So, I might continue with this. There are a few things that I wished would happen next but for that to happen I have to tweak the story here and there. This si one of those little fix.
The atmosphere had already changed, even if they denied it. People were still happy, free; admitting to feel the knife on their necks would be accepting it. So they partied, drank, played, enjoyed.
Two days.
Then the first ship would come, and then another, and another. The Ark's population would soon take over the earth, installing their own sets of rules and punishments.
Clarke couldn't help but to be disappointed, she wanted the people to live but she didn't want to go back to the way things were up there. It was funny how during the first few days she had wanted nothing but that. Bellamy's ruling and his "Whatever the hell we want." Was destined to become nothing but a failure. Or so she thought. She wanted to go back to the old set of rules, without realizing that that would also fail.
Surprisingly enough there was order in the chaos, and even if people could do whatever the hell they wanted they looked up to Bellamy for counsel, leadership. And then, Bellamy began to listen to her and they formed an, although unsteady, alliance.
People began to follow her as well. It was strange at first, awkward even but soon enough it came a time when they respected her and sought her words, not because of Bellamy but because they wanted her. That was not the case with every single one of the remaining crew though, there were kids that didn't follow her or didn't follow Bellamy but they followed something, and it was enough for now.
All they had accomplished would be shattered in just two days. She tried to imagine how it would work with the grounders and the only thing that came to her mind was annihilation; whether that be the one of the grounders or theirs. A pacific approach was off the table, and she was more than sure that it would be their soldiers and not the grounders who would give the first blow; the thing was they would fight back.
No matter their weapons they had a unique advantage; they knew the territory and that included not only hiding places but flora and fauna. Poisons and their antidotes, edible plants and animals not to mention battle formation, something their soldiers lacked practice in.
So when Finn came with the idea of a peace agreement, Clarke knew they had to try. Finn had said no guns specifically but going there without backup would be foolish, they were the enemy and it could be a trap as far as they knew.
That was how they were standing on the bridge waiting for the grounder's leader to appear. Lincoln's gaze had been more than threatening, and Clarke could help buts to back up out of instinct. Finn's hand grabbed hers and her first instinct had been to pull away. "He is just trying to help." She then realized and didn't move away, he provided an assurance she didn't need but that she welcomed nonetheless.
A few seconds later they arrived, on horses. How could those animals survive radiation? Had they been kept safe in bunkers?
She had read somewhere that shaking hands had started as a way to show that you had no weapons and so your intentions were amicable. It was no surprise that Anya turned the gesture down though Clarke wondered if it was because it was unknown to her and possibly threatening or because she didn't want to show her weapons.
"I see," Anya said. "You started a war you don't know how to end."
Us? Clarke thought, How could it have been us the ones who started it?
"We didn't started anything, your people attacked us first!"
"The missiles you launched burned a village to the grown." She was angry. The flares, nobody had even thought about it, what were the chances that they would fall in the middle of a grounder village?
"The flares were a signal meant to our people, it was never our intention to harm anybody. And even so, we were attacked hours after we arrived."
"You invaded our territory." Clarke realized then that there was not a chance at peace, like she had suspected. This people had survived the war and radiation, built civilizations from scratch. Fighting for survival as they did the mentality changes, it was foolish to think they would pardon their errors when they were all acts of war. Still Clarke had to explain even if they didn't want to listen. She understood why the grounders did what they did so she might as well explain why they acted as they did.
"We didn't know that it was anybody's territory, we thought the earth was uninhabitable. I understand, we were foreign, possibly a threat but our only fault was trespassing. Your people speared someone from our group and hanged him on a tree so that we would fall into your traps; which we almost did. You were unwilling to a peace agreement from the start, well before the flares.
I'm sorry for what happened, for the lives lost but our position was precarious and suddenly you started to hunt us down, Lincoln kidnapped our friend and chained her up in his cave. What were we supposed to think? When we went to her rescue he stabbed our best tracker with a poisoned knife, we asked for the antidote but he wouldn't give it to us, so we had to pressure him." She paused then, catching her breath. Anya's eyes were still watching her carefully but Clarke thought she saw something flash in them. Understanding? Rage? It was hard to tell.
"Look, more of us are coming down and because of the attacks they are sending soldiers. They will wipe you out but if they see that there is peace, there might be a chance." She hated how it sounded, might, she didn't even think her people would listen, chances were high they would attack and ask questions later.
"They wouldn't be the first to try." Anya said. "Can you assure me your people will respect the agreement once they get here?" Clarke's hesitation was answer enough.
"Why should I make a deal your people won't respect?" Anya looked at her and opened her mouth to speak again but what Clarke heard was Jasper's voice.
"Clarke, RUN!" And he began to fire. She didn't need to be told twice not when she saw the knife in Anya's hand. Arrows flew at her sides, slamming against the hard concrete and she hoped she could dodge them long enough to get into the safety of the forest.
More bullets were fired some of them were paused, controlled but others were desperate, one after the other non-stop.
Lincoln was running away, Octavia tried to follow but Finn dragged her with him. Soon they were into the forest and joined the others as they kept on running until it they were close to the wall.
"You've got something to say?" Bellamy asked annoyed.
"I told you no guns!"
"And I told you we couldn't trust them, I was right." She remembered when they had shown up, swords and knife at easy reach. Finn had looked so surprised, how could he believe they would be unarmed?
"Why didn't you tell me what you were up to?" Raven asked.
"I tried but you were too busy making bullets for your guns." His tone was despiteful, as if it were the gun's fault. Clarke saw Raven go livid but Bellamy intervened before she could act.
"Hey, you're lucky she brought that. They were there to kill you."
"You don't know that! Jasper fired the first shot."
"You ruined everything." Octavia accused Jasper and walked away, not bothering to spend another second with him.
"I saved you!" He watched her go in disbelief. "You're welcome." Jasper muttered as he walked to camp.
"Well if we weren't at war before we sure as hell are now!" Finn mocked and turned to Clarke, his tone softer. "You didn't have to trust the grounders; you just had to trust me."
"You think I would had gone there had I not trusted you? I did but I knew they would bring guns."
"I said there wouldn't be."
"Yeah, and look how that turned out!" Raven said. "It was a trap all along; they weren't going to make any deals."
"No! There was a chance at peace and you ruined it." He walked away then. Raven watching him go and gave Clarke and Bellamy a last glance before she followed him.
"You did the right thing by taking backups." He assured her.
"I know." Clarke sighed. "I think, even if we had come up with some sort of solution it would only last until the soldiers arrive. They won't respect deals."
"I guess we're screwed."
"I guess we are."
Just then, looking at the stars something caught her eye. It was small at first but it grew in size until she could see it well enough and she smiled. There was a ship coming which meant her mom would be with them. Despite the revelation of Abby's actions Clarke still loved her, she was pissed yes, but she had missed her.
"Your mom is early." Bellamy said smiling.
"Wait, there is something wrong. No parachutes, no slowing down…"
The ship became big enough to see some of the details at plain sight, just before it crashed.
Clarke fell to her knees as the bright explosion illuminated the dark night. There was no way anybody could survive that.
"Oh my god." Mom…