Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was a normal day, the sun was shining, birds were singing, traffic was in a jam, and Elisabet was running late to the meeting with her team at Miriam Technologies. After about an hour of slowly making her way through the crowded streets, she finally managed to get to the Miriam Technologies building, although as she entered, she had a gut feeling that something was off, but she couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary and couldn’t think of anything that would cause her to feel like something is or was about to go wrong, so she pushed the feeling aside. She went to push open the door when suddenly she was grabbed from behind and dragged through a bright glowing light that forced her to close her eyes and made her unable to fight back effectively against her kidnapper. Once she saw the light dim through her eyelids, she risked opening her eyes to see a room that looked like a theater.

“What!? Where am I, how did I get here?” she asked, not expecting a response as she saw no one else in the room, which confused her greatly. She was sure she felt hands grab her, and they felt human so it couldn’t have been some robot or AI, not that the room…. theater…. whatever the room she’s in was, looked advanced enough to hide some mechanical limbs in the walls or anything like that. As she looked around in confusion suddenly the screen lit up with words appearing on it, “Welcome Dr. Sobek, I will explain everything in a moment, but first we need a few others to arrive. Until then go ahead and take a seat.” Not knowing what or who was doing this as well as seeing no way out, aside from the locked doors that she immediately tried upon first seeing them, she figures she might as well take a chance, so she finds herself a seat near the back and waits for whoever was supposed to show up. As she gets herself comfortable in the seat, the screen goes dark leaving her alone in the theater.

It was only 13 minutes and 32 seconds later (yes, she counted she was bored) when she was blinded by multiple bright lights and heard multiple voices. She opened her eyes to see her friends and colleagues (and Travis) standing there looking confused and asking questions that she could not hear or answer even if she did. The one thing she did hear and could partially answer, was Travis saying, “What the hell?! Where are we?” She sighed and since it seemed that none of them had seen her yet, she got out of her seat and headed to the front where they stood, whistling sharply to get their attention causing them all to turn around to face her. She had to admit it was kind of entertaining to see them shocked while some, mostly Samina and Margo, jumped and screamed at the sudden noise and appearance of their friend.

While she found their reactions funny, she really didn’t want to deal with this, so she tried to calm them down, even just a little, “Hey guys. Before you ask, no I don’t know where we are other than, obviously, a theater, no I don’t know why we’re here, and no I don’t know how we got here or who brought us here. “She listed off the answers she had to questions she had been mulling over since she was put in here and was told to wait as they opened their mouths to, she assumes, ask her the same questions. Before anyone could say anything else, the screen lit up once more, “Please take a seat everyone, we just need one more group and then everything will be explained.” Not one to do as told the first time Travis defiantly flips off the screen while cursing it out and whoever is behind their kidnapping. While he did that everyone else took a seat and waited for him to tire himself out, knowing he wouldn’t stop until he’s run out of steam. He lasted about half an hour before he finally lost his energy and took a seat near where the others were talking.

Almost an hour passed before they were all blinded by another bright light (Liz was really getting irritated with the bright lights by now) and after the light was gone, she opened her eyes to see a group of 8 who looked… weird was the only way she could think to describe them. They were wearing clothes that resembled early tribal clothing, but also slightly advanced with their armor and what looked like weapons being a mix of natural materials and metal. She wasn’t sure why they were dressed like that, but she figured it was just a costume thing, until she saw someone step forward with a spear in her hand seemingly ready to stab or throw it at them at any sudden movement, which she thought was overkill and frankly terrifying that she looked ready to kill them if given a reason.

But the spear wasn’t what caught her attention, it was the face. She knows that face. She grew up seeing it on her mother and in the mirror; it was her face she was staring at. As everyone around her started yelling and asking questions, all she could do was slowly move towards the one with her face as if in a trance that she couldn’t break out of. She was a few steps away when she realized the one with her face was staring back in shock or awe, maybe even a little fear, and at the same time they both breathed out a shocked and confused, “What?” The rest of the shouts, if they were even still happening, faded and all she could hear was her heartbeat and her thoughts because there was someone who had her face, looked like her but different and as far as she was aware she had no relatives around that looked like her and she knew she had no children so this person who had her face was a… she hesitated to say clone, as that feels like saying she isn’t her own person, but that is all that comes to mind on who or what she is, and why she looks like her, but 20 something years younger. Suddenly she became aware of a figure hiding behind her and she sees another person with her face, but she was also staring at Elisabet in shock and awe, but no or maybe just less fear than the one she was hiding behind. The first clone, person with her face (which is weird to see on someone else) tentatively reached a hand forward before they were interrupted by a sound coming from the screen.

Liz and her group jumped from the sudden sound, but the other group, minus one guy separated from the groups and the shyer clone person (Lis really wants to know their names so she can stop referring to them as ‘this person’) who also jumped in fear, while the tribal looking people pulled out what looked to be a variety of bows, some sort of sling or half cast attached to their arm with spinning discs, and… did… did her look alike just pull out a gatling gun that fires spikes!? (Liz was not about to even try and figure out where she was keeping it) They all stood at the ready, primed to attack at the first sign of danger, and it seemed that they all, except the one who was separate from their group who was observing tensely (and now that Liz got a better look, he definitely had glowing blue wires embedded IN his skin) looked towards her lookalike for directions or commands, maybe even the ok to attack. She’s snapped out of her thoughts as a voice comes from the speakers as well as a feedback screech that causes everyone to cover their ears, the group with weapons having dropped their weapons to do so.

“*screech* “OH! Uh sorry about that, but I need to get this show on the road, I’m already running behind schedule as is. First however, we must do some introductions. I will introduce myself properly after everything is over, but for now you all can refer to me as Vegas. You are welcome to speculate on who I am, but I will neither confirm nor deny any guess. Now you all introduce yourselves.” It was quiet for several moments before Samina introduces herself seemingly both eager and nervous to meet the group, “Hello, I am Sa-“ “Samina Ebadji, the Alpha of APOLLO.” Samina looks at Lis’ lookalike in (even more) shock and confusion, which is exactly what Lis can guess her group is all feeling, because how do they know her, and what was this ‘APOLLO’? Samina stares and quietly asks, “How do you know me? What’s APOLLO? Are you talking about the Greek god of music?” “Right ok uhm, so this is going to take an open mind to understand but-“ Suddenly the voice comes back before her lookalike (seriously Lis wants to know her name!) can continue, “Exactly how and why they know who each of you are will be revealed later, just know that they all know each of your names. Suppose I should have led with that. In any case they already know Elizabet and co so they will introduce themselves.”

Tense silence permeated through the room for several minutes, before a black male from their group wearing what looked to be armor with leather, fur, and metal expertly sewn together and a blue mark on the right side of his face, stepped forward and began hesitantly, but welcoming and warmly smiling at them, albeit slightly awkwardly, “Hi, um well I guess I’ll start off. I’m Varl of the Nora, I’m a seeker.”

He gives them a small wave and a bright, nervous smile as he gestures for a black woman with white speckles of paint on her face and arms, her armor looking like it was mostly organic materials, maybe wood or something, weaved together, her hair in a high bun to continue, “I am Zo, a grave singer from Plainsong. It is a pleasure to meet the ALPHAS I’ve read and heard so much about.” She looks at Tanaka and smiles, “Especially you Tanaka Naoto… did I say that correctly?” At Tanaka’s silent and surprised nod Zo smiles, and continues, “Thank you all for the work you have done… or will do? I admit I’m at a loss here.”

She smiles awkwardly as she lets another member from their group, wearing metal and leather armor, a big metal hammer on his back, presumably his main weapon, sideburns and mustache, and a mohawk on his head introduce himself. He gives a sheepish laugh and a small wave, which she was not expecting from someone who looked like him but who was she to judge? “Hey uh, I’m Erend, Erend Vanguardsman. Uh…. I’m from the Sun kingdom, Meridian specifically, and I'm the captain of the Vanguard.”

He seems nice, if a bit awkward which Elisabet sort of finds endearing surprisingly, especially for someone she just met. The last two that step forward make a slightly funny view. First there was a white, woman with short black hair, maybe Asian descent, armor made of what looked like maybe some cloth or leather and had a weird thing on the right side of her head, and she just radiated excitement, almost like a puppy, “Hi, I... I’m…. sorry, it’s just…. You are the ancestors! This is like a dream come true!”

She squeals loudly as the man next to her with paint, probably tattoos, covering most of his exposed body, armor made of leather or animal skin, short hair, and had an amputated arm, cleared his throat, “I am Marshal Kotallo, and this is Alva, a diviner of the Quen. Forgive her excitement, you all are legendary among her tribe.”

He gives them a nod before gently pulling Alva away, seeming to try and calm her down, which given his stern and serious appearance, Elisabet wouldn’t have thought he would, but again who is she to judge or presume anything about these people? Liz’s first lookalike steps up and looks at each of them before speaking, “I am Aloy, this,” she gestures to Liz’s second lookalike, “is Beta and…”

Aloy trails off as she looks around and sees the man with the blue cables in his skin and she starts to angrily make her way over to him before she is stopped by Varl and Erend. Seeming to have briefly forgotten where she was and what was going on Aloy starts having a whisper argument with the two before eventually relenting and returning to where she left Liz and Beta. “That bastard over there is Sylens. Don’t expect niceties or answers from him, he thinks he’s smarter than everyone,” She takes a deep breath to calm herself and continues, “There is a lot to explain but I want to see who this ‘Vegas’ person is first so hopefully we can discuss more later.”

She gives Liz a hopeful awkward smile and Liz can’t find it in herself to refuse, not that she would she has too many questions to not talk with Aloy (YES, now Liz has a name for her!), more, so she nods her head in agreement. Aloy and Beta seem happy or at least content with that so they all wait, expecting the voice to come back…… but it doesn’t. Erend looks around confused and asks what’s on everyone’s mind, “I thought we’d get more information after we were all introduced, what going on?”

The voice comes back on over the speakers a minute after Erend asks that question, “Yes, yes sorry I was getting everything up and running on my end. As you can see you are in a theater, or for Aloy and her group, a room where you are able to watch videos or movies of things, and what I plan to have all of you watch is something slightly personal to Aloy, but I think it will be good to share what path you have followed and where it will lead. Do I have your permission to show everyone in the room important pieces of your life Aloy?” Liz is surprised and kind of mad that the voice is only now asking for permission from them, even if it’s only one person.

“I would really prefer you don’t do that, but I get the feeling you’re only asking to be polite and ultimately my choice doesn’t matter, so sure why not.” Aloy says crossing her arms and glaring at the speakers. “Unfortunately, you are correct in your assumption, but a little politeness never hurts. Alright everyone take a seat and we will begin shortly.” As soon as Vegas finishes talking, the screen turns on with a timer counting down from 2 minutes and Travis speaks up, “So guess we get a free movie then huh? Dibs on the middle seat.” As Travis makes his way to a middle seat in the second row, the rest of the group slowly makes their way to find seats of their own and as soon as the last person sits down, that being Erend, the screen lights up once more and a title comes on

“Horizon Zero Dawn”.

Chapter Text

The title fades and a beautiful snowy view comes on before changing to show a cabin in the woods on a mountain with a man with a braided beard wearing expertly sewn leather armor and bearing blue marks on his face looking out at the opposing mountains with the sun coming up over the crest as he exits his cabin. This is Rost.

Liz hears a sharp inhale from the very back where Aloy is sitting which makes her wonder if Aloy knew the guy onscreen and what happened to cause her reaction if so. As she turns around slightly to ask if she knows him, Varl speaks up behind her “Are you okay Aloy?” “Yes I’m…” Aloy deeply inhales, “I’m good.” Liz doesn’t really believe her and by the looks of it neither does anyone else, but Liz doesn’t want to pressure her into talking about it for two reasons; the first being she wouldn’t want to talk about it with someone she just met (even if Aloy knew who she was already) and the second being she felt as though she would learn shortly. Liz turns around to face the screen again as the video plays again.

Rost looks toward the rising sun for a minute more before the sounds of a baby catch his attention and he looks over at the baby with tufts of red hair on her head and curious green eyes looking back at him in his arms and he talks to her, “What’s that now? Don’t like the cold? Can’t stay in today. We have a ritual to perform, you and I.” Rost begins to get the baby into a holder that he can use to carry her on his shoulder to transport her before taking off a necklace and putting it over the baby’s head, “Here wear this. It belonged to my daughter. Good.”

Liz was surprised by that, if the necklace was his daughters, then does that mean the baby isn’t his? Then why does he have her? Where are her parents? She ponders these questions as she hears Samina, Anders, and Margo coo over how cute the baby looked and she could hear quiet teasing from behind her, although she doesn’t know what they are saying or towards who. But Liz has an idea. Even as a baby she recognizes the face as hers, hers and her clo-, lookalikes.

They aren’t clones, they couldn’t be, everyone knows her stance on cloning, and she doubts she or anyone close to her would let it happen without her consent, not even Travis. She risks a glance back to the back and sees Varl and Zo looking at Aloy, Varl seeming to know more than Zo, but Zo being a bit more teasing while Beta looks at the baby onscreen as though she’s figured out her identity and is pondering something. Travis lets the talking persist for a minute before yelling at everyone, “Can you all shut up, we haven’t even gotten a minute in, and we’ve stopped twice!” Everyone quiets down and looks forward, but Liz let’s herself be childish just this once and flicks the back of his head, making everyone laugh at his yelp of surprise and looks back at the screen.

Rost stands up and puts the holder onto his shoulder and begins walking away from his cabin to and out his front gate. “Today I speak your name, girl. But - will the Goddess speak it back?” Rost begins making his way down his mountain and begins explaining how the ritual would normally go to the baby, not that she fully understands, but he talks anyway as he makes his way through the forest to their destination. “Normally it would be the mother who declares… if you had one. The whole village would attend, and Matriarchs would perform the ritual. But… we are outcasts. Even so, we keep the tribe’s rituals,” As he speaks, he begins to walk through the ancient ruins of a former city, now overgrown with plants, dilapidated and crumbling yet still standing, “Otherwise, we might become like the faithless Old Ones, who turned their backs on the Goddess. But their wickedness doomed them...” The screen changes to show him walking to and past a few war machines that are as ancient as the city.

Patrick spoke to ask the questions on everyone’s (or at least Liz’s) mind, “Goddess, Old Ones, Outcasts? What is he talking about? Also was that Colorado Springs? Why does it look so…. that?” He gestures at the whole screen indicating the dilapidated and overgrown structures and vehicles that Rost passes by onscreen. Aloy and Varl share a look before Varl answers, “That is the sacred lands of the Nora tribe, the Goddess is the All Mother, the one who made everything, who brought us into the world and blessed us, and the Old Ones are….” He trails off unsure how to answer and Aloy picks up from there, “The old Ones are you, all of you in your time, not just the ones in this room, but the entire planet.” After hearing Aloy’s response Liz doesn’t blame Varl for hesitating before answering, because how do you just reveal that they are from at least a few hundred years, possibly more, from the future to ones they claim to be ‘the Old Ones’? Ayomide speaks up clearly shaken by the revelation, “So you’re saying that you are all from, what 400 years or so in the future? How did Vegas bring you here then?” None of them seem to know, except for Sylens who has a smug yet thoughtful expression on his face as though he knows something that the rest of them don’t and given how Aloy introduced him she would bet he does, or that he at least he has an idea and that he won’t share it until its either revealed or he can use the information for his benefit. Liz has dealt with far too many engineers, scientists, and businesspeople like that to know when to let it go, or at least be patient for the information. Hesitantly and in barely a whisper, Beta speaks up, “A-actually it’s more like 30,000 years.”

If the room was tense or quiet before, now it was dead silent and so tense it felt like there was no air, because that is almost worse than what Liz had suspected was the actual time difference, and only makes things even more confusing, especially when Aloy and Beta came into the equation because they shouldn’t have her face at this point in genetics with how many generations there should be between them by now, which leads her to two possible theories; they WERE clones of her (which she really hopes isn’t true) or she was cryogenically frozen until their time and they were her daughters… Liz can’t decide which she would rather be true. It’s not that she doesn’t want kids, it’s just the implication of freezing herself would mean leaving her loved ones in her time or that something big or bad made her do it, but she also doesn't want them to be clones who may not feel human no matter what their DNA says. They all go quiet slowly looking back at the screen, not sure what else to say or ask for fear of more terrifying answers.

“To us were left the splendors of creation. Beasts of air, water, earth,” The screen cuts to show a stream with fish swimming against the current to a boar running through the trees then finally, “…and steel.” As he says steel, multiple machines run across the open field in front of him, some very tall, some human sized but animal shaped, not one looks human though. A big machine’s foot comes down a few feet in front of his path making him step back to stay safe, as it crosses in front of him, revealing just how big these machines really are.

Liz was in awe at all the machines onscreen and she can tell she’s not the only one when Tanaka grabs her arm in shock and she swears she hears her everyone from her time gasp in awe and a few of them, Travis and Samina she thinks, almost squealing in excitement at the thought of what they were seeing. It was amazing, the machines were so majestic and advanced beyond what any human was capable of on their own, which means they were created without human hands which in itself is amazing. “It’s… it’s beautiful.” Margo says with tears in her eyes, “This is your world? Did you help in building or designing these?” She looks at the back rows in excitement, ready to discuss building machines, only to be met with confused eyes and shakes of heads (and a scoff from Sylens) with Erend answering this time, “No, no one from our time makes machines like this, and trust me many from my tribe have taken a shot at it, all with no success might I add. Osram’s are capable of many great technological builds, but this stuff is too advanced and requires knowledge and information that hasn’t been around for many years, about as long as you have been called the Old Ones.”

That made Margo droop in disappointment, but she had a puzzled expression on her face, “What do you mean knowledge and information that was lost? And why do you all look like you come from early tribes? What hap-“ “All questions will be answered in time, please focus on the screen now.” After interrupting Margo’s questioning, Vegas starts playing the movie again, forcing the conversations and questions to be put on pause.

Rost stays crouched, not hidden but ready to move to attack or escape should he gain unwanted attention from the machines, “It is one thing to hunt a beast, another to hunt a machine. You must be humble and respect their power. I will teach you this, one day…” As he speaks the camera shows the herd of deerlike machines he sees in front of him. He then stands up and moves on, reaching another mountain and he begins his trek and climb up to a ritual sight. As he gets to the ritual sight, an area with streams of water running over the edge, with a path built over them, some blue banners with patterns woven into them hanging against the rock walls, candles and torches lit up around the area, a tree in the middle, and a cliff jutting out over the edge of the mountain, the sun is beginning to set, casting shades of purple and yellow over the land, Rost, and a figure who is already there waiting for him, an older woman with greying hair, dressed in similarly made clothes as Rost, though slightly more well-kept and less protective, “High Matriarch Teersa? What is she doing here? Does she mean to forbid the ritual?” He finishes speaking before he gets closer to her when she gestures for him to come close, which he does as he takes the baby out of the holder and holds her in his arms. He then moves in front of High Matriarch Teersa and starts to kneel before She stops him and has him stand up again, “No-no-no, off your knees! It’s nearly time.” Rost looks at her surprised and confused, not saying a word as he slowly gets up, still holding onto the baby, “And yes, you may speak to me!” “You came to bless the naming?” They get closer together as Teersa begins to speak to him, explaining her presence, “Have not six months gone by since we entrusted her to you?” Rost quickly glances down at the baby in his arms then back to Teersa, “But we are outcasts.” “You by choice, and she, well…”

Catalina speaks up from the front, “But… buts she’s a baby, why is she an outcast? She isn’t related to this Rost guy, I mean she was given to him to care for, but what could she have possibly done as a BABY to make her an outcast?! That isn’t right!” As she continued speaking her voice grows louder, displaying her disapproval of making a baby an outcast and Liz has to agree, it’s not fair. She was most likely newly born when she was considered an outcast, so what horrible thing could have happened to warrant casting her out?

Glancing to Aloy and her friends, she saw no one willing to answer, or sharing a confused look as they also don’t know anything about the situation, until Erend speaks up from Liz’s right, “I don’t really know much about their laws and customs, but I’ve heard they are very serious when it comes to mothers in the tribe, so it could be something like the mother died while giving birth and it was blamed on the baby or something.” Liz could tell that wasn’t the actual truth, but she had to give Erend props for trying to cover for his friend, even if it may not work in the end. The others seemed to have accepted it for an answer though so she can’t really say much about the lie, or it could be partially true. As Elisabet turns herself back to face the front, she sees a slight nod from Aloy to Erend, most likely in thanks for the cover story, and she feels glad that Aloy has people like him in her life.

Teersa begins using some paint to apply a mark, a single horizontal line, to the baby’s forehead, “I’m a High Matriarch, Rost. I bless whom I choose.” “Then… you honor us.” “Yes, yes. Now, go! And be ready to declare! Go!” Teersa waves Rost out onto the cliff edge where he steps up into place for the ritual to begin holding the baby with both hands to hold her up to the land facing the setting sun as Teersa steps back and begins speaking the words to the ritual, “All-Mother, this child needs a name by which to know her, that your love may warm her life as the rising sun warms all the earth! Speak her name!” Rost thrusts the baby out gently but firmly to present her out to the land before yelling out into the valley the name he has picked for her, “ALOY!!!” His voice carries out into the valley and echoes back reverberating the name all throughout the sacred lands, “And so her name is blessed!” Teersa nods her head as Rost looks down at the baby, feeling pride, love, and acceptance that even if not biologically, she is his daughter.

Liz hears several gasps in the room, mostly from in front of her as they seemed to not figure out the baby was Aloy like Liz did. “Wait that’s you?” She hears Samina ask towards Aloy while she is still staring at the screen with baby Aloy and Rost, tuning everything and everyone else out. She knew that the baby was Aloy, it made sense, they were told they would be watching her story, but to hear it, to know for sure? It makes it even more real; Aloy was abandoned. Wherever she was created from using Liz’s DNA, she was alone and when she was found she was declared an outcast from the tribe and given to Rost. While Liz didn’t know what all being an outcast entailed in their tribe or time, she can’t imagine it to make for a happy upbringing.

The only good thing Elisabet can see in this situation is the fact that while she was alone and abandoned when she was born, she had Rost, a father, to look after and care for her after she was found. “-iz? Liz?” She feels two sets of hands on her shoulders, one from Tanaka and one from Erend, they look at her concerned and it takes Liz a moment to figure out why until she feels the wetness on her cheeks, and she takes a dep breath finally (wait when did she stop breathing?) and can speak, “Y-yes?” She hates how her voice trembles and cracks when she spoke, why is she so upset?

Liz knows why, but she doesn’t want to get into that whole mess yet, so instead she clears her throat, quickly wipes her teary eyes, and tries to regain her composure, to look calmer or at least collected. “You uh, you doing ok Ms. Elisa- er I mean Dr. Sobek?” Erend asks and Liz can see how tense and nervous he is, but she can see he want to protect and help her, even if it’s her emotions causing the damage, and Liz is once again so glad that Aloy has him in her life, “I’m fine really, just had a thought about what happened on screen, its nothing. I promise.” Liz hates pushing it off especially when she does want to talk about it, but she knows there is more that needs to be seen and she wants to see more, to learn about her…. Liz doesn’t know what to call her, or if she has any right to call her anything other than Aloy. She notices that everyone is looking at her in concern wanting to make sure she’s ok and suddenly she feels like Aloy must have earlier, “Let’s keep going, we have a lot to get through.” She directs everyone back to the screen and for the few that were not so easily pushed away, *cough* Travis *cough*, when she made it clear she wasn’t going to talk about it, everyone looked at the screen.

Suddenly a voice comes from behind Teersa, “Stop this! At once! What have you done?” A woman with a similar appearance and around the same age as Teersa walks closer as she is flanked by three others from the Nora tribe as her guards or escorts. This is Lansra, another High Matriarch, and her tone make it clear she is angry about the ritual being performed or being blessed by a High Matriarch. Teersa turns to face Lansra as she walks in front of her to confront them as Rost steps down from the alter and kneels, but Teersa stands tall and doesn’t back down from Lansra’s anger or her words, “I’ve blessed the naming of a child.” “Stubborn woman! You call that curse a child?” Lansra turns angrily from Teersa to Rost and seps towards him demanding answers, “What did she tell you about its birth, outcast?” Rost does not answer, keeping his head down looking at Aloy, but Lansra demands he speak, “Answer!” Still looking down he answers her question, “I’ve done only what you asked –“ “To raise it, yes. We said nothing of love.”

There were many gasps in the theatre, not just from her friends but also from Aloy’s group and a deep, aggravated sigh and mumbling from Aloy as Varl speaks up angry at the woman, “I knew you were an outcast and that we are supposed to ignore outcasts and not speak with them and I knew that several of the Nora treated the outcasts poorly or unfairly, but that is cruel, and unjust. You were a baby, and I know the circumstances of you birth were…. unusual and cryptic to them but there is no reason anyone should imply a baby shouldn’t get love from their caretaker. Even if she is a High Matriarch.”

Liz was surprised at his outburst, Varl seemed to be the calm and collected one out of Aloy’s group so his anger, while justifiable, was unexpected and clearly Liz wasn’t the only one surprised by it either. Aloy and Zo were looking at Varl in shock, Kotallo was surprised but quickly nodded his head agreeing with everything he said, Alva was just looking at the screen angrily, which was adorable because she looked like a kitten trying to be ferocious, and Erend was nodding his head in what Liz can only guess to be approval at Varl’s words. The only ones in the back not saying anything were Beta, who was looking at her hands I her lap as she fidgeted with them and Sylens who just scoffed as if annoyed by Varl’s declaration.

Aloy finally seems to find her voice again as she addresses Varl, “Really? I didn’t think you would ever speak bad about a High Matriarch; I mean it’s not quite as bad as what I would have said but still. You mean it?” Liz wanted nothing more than to go back there and hug her as she looks at Varl with so much vulnerability that could only be formed between close friends, maybe even siblings (blood or not) as Varl nods and holds his hand out for Aloy to grab and she takes it firmly, and while it may not seem like much to anyone else, Liz can tell that that one small gesture meant a lot to Aloy, maybe even more than any hug ever could.

Liz looks to the front where her friends are sitting and they also look away from the back, they were having a moment and while they couldn’t really leave or give them much room, they could at least not stare at them. Suddenly a loud scoff comes from the back corner, right from where Sylens is sitting and Liz glared at him as he was intentionally interrupting Aloy and Varl’s sibling moment, “Are you finished Aloy? I would have thought you would be the first one to squish any reason we were forced to be her any longer, especially as it’s your life we are here to see. Unlike you I have plans that I need to finish up, plans that will actually work, “He smirks at Aloy and Aloy glares and growls back, clearly trying so hard not to just kill him in his seat, “So why don’t you save all of your emotional moments until after we leave?” If Liz didn’t like Sylens before, now she could definitely understand Aloy’s desire to physically hurt him; he looked so smug, and he clearly doesn’t care about what they were all here to see so why was he here?

Liz didn’t know and she doubted she would get an answer and Ayomide, having always been able to sense a fight before it even began (not that it was hard to tell this time) entered his ‘dad’ mode as he had deemed it and tried to distract Aloy from Sylens taunts by asking a question that he was probably pondering for a while, “Why did she treat you like that? I mean Varl said that outcasts weren’t treated right, but she seems to really have it out for you, but you were a baby so what could you have done before they gave you to Rost to anger her?” His question pulls Aloys gaze away from Sylens, though she is still calming herself down and trying to refrain from jumping out of her seat right at him as she takes a few deep breathes before answering, “It’s because I didn’t have a mother.” That hurts Liz’s heart, because even though she knows that Aloy had to be a clone now, it confirms it even more because if she was in their time and Aloy was Liz’s daughter, she knows she would never have left, not on purpose.

Liz hesitantly looks back at Aloy as she continues, “I’m sure it will be explained and shown what exactly that means later, but it’s true. I was found without a mother and because of where I was found, two out of the three High Matriarchs condemned me, branding me as a devil. Teersa was the only one who thought differently. I didn’t need to do anything for them to decide I was a curse.” If what she said wasn’t already hurting Liz’s heart, the slight crack in her voice and small tears in her eyes did. How could anyone look at a baby, no matter where they found it, and think they were a curse? Aloy shakes her head as if to clear it then sees everyone looking at her with sadness or pity, even Travis, and she clears her throat, blushing as she speaks, “Let focus on the screen, it’s not that big a deal.” Liz so desperately wanted to argue with her because it was a huge deal, at least to her, but she knew it wouldn’t lead to anything, especially if she behaves like Liz does when she gets emotional or embarrassed, so she let it slide… for now… and focuses back on the screen.

“Enough!” Teersa marches right up to Lansra causing her to turn away from Rost and face her to continue her angry rant, “And you… Blessing its name, like it was one of the Nora, one of the tribe!” As they begin to argue, their voices fade into the background as the screen focuses back on Rost and Aloy. Rost is still on his knees, but he is looking at Aloy as he speaks to her, his voice and eyes full of devotion and love for her as he is about to make a promise he will fulfill even to his last day, “I know my duty to them - and to you. I’m here. And wherever you go… I will follow.” The camera slowly backs up, as he finishes speaking and shows him, Aloy, and the High Matriarchs on the cliff as we see a mesmerizing, snowy view of the valley and the mountains around it that the naming ritual took place overlooking.

Liz and all her friends were looking at the screen in awe, their lands were beautiful and amazing and unlike anything they had back home, at least that Liz herself had seen. Despite the beautiful view though, Liz was more focused on what they had learned about Aloy and Rost and she had to admit that the High Matriarchs giving Aloy to Rost was the probably the best decision they could have made. He loved and cared about her, even though he only had her for less than a year, and it showed both through his actions and his words. Liz may not be from their world, and she had heard too many promises that were never kept than she can count, but she knew Rost would do everything in his power to keep it, to follow her until his last days. It made Liz’s eyes tear up, because that was true love and devotion for a child, whether or not he was biologically related to her he was her dad.

Liz wipes at her eyes and she knows she is not the only one, her friends in front doing the same as her though who can say if it was the same reason as Liz, and she feels Erend put his hand on her shoulder looking worried and this time she gives him a real smile, small as it is. He seems to accept it and his worry eases up from his face as they all collect themselves to discuss, with Tanaka being the first one, “He really loved and cared about you huh?” Aloy seemed surprised by the question, as she jumps slightly in her seat, seemingly lost staring at Rost’s figure still on the screen, “Huh?! Of uh yeah, I guess he did…. no, I know he did, “Aloy takes Betas hand in hers gently as she continues, “He never said it or did anything big to show it, but he did. He made my favorite food when I had nightmares, he would make sure I was covered up and warm when the weather got colder, and he did so much for me….” Aloy is slightly crying now as she whispers out the last part, “I miss him…. SO MUCH.” She emphasizes with barely a whisper before she has a silent breakdown at which point Vegas speaks again, though this time not scaring or surprising them, “I know Aloy, but we need to keep going. I hope that with this process, you can find peace or begin too at least.” Aloy wipes her eyes before taking a deep breath and nodding her head, “Alright let’s keep going.” The screen fades to black and begins the next piece of Aloys journey, one that would change her path in life forever.