Part 1

+++++Review of what happened in the last episode to the point I plan to veer off, dialoge written by the writers, not me. ++++++++

"Why am I still here?" Clarke asked as she paced the deck in the nether world. She had stopped the test, hadn't she?

"You know why," A voice echoed. Lexa's voice. Clarke turned to find Lexa, in all her glory, standing ten feet away. Clarke ran and threw her arms around the woman she has never stopped loving, tears streamed down her face. Neither time nor space could take that love away. Technically, well over 100 years had passed and she had travelled to new planets and yet that love still consumed her.

Lexa tentatively wrapped her arms around Clarke to hold her, eyes closing for a moment. "I'm not her Clarke."

"I know," sobbed Clarke and yet she couldn't let go. It felt like Lexa, though not fully. There was some Lexa, Clarke believed, because she felt drawn to her. Clark finally let go even though she didn't want to. She knew. "The test isn't over."

"No. I'm sorry, we can't stop what is set in motion. Your species must now be judged through you." The Lexa stated. She walked to the place where Cadogan fell in death. "This man was unarmed and yet you killed him. Why?"

"He killed my daughter," Clarke answered matter-of-factly.

"Is Madi dead?"

"No, but she will be because of him."

"So, your need for revenge was more important that the fate of the entire human race?"

"It's not revenge." Clarke shrugged. "It's justice."

"Clarke, thonbluma ona noda tagon seimwe laik… Jus drein jus daun." This Lexa speaks in Trigdesleng. A rose by any other name…blood must have blood.

"You don't know my pain." Clarke growled to the being.
"You're wrong. During the test I sense every part of you. I'm feeling your pain right now."

"Really?" Clarke asked. "Then feel me holding Lexa as she dies. Feel me seeing someone else wear my mother's face." Clarke cried as she walked toward the being. "Feel me murder my best friend to save my child, only to have her die anyway."

The being wearing Lexa's face showed that she, too, felt some of the pain, but just as quickly pushed it away.

"Feel that," Clarke spat.

"You suffer and inflict suffering on others. Pain begets pain. That's not justice Clarke. You say you do these things to protect your people, but you are all one people. That much Cadogan had right."

Clarke shook her head in disagreement. "He created a world without love to get to you. He killed my child to get to you. Have you ever considered that you're the problem? How dare you judge me when you annihilate entire species because they don't live up to your ideals. Have I pulled the lever to commit genocide? Yes, I have. And did love make me do this? YOU'RE DAMN RIGHT I DID! But what's your excuse? You play games with people and call yourselves 'higher beings.' You are no better than the murderers I've killed. And you are NO BETTER THAN ME!"

"I am sorry for all you have lost. You've borne so much."

++++++ Veering off in my direction now++++++

"I am sorry for all you have lost. You've borne so much." This Lexa said, tears streaming down her face. What an incredible species that lay before her, she thought.

When she took on these bodies, she felt what they felt, and these bodies felt more than any previous species ever had. She knew she could not allow Clarke to transcend - That would be impossible after Clarke had murdered Cadogan right in front of her - But could she allow every being here to be annihilated for the actions of one or a few? She felt as though some of those actions were justified, but that was this human body she wore making her feel that.

Wearing these bodies wasn't just an image. She was not Lexa, but Lexa was within her and pushing her in ways no other being had ever pushed. Pushing her to feel more grace towards this woman than she herself felt. Lexa was stronger than any other being she had inhabited across time and space. She could feel Lexa's need to wrap Clarke in her arms and kiss her and touch her. The being refrained from this, but it was much harder than it had ever been. She could not do as she had always done.

Clarke was right in part. She was no better. All of these thoughts occurred in a millisecond. She regarded the woman in front of her. She deserved her peace. "And you are right, in a matter of speaking. In this instance, we were wrong to make finding us so difficult, so difficult that it cost the life of so many to find us. However, it won't have cost Madi her life. She will live, thought transcendence. You however, will not. You cannot transcend after the actions you took in this place. The others will transcend. Those alive. I wish you peace in your next years. Transcendence will begin shortly, but I will allow for time to say your goodbyes to your daughter. May we meet again."

A peace had settled over Clarke. She would bear the brunt, as she always did, of the actions of all. She would stay so that they could go. She nodded once, turned and ran. She wanted to throw her arms around the woman she saw as Lexa once more, but it wasn't Lexa and she would not miss the chance to say goodbye to Madi. She ran to Madi's side, picked up the teenager and held her close, cradling her. She knew Madi could hear her. She knew Madi could feel her. So, she crooned her love as she cried. Light began to pulsate out of Madi and Clarke knew this was the end. "I love you. Go. Be happy. I will be fine." And with that, Madi was gone. Clarke broke down. She sobbed over the body that once held her child, the wild child that she had found and adopted. The child that had saved her sanity and given her hope. The child, that kept her from being alone when everyone else had left her, left her and now she would be alone again. Only this time, there would be no one to find and no one would come back.

Clarke rose and walked out. All she saw were dead bodies and static beings of light. She checked the entire building and field but found no one left. She was alone before and could be alone again. However, she would check all the planets she knew she could get to just to make sure. Then she would head back to the planet she considered home. The planet that had been home to Lexa. Earth. And there she would live out her days with the memories of all she loved.

It took time for Clark to check for others on the different planets. Inwardly, she knew no one was left, but she checked anyway. It made her feel better. She did find Picasso, the golden retriever, so she wouldn't be completely alone! She and Picasso made their way back to Earth last. They walked through the bunker and into the light. She would be okay. She would have all her good memories and the knowledge that all the people she loved that had survived would live forever. Therefore, all those that had died would also live on in the memories of those that transcended. As she looked around, Picasso took off running. Clarke ran after her. She needed Picasso.

Clarke reached the beach beside the river. Picasso was nowhere to be seen. "Picasso?" She yelled. "Picasso!?" But the dog did not return. "Please come back, I don't want to be alone!" She breathed rapidly, trying to contain the fear she suddenly felt. "I don't want to be alone," she whispered this time.

A shimmering sound, and a feeling of peace overcame her. "You're not." A voice stated. Lexa's voice. The being.

Clarke turned toward her, "What do you want?"

"To explain," the being said simply.

"There is no need. You already explained. I get it. I bear it so they don't have to. Again." Clarke walked down the beach as she said this, while the being that wore Lexa's body strode with her.
"Such a curious species. You've added so much to us already. I'm glad to have been wrong about you."

"Wait. Does that mean you are here to take me with you? Or will you take me someday?"

"No. You can never join us Clarke. Your actions must have a cost."

"Just mine?" Clarke sighed. "Am I the only human being who ever sinned?"

"Of course not, but you are the only test subject from any species anywhere in the universe since the dawn of time who committed murder during a test," the being said matter-of-factly. Clarke looked at her, lips pursed. "I'd do it again," she said with conviction.

"Madi knew you'd say that."

"Madi's with you then?" Clarke asked hopefully.

"She was. She chose a different path."
"Transcendence is a… choice? You can choose to come back?" Clarke felt all the weight of aloneness lift from her shoulders. She knew if it was a choice, that many would choose to come back.

"Of course. Though until now, no one ever had," The being said, somewhat flustered.

Laughter rang out just then. Laughter Clarke immediately recognized as coming from Raven. She turned to look.

Clarke heard the being say, "A curious species indeed."

Clarke turned back to say one last thing only to find the being gone. She turned back and saw Raven, Murphy, Emori, Miller, Octavia, Echo, Jackson, Hope, Jordan, Indra, Gaia, and Madi. Then, she gasped. Out from the woods walked Lexa. Not the being 'Lexa.' But the Lexa she loved.

To be Continued…