's crystal blue eyes that day told him that she would live to see his daughter born.
Nina fought against her sickness until the day Clarke was born. Against his wife's wishes Jake took Clarke from the medical wing the day she was born and brought her to his mother. Jake entered the room to find his mother's frail body lying in her bed, the uneven and pained rise and fall of her chest signaled to Jake that his mother did not have much time. The sound of the door shutting behind him startled his daughter awake and she cried out to him. Jake cradled his daughter to his body, whispering soft words to her as he tried to soothe her cries away.
"Bring her…"
Jake barely heard his mother's weak voice over Clarke's cries. Bringing his head up from his crying daughter Jake stepped towards his mother, her eyes never strayed from the small bundle in his arms. Stopping by his mother's bed he gently cupped his daughter's body to slowly bring her down onto his mother's chest.
A frail wrinkled hand shook at his mother's side but it slowly rose until it came to rest on his daughter's head. The crying ceased, and Jake watched as his mother's crystal blue eyes met their reflection in his daughters.
Silence echoed throughout his mother's room as the two stared at one another.
"Nirvelli…" whispered his mother with knowing eyes.
Jake's eyes widened at his mother's words. Nirvelli, meaning Water Child was a sacred name among his mother's people.
"Mother you can't mean…" started Jake as he stared down at his daughter in shock.
"Akule," his mother interrupted using his tribal name. Although her voice was weak, her conviction was strong as she pulled her eyes from her granddaughter to meet her sons.
"I know you don't believe…in our ways…our people," said his mother eyes shining brightly up at him. "You have always believed in what you can see…and touch…never what you can't. But just because you can't see it…smell it…feel it…it does not mean it isn't there Akule."
Her breath was coming out in shorter gasps as she brought her eyes from her son to stare at the small child on her chest.
"She is the child of the Great Spirit…protect her and she will lead you to salvation…"
Moving her hand from the infant's head and using her fingers she drew with a shaky hand a sign of the Great Spirit onto her granddaughter's forehead.
"Yigquu osaniyu advanto adadoligi nigohilve nasquv utloyasi nihi."
And with that, her mother's hand fell to her side as she took her last breath.
Jake eyes shot wide at his mother's last words. He was not fluent in his mother's language but he knew enough to know what she had said.
May the Great Spirit's blessing always be with you
Jake was frozen. His mother had passed, she was gone and in her passing she marked his daughter as a child of the Great Spirit.
The cries of his daughter broke him from his stupor and he stepped forward to pick his daughter up and into his arms. He cradled her to his chest as he stared at his mother's prone body. She was right, he never believed in his family's' beliefs or the ways of her people. Science was the only thing he believed in and she knew that. Belief or not however, his mother's words shook him to the very core.
The sound of his daughter's cries stopped and Jake dragged his eyes away from his mother's and to the small bundle in his arms.
When he met Clarke's gaze, he felt drawn into her eyes. Her eyes were open, revealing icy blues that were framed with thick long lashes. The icy blueness generated a feeling like being pulled into a frozen lake. It pierced right through Jake, as the countless shades of blue swirled together to form of whirlpool of emotions that one would expect to see in the wise eyes of an elder, not in a day old infant. His heart clenched painfully as he met those flickering azure orbs as they were unmistakably the eyes of something far greater than he could have ever imagined.
"Daddy!"
Jake was pulled from his thoughts and back to reality at his daughter's call. He shook his head slightly, clearing his thoughts before bringing his gaze back to his daughter. Clarke was staring up at him with worried eyes.
"I am sorry my love," he smiled down at her bringing his hand to push back the few blonde strands of hair that fell in her face. "Daddy just got lost in thought. What were you saying?"
Jake watches as his daughter stared at him for a few seconds, her deep knowing eyes seemed to recognize that something was troubling him but the reassuring nod he gave her seemed to quell her concerns.
"I was showing you my picture," she said softly to him as she brought up the brightly colored paper to show him.
Jake pulled his eyes away from her to stare down at the picture being held out to him. His eyes took in the brightly colored picture and smiled at the clear talent his daughter had for drawing. The picture was of their family, and by the looks of the trees and grass they were on earth. He took in the details surrounding them, smiling at the drawing of a deer that she clearly attempted to copy from the wildlife book she had spread out on her desk.
"A deer?" he questioned with a smile.
Clarke returned his smile, beaming with pride that he was able to recognize what she had drawn.
"Yup, he has antlers," she pointed to the drawing of the deer to the brown spikes she drew on his head.
"Very good," nodded Jake proud that his daughter was remembering what she learned from his teachings of Earth.
He continued searching the drawing, taking in the details but the sight of something that Clarke drew in the sky had him freezing. He must have tightened his hold on Clarke at what he saw because she shifted uncomfortably in his lap.
"Daddy…"
"What is this sweetheart?" he kept his voice steady as he pointed to a symbol that Clarke should not have any knowledge of. It was a geometrical symbol of what looked like an eye. Jake recognized the symbol from his mother's teachings, the symbol of the Great Spirit.
Jake pulled his eyes from the picture to bring his gaze to his daughter whom was biting her lip and staring at her picture, conflict evident on her face.
"Clarke," Jake prodded gently, rubbing her back reassuringly.
"I see it in my dreams sometimes," whispered Clarke staring at the symbol and then looking back up to her father, apprehension evident in her eyes.
"Are you mad?" she asked, her voice small.
Jake's heart clenched painfully at his daughter's words and the vulnerability in her eyes as she stared up at him.
"No Nirvelli," Jake whispered softly to his daughter, cupping her face and looking deep into her eyes so that she could see his honesty plain and true. "I am just surprised."
His daughter continued to stare at him, almost as if she were trying to read his emotions, which Jake recognized was something a 5 year old should not be capable of doing. Clarke must have deemed this statement true as she pulled her eyes away from his gaze to stare down at the picture. Her small hand came up to stroke the symbol on the paper.
"Sometimes in my dreams I hear voices. I don't see faces, just voices. They speak in a language I can't understand but they make me feel safe."
Jake fought against the natural urges to stiffen at his daughter's words, not wanting to scare her.
"They bring me to the water daddy and it is everywhere…like in the books…the ocean…water as far as I can see daddy."
Clarke stops as she looks up from the symbol to meet her father's gaze.
"Sometimes I play in it and it plays back. The water it tickles me. It likes to play in my hands. And sometimes when the voices get really loud the water…" she pauses and whispers to him as if it is a secret, "it turns to ice."
The silence in the room is defining and Jake really has no idea how to handle this situation. This was not his daughter's imagination. The symbol, the voices, the water…no this was something else entirely. But most importantly it was also something completely out of his control. This is something he cannot fix nor help her handle.
Now more than ever, he wished he had listened to his mother's teachings as a child.
"Do you play with the water here Clarke, on the Ark?" Jake asked making sure to keep his voice steady.
Clarke stared at him in confusion for a few seconds before smiling.
"It is just a dream daddy. The water here doesn't play back silly!"
Clarke giggled at the thought before burying her head into her father's neck and sighing.
"Of course not sweetheart," sighed Jake wrapping his arm around his daughter before placing a kiss upon her head. "Daddy is just being silly."
Clarke gives another sigh of content into her father's neck settling deeper into his embrace.
Jake holds his daughter closely, one arm wrapped fully around her while the other continues to hold her drawing. His eyes traced back to the Great Spirit symbol on the paper and his heart clenches painfully in his chest at the thought of what of what the Great Spirit had in store for his daughter.
12 Years Later
"In this time of uncertainty, we will come together as a people. I'm telling you this because you must know the truth and because I want a future for my child and yours. Be strong."
Jake Griffin nodded towards the recording device, finishing his speech before shutting it off. The people needed to know that Ark's oxygen supply was running out. The people needed to make a future for their children, and they all, together should decide how to make that future.
"You are really going to do it?"
Jake startled in his chair turning to see his 17 year old daughter leaning up against the wall, staring at him with confliction evident in her eyes.
Jake sighed, wishing he could have kept his daughter out of this mess.
"The people deserved to know…you deserved to know Clarke."
Clarke continued leaning up against the wall, her crystal blue eyes seemed to take in everything around her, from her father's words to his body language. Finally after some moments of silence she pushed herself off the wall and walked towards her father, stopping only few feet from him.
"Tell me what I can do to help."
Jake jumped from the chair at her words and reached out to place his hand on her shoulders.
"No Clarke," he spoke with as much strength as possible. "You were never here. You do not know about this. Do you understand me?"
His daughter's blue eyes lit up with fire at his words.
"They will kill you for this," she practically growled out to him. "I will not stand by idly while they float you into space dad!"
Tears filled Jake's eyes at his daughter's words, but he nodded to her confirming the punishment he would no doubt be subjected to after going against the council's orders to keep the oxygen crisis as secret.
"I need to protect my people Clarke at whatever the cost," he whispered reaching up and grasping the back of his daughter's neck and pulling her gently closer to him until her forehead was resting against his. They stood there in silence, taking strength from each other before Jake spoke again this time with more conviction.
"I need to protect you, Nirvelli."
Clarke gasped at his father's words, he had not called her that name since she was a small child.
"They are my people to," croaked out Clarke. "You are my people."
Jake smiled at her words and pulled his daughter into his arms.
"You will be a great leader someday Clarke," sighed Jake tightening his arms around her. "Which is why I need you here. I need you to protect our people."
Clarke pulled back from her father's arms, a retort at the tip of her tongue but suddenly the door to their room flew open and guards marched into their room.
They quickly separated the two and grabbed both of them.
"No! Don't please!"
Clarke pleaded with the guards but it fell on deaf ears as they grabbed her father and started dragging him from the room.
Clarke pulled from the guards hold on her and flung herself into her father's arms one last time before pulling back.
"I will warn them. I will find a way to save our people," she promised her father.
Jakes eyes flew open at her words as he desperately looked around at the guards to see if they heard her.
They had.
"No Clarke!" growled out Jake as the guards ripped him from his daughter and started pulling him down the hallway.
"Don't Clarke. Don't say anything!"
Her father's voice carried down the hallway until he was out of sight.
"Dad! Let me go!" she cried out to him as the guards held her back.
"Dad!"
Standing just outside the chamber in which he would soon be floated out to space for treason Jake stared down at his wife.
"I'm sorry. The people deserved to know."
Abby let out a choked sob at his words before launching into his arms.
"I am sorry," she whispered into his ear.
Jake encircled her in his arms, and nodded at her words. They both knew what she was apologizing for.
"Take care of Clarke for me…"
"Dad!"
Jake and Abby separated at the sound of their daughter's voice as they both turned to see her running down the hallway,
"Clarke you shouldn't be here..."
His words were interrupted as his daughter launched into his arms. The strangled gasps and cries into his neck were breaking his heart but he also knew that he didn't have much time.
Pulling her away from his arms, he reached up and wiped the tears from his daughter's face.
"Hey," he kept his voice low and calm, trying to convey as much strength for his family. "It's going to be okay Clarke. I promise."
Clarke let out a large sob at his words and wrapped her arms around herself.
Jake's eyes filled with tears at the thought of the pain he has caused his daughter through his actions.
Kneeling down in front of her he grabbed his mother's wrist band from his arm and untied it. It has been in his family for generations, his mother once told him and he knew he would someday pass it on to his daughter. The band was black with multiple inscriptions in another language carved in it and also symbols.
"It is the leaders mark Akule. My father before me, his mother before him and all the way back to the first leader of our family wore this as a statement to all that we would lead our people and always protect them."
His mother's fragile hand could barely tie the band around his wrist but moments later she finally did before settling back into her bed, the small task taking all her strength.
Her crystal blue eyes fixated on the band that now adorned his wrist before they moved up to meet his gaze.
"Protect our people Akule. It is in your blood."
Jake's hands shook, just as his mother's did all those years ago as he tied the band around his daughter's wrist.
"I need you to keep this safe for me," he whispered finishing the tie and running his fingers down the symbols in the band.
The moment however is interrupted by the Chancellor's voice.
"Jake, it is time."
Jake stiffens at the man's voice but nods his head in acceptance.
"No," whispered Clark squeezing his hand. "I won't let you die."
Jake stands to face his daughter, his final goodbyes at the tip of his tongue but the sight before him leaves him breathless.
There is a hardness to his daughter's eyes that he has never seen before and her eyes…they were glowing. The blue in her eyes was almost completely absorbing her pupils. It wasn't just her eyes however that had him at a loss of breath but it was also the frozen tear stains on her face. Almost as if they froze in place as they escaped from her eyes.
Jake moved quickly, bringing his hands up and cupping his daughter's face and covering the ice tears before anyone could see. He had to stop the gasp from leaving his lips at the freezing temperature of her skin.
"Clarke look at me," Jake calls to her but the light in her eyes only seemed to grow.
The temperature around them seemed to drop as well.
"Clarke look at me!" Jake called to her again shaking her slightly, trying to ignore the way he could see his breath in the rapidly decreasing temperature.
"Nirvelli!"
His daughter finally seemed to hear his words as her eyes shot to him and the light in her eyes slowly started to fade. The temperature surrounding them too began to rise.
"That's it," said Jake soothingly rubbing his daughter's cheeks but also breaking up the ice on her face. "That's it, deep breaths now."
His daughter's eyes were now completely back to normal and she looked at him in a panic. Jake could see that she understood what just happens.
"Everything is going to be fine," he said to her nodding slowly.
"Jake," the Chancellor's voice called again, the firmness in his tone letting everyone know that he needed to go.
"Look at me Clarke," said Jake in a hushed whisper. "The answers you seek are tied to the band. Listen to the voices, they will guide you. Do you understand me?"
Clarke stared up at him with wide eyes, almost as if she were seeing her father for the first time.
"I love you," he whispered to her before stepping away from his daughter for the last time.
Slowly he stepped back never breaking eye contact from her until he was in the chamber.
"Remember Nirvelli, protect our people."
The door shut in front of him separating him forever from his daughter. He gave her a reassuring smile, before speaking one last time.
"May the Great Spirit's blessing always be with you."
The outer doors opened and he welcomed the blackness that followed.
Notes:
Well what do you guys think? Please let me know. Comments definitely make writing easier when I know there are people out there interested in my story!