**Please take care in noting that an especially explicit scene lies ahead during which two ponies who love each other very much do things that may traumatize those without the capability of finding even morbid interest in a scene of such caliber.

Chapter 11: Come up for Air

The earth pony at the front desk had peered with extreme suspicion at the beaming pegasus when Grace had gone up to pay for three nights in advance, studying his pierced ears and muzzle over the top of her square glasses before picking up the check he wrote out with the same movements as somepony pulling matted hair up from a shower drain. She informed him blithely that rejected checks were subject to a one-hundred bit fee, to which he’d cheerfully asked how such a policy was enforced, considering the fact that a bounced check suggested there wouldn’t be any money in the account to pay neither room charge nor rejection fees. She’d glared at him, flabbergasted and obviously unsure of how to answer even as he quickly filled out the information sheet and then held out a hoof for the room key. She informed him icily that they would be checking the validity of his account by telegraph, but that he was of course more than welcome to make himself comfortable in his room for the time being.

When he joined Riff in the elevator, the crimson pegasus cleared his throat and asked slowly, “What did you just ask her? Because I’ve never seen anyone look that horrified.”

“I asked if the housekeeping department’s laundry machines would be able to handle excess semen stains on the bed sheets,” he replied easily, shifting one bag to the opposite shoulder so he could reach up and pound the button for the tenth floor. Riff stared down at him morbidly and he glanced back up innocently. “What? Hey, with what we’re paying per night, they’d better bring us fresh sheets on demand!”

“Well, now they’re probably just going to tell the housekeepers to mark any linen from our room to be sent to the incinerator,” Riffraff replied drolly, smiling all the same despite himself. “Dirty, nasty little prima donna.”

When Graceful slid the electronic keycard into the slot on their room door and pushed it open, both their jaws dropped. “Holy...crap,” the smaller male enunciated as he half-stumbled forward before grinning over his shoulder at the gaping stallion behind him. “I’ve stayed in a few hotels, but...holy crap!”

The room before them was arranged in the style of a large, open den, complete with four comfortable-looking couches...and a hot tub at the center. Plush, white carpet covered the floor and the upholstery appeared to be supple white leather, matching the ivory walls ornamented with golden light fixtures. Two open doors to the left revealed a fully furnished bathroom and massive bedroom, complete with a canopied four-poster bed that took up more than half the floor space. To the right was a kitchenette with black and white tiled floors, as well as a door that led to a wide balcony overlooking downtown Manehattan.

“I would say that the cleanliness of the sheets is not a major factor in the price for these rooms,” Riffraff commented, letting the bags drop from his shoulders as he poked his head into the bathroom, staring at the fact that floors, counters and bathtub were all made from marble. “Horses of Heaven, are you sure we can afford this?”

“We could afford about eight hundred nights!” Graceful called out cheerfully from the balcony before he giggled. “Riffy, c’mere! Our wagon’s just around the corner!” Before Riff could stop him, the feminine pegasus had laughed and leaped over the rail to glide back down to to the side street, his exuberant voice echoing back up through the open door. Riffraff groaned and slapped his forehead, then paused and rolled his eyes before following his companion with a whoop.

It only took them two more trips to get the cart fully unloaded, their bags strewn across the den and yet hardly taking away from the enormous space afforded by the open design of the suite. Graceful had brought up his guitar case, and Riff smiled as he noticed that of all their belongings, it was the one thing carefully balanced in a far corner of the room, safe from any accidental collisions. Thanks, Gracie... He turned to find the smaller stallion slinking toward him from the kitchenette, laughing softly and sitting back on his haunches. “Well, what would you like for dinmrf--”

He was cut off by Graceful shoving their muzzles together, nearly sliding backward from the force of the deep kiss as his companion’s slender forelegs wrapped securely around his neck while his feminine frame pressed close to his masculine torso. Their jaws worked against one another passionately, Riffraff eventually stumbling backward as Graceful continued to press against him before the larger pony opened his eyes with surprise when his long tail flopped back into the expansive, empty tub. He squirmed slightly in the tight embrace of his partner, managing to pull his muzzle back just enough to gasp “Gracie, the-the tub!” before he toppled back into the enormous porcelain basin with a dull thud. His companion only grinned from the flooring above, reaching out with a hoof to quickly twist one of the nozzles completely open, then pouncing down onto the stunned stallion.

The impact had knocked the wind from Riff’s lungs and he was still attempting to regain his senses when Grace landed upon him in a straddle, wheezing loudly and then giving a yelp as cold water began to pool beneath him. He stared up at the periwinkle pegasus, but Graceful only winked. “It’ll warm up. Besides...they say extreme temperature changes c’n be a sorta aphrodisiac...”

Riff attempted to respond past his violent shivering but his companion turned around swiftly above him, and before he could say anything, Graceful had dropped down low and all but smashed his crotch against Riff’s muzzle. The crimson pegasus gave a muffled noise of shock and Graceful reacted by sliding forward just a few inches, the pressure of his powerful hips forcing his dangling testicles into his partner’s maw while he grinned again and then leaned forward himself to start lapping eagerly at Riffraff’s quickly growing member as it pushed up from the loose skin of his sheath. He could feel Riff gagging in surprise and the contractions of his throat only pulled his smooth testicles down further into his muzzle, Graceful rolling his eyes back in bliss as his head tilted backward somewhat, his tongue lolling out for a moment. He slowly ground his waist forward, forcefully pulling his warm orbs up a bit and then letting his hips drop again as soon as Riff took a gasping breath to feel them once again tugged down into his partner’s throat.

He dropped his head once more, delighted further to see Riffraff’s thick shaft continuing to grow and pulse with life before him. He licked his lips, then leaned past his companion’s spread legs to take a deep guzzle of the still-cold water that continued to rise along Riff’s shivering frame, filling his muzzle with the icy liquid before it could begin to heat from the now-steaming water that poured from the chrome faucet. Feeling his own white and black-spotted member growing firm between their reversed bodies, he closed his eyes in pleasure for a few seconds, then slowly nuzzled one of Riffraff’s ebony testicles before opening his jaws just enough to take both large orbs past his lips, where they were promptly surrounded by a pool of freezing water. Grace sealed his maw firmly around his partner’s scrotum and the larger pegasus immediately squirmed wildly beneath him, his soaked wings flapping erratically and splashing the cool water over them both, though his flailing only caused Graceful’s own full testicles to sink further in his throat. The tension on the smaller male’s crotch was nearly agonizing, yet it only increased his pleasure as he started to roll his tongue lightly along both of Riff’s partially-submerged orbs.

Riffraff was at the point of attempting to shove his companion’s hips up and away from his muzzle, the continuous asphyxiation sending a shock of panic down his body each time he felt his windpipe blocked by Graceful’s warm orbs. But the slender pegasus only spread his legs wider, keeping his stance firm over his partner while his own testicles were shocked with a muzzle-full of chilling water – even as it began to heat in his companion’s maw, the sensation was torturous enough on its own that, combined with the sensation of choking, the blood-red stallion felt genuine terror as he began to shove even harder at Graceful’s waist.

Finally, Graceful opened his muzzle and allowed the lukewarm water to spill free, Riffraff’s aching testicles following shortly to slap loudly against the rising surface of the water. He grinned broadly again, glancing over his shoulder with a deep groan of pleasure; even though Riff’s eyes were filled with panic, there was no denying the towering member that slapped so often against Graceful’s features. Grace doubted his companion even realized that his own maroon penis was fully erect, even dribbling a bit of pre from the flared head. But he waited a few more seconds, watching with almost cruel pleasure as the larger pony scrabbled against him, before at last anchoring his hooves next to his partner’s head and heaving his crotch upward to yank his engorged testicles free of Riff’s throat and muzzle. He threw his head back blissfully, running his studded tongue slowly over his partner’s stiff shaft as he did so, his wings spreading wide and lithe body arching with visible erotic pleasure.

Riffraff coughed violently, chest heaving as he sucked in lungful after lungful of air, then making the mistake of turning his head sideways and inhaling some of the increasingly warmer water. He immediately gagged, choking and hacking the liquid back up to send it splattering over Graceful’s crotch and stomach as tears rolled down his cheeks. “Oh...gods, Grace, wait...wait!”

But Graceful had already shifted his body backward, aligning the tip of his relatively-large member with Riff’s gaping muzzle, then thrusting suddenly down to bury his throbbing maleness straight down his partner’s raw throat. The masculine male widened his eyes again, sloshing the rising water violently as he once again shoved weakly at Graceful’s hips. But the slender stallion only grinned over a shoulder again, one hoof slowly stroking down the dark crimson shaft before him. “Don’t worry, Riffy. I said it was gonna be angry make-up sex, right?” He pulled his hips upward slowly and Riff took a gasping breath around his thick member, his body flinching as he instinctively wrapped both his hooves around his companion’s member in an attempt to decrease the length that could penetrate his maw. “It’s fun bein’ on the bottom, isn’t it? But don't cry, baby, I won’t letcha drown,” Graceful cooed before taking in Riffraff’s trembling malehood with wide, excited eyes, licking his lips again while raising his own hips a bit higher. He pulled his partner’s shaft a bit closer to his lips, tenderly kissing the tip before opening his muzzle and starting to suckle slowly at just the other male’s sensitive head. He felt Riffraff buck helplessly beneath him, the water nearly covering the larger pegasus’s chest while Graceful kept his control the best he could, still only pleasuring the very end of his partner’s cock, his tongue-stud rolling teasingly along the edges while his own hips hovered above Riff’s muzzle, the crimson pony’s hooves desperately clutching into the base of his shaft as he easily rocked the few inches remaining free in and out of Riff’s maw.

He continued teasing his companion’s dribbling member, stroking both hooves slowly along the thick, lengthy shaft and splashing against the water that rose up against the first several inches of his equine penis. But the moment he heard Riffraff giving a quiet whimper of bliss, the smaller male licked his lips eagerly and suddenly pulled Riff’s member up while shoving his head down and simultaneously thrusting his waist forward. He managed to swallow nearly half of his companion’s massive cock with the motion and it loosened Riff’s muscles enough that the firm thrust of his hips knocked the protectively gripping hooves off of his own shaft and allowed it to glide almost effortlessly straight down past Riffraff’s tongue to plunge deep into his throat. Riff’s head slammed down against the bottom of the tub and he immediately gagged both on the sudden insertion of his companion’s member as well as the water that was suddenly halfway along his muzzle. He squirmed wildly, sending water sloshing in all directions as panic once again overtook his muscular frame.

But Graceful was lost in his mental and physical pleasure, beginning to move his hips up and down firmly and causing waves to ripple across the tub while he left enough focus to keep the motions of his head steady. He closed his eyes and curled his long tongue slowly around the throbbing shaft as he let the muscles in his throat move naturally to form a flexing, squeezing tunnel for Riffraff’s aching member. His wings beat firmly at the air in a subconscious reaction to his strangely dominant behavior and the intense ecstasy that accompanied it, savoring with a sort of dark pleasure the sensation of Riffraff gagging weakly on his ivory and ebony shaft. He kept the long thrusts of his stiff cock almost leisurely, drawing out the foreign pleasure as long as he could.

It wasn’t more than a half minute or so later, however, that Graceful felt a distinctive tickle at the base of his member as each consecutive slap of his fleshy testicles against the other male’s forehead created a harder-to-deny urge. He closed his eyes, the bobbing of his head jerking to a stop as he did his best to try and prevent it for just a few moments longer...but the onslaught of pleasure became an unstoppable torrent and he quickly drew his head back rapidly to free Riffraff’s saliva-soaked member from his maw. It slapped firmly against his lithe chest and he grinned as he supported himself by wrapping both hooves around his partner’s throbbing shaft, glancing over his shoulder again and then setting his rear legs further apart. Lifting his hips up high, he watched as Riffraff half-chased his steel-stiff cock upward – not to continue cradling it with his sore throat, but to push his muzzle free of the hot water that now sloshed past his nostrils. He took several heaving breaths around the last few inches of Graceful’s member, eyes shut tightly but a flush on his cheeks that was from more than the steaming tub water. The smaller male licked his lips briefly, waiting just long enough for Riff’s breathing to calm before he suddenly began to thrust his hips wildly while at the same time stroking his partner’s enormous shaft with both hooves.

The water sloshed around them, stirred into a frenzy from Riff’s flailing as well as the rapid movement of Graceful’s waist as he buried his member deep into his companion’s throat over and over. He bit his lower lip as he felt the veins along his equine member pulse heavily, his shaft growing even stiffer still as he clutched into Riffraff’s maleness in near desperation. His hips became a wet blur as he threw his head back and gave a sharp cry of bliss, smooth stomach slapping loudly against the surface of the water as he shoved his cock as fast as he could in and out of his partner’s submerged muzzle, his own feminine frame quivering wildly, hovering on the edge of a powerful orgasm.

Riffraff opened his eyes briefly, feeling water rushing down his throat past the rock-hard shaft that pumped in and out of his maw. His own body burned with a strangely intense ecstasy, but when he realized he was staring up through nearly a foot of turbulent water, the sensations of panic returned with force. He tried to resist, hardly realizing his own hips were thrusting up eagerly into Grace’s hooves. Bubbles rushed up from his nostrils and he shook his head the best he could around the rocketing member between his jaws as his ears pounded with a thousand different alien sounds. Just as his frenzied mind contemplated an attempt at kicking Graceful below the jaw with a rear hoof, every panicked thought in his brain washed away when a sudden, thick burst of hot fluid flooded down his throat, immediately distinctive from the clear water filling his esophagus. His eyes shut tightly again and he did his best to try and control his wild terror as he felt rather than heard Graceful crying out in bliss above him, his feminine body flexing and thrusting firmly down into his submerged muzzle. He did his best to swallow what he could, but he could feel several globs of the pony’s seed squeezing back out past his throbbing member to flood from his stretched jaws.

Above him, Graceful panted and continued to move his hips as fast as he could, a rush of twisted emotions filling his system. He felt Riff swallowing a good bit of his orgasm and with a broad grin, he suddenly pulled forward even as his member kept releasing several more strings of his seed into the water. He twisted around, the tub filled past his stomach and starting to rise along his chest as he shoved his hooves into the water and yanked Riffraff up forcefully. His companion coughed violently, spewing a mix of hot water and equine semen from his muzzle before looking up stupidly as Graceful met his muzzle in a passionate kiss. His partner’s pierced tongue twisted immediately with his own, Grace tasting his own fluids and grinding firmly up along Riffraff’s heaving chest before reaching back beneath the surface of the water and quickly finding Riff’s erect member with a hoof. Before the crimson pony could even plead for a reprieve, Graceful shifted the larger male’s painfully stiff cock toward his buttocks and then simply rocked backward.

Riffraff groaned loudly in pleasure even as water continued to run from his nostrils and jaws while his partner screamed in bliss and threw his head back with a half-crazed laugh. The masculine stallion had little choice but to grip stupidly into Graceful’s hips as his companion began to ride his over-stimulated member hungrily beneath the surface of the nearly-full tub, the hot water splashing out of the basin to flood into the carpet. Riff grunted and grit his teeth, starting to pump his member firmly upward as hard as he could while Graceful gripped into his shoulders, half-shoving himself back down with each thrust and giving sharp cries each time Riffraff’s enormous member hilted within his tight passage. “Oh, Riffy, oh Riffy, oh gods, Riffy, yes, gods yes!” he screamed at the top of his lungs, cheeks flushing while his own still-stiff cock experienced a second, powerful orgasm, firing thick ropes of his semen out hard enough to burst from beneath the water’s surface and splatter against Riffraff’s throat and muzzle.

The larger pegasus felt his testicles churn almost sluggishly under the water despite the blinding speed of his thrusts and he simply gave into the blinding pleasure, leaning forward and biting Graceful’s neck firmly as he embraced his ecstatic companion fiercely with his powerful forelimbs. He ground his teeth down with enough force to break the skin beneath Grace’s periwinkle hide, tasting the coppery blood along his tongue and giving a predatory growl around the vice-like grip. Thin rivulets of crimson fluid trickled down Graceful’s wet neck, dripping into the roiling water below as he proceeded to move his hips even faster, with even more power, shoving harder and harder until finally he was rewarded with a shock of pleasure that began at the tip of his diamond-hard erection and raced to the end of each hoof. He squeezed Graceful all the tighter against him in the crushing embrace, the smaller pegasus continuing to scream but beginning to wheeze, gasping for breath even as his eyes rolled back in indescribable delight. Riffraff snarled in bliss, biting down even harder as he climaxed hard into his partner’s ravaged passage, firing the first hot load of his semen with enough force that he could feel the impact into Graceful’s guts against his own muscular stomach. The sheer pleasure was overbearing and he could no longer keep his jaws clamped as his head rolled back and he roared his bliss to the ceiling, hips pumping of their own accord.

At some point, his member had slipped free from his partner’s tight tailhole but continued to blast out his off-white seed with the power of a long-dormant geyser, the long ropes of thick semen exploding out from beneath the water to rain down around the two ponies as they sounded off their respective noises of ecstasy for several seconds as Riff’s hips kept thrusting up, grinding his stiff member firmly against his partner’s buttocks and spine.

It wasn’t until Riff finally slowed his movements that Graceful’s voice began to falter, dwindling down into a hoarse moan as he slumped against the larger pony in the tub, water beginning to overflow into the already soaked carpet that surrounded them. Riffraff himself breathed heavily, never having felt so exhausted in his life as he reached out weakly to twist the gleaming silver knob shut, then simply looping his forelegs around his partner’s shuddering frame to pull him close. “Oh...fuck me...Horses of Heaven...” Riff panted in a whisper, closing his eyes as his entire body thrummed, feeling like every vein in his body pulsed with a tangible, pounding rhythm that thumped in time with his racing heart. “You...are one fucked up little pony...”

Graceful grinned weakly, letting his head drop against his partner’s soaked chest with a wet smack, his own limbs wrapping silently around the masculine male. “Hey...you had...that comin’...jerk...”

“Fair ‘nuff,” Riffraff mumbled as the combination of their rather exhausting “making up” and the sweltering water around them relaxed his muscles and made him crave nothing more than a nap at that point. He closed his eyes and kept Graceful held tight as the two ponies fell comfortably still in the overfilled tub, neither of them lasting more than five minutes amongst the steam and oddly tender atmosphere before falling into a peaceful snooze together.

They woke up a few hours later when the tub heaters had finally deactivated, the once hot water quickly beginning to cool around them. Riffraff had woken first, stirring a bit and then blinking sluggishly as his brain struggled to process the reason for his body being surrounded with cool water. He shook his head slowly before wincing as even the slight movement made him ache in a thousand different places. The masculine pegasus grimaced and shifted carefully to wrap his forelimbs gently around the smaller male to cradle him against his chest, standing up on his rear hooves in the full tub and then half-dropping into a seated position on the edge of the basin. The carpet was cold and damp beneath his buttocks and he briefly recollected their escapades in his mind before blushing slightly. I’m surprised we haven’t been escorted out or something...wow.

He carefully shifted the smaller male onto his spine, his wings forming a sort of half-cradle for the sopping-wet Graceful as he slowly walked with his partner to the bedroom they hadn’t even set hoof in. Riff slowly moved to the side of the bed, then gently shifted his shoulderblades to roll the still-snoozing pegasus onto the soft mattress and then heading into the sprawling bathroom next door. He shook his dripping mane out a few times, smiling despite the way he walked with bowed legs, wondering if he had somehow managed to deflate a certain part of his body during their rather intense stress-relieving session. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Graceful do any of that before. Either he was really mad at me or he just wanted to get a lot off his chest at once. The muscular stallion chuckled quietly, gathering a few towels into a hoof, then tossing them around his neck and returning to the bedroom.

He’d gently bundled up his languid partner with two towels, kissing his forehead and then rubbing a towel along his own body to dry the more damp spots while wandering the enormous hotel suite. He planned on making dinner for them both, though he needed to step out onto the balcony first...now that the ecstasy had finally faded, his other needs were making themselves known.

He came back inside several minutes later, the towel now wrapped around his head to continue drying his thick mane. Riff glanced over toward the bedroom but saw his companion remained asleep on the bed. He smiled a bit and dug through their packs to pull out the last of their groceries from the family-owned market, as well as the outdoor cooking gear that would function just as well in a kitchen as it did over an open flame. Graceful was more skilled with preparing food, but Riffraff felt like he should do something nice...or at least make an attempt to. At worst, he’d ruin the meal, they’d go out to eat, have a good laugh about it and share a smile. Win-win situation, I’d say. He smiled a bit, then turned on the range and began to arrange the pans over the burners, humming softly to himself.

The pegasi ended up renting the suite in Manehattan for nearly four months – one of their longest continuous stays in any one city or town. Possessing their sudden fortune hadn’t ended up changing their lifestyle all that much, however. They played regularly at the unnamed jazz club, earning the favor of the crowd with each additional night they spent on stage. Riff found himself involved in far too many tumultuous “adventures” with Graceful Melody and the feisty Trip, who had become a regular visitor to their posh hotel suite. Graceful had finally enjoyed a night with Jet as well, which he declared was the sole event that now made their stay in Manehattan complete. Riffraff would have argued if he hadn’t joined in the second evening and found the masculine unicorn to have been quite the skilled bedmate, making it rather pointless to fight his childish companion’s logic.

They found a comfortable life in the metropolis, one that would have been considerably less enjoyable if they didn’t have the money to form a protection cushion. Working as extra, on-demand musicians for a secret jazz bar, after all, hardly paid enough for even the cheapest apartment, let alone a luxury hotel suite. At times, both ponies felt out of place – neither one of them necessarily even craved this kind of life, not that either stallion minded – but it made the constant high-class experience awkward for them.

It was made no easier by Amdusias’s eventual return. When he finally appeared again to Riffraff, some three weeks after the fight with Graceful Melody, he’d halfheartedly attempted to insult the two before teleporting away before they could even ask where he had been. His visits after that became increasingly hostile, only rarely making himself visible to Graceful and thinking of every cruel thing he could to say to them both. He constantly increased the intensity of Riff’s nicotine addiction, forcing the large stallion to sometimes smoke more than half a pack a day. His brusque commentating on Graceful’s behavior, dresses, thoughts and even word choices sometimes caused the smaller pegasus to run crying from the room, though Amdusias hardly batted an eye as if he’d unlearned every inch of progress he’d made into becoming a more likable demon since first meeting Riffraff. The crimson pony found himself yelling at and arguing with Amdusias more than ever, steadily losing the determination to prove that the spiked, muscular reptile was capable of more than cruelty and ill will.

However, the demon’s interferences aside, the two ponies lived well during their stay in Manehattan. Their friends remained far and few between, as they often did, but they kept good ties with Jet, Delilah and Groove’s quartet. They did eventually meet the singer who’d been out sick the night of their impromptu audition, and Elle had been a pleasant sight in the world of singing for pay – she’d even happily shared the stage with Graceful across multiple nights after their first introduction. Otherwise, the only ponies they saw regularly were the family who ran the small market they faithfully continued to visit for their groceries. But it was more than enough of a social life for Grace and Riff, who were used to barely even saying hello to more than a few ponies within any given city; even those “lucky” stallions that Graceful dragged backstage rarely received any more conversation than what was necessary for the slender pegasus to sate his needs.

Their appointed court case had come and gone without a hitch. With the threat of a potential lawsuit against the city for police brutality against uncharged suspects, they’d been quickly cleared of all charges including Graceful’s sexual assault against the multiple officers. Besides, there had been no evidence that Graceful or Riffraff had been involved in Keyes’s brutal beating, and whatever circumstantial proof there was had been easily overruled by Jet and Delilah’s calm witness statements. Nonetheless, it created the one other dark spot on their stay in Manehattan due to the fact that, because of them completely escaping any sort of prosecution, any police officer who came across them on the streets would go out of his or her way to hassle the pegasi within the legal parameters of city law. It was a minor inconvenience, however, and was nothing that made either stallion uncomfortable remaining within the metropolis.

But despite all the comforts, a deeper yearning still called to them. They’d been sitting around the small kitchen table eating a leisurely breakfast one morning when Graceful looked up, set his biscuit down and said plainly: “Riff...I’m bored.”

The larger male blinked and tilted his head slightly, tossing the last of his own buttered roll into his maw. “Bored? Gracie, we just had sex for like two hours.”

Giggling quietly, the slender pegasus leaned back in his chair and waved a front hoof. “Yes, I know, I know. I mean...here.. Why...why are we still in Manehattan? I know we got bits comin’ out our ears now, and this really is a pretty sweet life...but why are we still here?”

Riffraff had mulled over the question for no more than five minutes before he’d responded by smiling and starting to pack up their cooking gear from the kitchen cabinets. Graceful laughed and quickly scarfed down the rest of his breakfast before joining his companion in quickly running around the suite to gather up the things that had naturally spread throughout the space during their long-term stay.

They’d gotten all their bags secured and stowed away into the cart within half an hour – the hotel concierge had informed them that the remaining two weeks on their latest deposit was not available for refund, and Graceful had simply given the horrified mare an exceptionally lewd gesture before strutting out with his tail held high. That was all it had taken for the two pegasi to turn their backs on Manehattan and prance toward the distant mountains to the west, their cart and their belongings once again the only thing burdening their shoulders. Their small fortune was safely tucked away within the accounts of Equestria’s largest chain of banks and their worries had long since been washed away by what could have been labeled an extended vacation.

Even leaving the plush hotel suite, good job and a few surprisingly close friends behind, nothing felt more natural to the two companions than setting out on the open road. Each step past the borders of the crowded city felt like a step toward freedom, a stride closer to the life both ponies always held dearest. Graceful closed his eyes with a smile, deeply inhaling the cooler, cleaner air that floated past them on a gentle breeze from the north. His hooves moved automatically in time with his partner’s, their bodies both relaxed and pressed lightly together as they entered the countryside and officially left the boundaries of Manehattan.

Riff smiled as he glanced over at his companion, ignoring his urge to smoke for the time being – it felt wrong to cloud the pristine air as Graceful so visibly savored it. They’d spent enough time in Manehattan that they’d adapted their lungs to the somewhat industrial atmosphere and now, taking a long draw of untouched country air was an experience on its own. He chuckled softly and gazed ahead, down the winding road that disappeared just to the south of the mountains, weaving its way into the heart of Equestria. Riff and Graceful had decided they would visit Canterlot again and hopefully find another musical festival in the area; after spending nearly four months playing for and with a group as skilled as Groove’s quintet, the two pegasi had an itch to measure their abilities against other less-than-famous musicians and hopefully find out how much they’d grown during their time in the underground jazz club.

They decided to take the same road that they’d used coming from Canterlot. Tt was familiar to them, and had several good locations along the way to use for camping. Riffraff smiled to himself at this thought. Camping. And just last night we were snoozing on the most comfortable bed I’ve ever slept on. He laughed quietly and his companion gazed across at him curiously. “Nothin’, nothin’,” he said with a chuckle, meeting Graceful’s warm eyes. “Just...glad to be travelling again.”

“Yeah, it feels good,” Graceful replied, flapping his wings and lifting into the air for a moment as he threw his forelegs out to enjoy the the morning rays of sunlight streaming down upon them. “What’re we gonna do after we get to Canterlot, Riffy?” The slim male landed gently with a laugh of his own, hooves catching up easily with his companion’s slow stride.

“I dunno. Maybe we’ll look for a place to play there again – we didn’t have much a chance last time, ‘cause of...you know.”

“Crazy royal ponies gonna be crazy?” Graceful offered with a quirk of his muzzle, glancing up at the larger male.

“Fair enough way to put it.” Riffraff snickered and nodded amusedly. Whatever issues the Royal Court had, however, hadn’t surfaced in the past several months. At first, Riff had thought the demon’s increasingly heartless behavior went beyond the fight with Graceful, and could have been related to some underlying schema boiling out from the scene above Canterlot; Amdusias had discussed it rather intently with Riffraff, after all. But when he’d finally managed to convince the reptile to spill what he knew about the goings-on at Canterlot, he’d given a rather surly response of “Absolutely nothing worthy of even your worthless ears.” And although Riff had never completely discerned the true happenings behind the altercation between the Princess of the Sun and the supposed Nightmare Moon, he felt like even the whispers of Nightmare Moon’s existence in the Everfree Forest were nothing more than over-exaggerated tales mostly made up to keep foals in line. “Either way, it don’t concern us, right?”

“Right!” Graceful replied cheerfully, hopping into the air for a moment to clap all four hooves together. “Oh wow, this feels good. I hope we get to see some Phooka wherever we camp out tonight!”

“Oh yeah, it has been a while since you’ve seen any of your strange little friends, hasn’t it?” Riffraff said thoughtfully, smiling a bit. “Well. I’m sure I’ll regret this, but I hope for it, too. For you. Not for me. They might still try and eat me if you aren’t there to turn them into a bunch of curious puppies.”

“Riiiiiiff!” the smaller male whined, stamping a hoof against the tightly-packed dirt. “You said you got to understand them better that last time when they showed you that stuff about themselves and you could see their past and the fact that they aren't scary and they're actually really neat and not all that different from us!”

“You ever heard of a comma?” Riffraff replied mildly. But he smiled all the same, nodding slowly. “Yeah, yeah, I did. I’m just trying not to admit that a scary, half-ethereal creature with glowing eyes hypnotized me and gave me visions of the history of its entire culture. Because that probably would get us even weirder looks than we already get.”

“Well now you’re just bein’ silly and paranoid,” his partner retorted, slapping gently at him with an outstretched wing. He paused, then smiled at Riffraff as he beat his wings briefly. “Hey...I wanna jet, Riffy.”

The masculine pegasus smiled slightly again, flexing his own wings slowly and then shaking his head with a soft laugh. “Alright, alright. Let’s do it.” He chuckled softly and his companion beamed brightly before they began to sprint forward together. The cart rumbled and bounced a bit behind them, their luggage shifting and resettling as the hard wheels jounced along the well-packed dirt path. Both stallions grinned, finding the sudden burst of speed exhilarating – they hadn’t done much non-intimate exercise since settling into their temporary life in Manehattan. As their hooves pounded rapidly across the open road, they unfurled their wings and flapped them a few times before both pegasi leaped into the air simultaneously, continuing to beat their wings firmly. Together, they rose a few feet into the air together and continued to drive swiftly forward as their wings moved in tandem. Although their harnesses squeezed tightly into their chests, the weight of the cart straining their bodies, the sheer rush of pushing their bodies to such sudden extremes made them forget about the pain. Graceful gave a bright laugh while the wagon’s axle shifted backward once the body of the transport tilted enough, making the ponies’ flying a bit easier with the heavy cart in tow behind them.

Riffraff and Graceful Melody continued their rapid aerial towing for a good two hours; they barely spoke during the flight, but it was a comfortable silence and their expressions remained joyous for the duration of their strenuous travel. They hadn’t flown together with such intensity for months and even when they slowed down to a lazy glide, the thrum of adrenaline in their veins remained with them as they caught their breaths but continued to grin at each other. “Now that...felt good,” Riffraff panted, nodding several times as his partner gave short but cheerful laughs.

“Yeah!” Graceful replied happily, his hooves swinging gleefully in the air as Riffraff glanced over his shoulder self-consciously to see if he could spot any missing bags or cases that might have tumbled out during their romping streak across the countryside. “Thanks...Riffy! I really really...enjoyed that,” he added with a breathy smile, nodding firmly.

“Yeah...it was...” Riffraff responded with a grin, his chest still heaving as his wings moved in slow time with his companion’s own. “Let’s get our....breath back...then do it again. Made good time.” Graceful gave him an excited look as he nodded fervently. “Sounds good,” Riff added with a wink, looking ahead once more as he worked to focus his breathing.

The two stallions drove themselves to break into the strenuous winging two more times that day, pausing briefly only once for a small lunch. It did bring into sharp realization the fact that they hadn’t remembered to stop for groceries before leaving town, but it bothered Riffraff less than he thought it would. They had more than enough cash tucked away into one of their knapsacks that they could purchase whatever they needed, even if their next stop had no bank or refused to accept checks. Besides that, they still had enough assorted fruits and grains for them to nibble on for the next two or three days of travel.

Riffraff smiled to himself as he and his companion finally stopped for the night – they’d traveled far past the setting of the bright Equestrian sun, into the warm night lit by the shine of the moon and stars above. Their bodies ached but they felt better than they had in weeks. They were on the road again, together and free of the weight that a stable, rooted life often added. Sure, the lifestyle came with its own risks, dangers, discomforts and unknown hurdles, but it was nonetheless a life of freedom, a life that allowed the partners to play their music as they pleased, to whom they pleased. They lived wherever they found a place comfortable enough to sleep, shower and have sex – if there was a place to cook a small meal, then it was that much better a bonus.

Graceful was happily rolling a few slices of apple in some flour and ground oats, then tossing them onto a sizzling skillet with an inch or two of bubbling oil. The fried snacks were less than perfect in terms of providing a well-rounded dinner, but they were favorites of both ponies. As his partner cooked up the bits of fruit, Riffraff carefully tuned his guitar while lounging back on a nearby boulder. Between the nearly full moon gleaming down from clear skies, and the flickering light thrown from Graceful’s small fire, there was just enough light glancing off his instrument for him to adjust the thin strings.

As he carefully tweaked the last of the six, one eye shut as his ears listened carefully to the tone, a familiar tickle ran up his spine. He frowned slightly and grimaced. He'd been both anticipating and dreading the sensation. Riff sighed and looked over at his companion, then rolled his head back, letting his guitar rest in his lap and against his chest. “Yes, Amdusias?”

Graceful glanced up sharply from the campfire. They’d forgotten to buy more fuel for their camping stove, though it was never much of an issue to go without it. He made a face and turned slightly away, putting his back not to Riffraff, but rather to the demon that materialized near the crimson pegasus.

“I refuse to continue allowing your constant disrespect!” the scaled creature snapped, amber eyes burning down coldly at Riffraff. “It has gone beyond amusing. We are not friends.”

Riffraff sighed and sat up somewhat, gently setting the guitar aside as he bent over upon the boulder and slowly rubbed his hooves against his features. “Yeah, I get it. Sorry, whatever. Is there anything I can do for you?”

Amdusias ignored the stallion as he turned his eyes toward Graceful’s back, crossing his arms slowly. A moment passed and when Riffraff caught a flicker from the corner of his eyes, he knew the demon had taken the extra bit of energy to make himself invisible and inaudible to the slender male. “For the two and a half years I have known you both, I have never seen him hold a grudge for this long, not even against the cruelest of your critics or aggressors. Not even that disgusting charlatan behind the piano, which I must inform you is very insulting to me, and I do not know how much longer I am willing to allow his insolence.”

Riffraff looked down at his front hooves, deciding to do what he could to avoid upsetting the other stallion and forcing his thoughts to become practically vocalized for the demon to perceive. Stop it, Amdusias. You know why he’s upset. I’m kind of pissed at myself because I’m not still upset, and I know I should be. But this isn’t about me, it’s about the way you keep bringing him up. You two fought, both for stupid reasons.

“I did not choose to fight him!” Amdusias snarled, the long, sharp spines along his back and tail stiffening as he loomed over the crimson pegasus. “Your little slut attacked me!”

The mortal pony twisted his head around to glare at the demon, his grey irises betraying splotches of fiery red as Amdusias reared back slightly. Don’t insult him! You don’t have the goddamn right. And even though you obviously weren’t trying to steal me for romantic reasons, it doesn’t change the fact you made it clear you wanted to split us apart.

Amdusias bared his teeth again, his arms slowly uncrossing as he flexed his fingers. He took a step toward Riffraff, who shrunk back slightly and looked away. The pony’s features remained fierce, however, and the demon wrinkled his muzzle. He took a moment before responding in a low hiss, “Of course I did. You are not living up to--”

Don’t give me that full potential bullshit! Riffraff practically screamed from his thoughts. We are living a good life together! We’re not living for riches or for fame, we’re living for each other...and for music. The masculine pegasus glanced down again, then muttered aloud: “If you don’t have anything to warn us about, or if you’re just here to insult us...please just leave. I know you can feast off our emotions all you want without showing your goddamn face.”

The demon’s eyes narrowed dangerously while Graceful turned around in surprise at the sudden snippet of dialogue from his companion. But Amdusias paid no heed to the slender pegasus, keeping his sharp gaze focused on Riffraff. He waited for the blood-red pony to finally lift his eyes back up toward him before speaking softly. “You two will need to watch your backs in these coming weeks. Canterlot should be safe, mortally speaking.” His expression soured. “Not that I trust any of your stench-filled villages. An army of Helheim could march into any one of them, raid it from wall to wall, kill every worthless mortal soul and set it ablaze before any one of you even attempted to believe something worrisome could possibly be upon your doorsteps.” The demon muttered darkly as he glared off to the side. “The false sense of peace and harmony to which you have allowed yourselves to succumb horrifies me. Of course, your precious Princess of the Sun certainly has not helped end this mindless, blinding indulgence in denial. If anything, she is to blame for the sheer thickness of the fog that you have all allowed to gather about your tiny, empty skulls.”

Riffraff managed to extract the one important part of Amdusias’s rant: “Should be safe.” He lowered his ears slightly and looked over at his partner worriedly. “Are...are we in danger?” he asked softly. “Tell me the truth, Amdusias.”

The demon snorted, though his gaze inevitably joined Riffraff’s in shifting toward Graceful Melody for a moment. “Nothing immediate,” he finally admitted, slowly rocking on his clawed heels. “But the changes about which I have heard whispers are still many months away...if not further. I have sensed nothing currently so ominous upon this plane.” He frowned down at the muscular pony. “However, there still exists a lesser concern of mine that I am loathe to admit.”

“Riffraff, dinner’s ready,” Graceful called out, though his usual bouncy tone sounded somewhat muted; he knew Amdusias was still present, after all. “I’ll...I’ll keep it warm, I guess, until you’re done...” he added quietly, turning down the heat on the stove and looking briefly over his shoulder with concern as if silently appending Please hurry...

Amdusias scowled, though said nothing in regards to Graceful’s interruption. The slender male wouldn’t have known, after all. “As I was saying. My other concern deals with...my brethren.” The scaled creature made a face, spiked muzzle curling into a disgusted frown.

Riffraff blinked. “You mean...other demons?”

“Of course I do,” the reptile muttered, crossing his muscular arms and glancing to the side, almost embarrassed. “There...will likely be attempts on your life if this downward spiral into chaotic destruction continues.”

“But...you are the only one who holds my contract, aren’t you?” Riffraff inquired, expression full of confusion.

Amdusias rolled his eyes with a groan. “Yes, yes! Foolish, idiotic mortal, please make at least an attempt to keep up!” The demon sighed and slowly rubbed his forehead with one hand while Riffraff stared up at him dumbly. “I am the sole possessor of your contract and thus your soul...however, we are both bound to the stipulations of said contract. Should you lose your life by any method other than that which has been outlined in our legal binding, your soul is forfeit to me.” The enormous reptile grit his teeth, an expression of disgust passing over his features. “Your pitiful mind should at least be able to comprehend what this predicament spells out in regards to other denizens of Helheim.”

Riffraff nodded, unsure if he should be amused, fearful or some horrible mix of the two. “I...think I understand. So. Do you have some stuff we can use to make protective...things?” he asked lamely.

The pony received a dour expression in response and he grumbled, though Amdusias spoke up again before he could speak. “I will gather what I am able to. And you can expect to see more of me in the near future, filthy insect.”

Riffraff looked down, playing his front hooves silently together. “Make sure you have enough for both me and Graceful,” he murmured, earning a sharp glare from the demon. But he looked up pleadingly, the fear in his eyes abandoned. “For both of us.”

Amdusias growled and clenched his hands into fists as he closed his eyes and then took a slow breath, body twitching slightly. Riffraff continued to look up at him with shameless supplication, however, swallowing thickly. The demon’s teeth ground together and he glanced away to study Graceful once again. He felt Riffraff gazing at him expectantly and the scaled creature did his best to ignore it, already repulsed with himself for having to come out and admit to the two mortals that other demons were out to undermine him. “Very well,” he muttered after a few moments, wrinkling his muzzle reluctantly. “Only because I know that if I do not, you will inevitably go out of your way to put your useless body in harm’s way to save him from a mere scratch.”

“Yeah, maybe,” Riffraff replied in a sullen voice, glancing down to pick up his guitar. He heard a distinctive pop and by the time he glanced up, the demon had already disappeared. The mortal pony sighed and slid down from the boulder, slinging the guitar over a shoulder and then plodding back to his companion as he mulled over the best possible way to repeat what the visit from the demon had revealed. He paused a few meters away from the crackling fire, Graceful silently rinsing out a pot next to the fire pit. “Uh...Gracie? Remember what I told you about the first time I met Amdusias?”

“When he was even more of a jerk than he is now?” Graceful replied childishly, lower lip curling as he quietly tapped the dripping cookware against a warm rock, then setting it upon the stones to dry.

Riffraff found himself smiling faintly as he watched the movements of his companion – even in the most mundane tasks, Graceful had a natural rhythm that could always catch the larger stallion’s attention. He nodded quietly before glancing over his shoulder where the demon had appeared a few moments before. “Yeah, from then. Well. I dunno if I told you this detail, but...the subject of other demons came up. I figured it was...you know, some off-hoof comment, but he said if any of them dared to try and come after me, he’d show up to rip them apart. Didn’t want anyone else in on his soul and whatnot.”

Graceful slowly turned around, wiping his hooves on a ragged dish towel before flipping it easily over a slender shoulder. His expression was one of concern, though curiosity mixed in across his features. “Yeah? So...what does that mean? Are...other demons tryin’ to swipe you out from beneath him now?” The feminine pegasus wrinkled his muzzle and returned to the stove, removing the fried bits of apple from the heat and transferring the fruit to a large bowl while carefully submerging the still-hot pan into a large cauldron filled with boiling water. “I say so what? Who cares if that big stupid jerkface loses your soul, which is apparently all he cares about getting. I’d love to see the look on his stupid spiky face, havin’ his precious contract lost right in front of his eyes.”

Smiling slightly again despite himself, Riffraff responded gently, “Gracie? Um. That would mean that I’d...be dead. You do know that, right?”

The smaller stallion blinked, then blushed slightly as he gently twirled the grease-riddled skillet through the bubbling dish water. “Oh. Uh. Sorry, Riffy. I know that.” He looked lame, smiling sheepishly over his shoulder at the amused guitarist. “I don’t wantcha to die. I just...I’m still mad at...”

“I know,” Riffraff replied softly, reaching out to gently rest a hoof on the other male’s waist. “It’s alright.”

Graceful pouted and left the pan to simmer in the hot water, turning his attention back to the steaming chunks of battered fruit. He reached into an open pack, almost absently running his hoof over unseen containers and grabbing the one filled with cinnamon sugar. “Well...aren’t you gonna yell at me an’...tell me that I should get over it, an’ that we gotta make nice an’ be friendy-friends again like we used to be?”

Riffraff laughed quietly, continuing to watch as his companion opened the plastic compartment, idly sprinkling a light dust of the sweetened spice over the fruit pieces without looking as Grace dug through another sack to produce two forks. “Well...why would I say that? I’ve said that enough, and...I’m tired of it looking like I’m choosing between the two of you. There is no choice, Gracie. It’s you, and it’ll always be you.” He shrugged as Graceful turned around, bowl of aromatic food in one hand, forks in the other, his eyes gazing at the masculine pegasus searchingly. “I...would like if we could all get along together again, sure. But if you’re mad at Dusey, then you’re mad at Dusey. I’ll deal with him, and I’ll take care of you.”

Graceful blushed quietly as he handed his partner one of the forks and placed the bowl between them as the ponies sat down across from each other. “Well...dammit, Riffy, it’s hard to be mad at you if you’re bein’ all reasonable and stuff...” He sighed as he played the fork between his hooves, then glancing up expectantly as Riffraff speared a sliver of breaded apple and blew on it gently. He waited quietly for his muscular companion to take a ginger bite of the still-hot fruit, waiting to see Riffraff’s immediately smile before he nodded with a small smile of his own. “But...I guess I can get over it. I just...he’s a jerk!”

The crimson stallion laughed softly, stabbing another piece of Graceful’s meal and chewing it slowly, savoring the crispy breading and the tender, sweet apple within. “Well, I ain’t gonna argue that, nah. But...I think he’s starting to actually be scared. Not just about...losing my soul to some other demon, either.”

Graceful sighed and finally leaned forward to poke at the fried fruit, nibbling at a small piece from the end of his fork. “So...there really are demons comin’ after you now?”

“He said they might be...not now or anything, but...they might soon, because of whatever this...thing is that’s coming.” Riffraff paused, looking lame. “Gods above I hate not knowing what the hell is going on. Sounds stupid talking about it.” He mumbled and shoved more of the succulent apple into his maw, chomping disconsolately while his companion gazed up at him softly. “Maybe that creepy needle bitch will come and see you to tell you more about it now or somethin’.”

Graceful shuddered, shaking his head several times and stabbing a few more pieces from the bowl. He shoved one into his muzzle and chewed morbidly, wings furling tighter against his back. “I hope not. Why would you even say that? She is a creepy, creepy, scary mare. I really dun want her in my dreams. Even if it means that we can find out about the future.”

Riff grunted and nodded agreeably. “True enough. Well, either way...it sounds like we need to start watchin’ our backs.” He made a face and continued to munch quietly at the small dinner while Graceful glanced around the clearing that formed their broad campsite. Riff smiled a bit. “I don’t know if we have to tonight, though.”

“Nah, I’m not...worried about it tonight, it’s...” the smaller pegasus frowned quietly, tossing one last piece of breaded apple into his muzzle before standing and flapping his wings once. “I haven’t...seen any Phooka.” He beat his wings quietly to lift his slender body into the air, starting to circle the campsite slowly while Riffraff gazed after him with a half-smile.

“Oh, Gracie -- it’s possible there just...aren’t any around. It is the first night we’ve been out in the wild. We...may not see Phooka right away.” He gave a quiet laugh, watching while Graceful frowned a bit and glided slowly around the circumference of the clearing, wingtips lightly brushing against the tall trees that bordered their campsite. “Don’t worry too much about it, huh?”

His companion didn’t respond immediately, a concerned expression still on his features as he made one more circle around the clearing before landing quietly at Riff’s side. “Yeah...I guess,” he murmured, rubbing a hoof against his mane and sighing. “I just really wanted to see some of ‘em. There were none near Manehattan.”

“That’s because our creepy little friends are clearly smart enough to avoid horrible, soul-sucking places like it,” Riffraff replied brusquely. But Graceful smiled, simply grateful that his companion had said “our friends”. The slender pegasus pressed his head gently against Riff’s muscular shoulder and the larger male grumbled but threw his foreleg around the feminine stallion to squeeze him softly. “Alright, Gracie...let’s clean up around here and get to bed so we can hit the road early. I dunno why, but...I guess with Dusey’s warning-slash-being-so-scared, I’m a little nervous about traveling for too long.”

“But we love traveling!” Graceful whined, stamping a hoof childishly against the ground. “You think Canterlot’s gonna be safe from demon-ponies?”

“Amdusias is not a pony at all,” Riff retorted with a scowl. “He’s a pile of douches.”

“He sure is,” the lithe male chirped, nodding several times and then smiling as he grabbed his companion’s hoof and half-dragged him forward to the fire pit. “C’mon, let’s finish the dishes together, then! And then you’ll let me give you a real special dessert, an’ then we c’n go to bed!” Riffraff blushed slightly but nodded lamely. I guess a little bit of that wouldn’t hurt tonight...