Chapter 1: The Opening Act

“And now, mares and stallions, here to tease your eyes, please your ears and freeze your minds...Graceful Melody.”

A polite chorus of applause rippled through the audience, a couple of inebriated voices ringing out with drunken whoops; they were likely unaware for what exactly they were cheering, but any announcement could sound excited after a few hours drowning in a tumbler of whiskey. The blood-red pegasus smiled wryly, stepping back from the microphone and dropping into the battered stool positioned at stage left, just behind one of two speakers mounted precariously on adjustable stands. The male was toned, his build somewhat muscular. A dark crimson hide covered his entire frame, save for the almost ominous black cutie mark on his flank. It depicted a crossroads, complete with a small pair of street signs at the topmost corner of the intersecting lines. He wore a simple brown leather jacket over his upper body – cut twice in the back to allow his wings free motion outside of the material – and a dented harmonica hung around his neck by means of a thin silver chain. His mane was a pale, almost-pink shade of red, cut long in the back so it feathered along his neck while a few longer bangs hung across his features. His tail was the same hue, groomed neater than his mane and mostly straight, curving only near the end of the long hair. A single silver ring glinted in his right ear, glimmering under the dim stage lights; otherwise, however, his body remained unadorned.

He'd been playing light solos for the last hour or so, earning a few extra hundred from the owner of the nightclub for entertaining the earlier crowd after the so-called 'opening act' flaked and didn't show up. As one front hoof grasped the neck of an aged guitar to slide it back against his powerful body, the stallion reached down with a rear leg and nudged a pair of sliders on a simple soundboard. The adjustment lowered the input of his guitar and harmonica, after which he carefully poked a depressed button to unmute the main microphone at the center of the stage. The speakers crackled briefly as he glanced down at the knobs on his ancient guitar and tweaked one before examining the other small pedal at his hooves that controlled the minor bevy of effects through which he could loop his guitar signal and alter the quality of his sound.

He crossed one rear leg over the other, licking his lips once as he secured the body of the guitar snugly to his stomach. As he heard the hidden stage door behind him click gently shut, he smiled and then began to play a slow, soothing rhythm on the guitar as he closed his eyes and let the spirit of the music fill his body. The pegasus didn't need to physically see the thin crowd scattered through the dining room of the club before them – he knew just from the stunned hush that fell over the room that his companion's outfit must have been one of his more enchanting selections.

Softly, four hooves clicked across the dinged, worn stage floor and the crimson pony smiled ever so slightly as he felt a gentle tickle along his back before a sultry voice purred into his ear as it passed: “Better'n ever tonight, Riff...” He felt a light pressure against the side of his muzzle and he parted his jaws slightly for a familiar, slender object to be eased between his teeth, opening one eye for a moment to see a brief flare of yellow flame. Graceful Melody winked at him, waving the match in his hoof sinuously, just enough motion to extinguish the tip and leave a thin trail of smoke as he tossed it easily over one shoulder. Riffraff inhaled deeply on the filtered cigarette, almost immediately feeling lightheaded from the powerful rush of thick smoke filling his lungs.

His eyes remained open for a few seconds to peer through the haze around his head, grinning to himself at the entranced crowd. All gazes were locked onto the slender pegasus as he approached the microphone stand at mid-stage, tossing his messy mane once and winking generously at the audience. Graceful Melody's coat was a soothing periwinkle, seeming as delicate in its hue as the feminine stallion himself. Silver irises flicked thoughtfully through the silent crowd, his richly cerulean mane standing out in a mixture of varying spikes and curved bangs, naturally poking out and twisting in all directions. A silky red dress was drawn snugly over much of his frame, opening with a tauntingly deep neckline that dove down between his slender forelegs, one of which was completely covered and the other teasingly revealed through a long slit that went nearly to his shoulder, showing off a stunning tattoo of a lightning bolt that began just above his elbow and angled sharply back and forth down to only a few inches above his hoof. It was shaded with a smooth yellow ink, blending neatly with his grey-blue coat.

The fabric of the teasing dress glistened in the pale lighting above the stage, seeming to sparkle with life as the slim male all but pressed his muzzle against the microphone with a gentle, soulful sigh; a muzzle pierced thrice on either side, a matching row of three silver studs tracing along either side of his lower jaw. He had a total of five earrings as well, two on the left ear and the others along his right lobe. The dress continued along his sides, remaining mostly open at the back and then drawn sharply across his flank, the material stretched tightly along his exceptionally curved hindquarters but leaving his rear legs bare. His eyes half-lidded, Graceful leaned into the microphone as Riffraff strummed the soft cue for his vocals to begin.

“I stare at the stars...and the sky up above...and think, 'what am I made of?'”

The crowd fell still the moment that his voice streamed through the speakers, soft, seductive and warm, yet tinged with the slightest sensation of something darker, something that threatened to hook into the listener's soul and yank them a bit closer to the effeminate male. Graceful watched the faces of his captive audience, daring them to maintain eye contact for more than a few seconds as the haunting melody of the long-lost blues song continued to flow from his lips.

“Am I full of sorrow? Am I hurt...and pained? Or am I filled...with love?”

The pegasus glanced at his companion, still sitting with his legs crossed, caught in the moment of the song as his hooves moved like flowing water along the six strings, the haze of smoke around him slowly expanding thanks to the glowing embers of the cigarette held clenched in his jaws.

“I can't say goodbye...to yesterday, my friend...” Graceful cooed tenderly, lightly grasping the base of the stand with one hoof and leaning forward with his own natural rhythm as his eyes laid upon the nearest patron. “I keep holding on...'til the end...”

Each word from his muzzle seemed chained to the syllable before it, creating a twisting string of pure emotion that wormed its way into the ears of each creature sitting before the stage, but Graceful Melody only had eyes for the well-dressed unicorn sitting only one table from the stage. His eyes were wide, pale blue and he blinked several times, his jaw somewhat slack. The singing pegasus narrowed his own eyes with a sinuous smile, putting a bit of extra passion into the next few lines:

“It's there...that I'll find...inner peace, not war...And dreams that I let slip...away...I will find the joyfulness I'm looking for...Way back...in yesterday...”

At this point, the unicorn's flushed wife was staring at him with horror and disgust. She smacked his chest with a foreleg but his eyes remained helplessly drawn to the shimmering pegasus before him on the stage, a bit of drool falling from his muzzle. Graceful Melody only continued to purr the entrancing vocals with all intentions geared toward this one pony's experience, effectively keeping him under the spell of the song until his wife's horn glowed, a faint opalescent aura surrounding a nearby glass of water as she lifted it with telekinesis and then splashed it unceremoniously onto the male's face. The unicorn immediately sat up straight with a muffled yelp, staring around as if brought from a trance and then looking embarrassed as his wife hissed all manner of insults and accusations at him, gesturing angrily toward his visible arousal while yanking him firmly from the table and toward the exit by the collar of his suit jacket.

Hardly any of the other patrons took notice, however, many of them with the same forlorn and awestruck expressions on their own muzzles as Graceful simply smiled and continued smoothly with the remainder of the slow, emotional song as Riffraff met each and every one of his perfect notes with a harmonic strum or neat pick of his own.

“Way back...in yes...terday...” Graceful's soft voice, capable of surprising range, drew the last word out in a tantalizing baritone, his lips nearly kissing the silver microphone as he bowed his head slowly in time with the fading of his vocals. Riff drew his hoof across the strings a few more times in a make-shift coda as the stunned crowd began to break into stuttered – but ecstatic – applause. The larger pegasus grinned behind the bluish cloud finally dissipating from around his form as he casually mashed the smoking butt of the spent cigarette against the side of his guitar, then flicked it away before leaning over his instrument and humming a tune to himself before repeating it across the strings. As the soulful music began to drift out of the speakers, Grace leaned into his microphone again and started to croon another tender love song.

Nearly an hour and a half later, the two pegasi finished their set with a rousing blues rock tune that featured the drumming and bass guitar of two local musicians, creating a more fulfilling sound for the upbeat song. They'd joined the stage for the last several songs, adding a bit of rhythm and soul to Riffraff's set list; they were the best choices he felt he could make considering the narrow selection, and overall he couldn't complain too much, satisfied with the crowd's positive response at the close of their extended set.

The crimson stallion stood with the earth pony and griffin just behind the cover of the stage curtains, counting out their share of the cut from the night's profit. He glanced absently over his shoulder as he handed the small stack of bills to the other winged creature, watching with a mix of amusement and sharp jealousy as Graceful Melody all but crawled into the lap of an exceptionally drunk patron, turning what had likely started as an extremely gripping hug into nothing short of an erotic dance. Wonder if that guy even knows yet...

“Your li'l mama has a hell of a voice, but she's kind of a slut,” the drummer slurred, semi-wasted himself on the complimentary ale that had been offered to the performers. “Think I could get'er to come by my place after she's done with that lucky asshole?”

Riffraff pursed his lips but forced a thin smile. “Somehow I don't think Graceful Melody is your type.” He handed the griffin a similar stack of the wrinkled currency – it was actually a few bills more than what he'd paid the drummer. The bassist had not uttered a single word beyond calmly listing his abilities when he'd showed up at the brief auditions held a few hours before the club opened. But the griffin played a mean bass line and had done exceptionally well keeping up with Riffraff's own spur-of-the-moment changes on the songs he and Graceful often twisted into live variations of their own. “But feel free to leave your address. I'll be sure to get it to him,” Riff added curtly as the griffin gave the slightest smile, having long ago recognized the attractive pegasus as a stage-transvestite.

“Alright, tha's what I'm talkin' ab—wait. He?” The earth pony blinked stupidly and tilted his head as Riffraff only smiled wryly. As if on cue, he heard a shocked cry from the audience and turned around to watch with an amused expression. The stupefied pony stared past him while the griffin adjusted the large case strapped across his back just below one wing, then seemed content enough to stay long enough to watch the scene unfold for himself.

Graceful Melody had straddled the stallion's lap and apparently somepony's hoof had gone just far enough that the periwinkle pegasus's secret had been rather unapologetically revealed. The muscular earth pony now shoved violently at the laughing Graceful, hollering drunkenly and bearing an expression of mixed inebriation and horror as he wiped at his muzzle furiously. “You...you're disgusting, I thought you was a mare! What kinda shit is goin' on here?!”

The effeminate male only winked and blew him a playful kiss as his wings fluttered and brought him to a swaying hover just above the table tops. “You wouldn'ta known the difference if we'd done what you were so eager to do in the bathrooms!” Graceful called out clearly to the earth pony's back as he stumbled past several other patrons to hurry through the front doors. The outburst had caused a few other guests to make faces of disgust or surprise, but more than a handful seemed either too drunk or too aroused still to care about the fact that the slender pegasus in the entrancing dress was nothing short of a camouflaged honey trap.

Riffraff shook his head, by now used to this kind of reaction as he turned back to the other two. The griffin only smiled and then nodded once before turning to leave silently through the rear entrance. The drummer, however, stood relatively motionless, swaying with his inebriation as the skin beneath his coat paled with horror. “He...he's a...”

“Homosexual? Queer? Rocket-rider? Pole-jockey? Uphill-gardener? Faggot?” Riffraff supplied easily, busying himself with packing up the speakers and stands. “Yes, he is. But while he finds those names endearing and even a source of pride for himself...you even think about insulting him or planning some angry beat-down or some shit, think again.” The blood-red pony suddenly looked up, his dark grey irises seeming to flash crimson for a moment as his teeth bared. “I'll have you bleeding out of so many goddamn holes you won't know where to breathe, where to eat and where to shit, got it?”

The swaying earth pony stared at him for a moment, looking as if his drunkenness would almost allow him to be so bold as to retort. But whatever remaining sense he had advised him otherwise and he instead spit to the side before stumbling toward the same door by which the griffin had left. “Screw you'n screw your little slut,” he slurred, dragging the small cart upon which his drums had been hastily stacked after the last song. “Hope he gets his ass kicked by somepony he tries gettin' into th' hay with...”

Riffraff wrinkled his muzzle in distaste, the bit of red tinging his eyes once more fading as he shook his head and focused on clearing his thoughts of excess anger. Last thing I need is that asshole showing up and trying to coax a few months off in exchange for blowing that asshole to Valhalla come...

He took a few deep breaths, feeling much calmer and nodding once. He continued to pack up the remainder of their well-worn gear before glancing up in only mild surprise as Graceful Melody strolled past, leading a flushed unicorn along by the larger male's necktie. “He offered to buy me a drink,” the singer purred, flicking his tail lightly against the muzzle of the sweating patron. “I'm gonna take him up on that.” Riffraff and the smaller pegasus locked gazes for a moment, the slender male emanating an almost terrifying air of “back off”. But the crimson stallion only rolled his eyes and looked pointedly at a clock hanging back-stage. Graceful glanced at it as well, then pouted but gave the slightest nod even as he huffed and all but dragged the flustered male into a small ready-room in the backstage area.

The masculine pegasus grimaced and snapped the last of the straps across the battered guitar case before sitting with a grumble upon one of the speakers. Someone had rolled a compact DJ booth onto the stage from the other side, quickly hooking up a few small speakers and starting to spin some canned dance music, which only served to make Riffraff feel even more sour. He produced the pack of cigarettes tucked away in the case of the microphone, tapping one of the cylinders out and lighting it in his muzzle before taking a slow draw and closing his eyes. One hoof closed around the harmonica hanging from his neck, thoughtfully gripping it for a moment. As the pegasus began to tune out both the soulless music as well as the muffled noises rising from the ready-room, he lifted the small silver instrument to his lips between puffs and played himself a quiet tune.

Graceful Melody slowly tilted his head back with a satisfied grin, licking his muzzle clean with deliberate motions before drawing his tongue teasingly along one foreleg in an only half-intentional means of cleaning himself up. His dress had long been shed and thrown to the side and as he sat, placated, at the unicorn's hooves, his victim for the night stared ahead stupidly, chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath. He seemed too embarrassed at this point to make eye contact with the pegasus, but Graceful hardly cared anymore about the thoughts of the unicorn. He had taken what he wanted and he was pleased enough. “Stupid Riffraff, never lettin' me have enough fun,” he muttered aloud, drawing an awkward glance down from the blushing unicorn but ignoring it as if the other male wasn't even there.

The moment the door had closed behind them, Graceful Melody had pounced onto the larger stallion and kissed him with all the passion of a married couple on their first night of a honeymoon. It had been literal minutes before he'd even been able to stammer that it was his “first time with...someone like you...” but it had taken even less time for the experienced pegasus to turn any lingering doubt or hesitation into blind passion and even blinder pleasure. Twenty minutes later, the unicorn now felt as if he might slip into a comatose state any moment as his head spun numbly, unable to piece even the simplest thoughts together. He was both amazed and horrified that the sleek cross-dressing male between his legs appeared almost bored already, Graceful's still-visible arousal making the other stallion feel somewhat inadequate about his own abilities. “D-do I...need to pay you?” he stammered nervously, adjusting his tie uselessly. “I...my wallet's still...back at my table...”

Graceful Melody gave him a dour look, getting back to his hooves with a contemptible snort. “Tempting, buuut...I guess you did okay enough. But you gotta go now, before Riffraff hits you with his guitar or something.” The slender pegasus waved his forelegs around dramatically and continued to muttered incoherently, but it was clear that the entertainment for the night was complete. He turned his back on the other male and the unicorn cleared his throat awkwardly before rubbing at his chest and watching with an uncomfortable rapture despite himself as the pegasus slid leisurely back into the rumpled dress. A loud knock at the door stirred him from his reverie and he blushed again as the singer glared at him irritably over his shoulder. “I said get outta here!”

The unicorn flushed further and weaved his way to the door, unable to keep his legs steady, his knees still rubbery. He swallowed and then mumbled an awkward mix of “thank you” and “I'm sorry” before opening the door...only to stare at Riffraff's moody expression glaring back at him. He backpedaled embarrassedly but the red-coated pegasus gestured sourly toward the backstage area and the unicorn nervously slid past him before half-galloping from behind the curtains amidst drunken laughter to reclaim his wallet and then skitter out through the main entrance.

Riffraff looked pointedly at Graceful Melody, who only returned the gaze with his pierced tongue stuck out childishly. The muscular stallion sighed and smiled despite himself as he gestured gently. “Come on, Grace. We gotta hit the road. I don't wanna stay in this town tonight. Too many folks looked less than pleased when they found out about your fun little surprise.”

“Ain't that little,” Grace retorted, but his tone was softer as well when he approached the other pegasus and kissed his cheek. “'Sides, since when do you worry 'bout that? You c'n kick just about anypony's tail who's messed with us before...plus, I know you dun like it, but there is always Amdus--”

“Shut up, don't use his name now,” Riff hissed in a more forceful tone than he intended, looking immediately regretful as Graceful's eyes widened a bit and his pierced ears laid flat against the spiky curls of his mane. The larger male grimaced and rubbed at his muzzle with a hoof before glancing at the appendage for a moment as something beneath his crimson hide seemed to push outward. His companion's pout faded slowly as Grace tilted his head and then quieted.

“Is it hurting again?” he asked worriedly, biting his lip and stepping closer to the red pegasus.

Riffraff glanced at his partner, taking in his genuine concern and visible shivering. He forced a small smile and nodded. “Just a little, but you know that it always does after a show.” He stared at the hoof again then quickly lowered it to the ground again with a quiet swallow. “After all, the damn things turn into freakin' monsters,” he added in a mutter.

Graceful Melody came up to his companion and hugged him tightly with both forelegs. “I'm sorry...”

The masculine pegasus smiled quietly again, closing his eyes and wrapping one leg around Graceful. “It's not your fault. This was my choice.” He nodded firmly and then kissed the other male's forehead gently. “Besides, tell me who else out there can play a guitar well enough to keep up with you?”

The light-blue stallion laughed as he picked up the case carrying the microphone and stand, slinging it over his shoulder. “Well...there was Power Chord...and...Blue Rider...ooh, and that unicorn with the big--”

“Shaaaaddup,” Riffraff huffed, waving a hoof at the slender pegasus but smiling all the same as he hefted his guitar case up and onto the rolling speaker case. “Those guys don't have any soul...they can just spit out some fancy horse apples that sounds real pretty, but...there's no real spirit to it. They don't play like we play.”

Giggling softly, Graceful winked over his shoulder before strutting toward the rear door with a very purposeful swing in his flank. “Yeah, in ALL the ways we play!”

“You're a dirty little whore,” Riff commented, looking amused as he pushed the guitar and accompanying equipment after the other stallion, hearing Graceful's laughter tinkling off the walls of the alley outside. The jacketed pegasus was nearly at the door when a gruff voice called to him from the side entrance to the stage area.

“Good show you two put on. Didn't tell me you'd have a transvestite, though.”

Riffraff looked to the side as the pegasus who owned the club leaned against the wall, chewing slowly on a stalk of celery. He wore a mottled, wide-brimmed hat and a dirty black bow tie, his rather shaggy hide of dark green blending in with the poorly lit surroundings. “Didn't seem to affect our agreed payment, though. Think you even slipped an extra hundred in there,” Riff replied softly, his body tensed beneath the worn jacket.

But the other pegasus only smiled slightly and shrugged. “Best damn guitar I've heard in a long time. And your little friend's got the voice of a Valkyrie. Thought I heard Asgard getting jealous at one point.”

The guitarist immediately calmed, unable to hide his relieved expression. “Oh, well...thanks. And...sorry for the ponies who...stormed out earlier.”

“Eh, don't bother me. That's why I got a no-refund policy and a two-drink minimum.” The owner chewed the last of his celery thoughtfully before swallowing it and grinning. “To be honest, it was nice to have something different. And I still made bank tonight.” He tipped his hat respectfully. “If you come through town again, come by and see me. The stage will be yours for as long as you want.”

“Oh, wow...uh, thanks...thank you, really.” Riffraff nodded several times, looking almost embarrassed even through his clear pride. “I may try and track down a different drummer next time, but I definitely want the griffin back whenever we swing through again.”

“Not a problem,” the other stallion replied easily. “I'll look forward to it. Safe travels, now...this is an alright town, but you know there are angry ponies anywhere you go.”

“Yeah, nothin' new to us. Thanks again.” Riffraff smiled and then nudged the exterior door open and pulled his gathered equipment through. As the small wheels crunched onto the cobblestone of the alleyway, he glanced toward their small cart and saw the smaller male's case already in place. “Grace, you ready to go? You better not have someone behind a damn trash can...”

He began to load the cart and as he did so, spotted the rich azure of his companion's thick tail poking out from the front of the wooden transport. “Oh, very funny, I can see your big flank sticking out from here.” He rolled his eyes and grabbed his guitar case, wedging it into place in the now-rather-full cart and then grumbling when the other pony's tail didn't so much as twitch. He turned around to check for any missing equipment and then found himself suddenly face-to-face with a toothy grin, a scaled muzzle and a towering stature.

Riffraff cursed and immediately stepped backward, his flank bumping against the rear of the cart. “Goddammit, what in Helheim are you doing here?”

The tall creature continued to grin, bipedal in its stance. Its arms crossed over a chest that was layered with brilliant gold and silver scales, the strange checkerboard pattern continuing over its muscular stomach and down across its lap. A dark blue hide covered the rest of its masculine frame, a seemingly random pattern of curved spikes poking out from between the navy scales all along its upper arms and back. Its head was vaguely draconic, features amused. A row of sharp spines lined both sides of its lower jaw and a total of four horns curled backward from its skull, each one thick at the base but tapering to a slender point at the end of their curved lengths. Behind it, Riffraff knew a thick, serpentine tail lay coiled behind its clawed feet, surprisingly mobile and forked about a third from the end, which consisted of twin tips that each bore a single gleaming spike of bone. Its voice matched its masculine frame, though it had a silky quality that easily brought a false sense of soothing calm to the listener.

“Now, now, my little pony...that's no way to speak to your benefactor, is it?” Its lips curled into a taunting smile, gazing down patronizingly at the snarling pegasus.

“Grace, stay where you are!” he called over his shoulder before turning his focus back to the scaled creature. But he didn't even hear a whimper of response from the other pegasus and he frowned slightly. “Graceful?”

“Oh, yes, sorry,” the looming creature said mockingly, slapping a hand loudly against one of its cheeks. “I forgot! Your little lovercolt is still frozen in terror. I may or may not have let him see me before I played my favorite little tune.” The creature grinned and produced a gleaming silver saxophone out of thin air, waving it in the air easily with one strong arm.

Riffraff narrowed his eyes but was nonetheless relieved – he knew first-hand what abilities the demon possessed, especially when it used the enchanted silver-hued brass instrument that rested now against his shoulder. If he guessed correctly, the demon had temporarily trapped the smaller male's body in a kind of stasis, using a haunting melody played through the saxophone that Riff was all too familiar with. He nodded once and met the demon's eyes. “What do you want, Amdusias?”

“Ooh! I love when you say my name with such bite,” the demon exclaimed, snapping the clawed fingers on his free hand and pointing at the pegasus. “Say, you sound a little husky, voice getting a little scratchy? Starting to feel that nasty little sore spot way deep down in your disgusting little mortal lungs?”

The stallion stiffened up a bit but only spat defiantly to the side. “Screw you. The deal ain't changing. And you never said how much I gotta smoke this crap...ain't like two years of light use is gonna shorten my life any faster.”

“Oh, but it already has!” the scaled demon crowed, tossing his saxophone easily to the other hand as he suddenly dropped down to one knee and shoved a finger into the pony's muzzle. His tone swiftly darkened as his features became cold. “Don't get me wrong, you plebiscite, I am very much aware that you slipped out of the deal I originally intended. Your lifeline is nonetheless decreased with every single puff you take, and your worthless soul is practically mine as it is.”

Riffraff snarled and jerked his head away, glaring up at the demon despite the tremble of fear and the suddenly explosive need he felt to smoke one of the cigarettes tucked away safely in his jacket. Before he could speak, however, the demon's cat-like eyes lit up in realization, laughing loudly. “You want one right now, don't you? Don't you? Well...go right ahead...” His eyelids lowered, his tone becoming lyrical. “The point of denial is only to delay...don't resist that desire, don't stay in the grey...”

The mortal pegasus shook his head several times but already felt a hypnotic daze filtering in through every crevice of his mind, amplifying his needs. Part of him wanted to refuse the desire, fight against the forcefully increased need to light up. But he knew Amdusias gripped a tight leash over this one facet of his physiology – he could not control the stallion outright, but as he'd proven in the past, he was more than capable of making the desire so great that every other function of the mortal's body threatened to shut down until the overwhelming need became fulfilled.

He bowed his head resolutely and reached with a quivering hoof into his leather jacket to remove a cigarette and light it shakily in his muzzle. Amdusias waited patiently for him to draw a full breath of the thick smoke, once more standing up and crossing his arms over the saxophone. “There, now, isn't that much better?”

Riffraff kept his head down, wincing in pain as he felt a trickle of something warm run down one of his hind legs. He took another slow intake of the cigarette before glancing over his shoulder, shuddering as he watched a thin rivulet of blood dribble down from a lower corner of the black emblem on his flank. “Ah, you shouldn't resist, even when I don't gift you with the pleasure of my songs.” The demon smiled smugly and then lifted the saxophone to his muzzle and began to play a soft, lilting tune.

The pegasus winced automatically, ears lying flat as he expected one of the demon's abilities to manifest itself...but several seconds passed with no discernible effects. Riffraff frowned and quietly sat on his haunches, continuing to smoke as he allowed himself to listen to the apparently non-enchanted tune, finding himself almost ashamed in the realization that he found the song to be extremely well-executed and, in a word: delightful. He scowled and plucked the cigarette from his muzzle before muttering through a plume of smoke: “Seriously...why are you here? I didn't summon you, and I sure as hell don't need another few months chopped off to kick some fairy-basher's ass.”

Amdusias feigned a hurt expression around the mouthpiece of his instrument, continuing to play for a few moments. But when Riff's scowl didn't budge, he rolled his eyes and pulled the saxophone away from his maw, pursing his lips. “You can be more impatient and childish than your fantastically flamboyant faux-filly friend. Do I need a reason to show up beyond wanting to say hello? See how those big manly hooves are holding up? Check up on your ever-dwindling health?” His eyes flashed, adding tauntingly: “Maybe spend a little time with your precious yet promiscuous little pegasus?”

Riffraff bared his teeth, his own irises glinting crimson for a moment as he spat the remainder of the smoldering cigarette at the demon. It bounced uselessly off his chest but the stallion took a step toward him, undaunted. “You stay the hell away from Grace. You take what you want from me, but you do not lay a goddamn hand on him, got it?”

But Amdusias only smirked and lifted the saxophone toward his lips again. “You should worry more about him wanting a piece of me, pitiful mortal. I may not read minds as well as some of my brethren, but I can sense his urges, feel his disgusting desires, all but belting out from him like a sick little love song.” He paused with a cruel smile when Riffraff snarled and tensed, adding softly, “And do not lose what little respect you are capable of, or I'll make you watch while I turn your tiny little soprano into my personal thrall.”

The enraged pegasus yelled incoherently and leaped at the demon with a roar, his eyes blood-red as a glow formed in the back of his throat. Amdusias quickly blew a rapid stream of notes from the gleaming instrument and he disappeared with a strangely harmonic crash, the furious stallion smashing a hoof into the cobblestone as a brief gout of flame blasted out from his muzzle. He immediately cried out in pain, the unnatural fire searing the flesh inside his maw as a different but no less agonizing pain ran up his foreleg from the collision with the stone. As smoke poured out from his clenched jaws and nostrils, he heard Graceful Melody behind him: “--you doing here?!”

Graceful blinked stupidly, staring around in confusion – only seconds ago, the demon he'd recognized as the one holding his partner's contract had appeared out of nowhere, grinning darkly and holding a silver saxophone. The next thing he knew, he was yelling at a blank stone wall in front of the cart, greeted only by the sound of ragged panting and the acrid odor of brimstone and singed flesh. “Riff!”

He immediately sprinted around the cart, then whimpered and rushed up to the prone stallion, seeing a few trails of smoke still rising from his muzzle as tears streaked across his companion's features. “Oh Horses of Heaven, Riff, are you okay?” The smaller male dropped down and nosed Riffraff's muzzle worriedly, his eyes flicking back and forth along the guitarist's form. He couldn't spot any other visible wounds, other than the small trail of blood coming from his emblem. “Riff, can you hear me?”

“Yeah, I can hear you fine,” the pegasus croaked weakly, attempting a small smile. “Just got a little worked up. Jumpin' at shadows...” He shook his head out a bit and tried to regain his footing but almost immediately lowered his upper body to the cobblestone again with a hiss of pain, mumbling into the ground. “I'll just. Hang out here for a minute. I'm fine, I promise, I'm fine.”

Graceful swallowed thickly, hopping from hoof to hoof nervously for a moment. His partner sounded like himself, at least, which was a welcome sign. “Did...did he hurt you, what did he want?”

Riffraff continued to grumble in a muffled voice against the stone before forcing himself to roll onto his side with a grimace. “He just wanted to be an asshole. Nothing more, nothing less. Didn't ask for nothin', didn't take nothin'.” He pausd and then looked sour. “Well, I guess he was probably hoping I'd ask for some protection runes tonight or something, seeing as he probably knows already that a few of the ponies in this town aren't exactly happy with you not...being a mare.”

“Well, it's not MY fault those guys all assumed I was one!” Graceful Melody protested, looking almost insulted and yet a bit pleased all at once. “Anyway, you didn't say yes or anything, right?”

The larger male fixed Graceful with a dark expression, causing him to pout and throw his forelegs into the air, flailing them childishly. “I'm just askin'! I know that...you know, nothing against you or your will or anything like that, but...we both know that Andy can...can be persuasive.”

Riffraff closed his eyes and muttered a few choice words, but nodded nonetheless against the cool stone beneath him. “Yeah, I know. And...don't call him that. Doesn't make any damn sense, it's A-M-D-Y, not...A-N-D-Y.”

Graceful smiled a bit and sat down next to his companion, rubbing a hoof softly along his side. “Yeah, I know, Riff. I'm glad you're okay.”

“Yeah, yeah...I'll be fine.” Riffraff glanced up at the other pegasus for a moment. “Sorry that you keep getting dragged into this kinda stuff.”

“It's okay. I never minded your pact with him, anyway, once I did find out about it.”

The crimson pegasus looked embarrassed and smiled a bit. “Well, not like I could even ask how YOU would have done it. You're about as tactful as a pair of minotaurs selling beat-downs. 'Hi, my name is Riffraff! I've watched you perform here for over a year now and I wanted to team up with you but since I'm not very good at guitar I made a deal with a demon and now he owns my soul but I can play guitar real good wanna be best friends forever?!!'” Riffraff clutched his front hooves together beneath his muzzle, batting his eyes as his pupils shone with exaggerated luster.

Graceful Melody couldn't help but giggle, quietly slapping at his companion's shoulder before dropping down to his knees and helping the larger stallion back up his hooves. “An' you know what, I still woulda said yes even if you had done it my way!”

Riffraff snorted softly as he staggered toward the back of the cart with the singer's help. “That's because you're weird and a masochist and probably just like me for my body.”

“Well I do like you for your body,” Graceful replied affectionately, beaming up at the scowling guitarist.

“That doesn't make me feel any better!”

“Why not? I'm complimenting you! I'm saying you look good!”

“Yeah, well...that...isn't what I want right now!”

“Well what do you want?!?”

“I WILL!”

“THAT DOESN'T EVEN MAKE ANY SENSE!”

“I KNOW!”

By this point they were both shouting at each other, but smiles twitched at both of their muzzles before Graceful burst into laughter, almost bowling over the larger stallion as he stomped a hoof against the cobblestone. Riffraff couldn't help but laugh himself, smiling and feeling the pressure of their brief encounter with the demon slowly lessening. The two ponies checked their small collection of bags and cases, then headed around to the front of the cart on opposite sides. The blood-red pegasus began to nose into the comfortable leather harness on the left side, but was swiftly chided by Graceful. The periwinkle stallion slapped gently at his partner's hooves, huffing and shoving at him lightly even as he slid the adjustable harness on the right side into a more centered position. “You get in and rest for a little bit, Riff...we aren't gonna go very far tonight, after all, right?”

“Yeah, but...you can't pull this--”

“Oh yes I can, I've done it lots, now get on,” the slender male insisted, waving a foreleg at him. “I'll find us a nice area to camp and it'll be fine.”

Riffraff huffed and toyed with his harness a bit more, earning an unexpectedly serious glare from the smaller stallion. “Oh, fine, you...whining...queer.” He flapped his wings a couple of times, lifting himself into the air before settling himself quietly at the front of the well-packed cart. “There, happy?”

Graceful Melody smiled and nodded a bit with a precursory glance over his shoulder. “For now.” He grunted and then began to flap his wings hard, lifting his slender body with ease but also tilting the front of the cart just slightly into the air. The body of the cart was made of old, starting-to-rot wood and likely wouldn't last more than a few more long trips before needing repair. But what the two pegasi valued most was not the exterior of the cart, but rather the frame and chassis.

The design was one they had seen some time ago after a small three-day stretch in Hoofston. The cart had only two full-sized wheels, located nearer to the center than the rear, though the axle would automatically adjust forward or backward based on the angle of the ponies pulling it along. The other legs were sturdy and had only small guidance wheels at the bottom, useful for small, precise movements but otherwise able to be folded up so that they functioned more like anchors. Added to this was a series of adjustable weights at the front and rear of the frame, allowing the users of the cart to create a balance no matter what kind of cargo they hauled, how heavy it was, or how it was arranged. It allowed even the effeminate blue-grey stallion to pull the cart without much effort, assuming he was hovering and not pulling it along on the ground.

Riffraff meticulously tended to the system of weights and axles beneath the body after every trip they made, ensuring that the proper areas were greased and free of rust or even lingering dirt and debris. He rarely let his smaller companion solely bear the weight of their gear and personal luggage, but the constant attention paid to the technology behind (or rather, under) the cart made it possible when necessary. And even though he was loathe to admit it, he was extremely grateful for it for the time being. He settled quietly into a seated position just in front of their battered suitcases and duffel bags, each stuffed full of their various personal things. Graceful had several other outfits, some for concerts, others for...intimate moments. Both ponies shared a collection of cooking utensils, items for personal hygiene, a few articles of outerwear for rougher weather, and just about a complete set of camping equipment that they'd cobbled together over the years.

They occasionally spent the night in taverns, inns or even cheap hotels – especially when they were the top-billed performers, and made more than the usual thin stack of cash – but Riffraff could become almost obsessive with preserving as much of their capital as they could, even when it caused some tension between the two. It wasn't that Graceful Melody minded sleeping outdoors...it was more that he was simply not sleeping on a comfortable bed with a full bathroom and closet close at hoof.

But after almost two years of constant travel, almost two years of living on the road...the two had settled into the reality of living this way. Graceful even found some consolation in his strange bond with the wild animals of Equestria's forests; most towns, after all, could only be found supporting a few species of birds and perhaps small rodents that had long adapted to “civilized” life. The slender pegasus had discovered a sort of second calling in his interaction with less-than-domesticated creatures, sometimes dragging a reluctant Riffraff on romps through the forest that could last hours, eventually amassing a strange following of sometimes ten or twenty woodland creatures that seemed only mildly hesitant around the larger stallion, but nothing short of affectionate with his periwinkle companion. The only times that Riff felt nervous about his partner's affinity toward wildlife were the rare but unforgettable times he'd been shocked by the fearlessness of Graceful. Such as the time he'd all but soiled himself after watching Graceful laugh merrily and ride cheerfully through the campsite upon the back of a fully-grown grizzly bear, or the night he'd woken up and had sworn to Helheim, Niflheim and Asgard above that the singer was performing a tender solo for a group of enraptured Phooka.

The last memory made Riffraff shudder and shake his head quickly. He rubbed a hoof up slowly through his tousled mane and thought about all the times that Amdusias had placed him into a hypnotic state, forcing him to visualize images or experience tactile situations that the demon suggested with aggressive tone and even more aggressive music. Even if the demon could not control his movements beyond a few simple motions, Riffraff feared the sensation of losing all control over his body, over even his precious and once-impregnable thoughts. His companion, on the other hand, often talked about wanting to try “sharing” hypnotic experiences and hallucinations with the smoky creatures that lurked in the deeper, darker woods of Equestria. Despite himself, Riffraff smiled a bit at the notion; Graceful's voice, after all, could probably carry a tune just sweet enough that he'd put the mysterious creatures in a trance no less intense than what his slavering audiences often experienced. I suppose it's each to their own, as they say. If he wants to mess around with that and can do it safely...

He allowed his thoughts to spin out on various tangents as he rested his muzzle on the front edge of the cart and kept his eyes open so as to watch for a good spot for the two to bed down for the evening. But no matter how far he tried to cast his mental line, he continued to be haunted by the question of what exactly Amdusias had in mind. Even when he tried to strike up a conversation with the ever-cheerful pegasus toting their belongings, he inadvertently found his own dialogue getting shorter and shorter until he was barely mumbling a response as questions about the demon's unexpected visit plagued every corner of his mind. Eventually the periwinkle male began to sing softly for them both, attracting some attention from the few ponies still out and about at this hour. Riffraff could hear his voice beyond the whirling vortex of worried thoughts, but it was like trying to listen to an old music box through the din of a raging blizzard.

“Riffraff!”

Graceful Melody's use of his full name suddenly pierced the veil of his contemplative concerns and the crimson stallion blinked stupidly as his companion waved a hoof in front of his face, hovering before him at the head of the cart. “What!?” he snapped, once more using a tone he hadn't fully intended.

The smaller male winced backward and looked more hurt than before, his wings stuttering and causing his slender body to dip before he silently touched his hooves to the ground again and furled his wings. “I...just wanted to ask if this was okay to stop. We've been here almost five minutes, I thought...maybe you were in a trance or somethin'...”

Riffraff blushed and looked around while rubbing at his muzzle embarrassedly. “Sorry, Grace. I...been getting caught up in my own thoughts.” Graceful had pulled the cart just off the now-dirt road, having found a sort of natural opening in the woods surrounding them. The larger pegasus glanced over his shoulder, curious about how far beyond the town's limits they'd traveled. They were currently parked in a small vale and Riff could see twinkling lights still at the top of the lightly sloping hill to their backs. “Anyone give you any trouble while...I was thinking and stuff?” He looked back at his companion with genuine concern and apology in his dark grey eyes.

Graceful blushed from the sudden change in his partner's gruffness, reminding himself that a visit from the demon rarely left the other male in anything short of an emotional maelstrom. “Nah, I was just singin' to try and keep us both occupied. I asked for directions once we got to the edge of town...nice pony, he said we should find plenty of quiet, peaceful spots through the forest down here where we'd be safe for the night. He offered to let us stay in his house, but...you weren't really...responding and stuff, so...I figured...”

“Oh, Grace, it's alright,” Riffraff murmured, smiling a bit and rubbing quietly at one of his forelegs before standing up completely and stretching slowly as he spread his wings fully and felt a few bones along his spine popping and cracking after having been stiff for the last hour or so. “He was probably a creeper, anyway.”

Graceful found his smile again, echoing softly. “Yeah, a creeper for sure.” He nodded once and flicked his curly, chaotic tail as he gazed around and trotted up to the nearest tree to poke it quietly with a hoof. “This place is pretty quiet now that I'm actually listening...I was worried about you and...didn't really get to look around yet.” He smiled submissively and Riffraff felt a genuine pang of guilt for the unintended outburst. “You think we'll be safe here?”

“Yeah, we should be alright. Besides, how many times have you ever been attacked by anything that lives in the forest?” Riffraff laughed softly and looked around at the bags near his hooves, finding one that contained a compact tent and some bedding. He tossed this over the edge of the cart and then reached for the small gas-powered stove shoved into place near the front. He gripped it and one of the semi-full tanks lying nearby, hefting himself into the air with a firm flap of his wings before gliding in a slow arc toward a mostly flat and smooth patch of dirt near a thick copse of trees.

“I'll get the stove going!” Graceful called out as he unpacked the tent and then bounded over with a smile. His companion smiled despite himself – Graceful Melody rarely stayed in a bad mood for more than a few minutes. Riffraff found it mostly a blessing, though there were times it just as easily ground into his last nerves. But in this case, he was more than glad to have the slender male assemble the stove while he erected the tent.

The two pegasi relaxed by each others side after their simple meal of rice and steamed vegetables. Graceful Melody had found a nearby stream and he'd filled up their various containers with the cool water, using some of it to cook the late dinner. The cart now rested a bit further off the worn path through the forest and the stallions themselves had moved the campsite several yards deeper as well, finding a comfortable spot for the tent with enough space between the thick trees to light a small fire as well. They now rested close to this, Riff on the verge of falling asleep while Graceful sat next to him, ears pricked as he listened to the sounds of the wilderness around them. He'd spotted a couple of owls and what he thought might have been a Phooka, staring at them with a strange mix of hostility and curiosity. But its hypnotic gaze had not been effective at the distance, and the periwinkle equine had peered at it calmly until the smoky creature had disappeared into the woods again.

Graceful Melody glanced down at the larger pegasus, watching him all but snoozing against his slender body. He smiled and gently rubbed along Riffraff's spine before looking up at the just-visible sliver of moon through the leafy branches. The woods had fallen into the spell of nighttime – not silent, not unmoving, but instead producing the comfortable hum of nocturnal sounds accompanied by the occasionally scamper of small feet through the underbrush and the gentle swaying of the trees. Graceful felt at ease in this setting and as his companion's breathing shifted to a deeper, more evenly spaced pattern, the slender pegasus figured it'd be acceptable enough to ignore their tent for the night and sleep out by the fire. He smiled and reached over for the nearest duffel bag, biting his tongue in concentration as he carefully switched positions with it. Riffraff stirred as Grace slid the clothes-filled fabric bag under his head, but remained asleep. The periwinkle-coated male smiled to himself, poking his head briefly into the tent and grabbing the thin blanket in his jaws, pulling it free along with the few pillows that had been tossed inside before their meal. He replaced the duffel bag beneath Riffraff's head with a pillow, then arranged the remaining ones along Riff's back before curling up against his companion and spreading the light sheet over both their forms. Sleep began to tug at his eyes as the slender male yawned and then regarded the crackling fire for a moment. He figured it would die out on its own within an hour or so, however, and put it out of his mind as he pressed gently against the larger pegasus and soon joined the crimson stallion in a deep slumber.