1. Prologue - Ashes of the World by Angelinasway [Reviews - 0] (2072 words)

Hello everyone,

I started this fic a few weeks ago. It’s been a long time since I last wrote for this ship. My absence was partly due to issues within the fandom, such as controversy surrounding Joss and some unfavorable reviews, which I understand entirely. Over the past fifteen years, I have grown a lot as a writer.

For those of you following my Horizon time travel fic, do not worry. That is my number one priority at the moment. However, this idea popped into my head, and I couldn't let it go.

I specifically wanted to write this fic because the alternate world in this crossover closely relates to our current situation and what the future might look like thirty-five years from now. This fic isn’t just about my return to Spuffy; it also serves as a cathartic exploration of a possible future and a world worth fighting for someday.

So, without further ado, here it is: my Spuffy Horizon Forbidden West fic.

Pairings: Spike/Buffy and Aloy/Kotallo
Fandoms: Horizon Zero Dawn/Forbidden West and Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Please note that any character deaths mentioned happened long ago.

As for Betas, I have a couple of close friends reviewing this.

And for my disclaimer, I want to say that I own nothing but enjoy playing in the sandbox.

Also, the beautiful new banner is artist is credited to Harmony99 over on Elysian Fields.

I hope you all enjoy this! I really wanted to introduce you to this world. Aloy and Buffy are very similar.

2. Chapter One - Reach for the Stars by Angelinasway [Reviews - 0] (6061 words)

Hello everyone,

I actually received Chapter Two the same day I posted the Prologue, so I had this ready a few days ago. However, I wanted to take a moment to explain the world you’re about to enter, so I’ve written a quick overview for you. I also wanted to capture some good screenshots from the game to create a moodboard, which took some additional time.

I also want to thank all of you for your wonderful reviews; they truly made my day.

Just a heads-up, I don’t own the characters in this, but I love playing around in the desert. Also, most of the dialogue is lifted from the start of Horizon: Forbidden West.

For those of you who have played the game, feel free to skip this section.

Horizon Zero Dawn and the World's Overview - How We Got Here:

In the 21st century, inventor Ted Faro was praised for creating robots that could heal the environment, with help from Dr. Elisabet Sobeck. However, his empire eventually shifted toward making war machines, which Elisabet couldn’t morally accept, leading her to resign. The machines Faro developed were self-replicating and self-fueling robots powered by biomass. When these machines went rogue, nothing could stop them. In just 16 months, the Faro Plague wiped out all life on Earth.

Humanity's only hope came from Dr. Elisabet Sobeck, who designed Project Zero Dawn. This plan was not a weapon to fight the rogue machines; instead, it aimed to rebuild the Earth afterward. At its core was GAIA, a master artificial intelligence, along with nine subprograms designed to restore the atmosphere, regrow plants, reintroduce animals, and eventually raise new humans from genetic stock kept in hidden facilities.

To guide future humans, Sobeck’s team of top scientists—known as the Alphas—created APOLLO, a vast archive of knowledge. But Ted Faro betrayed them. Afraid of being remembered as the man who destroyed the world, he deleted APOLLO and killed the Alphas, ensuring that future generations would live in ignorance. By 2068, the swarm had wiped out the last traces of life on Earth, and humanity was extinct, except for those who had hidden in bunkers.

Meanwhile, an ultra-wealthy group called Far Zenith launched the Odyssey, a colony ship heading for Sirius. Shortly after launch, it was reported to be destroyed, with everyone aboard lost.

Centuries later, Elisabet’s plan was successful. She restored the biosphere, released machines to maintain balance, and humanity was reborn from the Cradle facilities. Without APOLLO to guide them, these humans formed tribes—the Nora, Carja, Oseram, and Banuk—who worshipped GAIA’s technology as divine.

For nearly a thousand years, GAIA supported life. However, a mysterious signal caused her subprograms to become autonomous. One of them, HADES, which was designed to restart terraforming if necessary, turned hostile. In an effort to stop HADES, GAIA self-destructed, but not before creating a genetic clone of Elisabet Sobeck. This child, named Aloy, was found and raised as an outcast in the Nora Sacred Lands.

Aloy grew into a skilled hunter. She uncovered the truth about her origins, learned about the ancient world, and fought against the Eclipse, a fanatical cult serving HADES. Alongside allies from various tribes, she defeated HADES in the Battle of Meridian, saving life from extinction once again.

However, just six months later, the world started falling apart. Machines grew more aggressive, deadly storms swept across the land, and a strange red blight spread, choking fields and forests. Without GAIA, the biosphere was declining. Aloy was running out of time, and if she couldn't find a copy of GAIA soon, nothing would remain.

3. Chapter Two - Blood and Awakenings by Angelinasway [Reviews - 0] (4976 words)

Hello everyone! I am thrilled to introduce this chapter to you. The ending is very emotional, and I even found myself crying a little while writing it. I hope you love it as much as I enjoyed creating it. Thank you all for your wonderful reviews!

In this chapter, you'll get a glimpse of the beliefs of Aloy’s and Varl’s tribes, but not the full picture—without giving away too much. Each tribe has its own political system, and all are connected to the Old Ones, which influences their beliefs. For example, the Nora tribe functions as a matriarchy and has remained within the ruins of the Cradle facility, where many tribes originated. For years, they believed that their Goddess was the gateway through which humans entered the outside world. In reality, androids raised their ancestors until resources to support them ran out, forcing the androids to release them. Varl has come to interpret their beliefs in this light, realizing that what they call the All-Mother is actually GAIA.

Again, I own nothing. Exploring the desert and forest is just fun.

4. Chapter Three - Threads of Immortality by Angelinasway [Reviews - 0] (9108 words)

A few quick notes. I am very excited about this chapter! *Clears throat* *Blushes* It’s been a long time since I wrote a smut scene, so please tell me what you think. I’m pretty happy with it, even though it's not extraordinarily long or detailed.

I’m also going to label this chapter dub-con, simply because at one point Spike is underwater, and well. It’s after you come and you're too sensitive, but he keeps going anyway. So yeah, it's dub-con because consent isn't given, but Buffy’s not upset afterward.

I know Aloy might seem a bit annoying here for refusing to blindly believe what Buffy is telling her, but she’s been through a lot. Over the past few years, her world has been turned upside down, and it's being turned even more now. So please bare with her, as she takes her own journey. I promise she will come around.

Thank you all for your wonderful reviews! I truly hope you enjoy this chapter.

Also, I want to thank Harmony99 for creating the beautiful new banner for this story.

As always, I don't own anything, but exploring the forest is fun.

Oh, I almost forgot. Credits to the song go to 'Nickelback' - 'If Everyone Cared'.

5. Chapter Four - Next Stop: Meridian by Angelinasway [Reviews - 0] (9645 words)

Hello everyone!

First, I want to thank you all once again for the wonderful reviews.

Secondly, I hope you enjoy this chapter. It's a long one, full of action, and I really enjoyed writing it. I hope you appreciate the adventure we’re embarking on as we finally move beyond the Zenith Facility.

Lastly, I want to note that I don’t own anything, but I do enjoy exploring the jungle.

6. Chapter Five - Reflections in Meridian by Angelinasway [Reviews - 0] (5668 words)

Hello everyone,

I really hope you enjoy this chapter. It’s been one of my favorites to write so far. I’m also much more satisfied with the smut scene I wrote compared to Chapter Three. (No pun intended) Thanks so much for the amazing reviews. They really keep my muse alive.

Speaking of my little fury bastard of a muse, I had no plans for the Avad and Aloy scene, but that SOB decided you all needed to understand Avad better than just Spike’s unreliable narrator POV. So, there is a scene that will help you understand not only Aloy but also Avad. I hope you guys like that too. One thing I may not have made clear in the last chapter is that Avad is an excellent king. He isn’t power-hungry, and he cares deeply for his people and all peoples, if I’m being honest. He’s spent the past three or four years trying to make amends for the horror and sacrifices his father spread across several tribes for nearly fifteen years. So, Spike’s first impression of Avad is completely unreliable, especially in this world.

Anyway, as always, I don’t own anything, but playing in the palace is fun.

7. Chapter Six - The Ghosts of Civilization by Angelinasway [Reviews - 0] (8042 words)

Hello everyone,

Thank you for the reviews and likes! I hope you all enjoy the new chapter. I really enjoyed writing Spike in this; it was a lot of fun.

As always, I own nothing, but I do enjoy playing in the desert.

8. Chapter Seven - Echoes Across the Daunt by Angelinasway [Reviews - 0] (8039 words)

Thanks, everyone, for your likes and comments! I don’t have much to add, but I hope I’ve answered some of your questions. I can imagine this chapter might have raised even more questions, though, haha! Please be patient; we’re not too far from the big reveal.

As always, I don't own anything; I just enjoy exploring the valley.

9. Chapter Eight - No Rest for the Chosen by Angelinasway [Reviews - 1] (10303 words)

first, I would like to express my gratitude to everyone for your likes and comments on this fic. You all are truly inspiring and continue to fuel my creativity.

Secondly, much of the dialogue in this chapter is directly from the game, so I want to clarify that no copyright infringement is intended. I also want to mention that I thoroughly enjoyed writing this chapter; it’s one of my favorites so far. Bringing these characters together was an absolute joy. Although Kotallo isn’t directly named in this chapter, you will get your first glimpses of him. We should take a moment to thank the incredible Noshir Dalal for bringing such a fascinating character to life. Even though he has only a line or two in this chapter, he has quickly become one of my favorites in the Horizon franchise.

Lastly, you will gain valuable insights into the history and background of both the Carja and Tenakth, explaining why they were enemies for so long. I hope you all enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.

As always, I own nothing, just like playing in the desert.

10. Chapter Nine - Frontier of Ghosts by Angelinasway [Reviews - 1] (8347 words)

Hello, everyone! I have a bit of a surprise for you all. This chapter turned into a monster while I was writing it because I'm incredibly excited about the big reveal and what’s to come. I ended up writing nearly twenty thousand words, so I had to split the chapter in half. Today, you will receive Chapter Nine, and tomorrow or the day after, you will receive Chapter Ten.

Unfortunately, for those who enjoy Buffy’s and Spike’s points of view, you will have to wait until after these two chapters to learn more about their inner thoughts. However, there is some significant bonding between Spike and Aloy in these chapters, along with a lot of relevant history. I hope you enjoy my explanations and start to learn much more about who Aloy is.

Thank you all for your likes and reviews; they truly inspire me.

As always, I own nothing. I just enjoy playing in this sandbox.

11. Chapter Ten - The Seed and the Signal by Angelinasway [Reviews - 1] (9003 words)

Additionally, I hope this chapter provides you with more information about HADES. He was part of the extinction protocol, meant to be used only at the start of terraforming if the Earth was not yet ready for renewal. So, whatever this signal was, it corrupted not only GAIA but all her subordinate functions, making them self-aware when she destroyed herself. I also hope you enjoy the bonding moments between Spike and Aloy, and get a better glimpse into who she is.

Thank you all for your amazing likes and reviews. I read every one of them, and they truly inspire my creativity.

As always, I own nothing; I just enjoy exploring the ruins.