Before the Proving (Aloy x Fem!Reader)
Fandom: Horizon Zero Dawn/Forbidden West
Warnings: None (maybe bad grammar)
Summary: It is three days before the Proving. After many months on concentrating fot training you and Aloy decided to met.
It is a sunny morning. „(Y/N) breakfast is ready!“ my mother says. I get out of bed and make myself ready for the day. I go downstares and sit down on my chair „Good morning, mom.“ I greet my mother. My mother smiles and hands me my plate. I start eating. „You really want to do this?“ mother asks me all of a sudden. I know exactly what she is referring to „Yes, mother I wanna do the Proving. I want to become a brave.“ I answer determined. She sighs and looks out the window, lost in thoughts. I don´t know why but ever since I first told her I want to be in the Proving she was against it. She tried to change my mind everyday but I´m going to do it. I want to prove to her that I am strong enough to protect myself and I want to stand next to my best friends side when she wins the proving. Aloy.
Aloy and I met often after our first encounter. Over the years we become best friends and we were very lucky that no one ever caught us or well caught me sneaking out. We haven´t seen each other in a long time since the Proving is right on our doorsteps and we wanted to train alot more. Even though we both trained hard, I´m sure she is going to win. She deserves it after all, being an outcast for so long. Today we agreed to meet. I´m happy to see her again and it even will be the last time I break the law. Which honestly is kinda interesting. I mean I got so used to sneak out that it will be weird to just be able to speak to her every day at any time, even with people around us. But still I am so excited.
I finish my breakfast and clean my plate. „I´m heading out and train.“ I tell my mother, who just nods and doesn´t look at me. It´s making me feel guilty but I have to do this. I want to prove myself. I hope after the Proving she can understand. I grab my bow and spear and head out.
I´m on my way to Aloy´s and mine secret place, making sure nobody sees me or follows me. As always I am the first to be there but I never minded. I sit down on the rock and wait for her. A few minutes later I hear „Hey there. Good to see you again.“ behind me. I turn around and see the redhead I waited for, well who else would it be. I rushed to her and take her in an embrace. „Wow. Someone´s happy to see me.“ she says in a teasing tone. „Oh, shut it. As if you weren´t happy to see me.“ I say „True.“ she answers. We saparate from the embrace and sit down on the rock I was sitting on before.
„So how was your training?“ Aloy started. I look at the ground „It was good. I trained as best as I can, though I definetely will not beat you or Bast or Vala.“ I say a bit defeated. Aloy looks at me „I may not know how they are but I´m pretty sure that you shouldn´t downplay your strength. I saw you training the other day. You are strong.“ She tells me with a serious look. I look at her and smile thankfully. She smiled back.
„Well enough about my training, what about yours?“ I ask. „It went well. Rost told me I´m ready, there is just one thing he has left to teach me. Which leaves me to a question I want to ask.“ I look at her curiously. „For this mission I quess… I need parts for fire arrows and I want your help. You know as training. And before you worry about us getting caught, I found a herd deep in the forest were nobody can see us.“ she explains. „Sure I would love to help.“ I smiled. Some extra training couldn´t hurt.
We are on our way, of course making sure no one sees us. „You know this is the first time we ever hunt machines together.“ I thought out loud. Aloy looks behind her to look at me „Well then it´s about time.“. I see the herd. Aloy ducks and goes into the tall grass, I follow right after. „I´m sneaking to the other side.“ I inform Aloy. She nods and I went on my way. On the other side I see Aloy. She gives me a signal. There are two Watchers, she shoots the one and I shoot the other. I nod aiming for the Watcher I´m supposed to shoot. I let go of my bow string and hit the Watcher in his eye. Looks like Aloy shot hers too. Now 6 Striders are left. We both sneak up on them and destroy every single one of them with a silent strike.
We collect the parts that we need. „Looks like we´re a good team.“ I say breaking the silence. „So it seems.“ Aloy replies, looking over to me and smiles. After we collected the parts, we made our way back to our secret spot. Of course as always looking around if there is anyone near. I´m gonna be honest I will be happy if we don´t have to be on guard anymore. Were we can just be ourselfs and not have worry about if someone catches us. Aloy may not be in big trouble and if I´m honest my punishment would be to become an outsider, which I actually wouldn´t mind but I can´t do that to my mother. She means everything to me. Don´t get me wrong I love to be a Nora and I have deep respect for our traditions, just not the concept of becoming an outsider and getting shunned from our community. „You know I have enough machine parts. You can have a few to make yourself fire arrows too.“ Aloy interrupts my thoughts. „Yeah that would be great.“ I answer taken aback.
We are back in our secret spot and sit on the rock, making our arrows. „Back there you seemed really distracted by your thoughts. What´s on your mind?“ Aloy asks. „It´s just my mother. She doesn´t like the idea of me participating in the Proving and I don´t want to disappoint her but I really want to do this.“ I reply looking into the distance. „I see. What does your father think?“ Aloy questions. My eyes went wide „Well… I never knew my father actually. One time I brought it up to my mom but she got really defensiv.“ I say a bit ashamed. „Sorry I didn´t know but why didn´t you say anything?“ Aloy says concerned looking at me. I sigh and look to the ground „You know I don´t like to talk about family with you, since I just don´t know my dad, while you don´t know… well… anything about your family.“ I say looking back at her, hoping I didn´t say anything wrong. She looks at me with sympathy but also destermination „That´s why I trained for the Proving, to finally find out. That doesn´t mean your family isn´t important. I actally like the stories you tell about your mother and you. And also I have Rost, I am not completely alone.“ Aloy says. I smile at her and then look back on the ground.
„How is it in Mothers Heart?“ Aloy asks trying to change the subject. I giggle „Well it´s loud and very crowded. I am happy to live in Mothers Watch.“ I answer honestly. „Wow, that makes me want to go even more.“ Aloy say in a sarcastic tone. I laugh „Sorry but I´m just saying the truth. But there are people who will welcome you, like my mothers friends… but there will also be alot people who will not accept you. Well at the start atleast.“ I tell her. „I figured“ Aloy says „but you only said your mothers friend, what about your friends? You never told me about your friendships in Mothers Watch or Mothers Heart.“. „Because there isn´t much to say. I talked to people my age a few times or if necessary and some were really nice but I don´t know. It never worked out I quess…“ I say thinking about it myself. „Then I am a lucky one.“ Aloy says in a joking way. I laugh „So it is.“ I joke back. and we both laugh.
„I have to head back. Finding out what Rost has planned for me.“ Aloy tells me. „I see, well than I see you tomorrow in Mothers Heart. The very “first“ time.“ I say. „Yeah that will be weird. Especially having to pretend we don´t know each other.“ Aloy replies already on her way out of our secret spot. I nod and wave her. She looks back one last time and smiles at me, then she disappears into the woods.
Tomorrow will certainly be an interesting day.
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