[OLD VERSION]Fire On Fire

Chapter One: The City Of Grief

    Leaving the tower was like entering a graveyard. Everywhere Athena and Bellamy looked, there was a corpse or pile of bodies beginning to grow. But the worst one to see, was John Mbege's. Athena let out a small whimper as the tears began again. Noticing his girlfriend's distress, Bellamy intertwined his hand with hers.

    But their hands slipped apart as Athena strode forward. Athena sank to her knees and cried as she cupped John's face. It was as if a bomb of blood had exploded from his brain and splattered onto the cobblestone ground. His lifeless olive green eyes still stared up at the blue sky. Athena cried as she gently used two fingers to close John's eyes.

"I'm so sorry, John," Athena sobbed as she hung her head in guilt and grief.

    After Athena and Clarke had defeated Alie, many people were clearly pain. Both physically and emotionally. But John Mbege had been shattered with heartbreak. In the City Of Light, he realized that Athena would never love him in the way he had loved her. So he had jumped of the balcony of the throne room in the tower, and Athena wasn't able to save him.

"Hey. Hey. This isn't your fault, Little Goddess," Bellamy exclaimed, pulling Athena to her feet to cup her face.
"It is my fault," Athena cried. "He wanted to die because I don't love him. He was right in my grasp and I couldn't save him."
"You can't blame yourself for this. The only one who is at fault here is John," Bellamy spoke softly as he brushed Athena's hair behind her ears and kissed her forehead.
Athena exhaled shakily as she scanned their surroundings to see people crying over those they had lost or cradling the corpses of loved ones. "How are we supposed to tell these people the world is going to end after all they've been through?"
"We don't," Bellamy responded as he pulled back slightly. "Not until we know Alie was telling the truth."
"It was the truth," Athena argued.
"Still, we have to keep it to ourselves until we know what we're dealing with and how to stop it." Bellamy warily glanced over his shoulder.
Athena stepped back so Bellamy's hands were no longer cupping her face. "You're afraid of how people will react."
"Yes." Bellamy looked at Athena then slightly smirked. "Besides, I could use a break from keeping you alive. You gave them back their pain, Athena. Lets not add to it by telling them they're gonna die in six months."
"Fine," Athena muttered, looking at the concrete ground as silent tears poured down her face.
"Good. Once everyone is down, we'll go home and find out what we're gonna do," Bellamy said as he gently wiped away Athena's tears.
"Thank you for keeping me alive," Athena cooed as she softly gazed up at Bellamy.
Bellamy softly smiled but the sweet moment didn't last for long. A woman's wall of grief caused Athena to sprint away, and Bellamy huffed as he chased after her. "You don't make it easy, Little Goddess."

Athena and Clarke reached the wailing woman at the same time from their separate directions. The grounder woman was on her knees, cupping the face of a grounder man also on his knees and had his eyes closed.

"He didn't fall," Bellamy muttered.
Clarke worriedly looked at Athena. "He was chasing us in the City Of Light."

Athena looked down at the deceased man with teary eyes for a moment longer. She recognized the large spiral painted over his right eye and his dark braid and beard. He was one of the first men she had slaughtered to protect Lexa and Clarke.

"I killed him," Athena breathed as a single tear rolled down her cheek.
The grounder woman glared at Athena as she rose to her feet. "You could've saved us, Kaerīnio."
A large crowd of grounders began to circle around, all yelling angrily as Athena cried and stumbled back into Bellamy's arms. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
"Wanheda did this!" A man shouted.
"This is Wanheda's fault!" A man crowed.
"Kaerīnio was supposed to protect us!" A woman wailed.
"Kaerīnio has abandoned us!" A man yelled.
"We have to go," Clarke told Athena who had tears streaming down her face.
Abby ran forward with James and Kane. "What about the wounded?"
"The grounders don't want our help. Our people will be treated in Arkadia," Bellamy spoke hoarsely as he grasped Athena's hand and pulled her closer.
Athena's tear filled gaze observed the weeping people and scattered corpses. "These are my people."
"Athena-" James started.