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Chapter Text

Chapter One.

DunBroch, Scotland. 

Merida stomped down the hall, making her way to the dining hall to eat breakfast with her family. She had been awake for approximately five minutes. Long enough to throw on a robe, step into her slippers and begin her descent. Guards opened the doors to the dining hall as she approached– yawning, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. 

“Goodmorning darling!” her father said jovially, his voice echoing loudly through the massive hall. 

Merida’s half-grumbled response had him teasing, “Oh, the wee lass is still dead asleep. Best to keep your distance boys.” Her brothers stopped their sneaky movements– Harris under the table, Hubert hanging from the banister above her head, and Hamish behind her– their plot of terror quickly put to bed. 

As they made their way back to their seats, their mother walked in. Her graceful movements, properly fitting dress, and perfect hair screamed: Look at me, the perfect Queen! 

Merida turned her attention back to the table, loading her plate with food. 

“No weapon?” her mother asked as she took her place at the table. 

“No,” Merida said before taking a drink of milk, “I slept in today. I’m taking Angus for a ride this afternoon instead.” 

“Aye, I hate to ruin your day my love, but you won’t be doing that today.” Her mother said. 

“Boys, best leave now. Your mother and I need to speak to Merida.” Her father instructed. Merida rolled her eyes, dreading the coming conversation. 

Sitting back roughly in her seat she asked, “What?” cutting a look to her mother.

It was her father who spoke instead.

“Well, I’m not getting any younger, that much is obvious,” he said with a slight chuckle. “And.. I was..” he cleared his throat “Well, I.. hmm.” he stopped speaking then, a pleading look to her mother to help him explain. 

“Merida, your father and I are getting older, as your father said. And your father, well he wants.. We both want you to take your rightful place at the throne. On your twenty-fifth birthday.” 

Merida had just taken a bite, and immediately choked on her food. Pounding her fist to her chest, while holding a hand up to stop her parents from rushing to her, she dislodged the food and chugged her drink. 

Gasping for breath she hoarsely screamed, “WHAT?! But.. but.. That.. that’s in two weeks! I’m not.. I can’t.. I’m not ready!” she had begun pacing at this point. Her heart pounding, fingers clenching in and out of fists at her sides. 

“Merida..” her father said, speaking to her softly like a spooked horse. 

“Don’t! Just.. don’t. I need to think.” she said softly, all the fight and anger dissipated like snow in the summer, so quickly it left her. She shuffled her feet towards the doors, leaving her parents in the heavy silence of her shock and anger. 

A quick trip to her room to change and she was on her way to the stable to get Angus. And her mother said she wouldn’t get to ride today, ha. The petty inner thought gave her a pep to her step, no matter how childish it was. 

She took her time saddling Angus, using the routine to think about what her parents had said, speaking to Angus freely. 

“I get it, I do. He’s been ruling for so long now. But I’m just not ready! Sure, dad was my age when he became King, but he’s different from me. I don’t want these responsibilities, I didn’t sign up for them, I was born into them. It's not.. fair.” 

As the two of them raced toward the forest, she continued her ranting, “This is just like when they tried to get me to marry, but worse! I talked mom out of that… with the help of that witch.. But still! She came to see reason! I didn’t need to marry to rule. But now? Now there’s no way around this, I can’t tell dad no. I can’t step away from this.. Oh Angus, I just don’t want this.” Then she broke into sobs, her heart tearing open at the end of her life as she knew it. 

She didn’t know why, but she had always held out this hope that she wouldn’t have to step up into the role of queen. She hadn’t hoped that anything would happen that would remove her father from his position– but hoped he would see she was too much of a free spirit to be saddled down to a throne, to rule over people when she wanted to disappear into the woods. 

It was while she was crying, leaning into Angus’s neck to hug as she did so, that Angus stopped abruptly. Her face slammed forward, the horn of the saddle pushing the air out of her lungs, making her stomach hurt from the impact. 

“Damn it, Angus.” she chided as she coughed. 

Looking up, she saw why he stopped.

“Wisps.” Merida whispered under her breath. 

The breathy sounds of the wisps called out, begging her to follow. She took control of the reins, urging Angus forward, he didn’t budge. 

“Really Angus? You should know better by now.” Climbing down, she left the reins on the back of his neck, and wandered off to follow the wisps. Angus followed reluctantly.

Deeper and deeper, they made their way through the forest. They were deep enough now that light scarcely made it to the ground, making it easy to follow the wisps, but hard to see where she walked. Merida tripped often, the hem of her dress dragging in shreds around her. Still, she followed the wisps. 

After what could’ve been twenty minutes or two hours of walking, she made her way into a clearing. A clearing that looked eerily familiar. Angus huffed behind her.

“Yep, I was just thinking the same thing. The witch.” Merida sighed, turning on her heel to make her way back home. Only, the path she had just walked down was gone. The clearing around her– around the witch’s hut in its center– had no visible exit. Anywhere. 

Frustration built up in her chest again. Sighing, she walked to the door of the hut and knocked twice. The door opened up, revealing a dark interior with a large cauldron simmering in the center of the room. No witch in sight, none of her wooden trinkets, none of the potions left beside the cauldron like the last time. Odd. 

Merida walked back to Angus. She grabbed her sword from the saddle's hilt, checking the dagger in the garter around her thigh, the bow across her back and her quiver of arrows. 

Pulling her bow out, she loaded an arrow to the string and pulled it halfway taut. Keeping the bow angled down towards the ground, she crouched outside the door and controlled her breathing. 

Breathing under control, she raised the bow into position and made her way into the hut once more. The air felt stale, the hairs on the back of her neck standing at attention. Scanning the room, she didn’t see anything other than the simmering cauldron. 

“Hello? Witch? Anybody?” Merida called out. Nothing. So, so odd. Suddenly, a memory came to Merida, of how the witch stepped outside, closed the door and snapped her fingers before opening the door again. 

Walking out of the hut yet again, Merida closed the door behind her, snapped her fingers and opened it again. Or she tried to. The damn thing was locked now! 

“Ughhhh!!!” Merida slammed her fist into the door. “Damn it!” 

Angus whined behind her, echoing her stress and frustrations. 

“Okay, okay. Everything is okay.” But the pacing she did said differently. 

Shoving her fingers roughly into her hair, she pulled at the strands, trying to think of what to do. So she knocked again. This time, the door didn’t open on its own accord. 

She waited one minute. Then two. 

So she tried again. 

And again.

And again.

“Fuuuuuckkk! Come on!” she screamed. Tears began to well in her eyes, hopelessness consuming her. 

“Please,” she whispered, knocking once more. “Please just answer.” 

As a tear slid down her cheek, she laid her palm against the door. Sniffling, she went to turn. A bright white light flashed behind the door, Merida knocked again.

“Hello!? Witch? Are you there?” Merida hollered, pounding on the door incessantly now. 

“Yes, yes. What?” a voice said, muffled at first, before becoming clear as the door flew open to reveal the old witch standing in the doorway, the inside of a home now visible to Merida. 

“Oh finally! You’re back!” Merida couldn’t help but hug the old woman.

“Get off, get off!” the old woman said, as she shoved Merida off of her. 

“What do you need, girl?” the witch asked. 

“Well, I… I.. I don’t know. The wisps brought me here. Again. But this time, I don’t know what you can do. The potion worked last time, but you turned my mother into a bear! I can’t have that again! So.. wh- what do I do now? How do I get home?” She stumbled over her words as she spoke. 

“Well, you’re going to sit down, dearie. And tell me all about whatever is going on that made the wisps lead you to me again.” the witch said, as she poured them both some tea. 

So Merida told her everything, starting over with what brought her to the witch in the first place nine years ago. Then she told her what had transpired that morning over breakfast– her fears of taking over and her dreams of roaming the wilds. She spewed out every horrible thought she had had about her inheritance her entire life. She talked until the tea ran out, and the sun had begun to set. 

It was when she finally finished, tears still streaming down her face, that she took her first cleansing, deep breath, and the witch spoke. 

“Sounds to me like you need a break. A vacation, if you will. The chance to go someplace where you can roam and explore the world the way you’ve always dreamed of. I can help with that.” The witch got up then, walking towards the door, beckoning Merida to follow. 

So out the door they went. Just like the first time, the witch closed it behind her, snapped her fingers and opened the door again. The interior had transformed back into the caldron room from before. 

The old woman spoke softly to herself as she collected various herbs, salts and all kinds of weird things that Merida didn’t recognize. When the witch finally grabbed a skull sitting on the top-most shelf of a cupboard on the wall, she walked over to the cauldron where Merida was waiting and tossed the armful of items into the cauldron. 

She spoke in an old language that Merida didn’t recognize, and smoke of varying colors rose from the cauldron. A crow squawked from the far corner of the room, quiet until now. The witch coughed as she finished the mantra, the smoke growing thicker until it was impossible to see. 

A loud explosion sounded, the smoke clearing instantly. Merida coughed and rubbed her eyes. 

“Well? What was that? What did you do?” Merida asked.

The witch smiled, reaching into the cauldron and pulled out a glowing blue mirror. 

“This mirror will transport you to a world where you can live and experience roaming the wilds to your hearts desire. Simply say: 

‘I cast the weight, I loose the chain,

Through mirrored wilds, I rise again.

O argent gate, through dream and glade,

Unbind the path the stars have made.’

That’ll open the gateway for you to walk through, and you’ll go into this new world and live whatever kind of life you want. To come back you’ll say: 

‘I call the bond, I claim the chain,

Through mirrored wilds, I walk again.

O argent gate, through dream and glade,

Restore the path the stars have made.’

And then you’ll be home. Any questions?” The witch asked.

Merida shook her head, “There’s no catch? No mysterious thing you forgot to tell me that I’ll need to know later and would have to come back and ask you about? Nothing like that?” 

“Nope. All straight forward, this spell. No change in person needed, just change of scenery.” The witch replied with a smile. “Now, off you go! Go, try it out, have fun!” she said as she shooed Merida out of the hut, the door slamming shut as soon as she stepped over the threshold and out into the clearing. Only this time, the clearing was the edge of the woods where they had first seen the wisps. 

Merida spun around in a circle, somehow shocked the hut and clearing had disappeared. Sighing, she put the mirror in her belt and climbed onto Angus’s back. Clicking her tongue, she and Angus made their way back to the palace. 

The mirror’s weight was heavy against her stomach, like the weight of its possibilities was too much for her to bear. When they arrived at the palace stables, she climbed down, handing Angus off to a stable hand to feed and brush him down. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Up in her room, she sat cross legged on her bed, the mirror held delicately in her hands. A knock at her door made her look up as her mother opened the door and peaked through. 

“May I come in?” she asked.

“Yeah, come on in.” Merida said dejectedly. 

“What do you have there, dear?” Elinor asked, grabbing the mirror from Merida’s hands.

“It's a mirror. From the witch.” Elinor dropped the mirror onto the bed then, as quickly as if it had burned her hands. 

“Why on earth do you have something from that witch? Are you sure it's safe?” her mother questioned.

“Yes, it’s safe. This mirror works with spells, not potions. This changes your surroundings, not you. But I haven’t decided to use it yet. I’m scared.” she admitted. 

“Scared? Why?” her mother asked as she climbed next to Merida, pulling her into a hug at her side.

“Because what if I use it, and I don’t want to come back?” Merida whispered.

“Come back? What does that mean? Where would you be going?” her mother questioned, becoming frantic. 

“I don’t know. The witch just said that if I used it with the spell she told me, I’ll be transported to a world where I can ‘live out my dreams’. Then gave me a spell to use to come back. But what if I don’t want to come back? What if I do this and I love it and I don’t want to leave? I can’t abandon you, dad and the boys. But I also can’t guarantee that I won’t do that if I do use it. I don’t know what to do mom. How do I choose both?” Merida felt the tears threaten to show themselves again, she blinked hard, refusing to allow the tears to fall in front of her mother. 

“Merida.. I.. I know you’re scared, and I understand why, but you would never run away, never abandon this family. I know you wouldn’t.” her mother said consolingly. 

“Wouldn’t I? I think I would. I thought that when we agreed that I wouldn’t have to get married to rule, that it would make everything better. And it did.. For a while. But then.. I don’t know. It’s like I realized that even without having to marry, I still don’t want to rule. I want to wander through the wilds, killing my game and sleeping under the stars. I’m not fit to rule over people, to lead them. I’m not you, I’m not dad.. I’m… not made for this.” Merida sighed, getting up to grab her whittling knife and a scrap piece of wood. 

“Merida, I know it seems impossible now, but I promise.. It will get easier, you’ll adjust and learn. I know you will.” Her mother spoke softly, as if she were a scared animal in need of conjoling. 

“Damn it, mother! You just don’t listen. You never have!” Merida yelled before storming out of her room, and made her way down to the kitchen. 

No servants were there, the fire long dead. Merida sighed again, then began walking around the room looking for food. She had just taken a bite of an apple when a clattering sound caught her attention. 

“Alright boys, come on out.” she said to the room, not knowing exactly where they were at. 

Slowly the boys made their way to where Merida sat at the large preparation table. 

“What’s wrong Mer?” Hamish asked.

“You okay?” Harris added.

“What can we do?” Hubert finished.

They almost always spoke back-to-back-to-back like that, it was something they had done since they were little, like they shared a mind and just spoke through each body separately. 

“Oh, boys.. I’m just confused and don’t know what to do.” she admitted.

“Well, what do you want to do?” Harris inquired.

“Can we help?” Hubert added.

“Can we come along?” Hamish finished. Harris and Hubert stared at Hamish in shock.

“What? She’s always going somewhere.” was Hamish’s only response. The two boys rolled their eyes at their brother, but Merida laughed. 

“Even if I decided to go, I don’t think you could. Or should for that matter. I’ll figure it out though, don’t worry about me.” she said, rubbing each of their heads affectionately. 

She made her way to her room, the decision made on her walk there. So she dressed in a wool tunic, wool leggings, a dress and cloak. She grabbed a bag from a chest in her room, filling it with an extra of each item of clothing. She then snuck back down to the kitchen to fill the bag with apples, cheese and bread. 

Sneaking back upstairs to her room, she grabbed her bow and quiver, checked her dagger on her thigh before grabbing the mirror from her bed, she spoke the spells incantation: 

I cast the weight, I loose the chain,

Through mirrored wilds, I rise again.

O argent gate, through dream and glade,

Unbind the path the stars have made.

As she finished, a bright green light exploded from the mirror, blinding Merida for a few seconds. When she got her sight back, she could see into the mirror. The scene before her was fascinating: Trees rose like giants, their trunks broader than castle towers. Vines clung to the bones of old stone and stranger things still– shards of oddly colored towers, half-swallowed by vines and moss. 

The scenery before her was curious, and she couldn’t help but touch her fingers to the glass, an attempt to touch the trees before her. That was when the world stopped. Her breath caught in her throat, the air around her squeezing her body tightly. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t see. 

As quickly as the sensations started, they stopped. Merida blinked at the sudden brightness. The air smelled different, not like her room, not like home. Opening her eyes fully, she took in her surroundings: trees all around her, odd looking buildings that looked rundown. Sitting up, she checked her bow and quiver, they were still with her, along with her dagger and bag. Her hearing came back fully then, though she hadn’t realized it had been muffled to begin with. That was when she heard the odd sounds– sounds she didn’t have the words to describe properly, but she knew she was in danger. 

Jumping to her feet, she loaded her bow, taking aim and checking her surroundings yet again. She saw nothing, but she could hear that odd sound still. She searched the perimeter again, walking slowly towards the woods nearby to hide and observe. 

The sound of a breaking branch had Merida spinning around quickly, the arrow ready to be released. Then, from the edge of the woods, a figure walked out. The creature stepped out into the light. But it wasn’t a creature at all, it was a woman. She had her hands up above her head, a sign of not holding any weapons.

Finally, she spoke.

Chapter Text

Chapter Two.

The Oldgrowth- a forest north of Plainsong.

Aloy made her way through the Oldgrowth forest, collecting plants, data for GAIA, and machine parts for her weapons. She was currently experiencing a bit of free time, something she didn’t get very often. 

GAIA’s serene voice came through the Focus, “I received a ping from your location. You’re about to enter a storm area. Just a thunderstorm, but I wanted to give you fair warning.” 

“Thanks GAIA.” Aloy replied, noting the change in wind. Humming a song to herself, she gathered fruits and herbs, crouching through the tall grass to observe machines. 

Over the past few months, she had been working outwards from the base, finding each cauldron location– clearing them out and getting GAIA back in control of the facilities. Pressing her finger to the Focus she scanned the area for nearby machines– off to the right, sixty feet away. 

“Gotcha.” Aloy whispered to herself, taking off in a jog to a nearby tree. Crouching down, she loaded her bow before tapping the Focus again to identify the machine– a grazer. Shuffling quietly around the tree, she found tall grass to creep through. 

Step after careful step, she closed the distance between herself and the machine. Finally, she was close enough. Pulling her spear off her back, she rotated her hand, finding the right grip. Perfect.

One breath and a small jump later, she was stabbing the spear into the grazer’s thigh. A twist of the mechanism attached to the tip, and she had access to the machine through her focus. She overrode the data, and the machine returned to a docile state.

“GAIA, got a grazer here that needs to be directed to the nearest cauldron facility, freshly overridden.” Aloy said through the Focus as she scanned and sent its location and data to GAIA for analysis. GAIA didn’t respond, but the grazer turned away from Aloy, and began making its way to wherever GAIA had sent it. 

As Aloy stared after the retreating grazer, clouds as dark as smoke gathered in the sky around her. Thunder rumbled, as lightning lit the sky in an unnatural shade of green. Scanning the surrounding area, Aloy made her way back into the tall grass to hide. 

Right as she settled into place, GAIA spoke to her through the Focus. 

“Aloy, I sense an anomaly in the nearby area. Be vigilant.”

Aloy started to reply, but stopped short, mumbling “Oh my god…” under her breath. She tapped her Focus, pulling up the main menu to begin recording the scene unfolding before her. 

What could only be described as a rip in the air itself appeared in the open field before her. The clouds were now so dark they blocked out all sunlight. The rumbling thunder sent goosebumps over Aloy’s skin, the sight of the green lightning left a nauseating feeling in her stomach. 

  Through the rip, a figure came into view– a young woman. Her hair was the first thing Aloy saw: a wild, tangled blaze of red curls that hung to her hips. 

The mystery woman wore layers of clothing– deep greens and browns– the fabric looked easy to move in, but heavy, like wool. A cloak clasped to one shoulder, and a belt that carried more than its share: a sheathed sword at her hip, a pouch, and a small dagger. A traveling pack and bow slung across her back, wood and sinew polished from use, and a quiver of feathered arrows that looked hand-fletched, simple but skilled. 

Not Carja made. Not Oseram. Not anything Aloy recognized. 

Aloy could barely make out the woman’s facial features, but she could almost feel the curiosity being emitted from the stranger. The mystery woman tilted her head, as if trying to decipher what she was seeing. Then, slowly, she lifted her hand. 

Aloy’s breath caught. The woman’s fingers stretched toward the rip, reaching through the light– reaching toward her. 

And then, the air folded. 

The rip surged outward, dragging the storm with it. Lightning exploded, a jagged green flash that split the world in two, thunder crashing so loudly it shook the ground. Aloy threw her hands over her ears, eyes squeezed shut, ears ringing from the force of it. 

When she opened her eyes, the woman was no longer on the other side of the rip. She was here. 

The grass rippled around her as the energy dissipated, the rip sealing shut behind her like a wound sealing shut. Aloy blinked against the sudden brightness as daylight returned in full force. 

Disoriented but focused, Aloy watched the red-headed woman. On her knees, breathing heavily, blinking as if the world had just rearranged itself. The woman touched the ground, then her bow, checking her gear like a soldier after a fall. Smart. Careful. 

Then she froze. 

Aloy heard it too– a low, rhythmic clatter in the distance. Not thunder. Not wind. The whir and hiss of hydraulics, the soft crunch of hooves against grass, leaves and fallen branches. A grazer, moving through the trees just behind Aloy. 

The mystery woman didn’t know the sound. Her head snapped toward it, every muscle drawn tight. She moved like a hunter– quick, quiet– pulling an arrow from her quiver and nocking it in one fluid motion. 

Aloy’s eyes narrowed. The bow looked hand-carved, primitive but balanced. The arrow’s tip was steel, maybe iron, hammered flat. Nothing like the precision-forged heads she knew. 

The grazer stepped on a fallen branch. The sharp crack echoed through the clearing. 

The woman spun towards the noise, bowstring drawn to her cheek, eyes locked on the trees. Her stance was perfect– steady, centered– but she had no idea what she was aiming at. 

Aloy exhaled slowly. 

One wrong sound, one startled machine, and the whole herd could stampede. 

Aloy crept toward the grazer. She launched herself behind it– shoving her spear into its hindquarters when she landed. A quick twist of the mechanism at the spears end had the grazer reset to its docile state. 

Immediately after, Aloy pulled up a message thread with GAIA, informing her of the newest machine to be guided to the nearest cauldron for a systems check and upgrades. Placing her spear into its proper spot, Aloy crept to the edge of the woods, hiding behind a tree.

The woman stood with her bow at the ready. 

Aloy hurriedly removed her weapons, leaving them at the tree where she hid.

Stepping out into the clearing, her hands above her head as a sign of trust– if not implied surrender. The woman assessed Aloy with a predator’s gaze. Taking a deep breath.. Aloy spoke.

Chapter Text

Chapter Three.

Aloy.

“You can put that down.. Whatever you heard– it’s gone.” Aloy said, nodding towards where the grazer had been. 

“Gone? Just like that? How?” Merida questioned. 

“Let’s just say.. I ‘took care’ of it.” Aloy said, using air quotes before slowly lowering her hands to her side. 

Her eyes flickered between them– two warriors from different worlds. The stranger’s dress was simple: wool and leather, built for forests and rain. Aloy glanced down at herself– layered armour of hide, metal and machine parts, topped by plates of scavenged tech– glinting under the sunlight. One dressed for a wild untouched by circuits, the other for one ruled by them. 

“Your accent is.. Odd. And people don’t just appear out of thin air. So, what happened?” Aloy asked. The stranger glanced around, eyes wide at the forest and the unfamiliar ruins beyond.

“I… I touched a mirror. There was light– and then this place.”

“A mirror,” Aloy half-whispered to herself, “And it brought you… here..” a small pause. She’d heard wilder things– but only barely.

“Alright. Let’s start simple. The name’s Aloy. This is.. my world, I guess you could say.”

The woman hesitated, seeming to consider how to respond. 

“Merida. Princess o’ DunBroch.”

Aloy’s eyes widened slightly at the declaration before saying, “Well, Merida of DunBroch– looks like you just traveled a lot farther than you meant to.” A faint smirk tugged at her mouth. “Come on. Let’s get you out of the open. You can tell me all about your mirror, and I’ll tell you about what you’ve landed yourself in.” 

As they made their way to the base, Merida told Aloy an unbelievable story of how a witch had spelled her own mother– Elinor–  into becoming a bear, and how they worked together to protect one another and turn Elinor back into a human. 

She followed up that with the story of how her parents had told her about their plans for Merida to take her place at the throne, how she had taken off for a ride on her horse and had ended up back at the witch's hut once again. Only this time no potions or spells used to change a person– just a magic mirror that sent you someplace new. 

Aloy’s head was spinning. Magic. How could that be real? 

They continued on the path to the base, Merida kept pace easily: the redhead moved with the steady grace of a hunter, though her eyes kept straying to every scrap of the old-world ruin they passed. 

“Stay close,” Aloy said, adjusting the Focus more securely on her ear. “We’re almost there.” 

Merida’s gaze flicked toward the device covering Aloy’s ear. “That wee thing you keep touchin’ – what is it?”

Aloy smiled faintly. “It’s called a Focus. It lets me talk to my team– and see things you can’t.”

Merida frowned, curiosity seeming to outweigh caution. “Magic, then?”

“Not quite,” Aloy said. “Not like what you know. This is technology. You’ll get used to it.”

She tapped her Focus then, opening communications. “GAIA, link me with the others please.” Aloy turned to Merida and said, “We’ll get you one of your own, you’ll learn how to use one for yourself.” 

A faint hum sent tickles through Aloy’s ear, then GAIA’s calm voice filled her ear. “Connection established.”

“Kotallo, Zo, Erend– just a head’s up, I’m bringing someone in. Not a threat. And.. she’s going to need some explanations.”

Kotallo responded first, his voice steady and clipped. “Understood. Should we prepare security protocols?” 

“Negative,” Aloy said. “She’s unarmed– well, mostly.”

Behind her, Merida bristled, one hand resting on her sword's hilt. Aloy hid a smirk. “Just.. try not to scare her.”

Zo’s warm tone chimed in. “Oh, this should be interesting. Haven’t had a visitor since… well, ever.”

Erend chuckled through the line. “Does she bite? Cause if she does, I’m makin’ Zo deal with her.”

“Don’t tempt me,” Zo shot back. Erend barked a laugh. 

Merida’s brows knitted together as Aloy spoke to thin air. “Are you speakin’ to spirits?” 

“Something like that,” Aloy said, leading her down the final path.

When they reached the hidden cliffside entrance, the ancient metal doors slid open with a low, mechanical sigh. Lights flickered to life inside, bathing the tunnel in a soft blue hue. Merida stopped dead in her tracks. 

Her hand flew to her bow. “By the gods… what sorcery is this?”

“It’s safe,” Aloy said quickly, resting her hand lightly atop Merida’s. “Come on. You’ll see.” 

The moment they stepped into the main chamber, GAIA’s holographic form shimmered into existence– graceful, calm, and softly glowing. Merida froze again, eyes wide. 

“Greetings, Aloy.” GAIA said. “And to our guest– welcome.”

Merida blinked hard, whispering, “A ghost made of light.. Like a giant wisp.”

Erend’s voice boomed from across the room. “More like a goddess, if you ask me. But she’s the polite kind, don’t worry.”

He and Zo were standing near the central console, both smiling cautiously. Kotallo approached from the side, his movements measured, his expression unreadable but respectful. 

“This is Merida,” Aloy said, motioning between them. “She’s… from somewhere else. Don’t ask how yet.” 

Kotallo inclined his head slightly. “Then you are welcome here, stranger.” 

Zo offered a gentle smile. “We’ll find you food and a place to rest. You look like you’ve traveled quite a long way.”

Merida finally lowered her bow, still staring around the glowing chamber. “I’ve never seen anything like this. Light without flame. Doors that move as if alive. Your world is filled with wonders, Aloy.” 

Aloy met her gaze, half-smiling. “Yeah,” she said quietly. “With dangers to match.”

Beta appeared from one of the side rooms, curiosity sparking in her eyes. “So, this is the person who came through the… anomaly?” 

Aloy nodded. “Yeah. We’ve got a lot to figure out.”

Merida’s expression softened as she looked between Aloy and her team– this strange family bound by purpose. “Then I suppose I’m in good company,” she said.

Aloy felt the faintest touch at her lower back– Kotallo, wordless but grounding. She glanced at him, nodding once, then turned back to Merida.

“Welcome to the base,” she said. “Let’s get you settled.” 

Merida.

Merida had never seen a place like Aloy’s base. Stone and steel twined together, humming softly as if alive. The air buzzed faintly, full of unseen power. She’d felt that same hum once before– just as she was pulled through the mirror. 

Zo had shown her the living quarters, fussing kindly about food and warmth, while Erend and Kotallo lingered nearby, watching her with a mix of curiosity and caution. Aloy had stayed close but quiet, letting her adjust. It was Beta, though, who broke the silence.

“You’ll want this,” Beta said, holding out a small object– smooth and dark, like polished glass. “It’s called a Focus. It connects you to the network, helps you see what we see.” 

Merida studied it warily. “You mean that bit of magic you all carry on your ears?”

Beta smiled. “Not magic. Tech. But… you can think of it that way, if it helps.”

With Aloy’s patient guidance– and Beta’s steady hand– Merida learned how to place the Focus. The first time the device activated, she flinched back, eyes wide as blue light traced symbols across her vision. 

“Saints preserve me..” she whispered. “The world looks so different.”

Aloy’s voice softened. “It’ll take a bit to get used to. But it’ll help you understand things here. Think of it as… another way to see.” 

Aloy and Beta showed her the basics of how to use the Focus: how many taps needed to open up various menus, how to swipe through the multitude of pages of information, and how to make a connection with GAIA– who could connect her Focus to any person on their team. 

Afterwards, Zo had shown her to the ‘bathroom’ as she called it. There was a tub to wash in, what Zo and the Focus called a ‘toilet’, to use for her more… private matters, and a ‘shower’ which was some sort of washing contraption that Zo said they had only gotten to work properly just recently. 

Merida didn’t know why the privy they used was filled with so many different objects, but the water was consistently warm– something Merida was completely unfamiliar with, but she loved it. 

After Zo had shown her how to use the shower, she stood in there for what felt like an hour. The water ran through her hair, soaking it, and all the way down her body. The soaps she used to wash her hair and body were similar to what she used in her home world– as she’d begun to call it– and she was glad that much was the same.

Freshly washed, with hair still sopping wet, Merida made her way to the main chamber where everyone was sitting down together. 

Aloy noticed her presence first. “Hey there, how was the shower?” she asked.

“Oh, that was the best thing I’ve ever experienced in my whole life. My hair and body have never felt so clean… The drying process is still the same though: too damn long.” Merida said with a laugh. 

Aloy smiled, “We’ll find you another towel, maybe then we can get your hair wrapped up.” She walked into the bathroom then, grabbed another towel from somewhere Merida hadn’t seen, and brought it out. 

“Here you go.” Aloy said. “Do I need to show you how to wrap your hair up? It’ll help it dry and keep it out of your face.” 

“Yes, please.” Merida replied. “That would be very helpful.”

Aloy showed her how to flip her head upside down, place the towel at the nape of her neck, wrap the large towel around her mass of hair, flip back over and secure the tail end of the towel inside the towel at the nape of her neck. Merida still felt as if the towel was loose, so she used a spare piece of leather to tie around the whole thing. 

Happy with the hair situation, Merida approached Aloy to inquire about getting clothes better suited for the world she now found herself in. Aloy agreed to get her set up, after Merida spoke to GAIA privately. 

As they made their way to a private chamber where GAIA preferred to manifest herself, Merida finally adjusted to the ever-constant blinking lights from the Focus and signs within the building. 

“Thank you for coming,” GAIA said, her voice calm but carrying a weight that made Merida stand straighter. “I wish to understand the means by which you arrived in this world. The… mirror, as you call it.” 

Merida hesitated, glancing at Aloy. “You wish to see it?”

GAIA inclined her head. “If possible. Its energy signature may provide insight into the bridge that connects our worlds. I would like to study it– to ensure it poses no threat.”

Merida’s hand went instinctively to the leather satchel at her side, where the mirror– small now, compact as if the magic had folded in on itself– rested, wrapped in cloth. Her expression hardened. 

“No one touches it,” she said quietly. “It’s no mere trinket. The power in it… it listens. I’ll not have it twisted or broken.”

Aloy folded her arms across her chest. “GAIA doesn’t destroy things, Merida. She learns. That’s how we keep this world alive.”

Merida met her gaze, fierce and sure. “I understand, but some things shouldn’t be pulled apart to be understood. The mirror’s given me choice. For the first time, I can choose not to go back– and I mean to stay awhile. Learn from your world, if you’ll let me.”

GAIA’s light flickered, almost like a nod. “Then I will respect your decision. The mirror shall remain yours. However, I would ask permission to scan it– no physical contact. The scan would only collect information about its composition and the energy fields surrounding it. Nothing more.” 

“Scan it?” she echoed warily. “You’d pry at it with invisible fingers? I told you– it listens. It's no dead stone. I’ll not have it stirred again.”

GAIA’s light dimmed slightly, a visual echo of empathy. “I understand your caution. But knowledge grants protection. If the mirror’s energy is unstable, I must ensure it poses no harm to you– or this world.”

Aloy stepped in gently. “She’s right, Merida. A scan won’t touch it. You won’t even see it happen. It’s like… taking a look through the air.”

Merida studied them both, eyes flicking between GAIA’s patient glow and Aloy’s steady presence. Finally, she sighed, her grip on the satchel loosening. 

“Only once,” she said firmly. “And if it stirs, you stop.”

GAIA’s projection brightened slightly, almost like a nod. “Agreed.”

Aloy gave Merida a reassuring look, resting a hand on her shoulder.  “You’ve got my word.”

Slowly, Merida unwrapped the cloth, revealing the mirror’s surface– dark as still water, yet faintly pulsing with green light beneath. The glow reflected across GAIA’s form as she began her scan, gentle lines of light sweeping across the object. 

Merida’s breath caught as the mirror shimmered faintly in response, but GAIA’s voice remained calm. “No reaction of concern detected. The object radiates a stable energy signature, self-contained. Fascinating.”

The light faded then, the hum ceased, and the chamber stilled once more. GAIA spoke again, her tone almost reverent. “Thank you, Merida. I will not probe further without your consent.”

Merida nodded, wrapping the mirror back up with careful hands. “See that you don’t,” she said quietly. “The thing’s done enough carryin’ me through fate’s doors.”

Aloy smiled faintly. “Fair enough. But now we know it’s not going to blow a hole in the floor.”

That earned a soft huff of laughter from Merida. “You’ve a strange way with comfort, Aloy.”

GAIA’s voice followed, gentle and approving. “Mutual trust is a promising beginning.”

Aloy.

Aloy leaned against the console while GAIA’s holographic form dimmed to standby. The last of the scanned data still shimmered on the screen in front of her– beautiful, incomprehensible energy patterns that looked… alive. She exhaled, long and slow, closing her eyes.

Merida stood a few paces away, arms folded across her chest, her satchel clutched tightly in her right hand. She looked calmer now, though her eyes still darted around the base as if she expected the walls to speak.

In the main chamber, Zo was fussing over a kettle of tea. Erend was half-asleep in a nearby chair, and Beta sat cross-legged by the main holomap, lost in data. Kotallo was stationed near the entrance, quiet and watchful, as always.

Aloy spoke to the group as she and Merida entered, “Alright, GAIA’s got what she needs for now. Next task– Merida needs some gear that’ll protect her from the machines.”

Erend straightened, blinking awake. “You mean that wool and leather frock ain’t enough protection? Shocking.” 

Zo shot him a scathing side-eye glance. “Be nice. She’s had a long day.”

Merida lifted her chin, a smirk gracing her lips. “If your beasts bleed like any other, I’ll manage just fine.”

Erend laughed, genuinely impressed. “I like her already.”

Aloy shook her head, smiling. “Yeah, well, she won’t last long without armor. We’ll head out to Thornmarsh– there’s a good salvager there that owes me a favor.” She looked toward Kotalloa, throwing a sly wink at him. “You up for a trip?” 

The corner of his mouth pulled up slightly, his only reaction and said, “Always.” He glanced at Merida, assessing. “If she’s to learn our ways, better she starts by seeing them firsthand.”

“Agreed.” Aloy said, nodding. 

Zo brought over a steaming mug of tea and handed it to Merida. “For tonight, this should help you sleep. Don’t worry– no tech involved.”

Merida accepted it, eyeing the rising steam like it might turn into another hologram. “Bless you,” she murmured. “It’s been a strange day.”

Merida settled into a chair, as the others drifted off to their evening routines. Aloy lingered at the central console, checking the weather reports GAIA projected overhead. A storm front moving east. Machines migrating along the ridge path. Nothing too dangerous– but enough to keep her alert. 

Kotallo joined her, brushing his arm against hers. “You intend to outfit her properly?” he asked. 

Aloy nodded. “She’ll need armor, tools, a weapon she can actually use here. And maybe a crash course on not calling everything ‘magic’.”

Kotallo’s mouth curved faintly. “Paitence, Huntress. You’ve trained more stubborn souls.” 

Aloy huffed a laugh. “Yeah, and most of them ended up saving my ass a few times. So maybe she’ll fit right in.” 

Across the room, Merida had dozed off in her chair, the empty mug still cradled in her hands. The flicker of holo-light caught in her curls, turning them fire-bright.

Aloy looked at her for a long moment, then turned back to Kotallo. “We’ll leave early. The less attention we draw, the better.”

“Understood.” he said.

Aloy called softly to Beta. “Get with GAIA, set up an updated perimeter check around the base. And Erend– try not to break anything while we’re away.”

Erend’s muffled voice came from around the corner. “No promises!”

Aloy shook her head, smiling despite herself. “Same old.”

By the time the lights dimmed for the night, the plan was set.

Tomorrow, they’d head out into the wilds– Aloy, Kotallo and Merida. And as Aloy watched a storm build over the horizon, she felt the familiar flicker of purpose stir in her chest. 

A new world had crossed into hers– and for once, she wasn’t trying to save it. She was helping someone embrace it. 

Merida.

The base had gone quiet. GAIA’s lights had dimmed to a gentle amber glow, the soft hum of generators the only sound left awake. Merida stirred in the chair, the remnants of Zo’s tea cold beside her. 

For a long moment, she sat blinking at the unfamiliar walls, disoriented. The hum of hidden machinery seemed to thrum beneath her skin. With a groggy sigh, she rose, her joints stiff from the awkward sleep.

She remembered the corridor Zo had shown her earlier and shuffled through it, passing softly glowing doors that opened at her approach. One being Aloy’s room, where she slept soundly with her head pillowed against Kotallo’s shoulder in a rare moment of peace. 

Her room was simple but warm– metal walls softened by drapes of cloth and dim lights.  She collapsed onto the bed without even pulling back the covers. Within minutes, the strangeness of the day melted into sleep. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When she woke, the light filtering through the ceiling was pale blue and gold, as if dawn itself had been caught behind glass. The low murmur of voices carried from down the hall– laughter and metal clinking– the sounds of life. 

Merida sat up, blinking. She looked around as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes– somebody had been in her room. On the small desk near the wall lay a neatly folded outfit:a simple woven tunic dyed rust red, reinforced leggings, and a short leather vest marked with subtle metallic threading– clearly Aloy’s garment.

Merida smiled faintly. “A fine gift, that.” she murmured. 

The fabric was lighter than anything from her world, but it fit comfortably. The vest’s trim shimmered faintly when it caught the light, hinting at something more than mere leather.

When she stepped into the common room, the others looked up. Zo was brewing tea again, Erend leaned against the console with a grin, and Beta was tinkering with a small Focus interface.

“Morning, stranger,” Erend said. “Sleep well, or did the hum of our fine metal cave keep you up?”

Mrida smirked. “I’ve slept through worse. ThoughI’ll never get used to walls that breathe.”

Zo chuckled softly. “You’ll find they’re good company once you stop expecting them to talk back.”

Before Merida could reply, movement drew her eye– Aloy and Kotallo emerging from the hallway. Aloy’s hair was half-tamed, copper strands escaping like sparks, and Kotallo wore the faintly smug expression of somebody trying not to be too obvious.

Aloy’s gaze flicked over Merida, and a smile tugged at her lips. “Fitting in already. Glad it fit.”

Merida flushed slightly, though her grin answered the tease. “You’ve got a good eye for measurements." 

“Comes with the job,” Aloy said dryly, grabbing food from the counter.

Breakfast was quick– a handful of smoked roots, dried fruit, and Zo’s tea passed around the table. GAIA’s voice filled the background, confirming clear weather for their journey. Then, just like that, it was time to go. 

The morning air was crisp and clean, the sky streaked with pale blue and gold. Merida had seen forests before, but not like these– trees grown through the bones of metal towers, vines hanging like banners from old broken machines.

Kotallo led the way, his steps steady and sure. Aloy followed just behind, scanning the path ahead through her Focus. Merida trailed close, eyes wide with wonder.

They spoke little as they traveled. Words felt small beside such vastness. By midday, the air had grown warm and the hum of machines began to pulse through the distance. Aloy raised a hand, motioning for silence.

“Chargers,” she whispered. “And a few Scroungers.”

Merida tensed, hand flying to her bow. 

“Not this time,” Aloy said, pointing toward the nearby tree. “Up. Stay still and stay quiet until we clear them.” 

Merida’s pride bristled, but one look at the shifting shadows of metal horns beyond the trees was enough. She climbed quickly, settling into the crook of a sturdy branch, bow in hand. 

Below, Aloy and Kotallo moved like seasoned hunters– precise, wordless. The herd grazed among the ruins of an old roadway, mechanical hooves sparking faintly on stone. Merida used the opportunity to use her Focus, with it she identified three Scroungers prowling nearby, their sensors twitching. 

Aloy notched an arrow, the faint whine of her weapon’s energy coil singing through the air. Kotallo moved opposite of her, blade gleaming. 

The fight was fast and clean. A flash of red light, a spray of sparks, and the Scroungers went down one by one. The Chargers scattered, then settled again once the threat passed.

From her perch, Merida watched in awe– these strange warriors fighting beasts of steel with a precision that was almost… beautiful. 

When it was done, Aloy waved her down. “All clear!”

Merida climbed down, landing on whisper soft feet. The smell of scorched metal hung in the air. 

“What’re you doin’?” she asked, watching as Aloy knelt beside a fallen machine and began removing parts. 

“Scavenging,” Aloy said. “Everything’s useful out here.” She held up a glimmering piece of metal, its surface etched with intricate lines. “Trade goods– enough of these, and we can get you outfitted properly.”

Kotallo added another component to their pack. “And Thornmarsh’s traders value machine hearts more than metal shards these days.”

Merida watched as they worked, wondering if she would ever get to hunt and scavenge for herself. “You take what the land gives you.” she said softly. “While even it bleeds metal.”

Aloy glanced up, meeting her gaze. “And we still find a way to live off its bones.”

Chapter Text

Sorry it's been so long since an update! I've been replaying Horizon Zero Dawn, and will be following up with Forbidden West. I'll be doing that before writing any further cause there are some things I want to fact check(and I wanted another reason to replay!) some things before posting. Fear not, I do have more coming! Enjoy the break, check in semi regularly, I'll be updating this chapter with my progress if there's a change to share.

Much love,

Mari.<3