The Pacifist's Trial :: Cecilia Hunt's Awakening [Night]

Despite the heavy load on her shoulders, her feet carried a brisk pace as she finally entered the Class Zero building. It seemed as if day and night were the markers for two different people. One that had a bright facade of cheeriness and innocence, while the other possessed a cold stony face ready to plunge itself deep into the dangerous roles the Cadet had to take. Tonight was like the others, Maria had been called in. She had a faint idea what she was needed for tonight, but it wasn't always good to assume.


She entered the room, being mindful of the coffin on her back. The Cadet nodded in greeting as deference to him. She stood there waiting to hear what her superior had to say. Soon the Forgotten would notice two other arrivals, she only nodded at them in faint acknowledgement of their presence.

Another night had fallen over Endymion. A full moon sat center stage in the darkened sky with bright, burning stars twinkling all around it. Life had continued as usual for most of the districts, as to be expected from such an ordinary night... Suzie Q was still dancing and pulsing with life, Sunlake Palms was almost completely silent and had been enveloped with serenity, Vista Square continued to spread information throughout Endymion even into such late hours, so and so forth. The populace at large simply went on with their routines and everyday lives, but unlike all those other days across all those years, Cecilia Hunt did not number among them. It would have been odd under any other circumstance; she was a woman who reveled in the world of the average, of the certain, of the normal and familiar which she needed not to question. But tonight it made perfect, absolute sense for her to have deviated from her schedule without hesitance.

She had never really walked through these halls at night before. It was almost strange how different Seven Stars felt at night: you could have told her that it was an entirely different world and she might have believed you. The atmosphere though, however curious it was, had no impact on her mood or resolve; the prideful, determined aura which flowed off her remained without a scratch or dent on it. Upon finally closing in on her destination, her eyes gazing longingly at the entrance, Cecilia would release a sigh and with a resolute smile would open the door and step inside Class Zero for the first time.

Once she was within the room, she'd almost immediately notice her company for the night. Surprisingly enough, all the faces proved recognizable. There was Julius for starters; she had never met the prince in person, of course, but anyone in Endymion would be capable of discerning who he was with a mere glance. Then there was Shiina, the Tsurinai Cadet who she had met in the library. Apparently, she was new to the job, but she carried with her an air of professionalism that seemed more befitting of a veteran. And then there was... "Maria?" What was she doing here? Cecilia didn't have any objections, of course; she and the nun-in-training had gotten along rather well. But she, unaware of Maria's status as a Cadet, couldn't think of any reason for her to be here. "Perhaps the Church has some role within the ritual..." She thought silently to herself. Yes, that made sense. It was, she figured, the most likely explanation.

Being within the presence of the prince was unusual for a commoner such as herself. She almost felt somewhat guilty for it, as though she had no right to share the same room as one of the queen's spawn. The arrogant and triumphant mood she wore died down, the girl taking on a more humble expression in light of his attendance, though the determination that had come with it still remained. Walking forward and taking her place in the middle inbetween Maria and Shiina, Cecilia would give a bow and look up to the prince, unsure of what to say.

The nod should suffice enough to Cecilia to know the Cadet acknowledged her existence. The cheery and kind side that the new recruit was familiar with, was not here at all. This was a facade that she would have to get used to seeing. After all, being a Cadet is serious business and not for the light-hearted. She only continued to watch the exchange between Julius and the recruit and was fully aware what will happen next. The hand on the coffin's strap gripped tighter, anticipating this evening's next moments.

"Absolutely." She replied almost instinctively to Julius. Cecilia knew being a Cadet was a dangerous job -- anyone who hadn't been living under a rock would have been able to tell you that. But it didn't matter to her. The girl had always aspired to be a Cadet and on top of that the recent attack on her home district of Suzie Q had served as a reminder that threats to the peace still lurked within the city. So she was certain of this path: the fact that she was putting her life on the line for it did not bother her in the slightest. With unflinching certainty, she took a few steps forward and carried out the instructions given to her by the prince.


"...I thought it was all over. I thought the world was going to end. That night five years ago -- the Eternal Divide -- I thought that I was going to lose everything. I was so scared; I wanted to run away. So I did just that. When I saw those abominations, those demons, I ran. Even though I could hear the screams, even though I could hear those people begging for help, begging for someone to come save them----I... I didn't listen. I blocked the noise out, abandoned them, and left them to die in my place. I thought only of preserving what I had left for as long as I could. I sacrificed innocent strangers, people who just like me only wanted to survive, all so that I and those close to me could keep going on. It's haunted me ever since."

"But the queen, the government, the Cadets... They did the impossible; they returned the city to the way it was before. They brought order to a world that had become what could only be described as chaos itself. I was so confused, but at the same time I was happy. I was happy to see people able to smile again. It was all because of their effort, and their sacrifices, and their courage that people were able to once again live without fear. And when I saw what Class Zero had done, I couldn't help but admire them... I thought about how wonderful it'd be to make people smile like that -- to devote yourself to helping those in need. I thought about how wonderful it would have been to, instead of running, have saved those people. Even if it meant dying in their place, even if it meant going through the worst kind of pain imaginable... If they would have been able to escape that hell, to enjoy their life, to go on smiling, and laughing, and experiencing..."

"I know I can't attain atonement or forgiveness. I don't deserve such things. I know that no matter how much good I do, my sin of selfishness will never truly disappear. But that's not why I'm here. I don't want to feel better about what I've done. I just want to help people; I want to make sure that no one has to ever go through the pain that I put those people through ever again. If I can protect this peace, this order, then I'll gladly give up everything to do so. I want nothing more than to devote myself wholeheartedly to the Cadets and the city they're sworn to protect."

The blood of the queen? She had a few ideas about what the ritual might be like, but drinking the blood of the goddess she worshiped... She certainly hadn't considered that a potential part of it. Was she truly worthy of such a thing? Had she earned the right to embrace such a holy liquid, especially with sinful lips like hers? Ultimately, she must have. Otherwise, Julius wouldn't have offered it to her, would he? Knowing thereby that she had the right to partake in it, Cecilia would accept the goblet without reluctance. She'd wrap her right hand around it and, firmly holding it within her grasp, would raise the shimmering, golden cup to her mouth and start to drink.

What the prince had said couldn't be any further than the truth. The taste was unlike any other she had experienced before; she could almost have cried tears of joy upon taking merely a single sip. It was sweet, sweet like vanilla, with a flavor that managed to be rich and bold yet somehow also subtle, a nectar which overwhelmed the senses and easily overtook any other desires present within its drinker. The girl could feel herself slipping away into the heavenly concoction and what was supposed to have been a small taste instead became a greedy gulp. Instinctively her other hand reached out to it and she tilted her head back downing the contents of the cup in rapid succession, her eyes closed in bliss, until suddenly the delectable illusion came crashing down on top of her.

...Fire.

She was drinking liquid fire. Heaven turned to hell in a single, incomprehensible instant and she barely managed to shove the chalice back onto its place atop the table, nearly dropping it to the floor as she stumbled backward with a look of pure shock and agony. Her throat began to burn and sizzle from the inside out, body and mind crying out in pain, the pink-haired girl falling into a fit of desperate coughing as the invasive fluid pushed itself further into her body. Cecilia bit down on her lip and silenced a cacophonous, ear-splitting scream which with no outlet would fester within and vibrate throughout her. The sound of static rang through her ears silencing any words that her present company might offer her and her right eye glew a bright, ethereal yellow. With her shaking hands she clutched her head and resisted the urge to double over and fall to the ground. Ah----tearing, ripping, tearing, ripping... The walls that had protected her psyche from the horrors of the world were falling apart bit by agonizing bit. An image took hold of her fracturing, tainted mind and she could feel something begin to slowly materialize behind her.


There was a machine; it was one which wore the guise of a human, but it was a machine nonetheless. It was cold, robotic, mechanical, empty... Its single eye was nothing more than a large, crimson dot devoid of any true life. Yet, for whatever reason, it was weakened -- shackled. The Persona that had appeared behind her was clearly being held back by something and that something had seized control of its growth. This entity, fatigued and restrained though it might have been, would push itself into the air and begin to float above the group staring down at them in an almost patronizing way.

She listened to what the new recruit had to say. And a lot of it was genuine, she was someone who wanted to help and save others. In a way, Cecilia was far purer than she ever could ever be. What drove Maria was something more selfish. She wondered if she deserved to fight at the side of someone like her. But even if she didn't want to, the Forgotten had her obligations. While Julius had ordered her to prepare, Maria was already ready by the time he addressed them.


And so the ritual began. She knew the pain that Cecilia was experiencing. Yet, she didn't reveal any sympathy on her blank visage. This was only a natural process of all things. If the recruit could survive this, only then could she finally be accepted into the fold. As the Persona finally rose from her, she only gave a nod. Another Persona User on their side, perhaps Maria was fated to be the only Forgotten of this generation...

She darted her eyes towards Julius for further instructions.