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Clarke Griffin and Raven Reyes had always been inseparable. Raven was born one month before Clarke and was delivered by Abby. Her mother was a known alcoholic, addict and overall wasn’t trusted or respected by many on the Ark. Ravens mum had abused her body to such an extent that it couldn’t take the strain of childbirth. Abby couldn’t bare to see an innocent child get thrown away into the system and not have a family, so she and Jake petitioned to Jaha to allow them to raise Raven alongside their soon to be born daughter. Jaha was hesitant, but because the Griffins were such high value citizens he allowed it, knowing that extra supplies and such would not be wasted as her mother was dead and father unknown. So, the Griffins gained an extra daughter before their first was even born. The Ark was initially upset about the preferential treatment granted to the Griffins, but did accept it when they learned of who the mother was, knowing that the child was better off.

Clarke was born one month later and was the complete opposite of her sister.

Raven was a loud baby and showed lots of emotion and personality from her first days. She could get even the most stoic guard the crack a smile when she wanted. Clarke on the other hand was quiet and calm, happy to snuggle in with anyone who wanted a hug. Separately, the sisters were good babies, happy as could be.

Together was a different story.

Raven could get Clarke to open up and Clarke could level out Ravens emotions, even as newborns. Many of the Ark had seen Jake running down the corridors carrying a screaming Raven, searching for his wife and youngest daughter. It was like magic. As soon as Jake held both daughters, Clarke would snuggle in to her father and sister and Raven would quieten down and be happy. There was no sign of the previous tantrum and Jake was torn between laughing and crying. Abby thought it was a coincidence, but a coincidence doesn’t repeat multiple times a month.

Abby and Jake were worried about Clarke. They thought she was to quiet and calm for a child. She barely even cried when she was born. Around Raven she did open up but otherwise was very withdrawn. Happy and healthy, but they weren’t sure what was different about their youngest.

Raven started crawling and then walking right on time, her babbles turning into words earlier than most. She was a loud and rambunctious child so when her words started to come out coherently, everyone knew it. Clarke on the other hand was crawling, walking and running right on time but didn’t speak. She was still the quiet little girl her parents loved but didn’t make a peep. Raven could get her to babble a bit in response to her toddler antics, but Clarke wouldn’t say boo. At 11 months old Raven was chatting away but Clarke hit 18 months and hadn’t said a word. Her big sister protected Clarke, from the kids in the daycare like Finn and John who made fun of her for not talking. Abby did a lot of tests but couldn’t find out why Clarke wouldn’t talk.

Jake solved the mystery of quiet Clarke one day at dinner. She was a 3 months shy of her second birthday. Abby was trying to get Raven to eat her peas while Raven was trying to throw them out the door.

Jake, in all his wisdom said to Raven, “Raven you know Clarke eats her peas, don’t you Clarke?”.

He fell out of his chair when she replied, “Yes daddy I do.”

Abby froze and then burst into tears that her baby was talking.

Raven took her opportunity to throw the rest of her peas out the door.

After that Clarke spoke when she wanted to, because she could. She was just quiet by nature but Raven opened her up.
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When they were five years old they started school together and they were inseparable. Even when paired with other kids, they sat as close to each other as possible. They weren’t just sisters, they were best friends. Raven the protective big sister, Clarke the one who stopped Raven from getting into trouble.

Very quickly, the teachers at the school noticed that the sisters were special. Raven could get any toy or machine that was mechanical, break and fix it so it would work better than before. She was getting into trouble for it but kept going back to finish what she started. Clarke on the other hand was very artistic and could draw like a professional from the old days.

However, that wasn’t their only trick. Clarke despite being the quiet sister who let Raven talk was great at languages. They were learning Spanish in class and by the end of the years lessons Clarke was almost fluent. Same as when they learnt German, Italian, French and Japanese. She could just pick up the languages easily. Raven on the other hand was a mathematical genius. She could easily do the work of high schoolers by the time she was 7.

The artistic side of Clarke and information driven side of Raven should not have been compatible. But they were. Best friends and protectors they did everything together. Raven the wild child and Clarke the quiet assassin, who got into just as much trouble as her big sister but was only caught half the time.

They didn’t know it yet but this unbreakable bond between them would serve them well on the ground.
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As a newly turned nine-year-old, Raven wanted to explore the drop room. She knew where it was and after weeks of trying, she now knew how to get in. As always, Clarke was there as her partner in crime. She kept them out of trouble. Raven was desperate to search a drop pod. She had heard stories about them from Jake, about how they were in bad shape but could still get someone to the ground. She had to see if she could make them better but Jake said it wasn’t safe and they were going to drop the whole block soon to save oxygen and resources.

So as all nine-year-old’s do, they told their parents they were going to the art rooms to get more pencils for Clarkes birthday, which was tomorrow, and when out of sight, went to the drop room next door to look around the restricted area. Raven was in heaven!! All this stuff to fix and they were going to throw it away. She and Clarke knew they didn’t have a lot of time so got into one of the smaller drop ships together. They looked around and Raven saw that everything was working. Old, but working. So, they played together for a while, pretending the ship would go to earth.

Unfortunately for the girls, Jaha had moved up his plans to drop the block and didn’t tell the Ark. There were 40 people in that block. Men, women and children that were sacrificed for the greater good.

Of those 40 people, only two little girls survived the drop. And the only reason was because they lied to their parents about being in the art room. As the ship fell, they were strapped together in a drop pod, clinging to each other in fear. Raven managed to the pod they were in the disengage from the rest of the block, and were thrown into a different course that the rest of the ship.
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The girls were in pain. They were alone with only themselves for company in the frozen wasteland that was earth. They left the ship in search of warmth and food, still holding each other close, terrified to lose the last thing they each had in this world.

They had walked for hours only to find more ice and snow. Raven kept talking, keeping her little sister moving forward. Clarke was in shock and wouldn’t say a word, terrified for her sister and herself now they were alone. Clarke gave up and just dropped to the floor and Raven followed. If Clarke wouldn’t move, neither would Raven. They would not be split up. Not now.

The girls drifted off, unaware of the people watching them on horses, their white faces blending in with the snow. The girls slept through getting tied up, put on a horse and taken away at a lightning pace. Their captors taking them to the Azgeda capital, happy with their new prisoners. They showed fight for children so young, and wouldn’t be separated. Unfortunately for the girls, their captor knew the worst of the Azgeda and knew who would pay the most for two pretty, young girls. They were to be sold to the fighting pits, to fight together for their freedom.

But first they had to be broken, and that was a job for his queen.

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Clarke woke up first and could feel Raven at her back, their hands clasped together. She couldn’t figure out where they were though. The room was cold stone, with very little light coming in through the gaps in the door. She went to stand and investigate when she realised that her and Raven weren’t just holding hands, but that they were tied together. Her feet were clasped in iron chains, shackling her to the floor. She could hear people outside speaking a language she didn’t know, which was rare for her. Some bits sounded like English while others were complete gibberish at the same time. She stayed as quiet and still as possible, trying to listen to anything she could use to interpret the harsh language of the survivors on the ground. Slowly but surely over the next few hours Clarke began to decipher the language of the ground. And she didn’t like what she heard. If she was right, and when it came to languages she normally was, torture and pain were the next things in store for herself and Raven.

She had always envied Raven for being able to sleep through anything. Even now, tied up and scared she slept.

Clarke began to doze again but was startled awake when a warrior banged open the door. Raven shouted out after seeing that they were a) not alone, b) tied up and c) no longer in the icy wasteland.

The warrior was the scariest thing Raven had ever seen. Scars littered his body and face in a way that seemed deliberate. White paint was smeared on his face which made him look less human that before. He grabbed them both by the scruff of the neck and dragged them along the floor, yelling things at them that Raven could not understand.

They were dragged for a long while, going upstairs and outside. They were thrown around like rag dolls and Raven was yelling at them to stop and to try and tell them what was going on, but the warrior would have none of it. Clarke was still silent, not having said a word since plummeting to the earth. She took the abuse as it came, trusting Raven to speak for them both as she always has while she thought of a way out of it. They had a system. It was built from years of knowing each other better than themselves.

Unfortunately, Clarke didn’t see a way out. She couldn’t tell Raven yet as the guard was right there, and she only spoke to those she trusted.

Their journey continued for what felt like hours, the dungeon they were in outside of the main Azgeda city. The girls were battered and bruised, Raven’s voice hoarse from protesting, Clarkes still silent.

The captor reached what looked like the main street. He threw the girls to the floor, still bound by their hands behind their backs. Raven didn’t know exactly what he was saying to the people around them, but by the way Clarke gripped her hands, she knew her little sister did. And it wasn’t good. She could tell Clarke was terrified and had gotten the grasp of their language just by her reactions to what was said. To Raven it was all gibberish, to Clarke is was threats and terror.

Clarke was unsurprised when a warrior brought their captor a horse and tied their bound hands to the back of it. When he jumped in the saddle and slowly took off so they could walk behind him she was surprised. She had assumed they would be dragged along to further the humiliation. But she and Raven were allowed to keep their feet.

Raven kept whispering in Clarkes ear, keeping her calm and steady. Raven knew if she freaked out, there was no hope for the two of them. She was the talker, the spokesperson of the sisters. She was also the elder sister and she always protected Clarke, no matter what.

Raven didn’t notice the first stone hit her, or the second. The third however, that hit Clarke and she noticed that. Clarke now had blood pouring down her face from a jagged gash across her forehead. It didn’t look out of place with the cuts, bruises and lacerations covering their bodies.

At least now Raven knew why they were walking.

It’s easier to hit a slow-moving target.

Raven tried to shield Clarke as much as possible, as she was barely able to walk with the blood loss stemming from her forehead. Raven and Clarke were peppered with stones, thrown by warriors three times their size. Clarkes head wound was bleeding freely and it was joined by many more covering her little body, blood covering her extremities. Ravens attempt at shielding Clarke failed and all she wanted to do was hold her up until they reached their destination.

Ravens body didn’t look any better than Clarkes, with blood pouring from wounds inflicted by people she didn’t know. All she knew is she had to protect Clarke as best as she could until they reached the big building at the end of the street. It wasn’t far and Raven just knew that had to be their destination.

After a few more minutes of carrying Clarke and being hit by stones, Raven was proved correct when their captor jumped of his horse and dragged them into the building.

Raven was carrying the barely conscious Clarke at this stage, trying to stop the bleeding form her head. There mum was a doctor and she knew it was a bad cut.

They were dumped on the floor in front of what Raven could only describe as a throne, and seated on said throne was the fiercest woman she had ever laid eyes on. Scars adorned her face in a way that was both terrifying but didn’t detract from her beauty. Her armour was ornate yet Raven was sure it was functional as well as decorative. She was pretty sure if you didn’t know how to fight you would die. Her experience with these people just put credence to that fact.

Raven was sure that having a stare down with the scary lady wasn’t her best idea, but right now she was trying to keep her cool and not run her mouth off without Clarke fully able to calm her.

It was a waiting game, a game that Raven sucked at. She jumped head first into things and Clarke cleaned them up and helped fix her mistakes.

Clarke was slowly coming around from her blood loss and the first thing she noticed was the scary lady on the throne. The second was Raven in front of her, bloody and bruised but still standing. And lastly was the room. The floor and walls were stone but covered in animal furs that kept the cold away.

Clarke squeezed Ravens hand tightly, letting her know she was okay. Raven broke her stare down to check on her sister.

“Clarke, are you okay?” Raven asked.

She shook her head.

“No talking today?”

Clarke nodded, not wanting to talk at all. The last time she spoke to someone other than Raven was to their parents, and they would never see them again. Clarke wasn’t going to talk for a while if she could help. If she wanted to talk she would talk to Raven, that’s it.

Raven continued whispering “okay, so do you know what they are saying yet? Or do you still need time to figure it out?”.

Clarke signalled that she knew most of what was saying and squeezed Ravens hand extra hard, trying to convey her want and need for them not to be separated.

“Clarke, whatever happens, we will stay together. I promise.” Raven declared forcefully allowing the woman on the throne to hear them.

“I do believe that is my choice, you are in my lands after all” the scarred lady stated, bringing the sisters back into their bleak reality.

“Who are you?” Raven asked, clearly terrified.

“I am Nia, Queen of the Azgeda. And who might you be? Where are you from? And who do you cling to like your life depends on it?”

“My name is Raven, this is my sister Clarke and we are from the sky. We fell in a pod when a section of the big ship fell of the rest of it. We were the only ones who were in a pod and landed in this area. The rest are probably dead.”

“You do not look like sisters. And why does Clarke not speak for herself? She is capable of it, is she not?”

“I’m adopted you bitch! I am one month older. Clarke doesn’t want to talk to you so she doesn’t, it is that simple. She turns nine today. We are old enough to choose who we speak to”

Nia stood from her throne and advanced upon the trembling girls. She grabbed Raven around the throat and lifted her into the air. Just when she was about to question her about her insulting language, a small body latched itself onto the queen, trying to get the choking girl away from Nia. Nia just laughed and gripped the second girl around the throat with her spare hand and threw them both across the room.

Clarke and Raven were tangled together against the wall. Wounds had been reopened and blood is pooling beneath them. They grip hands and stand, refusing to show this queen any more weakness.

Nia watches as they stand resolute. She doesn’t react but must admit she is impressed by guts. Any child speaking to her like that would be beaten by her guards for their insolence. These two however intrigue her. They have no family or friends to look for them.

They are ghosts.

They are feisty ghost who could be great fighters.

The only question is whether to break them before training them or not? If she breaks them they will be pliant, if she doesn’t they stay feisty. These two are too dangerous to not be broken. She smirks at the girls and watches them tremble in fear.

Clarke and Raven see the smirk that grows on the queens’ face. They grip each other’s hands as Raven trembles before the queen and Clarkes face goes as white as the guards that line the walls.

Nia turns and walks back towards her throne. When she is seated comfortably she calls the girls forward. Already knowing they are in trouble, the girls shuffle closer to the queen.

“Now, as you are both foreign invaders on my land, there are not many options available to you. In fact, there are only two. As I am a kind queen, I will allow you to choose your fate. Option one, you are taken together as pair to my personal dungeons here, where I will turn you both into some of the fiercest warriors the Azgeda will have seen. If you survive, you will then be sent to the fighting pits. To leave to fighting pits you must win your way out. It will take years. By then, if you are still alive and in fighting shape, you may join my guard, or you may run. If you run you will never be allowed back on Azgeda land. If you do, you will be brought back to the dungeons and fighting pits and it starts all over again. Understand?” Nia explained to the girls who had grown more and more pale as she spoke.

“And the second option?” Raven asked meekly, unsure how it was going to be worse than that.

“Option two is very similar, except one of you is taken by me into the dungeons, and the other by my son. The same rules apply except instead of fighting as a pair you will fight against each other. Only one of you will have the opportunity to escape the pits.” Nia explained.

The girls were very still. Clarke knew she didn’t want to be separated from Raven at any case, and going through hell would be easier with Raven by her side.

Raven turned to Clarke and asked “together?”.

Clarke nodded and looked straight at Nia and stated, “we accept option one queen Nia”.

Raven was relieved Clarke felt it necessary to talk. It meant she was sure and thought they could survive. It meant she wasn’t alone.

Nia was partly shocked when Clarke answered. Nia would come to realise Clarke did not waste her words. When she spoke, she spoke with purpose and need. These two would be ones to look out for if they escaped the pits.

The queen smiled at the girls properly for the first time since meeting them. “Well then, perhaps my guard will take you down to the dungeon after my healer fixes you up. It will be your home until you escape the pits or die. I hope you find it all comfortable enough. Your life as you knew it was over the second your ship dropped from the sky. You are still sisters. But you are Azgeda now. You took all that your captor threw at you and didn’t break. That shows true strength. However, that was nothing compared to what is coming up. Take pleasure in the simple things in life and in each other, because I will take pleasure in breaking you and moulding you into my personal champions in the pits. You say you are nine years old, if you escape by the time you are nineteen I will be impressed. If you are ready to fight by the time you are thirteen I will be impressed. Until you are ready to fight your training will be torture to you. You will be whipped bloody, burnt, scarred, branded. Until you can take that without screaming, fight training will not begin. Get used to the pain, it is all you will know from now on.”

While the queen was telling the girls what their future entails, the healer came in the throne room. The healer set out her supplies and waited for Nia to instruct her on who and what to heal.

“Now as my healer is here you will be getting you first taste of life in Azgeda. This is Esta, and she will seal your cuts. Esta, use fire”. Nia stated.

Raven had no idea what the last words were that came out of Nia’s mouth but by the way Clarke froze, she knew it wasn’t good. A guard came past and cut the rope binding their hands together. The girls were forced apart and held to floor while the Esta used a hot iron to seal their wounds. The sizzle of burning flesh, the sounds of screaming children and the cackle of the Azgeda queen echoed around the throne room.

Clarke was in tears as her forehead was burnt and cauterised, as well as the rest of the marks on her body that would have healed on their own. Nia did this to prove who was in charge and the Clarke got the message loud and clear. She passed out from the pain as Esta was halfway down her body sealing cuts, the screams of her sister drifting away.

Raven screamed as her sister was burned and she fought her guard tooth and nail to get free and protect her little sister. When Clarke passed out, she didn’t know whether to be relieved or scared that she wasn’t moving. After Esta had burnt Clarkes wounds together she started on Raven. She had just as many cuts as Clarke and many were more severe but she refused to pass out from the pain. She just screamed until all her wounds were sealed and the guard released her. She was vaguely aware of Nia telling the guards to take them to the dungeon, but barely even protested when they picked both her and Clarke up and carried them away.

Esta led the way to the dungeon cell that would be their home for the foreseeable future. Raven noticed little things in her pain addled state of mind. There was only one bed, but it was big enough for two adults let alone children. There were no furs on the floor, only a few on the bed but probably not good ones. Raven and Clarke were both tossed onto the floor by the guards and left alone, the door closing and locking behind the retreating guards. It was cold and quiet, and Raven realised then as she joined Clarke in unconsciousness that they really were all alone. They only had each other left.

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The next two years were a vicious cycle for the sisters. They were woken up that first morning by a bucket of water being dumped on their heads. Startled, the sisters jumped back as the guard walked into the room, placed the bucket in the corner and walked out, locking the door behind him.

Raven and Clarke huddled together against the war, still in shock about their situation.

“Hey Raven,” Clarke said, pulling Raven out of her stupor at the rude awakening.

“Yea?”

“I think that is meant to be the toilet” Clarke finished lamely, saying only her third sentence since falling to earth.

Raven was in shock and burst out laughing. She couldn’t keep it in anymore. It was ridiculous! They were now nine-year-old child prisoners going to become pit fighters. It was like something out of the movies that they watched on the Ark. And their toilet is a bucket! It was unbelievable and Raven couldn’t take it. So, after the laughter came the tears, then the sobs. Clarke was there for every single second of it, holding her sister tight, grounding her in this new reality.

“I want to go home Clarke. I miss mum and dad and we will never see them again! We don’t even know why that part of the Ark fell and who died. What do we do?” Raven sobbed into Clarkes shoulder, taking the comfort as it was always offered. Freely. They may not be able to do much, but they have each other.

Clarke took her time answering Raven, weighing up all her options like someone three times her age would. She knew what she should say. That everything will be okay, they will make it out. But she isn’t sure she believes it. And she never lies to Raven. So, she tells her the truth as she sees it.

“We survive Rae, and we fight. We stick together no matter what. We patch each other up and we try our best to get out of here alive, if not mentally then physically. We can get our minds back later, but if our hearts give out there is no mum to shock us back to life. And no matter what, we never leave the other one behind. We pick each other up like we have all our lives. Your last name might be Reyes, but you were raised a Griffin. We don’t look like sisters, but we are. You may be one month older but we were raised like twins. And the Griffin twins don’t give up. Ever. I might stop talking for a while but I promise I will never shut you out. If we want to survive through this to become a runner and control our lives, we must forget mum and dad. We must forget the Ark. If we are dreaming of something we will never get back, we will never beat Nia and her games. The Ark is gone but we are here. And we will beat the pits and leave. Okay?”

Clarke only ever speaks that much when around Raven and their parents. She knows her words have value and doesn’t waste them. Raven takes note and lifts her head, wipes away her tears and calms herself.

“The Ark is gone; mum and dad are gone. We will beat the pits. We will beat Nia. We will survive. We stick together. The Griffin twins don’t give up. We do what we must escape. The Ark is gone but we are here. We will win.” Raven states this mantra repeatedly until it sinks in.

“We will win, Clarke”. Raven states. “We have to”.

That mantra was repeated everyday by the sisters. Whether it be out loud or in their heads while fighting the pain threatening to bubble over, that mantra kept them sane until they were alone and could calm each. When Clarke couldn’t speak, she would rock herself in Ravens arms while Raven spoke for both sisters like always. When Raven got overwhelmed and screamed until her voice was hoarse, Clarke held her softly and as she always has, repeated the mantra quietly and calmly into her ear until she calmed enough to sleep or move on. Calling themselves the Griffin twins made it easier for them to disassociate themselves from the Ark. They were never called twins, but somehow it felt right in this new world. They started fresh in world or hurt.

The first day of their training kicked off when two guards came into the room and gave them clothes to wear. The twins had seen something similar to this on the natives to Azgeda, but the gear they were given was poor quality and wouldn’t last long, nor keep the cold out. Once they were changed the guards returned and carried the girls out screaming into the courtyard. They were tied to posts by their wrists in the middle of the freezing yard and were to be silent as they waited for Nia.

When the queen decided to grace the girls with her presence they had been hanging in the abandon courtyard for hours. They had watched the sun go up over their heads, so they knew it was a long time. When they finally saw the queen, they realised maybe they should have hoped for a longer reprieve. The whip she carried was bloody, as was the twins’ bodies after she had finished with them. They hung on the poles with their clothing in shreds, blood dripping onto the floor of the courtyard, screams still echoing around them.

Everyday some new torture awaited them. Whether it be burning, branding, whipping or waterboarding, the girls could never pick what horror awaited them. But they stuck together, patched each other up and waited for the day they took the torture without screaming. Nia always had something new and inventive to torture them with. Whether it be holding feet over hot coals or starving them. Stopping them from sleeping was also a popular choice with it being easy to implement.

The worst one by far was when Nia separated the girls from one another, torturing them alone and hearing their sisters screams. They pleaded for help, for her to stop but she never did.

The Griffin twins weren’t sure how long had passed but knew life would never be the same. Their bodies would never be childlike again. Scars, burns and brands litter the backs, torso and arms of the girls. Their faces were left blemish free, bar Clarkes scar on her forehead, as were their legs. They were glad they could still recognise their own faces when their bodies weren’t their own to change.

The torture ended one month after what they believed was Clarkes 11th birthday. They came up with the thought that branding was the shortest torture that Nia had thrown at them, the one the usually last the longest on. The next time they were taken to the yard and strung up, they started their mantra. They knew together they were stronger than Nia and her games. The whole time she branded them with the mark of Azgeda they repeated the mantra while keeping eye contact.

When Nia took the brands away and let them free of their restraints, she gave them a look of what seemed like respect. They had lasted over two years of torture and had not broken yet. They both know understood Trigedasleng so nothing got past them. They spoke to each other in Spanish instead of English as the Azgeda didn’t know that language.

The twins were free of the torture that had plagued them since their arrival, but they knew it would get harder. Now they had to train to fight warriors older and stronger than them in pits for Azgeda entertainment. But now at least, they felt like they could fight back and get stronger, together.

When Nia deposited them in their cell that night, they found fresh, warm clothes, new furs for the bed and a trunk. They found the trunk full of extra clothes and furs, but also weapons they would be learning to use in the pits.

It was bittersweet. They had passed one obstacle only to find more in their path. They knew it would be hard but at only eleven years of age they were aware of the harshness of life more than anyone. It had been over two years since they fell from the sky, and almost that long in which they thought of their parents. Having escaped the torture of Nia, they allowed themselves one night to remember home and their family. The sisters laughed and cried and when Clarke realised she couldn’t remember what her dad sounded like and Raven had forgotten what her mum looked like, they blocked off the memories of home, unable to think about what they were starting to forget. To survive they needed to, but it didn’t make it easier.

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THE ARK

Jake and Abby always celebrated the girls’ birthdays alone. They couldn’t face their friends and colleagues knowing their families were safe and whole. The day before Clarkes birthday, the day they fell, the Griffins spend the day looking over the area where the girls fell on the map, hoping that they made to the ground and were safe. Jaha thought they were crazy, but after Jake threatened to tell the Ark it wasn’t an accident that the block fell, and 40 people weren’t killed accidently but murdered, Jaha let them look for their daughters. They found that most of the Ark fell over the ocean, but one small pod broke off and landed on the ground. From maps from before their ancestors sent the Ark into space, they saw that it was an icy area of the world. So, Jake and Abby prayed their girls survived and made it to the ground. They prayed the ground was survivable for their daughters and they were together. Jake and Abby had begun searching the archives for a way to get to the ground, but little did they know it would take them another 7 years to find a way, by sending some prisoners down in a drop ship because they were running out of air. It would be 7 years of tears and pain, but they would get down to the ground. Their girls would be 18 when they drop and had spent half their life without them.

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AGE 13 and a Half

The twins’ trained for the pits like their lives depended on it. Which they did, but in different ways. They utilised their skills to fit their fighting styles. Clarke became a silent assassin, hiding her skills behind her sisters. Their opponents and trainers didn’t know what hit them when all of sudden they were taken down when Raven hadn’t touched them.

Raven on the other hand was an all-out, face to face, knock them down fighter. If she could stop them from getting anywhere near her sister she would. The older twin was more physically powerful and attracted immediate attention from enemies, while the younger one was often dismissed as easy to dispose of later. As soon as that happened, their enemies found themselves dead on the floor with a knife in the back.

Training for battle in the pits was something the twins were prepared to do. They could push themselves and each other along at a pace they were comfortable at. The pain they endured through Nia’s torture prepared them well for training. But they still struggled.

They took it all in silence. Well, Clarke did. Raven loved to annoy the warriors training them to see if they would snap. When she would start to go too far Clarke would silently calm her down by touch alone. Raven would then train for the rest of the day repeating her mantra to try to stay focused on training. At least until they could get back to their cell and crawl under the furs, then she would sob into Clarkes shoulder while she whispered their mantra into her ear.

The mantra was their link to sanity, their lifeline. If they lost that, they would lose themselves and Nia would win.

Raven, the more outgoing and imposing twin was the spokesperson of the twins. Clarke was the one you watched for. She took everything in silence and timed her strikes to perfection. The twins took to training like a duck to water. They were ready to fight by the time they were 13 and a half.

The twins won their first fight, but it was a lot different to what they expected. The cheering and booing of the crowd was not something they were used to. Their second fight was a different story. Raven went after the biggest threat, charging and yelling to keep him occupied. She was quicker than him and he was dead with a knife in his chest in under thirty seconds. The other one Clarke took care of. She lured him in by playing the weak, pathetic little girl. She backed herself into a corner, and when he looked ready to strike she ducked down, dove through his legs, came up behind him and slit his throat.

They won their first fight in under minute. And the silence from the crowd was deafening. The girls got together and walked back to their cell. Half way there they heard the arena erupt in cheers for them. People were happy they killed the other fighters.

Back in their cell, Clarke broke down in tears. She couldn’t believe what she had just done, what they would have to do for the next few years if they want to escape. What she was most upset by was how natural it was for her to do, take someone’s life away.

Raven held her little sister as she wept, thinking along the same lines as Clarke. It was easy, natural and couldn’t believe she didn’t hesitate to kill someone. But she also realised that they could do it. They could win. Of course, the fights would get harder as they got further along the pits and people figured out it wasn’t a fluke, they could fight. But first they had to get through the night, and worry what horror would befall them for their next fight in a week.

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POLIS (LEXA IS 16)

Lexa had finished training for the day, and just wanted to sleep. Her duties as commander however, did not make that dream possible. She had to argue and fight in with her words, not her fists. Something she was not used to. She had just won her conclave, Luna having left in the middle of the night, refusing to fight. When she won she tasked Costia, the best tracker she knew and Luna’s girlfriend, to bring her back to Polis, with a message saying she would not be punished.

And she wouldn’t. She needed her friend back. Costia was miserable and asking to go find her anyway.

Today though Anya was coming to Polis to see her after her win. Her first was proud of her. Even though Anya was only three years older than Lexa, her skills were legendary even as a child. She took Lexa as her second as soon as she could and trained her into the warrior she was. But she needed her trainer to keep her going forward and winning all the fights that came next.

Lexa walked into her room and found Anya lounging on her bed like she owned the place. Lexa was close to calling her out on it when she saw her face. She was confused and angry. Not a good combination with Anya.

“Anya, what is wrong? And why are looking like that, you look like someone has taken your favourite knife and you don’t know why.” Lexa joked, trying to ease the tension surrounding Anya.

“A messenger came with news from our Azgeda spies. I came from Ton DC as soon as I could.”

“What has Nia done know? Taken more territory? Or killed more of our people?” Lexa was angry now, ready to declare war on the Ice Nation.

“You know of her fighting pits?”

“Of course, fights to death in front of whoever wants to watch. Once every seven days they fight. Azgeda warriors can fight prisoners for practise or for money anything goes.”

“Apparently, Nia has new fighters. Trained by her own hand and her best warriors. They are to fight their way out of the pits and if they are able, they can become runners or join her guard.” Anya explained.

Lexa was surprised Anya came all the way from Ton DC to tell her that. “I had assumed that the winners could go free or join her. Why is this news? Why is it so important that you rushed from home to tell me?”

The look on Anya’s face told Lexa the severity of her news before she explains fully. But even Lexa was shocked for what would come next.

“The new fighters are sisters. Twins. Apparently, Nia captured them when they were barely nine years old. She broke them Lex.”

“So, the fighting twins have been prisoners for years? Maybe ten? I want to stop the Ice Nations cruelty as much as anyone Anya but I don’t have all the clans to back me up yet.”

Apparently, Lexa had missed something because Anya’s look of pain regarding these twins had not disappeared after delivering the news.

Lexa was getting upset with Anya now, knowing there was something else she didn’t know.

“What more could there be Anya? How much worse could it be for the girls?”

“They are only thirteen, Lexa.”

Lexa was silent. Nia had children fighting in her pits. She trained them to fight adults and ruthless savages as children.

Anya watched from her perch on Lexa’s bed as she paced in silence, her actions get more agitated as time went on. She knew Lexa wanted to unite the clans and stop all the fighting, but she had to know what Nia was doing to children, if only for more motivation.

Just as Lexa was going to respond, the door to her room opened. Costia and Luna walked in hand in hand. Luna didn’t look up until she felt Lexa’s arms around her. Lexa had forgiven her, she was afraid it had been a lie to get her to return.

They separated and Luna saw the look of fire in both Lexa and Anya’s eye. Slightly terrified of them, she asked what was wrong. So, Anya relayed the story of the sisters. The child warriors forced to fight. Costia and Lexa were just as outraged as Lexa and Anya. They vowed together to unite the clans, defeat Nia and stop the pit fights. They would get the girls out of a pit designed for them to die in, and get them to live a life.

But first, they had to unite the clans. They had a plan and would stick to it. They would stay together and win, knowing that those girls had it worse than they did.

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3 years later Ice Nation (TWINS AGE 16)

The Griffin twins hadn’t lost a match, even when the odds were against them. They knew Nia was distracted from the fights because the Commander of the Clans had declared war on Azgeda if they didn’t join the coalition. They were the only clan left not to join and Nia was unwilling to bend the knee. So, when Prince Roan was captured trying to assassinate the Commander and closest friends, Nia had lost. She had no leverage left and surrendered.

The twins heard about the commanders visit even way down in the dungeons. The guards were excited that they may get to fight the commander’s elite on their own turf. Nia had instructed the twins that their fights would continue as usual and were close to being freed. Apparently, their last fight would coincide with the arrival of the commander. They were to be a showcase of what Azgeda brings in a fight, to warn off the armies of the commander.

Clarke thought that Nia believed they would stay with her after the fights. Raven had told Nia many times that they would be runners as soon as possible and would never return. They had enough souvenirs from their time as prisoners. Their scars didn’t hurt anymore. They didn’t have the scars on their faces like the true Azgeda did, and they didn’t plan on ever receiving them. Clarke and Raven were proud of their scars, it showed they survived. They didn’t show them in public though, as that would show their potential opponents what they had been through.

Their game plan had not changed much from their first fights. Raven still charged, her bigger body able to knock over her opponents but still nimble enough to dodge the knives and spears thrown her way. Clarke dodged and drew her enemy, conserving energy until she could kill them with one strike.

On more than one occasion, either Clarke or Raven were knocked out early and the other had to protect their sister and beat both opponents. On those days, the conscious sister was unstoppable. Rather than just having to win while trusting their sibling to fight as they knew she could, they had to protect each other as well. A new version of the sisters was unleashed when one was hurt and it was more deadly than any warrior seen in the pits.

They still comforted each other after the fights, taking the strength that they needed to get through the night. Clarke hadn’t spoken to anyone who wasn’t Raven in three years, since their first fight. Raven killed anyone who mocked them for it, protecting her like she always had. Even when they were kids on the Ark, she protected her sister. Now she killed for her. And she didn’t feel bad about it either. Raven spoke for both, and when they finally got out of Azgeda, they would put themselves back together as much as they could.

Nia told them they had 6 more fights till they could choose their future. That meant 6 weeks until Heda arrived and they fought for freedom in front of the best warrior on the ground. They had 6 weeks left in the hell they had grown up in, and then they would leave, together as they always had

Chapter Text

The twins heard rather than saw the arrival of Heda and her people. The jeers from the warriors of Azgeda followed them wherever they went. Ice Nation didn’t bend the knee, and she had made them. They would never be welcomed here.

Clarke and Raven stayed in their cell until it was time to fight. They spoke quietly and their mantra was on repeat as it had been since they found out when their final fight would be. Nia said that she would be surprised if they escaped by the time they were 19. They were 16 and about to leave. They knew it. Because even if they lost, they didn’t have to fight again.

They were escorted into the arena, noticing that it was more full than normal as the Heda’s people had taken up seats as well. Raven and Clarke noticed right away who she was, as her presence and power outshone even Nia’s. They also noticed the three women next to her, one on her right and two on her left. The two on the left were holding hands as if they needed to comfort and strengthen each other. Heda was stoic and the woman on her right looked as though if anyone put a foot wrong she would kill them.

Nia stood and all was silent. She laid out the rules and the stakes for both sides. The twins fighting for freedom, their opponents fighting for redemption and to retake their places in the Azgeda army. As for rules, the first pair to die lost. That’s it.

Clarke and Raven set up as they always do, next to each with knives littering their bodies. Raven also has a sword strapped to her back, ready to use it if needed. Clarke had a metal gauntlet on her left hand, which she had made from broken knives and old clothes, so if she needed to punch her enemy, what she lacks in power will be made up for in bits metal being embedded in her enemy’s body.

As soon as the drum sounded for the fight to begin, the roaring began. Bets were flowing in the crowd on whether the Azgeda warriors would beat the girls or vice versa. Raven blocked it all out as usual and focused on three things. Herself, her enemy and her sister.

Raven noticed Clarke drawing away one of the opponents so Raven would have room to fight one on one as she liked. Raven and her opponent traded blows, with little cuts starting to litter their bodies. She was waiting for the right moment to pull her sword and go for the kill, but her fighter was more skilled than she expected. He was bigger than her though so he tired quicker. She drew her sword and pushed him back towards the stand where the commander sat up high, all the crowd leaning over the railings to see what would happen next.

Raven was waiting for her opponent to lunge so she could get underneath his arm and drive her sword into his chest.

Her opponent didn’t realise that he had walked right into her trap. Not wanting to be stuck with his back to the wall, he lunged at Raven. He was met with thin air and an excruciating pain in his chest. He felt a knife being drawn across his throat and the last thing he felt was falling to his knees, drowning in his own blood.

Raven removed her sword from her dead enemies’ body and looked over to where her sister was ducking and weaving away from her rival, tiring him out. She was favouring her left arm and side, as her right shoulder had a knife sticking through it. Her sisters’ opponent was also injured, using one arm to stop his stomach from bleeding from the knife Clarke stuck him with.

Raven made her way over as quickly as possible to the other side of the pit and jumped on the back of the enemy, putting him in a choke hold. Clarke quickly took advantage of the situation and stabbed the warrior in the chest multiple times while Raven stopped him from breathing. Slowly he succumbed to his wounds falling to the ground with multiple knives in his chest and Raven clinging to his back. Clarke helped Raven on to her feet and before they knew it the arena erupted in cheers for them.

Raven supported Clarke over to Nia and the Commander, ready to leave this place once and for all.

Nia stood and demanded silence. “The Griffin Twins of the Azgeda Pits. You have earnt your freedom. The choice is now yours. Join my guard and stay with the mighty Azgeda or become runners, never to return?”

Raven and Clarke didn’t even need to think, having known their answer when they took the deal 7 and a half years ago.

“We will run and never return.” Clarke stated, speaking in public for the first time in three years. She always was quiet but when she spoke it was the most important thing said.

Nia was furious, wishing that Heda wasn’t here so she didn’t have to honour her deal. She did not want her prize fighters to leave, they made her money. She would rather they die than leave her nation.

“Fine. You will be escorted to your cell to change your clothes and grab what you can carry. You have one day to leave Azgeda or you return to the pits.” Nia stated, her anger becoming more evident.

The sisters turned as one to leave when they heard a voice call for them to wait. They turned back and found Heda standing and waiting to talk.

“Yes Heda?” asked Raven, worried that their lives would be changed again but worse.

“I wish to make you an offer. It has come to my attention you know nothing other than the lands of the Ice Nation?” Lexa asked, hoping they girls would take her offer.

“Yes Heda.” Raven stated, having no clue where this was going.

“I leave for Polis this evening, I wish for you to join me. You will be safe on your trip and can know where you are going. When we get to Polis I can show you a map of the Coalition and get someone to take you wherever you would like to go. Or you can stay in Polis. It is up to you. We can get you healed up and fed properly. Perhaps you will be warm for the first time in your life. I give you my word you will not be harmed. You both can rest and sleep easy without fear of torture. What do you say?” Lexa asked, hoping the girls would come with them.

The twins didn’t know it but Lexa had kept tabs on them over the last three years, wanting to help and being unable to. Herself, Anya, Costia and Luna had been planning how to help them and this was their first real opportunity.

Clarke and Raven had a rushed conversation that Lexa could not understand, the language spoken unknown to the grounders.

Clarke nodded to Raven. Raven turned to Lexa and said, “we accept Heda, thank you. Would one of your warriors come with us to our cell to get our things so we don’t hold you up?”

Raven and Clarke were worried that Nia wouldn’t let them out of the dungeons if they returned alone. Lexa agreed and sent Luna and Costia with them, while Nia looked apocalyptic, shaking with rage by being out played by children.

Raven, Clarke, Costia and Luna walked in silence to their cell. The couple from the capital were outraged at what state they saw the girls lived in. It was a cold, wet, stone room with no fireplace to give warmth. The one bed had furs so worn out that there were holes in them. Their clothes had been stitched up after fights but the blood still stained them as there was nowhere to wash.

The twins grabbed what they wanted, which was basically just a few more weapons and furs before they were ready to go. The walk out of the dungeons was silent as Clarke and Raven processed that this was really happening. They held each other’s hand tightly to ground themselves until they saw it was real. Out on the plains of Azgeda, Costia and Luna asked the twins questions and were worried when Raven answered for them both. Clarke was getting pale and holding her shoulder, which while it had been patched, was still leaking blood.

Raven said that they needed to hurry back to Heda’s camp as she needed to treat Clarke somewhere she was safe.

Costia ran ahead to prepare some healers and supplies for Clarke and Raven, while Luna helped Clarke stay upright and moving forward. They made it to camp and Costia led them to the last tent. The rest of the camp was packing up but made way for the four girls to head into the tent.

Raven got Clarke to lie down where Costia told them, unaware of Lexa and Anya in the background. Luna tried to let a trained healer see to Clarke but Raven refused. She took care of Clarke and vice versa. After all their fights, they did this and it wouldn’t change now.

Raven didn’t hear the gasps of shock when she helped take off Clarkes shirt to treat her wound. After all, Clarke’s body covered in scars and brands was normal for her to see. Even though the other four had heard of atrocities that the girls had endured, seeing the evidence was different. Trikru even gave themselves kill marks on their backs and they thought this was shocking. No part of Clarke back and torso was untouched. It was scar tissue or marked in some way. There were blank spots, but not many. Her body showed her journey, and it was a rough one.

While the Commander and her group were in shock and were attempting to overcome their emotions and calm down, Raven had treated and wrapped up Clarkes wounded shoulder. She got started on the rest of them while she came to terms with the fact that she wouldn’t have to stitch up her own sister after a fight in the pits again.

She turned back to thank her hosts for their help when she noticed Clarke moving.

Clarke felt better now she was lying down and had the same reasoning as Raven, wanting to thank her helpers. Raven helped her sit up and they spoke quietly for a few moments, then faced the strangers.

“We can’t thank you enough for your help. If the offer stands we would like to stay in Polis with you for a while. We have no idea where to go from here and you are the first people to show us any warmth since we were 9.” Raven stated, hoping they had found nice people in their life.

“That is fine, but on one condition. In Polis, you will stay in my tower with me, Anya, Costia and Luna. We can teach you about the world that has more to it that fights to the death. Is that okay?”

“That is very welcome, thankyou Heda.” Raven was relieved. She and Clarke would have a home again.

“Before we leave Heda, may I fix Ravens cuts like she did mine? I assume it is a long journey and as much as she claims to be fine, I know she is hurting.” Clarke asked, knowing that if Heda was kind she would allow it, brutal she would not.

“Of course. And just so you know we will leave as soon as you are ready. The rest of camp should be packed up by now.” Lexa stated.

“We will hurry commander.”

“Thankyou. There is a cart awaiting the six of us. Normally we would ride, but we wish to know more about your lives. And you are injured. We want you both to be comfortable and riding with strange warriors after what you have been through would not be good,” Lexa stated, hoping she hadn’t overstepped.

“Thank you, commander it will not take long to patch me up. Clarke has quick hands.” Raven bragged, proud of her sister.

Anya stepped out before Raven stripped and Clarke cleaned her wounds, both aware this time that their bodies were on display and the reaction they caused.

A softly spoken, “they don’t hurt anymore” from Clarke almost broke the stoic resolve of the commander. She didn’t understand why these girls went through this. The one named Clarke was so quiet and calm that Lexa knew if she didn’t go through all of this, she would be a happy, normal 16-year-old with friends and family loving her. She would have a bright future and past rather than a black past and murky future.

Anya had stepped back in with fresh clothes for the twins and saw Raven’s back. She had seen Clarke’s but was unprepared for this. Each individual scar was only as big as it needed to be. Some burn marks were on her body, but she could see the care Clarke put in to not making the scars bigger than needed. Some healers just stitched you up and didn’t care about the look. Clarke saw her sister hurt and fixed her up to get back her normal self the only way she knew how.

Anya had watched her fight and was impressed with Raven’s attack and dodge tactics, wearing out the enemy. Lexa liked Clarke evasion tactics and striking at crucial points so as not to waste energy. The difference in style showed the difference in the girl’s personalities.

The twins redressed and got into the cart with the others. The sat pressed together in the corner, watching in silence as they rode away from Azgeda for the first and only time.

When Azgeda was no longer in sight, the girls relaxed into each other.

Anya, the impatient one, asked the question they all wanted the answers to. “What is your story?”

Raven looked at Clarke and asked “from the beginning? From the drop ship to now?”

Clarke nodded and Raven turned back to the four women sitting with them. “Are you sure you want to know? It isn’t a nice story?”

Four voices answered in unison, “we are sure.”

So, Raven began their story in the cart, starting from the Ark when they were born, the drop ship, captivity and torture and finally fights and freedom. It took a few days to get to the whole story out, and more than one break where they repeated their mantra which kept them sane. It was this first time they had said it all out loud and it was a little overwhelming to say the least. The four woman got answers to all their questions so that by the time the story was finished, they knew everything. They were outraged at the bad luck but were glad the girls had each other. Clarke and Raven had wonderful parents, and if they ever came to earth, those four women would thank them for giving them happiness for the first part of their life.

The twins also got the whole story about the other women’s lives as well. It was only fair there were no secrets between them all. They knew it all.

They got to Polis after a few weeks riding and all six women were escorted to the tower. They got to the base of the tower and Lexa asked the girls if they were ready for their new life. The answering yes was immediate and duplicate, as not only Raven, but Clarke answered as well. The four women knew Clarke just didn’t talk sometimes and respected that, Lexa especially. It was good to have silence sometimes.

Lexa led them to their joint room, neither sister ready to be apart from the other yet. They were still dependent on each other but now had four close friends there for them as well, something they never had before, even on the Ark.

Chapter Text

Living in Polis turned out to be the best thing to happen to the twins since before falling from the Ark. Originally, the residents of Polis were wary of the strange girls Heda brought back from her trip to the Ice Nation. They had heard the stories of the Griffin Twins fighting in the pits of Azgeda, but couldn’t connect them to these two girls. The people of Polis expected fighters in their late 20’s, big and tall, full of muscles and fearless. They looked almost feral and jumped whenever they were touched unexpectedly. Titus was one of the most vocal objectors to the twins living in Polis, claiming they were untrustworthy Azgeda scum.

However, it took about a month for the people of Polis to see these girls were no risk to their commander. They never saw anything but faith and trust in their leader on the girls faces. She had helped them out of hell, they would never betray her for that.

The people of Polis finally realised that the sisters were the Griffin Twins of legend when they were attacked while walking through the streets of Polis alone, 4 weeks after arriving, talking quietly about their new lives away from Titus’ prying eyes and ears. The girls were grabbed by four soldiers each, and carried kicking and screaming to the training pits. They had to prove their worth if they were to be near the Commander in the Tower. Fortunately for the girls, Lexa and Anya heard the commotion and came running. They joined Luna and Costia in the crowd, unable to stop the fight as Titus had already issued the challenge.

Two of Lexa’s elite guard stepped out of the shadows ready to fight. The four women in the crowd realised Titus had set this up to eliminate the Twins. He saw them as a threat.

The guards were cocky and jeering at the twins while they grabbed their weapons. The girls helped each other prepare as always, used to taking on opponents bigger than them.

Titus announced the fight as the first pair to be incapacitated would lose. No killing, just disarming and maiming.

The twins took their places, feeling both comfortable doing something they knew they were good at, fighting, and wary, because they have never had a fight that had not been to the death since before they started fighting in Azgeda. In training, they would be fighting until their opponent was unable to continue, but that was years ago. They had to trust in themselves and each other that they would stop.

The fight was quick and bloody, but no one died. Clarke stopped Raven from killing her opponent after she had swiftly knocked hers out. She had taken his legs out from underneath him by stabbing him in the back of the knee and then kicked him round the head, knocking him out instantly. It took less than 20 seconds, her assassin like skills being recalled with almost no effort. Raven went for an all-out attack. Her opponent sliced her arm early in the fight and she flashed back to the pits. She needed to finish it quickly and hard, like she always did. She beat her opponent with her swords, creating great gashes of blood down his body. When he was woozy from blood loss and lost his footing, she was about to go for the kill when Clarke put a hand on her shoulder claiming the fight was finished. All Raven saw was her opponent was still breathing so in her head it wasn’t. Clarke swung the butt of her knife into kneeling soldiers’ temple, sending him careening to the floor.

Titus attempted to turn the people of Polis against the sisters, claiming they were too dangerous to be allowed to be near their Heda. The people of Polis saw Titus’ declaration as a power play, wanting to keep Heda all to himself with no other advisors or friends. Lexa saw this as well, demanding an explanation from her flamekeeper.

His stuttered reasoning was weak at best and Lexa had him whipped for his insolence. She would have had him executed for organising a fight for non-soldiers against their will, but she needed him to train another flame keeper before he died.

The twins were huddled together in the middle of the pit, while the people of Polis watched Lexa reprimand her advisor. Anya slowly made her way over to the twins and guided them back to their rooms, careful not to startle them but still able to scare off unwanted guests with just one look and a growl.

It had been weeks since Anya saw them fight and it brought back chills to see them do so again. The people of Polis quickly spread the word of the strength and skills of the twins. After they were not questioned, and even Titus held his tongue after he returned to his reduced duties, no longer holding Lexa’s time or respect.

The twins took some time to bounce back from their fight. As unexpected as it was, they couldn’t say it didn’t feel good to be active again. They began to train with Anya, Lexa, Luna and Costia, not wanting to get out of shape or lose their skills. They never fought as they weren’t sure they would be able to stop, but sparring and training was manageable.

With Raven, the people of Polis could guess what was going to happen next. Clarke was unpredictable. Sometimes she would be up front like her sister, others she would wait for them to come to her. She would pop up at random times and places throughout the tower, taking great pride in spooking the battle-hardened warriors and then walking away in silence. It turned into a game she played with guards, having fun using her skills in a nice way for once.

The Twins were comfortable and safe, were always fed good food, had clean clothes that fit and were warm. But most of all they had people to rely on other than each other. After a few months, they began to trust their friends would not leave them or hurt them. Costia and Luna became the fun older sisters that Clarke and Raven could look up to. They always kept conversation light and could get the sisters to laugh.

Costia and Clarke would often go for walks to the art stalls around Polis looking for supplies. Now Clarke wasn’t fighting for her life, she wanted to draw again. It became her therapy in a way. She didn’t talk about her problems and past like Raven, she drew the atrocities that befell them in silence, coming to terms with what she had done. Raven and Luna on the other hand would run around Polis either looking for fun and finding trouble, or just needing to do something so they could escape their minds for a while. They would almost always end up outside the gates and up a tree, with Raven sometimes repeating her mantra over and over until Clarke brought her down.

Clarke and Lexa grew close, their quiet but protective natures making them kindred spirits. As much as Raven and Anya tried, silence was not something they were good at. Raven had always spoken for two people and Anya led armies, they both knew words were needed. Lexa and Clarke always spoke with conviction and when they did, they motivated people. It was important. Ten words from either of them was worth a thousand from any other.

The quiet pair were often found together when they had free time, drawing or reading or just sitting cuddled together on the couch. Luna, Costia, Raven and Anya had a running bet on how long it would take for them to get together. The love between the two was evident, but so was the fear. Lexa was the only one besides Raven who could get Clarke to come out of her shell when she shut down from nightmares. More than once they had been found huddled in bed with Lexa caught in Clarkes vice grip, unable and unwilling to move. In fact, Lexa had taken to sleeping in bed with the younger twin when Raven had a big day planned with Anya or Luna so she could calm Clarke.

Anya and Raven on the other hand fell for each other quickly and violently. They got together within 2 months of being in Polis, and their relationship advanced faster the more familiar Raven was with her surroundings. When Anya and Raven spent the night together after having been together 3 months, Lexa stayed with Clarke so she wouldn’t be alone through the nights. Raven was always the protective one, even making sure Clarke was with someone she trusted when Raven couldn’t be there. Clarke could take care of herself, but it made Raven feel better if there was someone with her. Clarke knew this and accepted it, and she wasn’t going to complain if she got to stay with Lexa a fair bit.

Anya still had responsibilities with the Trikru but was trying to move into to an advisor roll for Lexa so she could be with Raven full time. As much as it hurt both girls when Anya left for 2 weeks every month, they knew Raven wouldn’t cope going with her. The twins were doing remarkably well for girls who had escaped hell, but were still extremely co-dependent. When Raven stayed with Anya for the night, she always got up early to check on her sister before returning to the bed. Anya knew when she left and where she went. At first, she was worried but Raven explained that when they were with Nia and weren’t together, the torture was worse. She needed to see her sister to check she was okay even if she knew in her heart she was fine, her head was conditioned to check on her. It got easier as they got further into their relationship and now the sisters could wait until lunch before seeing the other. But two weeks separated was too long and they all knew it. A new place would terrify the girls and without Lexa to stay with Clarke, Raven would never be with Anya for too long anyway.

The first time someone other than Clarke could bring Raven out of her head, they had been in Polis for 7 months. She hadn’t had a big flashback since arriving in Polis, unlike Clarke who had had two. She was struggling because it was the time of Clarke and her birthday month, marking 8 years since they fell. Normally Clarke would be here with her but she had shut down in their rooms, not talking or moving. So, she had left Clarke with Costia and Lexa, trusting the pair to draw her sister out of her head like they had done before when Raven was with Anya or Luna.

Luna and Anya were at the tree where Raven was muttering away, unable to escape her past in her head. Luna scaled the tree and sat behind Raven, stopping her from the drop to the ground which could injure her. Anya sat in front of her and grabbed her hands, forcing Raven to open her eyes and look at her, grounding her in the present. She then repeated the twins’ mantra with her, having heard it enough times that she could recite it by heart.

It took almost an hour for Raven to calm down enough to notice it wasn’t Clarke she was holding onto but Anya. She leapt into her arms, forcing Anya to brace herself in between the branches unless she wanted to fall, and wept. Wept like she did the day before their torture started. And Anya, the tough Trikru general held her through it all, keeping her safe. When Raven eventually exhausted herself, Luna and Anya, helped her down the tree and back to Polis, Raven refusing to leave Anya’s side.

Anya guided Raven back to her room she shared with Clarke only to find Clarke and Lexa sound asleep, wrapped up together like Anya and Raven were in the tree. Raven needed both her sister and girlfriend so Anya guided Raven to the bed and pulled her into her arms next to her sister and Lexa. Raven drifted off clinging to Anya.

The next morning saw Lexa waking first, noticing that she was not in her chambers, but cuddling with Clarke. She then noticed Raven and Anya in a similar position. She was aware of her own feelings for Clarke, but unwilling to burden the younger woman with the life of being the commanders partner.

Lexa watched Clarke, unable to walk away from her this time. Clarke stirred in her arms and woke up, giving her a content, if not sleepy, smile. Clarke was aware of her changing feelings for the commander, but was unsure how to broach the topic. Her half-asleep mind took control and gave Lexa a nice kiss on the cheek, before looking her in the eye and saying, “we need to talk, Lex”.

Lexa was wide awake now and responded with a nod, before pulling the younger girl in for a proper kiss, her first. They spoke without words but with actions, both knowing they wanted more.

Lexa pulled away first after a few minutes of gentle kissing, remembering that Clarkes sister and her mentor were in the same bed as them.

“That was a good talk, Lex” Clarke joked, wide awake and wanting more, but knowing her sister was next to her realised it was not a good time.

So, Lexa and Clarke talked about everything they felt, cuddled up in bed together for the first time. They were both new at the relationship stage of life, neither having been with anyone else. They knew it would not be easy, especially convincing Raven it was a good idea, but Lexa and Clarke felt it was right for them and Raven knew her sister didn’t do anything without thinking it through. That was Raven’s job.

The newly formed couple were so wrapped up in their love bubble they hadn’t noticed the other pair in the bed had heard everything they said since Clarke had started speaking. They heard every kiss and every declaration of feelings from both girls. Anya had never heard Clarke speak so much and so passionately. Anya held Raven as she listened to her little sister declare that she wanted to be with Lexa, but wanting to tell Raven herself, not have her find out by them kissing in a random part of the tower. Raven announced her presence by turning over and facing the pair, the look on her face one of acceptance and relief.

Raven was very aware of her sisters changing feelings, as well as the commanders. Her only reaction was to crawl on top of both women and hug them tight. She could threaten Lexa later when they were alone. She knew she would never hurt her, but her sister was special. Raven believed that Lexa was the one for her and would protect her but she had to make sure.

The twins still spoke in Spanish whenever they wanted to talk quickly without being overheard, but they trusted their friends that it was rare it happened. Only when Clarke had really withdrawn from herself.

“Tell Anya what you feel Raven. She feels the same” Clarke mumbled, wanting her sister to be happy with the warrior.

“What if she doesn’t and it is all in my head? Nia fucked us both up pretty good.” Raven replied, hoping her sister was right.

“If Lexa can accept me Anya will accept you. She feels as deeply for you as I do for Lexa and her for me. She looks at you with love.”

“Do you love Lexa?”

“More than I can say. As much as I love you but in a different way.”

“Yea she feels the same for you Clarke, you know that?”

“I hope so, Raven. Do you need me to tell Lexa I love her before you tell Anya? Because they are starting to wonder what we are talking about.” Clarke joked, but could see the concern on the two women’s faces.

“Yea Clarke, tell her. I support you, but if Lexa hurts you I don’t care if she is the Commander of the 12 clans, I will come after her.” Raven threatened, needing to feel like the big sister for a bit.

“Okay Raven. I love you. We will never be apart even though we love others as well.” Clarke stated, knowing nothing would separate her from her twin.

“Together forever Clarke, always have been, always will be.”

“I love you Rae, but you can get off me now. I have to talk to Lexa, since you are too chicken to talk Anya first.”

“Nah, I am very comfy right sis. Besides, I got the best view. Anya will be jealous.” Raven joked, but had no intention of moving.

Clarke gave in and turned to Lexa and saw the worry on her face. She had a plan but as soon as she saw the fear in her loves eyes, it went out the window.

“Lexa, I love you. And I know we haven’t even been together an hour but it is true. And I know I’m barely 17 but you are like the other half of me. Well other third, cause Raven is part of me too and I know it is fast and you don’t have to say it back but – “Lexa cut Clarke off with a kiss, her worst fears dashed and her greatest hope flooded to the forefront of her mind.

Raven was feeling both proud of her sister and awkward because she was still lying on top of the lovers who had no intention of stopping their make out session for her. She rolled off the couple into Anya’s arms. The look on Anya’s face was one of longing and Raven couldn’t wait any longer. Ever the impulsive sister, Raven launched herself at Anya, kissing her like her life depended on it.

They separated for a second but Anya’s body took over and she pulled Raven back in for a much more intense kiss than their first, knowing she had everything that she wanted in the world in her arms right now.

On the other side of the bed, Clarke and Lexa had stopped kissing and were talking quietly like they always did. Declarations of love came from both sides and their plans for the future started to take hold in their minds.

“I love you as well Clarke. More than I can say. Titus always taught me love was weakness but when Luna and Costia got together it showed me it was not. I had never planned to have a love in my life, but you were impossible to ignore. I know you and Raven are very close and from the looks of Anya and Raven right now, they will be having a similar conversation. Always know I will never take Raven from you or separate you. I will speak with Anya about having her move to Polis to be my war general here, rather than go back and forth to Ton DC so you and Raven don’t have to choose. I know she was trying to anyway but Indra will let her go if I ask. I know it hurts you both when she leaves. I want you to be happy Clarke, and I know you need Raven to do that. I am just honoured you want me around as well.”

Clarke teared up at the generosity of her new love and launched herself on top of Lexa to kiss her again. Lexa’s kisses were her new oxygen.

Raven and Anya hadn’t spoken yet but had continues to make out heavily on the bed next to Clarke and Lexa. Anya broke the kiss first and just stared at Raven with a look of devotion and love Raven had only seen from Clarke.

“I love you Raven. I have since I first laid eyes on you in Azgeda. When I saw you heal your sister, I fell a little bit more. Every time I see you, my love grows stronger. I will stay with you as long as you will have me. We have been together 5 months and life has never been better” Anya declared in Trigedasleng.

“I will have you always Anya. I love you too. Don’t leave me and love me forever and I promise the same to you.”

The girls stayed cuddled up in bed together, discussing plans as a group. They all knew they would be around each other for the rest of their lives, so sure of their love.

After a few hours, Costia and Luna were worried that the women hadn’t emerged from the room. They didn’t knock and just walked straight in. They were not expecting to see two couples making out on the bed, completely unaware of their surroundings. Costia knew Lexa and Anya can normally tell when someone was entering a room without looking, like a 6th sense. So, it must have been great kissing the women were receiving from the twins to turn off that section of their brains.

Costia and Luna had walked in on Anya and Raven in more compromising positions than just making out on the bed, but Lexa and Clarke was a different story. The 20 year old’s had to contain their excitement and backed out of the room quickly and quietly, happy for the couples but not willing to risk bodily harm if Lexa found out they saw. Lexa was a very private person, introverted like Clarke. If she didn’t have to be the commander she would probably live in the quietest part of Polis she could find. Costia knew Lexa and Clarke had never been with anyone before today. Clarke untrusting of most in the world and Lexa wanting to protect her loved ones. They were both naïve in their love lives but unfortunately had seen the worst the world has to show before they were 20.

Luna and Costia would wait until either Clarke or Lexa spilled the beans on their new relationship status. Besides, they won the bet of when the other two would get together. 8 months after getting to Polis, Raven said a year, Anya 10 months. They were the closest to the date and now the other couple owed them new weapons.

None in Polis would be surprised at the development. They had all seen the closeness of the women whenever they had ventured out together. The people of Polis may be warriors but even they could see love when it was staring them in the face.

Chapter Text

Jake and Abby had tried to move on from their kids supposed deaths, but it was hard. 8 years had passed and they still missed them like it had been only yesterday they asked to go get pencils. Jaha was unrepentant of his actions and Abby resigned from the council, unable to look at him. Jake threw himself into work and had managed to get the air system working better. He had found it was malfunctioning and the Ark was due to run out of air in the next year. Jaha wanted to drop the prisoners in the SkyBox to buy the rest of the Ark more time. To save those kids, Jake worked day and night to find a solution and ended up giving the Ark 2 more years of air. Jake was working on a plan with Abby to figure out how to drop the Ark to earth before Jaha started playing God. They found out it was doable, but dangerous. The Ark would need a years’ worth of upgrades to survive re-entry, but they could do it.

Jake took two years to fix the ship. He knew it was delaying the inevitable but they couldn't let everyone die. It was two years longer than they thought they would have to wait to look for their daughters, but the Griffins did it anyway. Abby was working to stockpile medicine and food for the ground. Their hopes on surviving the drop were high but were unsure of the radiation. Abby believed that the radiation they were exposed to in space would help the survive the ground. It was a weak argument but it was unable to be proven wrong so she couldn’t be dismissed even if Jaha tried.

Unfortunately, due to the size of the Ark meant they couldn’t drop the whole ship at once. They had to separate the Ark into different drop times to ensure for the best chance for survival. There would need to be two drops. The first a small one to get rid of excess weight and people. The second would be the majority of the Ark. They would stay in the parts of the ship that were in the best condition and mostly likely to survive the drop. The rest of the Ark would stay in space, for people who didn't want to leave. The less people in the Ark, the longer it would survive. Jaha, in his great wisdom, decided that the kids in the Sky Box could be the first volunteers. Every little misdeed that was committed by Ark residents was punishable by death, except if you were under the age of 21. Then you were put in the Sky Box till your 21st birthday and your case reviewed. Jaha had never changed one sentence and let them live. He floated all of them.

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When the Ark was ready to drop the first 100 people to earth, almost three years after Jake informed Jaha of the problem with the air, Jake snuck Bellamy Blake onto the transport. Bellamy had refused to be separated from his sister again and Jake knew this. He gave him instructions to try and find Mount Weather, but if there were people down on earth try and make peace with them. Make allies and Mount Weather could wait.

Bellamy was happy just to be going with his sister and would do all that Jake asked. The Griffins had helped Octavia and didn’t turn her in. He owed them everything for their kindness. He remembered their daughters playing with O and keeping it a secret. They were her first and only friends. She cried for weeks when they disappeared.

Bellamy would try to lead the 100 until Jake got down to Earth and took over. He owed them at least that. Abby gave the kids on the drop ship wrist bands which would tell them how they were going and monitor their bodies changes. She also snuck in extra food and blankets for the kids, her mother’s instincts still going strong.

Jaha left a message for the 100, stating they were to be the heroes of the Ark if it all went well and when they returned to the ground all their sins would be pardoned. Jake and Abby also left a message for them without Jaha’s consent, but he didn’t know that so the Griffins didn’t care.

Jake started the message, “Hi kids. You probably know me as the sad engineer guy who fixed the ship. You also probably know Abby as the doctor who made everything better. We are also the couple who would sneak you guys extra food and supplies in the sky box. We know most of you don’t deserve to be there. Like Octavia. It is not your fault you were born. We tried to keep Jaha away from you but he found out anyway. You must know it wasn’t us. You were a good friend to both our daughters, we would protect you always.

"Okay, now what some of you might not know is almost 11 years ago, our daughters were in the block that dropped to earth. They were 9. We don’t know if they survived the drop or the radiation afterwards but we have hope. We snuck Bellamy Blake on to the ship with you. He has some guard training and knows how to lead. We told him to try and find Mount Weather, but only if there are no people already living on the ground. If we can live in space, what is to say people didn’t survive on the ground? We want you to make allies with the people on the ground. They will know how to hunt and defend themselves so don’t be aggressive. And I know this goes without saying, but be careful.”

Abby finished it off, “If you can find some natives, don’t attack first. Defend yourselves but don’t be aggressive. Find a leader and ask for help. Explain what happened and why. If you can find yourself in the company of a leader can you please ask if they know of a ship that dropped 11 years ago. If they know if anyone survived. Jake and I need closure. We hope that our girls are still alive but we need to know 100%. Jaha didn’t tell you this because he didn’t know, but I snuck in extra food and blankets for you guys. There are also some radios that connect to our quarters on the Ark. If you need us at any time just call. Jake fixed them so they will carry up to space. We tried to get on the ship with you but Jaha banned us from the drop pod. We will do our best to help you like we always have. Ask about our daughters if you can, make allies but most importantly stay alive. We will see you as soon as we can. Be safe.”

The message shut off and Bellamy spoke, “I don’t know about you guys but the Griffins were always kind to me. They knew about my sister and helped her, they didn’t tell Jaha. I say we ignore Jaha and help the Griffins. If we can give them information about their kids, good or bad, they can make peace. Who is with me?”

The rest of the 100 agreed and started to plan how to do things on the ground. The drop was nasty and painful. Three people died because Finn Collins had to show off and float around the ship. Finn, unfortunately for everyone else, survived. Three people followed him and died, and he didn’t care.

The got to the ground safely and Octavia was the first to touch the ground in almost 100 years. That first night they celebrated, the next day that got to work. They split off into groups of 5. Some went to try and find food, others some people. One group thought they had seen some structures in the distance when they walked, so they returned to camp to inform the group. That second night they planned to walk to the area that they had seen. Even if there weren’t people there to help, there could be tools to help them.

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The 100 was so focused on moving forward, they didn’t look up. If they looked up they would have seen warriors in the trees watching their every move. When they heard their plan for the next day, one of the warriors returned to the structures the group had seen. He explained to the general there, Indra, of what he had heard and the plans of the sky people. He told Indra of the sky peoples plans to look for two girls who fell from the sky years ago. Indra mobilised a force of 50 warriors to go back to the Sky people camp and escort them to Ton DC. She also sent here quickest rider to make the journey to Polis. Heda and Anya must be informed that more people had fallen from the sky like their wives did all those years ago. The twins must know they are being looked for.

Chapter Text

After succumbing to their feelings, Clarke and Lexa grew closer than even.

Raven and Clarke were less dependent on each other but still very close. Anya and Lexa were close already as mentor and second, but they grew closer just by being near each other due to their partners.

6 months after Clarke and Lexa got together, Costia and Luna got married. Well, as close to married as grounders can be. A small ceremony with their friends and then they cemented it by getting matching tattoos up their forearms of a wolf. Apparently the first time they admitted their feelings was six years ago when they were 15. It was after a wolf had attacked them while hunting and they had both been distracted by their hunting partner. They killed it, argued about whose fault it was and kissed for the first time. It was an inside joke and a reminder that even though they are happy, they cannot be distracted by each other when hunting and fighting. It was a mark of their love and their history.

After seeing Costia and Luna take that final step, Clarke and Raven got together one night talked about their relationships. They were both going strong and each couple was together most nights, but there was something holding the twins back from moving in with Lexa and Anya permanently. Both had asked their twin to move in with them but understood it was a decision that needed to be made by both sisters at the same time. They both had to be ready. They had never been parted before, even in Azgeda they were together. The nights they spent with their partners were great, but they were scared.

The twins locked themselves in their room two nights after the Costia and Luna got married. They spoke about all their fears and doubts. Both sisters had the same fears.

One; something would happen to the other when they weren’t with them.

Two; they would grow apart.

The first one they knew was just leftover fear from Nia’s reign of terror, but the second was truly worrying. They had always said they would never be apart, and now they wanted to be.

Clarke and Raven realised that they weren’t as dependent on each other anymore. There wasn’t a big event they needed to face or evil to conquer. They were happy with Anya and Lexa, and that was a foreign concept for the twins. They were nearly 18, but had experienced events that made them a lot older in their minds. They hadn’t been happy since Raven was 9 and Clarke was 8. They could barely remember the feeling.

Clarke and Raven emerged from their room the next morning with a plan. Firstly, they were going to explain to their girlfriends their fears and realisations. Secondly, they were going to move out of their joint room and into Lexa and Anya’s personal rooms. They had been in their shared room for over a year now, they needed to move on. And lastly, they were going to be happy. They would always be there for each other and knew how to connect with their twin like no else could. They would still speak in Spanish when upset and scared, not wanting to seem weak to their partners. The Griffin Twins could still be as close as they always had been, even when they didn’t live together. Lexa and Anya didn’t want to take that away from them. They wanted their girls to be safe and happy, and if that meant sharing time with their twin that was okay with them.

As the twins had always done things together, getting married on the same day seemed like par for the course. Their partners and soon to be wives were not expecting the twins to be the ones to accelerate the relationship. Clarke especially. She was always the more cautious one, whereas Raven dove in headfirst. If they both took this action plan, they both were truly ready. They both knew they were only young, almost 19 if their math was correct, but they had never been so sure of something in their lives. If their mum and dad were here they may not approve of marrying so young, but the twins knew they would love their future wives.

The couples took the same path as Costia and Luna eight months ago and had a small ceremony. As only family and friends were there, it meant that Costia, Luna, Indra and Anya’s brother Lincoln were the only guests. Gustus performed the ceremony and then each couple got matching tattoos to solidify their bond. Clarke and Lexa got a book on their right wrists, to show their joint love for knowledge and the quiet. Raven and Anya got a leaf tattoo on their left wrists, signifying their knowledge of each other’s safe place high in the trees.

Each couple also wore matching gold rings on their left ring finger, signifying the way marriage is shown on the Ark. The Twins may have been on earth for over half their life, but they were originally from the sky and they wanted to honour that.

The day of their marriage was a day for celebration in Polis, as their Heda was happy and there was no war other than the skirmishes with the Mountain Men.

From then on Clarke was called ‘Prisa’ by the grounders. Even the Polis natives could see Lexa’s love for her and how she treated her like a princess. Raven was called the fiery one because of her innate ability to blow things up. Early on in their relationship, Anya took Raven to a building full of old earth technology. Things like wires and clocks and solar panels just to name a few. They were all things that the people on the ground had no use for, but Raven liked to pull things apart, she always had. So, from then on, she would make time each week to go into this building and try to fix things. And there was always a good chance that it would either work or go boom. The people of Polis took bets on which outcome would happen each time. Even her wife, sister and sister in law listened out for the explosions. Anya knew Raven was happy blowing things up and thought her name ‘fiery one’ suited her well.

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Clarke was happiest when she was with Lexa, but if she couldn’t be she was often found reading the books left over from before the bombs fell. It didn’t matter what language it was written in, Clarke would read it. If it was a language she hadn’t encountered before, she would learn it. Spoken languages were easy for her to decipher, written ones took a bit more effort. Most languages stemmed from Latin so once she had a grasp on the basics of a new language, the rest would flow quite quickly. She was often seen around the tower with her head in a book, mumbling in a foreign tongue that confused everyone. The guards eventually got used to the gibberish coming from Clarke, having been told many times by Raven, Lexa and Anya she was fine and not crazy, just learning.

Raven was the only one who could keep up with her sister, as she had learnt some of the same languages as kids on the Ark, like Spanish and German. Raven ensured that she got Clarke to teach her the basics of each new language she learnt, as Clarke would often switch between languages randomly when upset if she didn’t shut down, so she needed to be able to follow the main points. Lexa tried her best, but Clarke spoke at least 10 languages fluently. Lexa had no hope. Raven and Clarke were some of the smartest kids ever born on the Ark. Raven kept up with Clarke’s language changes and when Raven was rambling about the technology she was fixing, Clarke could have a proper conversation and understand what her twin was talking about.

One night after Lexa had been in private meetings with Titus all day discussing the progress of the nightbloods, she went to her dining room to have dinner with her wife, Raven and Anya as usual.

She walked in to find Clarke with her head in yet another book, trying to finish before dinner. She was muttering under her breath things Lexa wasn’t sure she wanted to hear. She looked upset at what she was reading but wouldn’t put the book away. Lexa walked over and plucked the book out of her wife’s hands and kissed her hello, apologising for being away all day.

“It’s fine Lexa, let’s eat. I need to finish that book. The author must be lying.” Clarke answered in German, unaware her wife had no clue what she said.

Lexa looked towards Raven for a translation.

“She wants to eat then read more” Raven stated, in English.

Clarke blushes deeply and asked, “I did it again, didn’t I? Which language?”

“German.” Raven explained, failing to hold back a grin.

“Sorry Lex.” Clarke is embarrassed when it happens. Not that she speaks in other languages but that she doesn’t realise when she is. She needs to think about what language to speak in. Spanish and English are the easiest for her as she learnt them first. But when she is distracted she can have full conversations with herself that no one understands.

“It is fine Prisa. It is cute.” Lexa teases. She knows her wife can’t help it sometimes. For a girl who doesn’t often talk in public, she sure knew how to confuse them when she did.

Anya just shakes her head, knowing that Clarke will be getting teased by her wife and sister all throughout dinner.

Raven waited until dinner was almost completed before really embarrassing her sister.

“Hey Lexa, do you remember when your beautiful wife got angry at you about a month after you got together? And she then spent the next two hours berating you for something you hadn’t done?” Raven asked, wanting to see if she could make her sister go redder than she already was.

“Why no Raven, I don’t. Would you care to remind me?” Lexa answered, loving this story because it showed how much Clarke cared for her.

Anya just rolled her eyes, knowing exactly where this was going, while Clarke tried to slowly slip underneath the table in embarrassment.

“Well Lexa, you had been training all morning with Anya before having to meet with Titus to talk about the Nightbloods progress. After spending way to long with bald man, you went back out to the training pits to work out your anger. You were sparring three soldiers at once when one sliced you across the ribs, forcing you to stop and see a healer. Which was a smart thing to do. The stupid thing to do was not tell your then girlfriend about being hurt. Because when you finally did make it back to the tower, Clarke was very worried. You came to our room to see her and found her pacing up and down. Now, Clarke made sure you were okay and were comfortable in our bed, even though you insisted you were fine.”

“Raven please stop,” Clarke pleaded with her big sister, knowing it would do no good, but trying anyway.

“Shush Clarke, Lexa doesn’t remember. Anyway, you were trying to get Clarke to join you in bed. And all of a sudden, she starts yelling at you. Absolutely going off her head at you, telling you how scared she was that you didn’t tell her you were hurt. That kind of thing. Only problem is she wasn’t speaking English or Trigedasleng. She was cycling through languages so fast the guards thought she was having a fit. The guards outside the room rushed in and saw Clarke pacing up and down the foot of the bed, hands flying around and yelling gibberish. Apparently, the guard took one look at the scene, turned around and ran straight down the hall to Anya’s room. He didn’t knock or announce his presence, just ran straight in, rambling about a screaming blonde and a spooked commander. He ran straight back out.”

“And what happened next, Raven?” Lexa asked, playing along with her sister-in-law.

“Well, the guard thankfully didn’t notice that neither Anya or myself had clothes on, otherwise my dear wife would have killed the guard before he could return to yourself and Clarke. Anyway, we got dressed quickly and ran down the hall, only to find that not only was the original guard that came and got us there watching the whole thing, but so was the rest of the floor. So, all the nightbloods, Costia, Luna, Gustus and their guards were peaking in this door watching this tiny blonde yelling at the big bad commander. Anya got the people away from the door and back to their duties before I walked in. Anya, do you know what happened next?”

“You fell over laughing.” Anya deadpanned, knowing that as much as her wife loved embarrassing her sister, Clarke needed an ally right now, and Lexa was no help.

“I fell over laughing because Lexa looked terrified. She had no clue what Clarke was saying, which was basically “how could you be so stupid” and “why didn’t you tell me? I was worried!!” over and over again in about 12 different languages. She then moved on to the threats. “You won’t be sleeping with me until you learn to inform your girlfriend of when you get hurt.” Now, by this stage, Lexa, you had calmed down because you noticed I was laughing and not freaking out.”

Clarke interrupted, “Are you done? Please be finished.”

“Nope.” Raven stated, before finishing her story.

“Anyway, it took about two hours for Clarke to calm down, and by that stage Anya was sitting next to me on the floor laughing and Lexa was just nodding her head whenever Clarke took a breath, still having no clue what she said. So, Clarke had exhausted herself to the point where she just crawled up in bed next to Lexa, needing to cuddle, when she noticed myself and Anya sitting on the floor, red in the face from laughter. You were so confused Clarke, you had no idea when we came in or why.”

“I feel like I asked you something next Raven, what was it?”

“Yea you did. You were all snuggled up with my sister when you asked me the all-important question; “What did she say Raven?” The look of horror on Clarkes face was evident when she realised she ranted at her girlfriend for hours and she didn’t even understand was classic. Which then forced me into another round of laughter while trying to explain you were in trouble for not telling Clarke you were hurt.”

“And that was the exact moment Clarke realised that she had to think about what language she needed to speak in when she was emotional or distracted. She doesn’t speak a lot and when she does she has to figure out what language to speak. Story is finished. You embarrass her anymore; her head is going to explode from all the blood rushing to it. Stop.” Anya put her foot down, protecting her little sister from their wives.

“Okay were done. Sorry Clarke.” Raven said, completely insincerely.

“Yes Clarke, we are finished. Anyway, what is your book about?”

Still embarrassed, Clarke didn’t want to answer. “It is not important.” She mumbled, just wanting to leave the table, go to be and hide under the covers.

Lexa, noticing her wifes distress, got out of her chair, walked over to Clarke, picked her up and then sat down with Clarke in her lap, realising that her and Raven had gone too far.

“I am sorry Prisa, I forgot how upsetting that can be for you sometimes.” Clarke just snuggled into her wife, feeling better but not wanting to talk again.

Anya on the other hand was ripping into Raven, telling her she should know better than to push her sister when she was uncomfortable. Clarke didn’t do it to her, so she should respect her sister’s boundaries.

There was a comfortable silence before Anya broke it, trying to cheer up her little sister.

“Hey Clarke? At least you didn’t set your bed on fire like your sister did trying to make some technology work.” She may be the big bad general, but Anya loved these three women more than she could say.

“Raven you know you were banned from bringing anything from that building into this tower.” Clarke said, brightening a bit more when she remembered that night three weeks ago. Anya came running in to their room smelling like smoke with an apologetic Raven following behind her, trying to air smoke out of her night clothes. The two married couples bunked in together like old times that night, reminiscing about the early stages of their relationship.

“So, my Prisa, what is your book about?” Lexa asked, trying to get back in Clarkes good books before bed. Lexa had to be the big bad commander in public, but in private she loved to cuddle with her wife.

“It is the last book in this series called Harry Potter. And the author named Rowling just blew up a hallway a killed one of the twins, Fred. I need to finish it because there is no way she would kill him for no reason. It is just cruel! She just killed Dobby as well! There must be something at the end that explains it all cause that is just mean!” Clarke explained hurriedly. In Spanish.

Lexa just giggled and looked to Raven for an explanation.

“Author just killed some people and Clarke thinks she is cruel for it. She wants to finish the story so she can find out the reasoning. Clarke, it is over 150 years old probably, don’t stress, you can’t change it” Raven explained, trying not to laugh at her sister’s expression when she realised she did it again.

“Oh Jesus fucking Christ” Clarke exclaimed, in Italian.

Raven went to explain and Lexa just said, “don’t worry Rae, I understood that one.”

The whole table started giggling, including Clarke, who after burying her head in her wife’s chest to try to escape the mockery, could see the funny side of it all. The rest of their night was filled with laughter and joy, unknown to all that in a few weeks that all would change.

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The Griffin Twins legend grew around Polis, even though they didn’t fight anymore. They had escaped the evil Ice Queen and found happiness. It was like a fairy tale. Their exploits in the pits of Azgeda were used as training tools and ideas for soldiers, and their torture was used to teach children about the evil Azgeda. Many people didn’t know their first names, only their title of the Griffin Twins. Some people didn’t connect the dots between Lexa and her General Anya’s wives and the Twins. They remembered the broken girls who fought in the pits on Titus’ illegal orders, not the happy girls who liked to draw and blow things up. As most of their scars are hidden by long clothes, they look too kind and innocent to have survived that.

Clarke and Lexa were together most of the time, with Clarke becoming an advisor for her wife. She was smart and knew when to attack or hold, negotiate or not deal. Clarke also got a few more tattoos. Like Raven, who recovered her passions of pulling things apart, Clarke rediscovered drawing. She also found her drawings much more attractive that her scars, so designed some to cover the worst of them. She asked her wife if she could get a copy of the big tattoo she has down her spine in the same place, wanting to cover some of Nia’s worst scars. Lexa agreed, going with her to ensure the tattooist didn’t get it wrong. From then on Clarke was often found drawing new tattoo designs for herself and others. She had designed a full left arm sleeve depicting her fall from the Ark to earth. Her left arm had often been the victim of Nia’s brands and fire pits. Clarke was surprised there was no nerve damage. Space and the Ark were at the top of her arm near her shoulder with shooting stars down to the earth, which had an illustration of two girls walking away from a metal wreckage, holding each other up near her wrist. She got a tree on her right ribcage and side, showing rebirth in the leaves for her wife, and deep roots, for her sister. It also covered some of the worst of the lash marks. She got a raven on the left side of her abs for her sister. On her left calf, she got a wolf for Luna and Costia, her right calf had a leaf for her sister and Anya. There were a few smaller ones were scattered around her body, but the story of her life was always there to seen. Her right arm only had her wedding tattoo on it and some scarring. Clarke didn’t want anything to overpower it, as nothing could take over the love she had for Lexa. They took a few months to complete, but she was happy with the result, proud to show of her work. Her scars weren’t all hidden, some she showed with pride. But some needed to changed and recaptured. So, when she looked at her side, she thought of her wife and sister, not herself getting whipped. Her arm showed she could survive a fall from space, not her arm being held in a fire.

She was working on a final piece for herself and her sister, a Griffin to go on their right shoulder. She wanted to honour their parents, but it had to be perfect. It took almost a year but the Griffin twins both got the same griffin tattoo on around Clarkes 20th birthday, marking the anniversary of the last time they saw their parents and the end of their childhood.

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After their marriages, Titus eased up a bit on being an asshole, realising the girls were no threat. He still wasn’t respected or trusted by any of them, but he was no longer on his way to being killed by them.

Gustus on the other hand treated them all like daughters. He was kind and loving. He liked to joke around and after a few years could even get Clarke to open up to him when she was lost in her head. Raven he encouraged to fix things around the Polis, not just blow them up like she was often tempted to do. He was aware that the Nightbloods asked her to blow up things for their amusement. They asked Clarke for pictures and Raven for explosions. How different could sisters be?

Indra and Lincoln would visit from Ton DC when they could. Maybe 3 times per year. Lincoln loved to mess with his big sister Anya and when he met and got to know the twins, he went into protective brother mode. He knew the two girls didn’t need it, but it made him feel good to be protective of them. If he tried with Anya, she hit him. He got on well with both but Clarke especially as they both liked to draw. Anya swore him to secrecy on the names of their wives if anyone strange asked. She didn’t want anyone to look for them and pick fights. Anya and Lexa were also worried that more sky people would fall and come looking for them. If that ever happened, the twins had to be prepared. They knew it was a possibility but were worried that the sisters wouldn’t be ready for any reunions out of the blue. If anyone fell from the sky, there were standing orders to send a messenger to Polis so Lexa and Anya could tell their wives themselves somewhere they were safe. They could then decide what to do after.

Indra treated all 6 girls like her own. She would scold them for being childish or rude, but praise them and comfort them if needed. Of course, this was only in private. In public, she was the stoic general she had always been, feared and respected by even the mightiest warrior.

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As Commander, Lexa was required to travel to other clans to resolve disputes and hand out punishments. Most of her work was done from Polis but the few times she had to leave, she went alone. Her wife stayed in Polis with her Twin and Anya. It wasn’t that she wanted to be away from Lexa. It was more the fact that if they left Polis they were targets for Azgeda. The twins and their wives wouldn’t put it past Nia to arrange for a kidnapping to get the girls back in her pits.

It was the same when Anya had to return to the Trikru a few times a year. Raven stayed in Polis. The twins had visited Ton DC a few times with both their wives and Costia and Luna accompanying them. They also had most of Heda’s personal guard there for safety. Ton DC is away from the Ice Nation but closer to the mountain, and none of the women were going to risk being captured by the mountain men.

On the first few occasions in which the twins visited Ton DC, they were tense and scared. It was a new experience in a foreign place with people they didn’t know. It was the perfect recipe for flashbacks. The twins would jump when they heard the clashing of swords or an unexpected yell. Their wives did what they could to calm them but the best medicine was each other. The first few days with the Trikru, the Twins spent together. They even slept in the same bed, needing the familiar comfort in a strange place. Their wives joined them in the one bed, knowing the travel was tough for the twins.

The twins only left Polis to visit the Trikru and Lincoln and Indra. And that was only if both their wives were going. Neither twin wanted to be separate from their wife in a strange place.

After a few trips, Anya and Lexa had figured out what helped their wives and what didn’t. They found that the twins felt safer when they couldn’t be seen, so they travelled with hoods to cover their faces, long sleeved shirts to cover their scars and tattoos, gloves and long pants. When they left Polis as a group, Anya, Lexa, Costia and Luna were at the front of the group on their horses, the hooded twins behind them. No skin was ever seen while the twins were travelling. The Commanders guard came up behind the group and protected them from the sides.

Towards the end of their second year of marriage, Raven and Clarke were comfortable travelling to Ton DC. It was now a familiar thing. If both their wives had to leave to go to different clans, the twins stayed in Polis with Costia and Luna, unwilling to separate from each other while their wives were away.

For almost three years all was well. The twins could be apart from their wives so long as they were together. They still stayed in the same city as their twin though, never travelling separately, unable to bear the thought that something would happen when they were alone. They travelled together or nor at all.

Lexa and Anya were very understanding. They knew the sisters weren’t being fussy or high maintenance. They just knew their limits. The only times they travelled was to Ton DC with both their wives present. They never travelled apart and with only one of their wives. It was all or nothing with the twins.

When Indra’s rider came in the middle of the night declaring the sky had dropped more ships, with 100 teenagers on board, the twins slept soundly in their beds. Their wives on the other hand had been woken as soon as possible by Titus. Titus had been informed after the weddings what he was to do if the sky fell once more.

Anya and Lexa knew their wives must be informed but it could wait until morning. It was a three-day ride to Ton DC, things would have changed while the rider was away. Knowing their wives were comfortable travelling to Ton DC, Anya and Lexa knew that they would go if Indra asked them to come. But until that happened, they were staying in Polis with their wives, hopefully preparing them for the return of their people. This would really put a spanner in the works and test the twins resolve. Hopefully, this was good news to them. Their people were coming.

Chapter Text

Bellamy was shaken awake by a worried Octavia who had heard something in move in the dark. They both went to investigate the noise and came face to face with people. Not the 100, but people from the ground. There were what looked to be about 40 of them, carrying things ranging from weapons to torches, food and clothing.

A man stepped forward and offered the pair a sword as a peace offering.

Unaware that the grounders spoke English, Octavia worriedly asked, “What am I meant to do with a sword? Is it a trick? How do we ask them for help? They might take it as a threat if we grab the sword Bellamy!!”

Octavia was freaking out and the grounder across from her found it quite amusing. As much as he wanted to hear the girl ramble, he had orders to escort them all to Ton DC and get them away from the mountain as soon as possible.

“It is no trick. It is a gift. We wish to help.” The grounder stated calmly, still amused at the amount of emotion shown on the girls’ face.

“Shit Bellamy they speak English!! They know what I meant. Bellamy why aren’t you helping me?” Octavia exclaimed. Her brother seemed frozen in shock, unable or unwilling to speak. Octavia took the initiative of whacking her brother over the head to snap him out of the stupor he fell into.

“Ow! Jesus O, calm down!”

The grounder was amused at their antics but had to stop them if they wanted to return to Ton DC quickly.

“I am Lincoln Kom Trikru, and I have been instructed to help you move away from the mountain and to one of our cities for your safety. We have been watching you since you fell and know you mean no harm, you just wish to be safe from the others in the sky, yes?”

“Yes. We were dropped to see if earth was safe to live on and they plan to send the rest of our people down soon. We were asked to make allies and friends by a couple on the Ark, as they knew we would need help. They also asked us to look for other people who may have fallen to earth 11 years ago.” Bellamy explained, trying to be as honest as possible.

Lincoln thought for a moment, knowing who they were looking for but had been ordered not to tell the sky people. “I will take you to our city and to our leader in this part. She will explain all that she can and try to help you out. A rider has already been sent to our capital, notifying our general and commander of your arrival. Please wake up the rest of your people and we can go quickly. The mountain men are dangerous and will take you if you are not careful.”

The Blake siblings roused the 100 quickly, the only one complaining was Finn. Octavia offered to knock him out and leave him behind but funnily enough he didn’t want that. The arrogant prat refused to pack anything up or carry a thing and it was quickly getting on everyone’s nerves. The fact he was trying to sleep with every girl he could see didn’t help.

Lincoln was the one who got him to move on and he didn’t even have to say a word. All the 100 were already walking away when Lincoln came up behind and shoved him along with the rest. Every time he slowed down or stopped, another push would propel him forward. Finn eventually got the message and walked in silence with the rest of the 100.

The journey was long for the 100, not used to the hard travel on the ground. Octavia would not shut up, asking Lincoln everything she could think of about the ground. Bellamy fell into step next to a girl called Ontari, trying to find out the little things about the world they know found themselves in.

“Ontari, do you know anything about people falling from the sky 11 years ago?” Bellamy asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

Ontari shared a look with Lincoln, knowing they had orders to not tell them too much, but wanting to give them so information.

“Perhaps we should rest, and we will tell you all that we can” Lincoln stated, knowing the sky people were getting tired and that they would not stop asking until they knew something. They were like children in that way.

The grounders and sky people made camp, far enough away from the mountain they could be safe but not close enough to Ton DC to make it there before nightfall. The 100 were happy to help make camp, eager to learn. Except for Finn, he just sat at the edge of camp brooding.

Once camp was set, the 100 gathered around Ontari and Lincoln waiting to hear whether they could give some good news to the Griffins who had helped them all so much.

“There is a story, or legend,” Ontari began, having told this story to young children around the fire to teach them about the evil of the Ice Nation and the strength you need to survive, “of two girls, twins. They fell from the sky in a ball of fire in the icy wasteland of Azgeda.”

“What’s Azgeda?” Octavia asked, having to know all the facts from the start.

“They are the Ice Nation. A brutal clan who believe torture and death is the best way to live. They kill for fun. They are evil.” Lincoln explained simply, knowing that if who they were looking for was the Griffin Twins, they needed to be prepared for the worst.

“Anyway, the girls were captured by a soldier who was to take the to Azgeda’s queen, Nia. She gave the girls a choice. Be tortured, and then learn to fight as a pair to take on the fighting pits as a chance to earn freedom together, or be separated and fight the other to escape. They chose to stay together. For two years they were tortured daily, then trained for another 2 and a half years. They were 13 when they entered the death pits. For three years they fought, never losing. To lose was to die and the girls had never been separated so why would they be now? The day the commander visited the Ice Nation, it was the same day as the girls last fight. If they won they could join Nia and serve in her guard or leave Azgeda never to return. They won quickly but not without pain. One of the twins took a knife to the shoulder. They left Azgeda that very night, knowing that they were safe together.” Ontari stopped, that being the end of the story she always told.

“That was four years ago and from there the story varies. The commander knows, as does general Indra but the stories get wilder each time it is repeated but the beginning never changes. They survived hell. No one can make up what they went through. They were tortured by the worst person imaginable and didn’t break. After that who knows. I have heard that they are in Polis living in the Commanders tower, but I don’t know what they have done with their lives.” Lincoln finished the story with as much truth as he could impart without breaking Heda and Anya’s confidences. He knew exactly where the twins were and who and what they were doing, but his big sister Anya swore him to secrecy. There was no way he was going to tell the sky people anything else.

The 100 was silent. Some were hoping it was the girls and they survived but most hoping it wasn’t them that lived through that.

Octavia remembered the girls from when Abby would do her check-ups. They were kind and happy kids. They were her first friends and made her feel normal. She couldn’t bear to think that they had gone through hell. They helped keep her safe. They deserved better than that.

“Do you now the twin’s names?” Octavia asked, hoping it wasn’t them.

Ontari answered this question as Lincoln was not allowed to say anything else. “Their first names change with each retelling, some don’t even give them one, but the title they went by in the pits was The Griffin Twins.”

The first thing that was heard after that was a quiet “fuck” from Bellamy before he ran to get a radio. He had to tell the Griffins. It wasn’t the best story but it was something.

“This is bullshit, no way 9-year old’s go through that. They are lying! Grounder freaks who want to scare you. You are idiots for falling for it.” Finn exclaimed, trying to make himself important.

Octavia stood up, walked over to Finn and decked him, knocking him on his arse.

“Don’t”

Kick.

“You”

Kick.

“Ever”

Punch.

“Say that again. It may not be Raven and Clarke but it is still two children who were abused. Part of me hopes it is not them, because if it was, then it means their lives were shit. My first friends were beaten and tortured. And you make fun of it?! Asshole!”

Not one member of the Trikru or the 100 stopped Octavia, knowing she needed to get her anger out and that Finn deserved it. Anyone who thought little girls getting tortured was a joke was not a decent person.

Once Octavia calmed down she came and sat next to Lincoln. He looked over at Bellamy before asking Octavia what he was doing.

“He is talking to some people on the Ark, Jake and Abby. They are the couple who sent us down to ask about the girls and their last name is Griffin. They had two daughters who were on the block that dropped. They needed closure, to know if they were alive or dead. This may be a story or legend but it is something they haven’t had in 11 years.”

Lincoln understood the urgency in which Bellamy ran to the radio now. He was the bearer of news, which was both good and bad.

“Perhaps we should all sleep. It is a long walk tomorrow.” Ontari announced, needing the silence after completing the story. She hated telling it. The ground was tough and you needed to be strong to survive, but no one would have been upset if those girls gave up. But they didn’t and now they were happy.

It was the news that the sky people both wanted and didn’t. Sometimes your greatest wish is your worst nightmare.

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The Trikru warriors and the 100 got up at dawn, wanting to get to safety as soon as possible. Lincoln took some of the eager 100 like Octavia and a boy called Jasper to collect food and show them the basics of hunting. They loved it. Seeing all the things that the earth had to offer with someone who could tell them more was amazing. As soon as they got back to camp with the food, Jasper ran off to find Monty, who had stayed behind to help packing up.

Before they left, Bellamy informed the 100 of some news he heard from Abby about the Ark.

“They should be here in about a week. And they were glad for some news about their kids, even though it was pretty grave stuff and could be false. Dr Griffin said it was better than nothing, which is all they have ever had. Also, you should all be glad to hear this. Apparently, when your parents heard we had been sent to the ground without their consent, they rioted. In all the mess, Jaha fell and hit his head. He’s dead”

The 100 were silent then started cheering because the dictator was dead.

“Marcus Kane is now chancellor and will keep his word of us all being pardoned when they come down.”

The 100 celebrated a bit more and then got ready to leave. Once they were fed and camp was packed up, the whole group of over 150 people began the trek to Ton DC. Ontari was speaking with Bellamy and the 100 about what to expect and how to act in Ton DC. Indra may have invited them there, but she didn’t trust them. If there hadn’t been order from Heda stating all people from the sky must be helped to a camp before judgement being made, Indra would have had them followed and observed. She wanted to know their reactions to things like reapers and the acid fog. She allowed them passage to Ton DC for her Heda, anything else the sky people must earn. They are trespassers in Indra’s eyes, ones she is not allowed to kill.

Ontari's warning that their presence wouldn’t be welcome and some would see them as a threat was taken. She informed them that not being armed would go a long way to helping settle any tensions that may arise until they gained Indra’s trust. As most of the 100 knew I that strange people falling from the sky didn’t happen every day, they understood and agreed. Bellamy was seen as the leader, so Ontari advised that he speaks to Indra alone or with just one other person. They all knew it would be Octavia. The 100 didn’t have any weapons like guns, but they had some knives they had made from the hull of the Dropship.

Bellamy agreed to disarm when he reached Ton DC, wanting to get on well with the grounders from the start. Unfortunately, Finn thought that was a terrible plan and said so.

“You are going to let this grounder bitch just tell you what to do? We had enough of that shit on the Ark, we don’t need it here. We are in charge now, and they can go fuck themselves. If they want me to go anywhere without a weapon, they are gonna have to kill me, cause all I have heard from them is bullshit. ‘The mountain is evil’. ‘you aren’t allowed to have a knife but I can’. You are an idiot Blake if you are falling for that crap.”

Bellamy had had enough of his niggling and complaining, and finally snapped. Grabbing Finn by his jacket and shoving him up against the nearest tree, he growled out. “Listen here, you piece shit. To them, we are invaders. We are lucky they found us and were kind. We are lucky to be alive! They have every right to threaten us, and give us conditions on which to live by until further notice. No one else has a problem with it, just you Spacewalker. If you don’t like it, then leave. No one will stop you. But be warned you will not be welcome back by us. So, decide, now!” Bellamy released him and walked away, catching up with Ontari at the front of the group.

Unsurprisingly the lazy sky boy didn’t leave, but he did shut up which was a miracle in its self.

The rest of the trip was spent learning the Trikru ways and how to not insult anyone. Lincoln took Bellamy apart from the group and warned him that if Finn did not keep his mouth shut when they arrived, he would be at risk of insulting the wrong person and ending up dead. There were many who knew the sky people were coming and feared they were like the mountain men. The boy mouthing off would confirm that and there would be nothing anyone could do to save. Bellamy took the warning to heart, pulling Finn aside and over too three other members of the group, Atom, Dax and Jones, making him their responsibility.

“Keep him quiet and out of the way. If he says something wrong, these people will kill him and I wouldn’t blame them.”

The three men were big and didn’t take shit from anyone, part of the reason they were in the Sky Box. Finn paled and seemed to shrink under the stares of the men, knowing he wasn’t going to get his way anymore.

When they reached Ton DC, a group of warriors were there waiting for them. They took the bulk of the 100 to the training grounds as it was the best place to keep them all together, while Lincoln and Ontari took the Blake siblings to see Indra. Bellamy wanted to keep his sister safe and knew she would be better when she heard all the information first hand.

Entering the tent, the Blake siblings unconsciously shuffled closer together for comfort, as they were not expecting to see the imposing woman and her guards so heavily armed. They knew there would be weapons but this seemed extreme. Knives and swords littered their bodies, and both Blake’s were sure there were more they couldn’t see.

Lincoln introduced them quickly and explained all he had learnt as quickly as he could in Trigedasleng, including all they had told him about the twins, Finn’s behaviour and their general compliance with the rules set upon them. Most were eager to learn and be safe down here on earth, with only one outspoken naysayer.

Indra said nothing as she listened to Lincolns' explanation. The fact Ontari had not killed any of them was a big indication that they were harmless. Her expression morphed into one anger at Lincoln’s explanation of Finn’s behaviour, but otherwise showed no reaction.

Indra watched the sky people, knowing Heda would want an update as soon as possible. Her fastest rider had just returned from Polis stating Heda’s orders. She was to find out of the sky people were a threat to the coalition or her wife and sister in law. She also wanted to know when more sky people were coming, anything about the twins’ parents and whether Indra believed that herself, Anya and their wives were needed to travel.

Indra asked her first question. “How many more are coming and when?”

Bellamy answered, “As far as I know all of them. And I spoke to Abby yesterday evening. Apparently, the Ark will be ready to drop in 7 days. Everything is in place, the people up there are just tying down loose ends and ensuring that the people who want to stay do, and those who want to drop are prepared.”

“Will they try and take over?”

“No general. The lady I spoke to said that the man in charge up in the Ark named Jaha was killed when the parents of the kids sent down first found out about it. They rioted and he was pushed back and hit his head. Died instantly. A man named Marcus Kane was elected chancellor after Jaha’s body was floated and has expressed a desire to be allies, not enemies.”

“Why did you ask my warriors about the Legend of the Griffin Twins?”

Octavia beat her brother to this one.

“The people we speak to on the Ark are hoping that their daughters are still alive. They fell to earth when they were 9 and it is around the time your legendary twins story starts. They were also my only friends on the Ark and kept me safe. It was illegal for me to born and they made me feel normal, not like the freak who lived in the floor. The Griffins are still on the Ark but are coming down soon and would like some closure. I want to know if they are okay and thank them. They made my life manageable.”

Indra liked the courage on the sky girl. Most would be terrified but she just waded in and spoke her mind, as though she had no care for repercussions. She could see why Lincoln had spoked so highly of her.

“What do you wish to happen now?” Indra asked Octavia, curious. She saw a reason for Heda to travel here in the future, but perhaps this girl was reason enough for them to come now.

“I wish to learn from your people. I want to know how to fight and look after myself. Ive been helpless my whole life and when I first touched the ground I promised myself never again. I also want to find my friends, if they are still alive.” Octavia was adamant about the training. She felt weak next to the grounders and hated that feeling.

Indra thought about the next steps, knowing that her Heda would be travelling here soon. She would send all the information she had with the rider and request her and Anya’s presence, as well as their wives. They should be here before the end of the week.

“For now, your people are welcome here, but they must obey our law and punishments. They must contribute or they will be hurt. I will assign each of you a place to work in and learn. Some will join the warriors or the healers, whoever is available and willing to train you. Find out from your people who wants to do what, whether it be a cook or a builder, we will find them something to do. This Finn boy however, he will be trained by Ontari. Perhaps then he will learn respect. If he does not, Ontari will deal with him. Agreed?”

“That sounds very good, thank you general. But if I may ask, what of the sisters? What can I tell their parents?” Bellamy asked, relieved they all weren’t dead yet.

“Tell the parents that when they get to the ground I will have more information for them. It will take many days for them to drop and when they do, I will send aid and supplies for them to set up camp. There are too many to house them here, this Ark will still be their home, but on the ground. Tell them when their camp is set up, Lincoln will escort them to Ton DC. They will meet with our Commander, our Heda, and tell their story. She knows the twins and can give the Griffins what they need.

“I am sending word to Polis for our Heda to come here as soon as she can. She has expressed a desire to meet you but did not want to overrule me. If all goes well, she will be here within 6 days as Polis is not too far away. She will hopefully be here before the rest of your people drop, that way you can speak to her first. I believe you have earned the right to ask her about the twins of legend.” Indra informed the Blakes of her part of her plans, still not fully trusting them but happy to let them know a little bit.

“Thank you, general Indra, this is more than we could have ever hoped for. I will inform the Ark of these developments and tell you as soon as I know more, if that is okay?” Bellamy asked, needing to be sure he could speak to Indra again if he needed to.

Indra nodded once and dismissed the siblings so she could begin her message to Heda and Anya, giving all the information she had and advising them it would be best for both them and the Twins to come as soon as possible because of Octavia. That girl was pure energy and Indra believed she would be good for the Twins.

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Indra finished her letter to Heda and sent it off with her quickest rider. It should get to Polis in two days and if Lexa is still good at taking advise from her, the return rider should tell her when they should arrive. She would prepare the tents and rooms for the 6 women, knowing that Costia and Luna would not stay in Polis with so much going on.

After she returned from seeing off her rider, Indra found Octavia waiting outside her tent with Lincoln, obviously talking the mans’ ear off. She watched as the normally stoic Lincoln was more open with Octavia than anyone else, except of course for Lexa, Anya, Clarke, Raven, Luna and Costia. But they were all married, Octavia was not. And if Indra was not mistaken, the look on Lincolns face was one of care and understanding for the girl, but she could see it could easily grow to more if he allowed it to. That would depend on Octavia.

Octavia spotted Indra returning from sending her rider to Polis and quickly straightened herself up, knowing she was about to ask a lot of the grounder leader.

Indra entered her tent, silently motioning for Lincoln and Octavia to join her. She waited while Octavia regathered her courage which seemed to disappear as soon as she stepped in to the room.

“General Indra I wish to ask you two things. The first is, would you train me? Become my first? As a leader you would know many things that you could teach me, more than anyone else here.” Octavia asked, suddenly feeling fearful.

“And your second question?” Indra asked, intrigued by the idea but unwilling to accept before she knew what else she wanted.

“What are the names of the twins? Because if they match the sisters’ names I will… I don’t even know what I will do. But it would be great to have that information. If you don’t want me to I won’t tell anyone else, I will keep it to myself. I just need to know.” Octavia sounded defeated and Indra was surprised by the question and her offer to keep it private.

“You wouldn’t tell the people in the sky?” Indra asked.

“Not if you told me not too. I will prove my loyalty to you. If that is how, so be it.” Octavia stated, certain she would be able to keep her promise.

“I will answer one of your questions. Which one?” This final test from Indra would show whether Octavia was more worried about herself or the twins.

Octavia didn’t hesitate. “The second one, and I will tell no one.”

Indra was happy. Octavia was a girl worth something. She decided she would answer both questions, so long as she kept it quiet.

“Yes, I will train you. It will be hard and if you tell anyone else in this entire village, including your brother, the names of the twins, I will stop training you and have you punished for breaking a generals, and your firsts, confidence and orders. Do you understand?”

Again, Octavia didn’t even blink. “Yes general, thank you.”

“The names of the twins are Raven and Clarke. And the legends you heard don’t even begin to cover what they went through.” Indra stated, watching Octavia’s face cycle through emotions.

Octavia was happy that the twins were Raven and Clarke, but it absolutely devastated her at the same time. She wouldn’t tell anyone, not Bellamy or the Griffins because she promised.

Octavia didn’t cry, but took a minute to pull herself together. “What time should I meet you in the morning general?” She asked, needing to move on. There was nothing she could do anyway.

“One hour after first light in the training pits. The rest of your people will get their orders then as well.”

It was a clear dismissal, and Octavia turned to exit but just as she was about to lift the flap to leave, Indra reminded her about her promise not to tell. “I won’t” Octavia stated, leaving the tent to find Lincoln waiting for her. They walked over to the fire to get some dinner in silence, Octavia deep in thought about her friends and wondering where they were now. They were alive, but were they happy?

Indra watched Octavia leave, knowing her world had been pulled apart once again. But she would bounce back. It was part of the reason she took her on as a second.

When Lexa arrived, hopefully within the week, this world would change once again, and Indra for one was unsure how it would all turn out. For now, all she could do was keep an eye on the 100 and ensure they were not a risk for the Trikru. They would always be her first priority.

Chapter Text

Lexa and Anya hadn’t slept after they got the message that they sky had fallen. They were trying to figure out the best way to tell their wives without sending them into a breakdown. Clarke and Raven had used a mantra that said that the Ark was dead and their parents were dead, every single day, for almost a decade. They didn’t need to repeat it as much now, but it was still a major part of their lives. Part of the girls believed it. Telling them otherwise would hurt them, but they had to know.

They decided to wake Costia and Luna first, as they had been friends with the twins and had cared for them as long as Anya and Raven. Naturally, the couple was cranky that they were being woken in the middle of the night, but when they found out why, they were suddenly alert like cold water had been thrown on them.

It took hours and many hushed arguments, but eventually they came to the same conclusion. Tell the together and tell them clearly, so there isn’t any room for miscommunication. Talk in English and don’t let them run.

Both twins woke up alone, unaware of the upheaval about to befall their lives. Clarke went to Raven’s rooms and dragged her out of bed to their dining room, knowing Raven was a bitch when she was sleepy and being hungry made it worse.

Raven was upset she woke up in cold sheets, knowing Anya had been gone a while. She was instantly worried. She hated waking up alone. It scared her. When Clarke came and got her out of bed she was relieved she was no longer alone.

The twins got to the dining room and found an odd sight. Both their wives and Costia and Luna were there, sitting in silence. All four-looked tired and conflicted. The last time they had that look was when Anya had to go to the Blue Cliff and Lexa had to visit the Broadleaf at the same time, leaving the twins in Polis alone for a month. Sure, Costia and Luna were there, but it was not the same.

Lexa looked up and saw her wife, all sleepy and bleary eyed, having not fully woken up. Lexa knew Clarke didn’t sleep well when she left early, sensing her absence and disrupting her sleep.

Anya stood up and went over to her wife, pulling her in for a kiss that was borderline crude. That was the instant Raven knew something had changed in a big way, as her wife was not the biggest fan of overzealous public displays of affection.

Clarke went and sat on Lexa’s lap, still not ready to talk and needing to feel her wife after she left last night.

Anya and Raven made their way back to the table, taking their normal seats and starting their breakfast. Costia and Luna had already eaten and Clarke and Lexa were sharing a plate, all six eating in silence.

They finished their breakfast and just stayed in their seats, Clarke still perched on Lexa’s lap. Everyone could see Lexa was building herself up for a big announcement, she was visibly shaking. She tightened her hold on Clarkes waist and Anya gripped Ravens hand, anchoring her wife before she heard what was coming next.

“A messenger came from Ton DC in the middle of the night. A ship fell from the sky with about 100 people on it. They were mostly teenagers. They were overheard saying that they were looking for people on the ground to ally with so they would have help and friends on the earth for when the rest of them came down. Indra mobilised a force of 50 warriors to go back to the Sky people camp and escort them to Ton DC. Apparently, the group were also heard wanting to ask about two girls who fell from the sky 11 years ago. Sisters.”

After Lexa finished her monologue, there was complete silence. No one moved. Raven gripped Anya’s hand tighter every time something new came out of Lexa’s mouth. When she heard that they were looking for sisters, her and Clarke, she froze, barely breathing. She tried going over her mantra in her head, but couldn’t because it wasn’t true. The Ark was still alive. Maybe that meant mum and dad too? Raven didn’t know, but she wanted, no needed to find out. She looked at Lexa and asked, “did you hear anything about our parents?” It was so quiet Lexa barely heard, but Anya did.

“No, my love. It takes days to ride from Ton DC to here, and the rider left mere hours after they dropped. We will get more information when Indra talks to their leaders and sends another rider. She hasn’t asked us to come, and we are waiting for more information before we do anything.” Anya explained, happy her wife was taking it so well.

“Okay. I can deal with that for now. We can deal with that for now, can’t we Clarke?”

When Clarke didn’t respond Raven got out of her seat and knelt in front of her baby sister. Getting Clarke to make eye contact was hard, as she had buried her head in Lexa’s chest and was shaking, but with Lexa’s help they managed it. Raven asked her some yes or no questions, realising her sister was close to freaking out. Always so quiet, it made it hard to communicate, but Raven had almost 21 years of practise. Nodding or shaking her head was the easiest things for Clarke to do when she was this close to shutting down.

“No Talking?”

Nod.

“Want to run?”

Nod.

“Is your wife going to let you run?”

Shake.

“Am I?”

Shake.

“Are you scared?”

Nod.

“Of the 100 kids on the ground?”

Shake.

“Of the travel to Ton DC?”

Shake.

“Of maybe seeing mum and dad again?”

Nod.

“Do you think they won’t love us anymore?”

Nod.

“Do you still love them?”

Big nod, and a look at Raven which said, ‘are you stupid?’

“They will still love us, I promise.”

Nod.

“Whatever happens, we stay together. We have Anya and Lexa, Costia and Luna to help us okay? We don’t have to see them yet, and when we know more about mum and dad we can decide then. I know neither of us remember a lot from the Ark, we had to block it out to survive Azgeda. And it may take time for some of it to come back, and some of it may never return, but part of our first home is on the ground now. We can go to it if we want. It is up to us. Okay?”

Clarke nodded and then buried her head back in Lexa’s chest, needing to think everything through before she said anything.

“Okay Clarke, I am going to go and blow some stuff up. I need to think and whereas you like silence, I like…?” Raven asked, trying one last time to draw her sister out.

Clarke slowly turned her head and looked at Raven, and quietly saying, “booms.”

“That’s right, booms help me to think. We are complete opposite but couldn’t be closer, and I would never have it any other way okay princess? Nothing will change that.” Raven stated before leaving the room.

Lexa held her quiet wife tightly, before picking her up and returning to their room. Anya and Lexa knew that this could happen and planned for it. She would take Clarke back to their rooms to relax and hide away from the world, while Anya, Costia and Luna followed Raven to the building with all the technology in it and helped her make things go boom. They coped in different ways, neither very healthy but after what they had been through in their entire lives, the sisters were allowed to be a little bit fucked up.

Lexa lay with her wife in the dark room, holding her as she took all the information in. Lexa slowly began to talk to her wife about everything and anything, waiting for her to come out of her head. It took most of the day but Clarke began to respond to Lexa’s questions and comment. Whether if it was a giggle at a bad joke, or a light slap on the arm when she made fun of Ravens plan to try and blow a hole in Titus’ clothes without him knowing.

When Clarke spoke about her fears of not recognising her own parents, or them hating her and Raven for what they did to survive, Lexa calmed her down and let her know she wasn’t alone. She couldn’t change what people would think, but if her parents had lost her and Raven for almost 12 years to a strange place, Lexa didn’t think they could hate her for surviving it. Lexa told Clarke her parents would be glad they were alive, and between Raven and Clarke’s joint memories of their parents, they would remember them.

“Why don’t you try and draw them? Anything you don’t know, ask Raven and see if she can help. If you can picture them, it could help you process this. We don’t have to go to Ton DC to see this first group of sky people. We can wait and see if more are coming and then decide, okay Prisa?”

“Yea Lex, that sounds good.”

“Sleep now, Prisa. Things will all work out, I swear.”

Clarke was drifting off when she became aware of another body slipping in under the furs. She twisted in Lexa’s hold and came face-to-face with her sister, also noticing Anya hopping in behind her. Raven needed the comfort of her sister as well as her wife that night. As Raven cried herself to sleep in the warm embrace of the people she loved and trusted most in this world, she couldn’t help but wonder if she wanted to see any of the sky people. Would it be worth the pain?

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Clarke woke up the next morning with a desire to train. She needed to be useful and lucid while the situation with the sky people was being sorted out. She knew her wife loved to take care of her but Clarke was being selfish. She needed to be strong like the pit fighter again. Tough, silent and unbreakable.

She woke her big sister and told her of the idea to go back to training hard like they did in the Ice Nation. It would exhaust them and they wouldn’t have time to worry about the sky people. They were cold and detached when they trained, but they didn’t fall apart.

Anya woke up to the sounds of the women’s voices talking about their time in the pits. Worried about them, she sat up and alerted them to the fact she was awake. Her jerkiness in the bed finally woke Lexa, who despite being a leader constantly under threat of assassination, has been known to sleep through Raven sneaking into their room and setting of what she called a firecracker. Clarke fell out the bed with a yell before chasing her sister down the hall, while Lexa slept through it all, only waking up when Anya threw a cup of water on her face to make her aware that their wives were currently chasing each other around the tower like children.

Clarke repeated her plan to the grounder leaders, needing their support.

After a long minute, Lexa asked, “Will you be okay pulling yourself out of training if it gets too much? Too overwhelming?”

“We have each other and you both. It may be hard, but we can get out of it if needed.” Clarke stated, glad her wife was okay with it.

Raven’s on the other hand, was not.

“Do you two not remember what it was like when we first met? Clarke, you spoke maybe 5 times on the trip home from Azgeda, you couldn’t sleep for more than two hours without waking up from a nightmare and jumped whenever you heard metal clash or someone touched you even when you were aware it was coming! And Raven, you were just as bad! Rambling and muttering under your breath at all times, whether asleep or awake. You couldn’t be separated from Clarke and when you even saw a fire you paled and pulled away, to an extent that when it was cold when we returned, you got so sick you were bed ridden for a week because you refused to be near a fire for warmth! And now you want to put yourselves back into that headspace? Are you crazy?!” Anya exclaimed, terrified her wife and little sister would be lost to her again.

“No, we aren’t crazy. And that isn’t where we want to go. We will be training, not fighting or killing. We won’t break from this, not if we do it the right way. We train, morning till night, with small breaks during the day. That way, we are away from the planning and any information that comes in that could upset us. We are getting in fighting shape again, it is not just for ourselves to be able to cope with this but you two as well. You can’t be babysitting us the whole time and neither can Costia or Luna. You are four strong leaders who need to worry about everyone not just us. We wouldn't do this if we didn't have to.” Raven explained.

Clarke continued, “Besides, we have kept each other up and moving before. We did it for 7 and a half years in Azgeda.”

Lexa listened to all their arguments, wanting to agree with Anya but knowing the coalition needed them all right now.

“Fine, but only if you promise that if Anya or myself see anything that worries us, more than normal, you bring yourselves back out of the pits and reduce the training.” Lexa agreed somewhat begrudgingly to the plan.

“Thank you, Lexa.” Clarke sighed, relieved they had her on side.

“Fine, but I don’t like it.” Anya exclaimed, knowing the coming weeks would be tough.

“It is just until the things with the current sky people are worked out. If more drop, we will come back here to this room, get the information we need and then decide. Do we cry for a night and then move on? Or do keep on training because more stuff is changing than we can cope with at once? Easy as. But for you both to be able to communicate with Indra and work with the sky people, you need us to be safe and okay. This is the best way to do it. Us training and constantly active will exhaust us so we don’t over think it.” Raven stated.

“Well then,” Lexa started, looking at her three other bed mates, “two of us need to plan what to do with the sky people, while the other two have to get to the training pits.”

The twins got out of bed, kissed their wives’ goodbye and headed to the training grounds. They heard a vague, “and don’t hurt the guards!” from Anya, who was well aware that even though they only trained a little bit nowadays, could easily kill any opponent that came at them.

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Throughout Polis, the word quickly spread about the sisters training again. Not just little bits here and there, but full on training like they were headed to battle. They drew crowds to the normally quiet training pits, as most liked to watch the sparring in the fighting pits. But the girls were a living legend, and even unopposed they were a sight to see. Clarke and Raven wore tight, ¾ pants and chest bindings, needing all the freedom the clothing could give them so they could use their full range of movement and test their skills out. They hadn’t used them properly in years.

The clothing also showed off all their scars, and, in mostly Clarke’s case, her tattoos. Seeing the normally introverted and quiet blonde, run, jump and flip her way around the arena, covered in intricate tattoos and horrific scars, really gave the people of Polis a new perspective on Clarke. She was terrifying. Silent and deadly, every target hit in the middle, and able to move from one side of the arena so quickly she was like the wind. Even more terrifying was the fact she was silent. You never heard her once. Even her breathing was quiet. The Nightbloods Titus brought down to show them an example of what the elite were capable were in awe. Some of the older ones realised it was Clarke, the quiet women who drew them pictures. The younger ones didn’t make the connection, just thinking this was a painted lady who was a scarred and scary fighter. They all recognised Raven as they could hear her voice, talking herself through different drills and exercises like she used to.

Almost all the people in Polis came down to watch these two train, including their wives. They hid in the back so as not to distract them but realized it would not have mattered. They were back in training mode, trying to survive. Nothing else mattered while they were in there.

When night fell, the twins were still training hard, only having taken food and water breaks throughout the day. Training was a great distraction and it stopped them from thinking too much.

Their wives came down to the pits to collect the twins, wanting to know how the day was. Clarke was quiet but still talking and Raven was fine. The grounder leader and her general were happy that they hadn’t completely withdrawn but were wondering why. Raven answered their silent question.

“We said we would go back to our training, like we did in Azgeda. There we were unstoppable and unbreakable. Emotionally closed off, but we had to be. We must think we are unbreakable now so you can do what you need to. We are still us, just less open, some would say crazier, and colder. We try and stop feeling. It doesn’t always work but we haven’t killed anyone since we started, so there is nothing we need to shut out yet. The more we learn about the sky people, the more that changes, the more like we will be to shut down, just be warned. And before you ask why we didn’t do this from when we left Azgeda, we just wanted to feel. Work through our pain and move on with our lives. If we didn’t, we wouldn’t have been able to fall in love with you two, and that would be worse than going back to the Pits.” Raven explained.

Anya and Lexa were shocked, expecting to have to deal with traumatised former prisoners again. This was okay, they could handle this. It will get harder later but for now, their wives were okay and moving again, not curled up in a ball under the sheets.
 

Chapter Text

Lexa had sent her message to Indra stating her intentions and instructions about the sky people after the first day the sisters had restarted training. She knew with the right rider and conditions; the letter should be there in 2 days. By then, the sky people should be in Ton DC and Indra can send back her message with further information and a plan of action. So that meant approximately four days of not much happening in Polis. Sometimes, Anya and Lexa would join their wives training or go hunting with Costia and Luna. Other times, they would plan their next moves with the sky people, assuming they were wanted by Indra in Ton DC. Lexa had a feeling that even if Indra didn’t explicitly need them there, she would ask anyway, wanting support from Polis. So, she and Anya ensured that the capital was in a good state to be left for a few weeks. They organised troops to come with them and some to stay. They packed up the essentials for their assumed trip to Ton DC, knowing they would not have enough time to do it after the letter came back from Indra, as they would forget things in their hurry.

Anya and Lexa wanted to go to Ton DC and be active in this situation. They knew it would be tough for their wives but they would manage.

Clarke and Raven were aware their wives were planning something to do with the sky people, but didn’t ask. They were so tired after training all day, when they returned home to the tower, they barely had enough energy to eat and make small talk with their wives, let alone ask probing questions about the drop ship.

The twins training sessions were well attended, with people of all ages coming to watch. The best times to go were when they sparred with the warriors’ brave enough to enter the training pits with them. The first pair were cocky and assumed the girls would be easy beats. They were beaten and dispatched to the healer with a minute. It was clear they had not lost their touch.

When training, the sisters were more in sync than usual, and it was both amazing and scary to watch. They would run through exercises and drills in perfect synchronization, completely unaware of their audience. They were outside their current focus so they didn’t matter. They lightly sparred against each other, but it was nothing like what they could do if they tried. It was more about trying new moves and techniques out on a worthy opponent.

On their fifth day back training, the girls were interrupted by their wives. Thankfully, they were only stretching at the time, not dealing with anything sharp, because the news they came with was both unexpected but not. Lexa had received a message from Indra outlining her plan and her need for Lexa and Anya to come to Ton DC. That was all that was said before Anya and Lexa escorted their wives back to their rooms to inform them of the rest. All of Polis did not need to know the details.

They made their way back to the towers dining room. That way they could all sit and face each other, get everything out in the open. Luna and Costia were waiting for them, already having been briefed by Lexa.

Once seated, Costia began the explanation. “Indra’s rider came this morning while you were training. They expect the rest of the Ark to fall within the week and would like us all to be close by when it does. That way Indra can send aid and Ton DC will still have plenty of protection from the Mountain Men. The 100 who have already fallen will be organised and training around Ton DC. Indra is making them earn their keep and at the same time learn how to survive on the ground. She asks we leave immediately to Ton DC and she is already setting up tents for us to use upon arrival. When we leave, she wishes us to send a rider ahead so she can prepare the sky people for our arrival. They were informed of how to act around Ton DC, but not around us. If we give her warning, she can stop them from unintentionally insulting us or spooking you.”

Luna finished it off, knowing this bit would be quite shocking. “Indra also says that the sky people have a girl in their midst who was your friend back on the Ark. She lived under the floor and her name was Octavia. Octavia has been the most vocal about finding out what happened to you both. When you fell, it hurt her. She lost her only friends. She was asking about the legends of the Griffin Twins, trying to figure out if it was you both. Indra believes that it might be easier for you both to come to Ton DC early and get used to being around the sky people again, before the Ark drops. You can get comfortable and be aware of their ways before your parents come down.”

The twins were sitting next to each other, with their wives on either side, gripping each-others hand so tightly that they were going white.

Surprisingly, Clarke broke the silence, asking “What happens next?”

Lexa got over her shock at her wife speaking quite quickly, saying, “Almost everything is packed. You both just have to change into your travelling clothes, hoods and gloves, pack up whatever extra you want to bring, books or what not. Your weapons, well we weren’t sure which ones you wanted on you and which you wanted to store in the bags. You have a lot of them.”

Raven looked at Clarke and had a hurried conversation in Spanish. “I say we wear our normal travelling gear and hoods so no one can tell who we are, but have all our weapons on us like we did in Azgeda. I don’t feel safe going into Ton DC with strangers and not being fully armed. What do you think?”

“I agree. But can we still train when we are there? We will need the distraction. Especially if what they about Octavia is true. I remember her. Mum used to make sure she was healthy and dad would make toys for her. We would play with her under the floor and sometimes in her room.” Clarke questioned her sister, knowing they could do it if they stayed together.

“I remember her as well, she used to try and escape her rooms because she was bored, so we had to find more things to do in her tiny room. And there are training grounds in Ton DC, but they are public. Anyone can use them at any-time. Perhaps we can ask to use them alone, or demand it, or we can get them to create a new area just for us.” Raven reasoned with her Twin, aware they had agreed to go to Ton DC with neither of them breaking down.

Clarke nodded. “Tell them the plan.” She stated, recognising everything was going to change.

Raven spoke to the whole room next. “Fine, we will get changed but we have all our weapons on us like in Azgeda. We don’t feel safe. We travel as quickly as we can, with limited breaks. None of us will sleep well anyway. And when we get there, we still get to train. I don’t care if they have to kick all of the Trikru warriors out of the grounds or make us a new one. We train, and we train alone.”

“That is it?” Anya asked her wife, bemused they weren’t trying to get them to stay in Polis.

“No. We don’t talk to anyone other than you four, Indra and Lincoln. No other Trikru, no sky people. Just you six. No one touches us. If there are people wanting to watch us train, fine, but they stay silent and out of the way. When we don’t train we are in our tents, together until you return from wherever you are or we are with you, advising like we do here. If you need us to meet you somewhere, send someone we know to escort us. A stranger would not be welcomed." Raven stated clearly, pushing the limit on what they wanted. Only speaking to those six, important people was for both their benefits, and if they wanted to have a private conversation they could speak Spanish.

“Okay, I will inform Indra of your needs and send the fastest rider we have. If all goes well, tomorrow night or early the next morning we will be in Ton DC. Go change, we leave when you are ready.” Lexa then left the room to finish her message to Indra and state the need for a new training ground. She also laid out the rules and guidelines for everyone in Ton DC regarding her wife and sister in law. The Trikru were used to it, at least regarding the no talking and no touching. The first person who had bumped into Raven when they first visited was also the last, as Clarke noticed her sister flinch and broke they guys hand in three seconds.

One hour later, four women adorned in armour and war paint led the way out of Polis on horseback, with two hooded figures behind them. Surrounded on all sides by soldiers, the group set of at a quick pace to Ton DC, the messenger already an hour ahead with orders not to sleep. The group were planning on cutting out half a day’s travel on this trip by cutting out extra breaks.

The trip was mostly silent, with the hooded figures sometimes repeating the same phrases multiple times. It wasn’t their whole mantra, but most of it was still relevant. They rode till nightfall before resting in an area that was free of any threats. They slept in shifts, and as soon as day broke, they were off again, wanting to make it to Ton DC just after nightfall.

The group stopped for a break around midday, trying to get their breath back. It was a hard journey, but it had to be made otherwise two of their party would not be safe from themselves. Their imaginations and memories are their own worst enemy. The two women stayed hooded and armed the whole time only separating when the Heda and General came to sit with them. Even then they stayed close by.

Night had fallen and by Lexa’s estimates they were about two hours ride from Ton DC. Most would be awoken from their slumber by the groups arrival, and that pleased her. It would show the new comers and the Trikru who was in charge. The dark of the night would mask their appearances, with flames the only light to touch them. The war paint on the front four and the hooded twins should scare the sky people enough to hold their questions till morning. If not, Anya would tell them back away and growl at them.

The group arrived to closed gates but as soon as the guard saw the Commander and General, he opened them up quite quickly. The party rode through the gates and saw that most people had been woken by the gate opening, so were worried there had been an attack. Some had stayed awake, wanting to see them arrive. But all were watching now as the gate was loud. Luna noticed many people in strange clothing were looking at the group in fear but also with hope. She could admit they looked terrifying, but didn’t know why they looked hopeful.

The six women alighted their horses together. The hooded women staying behind the commander and general, while Costia and Luna took up residence on either side. Two guards came up behind them to fully box in and protect the hooded warriors.

Indra came out of her tent when she heard the gate and was quite amused at the reactions of the sky people. The fear evident on their faces, and in some cases, lust. She quickly dismissed her people before leading the group of six women into her tent, the two guards waiting outside.

Lincoln was in the tent already, and as soon as the eight knew there would be no distractions or interruptions, the twins dropped their hoods. Lincoln could see the discomfort on their faces, but he could also see to fight and battle in them not to give in to it.

“It is late and you have travelled far, so I will keep this brief. Your tents are in the same places as normal, near the back of the training grounds, and any Skaikru who were residing around there have been moved away. The only people allowed in that area are the eight of us, and your guards. Any person caught in the area will be whipped. Everyone has also been informed that for the duration of your stay, the training pits are not for their use. They know who is coming to use them. They can watch, but again, only the eight of us can set foot in them. Another area has been set up on the other side of the village for my fighters and your guards. If you want to spar with my warriors, don’t hurt them too badly is all I ask. They also know not to touch or speak to you unless you initiate it, but after that entrance, none would be too eager to try. If any of the people in Ton DC break any of these rules or insult, injure or attack any of you, you have my permission to do whatever you want to them. If they are stupid enough to do it, they are disposable.” Indra explained, hoping that everything was clear.

“Thank you, Indra. Before we sleep, what of the Ark? When does it plan to drop?” Lexa asked.

“Bellamy said in the next 48 hours this morning, so either tomorrow night or the next morning. You got here just in time. Now, Lincoln will escort you to the tents, your homes for the next little while. I hope you find them comfortable.”

Raven piped up at this point, stating “Clarke and I will be up at dawn so we can be in the training grounds. Could you arrange for some breakfast to be sent at that time?”

“Of course, child. Now go and sleep. You look like you haven’t slept properly in weeks!” Indra exclaimed, mothering the younger woman.

“We haven't. Thank you.”

Raven and Clarke put their hoods up and left the tent with Lincoln and the guards at the door to get some rest. The others exchanged pleasantries before they too, retired for the night. The coming weeks would be exhausting for all, but they had it easy compared to the twins. They were having their world crumble from underneath them, and there wasn’t a thing they could do about it.

Chapter Text

Octavia did not sleep well after her conversation with Indra. The 100 were all set up to sleep in the training grounds for the night before the real work started in the morning. Glad she had her mentor for the future all figured out, she moved on to her main reason for not sleeping.

Raven and Clarke.

They were alive! It should have been happy news but it wasn’t. She didn’t have any problems keeping it a secret. It wasn’t hers to tell. But her only friends as a child had been tortured and trained to kill for sport. How was someone meant to get over that?

It took hours, but eventually Octavia drifted off, emotionally exhausted. She had decided to put the sisters out of her mind until this Heda came, then she could find out more. Maybe even give her a message for them. But until then, she was focused on training under Indra. She felt blessed and honoured that Indra accepted her as a second. Octavia could tell the general was a fierce warrior, battle hardened and experienced.

When morning came, the 100, or Delinquents as they were now calling themselves, were sorted into groups to learn how to live on the ground. The grounders treated them like children, because knowledge wise they were. They could lift a lot more than a child, but didn’t know what to do next either.

Monty and Jasper wanted to learn how to gather herbs and things like that. They had a knack for gardening back on the Ark, often in the green rooms helping the adults with the plants. Of course, they also got caught stealing them and were sent to be locked up in the sky box. They were joined by 18 others including Harper and Charlotte, who both wanted to stay away from fighting.

Finn was by himself with Ontari, already looking scared and unhappy. Ontari on the other hand looked like she had just been given a new toy to play with.

Atom, Mbege, Murphy, Dax, Jones and Bellamy were among the group who were learning to hunt and fight. There were 40 Delinquents in that group, many of whom just wanted to be safe and useful on earth and saw this as the best way to do so. Even Murphy, who was known as a real prat on the Ark, wanted to help. Many thought he was locked up because he tried to kill someone or set something on fire. In reality, he saw a mother trying to get medicine for her sick son and he took the fall, not wanting another family to be broken up and destroyed like his.

About 20 sky people wanted to learn to heal, not liking violence as much as the others. All were willing to defend themselves but preferred to help others.

The rest of the Delinquents were split up among the rest of the camp, whether it be the cooks or horse groomers, as they didn’t know what they wanted to do yet.

The Delinquents, named by themselves for the petty crimes they were imprisoned for, because they knew they weren’t cold, hard criminals or even bad people really. Most were just caught doing something stupid and got caught. The minority, like Finn, were imprisoned for serious offences, like rape, assault and murder. Bellamy got Jake to tell him who the worst of the Delinquents were and asked Indra to get the grounders to keep an eye on them.

When the kids from the sky came together that night, most were happy and pleased with what they had accomplished. Others were lamenting their bad luck and how shitty it was that they had to do stuff for themselves. But they saw how bad Finn had it, and how close he was to snapping under Ontari. Few people felt bad for him, and some actually thanked Ontari for putting him in his place.

Octavia spent her days shadowing Indra, learning the basics of fighting and tracking from her. On her fourth day of training with Indra, a messenger came riding in fast from Ton DC around midday. According to what she had heard the journey takes almost two days, so this man was about half a day early. Indra spoke to the man quickly in Trigedasleng, getting all information that she could from him before she read the note. The way Indra’s face paled and then hardened clued Octavia in that the message was not what she had hoped.

Indra dismissed the boy before turning to Octavia, telling her to find Lincoln and bring him to her tent.

Octavia ran off as quickly as she could, finding Lincoln in a tree near the training grounds, watching some of the 100 try and fail to learn some of the most basic fighting techniques. None were giving up, showing dedication and fight.

The pair then hurried back to Indra, not wanting to keep the general waiting any longer than necessary.

Upon entering the tent, they found Indra pacing, like she often did when stressed or things went in a different direction than expected. It was where both Lexa and Anya picked up the habit from.

“General what has happened? Are Heda and Anya not coming?” Lincoln asked, fearing his sister and sisters-in-law weren’t in good enough shape to make the journey. He spoke in English out of respect for Octavia. She had earnt both their trust. She had not breathed a word of what she and Indra had spoken when they were alone.

“Lincoln, I need you and some others to gather all the Skaikru back into the training grounds immediately. I know we had planned to move them to other quarters tonight, but I have just found out that Heda is coming from Polis early. They have pushed through the trip, not stopping except for small and necessary breaks. Apparently, they will have barely slept. We need the Skaikru moved out so we can finish preparing the grounds and the area behind it for them. They will be here tonight.” Indra explained.

All of a sudden, Indra turned on Octavia. “The people who are coming are six of the most important people in this world. There are rules that must be followed. I need you to explain that to your people when you are helping them move around the camp. I will tell all of Ton DC this evening at dinner, but stress that these rules are not a joke. Some may seem stupid or idiotic, but they are there for your peoples’ protection as well as the guests. Do you understand Octavia?”

Octavia felt honoured that she was trusted to get the message out to her people. It wasn’t a huge responsibility, but it was a start. “Of course, Indra.”

“Good. Now both of you go. It will be a long day for all of us.”

After the pair had left, Indra sat down heavily. She had expected to have another day to prepare for Lexa’s arrival, not less than half. She took a minute to breath before leaving the tent, back to being the General. She rounded up warriors to ready the training grounds and area nearby for Heda and her party. It was another 100 people she had to make room for, but it was fine. She did what she must for the coalition and the Trikru. The Skaikru were also growing on her. It was mostly due to Octavia, as the girl was impulsive and brash, but tough and eager to learn as well.

By nightfall, all the Delinquents had been moved to 5 different areas of the camp. Some, like Octavia, who had found a first and mentor amongst the Trikru, stayed in one area. The ones who desired to be healers in another, warriors had to be split into two groups as the many Skaikru couldn’t all be housed together. The rest were spread around in whatever space could be found. Most liked the change, wanting to be more integrated into the grounder society. The rare few who didn’t want to be moved away from their people, also seemed to be the ones who thought they didn’t have to work to get anything and that they were better than the others.

Finn was the one who surprised them all. Indra expected him to change under Ontari’s care, but if anything, he became more deceitful and opinionated than ever, leading him to be beaten by Ontari more than once and ostracised from his own people. He was vocal about his belief he was better than the grounders, and Indra didn’t see him making it through the Commanders visit alive. He should be dead already, but speaking your mind was allowed. However, with the new rules she was about to implement on all of Ton DC, he would be dead within two days. The only thing she wasn’t sure of was who he would insult first and how he would die.

By nightfall, the Trikru and Skaikru living arrangements for the foreseeable future were completed. After most had finished eating, Indra stood and demanded silence. Within five seconds all was quiet.

“Now, as most of you know, this evening our Heda and her closest advisors from Polis will be arriving. It will be late and many of you will hopefully be asleep. While they are here, normal training is suspended as this situation we are currently in is of more importance. We cannot forget the Mountain Men while dealing with this Ark. There are rules in place for when Heda comes. You would all do well to remember them.”

Indra took a breath, watching the intrigue and slight fear come across the faces of the Skaikru.

“Firstly, Heda is coming with her five closest advisors. They are all women, and none of you are to speak to them unless they speak to you first. They are not here for a holiday or a visit, they are here because of the Skaikru and the falling of the Ark. They do not trust them and see them as a threat. If you want to live through the next few weeks, you will follow this.

“Secondly, if you see any of the women walking, get out of the way. They take unexpected contact as a threat, and will react badly too it. It will be a quick for them and painful for you.

“And finally, from now until Heda and her people leave, the training grounds are off limits to all others. Alternative training grounds have been set up on the opposite side of Ton DC. All of you are welcome to watch the people from Polis train if you have free time, however if you set foot in that area, you will get hurt. This is no joke.”

Indra watched as her people grew angry at the fact that Heda was taking away their training area. She immediately yelled for silence and took the first chance she got to finish her explanation. It could backfire, but the Trikru would know as soon as she named the people who were coming with Heda that they should back off and would be eager to stay away and watch from a distance. She assumed the Skaikru would be in the stands watching them train when they found out the truth.

“ENOUGH! There are eight people who are allowed to set foot on those grounds, and only six who can use them. Myself and Lincoln are allowed in the training area, the rest of you can come no closer than the viewing area. Understood?!” Indra yelled, knowing that the dissenters would be quieting the more information they got.

“The first four people who can train in that area are Heda, General Anya, Costia and Luna. They are the most highly respected warriors in our society. Heda won her conclave, Anya trained her. Costia is the best tracker in the Coalition and Luna is the only nightblood ever to escape conclave. She is just as fierce as our Heda. Would you deny them the respect that they deserve and not give them their own place to train?” Indra question her people, wondering if anyone could be so stupid to say yes.

There was silence for a minute until the Sky boy Bellamy had to be the one to open his mouth. Not to question her, but because he realised, like many others had, there were two people she hadn’t named yet.

“What of the last two? Who are they?” Bellamy questioned, hoping he wouldn’t be killed for it but his curiosity was killing him.

“The last two are a pair most have only heard of. They survived the death pits of Azgeda and Nia’s torture. They will arrive as they always have, covered in hoods and clothing. Heda has informed me that they have been training from dawn till dusk for since the Skaikru fell. You will not see what they look like this evening. They are a living legend. They are the Griffin Twins.” Indra stated clearly, watching the faces of those in front of her.

The Skaikru were excited and terrified, their hunt for lost children could be over in less than a day. The Trikru were keen to watch the legends fight, their exploits in the Pits were events they tried to duplicate.

“The Griffin Twins are going to train a lot. If you step into that area while they are training, they could very easily kill you. Watch them if you must, but don’t speak or talk to them. It will be the last thing you do. If you are asked to spar with them, be prepared to lose. No one has ever beaten them, and I don’t expect anyone will. If they do speak to any of you, don’t insult them and don’t ask questions. It is like insulting Heda herself.

“Now eat and relax. It will be a long night, and I am sure many of you will be up at dawn to go down to the training pits.”

It was almost four hours later when the gates began to open. Every single person scrambled up to watch the procession come through. The four women at the front were terrifying, war paint covering their faces. The two behind them were hooded and no piece of skin was showing. The Skaikru were no closer to finding out who they were, having to wait until morning like everyone else.

Octavia stared at the hooded figures, knowing they were Clarke and Raven. She ached to talk to them and hug them tight, but knew it was impossible tonight.

They got off their horses as everyone watched and went into Indra’ s tent. A few minutes later the hooded pair left alone and were escorted to their tents. When the Indra and Lincoln escorted the rest away from the Trikru, everyone went to bed, knowing that tomorrow would be a day for discovery and change. The Ark was due to fall in less than 48 hours and the Skaikru wanted to be able to confirm that the girls were alive before they got here. They wouldn’t know for sure even if they saw them unhooded, but perhaps Heda could give them more information. They decided Bellamy would ask tomorrow, after they had been to the training grounds. No one was missing that.

When dawn broke, it seemed all of Ton DC were at the training grounds, wanting a look at the Griffin Twins for themselves. Now that the Trikru knew who was under the hoods, they were eager to watch. They knew what they looked like from previous visits but most had dismissed them due to their jumpy nature, unable to see them as a threat. The Skaikru on the other hand were hoping that these were the lost Griffin children. All of Ton DC took a collective breath when the gates opened and two figures stepped into the light.

Chapter Text

The twins thanked Lincoln as he showed them to their tents. Though there were six set up, one for each woman, all interconnected, they would only be sleeping a maximum of three. The others were there to hold extra weapons and clothing. They were also there to confuse the Trikru and Skaikru.

It was not common knowledge that Costia and Luna were married to each other. If you knew them and worked with them it was obvious, but the rest of the Coalition was not privy to their marital status. When they visited other clans, it was for work and they were professional. In Polis, more people knew who they were to each other, but not everyone because their wedding was quite small. Unlike Anya and Lexa’s weddings, who while still small, everyone knew they were getting married that day. It was knowledge that spread to all the clans, that Heda and her General were both married, but their spouses were unknown. They were never seen in public being affectionate with anyone, and when they were it was when all six women were together, so it often just looked like friends having a good time. Everyone in the tower was not so much sworn to secrecy, but told not to gossip. It was for the protection of all their loved ones. They wore wedding rings and had matching tattoos, but as they were professional in public and affectionate and loving in private, most did not make the connection.

Raven and Clarke got changed separately and made their way to the room with the largest bed in it. They got under the covers and held each other through the emotional roller coaster that was going through their minds. Talking softly to each other, they calmed each other down until their wives joined them.

Lexa and Anya knew that the Twin would be sharing a bed tonight, and quite possibly most of the time they were away from Polis. They were used to and honestly liked that the sisters were so close. It allowed both of them to see a side of their friends’ wife they might not get to otherwise.

Costia and Luna separated from the pair and went to find their room, exhausted from travel and needing a good rest before everything got busy in the morning. Costia was going to see Indra and find out all the information she could, while Luna was going to mingle with both the Skaikru and Trikru that assembled to watch the twins in the morning, trying to find out who the biggest threats were.

Anya woke first the next morning, with her other three bed mates all huddled together under the furs, catching up on lost sleep. After dressing, she moved into the joint living space of the tents to find her brother setting out food for them all, Costia and Luna already up and changed, ready for a big day. She spoke quickly with her brother, finding out all she could about these Skaikru. She found that most were helpful and eager to learn. The one named Octavia was Indra’s new second and the girl that the twins were friends with on the Ark. She seemed trustworthy from what Anya had heard, and she could see her little brother was falling for the outgoing sky girl.

The three women left in the bed slowly got up and got ready for the day. Lexa got dressed in full war paint and armour, needing to intimidate all who she spoke to in the next few days. The twins got dressed in their usual training gear of chest bindings and ¾ tight leggings. They each braided the others hair back of their faces and down the centre of their backs. They each strapped on a sword to their backs and daggers to their legs, the rest of their weapons going in a bag to carry to the grounds.

The sisters looked fierce and detached, but still looked like young women. They wore no paint on their faces and the only scar was the jagged one that covered Clarkes forehead. It was a light pink colour and was about 1 centimetre thick and went from her hairline on one side of her head to the outer edge of her other eyebrow. It was the first one she had ever gotten in Azgeda, as the ‘healer’ had burned it shut, making it seem a lot more severe than it should have been. Every night when Lexa kissed her on the fore head when they were drifting of the sleep, she took care to kiss the actual scar, showing her every night that it didn’t bother her.

They joined the others for a small breakfast, all nervous about the day ahead.

Anya, Lexa and Costia were going to meet with Indra and Lincoln first thing this morning, and then leader of Skaikru Bellamy after lunch. It would give both parties time to adjust to the new people around them.

Luna was going to get a seat in the stands around the training area wanting to hear firsthand what was said about the twins and by who.

The twins were going straight to the pits, training until lunch. Afterwards they would spar against each other, both being fully armed, as they planned to strike fear into any of the strangers that dared to approach them. If anyone did, they could very well end up dead.

As the twins rose to leave the room to get all their weapons packed up, their wives watched them go, happy they had something to do while they dealt with politics all day. Both sisters were good at wading through the politics back home in Polis, but it wasn’t their strongest point.

They came back to the room and kissed each of their wife’s goodbye, waved to the other three and made their way out of the tent. The walk to the doors of the training ground had been showed to them by Lincoln the night before. It was a short walk and no one on the stands could see them approaching. They signalled to the pair of guards at the door for it to be opened and walked into the arena.

Neither twin acknowledged the massive crowd there to watch them. They had told Luna to let slip they would be fighting each other after lunch, neither holding back.

The sisters did what they would do every morning in Polis. They had routine for training and it worked for them. Raven talked them through the steps as usual, in Spanish so none watching could decipher their words.

When the girls started to throw knives, the crowd got excited. The speed and precision of each throw was spectacular.

Raven would start practising her sword skills and timing of her swing up against the wooden posts that were on one edge of the pits. She could swing so quickly and accurately each time that she chopped the pole down within five minutes.

While Raven was destroying the arena, Clarke was collecting the knives for Raven and setting them up on a bench she had dragged into the middle of the area. Their final drill before lunch was for Clarke. They had over 40 knives between them, and Raven was going to throw every single one at Clarke so she had to dodge them. Clarke trusted that Raven would do it properly, because if she tried to miss, Clarke could move into the flight of the blade and get hurt. Raven trusted Clarke to move fast enough to dodge her knives. Occasionally, one or two knives had nicked the blonde but she had never been seriously hurt.

When Raven came across to where Clarke was waiting, they spoke quietly.

“Are you ready, Prisa? This might give some of the Skaikru a heart attack.” She teased, knowing her sister loved this game.

“Of course, maybe after lunch they will get a show that actually has some risk in it for us.” Clarke replied, having complete faith in her abilities to dodge those knives, and knowing sparring her sister this afternoon would be a great challenge.

“All right then, let’s get it done.” Raven said, a manic grin on her face.

Clarke walked away from her sister, her body tensing, readying itself for lots of movement.

She turns and nods at her sister, watching her every move.

Raven throws quickly, watching each knife sail past her sister. Every time the crowd heard the thud of a knife sticking into wood, they gasped. Everyone was on the edge of their seats, including Luna, who was in between a nervous Octavia and an awed Monty.

Clarke was listening for each knife as well as watching her sisters’ muscles react. Being so quick, it was easy to move out of the way. She raced around the arena, jumping and rolling out of the way of flying metal. She knew her sister was running out of knives, because she almost always through at the same rate.

Raven got to the last five knives and wanted to both test her sister, and terrify whoever was watching. She picked all 5 knives up and stalked towards her sister, who was still moving. Clarke never stopped, especially when Raven slowed her throws knowing something different was happening.

Raven stood ten metres away from her baby sister and threw every knife at her head. Fast.

Clarke dodged left and right for the first three, down for the fourth and on the last one she moved back into the path of the knife, brought up both hands in front of her face, and clapped.

The whole arena froze when they saw the blonde move back into the path of the knife. When she clapped and didn’t fall, they were confused. Until she opened her hands and they saw it.

The final knife was sitting in her hands.

The crowd went wild. Like they had just seen a pit fight between to warriors that had lots of money riding on it.

Clarke smirked at Raven, and the brunette just laughed. Clarke dropped the knife to the fall and walked over to her sister. They embraced each other and then separated, walking over to the gates to head back into their tent for lunch. As they left, the guards at the door looked at them with awe and fear on their faces.

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After lunch, the seating area was packed, word having spread throughout Ton DC that the Griffin Twins were sparring against each other. After their show this morning, none wanted to miss it. Even Lexa, Anya and Costia delayed their plans to speak with Bellamy to come and watch. They had seen them fight each other before, but this was going to be more high intensity and uncontrolled. They were armed and willing to hurt the other. This was how they trained for the Pits, and the world would now get to see. Never would they kill their twin, but hurting them was something they could do. In Azgeda it made them stronger. Here, it could set them apart and give them protection from the Skaikru. They had expectations on who Raven and Clarke were now. On the Ark they were sweet, kind children. They needed to know as soon as possible, they were not, not anymore.

Indra and Lincoln were going to monitor the fight. Neither could beat the girls, but they were safe bets to help break it up. Both twins knew and trusted them, they wouldn’t attack. If they said stop, they would.

No one had a clue who would win, if there would even be one. The fight would be timed, with 12, three-minute rounds. If both were still conscious and fighting at the end, it was a deemed a success. It was a training battle that most would never see again. The Twins had done it to often in their lives.

When the four other women left the twins in their tents after lunch, the sisters were silent. They were thinking about what they had been through, and how best to beat an opponent who knew what you would do next before even you would.

On the walk to their seats, Lexa reflected on the morning spent with Indra. They went over details of which warriors and Skaikru would head off to help the Arkers, who was dangerous and what the Mountain Men were doing at this time. They hadn’t taken any warriors since the Skaikru dropped and Indra felt that they were preparing for something big. Anya pointed out that some Skaikru, like Octavia, may want to stay with the Trikru.

The three women from Polis also decided that any talks of alliances would be made in Ton DC, with warriors escorting the leaders of the Ark. Indra had spoken of a radio, which she had used to speak with this Ark. Perhaps she would get Bellamy to bring it to the meeting this afternoon so they could tell the Arkers the plan. Lexa and Anya also wanted to speak to their wifes parents, to get a feel of their intentions and wants for themselves, but were unsure whether it was a good idea. They hadn’t decided whether to tell them outright that their children were alive, unsure whether to put the pressure of them knowing on the sisters. Costia also advised them not to tell the Griffins their daughters were married. It could be something they would want to hear from Raven and Clarke in person. They had missed a lot in their lives, Costia just wanted to let them get to earth first before anything else was put on their plate. They could find out from the Skaikru but Costia advised not talking to them at all, waiting until they arrived in Ton DC.

The four women from Polis took their seats in the viewing area that Indra had cordoned off just for them. They were away from the others and next to the gate where they would enter. This way at the end of the fight they could get back to the tents quickly and meet the sisters there, hopefully uninjured. If they were, Costia had supplies next to her in the stands that she could give to them.

Luna was filling them in on what she had heard in the stands this morning. Basically, the Skaikru thought they were terrifying and hot, but were still unsure if they were who they were looking for. They couldn’t picture the small girls from the Ark to be these scarred and tattooed warriors.

The scars had really put the Skaikru off. They were all over the bodies of the twins, and the mumbling from the Skaikru were that they couldn’t figure out how someone could do that to another human being.

Monty and Jasper were the first ones who had definitively stated that the training warriors were Raven and Clarke, at least within hearing distance of Luna. They had both seen Clarke’s sleeve tattoo and recognised the Ark at the top. As the rest of the Skaikru saw it and came to the same conclusion, they were happy they had answers and sad it looked like they had a bad life. If the scars were any indication of toughness and strength, those two women had way too much.

After that had been pointed out, the Skaikru focused on the tattoos that Clarke had. The sleeve was the biggest one that indicated to the Delinquents that these were the Griffins lost daughters, but they also wanted to know what was depicted on their bodies so they could warn them about what to expect.

Clarkes left arm sleeve was obvious, depicting the fall to the ground. As was the raven on her stomach, or abs, for her sister. The boys were useless at trying to decipher the tattoos, as they were staring at two very fit women and kept getting distracted.

The others were not so clear cut. The wolf and leaf on either calf could have meant anything, same with the book on her right wrist. They noticed Raven had a leaf on her left wrist, so it could have been for her as well. The sisters matching Griffins on their right shoulders was also a giveaway to their identity.

The big tree on Clarkes ribs and the one down her spine were the ones that seemed to be more important, but no one could figure it out. They were partially covered by the chest bindings. The tree could be just because she liked them, but the one down her back meant more. The geometrical design was deliberate and the Skaikru were tempted to ask Luna what it meant, but were still put off by Indra’s warning, even if Luna seemed friendly.

Octavia and Bellamy were in the crowd with all the Skaikru, waiting for the twins to re-enter the grounds for their fight. Even Finn was watching but he was slightly apart from them all because none were in the mood to listen to his shit.

Octavia was nervous to see what her friends could do in real fight. The display this morning was impressive enough.

The crowd grew silent when Indra entered the arena with Lincoln. They were to sit on the fence and just monitor if it was getting out of control. Ontari could be with them on the fence, but not allowed to touch the ground. She was keeping time, signalling the end and beginning of each round. Lincoln had informed the twins of this during their break, wanting to prepare them.

The doors opened again and the sisters emerged, weapons strapped on. Indra spoke quietly with them, out lining the rules and when it would be stopped.

Both sisters nodded before separating to opposite sides of the pit. They readied themselves for battle and waited for Ontari’s signal, a horn that could be heard over the noise of the pit.

The horn sounded and the sisters circled, Clarke waiting for Raven to make the first move. She always did, and didn’t disappoint this time. Swinging out with a knife in hand, Raven attempted to strike her sister, but she moved like the wind and was out of the way and in clear air immediately. Clarke came back at her quickly, attempting to get her sister of balance.

The first three rounds were a lot like this, with occasionally a knife slicing open skin.

The fourth round was different, with both sisters going for a more direct approach. The kicks and punches came flying quickly but no weapons were used. They knew each other’s moves so well that everything was countered and evened out.

The fifth round was where the crowd was really getting into it. They had blood and punches, but no fighter had the upper hand. So, the bets that were taken during lunch got more extreme, each warrior who had bet on a sister wanting a clear outcome.

Half way through the tenth round, the crowd got more than they had hoped for. The fight was already getting more intense, each sister getting more violent and vicious as the fight went on. The crowd had been throwing things around the stands, getting excited when one little sky boy decided that throwing something into the arena would be fun.

The rock he flung at the fighters hit the blonde in the head, cutting it open once more. Distracted by the blow, she failed to stop the knife go through her right shoulder.

Clarke backed away quickly, re centring herself for the last minute of the round. She left the knife in, knowing she could deal with it after. Clarke grabbed a few small knives out of a sheath on her thigh and flung them at her sister. She mostly had hoped to drive her back, but one grazed her side and blood came pouring out.

Each sister got to the end of the round and then came together, ending the fight. Costia and Luna quickly jumped into the pit with some medical supplies for the injured sisters, not too surprised at the outcome but outraged at the reason for it. Careful to approach where they could see, the married couple helped the sisters clean up, stitch and dress the wounds. The minor ones from little slices and glancing blows were treated in the spot, but the one on Clarkes head would need to be looked at by Nyko. It was deep, from her temple down to her ear, about 5 millimetres wide. It would scar, but it was the choice whether to stich or cauterize it was what they needed to know. It actually connected with the end of her first scar, so when it healed, it would look like one long scar, running jagged across from her hairline to her forehead and down to the bottom of her ear.

The shoulder wound that Raven had inflicted was in the same place as the one Clarke got in her final fight in Azgeda. It was treatable, just needed to be cauterized or stitched and again, Nyko was the best to tell them. They left the knife in so she didn't lose to much blood, even if Clarke wanted to remove it. Luna convinced Clarke that Nyko could do that when he checked her head back in the tents. The cut along Ravens side however was deep and wide. It needed to be cauterized so Luna ran to get one of the knives they had left in the fires in the tent for this exact reason. Knowing Raven would only want Clarke to do it, she handed of the blade to the blonde. The brunette made no sound as the blade was pressed to her skin. The only sound was of sizzling flesh and yelling in the background. After cauterizing the wound, the sisters stayed close to each other, ensuring both themselves and their twin they were all fine. A sudden bang from the behind them brought them out of their bubble and back into the world.

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Meanwhile, Indra, Lincoln and Ontari stormed into the crowd and found a sky boy being held by the throat. Octavia filled in the three on what happened and why. Finn thought it would be funny to throw the rock into the arena, having no common sense. He believed that because all the Trikru were throwing things in the crowd he could too, but he didn’t care where he threw it. He aimed to hit one of them, thinking it would be funny and everyone would like him again, not that they ever really did.

Ontari grabbed the struggling sky boy who was her unfortunate responsibility, and through him over the side and into the pit. She, Indra and Lincoln slowly made their way down the steps, everyone knowing that the boy had not long left on this earth. The Skaikru realised this as well, and none were upset about this. There were rules to be followed, and he didn’t which, the fallout of which caused great injury to multiple people. Important people. Two people who used to be their people.

Lexa and Anya had made their way down from their stands and were walking through the gates, not caring about the sound that they made. They knew this would be a great fight, but that the sisters would be safe because they knew each other’s plans like they knew their own. But this insolent, pathetic sky boy had changed it, forcing one sisters’ injury. The rest of it could have happened anyway, but it would have been unlikely. His actions caused both their wife’s to be hurt, and that was unforgiveable.

Costia and Luna helped Raven and Clarke to their feet, knowing that 5 years ago that wouldn’t have happened. They had come a long way. They allowed themselves to show pain, even when they were training, would have been inconceivable back then.

Finn was terrified. He was suddenly aware he had bitten off more than he could chew, and now he was going to choke on it.

Ontari left the arena, leaving Indra and Lincoln in there with a soon to be dead sky boy, two wounded former prisoners, a nightblood, a general, a tracker and a commander. She was not stupid. The four women not bleeding looked pissed. The two fighter’s faces were cold and blank.

Indra was embarrassed. This boy was unfortunately partly her responsibility and he had injured. Ontari backed out so fast she was a blur.

Lincoln dragged him to his knees, forcing him to face the seven women. Indra was the one who looked the least terrifying, and that was meant to be impossible.

Indra began speaking loudly so all in the crowd could hear. “You knew of the rules for when these women arrived and you broke them. You have continually insulted and attacked my people and your own since you arrived on this earth. Your punishment is out of my hands.”

The crowd was silent, waiting for the next word.

Finn, ever the idiot, then ran his mouth off at her. “You can’t do shit to me. The Ark is coming down and they won’t tolerate this. You animals will be put in your place and the Ark will thank me for my service.”

The Skaikru groaned, sick of this asshole bringing their reputation down to match his. They had worked hard over the days they had been here and he just undid all that. Perhaps Indra would believe them, but the one they needed to convince was the commander, and he had just hurt one of her closest advisors. They were unaware that she was way more than that.

“Enough.” The word was growled out through gritted teeth by Anya. She was pissed this immature sack of shit was not dead yet. Unfortunately, it was Lexa that had the final say on punishment, not her.

Lexa stalked forward, stopping a few meters in front of the trembling boy.

“Do you know who I am? I am going to assume you do because if you didn’t, I doubt you would be shaking right now. But the better question is, do you know who they are?”

Lexa pointed at the twins. One with blood pouring down the side of her face and out her shoulder. The other with freshly seared skin on her side.

“They are the Griffin Twins.” Finn mumbled, unaware of how much trouble he was in.

“Perhaps I misspoke. What I meant is, do you know who they used to be?”

Finn shook his head, as he hadn’t been listening when the other Delinquents had figured out their identities. He was too busy watching two hot girls train.

“They were born Raven Reyes and Clarke Griffin, way up in that Ark you used to call a home. Do you remember now?” Lexa was having fun with this, knowing the whole crowd could hear her words. They would find out more today than they would have ever thought possible, about both the Twins and herself and Anya.

Finn nodded, figuring out that these were who the Griffins on the Ark were looking for. He didn’t care when he heard the story on the drop ship to earth and he didn’t care now, but decided that non-verbal responses were more likely to see him stay alive.

“Good. Now you have heard the stories about them in the pits like everyone else here has, but do you know what happened afterwards? How they came to be here, with us, today?”

Another shake of the head. The crowd was eager to hear Heda’s words, none having known the truth.

Lexa was grandstanding, speaking both to the crowd and to the boy. The others in the pit had figured out she was going to out their marriages but didn’t care. They never hid it.

“Well, the Twins left Azgeda with Heda and went to Polis. There, they slowly began to recover from their time in the pits and the horrors that had befallen them. They both fell in love with two other women living in the tower, and after watching two of their closest friends Costia and Luna marry, they decided to both move forward with their own relationships, which led to marriage. Do you know who they were married too?”

Finn was unresponsive, terrified to even breathe. The crowd on the other hand, had almost forgotten the sky boy and were hanging on every word. Octavia and Bellamy were especially curious. One because she wanted to know all she could about her first friends, the other because he had to inform their parents.

“The beautiful blonde married a girl called Lexa, on the same day her sister married a girl called Anya. Now, these women have proper titles in the Coalition. Do you want to guess?”

The Trikru were shocked, know knowing who their leaders had married. The Skaikru only knew them as Heda and General, so were still in the dark.

Lexa was in heaven, torturing this boy without saying a word. She motioned Anya forward to stand next to her as she stood in front if Finn’s trembling form. Lincoln gripped his neck and forced his head up to face the two women.

“Lexa is Heda of the 12 clans, and Anya is her General.”

The look on Finns face was one that the pair would hold onto for a long time. They had never seen someone so scared before. They heard the Trikru and Skaikru start talking amongst themselves, it was big news.

“You caused our wives pain. Not much, but pain none the less. Normally, we would kill you. However, our wives are still fit enough to do it themselves, so it is up to them how we kill you. Clarke? Raven? What would you like to happen?”

Raven thought for a minute, then got a wicked smirk on her face and whispered something to her sister, who then matched it. This brought joy to Anya, Lexa and the Trikru. Finn on the other hand, paled. The Skaikru were resigned to it, glad he was no longer going to be a problem and sad it had to happen this way, at the hands of two girls, who under different circumstances, could be sitting next to them.

Raven broke the silence that recaptured the pit. “As you know Clarke hear is an excellent knife thrower, but an even better artist. She did design all her tattoo, except the one down her spine. As we know don’t have to fight each other anymore, she wishes to practise her painting. With knives. Lincoln, tie him to the post so my sister can paint the floor with his blood. Jus drein jus daun.”

Lincoln dragged the now screaming sky boy to the post on the side of the arena while Clarke gathered up the knives they used during the fight.

The crowd had clued in to the unusual execution about to take place. They watched as Clarke carved his body with knives thrown from distance, injured arm hanging limply at her side. Each one slicing elegantly through the skin of the boy. Some would create new wounds, some opened up new ones. Slowly but surely the cuts got deeper and more blood covered the dirt as he screamed. Clarke took her time, getting Raven and Lincoln to return the blades to her. After about 150 throws, she saw her sister and Lincoln had replaced most of the knives, but she wanted to make a statement to the Delinquents that the girls they knew from the Ark were gone. She looked up at the half dead sky boy, knowing in a few minutes he would bleed out. So, she slowly pulled the knife out of her own shoulder without flinching and lined up her final throw. Instead of a killing blow, she threw the bloody knife hard at his groin, letting the pain wake him up so he was aware of his last moments. He squealed and then passed out, never to wake up again. She turned her back and walked away from the scene, joining her sister and wife in the middle of the pit.

The eight people left in the pit walked to the doors, not giving another thought to the boy bleeding out behind them. Before they walked out the doors however, Anya turned and called to the crowd.

“Do not test us. We trust no one and are very protective.”

She walked out of the pit with her wife and Clarke, leaving the five others standing there. Lexa needed something from certain people watching.

“Octavia kom Skaikru, please collect Bellamy kom Skaikru from where he ran off to and also collect Nyko and then join us in my tent. We have some things to talk about.”

Lexa turned and walked away, with the other four following in her wake.

Octavia was intrigued, but Bellamy had run to inform the Griffin who his daughters were and everything he knew about them. He was terrified of both the sisters and their wives. He didn’t know how Abby and Jake would react to this new. Octavia wouldn’t know what it was about until they got in there so she quickly collected Nyko and grabbed Bellamy after his conversation with now happy Griffins, and made their way to the tents. This next meeting was what could make or break the Skaikru.

“You didn’t tell them everything did you?” Octavia asked her brother.

“No O, I didn’t. How do you tell someone that their long-lost daughters are scarred, tattooed pit fighters who are married to the leaders of the grounders and just killed one of The 100? What we just saw, no one on the Ark would even think of doing it and they had no problem with it. If they hadn’t fallen to earth, that wouldn’t have happened. No, that is something better done face-to-face. I told them they were alive and in the village we were staying in. They are coming to the ground in two hours now. Everything is ready to go. We just have to tell Heda.”

“Let’s get going then.”

Chapter Text

Lexa, Anya, Indra, Bellamy and Octavia were standing in the dining room of the tents discussing the Ark.

“Two hours? That is when they are dropping?” Lexa was stunned, unaware that it would happen so quickly. She knew it could be tonight, but most believed it would tomorrow morning. Dropping a whole day early must mean something has changed up in space.

“Yes, Heda. Dr Griffin said they would be aiming for the same place as our drop ship and told me to ask if you would be able to send aid immediately. Everything on the Ark is stored safely, but the people up there are still scared of the ground. She also asked you send some of the 100 with the warriors so that they know who to look out for and when to open the doors.” Bellamy answered Lexa, still unsure of how to look at the woman. Yes, she was the commander, but she was also a wife to somebody he used to know.

“The warriors have been ready to leave for a few days so all you will have to do is pick some of the Skaikru to accompany you. All may go or just a few, I do not mind. The only thing I ask is Octavia stays behind in Ton DC. She is needed here.”

“Yes Heda. The Griffins also ask of their daughters, how they are and whether they will travel to the Ark?”

Anya answered this question for everyone, leaving no room for questions. “Tell the Griffins they are well, but injured from a fight and that they are unable to travel. Once your Ark is opened up and the warriors feel it is safe for a small group to travel to Ton DC, they are the first two in line.”

“Yes General. Thank you General. Will that be all? I would like to go to the Ark and I need to get some Delinquents to come as well.”

Indra dismissed the boy, “Yes, Bellamy that is all. You may go. Lincoln is waiting for you near the healers’ tent.”

Bellamy turned to leave, but realised his sister had not moved. “O, let’s go.”

“She is needed here. You may go. You will see her when you return from the Ark.” Lexa dismissed Bellamy, knowing he was helpful and a decent leader among the Skaikru, but Octavia is more important to her.

“Okay. I will see you when I get back. Stay safe.”

“You too, Bell.” Octavia was not worried, more concerned about why she was still here. She wasn’t going to help the Ark anyway, but it would have been nice to see Abby and Jake again.

A silence fell over the four women, not sure where to start. Indra decided to start things off, knowing it could be a long afternoon.

“Let’s sit. We have some things to talk to you about Octavia.”

Octavia waited until the four other women sat down before she moved. “Have I done something wrong. I swear I didn’t tell anyone I knew who they were before they got here. I kept silent.”

Indra began talking a bit faster, seeing as she knew the girl was close to freaking out. “We know Octavia, and we thank you greatly for that. Raven and Clarke have been through a lot and you keeping silent stopped any more pressure being put on them prematurely.”

Octavia visibly deflated, glad she wasn’t in trouble. “So, may I ask why am I here?”

Anya began talking to the sky girl, careful to keep her voice even and calm. She knew she was an imposing figure and needed to be kinder right now. “You were friends with my wife and her twin on the Ark, yes? You lived under the floor and they were your first friends?”

“Yes general, and they weren’t just my first friends, they were my only friends. It almost broke me when they dropped to earth.”

“Lexa and I have spoken with the sisters, and Costia and Luna, and we all agreed that before they meet their parents again, that meeting you, their old friend, first would be easier to handle. Are you okay with that?” Anya spoke softly, watching as tears built up in the tough girl’s eyes.

“Yes General, I would be honoured.”

The three grounder women stood up and Octavia suddenly realised that they meant right now. “Oh shit, like now?! Okay, yep sure. Lead the way.”

The three grounders were amused at her change of mood, but said nothing. Lexa however did give a warning. “If they seem closed off, it is because they are. Both women are adjusting to a new place, new people and old, and it may not look like it, but what Clarke just did got to them. Clarke may not say much, if anything and Raven will possibly be quite rude. Do not take it to heart.”

“Yea I won’t, they were the exact same way when we were kids. Clarke said very little and Raven kept breaking things and would not keep quiet. Complete opposite but no one could ever get between them. At least, that is what Abby would say.”

“Follow me.” Lexa led the group through the flap in the tent leading to their private bedrooms and sitting room.

The sight that welcomed the four was one none would have expected. A bloody Nyko was backed up to the wall by an enraged and screaming Raven, while Luna tried to pull her off him. Clarke was next to Costia on the floor, her entire upper body exposed, her face a picture of agony. Her injured shoulder looked worse than before.

Anya and Lexa sprinted over to the three people on the side, while Indra and Octavia went over to writhing Clarke. Octavia went to touch her, but was stopped by Costia. “Don’t. She won’t mean to but she could hurt you, she is having a flashback. We have to wait for Lexa or Raven.”

Octavia nodded and was watching her friend contort in agony.

Anya had pulled Raven away from Nyko and was calming her down, while Lexa turned and walked over to her wife and held her, trying to bring her back to reality. Luna and Costia moved to be on either side of Nyko, sitting him into a chair Indra had gotten from the dining room and moving away to stand next to Indra on the other side of the room.

Once the sisters had calmed down enough that they could be left alone, Anya brought Raven over to her little sister and sat her down. She immediately started speaking to her in Spanish, checking if she was okay and whether she was in too much pain. Pain she couldn’t handle.

Clarke answered in the negative and pulled her twin close with her good arm. Lexa kissed her wife on the cheek and stood to stand with Anya, leaving her in the care of Raven. Octavia moved to sit on the other side of Raven, away from the injured arm but still close to both girls. Raven turned to face Octavia, grinned slightly, reached a hand out and placed it on Octavia’s. It was her way of saying thanks for being there for Clarke, even if she couldn’t do anything. Octavia flipped her hand and gripped Raven’s, glad that the previously furious fighter was still the sweet girl she remembered. It showed she hadn’t lost everything.

“What happened?” Lexa growled out. It was very good impression of Anya and if the situation had been different, most of the people in the room would be laughing right now.

Nyko started, “Well Heda, I was trea-“

“Not you. Costia? Luna? What happened that caused my wife pain and my little sister to attack?”

Luna spoke for the couple as she had been watching Nyko work. “It took a long time for Clarke to allow Nyko to treat her. Normally she wants Raven but we convinced her that you wouldn’t have asked for Nyko if you didn’t trust his capabilities as a healer. Anyway, we got Clarke’s bindings off and had her lie face down so he could treat her back. Instead of stitching it up, he put a knife in the wound and pulled downwards making it bigger. Clarke screamed and struck out at Nyko, hitting him in the face before Raven leapt at him and shoved him towards the wall. I jumped on her to stop him from being killed and Costia went to Clarke. And then you came in.”

Lexa rounded on Nyko, who shrunk back into his seat. “Why did you make the wound bigger? Why would you put a knife in a womans back who wasn’t expecting? And why would you do it to a victim of torture, prison and pit fighter in Azgeda?”

Nyko stood, ready to defend himself. “The wound needed to be cleaned, and I had no visibility with all the scarring. So, I had to make it bigger, open it up, to treat it. I didn’t say anything because the patient normally tenses up and it hurts more. I didn’t think of them as victims of torture, because they aren’t just that. I now realise I should have gone about it differently. I apologise.”

Raven and Clarke were still huddled together, needing the contact, Raven gripping Octavia’s hand so tightly it was turning white, but she didn’t care. She was grounding Raven and she was happy to help.

The three women on the wall looked at the three younger women connected on the floor, thinking that they had all been robbed of over a decade of friendship and it was a shame. Octavia was already starting to fit in.

Lexa and Anya were quietly discussing what to do. On one hand he hurt Clarke, on the other it was what any healer would have done. Clarke and Raven just have different responses. They decided he was fine to go, but would not be allowed to treat either of them. The sisters would say they were fine treating each other and for most things they could.

“Thank you Nyko for the apology. Grab your things and leave. It will be safest for you to not treat one of our wives again. Just quickly though, what would you do for Clarke’s face, stitch or burn?” Anya asked.

“Burn it General. It will scar about the same amount as stiches, but I doubt neither of the twins will allow anyone close to them with a needle. It will also need less aftercare as well. Her shoulder I would clean and then burn as well. With the Arkkru falling soon, you may need them fit to travel.”

Nyko left quickly after that, leaving the 8 women alone in the room.

Lexa and Anya made their way over to the three women on the wall, asking them to leave and sort out everything that was needed for the arrival of the Arkers. Costia and Luna were going to join the group travelling to the drop sight so they could speak with the Griffins first at escort them back to Ton DC as soon as possible. It would be cruel to everyone involved to keep the separated any longer than necessary.

When the five women were left alone, Clarke and Raven separated. Clarke followed Lexa into their bedroom to get her injuries burnt and get her some new chest bindings and a shirt. Anya went into her and Raven room and got her a clean shirt while she sat next to Octavia, hands linked.

Neither girl knew what to say. How do you tell someone you were sorry that their life was shit?

“I am sorry your life was shit before you found Anya. You seem very happy with her.” Octavia started, just diving right in.

“You always were blunt. I’m sorry you got found and were locked up for being born. Seems like we both got crappy deals.” Raven replied.

Octavia looked over at Raven and just laughed. In relief or wonder or happiness she didn’t know but she laughed. After Raven got over the shock she giggled as well, before it turned into a proper loud laugh that only Anya or Clarke could normally get out of her. She tugged on their joined hands and pulled Octavia in for a hug. They slowly stopped laughing and just held each other tight, letting actions convey what words could not. It was long minutes before they separated, both with silent tears running down their faces.

Anya had seen the whole thing and decided now would be a good time to join them. She walked in and handed her wife a clean shirt, the rest could wait until later. They made small talk while they waited for the other couple to finish healing up Clarkes wounds. Anya got to hear stories about Raven from someone who didn’t hold her completely on a pedestal, and Raven got to be herself around someone new.

About half an hour later, Lexa and Clarke joined the others in the sitting room. Clarke had changed all her clothes, got the blood out of her hair and had her arm in a sling, taking pressure of the still painful shoulder. She looked relaxed and calm for the first time since they had arrived in Ton DC. It helped her wife took great care of her, but she could also hear her sister and Octavia laughing and chatting like they had never been separated.

Lexa helped her wife sit next to Raven, before grabbing Anya and leaving the room, giving the trio time to talk. Again, it was silent for a while before Octavia broke it, trying to make everyone more comfortable.

“So Clarke? What is with all the tattoos? I have been wondering what they all mean. The arm sleeve I get, your fall from space. And the Griffin is pretty obvious too, for Jake and Abby. The raven obviously means your big sister, but what about the others? The tree, the one down your spine, the book, leaf and wolf? Any others?”

Clarke knew Octavia from her childhood so trusted her with the story of her tattoos. “No, I think you got them all. The tree has got the rebirth in the leaves for my new life when I met Lexa, but has deep roots for Raven. The book is a matching tattoo I have with my wife, like a wedding ring. We do wear rings, but here on earth they don’t mean much. They were more for mum and dad and a symbol to our former way of life. The wolf is a copy of the one Costia and Luna have that they got for their wedding, to show how much they mean to me. The leaf is the same for Rae and Anya. And the one down my spine, is a copy of the one Lexa has done hers. Shows I support her and I always will.”

“I don’t think I have ever heard you say so much in one go.” Octavia was shocked, Raven was smiling, happy her sister trusted O already and Clarke giggled.

“Well, we have years to catch up on. It might not be happy and pretty stories, but we are back together again after over a decade. You were my best friend O, other than Rae, and it may take some time, but I want to be close again. I already trust you a bit, and I trust no one. I need you to be with me for a long time now I’ve got you back. That okay with you?”

Octavia didn’t say anything, she just launched herself at Clarke who caught her one armed in a strong hug. It hurt her shoulder but she didn’t care. She had her best friend back. The world could burn around them and she wouldn’t notice.

She did notice when a third body joined the hug. Raven sandwiched Octavia between the Twins and rolled them so she took most of the weight. They would need each other in the days and weeks to come, especially dealing with the Griffins. But that could wait for now, because they were all safe together.

They broke apart and chatted about the little things they had noticed on the ground, none of them wanting to delve into their imprisonments just yet. That could wait. Clarke drifted into her head a few times and Raven got very loud when she got excited, but it was nice to have a normal conversation that didn’t deal with pain and suffering.

They hadn’t noticed that night fell over Ton DC until Lexa and Anya came in with dinner. They had been distracted and making jokes all afternoon.

After they ate Lexa delivered some news. “While you were talking, Indra received a message from one of the Skaikru who stayed behind, Monty. He was in charge of the radio and got a message from the Ark. They dropped safely and with no fatalities. Some injuries but all should be well. They are a bit further from Ton DC than the first ship, and won’t open the doors until they see Bellamy. They don’t want to meet any unexpected guests.”

Clarke and Raven were silent, unsure how to react. They were glad everyone was okay but now the chance of reuniting with their parents like they had Octavia was real. In a few days’ they would be in Ton DC.

“Okay. Let us know how it goes. We will help around the village since we can’t really train to our level right now.” Raven said.

“We could train lightly. I need to keep my shoulder moving. But yea, we can help out since they are missing a fair few warriors to the Ark.” Clarke finished.

“Are you sure? It is a pretty nasty wound.” Octavia asked Clarke, worried she was going to hurt herself again.

Clarke didn’t answer and the silence was becoming uncomfortable. Raven stepped in for her sister and broke the reality to Octavia. Neither wanted to hurt the girl but she had to know a little about their time with the Ice Nation.

“Um, O? That is nothing. It took a lot worse than that to get a week out of the pits in Azgeda, and we never did. It was part of the reason we got out at 16, we didn’t stop. Nia said she would be surprised if we got out at 19. We have both had a lot worse than that. That shoulder wound of Clarkes, or the one on my side, hell even the one on Clarkes face, they are nothing.”

Octavia was in shock. She knew that they had been tortured in Azgeda, but hadn’t hurt to what extent. Even now she wasn’t hearing much. If she was freaking out about a little information, how was she going to react when they told her more?

“Right, okay. Sorry. I didn’t know.”

“All good O. No one does. We don’t tell anyone we don’t trust.” Raven said, unaware that those words were exactly what Octavia wanted to hear. She was trusted. No one had ever trusted her before. Not even Bellamy really.

“Thankyou.”

Lexa sensed that now was a good time to head off to bed. “Okay then. I will let Indra know your plans, but in the morning. It had been a long day.”

They left the table and parted ways with Octavia, promising to meet up in the morning. She wanted to introduce them to some of the Skaikru.

Each couple went to their own room that night to celebrate privately. They were glad that they had reconnected with Octavia before their parents. It gave them a practise run in some ways. In a few days’ they would have to face all again, but until then they had each other.

Chapter Text

Clarke and Lexa stayed up the night before, both celebrating and talking about the past, Octavia, the Griffins, the Ark and what would happen when they fell.

They woke that morning to a message from Indra that she wanted to see the four of them as soon as possible. So they all dressed quickly after breakfast and made their way hand in hand through Ton DC. The Skaikru and Trikru warriors that were still in Ton DC were in shock of seeing the normally intense and scary Commander and General holding hands with the equally terrifying Griffin Twins. They had heard they were married, but it is different seeing it. The women struck a picture of unity and strength, while also showing their love for each other.

They headed into Indra’s tent to find Octavia, Lincoln and Indra waiting for them as well as a boy who must have come from the sky. He was skinny and gangly, and looked terrified. He had these goggles on his head that no one had any idea of what they did for him.

Considering the terrified and temporarily mute boy was not saying anything, Octavia broke this ice.

“Hey, this is Jasper. He was on radio this morning when Bellamy called in. They travelled hard all night and made it to the Ark just after day break. He got in touch with Abby and they opened the doors. Apparently, no one wanted to stay up in space so they tried to bring everyone on the Ark down. The ring they all connected by is still up there, and some of the more vulnerable sections of the Ark. Most parts broke off from the main section, but thankfully all the residents had been moved to the main and more integral parts of the Ark as they had been more structurally sound and more likely to make it safe to the ground. There are about 2000 new residents on earth. With the help of the Trikru and Polis, they hope to be independent quite soon.”

“Thank you, Octavia. Is there anything else Jasper needs to tell us?” Lexa said, glad the Arkkru were safe but enjoying making Jasper uncomfortable.

Jasper jumped like someone had stuck him with a pin. He hurried to answer. “Yes, Commander Heda ma’am. Abby and Jake Griffin both spoke to me on the radio and said that baring no major injuries or engineering problems in the next day, which is unlikely cause there is barely any power to make stuff work apparently and they shouldn’t get themselves too hurt but if they do Jackson can deal with it I – “

“JASPER. Chill. Stop rambling. What did Jake and Abby say, the short version?” Octavia interrupted as she could tell the others were enjoying this too much, even if they barely showed it.

“Oh. If nothing goes wrong and the grounders in charge say it is safe, they can leave tomorrow morning and be here that night. Marcus wants to send an emissary to make alliances and shi-stuff. Stuff. And he would have been stupid not to send the Griffins. I mean they are awesome and want to see their kids for the first time in years. What kind of guy wouldn’t let them come? Oh, did I tell you that the whole Ark knows you are both alive and apparently cheered when they heard. They love the Griffins and you guys were like the smartest kids ever. Everyone felt bad when you –“

“Thank you, Jasper. Please tell Bellamy and the Griffins that we got the message and will expect the Griffins tomorrow night.” Indra cut off the sky boy. Even though he meant no harm, he was drifting into dangerous territory.

“Okay cool. See you later!” The energetic Jasper half-ran and half-skipped out of the tent happy he had done his job. The group in the tent were silent for a few seconds before the three youngest started giggling. It was a sound that wasn’t heard often enough on the ground.

The three young women got themselves under control and the meeting began. Where troops would go, what the Skaikru could do, whether they returned to the Ark or stayed here. They had developed their own community and most didn’t want it broken by adults who had thrown them in prison.

Eventually though it was time for them to part ways. They would discuss the Griffins the next morning when they got confirmation from the Ark they were coming.

Anya and Lexa went to the training grounds with their wives, Lincoln and Octavia. They needed to train and their wives wanted a light session just to keep up with movements and some drills. Lincoln and Octavia however, they sat in the stands in their own world. For hours while the couples trained and stretched, they talked and flirted. Octavia opened up to the quiet grounder, and in return he told her about his life, growing up with Anya and life on the ground. They had no idea that the couples training were watching them with curiosity. Anya had suspected her brother had a crush, she just couldn’t conceive how the loud Octavia and quiet Lincoln worked, but even in this early stage she could see it did.

A few hours after lunch, Octavia ran to the twins tents to see if they were up to meeting a few of the Skaikru. Indra had suggested it would be a good way for them to get used to being around Octavia again, and have a trial run before being around the Arkers. Octavia had found the most non-threatening Delinquents she could that had stayed behind in Ton DC. Most Skaikru had actually gone back to help the Ark, but Murphy who had stayed behind had let slip that it was because they thought the adults would screw up what they had built here. Almost all Skaikru were thinking of staying in Ton DC with the grounders, or even moving along to Polis if they could.

Octavia had gathered Charlotte, Jasper and Monty together and had them stay near the entrance to the training grounds. Even if she could get the sisters to talk to the three teenagers for a few minutes she would deem it a success.

She opened the flap in the tent to find Clarke reading a book and Raven had her head over something mechanical looking. Having no idea where she got it, Octavia chose to ignore it and focused on Clarke.

“Hey, there are three Skaikru who were wanting to meet you guys. They are super kind and really not intimidating. What do you say? Just a few minutes?”

Clarke cocked her head to the side and stared at Octavia. “If I am covered from head to toe, all people will see is a girl with a big scar across her face. Looks are deceiving. Why should we? They aren’t like you. We didn’t know anyone closely on the Ark other than you and our parents. I am not going to meet people I don’t trust when I have almost everyone I need in one village. There are two returning tomorrow with our parents, and only after I see them will I even think about dealing with the Skaikru.” Clarke stood from her chair and stormed into the bedroom, unaware of the confusion she was leaving behind.

Octavia watched the space the blonde had left by, waiting for her to pop and say she was joking. When a minute passed and she didn’t return, Octavia looked to Raven and saw her grinning.

“Rae, what was that? She made no sense at all and then stormed off. Maybe when your mum gets here tomorrow she can have a look at that head wound because there is something wrong wi- why are you laughing? She could be hurt. She was speaking gibberish and your laughing! What is wrong with you?” Octavia was trying not to yell, but she was worried and confused at what was happening. Thankfully, Raven was going to clear it up for her.

“That, Octavia, was Russian. And I think she probably slipped into a little bit of Polish but she hasn’t learnt that one completely yet, so mostly Russian. She basically told you to fuck off because she doesn’t need anyone else new in her life, she has enough people she trusts now. Only after our parents rock up with Costia and Luna will she even think about hanging with the Skaikru.”

“Clarke speaks Russian?” Octavia was a bit confused.

“Yes, and about 12 other languages that she had learnt over the years. When she is emotional or distracted she talks in a random language that she knows. She doesn’t even know she does it. We sometimes tease her about it, but lately with all the stress we have been under we let it go. It isn’t her fault. Freaked Lexa out the first time it really happened though.”

“So, she is okay but doesn’t want to see the three most pathetic and un athletic Skaikru I could find in Ton DC?”

“Basically. But I on the other hand would love to. Let me get some fresh clothes on and we can go.” Raven went back to her room to change, and before she left with Raven she checked in on her sister and found her asleep with a book in hand and cuddling Lexa’s pillow. She must be struggling a lot more than Raven expected.

Raven joined Octavia on the short walk to three Skaikru, looking forward to seeing how freaked out she could make them. It wasn’t a nice thing to do but it would do wonders in getting the Skaikru to be wary of them. She didn’t want them thinking just because she and Clarke were born in the Ark that they were one of them. Too much had happened for that to ever be true.

Octavia was right, these three were pathetic. The girl looked stronger than the boys but that wasn’t hard to do. The boys were gangly and skinny, probably in prison for stealing a book to read. But, she knew not to judge a book by its cover, just look at her and Clarke. She steeled herself for an uncomfortable few minutes and followed Octavia to the sky kids.

“Guys, this is Raven. Rae, this is Jasper, Monty and Charlotte.”

The three kids were looking at Raven with a mixture of fear and awe. They had seen her help her sister execute one of the 100, fight like a demon and let her sister press a hot knife to her skin and not flinch once.

Raven said nothing, wanting to see how long it would take for the one with goggles to start rambling again. She didn’t have to wait very long.

“I, um, I think you are a really cool fighter and strong to. You and your sister were awesome, well until Finn was a dickhead and then it got kinda scary. Your parents are gonna freak when they hear about all this. I don’t think Bellamy will tell, he is a chicken shit but they will find out something that would real- ow! Monty! What the fuck? That was my foot!”

“Jasper shut the hell up, now.” The boy called Monty seemed smarter or perhaps more aware of the tension growing between the five of them as he continued his rambling.

Raven and Octavia tensed the second he mentioned the Griffin parents and their possible reactions to the twins’ appearance, way of life and skill set. All of those things were markers of their life and their survival, but their parents could not approve. Charlotte was quietly shaking and stepping away from Jasper, scared he was going to be hurt and not wanting to be caught up in it.

Raven decided it would be best to walk away and re-join Clarke before she snapped. “It was nice meeting you. I must go back to my sister now.”

Her voice had no emotion as she left the three Skaikru and Octavia behind, hearing Octavia and Monty’s scolding of Jasper and them comforting Charlotte. That boy would need to watch his mouth around the others. She kept her calm but if he had said that near Clarke, her protective big sister mode would have been activated and they could have been hurt. It wasn’t that bad to be honest, but voicing their concerns so carelessly in front of a person who kill you in a second, not the smartest idea.

Raven entered the tent and went to join her little sister in bed. She found her snuggling in with Lexa’s pillow and furs, book forgotten and sound asleep. She snuck in behind her sister and wrapped her arms around her, needing the comfort. Clarke stirred at the intrusion but subconsciously recognised her big sister and relaxed into her. Raven joined her in sleep, thinking the whole time about how the reunion with their parents would go tomorrow night.

CGRRCGRRCGRRCGRRCGRRCGRRCGRRCGRRCGRRCGRRCGRRCGRRCGRRCGRRCGRRCGRRCGRRCGRR

Abby Griffin was in awe of the ground. She could never have imagined living anywhere but in the Ark, but seeing the trees and rivers was a dream come true. She had waited until Bellamy arrived with some fierce looking warriors before she allowed anyone to venture out of the Ark. There were too many unknowns.

Bellamy kept his word, and with all the help that was sent from Ton DC, the camp was well on its way to being operational. It helped that most people still had a place to sleep as their quarters were part of the Ark that made it to earth. The ones who weren’t so fortunate could either bunk in with some friends or take one of the tents being put up by the grounders.

The grounders who came to help the Arkers were scary and didn’t speak much, but listened to two women with paint on their faces. They seemed to be the leaders and were the ones she needed to speak too.

Abby found Jackson and left strict instructions for the med bay. There weren’t many injuries from the drop, but some needed monitoring. If Abby had her way, she would be leaving Jackson alone to deal with this while she went to see her daughters.

Raven and Clarke. They were the light of her and Jake’s lives, but when Jaha dropped the block, their lives as they knew them, stopped. They were seen as the grieving parents, the ones who would look for any possible reason that their kids could be alive on earth. When they were proven right, when Bellamy spoke to them on the radio about their daughters being with the 100, her and Jake had a weight lifted partially from their shoulders. The Ark cheered for the Griffins when the news spread, knowing that two of the most inherently good people in the world got the miracle they had prayed for. The Arkers who had kids in the sky box knew that the Griffins were using their positions in the Ark to help them, risking death every time. They deserved some happiness, and know they were apparently half a day’s trek from it.

Abby found Jake and Marcus together assessing the damage to the Ark from the fall. Well Jake was assessing, Marcus just wanted to look like he was doing something. The man didn’t have the most appropriate skills for the ground. A skilled talker, but he couldn’t sew up a wound or fix a leak in the Ark. Abby pulled Jake away and they started on their trek to the two painted women of the ground.

Bellamy met them halfway and informed them of what he knew.

“Their names are Costia and Luna. They are two of the Commanders closest advisors and friends. They are the ones who will take you to Ton DC for the meetings and political talk with the Commander.” Bellamy explained, leaving out the crucial information of how they both knew their daughters and were close friends with them and their wives. He might pay for it later, but right now he couldn’t tell the Griffins anything more. It wasn’t his place.

“Thank you, Bellamy. Go help the others with setting up camp. You have more experience down here than most, you can keep peace.” Jake dismissed him after that, knowing he had done a lot for their family, but this was a private conversation.

“Of course. Good luck.” Bellamy wandered off and the Griffins made their way over to the women.

They got within 20 meters of the women when a grounder blocked their way. He said nothing, waiting for the couple to talk. He could stand there all day.

“My name is Dr Abby Griffin and this is my husband Jake. We wish to speak to whoever oversees the camp and how we can negotiate a treaty or alliance of some type. Bellamy told us we were to speak with the two women behind you.” Abby was not exactly happy to wait. She had waited years for the opportunity to come to earth for the girls, she didn’t want to wait any longer. She knew they were at a camp, injured, with the Commander of the grounders. If she can get a meeting with her delegate here, she is one step closer to Raven and Clarke.

“It is fine, let them through.” Luna broke the silence, but not wanting to give the Griffins the courtesy of speaking in English just yet. Raven and Clarke may be their daughters, but they were also their little sisters. In some ways, Luna and Costia were more protective of the twins than Lexa and Anya.

The five people stood in a silence that none wanted to break. The grounders had no reason to, they hadn’t asked for the meeting.

Jake broke the silence eventually, wanting information.

“I am Jake and I am the chief engineer on the Ark. This is my wife Abby and she is the head doctor. We have been asked to be the liaisons between here and your leader in Ton DC. We wish to try and make an alliance that will be beneficial to all of us. We wish to travel as soon as possible to begin negotiations.”

Octavia had briefed the couple on what the Griffins did when they were in Ton DC.

“I am Luna. You are correct that we are the ones you must speak to, but you will not leave this camp and all the people in it until it is safe to do so. How long until your injured people will be safe to leave without a doctor? How long will it take to ensure that the buildings will not fall? How can you think to leave without knowing those answers?”

Jake could feel Abby starting to tense, knowing that she was stressed and just wanting their daughters back. He did to, but he could mask it a bit better.

“To be honest, the main ship is structurally sound. Some of the outer walls need to be propped up and reinforced but that will only take a few hours, perhaps till nightfall. The fact Abby is here speaking with you is proof that her patients are safe without her. She has a fantastic backup doctor who can cover for her in the infirmary. We knew our responsibilities were to the people on the Ark first, and making alliances comes into that.”

Luna had a thoughtful look on her face. She knew they were not telling her everything. She knew their motivation for leaving and being ambassadors were their daughters in Ton DC. But she didn’t think that the Griffins knew how important their daughters were in this world.

“And there are no other reasons you wish to be the ambassadors for your clan?”

“No. We wish to do the best for our people.”

“So, you had no idea that two girls with the same names as your lost daughters are in Ton DC, right now?”

Jake paled and Abby straightened. She knew honesty was possibly the only way they could get through this conversation without injury.

“Yes, we knew. Bellamy told us. We just want our kids back.” Abby was in tears, the stress making her emotional.

“And what else has Bellamy told you?” Costia asked, speaking for the first time.

“Just that they were called the Griffin Twins and were alive. He said he saw them train but hasn’t spoken to them.” Abby gave all the information she had to the grounders.

Costia could see the honesty in her face. She knew this Bellamy boy knew more than he had told them. She couldn’t understand why he had kept it secret. He knew they were pit fighters, strong, dangerous and married. Did he not think it wise to tell the Griffins that? Or was he a coward not wanting to be the bearer of bad news?

“You say your camp will be safe to leave by tomorrow? Do you have a leader who is staying here?”

“Yes, it will be safe for us to leave tomorrow. If they need us they have a radio. And Marcus is the leader here, were just the delegates.”

“Okay. If all is well in the morning, we will leave for Ton DC then. Find Bellamy and use your radio to talk to your people back at camp. A small group will leave at sunrise for Ton DC if there are no problems before then. We should make it to Ton DC that night. Heda will want to know.” Luna said.

“Thank you. By any chance, do you think we will see our daughters that first night?” Abby eyes were full of hope. She was less than 48 hours from having her babies back.

“That is up to Heda. You may go. I believe you have a camp to build?” Costia dismissed the pair and she and Luna walked away. Luna was sure that the Griffins meant no harm, but she did not trust them. They said they wanted their kids back, not just to see them. This reunion could go bad quite quickly. If either Lexa, Anya, Raven or Clarke take something the wrong way, it could mean war.

Costia was well aware that Raven protected her little sister as much as she could, they all did. It wasn’t that she wasn’t strong, but she was the youngest and Nia had prayed on that in Azgeda. It wasn’t common knowledge but Clarke was targeted in the Ice Nation. Whether by Nia, her guards, torturers or other pit fighters, she was seen as the weak link and suffered more for it. It was what drove Raven’s protective instincts to this day. She couldn’t protect her there in the Ice Nation. She had to trust she could deal with it. Here, in Ton DC and on Trikru land, she can protect her without fear of retaliation. Lexa and Anya followed Raven’s lead and Clarke was well protected. The blonde didn’t mind it, she knew she was as strong as the others, if not stronger, but she knew how it helped her sister feel needed. Clarke’s first priority was Raven, and if protecting her was what Raven needed, Clarke was fine with it.

If their parents said something that upset the little blonde, Raven would be ruthless. Anya and Lexa didn’t have the freedom to protect Clarke in the political arena these meetings would be, but Raven did. As much as Luna and Costia knew the girls loved their parents, in their heads they died over a decade ago. It was going to be hard to adjust.

The Griffins needed to see Anya and Lexa as leaders, not as their daughter’s wives. Costia was torn between wanting to be there for this reunion and being far away. It could go very wrong.

They would find out tomorrow night.

Chapter Text

Clarke woke the next morning with her sister cuddled up her back and her wife in her arms. The last thing she remembered was storming off after Octavia asked her to meet some Skaikru. It wasn’t her best moment, but she was stressed. She had her childhood friend back and her parents were going to be in Ton DC within 24 hours. She knew she wasn’t the most stable or well-adjusted person in the world. Neither was Raven. But they had supporters and protectors, two of which were going to bring her parents to her. Clarke wasn’t sure if she was ready for that.

Clarke slowly removed herself from the comfort of her loved ones, their touch was stifling for her at the moment, and made her way into the dining room where breakfast was waiting for her. She ate very little and then found her art supplies. She found a fresh page, attempting to express what she was feeling without any words. She knew the others in the bed would wake soon, and she wanted to be able to communicate with more than just a nod.

Surprisingly, Anya was the one to come find her first. She had been behind Raven so would have been least affected by her wriggling out of bed. Anya sat across from her and made herself some breakfast, needing the energy for the day ahead. She didn’t try to engage her sister-in-law in conversation, knowing that the sketch book and silence was what she needed.

The two women they left behind in bed woke up in each-others’ arms, confused as to where their appropriate spouses were. It wasn’t the first time they had woken up like this and the awkwardness had worn off years ago. They scampered out of bed and into the dining room, correctly assuming their wives would be there.

Lexa and Raven found Clarke with her head in a sketch book, working away. She wasn’t oblivious to the two women entering the room, but didn’t acknowledge it. Anya looked towards her wife and best friend and put a finger to her lips, shaking her head. It was their way of telling each other what Clarke was going through.

Raven was easy to read, as she got louder and rambled about her problems when she was worried. Lexa paced and spoke in hushed tones, her hands never stopped moving. Anya was the calmest of the four, able to let things go rather quickly. She would growl and then threaten something or someone before she was able to settle herself down. Clarke, being so quiet and private by nature, often internalised her problems and worries, letting them stew and ignoring the world. She would pretend nothing was wrong and try to distract herself by training, reading or drawing.

After they first escaped the Ice Nation, it happened quite often. Only when she and Lexa got together did she slowly begin to talk about her problems and why she stayed quiet. After they had been together a couple of months, she told her why she kept it inside. Whenever they were in Azgeda and Clarke screamed out or reacted to something, Raven would get over protective and get herself hurt trying to protect her sister. By keeping it inside and saying nothing or not reacting to the pain, Raven didn’t get hurt. It was her way of protecting her sister. Clarke got targeted more when she didn’t scream out but at least Raven was safe.

None of the three women had seen Clarke so shut down in years. Sure, she was quiet, but she would always look up and smile if someone entered the room. Anya and Lexa were unsure what happened yesterday to affect Clarke this much, but it was spooking them all.

Lexa approached her wife and softly touched her uninjured shoulder. It was light enough that it didn’t stop her drawing, but she still stiffened at the touch. Lexa withdrew her hand and sat in the seat next to her, careful not to crowd her, while Raven sat next to her wife and opposite her baby sister.

The newcomers to the table knew that they could talk to each other and Anya with no difficulty but that Clarke wouldn’t acknowledge them. They ate in silence, not out of need but respect for Clarke before the three older women left the youngest alone to get changed. They met up in Lexa’s bedroom to try and find out what had triggered such a bad response.

Lexa, worried about her wife, turned to Raven and asked, “What happened while we were away yesterday? She hasn’t been so unresponsive and silent for years. She was fine when I left. Who did she see, or meet that freaked her out Raven? Who hurt my wife?”

“Unintentionally, it may have been Octavia. Indra suggested to her that she introduce me and Clarke to some of the Skaikru to get used to them before our parents rocked up. Clarke, to put in nicely, freaked. She started yelling in Russian about having everything she needed and not wanting to meet anyone new until she had deal with the Griffins. She then stormed out and curled up around your pillow in bed. I saw she was struggling, but I had no clue it was this bad. I came back from a brief, uncomfortable meeting with the Skaikru thinking I should have done the same thing as Clarke and crawled into bed behind her. She barely stirred. I haven’t heard her speak since yesterday’s Russian outburst.” Raven was slowly letting her emotions get the best of her and by the end of the explanation, she was in tears, breathing heavily and in Anya’s arms.

Anya took over. “Okay, fiery one. You have got to keep a grip on yourself okay? Your sister is hurting right now and we all should have realised it was getting bad before it got to this point, but we didn’t. We were distracted with the Skaikru, the Arkkru, travelling and staying safe. This is not your fault. This probably would have happened anyway and right now we need to figure out the best way to do so.”

Anya’s words made sense and Raven relaxed in her arms, knowing she was no good unresponsive. “Okay. So, what normally works to pull her out of this? She can draw or read or train in silence, but what is the most effective? What is best for Clarke right now?”

The three women thought hard about what to do. There was a woman who needed them to be strong and smart.

Raven knew her the longest, obviously, but it was a toss-up between her and Lexa for who knew her best. Clarke told them both everything, so they were the best to figure this out. Funnily enough, Anya came through with the plan, surprising the other two about how well she knew the little blonde. Yes, they were family, but she had her own twin to worry about, Lexa didn’t expect her to know everything about hers. Though Lexa knew she could do the same for Raven if needed, so she shouldn’t be too surprised.

“Okay, so right now she is happy and calm drawing about her problems. We will leave her like that until lunch, but Lexa, you will stay with her. Talk to her, about anything from Polis, not anything touched by the Skaikru or Arkkru. Try and get her to respond, a nod, anything. I will deal with anything that Indra needs doing regarding the Ark and the visitors arriving tonight. Raven, you go to the training grounds and work off your frustration. I will tell Lincoln it is closed to everyone. They cannot even watch.

“At lunch, we come back here and hopefully by then she is at least responding. After lunch, Raven you will stay with her here, fiddle with your tech with her and Lexa and I will go back to Indra and get the final preparations done for the Griffins and Arkkru arrival. Then we will go to the pits to calm down before they arrive.

“A few hours before they arrive, I will take Clarke into the pits and get her moving and fighting again. She needs to be up and around by the time they get here. You two will prepare yourselves for their arrival. I think Indra was planning on only having Lexa and I meet them first, test them out. I am sure I can convince her that Lexa will be fine by herself.”

“So, you and Clarke will be training when they arrive and meet Lexa. Where do I go?” Raven asked, knowing her wife was smart but this idea of hers was perfect. It gave Clarke time with her closest loved ones who all want to help her.

“You, my darling wife, can be wherever you want. With me and Clarke or near the tents where Lexa meets the Arkkru, so you can keep tabs on it.”

“I think I will stay with you guys in the pits. I won’t train, but I think I will feel better around my wife and sister.”

“Okay. What about you Lex? Sound good to you?”

Lexa had listened intently, knowing that Anya wanted what was best for Clarke but also wanting to hold her in her arms and keep her from everyone who could hurt again. But, she knew this was a solid plan, and they all had responsibilities to each other and the coalition to contend with.

“Yea, it sounds good. Excuse me, I am going to sit with my wife. I don’t care if she doesn’t acknowledge me, she is going to know I am there anyway.”

Lexa left the married couple in the room and went to find her wife. Anya continued to hold Raven in her arms, trying to keep her calm.

“I don’t understand Anya. Why didn’t we notice? One thing said by someone who didn’t know everything and it’s like we just got out of the pits again.” Raven was keeping her emotions under control, but Anya was her lifeline.

“I think this was always going to happen, and it was always going to be Clarke. You, my love, you hit things and yell and scream and then you are mostly okay. Clarke doesn’t. And it will take a little longer to draw her out than usual because of all the stress, but it will happen, okay Rae?”

“Yeah, I hope so.”

“Okay, you need to go to the pits and beat out your frustrations while I have to deal with Indra all morning about this Ark delegation.”

“Do you think we should see them?” Raven asked her wife. She knew she would never lie to her.

“Honestly? No. At least, not tonight. I highly doubt your sister will be up for it and you will be stressed. Besides, Lexa and I want to meet with them first. We have got a bad feeling about it. We will talk to Costia and Luna as they will have been around them, but I am protective of you both and I will not allow any random people to come in and hurt you. It just happened to your sister, by accident yes, but it still happened.” Anya was clear on her reasoning and it made safe to Raven. She wasn’t even sure she wanted to see people she thought had been dead for over a decade.

“Alright, let’s get this day moving.”

The married pair walked to the pits together before Anya left her wife alone to join Indra in a morning of preparation for the Ark. They were technically invaders on this land, and if the meeting went badly or they tried to usurp the Trikru, there needed to be a plan in place to counteract it.

The meeting with Indra was brief, as many of the details had been sorted the day before. Anya was informed that a message had come through the radio and Costia, Luna and the Griffins were returning with 10 warriors. The rest were to stay behind to protect or help the Arkkru. The Skaikru that were over at the Ark were spending time with their families, but many were wanting to return to Ton DC at a later time. Anya and Indra decided that could be worked out after the initial meeting. It was important, but not urgent.

Anya had filled Indra in about Clarke’s state this morning and asked her to inform Octavia and the rest of the Skaikru to stay well away from the tents. Indra was angry at herself for suggesting Octavia introduce them to some kids from the sky, but Anya comforted her and assured her no one could have predicted her reaction. Honestly, Anya had expected it, perhaps not so soon, but Clarke was struggling before they even left Polis. Nightmares and barely eating, even though she trained with her sister all day. This withdrawal and reaction was upsetting and painful to witness, but not unexpected.

Anya stayed within the village and was helping the warriors set it up for the visitors from the Ark. They needed tents, far away from the training grounds, and supplies such as food and furs waiting for them.

By lunch time, Anya had sorted out most of the needs for the visitors coming tonight and made her way back to the tent for lunch. She waited by the entry way and watched.

Raven was sitting with her sister and Lexa at the table, having changed into fresh clothes after training. Lexa and her were talking quietly, occasionally asking Clarke a question which got a nod, or a shake, or a smile, or a frown. It got a reaction, and Anya was glad.

Anya made her way into the room and sat next to her wife, kissing her on the cheek. The lunch was much more relaxed than breakfast, though still tense due to the visitors coming tonight.

“Costia and Luna are returning tonight with ten warriors and two guests. They will be here just after nightfall. Indra asks if both Lexa and I can be there to meet with them, not just Lexa. She and I are in agreement that Raven and Clarke stay here or train when they get here. If we need you Costia or Luna can come get you. Is that okay with everyone, or do you have something else in mind?”

“No, that is a good plan. Clarke and I can just chill and stay out of the way. That all good with you Prisa?” Raven asked her sister.

“Yes, but I am training not sitting still.” Clarkes reply was soft, but it was there. The three others did their best not to react, but the grins wouldn’t be stopped. She was coming out of her shell again.

“Okay, but not till later. I need a break and I was going to ask if you could design a tattoo for me?” Raven asked, knowing her sisters shoulder wouldn’t be able to take a half days hard training.

“Sure. What do you have in mind?”

“A turtle.”

The silence was deafening, and the look of confusion on the three other women’s faces was priceless. Anya asked the question they were all thinking.

“Why?”

“Well, it is for Clarke, and kind of for Octavia. She has the big tree and the griffin and stuff representing all of use. The turtle will be for her.”

“Again, why? What does Octavia have to do with it.”

“On the Ark, whenever Clarke would withdraw into herself, Octavia would call her a turtle because she would go into a shell and not come out until she was ready, like a turtle. It was a good way to get Clarke to giggle and open up a bit more. I had forgotten about it until we saw her again. Must have blocked it out.” Raven explained, the beginning full of humour and the end quite sad.

Clarke responded to her sister’s idea with a nod, before she got up to find new drawing material. She was quite touched by her sister’s thoughtfulness. Her memory of her life on the Ark was patchy at best, partly due to age and partly due to need. That her sister’s memories on the Ark are of her giggling really made Clarke emotional.

After lunch, Raven and Clarke settled in to get the tattoo design done and Anya and Lexa went to find Indra to go over the plan once more. It was a short meeting as Indra could sense the young women wished to return to their wives. Everything was ready to go anyway.

They rejoined their wives in the tent before getting changed to train. Clarke was probably going harder than she should have been, but she was there so it was manageable. Raven was keeping up with her while Anya and Lexa just had a light session, needing to work out some anxiety about the evening.

Approximately an hour before nightfall, Anya and Lexa left the training grounds and returned to the tent to change. They were going to wear full war paint and armour, wanting to scare the Arkkru. They needed to know the grounders were not to be tested. It didn’t matter their wives were their kids, they were in charge.

On their way to Indra, they stopped to speak with their wives. Both were sweating hard in chest bindings and leggings, their injuries from the days previous on display. Clarkes scar across her forehead was pale against the flushed skin, while the newer one down to the bottom of her ear was an angry red. She looked fierce, and even if she didn’t speak she would be feared. Ravens side was red against her tanned skin, and she was chatting away to her wife, needing her to know every little thing before she left.

The twins weren’t worried for their wives, but they weren’t sure how the meeting would go. Everyone was protective of them and it was a good thing, but if tensions rose to high, they didn’t know what could happen.

Lexa and Anya made their way to the tent Indra had allocated as a meeting room. There was a table to the side with chairs around it, but the most impressive thing was the throne she had seated on top of a dais. It was similar to the one in Polis, but it was moveable. Lexa had it made when she won her conclave, knowing that with the mountain so close and the Trikru being her first home, she would visit often.

Lexa made her way to the throne and sat down, while Anya stood as her right hand. Their faces were impassive and the paint made them look downright scary. The flickering flames made shadows move across their faces, each second showing a different scene. They could hear the gates open and the group enter the camp.

Indra walked into the tent and nodded to them, before taking her place to the left side of Lexa. Costia and Luna entered with two adults. They seemed unthreatening and their bodies showed weariness from travel.

“Heda, this is Jake and Abby Griffin. Chosen ambassadors for the Arkkru.” Luna introduced them before she and Costia took their place on either side of the entrance.

The two Griffins were surrounded, and didn’t know where to start. They didn’t expect the Heda and General to be women. From the stories Bellamy had told them, they had assumed they were the strongest men on the ground and were bigger than the warriors sent to help them out. It was an adjustment they had to make quickly, otherwise they could be insulting to the leaders down here and never get their girls back.

Abby stepped forward and began. “I am Abby, and we were sent to attempt to make a treaty or alliance. We have things that can help on the ground that you don’t, like medicine and technology like the radios. We can teach you more, but we need help to learn how to hunt and fight and farm. We need each other.”

Abby finished her little spiel, hoping that Heda will just give them what they want. There is no electricity down here, they fight with swords. They weren’t very smart.

The silence went on for a few minutes, Lexa not having heard anything worth responding to. The patient grounders were watching the two Arkers squirm. The couple had no clue who they were talking to.

Jake finally lost his patience, he was tired and sore. “Look, if you don’t want to talk to use, fine. But don’t waste our time. We have other things going on right now, and if you don’t help us I am sure the people in Mount Weather will.”

Jakes outburst finally got a reaction out of the women. They all tensed up and straigtened, but Lexa launched herself out of the throne, shoved him into a pole and put a knife at the mans’ throat.

“You dare threaten me?”

Jake was close to pissing himself, but he was at least getting words out of them now.

“Yes, because you don’t respect me. I am an engineer. What are you?”

“A leader. A fighter. A warrior. You are not. Do not threaten me, I can kill you before you could even blink.”

Lexa stepped away from Jake, letting her knife graze his throat so every time he spoke he could feel the consequences of his actions.

Lexa retook her seat and motioned Anya forward, letting her take control for a moment.

“What you have offered us is things we can do without, but you cannot live without food or protection. If you were serious of allying with the mountain men you would have done it already. But you haven’t, because we have something more than knowledge that you want. The mountain is an evil place, and we want your help to destroy it. We will continue to help you set up your camp until the mountain is destroyed, then we can speak of a treaty.”

“We want to the 100 kids back that we sent to earth. They don’t belong here, they belong with their people.” Jake stated clearly, knowing if it went downhill, the grounders had hostages.

“The Skaikru, or 100 as you call them, are free to go where they wish. They proved themselves on the ground after your people threw them away. We will not stop them if they wish to leave, but we will not make them. If I hear you are making them return, all alliances will be stopped.” Anya was calm enough to speak and think clearly, unlike Lexa who was still fuming about the threat of allying with the mountain.

“Fine. They can go where they want. Look it has been a long day. Can we please see some of the kids we sent down and talk to them? We want their opinion on you.”

“Indra, go grab Octavia. Perhaps she can tell them what they want to know.” Anya explained, not happy with the way this meeting was going. The Griffins were hostile, rude and arrogant.

It took five minutes, but Indra returned with Lincoln and Octavia in tow. The looks on the Griffins faces were priceless when Octavia greeted Anya and Lexa by their names and stood next to Lincoln. It sent a clear message to the Griffins where she stood.

“Octavia, sweetheart, we are so glad you are okay. You are being treated well done here?” Abby asked, hoping that the girl hated it here.

“Yea, it is great. Better treatment here than on the Ark that’s for sure. Ask any of the 100, they will agree.”

Abby was shocked. “Bellamy told us differently. He said that the grounders were harsh and rude. They were primitive and unintelligent. Why would he lie?”

“Because my brother is a homophobic asshole who thinks he is better than everyone else. He is a coward. I overheard him once egging on Finn to insult and make waves with the Trikru so that when you got down here he could take over and kill them all. I thought he was joking but then Finn got killed and he tried to get others to do the same. He is not my brother. Part of the reason I didn’t come back to the Ark was because he would try to force me to stay and control me. He doesn’t think women are strong. Whatever he told you is a lie, and whatever he didn’t tell you is probably extremely important.” Octavia explained, feeling bad for ratting her brother out but he wasn’t acting the right way. The fact he agreed with Finn was just horrible. She was going to tell Indra but with the Griffins coming, she didn’t want to make it worse.

The Griffins were in shock. Bellamy Blake, the boy that had trusted to find their kids and help the 100, was an evil, homophobic, racist asshole.

Jake spoke quietly. “So, does that mean everything he told us was a lie? Our daughters aren’t alive? He only told us that they were here so we would come down earlier and try to take over? We don’t want that. We want peace and to see our kids again. He told us they were hurt. Everyone who had kids in the 100 just wants to see them. Abby and I haven’t seen our daughters for almost 12 years. We don’t want trouble. From what Bellamy had told us, this was the best way to negotiate with you. That you respected power. I am so sorry.” Jake broke down, his wife in his arms while the grounders watched.

Lexa spoke next, calming down as she realised the sky boy had set them up. If it was anyone else the couple would be whipped.

“You both are forgiven. You were working off false information. But, you must know that Bellamy will be punished, severely. He has tried to start a war and overthrow the coalition. He must die. Octavia and Lincoln will take you to the radio and you will tell the leader at the Ark to restrain him and hand him over to my warriors. He must pay for his actions before the grounders take action against all of your people. I am sorry Octavia; your brother must be punished.”

“He already has been restrained Heda. I had someone following him around the Ark and he was trying to get help to get more guns to shoot us down and then charge over here to Ton DC and take over. I alerted Marcus and a man called Pike to the situation and left my warriors there. An hour after we left they were to restrain him and bring him back here for punishment. A scout pushed ahead from their group alerting us that he had been captured and was to be transported here. They are about two hours behind. They will be here tonight.” Costia interrupted the conversation to inform the leaders of the developments. She had hoped to inform them privately but that didn’t happen.

Octavia was upset but unsurprised. Her brother had always been a hot head who thought he was better than everyone else, this just confirmed it.

“It is fine Lexa, Costia. I may lose my brother but I have regained two big sisters and best friends since I came here.” She saw the bright side of a bad situation, but unknowingly told the Griffins that their daughters were here, right now.

“They’re alive? Here? Now?” Abby asked, face full of hope.

“Yea, Doc. They’re here, right now.” Octavia was glad the Griffins got the news they were hoping for. Her brother had really fucked up.

Abby and Jake broke down fully in each other’s arms, knowing they were so close to their daughters but by the way they had behaved Heda could stop them from ever seeing them.

“What did you hear from Bellamy about us, about your daughters?” Lexa asked, curious as to what they could have said.

Luna interrupted them, she had been watching the sky boy in Ton DC and on the trek to the Ark and had been wary of his intentions. Luna had good instincts, and they told her the boy was bad news. “Our scout following the boy heard what he said. Do not lie.”

“No of course not. He told us that the grounders were primitive and animalistic. That you weren’t smart and lived to fight and kill one another. He said that our daughters had been kept here away from everyone else against their will. That we could get what we wanted out of you but the reason that not all of the 100 had returned to the Ark was because you refused to let them go.” Abby said, terrified and angry at herself for listening to the young man. She would kill him herself if she could.

Luna nodded to Lexa, indicating that was essentially what he said.

“Okay. I believe you. Now, it had been a long day and this conversation got very emotional. I will have Costia and Luna take you to your tent and we can talk again in the morning. Calmly.”

“Wait! What about our girls? Can we see them? It has been over a decade, we can’t wait any longer, especially if they are right here?” Jake pleaded with the grounder leaders, whose faces morphed into ones of angst and indecision.

Anya turned to Lexa, “No. It is too soon. They are not ready. Especially Clarke.”

Lexa replied, “They will never be ready! If we draw it out, it will be worse for them. If we do it now, we have time with them to calm them down and relax them before anything else happens. It will also be easier to negotiate with them if they know that Clarke and Raven are okay.”

Anya growled, “I don’t like this. But it makes sense. We go to the training grounds. The twins feel safe there.”

“Yes, and they can go straight inside when they are ready. They can leave. Okay?”

“Fine. Let’s do it but explain what they have been through and the rules. No touching them.”

“Yes, Anya. You ready?”

“No.”

Anya and Lexa stopped speaking in Trigedasleng and turned to the confused couple in front of them. Luna, Costia and Indra knew what they were saying and Octavia could guess, but the couple had no idea that their world was about to be brought crashing down again.

Lexa was the one to tell the Griffins the fates of their daughters.

“I am going to allow you to see them tonight, but I must warn you. Do not touch them or spook them. They will hurt you. Do not make any big movements, and I wouldn’t comment on their looks and bodies either. Understand?” Lexa asked, delaying the inevitable but needing to warn the parents.

“Yes, but why? What happened to them?” Abby pleaded with Lexa.

“Your daughters fell in Azgeda lands, or the Ice Nation. It is a cold, harsh land and the people are very violent. They were captured and taken to the Queen there, Nia. She gave them a choice. Train together for the death pits and attempt to win their way out, or separately and fight each other to escape. They chose to stay together. For the next two years they were tortured daily, until one day they could both take the torture silently. When that happened, they got to train. For another 2 and half years I think, they trained for the pits. Around 13 and a half their first match was in the pits. They won, and that continued weekly for at least 3 years. They trained or were tortured during the week and then fought to the death at the end of the week. There last fight was also when I was due to visit the Ice Nation. They won, not without injury and chose to leave with us. Nia tried to get them to stay but Luna and Costia escorted them everywhere after the fight. They left the Azgeda with myself, Anya, Costia, Luna and all the warriors I brought with me. We returned to Polis, the capital. They were fed and clothed and protected there with us. An advisor thought they weren’t to be trusted so tried to organise a fight to kill them or make people fear them. He was sorely mistaken. They won easily but they were further traumatized. They are slowly recovering, but things like travel, loud noises, strangers and unexpected things spook them. We left from Polis, the six of us, days before we needed to so that they could get used to being back in Ton DC before they met their old people. They have been hurt, but they have families and lives in Polis that are helping them. They are happy.”

Jake and Abby were silently sobbing as they listened to their daughter’s tale. They knew that there were things being left out but they didn’t want to know. They were alive and happy. That is all that matters.

“Thank you for telling us. And thank you for not telling us everything. I am sure there is a lot more that they have been through that we don’t need to know about.” Jake said, voice full of emotion.

“Octavia, have you spoken with them? How are they? What are they like?” Abby was emotional but knew Octavia would know more about the happier side of the sisters.

Octavia startled, not expecting the question. She had heard the story before but it was heart breaking to here again. She could help cheer up the Griffins.

“Yea I have. For a while actually. It is part of the reason I stayed here. In some ways’ they are very different. In others, exactly the same. Clarke still loves to draw and read, Raven is still fiddling away at anything she can get her hands on. And you know how Clarke was great at languages? Apparently, she knows like 12 now and when she is relaxed or not paying attention she slips between them without knowing. It happens when she is emotional as well. She ranted at me in Russian the other day. It freaked me out. Raven learnt the main parts of each language so she can keep up with her sister.”

The Griffins smiled when they heard Octavia’s story, glad there was some humour on the ground.

There was one part of the story from Lexa that was bugging Jake, the part about families. He knew they had each other and good friends, but wasn’t sure where the family bit was coming from.

“You said they had families. More than just each other and friends? What did you mean?”

Anya took this one, knowing this would change the Griffins world once again.

“After they got to Polis, maybe 2 months in, Raven started a relationship with a woman. Maybe 6 months later, Clarke got together with Raven’s partners best friend. They were dating and living together for about two years when they got married to their respective girlfriends, now wives. They are almost 21, so it would be about 2 years married now.”

Jake and Abby were in shock. It took them a few minutes to wrap their heads around the idea, but eventually they realised they were glad.

“Are they good to them? Treat them well?” Abby asked.

Luna jumped in on this one, knowing that when the news came out in the next few minutes that Lexa and Anya needed to be impartial. “Very. The whole of Polis sees them being treated like queens. They are adored by their wives. Clarke and Raven are Costia and myself best friends, and I have never seen them happier than when they are with their wives. The sisters are still very co-dependent on some things, and their wives don’t pull them a part or try to monopolise their time. They want what is best for your daughters and treat them right. I promise you that.”

Jake and Abby were glad. They were healing but had help and family around them.

“Can we meet their wives? I assume that they travelled with you here, but we need to thank them for loving our daughters and making them happy. They went through over 7 years of hell from what we have heard and their wives must be great women to help them through it.” Jake stated to the grounders, completely unaware he was flattering the wives to their faces.

Indra asked the next question. “Would you like to see your daughters or meet their wives? I can assure you it would be a lot easier to find their wives. They are a lot closer than you think.”

Abby looked towards her husband, wanting his opinion. “Maybe if we meet our daughters-in-law first it will be easier for the girls? We already know the most important people in their lives?”

Jake nodded, it was a good idea. “We would like to meet their wives first, if we could. It should be easier on Raven and Clarke if we are on good terms with them.”

Octavia was grinning when she heard those words. Lincoln was holding her hand to stop her from jumping up and down in excitement. She didn’t think the Griffins would see it coming.

“Perhaps we should all sit? Lincoln, could you go with Costia and Luna and get 9 chairs for us?”

“Yes Heda.”

The three of them left and for the next few minutes Indra, Lexa and Anya conversed quietly in Trigedasleng about the progress and what they thought of the Griffins. They saw that they took advice, but were too trusting of Bellamy and didn’t double check with any others. Indra was unsure how they would react to the news that their daughters were married to the two most high ranking warriors on the ground.

Abby and Jake were talking to Octavia, finding out everything she knew about Raven and Clarke. They were a bit surprised that they heard Clarke had heaps of tattoos, but when Octavia explained that she was covering scars, they understood. They laughed when they heard Raven was still breaking things just to put them back together again. Everything had changed, but some things were constants.

The three sent for seats returned and placed them in a loose circle. Indra didn’t sit, and neither did Lincoln as they were going to see if Clarke and Raven were up to seeing them, so the Griffins assumed that they were waiting on two more women.

Lexa took a deep breath, calming herself before speaking.

“When your daughters came to Polis, they were shells. Clarke barely spoke, Raven was violent and protective, but they let the four of us in. After a couple of months, Anya here, my general started dating Raven. About 6 months later, there was incident in which Clarke withdrew into her head and Raven fled. Anya went and helped Raven calm down while I stayed with Clarke. They returned to find Clarke and I asleep and joined us in bed, Raven needing Clarkes comfort even if she was asleep. When Clarke woke up, we talked about our feelings for each other, which led to us getting together. I am Lexa kom Trikru, Heda of the Coalition and Clarke is my wife. This is Anya, my closest advisor and general of the coalition, and she is Raven’s wife.”

The room was silent once again. The Griffins were glad they had seats. Jake especially was feeling quite faint. He had threatened not only the Commander of all the grounders but his daughter’s wife.

Abby stood up from her chair, silently, and approached her new daughters-in-law. She fell to her knees and hugged them both tight, sobbing. Her words were muffled but clear enough to be understood.

“Thank you for taking care of my babies. Anything you need from the Ark, we will do our best to help. It is the least we can do. Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou.

Jake slowly went and joined the hug, his arms coming over the top of his wives.

“Yes, thank you for loving our girls. They could be in no better hands im sure. And if what we need to do to help prove our thanks and loyalty to you after our earlier words and Bellamys actions is take down the mountain, we will.”

Anya and Lexa had initially seized up at the contact, but relaxed and hugged the couple back. Their parents were long gone from their lives, so this could be the start of a very nice friendship and relationship.

After a few minutes of hugging, Indra’s voice ruined the moment. “I am sorry to interrupt, but I have just spoken with Raven. She and Clarke are in the training pit and are willing to see you.”

The hug broke up and the four adults stood. Lexa walked over to Indra and introduced her to the Griffins.

“Jake, Abby. This is Indra, she is the leader here in Ton DC and she is also like a mother to myself and Anya. She has also helped Clarke and Raven a lot as well. She will be around a lot.”

Abby walked over and hugged Indra, whispering thank you in her ear before releasing her, already figuring out the woman was not a hugger.

“Alright then. Lets go.”

Anya led the group of 9 through the camp to the door to the training pits. They could hear grunting and swearing and clashes of steel from beyond the gates. She brought the group to a halt.

Anya faced her newly found in-laws and gave them some advice.

“Don’t be alarmed by the scars on their skin. Don’t react to them. They usually keep them covered outdoors but when they train they are on display. The twins aren’t ashamed of them but sometimes people point and stare. Raven said it got old quick. If Raven is hostile or Clarke walks away, don’t freak out. Clarke had a really bad day today and Raven will be protective. She might not even acknowledge you or talk to you. Please be prepared. They aren’t the 8 and 9 year old’s you last saw. Ready?”

Jake and Abby squeezed each other’s hands tighter and nodded, watching the door being opened slowly by Lincoln and Indra. Lexa, Anya, Costia, Luna and Octavia entered before the Griffins and Indra and Lincoln closed the door behind them.

The sound of clashing steel halted abruptly when the wooden gates closed. The two sweaty figures were visibly panting and their muscle were tense. They dropped their weapons to the floor and faced the group.

Abby could see even from this distance that they were horribly scarred. The blonde, who she assumed must be Clarke, had skin that was a mixture of tattoos and scars. The tan brunette, Raven, was in a similar state but not as many tattoos. The looks they gave the group were cold and closed off, and it just made Abby want to hug them. But she heeded the warnings given to her and stayed still. She let Lexa and Anya take the lead. It was sad she didn’t know her own daughters well enough to even speak to them.

“Prisa, Raven. Costia and Luna are back from the Ark. They brought some people who are keen to see you.” Lexa and Anya stepped towards their wives and took their hands.

Raven stepped into her wife’s embrace and hugged her before stepping back and walking towards the group hand-in-hand. Lexa stayed with her wife and was talking softly in her ear, trying to get her to relax her body.

Raven and Anya came to halt about five yards away from the group. Raven was staring at the people she vaguely recognised from the Ark but was trying to piece it together. She knew intellectually they were her parents, but she didn’t want to believe it. For over a decade she thought she would never see them again and in her mind, they were dead. Now they were in front of her and it was a big adjustment to make.

Jake took a shaky breath in and asked, “Raven? Do you know who we are?”

Raven froze at the sound of her name coming out of the mans’ mouth. She could know that voice anywhere. That voice was the sound that she grew up with. That voice encouraged her love of breaking things and then making them better when she fixed them. It was a voice that always went with another. A woman’s. They were he parents voices. So that means they were really here.

“Dad? Mum?” Ravens voice was soft and broken. Her eyes were watery and her body was shaking. She had Anya’s hand in a vice grip and had no intention of letting go.

Abby’s eyes watered as she nodded. “Yes, baby. It’s us.”

Abby took a cautious step forward and when Raven didn’t react, she took another. Jake stepped with her until they were within touching distance of their eldest daughter.

Raven was shaking and with each step her parents took she lost more composure. By the time they were right in front of her, she had tears streaming down her face.

Anya stepped forward and whispered in her wife’s ear. “They are real sweetheart. They are right there. You are safe okay?”

Raven nodded furiously. She watched as her parents stood still, respecting her space.

Abby spoke next. “Raven love, can, can we hug you? Please, sweetheart?”

Raven nodded, released Anya’s hand and stepped closer towards her parents. Abby and Jake brought their arms up around her and pulled her in tight. Raven lost all composure then and was sobbing into her parent’s shoulder, gripping them tight. She didn’t care if she was only in chest bindings and leggings, she had her parents.

Anya stepped back and watched the group. The normally stoic general was watching her wife with tears in her eyes. Costia and Luna made their way over to Anya while the others left, leaving the families together to reunite. They had to be ready for the arrival of the warriors with Bellamy Blake.

While Raven, Abby and Jake were wrapped up in an emotional embrace, Lexa was with Clarke, trying to calm her down. The normally quiet and calm girl was agitated and tense. She didn’t like new people, and although she knew in theory who the couple were speaking to Raven, her head wasn’t listening. All she saw in her agitated state was a strange couple approaching her sister. She could hear her wife speaking softly to her. That voice was the only thing stopping her from protecting her sister from someone she thought of as a threat. When Anya stepped away and Raven hugged the women, Lexa grabbed Clarkes hand tightly and kept speaking in her ear. The voice was more urgent, and was successful in keeping her stationary.

Everything was good until the door the others went through went bang when closing. Clarke jumped and so did Raven. All Clarke registered was a loud sound, her sister jumping and two strangers in the vicinity.

Lexa recognised Clarke was about to attack, her PTSD making her unaware of her surroundings.

“Anya. Costia. Luna. Help!” Lexa yelled in Trigedasleng, as she tried to restrain her normally peaceful wife from attacking her parents.

The three women turned and ran to the couple, immediately recognising that Clarke wasn’t with them right now. Costia got there first and gripped Clarkes face, forcing her to look at her. She began speaking quickly and trying to ground her while Lexa was whispering in her ear while holding her back, telling her she was safe and so was Raven. Luna and Anya were on either side of the woman, holding her arms still to stop her from lashing out.

Luna was shocked. She had expected Clarke to walk away if she got overwhelmed. She didn’t expect a PTSD episode because the gate banged. Luna screamed for Raven. The girl and her parents had frozen at Lexa’s yell, but Raven snapped out of it at Luna’s.

Raven ran over to her sister and took Costia’s place. Costia went over to the Griffins and kept them back from Clarke.

Raven was speaking in rushed Spanish to her sister, knowing it was the best way to prove she was safe.

“Clarke! I am here. I am safe. You are okay. You are here. We are in Ton DC with Lexa and Anya. We are fine. There is no Azgeda. No fights. No danger. No threats. Everyone here is good. Everyone is safe. They won’t hurt you. They won’t hurt me. Everyone loves us here. Everyone protects us here. Breathe. Clarke. Prisa, you are safe. There is no danger.”

As Raven was talking her sister down, Costia was keeping the Griffins out of view. They were terrified. Not of Clarke, but for her. She was hysterical. As a doctor Abby had read about PTSD and had even seen a few cases on the Ark when someone had been badly injured or killed.

It took about five minutes for Luna and Anya to feel Clarke was stable enough to release her arms. Lexa was still there holding her up by her armpits and hugging her from behind in both a protective, restraining and comforting way, while Raven still held her face close to her own, speaking quickly and calmly to her sister.

About 15 minutes after Luna and Anya had released Clarkes arms, she passed out. Whether it was from hyperventilating or stress they weren’t sure, but she slumped in the arms of the two people closest to her. Raven left her with Lexa, only after ensuring that Clarke was not leaving her sight for the rest of the night.

Lexa got Costia to help carry Clarke to their bed while Anya and Raven went with Luna to talk with the Griffins.

Jake was holding his wife tight, terrified of what he just saw.

“Does that happen often? Will Clarke be okay? What happened? She seemed tense but fine when got here?” Jake asked.

Anya answered while holding Raven close to her body.

“Not to that extent no. Normally Clarke will shut down and go into her own head. It often takes days for her to properly get herself out of it. She will be fine, but after an episode like that, she normally won’t be speaking for a few days, and won’t see anyone for weeks sometimes. I am sorry. We didn’t know that she would react like that. It is not your fault. She was already in a very tense and fragile state before you saw her. In her mind, when she had flashbacks, everyone is an enemy. She heard the bang and two people she didn’t know holding her sister. She lost complete sense of where he was and who she was with. I would like to say it won’t happen again, but I can’t.”

The Griffins felt horrible. They had caused this. Inadvertently yes, but it was still their fault.

“We are sorry. If we hadn’t come she woul-“

Raven cut off her mother. “It wasn’t your fault. She was primed for an episode like that. I just wish it didn’t happen to her.”

Raven was upset. She would rather be tortured by Nia again than see her sister go through that.

Anya decided that they needed a distraction.

“Okay. How about we all go out and find Indra and Octavia and inform them of what happened and then we can wait for the warriors bringing the Blake boy in. Raven, you can get to know your parents again and tell them stories about what you have done in Polis and what you have blown up. You can get to know each other again. And when Clarke is ready, she can meet you again, Abby and Jake. She isn’t ready right now, but Raven is here.”

Anya led the group away from the training grounds. Neither Lexa nor Costia had emerged from the tents so Anya assumed they wouldn’t be joining them. At least for a while.

They walked to Indra’s tent and the reunited family members didn’t stop talking. It was little things like favourite colour and silly stories, but it was something they didn’t have before.

When they got to Indra’s tent, they only had to wait about 20 minutes for the rider to come in, informing them of the groups arrival with the prisoner within the next 10 minutes.

Indra and Anya had a quick discussion about how to deal with it without Lexa. They decided to speak to him first and go from there.

When the gates opened again, the warriors were dragging a screaming Bellamy through the gates. Anya was ready for this. This she could deal with. This was easy.

Chapter Text

Bellamy was in shock, screaming and fighting the guards who dragged him into Indra’s tent and threw him to the floor. In front of him were the Griffins, Anya, Indra, Luna, Octavia and who he believed was Raven. He hadn’t been close enough to her before to be sure. The scars were the biggest clue, but she had a fur wrapped around her so he couldn’t see them.

He pulled himself to his knees and waited for them to speak. He wasn’t giving up any more information than he needed to.

Anya started to speak to him quietly.

“Do you know why you are here? What you have done?”

Bellamy shook his head, waiting for some indication of what he could own up to and how serious it was.

“I will tell you then. You were telling the Griffins here information that was not true. That the Trikru were driven by fighting and blood and weren’t smart. You were overheard and seen trying to get allies to take over the Trikru and the coalition. Your own sister saw you encourage the boy Finn to start up trouble before his death. And back at the Ark, you were seen trying to find out who had control of the guns and what their stance was on the Trikru, to see if you could get backing for a rebellion. A war. Do you have anything to say?”

Bellamy straightened and took a breath. “It is not true. Yes, I did a lot of those things, but the reasoning behind them was not malicious. I am being blackmailed.”

Octavia scoffed. “Oh, yeah? By who? What do they have over you that you would try and start a war with some of the only people who have ever given us a helping hand? You said some nasty things about women and the sisters being married to women after their fight. You were talking to some of the worst that were in the sky box, who had committed real crimes. I know, because you and I talked to Jake and got the information about them together. So why would you betray me and talk to those dropkicks like that?”

“I don’t know her name. After the sisters sparred and Finn died, I ran to talk to the Griffins, tell them it was really their kids who were alive down here. But before I spoke to them, another woman was on the radio. She knew who I was and some of the things I did on the Ark that I had gotten away with. Theft and such. She also knew I would do anything for you. She said she was on the council and threatened you and the rest of the 100 with being locked up when the Ark returned if I didn’t make waves and find out information on the grounders.”

The people in the room looked at him in curiosity, while the Griffins were trying to figure out who could have gotten one of their radios.

“I couldn’t let that happen, so I found the prisoners from the sky box that would never be happy with anything and encouraged them to start a bit of trouble. Just enough to make things tense, but they didn’t go for it. A way in to talk to them was talking badly about women because they are horrid people O. After Finn died, every time I radioed in, she would be there on the line. I only got to speak with the Griffins after Finns death because she left when she heard them return. When the Ark dropped, she got a hold of a radio and used that to contact me. The reason I went to the Ark and was asking around about weapons and such was because I was trying to find out who she was. I didn’t want war, I just wanted my sister safe.”

Octavia wanted to believe him, but some things just didn’t fit. “Okay, why were you encouraging Finn to start things with the grounders? He should have been kept well away from everyone!”

“I was encouraging him to start talking with the grounders and working with them! I knew he was being an ass so I was trying to get him to change his ways and be more active in the group so he wouldn’t be killed! That obviously didn’t work, so when this lady started threatening you and everyone else, I did what I could to keep you safe and try to figure out who she was. Please O, you have to believe me. I have done some bad stuff but I’m trying to protect you."

Bellamy turned to the grounders who were looking at him with a mixture of distrust and interest. "I’m not a bad guy. I am a bit of a coward and not the nicest person, but my sister means everything to me. I would never start anything that could hurt her. Please Indra, Anya, anyone, just investigate it. Find a lady with a radio in the Ark camp, someone on the council and you will find who is blackmailing me. Whip me, hurt me, jail me, I don’t care. But don’t kill me until you have looked into, please. I beg you. I am not a traitor.”

The grounders were silent, the Griffins were thinking about who the women on the council were who would want to start trouble and Octavia was confused. This sounded like her brother, but they could just be words. She had been in the sky box for years, he could have changed more than she knew.

Anya, Indra, Raven and Luna walked to the far end of the tent to converse. The hushed conversation carried to the others, but the language was not English so they had privacy.

“What do you think?” Luna asked.

“It is too easy. I don’t know, but it doesn’t sit right with me. He gave me a bad feeling when I first met him. When I saw him with Octavia, he was controlling as well. Like a soldier who deserts, his head doesn’t seem into fighting. More of a watcher than a doer.” Indra said.

“Lincoln told me he was the one who kept the 100 going when they travelled. He kept them in line with Octavia. He watched them before they revealed themselves, and when people made trouble he shut them down. The Finn boy started trouble and he put the biggest Skaikru on him to watch him, he didn’t do it himself. It seems he knows how to give orders.” Anya explained.

“So, what do we do? Lock him up? Let him go? What?” Raven asked. She was tired and worried about Clarke, she didn’t need this on top of everything else.

Anya looked towards her wife, “Do you remember him from before Azgeda?”

Raven froze, not expecting the question.

“Yes. He was a few years older than me and Clarke. He didn’t like us. He thought we were a threat to Octavia, his mum and him. He was protective of her and mean to us. Only when Abby or Jake came with us to visit Octavia was he polite. He seemed to have two faces. Ever since I saw him screaming when he was carried through the gates I remembered. He would yell at Clarke and make her cry. He acted like Octavia’s bodyguard. It is likely he was trying to protective of Octavia. That is probable. The blackmail? I don’t know the Ark anymore.”

Raven left no room for argument. Anya squeezed her wives hand before releasing it, knowing she needed the comfort but still wanting to be strong.

“Okay. We have a lot to talk about but we need Lexa. That won’t be possible for today at least. I propose we lock him up away from everyone, out of sight, and keeping talking to him. Get the information we can and then send the Griffins back to the Ark with the findings and evidence. If this is true, and the lady was blackmailing him, she has a radio and can hear whatever we say on it. We need to be careful about what we do.”

Anya laid down the plan and the other three agreed. They made their way over to the four people from the sky.

“Bellamy, Luna and I will take you to a lock up. Not only will we know where you are and what you are doing at all times, it gives us a chance to look into what you told us. We don’t believe you, not yet. There is more evidence against you than for you right now. However, some things are easily checked and we will be looking into them.” Indra explained.

Bellamy nodded, his face showing both hope and fear. He didn’t know where he was going, but at least he was going to be away from the bitch on the other end of the radio. She has screwed up his life, and he doesn’t even know who she is.

Indra and Luna took him away, taking some guards away with them. Octavia was quiet. You could see she was upset. The Griffins were talking quietly between themselves, discussing potential council members who could be doing this. There were only two women on the council. It made it easy to narrow down suspects.

Raven made her way to Octavia, knowing this would be hard to deal with.

“How are you?”

Octavia laughed. “Just great. The one person who I was meant to be able to trust with everything I had is in chains and could be a traitor. He was a good big brother, but he isn’t the same person I knew. He is jumpy and just different. I heard him encouraging Finn! He told him to join in! I thought he was being an asshole and wanting to hurt people. What if I was wrong? I can’t trust him again, even if he is being blackmailed. What if me not asking him why means we lose everything!? He is my only family Rae, I don’t want to lose him, but I don’t know if I know who he is anymore. If I can’t see the difference between him being blackmailed and being an ass like Finn, what good am I?”

Octavia broke down in Ravens arms, sobbing for the brother she knew, the brother she could have trusted but didn’t. She sold him out, didn’t talk to him and now he is in a cell. Their relationship will never be the same again.

Raven spoke softly to Octavia, encouraging her and calming her at the same time.

“Yes, you didn’t question him. But down here on the ground, you have more than just him as family. You have all of us. You don’t have to rely on him. He could have asked for help, but he didn’t. He assumed he knew what was best for you like he always has. Down on the ground you are free, and I don’t think he likes that. You are his sister, not his property. He needs to learn that lesson. Him trying to do things backwards and start trouble to help people shows he knows nothing about the ground. He thinks he knows everything when he knows nothing. It is not your fault. The fact you didn’t question him shows he has changed more than you knew. Breathe, O. You have more than just him now.”

The others watched Raven calm the younger warrior. It was like watching her with Clarke, protective but kind. She let Clarke make her own mistakes and have her own life but protected her when needed. Bellamy tried to control Octavia, and that isn’t good.

Anya turned to her in-laws, remembering that they were there.

“Do you have any idea if this is true? Who could blackmail him or have that power?”

Jake answered for them both. “There are only two women on the council. One is Callie Cartwig. She is a good person who always looked out for the little guy when the council made decisions. She was very positive and happy when we found there were people on the ground, wanting to meet them and learn from them. I don’t think it is her. The second is Diana Sydney. She was removed from the chancellor position so Jaha could take over. She didn’t take it well. She forced her way back on the council a few years later and was apparently very argumentative and harsh. Wanted kids floated at 16 and killed for just walking on the wrong part of the Ark. She wanted to be ambassador, but Kane turned her down so we could do it. He said not only were we a better choice, but she had also been overheard talking about not wanting the grounders help, that they were savages who killed each other for fun. She was very negative and biased towards the grounders without even giving them a chance. If anyone was going to blackmail Bellamy, I think it would be her. She had access to all areas of the Ark as a council member, and she was in our rooms when Bellamy told us the girls were alive.”

This gave Indra and the others pause. They had something to go on but not tonight. They needed rest and to think. It was easy to make plans when the adrenalin was pumping.

“Okay. We must take a breath and think. Tonight, we go to our rooms and sleep. Come back fresh and talk about it later. We need to speak with Lexa about it and she won’t leave Clarke for a while. Abby, Jake. Indra will take you to your tent and get you settled in. I wish we had more time to speak this evening, but I can see my wife is desperate to check on her sister. We will see you in the morning. I hope you rest well. We have much to go through still.”

Anya and Raven left the group and made their way to their tents for the night after they met up with Luna. They walked through the entrance to Clarke and Lexa’s room and found an adorable sight. Clarke was sound asleep, gripping Lexa tightly and not letting her go. Lexa was stroking her hair and speaking softly to her while Costia lay next to them both with an arm thrown across Clarke’s waist, keeping contact with her at all times. It was something that had grounded Clarke in the past.

Raven, Anya and Luna just looked at each other before crawling into the bed. They had all had a long day and needed the comfort of friends and family. Tomorrow was a new day, tonight they could just be with each other.

Chapter Text

Clarke woke the morning after her flashback in the pit to a tangle of limbs and warm bodies. She felt better than she had in a few weeks. Sometimes after an episode like that, she bounced back quickly and was functional and ready to go. Thankfully, this seemed like one of those times.

Clarke turned to her wife and woke her lovingly, with soft kisses and gentle touches. Lexa slowly woke to the touch, and smiled sleepily at her wife. They tried to manoeuvre their way out of the group without waking anyone up, but Lexa managed to elbow Luna in the ribs and Clarke kicked Raven in the knee. The attempted sneak out turned into a lot of complaining and grumbling from the wounded parties, and laughing from their spouses.

Eventually they all made it the breakfast table, Raven still grumbling about knee pain and evil little sisters. It was all in jest, as she was ecstatic Clarke wasn’t mute.

While they ate, Anya filled the group in on the developments of the evening before and Bellamy’s confession. Lexa and Costia had some questions and needed clarification on certain details, but Clarke was silent. She was listening and learning, taking it all in before making a judgement.

“The question is, do we believe Bellamy, and if we do, how do we get into their camp to search and investigate what he claims? We have no reason to go there, they sent ambassadors here.” Anya stated, finishing off her recap of events.

“Why don’t we meet with the Griffins again after breakfast, see what they know and what they think now they have had time to think?” Lexa asked.

The group got changed and made their way through the camp to Indra’s tent. Lexa sent Costia and Luna to retrieve the Griffins while she stayed with Clarke. Her wife was both nervous about meeting her parents and ashamed of her actions yesterday. She didn’t remember much, but knew that she had scared them. Lexa reassured her that there were no expectations on her, and that she was not obligated to do anything. She could just stay in the back of the room and observe like she normally did, or be next to her wife, it was up to her. Whatever made her feel safe.

The four women made their way into the tent. They found Octavia learning basic Trigedasleng from Indra. Octavia attempted to leave when she saw the group and give them privacy, but was asked to stay and observe. Both to learn and for her opinion. She knew the Ark in a different way from the Griffins, her perspective could be useful.

Lexa settled herself on the throne, with Anya and Raven to one side and Indra on the other. Clarke and Octavia settled themselves on the wall behind the group. Clarke was there because she used the distance to get a different perspective of the problem. If she couldn’t see the faces of the people speaking, she could just listen to their words and make the best decision on the information they gave, not the way they expressed it.

Indra believed that Clarke was one of the best at making a decision that was the most likely to succeed and be well received. She took all the variables she could, wasn’t biased and wasn’t scared of upsetting the most powerful person on the ground. That was why she placed Octavia next to the tattooed blonde, she could learn.

Costia and Luna had chatted lightly with the Griffins, explaining briefly what it was about and who would be there. When they heard their youngest child would be in attendance and was okay after her flashback yesterday, they teared up. Luna cautioned them about interacting with Clarke, and explained her advisor role in the coalition. They were proud their baby girl was using her brain to sort things out for other people. Even when she was young she could listen to problems other kids were having and fix them quickly and efficiently, without saying a word.

When everyone made it into the tent, they got to talking plans. Did they just radio home and talk to Marcus, or did they take more warriors and search the whole area. They had two people that could be the perpetrator, but the Griffins were fairly certain that Diana Sydney was the one who was blackmailing Bellamy, if the boy was telling the truth. Callie was a friend of the Griffins, kind and loving, never had a bad word to say about anyone.

Except maybe Jaha.

No, she definitely bitched out Jaha with the Griffins, especially after she learnt he purposely dropped the block early, killing tens of people and sending two girls to the ground alone.

The group went back and forth for hours, well through lunch and into the afternoon, debating and changing plans. The Griffins were eager to go with the first plan thrown up for consideration, but the grounders were more cautious. They knew they couldn’t radio back to the Ark because if Bellamy’s story is true, someone has a radio and is eavesdropping. The group in Ton DC were blind to the developments at the Ark. They had updates, but couldn’t ask what they really wanted to.

Another reason they hadn’t agreed upon a plan was Clarke. She was silent, having listened in to everything but nothing she heard was thought out or ready. The grounders trusted her judgement, and they weren’t convinced about their own ideas, so why should anyone else be?

It was getting close to nightfall when Clarke spoke. The group was getting tense and aggressive. Her quiet voice broke through the noise and silenced them. She didn’t move or raise her voice, but like her wife, when she spoke, people listened.

“What if the lost sisters returned?”

The silence from the group was deafening. They were confused. That was all she had. No elaboration, no further explanation.

Jake and Abby had silent tears running down their faces. They had heard their baby girls voice for the first time in a decade. It didn’t matter that they didn’t know what she meant, she was still here.

Lexa took the initiative. She stood from the chair she had been in most of the day and turned to her wife. “Care to explain further, Clarke?”

Clarke stepped away from the wall and into view of the whole room. “One of the sky boys who gave us an update from the Ark before the ambassadors got here told us that the whole Ark cheered when they heard the Griffins two daughters were alive. If Abby or Jake were to radio the Ark and say that they had spoken to them and they were eager to see their old home, the Arkers against the alliance with the Trikru have no reason to object to more warriors entering the new camp. Not only can we send high ranking Trikru back to the Ark, they have reason to look around.”

They group was quiet, looks of shock on their faces. It was so simple, a way in and a way to look around without suspicion. Raven however, had found one weak point.

“You know that means we have to leave Ton DC and travel somewhere new? And almost definitely without Lexa and Indra, they need to stay here. Maybe even Anya? Costia and Luna have been there before so they could be in charge and lead.”

“I know, but I must admit, I am sick of being weak. Being a victim of my own mind and still letting Nia have her grips on me. I want to do this. Do you?” Clarke asked her big sister.

“Hell yeah. Let’s do it.” Raven walked over to her sister and drew her into a big hug. She took advantage of the time to whisper in her ear “You do know you have to speak directly with mum and dad, right? You can’t go a whole trip without talking to them. I mean you have before, but it different this time.”

“I know Raven. I can do it.”

The sisters broke apart from the hug and faced the whole group. Lexa took this as a good time to end the meeting and table all talks until the next day.

“Okay. Tomorrow we can refine the plan. Talk about the Ark and the Mountain Men. They have been quiet and it worries me, they haven’t gone this long from stealing our people in years. However, right now it is time to eat. We can all return to our tents and dine there. It will give us privacy and a space to talk. There are many conversations that still need to be had.”

It was a subtle reminder to her wife that she needed to speak to her parents before travelling with them and that she could walk away and be alone if need be.

The 10 strong group made their way to back through camp to the commanders tents. It was a silent trip but was a sign of what they hoped the future would become. Arkers, Skaikru and grounders all walking together in peace.

Chapter Text

Dinner was uncomfortable for Octavia. She could see all these strong people, strong leaders, all in one place eating together and she felt awkard. Like she didn’t belong. She was in between Clarke and Luna, soaking in the atmosphere while the others talked amongst themselves.

She was sitting opposite Abby and could see the doctor trying to find a way to start a conversation with her youngest child. She could see the fear in her eyes. It was understandable, Octavia thought. Yesterday Clarke was being carried away unconscious after a flashback and today she masterminded a plan to look around the Ark without it looking like an invasion of privacy or an attack. You couldn’t guess what Clarke you would get at any one time. Octavia herself had seen the warrior, the artist and the linguist on top of everything else. Her friend had many sides to her, and Octavia could see Abby was starting to realise that more had changed than she ever thought possible.

Octavia felt she needed to help Abby along. She had protected her as much as she could as a child, starting a group conversation so she coul get to know Clarke a bit better was the least she could do to start repaying her. Abby and Jake had been chatting to Raven since they met yesterday so there weren’t as many barriers blocking her off in that case.

“Hey Abby, when I was little and you used to come and see me when I lived under the floor, what made you bring Rae and Clarke the first time? Like, after you had seen me the first few times, all of a sudden there were two kids with you. I always wondered why.” Octavia asked, unintentionally halting every other conversation in progress. That wasn’t her plan. With Clarke sitting right next to her, she would be able to hear the doctors responses and could chip in if she wanted to. Everyone looking at her, not her plan.

Abby was shocked at the question, not expecting that actions she took 15 years ago to come out at a dinner with people she only met yesterday. “Oh, um, well… I could see you were lonely. Bellamy seemed more like a jailor than a brother, overbearing and quite rude now I think about it. Your mother, I didn’t think she was caring for you enough. I was worried for you. I knew my girls wouldn’t say anything and that even though they had each other, friends weren’t something they had a lot of. There were basically only kids Raven had or hadn’t threatened, to be honest. Raven needed someone other than Clarke to talk with and play with, while I thought Clarke needed a younger friend so that she didn’t feel she was always the one being protected by everyone. She could keep your secret and be the protector for once. It was almost as though you were the friend they needed to balance each other out I guess. I brought them with me that day because Clarke was feeling very clingy and wouldn’t leave me be, and Raven was there helping me out in the infirmary repacking things in different places to make trouble. If I left them alone Clarke would have been in tears and Raven would have changed the labels on something and made a mess. It was both convenience for myself and love for you Octavia.”

Abby’s heartfelt explanation brought tears to Octavia’s eyes. She was overwhelmed and emotional. She felt a hand grip her own and saw tattooed arm of Clarke. Octavia lent into her friends’ shoulder, closing her eyes to bring her emotions under control. Raven was sitting next to Jake and Anya around near Abby and was aware of how monumental this moment was. For once in her life she was going to stay silent.

After a few minutes’ she had composed herself enough to thank Abby profusely. Octavia left Clarke sitting in the chair and walked around the table to hug the doctor. She was unable to use her words to portray her thoughts and feelings, actions however, she could control. A quietly whispered “thankyou” in the ear of Abby got an even quieter answer of “no need to thank me love, you deserved more than that childhood you got. Maybe now you can have what you missed out on up in the sky with Clarke and Raven, hmm?”

Octavia chuckled softly and released Abby and returned to her seat, aware that even though they spoke quietly, all words were heard. She could see the blonde twin was wanting to say something, but was unable to express. Lexa knew her wife well enough that all she wanted was support, so she put her arm around Clarke and pulled her in close.

“You really cared that much about us all?” Clarkes voice was quiet but everyone heard the blonde.

Abby was quick to respond to her daughters first words to her in over a decade. “Oh, of course we did Clarke. We loved you and Raven and cared for you both more than anything in the world. The worst day of our lives was when you fell to earth.”

Clarke was quiet for a while, getting her thoughts in order. “Did you miss us?”

Abby got up and quickly walked around to the blonde. She knelt in between her and Octavia and placed her hand on Clarke’s. “Oh, Clarke. Every. Single. Day. We cried for weeks and were never truly happy again. You and your sister were our whole world, and when we thought you were dead, we were inconsolable. One night, your dad and I decided that there was no harm in seeing if you could have survived. We searched all the photos and data we could to see if you survived, and all we could find was that most of the block that dropped ended up in the ocean except for one part that ended up in what used to be an icy land. We hoped and dreamed that you had made it to that land and didn’t die. We have been trying to come down, but weren’t allowed. We tried to get on the drop ship but couldn’t. Every, single, thing, we have ever done was because we missed you and your sister and wanted to be with you again.” Abby had tears streaming down her face but kept her voice steady. She could see Clarke was slowly wavering and dropping a few walls.

Raven and Jake thought this might be a good time to join the group. Anya was dragged along as well but she stood next to Lexa and out of the way. It was a big moment for the Griffins, she didn’t want to intrude, even if they were her family now to.

Raven crouched in between Abby and Octavia and put her hand in the pile, while Jake did the same from in between Clarke and Abby. Lexa and Anya were watching on with Octavia, Luna, Costia and Indra. They all felt like they were intruding but none were leaving.

“Clarke, honey.” Jake started, drawing his youngest daughters gaze towards him. “We missed you so much that we can’t even describe it. Your life, and your sisters life, have been unimaginably horrible since that fateful day. We have missed more than half your life. We missed you getting married. I didn’t get to walk you both down the aisle. We love you.”

Clarke was crying quietly and manoeuvred herself forward and out of her wife’s loving hold just enough that she could turn and face the three other Griffins properly. She saw her sisters face streaked with tears and knew she needed to hear all this as well. It is fine for them to show up again after almost 12 years, it is another to see them so emotional and explain what they went to.

Clarke had a few last questions that she needed an answer to. She was going to cry either way, but hopefully they would be tears of happiness and relief.

“You don’t hate us for what we did down here? What we did to survive? You still love us?”

“Of course we don’t honey. You and Rae did what you had to. I am not mad and you, Dad is not mad at you. We don’t hate you. We love you so much. We don’t ever want to see you in pain again. We want you safe and happy. You both did what you had to. We know that. And we see that you are brave, strong women now. But you are still our little girls, and nothing will ever change that.”

Abby had tears streaming down her faces, Jake was openly crying for his daughters, Raven was trying to be strong but failing and Clarke was sobbing. Clarke launched herself into her parent’s arms, gripping them tightly. Jake immediately responded to the hug, with Abby only delaying enough to pull Raven in with her. The four Griffins were so tightly grouped it was hard to see where one began and the other ended. The occasional sob burst out of Clarke, with Jake and Abby assuring her girls they still loved them, no matter what.

The 6 others watching the group felt like they were intruding. Luna and Costia made their way back to their own tent for the night, while Indra and Octavia went to make some arrangements for the ride to the Ark. They were unsure of the exact details, but they could ready horses and get food and such.

Lexa and Anya moved away from the group, staying in the room but giving them some space. They heard all the little words spoken between the four. The declarations of love and trust. The amount they all missed each other. The forgiveness for things no one did wrong.

Heda and her General kept their distance until they were called in by Jake a few minutes later. His exact words were, “when I came to the ground I hoped to find my two daughters alive, instead I found four. Come here, please. You are family.” Lexa and Anya made their way into the group hug and they showed they were very happy at the thought of having parents again, both of them having missed that connection.

The group of 6 spent the rest of the night in a very emotional state, all of them in a situation they hadn’t expected. They spent the evening learning new things about each other, and Jake and Abby got to see firsthand how funny and concerning it is to see Clarke start talking in multiple languages at once when she started jumping around on one foot. They saw Raven laughing so knew it was fine. When Raven translated her sister’s words into English, they started laughing as well. Seeing a woman in her early 20s jumping up and down in one foot screaming in multiple languages is terrifying, until you find out she has a dead leg from sitting funny and couldn’t find the words in English. It lightened up the mood enough for the Griffins to feel comfortable returning to their tent for the evening. They knew they all had a long day tomorrow.

Clarke and Raven went to bed with a weight lifted off their shoulders they never knew was there. Anya and Lexa were happy their loved ones were comfortable with the relationships they had with their parents. They had a long way to go, but multiple walls had been broken down that evening.

Chapter Text

The twins woke the following morning wanting to finalise the plans to travel to the Ark and hopefully arrive by nightfall. They had breakfast with their wives, not talking about anything of consequence until they were with the others.

The four women met up with the rest of the group in Indra’s command tent and fleshed out the plan that Clarke had come up with the night before. With some arguments and objections, the details were mostly confirmed. Costia, Luna, Anya, Raven, Clarke, Lincoln, Abby, Jake and twelve guards wold make the trip, while a disgruntled Octavia, Indra and Lexa stayed behind to keep some of the leaders in Ton DC. Clarke wasn’t happy to be going without her wife but understood, while Abby and Jake were confused. Lexa explained that not only were the Mountain Men a threat to the Arkers, they were also a threat to the Trikru, and they couldn’t leave them without either Lexa or Anya in Ton DC. It also showed the Arkers that they were not deemed worthy of a personal visit from the Commander, and if they wanted anything they would have to travel to her.

Octavia was to stay with Indra and Lexa so she could learn the ways of the Trikru and keep an eye on her brother. Indra had sent Ontari to keep an eye on him, but Octavia knew him for the longest amount of time and they believed she would be able to see any change or something to worry about from him.

The group left Clarke and Lexa alone to say their goodbyes. They could see the worry on both womens faces at the thought of being separated for any period of time, but going into a possibly hostile environment and past the Mountain Men was a worrying thing.

“Lex, I know why you have to stay, but god I wish you could come or I could stay. I have never travelled without you, this is going to be odd.” Clare spoke softly to her wife, their foreheads touching.

“I know. I wish I could come as well, but Ton DC needs me. Our people need me to be here. You will be fine with your sister and Anya. Costia and Lexa will be there with you as well as Lincoln. They all know what normally happens when we travel. You just keep you hood up, stay in the middle of the group and you will be fine. It will be no different to any other time. You will have so many weapons on you, the Maumon will want to stay well away. We will see each other in a few days, okay my love?” Lexa was being the quiet and loving wife that was hidden beneath the mask of Heda.

“Sha, Lex. We won’t be apart for long.”

The pair made their way to the tent so Clarke could change before walking over to the group that was already packed and ready to leave. They were waiting on Clarke and a few of the guards to get the horses before they could go. Clarke noticed her sister didn’t seemed ready and questioned her on it.

“Why are you not dressed with your hood and gloves? You are normally more covered up than I am.” Clarke joked with her sister, even though she was confused.

“Well, I was talking with Anya, Costia and Luna and we thought it would be a good idea if I took Lexa’s place in the formation. That way the four of us would be in front of Jake and Abby, with you and Lincoln in with them as well for protection. That way we protect them properly. You have the quickest reflexes and can get them out of the way while Lincoln protects you, while I am a better rider and can chase after anyone who attacks us. There will be four guards each on the left, right and behind as well so Jake and Abby are protected from all sides.” Raven explained.

“Okay that actually makes sense. When do we leave?”

“When the guards come back with some more horses for Jake and Abby. They didn’t factor them in when they prepped them this morning.”

The next few minutes was spent in comfortable silence. Lexa and Clarke stayed as close as possible while they still could and the others gave them their space. Raven and Anya had explained to Jake and Abby why it was such a big deal for them to be separated, and that if it was Lexa accompanying them and not Anya, Raven would be in a similar state.

The guards eventually made their way back with two very calm horses for the Griffins. They got them settled in between Lincoln and the hooded Clarke in the formation before they set off at steady pace. If all went well they would be at the Ark by nightfall. Monty had radioed the Ark informing them of their arrival that evening.

After getting used to the movement of the horses, Jake and Abby struck up a conversation with Clarke. Their quiet daughter was slightly chattier than she was in the past few days, but not much. They couldn’t see her face through the hood so they couldn’t judge when not to press a question. The couple took the cautious approach and only asked about the basic things like favourite colour. They wanted to reconnect with their daughters, and the youngest one was still guarded.

It didn’t take long for a question to be asked by Abby that should have been innocent but was not.

“Clarke, sweetie, why do you wear the hood and cover yourself up to travel?”

Clarke stiffened but answered. “Protection.”

“From who sweetheart? I thought you and Raven got away from the Azgeda people who made you fight.”

Clarke took a moment to think of her answer. She could see the four women in front of her waiting for her response so they could follow her lead. “They still want us back. SHE still wants us back. If it is known where we are they can attempt to attack us and our families. In Polis, we are safe. But there have been attempts to get to us that have cost lives. Normally Rae and I both cover ourselves and travel in the middle of the pack. Not because we are weak, but because others are strong and can protect us there. The hoods also give us anonymity. I don’t like being stared at.”

Abby and Jake took in the information as it came. They were afraid for their daughters’ futures but knew that they had a family here on the ground that would protect them till their dying days. Hopefully that was a long way off.

Jake turned to Raven to ask her why she didn’t wear her hoods and gloves today.

“Normally, I would. I would be next to you guys in the middle and Lexa would be out front, but because she had to stay behind I took her place. One reason is because Clarke has better reflexes and can protect you and I am the better rider. Another is that I blend in a bit more than Clarke. She is a beautiful, blonde, heavily scarred and tattooed warrior. She is unique. I can blend in with the Trikru easier, so I didn’t wear my hood. There is always the chance someone is watching us and if we change the formation and I wear the hood up front, it could danger us.”

The explanation from Raven gave the Griffins a lot to think about, and for the rest of the trip to the Ark were silent. Besides from the occasional quip from Luna or joke from Raven, the trip was quiet and relatively peaceful. They got to the makeshift gates and Abby and Jake dismounted. The gates opened and the couple escorted the group in. There was a lot of attention on the group, but it was something they were used to.

Anya and Raven looked at each other and took a deep breath. It was going to be a long few days.

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Inside Mount Weather…

“Emerson, are you there?”

Emerson picked the radio up off of the guard table to answer the Sergeant. “Yea Shaw, what do you see? Are there more of those animals walking around out there?”

“A group of around 20 seem to be heading to the site of the ship.”

“Are they armed? Do you recognise any of them?”

“There are two chicks riding up front that have gone through to the ship before. Another that tends to go to that camp where DC used to be a fair bit. There is a big bugger that normally stays at that camp and a couple that must be from the ship that fell. They look so awkward on the horses.”

Emerson didn’t deem any of them worth going out and grabbing to harvest. They were more worried about this ship that had technology to rival their own. They hoped to make a deal with them, but the freaks that lived outside the mountain got there first. They were hoping to wait it out and not get more grounders unless absolutely necessary.

“Alright Shaw. Anything iffy about the ones you don’t recognise?”

“There are about a dozen guards flanking them that don’t seem to important. There is a women in the front line I haven’t seen before. She looks about the same ages as the others, so maybe she is from another camp, I don’t know. The only thing is there is a person who is completely covered. Just one. I can’t see anything about them.”

Emerson sat up straighter at that information. They had reports and photos of two hooded figures that only travelled from this camp nearby and away to some other camp they hadn’t seen. They saw two arrive days ago but hadn’t spotted them since. Emerson knew they were important, and they had never been split up before. “Shit. Okay. Do not engage. Return to the Mountain and regroup. Let them through to the space camp. They are not to be harmed or to even know we are there.”

“Got it Emerson. You think we might finally find out who lives under the hoods?”

“Hopefully, at least one of them. They have never been separated before. They never leave that camp except to go to where they must live. The two must be important, and this must be important. Something big must be going down if they are apart. Get back in here and I will send out some other scouts while we set up a plan. When that group leaves the space camp, we try and grab some of them. Tsing needs new blood soon anyway. Call it a win-win.”

“Gotcha. We are on our way back in. The group is maybe an hour out of the space camp so let the guy closer know whats happening. Shaw out.”

The radio shut off and Emerson took a deep breath. This was hopefully a way to break into the grounder freaks society. The hooded people must be important. If he could get one of them, the grounders would be livid. They would react and maybe he could finally get the war he had wanted. He couldn’t get ahead of himself though. Even though his day just got a lot better. Now he just had to talk to the Cage’s to inform them of the findings. He knew they would be happy. They dreamed of living out there.

Chapter Text

The group rode into the Arkers camp and was greeted by the Ark leaders, Diana Sydney, Charles Pike, Marcus Kane and Callie Cartwig. The Griffins joined them and the 6 Arkers together portrayed a strong image of unity. Anya could see why these people were chosen to lead.

The grounder group and the 6 Ark leaders left the open space of the camp grounds and made their way to a room inside the Ark which was a meeting room. The long table was big enough to fit Raven, Clarke, Anya, Luna, Costia and Lincoln on one side, and the 6 Ark leaders on the other. The twelve guards they had brought with them were making their way through the camp to check for structural problems with fencing, potential danger zones for the grounder delegation to go, see if there were any things they could help with and see if anything stood out to them as suspicious. A few of the guards thought they had seen some Mountain Men in the trees so they were going to see if there was any proof to what they were doing. They were protecting the most important people in the coalition bar one, and they knew it.

In the meeting room, Jake and Abby were quickly filling in the other 4 on what they had learned and what was expected for this meeting. They were mostly understanding and wanting to accommodate the grounders, but were a bit put out that they hadn’t disarmed and one of them hadn’t pulled of a hood. The others had war paint on to disguise their faces slightly, but not even seeing a shadow on one of their faces was unnerving. The grounders could hear Jake and Abby attempting to get the others to let it go, but they wouldn’t back down. Abby sighed while Jake through his hands in the air after a lengthy debate.

Abby turned to the grounders, who as of yet had not sat down, and spoke to them. “The council asks if you could all, in a sign of good faith, relinquish your weapons to the side of the room and remove all identity concealing clothing or paint.” She was pained to ask this of them, as she knew it hard for them to give up either part of their identity. This was normal for them.

Anya took the role of spokesperson for the grounders as she was the highest ranked one there. She was the closest thing to Lexa the Ark leaders could get. They all knew that Raven and Clarke were both highly respected in the grounder community, but for this situation, the leader needed to be someone that had no prior direct connection to the Ark. If Clarke or Raven took the lead, the Arkers would believe they had more power in the negotiations due to the girls being born there and their parents still with them. Even though they wouldn’t have more power, it would make proceedings more difficult.

Anya spoke directly to Abby, not giving the others any indication she wanted to speak with them. “Pick one. The clothing or the weapons. We will not give up both. You are lucky we even think to give up one. It is offensive.”

While Anya was speaking with Abby, the others were observing the Ark leaders they hadn’t seen before. Pike looked like he was apprehensive and uncomfortable with not being able to look everyone in the eye, but hadn’t even worried about the weapons as they carried their own. Kane was the same about not seeing what everyone actually looked like, but was also terrified of the potential for violence and injury that could come from the weaponry in the room. Callie was looking at them all closely, trying to figure out which two are the girls she used to know. She kept looking at Raven closely, but the others were all glanced over in attempt to find Clarke. She deduced she must be the one under the hood but was unable to know for sure unless they removed the paint and clothing. Diana didn’t seem to care who they were, but wanted the advantage in having more firepower while they were defenceless. For leaders, the four of them were easy to read.

Abby responded to her daughter-in-law, knowing which one they would prefer. “If you could please remove you weapons and place them on the side wall, we can begin afterwards.”

The six grounders shared secretive smiles and began to disarm the weapons they could see. The Arkers were unaware of how many they held in hidden places so they only removed the obvious ones. If they wanted to check, they were welcome to, but they would never find them all. Especially Clarke and Raven. Nia taught them well.

The Arkers sat on one side of the table with Kane and Diana in the middle, the Griffins to their left and Callie and Pike to their right. The grounders sat with Anya in the middle, Costia and Lune to her left, Raven to her right and Lincoln and the hooded Clarke stood behind. This seemed to unnerve the Ark leaders with arguably the most intimidating two standing over them.

Kane cleared his throat when it became apparent that the two weren’t going to be seated. He was a bit put out at their refusal to sit but was willing to overlook it. The fact he couldn’t see the hooded ones face was frustrating him quite a bit.

“So, Abby and Jake mentioned on the radio why you wanted to come here. Their daughters were wanting to see where they grew up and you were hoping to start talks towards a proper alliance, not just the rough one we currently have, is that correct?” Kane asked Anya.

“Yes. The Griffin Twins wish to see where they were born and what could have been. The alliance we wish to create proper plans and guidelines before you come to Polis and meet with Heda. She is the one you must convince worthy of an alliance. The only reason you have all this is because of the 100 and the Griffin Twins wish to see their first home. Anything else you have to earn yourselves.”

Kane nodded to himself. “That is fair enough. The girls, are they here now? It is just, you haven’t introduced anyone and I am not exactly sure who it is I am speaking with.” He said this with complete confidence in his deductions, but it came across quite arrogant to Anya.

“I could say the same to you. You started the conversation without a greeting, just going straight to what Abby told you, without thinking first. Why should I tell you who I am, when you don’t give me the courtesy of doing it yourself?”

Kane paled dramatically. “Ah yes, of course. I had assumed you knew who I was from the Griffins. My apologies. I am Marcus Kane, the negotiator or talker of the group. On the end is Callie Cartwig is one of our technical officers and head of technological security. Charles Pike is next to her, he is the man in charge of growing the crops and hunting. He also helps with security. Diana Sydney is next to me, and she is the head of security. Then you have Abby Griffin, head doctor, and Jake Griffin, head engineer. He makes sure everything should work the way it is meant to. Now who are you and your companions?”

“I am Anya, second in command of the Grounder Coalition. To my left is Costia, the best tracker in the nation. On her other side is Luna, one of our top fighters. To my right is Raven. Behind me is Lincoln, a trainee healer and fighter. Also behind me is Clarke.” Anya kept it short and sweet, not wanting to give up more than she needed to. They perked up when they had confirmation that the twins were there, but other than that showed little reaction.

“Why does Clarke not show her face? I understand she has seen her parents, but we would like to see her as well. We all saw her grow up.” Kane was grasping at straws trying to get the upper hand.

“It is up to Clarke. She chose not to, now we move on. What do you want from this alliance?” Anya asked, shutting down Kane.

Raven was attempting to stifle her emotions and keep a straight face, but it was hard when her wife was wiping the floor with self-entitled men who think they are in charge.

Diana Sydney had had enough of Kane’s Mr nice guy routine. “Look. We want you to teach us to fight and to hunt, we want our own lands and we want autonomy. We want to live as or own state, not under anyone else’s rule. If you don’t give us that we will go to Mount Weather. Apparently, you don’t get along.”

Anya jumped up from the table. “If that is a proper threat we will walk away right now. You won’t survive the month without our help.”

The rest of the occupants at the table began arguing with each other, standing and threatening each other. Costia had vaulted the table and had Diana on the floor, with Luna standing over them. Pike and Kane were arguing with Anya and Raven about leaving the camp and never coming back, with Lincoln standing with them. Clarke barely moved, just to step back and let it unfold while her parents attempted to silence the room with Callie’s help.

“THAT IS ENOUGH!” Everybody’s heads turned to the normally calm Jake Griffin. “Sit down and be quiet. Diana is not serious, that is not what we want. We want to help you, and we need you to help us. I heard plenty from your people about how bad Mount Weather is and what they do. We want to stop them, and if anyone here wants to work with them, they are no longer welcome in this camp. We need to work together. I want to survive here, I want to see my kids and that is why this alliance will work. Now everyone can sit down and we can start this again, or we can end this for today, have a goodnights sleep and start fresh in the morning. I vote for end this. Because, quite frankly, I have been travelling all day and I do not want to deal with this pettiness right now.”

The others in the room calmed down enough to not break ties and attack each to a point of no return. Clarke stepped forward and removed her hood, speaking for the first time in hours. “I agree. Let’s take the night to rest and sleep. We need each other, and perhaps a bit more time apart will show how much that is true.”

The silence from the room was palpable, with a few gasps from the four Arkers who hadn’t seen Clarke’s scarred face before. Callie stepped forward towards one of the girls she used to babysit. She knew this was Clarke, but her face was different. The large scars across her forehead and down her cheek drew the eyes to them immediately and Callie was trying to imagine what the young woman had been through. “Clarke… what happened to you?” She asked, not moving any closer but needing to know.

“Life on the ground when you have no friends or support happened. Raven and I were 16 before we had more than just each other to rely on. We don’t wish that on anyone. You would be wise to accept our help and not push us. We don’t take threats lightly. The scars on my face are some of the better ones I have the pleasure of owning. The reason I wear hoods is because I am very well known in the coalition and I need the protection. Normally Raven does as well, but things changed for this trip. I suggest you think before you threaten us with joining the Mountain Men. What happened to me could happen to you. I am a warrior and an assassin when all I wanted to do was draw.”

Clarkes declaration and appearance did more for the Arkers than they could imagine. To see the sweet, quiet and calm child they used to know be turned into a scarred warrior showed them the realities of the ground.

The two groups slowly disentangled from each other and made their way out of the room. The Griffins led the grounders to an area they could set up camp, while the four other leaders of the grounders went off to talk about how they wanted to deal with this. They know knew the exact risks of being alone on the ground. They needed to get their ideas straight, and they needed to have a plan. The Griffins knew more than they did, and they would need their information to make the correct judgements. The six of them needed to work together to get the best out of this alliance, and they needed to keep each other in line.

The grounders made their camp in a safe place scouted by their guards, and spoke quietly about what they knew from the day. Their guards informed Anya of their findings around camp and who was uncomfortable and most hostile. They couldn’t find any evidence of radios and who was giving Bellamy orders, but they assumed that would be set up inside the Ark where they weren’t comfortable searching. They needed Abby and Jake to help searching the Ark. They found places that the Mountain Men had been watching them but were unsure to what end.

They spent the night resting and preparing for the days ahead. They had an alliance to draft and a traitor who wants to control the ground to find. After today they were sure it was Diana Sydney, but they needed proof before they said anything.

Chapter Text

Clarke had a restless nights sleep as she didn’t have her wife with her for the first time in a while. She was up well before the sun and spent the time thinking of ways to create a healthy alliance. However, she knew it would be almost impossible with Diana Sydney on the council. She was a bigoted woman who thought she was better than those who grew up down here. Even if she wasn’t spearheading a resistance and forcing Bellamy to try and break the alliance back in Ton DC, she was a threat.

Clarke came up with a plan to find out the truth about Diana, and relayed it to her friends. They all knew Clarke was the best at getting into places she wasn’t meant to, so while they were meeting with the council, Clarke would be searching the Ark for the radio. If she was seen or caught, they could use the excuse of Clarke wanting to look through the place she only had memories of.

The grounders knew they had a few hours before the council would want to speak, so they did a little training to pass the time. It was nothing strenuous or extreme, but to the Arkers that were up early, it was spectacular. Costia and Luna were sparring while Lincoln and Anya practised their sword play. Clarke and Raven stayed off to the side and watched, not wanting to show off their skills.

Jake and Marcus made their way down from the Ark and saw the four training. It worried them that they were so skilled at the art. Jake was just grateful his daughters weren’t fighting right now. He had heard stories from the 100 about what they could do, but her didn’t want to see it. It would break his heart that they had to become those people out of necessity. He knew he couldn’t live that fairy tale forever, but for now he liked the denial.

Marcus asked for the grounders to follow him back to the meeting room so they could continue their negotiations, but was confused when only 4 of the original 6 got up and followed him. “What about Clarke? And the other woman, Costa?”

Anya rolled her eyes at the man, “her name is Costia, and the two of them are going to be looking around your camp. Clarke wants to see where she was raised and Costia is the best person to accompany her.”

“None of your people are allowed through our camp unescorted. When they are found, they will be taken to our guards for punishment.” Marcus stated. He was quite pompous and arrogant about it, which did not make any of the grounders want to help him. Thankfully, Jake was there to sort it out.

“They had my permission. Clarke wants to see where she grew up, there is no harm in that. Her friend will be with her so that Clarke has someone to talk to while seeing everything.”

Anya snorted. “Yes, they had permission, but this is not where Clarke grew up. Her and Raven grew up in Azgeda. They barely remember this place.”

At that statement, the group walked past the stunned Jake and fuming Marcus and up towards the Ark. Once the pair recovered from the talk they hurried to catch up with the group.

Once everyone was inside the meeting room, Abby took over proceedings. She was well aware that they now outnumbered the grounders in the room but that didn’t mean they had the upper hand. In a fight any one of the four could take them down and she wanted this to stay as peaceful a possible.

The meeting went on all morning and into the early afternoon, but progress was being made. The grounders had agreed to teach the Arkers to hunt and gather, as well as create shelters that would be easy to assemble in this environment. The Arkers had agreed to help take down the mountain and teach them more about the radios and other technology. Unfortunately, they were all stuck on the point of autonomy. The Arkers, or more specifically, Diana Sydney and Marcus Kane, were pushing for freedom from the coalition. They didn’t want to be apart of it and answer to anyone but themselves, and that went against everything Lexa had fought for. If this was granted to these people, a war would erupt that could be more brutal than the last.

“There is no way that we can have an alliance without you being apart of the coalition. If you aren’t apart of the coaltion, you have no rights to trade, travel and to protect yourself. As it stands, the only thing that is keeping you from being invaded and taken over by the Trikru is the 100 and what they have done for us. You landed in Trikru land. Anyone else who had set foot on this land and created a camp with no warning or permission would be slaughtered!” Anya slammed her hand on the table to emphasise her point.

“We don’t want to answer to anyone again. Why can we not create trade routes outside of coaltion control?” Diana asked.

“If an exception is made for you, the whole coalition will riot. Most will stay put as they have realised that the peace we have is better than constant fighting, but the Azgeda wont. They will come and fight for more land, more people and more blood. But they will also come for the Griffin Twins. It is common knowledge that she wants them back, and she could use you guys being stubborn and ignorant of our ways to try and take control.” Luna explained, trying to stay calm.

The thought of losing their daughters again scared the Griffins to no end so they tried to stop Kane and Sydney from speaking again. “Look, I think we are at the stage where we need to speak with the Commander about this. She is in charge and she is who can enforce the rules. But do you know of any way we can join the coalition and still keep some separation?”

Raven rolled her eyes. “Yes. Do you think Lexa has time to deal with petty little squabbles that happen inside each clan? No. She deals with inter clan conflicts and potential wars. Inside these walls you have almost complete control. The coalition, like we have been trying to explain all day, helps everyone work together, not give the Commander complete power.”

The grounders decided that nothing else could be confirmed without the commander here to answer final questions and sign off on an alliance. They made arrangements to meet up in the morning again to finalise their thoughts before they would return to Ton DC and report to the Commander.

Just as the group of ten were making to leave the conference room, Costia burst in. “You have to see this! We need your help.” She then turned and ran back out the door leaving them all in her wake. The grounders and Pike were the first to react and bolted after her, while the Griffins were next to start running. The last three to move were Callie, Diana and Marcus and they had to hurry to catch the group.

They ran through multiple hallways and up multiple sets of stairs when they came to an abrupt halt behind the Griffins, Pike and the Grounders. They carefully moved around to the side of the group and saw what stopped them short.

Inside the room was a vast array of radios, computers and weapons that looked like they were being stockpiled. However, what caught everyones eye was the scarred blonde that was standing stock still in the middle of the room.

In one hand, she was holding what looked like a stack of papers. While in the other hand was holding something no one could see, but judging by Clarkes stature, it was dangerous.

The whole group watched as Costia slowly edged into the room and took the papers off her. She handed them over to Luna who quickly skimmed them and found plans and ideas for taking over the ground.

She saw they were signed with the initials D.S. so she got Lincoln to grab hold of Diana Sydney. It was too much of a coincidence for them not to take precautions. Once that was done, Costia asked Lincoln to drag Diana to the front so Clarke could ask her a question.

Diana Sydney was standing there watching as Clarke slowly rotated her hand and showed them what was in it. The reason Clarke wasn’t moving became quite apparent.

She didn’t want to explode.

“Diana Sydney. Would you like to explain why you were using a live grenade as a means to hold those plans down?”

Chapter Text

Nobody moved for the next 30 seconds as they all tried to register what they were seeing. The scarred girl was standing before them, unmoving and fearless while holding a device that could kill them all. They were torn between wanting to stay as still as possible and attacking the woman who had put them all in danger.

Lincoln tightened his hold on Diana and growled at her to answer the question. She knew that she had no choice but to tell the truth. She knew she was dead if she didn’t.

“It was a safety measure! If anyone found them they wouldn’t be able to tell anyone about my plans and it could be passed off as a tragic accident.” It may have been the truth, but the people who heard her weren’t impressed. “I will tell you everything! Who I work with, who has the other plans, whatever you want to know! Just don’t kill me please!” Sydney was pleading with the group.

Anya never took her eyes off Clarke when she spoke up. “How do we deactivate the grenade? You couldn’t have had it there if you didn’t have a way to disable it.”

“There isn’t one. It is a heat sensitive shrapnel grenade. When she grabbed it with her hand, she activated it. It can’t be deactivated. After it leaves the heated area, it will have three seconds before it goes off.”

Clarke thought quickly and could only determine one course of action that would save everyone else. But maybe not her. She knew if it went off anywhere in the Ark more people would get hurt, but outside they could get far away from the blast. She turned to look towards her parents. “Abby, is there anywhere near here that isn’t needed to survive on the ground? If I can to release it there, I has three seconds to get as far away as possible.”

Abby thought quickly before answering. “Just outside the Ark is an area that we haven’t decided what to use for yet. If is a bit rocky, but not too far from here.”

“Okay. Jake, Abby, lead Clarke, Costia, Raven and myself there. Luna, Lincoln, you stay here with the traitor and the rest of the Ark leaders stay here. No need for anyone else to get hurt. Try and find out all you can from her as well. Ask about the Blake boy and anyone else she has tried to entrap in her plans.” Anya was calm and collected when she spoke that none of the Arkers objected to being told what to do by the grounder general. They could see that they were out of their element.

Abby and Jake quickly led the group through the Ark, sending anyone they saw on the way to safety. Abby sent one to get her medical kit from the med bay, just in case. Clarke moved quite quickly for someone holding a live explosive. It showed her parents how used to this she was. IF she could keep calm through this, she could handle anything.

Raven watched as her sister manoeuvred her way through the halls of the Ark. Anyone who saw her would be amazed at the grace and beauty she moved with. She heard one of the 100 say once that she moved like a dancer from the videos they had on the Ark. Raven saw her move like the assassin she was. Silent, deadly and quick on her feet. If there was anyone you wanted running a grenade through the Ark, it would be her.

They were led outside and Abby showed Clarke where she should be aiming for. For obvious reasons, she didn’t get too close to her, but Raven followed Clarke as far as possible. They had a very hushed conversation in Spanish and Raven nodded before kissing her on the forehead and backing away. Ravens face was ashen, and she quickly made her way next to her wife and held onto her tight. They were all about 100 metres away from the blonde. Raven refused to mention anything to the group and kept her expression impassive as she watched Clarke take a deep breath in.

Then out.

In.

Out.

In.

And throw.

3.

Clarke launched the grenade as far as possible before turning tail and bolting away from the grenade. The easiest route for her to run was slightly off to the right of them and they watched as she tried to outrun it.

2.

They watched as the grenade began to dip out of the sky and make its way towards the ground.

1.

They grenade dropped into a nest of rocks and bounced closer to Clarke than they all expected.

0.

Clarke was about 35 metres away from the grenade when it went off. It blew her off her feet and into the side of a tree before falling to the ground. The group watching saw as she was knocked about and peppered with shrapnel bits.

They couldn’t make their way to her immediately as there was still falling debris but Raven didn’t agree with that. Despite being held back by both her wife and friend, she wrenched herself free and bolted across the rocky ground towards her fallen sister. She could here the curses of the people she left behind before they followed her, cursing her recklessness.

Raven made it to her sister in less than ten seconds and quickly beat out the flames on her pant leg before checking the rest of her. She was talking to her sister as she worked, making sure she stayed awake. Clarke didn’t lose consciousness thankfully and listened as her sister spoke about how proud she was off Clarke, how the fact that Clarke had kept calm and saved a lot of lives.

While Raven was making her initial checks when she registered Anya and Costia trying to speak with her. They were attempting to get her sister to back away and allow Abby to look after her, as she was a fully trained doctor but Raven resisted. She always treated Clarke, and no matter who was there, that wasn’t going to change.

Raven found herself wrenched away from her sister and held down by her wife and friend while Abby worked on Clarke. She was hysterical and terrified to what would happen. Clarke was worried about why her sister was no longer next to her, but didn’t hold onto her conscious state long enough to figure it out.

Abby found herself able to remove her emotions from the situation and just treat Clarke as a normal patient. She was able to assess her quickly and block out the commotion happening around her. Finding some worrying injuries on her youngest daughter, Abby sent Jake to get a stretcher and get Jackson from the Med Bay. Clarke needed to be seen away from prying eyes and unsterilized grounds.

Abby called Raven and Anya over to her so she could inform them of what was going to happen.

“I understand you are worried, but you need to relax. I haven’t been here for most of your life, but now I am and I am not going to let you get more hurt.” Abby waited for that to sink in before continuing. “Clarke has some blunt force trauma wounds. A lot of bruising but I want to check if she has any internal bleeding. I also need to check her head and ensure that her brain isn’t bleeding. She is unconscious for a reason, and I hope it is just because she is knocked out from the blast, nothing else. I need to take Clarke to the Med Bay. Do you understand Raven?”

Raven nodded at her mother before turning to her wife and talking in the grounder language. Abby wasn’t sure what was happening, but understood the words Clarke and Lexa, so assumed that they were debating whether or not to inform the Commander of her wife’s condition.

Anya quickly pulled her wife closer to her before calling Costia over. She spoke quickly and before Abby knew it, the woman was off and running. Her face must have portrayed her confusion, so Anya took pity on her and briefly explained. “She is going to find Luna and then they are both going to ride back and get the Commander. If they hurry, she could be here in less than three days. Costia is also going to get the group we left in Sydney’s lair and bring them to the Med Bay. Neither off us want to be any further from Clarke than we need to right now. When Jake gets back you should get him to inform your people of what has happened. The Commander is coming and she won’t be happy and that Sydney woman is not going to be the only person in her warpath.”

Abby nodded distractedly and processed the information. They had wanted the Commander here, now they had to deal with her.

Abby was pulled out of her thoughts when her husband came running back with Jackson and four other medicos’. They got Clarke onto the stretcher and began transporting her back to the Med Bay with Raven and Anya following closely behind. She quickly caught up with the group, unaware of how much was truly going to change in the next few weeks.

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The Mountain Men were attempting to set up their ambush when and group of 8 grounders made their way quickly through the area. They had heard an explosion earlier and assumed that these people were on their way to another camp because of it. Since none of them were hooded, they knew their target wasn’t there so they were let through peacefully. The group was unaware of just who was going to come back with the group and that the weeks were going to change their world.

Forever.

Chapter Text

Costia was terrified. Her best friend was just blown up and now she had to go and tell Lexa what had happened. Any grounder could tell you that going to Heda with bad news is scary, but going to Heda with bad news about her wife? Costia was unsure of how she would react, but she was glad Luna was with her to back her up.

The couple rode hard and fast back to Ton DC. They knew someone would have radioed ahead to warn them of their arrival, but no one expected them before daybreak. Lexa met them at the gates, a worried look on her face. She waited until they dismounted before questioning them.

“What has happened? Did you find the traitor? Was the Bellamy boy telling the truth? What has required you to return here without the others?”

Costia gripped Luna’s hand before answering. “To answer your questions, yes we found the traitor. Yes, the Bellamy boy was telling the truth. As for what happened for us to return…”

Luna took over from her wife. Lexa needed to hear it quickly and straight up. “Costia and Clarke were looking through the Ark and found some plans as well as guns, bombs and weapons to start a bit of a war. To get to the plans, Clarke moved some things around. One thing she picked up was grenade. It was stuffed with bits of metal so when it blew it would cause maximum damage. We got her and it outside, but it did go off. She was away from the blast but still injured. Abby is looking after her now. We need you to come back with us this evening. If I know Clarke at all, she won’t ask for anything, but she will want you.”

Lexa was silent. Her wife was injured again and there was nothing she could do to help her. Even if she had been there it still would have happened. She needed to with Clarke, but she also needed to be Heda.

Luna and Costia watched as Lexa paced in silence. They could see the thoughts running around her head but didn’t stop her. She was taking it a lot better than either of them expected.

After nearly 20 minutes of silent pacing, Lexa turned to the married couple. “We leave at midday. That will get us there by tomorrow morning and give you both a chance to rest. Clarke needs me there and I need to show these Arkers whose land they are on. Find Indra and tell her to get our fighters ready. They need to know I am coming, and they need to fear me. They have hurt my family more than I could have ever thought possible and it ends now.” Lexa walked away into her tent, leaving Luna and Costia speechless.

“I did not expect that.” Luna muttered, spooked by her friends reaction. She expected tears and yelling, not a properly thought out plan.

“Those Arkers are in for a shock tomorrow.” Costia said. She then took her wife by the hand and went to their tents to rest before making the trek back to the Ark. They would radio Anya and Raven before they left, but now they needed sleep.

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Raven paced outside the room where her mother was trying to save her sisters life. She felt helpless and alone. Anya was off dealing with Sydney and the treachery within the Ark, so she was left alone to worry.

After a few hours Anya returned to pull her out of her head. She got Raven to sit down with her and calm herself down. Anya hadn’t seen the twins act like this when the other was hurt before. Normally they took care of each other and didn’t have time to worry.

It was getting late when Abby finally emerged from the med room. Raven had been getting Anya to fill her in on what had happened with the search for Diana Sydney’s co-conspirators. There weren’t many, but she was hoping on others joining them when they had finally unveiled their plans. The six leaders of the failed coup were currently being guarded by some grounders so that no Arkers could attempt to speak with them.

As soon as the door opened and Abby exited, Raven and Anya stood quickly. Abby was smiling so Raven automatically relaxed. “Is she okay?”

“I think she will be fine. She woke up not too long ago and her brain seems clear of any damage. She is asking for you.” Raven quickly left the two women to talk so she could join her sister. “I am worried about her right shoulder though. There is a lot of scar tissue and damage to it. Hell, her whole body is a patchwork of scars, but that shoulder is a mess. Even before this mess I am surprised she could use her arm at all.” Abby was bewildered.

“Abby, her shoulder has been like that for a long time. Multiple knives and swords have gone through it, some in fights to the death. She uses her shoulder because she has to. Clarke will never be kept down. What else is there? She was severely beat up.”

“She had some internal bleeding which has been repaired. Her right shoulder is quite damaged, as you know, broken ribs and her left knee was hit with some shrapnel. It was stuck in behind the knee cap. We removed it, but won’t know the extent of the damage until she tries to walk. Honestly, she is very lucky to be alive.”

Anya nodded. “Okay. Thank you very much Abby. I cannot tell you how much she means to everyone in the coalition. She is our Prisa, and Lexa would burn us all to the ground if she died.”

Abby opened her mouth to answer when Lincoln came into the hallway. Anya excused herself and went to speak with the man while Abby returned to Clarke. What she saw there warmed her heart. Clarke and Raven were snuggled up on the single med bed and talking quietly. Clarke was comforting her sister and Raven was making sure Clarke wasn’t going anywhere. Anya walked in too see the same thing and grinned. She knew as long as those two were together, all would be well in the world.

Anya pulled Abby out of the room. “Hey. Lincoln just heard word from Ton DC. Lexa has rallied the troops from Ton DC. They are all coming. Here. Soon. You need to prepare your people for what is coming. You wanted to deal with Heda. And now you are getting her. Make sure your people know to behave, because Lexa has the only reason she needs to declare war sitting in that hospital bed and one of your people put her there.”

Anya watched as Abby went to speak with the rest of the council so they could decide on what to do. She would be lying to herself if she said she wasn’t looking forward to Lexa putting the fear of god into them. It had been a while since Lexa had truly unleashed her inner Heda. Anya re-joined her wife and little sister in the hospital room and filled them in. Needless to say, they all new the next few days were going to be interesting.

Chapter Text

The Arkers weren’t yet used to the early mornings and harshness of natural light as they were so used to the artificial creations on the Ark. However, most would have believed they were still dreaming when they witnessed what could only be called an armada of grounders approaching on their camp, their leader a woman who looked as though she could burn them all to the ground with just one glance. She had hundreds, if not thousands, of warriors at her back, ready to fight for their Commander.

They watched as their council met the grounders at the gates. Abby and Jake Griffin, Marcus Kane, Charles Pike and Callie Cartwig looked tiny facing up to the group. They were unarmed and wary when they approached the Commander. All of the Arkers had heard of what had happened to Diana Sydney and what she was planning. Anyone who knew of the plot had been rounded up, questioned and imprisoned. They were few, but the vision of people they had known their entire lives being thrown into cells stuck with the Arkers. They remembered the day on the Ark of friends and family being floated for any little infraction, so the guilty parties still being alive was seen as a blessing.

At least it was until they heard their punishment was being decided by the Commander of the grounders, and that it was going to be gruesome. The Commander had found a spy within her ranks and had held off on punishment until she got all of the facts. Now she had them, he wasn’t escaping punishment either. The Arkers could see the boy being guarded by half a dozen guards with a look of fear on his face. Whether his punishment was as severe as the other was yet to be seen. They had been informed of what happened to the young man who interfered and injured the Commander’s wife, and now they never thought of painting the same way again.

The council led the Commander into the Ark so she could see her wife. Before she left, she barked at her soldiers in a tone that left them trembling with fear. They all knew it wouldn’t take much for a brawl to t break out and the Arkers were well aware that they wouldn’t win.

Abby and Jake were counting their blessings that they were still alive. They saw Lexa in a completely new light after her arrival. They took her to Clarke immediately before leaving the couple to talk with Raven and Anya.

“Clarke, I was worried. Luna and Costia said you were going to be okay but I had to see you for myself.” The words were muffled into the blondes shoulder as Lexa hadn’t released Clarke from her initial embrace.

“Lexa love, I am going to be okay. My arm is the only thing that is a worry anymore and we both know I am more than capable of working with just the one, so please don’t worry about it. I am alive and I will recover. Raven will make sure of that. She and Anya are out for blood.”

“So am I! I want to tie that Sydney woman up to a tree and cut her to bits! She hurt you, and no one does that anymore. You and Raven have been through so much that I refuse to let you go through anymore.”

Anya knew she needed to step in to stop emotions from spilling over and them all ending up in tears. She also had a plan that could deal with the problem of potential Skaikru rebellions and the Mountain. “Okay, lets all calm down. Lex, Clarke is alright and she will be okay. Now, I know we all want this woman dead for this, but we actually have more pressing matters. I have an idea.”

“What more pressing matters, and what idea Anya? They hurt my little sister, I want justice!” Raven had finally found her voice and Anya was glad. It meant things were going back to normal.

Anya made the three other women sit on the one hospital bed so she could talk face to face with all of them.

“The Mountain. That is our main enemy, correct?” She waited for the others to nod before continuing. “What happened here was terrible, and as much as Clarke won’t admit it, she is carrying a severe injury. And I am not talking about your shoulder. That thing has been crippled for a long time, and you are used to it. I am talking about your knee.”

Lexa’s head whipped towards her wives immediately. “You said it was just your shoulder?”

Clarke had the decency to look sheepish while being defiant. “I tried out my leg earlier today. It is stiff and sore to walk on, but should be okay. I haven’t told the Drs’ I tried it out yet.”

Anya could see Lexa was gearing up to refute her wife’s statement and jumped in first. “And that is what is going to get us everything we need to beat the mountain.”

Lexa and Clarke were confused, but Raven looked as though she had found the reason of life. “Oh my god. You want to play the Skaikru, don’t you? Fool them completely?”

Anya nodded and Raven whooped. Lexa and Clarke weren’t liking the feeling of being out of the loop, so Clarke asked Anya to explain.

“Regardless of whether or not your knee is fine or not, you tell them it is severely damaged and refuse to let them treat you. It is fair enough that you wouldn’t trust them with your health after this. Abby and Jake will do anything to keep you guys in their lives, they will feel guilty and we use that to our advantage. Lexa can pull away from any treaty with what has happened here, and the Skaikru won’t want to. So we give them a choice. They give us everything we need to destroy the Mountain now. Soon. We are close to them here. Only after we win will we go back into negotiations for a treaty. We can get tech and weapons for barely anything and the Skaikru will be unable to do anything about it.”

Clarke was confused. “ So we have to Skaikru on our side. We will still need a way inside the Mountain. And with me out of commission with this, you lose the person most likely to get in there undetected.”

“That is why you and Raven are going to get captured.”

The silence after Anya’s statement was deafening. “Excuse me?”

Anya sat on the bed with the others before explaining. “We say that the two of you need some time away from here after these events. Lexa and I will stay behind but you will be heading back to Ton DC. You guys all saw the Mountain Men on the way here didn’t you? They were scouting. I spoke briefly with Luna and Costia before coming in here. They have set an ambush. You trigger it and get taken in. Raven knows enough about the tech to move around in there, and Clarke will be able to sneak out of anywhere they put her. You get a message out about how to get in and the Coalition and the Skaikru will come in firing.”

The three on the bed looked pensive, but Anya knew they would need more time to come to terms with this, regardless of whether they went ahead with it or not. “Just think about it and we can talk in a few days. We do need to know what to do with Sydney and her main men.”

Lexa didn’t need to think about this. “String them up and cut them. Death by 1000 cuts. It will serve as a warning and a punishment. Start it at sundown. Tell Abby when she gets back. For now, lets just stay in here and relax. We have a lot to think about.”

Chapter Text

There were 8 dead Arkers that were left strung to trees as a warning to all of the newcomers to not mess with the ground. Diana Sydney had named all her co-conspirators in an attempt to escape death but was unsuccessful. Her screams of pain and anguish would be something none of the Skaikru or Arkers present would forget.

Bellamy Blake barely escaped with his life, but was whipped until bone was visible for his part in the treachery. He would be out of commission for a long while but was happy to just be alive. He held no status, no power and no respect by anyone on the ground. His sister, Octavia, was blossoming with the freedom and he watched on wistfully. Bellamy knew he would have a lot to do to be even seen as a decent person, but was glad Octavia was safe.

Anya, Lexa, Clarke, Raven, Luna and Costia kept mostly to themselves for the three days after the executions. Officially, they were recovering from the ordeals they had suffered and staying far away from any Arkers or Skaikru. When Clarke had left the infirmary against medical advice, it had crushed her parents. They could see how all the trust they had built with the leaders of the coalition had crumbled through one persons actions. They had just gotten Clarke and Raven back and now they could barely look at them.

Unofficially, the 6 women were planning the assault on the Mountain. They had information from a captured scout (curtesy of Lincoln) that they were looking for the one who always wears the hood. They had pegged her as a leader, or an extremely important person in the grounder community and they wanted to take her and send a message to the grounders.

That information gave the women a starting point. Clarke was the only one who still travelled completely covered up. She liked the feeling of being protected and hidden. It fit in well with her quiet personality and her assassin skills. Raven only travelled uncovered occasionally and was more comfortable next to her sister.

Clarke and Raven were going to travel with a set of six guards. They were all going to be let in on the plan so as not to arouse suspicion. Clarke and Raven would be donning their thick hoods and cloaks, all of their weapons and some supplies. They were aware that it would be confiscated and possibly destroyed, but they needed to sell the narrative of leaving the Arkers camp and not returning.

It was a sombre morning when Clarke and Raven left the camp. Raven hovered over her hooded sister, while Clarke refused to go anywhere near her parents. Lexa and Anya looked murderous that their wives were being forced to leave the camp due to not feeling safe. Lexa made Lincoln pick up Clarke and place her on her horse, properly portraying the injured princess image.

All in all, the women were selling the plan nicely and no one knew that there was another plan in the works.

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The Mountain Men watched as a hooded woman was loaded onto a horse and a few other grounders prepared for their departure. They saw it was only a small party and quickly radioed back to base for permission to ambush and capture the hooded one. They were hoping for both, but recently they had only seen one of the hooded riders and were unsure of whether they would get another chance to take them. They knew that the hooded riders were important but didn’t know how.

They quickly got confirmation for the mission, with orders to bring in as many as they could alive. Their priority was the hooded woman and her closest guards as they believed they had the most information.

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Lexa stayed close by Clarke while Anya and Raven said goodbye. They were separated from the Griffins by multiple lines of warriors and were waiting for the couple to try and approach them. As much as they were Clarke and Ravens parents, they were also strangers that thought they had a say in their lives. They had protested greatly when Lexa informed them of the twins impending departure, insisting that as their parents they knew what was best for their family. Anya was fuming and Lexa quietly reminded her Trigedeslang that they needed them for the plan to work.

The only reason Anya let them get away with that was for the good of the Coalition.

After informing the Griffins that they knew nothing about Clarke and Raven, Abby insisted that she did. She even insinuated that some of their injuries weren’t from being held in Azgeda, but from their time in Polis. Costia and Luna had to pull the two leaders away from the doctor.

IF the coalition didn’t need their weapons to take down the Mountain, Lexa would have left them all to die for that accusation.

Raven got herself up onto the horse and placed herself next to her sister before talking quietly. The two rarely needed words to communicate, and if they wanted anyone to know what they were discussing, they would talk in a language they would be able to understand.

With one final goodbye, the party of 8 moved out of the Arkers camp with barely a glance at their hosts. Lexa and Anya stood strong, but knew there was a good chance that Clarke and Raven would be either hurt or killed before they saw them again.

Anya made up the plan, but the hardest thing she ever had to do was go through with it.

Clarke had approved it, with some changes but that didn’t make it any easier.

The gates to the Arkers camp remained open after the group of eight left. They weren’t expecting a message about the attack for hours but Lexa had Lincoln stay out as a scout just in case.

It was nearing dusk when the messenger came with the news of the attack. Four of the guards were dead, one left injured and the other three taken by the Mountain.

Clarke and Raven were two of the three.

Lexa and Anya immediately began planning, not even bothering the Arkers of what was happening. All they saw was the grounders preparing for what looked like a battle and having no context for it.

Abby was still angry and annoyed that her daughters had been sent away from her and was ready to go to war. Thankfully Jake was able to calm her down and stop her from doing anything rash.

Charles Pike was the elected ambassador to the Coalition after the Griffins screwed up. Marcus Kane was not held in any regard by the grounders and Callie Cartwig knew she was not the right person for the job. She worked better behind the scenes, while Pike was strong, tactical and knew how to speak with warriors.

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It took until early the morning after the attack that Lexa informed Pike of what had transpired the previous evening. They made it very clear that the grounders held the Arkers responsible for the attack. If they had kept control of their people, Clarke and Raven wouldn’t have felt unsafe and needed to leave.

Pike was the unfortunate soul who had to tell the Griffins their daughters were in danger again. Abby stormed over to Lexa and pledged anything they had to help get their daughters back. It was a reality check for the Griffins and showed them how dangerous life was going to be from now on.

When Abby came to her, Lexa internally grinned. Anya’s plan was coming together really well and despite her worry about Clarke, she knew her wife would be able to handle herself.

Lexa let Abby beg and plead with her for almost an hour before she agreed to allow her to help. She knew the need for the Arkers technology and resources but didn’t want them to know that they needed them. It was a delicate balance and Lexa was very good at keeping herself centred.

Over the next two weeks, Lexa, Anya and the grounders worked with Abby and the Arkers to create a plan to get into the mountain and rescue the girls. The plans were coming along well and they were just waiting for Raven or Clarke to get a message through to them.

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The message came on the night 16 days after they were taken. Raven knew how all the technology worked in the simplest sense, so when the radio in the camp started crackling sporadically, Lexa knew it was from Raven. It had freaked out Jasper who was manning the radio station. However, Lincoln was tasked to watch the radio and monitor transmissions and he knew it had to be from Raven.

Lincoln sent word to Anya and she quickly came running with Costia. They ordered Monty to clean up the transmission and watched as he worked his magic. Eventually, they found the repeated message coming through from Raven.

“Anya. They took Clarke away from me. We were separated almost immediately. I heard them say something about hoods and royalty, but I don’t know. I have snuck out a few times and I know roughly where they are keeping her so as soon as you come in, I am going for her. Anyway, I have a way for you to get in, but it will be tough. You need to go through the reaper tunnels with a small force. There is a way in at the end of the tunnels. You also need to distract them at the front gate, full on assault. Keep them from sending people to the tunnels so that they have a chance. I will do my best to get back to Clarke, but don’t focus on that. When you get in, find me. I won’t be able to transmit again. I hope you get this soon. They shouldn’t find it, but you never know. It will play on a loop. Be safe and come soon. I love you.”

The message was replayed many times with Anya and Lexa taking all the information they could out of it and refining their current plan. They had already pulled more troops into the fold from other clans as the Trikru couldn’t cater for all the warriors. Lexa had over 1000 warriors to use and needed every last one of them.

Lexa spoke with Pike about their needs from the Arkers. They had potentially 300 able bodied people who could fire weapons. That gave Lexa 1300 people to martial and work with.

It would be enough. It had to be.

Chapter Text

Clarke and Raven didn’t speak as the horses carried them away from safety. They knew they would be in for a challenge but were up to it. They had skills that they definitely shouldn’t and they would see them through.

The forest stilled and the 8 riders all stiffened and became wary. Nature is never quiet and it was the first hint something was going on. When the smoke came, the 6 guards launched themselves off of their horses and into the surrounding forest to find the enemy. Raven and Clarke stayed put, speaking quietly together and selling the impression that they were in need of protection. When they saw the first Mountain Man break through the tree line, they turned on their horses to flee. They got about ten metres before the horse carrying Clarke was shot and fell beneath her. Raven dismounted immediately and stood guard in front of her sister who was still playing injured.

“Raven, I am fine. Do what you must but remember to survive and make it into the mountain. We have done this all together, we will finish this together.”

Not long after the pair were knocked unconscious and taken into the Mountain. They were together for 5 minutes before Clarke was taken from her sister. The hooded twins had peaked the Mountain Men’s interest from early on and they now had one of them, unaware the other was with them as well.

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Day 1

Clarke was strapped to a table and kept sedated. They ran what tests they could on her and found her blood to be different to most grounders. They believed it was because she was from a different tribe but were unsure of the reasoning.

Her physical health was something completely different. She was covered in scar tissue and tattoos. What she had gone through was different to what the normal grounders had endured.

Dr Tsing and the Wallace’s were discussing what to do with her.

“I get she is important, but I don’t know how.” Cage said. “All she looks like is a prisoner. She is no better than the others. Just throw her into the cages with the rest of the animals!”

Dante shook his head. “No, she is different. She was protected by the others.” He turned to his son and the doctor. “You have 7 days. Find all you can about her body, then Cage can do what he needs to get information out of her. Torture her, whatever. Just don’t kill her. I believe she is more than she seems.”

The three parted ways. Dante went to his office to plot how to take over the ground and exterminate the savages. Dr Tsing went to her lab with the sedated Clarke to try and decipher her genes. Cage however went into the room filled with the grounders and taunted them. The two other new captives were in there and were aggressive and full of spirit. Cage grinned menacingly.

The spirit always left them.

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Day 8

Clarke was slowly coming out of the anaesthesia, but not fast enough for Cage. The icy cold water he dumped on her shocked her system awake.

She focused on the deranged looking man in front of her before taking stock of her surroundings. Finding yourself in a metal room with grates in the floors wasn’t a good place to start, but Clarke knew she was in there for a reason.

There only seemed to be one way in or out and there was no furniture other than the chair she was tied to. The ropes were tight, but she knew she could get out of them if she needed too. Clarke knew she had to delay and endure as long as she could to give Raven time to send a message out. After that, she could get herself into gear and start clearing out the mountain men from the inside.

She just hoped the man in front of her wasn’t as crazy as he looked.

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Day 12

He was that crazy. Clarke had been tortured before, but this was different. He used electricity to shock her and drugs to make her see things. Clarke endured and said nothing, refusing to even acknowledge the questions let alone try and answer them.

Clarke could take it. But she wanted a sign from Raven that she was able to move offensively. Clarke hated to be still, and she hated letting this man think he had her beaten when she was barely even in pain. Compared to Nia, this was a lazy weekend.

But she didn’t have Raven.

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Day 16

Clarke heard some commotion outside of her cell. She had no context as to what had caused it but she hoped Raven was wreaking havoc and blowing things up.

The Mountain Men deserved it.

Clarke used the noise outside to break out of the chains keeping her tied to the metal chair. The Mountain Men had used metal bracelets clicked shut around her wrists to keep her bound. She worked out early on that if she dislocated her thumb she would be able slip her wrist out, so that is what Clarke did. She barely registered the pain as she got her first wrist free.

Popping her thumb back in to place, the blonde made quick work of getting the other wrist free before moving on to her ankles. They had started as being extremely tight on her skin, but the days had worn them down and she had lost weight, so with a little bit of work she slipped her ankles free.

Now that she was free to move around, Clarke moved over to the door to see if she could spot any guards. The man who tortured her had also taunted her by leaving the door unlocked, not knowing Clarke understood every word. He had actually given away a lot of information about the layout of the mountain, such as how many levels, where her people most likely were and how hard it would be to escape. But Clarke didn’t want to escape, she needed to get out of this room and hide. If she could make her way out of the room and past the first few guards, she knew she could become invisible.

Clarke spotted a singular guard looking quite bored outside her door. She quickly snapped his neck and walked over him and down the corridor, away from the room which she had been trapped for over two weeks. She knew she needed to hide but she also needed to find some new clothes and some food, so she made her way through the tunnels and further into the Mountain. She was heading for where she thought her people would be, knowing that there could be some clothes in there that needed to be burnt due to the radiation. If she found Raven, even better but she knew her sister would be fine.

She needed to stay hidden for the mission and for the good of her people, no matter how much not having Raven next to her killed her. She had started screaming while with her torturer just to release some stress. She knew he thought she was crazy but couldn’t kill her because the others thought she was important.

She would make them regret leaving her breathing.

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Raven had just snuck back into her cage when she heard an alarm go off. She and the others had created a hell of a commotion for her to be able to sneak out and find her way to the communications and get that message to Anya. They had lost some people in the attempt, but all would have thought it a worthy sacrifice.

They were sitting quietly, thinking about the friends that were now gone when a group of suited Mountain Men came in searching for something about an hour later. They looked for a few minutes before leaving, muttering about a crazy, scarred blonde chick fleeing her cage. Raven waited for them to leave before she whooped in joy.

Clarke was still alive and was running them around. Now they just had to wait for Lexa and Anya to make their move.

Chapter Text

Day 21. (morning)

The twins had been gone for three weeks and Lexa was finally ready to go in and get them out. The plan was set, the Arkers knew what they had to do.

Anya was going to lead a force of 100 Trikru fighters through the tunnels and get inside that way. They had been fitted with trackers by Abby so they could keep apprised of their status. The rest of them were setting up on the front gate and try to pry it open. Monty had realised that the mountain ran on power from the dam, so he and a few of the 100 had scouted where the turbines were and set up explosives to blow them up. This would allow Lexa to get her strongest soldiers to the front door to pry them open and it would throw the Mountain Men for a loop as they wouldn’t know what was going on.

That night would be the end of the Mountain Men, they just didn’t know it yet.

Day 21. (nightfall)

Anya was scared, not for herself or for her soldiers, but for her wife. They hadn’t heard anything since the last transmission and even though she knew it was a possibility that she wouldn’t see her wife again, she hadn’t wanted to face the reality. Anya was going to be making a lot of noise and she hoped the soldiers in the mountain knew that they were coming for them.

They were halfway down the tunnels before Anya ran into any reapers. Abby had believed she could cure them, but this was no time to try. Her warriors ripped through the reapers and kept moving at pace, all eager to get into the mountain and end this war.

The group was approximately 100 yards from the door when more reapers attacked them with abundance. The 100 warriors were pinned down and fighting for their lives, moving in groups so s not to be left alone and vulnerable. Anya was shouting orders and fighting two reapers at once when she felt a sharp pain down her side. She looked to see a knife sticking out of her and rather than be overcome with pain, she pushed through and attacked with a new found ferocity.

The next ten minutes passed with a blur but Anya soon found herself standing in the middle of a bloody wasteland with reapers and her warriors strewn all around with no discrimination. Her group had lost what seemed to be about 20 warriors, with another dozen injured like she was.

Her warriors tried to get Anya to go back with the other injured to get more warriors to enter the mountain as well as get treated but she wouldn’t have any of that. “I am going in that door and I am finding my wife and sister. You can’t stop me but you can help me. Let’s find our families and end this war for our futures.”

Anya led her warriors in the door and came face to face with a few guards from the mountain. They were quickly and quietly disposed of, and the group moved along trying to find their loved ones. There was a map in the pocket of one of the guards and so the Trikru warriors used that to navigate their way through the Mountain.

After 10 minutes of walking, 6 dead mountain men and a few wrong turns, the group came to a room which had what looked like a doctor and some medical equipment in it. What was more telling though was the open door on the other side of the room, showing cages full of their brothers and sisters. They broke through the door and while a few grounders quickly disposed of the doctor, the others ran into the room full of cages and set about trying to free their people.

Anya was part of the group who killed the doctor but quickly moved into the other room to find Raven. She was searching high and low for her wife, screaming her name, when she found herself tackled to the ground in a hug. Raven and Anya held each other close, whispering sweet nothings in each other’s ears. They were both safe, for now, and were taking a minute to be together after three weeks apart.

“Are you hurt?” Anya asked.

Raven shook her head. “Not really, but you are. I can feel the blood on your side. Are you sure you should be in here still? That needs to be treated.”

“I’m fine, I swear. I couldn’t not come in for you when I was so close.”

Raven smiled softly. “I’m glad, but you have got to get that checked. Or at least sealed so you don’t lose more blood.” Raven got up off her wife before pulling her to her feet. She led her into the now ransacked doctors office and got out what she needed. When Anya questioned how she knew where everything was, Raven just smirked.

“I was never very good at staying in one spot for very long.” While Raven patched Anya up, the lights flickered before going out completely. Anya sent all her able bodied warriors off in different directions to create havoc and sent the injured ones who would consent back down the tunnels to safety.

“The powers down and Lexa should be through the front doors soon. We need to find our way to them.” Anya told Raven her ideas but was quickly shot down.

“No way in hell. I am going to find my sister. She has been alone with these psychos for weeks. You do what you want, I’m going to find Clarke.”

“I am not separating from you again. We go to Lexa and then we go as a group to find Clarke. You told me yourself that they separated her from you all for a reason, she is probably in a very secure area and we need more numbers to get to her.” Anya was desperately trying to get Raven to understand.

“She escaped 5 days ago. They have been running around looking for her since. She would have heard all this commotion and come out of hiding to help us all. We need to look for her!”

Anya just chuckled. “Rae, your sister is the quietest, sneakiest and deadliest person I know. If she doesn’t want to be found, she won’t be. However, she also will go and help out anyone she can, and now you are all free she will go to where the fighting is greatest. That is the front doors. Listen to me and trust me Raven, please.”

Raven huffed before nodding. “Fine, but you had better be right. IF she isn’t there, I will not be happy.”

The two made there way out of the room and followed the sounds of carnage and the blood stains through the mountain. They fought a few mountain men before they finally got to the front doors.

What they found was not what they expected. Lexa and her warriors were there and ready to fight, but other than the already dead Mountain Men at their feet, there were no others. Raven and Anya made their way to Lexa and after a quick reunion they questioned what was happening.

“I have no idea, but we need to move further into the mountain and end this tonight. I am not living another day in their shadow.” Lexa rallied all her warriors and they began their march through the mountain, searching for the way to end this war once and for all.

Chapter Text

The images that Wallace was seeing on the security feed were horrific. His soldiers were being slaughtered by the savages, his son was off searching for his missing prisoner and he had just had it confirmed that Tsing had been killed and all the grounders had been released from their cages. He had seen it happen on his screens but refused to send anyone to her aid. He wouldn’t lose anyone else to a lost cause.

He sent out an alert earlier and had everyone who was unable to fight sent to their rooms to be locked in and guarded. The able bodied were armed to the nines and stationed around the mountain. He was unsure if the savages were capable of stealth or not, but he expected that he would hear them coming anyway.

What had worried him was the fact his sons pet project, the grounder princess who didn’t speak, hadn’t shown up on any of his monitors since her escape. The scarred blonde was hiding. His son labelled her a coward for it and shouted it down the corridors as he searched for her. Wallace wasn’t worried that she wouldn’t be found, but he was worried at where she would pop up. She had been severely injured when they captured her and couldn’t move quickly, but he didn’t trust her mind would register it.

Unfortunately, his son refused to listen to reason and check the places where the cameras didn’t cover. Ideally the tunnels, the vents and the old locked of floors which were contaminated and uninhabitable. He insisted she was taunting him, following him.

“Cage Wallace, report.” Dante sent the announcement out over the PA system, hoping to god that his son listened to it and came straight to him. His second in command had been distracted for too long.

It seemed like days before Dante saw his son. During that tine he watched the savages slaughter his defences at the main door. He had no idea how they cut the power but it didn’t matter anymore.

Cage eventually rocked in with a manic look in his eyes. He stood near the door, unhappy and tired. He had barely slept the last few days since the savage princess had escaped him. He didn’t have time to be distracted by this.

“Father, what do you need me for? I have things that require my attention.”

Dante just scoffed. “Our people are being slaughtered and you have things to do? Where are your priorities?”

“That scarred bitch is the highest priority. She is the key to their society, I can feel it. They only invaded when we got her. They didn’t even try to before then. If we can find her, draw her out, we can recapture her and negotiate! Get them to leave and we spare her. When they turn their backs, we strike!”

“You have no proof she is who you think she is. You have no clue if she is anyone is important. Why should I back you on this? Why should I not just send you to stay with the people who can’t fight and stay locked safe in a room? You haven’t been able to find her for days, why do you think now is going to be any different? Convince me of your plan or I will send you out to complete mine, and I can guarantee you that it will not be one you will like!” Dante was furious that his son wasn’t listening. He had that unhinged look in his eyes, and Dante feared his son had snapped. On the one hand, if he had snapped, it would give him the perfect man to carry out his plan. On the other hand, if he hadn’t… it would be almost impossible to convince him of what he needed done.

“Father, I am going to continue doing what I have been. She will come out of her hidey hole now that her people are here, and when she does I will be there to pounce.”

Dante turned back to his monitors and watched as three grounder women conversed over the dead bodies of his people and sighed. He had to make more sacrifices for the good of his people and even then, he wasn’t sure they would survive it. “Not good enough Cage, it is just not good enough.”

“But father –“

“No Cage! Come here and look at these screens. Look at your people strewn across the floor while the savages talk.” As he spoke two more women joined the main group of three before they dispersed. The original three took a small force with them and followed a map one of them had procured, while the newer two led the main force another way. As the pair watched, more people came through the doors. They were dressed differently and looked more comfortable in the confines of the mountain. “They even have the sky people with them. You tried to get them on our side, but that woman you were talking with disappeared. All of your plans have been useless so far, and now it is my turn to direct you.”

Dante went on to explain his plan to his son, unaware of the assassin hiding in the vents listening to every word.

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Luna and Costia came through the front gates with the second wave of warriors. It consisted of a fair few Skaikru and Arkkru, including Bellamy, so that they could manoeuvre their way safely through the Mountain. It had been debated strongly over the last few days whether or not to bring Bellamy with them. He had tried to regain the trust he had lost after Sydney’s plan had gone sideways. His sister refused to speak with him, but he had shown his worth to Pike and Jake when he worked through the night to help repair some structures of the Ark. The only reason he was there was because he was an able-bodied and willing to do anything to get back what he had lost.

Luna sent her warriors off with there orders before she and Costia headed over to the three leaders at the head of the group. It seemed a harsh argument was going on and they didn’t want to get in the middle of it, but they had to.

After a quick reunion with Raven, they got straight to the point. “What’s happening? Where is Clarke?” Costia asked.

Raven sighed. “Not here. We are taking a small force to go find her and their leaders. You two are going to shore up the defences. Find any Mountain Men who are still armed and standing and take them out. Any that are hiding, bring them too a central location. We can deal with them afterwards.”

Luna sent an inquisitive look towards Lexa and Anya, knowing that Raven was not in the best headspace. Her best friend was emotional in normal situations, but put Clarke in with her… her emotions went off the charts.

Lexa nodded her agreement to the plan. She had come up with it after all. Anya wasn’t convinced but she knew regardless of the plan, Raven would go after Clarke anyway. Anya had a feeling that something bad was going to happen and that with their luck, the Twins were going to be right in the middle of it.

Costia turned to Raven and gripped her hand. “We will find her. Make sure your group has a radio with you so we can communicate. As soon as we know anything, we will let you know.”

The group went their separate ways. Luna and Costia took the bulk of the group and went to create havoc but also took the medics and the techs to see who of their warriors they could save and what they could use. Lexa, Raven and Anya took a small force and made their way to what was marked as the Presidents Room. If their leader was anywhere, and was going to make a stand from anywhere, they assumed it would be there. It was also next to the security room, so they knew the leader would be watching them.

They hoped he saw them coming and was terrified. His people had taken enough from them in the past. Now it was there turn.

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Clarke had heard the commotion from spot in the vents over the last few days. She could get anywhere she wanted to in them and for someone who was as silent and deadly as her, she was comfortable in the enclosed space. She was a silent assassin. Her knee was troublesome but nothing she couldn’t handle.

Over the previous days she had been slowly sabotaging the Mountain. She had no idea how much trouble she had caused, but she loved the sounds of screeching alarms and panicked running.

She also watched who the big players were, who was spoken with reverence and who was spoken about with fear in their voice. Clarke found out that no one liked the man who tortured her, but his dad was in charge, so they had to listen to him. They also thought that her people weren’t worth anything and that they deserved the ground. They didn’t care that the Grounders were people too, they just wanted what they couldn’t have. Clarke filed all this information away for use in the future.

Clarke had watched her sister through the vents in the room of cages, but couldn’t risk trying to communicate with her. It pained her but the mission needed her to focus and unfortunately she couldn’t focus on Raven.

Clarke had made her main nest in the vents above the Presidents and Security Room. She could hear everything that was planned, see everything that was happening and knew what would happen if she was found. That Cage guy was really crazy.

When the lights flickered and the electrical hum that was always present in the Mountain finally died, Clarke grinned. Lexa was here and they were going to finally end this.

She watched from her perch as the president, Dante called for his son. She heard the man pace back and forth, muttering words under his breath. When Cage finally turned up, Clarke watched the men have an argument that just went from bad to worse.

Cage refused to do anything other than hunt her, insisting she was stalking him. She chuckled silently as he was exactly right, but he came of as deluded and psychotic. Obviously his father agreed, because he forced him watch his people being slaughtered to try and motivate him.

“Now, son. You need to do one last thing for me before you get back to hunting the blonde bitch. Find that lead group and kill them. It is your duty and your right.” Clarke couldn’t see where they were, but she would follow Cage and find them. Before she got lost in the plan too much, Dante started talking again. “They are searching for me and if I die, we all go down. Eliminate them and then return here. I will help you narrow down where the blonde is and you can do what you want to her.”

Cage left and Clarke made to shimmy down the vents and follow when she heard Dante call for a soldier on the radio. “Have you set up the failsafe?”

“Yes Sir.”

“Good Emerson. Even if they do take us down, take me down, they won’t get our people. They will be with us in the next life. I have the switch here. I won’t being taken by those savages. Our people will die first.”

Clarke had to get to them, and now. She needed to tell Lexa of what she knew and their time limit. She knew how to find them, and she needed to save them. Her family was not going to leave her, not again.
 

Chapter Text

Raven had to restrain herself from rushing ahead of the group and going alone to find Clarke. She knew the plan was solid and she knew she wasn’t the only one who was missing Clarke. Raven looked to her side and saw Lexa there with her stoic Commander face on, but she could see in her eyes the fear she held for her wife. Raven needed to stay with her and work together to get to Clarke and end this war. That was the plan.

She should have known that all their plans go to shit.

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Lexa’s lead scout was ten yards ahead of her when a loud bang sounded and he dropped dead where he stood, blood flowing from a hole in his forehead. The group scattered and took cover in the hallway as best that they could, using open doors and overturned tables as shields. Lexa knew they couldn’t afford to stay pinned down for long and signalled to the Arkers in her squad to retaliate with their guns. Lexa refused to touch the weapons herself but knew that in the right hands they could work well for her.

The Arkers in her squad were the guards that went by the names of Shumway and Byrne. Lexa had watched them train and shoot and knew that they were two of the best shooters on the ground. The only one who could give them a run for their money was Bellamy and Lexa didn’t trust him enough to allow him behind her with a gun.

Shumway and Byrne worked well as a pair, with one laying the cover fire while the other moved forward to the next patch of cover. They eventually got close enough to see the pair of Mountain Men hidden behind a pillar. Shumway kept firing away, allowing Byrne to sneak back a bit and inform Lexa of the situation. Lexa got a look on her face that would haunt Byrne till the end of her days before the pair made their way towards the front where Shumway was holding down the fort.

What happened next would be spoken about around the bonfires and celebrations of the grounders for generations, long after all that were present had passed on.

Lexa took about 20 seconds to assess the situation up close before she acted. She had been counting the shots and the gaps in between when the soldiers switched off shooting. In the time it took for the Mountain Men to switch active shooters, Lexa pounced. She leapt over the table she had used for cover with her knives in her hand.

Byrne forgot she was meant to be following the woman as backup when she saw her leap and then, before even landing, throwing her first knife at the closest Mountain Man. It sliced right through his neck and then landed squarely in the chest of the second soldier, killing him instantly.

In the space of three seconds, Lexa had taken out their main threat and they could move closer to their goal. Everyone was in awe of the woman and they could all see why she was the Commander.

Anya and Raven made their way towards the front and congratulated Lexa on her quick fire release.

Lexa just smirked over her shoulder while she pulled her knife free from the dead Mountain Man. “Well, my wife taught me a little bit about painting.”

Raven chuckled for the first time in a few weeks at that comment. It didn’t bring back great memories, but it reminded her of the strength of her sister and how much she could endure if necessary.

Anya saw her wives expression grow pensive and quickly got the group moving again. They made their way quickly but quietly through the Mountain. They got up to the level below the presidents room before they hit their next road block.

A crazed looking Mountain Man was pacing in front of the green looking group of Mountain Men and talking quite quickly about things that obviously made no sense to the group of Mountain Men behind him. The words “that blonde bitch” and “mute royal savage” were just some of the words that carried along the corridors to the group. Anya had to hold Raven back while Lexa had a look on her face that would be carried to the graves of the group with them.

Anya backed them away and into a room where they could conduct a plan. It seemed like a storage room and was full of uniforms for the Mountain Men. There were only nine of them and she didn’t think they would have a problem against the 20 Mountain Men, but the look in the pacing mans eyes scared her.

Anya looked at who she had. Raven, a charge in and close up fighter. Lexa and herself, who excelled at sword play and hand-to-hand combat. Shumway and Byrne were their shooters and Murphy and Atom were quick and slippery. Miller was big, strong and able to take down anything in his path. The only one she wasn’t 100% sold on was Wells.

Murphy and Atoms’ strengths lay in their speed and agility, their ability to get in and out quickly. She was going to pair them together and send them around the back with Raven to cut off the escape route and attack from a second front. Herself and Lexa were going to attack from the front with Miller, while Shumway and Byrne would set up from a distance and pick them off one by one.

The wildcards was the Arker, Wells. He volunteered to join this group at the last minute and Anya couldn’t figure out why Lexa had agreed. Wells had spoken to Lexa privately before she agreed to let him join and whatever he had told her had been convincing enough to allow the boy to join them. He had a gun and was handy enough firing it, but other than that Anya couldn’t see his worth.

“Okay so this is my plan.” Anya ensured she had everyone’s attention before she laid out her ideas and expectations. They all nodded along in agreement but noticed Anya didn’t have a place for Wells. Anya turned towards the boy and asked, “why are you here? What can you do to help me get my sister back?”

Wells shared a look with Lexa and at her nod he spoke. “I’m the distraction, the talker, the bait if you needed me. I don’t look like you guys, I am not tough or strong but I do look like the Mountain Men. I’m here if you needed a decoy or a negotiator. My dad was the Chancellor on the Ark and he taught me a lot about diplomacy, both good and bad. If you need me to walk up them and distract them I am your guy. I am the expendable one.” Wells explained with such sadness and acceptance that it could melt the coldest heart.

Anya listened and got angrier as boy went on. She wanted to snap at Lexa, at her stupidity at allowing this boy on her mission but she could see why he could be useful. The boy was lonely and probably depressed. He didn’t care if he lived or died and Lexa could see that. Anya called Lexa over to her, turning to the Commander with a questioning look in her eyes.

Lexa sighed. “He was meant to be with Luna and Costia, but a few of the Skaikru in their group had threatened him and wanted to kill him. He was scared and came to me for help. He isn’t expendable, no matter what he says. He blends in like a chameleon. He is necessary. If he wanted to, he could be invisible because he is light on his feet and fast. Very little fighting skills but he doesn’t need him. If he had grown up on the earth, he would probably be a politician or a thief. He has the skills of both. I wanted him here because he could talk his way out of anything.”

Anya and Lexa discussed how he could be used in this situation quickly and slightly altered their plan. Lexa moved and grabbed a uniform from the shelf next to her and through it at Wells. “Put that on.” Wells quickly obeyed and was soon dressed as a Mountain Man soldier.

“Okay, Wells is going to run to that group and spurt some story about seeing a crazed looking blonde on the floor below. While he is doing that, we are getting to our spots to start taking them out. Wells, you need to keep them distracted for long enough so that Raven, Atom and Murphy can get around the back to cut of their escape. As soon as you see Raven charging, start firing that gun you have and take out who you can, then get out of the way. Got it?” They all nodded and started moving to their spots.

Once Raven was out of sight of the main group Wells made his move. He ran quickly to the group of Mountain Men and collapsed in a heap at the foot of the pacing man. The man looked at Wells with suspicion, but that left quickly when the boy started talking.

Wells took a second to get his bearings and read the man in front of him. Spotting his name tag, he starting talking. “Mr. Wallace, Sir… there was an issue on the floor below. A big group of savages… got through and just… annihilated us. They sent me ahead to warn… you all. I heard… one of them say they were going for… the president. I had to tell you.” Wells pretended to be out of breath to prolong his monologue.

Cage hauled Wells to his feet. “Who was part of this group? Did anyone stand out?” Cage hoped his prisoner was out on the loose. He would get her.

He had too.

Wells took a step back from the crazed man. He saw Raven, Atom and Murphy making their way forward and knew it was time to act. “Yeah.” Wells pulled his gun from his waistband and held it next to him. “Some crazy blonde was all over the place.”

As soon as he said that, he took three steps to the left and started firing at random. He hit a few of the Mountain Men in the group before they recognised his deception. By that point, the others had descended on the chaos. Lexa and Anya tore through whoever they got close to, while Raven was a machine that looked like it had nothing else to live for but to fight. (Wells realised that that had been the woman’s life for along time and it angered him that it was his fathers fault.)

Byrne and Shumway were picking off the few that got through the onslaught, but overall the damage was done by the six fighters. Wells emptied his clip then stayed out of the way until he saw their leader try to sneak out of the fight from were Raven had come from. The others were otherwise distracted so he chased after the man who was moving quite well for a man with a bullet in his stomach.

Wells lost sight of him but could hear some commotion coming from a few corridors over. What he found when he finally caught up to the man shocked Wells to his core.

He saw a woman with more scars than any grounder he had ever seen standing across from the man with her hands up in surrender. The man held a gun on her but it wasn’t steady as he was waving it around while he talked. The woman didn’t look scared and Wells recognised the look in her eyes. It was the same one he had just seen in Ravens, the one that said they had nothing to live for but to fight. However, the woman who Wells assumed was Clarke, had a more calculated look than Raven did. Wells realised that this was going exactly as Clarke expected and she was just letting him talk while she waited for an opening.

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Cage had no idea he had been followed. All he cared about was the woman in front of him and finally getting her to talk. She hadn’t made a sound in the whole time he had her and his dying wish, (because he may be crazy but he wasn’t stupid, he knew he would be dead soon) was to get her to talk. To break her.

“The blonde bitch comes out of her hidey hole. Couldn’t stay away? Needed more pain? You are scarred enough you must love the pain. So used to it that you can’t function without it I bet. Well don’t worry love. I will make sure you get a lot of pain before you die.”

Clarke was just watching as Cage bled out slowly in front of her from what should be a fatal wound. However, she didn’t plan on letting him last that long. Clarke saw an unknown man sneak up behind Cage slowly and take stock of the situation. It took the young man about thirty seconds to start sneaking closer to the ranting man. Clarke watched as the man quickly went to put the older man in a head lock and pull him to the floor. Clarke quickly moved forward and kicked the gun from the flailing mans hands and helped the man restrain him. She pulled of her shirt and tore it into strips so she could bind him up.

Wells watched the woman strip her shirt off and leave her just in chest bindings and pants before she began to tie the man he was holding down up. It took a few minutes, but Clarke finally gave him a signal to let him go. Wells stood up and moved next to Clarke. They stood over the man who was yelling obscenities at them.

Clarke move to kneel next Cage and cocked her head to the side. She seemed to work something out in her brain before she started to speak. “What is the failsafe?”

Cage scoffed. “She speaks! My god it is a mira- WHAT THE FUCK! You BITCH, you broke my finger.”

Clarke didn’t even seem to move she broke the finger that fast. “If you don’t answer, I break another. What is the failsafe?”

“I don’t know what you are talking about!”

Crack.

“I swear to-“

Snap. “Next time it is your knee I break. What is the failsafe your father set up?” Clarke wasn’t exactly enjoying herself and Wells looked nauseous but he stayed with her.

Cage was torn between not saying anything and prolonging the pain or giving in and dying quickly. “Please, I beg of you, I don’t know.”

Clarke pulled a wicked looking knife from the back of her pants and drove it through the mans knee.

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His screams echoed along the hallways, drawing the attention of Raven’s group. They had just finished up their battle with the Mountain Men soldiers relatively unscathed. Anya had reopened her wounds from the battle in the tunnels and had to be supported by Miller and Atom while Raven tended to Murphy. He had been hit by a bullet in the lower leg. It was through and through, but she needed to seal it up before they moved on.

Lexa had seen Wells run off after their leader but couldn’t follow immediately due to being in the middle of the fight. When they heard the screams she worried it was Wells and rushed towards the sound with Byrne on her heels, leaving Shumway and the others to make their way when they could.

Lexa and Byrne weren’t sure what to expect but what they saw didn’t come close. Clarke was standing shirtless, covered in blood with a vacant look in her eyes while Wells stood next to her looking very pale. At their feet was the man Wells had chased, dead, with a knife in his knee and his neck sliced open.

Byrne quickly assessed the situation and affirmed their was no danger so she lowered her weapon. Lexa slowly made her way to Clarke, approaching her like one would a cage animal. “Clarke love, are you okay?”

Clarke snapped out of her thoughts at her wife’s voice. She looked up and ran into Lexa’s open arms and held her close.

Lexa wrapped Clarke up in her arms and whispered nothing and everything in her ear. It didn’t matter what she said, but Clarke needed to hear her and feel her and Lexa needed to feel Clarke.

Byrne moved over to talk to Wells. He was slightly freaked out by what he had seen and wasn’t ready to talk about it but Byrne was his shoulder to lean on. “You did well kid. I am proud of you.” Wells nodded and blinked away tears.

His dad had never said that to him, no one had.

It took a few minutes for the rest of the group to make their way across. Anya was held up by Miller, while Murphy was held up by Shumway so that Atom and Raven could be free to fight if needed. However, as soon as Raven set her sights on Clarke she left the group behind and ran towards her twin.

“Clarke! Are you okay?”

Lexa was still hugging Clarke and had no intention of letting go but that didn’t faze Raven. She just wedged herself in beside them and held Clarke tight. The two of them spoke quickly to reassure each other that they were fine. They knew that later they would need to be properly debriefed and informed of the others ordeal but now was not the time.

Lexa looked over to Anya and tried to get her to join the hug but she shook her head. This wasn’t the place for the reunion and the tears that would surely escape if she joined that hug. They needed to keep moving.

Anya cleared her throat. “Okay, we have to keep moving. One more floor, we are almost there.”

Wells had been quiet and didn’t look like he wanted to speak up but knew he had to. “Um, Anya?” All eyes expect for the three still hugging and talking turned to him. “Clarke… persuaded the man to talk. They have a failsafe. A switch that will kill all of the Mountain Men by letting the air in from the outside. The president has the switch and he is going to use it, soon.”

Anya couldn’t figure out if that was a bad thing or not. “Let’s get to the president and then we can figure out what to do.”

Lexa had been listening to the group while with Clarke and Raven. She quickly extricated herself from the hug and let the twins to it. “Who is we, Anya? You can barely stand, Murphy is injured as well, and Wells looks like he will collapse any second. None of you will be going. Start to make your way back to the medics. Take Shumway, Byrne, Miller and Atom with you. Raven, Clarke and I will go after the president. You seven aren’t coming.”

Anya knew better than to argue with that voice, the Commanders. Lexa very rarely used it on her, but when she did Anya obeyed without question.

“Okay, but stay safe. Don’t do anything stupid.”

Lexa grinned. “I’ll try.” Lexa sobered before she spoke again. “Make sure you get out, just in case this goes wrong.”

The group separated again, with Raven and Anya saying goodbye once again. They had faith they would see each other again and prayed that would happen.

Raven and Lexa looked towards Clarke to lead the way to the presidents room. It probably looked odd to anyone who saw them. One woman with war paint and braids, and another with what looked like rags on following a topless woman covered in blood around an abandoned mountain. It was strange but if they knew what they were planning on doing, they would be terrified.

Clarke led the others into a storage room to grab another shirt before she took them to the vents she had used to get around. She pulled out three more knives she had stashed in there before she led them up the stairs and to the presidents room.

The three of the expected it to be locked and were shocked when it opened up for them. However, what they found in the room was unexpected.

One older man was sitting in a chair with one hand on a lever and the other holding a gun while he watched the monitors. The floor was littered with bodies, soldiers who had all been shot dead. Whether they did it themselves or they were murdered was unclear, but either way it made the three grounders wary.

On the monitors, Lexa saw her people moving through the Mountain unencumbered. She could see the bodies that littered the floor and knew a battle had taken place, but right know they had no obstacles. Any Mountain Men were just sitting in rooms unable to escape. Some were crying, others looked like they were praying

The old man with the gun just looked at them with an unreadable expression. “I knew our way of life would end one day. I had hoped we would be on the ground, but it looks like we will die in here. I won’t let you slaughter my people. I would rather do it myself.”

Clarke, Raven and Lexa watched as the man pulled the lever and then blew his brains out. They turned to the monitors and watched as all the Mountain Men still alive started blistering, screaming and grabbing at their throats. They watched as they all died from the radiation that their leader had inflicted on them.

Lexa was impassive, trying to see how this was good for her people. Raven was angry at the dead man because he took the choice away from his people and then refused to live through the pain himself. Clarke was numb, she couldn’t feel anything else today.

Clarke grabbed Lexa and Raven by the hand and walked them out of the room. She could feel the pain she had ignored for the last month and wanted to get out of the Mountain before she collapsed. She couldn't last that much longer.

Lexa looked at Clarke and squeezed her hand, knowing that her wife wasn’t going to say anything. “Come on Clarke. Let’s get you and Raven home.”

Chapter Text

Anya had been watching the doors to the mountain, waiting for her family to emerge. Abby had tried to set up the healers area inside the mountain, but all the injured refused to be treated there. It was a place none would ever forget no matter how hard they tried, but at least they could get away from it now.

As much as it pained Anya to admit, she knew that Lexa was right and she had been in no fit state to continue on. She had immediately been set upon by Abby as she entered the medical tent, and Anya was surprised when the woman just went ahead with her job of patching her up and not trying to interrogate her to the status’ of her children. That act of putting her healing work ahead of her personal need elevated her in the eyes of Anya, from someone who she didn’t trust but had to get along with for the sake of her wife, to someone who could be a member of her family.

Anya saw the lines of bodies that were put off to the side. Grounders had been separated from the Arkers and Skaikru, not because of clan lines, but for the ease of accessibility to loved ones to say a final goodbye. Anya noticed the strong little Skaikru, Octavia, standing over the body of her brother. She had heard from a Skaikru in the medical tent that he had thrown himself into the fight wanting to redeem himself. His final act had been protecting a wounded grounder from a mountain man when he had been stabbed in the back. The grounder quickly avenged the man and carried him out to Abby before he collapsed in the mud. Both the grounder and Bellamy had succumbed to their injuries, but they died as brothers in arms and not enemies. Anya liked to think that the traitor had redeem himself, not just to her people and his own, but in his own heart.

Anya stood from her perch when she saw the three women she was desperate to see. It looked as though Lexa and Raven were holding Clarke upright, and the blonde was currently fighting to stay conscious. Anya made her way over to the medical tent and got the to quickly clear a bed before the group got there.

Lexa had seen Anya move towards the tent and silently thanked her friend. They were getting enough stares as it was and she needed to get her wife seen to. She had been tortured for weeks and was covered in blood, although most of it was not hers. Her mother was the best healer that they had available since Nyko was back in Ton DC.

Lexa and Raven helped Clarke to the bed Anya had acquired and called Abby over. Lexa was amazed at the woman’s ability to compartmentalize and to not ask what had happened to her daughter.

Lexa helped Abby strip Clarke of her bloody clothing and left her in her underwear. Once that was done, they had trouble keeping the woman awake to answer the doctors questions. Since Clarke wasn’t making sense, Abby gave the job keeping her awake to Raven while she spoke to Lexa.

“Okay. I don’t think I can give you a proper answer about her injuries until I can find out what she went through in there. Do you have any idea? Right now, from what I can see she was beaten and electrocuted, but that was some time ago now. The worst injury I believe she has is a nasty concussion and extreme exhaustion, which have differing treatment plans. I would like to get her back to the ark and observe her for a few days, just in case something changes I am there to treat it immediately. However, I know my actions have not been the best and Clarke does not feel safe at Arkadia since that attack. So, I defer to you. My actions as a doctor have no bearing on my being a mother and this is what I believe is best for her health.”

Abby exhaled as the Commander processed all the information. She turned to see her two girls chattering away, one very sleepily, and all of it in languages foreign to her. She was so wrapped up in her children that she didn’t hear the Commander when she spoke to her.

“I’m sorry, could you repeat that?” Abby embarrassed but Lexa just gave her a knowing smile before repeating herself.

“I said that is fine. I will be coming as well and as soon as Clarke is fit to travel we all must return to Polis. Word will be spreading about the Mountain’s defeat and the four of us must be there to deal with it all. We also must begin the preparations to bring the Arkkru into the coalition, and inform the Skaikru of their choices.”

Abby was shocked. “You will allow us into the coalition?”

Lexa nodded. “Of course. You held up part of your side of the deal in helping us to defeat the Mountain Men. You and your people have earnt it.”

Abby smiled before a frown crossed her face. “What do you mean the choices of the Skaikru? I thought the kids would just be able to come under the Arkkru banner, and rename us all Skaikru? It sounds much better than Arkkru.”

“That is one option. But they also have the option of joining the Trikkru if they wish. They proved themselves early on and most have apprenticed themselves to a warrior, a healer or anyone thye wanted to. I believe one boy is training to be a tattoo artist. They have many options available to them and only they can make their choice.”

Abby understood the logic of that, even though some of their brightest minds were part of that group. “Fair enough. Once everyone is treated here, I will start the process of moving Clarke and the other injured who need further care to the Ark. It shouldn’t take long as you were the last ones out.”

Abby left Lexa to go check on Clarke again, give Raven a quick hug and then went back to her patients. Many of them had wounds that would need further care, such as bullet wounds, but the majority had scrapes and needed stitches before they could leave. The grounders who needed stitches just left the medical tent, going to the fire to cauterize them so Abby could get to the ones who really needed her.

Lexa went over the her wife who had finally succumbed to sleep. She sent Raven and Anya out to rally the troops and get them moving back to Ton DC or the Ark. All of the former prisoners had to be taken back to be checked on by Nyko as the medical tent was a bit too much like the Ark for their comfort.

Lexa gave herself five minutes with her wife before she would join them. She liked to watch her sleep. It calmed her and made Clarke look stress free. She only looked stress free when she was sleeping.

Lexa was staring at her wife when she stirred and opened her eyes. “Hello Prisa. How are you feeling?” Lexa asked. Whenever Clarke looked like this, Lexa knew she would get some sort of weird answer out of her, and occasionally it wasn’t in a language she understood. Her filter wasn’t there when she was tired. Sometimes she was crass, others enlighted and insightful.

“I’m shattered. Why the fuck did I agree to this?”

Lexa chuckled softly. “You are sounding like Raven right now love. And it was the best way to defeat the Mountain, and you always do what is best for our people. It is just who you are Prisa.”

Clarke groaned. “Okay. We won though, right? No more mountain?”

Lexa kissed Clarke’s forehead. “No more mountain. Sleep now Prisa. When you wake again you will feel better.”

“Love you Leksa. Tomorrow we can have the beginnings of peace.” Clarke dozed off and Lexa grinned at her sleeping wife before she stood up.

Lexa made her way to the door but stopped before she stepped out. She thought about what Clarke had said. The beginnings of peace. She had never had peace before but she was definitely looking forward to it. It would be tough but as long as she had Clarke by her side and Anya and Raven at their backs, she could take it.