— CHAPTER THIRTY,
the art of dying.

AS RUBY APPROACHES ROAN, HE HITS HER WTH THE QUESTION SHE BOTH EXPECTS AND DOESN'T EXPECT.

"Be my advisor?" He asks. Ruby freezes, stopping dead in her tracks "Your people will pick someone who isn't you and I know you will want to be in the tower. And you're my most important friend, there's no one I trust more than you."

She doesn't even hesitate with her reply.

"I will," Ruby nods to herself. "Today I not only honor my people but yours as well."

His eyes never once leave her as he says, "if I win, you will be in that bunker with me."

"If Octavia wins, I will be in that bunker with Skaikru." She informs him. Sky People.

"You are two-sided, Ruby." Roan shakes his head.

"I am not." She exclaims. "I believe in humanity. I believe in righteousness. You are asking me to choose between you and my family."

"In the end, it will your family." He says, already knowing the answer.

She tells him quietly, "yes. You are my family too, Roan. Never forget that."

"And you are mine." Roan says. He reaches out, grabbing her arm. She grabs his arm in return. They share a nod of both respect and admiration.

"Ambassadors and advisors, to the tower. Champions, to your flags." A man suddenly speaks up.

"Roan—"

Ruby is cut off as Roan pulls her into his arms. She's caught off guard by the sudden affection he displays as he hugs her tightly.

Still, she doesn't hesitate to return it.

"I know." He breathes out, his breathing tickling her ear. They pull apart. He drops his hands onto her shoulders. "Go be my advisor, Kiswamplei." Kiss of Death.

"Go be a warrior, King Roan." She grins slightly at him. He returns to small smile.

As they share one last look, Ruby turns on her heel to retreat to the throne room.

That's when she sees Octavia Blake watching her carefully. Ruby turns her attention to her fiend, "I know what you're thinking—"

"Indra told me." Octavia cuts her off. "I understand. He asked you to be his advisor because he trusts you. Go be a damn good Azgeda advisor, Ru." Ice Nation.

Ruby pulls Octavia into her arms. As they hug, the older girl whispers, "Roan is a good fighter but you're better. Go win this for us, Tavia."

When they pull apart, neither girl tries to hide their tears from each other.

"I will."

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Ruby stands at the top of the tower, her arms folded over her chest. Bellamy and Marcus send her the occasional glance. She can only hope that they will understand why she stands with Echo.

With Azgeda. Ice Nation.

Indra, Luca, and Amara all stand together in a cluster. Luca and Amara have been selected as the advisors for Trikru while Indra stands by as the ambassador. Tree Clan.

"The first two champions have fallen," Gaia announces as she and the Nightblood scout enter the throne room. "Gael kom Ingranronakru. . . yu gonplei ste odon," Gaia says as the scout places a candle snuffer over Ingranronakru's candle. Of the Plain Riders. Your fight is over. Plain Riders.

Ruby's eyes stay locked on the scout as he moves to another candle. Her heart falls to her stomach, "Fio kom Trikru, yu gonplei ste odon." Of the Tree Clan. Your fight is over.

A sharp gasp escapes from Ruby's lips. She brings her hand over her mouth in shock. Immediately, her eyes dart over to Amara, Luca, and Indra.

"No," Ruby can hear Amara gasp quietly. "Oh, my God."

Luca wraps his arms around Amara tightly, bringing her into his chest.

Ruby doesn't think twice as she moves away from Echo to join her friends.

As she comes to a stop in front of them, they both look to her.

"I'm sorry." Is all she can muster.

Luca pulls her into their hug.

And together, Luca, Amara, and Ruby share one one final hug.

─────────

Bellamy storms up to Ruby. "Where is Echo?" He demands to know.

"What?" Ruby's brows furrow, "I don't know. She told me she was—"

"Come with me," Bellamy grabs her arm, dragging her out of the throne room and towards the elevator. "Echo is on the battlefield."

"What the hell are you talking about, Bellamy?" That's cheating!" Ruby exclaims.

"So you know nothing about that?" Bellamy questions her.

"If I did, Gaia would know!" Ruby cries out.

"Bellamy, Ruby, wait!" Marcus's voice slices through the tense air, causing them both to stop and turn to him.

"My sister is down there." Bellamy quickly says. "Echo is cheating, and we're going to stop her."

"You don't even know if that's her down there. It could be anyone." Marcus responds.

"We both know who it is." Bellamy scoffs.

He turns to walk away. Marcus reaches down and snatches Bellamy's arm. Bellamy turns to face him.

"Then one of Gaia's scouts will find her and Ice Nation will be punished." Marcus says to him.

"Um," Ruby's nose scrunches up. "You know, that means I'll be punished too, right?"

Bellamy spins around to face her, hissing in his face, "then maybe you shouldn't have sided with them!"

"I'm not siding with them!" She snaps, "I'm doing this for my people!"

"Who's your people? Roan!?" Bellamy growls.

"You are, you shithead!" She shoves his chest. "Skaikru is! Trikru!" Sky People. Tree Clan.

"You picked Roan over us!" Bellamy continues to argue.

"I've been feeding Trikru information on Azgeda!" She snarls as she takes a step away from her boyfriend. "You should learn to trust me!" Tree Clan. Ice Nation.

"Stop it!" Marcus steps in.  "Stop it, both of you! We don't have time for this."

─────────

Marcus tells the two to wait until dark until they do exactly what Echo has done and break the rules to take their place on the battlefield.

And now, as night has blanketed itself over the Earth, the couple creeps along a wall.

The sound of footsteps fills her ears.

"Bell," Ruby grabs hold of his shirt sleeve and yanks him back against the wall.

He gives her a confused look. She nods towards the street where a champion now walks.

And then, as they turn to look at the street, another champion lurks.

With the smell of the sea lingering close.

"It's Luna," Ruby whispers breathlessly.

The two watch as Luna quickly kills the man without any fight. Ruby's blood runs cold. She can feel Bellamy's anxiety pulsing through the air as he intertwines their fingers.

As Luna disappears from sight, Ruby hisses, "go, go," to Bellamy.

The couple takes off running towards the building where Echo remains. As they enter the room, the door creaks. 

Echo turns swiftly, releasing an arrow at the couple. Without thinking twice, both of them drop to the ground.

Ruby is the first back on her feet. Before Echo can react, Ruby is knocking the bow out of her hands and out of her reach.

Echo swings her leg out, catching both of Ruby's legs. The Carson girl lets out a gasp.

The brunette crashes the ground, her head connecting harshly the floor.

She lets out a groan of pain as Bellamy sends Echo to the ground. He moves so that he straddles her waist. He wraps one hand around her throat, squeezing tightly, and he uses the other to rip the mask away from her face.

That's when Bellamy is knocked to the ground beside his girlfriend.

Both of them stare up at the man in white warpaint.

"I should've known you three couldn't stay away," The Azgeda king says to them, "I heard you all the way down the street. You're lucky I wasn't a scout." Ice Nation.

Ruby's eyes are careful as she keeps them locked on Roan who hasn't moved his sword away from Bellamy's neck.

"Roan—" Ruby tries to start but Roan's eyes cut to her in a harsh glare. "Don't look at me like that, you asshole. We came here to stop her."

Roan, who will always trust Ruby over anyone else, turns his attention and sword to Echo, "explain yourself."

"I was only trying to help save our people." Echo explains.

"I am not my mother." He snaps. "I'm not willing to cast aside honor for power."

"No one has to know," Echo says, eyes glancing over at Ruby and Bellamy.

"You misunderstand. I will not allow your dishonor to give Luna the advantage and you will not shame our clan ever again. You're Azgeda no more." Roan says. Ice Nation.

Even Ruby's eyes widen.

"Sire, what—"

"You're banished, Echo." He says simply, a slight growl in his voice. "And when I win this Conclave, make no mistake— there will be no place for you inside that bunker. Now get out of my sight and off this battlefield without being seen or know that you are the cause of the death of our people."

Tears burn in Echo's eyes. She nods, and then slowly leaves the room.

Roan turns his blade back to Bellamy, "if you're gonna kill me, get it over with. But I know you won't kill her."

Ruby watches them closely, knowing that she won't allow either of them to kill the other.

"I take it by your presence here that your sister is still alive." The king says.

"That's right." Bellamy nods.

"If I call for a scout, she'll be executed right now." Roan informs him.

"So will you," Ruby pipes. "I'm your advisor."

Roan ignores her words, lowering his sword, "you really think she can win, don't you?"

"I wouldn't count her out if I were you. She's survived harder things than this," Bellamy replies.

"Before she dies, I'll tell her she's lucky to have you as a brother." Roan says gruffly.

"I have a better idea. After she guts and before you die, you tell her I was the lucky one." Bellamy says, he stands to his feet, pulling his girlfriend up behind him, "come on, Ru."

"Wait," Ruby tells him. She turns her eyes to Roan, grabbing his arm. He returns the gesture. "May we meet again."

Her voice comes out in a whisper.

Roan gives her a small closes-lip smile.

"We will."

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Ruby makes her way back into the throne room before Bellamy so that it doesn't seem suspicious. As soon as she enters the room, Marcus is at her side.

"Where's Bellamy?" He questions.

"He'll be here in five minutes," she tells him. "Roan banished Echo."

"He what?" Marcus's brows furrow. He then sends a subtle glance at at Echo who has returned from the battlefield.

"He banished her for shaming Azgeda." Ruby confirms. Ice Nation.

"There's three champions left." Marcus says to her. "Roan, Luna, and Octavia."

Ruby's heart plummets at horrible realization.

No matter who wins this Conclave, she is going to lose two people extremely important to her.

That's when Gaia and the scout come rushing back into the throne room.

Amara steps up, "what is it?"

"Black rain," Gaia says. "Two warriors remain."

Ruby's eyes snap over to the Flamekeeper.

Only seconds ago, three warriors remained. And now there's only two. Someone she loves is dead.

Luna.

Octavia.

Roan.

The scout moves towards the candle.

He places the candle snuffer over it.

A hollow gasp fills the still air.

"Roan kom Azgeda. . . yu gonplei ste odon." Of the Ice Nation. Your fight is over.

Ruby can't breathe.

Roan is dead.

She should have prepared herself for this. Roan should have prepared her for this.

Ruby had believed that maybe, somehow, Octavia, Luna, and Roan would work out a deal. She wanted them all to make it out alive.

And yet, Roan is dead.

Someone who has been there for her more than anyone else in the past couple days.

It feels like she's suffocating. One trembling, bandages hand reaches up, pressing against her chest. She can feel her heart beating at an all too rapid pace. 

It takes all of twelve seconds for it to process in Ruby's mind that Roan, the Ice Nation King, is among the dead now.

"No!"

The scream pierces the silent air.

Everyone in the room jumps.

Marcus is there in a second as his his goddaughter falls to her knees. The two crash to the ground. Ruby doesn't feel the pain in her knees as they scrap against the ground. All she can feel is the pain of a broken heart.

"No!" She cries out again.

Every pair of eyes in the room stay on the woman as she wails. Amara's hand comes up to cover her mouth. She turns her head away, burying her face in Luca's chest, unable to watch as her friend crumbles before her very eyes.

Tears blur in Luca's eyes as he witnesses the woman he cares so much about lose herself once again.

A gasping sob forms in her throat, slipping past her quivering lips.

A scream of pure agony erupts from the deepest part of her chest. Marcus can feel the way she breathes heavily against his arms.

All around her, Grounders bows their head out of respect for the girl and her fallen friend.

"No," she cries weakly.

Echo watches the girl with eyes full of tears. She had been curious as to why a Skaikru leader and her king were been so close together but now she understand. Sky People.

They understood each other.

Ruby and Roan cared for each other in a way that people will ever understand.

There had been a long standing hatred, then a mutual respect, and then a platonic love.

Roan is— was her twin flame, her platonic twin flame.

They mirrored each other.

They loved each other.

From the very day Roan was brought into this world, from the very day Ruby was brought into this world many years later, their souls connected. They were always meant to meet.

Ruby will mourn his death for many years to come.

Roan. . . he's the only thing on her mind.

Roan.

Roan.

Roan.

Marcus and Ruby remain on their knees as the door to the throne room is opened.

The weeping girl and her godfather both look up. At the sight of the girl, Ruby gasps.

"Octavia," Ruby whispers.

Octavia is covered in both red blood and black blood. Ruby's own tainted blood runs cold in her veins as she realizes that Luna is somewhere down there, heart no longer beating.

Another small, horrific cry comes from her.

As Octavia reaches Gaia, she throws the twelve sigils onto the ground in front of her. The Flamekeeper bends down, picking them up. She stands back to her full height, looking at Octavia in what is shock and surprise. "Octavia kom Skaikru. . . is victorious." Of the Sky People.

Whispers break out around them.

"The crypt of the first Commander belongs to her people." Gaia announces.

"No," Octavia speaks up. Ruby's brows dip in as Octavia walks up the steps so she stands beside Gaia, "I wasn't fighting for Skaikru today. I thought I was fighting for myself but I now know, that's not true either. I was fighting for us all. Skaikru will not take the bunker alone. We share it equally. Because we are equal. We are one clan, and we will survive Praimfaya together. Ogeda." Sky People. Death Wave. Together.

"Ogeda." The Grounders begin to chant. Together.

Marcus rises to his feet, leaving Ruby on her knees, arms wrapped around her stomach.

Seconds later, Octavia drops beside her.

"It was a good death," Octavia says as she takes Ruby's tear-stricken face between her blood hands. "Luna and Roan both died good deaths, Ru."

"Ogeda." Ruby whispers. Her voice comes out as broken and raspy. Octavia can hear the heartbreak in her friends voice, she can see the agony in her eyes, she can almost feel the way her chest constricts with the pain. Together.

But now is not the time to mourn.

That time will come.

And, so, Octavia asks. . .

"Where's my brother, Ru?"

─────────

Ruby rushes into the scared temple. She drops to the ground by the bunker door. Marcus joins her a second later. The two try desperately to open the door but it doesn't budge. Ruby looks up at the others. "It's locked."

"No, no." Gaia says to the guards. "Keep everyone out."

"Are they dead?" Amara asks as she looks at the unconscious guards on the ground.

"No," Octavia responds as she picks up a used gas canister. "They used gas. Like the Mountain Men."

Ruby's eyes dart to the gas canister in Octavia's hand. She shakes her head, trying to purge the oncoming memories from her broke mind.

"How could they do this?" Luca snarls in an anger that is unlike him.

"Skaikru have betrayed us all." Sky People.

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word count: 2,807
episode: die all, die merrily

wow. . .

there it is guys.

the newly rewritten version of this heartbreaking and tear-inducing chapter. i gotta say, the original made me cry but this version made me ugly cry. like snot running from my
nose ugly crying.

my heart hurts for ruby. she just lost two extremely important people to her and then she's about to lose jasper too.

ruby loved roan, she always will. as said in this chapter, roan was her twin flame. one person she was always meant to meet and connect with.

we know ryland and river are her platonic soulmates and that bellamy is her romantic twin flame but there's something about platonic twin flames that really stick out to me.

ruby and roan became family over the span of a few days and grew to care for each other so much. i mean, roan trusted her more than his own second-in-command.

ruby was his little sister, his best friend. there was no one else he would want to represent azgeda, even if it wasn't her true clan. and if you think about it, in a way, he died for her.

and of course, ruby's reaction to luna's death might be small but it showed how much she cared about luna as well. they respected each other. and once upon a time, they could've been much more than just friends.

may we meet again, roan and luna.

THREE MORE CHAPTERS TO GO!!!