Once upon a time, there were two beautiful princesses. But one day one of the princesses came down with a terrible sickness.
Seeking to save her daughter from this dreadful curse, the queen searched the ancient chronicles and genealogies for clues. Before long the queen found the answer to this dark mystery: a special fruit would relieve her daughter of her plight.
Thus the queen sent her servants to retrieve this fruit so that her daughter might be made well. Scouring the land, the royal guards found the fruit and brought it before the queen. Taking the fruit, the queen gave it to her daughter, curing her ailment…
For a time.
The rain was pouring as Hitch and Zipp ran through the streets of Maretime Bay, their Nightmare Night costumes drenched from head to hoof. A wet Sparky sat on Hitch’s back, the poor baby dragon looking sad and fatigued.
“Don’t worry, buddy,” Hitch said, “we’re almost there.”
Sparky gave a tired whimper in response. It was apparent to anypony that could see him that Sparky wasn't too thrilled by the sudden storm.
It didn’t take long to arrive at the sheriff’s office that doubled as Hitch and Sparky’s home. Pulling open the door, Hitch motioned for Zipp to enter, and she obliged.
Hitch followed close behind her and shut the door, sealing the storm outside. Small puddles began to form underneath Hitch and Zipp as they stood in the dry, warm sheriff’s office.
There were a few prison cells but it was very rare for them to be used. Occasionally Sprout or somepony else would act up and Hitch would have to give them a bit of a time out.
“Ugh, I’m shoaked,” Zipp groaned. Frustrated, Zipp pulled out the fangs to correct herself. “Soaked.”
She had dressed as a vampony this month, with a black leather choker around her neck, a set of plastic fangs in her mouth, and a thick, black cape hung over her, heavy with rain.
Neither Hitch’s costume of the dread pirate captain Black Mane nor Sparky’s ghost parrot outfit fared any better. Everything he removed, from his hat to his jacket to his eyepatch, seemed to drip more water onto the floor, and the puddle beneath him grew.
“I’ll go fetch us some towels,” Hitch said.
Leaving through a door in the back of the office, Hitch sought out the towels. While he was away, Zipp proceeded to help Sparky out of his wet costume before she stripped out of her own damp garments.
The office was very familiar to them. Hitch had worked here for most of his adult life, and after Zipp moved to Maretime Bay and started working as a detective, she had spent a decent amount of time here, too. Using their skills, they had both solved more than a few mysteries in and around Maretime Bay.
Zipp was still peeling off her soaked costume when Hitch returned.
“I grabbed the towels,” he said, “and I brought us a hamper to put our…”
For a brief moment, Hitch was stunned as Zipp pulled off the last of her vampony costume. Something about it made Hitch’s heart skip a beat. Was it Zipp’s wet, pristine white coat? The way she shook her short pink mane and tail? Or her warm gentle smile? Whatever the reason, Hitch’s orange cheeks flushed a bright shade of pink.
“Is something wrong?” Zipp asked.
Hitch had always thought Zipp was kind of cute, but somehow the water from the rain had made her look stunning. After blinking a couple times, Hitch noticed he was staring, and looked away nervously.
“N-no, n-not at all,” Hitch stuttered, “I just grabbed us a hamper for our costumes.”
After Hitch and Zipp put the costumes into the hamper, they dried themselves off, with Hitch using a towel to dry off Sparky. Once he was dry, the baby dragon stretched and let out a tired yawn.
“Are you feeling sleepy, Sparky?” Hitch asked.
The baby dragon gave a cute little nod, his eyes struggling to stay open.
“I guess the combination of trick-or-treating and the storm must have worn him out,” Zipp said.
Scooping Sparky up with a hoof, Hitch placed the sleepy dragon on his back. The little dragon slumped over, his eyes fully closed.
“I’ll take Sparky upstairs and tuck him into bed,” Hitch said. “If you want, you can stay over until the rain stops.”
Zipp gave a hearty smile. “Sure.”
“I’ll be right back,” Hitch said, as he ascended the stairs with a sleepy Spark clinging to his back. While a part of Zipp wanted to follow, she felt like that might be an invasion of privacy and decided to stay downstairs instead.
Zipp sat down on the couch and made herself comfortable. This was Zipp's first time in Hitch's home and, looking around, she was kind of surprised to see that it was still reasonably organized despite having a baby dragon in the house. The fact that Zipp was able to keep this place as orderly as the office and raise Sparky by himself was quite admirable.
The living room consisted of seaweed green walls and a dark blue carpeted floor. Around the exterior of the room were pictures of Hitch, Sparky as well as of Zipp and their friends. There was also an organized bookcase, its contents sealed behind glass doors, probably to keep Sparky from damaging them.
In the center of the room was a purple couch, which sat across from a television which rested on a closed wooden cabinet.
While waiting for Hitch to return, Zipp walked over and examined the photos up close. Looking them over, she recognized one that her sister had taken and picked up the picture frame. It was a picture of all three of them at the beach playing with a sand castle. It was secretly one of Zipp's favorite photos.
The wooden steps creaked as Hitch came back down. Upon hearing the noise, Zipp's eyes went wide and she immediately set the picture frame back in its place.
“He's fast asleep,” Hitch said.
“Did any of his candy survive?” Zipp asked, subtly hinting at her desire for a treat.
“Yeah, everything was tightly wrapped,” Hitch replied, “so it should all be fine.”
“Oh… that's good,” Zipp said awkwardly, as she returned to her seat.
Nervous, Hitch waited at the hoof of the steps. He really wasn't sure what to do with Zipp staying over. The only other mare he'd had in his place was Sunny and that was during his housewarming party years ago.
Besides, it was still raining outside, so there was no way he could just send her back to the Brighthouse. That would be very unchivalrous of him.
The awkwardness in the air was so thick, you could cut it with a chainsaw.
“So… ugh… what would you like to do?” Hitch asked, slowly walking over to the couch.
“Well… we could watch some scary movies,” Zipp suggested. "We wouldn't want to upset Nightmare Moon on a night like this.”
Hitch couldn't help but chuckle in response. “I guess that could be fun. How about I make us some popcorn, while you pull something up on Netfilly.”
Zipp picked up the remote and smiled. “I’m sure I can find something.”
“They're totally eating him!” the mare said, as the alicorn zombies feasted on the body of her friend. “Then they’re totally going to eat me!”
A mess of pony organs, which were definitely not just pasta in tomato sauce, were flung about in black and white as the zombies feasted.
“By Celestiaaa!” the mare screamed before the movie cut to black.
Both Hitch and Zipp laughed as the credits rolled.
“Now that was great!” Zipp said.
“Yeah, that was a lot of fun,” Hitch said.
“You know I’m actually surprised that you enjoyed that movie," Zipp said, between mouthfuls of popcorn.
“What do you mean?” Hitch asked.
Zipp shrugged. “Well, you’ve been spooked before. Like that time in the old Canterlogic factory.”
Hitch chuckled. “I mean sure, I might get a little spooked by these movies, but they’re not that big a deal. Plus cheesy Nightmare Night movies like these are as funny as they are scary.”
“Definitely,” Zipp giggled.
This had been a really enjoyable evening. Just Hitch and Zipp watching old horror movies and eating popcorn, all while they shared the warm, cozy blanket that his grandma Figgy had made for him. It was nice.
As Hitch reached into the bowl for some popcorn, he felt his hoof touch Zipp’s. Both ponies flinched at the unexpected contact.
“So, uh, what would you like to watch next?” Hitch asked.
Picking up the remote, Zipp scrolled through Netfilly’s Nightmare Night playlist. “There’s Neo Somnambula: Wrath of the Sphinx Queen, The Smiling Stallion 2, Eldritch Mother’s Revenge, Killer Mimes from Beyond Space, The Drill Saga… oh, and there’s Nightmare Night 3: The Shed!”
“Didn’t everypony hate that movie?”
Zipp shrugged. “Yeah, but it was mostly because the fans wanted to see more Murder Mask, but the creators made it into an anthology series, which resulted in ten more movies that were boring by comparison.”
“Huh, that’s kind of interesting,” Hitch said. “How’d you find that out?”
Zipp shrugged. “Pipp told me."
Yeah, that made sense. Both Zipp and Pipp shared a love for horror movies and spooky things.
“So, you wanna watch it?” Zipp asked enthusiastically.
On the inside Zipp was so excited. She was a big fan of Nightmare Night 3 and was super happy to share it with Hitch.
“Sure,” Hitch replied, “but first let me go check on Sparky.”
Zipp nodded. Once more she wanted to join him but decided to stay on the couch. That didn’t keep her from watching Hitch go upstairs.
“Stupid nerves getting in the way,” Zipp grumbled, once she thought Hitch was out of earshot.
“What’s that?” Hitch asked, peeking his head back down the stairs.
“I-it’s nothing,” Zipp exclaimed, a slight blush on her face. “Just getting the movie ready!”
As Zipp prepared the movie, she thought she caught the scent of something, a familiar delicious smell. However, as her mouth began to water, Zipp shook her head, pulling her attention away from the fragrance, and resumed setting up the video.
Once upstairs, Hitch went straight to the room that he had renovated to be Sparky’s bedroom. Opening the door, he smiled to see Sparky still asleep inside his crib. Seeing that Sparky’s blanket had slipped off, Hitch reached in with a hoof and pulled it back up. The baby dragon let out a cooing sound before he resumed his gentle snoring.
Satisfied that Sparky was safe and sound asleep, Hitch left the room, quietly closing the door behind him, and went back downstairs.
“How’s Sparky?” Zipp asked as Hitch returned.
“He’s fast asleep.”
As Hitch sat back down, Zipp started up the movie.
The beginning scene was in the alleyway behind a toy shop, the Toy Shed. A blue pegasus stallion crouched at the back door as he tried to pick the lock.
“I must get inside… the shed,” the stallion said.
As he picked the lock, the stallion was oblivious to the looming shadow drawing near.
Then suddenly something shot forth from the shadows, stabbing the stallion in the back.
“AAAHHHHH!!!”
As the stallion screamed, the shot changed to a wall where dark blood, which was definitely not just strawberry jam, splattered against it.
“You know I admire you, right,” Zipp stated.
Hitch looked at her quizzically. “Oh, what for?”
Both Zipp and her sister Pipp were the princesses of Zephyr Heights, so it was difficult for Hitch to think of anything that Zipp might admire him for.
“For taking care of Sparky,” Zipp answered. "You're a great dad.”
Hitch scowled. “I’m… not so sure about that.”
“Why do you say that?” Zipp asked.
“Well…" Hitch looked down at his popcorn. "You know, he's a dragon, and he’s going to need to learn dragon stuff, but I’m just a pony. I wouldn’t even know where to start.”
Zipp scrunched her nostrils. “Yeah… and?”
Hitch gave Zipp a confused look.
“Sure, you’re not a dragon, but the fact is you took him in and you're raising him as your own,” Zipp explained. “I’ve seen stallions and even a few mares who once they had a child, left because it was too ‘inconvenient.’ Yet here you are raising Sparky all by yourself. The fact that you’re concerned about that just proves how much you care for Sparky.”
Hearing Zipp’s explanation, Hitch smiled. “I suppose that’s true. Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it.” Zipp grinned. “Besides, you're not all by yourself. You have the rest of us to help out too.”
As detective Smart Flank observed the crime scene, he caught sight of something on the floor.
His assistant, the attractive pegasus mare Ocular Candy, asked. “What is it?”
“A clue,” Smart Flank answered as he picked a sticker off the floor and held it up in the light.
It was a sticker for the Toy Shed company.
“I won’t lie though,” Hitch said, “it has been a bit difficult.”
“How so?”
There was a slight blush on Hitch’s cheeks as he considered how to bring this up. “Well… I’ve been looking for a special somepony, but… being a single dad… mares just seem to be not too interested… if you know what I mean.”
“Then they’re not worth your time,” Zipp said. “If other mares don’t want to be with you because of your relationship with Sparky, then they don’t deserve to be with you.”
“Then what about you,” Hitch teased. "Would you want to be my special somepony?”
There was a pregnant pause in the air, with the only sound coming from the television.
“Are you sure we need to go inside the shed?” Ocular Candy asked, looking uneasy.
“I’m positive,” Detective Smart Flank answered. "The secret to uncovering this mystery is in that toy shop.”
Using the crowbar he had brought, Smart Flank pried the door open, the metal door bending under his strength.
“You’re sure this is a good idea?” Ocular inquired. “What if somepony catches us?”
Smart Flank pushed the damaged door open. “We'll worry about that when it happens.”
As Smart Flank entered the Toy Shed, and Ocular Candy followed him, they were completely unaware of the entity that was watching them from the dark alleyway outside.
Meanwhile, Hitch was literally screaming inside his head. 'Did I really just ask her that? Are you insane, Hitch? She's a beautiful princess and you're just a goofy sheriff!’
Sweat dripped down Hitch's brow as he began to regret what he had asked.
Zipp pondered Hitch's question. It wasn’t like Sparky was an issue for her, it was a ton of other things that were in the way. She was a princess and her mother, Queen Haven, was determined to have her take the throne. Then there was the fact that she was a pegasus and Hitch was an earth pony. Could that cause problems if they decided to have children of their own? There were also some family secrets, secrets that Zipp wasn’t sure if she could share with Hitch.
Yet, if she set those things aside, was there anything keeping her from being with Hitch? Was there anything preventing her from being Hitch’s special somepony?
A slight blush graced Zipp’s pristine cheeks, and she nodded. “Yeah, sure, I could be your special somepony.”
Hearing Zipp’s response, Hitch blinked a few times, his cheeks turning red as well. “Oh, uh, I… That-that’s awesome.”
It was rather unexpected. He intended the question as a joke, and had figured that Zipp would have just blown the whole thing off. It was kind of heartwarming actually.
“Like I said, I admire you.” Zipp smiled. “You've managed to juggle being a dad, a sheriff, and at times a defender of this town. That's kind of hot. So, yeah, if you want, I can be your marefriend.”
While Zipp was being genuine, she also loved the way Hitch looked when he was flustered.
“I… um… I appreciate that,” Hitch remarked.
As Hitch sat there he felt like he needed an excuse to get off the couch, just so he could get some fresh air. Feeling his stomach yearning for something to eat, Hitch had an idea.
“I'm going to grab myself a snack,” Hitch said, “I'll be right back.”
“Well, hurry back,” Zipp replied, “the best part is coming up!”
Quickly, Hitch ran off to the kitchen. Walking up to the old, yet miraculously still working yellow refrigerator, Hitch opened it and peered inside.
“Alright, what to eat,” Hitch mumbled to himself as he examined the fridge's contents.
Hitch’s heart was aflutter having heard Zipp's words. Whether this was the start of something special or merely growth in their friendship, it didn't matter to Hitch. He was just happy to have this time together with her.
Eventually, after eyeing the various foods in his refrigerator, Hitch decided upon a ripe, juicy red apple. With a smile on his face and a pep in his step, Hitch closed the refrigerator door and returned to the movie.
Sitting back down on the couch, Hitch was about to take a bite out of his apple, when he suddenly felt that something was off. It was the feeling one had in the presence of a great predator. Immediately, Hitch saw that Zipp was staring at him and that something was wrong with her eyes.
Was it just the light from the television, or were Zipp’s eyes glowing? Those blue-slitted eyes focused on him hungrily.
“Zipp?”
Responding to Hitch’s words, Zipp opened her mouth, baring two sharp fangs. Had Zipp retrieved her fake vampony fangs while Hitch was in the kitchen? As Zipp drew closer, a slight rumble rippled through her throat.
“Alright Zipp,” Hitch chuckled nervously, “that’s a funny trick there.”
There was no change in Zipp’s mannerisms. Her hungry eyes were still focused on him. Peering past Zipp’s head, Hitch saw that his friend’s wings had changed, her feathers replaced with the leathery membranes of a bat.
Upon seeing these details and putting them together, Hitch realized that this wasn’t a trick. Terrifying stories came to the forefront of his mind - of ponies who drank the blood of others, leaving empty husks in their wake.
“Z-Zipp, s-snap out of it!” Hitch pleaded.
Despite Hitch’s protest, Zipp’s mood didn’t change.Instead she adjusted her posture like a predator ready to pounce. Now Hitch realized that he wasn’t going to be able to reason with this vampony, furthermore, he was trapped. If he tried to run away, she would catch him.
“Zipp… please…”
A hiss escaped Zipp’s lips, her mouth opened wide as she bared her fangs, ready to strike. Zipp lunged forward and Hitch closed his eyes, anticipating the sharp pain of fangs biting into his neck. As he awaited his fate, he merely hoped that Sparky would be safe.
Yet… the bite never came.
Confused, Hitch slowly opened his eyes to find that Zipp no longer loomed over him. Instead she was right back where she started, sitting on the other side of the couch, holding Hitch's apple with both hooves. Zipp’s fangs glistened as she bit into the red fruit and drank deep from the delicious juices within, and it soon shriveled into a gray, colorless husk.
As Zipp finished drinking the apple’s juices, the frenzied fog in her eyes melted away.
Retracting her fangs from the ruined apple, Zipp smiled and let out a happy sigh before she realized what had just happened. Seeing the shock on Hitch’s face, Zipp turned away, trying to conceal her fangs.
“I… uh, guess you saw that, huh?” Zipp said.
“Uh, yeah…”
Zipp’s ears drooped and she let out a heavy sigh. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think that was going to happen…”
There was a pause before Zipp pulled herself off the couch.
“I… I guess I’ll be going,” Zipp said sullenly as she began to walk toward the door.
“No! Wait!” Hitch said, jumping up from the couch. “You don’t have to leave.”
Turning around slowly, Zipp faced Hitch, her ears still drooping. “You’re… not afraid of me?”
Walking over to Zipp, Hitch gave her a slight smile. “Sure, you scared me a little bit, but that’s not going to change our relationship, so please, just… stay. Let’s finish the movie and talk about it.”
Wanting to believe him, Zipp looked deep into Hitch's eyes for any sign of anger and malice. Instead all she saw were the same kind eyes that she'd seen since coming to Maretime Bay.
When it was clear that Hitch had no hard feelings for her, Zipp followed him back to the couch. The movie, Nightmare Night 3: The Shed, was still playing.
“So… uh, you’re a vampony,” Hitch stated.
Zipp shrugged. “Yeah, well… sort of. I don’t exactly do the whole blood-sucking thing or all the annoying weaknesses.”
That matched up with what Hitch had just seen. And he'd seen her out in the sunlight plenty of times, and she had never burst into flames like many of the vampony myths depicted.
Hitch asked, “So do you just… feed on fruit then?”
“Yes, well apples specifically.”
“How long have you had this?”
“Since I was a little foal,” Zipp answered. "My mother had an apple tree scavenged and planted in the royal garden to help appease my nature. Thankfully, as long as I concentrate and stay cautious, I can keep my urges in check.”
Judging from the slight blush on Zipp’s face, Hitch had an idea what might have distracted her.
“Oh… I’m sorry,” Hitch said.
“No, it’s fine,” Zipp replied. “I’m kind of happy to be able to talk to somepony else about it.”
“What about Pipp?”
Zipp shook her head. “She doesn’t know. She didn't inherit the curse, so Mom felt that she didn’t need to know. As far as Pipp’s aware, I got sick a lot when I was younger and that’s it.”
Hitch found that intriguing.
“A curse… so, was this something that other family members of yours inherited?” Hitch asked.
“It pops up once in a while,” Zipp answered. "Apparently one of my ancestors was wrapped up in a failed magic ritual involving vampire fruit bats, and so the curse wound its way through my family.”
Upon hearing all of this information, Hitch had to admit that Zipp didn’t seem quite so scary. Sure the incident just moments ago had been rather frightening, but now that he understood that she was just hungry for his apple, that really didn’t bother him that much.
Zipp looked down at her hooves, her body shaking as she used all her strength to hold back tears. “So, Hitch, if given a choice, would you fall in love with a cursed mare?”
This was a concern that had bothered Zipp from her youth. The fear that nopony would truly love her because of her secret had haunted the darkest recesses of her mind. Could anypony who truly knew her truly love her?
Hearing only the sound of the television, and noticing Hitch’s silence, Zipp felt that her fears had been affirmed. Tears began to well up in her eyes, and run down the side of her cheeks. Then right as Zipp was about to sob…
She felt herself being pulled into a hug. Hitch’s forelegs wrapped around her, in a warm, loving embrace.
“If you’re willing to accept a single dad like me,” Hitch said, “then I won’t mind a couple sharp teeth.”
Feeling Hitch’s gentle hug and hearing the genuine nature of Hitch’s words, Zipp sniffled as she regained her composure. “Thank you.”
Hitch smiled. It was nice that he could return her kindness, even if it had come about in a very weird and awkward situation.
Then suddenly Hitch found himself being pushed down onto the couch with Zipp looming over him. Smiling Zipp, showed her fangs again, and her glowing blue eyes flashed with a hungry, mischievous look deep within.
“It would seem that I’ve caught myself a special somepony,” Zipp giggled, biting her lower lip.
Recovering from the surprise, Hitch raised an eyebrow and gave a sly smile. “Oh, really now?”
Then with a quick shift, Hitch managed to twist, and in the blink of an eye Zipp found that their positions had switched, with Zipp's face-up on the couch cushions and Hitch on top of her.
“They don't call me sheriff just because I wear a badge,” Hitch said.
Both of them laughed, before Hitch leaned in and gave Zipp a kiss, a nice little peck on the lips. Zipp returned the kiss, before both of their lips locked together, their tongues dancing passionately together.
In the background, the movie continued to play.
“The Toy Shed killer is dead,” Detective Smart Flank said.
“Are you really sure she’s gone?” Ocular Candy asked, a tinge of worry in her voice.
“I’m positive,” Smart Flank answered. "Nopony could survive an explosion like that. Maretime Bay is finally safe from that chainsaw-wielding maniac.”
“Y-you’re positive?”
Smart Flank pulled Ocular Candy closer. “I don't think even a large movie budget could bring that monster back from the grave.”
As the two ponies walked away, neither one saw the burnt hoof of a pony emerging from the wreckage of the destroyed toy factory. The sound of a chainsaw could be heard as the movie ended.
Three days prior…
The sun was setting as Hitch walked through Maretime Bay, with ponies setting up their Nightmare Night decorations. Pumpkins were carved, wispy webs were hung, and spooky inflatable props were being filled. The sweet scent of decaying fall leaves moved along the wind.
Hitch was almost ready for the holiday. He just just needed to find something that would take his pirate costume over the edge.
As Hitch looked for someplace that might have the items he was looking for his costume, he spotted a very strange shop. While it seemed old and well-established, Hitch couldn't recall ever seeing it before. He'd certainly remember a store with a name like that.
'The Grim and Dark Oddity Shop.’
Right as Hitch approached the front door, he had that strange, eerie feeling that somepony was watching him. Quickly, Hitch looked around, but saw nopony nearby.
“Weird,” Hitch mumbled under his breath, before turning back toward the door.
Stepping inside, Hitch was greeted by the sight of numerous bizarre objects. A cracked hockey mask, a vial filled with rainbow colored fluid, an old rusty chainsaw, a spiky iron pyramid, and a jar with a preserved creature resembling a cross between an eel and a squid, among other unusual items.
“Hello?” Hitch called out, yet nopony answered. “Hm…”
Well, the shop was open, so he saw no reason not to look around for anything that might be useful for his Nightmare Night costume. Despite being a little creepy, this place was just a shop after all.
After examining a jar with a crystalized parasprite inside, Hitch stumbled upon something that piqued his interest. It was a black eyepatch with some sort of feathered serpent stitched into the fabric with gold string. Cresting the serpent’s brow was a horn and an antler, and in the place of the serpent's eye was a yellow gem with a red center. It was certainly a unique object, and it might actually look great for his pirate outfit.
“Well, maybe I can use this,” Hitch stated as he picked up the eyepatch.
Over Hitch’s shoulder, a voice said, “Are you sure you want that?”
This elicited a startled yelp as Hitch jumped around to face the pony that had snuck up on him.
Before him was a unicorn mare with a turquoise coat along with a magenta mane that possessed icy blue highlights, which was pulled back into a bun, leaving only a few stray strands to cover her face. Upon seeing Hitch's reaction, the mare chuckled slightly.
“I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you,” the mare said. "I'm Roseate Grimsbane, and this is my shop.”
“Oh, hello, I'm Hitch,” Hitch said, his breathing calming down. “I was just looking for something.”
“For your costume? And you thought that you might use the Entropy Patch for it?”
Hitch was puzzled by Roseate's words. “Entropy Patch?”
Seeing the confusion in Hitch's face, Roseate craned her neck to the side quizzically. “You don't know what it is, do you?”
“Uh, no.”
“It's a cursed item,” Roseate said adjusting the glasses that framed her lime green eyes, “an ancient relic imbued with chaos magic.”
On one hoof that did sound rather ominous, but on the other hoof, unicorns were known for being very superstitious. Maybe it was just something jinxy.
“Alright, so if it's cursed, what sort of jinx does it have?” Hitch inquired.
“If you wear this eyepatch on Nightmare Night, your world will be changed forever,” Roseate replied. “The holiday will change from an annual event to a monthly event, and bizarre timelines shall converge on your own.”
Well, that certainly seemed odd to Hitch. After all, Nightmare Night was established to ward off the threat of the dreaded tyrant, Nightmare Moon, so why would the festival become monthly? Nonetheless, Hitch didn't think that sounded too bad.
“Okay… so how much will it cost?” Hitch asked.
Roseate rolled her eyes slightly out of annoyance. “One bit.”
“Wait, really one bit?” That looked like a steal if Hitch ever saw one.
“Well, I'm pretty sure you're not a warlock,” Roseate answered. “So, I'm practically just selling you a cursed item, bringing the price down to exactly one bit.”
“Then sure,” Hitch said, “I guess we have a deal.”
Hitch stirred as he slowly arose from his slumber. As he did, he felt something heavy resting on his chest. Peeking his eyes open, Hitch discovered that he was lying down on the couch and that somepony was resting on top of him.
Peering down, Hitch saw Zipp resting there.
Opening her eyes, Zipp smiled. “Mmm… good morning.”
“Good morning.”
The two ponies giggled there on the couch, enjoying each other's warm, gentle embrace. Zipp leaned in and gave Hitch a light kiss, her velvety lips soft against his own.
“How's your neck feeling?” Zipp asked.
Reaching up with a hoof, Hitch felt his neck, where the night before Zipp had playfully nibbled on it with her fangs. The flesh felt sensitive and tender, but it wasn't a huge deal.
“I'll be fine,” Hitch chuckled.
With a mischievous grin, Zipp leaned over and kissed the tender flesh on Hitch's neck, eliciting an excited hiss from the stallion.
“That stings,” Hitch groaned.
“Yeah, well it was your idea,” Zipp replied with a sly grin.
True. Hitch had thought that perhaps having Zipp act a bit more like a vampony might spice things up. Needless to say, it was kind of hot.
“Last night was fun,” Zipp said as she pulled herself off of the couch. “We should do that again sometime.”
“Yes, I feel like we need to rewatch Death Factory 2 again,” Hitch said, “since we were… distracted…”
Zipp chuckled as she began walking toward the door. “Well, see you later.”
“Wait! Don’t you want to stay for breakfast?” Hitch asked.
“I would love to, but,” Zipp replied, “I need to go help Pipp at the Crystal Brighthouse with next month's decorations.”
Hitch gave Zipp a puzzled look. “Next month?”
Reaching the door back to the office, Zipp turned around and smiled. “For Nightmare Night, of course. Guess you’ll have to make me some next time. See ya!”
Before Hitch could say anything else, Zipp was already out the door. As Hitch sat there, pondering Zipp's words, something familiar wriggled its way to the forefront of her mind.
“The holiday will change from an annual event to a monthly event and bizarre timelines shall converge on your own.”
As Hitch recalled Roseate's words, his jaw nearly dropped. It was real, it had actually happened. Nightmare Night was no longer an annual holiday. Had the cursed eyepatch somehow put Hitch into another world or timeline where such a thing was possible?
Leaning his head back, Hitch looked up at the ceiling. “What the f–”
The End…