Horizon: Project Eden

{A/N: This chapter is basically a recounting of the events during the start of the game with some minor changes. I mostly made this chapter to keep my idea's flowing and so I don't cut out a huge portion of the story and confuse people.}

3rd Pov

After that incident, the years flew by, over time Aloy eventually forgot about the mysterious robot as she delved deeper into her relentless training. Day after day for over ten years Aloy worked to the bone training herself to be the best warrior.

Her sole goal in all these years being to discover who her mother is and why she was cast out at birth. Through the years Rost stood by her side as an ever strong ally, teaching her all he knows and more.

Eventually after over ten years Aloy had just passed her nineteenth birthday, today was the day Rost would take her on her a secret machine hunting expedition in order to prepare her for the upcoming brave trials.

Meeting up with Rost at the edge of a cliff overlooking the Sacred Lands, Rost and Aloy stood in silence for a bit. After an adequate amount of time had passed Rost donning a serious expression turned to Aloy.

"Tonight, you'll face a foe not many Brave survive, I want you to get rested up and meet me at the North Gate." – Rost

Walking passed Aloy, Rost shows no signs of expecting a response and continues his path. Left alone on the cliff edge with only her thoughts, Aloy begins reminiscing her past and the origins of her resolve.

Gently tracing the faint scar above her eyebrow placed there by a well-aimed rock when she was a kid, her resolve hardens. Thinking over the arrogant child who was taught it was right to shun and attack her, she internally resolved to prove the entire tribe wrong by winning the Brave trials and lifting her banishment.

Only then could she finally ask the Elder's about her mother and put to rest the question that had been lingering in her mind for years. Stepping down from the cliff edge Aloy's face hardens as she heads inside.

Hours later Aloy could be seen panting in exertion as she dodges the wild swipe of a massive robot. The robot easily over two metres in height closely resembles a sabretooth cat in design, blue lights flash across the majority of its metallic body.

Dodging another rapid swipe Aloy launches another arrow at the Sawtooth, impacting the machine's eyes it stumbles. Following up Aloy lunges forward and stabs her spear between its armour plates, jumping back quickly afterwards she avoids another swipe.

Rushing out from behind cover Aloy hears a fast whirring sound behind her as the Sawtooth's blades spin up for an attack. Drawing a fire arrow from her sheath she quickly lights it. Looking up from the arrow the large and agile machine quickly closed the distance in less than a second.

Sliding under the beasts wild lunge her focus pings the blaze canister attached to the creatures belly. Stabbing up with the lit fire arrow in her hand a light shattering sound rings out as the arrow breaks into the volatile fuel.

Sprinting away Aloy ducks behind a rock as the volatile fuel explodes, bathing the clearing in fire. Though known to many hunters few ever choose to detonate the blaze and destroy the parts.

Clearing the rock Aloy watches as the mighty machine stumbles before falling to the ground, it's sensors going dark as the last of its biofuel is quickly burnt.

Jumping down from a hidden area above the clearing, Rost quickly approaches Aloy. Checking her over he confirms she's not injured before breathing a sigh of relief.

"Well done Aloy, do you know why I made you fight this beast?" – Rost

Thinking it over Aloy considers all the lessons Rost had ever taught her along with the lessons she had personally learned. Deciding her answer she confidently answers the large, muscled man's question.

"Survival requires perfection. You wanted me to hone my skills against a tough new machine." – Aloy

Sighing a hint of disappointment flashes across Rost's face, walking off Rost calls for Aloy to follow him. Standing at the edge of the clearing Rost and Aloy look out over the Sacred Lands as the sun rises.

"That's not correct Aloy. The answer to the question lies within the question itself. Why do you fight?" – Rost

Looking out over the valley Rost keeps his attention away from his daughter in all but blood. Aloy though ponders his question before once again confidently answering.

"I fight to win the proving and to learn the truth." – Aloy

"No" Cutting her off before she can continue Rost turns to face her.

"You fight to win, to be a Brave. But being a Brave isn't just about protecting yourself, it's about protecting your tribe-" – Rost

Cutting him off an angry Aloy remarks back.

"They're not my tribe! You said it yourself, I don't need them." – Aloy

Sighing Rost looks as though he struggles to voice his feelings.

"I said you don't need them, I never said they won't need you. Fight to protect those who cannot protect themselves, to serve a purpose greater than yourself. That is what you must remember." – Rost

Showing a look of understanding Aloy gazes up at Rost's face, his face decorated with blue paint and styled with a braided beard also shows signs of aging. Around his eyes wrinkles begin to appear but within those same eyes Aloy sees a wisdom only gathered through time.

Nodding to him, he smiles and turns to leave.

"Follow now Aloy you must get ready." – Rost

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Two days later Aloy stands in the middle of a primitive village, though despite its primitive nature the village shows a level of design and detail vastly different from what would be imagined.

Walking through the village any who see Aloy shy away as though she's a plague. Walking unrestrained through the festive village Aloy eventually encounters a strange man in the central plaza.

The man bald as a bowling ball and with dark brown skin has something no one else she had ever seen before had, another focus. Pushing through the crowd Aloy eagerly approaches the man excited to start up a conversation.

Though the man on the other hand shows a brief bit of pain before trying to get away from her, insistent she eventually manages to learn the man's name is Olin before he flees.

Standing there saddened Aloy is approached by another man, this man with a vibrant and friendly attitude immediately tries to start up a conversation.

The man, Erend, as she quickly learns his name is, is a tall heavy weight white man donning heavy Carja armour. The initially downtrodden Aloy quickly cheers up as she and Erend continue their conversation into the night.

Eventually though it is time for Aloy to rest and so she heads for the challenger's hut.

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The next day Aloy stands atop All Mother mountain surrounded by other challengers. Around them large mechanical tentacles frozen in ice form grim structures that contrast with the simplicity of the snow beneath them.

Before the group of challengers, a bitter and angry man slowly recites to them the rules of the proving. Eventually though he finishes explaining and starts the challenge. Rushing forward Aloy easily kills a grazer and claims a trophy.

Holding the trophy up into the air an arrow flies in out of nowhere and destroys it. Looking over Aloy sees the boy who gave her the scar above her eyebrow grinning wickedly as he holds his bow aimed at her.

Turning to the judge, the bitter old man smirks at her before telling her to retrieve another trophy. Growling in anger Aloy quickly and easily takes down another grazer before retrieving a new trophy.

Sprinting off through the snow she rushes to the next part of the trial, though despite her best efforts she has fallen in last place. Quietly fuming in anger, she frantically looks around for anyway to get to the front.

Noticing an old trail off to the side she ignores the guide and rushes for it. Scaling rocks, sliding along frozen logs and parkouring between crumbling footholds Aloy eventually gains the lead. Sliding down the final zipline Aloy sprints for the finish line.

Behind her the other contestants frantically try to overtake her and claim first, but it's not to be for them as Aloy reaches the finish line and slams down her trophy claiming her place as first.

Huffing Aloy looks desperately at the final judge, the judge with a sneer of disgust says something that drops all of Aloy's hopes.

"A outcast could never finish first in the proving…" – Judge

Though with a quick flip the judges face changes to a look of pride.

"… For you are no longer an outcast, now you are a Brave." – Judge

Smiling widely Aloy climbs up from where she fell exhausted in the snow and approaches the guard, though feeling something wrong Aloy tilts her head as an arrow flies past and embeds itself in the judges heart.

Scrambling for cover Aloy watches as a group of over twenty well-armed people crest the ridge around the finish area.

What followed after was a massacre for both sides, with her superior skill in all aspects Aloy cut through the assailants one by one. The assailants though cut through the test takers even easier.

Eventually the fight concludes with Aloy single handedly defeating all the assailants, rushing over to the still living test takers Aloy begins rushing them to the exit.

After ushering out the last of the living test takers Aloy herself is about to leave when a rain of machine gun fire cuts down the last test takers to leave. Ducking back behind cover the other test takers that placed second and third don't seem to understand what's going on and attempt to rush out.

Shouting at them to stay Aloy is able to get them to stop just before another volley of gun fire cuts through the open path.

Glancing out from behind the edge of the rock Aloy quickly identifies the new assailants, knocking three arrows Aloy draws her bow. Mentally timing the shots Aloy takes the opportunity and diving towards the next boulder she looses the arrows.

The arrows guided by her years of practice fly true, each arrow embedding in the eyehole on an assailant's mask and killing them. Continuing this risky movement Aloy eventually kills all of the new assailants.

Breathing a sigh of relief Aloy guides the last two test takers out before investigating the bodies. Finding a Focus on the body of the supposed leader, Aloy is too distracted by searching and neglects her surroundings.

Connecting to the focus's systems it flashes across two files, the first file is a holographic display of a man with dead eyes ordering her execution. The second file is a video of her brief conversation with Olin, recognising the angle Aloy accurately concluded the assailants saw her through Olin's focus.

Creeping silently up behind her a large man with dead grey eyes picks her up by the throat. Holding her above him with one arm he slowly walks towards the cliff edge, there he draws his dagger and places it against her throat.

"Turn your face to the sun child." - ???

Swiping the dagger, he manages a small cut across Aloy's neck before an arrow through his chest causes him to flinch and stop cutting. Snapping off the arrowhead the unnamed man effortlessly yanks the arrow from his flesh before tossing it to the side.

Dropping Aloy and turning he slowly walks towards the approaching Rost, wielding his spear Rost dons a dark expression as he watches the unnamed man. Lunging forward Rost attempts to kill the man but is effortlessly disarmed.

Aloy watching weakly from the ground can only cry silently as cut after cut builds up on Rost. Losing his strength Rost isn't able to fight back and is captured. Grasping Rost by the throat the unnamed man lifts his dagger.

Plunging down with his dagger it's shot out of his hand before reaching Rost's neck. The shot being an energy blast traces back to an incredibly damaged scrapper standing at the edge of the clearing. The scrapper itself looks no different from any other apart from the purple black and red tendrils attached to it.

Dropping Rost the unnamed man turns his attention to the strange intruder, walking towards it he's interrupted by his men bringing up a cart of blaze. Unphased he seems to lose interest in the strange scrapper and approaches the cart.

Without stopping he quickly lights a fuse as he passes, continuing his trek he quickly leaves the sight of Aloy and Rost. Rost seeing the blaze desperately crawls towards Aloy, setting her up on the cliff he quickly pushes her over.

Crawling towards the edge himself he doesn't seem able to make it, all of a sudden the scrapper from earlier appears behind him and with a forceful push knocks him off the cliff just as an explosion rings out levelling the mountain top.

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A day later Aloy awakes alone within an ancient ruin, weakly standing up Aloy blindly explores the surrounding rooms looking for her focus and equipment. During her exploration Aloy manages to find a weird ancient device which she pockets for later.

Finally, after a few minutes of exploring Aloy finds her stuff, and donning her equipment she proceeds further into the ruins. As she continues she chances upon a village elder called Teersa, the only one of which who liked her.

"Aloy! You're awake, after the explosion our scouts were able to find you and Rost. We were worried you wouldn't survive so I convinced the other elders to bring you here, at least then you can die with your mother." – Teersa

"My mother's here?!?" – Aloy

Cutting off whatever else the elder wanted to say Aloy focused only on the answer to her lifelong goal. Teersa though seeing the look of excitement and joy on Aloy's face shows a rare expression of pity.

"Not exactly… It's difficult to explain, it would be best if you follow me." – Teersa

Following quietly behind the elder Aloy is guided out of the maze of rooms and into a large main chamber. Bursting through the roof of the chamber a large frozen machines rests dangerously in front of a large metal door.

"This is where we found you all those years ago, here in front of the heart of the mountain. Lansra insisted you were a child of the metal devil meant as a curse on the tribe, I believed you were a child of the goddess, a blessing." – Teersa

Zoning out the rest of Teersa's dialogue Aloy slowly approaches the door with a single minded focus, stepping up onto the platform a red light washed over her as a synthetic voice flooded the hall.

"Genetic match, Doctor Elisabet Sobeck. Error Error Error, alpha registry corrupted clearance cannot be confirmed. Entry Denied." – Synthetic Voice

"No! No! No!, let me in!" – Aloy

Screaming in anger Aloy kicks the door before sliding down it with tears pooling from her eyes. Steeping forward Teersa has a look of awe as she approaches Aloy.

"The Goddess recognised you Aloy! I was right you are a blessing from the Goddess." – Teersa

Angry Aloy snaps at the fanatic elder.

"You weren't listening she didn't recognise me!" – Aloy

"But she did Aloy, she mentioned something about a corruption. If you were to clear the corruption maybe the Goddess would be able to let you inside." – Teersa

Wiping up her tears Aloy seemed to think deeply about what Teersa said, the deeper she thought the more a look of understanding flashed across her face.

"Elisabet… Elisabet… Elisabet…" – Aloy

Standing up Aloy begins pacing around the chamber muttering the name, her brow scrunches as she tries desperately to remember where she heard the name before. Then like a light bulb turning on she remembered.

"The ruin where I found the focus!" – Aloy

Shouting excitedly Aloy rushes out of the cave leaving behind a very confused elder standing below the ancient war machine.