Sunhawk September Special: Bundle Deal On Two Games!
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(Talanah’s skater game was inspired by @foibles-fables ‘s request and Aloy’s was required since there really is a game called Proving Ground. Guerrilla, call me for more spin-off ideas!)
Talanah was ecstatic to see the huntress that had stolen her heart all those months ago. In the midst of battle, they had separated and now they could reunite. However... she had returned much differently.
[Special thanks to @talanahkhanepadish for giving me some swaps for some inspiration. And also @kobbers! Couldn't find the art on your Tumblr, but your corrupted Aloy doodle also (kinda) led to this!]
Talanah had been dreading the battle. Completely reasonable from anyone's standpoint. An army of marching death machines coming to slaughter and destroy anything they could see was rightfully frightening. "Come on, Aloy," she muttered as the sounds of machines crept ever closer.
The collapsing of a bridge overtook her ears. Her head flew to look at the disaster, leaving her speechless save for a "look out" that only barely got Erend and the Nora, Varl his name was, out of the way.
At first, she was focused on slowing her heart rate. Then, they saw the ridge fall. The ridge where Aloy was fighting. Panic raced back, adrenaline pumping, and voice caught in her throat.
Talanah tried to race toward the ridge - just hoping she could find Aloy safe and sound. But she was stopped.
"We need to stop HADES from reaching the Spire," Erend said, voice unusually quiet. "If we don't, everything is over."
Tears welled and a scratching climbed up her throat. "I can't leave her-"
"You're not," he said sternly. "You're saving her."
Despite the tears still lingering, she swallowed down the sadness and stood her ground. HADES and a posse of machines came and went, leaving the three knocked down and unable to stand for a good while.
And soon, Talanah thought she was dreaming. Aloy was in front of her, almost glowing. But then she heard the screams of agony.
She shot up, terrified at the sound of the light of her life screeching like that. To her absolute horror, Aloy was wrapped in scarlet tendrils. The anguished cries intensified as the redheaded huntress clawed at her eyes and skin. Smoke rose over her - the stench of cooking flesh and hair burning at the Sunhawk's nostrils. There was one word going through her head. "No, no, no, no, no!" she cried out, reaching for Aloy.
But it was too late.
The huntress turned to look at the sun to her stars. "Kill."
Aloy's once soft and kind voice had turned harsh and metallic. Talanah recoiled. "...Aloy?"
"KILL!" she screeched, lunging in the Sunhawk's vague direction. "Must... kill... associate... entities..."
The Sunhawk stood and stumbled just out of the huntress's reach. "Aloy, please-"
She snarled and flung herself toward the sound of Talanah's voice. Corruption dripped from her teeth. She stopped in her tracks and screamed from the pain. The sound was heartbreaking - the Sunhawk could barely listen to it.
"Aloy, my darling sunlight, come back-"
Screams stopped. The redheaded huntress bared her teeth and barked once more. "Won't listen to... AGH! Tal- AUGH!" Talanah could tell her beloved was fighting it, but there was no guarantee that it would be enough. The blazing tendrils wound further down her limbs as she shouted - voice going hoarse. "Talan- hng! Help me!"
"I'm trying, my love. Tell me-"
Suddenly Aloy's hand was around the Sunhawk's throat. "Associate Entity will not prevent task."
Talanah couldn't breathe. She could feel the residual corruption burning at her throat - fiery ringlets brushing her skin. She felt a blade against her abdomen. This... was the end. They hadn't even been able to stop HADES and now Aloy, who had been taken over by the corruption, was going to kill her. Admittedly, she was okay with this being the end of her road. Perhaps it wasn't the best mindset, but she could be at peace knowing that her beloved ray of sun was still in there - she could come back.
"I love you, Aloy Despite the Nora," she wrestled out, voice strangled but still smiling. She brushed her hand along the corruption-coated cheek of Aloy's. "I hope we get to-" she gasped for air - "share a life... after this."
She felt the knife slice through her skin, blood creating a waterfall from her abdomen. The grip around her airway loosened. She could no longer see, but she hoped - she prayed for the first time in months - that her darling, beloved sunlight was there. That she was coming back. She soon dropped to the ground and could once again hear her huntress screaming. It ended sooner than she thought it would.
And then gentle hands cradled her.
"T-Talanah?" Aloy asked. "Talanah, please... don't go..." The Sunhawk couldn't bear to move, let alone speak. "My dove, don't leave me... I-I didn't mean to..."
There was no response from the Sunhawk. Aloy thought the worst and began sobbing. Tears streamed and her chest heaved. However, there wasn't anything she could do. Except stop HADES once and for all. It was what she was born to do - she was going to complete that task if it was the last thing she did. Gently placing the love of her life down, she smeared a salve over the wound she created and wrapped it.
"Hang on a little longer... for me."
She stormed the Spire, slaughtering anything that got between her and HADES. When she reached it, her spear flew upward and then was forced down into the machine's core. Drew it up, forced it down. Again, and again, and again. She left no part of it undamaged. With her rage burnt out, Aloy stumbled back down the path, hastily rushing back to Talanah.
However, there was not a single movement from the Sunhawk. She had gone limp and her eyes, although they were open, were glazed over. Dread struck at her chest. She held her breath as she crept forward.
"My dove?" she said tentatively. "Talanah?"
No response.
"No," she whispered, "No, no, no."
Not even a twitch.
Aloy kneeled next to the Sunhawk's corpse. She wasn't alive and there was no way she was coming back. She gently cradled Talanah, holding her close and mumbling to her. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."
And now there was another death added to her conscience.
(pictures above by @talanahkhanepadish, thanks for the extra pain!)
(Also have the pictures that gave me extra inspiration for this, also by @talanahkhanepadish!)
Finally finished up a Talanah and Aloy illustration for the ILLUSTRIOUS @foibles-fables and her fic ‘quench’ which you can and should read here (along with all of her other stunning works)
