You blink awake slowly, your body fighting the exhaustion that still consumes you.
Bright light filters through the tent, illuminating a small body curled up beside you on the bed. You smile down at Madi, who must have shown up at some point during the night after she finished her responsibilities with Octavia. Your eyes trace her face, so peaceful as she sleeps, and you get a pang of sadness when you realize you'll have to tell her about Clarke when she wakes up. If she hasn't already picked up on Clarke's absence, it won't take long for her to realize.
You freeze when you hear a creak behind you, and you pull your knife from the holster on your thigh, left on after your stressful night, turning to look towards the door and face your intruder. Instead, you're met with the sight of Bellamy, sitting in a chair near the door, watching you. As soon as he sees that you're awake, he gives you a small smile and whispers, "Hey."
"Hey." You untangle yourself from your blanket, careful to not disturb Madi, and slide out of the bed, walking towards him. "What are you doing here?"
"I wanted to make sure you were okay after last night."
"Not really. And as soon as Madi wakes up, I'll have to tell her, which will only make this worse."
"Maybe not."
You cock your head to the side and your brows pull together, confused. "What aren't you telling me?"
He glances over at Madi, stands from his chair and peeks outside before walking back over to you and pulling you to the furthest corner in the tent from your sleeping niece. His voice drops low, barely a whisper and he says, "I slipped Octavia some of Monty's algae."
Your jaw drops as you look at him, your brain running through the meaning, picking up on a piece of trivia you've gathered in the last few days. "Like the algae that put Murphy in a coma?"
"Yes. I poisoned my sister."
"Oh, Bell." You can see the anguish in his face, and it breaks your heart. Without even thinking about what you're doing, you pull him to you, wrapping your arms around him and holding him tight. He immediately responds and hugs you back and you whisper, "She'll be okay. I'm sure Jackson can keep her alive easily, especially with tech from the bunker."
The two of you pull apart, and he nods. "I hope so. But with Octavia unable to lead, Indra can take over the army, and she can accept Diyoza's terms."
"Murphy was out for a week right? By the time she's awake, we'll be in the valley, living peacefully." He nods, and your mind flashes to your twin. "What about Clarke? Can we let her out?"
"Not until Wonkru surrenders. It'll just raise suspicions about her before then."
You sigh, knowing he's right, but you find relief in the fact that at least she's safe for now, while Octavia rests in her coma. "Can we see her? Madi will want to."
Suddenly, a quiet voice retorts, "Madi will want to what?"
You look over at your niece, sitting up and staring at you, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. You glance at Bellamy, and he whispers, "I'll be outside."
You nod and watch him step out of the tent, before you walk over to Madi and sit down on the bed beside her. "Madi, I don't know how to tell you this, but Clarke's in trouble."
You see anxiety cross her features immediately, and she sits up straighter. "What do you mean? Is it Diyoza? Did she come for her? Are you in trouble too?"
You shake your head, reaching out to take her hand, hoping it'll comfort her. "No, it's nothing like that. And I'm not in trouble. But Clarke has been arrested for killing Cooper."
Madi watches you, carefully looking for the truth in your expression as she asks, "Did she do it?"
You sigh, not knowing if you should tell her or not, exposing your dazzling little sun to the atrocities of war that you and Clarke have committed. Despite her youth, you know Madi is smart, and she'll figure it out eventually, one way or another. Better to hear the truth from you than a lie from someone else. "Yes, but I helped her."
You decide to leave Bellamy out of it, just in case Madi slips up and says something to someone. Though, knowing her and her loyalty, you're sure she never will. Still, it doesn't hurt to be careful. "I want to see her."
You look at her in confusion, not understanding how she just blew past your admission without asking a single question about it. "Wait, that's it? You're not gonna ask why?"
"I don't need to. I know you, ani, and I know Clarke. If you killed Cooper, I know you had a good reason. Now, can we go see her?"
"Get dressed and let me fix your hair and then we will."
"But I-"
You cut her off, assuming the mom mode now that Clarke is gone. "No buts. If you show up looking like a mess, I'll be the one in trouble."
You stand and head towards the entrance, "The faster you move, the sooner you get to see her."
You hear her jump into action as you step out of the tent, and you and Bellamy wait patiently as Madi gets ready in record time. She steps out as soon as she's dressed and you undo her braids from the night before, quickly adding back two on either side of her head to keep her hair out of her face, but you leave the rest of her hair down for the day, just as eager to go see Clarke. Once you're ready, Bellamy leads you to the bunker, signaling Indra as you pass her on the way in.
She meets up with the three of you once you're deeper into the building, the path you're taking pulling at a memory, and as you start to reach the door where a guard stands, you realize Clarke is in the same room she locked you and Bellamy in before Praimfaya. Ironic. Indra greets the guard, clearly loyal to her, before pushing the door open and motioning for the three of you to go inside. You nudge Madi forward and she steps inside, followed by you then Bellamy, and Madi instantly runs over to Clarke and pulls her into a hug. You smile at the scene in front of you, despite the circumstances, watching as Clarke also smiles, beyond happy to see Madi again.
She looks up at you, over Madi's shoulder, and mutters, "Thank you for letting me say goodbye."
You shake your head and glance at Bellamy, quietly asking if you can warn her, and he nods, so you turn back to her as she pulls away from Madi. "Clarke, this isn't goodbye. Octavia's sick, they say she might not wake up."
Indra walks over to Madi and grabs her, starting to pull her away as she tells Clarke, "We can't risk the child being seen here. She'll be safe now, and so will you."
Clarke nods and Indra pounds on the door, the guard from before opening it. As Indra leads Madi out, she turns to you, Bellamy, and Clarke, "Be quick."
You all nod in acknowledgement as she disappears, closing the door behind her, and as soon as Madi's gone, Clarke turns to you. "What did you do?"
"Not me. Bellamy." She looks to Bellamy, who avoids her gaze and mutters, "Monty's algae."
"Oh, my God."
He lets the gravity of the situation land before he adds, "As head of the army, Indra can accept Diyoza's terms for peace. By the time Octavia wakes up, we'll be in the valley."
You reach out and grab Clarke's hand. "Once Wonkru surrenders, I'll come and get you out. Then we'll head back to Shallow Valley together: you, me, Madi, and Bellamy."
She smiles, pulling you into a hug, whispering in your ear, "Together."
You hear a quiet knock on the door, letting you know your time is up, and you squeeze Clarke before you pull away. "We'll be back soon."
She nods and you and Bellamy head for the door, knocking to let them know you're ready to come out. As soon as you're in the hall, you see that Indra stands waiting along with the guard, but Madi is gone. "Where's Madi?"
"Safe." She doesn't give you time to ask for more details, because she turns and walks away, expecting the two of you to follow. You and Bellamy glance at her and then each other before he tips his head in her direction, asking what you think. You shrug and start to walk after her, and he follows, both of you jogging to catch up. As soon as Indra sees you by her side, she mutters, "Good, time to see Octavia. Then, we gather Wonkru."
You follow her through the bunker as she leads you to Octavia's room, motioning for the guard to push open the door as she approaches. He complies, and all three of you step inside, your eyes instantly falling to Octavia, sprawled out on a very large bed, hooked up to a variety of machines. Niylah is on one side of her, Jackson on the other, and Miller lingers nearby, watching them. They all turn towards you as you step inside, the door closing behind you as Indra asks, "How is she?"
"Her systems are shutting down." You stare at Octavia, looking small and weak in the large bed, her breathing slow and shallow as she lies completely still. Niylah turns from Octavia, setting her eyes on Bellamy, a glare on her face. "You were there. Tell us everything that happened. Did she take anything, drink anything?"
Bellamy shakes his head, paying his part of the clueless brother. "It's like I told Miller, she was eating one of your rations. Why?"
"Because she might have been poisoned. That's why."
You all turn to look at her in shock, not expecting her implication of Bellamy's involvement, but then you remember Gaia's words to Clarke when Gaia wanted to kill Niylah. She is not your friend. Just like her daughter, Indra opposes Niylah and commands, "Niylah, that's enough. She's his sister."
"We were sharing it the Wonkru way. I ate it too, and I'm fine."
You can feel the tension in the room rising, and you rack your brain for a way to change the subject and diffuse it. Thinking of Octavia's earlier injury from the worms, you look at Jackson, expression curious. "Have you considered that the worm toxin might still be in her blood?"
"It's possible, making this a secondary reaction to the substance she was exposed to, but a week ago..." Jackson trails off, and his boyfriend mutters, "English, Jackson."
He clarifies, "Dialysis won't work. Nothing will. We need to prepare for succession."
Everyone turns to look at Octavia with sadness before moving their gazes to Indra, knowing she's next in line. Indra accepts the responsibility with a nod. "I'll inform Wonkru. If there's any change in her condition, I want to be the first to know."
She turns and heads for the door, telling Miller on her way out, "Gather the first battalion and the delegates."
And then she's gone. You, Bellamy, and Miller all follow, leaving Niylah and Jackson alone with Octavia. Miller branches off to gather the appropriate people, and not long later, he meets up with you again, nodding to Indra. "They're gathered in the atrium, waiting on your command."
Indra gathers her guard, Miller included, leaving you and Bellamy hidden in the back. She makes her way to the atrium, throwing the doors open with an air of command that only Indra could possess. She steps into the center of the crowd, and you and Bellamy linger near the edge, your eyes searching the crowd for Madi. You see her standing with Gaia, and the two of you lock eyes but make no move towards each other, aware that now is not the time. Instead, you watch as the room falls silent and Indra steps into position, turning slowly to meet everyone's gaze. "The whispers are true. Our beloved Blodreina has fallen ill."
You feel Bellamy tense up beside you and you glance over at him, making sure he's okay. You can see the guilt weighing on his shoulders, your world weary Atlas back just a few days after landing on the ground, and your heart hurts for him. But he keeps his composure and his face blank as Indra continues, "These may be her final hours. I trained Octavia as my second, and I love her as I love my own child. I advised her and led her army with pride. It was her desire that if she should ever fall, I step forward to lead you. Blodreina wanted what we all want: to live a better life in Shallow Valley, and we will, but not through war, not when there's a better way. For the last six years, we have lost hundreds of our people, and we can't afford to lose anymore. I will negotiate for Wonkru to enter the valley peacefully, so that no more shall suffer."
You and Bellamy watch the crowd, relieved to see that most people seem to be nodding along with Indra's words, open to the idea of surrender. That is, however, until Miller yells, "You're not in command here! Not even over the first battalion. Blodreina gave that honor to me!"
Someone yells out, "So you expect us to follow you? He's Skaikru!"
"There is no Skaikru! You know that, Brell."
You and Bellamy exchange a look, growing uneasy by this shift in the conversation. The woman who spoke up a second ago, Brell, reminds everyone, "In the absence of the Commander, the clan delegates should reassemble and choose the next leader."
A man nearby yells, "Blasphemy! Miller's right, there are no more clans. There is only Wonkru and enemies of Wonkru."
Brell and the man stand off, staring at each other, before they start to fight, inciting those around them to join in. Your eyes search the crowd, looking for Madi again, uneasy with her closeness to the angry mob. Just as you spot her and start to head her way, Bellamy grabs your arm and Miller sends two bullets into the air, freezing everyone in place. You glance back at Bellamy and he shakes his head slightly, subtle, reminding you of the danger in this room. You settle next to him again, still anxious and on edge, redirecting your attention to Miller, who yells, "Now, I'm not asking you to follow me, I'm asking you to follow Octavia. Yesterday she ordered us to march on the valley, so we march for Blodreina!"
The response is immediate, and swords and guns are lifted into the air, along with the loud chants of, "Gon Blodreina! Gon Blodreina! Gon Blodreina!"
You and Bellamy share a look as Indra walks over to the two of you, and you both turn your gazes to her, muttering her name, a quiet warning, "Indra..."
She shakes her head at you both. "I can't stop this war, but there's someone who can." She turns her gaze to Madi, who stands watching you, and Indra whispers, "We need a real Commander."
You can see Bellamy considering it, and you turn to him and whisper, "Absolutely not!"
He looks down at you, and you nod towards the door. "Can we talk in private?"
He nods and Indra allows the two of you to leave the atrium, the steady chant of the delegates growing softer and softer as you lead him to the training room that you both fought Octavia in. You make sure there's no one inside before stopping into the room and turning to him. "I know we're a family of Nightbloods, but we are not putting the Flame in Madi. I can do it, Clarke can do it, whoever. But it can't be Madi."
"A Commander will unite the clans. It's the exact reason that Clarke tried to ascend before Praimfaya."
"I know that, Bellamy. Which is why I'll do it."
He opens his mouth to fight you on it, but a small voice near the door beats him to it. "No."
You and Bellamy turn to see Madi, clearly listening in on the conversation, and you shake your head, already knowing where this is going. Madi steps inside, coming to stop beside you and Bellamy, demanding attention. "Clarke said everyone got angry when they realized that your mom made you both Nightbloods. If either of you take the Flame, they'll kill you."
You shrug, "Maybe, but it's a risk I'm willing to take to save her, and you."
"I'll do it."
"Madi, no. Are you listening to me? Clarke would kill me, bring me back from the dead and then kill me again, just to get her point across."
"Are you listening to me?" You look at her in shock, her voice raised and angry, something she rarely does. "If you take the Flame and they kill you, who will take it next?"
"Clarke."
"Wrong. They already know that Clarke isn't a real Nightblood, so they won't give it to her. Which means, at the end of the day, I'll be the one that ends up taking the Flame anyways." You sigh, looking down at her, your brave, dazzling sun, and you know she's right. Madi takes your hand, driving her point home. "This is the only way to save Clarke and your friends."
Bellamy, who has been silent through your entire exchange, whispers, "She's right. If they're willing to go to war for my sister, then they'll kill yours, because that's what Octavia wanted. Miller was there, he heard her mention an execution."
You look between them, shaking your head at this bad idea, but you know they're both right. Your hands are tied, and you've been given one choice. The only choice. "Fine. But we have to tell her first, she deserves to know."
When they both agree, you look down at Madi. "Go find Gaia, tell her the plan. We'll meet you in the house where she took Niylah. She'll know where that is."
She nods and runs off, and you turn to Bellamy. "Let me do the talking, okay? I don't want you to make this worse."
"Okay."
The two of you leave the training room and grab Indra on your way down to the boiler room where they're keeping Clarke. You inform Indra of the plan on your way down, and she seems pleased that you finally agreed. When you reach the room, you take a deep breath before walking inside, steeling yourself for the battle to come. And then you step inside, face your sister, and tell her the truth. As expected, she completely shuts you down, the exact same way you shut Bellamy down at first. "Absolutely not."
Bellamy ignores, or forgets, your earlier message about letting you do the talking, and emphatically tries to convince her of your side. "Clarke, you know what a Commander means to the Grounders. Years ago, you tried to force the Flame on Luna. You were willing to put it in your own head to prevent a war over this bunker. How is this any different?"
You glare at Bellamy, knowing that was exactly the wrong thing for him to say, because despite those being her actions years ago, things have changed, she's changed, and Madi is her kid. Clarke cuts back,"Madi's a child, that's how! I don't care how many of these people still believe in the Flame, they believe in Blodreina more."
You can sense Bellamy about to argue again, and you hold your arm out to him, letting him know he should stop, and you keep your gaze locked on your twin. "Madi will be protected. Bellamy, Gaia, and I-"
She cuts you off before you can explain further, "The answer's no. Now unchain me so we can get the hell out of here before we all get executed for treason."
You look at Bellamy, conflicted, and he shakes his head and glances between you both. "Echo, Raven, Murphy, and Emori are my family. Your mom is in that valley. So is Kane. I'm sorry, this is happening."
And then he reaches out and takes your hand before you can be swayed by Clarke. Clarke turns desperate as soon as she realizes you're leaving, and she calls out to you the entire time, her words breaking your heart. "Don't do this, la lune!"
Bellamy knocks on the door, letting the guard know you're both ready to leave, and Clarke continues to yell at your backs, "You said that you'd protect her! You said you'd keep her safe! La lune, wait!"
And as much as it hurts you to hear her tug against the chains, desperate to reach you, calling out to you, you close the door behind you, pausing to lean against it and take in a shaky breath. You close your eyes, trying to block out your twin's cries, and you hear Bellamy ask, "You okay?"
You take in another deep breath, pushing your emotions out of sight before you open your eyes and look at him. "No, but there's no other choice. This is how we save her, and our friends, and the valley."
You glance to Indra, who stands listening, making sure you're still going through with it. When she sees that you are, she nods. "I'll go check on Octavia. You two do what needs to be done."
You all break off, taking separate paths, slinking through the bunker to avoid all suspicion that you're planning something. You and Bellamy eventually meet up and reconvene in the streets since he doesn't know the final meeting point, and you lead him through the dark streets, unsurprised to find Madi and Gaia already waiting. As soon as you step inside the room, Madi runs over to you, hugging you, and you feel tears well up in your eyes, not sure if you can put her through this. You drop down to her level and whisper, "You don't have to do this, I can still do it for you."
"No, it has to be me."
You think of the pressure, the burden that she's about to shoulder, and you add, "I don't want to put this on you."
"You aren't. I'm choosing to do this." And then she glances between you and Bellamy, who stands behind you. "Are you both sure about this? When I do this, she'll never forgive you."
You glance at Bellamy and then to Madi, thinking of what Clarke said to you the day she discovered that you had been training Madi behind her back. If you go against my wishes for her again, I won't be as forgiving. And you know it's likely Clarke won't forgive you. She might hate you forever for allowing Madi to do this, but at least she'll be alive. "I'm sure."
Bellamy echoes, "Me too."
Madi turns to Gaia. "I'm ready."
Gaia ushers Madi over to a table that she's already prepared for the Ascension, and then she begins the process of making Madi the Commander. You and Bellamy stand back, out of the way, and the only time you get close is to hold Madi's hand as Gaia puts the Flame in her neck. Madi kneels on the ground in front of Gaia, sweeping her hair to the side, out of the way, and she squeezes your other hand in a flash of fear as Gaia steps closer to her. You whisper, "Nou fir raun, strik deimeka."
Don't be afraid, little sun. She looks at you and nods, lowering her head for Gaia. You glance up at the young Flamekeeper and nod, and she lifts the Flame and whispers, "Ascende superius."
You watch the tiny, tech based legs slither from the Flame, seeking out a mind, and Gaia lowers the device towards Madi's neck, who groans as the first few wires pierce her skin. When the Flame starts to dig in, she lets out a scream, which ends up muffled by the sound of the Ascension horn coming from outside. You ignore it, too focused on Madi, whose eyes roll into the back of her head seconds before she passes out. You catch her, turning her over to look at her face, waiting for her to wake up. But instead of it happening instantly like it did with Clarke, Madi's eyes remain closed, and you look up at Gaia in alarm. "Clarke woke up right away. Why isn't she waking up?"
"Patience. The Flame affects every Commander differently." Gaia kneels beside you and starts to strap something around Madi's neck. "This collar will protect the Flame."
As soon as she gets the collar around Madi's neck, you glance at Bellamy. "Help me."
He understands immediately, and helps you to lift Madi and carry her over to the table, laying her out on it. You smooth her hair away from her face and whisper, "Madi, come back to us."
As you're peering down at her, you hear a sound at the door, and before you can even question it, Miller yells out, "Back away from the child right now!"
You, Bellamy, and Gaia all turn towards the door in shock, watching as Miller files into the room, followed by ten other guards. The last person to walk in shocks you though. Clarke steps into the room, looking pissed, searching the room for Madi. Her eyes eventually land on her on the table behind you, and you look at Clarke in surprise, unsure how she got out, just as she walks over to you. She stops right in front of you, glaring, before she catches you off guard and slaps you across the face. You grunt at the contact, cheek instantly stinging, before your hand lifts to cover your injured skin, your mouth dropped open in shock. You turn to look at your twin, and she mutters, so quiet only you can hear, "I told you I wouldn't be as forgiving if you crossed me again and I meant it. You're dead to me."
You hear the roar of blood in your ears as your brain processes the words, and you swear your world starts to tumble as she walks away from you, announcing to the others, "I need to get it out."
You can barely hear Gaia over the chaos in your head, your brain still trying to understand what Clarke said to you. You're dead to me. You're dead to me. You're dead to me. You're dead to me. You aren't surprised to see Octavia walk into the room, despite the fact she was on the brink of death the last time you saw her. It seems to you the Universe is hellbent on playing a cruel joke on you, and there's nothing you can do to stop it. Octavia sends Clarke and Madi out of the room, to the rover to escape, and you can only watch them leave in shock, wondering if this is the last glimpse you'll ever get of them.
You hear Octavia yell out, "Arrest the traitors!"
Seconds later Miller clicks handcuffs over your wrists, taking your knife and holster from your thigh, and you don't fight him. For the first time in your life, you go quietly, resigned to your fate as they drag you from the room and to a cell, awaiting certain death.
-