[u][b]Featured In:[/b][/u] Silent Hill, 1 and 3

[u][b]Name:[/b][/u] Cheryl "Heather" Mason

[u][b]Age:[/b][/u] 21 (17 in her game, and when starting)

[u][b]Gender:[/b][/u] Female

[u][b]Alignment:[/b][/u] Chaotic Good

[u][b]Personality:[/b][/u]
[i]"You don't have to call me that. I'm not hiding anymore. ... Cheryl. The name my father gave me."[/i]

Cheryl is moody, and prone to fits of anger when irritated, though she has learned to be more open to others through her first experience as an Interference, and has resolved not to let her rage control her. With others, she is slightly open to their fears, though can easily get aggravated if they are presented for an extended period of time in too much intensity. Very sarcastic, she has a sense of humor, even sometimes using others' embarrassment, or, on extremely rare occasions terror to joke around. Horrifying occurrences tend to either bring out her anger or psychologically numb her temporarily. Cheryl has a strong love for her adoptive father, Harry Mason, being very angry when others criticize him and extremely upset when she thinks about his passing.

Cheryl is fascinated by the paranormal, so long as this paranormal activity isn't out to kill her. She has at least a mild interest in literature, and is capable of understanding and even possibly quoting such works as those of Edgar Allan Poe and William Shakespeare. Though a one-time smoker, she has an aversion to cigarettes having quit for good. Cheryl has mild spectrophobia (fear of mirrors), feeling that her image in one is somehow false which could technically be true. She also has a hatred of hospitals, from her experiences with them and nurse monsters in her universe. She is not religious at all, though she does know that some form of a deity does exist in at least some universes due to her experiences. This lack of religious observance can be easily attributed to her experiences within her own game with the Order. However, Cheryl feels that others should believe what they feel they want to, so long as she or those close to her are not harmed due to their beliefs.

In her mentalscape remains the [url=http://silenthill.wikia.com/wiki/Valtiel]valve-turning creature Valtiel[/url], who merged with her upon revival. He is the source of the power to open the Otherworld, which will only happen in a time of extreme stress. The Agent of God is silent; anyone with a counterpart would only hear inhuman babbling and the sound of the turning valve. Only Cheryl could understand what he is actually saying, which only amounts to referring to her as "Alessa" and "Holy Mother," much to her irritation. He retains his role as a watchful guardian to Cheryl, his mere presence being the only thing keeping her alive. However, this is for his own intentions as the Agent of God, merely waiting for the opportunity for the Holy Mother to give birth to the Goddess once more.

Aside from her own personality and the malevolent Valtiel, Cheryl has another occupant to her mind: her prior incarnation, Alessa Gillespie. Rather than villainous, Alessa is a tragic, tortured soul in need of empathy and love. Much like Cheryl, she views trust very highly, and won't forget a good deed done to her. In fact, due to her lack of attachment to her own mother, Dahlia, Alessa treats those whom she trusts like family, including Claudia Wolf (initially), Lisa Garland, Douglas Cartland, Harry Mason, and some of Cheryl's own close friends. That said, she still views Cheryl's piece of mind and safety high above her own, and her methods of doing so can be rather extreme, extending to the point of using her power to keep Cheryl's memories in line with a new history in order to protect her from her involuntary role, with no thought to her temporary distress.

At her best, Alessa acts as a counterbalance to Valtiel, suppressing his influence through her own authority and trying to keep her later incarnation kind, though she admits that some of her actions are insane, and will occasionally say as much. At her worst, Alessa can be very vindictive and spiteful, her love for those she trusts being balanced out by her hatred for those who hurt her. In fact, the very Fog World and Otherworld of Silent Hill is a manifestation of her personal interpretation of her wrath at the town that gave her so much pain. Regardless of what side of her is shown, Alessa's determination is on par with Cheryl's own, and, even in her tortured existence, she refuses to be used and works hard to make that resistance into reality for as long as possible. Her wrath is most evident when she occasionally, with permission or through necessity, takes over her later incarnation's body in a formation known to them only as "Alessa Mode", completely ignoring any pain while fighting even harder than she normally could for a limited time.

[u][b]Powers[/b][/u]

Though Cheryl doesn't have any "proper" powers, she retains some supernatural ability of her own, due to being Alessa's reincarnation. She has some degree of premonition, exhibited by the nightmare she had of visiting the Lakeside Amusement Park, allowing her to avoid being run over by a roller coaster in her actual visit. She could also detect certain presences that are otherwise unknown to anyone else, like hearing the wail of a newborn after killing the God, or sensing a dangerous presence within several Interferences. As mentioned, due to Valtiel's place within her, she could involuntarily bring out an Otherworld shift when under a great deal of stress or extreme anger.

As also mentioned, depending on the situation, Alessa will take over in a form called "Alessa Mode." In this form, besides having a greater resilience to any sort of damage taken, she retains her darker abilities of psychokinesis, forming insubstantial barriers around herself and, in the most extreme case, killing her targets in the most brutal way possible with her mind. As stated, this form is limited and puts Cheryl in a weary state, verging on passing out once she regains control of herself.

[u][b]Abilities:[/b][/u]

Unlike some of her series' protagonists, Cheryl retains a degree of common sense, not crossing a bridge in a sewer without throwing a hair-dryer to kill the monster in the water, or turning off the roller coaster ride before crossing the tracks (or refusing to stick her hand down a toilet). Sometimes this can be lost when in a great deal of panic, and she'll sometimes go against it if it's the only requirement to get through certain areas (to which she'll make a comment on later). Depending on the situation, Cheryl can work well under pressure, even in the most dangerous situations.

After going through her game's events with virtually no training whatsoever, Cheryl has received some combat training from both the RGRC during her temporary opting out, and by Azumi during her visit in New City for close combat, also being trained in parkour by Abigail Walters in the latter. With this, she has become a combat pragmatist, using her newfound skills to disarm targets and throw them off when need be.

[u][b]Appearance:[/b][/u]

In the time that Cheryl has opted out, she has changed from [url=http://images.wikia.com/silent/images/b/b4/HeatherMason.png]how she looked in her main game[/url] to [url=http://images.wikia.com/silent/images/0/0f/Shsm_art_110508_18_adult_cheryl.jpg]her reimagined look[/url], save for some differences. She wears a pair of brown shoes suitable for travel, and wears a belt with holsters for her weapons, as well as one over her shoulder for the bigger stuff. Her jacket has added pockets on the outside, the same amount that her old vest did, and under the jacket is a bulletproof vest (read under equipment below). Around her neck in addition to the choker is [url=http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20090620072546/silent/images/a/a5/Aglaophotis1.jpg]the silver pendant that Harry had given her[/url], empty after its use in her game. She keeps this pendant hidden in her blouse, mainly to keep from losing it.

When in Alessa Mode, her whole appearance changes to looking like the [url=http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130326193931/silent/images/b/ba/15-012.jpg]Memory of Alessa[/url], complete with burnt, pale skin, Alessa's darker hair, and dirty clothes covered in soot. Her movements are more fluid, rather than the erratic limping, and her demeanor is eerily calm despite the wrath she bestows upon her targets.

Alessa meanwhile looks as she did [url=http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20120414095829/silent/images/9/91/AlessaGillespie.PNG]in the first game[/url], still appearing as a fourteen-year-old girl even if she's much older. Depending on her mood, she might change her appearance, looking as she did [url=http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20090401193123/silent/images/7/73/SHill_conceptart_3EtG7.jpg]when she was bandaged up[/url], or, in the case of her taking over in Alessa Mode, completely burned. When she feels the need to show her "holiness" and the full extent of her more controlled power, Alessa will also take the form that she personally associates with her town's God: that of a [url=http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20090219091731/silent/images/b/b4/Incubator.jpg]young woman[/url] with her straight, flat hair loose and down to approximately a quarter of the way down her back. She is barefoot, in a white gown with a round, high neck and the bottom reaching down just barely past her ankles. This dress also has long, wide sleeves that fan out toward the ends, covering her arms but leaving her hands free. In this "Incubator" form, she just as often floats as walks.

[u][b]Weapons:[/b][/u]

Her [url=http://silenthill.wikia.com/wiki/Handgun]handgun[/url] with the [url=http://silenthill.wikia.com/wiki/Stun_Gun]stun gun[/url] added in, modified by Cid. It was later modified by Kira to include the [url=http://masseffect.wikia.com/wiki/Elkoss_Combine]Edge IV pistol[/url], which was given to her by Isaac.

Melchior: An out-the-front switchblade on a gauntlet complete with a vambrace for armor that can be fitted under clothes, and is attached to the underside of the right arm. The blade itself is on a pivot mechanism, and, being formed of [url=http://silenthill.wikia.com/wiki/Knife#Silent_Hill_3]Cheryl's original switchblade,[/url] is not permanently attached, removable if she so desires. The blade is extended by flexing the wrist, allowing for quick, up-close assassinations. The main change in its function from the normal switchblade, however, aside from this method of operation, is that it can be manipulated sideways, turning it to point upwards or downwards depending on her fingers' pressure once extended to allow for close combat with an underhand or overhand grip. By relaxing the hand and releasing the blade, it is automatically retracted back into the sheath. It has been modified as well, with a [url=http://silenthill.wikia.com/wiki/Seal_of_Metatron]Seal of Metatron[/url] on the hilt and the blade, and a coating of [url=http://silenthill.wikia.com/wiki/Aglaophotis]aglaophotis[/url] on the blade itself to allow far greater damage to spirits, alongside the use as a kind of "exorcism blade" to expel spirits from targets if possessed or trapped within them. She obtained this blade from Greg, who constructed it himself using materials he had gathered in a trip to her homeworld of Silent Hill years prior.

[url=http://silenthill.wikia.com/wiki/Beam_Saber]Beam Saber:[/url] Once considered an unlockable weapon in her game, this lightsaber acts as a replacement for the katana. This was given to her by Kira, who crafted it with the metal of the [url=http://silenthill.wikia.com/wiki/Spear_of_the_Holy_Mother]Spear of the Holy Mother[/url] to include a bonus against supernatural foes.

[url=http://masseffect.wikia.com/wiki/Research#Shotguns]X-27[/url] [url=http://masseffect.wikia.com/wiki/M-27_Scimitar]Scimitar c:[/url] A shotgun obtained on the Normandy SR-2, with a moderate recoil, semiautomatic fire, and a fire rate of 100 RPM, but low in accuracy. Hence the name, it has been upgraded with added damage, shield piercing, and extra heat sink rounds.

[url=http://resistance.wikia.com/wiki/BM003_Razor]Bullseye Modified 003 Razor Assault Rifle (BM003 Razor):[/url] Though a rifle, the Razor functions similarly to the SMG she once had, obtained from a fallen Chimera Hybrid during the escape from Grateford Prison. This rifle, augmented with all available upgrades, is a British Army-modified version of a Chimeran Bullseye assault rifle with the ability to fire, as secondary fire, spinning discs of energy with remaining ammunition in a magazine with a charged shot that can ricochet off of surfaces to hit enemies, or alternately with energy-based rounds. With the explosive energy discs, they deal some extra damage when they disappear, exploding upon contact with an enemy and spinning fast enough to work akin to a buzz saw. The upgrades allow for the ability to fire up to three discs at once, the ammunition split between them, to aim at up to three enemies at once. If hit fast enough, the alternate fire can be detonated early, acting as a kind of grenade launcher that fires the saw's blades out in all directions from the point of detonation to cause additional harm or break down barriers. The upgrades have also changed the physical appearance of the gun, adding two small black bars of metal to her end of the gun on top for the explosive rounds upgrade, acting as iron sights for aiming purposes, and a very small black box like a computer monitor toward the back of the gun with the triple-saw upgrade, a yellow light shown to her.

[u][b]Equipment:[/u][/b]

[url=http://silenthill.wikia.com/wiki/Bulletproof_Vest]Bulletproof Vest:[/url] Though similar to the one in her home game, the vest that Cheryl wears was crafted by Cid to add to her equipment. The bulletproof vest acts as general protection, reducing the damage taken from enemies by a marginal amount, even moreso with blocked attacks, and especially to torso shots from ranged ballistic hits. Unlike the game's version, Cid modified it with less of it weighing down on her and is fitted to her in such a way that she can wear it under her clothes, allowing her more comfortable movement while wearing it.

[url=http://silenthill.wikia.com/wiki/Radio]Radio:[/url] A staple of the [i]Silent Hill[/i] series, Cheryl has kept her own radio since the events of her game. It acts as a sort of radar, alerting her of any nearby monsters by emitting static. Sometimes, however, it can work against her, alerting monsters to her as well. Though it works on enemies outside of her universe, it's mostly reserved for supernatural creatures and doesn't work on Heartless and Nobodies. In some cases, it won't go off even when faced with such a thing, indicating that she is faced with something much more dangerous than a simple monster. In some cases, she can even use it as a traditional radio, but only very few people would even attempt to find the correct frequencies.

[url=http://silenthill.wikia.com/wiki/Flashlight]Flashlight:[/url] Another staple of the series that Cheryl has kept. Keeping it in her left breast pocket as usual, it's used to illuminate extremely dark areas; though like the radio it can backfire by alerting enemies to her. After the visit to Bright Falls, the flashlight has been given an upgrade to work against Heartless and any other dark-affiliated enemies by flashing it in their direction. Cheryl uses this function mainly to throw off their defenses and possibly nonlethally stun them, so she doesn't really consider it a weapon.

[url=http://silenthill.wikia.com/wiki/Harry%27s_Notebook]Harry Mason's notebook:[/url] An aged, bloodstained document titled "Simple Works," this was written by Harry some time after the first game, relaying its events and explaining Cheryl's true origin. Cheryl has held this ever since receiving it, keeping it as another memento of her father. At the moment, she keeps it in her personal journal so that no one else, not even Isaac Zivaku, could take a look. Only Audrey Jones knows of it, having been given by her after Harry's death.

[url=http://masseffect.wikia.com/wiki/Collector_Armor]Collector Armor:[/url] A chitin suit used mostly for space travel, this armor grants bonuses to shield regeneration, speed, and health. This was obtained on the Normandy SR2.

[url=http://images.wikia.com/masseffect/images/2/22/Default_Casual_Kasumi.png]Evening wear:[/url] A dress that Cheryl received during a heist mission for one of the Normandy crew members, Kasumi Goto. Though hers is a little more loose and with less cleavage showing, red in color instead of black. This is mostly reserved for certain missions and some dates (that she wouldn't admit to); otherwise she rarely sees herself with this.

[url=http://images.wikia.com/thedarkness/images/f/f5/DarknessII_2012-07-18_21-03-01-04.jpg]Chosek:[/url] Chosek is a serrated whip that extends when it's whipped out, with the snake-head at the end grappling onto the object or person. When swung, it emits a purple glow. This is mostly used to pull weapons out of targets' hands, as well as a grappling hook to aid herself in parkour. This was made by Greg after her trip with Isaac in the world of [i]The Darkness[/i], and was named by Alessa.

[url=http://masseffect.wikia.com/wiki/Venom_Shotgun]Venom Shotgun[/url]: Typically viewed as a weapon, this salarian-built shotgun fires either a single microexplosive or up to five or seven depending on if the trigger is held down to charge. However, due to having no current use for it, the technology within is being analyzed by K1-R4 to replicate in a modified closer combat weapon, including the explosive ammunition, and is thus being stripped down and studied for that purpose. Cheryl was given this weapon by Cain Flueves as a gift in the Attican Traverse after saving Urdnot Grunt's Aralakh Company in the universe of Mass Effect.

[url=http://silenthill.wikia.com/wiki/Silencer]Silencer:[/url] Another item that Cheryl has kept for practical purposes, the Silencer can be equipped to her handgun or rifle. When equipped, it muffles the sound of gunfire and suppresses the muzzle flash emitted when fired, making it harder for enemies to locate her or where the shot came from.

[u][b]Awareness:[/b][/u] Yes, due to Audrey's Interference in her game.

[u][b]History:[/b][/u]

Cheryl Mason lived all her life with her father and first game protagonist Harry Mason, in hiding from forces that were unknown to her. Though at first settling in Portland after the events of the first game, they ended up relocating to another town after they were attacked by a cult member, whom Harry had killed in self-defense. To help her to hide, her name was changed to "Heather," her dark hair dyed blonde. She did not acquaint herself or even associate with her neighbors, likely to keep in hiding. On one of her birthdays, Harry gave her a pendant, a necklace that held a red jewel in it that he told her to never take off, no matter what.

However, when she was seventeen, everything changed. One time when traveling in the city on an errand, "Heather" was attacked by hellish monsters apparently led by one Claudia Wolf, a religious fanatic aligning herself with "the Order," which had been stopped by Harry before Heather's birth. An approximately fifty-year-old detective named Douglas Cartland had been hired by the woman to find "Heather", though the teenager managed to keep him away, being happy where she was in her life. After fighting her way back home, the teen heroine witnessed a terrible sight. Her own father, the former hero, had been brutally murdered on Claudia's order. Killing the monster that had actually performed the deed, the surviving Mason briefly mourned her father's demise with not only Detective Cartland at her side, but also her supposed neighbor, another teenage girl by the name of Audrey Jones who had also been attacked by an Order member for reasons unknown. They were unable to actually bury the body without aid or friends to help them, needing to leave his corpse on his bed in the Mason home. Intent on avenging her father's death, "Heather" followed Claudia to the eponymous town of Silent Hill, Audrey joining her to find her own answers, and Douglas bringing the teens there.

On the way, she began to understand the truth, the reason why Claudia was so interested in her as well as why she was having strange flashbacks to memories she could not understand the meaning behind. Rather than Harry's daughter by blood, she was his adoptive child, given by the spirit of Alessa Gillespie. Alessa was a fourteen-year-old girl who had been sacrificed by her mother to give birth to a horrid deity known to the Order as "the Goddess" or "God." This baby was given to return the man's true daughter, the seven-year-old Cheryl Mason who had been a part of Alessa's own soul, to him. As she journeyed through the twisted town in both the isolated Fog World and bloody Otherworld, "Heather" learned more and more about herself. Not only was she this gift of Alessa, she was also her reincarnation, with the rejuvenated form of "God" within her womb, feeding off of her hatred to give itself strength and nourish it.

She traveled through a variety of places, including a hospital where she killed the monster that was once Leonard Wolf, the father of Claudia, a journey that began her hatred of hospitals. Not long before she faced Claudia, "Heather", joined by Audrey at this point, was faced with the remnants of the Memory of Alessa, a being with her weapons intent on killing her in order to prevent the birthing of the Goddess, which would bring more suffering to the world. However, she survived and stopped her, coming to terms with her own confusing identity. "Heather" and Audrey went on to find Claudia in a chapel, where "Heather's" rage almost caused the birthing of the god within her. However, she calmed herself, and used her last resort: the pendant that she carried. The red jewel within it was actually a stone of crystallized aglaophotis, a substance that was to be used to expel demons. As a result, she egested the deity fetus, not yet fully formed. However, she was unable to finish the deed, as Claudia, disgustingly enough, ingested the fetus herself, "birthing" it with the aid of the demon known as the "angel" Valtiel at the cost of her own life. Finally, though Valtiel escaped, "Heather" and Audrey killed the God, with its twisted face so similar to Alessa's own.

It was not long before she began an entirely new adventure. Interfering, to be precise. Right after defeating the God and tearfully mourning for her father, "Heather" looked back, sensing a presence and hearing something that was inaudible to Audrey: the wail of a newborn. And in a sudden flash of white, they were gone.

Winding up in Twilight Town, "Heather" and Audrey met with the old sorcerer Yen Sid, who explained their roles as Interferences. Though upset to learn that her world was all a game and that the other girl knew all along, "Heather" slowly accepted the fact, reasoning that everything was a reality now. With the sorcerer's help, they went to Radiant Garden to acquire Gummi Ships of their own, "Heather's" ship being called the [i]Wings of Metatron[/i] and Audrey's nameless for a time, soon to be known as the [i]Dream Weaver.[/i] And thus their adventures began, and a friendship would soon form between the two teens.

Unfortunately, the start of their proper Interfering was not the best. Finding themselves in the Jade Empire, Audrey had been killed by the apparent villain of the game along with the protagonist, "Heather" left alive as a sick reminder. Though having only started traveling with her, "Heather" still mourned the girl's death, regretting the anger she at first gave her and how she got her involved through uncontrolled circumstances. Nonetheless, she moved through the game's events along with Sora and Kairi, whom had also mourned the deaths of their friends Gregory Zivaku and Kynthia Usagi. But then, to their surprise, the three Interferences were brought back after facing their own trials in the Land of Spirits. While the four friends shared a happy reunion, "Heather" apologized to Audrey, telling her all of her thoughts when the girl was killed. Audrey forgave her, understanding where her attitude was coming from at the time already. With a goodbye to their new friends (and mainly wanting to get away from the bouts of affection that Gregory and Kynthia began to show), "Heather" and Audrey left the world and continued their travels, closer than they had been before.

They returned to Twilight Town, intent on hanging out like normal teenagers. However, it was there that they had met Sorin Mireu, who acted bitter towards them. Though "Heather" was able to stand up to him, Audrey was hurt by his attitude. Things took a turn for the worst when a supposed evil future of himself had appeared, intending to keep the timeline as it was for himself. Thankfully, he was defeated, a rejected future that would soon have an impact on all the worlds. But that's a different story. After Sorin apologized for his attitude, "Heather", sensing an attraction between him and Audrey, suggested that they travel together for a time, to help "make up for the damage" as she put it. Though Audrey knew she was playing matchmaker, she and Sorin agreed to the idea. They parted ways for now, "Heather" going off on her own for the time being.

Finding herself in the Slums of Haven City, "Heather" was instantly caught by the Krimzon Guard, her lack of pointy ears making her an instant target. Though she snarked back at them, she received the aid of a young man named Stephan Shepherds, whom she would later discover him to be Audrey's brother. They escaped the Guard, keeping in hiding as they looked for a way out. Though initially trusting Stephan for having played the game the world was based on, she disliked him for his rude comments, foul mouth, and trying to hit on her. However, she also sensed something dangerous about him, like he had something locked away inside that was waiting to break out. This was confirmed when they spoke with the Oracle of the world, riddling them on their true identities, of "Heather's" past life and Stephan's personal monster lying dormant within him. She tried to confront him on this fact, but Stephan snapped at her and left without a moment's notice. Though annoyed, "Heather" dropped it, deciding that the rude boy wasn't worth it, and departed the world herself, unaware that the "monster" she sensed would soon come to haunt her in the future.

After traveling through several more worlds, passing by more Interferences, she stumbled upon a horrifying sight. She had run into Audrey in Traverse Town, the girl having gone into a rampage and murdered the residents on that world. Sorin Mireu, along with his brother Pyro and a "demon" known as Isaac Zivaku, were trying to stop her, explaining to "Heather" that it had to do with a Soul Bind placed upon her (though forgetting to mention who had placed it). Even after it was lifted, Audrey still tried to kill them in her blind rage. Before the fight would continue, an unconscious spell had dragged them into the girl's Station of Awakening. They encountered her Rage, a manifestation Audrey had faced during her death back in the Jade Empire, who had transformed into a large monster for them to face. With the aid of a counterpart named Akyra, as well as Audrey's newfound magic powers known as Dream magic, they were able to defeat this sin. However, the events that transpired had left "Heather's" friend horribly traumatized and wracked with immense guilt. To allow her to atone, "Heather" once again parted ways with Audrey, the now Dream Mage going off on her own while the [i]Silent Hill[/i] protagonist, though solemnly, continued her own adventures, the event making her start to question her role as an Interference.

Some time later, an old nightmare returned. A sudden attack by an unknown creature led the once-target of the Order to begin experiencing changes to the Otherworld of her game on random worlds, ranging from Radiant Garden to Amestris' East City. Reuniting with a more determined Audrey, and meeting up with Sorin Mireu and Isaac Zivaku, the Interferences were drawn along on this trip across worlds, seeking to once again put a stop to the madness. Eventually, such adventures led her back to her own homeworld, Silent Hill. She fought many monsters alongside her friends, old and new, but became somewhat paranoid, and accidentally murdered Douglas Cartland when revisiting the Lakeside Amusement Park, believing him to be one of the monsters. Thinking of him as a surrogate father for how he had helped her, as well as their similar losses (her of her father, him of his son), she broke down and temporarily lost her mind, but managed to pull herself together with the help of her friends and keep moving forward.

Right after this was where they encountered the true perpetrator behind this. A revived Claudia Wolf, now a monster under the will of the God, had set out to bring about Paradise once more. She had been the one who attacked "Heather" in order to bring out her stress and release the Otherworld, her ensuing anger and paranoia once again giving the God Her power to bring Herself back to Her fullest. They had managed to defeat the monster that was once the priestess to the Order, "Heather" finally killing her herself like she had set out to do in the first place. However, it was right after that they were forced to fight the God once more, reborn from her once again and much more powerful than before. All of the Interferences' resources were used up in the ensuing fight, save for one bullet from "Heather's" pistol. Finally, she only saw one option, a memory of a statement from the late detective.

[i]"Maybe killing you is the only way to end this nightmare."[/i]

And so she shot herself, a fatal head shot that simultaneously killed the God. Though she'd died, Valtiel had other plans. He dragged her corpse away... and then it was gone. Douglas, rather than killed, was merely wounded, like the normal game intended. "Heather" herself had been revived with the aid of the angel, the damage of the Otherworld undone once more by one of its very inhabitants. After bringing Douglas to the town of Shepherd's Glen to recover, the Interference, finally taking her true name of Cheryl as her father had intended, decided to do the one thing that would bring her peace. She decided to return to Radiant Garden, to stop her tenure as an Interference, as she was done with adventuring, though she felt a strange feeling deep within her mind, as if a valve was turning. Better than the horrific, agonizing transfers to the Otherworld by far. Saying her goodbyes as well as her thanks to her friends, the tale of the reincarnation of Alessa Gillespie came to a close, a happy ending.

Or so she thought. After some time, even though she had training with the Radiant Garden Restoration Committee and new gear courtesy of Cid, Cheryl still had nightmares of the Otherworld. Several Interferences came and found her, old friends, and, with some tough love and arguments, managed to convince her to start out again, with the fact of Valtiel explaining her situation coming to the fore to decide on the departure with her, in his own oblique, eccentric way. The first world she visited was that of Bright Falls, following Alan Wake as he traveled through what would be called "Episode 4" of his game. It was not without trauma, but her experiences gave her more ability to fight the Dark Presence, with the apparent son of Greg and Kynthia, Naito, helping her.

Not long after, she found her way to the Greece of the world of God of War, finding Naito again, but also Isaac Zivaku and Audrey Jones. After a good-natured reunion with her friend, Audrey explained their situation and world while avoiding the Ghost of Sparta, Kratos, in his trip out of Pandora's Temple, but they all were killed in the exit by Ares, traveling through the Underworld. In the process, Cheryl learned of not only a new magic set for Isaac, but also the fact that her weapons were in serious need of an upgrade, especially the removal of an ammunition limit from her pistol. Thankfully, the handgun was supplemented with help from Isaac, and they managed to escape the Underworld due to the intervention of a disguised Zeus, followed by traveling through a temporal portal with aid from Sora in a later part of the time stream, the time of the end of God of War II. Though Naito and Isaac had a fight regarding lies about Greg's condition (namely, death), and Sora left with Naito, the trip was overall fine (though the fact that Isaac chopped off the hand of Atropos did freak her out a bit).

After that trip, she caught up with Audrey and Isaac both. Audrey helped her get up to speed, including regarding a certain Ignis Fatuus. Isaac admitted to horrible crimes, resulting in a stab to the knee and a shouting match, but the talk eventually resulted in learning of their situation as kindred spirits, both having nightmares and horrid pasts. However, due to Valtiel's rather timely intervention (read:complete killing of the moment), she ran off without a word edgewise afterwards.

After a nightmare-inducing trip through the world of Fairport alongside not only Isaac and Naito, but also Jasmine (a Sneaselmorph Naito liked), an artificial intelligence named K1R4, and a man who went by the name of Kalas, the similarities between herself and Alma were made completely clear. Though she was shaken, she was moreso by seeing the temporally displaced moment of Greg fighting off Alma (without success). She and Isaac shared a short time to themselves on his ship afterwards, wherein they developed her taser handgun to include the Edge IV pistol Isaac had given her in the Underworld, negating the ammunition limit at the expense of cool down, as well as a beam saber made with the metal of the Spear of the Holy Mother from [i]Silent Hill 4: The Room[/i] that Greg had obtained, granting it a bonus against supernatural entities. Isaac revealed that he had managed to revive Greg, and that he had feelings for her, ones she reciprocated somewhat. However, Valtiel again forced them apart with fear induced to Cheryl, who ran off in her own ship.

Her next world she visited was the quasi-cursed town of Bord'wan, Amestris. There she stayed, venting her complex emotions, until Azumi Ian, a soldier who knew Greg, found her and helped her somewhat with her by-then romantic troubles. They were interrupted by Ignis Fatuus, the same man Audrey had warned her of, and as it turned out, the same monster she had felt within Stephan Shepherds those few years ago. Aside from the illusions that caused her psychological and physical agony, she also was sexually assaulted to a small degree, her first kiss stolen by the hellish manifestation before the trauma caused the release of the Otherworld once more. However, they managed to fight him off immediately after, with a combination of their non-magical skills against his magical ones. Her resolve restored, Cheryl decided to follow Azumi's advice. Thanking her, she went off to find Isaac and give things a shot.

Following this, Cheryl went to see Audrey again. After telling her of her encounter with Ignis Fatuus, and explaining her troubles to her, the Dream Mage essentially repeated the advice from Azumi, as well as relaying how the Holy Mother had helped bring her and Sorin together. Just when Audrey would then reveal that she had not seen her now lover for some time, Kalas had suddenly interrupted to bring them news (Cheryl also discovered that he was a friend of Audrey's as well). Along with his pet "Mauthe Doog" named Lucifer, Sorin had been hypnotized by a seductress opposed to Audrey named Dani. Going after them in the fated world of Traverse Town, Audrey used her Dream-based magic to free Sorin from the spell, while Cheryl and Kalas fought off the Hypnotic Seductress and freed the demon dog with some significant effort. Though Dani escaped, Audrey managed to save Sorin, whom Cheryl gave an awkward greeting after having not seen him for a long while. After a brief conversation with the winged boy, who revealed his unwanted venture into her world by mentioning Douglas Cartland to her, Cheryl left the couple on good terms.

Crash landing in the Earth of the Haloverse, Cheryl met with not only Azumi Ian and Kalas, but also several others, including the revived Greg Zivaku and the robotic Zero. With some effort and a lot of time, she and the others managed to make their way through New Mombasa following the major battle there and aid the protagonists. By the end, a month later, Cheryl was there when Azumi Ian was promoted to Sergeant, along with taking part in several other minor military endeavors, enough to understand at least some of Azumi's jargon of the era.

During a trip to the universe of Mass Effect, Cheryl aided Isaac, Pyro, and Kairi, along with the primary protagonists, in securing Tali'Zorah's status as a non-exiled quarian and her loyalty at the same time through, after a fight through a large ship, essentially browbeating the quarian government into letting go of the charges against her. Cheryl received a shotgun of the era, an X-27 Scimitar c, alongside a suit of Collector Armor, a chitinous armor that bestowed an air supply, gravity boots, some kinetic shielding, and minor healing capabilities (although she found it repulsive, Isaac liked it). She also spoke with Isaac, agreeing to essentially go out with him for a longer period. Picking the next world, Cheryl decided to go to what turned out to be that of Heavy Rain. Isaac had no powers here, and she was limited to just her knife. There she met Louis Delgado, who also helped, but it was in their misadventures regarding a case about a "Mad Jack" that the main events surrounded themselves. Eventually arrested for stealing Carter Blake's car in the events, the three escaped through an appearing save point in their cell.

Visiting the world of Mirror's Edge alongside Spencer Parker, Azumi, and Isaac, she learned the ways of the Runners with help from the young Abigail Walters and her Tracker, Leaf. After several weeks, she and the others were competent in both close combat (trained by Azumi) and parkour (trained by Abby). Also, during this time, Isaac and Cheryl had several moments to themselves, including some mornings on rooftops. These skills were put to good use in the next world Cheryl and Isaac visited, that of Tom Clancy's works in the early 1990s, helping the Navy SEAL Samuel Fisher protect his daughter, and beginning a process of gaining his trust.

On a suggestion from Naito, who had officially gotten together with Jasmine, the two had something of a double date with them, joining the crew of the Normandy SR-2 in recruiting one Kasumi Goto to their ranks (Kalas was there too). The thief had them all help in a heist, with the female Commander Shepard (as opposed to the male clone) aiding them. In the process, the men received suits, and the women short-skirted dresses for a dinner party, and were allowed to keep them afterwards.

Not long after, the duo (and again also Kalas) went to another world in the same universe: Omega, a criminal capital of the galaxy. Meeting with Azumi and Zero, who were discussing secretive matters, they were allowed to join in recruiting mercenary groups and doing some favors for Aria T'Loak, the latter being primarily Azumi's work deliberately. However, during this process, Kalas and Cheryl were kidnapped by Ignis Fatuus, and knocked out. When she was held captive, trapped in a coma with her mind being slowly brainwashed to try to turn her into the Holy Mother the Order always wanted her to be, Audrey rescued her from within, alerted along with Sorin to her plight by Isaac, who found out in a sense from Azumi. She was in the red dress of the Goddess, disgusted that she was undressed by Fatuus (but unaware of what was done inside her mind, which was solved), but she, along with Kalas (who was in an outfit of his own) were taken away from the world. Jonathan "Scarecrow" Crane was also an aid in this, owing to a contract of servitude that Azumi had been forced to follow, something of a captive on the ship as well, but unwilling to leave for her own reasons. Also, she shared her first instance of a voluntary kiss of sorts with Isaac, though she wouldn't admit as much. On Azumi's word, she was inducted into an order known as the Crimson Dawn, a black operations spy network that would use her expertise, and which Azumi headed and Zero was second in command. She met with Kalas again afterwards, who was also inducted, but disliked Azumi greatly and felt her to be a traitor. In spite of the attitude, she found him fairly amiable otherwise.

Following an exceptionally nasty trip to the world of Resistance: Fall of Man in the era of number 3, she, along with several others, was captured in the powerless world and forced into a gladiatorial arena in Grateford Prison. With some help and a false betrayal by Kalas, they escaped, regaining their equipment and Cheryl gaining a Bullseye submachine gun in the process, while Azumi gained a custom launcher called the "Mutator". Their efforts were especially bloodthirsty and gory, but eventually led to their escape. However, after the fact of Kalas wanting Azumi grievously injured (though regretting his decision) was revealed, the soldier shot him in the knee, shouting him down, though eventually the entire group coming together to save him from Chimeran infection in a rather gruesome process involving a hot bar of metal. Though otherwise not too proud with his actions, Cheryl decided she would keep watch while he recovered, a decision that would inevitably take a turn for the worst.

Though her friendship with Kalas strengthened in spite of the events, the survival horror heroine finding several similarities with the JRPG protagonist, the following incident would bring a personal conflict within herself, leaving her nearly comatose with several freak-outs. Though the situation was solved with Audrey's help, it was not without problems on the Dream Mage's part. However, the following incident had awoken her true self, Alessa Gillespie, within her once more, acting as a second, more benevolent counterpart in spite of her occasional (though understandable) coldness.

After that, with Alessa within her consciousness, Cheryl followed Isaac again, this time to the world of LA Noire, where she met with Sora and Kairi again, along with Damien Reid. Through their efforts, they managed to end the final case of Cole Phelps' career as a Traffic cop, using a mixture of deception and help from Isaac and herself. This trip was shortly followed by one to the world of The Darkness. With Isaac's magic on overdrive (as opposed to disabled in the prior world), they met with one Johnny Powell, an occult scholar who knew of both The Darkness and a force called The Angelus, its total opposite. Aside from some light banter, their stay was relatively short, with Isaac receiving a new power and weapon in the form of the Af and Hemah blades, and herself gaining a dark whip based on her own internal energies and the research of The Brotherhood (a villainous organization in The Darkness' world) called the Chosek, useful as a disarming tool as well as a grappling hook.

On request from Azumi, they went as a Crimson Dawn task force to help the "Shadow Broker" in the universe of Mass Effect. There, they found it in the middle of the last Reaper War. Though Isaac gave information on it, she didn't bother to ask much aside from how they would escape without a Reaper following them, but they worked together, saving the Krogan Aralakh Company and Urdnot Grunt in the Attican Traverse along with the good Rachni Queen due to the timely intervention of a N7 Special Forces task force sent by the Shadow Broker along with one of her personal support teams. Greg was also there, quieter and more volatile than usual due to the apparently irrevocable death of Kynthia, and their teamwork ended up saving many lives, but for a salarian engineer, who was devoured alive by Cain Flueves, a former partner of Isaac (or at least a reincarnation of him), as revealed after the departure of all others but Cheryl and Isaac. This partner had become inhuman in many degrees due to something called the "BLACKLIGHT virus", but, as a token of some good faith, gave Cheryl his shotgun, the Venom shotgun that the salarian had once had.

For now, Cheryl continues to wander the worlds, whether to get some jobs done, or just traveling with friends or Isaac. Though still wanting the normal life she temporarily had, with the Otherworld breaking out even at the slightest bit of stress, and the threat of the Goddess being born again, she knows that won't be likely.

[u][b]Sample Post:[/b][/u]
(The following post takes place after the upcoming "Shattered Memories" plot.)

She stared at the large mirror, though didn't know why. She hated her reflection, the false image of herself staring back at her, with its swarming red in the background. Part of her just wanted to turn away and leave the room, but she just stood there, like she had some morbid fascination with this thing in front of her. Not only that, but something told her that she was trapped in this room, a stupid decision that she made to stumble into here.

For a while, nothing particularly special happened. Just the swarms of blood red moving about the floors and the walls in the reflection, absent from reality. Well, as close to reality as this hellish dimension would allow. But then, it all happened so quickly. The blood slithered its way into the tub of the reflection, making its way into the drain.

A disgusting squelching sound to her right. She looked to the tub in reality. The blood was slithering out of the drain, slowly spreading its way throughout the room.

[i]"They have come to witness the Beginning. The rebirth of Paradise, despoiled by mankind."[/i]

Back to her reflection. Her clothes turned bloody, her skin burnt and pale. Hair turned darker, her demeanor cold and emotionless.

[i]"Remember me, and your true self as well. You will birth a God and build an eternal Paradise."[/i]

Soon, the blood filled the whole room. She could feel some of it snaking up to her legs, sapping away at her very soul.

She couldn't take it anymore. She ran back to the door, trying to push her way out. As she thought, it was jammed without warning, keeping her trapped in this death room. No matter how hard she shoved, pulled, banged her fists and kicked at the door, there was no way out.

[i]"Let me burn..."

"No! Get away from me!"

"Their bodies ached, and their hearts held nothing but hatred. They fought endlessly, but death never came..."[/i]

It was hopeless. She was going to die, from an irrational fear come to life. She turned back to the mirror, and though the mirror would not reflect it, she could not mask the fear shown so clearly on her face.

[i]"Stuck in the eternal quagmire..."[/i]

Just when she thought it would be over, it all stopped all of a sudden. And a voice spoke, one of the voices heard, but this time, not a memory.

[color=blue]"That's enough."[/color]

And just like that, the blood slinked all the way back into the reflection, through the way it came. The Otherworld around her disappeared, now existing within the looking glass. Her image had changed once more, no longer the horrifying truth or the false image. Looking back at her was a pale woman, dark hair tied back in a ponytail, in a blue dress akin to a school uniform. Though she looked to be fourteen, the later incarnation knew she was much older.

[color=blue]"It's alright, Cheryl,"[/color] the woman behind the mirror consoled her. [color=blue]"You're safe for now. The hand of God won't intervene."[/color]

Cheryl just stared, still unable to contain her fear. She knew who was speaking to her, the very true self that was the reason for her hatred of mirrors, the one she had once faced off in a battle for her life, even if it kept the God growing inside her. But...how? How could she be...?

As if sensing her confusion, Alessa frowned. [color=blue]"You remember nothing, do you? The shattered memories that our friends mended back together have made us one."[/color]

"..." Right then, she remembered it all. The attack by her possessed friend bringing a conflict of power deep within her subconscious. A new life, away from her torturous old one, beginning to take place, but one still full of suffering. Her friends diving into her troubled mind to fix everything, even though they didn't know what they were getting themselves into. They just wanted to save her.

But then there was Alessa. It was her plan to make her forget, replace her memories so she would not be burdened with this involuntary role placed on her. And yet, at the end, when she refused to have her friends come near, it was the original Holy Mother that brought her to stop, brought her to reject the new reality and bring back her old one. The sudden change of heart confused her, though she could not voice it aloud due to the heartwrenching goodbye to her father right after. Now felt right to ask her.

"...why?" she began, her tone still somewhat shaken by what she had just seen. "Why did you decide to take it all back? You wanted me to forget, you thought it was for the best...so why did you...?"

The prior incarnation gave a solemn smile. [color=blue]"Because our friends have shown me the cause of my actions. You were left in a delusional state that would have shattered your mind further, even if I were to disappear from it. Your life was still full of suffering even without my own weighing the burden onto yours. You would have no one in your life to help you, not even my changed mother or the doctor. All that would be left for you would've been an empty future."[/color]

...Cheryl shook her head to this. The reasons were clear, but she still couldn't understand. "Even if that's true, you wouldn't have had to suffer anymore. You wanted your life to end, to escape your own pain."

[color=blue]"I was too weak."[/color] Now Alessa had to shake her head. [color=blue]"I would have been happy just to make it all go away...but you said it yourself. Suffering is a fact of life; either you deal with it, or you go under. I did not realize it before, not until now."[/color]

"And yet you still took me out of a new life that shared some of your bad memories," the latest reincarnation said with a scowl. "Did you think I wouldn't have to deal with that?"

[color=blue]"You had been clinging to a delusion. As I told you, all that would have been left would be an empty future and a shattered mind. Would you rather have that over the sanity you have left?"[/color]

Cheryl had to cringe, the statement metaphorically piercing her. She was brought back to the memory of letting her father go, the memory that still stung and brought tears to her eyes. However, painful as it was...it was either letting her delusion go, or be lost within her own mind for the rest of her life.

"You know this means I'm still burdened with your old life."

[color=blue]"I know, and I still wish it weren't."[/color] Her true self had allowed her own pain to show then. [color=blue]"Letting Harry...letting our father go was just as hard for me as it was for you. But it was for our own good...for your personal safety."[/color]

Cheryl said nothing, turning downcast. She knew this, but it was still hard for her. Even though she tried to hold it in, she still wanted to cry, cry like a pathetic little girl who sought out the comfort of her beloved father. Comfort that she'll never have again.

Even though she was unable to do so, she could feel Alessa reaching out as she consoled her further, [color=blue]"But...even if he is gone, we still have the others there for us, even if we don't deserve it. The old detective, even if we cannot see him again, is still alive and well, still concerned about you."[/color]

The reminder of Douglas Cartland almost brought her to snap up. She had not heard a word of him, not since mention of him from the friends that have been trapped the last time. She thought to write back to him, once she was out of this mess, however she got here.

[color=blue]"And there are the rest of your friends. The Dream Mage. The Solar Samurai. The Divine Child, even if what happened was his fault to begin with. The cryomancer. The Blood Mage. The soldier woman who's trapped herself partly for your sake. Even the demon that cares for you. They're all willing to face the horrors that surround us, for our sake."[/color]

"..." She was right. Even if this meant letting go of the one thing she held so deeply, even if it meant sticking with a role that she did not want...she still had all of her friends, those that she trusted just as much, those that Alessa was willing to care for just as much for showing her empathy, even if they did not agree to some of her methods. However, even with this, she had to make one remark on the demon.

"Who the hell says he cares for me?"

Alessa sighed and shook her head. [color=blue]"And there's the Cheryl I know. You and I both know what you two truly feel."[/color] It was here that her look turned stern. [color=blue]"I will be keeping an eye on him, however. As much as I trust him with you, let him know that I will be watching him. Very. Closely."[/color]

"...right, I'm not sure I like the thought of you constantly looking over my shoulder. Next thing you know, you'll be bugging me about--"

She was cut off from any further snarking. The turning of valves was heard, the raspy voice of Valtiel beginning to reach through the walls. Slowly, the Otherworld was breaking through once more, the mirror returning to what it once was.

Alessa cursed to herself as she saw this. [color=blue]"I guess our time for talk is up now."[/color]

Cheryl just sighed in annoyance, what she once feared now suppressed for the time being. However, this did remind her of one last thing.

"You do know by staying in my mind, you'll have to deal with him now, right?"

The so-called "saint" sighed in turn. [color=blue]"Yes, it is a misfortune that we both must share. I could use my power to suppress his influence, but for now..."[/color] She looked straight at her incarnation, her bloodied and burned look slowly appearing back.

[color=blue]"I think it's time for you to wake up..."[/color]

~*~*~

And just like that, Cheryl awoke, blinking a few times. She sat up, looking to find herself in one of the rooms of her ship, the [i]Wings of Metatron.[/i] As consciousness returned completely, she remembered why she was here. After her memories were restored, she decided to take some time to adjust back to her lifestyle before she would continue her adventures. She had thanked her friends for their help, apologized for the trouble she had brought onto them, forgave the winged man for starting the problem before he was brought to questioning, and promised Isaac that she would continue to travel with him, having grown even closer to him for all the help he gave her. Though they still had their routine of snarking at each other, they were less likely to deny their feelings, despite the comment she made towards Alessa.

But that brought another reminder. Alessa Gillespie now had a place in her mind, right beside the Agent of God. Though she knew she meant well, she still had another nutcase in her mind, even if she was better than the monster constantly bugging her to birth the Goddess.

[color=blue][i]If you think I'm insane, then it doesn't bode very well on you, does it? In all sorts of ways...[/i][/color]

A roll of hazel eyes. [i]Yeah, thanks for the endorsement. I'll remember to put that on my business card.[/i]

That bit of snarking out of the way, Cheryl got up from the bed, making her way back to the bridge. In spite of what she thought of her true self, she couldn't be too annoyed with her. In spite of what she tried to do, she knew she was just looking out for her, as well as for the rest of the worlds. Her methods might have been extreme, and it was not always for the best, but as stated, she meant well with what she did.

For now, though, she had other things to worry about besides the two in her mentalscape. And so, taking the pilot's seat on her ship, Cheryl "Heather" Mason continued her Interference travels, her mind back where it was before.