— CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT,
will you fight or will you burn?

"WE WERE SEARCHED OUTSIDE," CLARKE SAYS TRIKRU GAURDS BEGIN TO PAT THEM DOWN. Trikru.

"This is pointless," Ruby mumbles.

Roan looks to his own guards. "If Ruby and I aren't back in an hour, my army will attack." He tells him.

The man that pats down Ruby glances at Ruby, "Kiswamplei." He says with a nod of acknowledgment. She returns the nod.

He then glances back at Roan and tells him that nothing would make me happier than Azgeda attacking. Ice Nation.

Several second later, the door to the bunker is opened for the trio. Roan looks over at the women, "after you, Wanheda. Kiswamplei." Commander of Death. Kiss of Death.

Ruby's nose scrunches up at the use of the title the Grounder's have given her. She hates it. She hates it because of the reason she has the name. She didn't want to kill that man in the throne room that day, especially not in such a brutal way. But, here she stands, still breathing. And he is not.

Her mind drifts away from the day she nearly died as they enter the main room of the bunker.

"Holy shit." Ruby mumbles as she takes in the hugeness of the bunker. "This could hold a shit ton of people, Clarke."

"It could," Clarke nods.

As they walk down the ramp, Roan stops, followed by Ruby and Clarke. They all stare down at Indra and the six other Grounders that stand behind her. "All my enemies in one place."

"Who are they?" Clarke questions.

"The war chiefs of the Trikru alliance." Roan inform her. Tree Clan.

"She was supposed to be alone." Clarke says, shaking his head in disbelief.

Roan's glances over at Clarke and asks, "what fun would that be?"

─────────

Ruby stands beside Clarke as the two of them watch Roan and Indra come to stand toe-to-toe with each other.

"You murdered our people. You burned our villages. Yet you have the nerve to come here in the name of peace." Indra seethes.

"Not peace. Survival," Roan replies. Indra turns away from the king in anger. So he continues, "you tried to take this bunker for yourself, yet here I am, willing to talk."

Indra spins back around to face him. "The Trikru alliance holds the temple. Of course you're willing to talk," Indra snaps through grit teeth. Trikru.

"And the Azgeda alliance surrounds it. None of your people will get inside unless we come to terms." Roan tells her with a shrug. Ice Nation.

"This war inevitable. The only reason it hasn't before now is because Lexa commanded it." Indra says.

Ruby glances over Clarke at the mention of her deceased lover. She notices the way Clarke's eyes harden slightly at the mention of Lexa.

However, she doesn't let the mention of Lexa to deter her as she begins to speak, "the only thing that's inevitable is Praimfaya. In six days, anyone who is not in this bunker will be dead." Death Wave.

"Then we should get to it," a Trikru war chief pipes. Trikru.

"Roan," Ruby says lowly, her voice a warning.

"We talked," Roan doesn't glance back at her as he speaks to the Carson girl. "Now we fight."

"No!" Ruby cries out on anger. She steps forward, placing herself in front of Roan and Indra. Clarke swiftly follows after her friend, ready to back her up if she needs to.

"There is room for twelve hundred people in here. We can share it equally. All of the clams can survive. That's what Lexa would have wanted," Clarke says to the two leaders.

"You're right. She would have. And if she were here, the clans might have actually obeyed her. But seeing that there's no Commander to rule us. . . war it is." Indra says. Her eyes then move to Ruby. "Clear the room."

"Excuse me?" Roan's eyes narrow into two dangerous slits as he takes a protective step closer to Ruby.

"I wish to talk to Kiswamplei alone." Indra says, her voice low. "I will not harm her. I will not even think of such a thing. I want to speak with her. . . alone." Kiss of Death.

Roan glares down at Indra until Ruby places her hand on his arm, "Roan, it's okay."

"Go!" Indra shouts angrily. Clarke and Roan both retreat up the ramp and into the airlock where they wait for Ruby as the other six was chiefs leave deeper into the bunker.

This leaves Ruby and Indra alone.

"What're you doing, Ruby?" Indra gets straight to the point as she looks at Ruby in disappointment. "Why are you standing by his side?"

"He's my friend, Indra. He's saved—" Ruby is cut off.

"He is not you friend! He is Ice Nation!" Indra snarls.

"He is my friend!" Ruby snaps, her hands balling into fists, "but I did not choose to side with Azgeda! He is making me. I swear it. He's one of my closest friends but I would not choose Azgeda over my people, Indra, and you know that. You know I kill without a moments hesitation for them, I would die for them!" Ice Nation.

Indra's glare softens slightly, "has he asked you to be an Azgeda ambassador?" Ice Nation.

"What?" Ruby laughs sarcastically. "Are you crazy? I'm Skaikru and he knows that. His people would riot if I became an Azgeda ambassador." Sky People. Ice Nation.

"Are you sure?" Indra's eyebrows shoot skywards, "it seems as if he trusts you more than Echo, his own second-in-command. If he is your friend like you say he is, he will ask you. You, Ruby, could be our inside woman. You can get information that the rest of us cannot. Would you do that, Ruby? Would you dare to turn your back on the King for Skaikru and Trikru?" Sky People. Trikru.

Ruby swallows the lump on her throat, "yes." She mumbles.

"Then that is what you must do." Indra reaches out and grabs both of Ruby's shoulders, "you are strong and you are brave. But you are also a fool to put your trust into the likes of the Azgeda king." Ice Nation.

"He's earned my trust, Indra." Ruby shakes her head. "He's my family."

"I know," Indra nods. "But now you must break his trust."

─────────

The ascension horn has been sounded.

So, now, Roan has dragged Ruby to the tower and into the very throne room where she was stabbed those many moons ago.

As she enters the throne room, her eyes snap to the exact place she was stabbed and brought to her knees. She finds the dark blood stain on the ground within seconds. She can tell it is the blood of a Natblida. She knows immediately who's blood it is. Nightblood.

Her blood.

Roan notices the way her shoulders tense and the sound of her sucking air through her nose.

"Pay it no mind," Roan leans down and whispers in her ear. "That was only a test to prove your true strength."

She nods.

She can feel Indra's stare on her. She pays the older woman no mind.

Roan is her friend, one of her closest. He's become her family in the short span of days they've spent together. They've risked their lives for each other many times over the days. They've grown to love and understand each other in a way that the others cannot understand.

But she does not love anyone more than she loves her people.

As Gaia begins to preside the ascension, she loves away from the Flame.

"Let the Commander ascend." She says.

And as Clarke Griffin enters the throne room, gasps and murmurs shoot from every person in the room except for Ruby Carson.

Her shock is silent. She allows no trace of an expression to form on her face as she stares at Clarke.

Roan glances down at Ruby with an angry look on his face. She still doesn't move her eyes away from Clarke. "I didn't know she would do this." Ruby whispers.

"What is this? Wanheda is no Natblida." Indra quickly speaks up. Commander of Death. Nightblood.

Ruby watches silently as Gaia takes Clarke hand in her own and cuts into her palm.

More gasps shoot up around the room as her black blood drips onto the Flame.

After the Grounders utter their sacred words, Clarke kneels before Gaia.

Gaia whispers the words to open the Flame. As soon as the last syllable slips past her lips, blue tendrils shot out of the Flame.

She remembers the first time she witnessed Clarke Griffin take the Flame. She remembers her panic when Clarke's hand went limp in her own.

She does not wish to see it again.

"Lies upon lies," Roan steps forward. Ruby's wide eyes turn to him.

"Get out of this sacred circle," Gaia hisses.

"There's nothing sacred about any of this. Wanheda is making a mockery of our faith." Roan accuses. Commander of Death.

Over her shoulder, Clarke sends a quick glance at Ruby. The older girl nods slightly.

Ruby knows that if something is to happen, here and now, that she will be at Clarke Griffin's side without a moment of hesitation.

"I'm trying to save us, Your Highness. You know that." Clarke grits her teeth in anger.

"Because you think we're savages in need of saving?" Roan raises his eyebrows.

"Praimfaya is almost here." Clarke argues. Death Wave.

"Then let's not waste anymore time. Bring in the healer!" Roan shouts. Ruby turns her head at the sound of the double doors opening. Echo leads in a group of men holding onto Abby Griffin.

"Tell them, Healer. Go on, tell them all how it is your daughter became a Natblida." Roan growls. Nightblood.

At the moment, Ruby doesn't notice how Roan doesn't mention how she has the sacred blood too. Instead, she steps up.

"Abby, don't say a word!" She points at her. Her eyes then dart to Roan, "Roan, you don't have to do this. Please—"

She's cut off as Roan swiftly grabs her. He pulls her in so that her back presses against his firm chest. He holds a sharp blade against her neck.

"Ruby," Roan whispers. "Don't."

"Through science." Abby states, her eyes staring at Ruby. Once again, the crowd starts to speak amongst themselves.

"Abby!" Ruby fights to get away from Roan, the blade digs deeper into her skin.

"You made her a Nightblood?" Gaia asks the older woman, a disgusted expression on her face.

"Yes," Abby responds shamefully.

"If anyone can be a Natblida, if anyone can take the Flame, then we can no longer trust the blood." Roan continues. Nightblood.

"What we can still trust is the sword. We've delayed this war long enough." Indra speaks up, she begins to walk out of the room.

"Wait," Roan says, stopping her. "Wanheda is right about one thing. Fighting a war is a bad way to decide who gets to survive. You summoned all your scouts here for an ascension, but you left out the best part." Commander of Death.

"Roan," Ruby whispers. "Roan, I'm bleeding. They're gonna see my blood."

Roan does not hesitate to release her. She stumbles forward as she reaches a hand up to cover the small cut on her neck. She tries desperately to try her own Nightblood. 

Roan wipes his blade off on the inside of his jacket before he sheaths it.

Clarke wraps her hand around Ruby's free hand and pulls her into her side protectively. Abby shifts so that she stand slightly in front of Ruby so that if blood leaks past her hand, the Grounders will not be able to see.

"Are you okay?" Clarke whispers to Ruby.

"Fine," she replies quietly. "Are you?"

Clarke briefly nods. But Ruby can tell she's lying by the way Clarke's hand tightens around hers.

"A Conclave." Indra says in realization.

"A final Conclave. One champion per clan. One death instead of thousands. And whoever wins get the bunker." Roan nods.

And so, Indra agrees.

Roan turns to the three Skaikru women. He looks at them expectingly. Sky People.

"Will you fight or will you burn?"

________________________________

word count: 2,012
episode: DNR

here's a very short rewritten chapter. the original was only 1,300 words so i didn't add to many, i just wanted to make it over 2,00 words and i did by thirty three!!!

so, not a lot happened in this chapter but A LOT did happen in this chapter.

we got ruby about to spy on azgeda for her people but is she gonna betray roan? absolutely not. she's just not gonna say anything to indra. that sneaky snake. ruby is so two-faced.

but we do know that if she absolutely has to, she will pick skaikru (and trikru) over azgeda in less than a heart beat.

roan almost accidentally revealed that ruby is also a nightblood. at least he was smart enough to let her go when she told him. and then clarke and abby both being protective of her 🥹. i'm so happy to ruby has people like them to step up and protect her.

that's all i'm gonna say about this chapter because i really don't have a lot to say about it.

but we get some reunions in the next chapters!!! of course, we don't get the best reunion. ruby and jasper :(. my loves will never see each other again and that hurts so bad to type out.

y'all are not ready to read her reaction to his death in the upcoming chapters.

FIVE MORE CHAPTERS, GUYS!!!