Transference: Epitome of Darkness

Maretime Bay's sheriff was trotting through the streets of the idyllic coastal town, looking left and right, in every corner, checking if something was amiss, when a sudden cold breeze made him shudder and halt for a moment.

The feathery animal on his back had felt it, too, chirping in loud protest.

"Yes... I know, Kenneth. The sun is almost down now." Hitch sighed as he looked back at the white bird with a tin-can-hat. "But you can't expect me to just sit idly after what happened today. I have to make sure that the pon--"

Hitch's ears suddenly perked up as he picked up on something not far from where they were. Kenneth flew up in surprise, left behind as the stallion galloped full speed in the direction from where the sound had come from.

It didn't take the earth pony long to make out the source.

There, at the end of a slowly darkening alley, a beautiful unicorn mare with light blue fur sat on her hind legs, right next to a wooden cargo box, holding her hooves up to her face, sobbing.

"What is wrong. Why are you crying?" Hitch tried soothing with a calming voice, slowly crouching down to her level as he addressed her. "I'm... I'm Hitch, what is your name?"

Startled and visibly distressed, the mare looked up and backed away immediately with one hoof covering her face. "NO, please!" Tears ran down unhindered now, the freshly bruised right eye standing out prominently from the rest of her face. "I'm sorry!"

Hitch was shocked. Somepony must have hit her. "W-Who did this?!" The dark stains on the fur of her front legs became apparent as he came closer. Blood? It took him a moment to compose himself.

This was unheard of. Nopony had hurt anypony in... forever.

The unicorn looked at him, seemingly coming to her senses. "No... you don't understand! It's not mine!" The unicorn sniffled, snot mixing with the tears as she looked at him, turning her head slowly to the side, looking further down the alley and then back to Hitch. "I-I tried to..." she started, but suddenly started crying again when she couldn't find the words anymore, digging her hooves back in her face.

Hitch followed where her gaze had gone a moment ago and noticed something lying further down the alley. It was hard to make out as the sun had almost set now, shrouding their surroundings in an unsettling darkness.

A weak magic aura tried to hold him back for a moment as he stepped away and closer to what was lying on the cold ground. The object seemed grotesque and didn't make sense to him at first.

It became more apparent when he stepped into a warm puddle.

As he looked down at his now blood-soaked hooves, another breeze brought a smell into his nose that he never thought possible. He came to realization that there, before him, lay a mutilated torso of a pony, missing half of its limbs.

He had to gag and throw up, making the mess even worse. This wasn't real.

It couldn't be.

This was really happening.

It had taken surprisingly little to break the remaining blockades in my mind. I felt almost sorry for that young mare for being my guinea pig.

I was flying above the colorful roofs of Maretime Bay, looking for another potential playmate. The sun had just set a moment ago, so it was quite a fun challenge.

"You didn't have to hit her." Opaline said in my mind.

"What? Misty?" I asked, unbelieving. "That is what you are worried about, really?" I laughed.

She didn't follow-up on it. For good reason, as she was well aware that I would only take so much backtalk.

"It's better for her to learn sooner than later, my dear host. I have no use for a cock-blocking little weakling that works against me at my side."

Speaking of cocks, the tentacle magic Opaline had in her repertoire was fun and all, but I really craved the sensation of a real one again. I really hoped there were more stallions around this time to take over for a bit of fun.

As if on cue, my cutie mark started vibrating. One of the familiars must have spotted something interesting, so I brought up the magical screen back in front of me.

"Oh, that one looks familiar. Looks like Misty is useful as bait after all." I turned around, a smile now plastering my face.

It was going to be a great night.

"Alright..." Hitch took a deep breath, still pale and legs shacking from what he had just discovered. "I'll get my friends, then we can work this out together." He looked back at the unicorn. "Okay?"

The bundle of sorrow didn't dare look at him.

"I still don't know your name."

"...My name is Misty. Misty Brightdawn." She looked at him from the side now, trying to clean her face from the tears and snot with a hoof.

Hitch forced a smile. "Whatever happened here, we will get through this, Misty." He wanted to put a hoof on her shoulder for reassurance but stopped when he remembered the blood on it. "It's going to be alright."

Misty looked up to him, a weak smile forming as she nodded back slowly, more to reassure herself. "O-okay." But her newfound courage vanished when she noticed the raven watching them from the roof above. "No! You need to leave. Now!"

The sheriff only stood there for a while, looking at her without saying anything.

"H-hitch?"

"Hm?" He looked confused. "Oh, was that his name? Right. I knew it sounded similar to bitch."

Misty's eyes widened in realization, looking around, trying to spot the responsible alicorn, which was nowhere to be seen. "No... please! Why are you doing this? I don't understand!" In fear she backed away, until she hit a wall with her back. "Please let him go!"

Hitch suddenly came up close and forced her to stand up with him on their hind legs, pushing her against the wall with force. "One kiss, Misty. And we're done for tonight, hm?"

"NO!" she cried. "Stay away from me!" She tried pushing him away, to no avail as he was so much stronger.

She struggled for a while, starting to cry again. Then Hitch's body suddenly backed off by itself.

He theatrically said, "Oh, woe is me. Looks like I have been denied once more. A shame, really. Whatever shall I do now?" The smile on his face seemed unnatural.

She watched him trot out of the alley.

"You should follow him, Misty. Who knows what a desperate Stallion like him is capable of in a night like this one."

Opaline's laughter sent a shiver down her spine.