THE PROTECTOR

Chapter 1

May we meet again. Who knew that those four little words could hold so much meaning in Clarke's life. It's as if those words have taken away everything important in her life. Yet, as she walks away from Camp Jaha those are the only words she can utter, for once again everything is being taken away, only this time it's by her own hands. As Clarke walks away from her friends and family, from the place that she is now supposed to call home, she doesn't know what to do or where to go. She feels everything and nothing all at the same time. Happy to have her people home safe, sickened by what she had to do to achieve it. Wanting to be with those she cares about, but can't stand to see the looks on their faces in her presence. Confused, angry, and pained over Lexa and everything that has transpired over the last few days, yet understanding all at the same time. Wanting to be at peace and feel safe yet, feeling like she doesn't deserve any of it. There's just so much going on inside of her that she doesn't know what to think anymore. So she doesn't think, she just walks. Where? She doesn't know but at this point she doesn't care. She just needs to get away from it all.

So Clarke just wonders for what seems like days, only stopping to get a few moments of rest or a few berries here and there. She's so tired and hungry but she can't seem to stop. Her body is just moving on its own as if there's somewhere she needs to be. After a few days she realizes where she's heading; she's heading back there. To the place that finally destroyed her completely. She doesn't want to go back, at least not so soon, but she can't stop herself. It's not until she's once again standing all alone in front of that giant metal door that her body finally stops and allows her to rest. Now those legs that wouldn't stop moving, won't move an inch. She's just frozen there with the memories flooding through her mind. She cannot grieve, not even shed a tear, she doesn't deserve it. Not yet. After hours of just standing there and staring into the abyss, Clarke finally decides to rest. She wanders back to the edge of the forest and sets up camp. She looks around for some food, but all she can find are some berries, not a single animal in sight. Guess that will have to do, she's not even sure she would be able to kill even for food at this point. Back at her camp she starts to realize just how quiet it is around the mountain. It's a little eerie, never once since being on earth has it ever been this quiet. It would seem not even the strongest of animals want to wonder near this cursed mountain. Finally, the fatigue of the past few days hit Clarke and she falls asleep.

Clarke awakes the next morning, slightly uncomfortable from her sleeping position but well rested and ready for what needs to be done. Clarke walks up to the mountain, takes a deep breath, and enters. As she walks those cold, grey halls, she realizes just how much it reminds her of the ark. It's no wonder why the Trikru were so apprehensive towards her people; after all they bore greater resemblance to the mountain men then the Trikru. It was only natural that they would try to protect themselves from an unknown enemy. Clarke's thoughts come to a halt as she reaches the fifth level. She walks into the mess hall and once again comes face to face with all those lives she had to sacrifice in order to save her own. Clarke looks upon them all, the young and the old, the innocent and the guilty. Then her eyes come upon Maya. None of us are innocent. Maya was right, none of us were innocent, we were all just fighting for survival and for what we believed what was rightfully ours. Clark couldn't take it anymore; she couldn't hold it in any longer. All the pain and anguish she felt came bursting out, shaking her right down to the core. Clarke held nothing back, she let herself feel it all, right down to her fundamental being. This is what they deserved, it was her obligation to bear it all, because she took everything from them. Their past, present, and future, for in time there won't be a single soul that will remember them. Clarke knows that in the next years to come the story of the fall of the mountain will be remembered, but the lives that were lost would not. This was not acceptable, they deserved more than that.

Clarke grabs a few tools and walks out of the mountain over to the first clearing she finds. Once there, she starts to dig. It takes a good part of an hour but the hole is finally big enough. Slowly she starts to bring out everyone from the mountain, to join with the dirt that they so desired to touch.

Clarke started with Dante, then the soldiers, and all others she considered the true enemy. While the mountain held many sinners, Clarke believed all should be laid to rest. Moving the ones Clarke precieved as being the sinners didn't affect her at all, it was easy. Almost too easy. As Clarke looked into the grave at them all she was left with was an emptiness. After all she had done, all the suffering she caused to them, she couldn't feel anything for those who hurt her people. Moving the innocent wasn't so easy. Clarke moved as fast as she could, trying not think about what she was doing, trying not to let the pain consume her. But, that was easier said then done. Seeing what she had done was one thing, but to touch them, carry them, bury them was another. While moving the bodies, she came upon this young couple. The boy was tall and had some muscle to him. His eyes were a light brown and his hair, an even lighter brown, with a light smile playing at his lips. No! Clarke should not have looked at his face it was too much. She looked down only to find his hands, which were tightly wrapped around the girl beside him. The girl was pretty with dark hair and hazel eyes, but there was nothing but fear written all over her face. It was too much. Clarke stood still staring at the couple thinking to herself, it was she who caused this fear, caused this boy to put on a brave face as he had to watch the girl he loved die. Not only did she cause them to suffer physically, but emotionally as well. At this Clarke collapsed onto her knees and started to sob uncontrollably. After a while Clarke eventually forced herself up, she had a job to do. They deserved to rest in peace. So she stood up, removed the girls hand from the boys, and started to carry her out one step at a time. Then she moved on to the boy.

It was getting harder with every step. As she carried him, struggling with his weight, she realized this was no boy, not anymore. No, he was a man that died far to young. One among many that died far to early. All Clarke could do now was to keep moving, and she did, until it was time for the children. One look upon their small faces and Clarke instantly froze. She willed herself to move but she couldn't. Once again it was too much for her. Weak, that's all Clarke could think. She was weak. These children deserved to see outside these walls, it was no time for her to break down. She yelled at herself, pushed herself, and step-by-step she inched closer to them. As she reached out to pick up a boy no older the five, her hands started to tremble. She couldn't stop it; she couldn't control it; so she didn't. She moved on with shaking hands, wobbling knees, and tears in her eyes. Slowly she picked up every child one-by-one as she cried over each one she held moving them to their final resting place. Clarke made sure to put those who helped her and these innocent children near the top of the grave so that they could be closer to the heavens. Once she got the last one out, she stood in front of the grave and looked at the mass amount of death she created. Clarke fell to her knees and stared upon the bodies as she told them over and over how sorry she was! With the last ounce of strength she had left, she sets the bodies a flame and whispered Yu gonplei ste odon, now rest in peace. The heat from the fire was unbearable and the smell... This was nothing compared to when they burned Finn, no this was so much worse. The smell was beyond terrible causing Clarke to throw up. She was surprised this was even possible with how empty her stomach was. She crawled a few feet away from the fire and clutched her stomach in pain as she tried not to pass out from the exhaustion and heat. Once the fire was out Clarke pushed herself to her feet and started to cover the grave. Once she was done, Clarke placed a tombstone upon it.

The tombstone reads:

Here lie the mountain men.

The murders.

The innocent.

The brave.

May you finally rest upon your desired ground.

Once she's done and says her peace, Clarke takes her leave. She knows the fire created a lot of smoke and would grab the attention of many. As well, her people will return to the mountain one day, to gather the tech, weapons, and supplies, and she'd rather she wasn't around when everyone showed up. So once again she starts to walk. Where? She doesn't know as long as it's away from here.


Hope you enjoyed, this is my first real fan fic. please review. I will try to get the next chapter up soon.

Thanks to my friends who helped me edit this

also i will be drawing some pics to go with the story. see deviantart soultterror101 for pics. chapter one has one pic