‘Beta… Blossom, it’s time to get up.’
Beta groans, squeezing her eyes shut as a soft touch sweeps red hair away from her face.
‘Zo is here, and we’re leaving right after breakfast.’
Beta slowly opens her green eyes to look up at her mother.
‘Five more minutes?’ She mumbles, still half-asleep and loathe to part with her blankets.
Elisabet expression grows amused, before she relents to her youngest daughter.
‘Fine. But that’s all I can give you this time.’ Her voice then grows stern as she stands to exit the room. ‘If you’re not upstairs by then I will ask Aloy to wake you.’
That threat has Beta reluctantly sitting up and tossing her precious blankets aside.
Today they are visiting Plainsong.
Yel is finally ready to give Elisabet some chicks to raise, and Zo is here as a helping hand to escort her and Beta to the settlement for the first time. Now that she is no longer a machine, Elisabet has seemed genuinely interested in having this chance to interact with the people of this new world. She even made several new notebooks and a few other projects in preparation for today.
Beta, on the other hand, feels nothing but dread whenever she thinks about it.
From what Aloy has told her, Plainsong is more of a medium-sized settlement. Nothing like the enormous grandeur of Meridian, but not as small as any of the Nora villages either.
Even so, it will be an adjustment for Beta to be around so many people all at once.
One that she’s not looking forward to in the slightest.
‘I felt the same way when I first went into Mother’s Heart.’ Aloy admitted to her late last night. ‘Just walking up the path, there was already so much noise. Then the gates opened, and there were so many people, and sounds and things happening.’ She shook her head and swiveled her desk chair, lost in memories. ‘For a long time I just stood there, watching it all.’
‘How did you ever get through it?’ Beta asked. ‘It must have been awful.’
‘It was.’ Aloy acknowledged. ‘But I did get through it, and you will too.’ She then walked over to her sister and placed a hand on her shoulder. ‘Trust me.’
At the time, Beta believed her words.
But now, it’s hard to feel much of anything other than the anxious tingle that’s taken root in her chest. As if on autopilot, Beta follows everyone outside. Her mother offers her a Machine Deterrer, and she fiddles with clipping it onto her belt as Aloy and Zo each call their Chargers.
Elisabet does the same, whistling for her pink Clawstrider.
Georgette boisterously barrels over from the field nearby, noisily crossing the wooden bridge and dampening the sound of the mountain stream with her inherent stomping. Elisabet rewards Georgette with a gentle stroke against her neck, before moving to strap a new trinket onto her back; a saddle.
She has spent quite a long time creating it in preparation for this day. The inspiration being Aloy, who told her that Clawstriders are not particularly the most comfortable machines to ride on.
And Elisabet, being well versed in the now ancient art of horseback riding, took that as a challenge.
The saddle itself is made out of leather, stemming from pieces that Aloy offered up from her stash. It’s bent perfectly into a rather odd shape, nothing like what Beta has previously seen in Old World holos. It hugs Georgette’s back perfectly, too, able to collapse or expand at will to fit one or two people. Elisabet adjusts the stirrups and straps, then fits a bridle over Georgette’s snout, removing her teeth guards as she goes.
Georgette shakes once the ensemble is complete, stretching her jaw and razor-sharp incisors. Elisabet absentmindedly pats her side in response, shifting through her internal code.
Beta steps toward them, unable to stop from fidgeting her fingers.
‘Are you sure you’re really going to be okay?’ Beta asks, her voice small. ‘With riding?’
‘I am.’ Elisabet looks at her daughter as she inputs commands. She does so effortlessly, her fingers flying over the focus interface even as she gives Beta her full attention. ‘And you?’
At this, Beta only nods. She looks down at the ground, unwilling to meet her mother’s gaze as she finishes whatever it is she’s doing. Once completed, Georgette kneels, but Elisabet does not move to climb aboard.
‘Beta, if you don’t want to go, we don’t have to.’ She reminds her. ‘Aloy and Zo can pick up the chicks, and we can stay here.’
‘No!’ Beta says with maybe a bit more force than necessary.
Although Elisabet has never said so outright, Beta knows just how much she has been looking forward to this day. And…
Beta won’t ruin it for her.
She can’t.
‘No.‘ Beta repeats. ‘I want to go, mom. Really.’
Elisabet purses her lips, looking her over with an analyzing stare. Her attention is ultimately stollen away when Aloy walks her green Charger over to them.
‘Are you two ready?’
‘Yes.’ Elisabet casts only one more look toward Beta before climbing atop Georgette.
‘… Yea.’ Beta takes that as her queue to do the same.
She inhales a deep breath as she climbs aboard the Clawstrider, wrapping her arms around her mother’s back. Georgette then stands to her full height and shifts a bit with the extra weight, though doesn’t seem to mind at all. Beta looks down, silently squeezing her mother a bit more when she realizes the amount of distance between them and the ground.
‘It will not take very long for us to arrive in Plainsong.’ Zo turns her Charger to start walking down the path. ‘I’ll keep us to the roads. It should be a gentle ride.’
‘Alright. Lead on then.’ Elisabet says, and Zo gives her a nod before trotting off.
Elisabet then clicks her tongue, and suddenly, they’re moving. Beta squeezes her as hard as she dares while Georgette follows after Zo down the road, Aloy taking up the rear behind them. The sound of heavy metal talons trotting along the path is steady and rhythmic, somehow sounding both familiar yet terrifying.
Beta can feel Georgette’s every motion, every turn, every tail sway.
She closes her eyes, feeling nauseous as memories enter her head.
Of hearing sounds like this before. Of being taken into the unknown.
Elisabet shifts, turning Georgette as the trail winds, and Beta opens her eyes, reminded of exactly where she is and who she is with. Her eyes look out at the lush landscape along the mountainside, taking in the world just like the last time she had gone for a ride like this.
This time around is much easier to handle as she peeks over her shoulder toward Aloy.
Her sister’s expression is relaxed, all of her red, blue, and resin beads swinging as she rides.
Aloy lightly smiles when she notices her sister’s gaze, and Beta hesitantly gives her one back, suddenly feeling something ache when she turns forward once again toward Elisabet.
For a moment, it’s not her there in the driver’s seat.
That thought follows Beta as the sound of Georgette’s stomps against dirt and gravel turn into softer strides against grass and buds. They arrive at their destination, and Zo keeps them away from the settlement, carefully avoiding the Land God’s in favor of finding a quiet spot in the fields.
Beta lets out a breath when Georgette finally settles to a stop.
Her limbs feel a shaky form of unsteady as she shuts off her Machine Deterrer, putting a hand onto the pink Clawstrider for support as the machine lowers. The air is fresh here. The breeze is warm, carrying the scent of life and growth to her nose as sun shines upon her cheeks, the sensations distantly reminding her of the garden back at home.
‘That was a very nice ride.’ Elisabet comments, letting Beta dismount first.
‘It was.’ Zo climbs down from her own Charger. ‘And how did you find it, Beta?’
‘Um, good.’ Beta says absentmindedly, just happy to feel solid ground underneath her feet. ‘It was good.’
The Utaru huntress looks her over, sharing the same assessing gaze that Elisabet had earlier. She must not decide to dwell on it, though, as she merely nods.
‘I am glad then.’
Elisabet carefully climbs off of her Clawstrider, and Aloy goes over to her, both she and Beta hovering close in case their mother needs help.
Once safely down, Elisabet looks over Georgette’s interface once more, and lowly whistles, causing the pink machine to chirp and toss her head in response.
She nods, satisfied, and turns to Zo and her daughters.
‘Ready to go inside?’ She asks.
‘Of course.’
‘Yea, let’s go.’
‘Yes…’ Beta stubbornly tries to push down her nerves, unwilling to do anything that would potentially dampen this day.
Her mother gives her one last look before turning with Zo to start heading toward the main entrance. The two of them take point, talking together about the history of Plainsong as Elisabet asks questions and Zo gestures to various landmarks in the fields. Beta lags behind them, looking up at the impressive Utaru structure built upon Old World satellite dishes.
Aloy is silent beside her, and Beta takes some comfort in knowing that her sister is so close.
Especially when their odd little group inevitably starts to stick out.
She takes deep breaths as strangers notice her, whispering amongst themselves in the fields.
‘What are you thinking, Beta?’ Aloy suddenly asks, causing Beta to focus on her instead of that nausea stirring up in her stomach.
‘I’m just… processing.’ Beta admits while picking at her fur-lined bracers.
‘It’ll be a lot to take in once we’re inside.’ Aloy acknowledges.
‘It’s a lot to take in now.’ Her words are quiet, as if talking mostly to herself.
Aloy opens her mouth to respond but instead looks off to the side as a man approaches them. He’s wearing Utaru style clothes, and has colorful markings associated with the Tenakth.
‘Aloy. Zo.’ The man greets, looking them over with familiarity. ‘You’ve brought some new arrivals from the Nora, I see.’
‘Hello Jaxx.’ Zo nods to him. ‘Yes. We have visitors today.’
Aloy gestures to Beta.
‘Jaxx, this is my sister, Beta.’ She introduces, causing him to nod toward her politely. ‘And this is…’
Aloy’s voice suddenly trails off.
Beta looks at her, noticing her sister’s tense posture.
Aloy has privately admitted to her before that it’s one thing to call Elisabet their mother at home, but that it’s another thing entirely to share that title with others.
Especially when it still feels so new and fragile between them.
As if somehow Aloy is afraid it will break if she ever dares to share it with anyone else.
Elisabet looks at her eldest daughter, catching eyes for a moment, before stepping forward.
‘Hello Jaxx, my name is Elisabet. Or “Lis” for short.’ She greets him kindly, shaking hands when he offers. ‘I’m Aloy and Beta’s mother.’
‘I had a feeling.’ He says, not surprised at all as he gestures between them. ‘The resemblance is uncanny with you three. Like apples picked right off the tree.’
‘You have no idea.’ She says, causing both of her children to look at each other knowingly.
‘Aloy’s deeds are well known around here. She’s even helped me out of quite a few binds myself.’ Jaxx continues. ‘I’m sort of surprised you haven’t found the time to visit til now?’
‘I have, uh… fragile health.’ As she says this, Beta notices that she closes her eyes, her nose wrinkling. As if admitting this fact is a frustration that she’d rather forget. ‘We’re here to visit today, yes, but also to see Yel.’
‘Ah, so that’s what’s going on.’ Jaxx says. ‘Was wondering why he’s been real chipper lately.’
‘He was kind enough to invite us for lunch today.’ Zo clarifies. ‘But before that, I thought it would be nice to show our guests around.’
‘I see.’ Jaxx nods. ‘Well, then I won’t keep you ladies any longer. I hope you enjoy your visit.’
‘Thank you.’ Elisabet says, with Beta quietly mumbling the same.
Once he is out of earshot, Elisabet tilts her head with a pondering stare.
‘He seemed nice. But weren’t those markings from another tribe? Kotallo’s I think?’
‘He is.’ Aloy says as they start walking again. ‘And yea, they are. He used to be Tenakth.’
‘Jaxx has been with us for many years.’ Zo leads their group. ‘He is what my people call a veteran. They are Tenakth who have offered themselves to the Utaru, in a peace exchange between tribes.’ She explains. ‘Veterans are experienced warriors. They act as trainers for our people, and in exchange the Tenakth receive a yearly tribute of food from our lands.’
‘I heard that the tradition stopped after the Derangement.’ Aloy recounts. ‘Do you think it’ll start up again after everything settles?’
‘Perhaps.’ Zo muses. ‘It worked well in the past, so it might work well again in the future.’
‘Veteran…’ Elisabet repeats absentmindedly, her voice barely a whisper.
Beta looks at her mother, noticing that her gaze is far away.
‘That word means something, doesn’t it?’ She asks. ‘From the Old World?’
‘Yes, but it’s not important.’ Elisabet waves a hand dismissively.
Beta looks at her mother, her brow upturned with concern.
Elisabet has done this before. When certain things from the Old World are brought up. She will still talk about the Legacy with Alva, or answer most questions whenever prompted.
But some things are just… off limits.
As if, for some reason, Elisabet is choosing to bury pieces of herself.
Pieces from the Old World that no one else could ever possibly know or understand.
Beta doesn’t like it.
Discretely, she brings up her focus as they come upon a bridge leading into Plainsong. Two guards are attending the entrance, and she barely listens as their party is warmly welcomed inside.
“Veteran; A person who has extensive experience in a particular field. Often times associated with those who have served in the military.”
Beta tilts her head as she silently reads the definition.
‘The military? Like James, you think?’
Beta jumps as her sister reads the text from over her shoulder.
She looks at Aloy, who has a thoughtful expression on her face.
‘Maybe.’ Beta taps further. ‘But it seems that there are certain criteria.’
She reads through a more extensive definition, thinking back on what little she knows about Elisabet’s older brother.
‘James did service in the U.S. military, and he was a part of Enduring Victory.’ She ponders aloud. ‘Though I’m not sure if he would have qualified before…’
She trails off, keeping her voice quiet so as not to upset their mother.
Thankfully, it seems that Elisabet has not noticed their perusing. She and Zo have already crossed the bridge, and are now busy admiring the settlement up close from beyond the outer wall.
Aloy also looks toward their mother, the frown on her face matching her sister’s.
They both reluctantly let the subject drop as Zo looks back at them with a questioning stare.
Beta feels the Great Green Bridge rustling underneath her steps as she and Aloy walk across it. The smell of open campfire smoke immediately hits her senses as she curiously looks around. There are woven walkways and bridges everywhere, the Utaru people building, talking, and living under the pleasantly warm sun.
When Beta lets her overstimulated gaze instinctively stray toward her mother, she finds that Elisabet is taking all of this in for the first time just as she is.
‘This must have taken generations to build.’ Elisabet comments, more to herself than anything else as she takes her time admiring the intricate weavework.
‘Yes, everything you see before you was done by my people.’ Zo leads them further inside. ‘It is all upkept once a year by the entire populace, with certain tasks being done only during festivals for each of our Land Gods.’
‘It’s beautiful.’ Elisabet gazes up at the magnificent inner structure. ‘I remember you telling me about the festivals.’ Her voice is light, sounding genuinely touched to know that the machines she originally designed are so revered in this new age. ‘If I’m remembering correctly, it’s currently Mi’s season?’
‘Yes. Mi’s festival comes with the end of Re’s season of rain, and the beginning of the season of flowers.’ Zo smiles at Elisabet, before her expression turns melancholic. ‘Very soon it will be Fa’s festival. For what the Old Ones called the Summer Solstice.’ She sighs. ‘This year… will be the first without her.’
At this, Aloy turns to Zo with a sympathetic gaze, putting a hand on her arm.
Beta watches them sadly, having already been made aware of that particular story. From what Beta understands, the Utaru have not grieved the loss of Fa just yet, hoping that their beloved Land God will return for her festival.
Zo has not had the heart nor the words to tell them that she will never be coming back.
Elisabet looks at Zo, something in her gaze calculating, but does not comment further.
‘You will see throughout Plainsong that there are many adornments to Mi.’ Zo gestures to several woven flowers in their line of sight. ‘We can take our time here to look around. There are still a few hours more until we are to meet with Yel.’
‘Did you or Aloy have anything in mind about what we should do until then?’ Elisabet asks, looking around once more. A few people have noticed their arrival by now, but none have dared to approach them, letting the new outlanders get their bearings it seems.
‘Anything you want.’ Aloy shrugs, clearly comfortable being here as she’s visited plenty of times before. ‘You and Beta should take the lead.’
‘I agree.’ Zo says. ‘There is much to see, and you should feel free to explore as you desire.’
‘Alright.’ Elisabet looks to Beta, but her daughter only shakes her head.
‘You decide where we should go, mom.’ She says hastily. ‘This is your day.’
Elisabet blinks and looks at her with confusion.
‘This is your first time visiting, too.’ She points out.
‘Well, I want you to decide.’ Beta pushes back.
Today isn’t about her.
It’s about Elisabet.
Her mother furrows her brow, taking in her posture and everything that she is not saying with words. Beta tries not to squirm under her gaze, thankful when Elisabet eventually turns her attention back to Zo and Aloy.
‘Then, why don’t we start with a tour?’
Elisabet, as her daughters quickly find out, is very prone to wander.
As much as curiosity runs through their veins, it seems to run through Elisabet’s in spades. Her attention is caught as easily as shifting wind, and there are multiple times when she strayed their group off course to look at something, talk to someone, take a photo, or jot down notes in one of her books. Her wandering nature, combined with them clearly being outlanders here, has her caught up in very many interesting conversations with the Utaru.
People just naturally seem to gravitate toward her, as if pulled in by a current.
A trait that Beta realizes she must ultimately share with Aloy. As the two of them combined get quite the amount of attention today. Beta herself also gets some attention, but chooses to shyly hang back, happy to instead simply watch her mother interact with the people of this new world.
A world that Elisabet created just for them; people that she never once hoped to meet.
People for whom she ultimately laid down her life for. Back at GAIA Prime.
Beta shivers at that particular thought, willing it far, far away.
‘That was beautiful music you were playing.’ Elisabet says politely, catching Beta’s ear.
Their group is currently sitting across from a young, blind man named Korreh. Another Tenakth warrior turned Utaru. He has a peculiar instrument with him, and had been casually playing a tune that caught Elisabet’s curiosity like a moth to a flame.
‘Thank you.’ Korreh says, offering a kind smile.
‘What sort of instrument is that?’ She asks.
‘I made it.’ He nods. ‘To combine the Utaru’s music with the sound of the Tenakth Skyclan.’
‘Skyclan?’
‘Right. You’re Nora, just like Aloy. So, you may not know.’ He acknowledges. ‘The Tenakth are made up of three clans. And one of them, the Skyclan, builds instruments that cast sound across mountains. I was inspired by them to make this.’ Korreh says with pride, holding it out for her to get a better look. ‘Aloy and Jaxx got me the parts for it, actually.’
‘It was Jaxx’s idea.’ Aloy fills in. ‘All I did was help take down some machines.’
‘You did more than that.’ Korreh says with a small laugh. ‘You basically said the same thing after helping my squad back then, too.’
‘Your daughter is very humble, Elisabet.’ Zo hums. ‘If you haven’t noticed.’
‘Oh, I’ve noticed.’ She comments, looking toward Aloy. ‘All I’ve been hearing today is about your good deeds.’
‘Well, be thankful we’re here and not in Meridian. Or Nora territory.’ Aloy says dismissively, looking uncomfortable with the praise. ‘Then you’d really never get a moment’s peace.’
‘All I’m saying is that I’m proud of you.’ Elisabet says earnestly, reaching out to brush her fingers through Aloy’s hair. ‘I hope you realize that.’
‘I do…’ Aloy says, her voice small as her mother smiles warmly at her.
Beta can only watch on, something hurting as she hears that exchange between them.
‘Well Lis, today’s the day.’ Yel says once the sun has risen high into the sky.
He met up with them for lunch already, treating their Nora visitors to some of the local Utaru cuisine. Beta has tried one of the dishes before, Wheatslice Salad, but the Beanweed Bites were new. And spicy. Which, from personal experience, Beta knows that her family has absolutely no tolerance for. Being genetic clones also comes with shared taste buds, apparently, and both Beta and Aloy were noticeably unable to put up with more than a few bites of that particular dish.
Their mother, however, had not flinched. Elisabet ate the offered meal with gratitude, commenting positively on the new, foreign cuisine and asking to note down the recipe.
When later prompted, she said that she hadn’t particularly enjoyed the taste either.
‘But the number one golden rule of visiting a new culture is to always try what is given to you.’ Elisabet explained privately afterwards. ‘How would you feel if you made one of your favorite meals for someone, and they refused to eat any of it?’
She did have a point there, one that her daughters both had to concede made a lot of sense.
Their mother can turn just about anything into a learning opportunity, it seems.
‘Ready to meet the little ones?’ Yel asks as they approach his farm on the outskirts of Plainsong.
‘So ready.’ Elisabet says with a nod as he unlocks a gate to let them inside.
There are various pigs, ducks, goats and chickens scattered all around the property, though noticeably they are fewer in number than what Beta had been expecting.
Zo told her that the Utaru farmlands will require quite a bit of time to heal when it comes to livestock. That many farm animals actually had to be released back into the wilds, when there just wasn’t enough food to go around. And, as a result, every farm in the tribe will now have to undertake the grueling task of raising livestock all over again from scratch.
Everyone, except for Yel.
He had stubbornly hung on to his farm all throughout the blight, drought and derangement. Even going so far as to give up his own rations to his animals whenever things got too tough.
While commendable, the ground here is much like the rest of the fields; residually damp and swampy from the Land God’s overfertilization. It sticks under Beta’s feet as they travese through the farm, helping her to admire his determination to keep going.
Regardless, before things can get better, Yel eventually conceded that he needs some help. While good for crops, there are only a few good spots left in the soil for animals to graze here, and as a result they have been fighting lately amongst themselves. That’s why he had reached out Zo, and by extension Elisabet. It is his hope that she can take a few animals into her newly budding farm, and allow for the ones remaining here to have the space and attention that they need to recover.
‘Welp, here they are.’ Yel brings them inside a barn and gestures to a small box in the back. ‘Little ones are all yours.’
Beta gasps when she lays eyes on the chicks. Six balls of fluff cutely stumble around inside the brood box, making the tiniest chirps that she has ever heard.
‘Wow. They’re uh… tiny.’ Aloy comments as their mother reaches inside to pick one up.
‘Oh, they were much smaller when they first hatched.’ Yel says good-naturedly. ‘These little ones are a few days old now.’
‘Is it really alright to take them?’ Beta asks with worry. ‘What about their mother?’
‘Nah, the mama didn’t give a hoot about those eggs.’ Yel shrugs. ‘Probably doesn’t even know they hatched.’
‘Chickens aren’t like us.’ Elisabet explains. ‘They usually don’t care about their eggs at all. Not unless they’re feeling broody.’
‘Usually depends on the chicken though.’ Yel hums, to which Elisabet nods in agreement.
Beta tilts her head at this notion and looks at the tiny chick. It’s all yellow, with noticeable grey splotches on its back. Elisabet slowly examines the baby, looking critically at its feathers, before turning to Zo, Aloy and Beta.
‘Would one of you like to hold her?’
Aloy shakes her head, looking unbothered, to which Beta is not surprised. Her sister, while many things, has never been one to form bonds with animals.
‘I’d like to.’ Beta shyly gives a nod.
The bird feels incredibly soft, warm and squirmy in her grasp when Elisabet hands it over.
Beta carefully strokes the baby’s head, listening to her chirp as another one is given over to Zo. Her mother then takes her time examining all of the other chicks, before walking off with Yel to discuss the final details of their exchange and partnership.
‘They’re so soft.’ Beta carefully places the chick back into the box.
‘They are.’ Zo says, doing the same. ‘Are you sure you don’t want to hold one, Aloy? They are going to be living with you.’
‘It’s fine.’ Aloy shrugs. ‘It’s not like they’ll be staying in my room or anything.’
‘No, they won’t.’ Zo says. ‘But they will be taken care of as a part of your family.’ She points out. ‘It may not be such a bad idea to get to know them.’
Aloy looks once more at the chicks, appearing thoughtful, as Elisabet returns with a smaller box filled with hay. The transport box is adorned with multiple breathing holes, and one by one she plops the babies inside and securely covers it with a lid.
‘That should do it.’ Elisabet dusts off her hands. ‘I’ll let you know how they settle in.’
‘Sounds swell.’ Yel says with a warm smile. ‘Actually, before you get goin’, I was hoping to talk to you about somethin’ else, Lis.’ He says. ‘Little second opinion on one of the pigs. Somethin’ about him hasn’t been lookin’ right since yesterday.’
‘Sure.’ Elisabet tilts her head curiously and gently gives the box to Beta. ‘Girls, why don’t you head back over to Georgette for now? I’ll be along in a minute.’
‘I’ll stay with her.’ Zo says before Aloy can speak up, her hand upon her stomach. ‘I also was hoping to check in with Elisabet about a few things. Before you all return to the base.’
Aloy looks at Zo with a confused expression, her eyes glancing at her friend’s growing belly. She very reluctantly agrees, and Beta does so as well, curious but not wanting to pry.
She and her sister then take their leave, walking side by side through the fields of Plainsong.
‘So, what did you think? About today?’ Aloy asks.
‘It was nice to see mom be so social.’ Beta says, carefully walking with the precious cargo of chicks. ‘It seems like she had a good time.’
‘She did.’ Aloy says, her expression softening as she looks back toward Yel’s farm. ‘But I didn’t ask about mother. I asked about you.’
‘It wasn’t so bad.’ Beta acknowledges shyly. ‘Better than I thought at least.’
They keep talking and walking their way through the fields, not noticing how one of the holes in the box is a bit too big. When they’re just about halfway back to where they left Georgette and the Chargers, that yellow and grey chick pokes her little head out, chirping all the while.
Beta immediately puts the box down.
‘No, no. You have to stay in there.’ Beta coos to the baby bird, her voice light and gentle as she tries to settle the chick back into the box. ‘Come here, girl.’
Those words come out of Beta instinctively, and she doesn’t recognize their significance until it’s too late. When, all of a sudden, her ears pick up the thunderous sound of a machine running toward her.
A large, towering mass of horns, metal and hooves.
Flashbacks fly through Beta’s mind; red lights and vicious bellows in Cauldron GEMINI.
Judging eyes and smooth metal aboard the Zenith ship.
She instinctively screams and curls into herself as Aloy brandishes her bow, stepping in between her sister and the approaching Plowhorn.
The Land God, however, makes no move to attack.
It comes to a stop before them, excitedly stomping its feet.
Beta hesitantly looks up as Aloy cautiously lowers her weapon, both of them slowly coming to remember why this machine would ever respond like that.
Back in the days of the Old Ones, Elisabet created the machines now known today as Plowhorns. And those machines, while not entirely one-to-one replicas of their past counterparts, have still retained all of her voice commands within their code.
So, naturally, when Beta called, it answered.
Beta sighs heavily with relief as the reality of this sinks in.
However, this brief moment of respite is ultimately broken when she hears another machine’s charge.
It is a familiar noise. One of stomping metal talons over lush grass.
Georgette’s cry is deafening as the pink Clawstrider charges at the Plowhorn and jumps, attempting to whip the larger machine with her spiked tail. The Land God backs up, avoiding the hit, and Georgette snarls and kicks as if to create more space between them.
Aloy raises her bow once more, nocks an arrow, before hesitating.
She looks at the familiar pink Clawstrider. Georgette, who is generously adorned with the gifts of her friends, along with the saddle that her mother fondly created in preparation for this day. She looks then at the towering Plowhorn. A Land God, which also bears its own trinkets and painted handprints of adoration from the Utaru people.
Her green eyes dart between both machines, before she grits her teeth and opens her focus.
‘Georgette!’ Aloy scrambles through her code for anything that can help. ‘Stop! It’s okay!’
Georgette does not listen to Aloy’s call.
She fans out the feathers on her head, baring her teeth in a clear threat display.
The much larger machine bellows low and loud in response, to which Georgette hisses and stands her ground, both sides making ready for a fight.
Beta’s vision is blurry, and time seems to slow down as the Land God’s eye turns yellow.
Breath comes in quickly through her lungs.
The world is muted, muffled into fuzzy grain as blurred panic starts to surround her vision. She barely registers as Aloy grabs onto her shoulder, desperately trying to get her attention.
‘Beta! Focus!’ Aloy shouts. ‘You have to help! We need Georgette to stand down. Now!’
Beta can only stand there, frozen.
Aloy’s words are like a muffled yell into ocean waves, unable to be understood. Her limbs are shaking, her skin is tingling, and her breath is coming faster and faster as if she were drowning.
The machines are fighting. They’re too close.
They’re…
They’re going to…
Then, all of a sudden, a familiar voice is heard in the flood.
Beta focuses on it, feeling gravity settle upon her once more. Sound returns, ringing loudly in her ears as Georgette continues to hiss at the much larger machine. Even as it abruptly backs off and turns to scamper away.
Beta blinks, shakily turning her gaze to follow after it, and…
All of the tension in her body eases as she lays eyes upon her mother.
The Plowhorn bounces over to Elisabet, and Beta can distantly hear the light tone of her voice much more than she can understand her words. Beta’s vision centers onto her mother, watching her talk to the machine and fondly stroke its snout as it nudges her with the gentlest touch. Zo is there with them, her gaze soft, before she looks toward Beta and Aloy with concern.
Beta can hear her sister let out a relieved breath as Georgette finally seems to calm, now merely watching the offending Plowhorn on high alert but making no moves to chase it.
The Clawstrider does not remain still, however, when the Land God once again approaches.
Georgette hisses, stalking back and forth as if to retain a barrier.
‘That’s enough now.’ Elisabet comments as she nonchalantly walks up to her snarling Clawstrider. ‘Thank you, Georgette.’
As if by magic, those words cause Georgette to relax. Her feathers lower, and her posture softens. The Clawstrider tosses her head and approaches Elisabet, nudging her with her nose.
‘Were you protecting Aloy and Beta from La?’ She asks, referring to the Land God, who is now casually standing next to them as if nothing happened. ‘I know. That’s a good girl.’
Elisabet pats her neck, looking over both machines, before approaching her daughters.
‘What happened?’ She asks. ‘Are you alright?’
‘Yea.’ Aloy sighs and puts her bow away. ‘Beta was helping one of the chicks, and-‘
‘The chicks!’ Beta suddenly gasps, finding her voice as she looks into the box with panic. ‘One, two, three, four, five…’ She trails off, dread settling into her belly.
‘One of them is missing?’ Elisabet moves to peer into the box over her shoulder.
Beta looks up at her mother and quickly shakes her head.
‘There was a hole. And… And it-‘ She taps her focus, looking around in the tall green grass. ‘I…’ She looks at her mother, who frowns and stands up straight, looking around as well.
No. No. No! This can’t be happening!
Her mother has been looking forward to adopting these chicks for ages now.
Beta can’t have lost one!
Beta can’t… she can’t let her down. She can’t disappoint her.
If Beta upsets Elisabet then… then she will…
Memories flood her vision. Of someone being there one second, and gone the next.
And Beta…
‘It’s here.’ Zo grabs her attention before it can spiral.
Zo is standing a few feet away with a little ball of yellow and grey fluff in her hands.
‘I thought it was strange when one of the blades of grass started to chirp.’ She says lightly.
Elisabet chuckles at that notion and takes the chick from Zo. She examines it slowly, before her face falls. Wordlessly, she opens the box and puts it back with its siblings, watching it stumble around for a few moments as she crosses her arms.
‘She might have a broken leg.’ Elisabet watches the chick, taking mental notes with a contemplative expression.
‘How?’ Aloy asks, peering down into the box.
‘Probably from either the fall out of the box or what happened after.’ Elisabet says, her brow furrowed with thought. ‘I’ll have to take a better look once we get back.’
‘I’m… I’m sorry.’ Beta gathers her mother’s attention. ‘Is she… Is she going to be okay?’
Beta had thought that she had kept her voice neutral enough, but something in it causes Elisabet to immediately set her gaze upon her. Her mother takes her face in her hands, and what she sees there causes her to turn toward Zo and Aloy.
‘We are going home. Right now.’ She says with no room for argument.
Beta hears Aloy call for the Chargers, and Zo pick up the box of chicks, but none of it registers in that moment. All she can do is look up at her mother, flinching when Elisabet wipes tears away from her cheeks.
Tears that she hadn’t even realized were there.
The next thing Beta feels is cold water.
She’s back at home now, looking down into the kitchen sink. Her mother is next to her, the washcloth in her hands cold as she dips it under the spray and softly wipes Beta’s damp cheeks and nose.
‘Mom… it’s cold.’ She says in small protest, her skin feeling like it’s on fire.
‘It’s lukewarm, sweetheart.’ Elisabet says, her voice gentle and soothing. ‘Just breathe.’
Beta blinks at this notion, but doesn’t bother protesting further. Her limbs are shaking, and her head feels like jelly as her mother eventually stops the water. A towel is then thrown over Beta’s head as Elisabet silently instructs her to stand. It’s warm, as if it just came out of the dryer, and Beta’s chest feels warm alongside it as her mother dries her off.
Without words, Beta allows herself to be moved like a ragdoll into the living room.
Elisabet sits down on the couch and brings Beta down along with her. Once the two have settled, a blanket is draped over them, and it’s only then that Beta remembers she and her mother are not alone.
‘I will take my leave then.’ She hears Zo’s voice. ‘The chicks have all settled now.’
‘Thank you.’ Elisabet hums, and Beta falls into her, feeling more than hearing her mother’s words as she shakily wraps her arms around her neck. ‘And about what you were saying earlier…’
‘Another time.’ Zo insists. ‘Take care of your daughter.’
‘Until later then.’
‘I’ll walk you out, Zo.’ Aloy says, before the sound of retreating footsteps is left in their wake.
Once they’re alone, Elisabet runs a hand up and down along Beta’s back. For a while, the two of them are silent, merely existing in a tight embrace, until Beta takes a deep breath and pulls away a small fraction, her shaking finally ceased.
‘Are you alright, Beta?’ Her mother asks, stroking her cheek with the backs of her fingers.
‘Yes…’ Beta says, thinking more clearly now.
‘You were out of it the whole ride home.’ Elisabet says. ‘Does that happen to you a lot?’
‘Sometimes…’ She admits.
‘Did you want to talk about it?’ Her mother asks kindly. ‘I know that something’s been bothering you lately.’
Beta takes a breath, biting her bottom lip as she looks away.
Elisabet has asked something like this before, being able to tell that something is bothering Beta, but not knowing exactly what.
‘Not really.’ Beta admits. ‘Just… I’m… today has been…’ Her brows scrunch with guilt as she can’t look her mother in the eye. ‘I’m sorry. I… never meant for… the chicks- and then the Land God came and- and Aloy asked me for help-and then Georgette got angry-andIcouldn’t- andIjust- I-’
‘Beta.’ Elisabet takes her face in her hands, stopping her fast speech. ‘Blossom. Breathe.’
It’s at this point Beta realizes her breaths are too quick, coming out in fast puffs.
‘Please…’ She swallows the lump in her throat, closing her eyes as if afraid of her mother’s eyes. ‘Please don’t be mad at me. I’m sorry.’
Please don’t be mad.
Please don’t hate me.
Please don’t… Please don’t…
‘Oh, Beta.’ Elisabet hugs her tight. ‘I’m not mad at you. It was an accident.’
Beta shakes her head, her eyes still scrunched closed.
‘Why don’t you think so?’ Her mother asks gently.
‘I could have fixed it. I could have used the override.’ She says, voice small. ‘Aloy was asking me for help, and I let her down.’
‘You and your sister are still learning that technique.’ Elisabet rubs her back once more. ‘I wouldn’t expect either of you to be an expert on it, much less use it during an emergency like that.’ She kisses her daughter’s forehead, then nudges her nose against her cheek in a familiar, affectionate touch. ‘You have nothing to apologize for, Beta. Do you understand?’
No… that’s not it! That’s not it at all!
That technique is simple. She’s done it before.
But today… fear caused her to falter. She froze.
It’s all her fault.
‘Thank you for making dinner, Aloy.’ Elisabet says sometime later while cleaning up in the kitchen. ‘You did really well for your first time making pizza.’
‘Thanks’ Aloy says from her perch on the couch. ‘It helped that you were still here to give me instructions.’
‘Maybe that way of teaching would be better for you?’ Elisabet ponders. ‘More hands off?’
‘Could be worth a shot.’ Aloy shrugs, looking down at her sister.
Beta currently has her head nestled in Aloy’s lap, the two of them stuck close together.
Their mother had quietly asked for Aloy to sit with Beta for a little while after dinner, and Aloy had done so without question, pulling her little sister down with her onto the couch.
‘But why? Aren’t you… mad? For earlier?’
‘At you? No.’ Aloy had only said, her eyes narrowed in the way they get when she’s frustrated with herself. ‘Here, lay down.’
Beta looked up at her sister.
‘It’s not your fault.’ She said earnestly, putting a hand on Aloy’s knee.
Aloy paused for a few moments, as if trying to digest her sister’s words for what they are.
‘If it’s not mine, then it’s not yours either.’
Beta opened her mouth to protest, but Aloy just shook her head.
‘It goes both ways, Beta.’
Now, Aloy will never be able to replace their mother when it comes to being a living pillow. But the fact that she’s willing to try is a notion not lost on either of them. Beta can feel just how tense her sister is and the way she subtly shakes underneath it all, but Aloy’s touch is gentle, toying with Beta’s hair and casually braiding fishtails.
It’s something that Elisabet has done for Aloy before. To bond.
And Beta knows that, in her own way, Aloy is trying to mimic that experience for her now.
As best she can.
Beta leans further into her big sister, wrapping her arms around Aloy’s knees, not wanting to let go. Her eyes watch as their mother finishes putting away the dishes, then goes over to the chick brooder by the stairs. Beta had already gotten a peek at it when Elisabet was setting it up last night. Like Yel’s, it’s a simple brooder box with food, water and a heat source for the growing birds.
Elisabet picks up that yellow and grey chick from earlier to take a closer look at her leg.
Beta frowns with guilt as the baby bird loudly chirps from being poked and prodded.
‘Well, it’s not broken.’ Elisabet declares, causing Beta to sigh with relief.
‘So, she’s going to be okay?’ Beta asks, her voice a bit shaky.
Elisabet looks back at her with a kind gaze.
‘She would have been fine either way, Beta.’ She takes the chick over to her youngest daughter. ‘Chicks have very flexible bones.’ She hands her over, and Beta cradles the baby bird as if she were made of glass. ‘Even if her leg was broken, I would have put a splint on it, and it would have healed in only a few days.’
‘How do you put a splint on something that small?’ Aloy asks incredulously.
‘Very carefully.’ Elisabet hums knowingly, before her attention is abruptly caught by her focus. ‘Hello?… Oh hi. Yes, I did get your message… It’s called being busy. Have you heard of it?’ She sighs and takes the chick back. ‘Hold on.’ She holds up a finger, excusing herself.
Once her back is turned, Beta peeks up at her sister, who has a frown on her face and a glare in her eyes.
‘Sylens?’ She hesitantly whispers.
‘Probably.’ Aloy acknowledges, keeping quiet to listen in on their conversation.
Sylens has been calling in regularly to speak with Elisabet about their plans against Nemesis, among other things. Whenever he does, Beta has noticed that Aloy gets this… look in her eyes. An overprotective aura that only goes away once the call has ended.
Which only makes sense, given Sylens’ tendency to backstab and betray.
Their mother, though, is able to hold her own in a way that Aloy has never quite managed. Beta can only imagine that Elisabet has had plenty of practice working with people like him, considering her less than favorable past with the one and only Ted Faro.
‘Sylens, I am under no delusions that if I dropped dead tomorrow, you would not simply just pick up my corpse and carry it around like a skeleton key.’ Elisabet’s voice is exasperated, as if she would rather be doing literally anything else right now. ‘So spit it out and tell me what you need.’
Elisabet then grows silent, listening to him speak as she puts the lid on the chick brooder.
‘Okay, let me think.’ She starts making her way up the stairs. ‘No. Omega Clearance…’ She pauses, and Beta can feel the hatred of that concept oozing off of her even from all the way over here. ‘Wasn’t meant to exist, so it would just crash the whole thing.’ Her words are thoughtful. ‘And Alpha Prime Privileges are suspended right now.’
That immediately has Beta raising an eyebrow as her mother disappears upstairs.
‘Alpha Prime Privileges suspended? Why?’ Aloy asks, thinking the same thing as her sister.
‘I don’t know.’ Beta says. ‘Is Omega Clearance suspended too?’
Aloy tilts her head and checks her focus.
‘No. But she’s right.’
Beta looks up at Aloy’s focus interface. The clearance levels for Project Zero Dawn are shown, and the listing for Alpha Prime is simply gone.
As if it never existed in the first place.
Bonus Scene:
Elisabet sighs as she hangs up with Sylens, rubbing her temples with exasperation.
In a lot of ways, dealing with him is like dealing with Ted.
But at least with Ted, she could read him like a book. Granted, a very ignorant and stupid book, but at least one where she could understand the words.
With Sylens…
Sometimes she knows what he’s thinking, but other times she’s completely off base.
At least she has the satisfaction of knowing that she does the exact same thing to him.
‘Elisabet.’ GAIA calls for her attention. ‘I would like to suggest we revisit our previous conversation.’ Her words are soft, broaching the subject with caution.
Even so, Elisabet tenses in response.
‘I have gathered multiple suggestions for-’
‘I’m fine, GAIA.’ Elisabet shakes her head. ‘I’ve been thinking a lot about it and… I’ll get through it on my own.’
‘I must disagree on this point, Elisabet.’ GAIA says with a sterner tone, clear worry showing through. ‘All available data suggests that this is not a problem that will simply dissipate on its own.’
Elisabet only sighs, looking away towards the stairs.
‘Furthermore, I will againsuggest that you share this hardship with Aloy and Beta.’ GAIA starts, clear emphasis in her words. ‘Multiple studies indicate that traversing such a situation together with the familial kin in question will greatly-‘
‘Absolutely not.’ Elisabet denies and sits down at her desk to work on the task Sylens asked of her. ‘I can’t tell them about this. It’s… I won’t.’
‘Regardless, Elisabet-‘
‘I am their mother, GAIA.’ Elisabet cuts her off, her expression equal parts hard and utterly exhausted as she gazes up at her creation. ‘So please. Just drop it.’
GAIA pauses, a concerned frown passing over her digital features.
‘As you wish then, Elisabet.’
Dream Eater Allyphant Creations 
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