Chapter Fifty-One

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Faye could feel her body again. She opened her eyes, seeing Clarke looking up at her.

"Faye." She said, relieved to see the girl awake. "You did it." Clarke smiled as Faye watched everyone in the throne room.

"Little help here?" Murphy asked. Faye saw he had his hand around Ontari's heart and was pumping it.

"What happened?" She asked Clarke. 

"You almost died. We need to remove the Flame." Clarke said, standing up.

"No." Faye stood up as well, placing her hand on the throne for support. "Alie's gone." Faye said as Bellamy helped her up. 

"Yeah. I figured." He watched her solemnly look over the crowd. "Faye, you're not acting like someone who just saved the world." 

"Because we didn't...not yet." She shook her head.

They all heard the sound of a sword and watched Octavia remove her blade from Pike's chest.

- - -

Faye and Bellamy were able to get down the tower and walk into city.

Faye watched her people pile bodies of the dead into mountains. Blood stained the streets and pain covered their faces. She realized that she had caused their death. If she hadn't destroyed the City of Light, their minds would live on.

Bellamy was watching Octavia kneeling next to Indra. 

"She'll be okay. Octavia can take care of herself." Faye told him.

"That's not what I'm worried about." Bellamy admitted.

"Your people will see that Pike had it coming." Faye said.

"Maybe we all do." They both looked at the city that was mourning the dead and grieving their loved ones.

"How do we tell these people that the world is ending after everything they've been through?" Faye wondered.

"We don't, not until we know Alie was telling you the truth." Bellamy said.

"It was the truth." Faye insisted, remembering the image of the world burning. No one was safe.

"Still, keep it between us and Clarke until we know what we're dealing with and how to stop it." Bellamy said, lowering his voice so only Faye could hear. "Damn."

"You're afraid of how people will react." Faye realized. 

"Yes. Besides, I could use a break from keeping you alive. You gave them back their pain, Faye. Let's not add to it by telling them they're gonna die in 6 months." Faye nodded in agreement. "Good. Once everyone's down, we go home, we get to work. We didn't survive this long just to let a little radiation take us out."

"Bellamy." Faye grabbed his hand, keeping him close. "I can't go back to Arkadia. I'm the Commander now. My people need me." She let their fingers interlace. "Thank you for keeping me alive." 

The cries of a woman drew Faye's attention and she ran to kneel next to the woman.

"You don't make it easy." Bellamy muttered as he followed Faye. 

"Hey." Faye knelt next to the woman, holding her hand and looking at the man she was holding. 

"He didn't fall." Bellamy said, not seeing any visible injuries.

"He chased me in the City of Light. Lexa killed him." Faye whispered to Bellamy. She looked back at the woman. 

"Heda, who did this?" The woman asked with vengeance. Everyone around them began demanding answers that Faye couldn't answer.

"Skaikru did this." A man pointed threateningly at Bellamy. 

"Worheda, you are the Commander. You must punish them." Another woman said, speaking in a way Bellamy could not understand. 

Faye led Bellamy through the city until they found Abby and Kane walking among the crowd. 

"Good. You're down. You have to go. Bellamy can show you to the rover." Faye told them.

"What about the wounded?" Abby asked.

"The Grounders don't want out help." Bellamy told them. "Our people we treat at Arkadia." 

"Hello?" They all turned at the sound of Raven's voice on the radio. "Bellamy, please come in."

"Raven, you okay?" He asked her.

"Yeah. Yeah. We're all in one piece." She said. 

"That's good. There's something we need you to look into." Bellamy said, listening to Faye, who gave him a look to ask her. 

"First, tell me how my friends are. Did everyone make it? Faye?

"I'm here, thanks to you." Faye said when Bellamy handed her the radio. "Raven, did Alie ever tell you why she created the City of Light?" Faye asked.

"No. Why?" Raven asked.

"The king! He's alive!" A man yelled. "We need a healer!"

"Faye?" Raven asked, checking if she was still there.

"Go." Bellamy told her, letting her go to her people. "I'll fill Raven in." He offered.

"They need a doctor." Faye said, waving Abby over.

"Roan?" Clarke asked, just arriving in time to see the king. "He got shot trying to help me. I thought he was dead." 

Abby checked his pulse. "Not yet, but he's close. No exit wound. We need to get the bullet out quickly." 

"Get away from our king." Echo warned, holding a sword to Clarke's throat, forcing her to stand.

"Wait. Please, no." Abby said.

"You're making a mistake. We're part of the coalition." Kane said. 

"I could save him. But you have to let me." Abby said.

"We have our own healer." Ice Nation warriors poured into the city. "Take the king to the embassy with the rest of the dead." Echo ordered her men.

"Let her go." Faye ordered. 

"Echo." Bellamy came running up to them.

"Hey, Bellamy, don't." Clarke said.

"Stop." Kane tried to hold Bellamy back.

"Let her go, Echo. Let her go." 

"Back off, Bellamy." Echo warned. "I saw you in the City of Light, Worheda, I know you destroyed it. Thank you for that." Echo pushed Clarke away, listening to her new commander. "Look around you. Skaikru did this to us. Because of them, Ontari, your rightful commander, is dead. This imposter stole her Flame."

"No. Worheda saved us, all of us--Grounder and Skaikru." Kane said, coming to Faye's defense when she was silent.

"There would have been nothing to save us from if not for you." Echo accused.

"Azgeda has no authority here." Faye reminded Echo. "Ontari was a false commander and never had the Flame. The Commander's spirit chose me. If Azgeda wants their Commander, they must take it by force. Issue the challenge if you want it so bad." Faye said, stepping forward to Echo.

"No need." 

Faye could see her make the decision before she heard the sound of her blade. Blocking Echo's arm and elbowing her in the face and pinning her to the ground with her own knife against her throat.

"Azgeda can stay until their king recovers. But no one lays a hand on Skaikru or I will have all your heads on a spike!" Faye shouted the last order so everyone could hear her threat.

She got up and started walking away, followed by Bellamy and Clarke. 

"Looks like saving the world will have to wait."


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