Heart Like a Machine

Chapter 98

"Londra is headed for deeper waters," Lis said.

"Not if I can stop him."

"Go get him!" they both called as I jumped from the Waterwing and into the water.

"Aloy, Londra is bringing the Horus back up to the surface."

"I'll climb up and find him."

"Be safe in there," Lis said.

"Going to be hard, but I will try."

"Wait, something's not right," Seyka said.

"What do you mean something's not right?" I asked.

"The Horus stopped."

"Stopped?"

"Aloy!" 

"Uh oh," I whispered.

"Mom, what's the matter?" Lis asked.

"I'm going to have to fight your mother one way or another," I sighed.

"That can't be good."

"It's not."

Reaching the top of the Horus' head, Londra was on the floor dead. In his place, Y/N was standing before me once more. 

"Y/N," I said.

"I'm not going to let you get away this time," she said. "The other time was just pure luck."

"Listen, Y/N, you're in there somewhere. The Y/N I once knew is in there. J-Just let me help you."

"NO!" she yelled. "I was never on the receiving end of your help, not even when we knew one another!

"Y/N," I took a step towards her.

"This is where both you and I perish, Aloy," she said.

"What do you mean?"

She damaged the orb that was behind her and the Horus started to move again.

"Aloy? What just happened in there?" Seyka asked.

"Is everything alright, mom?" Lis asked.

"While I may die, at least I can drag you down with me," she said, bringing up her blade from the first encounter.

"I'm going to need a quick escape, guys," I said.

"Hang tight, we're coming!" Lis said.

"Come here, Aloy! Come meet your maker!"

"Uh, my maker is an AI. So can't exactly meet her since I already met her."

Y/N charged and swung the blade towards me. I pulled out my spear and blocked it, trying to find a way out of the Horus' head and with all my body parts. Raising her leg, Y/N kicked me in the stomach and I fell to my knees. Ripping the spear from my hands, she turned my own weapon against me. Opening up the Specter Gauntlet, I pointed it at her. She charged right towards me and I raised it up, using it to block her attack.

"Now this," she sneered, a wicked smile coming from her. "This is the Aloy I remember! Putting up a fight!"

"I really don't want to fight you, Y/N," I breathed out.

"Why? Because you know deep down inside that you're a coward? Too afraid to hurt the one you love most? Do I even matter to you now?"

"You've always mattered to me and you will continue to matter to me," I said, trying to push back the blade, but she was overpowering me. 

"Then prove it," she said.

"Prove it?"

"Yes, prove it to me that I still matter to you!"

"Y/N, think back on everything we've ever done together. You mattered then and you matter now. Tell me, what can I do to help you get past this?"

"Nothing will help me!"

Even if it was dark in the tiny space we were in, I could see something slip from her eye. Sliding down the right side of her face, the one that didn't have the Slaughterspine eye, was a tear. But as I was looking closer now, the Slaughterspine eye didn't look to be implanted in her eye. Reaching to my quiver, I grabbed an arrow and raised it with my left hand, piercing the metal. She didn't let out a scream of pain or anything. As I wedged the arrowhead deeper into the metal, I removed it from her face, revealing that she still had both of her eyes. It's just that the left one was closed and had a scar over it.

"Y-Your eye," I said.

"It never fully healed, but I was tortured and earned the scar. I can't see with it. The Slaughterspine eye helped me see everything I could have ever wanted. And the reason behind it is because I never received help from you!"

"I-I'm sorry, Y/N," I whispered.

Taking the arrow, I raised it up and pierced her left eye. A yell of pain came from her as she backed away, trying to cover her eye as blood started to fall from it. I kicked her in the middle of her chestplate and ran towards the mouth of the Horus as it opened up, revealing Seyka and Lis were there.

"Come on!" Lis yelled.

I was about to jump, but Y/N grabbed my ankle, dragging me back.

"Mom!" Lis jumped from the Waterwing and tackled Y/N to the ground, freeing me of her grasp.

"Lis," I called after her.

"Go. Get to safety."

"W-What are you going to do?" Seyka asked.

"Buying you time to get away from the Horus. This thing is going to crash land," Lis said.

"But you're going to be inside of it," I said.

"I'll be fine," she smiled.

"Lis," I whispered.

"Now, go! I can't hold mother down for this long."

I got up and ran towards the Waterwing. I jumped behind Seyka and grabbed the reins of the other Waterwing, guiding it away from the Horus. As we were flying away, the mouth of the Horus closed and I couldn't see them anymore. 

"I-I don't really know how to land this thing," Seyka said as we crash landed into the sand.

I fell from the back of the Waterwing while Seyka stumbled off.

"We've gotta work on that," I said as she helped me up. 

The Horus crashed into an island nearby.

"LIS!" I yelled, rushing towards the end of the beach we were at.

"Aloy," Seyka followed after me.

Coming up to the shore in front of me was Y/N, carrying Lis. She set her down before falling onto the shore, coughing up some water. I rushed beside Lis and placed a couple of fingers to her neck. She wasn't breathing.

"Lis! Lis," I called her name, proceeding to place my hands on her chest, pushing down on it. "Come on, Lis."

I was too focused on Lis to even see what Y/N was doing, but she turned her head and watched my every move. After a few minutes, Lis lurched forward and started to cough up water.

"Oh my gosh, you're ok," I let out a sigh of relief.

Lis turned towards Y/N to see she was watching us.

"Y-You saved me," Lis said.

"You are my daughter, after all," Y/N said before standing up.