A/N: This was written for a prompt on tumblr, "Watching a meteor shower". Thanks for reading!

Stardust

Dusk had fallen hours ago, but the night was still young.

The city of Meridian was alight with festivities. Bonfires burned in every square, glowing paper lanterns were strung up between houses and along alleys. There was so much light and life in the city that the guards were on high alert in case the festival attracted unwanted attention from a passing glinthawk or stormbird. After HADES' army had blown apart part of the walls, Meridian was structurally weakened. It would take at least a year to repair the damage.

That didn't prevent the citizens of the Sundom from celebrating. Aloy doubted that anyone was thinking about structural integrity and how to recuperate from the attack—except for Avad and maybe a stray Oseram tinker. Petra was probably thinking about structural integrity, come to think of it. She ran Free Heap, but the walls of Meridian were an entirely different thing. She probably couldn't wait to get her hands on them and outfit them with some modified Oseram cannons.

Aloy sighed, fingers wrapped indifferently around the stem of her glass as she leaned over the edge of the balcony. She was in the Hunters' Lodge, which, in an unheard of cry for solidarity, had opened its doors to any soldier or citizen who had fought against HADES and the Shadow Carja. Hunters, civilians and soldiers, Oseram, Carja and Nora, they all found their way to the Lodge, one way or another, no matter their station. Drink and food was plentiful, and there was much laughter, singing of songs and dancing of dances as stories were shared and unexpected friendships were forged.

They were all here, friends and allies. Those who had heard her name and answered her call for help.

But she wasn't with them.

She was hiding up here, on the highest balcony, swishing her wine around in her glass like a fool.

Why are you like this, Aloy? she asked herself as she stared at the sky above. Despite the deep, velvety blue of the night sky, she thought she could just make out the Spire glinting in the distance. Why can't you just let yourself relax for one night?

"I was wondering where you'd run off to."

Aloy turned around. Talanah was standing some feet behind her on the balcony's threshold. She leaned casually against one of the supporting pillars, the soft, white curtains billowing around her. They were a new installment. Ahsis would never have had something as soft as curtains in his presence when he was Sunhawk.

"I didn't run anywhere," Aloy said.

Talanah chuckled. "Of course," she said. "I certainly didn't see you grab a drink and run all the way up the stairs as soon as that handsome Nora warrior—"

"Varl," Aloy corrected.

"As soon as Varl started talking to you." Talanah raised an eyebrow. "Is that a blush I detect?"

"No," Aloy said, though now that Talanah had mentioned blushing it was all she could do to keep her cheeks from reddening. She turned back to the panorama and took a cautious sip of her wine. The taste was rich and intoxicating and also very, very bitter.

"No?" Talanah unfolded her arms and walked across the balcony. She stood beside Aloy, her lanky arms resting languidly against the balustrade.

"No," Aloy insisted. "He… worships me. Literally worships me. Do you know what it's like to be treated like a god? Not just treated, but believed to be a god? It's uncomfortable. Whatever feelings Varl may have for me… even if I did want to enact on them, I couldn't. There's too much tied up in that."

Talanah pursed her lips. "I see your point," she said. "That does make things complicated."

"Yeah. Just a bit."

Talanah shook her head, leaning back and stretching her hands above her head, her long black hair tumbling freely about her shoulders. She wasn't wearing armour tonight, which was unusual—maybe it was to mark the occasion. Instead, she was dressed in a long Carja dress made from two panels of silk. The top layer was a brilliant turquoise, the underlayer a pristine white, something Aloy would never have seen in Nora territory. The dress was cut with a halter neckline and fell in long, tumbling folds straight to the floor. A jeweled belt cinched at her waist and she had twin armbands wrapped around her upper arms. Aloy was fairly certain she recognized bits of Redmaw's stripped plaiting worked into the bands.

Standing next to her in her embroidered furs and leathers, Aloy felt frumpy. But she had dressed for comfort, as she always did. She had never really thought about the reasons why someone might want to dress differently for a celebration, how changing your outward appearance changed the way people perceived you.

"So you came up here just to hide from Varl?" Talanah asked. "Because he was being a little too much?"

Aloy rolled her eyes. "It's all a little too much, isn't it?" She waved a hand, indicating the lights all around the mesa. "All of this?"

Talanah's brows drew together. "You haven't been to many parties, have you."

"The last party I went to was the Proving," Aloy said. "And that didn't end very well."

"What happened?"

Aloy looked away. "Helis. Shadow Carja. You can imagine."

Talanah looked away. "I'm sorry, Aloy. Forget I asked."

"It's fine," she said. "He's dead. The Nora are avenged. And I'm no longer one of them. I'm…" Her voice trailed away. What was she? She wasn't Nora, she wasn't Carja… She was Aloy. Outlander to all, a tribe of one.

Talanah took her hand. Her skin was soft and smooth, like the silks floating in the threshold. It was a paradox. Talanah was the Sunhawk, a warrior all her life. Her hands should not be that smooth.

"You're Aloy," Talanah said gently, peering into Aloy's wide eyes. "That's the only thing that matters, isn't it? People place too much importance on their tribe. That only leads to fanaticism—look at the Shadow Carja. As long as you know who and what you are, you can belong anywhere."

Aloy sighed heavily. "I'll try to remember that."

Talanah nudged her with an elbow. "Cheer up! The world's not about to end, that's the whole point of this—"

Aloy moved away, stalking across the balcony. "This isn't the end of our problems, Talanah. There are so many questions, questions without answers—"

Talanah caught her arm. "You can deal with that another day. This night is for you. You're the one who saved us. You're the hero. Relax. Enjoy it. You deserve it."

Aloy drank more wine.

Talanah eyed her, then plucked the glass from her hands. She set it on the balustrade and took Aloy's hands in hers. "Come with me," she said.

"What?"

"Come with me," she repeated, her eyes dancing. "I am your Sunhawk, after all. You have to do what I tell you."

Aloy snorted. "That's clearly not how it worked when Ahsis was Sunhawk and you were merely a Hawk."

Talanah rolled her eyes. "Aloy, you're putting a stopper in a place that doesn't need a stopper. Just come with me already. I want to show you something."

She squeezed Aloy's hand and led her from the balcony. When they entered the Lodge, the party was truly in full swing. Aloy thought she heard Erend's bellowing laughter echoing up from the ground floor. She peered over the railing into the mess of people and saw him, surrounded by the vanguard and several Oseram men and women. When he looked up, he saw her and shouted her name. Aloy raised a hand in greeting, then was dragged sideways as Talanah tugged on her other hand.

"This way," Talanah said, leading her around the mezzanine. She pushed open a door and led Aloy through to a large, open room.

There was a large canopy bed along one wall, its silks fluttering in the breeze from the large, open doors that led out onto a smaller balcony. A large dresser stood in one corner, a mirror in another. Colourful rugs adorned the floor and more silks and beads were hung on the walls. These were the Sunhawk's quarters. Ahsis had once occupied them. Now, Talanah had made them her own.

Talanah let go of Aloy's hand. She crossed to the dresser and opened its drawers, pulling out bits and pieces of bright cloth. Aloy watched her curiously until she had a large assortment of silks piled on the bed. Talanah sorted through them, glancing at Aloy every so often, her eyes narrowed and lips pursed with some kind of assessment, and eventually pulled out a long gold garment and held it up.

The silk looked so delicate, Aloy thought it would tear at the touch. It blew gently back and forth, pushed by the night air coming in through the balcony.

"It's for you," Talanah said.

"Oh," Aloy replied. She frowned, confused. "You want me to… What, exactly?"

Talanah sighed. "You're hopeless sometimes. I want you to put on the dress, you silly shadow rat."

Aloy hesitantly took the dress. "Okay," she said. "But I want to know why."

Talanah threw herself onto the bed and rubbed the back of her neck. "Do I need a reason to give a friend in need a gift? You don't have to put it on if you don't want to. But I thought that you could use a change in pace. Especially tonight." She ran her hands through her hair, twisting the black locks into a braid. "Don't worry. I won't look."

Aloy rolled her eyes. "You Carja have a very strange sense of propriety," she said as she pulled her outer tunic off.

Talanah's eyebrows shot up and she immediately turned her back. "Sun and shadow, Aloy, some warning would be nice!"

"What? You asked me to change clothes. I'm changing clothes."

"Yes, but… oh, never mind."

Aloy folded and piled her clothes on the edge of Talanah's bed, then slipped on the beautiful gold dress. She could barely feel the fabric against her skin, it was so light. She had worn Carja silks and blazons before, but it had always been armour, nothing for daily wear. Armour was her daily wear. This felt… different. Armour of another kind. She tied the dress at the nape of her neck and smoothed the fabric down, admiring the way it shone in the lantern light.

"You can turn around now," she called, still moving to and fro, enchanted by the silk.

Talanah turned around and a smile lit up her eyes. She dashed to the dresser and pulled out a handful of beaded jewelry. She approached Aloy and tied a belt around her waist and draped a necklace over her head.

"There we go," she said, grinning. She lifted a lock of Aloy's thick, red hair, and looked at it curiously. "Do you mind if I do something with this?"

"That depends," Aloy replied. "What does 'something' mean?"

"I'm not going to cut it, if that's what you're worried about," Talanah said. "You just always wear it like this. How about we try something different? In honour of tonight?"

Aloy shrugged. "A lot of things are happening in honour of me tonight."

"So that's a yes, then? Good."

Before Aloy could reply, Talanah pushed her so she was sitting on the edge of the bed. Talanah sat beside her, her fingers working quickly as she took out the blue Nora beads and unbraided the plaits that tied Aloy's hair back from her forehead. The thick red curls hung lose as Talanah combed them out, rearranging them so they cascaded over one shoulder.

"There," she said as she added an intricately crafted headband made of golden wire. "That's much better."

Aloy tugged at her loose hair. "You think so?"

Talanah nodded towards the mirror. "Why don't you take a look for yourself?"

Aloy stood and approached the mirror. In the light of the lanterns, she glowed gold. She had never imagined that she could look like the tall, muscular woman standing in front of her, confident in who she was and what she had accomplished. Talanah had transformed her, given her armour for a different kind of fight. Tonight she didn't need her bow and her spear, tonight she needed… This.

Whatever this was.

And Aloy found that she liked what this was.

She ran her hands over the smooth fabric again, swishing it from side to side.

Talanah appeared beside her in the mirror, resting her chin on Aloy's shoulder and grinning impishly. "What do you think?" she said, running a hand through Aloy's hair. "I knew you would look good in gold."

"I… I don't know what to say." Aloy smiled faintly. "Thank you, Talanah."

Talanah smiled and pressed her lips quickly against Aloy's cheek.

A light flashed in the mirror. Aloy spun around and walked out onto the balcony, gazing at the velvety sky. The stars were bright. She peered upwards, worried for a moment that the flash had been a passing glinthawk or stormbird, then saw another flash, followed by another and another.

"Talanah!" she called excitedly. "Look!"

Talanah rushed to the balcony, resting her hands against the balustrade as she looked up. "Hm," she said softly. "It's pretty, isn't it?"

"Yes!" Aloy said. "Yes, it's pretty and lucky!"

"Lucky?"

"That's what Rost always told me," Aloy said. "That to see falling stars would bring you good fortune. The ancients called them meteor showers. They're only pieces of rock burning in the sky, but that doesn't mean you can't believe they're lucky."

Talanah slipped her hand around Aloy's. "Well, if you think they're lucky, then that's what they must be."

They stood in silence, watching the stars fall. The night air was warm, the lanterns' golden glow inviting. Aloy knew she had to return to the Lodge's main hall soon, but in the moment she wanted nothing more than to stay here with Talanah. Talanah was beautiful and kind, a good fighter and the best of friends. Aside from the night they hunted Redmaw, she hadn't spent much time alone with her, away from the commotion of Meridian. Standing here on her balcony was… nice.

It was very nice.

"You have to go back," Talanah said, voicing the very thought Aloy was trying to ignore. "They're going to wonder where you are. The Sun-King is said to be arriving soon."

"Avad?" Aloy said, surprised. "He's coming here? I thought he never left the palace."

"Well, he is," Talanah said. "For you. You're an important person now, Aloy. You even outrank me."

Aloy flushed. They had spoken of it and made their amends, but the king's apparent romantic attention made still made her uncomfortable. She would rather they be friends. She didn't need Ersa's ghost resting between them.

"You should go, Aloy," Talanah said, her hand gripping hers. "Tonight is your night. Celebrate. You are Meridian's saviour, the world's saviour. Any of those men or women down there would be yours in a heartbeat if you asked them—"

Aloy nearly choked. "What?"

"You do see the way they look at you, don't you?" Talanah said. "It's not just Varl, though that's a given. He's of your old tribe. Erend, Petra… That assassin Nil had his eye on you, too. Even the Sun-King himself—"

"Talanah, no, I—" Aloy released Talanah's hand and backed away. "Don't make this worse for me than it already is."

"What?"

"I don't want that," she said. "I don't need… that. All I want is a little quiet."

Talanah's eyes widened and she nodded. "All right," she said. "I would like to say that you're too beautiful to hide away, but if that's what you want, then that's what you will get." She raised an eyebrow. "Would you like more wine?"

Aloy smiled. "Sure, why not?"

Talanah conjured up a bottle from somewhere and poured herself and Aloy a glass. She passed it over, then sat down next to Aloy on the edge of the bed. "It's good thing I'm Sunhawk," she said, sipping her wine, "otherwise I would be in serious trouble for hiding you away."

Aloy rolled her eyes. "I'm sure you can find a reasonable explanation."

"You do realize what they'll all be thinking now," Talanah said. "They saw me drag you into my rooms. The Oseram aren't going to shut up about it for months."

Aloy made a disgusted noise. "Ugh, is that really all they think about? I couldn't get a word out of Petra between all the… remarks… she was making!"

"I don't think I'm the right person to explain their sense of humour," Talanah said. "Ask Erend."

"Not on your life!" Aloy exclaimed, chuckling. She took a drink. She felt warm and comfortable, much more at ease now that she was completely out of the public eye and away from the party. "You know, Talanah, I was thinking—"

"Hm?"

Aloy faltered. "Nothing. Thank you. For the dress. And the drink. And the…"

"Friendship?" Talanah offered, eyebrows raised as she took a sip of wine.

"Yes." Aloy ran a hand through her hair. "Have you ever thought of leaving Meridian?"

"Before I was Sunhawk, yes," Talanah said. "But now? I would hardly want to forfeit my position to one of Ahsis' old lackeys. I can't let the Lodge regress to what it was under his rule."

"But if you could," Aloy pressed, "would you?"

"It would be nice to other lands someday, yes." Talanah's eyes narrowed. "You're thinking of leaving soon. Aren't you?"

"I have to," Aloy said. "There's someone I need to find."

"Who?"

How do I explain Elisabet?

"My mother," Aloy said. "She's out there somewhere, and I think I know where."

"There's the Aloy I know," Talanah said. "Always on the move, trying to solve any problem she encounters."

"I'm not always on the move," Aloy said sharply. "I'm here, after all."

"Yes, but not for long. Tomorrow is a new day, and if I know you well enough, tomorrow means you'll be gone."

Aloy grabbed Talanah's hand. The sad acceptance in Talanah's voice hit her harder than she expected. She hadn't dwelled on it before, but as she thought back through the days, of the many times she had ridden into and away from Meridian, she realized that to Talanah, she was more like a spirit than a person. She was someone who appeared when needed, then disappeared without a trace, with no way to track where she went. She was liminal, transient, a ghost.

I don't want to be that anymore.

There were people who cared for her. She wanted to them to know she cared for them, too.

"No," Aloy said. It came out much more powerfully than she intended. "It's like you said—this is a celebration. I need to accept that. What better way to do that than with you?"

"So… you're staying?" Talanah asked.

"For now," Aloy replied. "For some time. My… mother can wait."

Talanah brushed a loose lock of hair over Aloy's ear. "You continue to surprise me, Aloy Despite the Nora." She leaned forwards and gave Aloy a soft, gently kiss on the lips. "I hope you don't mind," she murmured, drawing away. "But tell me if you do."

Aloy paused, hands cupping her glass of wine. She looked at Talanah, ethereal in the lantern light.

"I don't," she said, surprising herself.

Talanah smiled, her eyes sparkling.

"That makes me glad."

"Me, too."

the end