Disclaimer: Silent Hill belongs to Konami. I make no money off this fanfic.
AN: This was inspired by a post a friend of mine made about Dahlia and Alessa. I've never done a drabble before, so I hope it turned out well. There is a minor about my AU, specifically Alessa's background, but it's nothing that major (for now).
Legacy
"Remember Dahlia, the Order must come first in your life, above all," Roberto Gillespie told the young girl next to him, looking at her appraisingly.
Seventeen year old Dahlia Gillespie nearly rolled her eyes. Her father was always lecturing her about their devotion to the church, as if he expected her to have no life whatsoever outside of it.
They were taking a stroll through Rosewater Park, the famous park in the South Vale section of Silent Hill. It was their tradition every Sunday, the one they took following the services at their church.
"Why do we have to find the Holy Mother? Isn't it enough that we worship God and spread the word to other places?" the teenager questioned.
The much older man gave her a look that bordered on the disgusted. She knew that look. It was a look that told her "you're so stupid", mocking her for her inability to understand every aspect of their religion her father expected her to grasp.
"You know that's not true," her father responded. "It doesn't matter what we do. As long as the world is in the shape it is, we are threatened."
"Our souls are threatened with corrupting influences. It's not enough to be devout followers when the world is in such a sorry state," the older man continued. But it was his next words that truly sent a shiver down her spine.
"The world must be cleansed with fire. There are too many unnecessary people walking around, and many of them are far too great unbelievers to be redeemed."
Dahlia wanted to disagree. She knew there were several nice people around town who weren't part of The Order. But then, her father was more experienced. Maybe he was right.
Who was she to disagree?
"But why do we need to bring Paradise, Mama?" Seven year old Alessa Gillespie questioned of her mother.
Dahlia Gillespie sighed. "Because the world has become corrupt. It needs to be swept away, to make room for something new. Only then will the unbelievers be punished for their sins."
"But what about the people who aren't bad?" Little Alessa asked.
"There are no such people, Alessa," Dahlia told her. "Everyone's a sinner outside of Silent Hill. Only those in our order are the ones who retain any sense of purity."
Alessa was silent as she considered that. She knew that not everybody was bad. Her 'parents', the ones chosen by Dahlia herself to protect her from the Traitorous One, were good people. But then, there were the children at her playground, who were definitely not good people. And there were their parents too, who let them become like this without making any effort to stop them.
Maybe she was right. Maybe the world did need to be cleansed.
"What you're about to see has rarely been seen by human eyes," Thirty-nine year old Chris Summers told his daughter.
Alessa Summers nodded. The teenager followed her father into the darkened chamber. And when she saw what it was that waited there, her mouth fell open in shock.
"What it is?" Alessa asked in a half-awe stricken, half-horrified voice.
"This is the master of the world. It is because of Ragnorak that we are still alive," Chris answered solemnly. "You should feel honored. Only a few human beings have the privilege of laying eyes on The Ancient One," he told her.
Alessa struggled to keep her eyes on her eyes on the writhing mass of flesh that filled the entire chamber. It was unbelievably massive by anyone's standards, looking like something out of one's worst nightmares. The creature gave a groan that rumbled through the ground, a grunt of acknowledgement to her presence.
"What does he do?"
"He protects me, from the God of our hometown, and the demons he has under his employment. He will protect you, now that you're with me," Chris responded.
"And what does he demand in return?"
Chris looked at another part of the chamber. And to Alessa's horror, there was a man tied up between two posts, bound in chains, wearing only a ripped pair of trousers.
Alessa stretched out with her senses, and recoiled when she felt the person's nature. The man was a murderer and rapist, remorseless over his crimes, with absolutely no chance for redemption.
"There are some criminals that can't be helped in my line of work. Ragnorak makes good use of them," Chris responded. His words carried the weight of untold depth.
Alessa understood. She fought the urge to shiver under the morbid sight, though her body trembled nonetheless. Now the pieces were complete. This man was a sacrifice. Her father brought to him the unworthy, and in return, Ragnorak protected him from the gods of their hometown.
She supposed she should have been horrified. Yet, there was a curious thing preventing her from doing so. Alessa stared at the onyx body of Ragnorak. Somehow she felt safe when she regarded him, almost like he was casting some protective veil over her. She had never felt such warmth from a deity before. It was beautiful on the inside, regardless of its monstrous exterior.
Chris held out a hand to her. "Join me. All he needs is a sign of your devotion," he told her.
Alessa steeled her mouth in a firm line. If this was what she needed to do to protect herself from the cult's God, then so be it.
Taking her father's hand, she did the only rational thing in this situation.
Alessa bowed to the Ancient One.
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