Chapter Text
ALVA
After the call from Aloy, Alva decided to watch their friend's latest adventure. They were curious about Seyka and had enough free time to do what they loved the most - watch and analyze new, exciting recordings.
Alva however isn't the most patient person. They started skipping ahead, looking for something interesting besides flying and exploring ruins. Each time Aloy interacted with Seyka they listened closely. There was something hidden in their conversations. The way Aloy blushed and lacked words, the way Seyka looked at her friend when they weren't making eye contact. Yes... There was definitely something there.
After one of those interactions, Aloy said something to herself ('She often forgets that she's talking out loud and not only in her head' - Alva thought). 'Why am I like this?' - Aloy's voice was clearly confused and desperate. Her emotions could be felt even through the Focus' recording. 'Nothing with Seyka is new. I meet someone - I help them. Sometimes we fight or have differences in opinions. Nothing out of the ordinary. So why am I feeling so... unsure? Why do I worry about what to say and how to say it so much?' - Alva got saddened hearing Aloy so uncomfortable. It was endearing how unknown her feelings seemed to be for Aloy.
Alva thought about Aloy's upbringing and how different their own experiences with people have been. They had their parents, their sister, their friends, and their partner. There was a lot of love around them in various flavors - romantic, platonic, friendly. Their own partner taught them so much about their own sexuality and desires. Aloy didn't have anyone like that. Rost loved her - that was sure - but he didn't really show her that.
Alva thought to themselves that Aloy finally met someone she let herself connect with. It was obvious that she cared for all of them, maybe even loved them like family, but Alva doubts the Nora ever let herself acknowledge that. Seyka changed that, she seemed to force Aloy to think about her emotions and feel them.
They were curious about the women's relationship. They skipped over their battles forcing themselves to ignore the awe they felt as they saw who or rather what the two of them were up against. Alva sometimes catches themselves hyper-fixating on a particular piece of data or knowledge from the Legacy. They learned to force that habit deep inside, for a Diviner should always be open to new experiences. This time they let themselves loose, focused on the recording and sifting through the scenes playing before their eyes.
Finally, they got to Seyka's and Aloy's probably final conversation. It was recent, it took place after they contacted them about the merge of their Quen survivor groups. 'I knew it!' - Alva's words escaped their mouth, and they were too excited to notice or care. They replayed the scene over and over and over again.
Eventually, when they felt like they were about to burst from the excitement of their discovery, they decided to open a call via a focus.
'Beta! Thank the ancestors you picked up. I've found something, something exciting!' - Alva said in a frantic whisper, not wanting to scream about the secret but too excited to control their voice fully.
'I know Alva, I saw it myself.' Beta's smirk was obvious in her voice. 'I think we should throw Aloy a welcome back party. I saw the old ones doing it for their friends and families after coming back from adventures or missions. We could bring the group together and ask her all about her own adventures in the Burning Shores'
Alva squeaked with excitement. 'Ok! Ok! I will call everyone! Kotallo should be in Thornmarsh so I will travel with him back to base. Eeek! I am so excited! I just hope Erend and Zo will be able to come too.'
With that, they called out to all of Aloy's comrades. Zo has talked with the Chorus, they agreed to bring all of the Utaru leaders and Tenakth veterans to plan and prepare to help Aloy.
Zo herself has been helping young Utaru train and understand their world a bit better using her focus and the Apollo database. Her pregnancy has been going well and so far hasn't impacted her physical abilities, but Zo plans to focus on herself and her family in the nearest months. She gladly agreed to visit the Base and Varl's grave.
Erend has stayed in Chainscrape for some time now. He plans to go to Meridian and talk to Avad himself. However, after informing Lawan about the situation he couldn't help himself and wanted to spend some time with Petra.
They talked about Aloy's adventures and the Hidden Ember. When Alva called Erend saw it as a sign, Petra went to visit and see the desert that has once been the city of Las Vegas for herself and Erend decided to see Aloy and the rest for the last time before going back to Meridian.
Kotallo has visited the Bulwark and Scalding Spear and has been in Thornmarsh for a couple of days now. His initial mission of informing the Chiefs about Nemesis was completed. All he had left to do was go back to the Memorial Grove help with any preparations and continue his duty as a Marshal. After the last Kulrut however, there wasn't much for him to do except to offer advice and expertise. The Tenakth were able to adapt and have been doing exceptionally well after the threat of Regalla and her rebellion had been eliminated.
They met in Thornmarsh. They couldn't help themselves seeing the stoic Tenakth Marshal. 'Kotallo!' - They shouted and ran not paying attention to their gear left on the Charger's back. Alva could swear they heard Kotallo chuckle when they ran to hug him. They were too happy to see this unlikely warm figure that they came to treat as an older sibling. The whole ride back was filled with their questions and Kotallo's smirks and murmurs as answers.
KOTALLO
After the group had assembled and exchanged pleasantries, they all gathered on the floor of GAIA's room. 'Alva, it's incredibly good to see you all but where is Aloy? Why did you call us all here?' - Zo asked what he was thinking too. He waited for Alva's response, grateful that the question had been asked by someone else. The Quen stood up and said with a pleading smile - 'Aloy is coming back here from the Burning Shores, she was able to defeat the last Zenith with the help of another Quen - Seyka. Both I and Beta were carefully watching Aloy's adventure through her focus and decided to surprise her here to commemorate their win.'
You could almost smell Alva's excitement in the air. Kotallo thought about what the Nora must have accomplished for the Quen to be so giddy. On the other hand, pretty much anything Aloy does mustered this response. 'Especially from Alva' - he thought forcing himself to control the corners of his lips to not show his amusement.
'Their last battle was... Incredible' - Beta's eyes closed slightly as she smiled, proud of her sister. 'We thought you all should see it before she comes back, and what better way to do it than by using this space as a movie theater!' - The whole room let out a confused grunt. Kotallo was glad he wasn't the only one not familiar with the word. 'Oh, right, movie theaters were used by the Old ones to watch holos. Whole groups of people, families, or friends gathered to watch them together. It was kind of... Like sharing stories over a meal. A way to connect over a story.' - Beta smiled shyly hoping her description was enough to get the group on board.
'Ok then! Let's get this theatre thing going!' - Erend broke the silence with a cackle. He changed his position to half-laying half-sitting to get himself comfortable for the long watch. The change in Beta's body language showed just how scared she was they wouldn't like her idea.
'Right! Gaia?' - Alva turned around to talk to the AI - 'Could you use the dome of the room as a screen? You know, how you display images from the drones Aloy collected?' 'Of course, I gathered you would wish to start the seance from the beginning of the final battle with Walter Londra. Just a minute' - GAIA said as the dome started flickering.
Then, the images came. They all looked in awe at the whole room. It was like being there, next to Aloy and Seyka as they were scaling the cliffs and sneaking past machines. Then, they all saw the devil's eye start to flicker red. Everyone in the room held their breath. 'Is that Londra's doing?' - Zo said with horror in her eyes - 'Did they really fight THAT!?'.
'Don't spoil anything!' - Alva said with a smile. 'Remember, Aloy is safe and she's on her way here. You don't have to worry about anything'. They all collectively let out a breath. Alva was right, what they were watching was in the past, and from the present they know Aloy succeeded. But still...
'Beta, what is that machine called? We know the Ten fought against them, I never knew they could come back to life' - Kotallo asked carefully. He couldn't get the idea that they might have to fight armies of them in the future out of his head.
'This is a Horus, as far as we know it's the first one to be activated since the Faro Plague consumed Earth. Even if the other ones scattered around the earth are not dead, they are all in bad shape, as was the one Londra woke up. It needed an immense amount of power to even start its core. I don't think anyone apart from the Zeniths would know how to do it. And they are all gone now.' Beta said with a small smile. She noticed all of them shaking a little, they were scared. She came to Erend who seemed to be stunned and offered him a squeeze on his bicep. 'Really, it's ok now. Don't worry, Aloy knows how to handle herself. Just watch.' - she said with a wink and sat back down.
Kotallo could swear she looked him in the eye as she winked. No. He was just imagining things. And even if not it was his fault for asking the question about the Horus'. A grunt escaped his sealed lips as his eyes went back to the dome. He should be able to control his emotions better than that. He was Tenakth, a Marshal. He should be able to look death in the eye without fear. And yet his heart ached as he watched Aloy and her Quen friend come closer and closer to the metal devil.
Londra said he would 'squash them like bugs', Kotallo watching the fight thought to himself that the comparison was uncharacteristically truthful. The young women were so small, so seemingly insignificant in comparison to the machine. And yet. The Tenakth warrior was admittedly impressed by this Seyka. She learned to operate Aloy's Sunwing fast.
She took on the dangerous role of distraction, relentless and maddening with its pursuit. 'Like a fly in the evening at the Grove' - Kotallo thought with a small smile.
Aloy in the meantime managed to destroy the cooling system of the metal devil. When it was forced to use the sea as its coolant, she swam straight into the beast's belly to face Londra.
During the seanse - as GAIA called it - the whole group reacted as a single organism. The gasps, the deep breaths after a stressful moment, the laughs as Aloy succeeded. They all felt it the same. Kotallo has never been more proud of his Commander.
He must admit that in situations like this one, he often thinks of himself as lucky. The decision to pledge his life to his Commander, to this incredible warrior, to Aloy, was the best decision of his life, right after becoming Hekarro's Marshal, of course. He wouldn't be here if not for his Chief and Kotallo knew that deep in his heart.
When the emotions in the room died out a bit, Alva stood up as if to announce something. 'This ought to be interesting' - Kotallo thought to himself at the giddiness the Quen was clearly failing to hide.
'So, as you might guess, Aloy being the savior she is, decided to contact me to help the Quen in Fleet's End to travel safely to Legacy's Landfall and in the future back to our lands. So, I got the pleasure to talk to Seyka and Aloy and see how they... interacted if you know what I mean' - Alva said with a wink.
'I might be overstepping some boundaries, but I am just too happy to leave what I observed hidden and I am positive you all will be just as happy for Aloy as I am, so I have one more thing to show you' - The grin on Alva's face was almost caricatural. Kotallo was of course happy to hear about anything good regarding Aloy, but he had a hard time ignoring a pinch of worry brewing in his gut.
The dome showed a conversation between Aloy and Seyka. The Quen was waiting atop a cliff when his Commander arrived. They both seemed tired, like they hadn't slept in days but also content. Kotallo was guessing their feelings, he knew how it feels to try and comprehend a long, difficult battle was finally over.
Kotallo realized how young the women were. They were both barely 2 decades old. They all were young, even himself being only a few seasons older, but seeing them... it was different.
They had to grow up so fast, even Beta who would still not be considered an adult by the Tenakth. How much were they all carrying on their young shoulders? And how much more will they be able to withstand...
Seyka described her feelings. Being lost, not knowing where her place was anymore. Aloy's response surprised him more than it probably should. He never thought about it - he had the Grove, his chief; Zo had her people and a place in Plainsong; Erend was a Vanguard, his place was in Meridian, next to the king. Even Alva had somewhere to go back to, no matter the distance, they had somewhere or someone waiting for them.
That wasn't the case for Aloy or Beta, it never was.
They had each other and the Base, but that wasn't really a place to call home. His heart wept at the thought, of two young warriors who never had a chance to choose how their life would unfold and yet they were vulnerable, kind, and honest. They were even stronger than he ever realized.
Aloy's idea of home was different. She seemed to recall her friends, her newly found sister, and even GAIA. She didn't have a place but a network of people. She had them. She had him.
And then Seyka proved to be much braver than he ever could have been. She asked Aloy to be with her. She asked if Aloy felt the same, just like that. The whole room gasped. Kotallo didn't know what to think, what to feel. And then Aloy answered and he felt as if a Thunderjaw ran straight through his heart. 'I do' - Aloy's words started echoing in his head like a mantra. He could only watch as the women kissed, as Alva cheered, as Zo and Beta clapped.
He felt like he couldn't breathe, he felt like he was drowning. He needed to get out. He tried to stand up, to get away from the kiss on the screen, away from his emotions. He started waddling towards the exit with his hand on his chest. The pain... It was physical. It was almost overwhelming.
Just as he was about to exit the room he heard Erend say - 'So, women, huh? I guess I never had a chance after all'. Zo's and Beta's chuckles reached his ears. 'I don't think Aloy has a preference, she just finally let herself feel something more. To Seyka' - Beta's words were the last thing he heard before the door closed behind him.
Stumbling, heaving as if he ran from here straight to the Grove, Kotallo reached the East exit. He sat next to Varl's grave, once again feeling the sting of grief. He missed the Nora Brave. They didn't know each other well, but he was always kind and up to talk. He could use that now, Erend doesn't seem like the best person to talk to about a broken heart. He would probably just offer a cup of ale. Maybe that wouldn't be such a bad idea...
His thoughts were interrupted by a sound he had never heard before. It was coming from the West, from behind the mountain chain that hosts their Base. It sounded like wings flapping, but not as smooth as a Sunwing's and not as powerful as the Stormbirds.
He never saw any Glinthawks around here either. Kotallo unsheathed his blade, fastening his grip as the sound grew closer. The machine's body flew above him. It looked like a Sunwing, but the wings weren't dark and iridescent in the evening sun, they were blue, similar in color to the sea he saw recorded by Aloy in the Burning Shores.
His gut squeezed with pain when he thought about his Commander. 'No' - he thought - 'Now's not the time'. He followed the machine's movements carefully and then saw an unmistakable blue glow from its eyes. Aloy's override.
Just as he realized that, the machine circled back and he could see the hint of flame-colored hair of the raider. She perched near the entrance to the Base and sent the machine to find a place for the night.
She was wearing an armor he didn't recognize. It was off-white, with additions in two colors, one like the machine's wings and the other like the flesh of a salmon. It was strange, with iridescent plates covering Aloy's collarbones and tassels around her calves. He must admit, it suited her.
She turned around to face the door and... their eyes met. 'Kotallo!?' - Aloy asked and started coming closer to where he was sitting - 'What are you doing here? Did something happen?'. 'No, Commander' - Kotallo saluted at their unconventional hello.
'Everything is fine, do not worry. Others are waiting for you inside. I... needed to clear my head. I will join you shortly' - He said hiding his eyes. He could barely hold off his feelings in front of the group, let alone Aloy herself.
'Others?' - you could see the glint of excitement in her eye - 'Well, I will say hello then! Join us when you feel better, ok?'. Her smile almost broke him. She didn't know how difficult this conversation was for Kotallo.
He didn't blame her. His feelings and the pain they resulted in were his only to bear. He was even angry that he was too selfish to feel happiness for her. Once again, a disappointment.