As further Clarke gets down the stairs, the slower and heavier her steps become. Pictures of Polis are flashing through her mind, of when she came back with Roan. It hurts her so bad what happened to this city when A.L.I.E. got here.
Finally on the ground floor, she sees that the door isn't fully closed, she sees light through the gap and hears something is going on outside. She stops right in front of the heavy door to take one final breath in preparation of what awaits her on the other side and then pushes both door leafs open.
She is stunned by what she sees out there. She thought of chaos, death and screams of pain and confusion waiting for her. But what is happening is far away of her expectation.
The people outside are not screaming. They are not desperate and confused. They are hurt, but they are working. They are working to clean up the mess that A.L.I.E. caused. Some people are breaking down the crosses and freeing the people on them. Others are taking care of the injured. There are some, that try to clean the floor of the blood and some that are preparing a big funeralpyre. Everyone that isn't too bad injured is helping to make things better as they are. There are noises, but nobody is speaking, not even screaming in pain, there is a strange level of silence hanging in the air.
Clarke is standing there, trying to process what she sees. She has never seen the strength and care of the grounders as she does in this moment. She wanted to help them, to organize whatever they need, but with what she sees, they are helping her again to get a new understanding of their culture and how they work together.
Suddenly she feels that she's being watched. A small group of grounders noticed her standing in front of the tower and started to whisper, another one calls out for their heda and lets himself fall on one knee to bow. That's when everyone stops and looks up to Clarke. Slowly all the people in sight follow his example and bow.
Clarke turns her head to see if anyone else is standing where she is, if out of a miracle Lexa came back of the dead and stands beside her. But there was no one. She stands alone, in front of bowing grounders, confused and with no idea what to do next.
Because many of the grounders were connected with A.L.I.E. and have been in the city of light when Clarke was fighting her way to free all of them, they have seen her there, they know she fought with Lexa beside her and that she had to become heda for this task.
All of a sudden Clarkes confusion leaves her and she felt the urge to speak to those people that bow to her. It was like a click in her head, like a new connection in her brain is made and Clarke speaks up with a confidence she never felt before.
"People of polis! If the flame, the spirit of the commander is what makes a person your heda, I must confess to you, that I am not longer your heda. At this moment no one is. But if you want me to be your leader until we find the next heda, I promise you, I will be whatever you need me to become. I will be your leader and will put the duty to protect you and to keep you save first. I will do everything I can to let our nation flourish again and let all of us live and not only survive. I will go on with Heda Lexas way and do what's required to lead us to peace! I will respect each and everyone of you and and I vow to do so in this and every life that follows."
Out of respect for her people and for Lexa, Clarke bows down.
"And now, rise with me! Let us go on with the work you started and heal the wound in our community that was caused!"
The grounders never seen a leader bow to their people, they were not used to that nor prepared for it. But it only strengthens the respect on their side and so they rise with Clarke and call out again for their temporary heda before they get back to work together with her.
AN:
i really like this chapter, even if it was the hardest to write until now. i had a song in mind while writing - "new americana" from halsey. i took some parts of the monologue at the start of the song. i hope you like it too!please tell me what you think, it gives me the drive to go on ;)
