A/N: Another chapter is up! And as always, thank you to everyone who is still reading this. Your love for this story keeps me going :)
"You can't fight the friction, so ease it off
Can't take the pressure, so ease it off
Don't tell me to be strong, ease it off
You can't fight the friction
So ease it off"
"This is not real" you say as the high red flames lick the Ark. "This can't be real…" your voice breaks.
You feel like you've gone deaf, your head is pulsing but you hear nothing, absolutely nothing. You see the smoke and it's like TonDC all over again. You shiver as the memories engulf you and they are dark and seem to have attached themselves onto your body. You're drowning, there's no air, no air… Time and space loses meaning, there is only pain. Someone shakes you gently and you hazily remember Lexa shaking you at TonDC, trying to get you to snap out of it. But now all the sounds and noises and voices come crashing back and you realize that it's not Lexa's voice. It's deeper.
"Clarke!" someone shoves you a little harder with rough hands. The voice is low and hoarse. You know exactly who it is.
"Bellamy?" you look into his concerned eyes. "What happened?".
"I don't know but come on, people need our help" he yells as he drags you towards the plain near the Ark, where the surviving people have gathered. Your name becomes a chant, you hear it being said by everyone, everyone's lips are repeating it like you're their savior. But you aren't and you're not sure if you ever wish to be. You have sacrificed enough of your humanity and insanity. You want to close your eyes because it pains you to look at them, at their faces and what they remind you of. But it's a new enemy, a new threat and they need your support.
"Clarke, is that really you?" you hear after a couple of minutes while you're trying to help an older woman to sit down. You hope that the people were fast enough to save themselves.
You knew you'd have to confront her one day. One day you knew you'd have to talk to her, to deal with all the things and feelings you've stuffed down. You just didn't want it to happen so soon. You think she won't get it, why you've done this, why you've gone away and left all of them, including her. You hope she might but you're not sure. There are just too many words left unsaid and you think it's too late to say them now.
"Mom, what happened here?" your voice is a ghost of former self.
"I don't know, Clarke. We heard noises and came out to check on them but it was too late" mom says and she looks as if she hasn't slept since you left. Maybe it's true.
"Our people are not safe here" you mutter to yourself mostly. "We need to get them out of here".
"Tell me" she pleads and you know the question even without her asking you. You look around, staring at the faces of the people, the Ark in ashes, smoke everywhere. You're keeping your distance from the people, not wanting to agitate them.
"It was the Ice Nation" your answer is silent and that suffices. Maybe Kane knew a bit more about Grounder politics and customs but mom knew enough tales about the Ice Nation to know that they're lethal. So she stays silent. At that moment Marcus runs over to the both of you with blood running down the side of his face.
"We've saved everyone we could" he says as he looks at mom. "It is nice seeing you, Clarke" he nods his head politely at you. He doesn't question why you're here or how you appeared, you feel grateful for it.
"Clarke just told me that it was the Ice Nation that attacked us" mom's voice is cold, chilling, lifeless.
"The Ice Nation?" Kane looked puzzled. "That can't be, what about the Coalition?"
"Coalition is no more. The Trikru are mostly alone, though we have the support of the Mountain Clan and the Boat People" you tell them while you sadly wave back at Raven in the distance.
"So that's where you've been…" your mother trails off. "They have betrayed us, Clarke, they have left us for dead. And you went with them?" mom looks straight at you, judging.
"It is a long story and we clearly do not have the time for this" your voice is annoyed. Now is not the time for angry fits and explanations.
"You aren't so easily forgiving, Clarke. What changed?" mom is nevertheless surprised.
"People change. I changed".
Though not only you, Lexa as well.
Everyone's been staring at you, your friends, your people. But you just kept your distance; you tried to come up with a plan with mom and Kane. They were the most reasonable ones and also, the ones in charge as well. It's weird. It's like no time has passed at tall, as if nothing happened, as if you haven't left.
"So Polis was taken?" Kane asks, shaking his head in disbelief. He couldn't believe the capital could be taken so easily.
"Unfortunately, yes" you say as mom tries to clean the dried blood off of his face. The three of you are sitting near a smaller fire with a distance from everyone else. You and mom treated everyone who needed care while you tried to talk as less as possible.
"Is there anywhere safe?" mom ponders. "Our people need safety".
"We can arrange that, once Lexa arrives" you say, your voice desperate. Where is she? She should arrive any minute.
"Can our people trust them?" mom looks at Kane, then shoots a look at you. "I don't think they'd go back to the Grounders so readily".
"If they want to live, they will" Marcus says and gives your hand a light squeeze. Everything falls to silence.
Then you hear horses and footsteps. Too many to be Lexa's party, too heavy.
"Grab your guns" you shout from the top of your lungs and panic seeps into you. Did the Ice Nations soldiers come here to finish their job? To kill your people? But why? After a moment you see them, their blades glistening in the dark. You also see a huge man with a mask on his face, throwing commands. Probably the leader of the pack. There aren't many of them but there doesn't have to be. They are so much more skilled in combat than your people. And most of your people are either hurt or tired. Not an equal game. But when has Earth offered comfort.
The time you hear the screams, the carnage begins.
Swords clash, the smell of blood in the air, smoke dissipates in the darkness.
"We need to get people out of here" you shout to Bellamy, who fires the gun at the enemy. You run from one group of people to the other, asking them if they're not hurt, trying to show them a way to safety.
"Then help them, Princess. Get them away from here. Lincoln, help Clarke" he shouts at the man nearby and in seconds he's by your side with a small smile and a nod. No words are needed for you to understand what he means.
"No, Lincoln, help Bellamy to fight them off. I'll help" you hear her voice. Octavia.
"Thank you" you say to her but she doesn't react. Probably still angry, still pissed off. But you don't have the time to think about this now. You help out the people that aren't fighting, you remember that there is a patch in the forest nearby that may help hide them for now, just for them to not fall victim to the blades or arrows of the Ice Nation.
"That spot?" Octavia asks coldly, not looking you in the eyes. You were there together; she knows what you have in mind.
"Yes" you answer helping up women and guiding them towards Octavia.
"Good thinking" she says as she disappears, going forward, coaxing everyone and telling where to go. You try to secure the passage or at least observe that no enemy sees where the rest are going. The less victims, the better.
You stretch your ears and freeze in trying to listen but still, you fail to hear him. He comes from your right side and his sword hits your arm, you jump away but not fast enough. The cut is deep and the crimson blood starts gushing out of the wound. You don't scream. You face him now; even through the mask you can see his vicious eyes.
"Skai prisa" he hisses in the dark.
"Why did you attack us?" you scramble and your feet tangle. You are on the ground, your right hand bleeding immensely and you probably won't be able to control it, to use it anymore as you can't move your fingers.
"Answer me!" you scream at him. You try to crawl away from him but your back hits a tree trunk with a thud. You exhale loudly.
"Your home is destroyed; your people are wounded, your right hand is injured. What are you going to do now, Skai prisa? The Commander won't help you, she's not here" He spits out looking at you, trying to suppress his laugh. He points his sword right at you and your only reaction is to gulp. But you're not worried, not at all.
"You people tend to forget" you laugh a little because you probably lost your mind a long time ago "that I'm left handed".
You take out your pistol and aim right at him.