AN: yay I've had this just sitting here forever. I'm finally posting it (:

Episode 3: Scars

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Scars are reminders of all we have survived

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Abby crossed over to the room where Miller, Nyla, Indra, and Gaia were seated.

"I checked all of her vitals, nothing seemed to be wrong." She paused a second. "Although it would help if I knew what I was looking for." She added, acknowledging the fact that she knew they weren't being forthcoming with her. When no one responded, she continued. "There was some unusually fresh skin on her arm and neck, as if perhaps a wound had just healed over, but aside from-"

"Were there any scars on her neck," Gaia asked.

"No, the skin looked actually exceptionally smooth. Why?" The doctor's instincts insisted something more was going on.

"Abby?" Octavia walked through the doorway into the room where the people were waiting. Instantly upon seeing her, Indra, Gaia, and Nyla dropped to their knees.

"Octavia what the hell?" Gaia slapped Miller to silence him.

"How is this possible?" Gaia asked, meeting the eyes of her commander.

Octavia rubber the back of her neck subconsciously, "I'm not really sure, it was kind of a gamble-"

"A gamble, it was suicide." Infra hissed. "Red blood has ever been able to take the flame and yet you decided you would try anyways?" She was angry with her Apprentice.

"I'm sorry what?" Abby asked, staring at Octavia in shock.

"Silence," Octavia raised her hand, clearly angry with the childish bickering. "Announce my ascension immediately, gather the delegates of each clan and I will recite your lineage." Something told her time was soon to run out.

——-

The robes of Heda were quite literally heavy upon her shoulders. The mark of the flame of her forehead felt unnatural. She walked into the room slowly, her eyes not leaving Gaia's who stood behind the delegates.

"What is this blasphemy," Hana, the azgeda delegate hissed angrily. She looked upon Octavia and bared her teeth. The girl was an insult to her faith, to the faith of every grounder. From working with the women, Octavia had learned her to be a very strict follower of the flame. But, until she ascended as commander she had never fully understood why. Somehow now everything seemed to make sense. She worshipped Lexa Kom Trikru, becoming a delegate in hopes to serve her and by extension her clan. Being Azgeda, many would think she would see Lexa as an enemy, however this wasn't the case. It wasn't because of a deep rooted faith instilled in her from a young age, infact, it was the opposite. She was raised in the barracks, brought up as a soldier for the queen's army. Hatred was instilled in her blood. However, that changed one fateful day.

Lexa com Trikru had come to her lands in order to discuss the coalition with her Queen. The bulk of the Azgeda army had come to the palace, in order to show the commander the strength Naia possessed, in order to prevent the commander from even thinking of taking over the capital. However, when Lexa arrived it was clear this had never been her intention. Because, she arrived with a small group of ten men, herself, and her flamekeeper. Her presence hadn't demanded fear, but respect.

Zyra found her breath taken away from her. Over the course of the week, her hatred for the archaic order of the flame wilted away, replaced by respect for this commander. However, it wasn't until the final day she knew she could never again be loyal to her queen. It was something the commander said, something that stuck with her. In an argument with the queen, the commander confessed that she had misgivings about the alliance. She even went as far to say that she hated the ice queen, however, for the sake of her people, all people, she was willing to put aside her past sins.

All people, the notion had stuck with her. She changed her name to Hana, a name that meant one. And, she spent the last decade of her life working effortlessly to make sure her people deserved the grase Lexa con Trikru had shown her. She had been changed by a woman who didn't even know she existed.

Unbeknownst to her, Lexa did know she existed. Infact, she had a vested interest in her success and story. Otherwise, Octavia wouldn't have known what she did now, and she most certainly wouldn't have known the womens true name.

"This is your new commander," Indra hissed angrily. The aged soldier and delegate of trikru rose to her feet, palms slapping harshly down on the table. Indra looked furious, about to explode. Even before Octavia had become commander, the women had treated her with reverence. Everyone did, considering she had saved them from primfya and starvation. However, now she treated her as if she was a saint, ascended from heaven itself to set humanity back on course.

"Relax Indra," she said as she wade her way around the table of people. They knew why they were here, which was good, but before reciting the lineage she had to prove to them she was in fact their commander. She neared where Hana sat, and kneeled down infront of her. She wasn't bowing, but the message was the same. She was bringing herself to the level of her advisor, talking to her as a peer not a subject.

"I understand your anger Zyra," she made sure to use the name she had prior to her enlightenment. "Someone as loyal to the flame as you has every right to be skeptical." She stood again, noting the shock on the womens face. "All of you do, and I come into this room knowing that no red blood has ever taken the flame before and lived." She began walking around the delegates again, assessing each individual one. "However I also know that you all respect the power of the flame." Her eyes landed on Maximus, delegate of sangedakru.

She walked around the table to the point where she was directly across from him, staring into her hateful eyes. He had never liked her, not even her predecessor Lexa. infact, he had despised her, having been the cause of his fathers execution. "Your father served faithfully in my army, dedicating his life fully to me. It was because of this defecation Lexa con Trikru had him executed." Octavia hesitated, finding herself speaking as if she had commanded his father. She saw Gaias eyes widened, knowing she would have to explain herself later. However, she didn't have time. She continued walking around the circle, studying the faces until.

"Him," the gravelly voice that had been guiding her said, pointing to the man known as Myraku. He was the ambassador on Yujleda, and Octavia paused when she was across from him.

"His grandfather was-"

"Shadhedas first flamekeeper, one whos misguided view of the flame led him to try to end his reign early," Octavia paused after reciting the words she was fed, thinking back on the stories Indra had told her. "Perhaps not misguided, but still futile in the end."

She heard a hiss over her shoulder and rolled her eyes. "Now that I have proved my legitimacy, can we begin with the naming."

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Octavia exaustedly entered her room. It turns out, reciting the lineage had not simply been reciting the lineage. It had been a ceremony that took over four hours to complete, ending in the delegates deciding to not announce the fact that she was commander, which upset her. She hadn't risked her life simply to have everyone ignore the fact that she was now their commander. She understood that they were going to hold an official meeting where they would discuss just how the information of a new commander, red blooded at that, should be handled. But still, it upset her beyond bounds.

She passed her modest bed and desk, entering the small bathroom she had been allotted. Being the savior of humanity had some perks, one being the fact that she didn't have to walk a mile to get to a communal washroom. And, she did not share space like many other inmates in this metal prison, instead she had her own spacious room.

Turning the faucet, she ran her hands through the water. The cool water felt amazing against her skin, which for an unknown reason had been burning up lately. It worried her slightly, and she decided perhaps she would go see Abby about it. She whipped the blood and sweat from her face, sighing. Once done with that, she stripped off her clothes, allowing them to fall to the floor around her ankles before stepping into the small shower.

Though she had the privilege of being able to use warm water, generally she showered using cold. She decided that if her people had to endure it, so should she. However, today she was feeling selfish. So, gripping the handles gently, she turned the temperature to the highest comfortable setting. As soon as the hot water met her skin, she decided it was worth it. The burning sensation brought a form of relief to Octavia, and she reveled in the feeling of the steam filling her lungs. She stayed like this for a while, running her hands through her moderately long hair and enjoying the sensation the warmth brought. However, she knew she must not spend too much time this way. And so, she found her bottle of shampoo and messaged it into her scalp, leaving it in as she ran the bar of soap over her body. Once she had finished cleaning and rinsing herself, she exited the shower.

The cold air covered her skin in goosebumps, the steam quickly dissipating as it left the confines of the small rectangle. Finding a towel, Octavia patted herself dry, wiping off the water vapor from her mirror. When she saw her reflection, she was shocked. Smooth skin covered her thin, muscular body. Only, the skin was more than smooth, it looked fresh, unmarked, and unscarred. She gazed at herself in shock, running her hands along her abdomen, a place that used to be littered with scares. Her skin was no longer hot like it had been, and instead seemed cool under her fingertips. She raised her hands to her face, examining her skin closely.

She had never liked the scars that covered her flesh, in fact she hated them. They made her imperfect, and showed that she was weak. In fact, many a times she had wished they would disappear, only to wake up the next morning with them still there. The same scars, the same reminders of how she almost wasn't here, of how many times she almost died.

"You're wrong," the gruff voice returned, and she felt calloused hands run themselves across her abdomen. "They were a sign of all you survived," the hands stopped at a spot where a particularly bad memory used to be displayed. "The time that traitorous bitch from Azgedakru stabbed you straight through." Octavia grimaced, not needing a reminder of her failure. "You survived that, falling off a cliff, and managed to make it back to your people in time to warn them of the coming conflict."

She looked over her shoulder into the eye of the dark commander, "of course someone with a face as scared as yours would think that."

He laughed, the sound coming out a strangely eerie melody. "Each of my scars tell a story, same as yours. Without them we are simply people who have never lived."

Octavia thought about this, perhaps he was right. Looking at her body, it almost seemed empty. As if she was a canvas that hadn't yet been painted. A shoe that hadn't yet been worn. A person that didn't have a story to tell.

"Worry not," he said, grabbing Octavia's face and pulling her around to stare into his eyes. "Because the scares aren't truly gone, they are still here," he placed a finger gently on her forehead, "and hear," he placed a hand on her heart.

Octavia was sure he was trying to give her a lesson of sorts, but she didn't… "I don't understand, what is the point in telling me-"

She was cut off by the sound of loud rapping on her door. In seconds she had dressed in a new set of undergarments, shorts, and a tank top. She grabbed her old clothes and quickly tossed them into the Laundry bin, heading to the door.

As soon as she opened the door, she saw the two faces of Indra and Gaia. Gaia seemed almost pale with worry, and Octavia could guess what about. She stepped aside, allowing mother and daughter into her room. Indra looked around, inspecting her neatly made bed. She looked atop her clean desk and to her overflowing bin of clothes, frowning in disappointment. Seeing the look she gave Octavia, Gaia scoffed.

"We are not here to criticize the way she keeps her clothes, mother." Gaia said, to which Indra sighed.

"No, they are here to criticize the way in which you handled yourself at the ascension." Malakai scoffed. Octavia had the strange urge to roll her eyes, however she knew Indra would see it as a sign of disrespect towards her.

"But you are still here to criticize," she said plainly, seeing Gaias grimace.

Gaia looked at her mother before continuing, the glances they exchanged saying everything they didn't. "We are worried about the way in which you handled the delegates." She said, carefully considering her words.

Octavia was tired and simply wanted to get to the point. "You're worried about the fact that Malakia kom Sangedakru helped me." Her abruptness caused the flame keeper shock, while Indra became angered.

"Trust me when I tell you this, that man doesn't want to help anyone but himself." She said, angrily.

"She's just angry because that coward of a mother kneeled to me," said the amused voice from over her shoulder, his breath tickling the hairs on the back of her neck.

A shiver of anger ran through her, his presence was not welcome at the moment. However, try as she may to block him out, his presence remained. Foreboding, annoying, and unwelcome over her shoulder. She sighed, knowing there was nothing she could do at the moment. If she were to talk to him, demand he go away, surely it would be noticed by her teachers. So, she would just have to bear with it.

"I was simply using his knowledge, just as I was using Lexa's," Octavia said, grinning inwardly at her wisdom. Perhaps now that she mentioned the beloved late commander, they would get off her case.

There was a visible change as soon as the words left her mouth. Indra faltered, her strict motherly act cracking as soon as her commander's name was spoken. She looked into Octavia's eyes, wondering if Lexa Kon Trikru was looking back. Gaia however, having trained Octavia in the way of politics, saw right through this.

"Impossible, the only commander capable of communicating with you without extensive meditation would be shadheda." She said, stepping closer to Octavia.

Octavia tilted her head, for this wasn't true. Sure, Lexa had never appeared before Octavia, but she had knowledge only the late commander possessed. Octavia shook her head of the thoughts, trying to pay attention to Gaia, who was still lecturing her.

"…to even say such a thing suggests that the dark commander already has his claws in you, we must begin the separation immediately."

Octavia, having only caught the last part, was a little confused. What was the separation ritual and what did it entail?

"There is no time skyripa," the voice drew her from her thoughts.

Angered, Octavia raised her hand to symbolize silence. "Shut up," she said, voice barely above a whisper. But somehow, Gaia still heard it.

"He's here right now, isn't he," she yelled, angrily. She looked around the room, as if to wonder where he was standing. "You know that man killed 4 flame keepers, until his fifth managed to end his life."

Octavia was about to reply, when the earth beneath her began shaking. She looked around, her eyes moving from Indra to Gaia, but they both seemed unfazed. As if they didn't notice. But how wouldn't they, i mean, it literally felt as if the world was ending all over again. As if a wave of radiation was passing over and destroying everything in its path.

Octavia glanced over her shoulder, looking over at the shadow that loomed behind her. He looked back, his eyes meeting her.

"We need to go to the pit." She said, not giving any reason before rushing from her room.

"What's the meaning of this?" Indra asked as she hurried behind Octavia who, grabbing her sword from it's stand, made her way to the fighting pits. She was in undergarments, wearing no armed and exposed, only she knew she didn't have time. She didn't know what was going to happen, but something was coming.

As Octavia neared the entrance she heard the cheering. On nights that she didn't reside over the pit and there were no criminals needing to be executed, all thirteen clans would come together and pit their strongest warriors against each other. Though at first she had been against it, as there were no clans only wonkru, she had realized that no matter what their past would be a part of them, as hers was a part of her. Plus it promoted warriors improving upon their skills, and she did see the value in that.

When she pushed open the doors, the laughing and cheering stopped. Everyone watching, even the fighters, looked at her. Perhaps it was the fact that she was in nothing but undergarments, or maybe it was the urgent way she rushed in. It could have been the confused mother and daughter behind her, or the look in her eyes. Either way, they knew something was happening. That's when it actually started, the rumbling. The ground above them began shaking, boulders falling into the arena causing the spectators to look upwards.

"Clear the arena," Octavia ordered, the grounders instantly rushing to do what she said. The scrambled from the falling boulder and ran from the center just as Octavia jumped down into it.

"Bloodreina," Gaia called, clearly angry at her commander's recklessness. Octavia ignored her and watched as the ground opened, natural light which she hadn't seen in years seeping through the whole. Octavia squinted at the bright light, which seemed to be to much and to little at the same time. She saw the shadow of a woman coming down, along with another few figures.

Octavia began to cross over to them. As soon as her eyes adjusted and she was able to clearly see the women, she blinked. Not because the woman was strange or disfigured, but because she recognized her.

"Dioza?" Octavia asked, not knowing how she knew the name. The womens eyes opened wide before becoming slits.

"How do you know my name," she asked, and octavia, unable to answer, just stared. The moment was interrupted by the sound of another person landing, and Octavia turned to find her brother. Instantly, whatever strange thing was happening mattered not, all that did was the brother she hadn't seen in years. Octavia turned and ran to him, jumping into his embrace and holding him tightly.

Bellamy grabbed his sister tightly, placing his head in the crook of her neck and breathing in the familiar scent. "O, i missed you," he said, to which she giggled, something she hadn't done in years.

"I missed you to Bell" she said, wishing this moment would never have to end. But of course it had to, she heard the voice of the captain, and turned around to face her people.

"We can bring you up two at a time, go get your belongings," she said, and to her very clear confusion no one moved. All eyes looked at Octavia, and though she was suspicious, she nodded.

Taking the signal, the grounders dispersed, leaving behind only the guards, Gaia, and Indra. As well as everyone who had come down from above. Octavia Blake turned her gaze to Dioza now, examining her.

"I don't trust her," the voice over her shoulder hissed. Octavia agreed, she knew the woman was up to no good, but still, she needed her.

"Thank you for opening the bunker," Octavia said politely, bowing slightly to the women. Octavia didn't know why but she knew she couldn't start conflict now, not if they wanted to peacefully share the valley. The valley, how did she know about that? What was it exactly? She shook the thought from her mind, perhaps it was the commanders who knew, not her.

Dioza nodded in response to Octavia, "your brother didn't really give us much of a choice," she said with an edge in her tone.

Octavia looked at Bellamy and shook her head, "ya he was never a 'talk first' type of person," she said, recalling everything he had done.

"And you are," Dioza said, quirking her head to the side as if trying to understand Octavia.

Octavia laughed, "not generally, but I suppose I should change that since we are all that's left of the human race," she said to which the women nodded.

"Yah, thanks for that, the whole destroying the world thing," she said humorously to which Octavia chuckled.

"You know we do what we can," she shrugged, the woman coming over to attach herself to whichever mechanism they came down from. It was strange, at first she was so suspicious of this woman but now, now she doesn't know. It felt as if she knew her for perhaps years, felt as if in another life they had been friends. Octavia brushed the thought away and focused on the feeling of herself rising from her feet, her body being pulled above ground.

As soon as her feet were on solid ground she looked around, around at the wasteland that surrounded her. Polis had been utterly destroyed in praimfaya, the only remnants of it the crumbed tower which had trapped them in. Octavia closed her eyes instead, breathing in the fresh, dusty air. Never had she felt more free than she did in this moment, and she enjoyed the sensations of the sun trickling down her face.

"Focus," the dark voice said, drawing her from her peace. "Dioza isn't what she seems, we must destroy her." He said, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Octavia shook her head. "We are all that's left, if I am to lead my people it must not be to a slaughter but instead to peace." She said, noticing how the hand gripped tighter on her shoulder.

"We are the commander, we will not bow to or work with anyone!" He said angrily, causing Octavia to whirl around.

"I am the commander, you are nothing," she hissed, thankful for the fact that no one was around. "I will lead my people how I see fit and you will respect that." She said before banishing him from her mind. There were much more important things to worry about now.

—————

Octavia stared into Bellamy's eye, filled with disappointment and disgust. When he looked at her he saw a monster.

You may be my sister, but your no longer my responsibility,

The words echoed in her mind, numbing her heart and causing her eyes to sting.

"He's nothing to us," the man over her shoulder whispered, "kill him and be done with it."

Octavia was about to speak when she heard commotion coming from outside, and reacting quickly rushed to see what was the cause. When they finally made their way to the giant whole, they saw the two people standing off. Wonkru vs the miners. Octavia, now dressed in her armor, ran to where Abby seemed to be. As soon as she approached, the miners raised their guns at her, and Wonkru responded by raising theirs.

"Dioza," she called the name of the woman, causing for pause. "We don't need to fight a pointless war, tell your people to put the guns down," she said, fighting the instinct to order her.

"Your people are savages," the man to her side, Mickery, said.

"And yours' war criminals," Octavia countered. "That doesn't mean we have to give into our nature, even if we fight, no one will win, we will destroy the last green valley on earth and condem our species to death."

"So what, you want us to share," Dioza asked, confused by this red queen.

"I want us to talk," Octavia yelled back.

"Think about the future general, what type of world would you want to raise a child in?" Octavia wasn't sure why she said this, but she did. Somehow she felt it was what she must say. As she did, was overflowed with visions of a girl, her smile, her voice, the way she called her anty O. Somehow she knew her name, Hope. Dioza seemed startled by this, as if she realized what Octavia was talking about. Maybe she didn't see the same things Octavia did, but she still somehow knew to trust her.

"Put them down," she ordered her people. Half obeyed, the other half keeping them raised for seconds but not moving to shoot.

Time seemed to slow to a stand still, it stayed this way until mckrey spoke. "Fuck this," he said, grabbing the big gun out of one of his man's hands and aiming it and Octavia and her people. Octavia saw it load and somehow knew what was coming. She didn't have time to react, before she could even think one of her warriors had jumped between her and the blast, vaporizing and the force sending her backwards.

A loud buzzing filled her mind and as she opened her eyes the world was dizzy. She attempted to turn her face but it hurt to move. Shaking her head, she stumbled to her feet and looked towards the departing ship. There went the shot at diplomacy, she thought before passing out.

———-

She was back in the strange place again, standing across from the young girl. The child's eyes stared at her, dark and knowing, "you don't have much time, get to the valley," was all she said before Octavia was pushed through her mind and sit up.

Wow I'm glad to have that posted I have a lot more ready just need to edit. Byeeee