A/n: Part 3 of 4 in my Horizon: Zero Dawn crossovers! I got carried away with this one and it's over 4,000 words. hope y'all enjoy!! Love you all!!!
~✨Celestial✨~
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~3rd Person POV~

"How long have we been here?" Gladio asked with a slight snarl.

"A day," Ignis replies.

The four friends woke up to find themselves imprisoned in an unknown world. They've only seen one person, learning they were part of something called the 'Shadow Carja'. The clothing they wore was awfully strange, nothing someone would wear on Eos.

"Do we even know where we are?" Prompto questioned.

"Not a single clue. We need to find a way out of here," Noctis growls as he tries to break the bars of the cell.

"We can't even summon a single weapon," Gladio huffs in annoyance. Noctis sighs in disbelief, his head now resting on the cold metal.

Another hour passed when suddenly they heard the sound of scuffling above them. The guard on watch near the cell got to his feet with a bow in hand and ran up the stairs. The companions flew to their feet and tried to see if they could spot anything. The only sounds they could hear were yelling, explosions, and the sounds of bodies falling one by one.

"Whoever is causing such a skirmish is doing quite well," Ignis comments.

"Get her!" They heard a man shout just above. More screams filled the air around them.

"Maybe she's friendly?" Prompto ponders.

"Or she's not," Noctis said.

Gladio eyed the top of the stairs just as another member of the Shadow Carja entered. "How do you the Nora girl?!" He barks at them.

"What the hell are you talkin' about?" Gladio snaps back.

"The Nora girl who controls machines! How do you—" The man didn't get to finish his sentence before a spear impaled him from behind. Blood poured from his chest as the spear was yanked from his body. When the man fell, the boys' gazes were glued to a young girl around their age. She wore a completely different set of clothing from the other men in the camp.

She was silent as she unlocked the cell to free them. Once out, they kept their eyes on the girl as she slung her bow across her back and held her spear in one hand. "What tribe do you hail from?" Hearing her speak snapped the boys back to reality.

"Uh, tribe?" Noctis asked. She nods, waiting for an answer. "We're not from a tribe."

"If you're not from a tribe, where is your home?"

"We live in the city of Insomnia. Do you... do you know where we're talkin' about?" Prompto puzzled.

She shook her head. "The only city you'll find is Meridian. By your clothes, I can tell you're not from the Cut, either."

"What if we said we're not from this world?" Gladio asked with curiosity. He was eager to see how she would answer.

"I'd believe you. If you've seen the things I have, nothing sounds crazy anymore."

"Then, you'll help us?" Prompto asked with a hopeful smile.

She nods and smiles back. "I'm (Y/n). Nice to see friendly faces out this far from Meridian, especially since we're is Shadow Carja territory." The boys introduced themselves to their savior and followed her up the stairs.

"Assuming by your words, this territory is hazardous," Ignis said.

(Y/n) nodded and placed her hands on her exposed hips. "The safest place close to here would be a campfire a few miles down the dirt path. We're currently near their capital—Sunfall. We should leave before—"

"There you are—the little Nora girl who controls machines! Where's your mechanical friend now?" A remaining Shadow Carja taunts. The boys watch as (Y/n) rolls her eyes and whistles. Out of nowhere, a machine appears behind him.

The man didn't even have time to scream as the machine tore into him. Prompto jumped and hid behind Gladio in fear that the machine would pounce on them next. "W-What's that thing?"

"A Stalker. It's one of many types of machines that prowl the Sundom," (Y/n) replies just as the machine makes it way over to them. "This one won't hurt you. I've overridden its software and now it sees us as allies."

"So, it's not gonna kill us?" Prompto asked, making sure it wasn't too good to be true.

"Not unless I reverse the override."

"P-Please don't," Noctis begs along with his blonde friend.

"Wasn't planning on it. Now, let's head to that campfire."

"Lead the way," Gladio said. With (Y/n) leading them away from the Shadow Carja camp, they safely made it to the campfire in less than an hour. Since the sun was setting, they decided to rest for the night.

Noctis, Prompto, and Ignis were able to fall asleep, but Gladio was still having a hard time trying to keep his eyes closed. His amber gaze fell upon (Y/n) as she was the one to take up watch for the entire night. With a grunt, he stood up and joined the girl as she stared across the blowing sands of the desert.

"Can't sleep?" She asked, not even looking at him.

"Yeah," he admits.

"Not surprised. Being from a different world and not knowing the dangers of the new one you're thrown into will keep you up. I am surprised that the others are sleeping peacefully."

Gladio chuckles deeply before gazing to where her eyes were. A few machines were stomping around, their lens lit up with an ominous blue glow. The silence was peaceful and comforting. After a few minutes, Gladio broke the tranquility. "Thanks for helpin' us back there. Afraid we weren't goin' to get any help."

"You're welcome. I overheard a few Shadow Carja talking about how they picked up men with strange clothing. Curiosity got the best of me and I infiltrated their camp."

"Glad you did," Gladio smiles at the younger girl. The both talked for an hour before he finally felt tired.

"Try to get some rest," she said, urging him back towards the warmth of the campfire as she picked up on his weariness.

"You sure you wanna take watch for the entire night?" He asked.

"I'll be fine. I've stayed up for days on end. Just rest, Gladio." Caving in at her gentle tone, he heads back to the campfire and closes his eyes. After a few minutes of deep thought, slumber takes over his mind.

-Next Morning-

Strangely, all the boys were well-rested. It seems they got more comfortable than they thought beside the warmth of the flames and were able to sleep through the night without disruption. No machines proved to be an issue as they prepared for the journey ahead.

"Hope you're ready for the long ride ahead," (Y/n) said with a smirk.

"Uh, "ride"?" Prompto muddled.

"We'll be needing three Broadheads. Riding machines will be much quicker than treading on-foot."

"We're gonna ride machines?" Noctis asked in bewilderment.

(Y/n) nods. "I'll be right back."

With her spear drawn, (Y/n) disappears down the sandy path. The boys watched as she vanished from sight, the blowing sands covering her tracks.

"With (Y/n)'s help, will we be able to survive?" Prompto asked.

"No doubt about it. We'll be fine as long as we follow her lead," Gladio replied.

"I agree. Her vast knowledge of the lands and their adversaries will assist us most greatly," Ignis said.

"She has a sister who'll help, too. It'll take us about two days to reach her homeland," Gladio informed.
The others eyed the brute, their brows raised slightly. "What?"

"How, pray tell, did you come by this information?" Ignis inquired.

"Chatted with her last night. Couldn't sleep," he admits. Noctis and Prompto grinned at the shield, stepping closer towards him as they picked up on his infatuation with their new friend. "You sure it wasn't because of somethin' else?" Prompto teases.

Gladio crosses his arms, unaware of what the two younger boys were getting at. "Why else would—" Then, it clicked. He sighs before glaring at them, bewildered by their accusation. He did have to admit (Y/n) was smart, resourceful, and beautiful, but they've only known the girl for a day.

"Whatever you say, Gladio. We can tell—even Specs noticed," Noctis snorts. "Just keep tellin' yourself it isn't love at first sight. You might actually convince yourself."

Tired of the prince's teasing, Gladio grabs Noctis and forces him into a headlock. He messed up his raven locks and grinned as the prince tried to escape his strong hold. After his dose of payback was fulfilled, he released Noctis and smacked him on the back. He cried out in pain at how hard Gladio had hit him.

"Please, refrain from breaking His Highness," Ignis said, adjusting his glasses.

"No promises," Gladio scoffs. "He's easy to break, like tearin' a blade of grass into two pieces."

"Hey!" Noctis shouts.

Gladio was about to make another remark, but ceased when he heard the sounds of machines close-by. Luckily, it was just (Y/n) returning, mounted on a machine's back with two others following her.

The machines follow her command and come to a complete halt when she reaches them. "Alright, which two of you are more familiar with riding?" Ignis and Gladio raised their hands slightly at her questions. "Good, you both will be in control while Noctis and Prompto choose someone to ride with. I'll take the lead and handle any hostile machines we attract."

"C-Can't one of us ride with you?" Prompto asked.

"Sorry, Prompto. If we were to get into trouble, I would distract the enemy and I can't have one of you with me. You'll be put in unnecessary danger."

"That's... a really good point," Noctis admits.

"Glad you see my reasoning. Now, choose who to ride with."

Ignis and Noctis mounted one Broadback while Gladio and Prompto climbed onto the other one. With a signal that they were ready, (Y/n)'s cheerful tone diminished to a more serious one. "Stay close and do not be intimidated by the other machines we will come across. With our mounts, we will be able to outrun any other machine. And one more warning: we will tread upon the territory of a Rockbreaker. If our presence awakens it, you must break away from me."

"Understood," Gladio responds to her orders.

"Then let's head out."

With (Y/n) in the lead, the boys had no fear. In just the little time they've known her, they could already put their trust and lives into her capable hands.

As hours of riding passed, (Y/n) came to a stop at another campfire that was located near a rushing river within a lush forest. She allowed the others to stretch, knowing they couldn't handle long rides on machineback like she could. As the others regained feeling in their legs and popped any stiff joints, (Y/n) began crafting corruption arrows. Prompto and Gladio peered over her shoulder as they saw the strange green glow from the tip of the arrow she was constructing.

"What's that?" Prompto asked.

"A corruption arrow," she simply responds.

Gladio couldn't handle the suspense and asked the one question both boys were itching to ask. "What does it do?"

(Y/n) smirks and beckons them to follow her. She leads the four to a patch of tall grass not far from their mounts. She gestured towards a herd of Longlegs that stalked a few yards away.

"Just watch," she whispers. With a notched corruption arrow, she fired it at the birdlike machine. With one hit, the machine turns its attention towards the other metallic beasts and begins attacking.

"As the name intends, it corrupts whatever it touches," Ignis murmurs, amazed by how quick the corruption festered.

"In this case, the Longleg's thinking process was corrupted, making it think the other machines were hostile," (Y/n) explains.

They all watch as the Longleg kills the last of its kind and turns back to normal. (Y/n) and the boys head back to their mounts to distance themselves before they were spotted.

"Never seen something like that. Do you have any other types of arrows?" Noctis asked eagerly.

"Besides corruption, I have fire, tearblast, freeze, shock, and, of course, normal hunting arrows."

"Tearblast?" Ignis asked, never have hearing the word before.

"The arrow utilizes a powerful compressed air blast to easily strip armor and components off machines. This allows access to the inner core, creating a visible weak point."

"Fascinating." The tactician was intrigued by the dynamics of such a device. With no more questions from the boys, they mounted their machines and continued their long journey.

Trading the lush forest for more desert-like landscape, everyone heard Prompto whine as red dust blew into his eyes. Noctis began to laugh, causing him to inhale a mouthful of sand and causing the prince to cough. Gladio chuckles deeply while Ignis sighed with a small eye roll.

The laughing ceases when (Y/n) harshly brought her mount to a sudden halt. Ignis and Gladio followed suit, waiting for her to say anything. They watched as her body stiffened along with the shaking of the ground beneath them. She snapped her head towards them and began whispering. "Find a place to hide—away from here. You'll be in a safe place once you no longer feel the ground shaking."

When Gladio heard her, he hopped off the Broadhead just before it charged off. Prompto gave his a look of bewilderment as he was now in control of the machine. Ignis and Noctis knew exactly what the shield was planning but allowed him to act upon his crazy scheme. (Y/n) turned her machine around so she could face him. "What are you doing, Gladio? You've no idea what you're up against!"

"I don't, but you do. Tell me all you know 'bout this thing," Gladio demands, refusing to leave her side. Picking up on his stubbornness, (Y/n) dismounted her Broadback and handed over her spear. "You're gonna need this. A Rockbreaker is a large Terra-former machine. It's capable of fast maneuvers under and above ground. The moment it detects you, it will attack. If you're with me, I'm gonna need you to destroy the four components on its feet. You'll be within close proximity—watch out for its lunges and drill. Once you've destroyed the components, that'll prevent the machine from tunneling underground. I will do all I can to draw its attention and destroy the remainder of its components."

Gladio gladly took the spear, shocked to feel how heavy it actually was. Though it wasn't as heavy or had a large blade like his greatsword, he knew it was more than enough to work with. "Gotcha covered, (Y/n). Any other warnings?"

"Flying rocks. Definitely flying rocks."

Gladio chuckled, noticing her disdain with the projectiles. "Let's go kill this bastard."

(Y/n) nods and they both close in on the Rockbreaker. Gladio watches as she notches a tearblast arrow and distances herself from him. She nimbly climbed a tall rock formation to fire her arrow. Releasing the projectile, it embedded into the ground only a few feet from Gladio. He stayed hidden in the tall grass as the tearblast rang out. The rumbling grew in magnitude as the machine bursted through the surface.

The mole-like metallic beast eyed (Y/n) closely. Gladio closed in on its front right foot and took out the component in one swing. Before it could detect him, the young girl shot another tearblast arrow at its back to keep its attention on her. The Rockbreaker shot rocks out of its mouth, forcing the girl to run and take cover. With it spewing enormous stones, Gladio took out the back right component. At that sensation, the machine dove underground.

Gladio moves to another patch of tall grass, awaiting for the metal creature to pop its ugly head above ground again. Luckily, the animalistic animatronic reared its head to Gladio's right, exposing the two remaining tunneling components. Without hesitating, he raised the spear and knocked off the back left one. Before he could strike the last one, the machine whipped its body around and knocked him back. His breath was siphoned from his lungs at the heavy hit it delivered.

(Y/n) saw Gladio's predicament and charged directly at the machine. He tried to tell her to stay away, but no sound came from the man. The only thing he could do was hunch over in pain. The Rockbreaker retreated back underground just as (Y/n) released a normal arrow. Gladio was finally able to get back onto his feet before (Y/n) could reach his side. Only a few yards apart, the girl was forced to stop when the machine emerged between them. With its mechanical jaws open wide, it lunges for the (h/c) haired woman.

Gladio's eyes widen in horror at the sight, her name slipping from his lips in desperation. "(Y/n)!"

With a fire arrow already drawn, (Y/n) releases the arrow into the Rockbreaker's open mouth and rolled out of the way just as the machine fell to the ground with a loud thud, quaking their surroundings. An explosion erupted from the artificial creature's mouth, exactly where (Y/n) had shot it.

"Nice shot," Gladio compliments, finally able to breathe properly.

"Thanks. Are you okay?" (Y/n) asked as she placed a gentle hand on his bicep.

"Yeah, still a little winded from that hit, though." Gladio handed her spear back. "I'm gonna need one of these."

(Y/n) laughs as she hooks the spear to her back. "I'll keep that in mind when we make it to the Sacred Land."

Gladio smiles, enjoying the moment alone with her. Then, it's ruined when a certain boisterous blonde shouts out. "That was awesome!" Noctis, Prompto, and Ignis saddle up to them.

"I've never witnessed such marksmanship," Ignis compliments.

"I've been training since I was five. Aloy and I were inseparable, always sneaking out and doing some extra training," (Y/n) beams.

"Is that your sister?" Noctis inquires.

(Y/n) nods, her smile suddenly falling from her lips. "I do want to warn you before we enter my homeland. My sister and I are... outcasts."

The boys were all taken aback. "How? You've been really kind and friendly to us," Prompto said.

"Well... we were found without any parents. No names, no notes, no anything. Rost, our caretaker, found us and took us in. He was kind enough to give us names. But... he was killed a few months ago. Now, we're all alone."

They couldn't believe their ears. Prompto felt guilty for asking the question. Gladio sent a sympathetic gaze her way, Noctis doing the same. Ignis was still in disbelief that she was an outcast just because she didn't have parents.

"Anyways, we should be at the next campfire within a couple of more hours. I know you all must be worn out from such a long riding," (Y/n) said, changing the subject.

"Y-Yeah, let's go," Noctis agreed. (Y/n) whistled for her mount, the Broadback answering her call. Without a second thought, Gladio mounted the machine right behind (Y/n). The girl didn't protest, she welcomed him. With a smile, (Y/n) glances over her shoulder and up at Gladio, mentally thanking him for the small comfort of his presence.

As (Y/n) had promised, they arrived at the next campfire a couple of hours later. On the way, Gladio has chatted nonstop with the girl. They shared everything about their worlds, comparing and contrasting all the details they could. Dismounting the machine, Gladio grabbed (Y/n) by the arm. She turned to face him, her head slightly tilted to the side. "You've a cut on your head."

(Y/n) tapped her finger against her forehead, a slight sting from when she touched the wound. "It's a small wound. It'll heal on its own."

"Sounds like something two idiots I know would say," Gladio said, eyes glued to Noctis and Prompto. "We've gotta clean it. Is there a stream nearby?" (Y/n) nods and points to their right. Without another word, Gladio dragged the girl to the small stream just east of the campfire. Forcing her to sit on a rock near the stream, Gladio took a small piece of cloth from his pocket and soaked it in the cold water. He kneels in front of her and dabs the wet cloth against the cloth. (Y/n) winces from the cold touch and sting once the soft material made contact with her minor injury.

"I didn't even notice the cut 'til now," (Y/n) said, breaking through the silence.

"When did you get it?" He asked.

"Probably when the Rockbreaker spewed rocks. One of the smaller stones must've clipped me."

"You talk as if this is a normal day for you," Gladio chortles.

"It isn't a normal day if I haven't killed something."

"Talk about a perfect match," Noctis grins as he emerges from the foliage. "Gladio says the same thing."

"Noct," Gladio scolds.

The prince placed his hands up in defense as he stands next to his shield. "I was kinda curios 'bout something after seeing that... thing."

"Ask away, Noctis."

"Are there... bigger and more dangerous ones?"

"It'll be easier to show you." After Gladio finishes cleaning her cut, (Y/n) stood up and pressed something that was in her ear. As a holographic image of a machine appeared, Noctis and Gladio stared in awe. "The Thunderjaw. It's the most dangerous machine that prowls these lands. The combatant machine is forty-three feet tall, has six sensors on each side of its head, and twin cannons affixed to the sides of its mandibles." As she explained the machine to them, each part she pointed out was highlighted.

Gladio crosses his arms, his eyes drifting to (Y/n). "You know a lot about this thing. How many have you taken down?"

"Five of them. Luckily, they aren't found within the Sacred Land. Their parts also go for high amounts of metal shards or can be used as powerful mods."

Noctis sighs in relief. "That's good to hear."

"Damn, and I was hopin' for a challenge," Gladio clicks his tongue.

"Wasn't the Rockbreaker enough for you?" (Y/n) asked with a smirk.

"Wasn't one until it smacked me."

(Y/n) laughed and patted him on the chest. "You really wanna face a Thunderjaw?"

"Hell yeah. Is that an offer?" Gladio raised an eyebrow.

"If you really wanna go against one, I have no quarrels."

"I'm holding ya to that, (Y/n)," he beams.

"Count it as a promise."

-A Few Weeks Later-

After the long journey back to the Sacred Land, (Y/n) happily provided shelter for the boys. With a little convincing, Aloy finally gave up and let them stay with her and (Y/n). Though they've only been here for a couple of weeks, the four were already comfortable with their new surroundings. They would accompany the sisters on hunts with weapons made specifically for them, handcrafted by (Y/n) herself. As promised, Gladio received a spear similar to (Y/n)'s, but his was more heavy and had a larger blade on the end. She even gladly modded it for him, as well.

One day, Gladio was the last to wake up. Walking out of the comfy hovel, he spotted (Y/n) with a Strider.

"Remember what I promised you?" She asked him.

"How could I forget?" He grins.

"Then hop on!" She shouts in excitement. On their way to the Sundom, (Y/n) explained how a Thunderjaw was on the loose and killing innocent people trying to reach the city of Meridian. Deep inside, Gladio was jumping in joy that she remembered such a promise. He wants to see how big and bad this treacherous machine really was with his own eyes.

Their destination took them near where they killed the Rockbreaker only weeks ago. Leaving the Strider behind, (Y/n) and Gladio stay hidden as the giant machine came into view.

The heavy footfalls of the bipedal machine shook the ground as they closed in. With a plan of attack from (Y/n), Gladio knew exactly where and when to be. No words were exchanged as they got into position. (Y/n) fired an arrow, drawing the Thunderjaw's attention. As its eyes turned red and prepared to fire at her, Gladio dashed in and shattered the left side cannon on its mandibles to pieces. The machine's full attention was now on the shield. He dodged each attack until it quaked the ground with one stomp from its leg. Gladio fell, the Thunderjaw aiming its remaining cannon at him.

While trained on him, the artificial beast didn't notice (Y/n) until she had jumped on its head. With her own spear, she tore the second cannon off and moved to its back. The machine tried to shake her off, but couldn't budge her. She targeted the canisters on its back and released a fire arrow at each one. (Y/n) nimbly jumped off the machine's back and grabbed Gladio hand, running away from the Thunderjaw.

Gladio was confused at why they were hiding behind a nearby rock, but his question was soon answered when a deafening explosion came from the animatronic. Parts flew everywhere as the Thunderjaw was dismantled from the fiery explosion.

(Y/n) smiled victoriously with a sigh. "Glad I was able to hop on its back. It provided access to—"

Gladio didn't let the girl finish her sentence before he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close, sealing her lips with his own. (Y/n) was in complete shock as he pinned her body between his and the rock. His other hand traveled to the back of her neck, deepening the kiss to a point where her legs grew weak. If it weren't for his arm around her waist, she would've fallen to the ground. After the shock vanished, (Y/n) kissed back with much more fervor than Gladio had thought she had in her.

After the passionate kiss, Gladio pulled away but kept (Y/n) pinned. "Been wanting to do that for awhile now." A grin crept across his face as he saw the embarrassment burning on her cheeks. (Y/n) couldn't look him in the eyes after such an intense kiss. "L-Let's go grab that heart."

"Right behind ya, Sweetheart."