It was the day that Clarke's people would be arriving. Clarke's new people and the surviving grounders alike walked under the sun with looks of wonder on their faces. Clarke's new people were seeing the sky unaided for the first time in their lives, their people's ancestral dream was finally realized after one hundred long years. The Grounder survivors of the Mountain's cruelties were seeing a sky they had lost all hope of seeing again.

Lexa's people had attempted to harbor hate in their hearts for the surviving Maunen but seeing the children in absolute awe of seeing the trees of the forest, the feeling of grass on their feet, the breeze in their hair, all for the first time, melted that hatred like Azgedan ice in the Deadzone sun. These were people that deserved pity, not hatred.

It was decided that a celebration was due, once the Exodus ships arrived they would celebrate the official arrival of Clarke's people, of Wanheda's people, of Wankru. The prophecy would finally be fulfilled and Wanheda would at long last join Heda in ruling humanity, guiding it to a brighter future.

Lexa's Gonas and Clarke's Sardaukar were preparing a massive clearing near Philpott Dam for the celebration.

Clarke was coordinating efforts when Lexa walked up to her with Madi holding her hand. Lexa was in her usual armor and Madi was wearing some leather armor and furs that were obviously new. Behind them her and Lexa's familiars trailed after them.

"It's time Madi had her first hunt, it is a coming of age ceremony among my people. Join us." Lexa said matter of factly, finishing with an outstretched hand.

Clarke took Lexa's hand. "We're in your care."

Madi was unarmed but Lexa guided the girl, showing her the tracks of wildlife and what types of plants could be eaten. Clarke watched on as Madi listened to everything Lexa said with rapt attention, both of them crouched in the dirt. She wasn't sure if it counted as maternal but it did to Clarke, the sight of her new found daughter and lover bonding in such a way was striking an emotional chord with her.

Geri and Freki stalked behind them while Huginn and Muninn kept watch overhead.

Lexa put a finger to her full lips, shushing the little girl and her mother. Lexa propped her ear forward with a finger, telling them to listen. Madi's face strained with concentration as she obediently listened. Clarke did the same and picked up the sound of something rustling among the forest.

Lexa gently grabbed Madi's hand and led her through the underbrush silently. Clarke followed closely, Lexa pulled some brush aside to reveal an elk twice the size of a horse and with a massive crown of majestic antlers atop his head. It looked as if it had stepped directly out of a fairy tale read to children on the Ark.

Lexa turned to Madi and whispered quietly, "I will shoot the bow but you will tell me when."

Lexa drew an arrow and took aim, the bowstring touching her cheek. She waited patiently for Madi's direction. Madi looked to Clarke for support and she smiled serenely at her daughter. Madi smiled bright before turning her attention fully to the elk, her little face scrunched up concentration. The massive bull elk looked around the clearing warily until it decided it was safe and lowered its huge head to graze. Madi whispered in Trig and Lexa loosed her arrow. The majestic creature reared up in pain and alarm as the arrow passed through it just behind its shoulder. The elk attempted to run but collapsed only ten feet away, its heart cleanly pierced.

Lexa turned to Madi, who was holding her breath and smiled. It was a free and unrestrained thing that was showing nothing but happiness and pride for Madi. Lexa and Madi collided in a hug, Lexa grabbing Clarke's arm to bring her into the celebratory hug.

Lexa guided Madi to the corpse and together they knelt next to it. Lexa closed her eyes and whispered, "Yu gonplei ste odon." Madi quickly mimed her, small mismatched eyes fluttering closed as she echoed her.

Lexa found the arrow that had passed clean through the animal and showed it to Madi. "This was a clean shot but if there were bubbles in the blood it would mean you hit its lungs, and if it was greenish it would mean you hit its stomach or intestines. If it was strong enough to travel far, don't chase, the adrenaline from being chased would let it travel even farther. Instead, track the blood trail with patience."

Clarke was certainly glad Lexa knew all this, she might be an accomplished warrior but a hunter she was not.

Lexa guided Madi and Clarke in making a draggable sled out of thick branches tied together with rope made of supple bark strips. Without needing any prompting the wolf familiars grabbed the sled and began dragging it.

Lexa unbuckled the sheath for her Damascus dagger and handed both to Madi.

"This is yours now, always keep it close little warrior."

It was dusk when the first Exodus ship could be seen descending. In the low light the ship's thrusters flared like beacons as it tried to slow its descent. It was soon joined by nine more, the entirety of the Ark's fleet of Exodus ships.

Clarke could tell that the Grounders were nervous seeing them but they put on a brave face. Clarke's Sardaukar however were whooping and hollering in celebration.

Madi ran over to her from where she was playing with some of the children from under the Mountain, the Grounder children were still apprehensive about her. She held her arms up in the universal sign for 'up', Clarke scooped her up and smiled reassuringly.

After her hunt Clarke had bathed with Madi and changed her back into her yellow sundress with red rubber boots, she didn't want to shock her parents too much.

Clarke whispered into Madi's ear as she bounced her, "It's ok, Strikon."

Lexa walked up to with Ontari and Luna close behind, all three seemed tense as a bowstring. "Are those the ships that carry your people?" She asked harshly.

Clarke raised an eyebrow at her tone. "Yes, they're going to land on the dam, we plan to use it as a port for the Exodus ships."

Lexa and her guards let out a sigh of relief. "The missiles that the Maunen used looked eerily similar."

Clarke covered Madi's ears. "Oh shit! I didn't even think about how your people might view them. Let's calm everyone down."

Lexa raised a hand "I already have people doing that, I decided to give you the benefit of the doubt."

She was a bit flabbergasted at the level of trust she was being shown. This misunderstanding could have ended up in an armed conflict that would have started a war, and it would have been her fault.

Clarke bowed her head in respect. "Thank you for the trust you showed me, I am sorry for the misunderstanding."

Lexa nodded and whatever she might have said was cut off by the roar of jet engines as the Exodus ships began landing atop Philpott Dam in an orderly row. The ships were massive but her Engineers assured her that the Dam's structure could hold twice their number.

Massive walkways unfolded from the ships to reveal people squinting at the low sun. The Sardaukar were the first to descend the ramps, there were nine companies of one hundred each. The Sardaukar battalion was now complete once again, all one thousand of them. With two Warsuits to a company they marched with pride, fresh nightblood smeared between their brows.

It warmed Clarke's heart to see her warriors filled with so much pride. Her Sardaukar had once been nothing more than jack booted executioners, not warriors.

You become a warrior when you have something to protect. They risked not only their own lives but the lives of their families the day they helped her overthrow Jaha in order to save their people as a whole. That was the day they became true warriors.

Civilians began slowly descending the ramps now, looking this way and that as the thousands of Arkers walked on the Earth for the first time, they marveled at the pink sunset that reflected off the lake below the Dam.

As Clarke watched her people take in the Earth's beauty for the first time she silently thanked Becca for implementing the plan to build the Exodus ships so large and in such quantity. They used a lot of resources that could have been used elsewhere but they provided something far more valuable. They provided hope, hope that one day they would return to Earth. To actually work towards that seemingly unattainable goal with their own hands got her people through some very dark times.

Still carrying her daughter, Clarke stood at the edge of the Dam and waved at the incoming throng of People. The marching Sardaukar and Warsuits halted and as one they dropped to a knee, the civilians behind them quickly followed suit. With lungs and vocal cords strengthened by the Red well beyond that of a normal human she bellowed, "WELCOME HOME!"

The answering cheers echoed all throughout the Mountain range.

Her parents walked up to where she stood shoulder to shoulder with Lexa and was still holding Madi as the little girl looked around wide-eyed as thousands of people began streaming past them and nodding in reverence to Clarke.

Marcus and Abby both lowered their heads. "It's good to see you Comman-" Marcus began but was interrupted by Clarke pulling him and Abby into a bear hug, Madi clinging close to Clarke confused by the sudden proximity of these strangers.

Clarke pulled back and smiled, titanium canines gleaming in the low light. "Welcome home Mom, Dad."

Abby smiled with tear pricked eyes. "We knew you could do it. I just wish your father could have been here to see it." She gives Lexa and Madi an inquisitive look. "Are you going to introduce us?"

Clarke put an affectionate hand on Lexa's shoulder. "This is Lexa, the Commander of twelve clans and Inheritor of the other Flame. Lexa, these are my parents Marcus and Abby, Marcus is the representative of the Sardaukar and Abby is the representative of the Healers."

Abby raised an eyebrow at the familiarity but lowered her head along with Marcus nonetheless. "It's an honor to finally meet you face to face Commander." Marcus said.

Lexa nodded her head in respect. "The feeling is mutual."

The two raised themselves from their bow and Marcus smiled at Madi, revealing his own Sardaukar fangs. "And who is this little sweetie?"

Clarke went stock still and she could have sworn she saw Lexa smirk. "This is Madi, we saved her from the Mountain, one thing led to another and I ended up adopting her, she's my daughter, and your granddaughter." She rushed out.

Marcus and Abby looked between Madi and Clarke rapidly then to each other in shock. Marcus put a calming hand on Abby when she seemed to be getting increasingly stressed and spoke, "Well it's a bit earlier than we would have imagined but I think we both" He makes meaningful eye contact with Abby. "understand, and if this is what you want then we will support you anyway we can. She seems to already be very attached to you, I always knew you would make an amazing mother."

Abby inched closer and pulled a lollipop out her pocket that she used to bribe children during doctor visits and handed it to Madi after unwrapping it. Madi looked up at Clarke as if asking if it was alright, she nodded. Madi took the sucker and popped it into her mouth, she giggled and smiled at the sweetness. Abby smiled brightly at the reaction. "She's adorable….Did you put sunscreen on her vitiligo? Has she had a full check up? What have you been feeding her?"

Marcus laughed and Clarke ran a hand over her face in exasperation, Lexa just seemed confused. "Mom. She's a nightblood, so no need for sunscreen, she's had a full check up by Charlotte, and she's been eating just fine."

Abby breathed in, ready to launch more questions but deflated. "...Good, I want to give her a check up myself though."

"She doesn't speak much English, Lexa, could you introduce them please?" Clarke asked.

Lexa smiled down at Madi who smiled and leaned towards her with arms open, she pulled the little girl onto her hip and gestured to Marcus and Abby. "These are your grandparents." She said in Trig.

Madi looked at Marcus and Abby with wide eyes before lighting up in a smile and talking in rapid fire Trigedasleng. "They do not speak our language yet, little one." Lexa explained.

Madi screwed up her face in concentration. "Hello Grandm-ma, Grandp-pa." She struggled out her rudimentary Gonasleng.

Marcus pulled Abby close as tears formed in both of their eyes. Abby covered her mouth with a hand. "Hello Madi." Marcus said softly.

They made their way to the massive clearing that was alive with activity, Arkers and Grounders intermingled as food was cooked over open flames. One of the Arkers brought out a solar powered boombox and started playing an Imagine Dragons album. At first the Grounders didn't know what to make of the sound but seeing Clarke's people dancing with abandon inspired them to join them.

Three people approached Clarke and Lexa as they watched their people intermingle.

Clarke gestured wide. "Lexa, these are the rest of the council of representatives." She gestured to a large man with dark skin and a bald head. "This is Charles Pike, the representative of the Craftsmen." Pike bowed his head to Lexa before Clarke gestured to a blonde woman. "This is Diana Sydney, the representative of the Historians." Sydney bowed her head as well but only barely. Clarke raised an eyebrow before gesturing to a man with graying hair. "This is Jacapo Sinclair, the representative of the Engineers." Sinclair smiled as he lowered his head.

After exchanging some pleasantries and promising to exchange knowledge the three representatives went back to the celebration.

Lexa turned to Clarke and whispered, "that woman, Sydney, I have a bad feeling about her."

Clarke sighed before whispering, "She has always had too much ambition for her own good but don't worry she is being watched. Sardaukar are trained in the arts of assassination as well, she always has eyes on her."

Lexa raised an eyebrow. "If you do not trust her then why suffer her presence?"

"Because she hasn't actually done anything to justify me removing her from her elected position. She is cunning, she won't make a move unless she's sure she can succeed." Clarke explained.

It was getting dark when lights lit up the sky like a meteor shower. Abby and Marcus sat in the grass with Madi between them as they pointed excitedly to the sky. Madi's mouth was agape as she took in the spectacle.

"That is unlike any meteor shower I have seen." Lexa said cautiously from where she sat next to Clarke on a log.

"It's the Ark. Any fragile technology was stowed on the Exodus ships, everything else was sent down. We'll begin the salvage operation tomorrow, we'll gather all the surviving technology and metal." Clarke explained as she gazed at falling debris with an almost homesick expression.

Lexa grabbed Clarke's hand and interlocked their fingers. "Once your people are settled and the salvage is underway we should go to Polis."

Clarke gripped Lexa's hand and locked eyes with her. "I agree, it's time I made my presence known."

It was the next day in the afternoon. The Exodus ships were returning with their first round of salvage from the remains of the Ark.

Clarke and Lexa were outside the main entrance of the Mountain watching their familiars run about the clearing chasing after each other. Madi was riding atop Geri, her mane of brown hair and mismatched eyes glowed in the sun as she laughed freely.

Huginn's vision suddenly came into view in Clarke's mind and she saw two Sardaukar escorting someone towards her from the newly arrived Exodus ships.

Lexa must have seen it as well since they turned in unison and adopted a rigid stance waiting for the warriors and their charge. Clarke sent Madi inside with Octavia and Ontari.

It wasn't long before Murphy and Atom stomped through the trees with a woman between them. The woman had dark wavy hair, brown eyes, a tribal tattoo encircling her left eye, and a wrapping hiding her left hand. She was dressed like other Grounders but wore no furs.

Both men had a hand clamped onto the woman's shoulders as they marched her forward. They must have come straight from the landing pads. What was concerning was that instead of taking the route through the Mountain, they chose to go through the forest. They must have deemed it necessary to not only bring this apparent prisoner directly to her but to deny her any information of the inside of the Mountain. That could only mean one thing, this woman wasn't one of Lexa's people, she was an outsider.

Murphy and Atom stopped when they reached them and shoved the woman onto her knees. They both bowed their heads and waited to be addressed.

"Report." Clarke snapped.

"We found a stowaway once we returned." Murphy said with annoyance.

The woman looked up to them for the first time and the color drained from her face when she saw Lexa.

Geri and Freki prowled from where they hid in the treeline behind Lexa and Clarke. The second they came into view the woman's eyes became as wide as saucers.

The woman began to struggle against her captors before she yelled out in Gonasleng, "Heda! Behind you!"

Lexa and Clarke looked at each other in confusion as Geri and Freki stopped and sat.

"Who are you?" Lexa demanded.

"My name is Emori." Emori said while cautiously watching the wolves out of the corner of her eye.

"Why did you stow away?" Clarke asked, spine ramrod straight.

Emori looked at Clarke quizzically, as if wondering who she was to dare speak as if an equal to Heda. She squinted her eyes at the triquetra on Clarke's circlet before she gasped. "Wanheda!" She began to sputter before collecting herself quickly. "I came to warn Heda! A strange man fell from the sky several days ago, he has the strength of a Natblida! He has been pretending to be a wounded traveller and slaughtering anyone that helps him. He has been gathering clanless and I saw them around the fallen metal!"

Clarke showed her teeth and growled, "Jaha…"

Clarke's radio and the radio she had given Lexa crackled to life. "Clarke! Get to the command center! Now! It's Jaha, and he brought friends!" Octavia's uncharacteristically frantic voice sounded over the bone conducting radio.

"Release her!" Clarke commanded before sprinting into the Mountain with Lexa and their familiars close behind.

They got near the Command center and saw Octavia and Ontari breathing heavily and standing over the corpses of a dozen red bloods. They had only superficial wounds and were staring daggers through the open door to the Command center. The two Sardaukar guards that had been posted to guard the door lay motionless at the entrance; they had died fighting.

"YOU COWARD!" Octavia roared as Ontari snarled inhumanly.

Clarke rounded the corner and saw into the Command center. Clarke's stomach dropped and her blood ran cold. Jaha was standing in the middle of the room, covered in black blood that was not his own, he looked weathered and his eyes were wild. He held Clarke's Grandmother at knife point with Madi's new dagger, the blade pressed harshly against her throat. So hard did he press that her face was beginning to turn blue and black blood began to dribble down her neck. In his right hand he held Madi aloft by the back of her neck as she flailed wildly. She wasn't crying but there were frustrated tears in her eyes that she stubbornly held back.

With a primal emotion only a mother was capable of, Clarke roared, "NOOO!"

Later it would be said that Clarke's cry could be heard throughout the entirety of the Mountain and as far away as Polis. Far in the future people would pray to Wanheda to protect their children from any and all harm.

Madi's eyes found hers and the tears she had been holding back began to stream down her sun-kissed, blotchy skin. With a warbly cry, she struggled out one word of desperation as she reached for her and Lexa, "Nomons!"

The use of the word in plural was not lost on Clarke or Lexa and it showed. They both snarled as they drew their weapons with white knuckled grips. Their familiars picking up on their emotions reacted similarly, the wolves growled so low that the vibrations could be felt and the ravens cawed like messengers of the dead come to collect.

Jaha tightened his grip on Clarke's daughter and the high Priestess.

"Now, now girls, we wouldn't want anything to happen to these two, now would we? I know you adopted this savage. I could snap their necks before you even took a single step forward." Jaha drawled with condescension and superiority dripping from his words.

There was only one way he could have known about Madi…

"What do you want?" Clarke seethed.

Jaha laughed. "The Flames obviously. You two will come in unarmed and alone, the Priestess will remove the Flames and place one into me and one into Sydney once she arrives."

She made eye contact with her grandmother and saw her nod almost imperceptibly.

"Fine." Clarke growled before she dropped her axes reluctantly, a Sardaukar did not part with their weapons lightly.

She made eye contact with Lexa and willed her to trust her. Lexa grunted and dropped her swords. They walked through the threshold as one, their familiars not following. The metal doors closing and locking behind them.

"Kneel and lower your heads." Jaha said with a smirk.

Lexa and Clarke grit their teeth as they slowly lowered to a knee and lowered their heads. They both looked up through their eyelashes with fury. They were only five feet away.

The high Priestess tried to speak but only choking could be heard. Jaha pulled the blade away only slightly and she gasped for air, her face regaining its color.

"I have to be closer for it to work." The Priestess croaked with a sore throat.

Jaha slowly drew his blade away from her throat and made to point it at Madi but Clarke's Grandma was faster. She savagely bit through Jaha's hand that held Madi. Jaha screamed in pain as he sunk the dagger into the Priestess's back, Madi falling from his broken grip.

Clarke and Lexa lunged with such force that the feet supporting their weight left cracks in the concrete. Lexa was closer to Madi so she dove and caught her in a tumble, curling her body around the child in an effort to protect her. Clarke lunged for the still surprised Jaha. She gripped his wrists hard enough to hear the Ulna and Radius bones clack together. She landed atop him, straddling his chest. In her all-encompassing wrath she did not yell, she did speak at all, she roared an inhuman war cry. Her mouth opened to almost impossible proportions as she lunged for his exposed throat. Her elongated metal canines easily pierced Jaha's throat as she clamped down with all of her considerable strength. Warm blood and flesh filled her mouth as she tore the screeching man's throat out, silencing him forever.

Clarke spit out flesh with disgust and scrambled to her Grandmother's side. At only a glance she could tell that the dagger had pierced her heart, black blood oozed on both sides of her torso. Clarke cradled her in her lap. Lexa gently shushed a sobbing Madi as she knelt next to Clarke. Clarke's Grandmother reached a shaky hand up and ran a calming hand over Madi's hair. "Shhh, it's ok dearie."

Madi's sobs ebbed and she pulled her face out of Lexa's neck to look down at her dying great Grandma. With a shaky hand she gripped two of her fingers in her little fist. With a rattled exhale her great Grandma smiled serenely as her fingers went slack in Madi's tiny grip.

The Command center doors opened, Octavia and Ontari rushing through the opening only to stop short at the sight.

Clarke stood to her full height with blood running down her chin and throat.

"Bring me Sydney."