Hell's Silencing: Forsaken Innocence

The sibling touched the runic circle again, thus allowing Flora to regain control of her body.

It's better if you were in the driver's seat.

The static was still ringing softly, but then it...faded.

Diminished.

The mare felt safe, but she held a hawk's eye over the area nonetheless. When was the last time she let her guard down again? Opening the door and once more finding herself in the foggy world, she breathed a sigh of demented relief. Ash and snow started to intermingle along the streets, but other than that it looked and felt just as it was when she first entered. The ashen snow also gave the mare some sense of longing; but for what she had yet to know.

Looking both ways before deciding to go north, she stopped short of a silhouette in the distance. Obscured by the fog and moving towards her, whatever it was seemed to want something. She loaded the spear into her mouth, expecting another enemy. But the static didn't sound. Why was that?

The thing, now appearing to be another pony, kept approaching. Still no static.

What are you waiting for?! Go see that figure up close!

Flora did as told, keeping her pace slow and the spear handy should the other being lash out for no reason.

The figure suddenly ran full gallop towards her, skidding to a halt on dark grey hooves before eying young Flora. This mare...looked like the pale-skinned, red-eyed girl in the book. Like Tsuyu and Ren before her, she too had a horn. On her torso wrapped with a blood red obi was a black kimono with moving objects reminiscent of flowers. The sleeves ended short of the tips of her hooves. She and Flora were the same height, and this was including the horns. Her haunches had a black straw doll with a weird, circular eye-thing in its center. Those red eyes pried into Flora's soul, making her feel as if she needed to fight regardless of the static's signal. Flora's ears fell flat, her jaw-grip unrelenting. All she knew was that she didn't trust this mare, and she had no intention of giving her that trust anytime soon.

"I can understand if you do not like me, Florarena Bloodlust," Said the other mare, her face nigh-expressionless, "as I understand the reputation I have earned. But hear me out: I know for a fact you bear a very strong and most peculiar grudge."

Flora felt her jaw open, the spear clattering to the snow-laden sidewalk. She could've sworn her eyes went wide as dinner plates at that point. This mare...knew her name? But how?!

"Ah yes, how could I ignore that question of how I know you. You may not remember it now, but allow me to say we've met before." Answered the mare.

"W-Who are you? What are you?" Flora asked, her very tone of voice trembling in fright.

"I couldn't forget that as well! Where are my manners today?!" Sighed the red-eyed mare in distraught, "My name is Ai Enma, though many a person has called me Hell Girl--with good reason."

"T-That reason i-is...?"

"If a person has a grudge and they summon me at the very stroke of midnight, I will carry that grudge out in their stead--vengeance, if you will. Those who they say have wronged them in any way are ferried to Hell, and I do mean literally speaking. But it has a price: when they die, they too will go to Hell. Of course, even this has its own regulations--those not angry enough will automatically get their request rejected."

Flora's blood ran colder than the snow in which she stood. She felt her heart stop and butterflies violate her stomach.

"I am also able to sense grudges building up over time. Like I have said before--you may not remember it now, but it will eventually come back to you." Ai's horn started to glow purple and black, "And when it does, I will know it. Your powers have only awoken in the past year and you were unaware of it. Why else would my recruits and I have followed you here?"

Flora's tail shifted between her hind legs. Onikiri started screaming in anger.

Ai's horn was glowing still, and her eyes narrowed as her muzzle stopped short of Flora's own. "I too have psychic powers. Remember my advice well. You may be spared from Hell, though that isn't a guarantee regardless of what you are."

Flora's head lowered and her legs shifted. She looked as if she were the beta female in this conversation. For once, she wished she was in the other realm!

The horn's glow stopped as Ai reached a hoof and stroked Flora's cheek. "I did not mean to frighten you, and I sincerely apologize. However, there has to be a way to seal the pact. Please, stand up and do not be afraid."

Flora's body defied her will, and she stood up straight.

Ai drew closer, once more with her muzzle in front of Flora's.

All at once, the younger mare found herself being kissed by the Harbinger of Vengeance. As quick as it had come, it fled in an instant.

Flora's ears perked, she sure didn't expect the kiss. She felt some sort of familiarity, but...she hated it.

A very faint, almost nonexistent smirk crossed Ai's muzzle. "The deal has been sealed." She then turned around and bounded off into the fog, dropping something in the process.

Flora shook off the odd feelings squirming within her before kneeling to pick up the spear when she saw the object. It was another ring that bore the same strange, eye-like insignia on Ai's flank. Putting that ring on the toy horse before reclaiming her weapon, she proceeded to follow the mare's tracks to ask even more questions.

But soon, she lost that trail and found herself standing in front of a school.