When Murphy takes his tenth breath on the Ark, he learns about soulmates. It's the time of his sexual awakening to when he first sees a speck of color in his vision. He doesn't believe in soulmates, because why would it happen to him? To a boy whose mother was an alcoholic and to a father who got floated for stealing medicine for his ill son?
Besides, he knows some people never find their soulmates when the universe finally figures it out. Sometimes they're already dead or they never existed in the first place.
Dotted, though not clear, he can make out yellow, Yellow all around him and in the distant, he can make out the sun. Murphy knows what it means: his soulmate's alive. With passing birthday, another color is added to his spectrum of vision of black and white. He searches for his soulmate on the Ark, with no luck. On his fifteenth birthday, he gets arrested for setting the arresting officer's room on fire. All he sees his grey in his cell.
One night, he's lying on his cot, asleep, when he screams himself awake at the sudden pain that shoots across his face, clutching his face in agony. He wonders if he's dying and he wishes for it to end. To stop. A strangled sound escapes him and the pain dies slowly and he becomes numb. And he's left wondering what happened. He still doesn't believe though. There was a perfectly rational explanation for this. There had to be.
But then, he sees her. She wears strange clothing unlike the Ark's as she lies curled up in ball in the corner of his cell. He doesn't move a muscle, making no move to speak. Tears slide down her cheeks, her eyes screwed shut in pain, a newly branded tattoo seared into her face for the rest of her life.
It's just a tiny whisper. A disbelief of a "What?" escapes his lips. Because he's looking at his soulmate. He knows he is. Her eyes fly open and they stare at each other. Dark brown eyes, he guesses. He can't see them clearly because the color he's missing isn't there. Then, Murphy blinks and she's gone.
On his eighteenth birthday, he gets sent to the Earth along with 100 other juveniles. Murphy gives up hope on finding his soulmate. He knows it's nobody on the Ark and screams in anger. The world has mocked him over and over and why should he believe now? He's seen her but she hasn't appeared since that night in his cell. That must mean she's dead. So then, why can he still see color?
_oOo_
He is the first man to step off the Ark drop ship and make history. But of course, no one remembers that because Octavia is the first to step off, the first woman in Ark history. Green brightens all around him and he stares in awe at the beauty the Earth holds. It doesn't last for long. The beauty is shattered as the Earth rears its ugly head. The 100 find they are not alone. Charlotte frames him for killing Wells and now he's being hung. He gaspsgaspsgasps for air, his hands tied behind his back. He hears screaming, screaming all around him. There's a swish and then he's hitting the ground with a loud thump.
A strange language fills his mind. A young woman screaming. A boy's voice, calling out, frightened. He speaks, a string of words Murphy can't understand. One word stands out though and he feels like he should memorize it.
"Emori!"
The Grounders take him. They do unspeakable things and he swears he won't break, but he does. They tear his fingernails off and cut him. The 100 hates him. The Ark hates him. Grounders hate him. Everybody hates him. He's an outcast, thrust into the land of survival all on his own. They banished him and he knows he doesn't deserve to be loved because why him? He's done unspeakable things too - killing Connor and Myles for their participation in hanging him. Sort of killed Charlotte too. Would've killed Bellamy and Raven too if he hadn't been recaptured.
Emori wishes the pain would end. Her brother, Otan holds her back against his chest as she fights, claws and writhes her way out of his grip, shrieking in agony. There's no one around the Dead Zone for miles to hear her screams, which sounds a million times worse than the time she was branded. She feels the pain her soulmate is experiencing, feel each new cut and tear as if it were her own flesh. She has felt the way the hangman's noose tightened around both of their necks. She considers putting them both out their misery, but decides against it. If she left, who would look after Otan? If she left, her brother would have no one to get him out of the stupid mess he'd created in the first , she becomes numb, waiting for the torture to die out.
Besides, Emori thinks, they're both survivors.
Murphy doesn't want to die alone. He tells Raven the story of his past, about his mother and father and tries to lie, to convince himself that yes, he does deserve to die alone. But he can't and tells the truth instead. Raven's half-dead eyes watch when he lets the words fly off his lips.
He doesn't know when the world decides to turn him around, to make him suddenly grow a conscience.
For the most part, he sometimes floating hates it.
What good does it do him if he couldn't stop Finn from massacring eighteen innocent Grounders when some of the 100 went missing? He tries to convince Finn that the 100 are not there and he doesn't listen. "They're just scavengers!" he shouts at the boy over and over. He wants to leave. To leave - leave the Grounders alone. Fear rushes through him because he knows Finn is about to make a mistake. Hell breaks loose and he's forced to see the mess Finn's left behind. He watches as the world crushes against Finn's mind, sending him spiraling to the brink of insanity, which soon leads to his death and Raven's grieving wretched agonized wail echoes in his ears.
Jaha meets with him to force him to bring him to Wells' grave. He tells the former Chancellor the truth and how he's "nobody's son. You made sure of that." Jaha is silent and offers a second chance, to go with him to the City of Light. Murphy agrees, because he has - not faith - but nothing better to do.
And mainly, because he doesn't belong.
_oOo_
Jaha swears there's another camp around here, resided by a woman named Sienne with her husband, Osias and their son, Zoran, who were on their way to search for the City of Light in exchange for a safe haven. Murphy doubts the City of Light is real, but hopes to learn more about these Grounders, the ones who are not condoned to violence, the ones who disfavor the tearing off flesh from bone.
The ones who settle for no rules of following the Grounder life.
Murphy realizes that Jaha has lost his mind when he promises to bring them to the Promised Land. There's nothing for him here with only sand, death, dehydration and starvation leering around him, like Death breathing over him with his cloak. He realizes that he can see fully in color when they find an abandoned cart. He doesn't think much of it when they approach it, but then remembers the story of soulmates whispering from the distant corners and rooms of the Ark. When in close proximity, your soulmate is near and the world in black and white will soon flare to all color.
A Grounder leaps out, threatening them in Trigedasleng. "Ge bak yu op o ai frag yu op!"
Murphy can't help but stare at her as Jaha says words that don't even register to Murphy.
It's quite possible that she's not his soulmate. That hell, she is just an exiled normal Grounder clinging to survival on her own in the devoid place they call the Dead Zone.
But when she pulls down her headscarf to reveal a black tattoo and dark brown eyes, Murphy knows without a doubt, that this Grounder girl is his soulmate.
He's so screwed.
Caspian strongly objects to give her water, but Murphy glares at him, the next words threatening as they leave his mouth. But Jaha gives him a look and he makes them less threatening. Besides, he wants to make a good first impression, which he knows he may have undoubtedly failed.
When Murphy walks over to the young woman to hand her his water, he's suddenly struck by a thought. Do Grounders even have soulmates? He supposes so, thinking of Lincoln and Octavia. But what if that was a one-in-a-million chance? Something that only occurred every decade or so? He wonders if the world has decided to mock him once again, laugh at him while he gets his hopes up, to pursue a hopeless crush on a girl he knows might never love him back? Will he be doomed watching her bond with someone else, find her true soulmate, be forced to be stuck forever with this until they both die?
He hopes Grounders have soulmates and he hopes that if the woman is his, he's hers as well.
"We're on our way to the City of Light as well. What's your name?" Jaha asks. The woman finishes drinking, not wasting a single, precious drop.
"Emori," she replies and Murphy feels his heart drop out of his chest. Suddenly, he's at a loss for words. Emori continues to speak, thankfully, preventing him from making a fool of himself. She explains that everyone is looking for the so-called City of Light, claiming that she can get them there if they pull her cart. Jana doesn't hesitate, immediately agreeing to it, ordering Caspian to take the first shift. Murphy smiles pleasantly as Emori hands back his half-empty canteen with a tiny smile.
"Thanks for the water."
"It's, uh, it was- It's no problem." Murphy fumbles over his words as he stuffs the bottle back into his bag. These are the first words he says to her?! He's chiding himself as he curses silently in his mind.
She smiles widely as she turns back around and soon, Murphy finds himself falling in step with her. There's something about her as he watches Emori: why her smile means so much to him, the way he keeps fumbling over his words, the way she looks at him like he isn't a monster. And he's not a monster, at least not until she asks, which he hopes she won't do. But this isn't the Ark and this isn't Grounder territory anymore. This is the Dead Zone, where hope and life die and dreams are crushed and survival takes flight.
Maybe it's time to change that.
Murphy finds himself wandering about in daydreams, how he can make her smile more, how much he wants to be around her . . . Murphy realizes, once he's walking next to Emori with her attention on him, that he has no idea what to say to his potential soulmate. Surely it should be easy, right?
They exchange stories, with Emori explaining to him that she is considered a "stain on the bloodline, something to be erased" and him explaining to her that he murdered two people because he had his reasons. And he did. He avoids her eyes while he speaks, walking a step in front of her because he doesn't want to see the horror that's sure to be etched on her face.
A hand reaches out gently and tugs him back, stopping Murphy in his tracks. When's the last time somebody touched him like this? He supposes before his mother turned into someone unrecognizable and his father counting the days on his deathbed to get floated. The days when life on the Ark didn't matter and he was a young, happy carefree kid. Where has that kid been all these years?
Murphy watches while Emori begins to remove the wrappings that are covering her left hand, something Murphy vaguely remembered, wondering why she had it on, too nervous to even bother to ask. He soon gets his answer though, when her hand is finally revealed: It's warped, the fingers fused together, joints and flesh inflated and distorted. It looks painful more than anything, but Murphy doesn't see what's so wrong about it. And he finds himself not caring, knowing that it's a part of her that led her to where they were today. Murphy wonders if, under different circumstances, if she'd never been exiled to the Dead Zone, whether they would ever meet. Would they still be soulmates? Or would John Murphy be doomed to wander the Earth alone?
It takes a moment to figure out what to say, then he settles on, "Then screw them. I wouldn't cover it up. I think it's pretty badass."
"Liar." She smiles as she turns, walking away from him, chuckling softly. Emori shortly returns to his side after a moment in silence. Together, they begin to help pull Emori's cart. Something seems to be bothering her and he doesn't think much of it. Maybe she's thinking how she's stuck with him for the rest of their lives.
"What's your name?" Emori suddenly blurts out. Her brown eyes meet his, simply cocking her head as she waits for his reply.
"Murphy. John Murphy. Mostly, Murphy - I mean, everyone calls me Murphy," He clicks his mouth shut, unable to stop himself from rambling. "Um . . ."
Emori grins, then her smile dies as a man with a rocket launcher on a horse appears in front of them. He's about to shield Emori when he's suddenly yanked back, a knife at his throat. It's Emori. His soulmate is going to kill him. He's going to die.
Jaha willingly gives up all the supplies and tries to reason with Emori to let Murphy go. She ignores him, telling everyone to back away from the cart and get on their knees.
"What a surprise. You're just like everyone else," Murphy clenches his teeth together as Emori hisses into his ear, "Shut up!"
They back up, Emori still pressing the knife against his throat. They both feel the regret and disappointment flowing their bones, feel what the other is feeling at the moment. Emori whirls him around, letting him go, forcing him onto his knees. She leans in, whispering in his ear, "Due north."
She draws back slowly, their eyes meeting. Emori gently caresses his jawline, making sure that he understands what she's talking about. He doesn't but she whispers, "Good luck, John."
Then a wave of regret fills him and Emori slams the butt of her knife into his skull, knocking him unconscious.
_oOo_
Jaha promises to come back but he never does after they cross the river with the floating sea monster striving for blood and flesh lurking underneath. He instead finds a bunker, playing a song he faintly remembers, humming along with the words as he catches on with the chorus. He eats to his heart's content, grabbing something that looks edible labeled "Pop Tarts". The television clicks on as he sits down on a chair. A man comes on screen, holding a gun. He pleads that he's so sorry and that he tried to stop "her" before he shoots himself in the heart. Murphy just stares to process what had happened, turning around to see the couch the man had died on behind him, the pillows still stained with the man's blood.
The sound of the bunker door closing makes Murphy bolt out the chair, throwing his Pop-Tart aside, rushing to it as a female computerized voice announces, "Containment door sealed."
Someone shouts, "Chris, where are you, man?" He races down the steps for the other survivor, to tell him to get the door open, to let him out, only to be stopped short when he sees the voice came from the television. He watches as two men rush into the room where Chris's body laid. They mention someone named A.L.I.E. and mention how he let her out. Murphy doesn't understand what or who they mean but continues to listen. The two men lift Chris's body outside and the tape ends. He finds the gun underneath the couch, tucking it into his pants, saving it for later.
He tries every way imaginable to get the stupid floating door open but it doesn't budge. Eventually, it costs him a broken hand. All the while, he thinks of the Wastelander with the mutant hand. But she's gone. She left. They all left.
His mom.
His dad.
Jaha . . .
Emori.
They all have left and none of them were ever going to come back. The gun lies motionless on the table where he's left it, staring at it as A.L.I.E.'s maker appears on screen with a girl named Becca. What he thinks could've been his new home has slowly degraded into Hell. There's no running water here, only bottled water and whiskey. Loads of food. He drinks, something he swore he wouldn't do in a while because it brings up memories of his deceased mother, but it helps numb the loneliness suffocating him. He spirals down, risking his health and sanity, but why should he care? No one cares about him. They all leave and don't come back. So he lets himself go.
Good luck, John.
Take this leap of faith of me, John Murphy.
Good luck, John.
Good -
John.
John.
You killed him.
You killed your fatheryoupieceof-
Goodluckleapfaithmetakemeluckjohnmurphy
Due north.
Liar.
He sleeps on the couch. There's no other choice unless he wants to sleep on the floor. He avoids the bloodstained pillows and sleeps. He plays catch with himself with a ball he had found and recites the transcript spoken to him every night, every day, every second since he's been here. He knows it by heart.
"Please state your core command," he says, right on cue. He loses himself in a fringe of insanity, draping the yellow blanket over himself, pouring alcohol over his face as Becca and A.L.I.E. continue to have their conversation.
"What is the root problem, A.L.I.E.?" Rebecca asks.
He listens to A.L.I.E's reply and mimics Becca's expression. "Um, too many people?"
"Too many people."
"Ah, well, you certainly took care of that, didn't you?" Murphy mutters as he grips the ball but not before he throws it at the giant television screen into A.L.I.E.'s face.
In the broken glass, he swears he sees Emori's face.
_oOo_
"Eighty-six days. I'm on my last box of food so . . ." Murphy trails off, holding the recorder toward himself as he grips the gun in one hand. He had found the recorder sometime during day 37. Nothing was on it except for some more tapes of Chris and A.L.I.E. He settles as more words work themselves out of his mouth. He thinks of the rest of the 100, how they're doing without him and Jaha. At least with the Ark, there was food, water and company. "Really never thought I'd miss the Ark this much. Anyway, Jaha, if you're seeing this and that would mean you're not dead so - SCREW YOU!"
A tear slides out as he blinks and tries to force them back. He shuts the camera off, tossing it aside and presses the barrel of the gun underneath his chin. He shakes as he tries to muster the courage to commit suicide. His fingers are on the trigger and he wills himself to pull it - pull it!
"Oh, come on." He tries again and thinks of Emori, the love he could've had. He wonders if she'll feel him die. Breathing heavily as he tries again, he decides that he can't put her through that, dropping the gun, letting it fall out of grasp. "I -"
I can't.
The world has broke him. He takes his head into his hands, pressing them against his face, running them through his hair. Suddenly, he hears the door to the outside world open and Murphy hears the female voice announce: "Containment door released."
It takes him a second to register it but he doesn't waste anytime. He scrambles up the stairs like a dying man (which he technically kind of is) and pushes the door open. Sunlight fills his vision and it hurts. He shields his eyes as his eyes adjust, accustomed to being in the dark for so long. A drone flies near him and he knows that Jaha followed the drone and never came back for him and - Either it led him to his death or . . . .
The City of Light.
"Wait!" He calls out frantically, racing after it, leading into a forest. Murphy's determined not to lose sight of it and sure enough, the drone leads him to a mansion. He falls through the doors and onto the polished marble floors and hears Jaha call his name. He's angry. He sees Thelonious Jaha walk to him like he's the King. He pushes himself to his feet, ready to give the former Chancellor a piece of his mind and swings - How you leave me in that bunker for 3 months?! - but he misses and falls.
He dimly remembers Jaha catching him before he falls asleep, a lack of strength flowing through him because of the small amount of food he'd gorged while in the bunker. When he awakes, he finds himself clean shaven and wearing clean clothes and prays to God that it wasn't Jaha himself that did it. He starts to eat the apple next to a glass of water and turns around to see Jaha in another room medicating or something. Then he meets A.L.I.E., who tries to convince him to join her and Jaha to the City of Light and he retorts with a "I'm so out of here."
The boat rocks as it continues to propel on, the engine humming, the horn blaring to announce its presence. Emori can see the lighthouse shining from the beach and as she and Otan near closer, she can make out a familiar figure.
John Murphy.
The boy she held a knife to. Her soulmate.
Everything was messed up. She wasn't suppose to have a soulmate. Exiles didn't have soulmates.
But she can't stop her mouth from blurting out, "John? I don't believe it."
He turns, looking better and cleaner than ever. A look of disbelief crosses over his face. "Emori?"
It feels nice to hear his voice again. Her brother docks the boat, shooting her a knowing look and Emori can't help but grin happily before she swats Otan's arm playfully. "What are you waiting for? Come on!"
"Change your mind?" The dark-skinned Skaikru man asks.
"Bite me," John shoots back coolly, walking toward the docked boat. He then calls out, "Emori, who'd you steal the boat from?"
They wait until Jaha climbs on board and Gideon (a man who seemed to have been born with mutated skin on the right side of his face) finishes loading their supplies and the boat begins its course.
They don't talk, both unsure of what to say. What do you say after you find out you were soulmates after trying to kill your other half?
Jaha drifts off to dreamland, medicating again. Murphy snaps his fingers trying to draw the man out of his trance. "Earth to Jaha. Come in, Jaha."
"Hate to break up your little Zen nap, but we're here."
Her brother, Otan walks with Jaha, disappearing out of sight while Emori inches closer to Gideon's bag. He wants to tell her it's a bad idea, to just leave it alone. Suddenly, the monstrous man springs to life, one hand curling around Emori's throat, lifting her in the air. She gags and chokes, clawing for her life but Gideon doesn't budge. Murphy dives into action, remembering the way the noose curled around his throat, the way he couldn't breathe, the way Emori must've felt when that happened. And now, it's happening again, fear rushing through them both and Murphy grabs a fallen branch and hits Gideon's face repeatedly. Gideon only lets Emori go when she stabs him in the throat.
Emori kisses him on the cheek as a sign of gratitude when they reach the boat. He flinches back as her lips pull away, her eyes shining with thanks. He wants to say something, something other than just "Why?" But he can't. Together, they manage to open the bag Gideon had, a piece of advanced technology Emori has never seen. She comments on how they'll split it three ways when Otan finally arrives from his walk with Jaha. It's the remark of Emori asking where Otan's scarf was and Otan's fingers pressing the keypad that Murphy knows something's wrong. And he's right. It's holding the bitch in the red dress, A.L.I.E., the destroyer of Earth. He threatens to drown her while Otan holds Emori hostage with a knife held to her throat.
Emori can't believe her brother is holding a knife to her throat. After all they've been through, he betrays her for the Skaikru and its technology. John pleads with the dark-skinned man to let her go and when Otan finally does, she turns, confusion sweeping through her. She doesn't want to believe that Otan ate the chip. John tells her to get on the boat and she does, watching helplessly as her brother scrambles like a madman to retrieve A.L.I.E. from the waters, watching as she leaves her only family behind.
They dock past the Wasteland, heading into wooded areas. Emori's not sure where they are; she's never been past the Dead Zone and she wishes that Otan could see it, see the way the leaves rustle, hear the chirping of birds in the air, the sun bringing a warmth that isn't harsh to her skin. She just hopes that wherever Otan is, that he's safe.
They begin to fall into a routine; John plays dead, a nomad or a group of travelers stumble through their path and soon enough, they're unfortunate to be robbed by a Wastelander and her Skaikru lover. But they're not really lovers - not yet anyway. But they become familiar to each other, learning what makes the other tick. Their first kiss is an unlikely place she would've chosen - a cave, their home for now as they seek sanctuary from others wanting harm. He'd made the first move - quite shyly, she might add, after she rescued him from a bear attack. Their lips meet and Emori tries not to think about how her parents would disapprove of her sharing her first kiss with a Skaikru of all people. She wonders if John is pleased with it and judging from the smile spreading across his face, he is.
Emori wants to go after her brother. Murphy doesn't understand and tells her that they've talked about it because they've had. They are going to be stepping into enemy territory and he explains that Otan is with Jaha and that he is safe. Besides, if Emori leaves, he'll have no one. So he tries to prevent her from leaving.
"It's not a survivor's move," he replies. He turns after packing his bag, watching her beautiful face flicker with the flames and shadows dancing across the cave.
"Then wait for me, I'll come back."
His heart drops and he feels his throat constrict. If she leaves, there's another possibility she may die, and he'll feel it and hear her dying words and he doesn't want that. He wants to remember the smiling girl he connected with at the Dead Zone. "In this world," he begins in a firm voice, serious as he stares at her. "When people leave, they don't come back."
"I did."
The words ripped through before he can stop it. He retorts harshly, "Not for me, you didn't. I just so happened to be there."
He thinks of the boat, Jaha slipping the chip into his breast pocket of the jacket he's wearing. How Emori smiled at him, encouraging him to come aboard . . .
She pleads for him to come with her but as he puts it, he's not that stupid. And he regrets it.
He ends up getting kidnapped by Azedga, the Ice Nation and tortured by Titus, who rants on and on about the Sacred Symbol, the Infinity Sign, which turns out to be the logo of the dropship, Polaris. He tries to explain the stories painted on the walls, about the girl facing the mushroom cloud in result of the Earth being bombed but ends up getting tortured some more. Titus drags him upstairs to a room he doesn't recognize, his hands bound tight behind him. Murphy dozes off, trying to save his strength when he finds an opportunity to escape. He awakens to someone's hands on him, a voice murmuring as she speaks. It's a woman, he realizes and he opens his eyes. He sees Emori staring back at him, her eyes bright and worriness creasing her brows. Her hands move to undo the ropes binding his wrists together, her mouth moving but making no sound. She came back.
"It's okay," she says, her hands on his face, looking at him. "You're safe."
Emori repeats this and smiles warmly before her face blurs and fades into a face he hasn't seen in a long time: Clarke's. Her mouth is moving as she turns to Titus in confusion as she asks what he did to him. She refers to him as her friend. Since when were they ever friends? Titus says that he can't let them go because Lexa would never execute her duty while Clarke lived and goes on to state that Lexa would think it would be Murphy that pulled the trigger, a Skaikru weapon in the hands of a Skaikru thief and declare war.
Titus fires the gun (obviously inexperienced) and ends up shooting a young woman who'd had the misfortune of opening the door and walking in. Titus realizes his mistake: he's shot the Commander, his Heda, Leader of the 12 Clans. Clarke tries to stop the bleeding as Lexa lies on the bed, bleeding to death as she struggles to say her last words. Murphy watches Clarke and Lexa, realizing that at some point Clarke likes girls (since when did that happen? He thought she had a thing for Bellamy Blake, but apparently not), watching as it dawns on him that Clarke loves - no, loved, Lexa and listens to Clarke recite in her trembling voice, "In peace, may you leave this shore. In love, may you find the next. Safe passage on your travels . . . until our final journey to the ground. May we meet again."
Murphy wonders if this is the sort of ritual Emori would do for him if he dies or vice versa. He hopes there won't be a day where he has to recite these words to her, holding onto her hand with her dying breath as she is being taken from him. Murphy tries to be considerate, telling Clarke gently that they should go so Titus can finish the ritual but Clarke refuses. Together, they watch as Titus moves Lexa from onto her back to her stomach, moving her hair out of the way, revealing the back of her neck, which is etched and tattooed with the Infinity Symbol Murphy saw earlier on the Polaris dropship. Titus carves a small straight line, parting it to reveal . . .
"It's a A.I." Murphy says aloud, watching Titus pull out the A.I. out from Lexa's neck and seal it in a box.
"Wrong," Titus says firmly and Murphy wants to smack him for several reasons. Float his stupid floating religion involving the stupid symbol - it is obvious he would never believe anything that came out of Murphy's mouth or any Skaikru person no matter how many times they would try to tell him the truth. "It's the spirit of the Commander. May her spirit choose wisely."
The door locks behind them. Titus leaves with Lexa's body and the A.I., the bells around the Polis tower begin to ring thunderously, announcing the death of their Commander. A scream rips through Murphy's mouth as he bangs on the door in an attempt to unlock the door but it's no use, as Clarke tells him. Unless they want to jump out the window which will lead them to crush their bodies against the ground to their deaths, their brains splattering everywhere, there's no use in trying to escape. Without any reason, Murphy storms to the balcony, flinging open the doors and screams at the top of his lungs, hoping that she'd hear him wherever she is and come for him. "EMORI!"
_oOo_
Emori wakes from her slumber, bolting up, a hand swinging a knife in front of her as she tries to take in the grasp of reality. Her fingers dig into the ground below her as she breathes heavily, lowering the knife. She has dreamt of John being tortured again, being powerless to stop it as a man asks him about the Sacred Symbol. The man tied him up, took him to a room. She was suddenly there, in front of him, bending down to undo the ropes binding his wrists together. She told him it was going to be okay, but the words felt like a lie for a reason she couldn't fathom. She sees the relief spreading through his face when he sees her, but then he screams her name at the top of his lungs and the dream shifts over a panning view of where he's being held captive at: Polis.
She knows and feels it in her bones, the dream is true. It's not misleading. John is in trouble and she's going to rescue him. She knows she might die, but it's a risk she's going to take. Polis doesn't trust Outsiders, much less Wastelanders.
I'm coming, John. Just hold on.
Her gaze drifts and she blinks and A.L.I.E. is in front of her. "John is in Polis."
A.L.I.E. shifts her head to the side and states, "Then he will lead us to Clarke and the others. Go. Meet with Thelonious. He waits for you by Ontari's side."
She'd previously been heading toward Azedga territory, but changes her course, trekking to Polis. Color enters her vision, black and white fading away. After several hours - she hadn't been that far, apparently - she reaches Polis. Several bells ring continuously and she knows what it means even though she's never had a leader to follow, Polis' Commander has fallen.
There's a crowd, chanting "Jus drein jus daun!" to which Emori quickly translates to "blood must have blood!" She steals another headdress and wraps it around herself as not to be noticeable as a Wastelander, and hides her tattoo with the cloth and pushes through the crowd to get a better look. A shout sounds out through the air as swords clash with a metallic ring. Emori sees a young Nightblood no older than the age of twel or thotin (twelve or thirteen) fighting a female warrior from Azedga. The female warrior bares her teeth as she swings again, her scars on her face contorted into anger and determination. Emori can tell from the look on her face that the young woman does not care whether the boy died. She shoves the boy back as she scrambles for her sword, glancing toward the empty throne above her. A roar escapes the girl's mouth as she spits out black blood and she brings the sword down in a high arch -
"Jus drein jus daun!"
Emori holds her breath and breathes a sigh of relief as the boy blocks the killing blow just in time. Cheers erupt as the boy's name, Aden, she learns, is chanted. She finds herself echoing along, rooting silently for the small boy to win. Ontari and Aden are fighting to the death in return for the throne, to become Heda, the new Commander and she prays the boy will win. The Nightbloods exchange several more blows and sharp cuts which results in Ontari breaking Aden's arm. Aden cries out in pain but keeps his grip on the sword, balancing in his other hand and swings at Ontari and rolls out from underneath her. The sword is knocked out of Ontari's hand and she falls to the ground onto her back. She looks almost frightened and Aden brings the sword down but Ontari kicks Aden square in the chest, shoving him forcefully back. Her sword is in her hand and she moves faster than Emori ever will, slicing cuts on Aden's arms and chest. Aden tries thrusting with the sword, hitting Ontari's shoulder to which she grunts in pain. Black blood drips to the ground from both contenders and for a while, Aden gains the upper hand. But then Emori sees it before it happens: Aden shoots a quick look toward the throne above them, turning to stab Ontari, but the Azedga warrior yanks his sword out of his grasp with her bare hands curled around the sharp blade, headbutting the young boy as he stumbles back, dazed. Then with a grin, Ontari drives both swords through Aden's neck.
The cheering dies down. Arms are lowered slowly as Ontari pulls the swords out of Aden's throat, which in turn makes a gurgling sound as he falls to the ground, choking on his black blood. A young woman around Emori's age runs into the arena, rushing toward Aden, cradling the young Nightblood in her arms, trying to stop the bleeding. Aden clutches her hand tightly as he spews out the remainder of his life, thanks to Ontari. The boy's gasps and choking quickens and Aden's eyes flutter and fixate on emptiness as his body stutters to a still. Ontari, still grinning with bloodstained teeth, lets the swords fall from her hands, making her way to claim her place on the throne, proclaims, "I am Heda."
Emori stares, then turns swiftly to avoid recognition, pushing her way out of the crowd as she hears movement behind her. She heads toward the Polis tower, slipping past the guards. Her gut tells her to head toward the top floor, to the floor where the Commander lives. It's a painstaking journey, climbing up hundred of stairs, passing each and every room knowing that John might've been in one of them. But she trusts her gut; it has ensured her survival this long so far.
She reaches her destination by nightfall, bursting through the doors, knife drawn. Murphy is gagged, chained to the bed, his eyes widening as she rushes toward him. She sees the collar around his neck, sees the chains around him. She pulls down her disguise, revealing herself. "John, it's me," she hisses.
He stops struggling and stares at her. "Emori?"
"I came to save you."
She yanks at the chains tied to the headboard, trying to free them. John suggests cutting off his hands but Emori can't fathom him without them and besides, she likes his hands and tries to figure out what to do when the door slams open. Emori turns her head to see who it is. Ontari stands there, nightblood splattered all over her face and her fingers, her face carved into a sneer, but then a flicker of fear crosses over her face. Emori knows she recognizes her. It may have been years ago since they last saw each other, but Ontari knows. She won't let a scavenger get the best of her again.
"Emori," Ontari spits.
"Ontari." Emori straightens, becoming tall and regal. She grabs a sword hanging on a nearby wall while Ontari's eyes lock on her every step, hand poised on her own sword hanging around a belt around her hips. "So, you're Heda."
"Of course I am." Ontari sneers.
"She's not Heda," John feigns out in a coughing fit, not bothering to hide his words. "Titus killed himself before she could have the A.I. put in.'
Ontari shoots him a death glare but eventually turns back to Emori. "I deserve the throne. I've earned it."
"By killing all the rest of the Nightbloods in their sleep?" John retorts. "Oh, that's a great start."
The false Heda growls in anger. "I should've killed you where you stood, you filthy maggot!"
Emori glares at Ontari, her wrists rolling as she flicks the swords toward the Nightblood. "Don't talk to him," she spits angrily. A.L.I.E. appears in front of them, tight red dress curving over her body, her monotonous voice stating that Clarke is in the City of Light and they needed to stop her from reaching the kill switch. John realizes what's happening and she tells him it's too late, too late to stop them, too late to save her. She can see the pain in his eyes but she doesn't care, she doesn't care, but oh yes, she does care but she can't do anything about it. Both Emori and Ontari head toward the throne room and see the blonde Skaikru leader sitting on the throne, Clarke Griffin, the famous Wanheda, the Commander of Death.
Several fights break out; John somehow manages to get free from his restraints and is currently pumping Ontari's dead cold heart and she rushes toward him and then something strange happens. Her body seems to restart and her mind clears, everyone's minds clears. The grieving and mourning wails of the living echo through the throne room. Tears erupt from her eyes. She can't believe she tried to kill John, can't believe her brother's dead, can't believe she did all these horrible things and oh God -
"John?" Her voice cracks out and he turns toward her and runs toward her, gripping her tight with one arm and tells her it's okay. "I'm so sorry, John. I'm so sorry."
They hold each other for a long time before it's interrupted by the sound of a sword piercing through flesh. Murphy watches as Pike feels the sharp end of Octavia's blade, falling to the floor with Bellamy staring after his sister in disbelief.
Then Clarke drops another bomb. She explains what A.L.I.E. had told her in the City of Light, about the world being uninhabitable in the next three months. Murphy thinks about yet having to save the world again, as though an homicidal A.I. wasn't enough. But this time . . .
Everything's different. He can't imagine a world without Emori by his side. He brings her closer to him, pressing his lips against her forehead as she wraps her arms around him again, ignoring Bryan and Miller's questioning stares. His Grounder Queen, Emori kom Sankru. He knows the price of loving a Grounder; he's seen it etched in Octavia's pain-filled eyes and the fact that Lincoln isn't around. He saw it the day when Lexa died and Clarke's pleading to save her came unheard. But still, it's a risk he's going to take and one he hopes will last until the end of the world, where they can finally be happy.
Even after all they've been through and all was said and done, they're both soulmates and survivors. And float the world if that changes.
~ FIN.
This is my first fanfiction that I've written for The 100, so I'd love to know what you guys think! (This is cross-posted on Ao3 and Wattpad.)
Please, if you can, try to leave a review and comment your thoughts. Follow TheRisingAlleria on Tumblr for more updates on my stories!
Thank you so much for reading!
- Alleria