Chapter 13: While My Guitar Gently Weeps

Graceful was still awake when Riffraff stirred beneath him thirty minutes later and he smiled softly, gazing down at the larger pegasus as his eyes slowly opened. “There you are, Riffy. I was startin’ to worry about you.” He quietly slid off the muscular stallion, reaching out to hold one of his hooves tightly while the crimson pony blinked stupidly, shaking his head slowly.

“Horses...of Heaven, gods, my head,” Riffraff groaned, closing his eyes again and silently rubbing at his skull with his free hoof. “What happened?”

“We’re here,” Graceful replied simply, his smile thinning somewhat before he glanced over his shoulder coldly at the limp demon. Most of his fury had been released in the singular, unexpected burst of violence, but a thrum of ire continued to pulse just behind his hide as he thought back to all the times Amdusias had interfered with their lives during the past several months, his demeanor constantly growing more and more emotionless and cruel. “Don’t worry, baby, we’re right above Ponyville, outta that scary forest.”

“Did...did Dusey...” The larger male grimaced and forced himself to sit up even as his companion whimpered and half-attempted to prevent him from rising. Riffraff gently pushed Graceful back with his other hoof, however, glancing down at him softly. “I’m okay, promise. But...how...” His eyes slowly trailed downward as he quieted, jaw silently dropping when he took in the splatters of thick ebony across his partner’s breast and forelegs. “Oh gods, Grace, what happened?”

Graceful glanced down at himself curiously before shrugging and glancing over his shoulder sourly again. “Nothin’. I guess that big asshead musta hurt himself doing his stupid spell and gotten it all over me when his stupid fat butt fell on me.”

Riffraff blinked, tilting his head slightly. “He...wasn’t bleeding when I saw us get...here. I think you passed out, he...musta like...borrowed your...”

“He drained my goddamn energy to magically teleport us away!” Graceful suddenly snapped, gesturing angrily with a blood-covered hoof to the unconscious demon. “I...I don’t care what he thinks he saw, you don’t just...I don’t...it isn’t right the way he just does things to us without even considering our own goddamn feelings!” the slender pegasus added furiously as he glared off to the side, eyebrows furrowed while tears slowly welled up in his silver eyes once more.

Riffraff immediately softened, glancing down as well, noting how the bangs hanging over his features had the same demonic blood streaked through them before he sighed and reached out to gently hug his companion’s stiff frame. He felt Graceful tensing up slightly and he closed his eyes, hating how he felt so torn between his own lover and...a goddamn demon. Who owns my goddamn soul. How is this even a choice? “Honey, he...he probably had a reason, he wouldn’t have--”

“You always say that!” Graceful cried out, shaking himself free and glaring up fiercely at the surprised stallion. “You always have some excuse for him, when you can see for yourself how he...he doesn’t even want me around anymore. Ever since that stupid night on the roof with him, he’s...he’s hated me, he wants me out of your life, and you don’t even have the balls to tell him to fuck off and leave us alone!”

The muscular pegasus blinked and worked his muzzle stupidly as he felt his heart sink deep into his chest as a wave of shame rolled over him. “I...Gracie, that’s...that’s not true...” He swallowed thickly as his own eyes began to tear up, reaching out silently with a hoof that his partner ignored and turned away from. “C’mon, Grace, I’ve told him off before, it isn’t like that. Why...why are you being like this?”

Graceful laughed shortly, tears rolling over his cheeks as he twisted his head back around to shoot a incredulous look at the masculine pony. “Why am I being like this? Excuse me, this is MY fault?” The slender pegasus gave another broken laugh, stepping back slowly from his partner and hardly flinching as a rear hoof pressed down carelessly into the demon’s features. “You know what, I...I’m sorry, Riff, but...I’ll...I’ll see you in town. Why don’t you stay here with Amdusias, make sure he’s doing okay, it’s so obvious now how much he truly cares about you. Yeah, it’s fair to defend him. I’m just your FUCKING COLTFRIEND!” Graceful choked back a sob and turned around without another word to leap off of Amdusias’s unconscious form, taking to the air and flapping his wings hard to quickly fly away even as he heard his companion’s strained yells begging him to come back, flattening his ears and closing his eyes while ignoring the desperate words as best he could.

“Goddammit, Graceful Melody,” Riffraff rasped, clutching at his chest as tears spilled from his grey-turned-crimson eyes. His chest heaved as he tried to control his breathing but found it nearly impossible, twitching wildly and fumbling for his cigarettes. He lit one frantically as multicolored strobes flashed through his vision, closing his eyes tightly and trembling violently as his lungs filled with the deadly relief of the thick smoke. He slowly looked up again but Graceful had already disappeared over the rolling hills and into the outskirts of town. Sighing quietly, the crimson stallion continued to draw steadily from the cigarette and then looked down at the enormous demon with concern that he didn’t quite comprehend. What is happening to us?

Amdusias stirred slightly and Riffraff studied the massive creature for a moment before cursing himself as he placed the cigarette into his muzzle and bent down to gently help the demon lord sit up, hooves carefully easing the scaled entity into a seated position before he dropped down to his haunches as well. Amdusias grimaced and then opened his eyes, meeting Riff’s gaze with a rare show of emotion – mostly agony, if the mortal had to guess. Riffraff exhaled a plume of smoke slowly to the side and then asked softly, “What happened?”

The demon only fixed the pony with a muted expression for a few minutes. Riff could feel his telepathic fingers fumbling through his thoughts, clumsy and extremely obvious thanks to the reptile’s currently weakened state. The stallion remained still, glancing down with almost pity as he avoided creating any mental inference that would hinder Amdusias’s sloppy browsing. The powerful reptile reached up and felt out his broken jaw before closing his eyes and steeling himself, then shoving it firmly upward as a weak amber glow flashed over him briefly. He immediately yelped in pain and Riffraff jumped as well, eyes widening slightly. “Stop your pointless and insulting sympathy,” the demon muttered, once more able to speak. He winced as he slowly wiped a thick stream of blood from his spiked muzzle and then spat a clump of the stuff to the side. “I saved the worthless flanks of yourself and your...precious maiden,” the demon added acidly before glancing around almost nervously. “There was an evil in those woods that you cannot comprehend. The Hunter...she was there.” Amdusias gave an involuntary shudder as he silently rubbed a hand down the opposite arm, gripping lightly into the bulging musculature. “The Seers seek a child. The two of you have absolutely no idea of the potential danger lurking but a few moments’ flight from where this damnable contraption rolled.” He reached up and gingerly poked at one of several distinctive welts beginning to form across his spiked features, then glared at the mortal pony again. “Where has your despicable companion gotten off to?”

“He...” Riffraff glanced to the side, hurriedly rubbing at his still-wet eyes. “He left. To...get to town. He was really upset.”

“He has every right to be, that disgusting creature will continue to weaken you and --”

“Amdusias, stop,” Riffraff interrupted sharply, tears stinging his eyes as he trembled and turned his head back toward the scaled male. “Stop, please. He ran off because you...are hurting him. You’re making him feel beyond worthless, you’re very obviously trying to tear us apart, and I told you that...I won’t leave him.” The demon scowled but slowly bowed his head, one arm resting over his chiseled abdominal muscles that nonetheless seemed weak with how careful and hesitant his movements were. “I get your role in my life, I get the position we’re in because of this goddamn contract, but...it has to stop.” Riffraff sighed and dropped his face into his hooves, shaking his head slowly and hardly even sure if he believed what he spoke next. “Amdusias, you’re...better than this. What changed between now and...when I saw you watching Graceful prancing back to us at the club that one night? You...you were keeping an eye on him, weren’t you? Making sure nopony even dared to lay a hoof on him despite having very obviously just enjoyed nigh-public sexual pleasures with some drummer we’d only just met. What happened? Why can’t you just...tell me?”

Amdusias pursed his lips, opening his muzzle for a cold retort. But as he watched the miserable stallion slowly turn away, Riffraff’s tear-stained features emanating a broken heart, all too clearly proclaiming that the constant optimism he tried to maintain was finally beginning to ebb away. The demon grit his teeth, wanting to reach out and backhand the mortal pony, wishing he could simply strangle Riffraff until he returned to subservience and glum obedience. But he could hardly move, let alone stomach the thought of driving away the one hope he had of earning a soul that saw in music the same glory, the same deep appreciation and wonder and amazement, that he himself embraced. He felt his emotions roiling, twisting in agonized confusion – something that disgusted the demon, and yet nonetheless drove his decisions more often than not.

Amdusias breathed slowly and forced himself to calm while closing his eyes and doing all he could to ignore the agony he still endured from Graceful’s shockingly powerful attack. “I choose what to reveal to you and what to omit for your own safety and sanity, mortal,” he began softly, reaching up silently and rubbing slowly over one of his long horns. It ached near the base from when the slender pony had used it as a means of bashing his head against the railing and Amdusias grimaced at the memory, the flash he saw before him of the feminine pony snarling, features contorted into such an unexpected maelstrom of fury and ruthless retribution. “No...single event has caused a change in my behavior. And do not assume to understand my methods, my habits. I am a demon lord of Helheim, and furthermore, a demon of the Slothful alignment. My moods are whimsical, as fluid as the rivers twisting through Valhalla, as easily changed as the melodies that twist through all true artists’ minds. You two will never be my equals, but I may one day choose to lower my station to near your level of existence, and yet the next day decide that your effeminate companion is nothing but scum before my glorious vision and that you yourself serve no purpose but to help populate my domain with another semi-talented soul.” Riffraff silently looked back at the demon, eyes full of confusion and what might have been hurt, near-betrayal. Amdusias shrugged slowly and reached down to idly trace a claw along one of his thick, muscular legs. “I make no excuses for the nature of my existence. I relegate such pointless tasks to those who have not the spark, the flare inside to live life to the fullest, rather than endlessly pondering the reasons behind such unavoidable truths.” He met the stallion’s eyes once again, finding in the mortal pony a longing for answers and, perhaps more importantly, a need to be comforted, soothed, in this hour of absolute emotional devastation.

The debilitated reptile sighed quietly and slowly rubbed two fingers along the spikes lining the top of his muzzle, continuing to meditatively look into Riffraff’s pleading gaze. He finally gave a faint smile. “Riffraff...what lies in the future for your mortal plane is...hazy. But Helheim whispers of an end-time. Of course, the entire universe constantly whispers many things, both silly and solemn, senseless and sobering. And...these things I spoke of, the Seers, and...The Hunter.” The demon paused and shuddered, Riffraff made all the more nervous by the show of apprehension. “I believe she now works for the Seers. And I know this will not make much sense to you now and...I will not chide you for misunderstanding or not fully comprehending at this moment.” Amdusias crossed his muscular arms, wincing and slowly stretching out both legs to either side of the sitting stallion. “What you need to understand for now is that, despite whatever you or...or Graceful may think and assume, my actions within the forest were of...honest concern.” The demon grit his teeth as Riffraff blinked, startled by the creature’s unusual openness. “Silence. Do not make me regret this...uncomfortable exposure.”

Riffraff nodded silently, glancing down at his harmonica before looking up encouragingly at the still-pale reptile. “I do not understand their goals, not entirely. But this clan is not one to take lightly. They have resurfaced for a reason. And if they have managed to somehow attain the services of The Hunter, then they have become extremely serious in their pursuit.” Amdusias grimaced and reached back with both hands to silently massage the back of his skull while looking down thoughtfully. “This is not a matter which currently concerns Helheim, nor is it one that most entities even at my own station shall concern themselves with. I do not know how great the repercussions might be, for I haven’t heard a single whisper about what the clan seeks. I have...merely sensed a shift in the natural order, not only upon this wretched plane, but through my own lands. What looms ahead is no mere proclamation of power or global conflict. Should the Fates continue their incessant rampage along this path, there...” The demon faltered and met Riffraff’s eyes once more, voice softening and yet carrying twice the weight. “Your world as you know it may cease to exist.”

Riffraff blinked stupidly and stared at the demon. “I...what? The...the world might...what do you...mean?” he sputtered, eyes widening.

Amdusias grumbled, rolling his eyes and waving a hand dismissively. “Or...your world might simply...smell very foul for a week, I do not know,” he replied irritably. “I am not a fortune-teller, and I have already told you that I know not the cause for what the Seers pursue. I have merely explained...as you so crudely put it, ‘what changed between then and now’. I have no obligation to offer dissertations on my actions, and yet I still chose to offer them to you. You wished to know why I appeared to have changed my opinions and behavior toward you both, and now you are aware. We will change the subject now.”

The muscular stallion frowned quietly. “I...you still haven’t entirely told me...why. What is it, are you...are you...”

Amdusias snarled, lunging forward but hardly moving more than a foot or so before howling in pain and weakly flopping back against the broken railing as Riff winced backward. The enormous reptile bared his teeth, breathing hard before he closed his eyes and slowly lowered his head in what might have been shame. “I...I live for my domain, Riffraff. And my domain is music, the freedom of a life expressed through that most purest of artistic form. Of course the notion of a...a broken world, torn asunder and left to rot without even the weakest of emotions streaming down to Helheim to fuel our creativities, of course this...frightens me.” He swallowed and turned his head away from the pony’s searching, concerned gaze. “If you must pry – and you always must, mustn’t you? -- I am...scared. I take pleasure in confusion and pain and suffering. I do not thrive off of these things, however. I cannot survive simply on death and destruction and terror and fear.”

“Then...why try to tear Graceful and me apart?” Riffraff asked quietly, silently reaching out with a hoof to gently nudge the demon’s leg. Amdusias twitched at the contact, silently turning his eyes back to meet Riff’s imploring gaze. “Don’t...don’t we represent and produce something you appreciate?”

“Of course you do,” Amdusias snapped, hugging himself around the stomach and staring down again as his eyes glowed, his battered features contorted in a strange mix of anger, frustration and helplessness. “But...you could burn so much more brightly given absolute freedom. Do you not understand this?”

Riffraff glanced away as well, slowly rubbing a hoof against his other foreleg and then replying carefully, “Amdusias...I live for Graceful Melody. I never feel more alive than when I do, playing on stage with him at my side. I have never burned so bright as I always have and always will with him. My soul belongs to the realm of music. But...my heart belongs to him.” He reached up and silently rubbed at eyes brimming with tears before gazing at the demon with a hoof clutching the silver harmonica around his neck. “Don’t...you understand that?”

Amdusias felt a pang of something almost foreign run through his chest as he made a face and rubbed slowly over his masculine breast. The demon’s cat-like eyes flicked up toward the quivering stallion and he sighed, placing a hand over his eyes as he bowed his head. “I am not without a soul, myself, creature. I am not without emotions. Of course I understand, even if I have no desire to comprehend the absurdities of mortal animals. But...his soul is not bound to me. Yours is. You are the only one who offers me value beyond this existence. Graceful Melody is...a truly free spirit. I know you believe that you may prevent him from attempting to bind himself to me, as you foolishly did. What you do not realize is that I am...unable to seize control of his soul. Even if he begged it of me. He possesses a rare trait which, to a supernatural being as myself, makes his soul both extremely attractive and yet nigh unobtainable. It is quite impossible to capture and claim a soul like his – Graceful Melody must willingly offer his soul over, and even in this case, it could never be permanently bound.” Amdusias dropped his hand and studied the mortal pony’s expression for a moment. Riffraff didn’t seem especially shocked by the revelation; he’d known Graceful long enough to recognize that the slender stallion’s lack of inhibitions and personal boundaries meant more than the periwinkle pegasus simply lived a life of sin and excess. “Therefore...in my eyes, he is...an eclipse to your light, ironic as that metaphor is. He stands between myself and the soul I need to ensure that my legacy does not fail, does not falter and stumble into darkness when this world inevitably meets one form of destruction or another.”

Riffraff nodded slowly and looked down at his hooves, idly scraping one along the wooden bottom of the cart. “I’m...I do understand what you mean, Amdusias. But...angry as it made you, the contract between us is unbreakable. When I die – and I know very well you will ensure it is a death that meets every criterion on that piece of parchment – my soul is yours, no tricks, no traps, no loopholes.” He hesitated as the demon looked at him curiously. “What...I’m getting at is...you don’t get me until I die. Why can’t...why can’t Graceful and I both provide you with our abilities until then? Why do you only need me to shine and spread your message to the world?” The muscular stallion rubbed a foreleg nervously again, glancing down once more. “Even if you can’t...have Graceful bound to you through contract, did you ever consider that he might give himself to you willingly? You’ve seen him sing. He gives it as much soul as I do. Isn’t he just as good a representative for you?” The crimson pony sighed and then stood up abruptly, startling the still-recovering demon. “Dammit, Dusey, just...think about it, will you? You remember how he was with you, back before you and him fought and then became...worst enemies, apparently. Would he have ever kicked the shit out of you back then?”

Amdusias stiffened up, looking horrified as he blushed. “Silence, mortal, he did nothing to me. How vile of you to assume that tiny weakling could lay a hoof on me before I simply disintegrated him into so much dust and ash. I...did this to myself, it was the only way to ensure that the teleportation did not...loop back through me and send us right back to the forest from which I rescued you two.” The demon nodded lamely before adding quickly, “My power is immense, I had to be absolutely sure that, in the haze of transporting such an immense target, I did not accidentally release enough power to cause an explosion that surely would have destroyed us all.”

But Riffraff only smiled faintly, taking a step toward the reptile and making him flinch as he reached up silently to point at his bruised and bloody features. “Kinda hard to explain why Gracie’s hoofprints are all over your face.” He paused and then glanced down toward the painful-looking kink in the demon’s thick tail. “Gods, you really pissed him off, didn’t you?” He grimaced while Amdusias scowled and attempted a reply, but succeeded only in mumbling to himself. “And here I am, trying to comfort you while...he’s down there in town somewhere, pissed at us both, probably never wants to see me again and...shit, what the hell are we doing, Dusey? I’m sorry, I know you want me to be your superstar, but...I ain’t a goddamn thing without him...”

Amdusias glared at the mortal for several long seconds, the silence slowly weighing down on them both as Riffraff’s eyes eventually shifted down, his body trembling and seeming on the verge of simply giving in and collapsing once more. But the demon finally sighed and rubbed one of his curved horns slowly. “I know. Just...go. Go to him. His thoughts are like a wretched hammer pounding against the inside of my skull. I...I require rest, regardless.” He grunted and forced himself to sit up before glaring again when Riffraff hesitantly approached him. “Not...not now, mortal. Please do not force me to exert any more of my energy for the sake of foolish, banal shows of affection. I will ensure no other mortal lays eyes upon your precious transport while I recover my strength.” He closed his eyes and gestured silently toward the town ahead, long tail flicking slightly near the tips as a weak shimmer spread over the cart.

Riffraff smiled faintly and nodded once. “We’ll be back. Thank you, Amdusias.” He turned around to face Ponyville, carefully stretching his wings out and wincing at the dull throb, then glancing over his shoulder gratefully before hopping over the wagon and gliding out across the hills on a direct path to the small town...and to his companion.

Graceful stumbled past a few ponies milling about the front of a shop, earning several surprised exclamations and offering mumbled apologies in return. He wiped tears from his eyes, then nearly ran into a bright pink pony hanging a hoof-drawn sign in the front window. He quickly backpedaled as she spun around with a single bounce of her springy legs, her expression cheerful. “Hi, there, sparkly pony I just met!” She then paused and cocked her head curiously. “Hey, what’s the matter? You look like you need some candy, candy always makes me feel better!”

“I...sorry, no thank you,” he quickly mumbled before half-sprinting away, leaving her to call something after him that his flattened ears didn’t quite catch. He swallowed and looked around, realizing he’d made his way down several streets without paying attention. Ponyville was nothing like Canterlot in its architecture – the buildings were smaller, many of the businesses appearing to be family-owned and family-run. It nevertheless confused him as he turned a slow circle and drew the curious gazes of a few meandering townsponies. A dark green pegasus eyed him for a moment and then approached to ask gently, “Are you alright? Are...you looking for somepony?”

Graceful shirked away slightly, his mind running rampant with emotion as he did his best to keep himself together. “Y-yeah, I’m...I’m okay, I just need...is...is there a motel nearby? One...one with a bar?”

The other pegasus tilted his head slightly before shrugging and motioning down the street. “There’s one down that way, Lucky Hoof Inn.” Graceful nodded quickly and gave a faint smile. He immediately turned to head in the indicated direction while the local pony frowned at his back and then rejoined his companions with a mutter about “dramatic out-of-towners.”

Graceful Melody kept his head down, avoiding the gazes of the other ponies he passed on the dirt road and only lifting his eyes to glance at the names of the buildings to either side. He found the motel without difficulty a few moments later, scaling the steps up to the wooden porch and pushing through the front door as he felt another wave of depression twist through him. The entrance of the motel opened into a large, open lobby with a small front desk area at one rear corner, several old wooden tables and chairs lining the front windows and just behind them, a tiny bar with only one pony lounging upon a cushioned stool. Graceful’s eyes flicked toward the reception desk when a white and blue unicorn poked her head around a door that led into some office, a smile quickly spreading over her features. “Hello, there! Welcome to the Lucky Hoof Inn, how can I--”

“Can I...get a drink now?” he blurted out, rubbing childishly at his reddened eyes. “Without...without getting a room yet, I mean...”

She blinked and studied him curiously. “Well...of course, sweetie, but...are you...”

“I’m fine,” he said curtly, looking down at his hooves for a moment. “And yes, I am old enough.” He reached back self-consciously and felt out the leather satchel strapped beneath one wing, ensuring he still had some coins stuffed into the slender pouch. “I can pay,” he added hastily, glancing up at her and swallowing thickly again. “Just...need to get things...”

“I understand,” she replied quietly, giving another faint smile before her horn glowed gently and a hidden bell somewhere tinkled briefly. “The bartender will be out shortly. Please come find me if you need a room.” Graceful nodded quickly and averted his eyes as he slunk toward the bar. He could feel her sad expression, however, that pitying gaze he’d grown immune to in his past. It burned softly, almost tenderly, into the back of his skull and the slender pegasus felt a burst of guilt even as he silently pulled himself into a barstool. The other pony sitting a few spots down was a unicorn as well, though Graceful couldn’t make out his features, slumped as he was with his head under a forelimb, the other hoof clutching a bottle of beer. He glanced down at the polished counter top before lifting both head and ears as a thin earth pony ambled up to the bar.

The wiry male gazed at Grace through a pair of thick spectacles, his white mane cropped back close to his skull. A deep maroon hide covered his lanky form, Graceful spotting an emblem of a cactus on the unicorn’s flank. Not the strangest mark he’d ever seen, but certainly unique considering how far the nearest arid climate was from Ponyville. The barkeep gave the same genuine smile as the pony at the front desk, wiping a hoof idly on the rag slung over a shoulder. “Greetings, friend. What can I get for ya?”

The feminine pegasus met the earth pony’s gaze for a moment, then plunked the satchel down onto the bar, coins jangling inside as a few bits spilled out onto the counter. “C’n I buy a bottle of Sapphire Bay?” he asked quietly, eyes flicking briefly over the shelves before he tipped the pouch upside down, bits of all denominations cascading out over the wooden surface. The bartender blinked and looked confused for a moment.

“Well...there’s a bar across the street, they’d...probably be able to sell a whole bottle, we don’t...normally...”

“How much?” Graceful pressed quietly, eyes insistent as he pushed the pile of coins toward the nervous earth pony. “I know there’s enough here to at least buy a bottle and a half worth of individual shots. Take it all if you want. I just...I need...”

The bartender glanced at the coins, a small, concerned frown on his features. “I’m not...supposed to...”

“Jus’ sell it to ‘im, Rocky. You guys c’n use the extra coin,” slurred the unicorn at the far end of the bar, his bleary eyes lifting long enough to peer at Graceful. “He’s a li’l thing. Ain’t gonna cause ya no trouble.”

Graceful Melody once again fixed the bartender with an imploring gaze and the maroon stallion sighed, turning around and grabbing a stepladder to climb up and grasp an unsealed blue bottle of the imported gin. He cradled it with one foreleg while stepping back down and then beginning to fill out a receipt. Graceful fidgeted, feeling his muzzle start to water as a steady pounding struck up behind his temples. He licked his lips and tried to swallow the guilt, the mental pleas for denial. He idly threw the satchel back around his neck, uncaring about properly securing it while his eyes followed every small movement of the bartender’s hoof across the slip of paper.

After what felt like an eternity, the earth pony hesitated and then slid both bottle and carbon copy of the chit across the bar. “You...want a glass?”

“No,” Graceful rasped, reaching up and briefly touching his forehead before quickly snatching the bottle and tucking it into his satchel. “Thanks. May...may be back later to get a room...” He tried to force a smile but barely managed to lift the corners of his lips. The earth pony gave him another concerned expression and Graceful ignored it as he dropped off the stool and headed immediately for the front door.

Once back onto the street, the periwinkle stallion looked around with an instinct he thought long-forgotten, eyes flicking across the various ponies in search of any sort of authority figures. He thought he spotted a police officer several buildings down, but the dappled pegasus was chatting amiably with two other citizens – regardless of his possible occupation, his back was turned to the increasingly paranoid singer. Graceful scanned the street again and then darted around the front porch to duck into the dim alley between the inn and the adjoining grocery store. He laughed shortly to himself as he looked around the surprisingly clean corridor; he thought back to the number of times he’d ended up passing out in alleys just like this one, hide matted with gods knew what fluids, a broken bottle by his side or perhaps an empty needle. At...at least this one is...tidy. Just like old times, but...but better. He trembled as he all but fell back onto his haunches, slumping against a cold brick wall and producing the suddenly heavy bottle of gin from the leather pouch. He stared down at the decorative cork, fumbling a moment later to remove the protective plastic wrapping and then unceremoniously yanking the lid free as the all-too-familiar aroma wafted out across his features. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, the pungent, sharp scent burning his nostrils. He clutched tighter into the bottle as tears began to spill from his eyes again, shaking his head mutely before he lifted the bottle to his muzzle and--

“Grace!? Graceful Melody, where are you?”

The feminine pony blinked, wiping at his wet cheeks stupidly as Riffraff’s voice sounded through the otherwise quiet streets. He could spot a couple ponies from the alleyway, watching as they stared with confusion at the crimson stallion gliding a few meters above the street. His expression was strained, showing an extremely visible emotional agony and Graceful swallowed silently when he saw his companion shoot past the entrance to the dark alley. He shook his head again, chest hitching with sobs before he impulsively shoved the bottle against his lips and threw his head back to guzzle the strong liquor almost desperately. He could hear Riff asking a group of ponies about him, he heard their guarded response, and he heard the quick patter of his partner’s hooves as they sped back toward the entrance to the dark path. Graceful felt the aromatic gin spilling past his muzzle but he continued to knock back the clear liquor even as Riffraff cried out and sprinted toward him, yelling his name.

“Graceful, no, no, Graceful, stop!” The muscular stallion immediately dropped down to sweep his slender companion into a hug, but Graceful Melody only gave a choked sob and tried weakly to shove him away with a hoof while turning his head away and continuing to guzzle from the half-empty bottle. Riffraff’s own eyes brimmed with tears as he reached for the gin, only for Graceful to howl almost ferally, struggling to slide out of his grasp and then flapping his wings as he attempted to leap into the air. Riff grit his teeth, chest already pounding in agony from the extended flight into Ponyville. He nonetheless sprinted forward and gave a powerful flutter of his own wings to dart after the smaller pegasus. His front legs quickly wrapped around Graceful Melody before he could flit away and the feminine stallion cried out in shock as both ponies tumbled back toward the hard-packed earth below.

Riffraff closed his eyes, clenching his teeth and forcing his body to twist to the side so that Graceful was protectively clutched to his masculine chest the moment he slammed back into the dirt. He yelped sharply as one wing snapped beneath him, tears leaking down over his face as he kept his partner embraced tightly. He heard the bottle of gin smash against the dirt, felt the tart liquor splash over them both but he ignored it and focused all his strength on holding the periwinkle pegasus close.

The sense of vertigo that ran through Graceful as soon as he was tackled managed to disorient him, while the effects of the alcohol he’d so rapidly ingested began to make itself known, already racing through his lightweight frame. He sensed a moment of panic as their joined bodies collided with the dirt, flailing his limbs wildly and screaming nonsense as he struggled desperately against his partner’s embrace. He could smell the gin, the precious stuff splattered uselessly across the alleyway and it drove his emotions past their breaking point. He bucked and squirmed madly but couldn’t free himself from Riffraff’s powerful forelegs, his hoarse voice crying out to nopony in particular until he finally managed to twist himself around. He glared down at the larger male and raised his hooves, an uncontrollable fury overtaking him.

But as he stared into Riffraff’s grey eyes, seeing the desperation, the concern, the love, he hesitated. His own tears spilled down, splashing against his partner’s chest bandages that were slowly staining crimson as his torn-open stitches began to bleed. He trembled and realized there wasn’t a hint of red color in his partner’s irises, a terrible rush of guilt and horror washing over him before he simply let his forelegs drop, shoving his head down against Riffraff’s neck and starting to sob uncontrollably.

Riff closed his eyes, his entire body wracked with an agony he hardly comprehended, caring only about holding the slender pegasus tightly. He heard other ponies beginning to approach, catching somepony yelling for an ambulance as another identified himself as a police officer, although Riffraff couldn’t care less as he simply clutched the wailing stallion close to his crimson-stained chest. He shut out the rest of the world, figuring somewhere in the back of his thoughts that things would unfold around them as they were destined to. All that mattered was that he’d found his companion, and would never let him go again.

Riffraff had spent the rest of the day in Ponyville’s only hospital, enduring the chiding and scolding of multiple doctors after having his stitches sewn back up, new bandages placed around his torso – and this time having his wings bound as well, unable to convince these local doctors that he needed them free to fly. They were stern, but they also seemed to genuinely care for his recovery, far more than the faceless ponies at Canterlot who had rarely even removed their surgical masks, let alone spoke cordially to the stallion about anything beyond what their job required. But nonetheless, Riffraff scowled and complained and otherwise behaved very immaturely when they insisted on keeping his wings secured by the bandages. He supposed it didn’t help that he’d nearly broken one of them after falling with Graceful, that particular wing splinted near the base and causing him a more constant pain than his injured ribs had.

Graceful himself had escaped any serious injury – he’d vomited from the near-traumatic intake of alcohol, which was made all the worse by the fact he hadn’t touched the stuff in over two years, but otherwise he’d only suffered a few small cuts from the shattered bottle. The officer on scene had halfheartedly tried to book him for public drunkenness as well as charging them both with a domestic disturbance, but the paramedics had shooed him away at the time. He’d come by the hospital after Riff came out of surgery, though the ex-lawyer had been lucid enough to carefully argue his way out of it, dancing around the subject of Amdusias and spinning a convincing tale of an old coltfriend who had showed up and caused them both distress on their way into town.

He was discharged from the hospital late that evening, Graceful refusing to leave his side from the moment he’d been placed into a recovery room. The two stallions had simply held each other for nearly half an hour, murmuring soft apologies to each other before agreeing together to walk back out to the fields behind Ponyville to fetch the cart. Graceful had been hesitant at first, unsure if he could even stand the potential of seeing Amdusias at the time. But after Riff’s quiet explanation of their conversation, and the fact that the demon had willingly told him to go after the distraught Graceful Melody, the lithe pegasus had quietly consented.

Their passage back through Ponyville was slow, Riffraff laboring with each step, but they found strength in each other. A few ponies recognized the pair, watching them distrustfully from their windows as they walked silently down the moonlit streets, though nopony made any move to question or impede them, apparently satisfied enough that they were no longer causing any sort of nuisance. Ponyville was one of the smallest towns in which they’d stopped and Riffraff understood their guarded treatment of outsiders. In a way, he felt calmed by the quiet atmosphere and could tell Graceful took a similar relief from their quaint surroundings. Neither stallion had ever sought a life in such a small community, but considering their last several months in Manehattan and Canterlot, the thought of a few quiet weeks in semi-seclusion felt welcome.

When they reached the rolling hills behind the town, Graceful squinted into the darkness and scanned the wide fields for a sign of their cart in the pale light of the moon and stars above. Riff smiled a bit, reaching up with a wince and patting his partner’s shoulder gently. “Dusey made the cart...well, invisible, really. Promised to keep our stuff safe. I should be able to...sense him out, though.” The crimson pony looked embarrassed as the smaller male gazed at him curiously. “I know I’ve never really gone into detail about this, but...one of the things I’ve sorta developed thanks to him is...well, I can kinda feel when weird things are around. Phooka, demons, things like that...” He trailed off while looking at his partner worriedly, hoping he wouldn’t see the disappointed expression he expected.

But Graceful nodded after a moment, smiling faintly. “Alright. I...I was wondering if...he’d given you anything else, besides...that fire-breathing-thing.” He glanced down before laughing a bit. “Hey, do you...feel any Phooka around?”

“Actually, no,” Riffraff replied quietly. “I haven’t felt much of anything since we hit the forest. It’s weird. Like they’ve been drawn away from civilized areas or something. I guess we could ask Dusey if he knows anything about it, though.” He nodded a bit and Graceful frowned quietly but seemed content as he glanced around the quiet fields of tall grass, a gentle breeze moving through the long brush. Riff closed his eyes for a moment, letting his senses reach out into the calm night air and rewarded a few seconds later with a faint thrum. “I think I feel him. This way, Gracie.” He smiled reassuringly and began to limp toward one of the taller hills as his companion nervously trotted after him.

Graceful continued to squint past Riffraff, focusing in the same direction his partner moved. He thought he might have seen a brief ripple in the air and he tilted his head slightly while continuing to stare determinedly ahead. He could see a few stars on the far horizon twitching, almost as if something skewed the light they emanated; a moment later, their cart suddenly seemed to melt into existence as the smaller pony gasped softly in surprise.

The obscuring dome of magic faded away in cascades as if water had been poured down over the canvas of a painting to wash away the original subject and reveal a secondary work of art beneath. Riff smiled slightly while his companion gaped and watched with childish fascination until the entire wagon stood starkly atop the hill. Amdusias’s head poked above the railing a moment later, the stallions both able to see his features still marred with bruises and lacerations even in the dim moonlight. He scowled for a moment as he studied Graceful, then shifted his focus to Riffraff. “You two took long enough,” he muttered.

The ponies glanced at each other before slowly approaching the wagon and sitting side-by-side a few meters away. The demon continued to scrutinize them both, eyes silently moving over each of them in turn. Riff and Grace both remained silent, reaching toward each other almost automatically to gently grasp hooves. Amdusias made a face and then sighed as he slowly stood up with a grimace. His body still seemed weak, even to Graceful’s untrained eyes, and his expression was more weary than anything else. “Well...it would appear the two of you have managed to damage each other further without needing my assistance,” he finally grumbled, clutching at his forehead with a pained expression. “Oh dear zombie savior of ponies, I do not know why I sacrifice myself so often for you cretins. It is never worth the effort.”

“Is that your new favorite thing to say?” Riff asked sourly while glancing at his partner, who continued to look somewhat uncomfortable. “Anyway, we...talked, and...”

“I am more than capable of discerning for myself the outcome of your foolish little mortal conflict,” Amdusias muttered before looking around morbidly. “There are no comfortable surfaces on this wretched machine. And these kinds of grasses cause me discomfort. Have you two secured a new, disgusting rat’s nest to whence we might retire?” He glanced at both ponies imploringly but received only a grumble from the larger stallion while Graceful fixed him with a strangely thoughtful expression. The demon muttered under his breath in his own tongue and then gripped into the railing as he focused on the slender pegasus once again. “Alright. You wish to know why I have been behaving as I have, despite the fact I am able to sense that your precious knight has already explained it to you. Furthermore, you wish to know if I hate you, and in relation to this inquiry, why I encouraged your favorite steed to return to you rather than taking the opportunity to drive a wedge between the two of you.” He hesitated and glanced down at himself, grimacing when his eyes fell upon the splatters of blood he hadn’t been able to remove yet, still weakened beyond even the most simple of spells past his ability to conceal what he chose from mortal sight. “Clearly, because of the...nature of my teleportation,” he continued delicately, eyes flicking irritably toward the silent periwinkle pegasus, “it has taken a very obvious...ah, toll, shall we say, on my body. I shall be willing to further explain myself to both of you under two conditions.” He glanced between the two mortals as they themselves looked at each other for a moment. “First, we must find a room for the two of you that contains a serviceable bed. I will be unable to even travel to Helheim without struggle in my current state. I will require rest on this plane. And second.” The demon’s pale amber eyes locked onto Graceful Melody again. “You, unclean one. You will relate to me what drove you to seek alcoholic nourishment.”

“Amdusias!” Riffraff half-yelled, his voice sharp and yet almost panicked, ears flattening against his pink mane. “That...”

“I will not be denied my desires,” the scaled creature snapped in return as his slit pupils flashed toward Riff. “The two of you are already testing my patience, I am already allowing you far more leeway and kindness than you deserve.”

“It’s...it’s okay,” Graceful whispered. He spoke so softly that Riff almost didn’t believe it came from the slender pony’s muzzle. The larger male glanced down at him worriedly but Graceful smiled a bit and met his eyes with a strangely mature expression of reassurance. “It is. I’ll tell you about it, Dusey. It...will help you get better faster, won’t it? Riff said something about it before, demons and...and emotions, right?”

Amdusias looked almost touched as he quieted for a few seconds, claws gripping tightly into the worn wood of the wagon’s guard rails. “Well...yes,” he replied after an embarrassed pause. “But your tiny, singular emotional trauma will hardly sate me, pitiful insect,” added the demon hastily, pursing his lips as Graceful smiled a bit. “However, I suppose it shall suffice for the time being. Now.” He grunted and sat down promptly again before hissing as his injured tail slapped against the stiff boards beneath. “Child of a...” His teeth grit and the two ponies glanced at each other briefly again before they went to the front of the wagon to carefully harness the larger male into place first.

As Graceful quickly slipped into his own trappings, Riffraff looked over his shoulder with amusement. “You really need to learn how to curse better, Amdusias. For all your demon-lord-ness, you kinda suck at it.”

Amdusias made a horrible face even while a hint of half-hidden concern crossed his features as the two ponies began to pull the cart. He could see strain in Riffraff’s expression as the muscular pegasus doggedly pushed against the leather harness, determined to keep the slow pace set by the feminine male at his side.. The demon scowled and glanced down almost shamefully, reaching up and rubbing idly at a long, curved horn. He debated with himself for a moment, then finally responded, “Well...one in my position does not require crude language to successfully belittle those who irritate me.” He had another string of semi-insults prepared, but the muscular lizard decided to restrain himself. He couldn’t stand the thought of feeling anything short of loathing and disappointment in the two mortals who had effectively taken up more of his time and attention in the last two years as any other soul, mortal or supernatural, ever had before. Nevertheless, Riffraff’s tenacity impressed him, much as he refused to admit it, and he decided to allow them at least a small reprieve.

The two ponies pulled the cart carefully along the hills to return into town as the evening sank into the darkness of night. A few streetlamps were scattered along the dirt roads but the skies were clear and they had more than enough light to find their way back to the motel where Graceful had suffered his relapse. Riffraff gently suggested that they could easily find another place to stay, or even camp out for the night, but his slender companion had been insistent.

“It’s...it’ll be good for me, Riffy. I don’t wanna run away from my past, from what I’ve done today, either.” The periwinkle stallion glanced over to meet his partner’s concerned gaze. “You taught me more than anypony else about how important it is to face your demons.” He smiled a bit at the choice of words, looking over his shoulder briefly. But Amdusias had already concealed himself to mortal eyes, only Riffraff able to hear the scaled creature mumble about “silly mortal puns.” Graceful laughed quietly and nodded firmly. “I just hope they don’t deny us or somethin’.”

“I’m sure it’ll be alright,” Riffraff assured the smaller male as they turned down a side street to pull the wagon into a wide alley behind the Lucky Hoof Inn. “Much as these ponies don’t seem to love the thought of outsiders, they’ve also still been considerably nicer than the ponies in other places we’ve recently stayed.”

“No doubt an illusion to fool naive visitors of their true intentions, which likely involve ritual sacrifice and unnatural praise of a false idol,” Amdusias muttered drolly, his amber eyes glowing in the darkness as he glanced around the unlit alleyway.

Riffraff rolled his eyes as he and his partner extracted themselves from the harnesses, attempting to fly up to the top of the wagon before grimacing as his bound wings only managed to flutter weakly against the cloth bandages. “You are a very negative creature, Dusey,” he remarked before holding a front hoof out toward the cross-looking demon. “Oh don’t be like that. Can you give me my guitar and the big pack next to you? Gracie, you grab whatever you wanna have for tonight. I think the rest of it will be fine in here tonight.”

The demon made a face but rolled his eyes a moment later and reached for the crimson stallion’s guitar case. He held it with surprising care though the indicated pack was simply tossed out a few feet from Riffraff’s head. Amdusias muttered something once again in his foreign tongue before wincing as he carefully hopped over the side panel to land heavily on the ground. The demon grimaced, his features contorted with agony but he nonetheless continued to hold the guitar case in both hands. “I will carry your infernal instrument, cockroach. I have little strength to heal you tonight should you further hurt yourself carrying this deplorable piece of refuse.”

Riffraff blinked, surprised by the muscular male’s show of poorly-hidden compassion. He smiled faintly while glancing up as his feminine companion gathered up another three over-packed bags and slung them over his shoulders with a soft grunt. “You got it, Gracie?”

Graceful Melody had decided not to let himself be bothered by the fact that Amdusias was once again only visible to Riffraff – part of him still wanted to be jealous, but part of him also came to terms with the fact that the demon wasn’t able to easily choose who could and could not perceive his physical form. He understood that his partner shared a certain bond with the demon lord that, while intense and obviously multi-layered, did not change the relationship he had with the effeminate stallion. “Yeah, I think so,” he replied softly, smiling quietly down at the larger pegasus before hopping over the side of the wagon and leading the way to the front of the small motel. He walked slowly, biting his tongue in concentration to keep the bags secured over his shoulders even though they far exceeded what the small male should have been hefting on his own. But neither Amdusias nor Riff were in any shape to complain – Riff’s single satchel felt akin to having strapped a lead weight to his back, while the enormous demon labored even in his limping behind them, now clutching the guitar case stubbornly against his scaled chest with both rippling arms.

They made a truly motley trio, though the unicorn behind the reception desk only saw the two mortals when they stumbled in through the front door. She raised her eyebrows, features stitched with concern and apprehension as Graceful heaved his bags forward, then let them drop as he panted heavily and held up a hoof to her in apology. Riffraff smiled quietly, glancing over his shoulder to ensure Amdusias remained behind them and then turning ahead toward the front desk again. “Uh...hi, there. I think...you remember my friend from earlier.”

“I bought the whole bottle of gin and then tried to drink it all before trying to beat him up,” Graceful added helpfully even as a blush rose in his cheeks. “He’s my coltfriend. I’m really sorry if I freaked any of you guys out.”

The unicorn seemed taken aback as she looked slowly between the two. “Uh...well,” she stuttered. “It...it’s alright, sweetie. I’m just...glad you two are okay now.” She hesitated and eyed Riff’s fresh dressings. “You...are okay, aren’t you?”

Riffraff smiled slightly, gazing down at his injured chest. “This? This is from. Something else.” He quietly looked over his shoulder at the scowling Amdusias who continued to almost childishly cling to his guitar case. “But we’re okay now. Do you have a room for the night?”

“Of course we do,” she replied with a small smile, some of her composure returning as the two stallions seemed genuinely at ease and certainly not on the edge of another gin-infused breakdown. “A...single bed?”

Riff smiled again as he felt the demon’s eyes burning into his skull. “One bed is fine, but...the...biggest one you got available. We...can always use a little extra space when we can get it.”

She nodded with a soft laugh, glancing over them both before producing a few sheets of paper that Graceful began to fill out rapidly. “I have just the room, then. Are you two travelers?”

“Yeah.” Riffraff paused and then looked at his companion as their eyes locked for a moment. “Yeah, we are. Musicians. We decided to come somewhere a little...smaller, though. Got tired of the big cities and all that they entail.”

“Oh, I can certainly understand that,” she replied easily, chuckling and then looking curious as Riffraff began to fill out a check from their dwindling booklet. “Oh, you don’t need to pay up-front, we will bill you at the time you leave.”

“Truly, you mortals are foolishly trusting of each other. Why would one not simply stay as long as he pleased and then crawled out through a window to flee without having to leave a single piece of your silly metal currency?”

Because not all mortals are cheap bastards who try to pull the rug out from everypony they meet, Riffraff thought drolly. But when Amdusias failed to reply, he wondered if the demon had been weakened to such an extent that even reading the thoughts of those around him became too difficult to perform the normally easy task without concentration. Riffraff gave a half-smile, once again feeling the strange reluctant sense of pity for the powerful creature. He shook his head a bit, then glanced up at the polite clerk. “That’s okay. We...actually haven’t had the chance to check our balance in a good while. I’d rather you run our account number when banks open up tomorrow, and that way we can scrape up enough cash to pay for one night if the...totals aren’t what we thought they might be.”

She studied his faint but honest smile for a moment, then nodded slowly. “Okay. We’ll be able to run your information down the telegraph first thing in the morning – I can have your balances sent back in a private message for you two to have when you come down?”

“Some of you mortals are so pitiable in your lack of trust issues,” Amdusias commented dryly. “You should not trust anyone. Ever. Mortals are untrustworthy.” He paused as Riffraff gave him a mildly amused look over his shoulder. “Actually, so are demons. As a matter of fact, no creature of any domain should ever be trusted. Assume they are all there to take advantage of you, take what they desire and then kill you in the most cowardly method possible.”

Riffraff thanked the unicorn softly before turning around as Graceful began to return the paperwork across the counter. “Does that go for you as well?” he softly asked the muscular reptile, smiling amusedly while earning a venomous glare from the towering male.

Graceful Melody received the simple key a minute or two later, murmuring his own quiet gratitude to the kind mare. He gathered up his luggage again and then smiled at his companion before jerking his head toward the staircase. “We’re on the second floor. You...both okay to climb the stairs?”

Amdusias looked up with surprise, a blush rising in his cheeks that he had no intention of revealing. Riff smiled slightly at this, then nodded to his partner. “Sure thing, hon. Lead the way.”

The bedraggled trio made their way up the steps, moving almost comically slow as Graceful continuously gazed over his shoulder to ensure his partner and the invisible demon didn’t fall behind. Amdusias would never admit it, but he was grateful for the smaller pony’s thoughtfulness. He was embarrassed enough over his current state of being and still wanted somewhat to bash his fists against Graceful Melody’s skull until it resembled a rotten grapefruit, but he also felt somehow liberated by the experience. After all, no mortal had ever taken such an advantage of him, as far back as he could remember. Well, I suppose except for Riffraff. The demon snorted, drawing a curious gaze from the muscular stallion in front of him. Isn’t that coincidental. The consort of the one who fooled me into a crooked contract is the first and only to lay such physical harm into me. Amdusias gave a short laugh, shaking his head slowly as he glanced down to meet Riffraff’s inquisitive gaze. “Mortal insect. Truly, you and your fair maiden are the absolute worst things to have ever happened to me in my long, glorious existence.”

“Is...that a bad thing?” Riffraff asked slowly before following Graceful into the door that he unlocked. The small pegasus gazed past his companion curiously and Amdusias allowed himself to become visible as he sighed dramatically and carefully set the guitar case against the wall before shoving past the two mortal ponies to flop face-down on the bed. The demon gave some muffled response but it was lost to the layers of pillows, sheets and mattress as the scaled creature reached blindly for a free pillow before pulling it over his head. The larger stallion rolled his eyes at the childish behavior, nudging Graceful gently with a smile. “He’s worse than you sometimes, Gracie.”

“An’ that’s pretty bad,” added the slender pony with a giggle, quietly pushing the door shut and then gazing around the room, smiling softly. It had the expected size of a room sporting such a low nightly rate, but it had been furnished with care, as if it remained a part of the large home from which the motel had been converted. The furniture looked to be hoof-made, and the bed looked surprisingly comfortable – Amdusias hadn’t complained yet, and that certainly counted for something considering his demonic classification. After all, I figure a Sloth demon won’t just sleep anywhere... Graceful smiled a bit and then sat down at the foot of the bed, looking at his companion tenderly. “How are you holding up, Riffriff?”

The larger male laughed quietly and rubbed the back of his head thoughtfully. “I guess not so bad, other than the fact that every breath I take feels like a thousand angry hornets are stabbing me in my ribs.”

Graceful’s ears lowered and he looked over the top of the bed at the prone reptile. “Oh. Riffy...can’t...you do anything to help, Dusey?”

“If a thousand angry hornets were stabbing at your ribs, I would gather another thousand and direct them toward your face,” Amdusias replied with a muffled grumble, one fluffy pillow still held over his head. “You deserve no less than multiple swarms of horrible insects, stabbing their tiny barbs into your flesh relentlessly until your body bloats to such a degree that you have the appearance of your nasty little maiden after a long night out on the town.”

Riffraff blinked before snorting and blushing slightly while Graceful flashed a toothy grin. “I can hold my fluids well!” he declared proudly, slamming a hoof against the mattress before leaning back against the base of the bed and smiling across at the muscular stallion. “But...since Dusey isn’t gonna help, is there anythin’ I c’n do for you, sweetie?”

“I’d actually totally go for some dirty pony time if Mr. Spiky wasn’t here to make everything awkward,” Riffraff mumbled, kicking lightly at the small refrigerator that had been included beneath the counter upon which sat a coffeemaker, sink and basket of morning essentials.

Graceful perked up and grinned broadly, but before he could make a lewd response, the muscular demon grumbled and slowly rolled over before sitting up on the bed, tossing the pillow to the side. “Please. I will make my way back to Helheim when I am strong enough, do not force me to paralyze the two of you.” He mumbled and rubbed grumpily at his features, which had slowly begun to heal. “Regardless of my wishes, I do not have the ability to heal your wounds or reduce your pain, cretin. Vast as my resources may be, they are not inextinguishable.” He glanced at the two mortal ponies moodily and crossed his arms across his checkered breast. “However, I believe you owe me a story, little one.” His eyes settled on Graceful and the slender pegasus blushed, showing an unnatural shyness as he quietly rubbed a hoof against his chest. Amdusias narrowed his eyes slightly but then sighed and winced as he held out a hand.

A weak amber aura surrounded both ponies and even though the scaled creature expressed a considerable amount of agony, he gently lifted them both from the ground and then set them onto the bed at his side. Riff’s features softened while the demon grit his teeth and quickly shook out his powerful arm as the other hand touched gingerly against a reopened cut on his cheek. Graceful Melody himself was extremely touched and he glanced down for a moment before smiling faintly, his slim frame naturally leaning over against Riff’s larger body. “Alright, Dusey.” The reptile scowled briefly at the use of this pet name but crossed his legs and turned a bit upon the expansive mattress to study the feminine pegasus.

“I dunno how much you’ve...sucked outta my brain or Riffraff’s or whatnot, but...I used to be a pretty crazy stallion.” He paused, then gave a quiet laugh as Riff wrapped a foreleg supportively around his shoulders. “Hell, even as a colt. My parents were real big religion-ponies. I was brought up in that environment, forced to drop to my knees and beg forgiveness from...some invisible, all-knowing dude I never met. So...” He smiled slightly and glanced up to meet the demon’s curious eyes. “Well, when I finally got outta there, or even had a bit of freedom, I...went all in. Drinks, drugs, sex. The whole shebang.” He laughed quietly, silently rubbing a hoof along the rings and studs that lined his lower jaw. “I got a lot of these piercings within a year or two of moving out. Got kicked outta the church-run prep school they sent me to and started to live on my own as a half-singer, half-prostitute.” He shrugged, looking almost wistful at the memories. “They weren’t bad times. I enjoyed myself. But...I got into a lotta stuff I really shouldn’t have. I’d drink myself into a blind daze, probably have five or six stallions with me, wake up the next morning with a rubber hose around one leg, broken bottles around me, covered in enough stuff that you’d think I was a full-time bed sheet in a brothel.” Graceful smiled faintly, rubbing self-consciously at the inside of one foreleg where a few pockmarks were just barely still visible. Across from him, Amdusias had already started to look healthier, features steadily clearing while his scales seemed to grow more lustrous with each emotional word. Riffraff squeezed him silently around the neck and he glanced up into his partner’s eyes before resting his head on the larger pony’s shoulder. “And that...was before I even started making decent money as a lounge singer.”

The periwinkle stallion met the demon’s eyes silently again. “Anyway, I...kept losing myself in the ‘benefits’ of that lifestyle. Every night, I was drunk or high. Ponies seemed to come to my shows every time, so I guess it didn’t affect my performance in their eyes, but I knew I was sometimes barely scraping through the sets.” He laughed a bit. “I actually started to clean up a little even before Riffy came around. Stopped using, and...would only drink if...if I really regretted something I did with somepony.” He gave a slight smile. “Guess it’s a good thing I never liked fillies. Gods know how many scary little foals would be running around with my eyes or somethin’.” Amdusias snorted and even Riffraff smiled quietly, though the demon only rested back on his hands and continued to listen without making any snide comments, even his body language surprisingly free of judgment. “Anyway. I stopped drinking completely after a few weeks with Riff. Part of why I’m...so crazy-horny all the time, I think, is I’m still trying to fill in some of those gaps that I got used to.” He shrugged quietly and then leaned up to place a tender kiss against Riffraff’s neck while his partner silently nuzzled into his cerulean mane. “Today, after...everything that happened, though. That urge came back. I was so stupid...” The effeminate male shook his head a bit and punched a hoof against the soft mattress below. “I been clean for so long, but between...arguing with you, Dusey, and...the fight, and everything that was said, the things I said out of context and the things that I know were wrong of you to say, too. The things that made me feel like all you wanted to do anymore was tear us apart.” He laughed shortly and then reached up to rub at one eye. “I’m not lying or exaggerating when I say stuff like...Riff is my lifeline. He’s my...he’s my world, my everything.” Soft silver eyes tilted up to meet gentle grey, their gazes locking as Riffraff silently wrapped both arms around his lithe companion and pulled him close to his larger body. “He saved me from everything I couldn’t completely escape. And to think of you...trying to pull us apart, even if I assumed too much sometime...it...when I ran away, all I could think of was...’I need to drink, shoot up or fuck.’ And the easiest thing at the time was...booze. I couldn’t even think of doing anything else. I wanted to get away from Riff ‘cause in my mind, he’d already said good-bye to me, and...and sided with you.”

He turned his gaze back toward the demon, gentle but unafraid. Amdusias meet his eyes and tilted his head slightly, his long, tined tail slowly flicking behind him. Graceful could feel the reptile’s mental presence, gently probing through his thoughts, fingering his memories as if flipping through a stack of vinyls for an album he didn’t yet know he wanted to hear. He smiled faintly and sat quietly as the demon savored his emotions, sampled the vast expanse of experiences and dreams. When he finally sensed the scaled creature quietly withdrawing, Graceful broke the gaze and looked down at one of his tattooed forelegs for a few moments. “I didn’t...drink until I saw Riffraff, desperately looking for me. I could have downed the bottle before he even found me. But...I guess in a way, part of me wanted to take revenge on him. I wanted him to see me relapsing, to...know for himself what you two had done to me.” Graceful sighed and closed his eyes while his partner squeezed his lithe frame gently and held him protectively back against his bandaging. “But I know that was wrong of me. I’m just as much at fault, if not even more responsible. No one decides what actions we take ‘cept ourselves. Riff taught me that, too. It was cruel of me to try and pin my own stupid decision on somepony who loves me.” He looked up after a moment, tearful eyes again gazing into the crimson pegasus’s irises. “I’m sorry, Riffraff. Thank you for saving me again.”

Riffraff smiled faintly, hugging the feminine male fiercely against his body and kissing his forehead gently. “It’s all good now, Gracie. It...was very brave of you to tell us that. You ain’t so bad as you make yourself out to be, don’t go beating yourself up.”

Graceful Melody smiled submissively and buried his muzzle against the masculine stallion’s neck as he let himself be held and rocked slowly. Behind him, Amdusias had closed his eyes and now held his silver saxophone tightly against his chest. The demon looked far more healthy now, his hide once again glistening even in the low light of the room. The simple fact he could now summon his instrument once more further proved his improved state and after a moment, he lifted his head and studied the two ponies silently. Amber eyes once again glowed brightly, pupils relaxed as the final bruises began to fade from his cheeks. Riffraff glanced back at him over his partner’s curled form and they watched each other for a few moments while the crimson pony soothingly massaged down Graceful’s spine.

After a minute or so, the demon lifted the woodwind instrument to his lips and started to play a soft tune without hesitation. Graceful remained pressed against his companion’s chest, eyes shut but ears listening gratefully to the gentle melody. Riffraff could feel something beneath the initial layer of audible energy, hints of the demon’s essence twisting through the air around them. Already, the dull ache along his sides began to ebb away and fade while even his growing urge to step outside and smoke seemed to delicately recede. His eyes filled with gratification and he bowed his head while keeping the protective embrace around his partner as the strange trio steadily relaxed to the dulcet tones from the gleaming saxophone.

Amdusias played a continuous stream of the euphonious music for over thirty minutes before he finally pulled the mouthpiece from his muzzle, a small smile crossing his lips as he closed his eyes. “It has...been too long,” he said quietly, letting the saxophone rest across his lip as he glanced up at the two ponies, features strangely gentle and calm. Graceful now sat between his partner’s forelegs, resting back against the larger stallion as Riff held him gently back to his chest. Both their eyes fixated on the demon, though Amdusias seemed to revel in and appreciate the attention as he smiled slightly again. He shook his head slowly, then rubbed absently at the four spikes jutting up from the top of his muzzle. “I believe that you two...wish to be left alone, now?”

Surprisingly enough, it was Graceful Melody who spoke up first. “Actually...nah, we...we can wait, Dusey.” He hesitated, then smiled meekly as the demon looked at him curiously. “I think...Riff and me both wanna hear about what happened.” He blushed and rubbed shyly at one of his own slender forelegs, glancing down. “Could...could you tell us about it?”

The muscular creature appeared torn between wanting to insult the ponies and genuinely wishing to tell the tale. He frowned a bit, confused by his own hesitations as he cursed himself mentally for showing such weakness in front of the stallions. But Riffraff and Graceful only continued to gaze up at him quietly, eyes showing curiosity but also varying hints of respect that both confused the demon as well as made him feel strangely appreciative. Amdusias grimaced and then rolled his eyes. “Oh, very well, loathsome creatures. You must promise to refrain from inappropriate touching while I share what I am willing to share, is that understood?”

Both stallions nodded childishly and the scaled creature pursed his lips before grumbling. “Insolent foals. When all else is boiled down to nothing, you mortals all resemble filthy little children.” He sighed before quietly stroking a hand down along the bell of his instrument as he looked down at the silver saxophone. “Riffraff. You know some of the tale about which I will begin to explain. I have shared my thoughts about what potential darkness lays ahead for this world.” He paused before smiling grimly. “Forgive me. For the darkness that is most assuredly lying ahead. What remains unclear is the extent of the damage your weak mortal plane shall suffer.” The demon shrugged slowly and then waved a hand dismissively. “However, allow me to begin explaining from a more appropriate introduction. I had reason for my sudden appearance before you two in that horrid forest today.” His amber eyes locked with Graceful as the smaller pegasus lowered his ears slightly. “I...apologize for the suddenness of my actions, but I acted with haste in the best possible way I could. Some...something lurked in those woods today. A creature of the most ill repute, one that even mighty demons and looming gods have reason to fear.” He made a face and the involuntary shiver he couldn’t repress caused both pegasi to glance nervously at each other before turning their eyes back to the somewhat-paled demon. “She is known to many of us as The Hunter. As far as any creature, demon or otherwise, can discern, she is mortal. Perhaps this is why her uncanny existence causes such discomfort for all manner of life, supernatural or not.” He looked at the ponies, tone softening somewhat. “She no doubt sensed your presence. The mere fact that I myself could detect her distinctive signature was proof enough.”

“Is...is she some kind of...super-unicorn or something?” Graceful asked just above a whisper, ears flat on his head as he pressed nervously back against Riffraff’s muscular chest.

Amdusias smiled dourly. “If only, little one. No, The Hunter possesses no horn upon her head. She is a winged mortal, the same in species as you two.” He glanced down at his saxophone for a moment. “Perhaps you may now understand somewhat why she is to be feared. A mortal, seemingly incapable of even weak mortal magic, that nonetheless strikes fear into the hearts of even the fiercest demonic warriors. Again, I have no reason to doubt that she knew of your travel along the path. Had she happened upon the two of you, I would have found you as mere shells, shredded corpses left for the scavengers of the forest.”

Riffraff stared in horror, instinctively holding Graceful Melody tighter with his forelimbs as the periwinkle pegasus whimpered quietly. “Horses of Heaven. But... but how could just a pegasus do that?”

“Just a pegasus?” Amdusias retorted, leaning back slightly. “Oh to be lost in the sea of naiveté. My dear soul-seller, never, ever underestimate the creatures I am going to describe for you. Mortals, yes. But they are of terrifying caliber for having been born upon this plane. The Hunter attacks that which she sets her eyes upon, without hesitation, without emotion. She does not require magic, she does not require even weapons. However, it is well-known that she favors bladed tools.” He grimaced somewhat. “My choice of words was intentional. I would not have found either of your bodies intact. And yet her emotions do not drive her to this sadism. It is almost as if this is simply her prerogative.”

Graceful swallowed quietly and kneaded his hooves slowly into the fabric of the top cover before glancing up into the demon’s eyes. “But...you’re real strong, Dusey. Couldn’t...you...”

The muscular reptile blinked and then laughed aloud before tilting his head slightly as Graceful continued to look at him with the expectant, trusting gaze of a child. “Dear Hel, colt. You are serious?” Both ponies nodded slowly, seeming somewhat confused by the demon’s scoff and Amdusias blushed despite himself. “Oh dreaded Asgard above,” he mumbled. “I fear I have delved too far into the territory of a Pride-filled fool, withered away under the self-focused shine of those egomaniacs I so often insult and further despise.” He smiled thinly and looked up at both ponies before reaching up and nervously rubbing his claws along one of the long, curved horns upon his skull. “My dearest little insects. I may be a demon lord, I may possess unbridled power and harness the abilities to seep into the very subconscious of the mind, where I might wreak the greatest havoc or inspire the most glorious burst of genius...but I am no fighter.” He paused and then glanced down almost shamefully. “Indeed, I could likely hold my own for perhaps only a few minutes against one as terrifying as The Hunter. But my abilities, my domain...it requires a mind capable of suggestion, open to the possibility of imagination and my own creativity. However, against a mind as closed and well-guarded as hers? I might as well make attempts at convincing a brick wall it is a Sagittarius.”

Riffraff slumped somewhat, his heart sinking. He’d always imagined Amdusias as an all-powerful force; yes, as the cruel, sadistic demon holding his contract, but nevertheless a dependable shield that could defend both himself and Graceful from any outside threats. He glanced down and Amdusias frowned before gazing off to the side as well.

With his powers almost fully restored, tapping into either mortals’ thoughts had once again become nearly second nature for him. He felt genuinely ashamed for the deep sense of despair and disappointment he so clearly felt emanating from the pair and the demon slowly rubbed along his own chest with a quiet sigh. “I...am truly sorry that I have so often misled you two into believing in me as some kind of infinitely powerful creature. I do not exaggerate the extent of my abilities, no, but I also have my limitations. I may have a physically impressive form, but I have always been this way. It is simply my natural state. I did little to earn it, to be fully honest. Yet I have never bothered to learn techniques purely for the reason of engaging in combat. My abilities can certainly aid in a physical struggle, yes, but against a creature such as The Hunter, hardened and superior in both strategy and combat...I am...I am useless.”

The word tasted sour upon the demon’s tongue and he closed his eyes at his own realization. Sloth demons specialized in mental manipulation, and he was no fool to pride, but he nonetheless felt suddenly aware of his own gaping weaknesses. He grit his teeth, silently setting his saxophone to the side as his hands clenched into fists. But before he could continue, a strange pressure surrounded his waist and he blinked slowly before looking down numbly to see the feminine pegasus hugging him silently, his pierced muzzle pressing against his stomach. He stared for a moment, unable to comprehend the mortal’s unexpected show of tenderness and when he glanced up, Riffraff met his gaze with a faint smile. “It...ain’t the end of the world, Amdusias.”

The powerful lizard swallowed thickly, his body stiff as he once more turned his eyes down to the smaller stallion embracing him tightly. His arms felt like leaden weights, hanging down at his sides as a rush of unwanted emotions rolled through him. He slowly lifted a hand, hesitating and then closing his eyes as he gently pressed it against the back of Graceful’s skull before creakily bending forward and returning the hug silently. He closed his eyes once again as the lithe pegasus spoke gently against his muscular stomach. “Nopony is perfect, Dusey. Not a one of us. We...we won’t think of you any less. You’re...a part of our--”

“No...no, do not dare utter those foul words,” Amdusias whispered, looking down almost pleadingly before staring across at Riffraff again, his eyes full of a strange sense of fear.

“You’re a part of our family,” Riffraff finished gently, a quiet smile on his muzzle as he nodded slowly. “You might be able to read minds and take in emotions...but nopony can sense them like Gracie does.” A flood of unwanted warmth and reassurance washed through the massive reptile, his rippling frame trembling slightly.

“Foolish creatures,” the demon murmured, closing his eyes once more but silently squeezing his arms around the small pegasus as he bowed his head. “I cannot protect you from the world. Not from her. Not from them.”

“But you’ll do your best,” the crimson pony replied softly, approaching the two slowly and then sitting next to the enormous demon as he wrapped a foreleg around his back, ignoring the sharp spines he brushed against. The muscular reptile flinched but made no move to push either stallion away. “You may not be a warrior. But you’re like us.” Amdusias lifted his head slightly, a mixture of confused emotions written across his face. “You won’t just give up. And we...I trust you.”

“We both do,” Graceful murmured, slowly sitting up in the demon’s lap and gazing up at the scaled creature. “It’s okay to be scared. We have...” He glanced over at Riffraff for a moment, the two stallions sharing a soft smile. “We have each other.”

The demon sighed resignedly, shaking his head quietly and letting his arms fall back to his sides before looking between the two ponies. “Your childish emotions will not save any of us.” He hesitated, glancing at his saxophone and willing it to disappear before shifting slightly and then slowly dropping back against the pillows as Graceful hopped carefully out of his lap. Both stallions gazed down at the demon, seated on either side as he slowly rubbed at his features with both hands. “These...silly notions of...family and...camaraderie. They are not meant to be understood nor practiced by the denizens of Helheim. We are above such immature cravings.”

“You don’t have to be,” Riffraff murmured, glancing across the scaled entity’s torso to meet his partner’s eyes. “Look, I...I know that things have been less than perfect between us all, but I would think each of us can learn a little something about...about not letting the past define who we are.”

Amdusias opened his eyes to look up at the ceiling before asking abruptly, “Do you both understand that I will be taking your soul, Riffraff?” He shifted his gaze downward to study each pony for a moment. “Regardless of the fate of this world, I will do everything in my power to ensure you succumb to your contractual payments.” The muscular reptile paused and then met Graceful’s eyes, his tone softening. “You will be left alone, Graceful Melody. You may die at the hands of this unknown darkness, or you may survive on through whatever future looms ahead. But your companion’s soul will be in my possession, to be tortured and used as I see fit in the cold bowels of Helheim. Do...you truly comprehend this?”

Graceful gazed back down at the demon as tears began to fill his eyes. Riffraff reached out silently over the demon to grip his shoulder quietly but the slender pony continued to meet the reptile’s gaze before he whispered, voice quivering but free of hesitation, “Yes. I understand.” He trembled and reached up to clutch tightly into his partner’s hoof. “But even a temporary family is better than no family.”

As the smaller pony began to sob quietly, Riffraff swallowed and trembled himself, moved beyond words by the dedication and fortitude in the slender stallion’s words. Amdusias glanced down for a moment before nodding slowly and looking up at them both. “Then...come.” He lifted both muscular arms as his tail curled up behind Riffraff to raise slowly into the air. “Let us escape this bitter reality for a night.” He gestured silently to his sides and both ponies crawled forward without hesitation, hooves still joined across his broad chest as the demon sighed softly and wrapped his powerful arms around both stallions. As they quietly curled up at his sides, heads resting against his masculine breast, he closed his eyes and guided the sharp spines of his tail down by instinct to almost tenderly press them against both mortal ponies’ temples. In an instant, Amdusias gently sent them into a merciful repose and the enormous demon grimaced, questioning his actions and yet finding a nervous discomfort in how natural they had been. This is not how the symphony should play. And yet...perhaps I have been lost in its structure for too long. Perhaps a new piece awaits arrangement. He quietly squeezed the unconscious ponies against his form before lowering his tail and guiding himself into the same deep slumber a moment later.