***Take heed and bear witness to the truths that lie herein...for ahead, there are sexual encounters. The standard warnings of appropriate legal age shall not be expounded, so simply make your decision at this moment whether or not you wish to continue. As an undeserved kindness, you are henceforth informed that the aforementioned encounters are of a heterosexual nature, for those who have an adverse reaction to such physical affection. <3

Chapter 18: Please Send Me Somebody to Love

By the time the quartet had completely cleared their equipment from the stage, the bar’s crowd had finally started thinning. There were still plenty of ponies that sat about, drinking, laughing, shooting a bit of pool; it felt like things had slowed enough, however, for Riffraff to no longer worry about leaving with a still-expectant audience. He was always guilty if he and his partner were the closing act and found themselves all packed up and ready to leave with much of the crowd yet to depart for the evening. He smiled to himself, giving brief farewells to the siblings and promising several times over that they’d meet up at some point before their next appearance at the venue. Graceful shared an extra-long, extra-awkward hug with the keyboardist before giggling and following Riff, both pegasi laden down with the remainder of their gear.

The larger stallion glanced down at the slim pony with an amused smile, shifting the weight of his guitar case to the opposite shoulder. “Is it like. A double-bonus for you to bag straight stallions?”

“Yep!” Graceful grinned broadly and licked his lips, peering once more over his shoulder just long enough to catch Sea’s awkward stare. “It’s like. The most dangerous game. Like I’m a hunter an’ he’s like. A HUGE manticore! And I see how long it takes to either get that big beastie in bed...or to have it beat me into mush.” He paused and looked thoughtful. “In fact, it may be even more dangerous than hunting. When you’re hunting, you get weapons and stuff.”

“Believe me, you’ve got plenty of lethal weapons in your arsenal,” Riffraff replied with a slight smile, shaking his head. “Anyway, it would probably be awkward for you to sleep with somepony that might be our bandmate for some time to come. Especially if you half-coerce, half-rape him as you usually do. I have the feeling it might just affect his performance the next time on stage with us.”

“Or! Or, or, or! He’ll be better than EVER on stage! I could like...use it as a training method.” Graceful’s eyes seemed to cloud dreamily as his hooves carried him through the front door almost as if he were floating. “I’d make him have crazy-dirty sex with me every night his performance was ‘bad’, and he’d get better, and better...mmmm...”

Riffraff blinked and snorted amusedly. “Wow, Gracie. That’s messed up even for you. Especially when I consider the fact that...you would never stop the ‘training’, would you? Even after he no doubt would become the greatest pianist in all of Equestria. Poor kid would die of a aneurysm.”

“Well...all new methods require extensive experimentation before they can be used en masse, of course,” Graceful replied sweetly, teeth flashing briefly again as he shrugged off his microphone case and slid it into place at the back of their cart. “He can be my first student!”

Riffraff snickered softly and loaded up the last of the gear before joining his partner at the front of the wagon as both pegasi strapped themselves into place. “Sometimes I’m really, really afraid of what goes on in your head, Graciepie.”

“Mostly fashion shows. And orgies. Sometimes a combination of the two. I call those ‘fashorgies.’ And they are wonderful.” Graceful nodded wisely as the two pegasi began an easy trot with the cart back toward the outskirts of town. “Hey...” He softened and glanced across at Riffraff, the larger stallion looking curious at his companion’s change of tone. “Do you...really think Trixie’s actually hanging out with...THE Princess Luna?”

“I...would actually guess...yes. Because one thing we should both know by now is that Trixie is one of those ponies who is never more truthful than when she’s a little...uh. Intoxicated. Plus...you saw how much she freaked out about it after she realized what she said.” Riffraff shrugged slowly. “I don’t think she would have cared as much otherwise.”

“Woooow. Just think about it, Riffy...the Princess of the Night...staying around HERE!” Graceful Melody’s wings flapped a few times anxiously. “That’s both cool and like...also. Kinda weird. I wonder why Dusey’s so scared of her...that’s also weird.”

“Many things about Dusey are weird,” Riff replied mildly. “Maybe he’s just exaggerating. He’s kind of dramatic sometimes, after all... I mean, how bad could a Princess really be? A real princess I mean, hon, not you.”

“Awww, Riffy, you’re so sweet!” Graceful beamed up at the larger stallion, leaning up to kiss his cheek. “But. Let’s not forget...she IS also Nightmare Moon, right?”

“Yeah, well. You love the moon. You love doing dirty things under the moon. And if you think about it. That probably means she sees what you do to me. And Dusey. And countless other poor farmcolts out in the fields late at night.”

Graceful looked thoughtful at this notion, pursing his lips. “Hmm. While that is creepy on one hoof...on the OTHER hoof, I do like an audience. Okay, maybe she’s not so bad. Maybe she’s just as dirty as us!”

“Somehow I doubt that,” Riffraff said with a smile. “She is, after all, a Princess.”

“And you said I’m a princess, too,” Graceful replied pointedly. “And I would say I’m pretty dirty.”

“You are the epitome of filth and sexual misconduct and all the things that they warn you about doing when you go to church, lest your hooves be stricken with thrush.”

“Awwww! You’re in such a complimenting mood tonight!” The slender pony smiled happily up at his companion as they approached the back of their inn. “Is it ‘cause you’re gonna bang Trixie?”

Riffraff choked in the middle of the protesting squawk he attempted, eyes bulging as he flailed at the air and then wheezed for breath while glaring at the smaller pegasus. “Grace!”

“Whaaaaaat? It’s okay if that’s why! And...you know that you dun need to try an’ be nice about this whole thing. I have sex with other ponies all the time.”

The crimson stallion groaned and slowly rubbed at his muzzle as the companions unhitched themselves from the cart, Riff automatically flitting to the open bed of the transport to pick up his guitar case and accessory bag. “I...dammit, that isn’t it! You know damn well that your...promiscuity doesn’t bother me. And if I was going to...to share...bedtimes with Trixie, I’m not gonna make it so obvious by being all super-sweet to you. That just makes you suspicious. And your sex sense is already scary-accurate as it is.”

“Yep! I can smell a boner from a mile away!” Graceful slung his own instrument case between his wings before spinning quickly around on the dirt path beneath. “You can’t fool me!”

“Exactly. So why would I go and...make it even easier for you to try and find some creeper-worthy spot to spy on me having awkward relations with a mare that we admittedly only knew for a few months?”

“Uh. Because...secretly, you want me to watch?”

Riffraff blinked and slowly looked down at his companion before rolling his eyes and storming through the front door. The smaller pegasus giggled, following him doggedly as he bounced cheerfully around the muscular stallion. “But you know you doooo! C’mon, Riffy, maybe it’ll help with my fear of fillies!”

“The only thing that’ll cure that is a couple of months at a really, really good mental health institution,” Riff grumbled, ignoring the hyperactive singer that hopped around him in an awkward orbit. “Why...don’t you make use of all your excess energy and go get some more stuff from the wagon? And if you break your microphone, I ain’t buyin’ you a new one.”

“That’s okay, I have the checkbook!” Graceful trilled, flashing his teeth in a playful grin as he hopped up the last few steps to race down the hall to their room, calling over his shoulder. “Just like the lady always should!”

“Ladies are stupid,” Riff mumbled lamely in a weak retort before sighing and following the giggling pegasus into their room. “Are you sure you’re not still on some kind of recreational drug? Because I swear, the only other explanation is that you have caffeine for blood.”

“That probably means I can stop making coffee in the morning!” the slender male sang out from the bathroom, his microphone case leaning against the wall. “And you an’ me c’n just. You know. Go down on me together.”

Riffraff snorted softly. “You would find that a feasible solution, wouldn’t you?” He shook his head amusedly as he set his own case tenderly to the side before flopping back onto the bed and closing his eyes. “I really do not want to get the rest of our crap. Think Dusey would get it for us?”

“No...but I’ll go get the rest of it if you promise to have—”

“I am not making that promise. No. No, no, no. No. Stop...trying to...do. Stuff. To my brain. With your brain, using your. Words. Stupid provocative slinky sneaky whore-pony words.” Riffraff mumbled, rolling onto his stomach and shoving his face down against the sheets.

Graceful peeked out of the bathroom after washing his hooves, tilting his head and then smiling with sudden tenderness. “I’m...I’m just teasin’, Riffy. Take a minute, I’ll go grab the lighter stuff, I just need help with the speakers.” Riffraff wanted to protest but he allowed himself to nod once, muzzle still mashed down upon the bed. “Good! Be back in a sec, sweetie.”

The crimson stallion listened to his partner’s hoofsteps exiting the room and trotting back down the hall, and he sighed as he tilted his head back and then dropped his muzzle down onto the mattress, glaring moodily at the headboard. He felt an undeniable kindred affection for the magician, and he knew Graceful had a similar sense of a familial bond; street performers and traveling showponies often banded together much like the roaming nomads of times long past, and the trio had shared the woes and joys of a life on the road for long enough that there was a definite – albeit often silent and unacknowledged – understanding and respect between them. They’d watched Trixie during many of her shows and she was undoubtedly a fine magician in the simplest terms. Her performances were appropriately flashy and her sleight of hoof was more than appreciable compared to other acts they’d seen. And pride was no strange demon to many ponies that worked the circuit; self-aggrandizement, after all, helped boost popularity and sell more tickets.

But Trixie had always proclaimed herself as the greatest, and made a loud fuss about it even when she wasn’t on the stage. Riff and Grace witnessed the unfortunate lashbacks of her public vanity and self-inflation on more than one occasion, though the unicorn had rarely shown even a trace of humiliation, nor did she ever back down from a challenge. It was after the shows, behind the scenes, tucked away into a quiet corner of the local bar, where they saw her eyes fill with a quiet pain. She wasn’t the blind moron most ponies assumed her to be; she knew that the scenes she caused, the stares she drew, the looks of disgust and the eye-rolling, it all stemmed from the way she behaved. But it was simply the way she was. She never apologized for that aspect of herself, though she was all too aware of it.

It had always struck a certain chord with Riffraff. He could appreciate her tenacity, her stubbornness. The way she refused to admit defeat, even when it stared her in the face, even when a mistake or a spell gone wrong sent her audience screaming in terror or worse: threatening to run her out of town for endangering the local populace. He recognized some of the same traits in his own partner and...it made him smile. He never regretted the evening they’d spent together, when Graceful had easily taken the unspoken hint after an exceptionally late night at the bar and left the two alone at the unicorn's motel room door. Trixie had opened herself to him more than just physically; they’d spent hours just talking that night, speaking as comfortably and intimately as life-long friends. She’d relayed the story of her life through tears, bitter laughter and drunken mumbling, and it was a tale Riff could relate to in some ways.

Raised in Hoofston, her parents had been well off. But Trixie failed at the local magic academy and was instead tutored by other unicorns, paid for by her family. They themselves weren’t the most talented, however, and Trixie never quite got the proper magical education; money could buy talent, but they weren’t so rich that she received top-notch training. She eventually struck out on her own, abandoning her privileged lifestyle in pursuit of making her name known. On the road, Trixie encountered several magicians that taught her tricks, spells not intended for much else other than awing a somewhat-captive audience, and perhaps delighting a group of foals. But she was determined, and took what she needed from each unofficial mentor as she moved from town to town, sometimes within a troupe of other performers, sometimes on her own.

In some ways, Riffraff was envious of her. She’d of course laughed when he admitted it, slapping at him gently and asking with a suddenly sober voice why he would ever say that. He smiled a bit as he rolled onto his back once more, sitting up and leaning over his hind legs with his chin in his hooves. The words were still fresh in his mind, as if he’d only just uttered them. “Because you weren’t afraid of failure, and you weren’t afraid to chase your dreams. You never let anypony tell you what to do, what to become.” After all, he’d spent his later teenage years dragging himself through law school on his ailing mother’s generosity, using what he never realized was often her every last few bits to slump aimlessly along at the university. And even after her death, he surrounded himself with the profession he never wanted, making a complete ass of himself treating the law on his own terms. He’d told Trixie that, yes, there was a certain kind of serenity he sometimes found, spending hours every night in the library and weaving an intricate interpretation of the law in court to leave his opponents dumbfounded, the judge annoyed and the jury both confused and more than a little incensed at having a simple open-and-shut criminal case unwind into a week-long trudge through ancient law codes and unintelligible lawyerspeak.

But it never once compared to the joy he found once he finally turned his back on that life and took up the guitar. Trixie hadn’t been so completely drunk that he felt comfortable bringing up his demonic pact, but she’d still shown compassion and appreciation for his decision despite her inebriation. Eventually the hours’ long conversation had moved with an awkwardly natural grace into a physical bout of passion, but Riffraff remembered their honest, emotional discussion more often than he did the steamy aftermath. He’d never been quite sure how much of either activity the unicorn kept in her own memory; the next few days had been awkward, especially with Graceful’s teasing, and they parted ways a week later as they traveled west and she made her way east. It now dawned on him that Amdusias hadn’t exactly visited them nearly as often in those times, and when he did...it was rarely with any intention beyond torturing the two with reminders of what laid in wait for Riffraff and his opinion of Graceful’s own musical talent. I guess it wasn’t that big a surprise he never knew about Trixie. Well, at least not that night. I guess he really didn’t spend as much time in my brain back then as he does now. He smiled a bit and glanced up when his companion pranced into the room with the majority of their gear hoisted on his shoulders. It wouldn’t be so bad to share one more night with her. Guess Gracie had a point about helping her out, after all. Conniving bitch. He laughed to himself and Graceful cocked his head curiously.

“You laughin’ at me, Riffy?”

“Yeah. Yeah, I am, penisbreath. You’re a conniving bitch sometimes.”

The periwinkle stallion puffed his cheeks out and for a moment before nodding agreeably. “Yep! I’m cool with that!”

“I guess I am, too,” Riff replied softly, smiling quietly again. He hopped off the bed and helped his companion unload before kissing his lips tenderly. Warm silver irises gazed up at him and he bumped their muzzles together lightly. “Thanks, Gracie. No, don’t...ask why. Just...thank you. You’re better to me than I realize, sometimes.” The slender pegasus blushed and pawed almost shyly at the carpet as Riffraff nuzzled the top of his head. “But c’mon, let’s go get us them speakers. Then it’s bedtime, ‘cause I am tired as hell.” Graceful laughed but nodded firmly, trotting back toward the door with Riffraff at his flank, smiles on both their faces. I guess that...if you give me those eyes again, Trixie...I’ll give you another night. You deserve that much.

The next few days passed as a blur for the two pegasi as they found an undeniably comfortable flow in the gentle pace of life in Ponyville. They rendezvoused with the unicorn siblings as promised, and Riff was tickled when they arrived at their small but cozy townhouse to find that they’d gone out and spent likely far too much money on a stack of vinyl records. The albums spanned a healthy chunk of the selection Riffraff had given Shining Sea, but the pair had also hunted through the entire jazz and blues collections to make a few random choices of their own. While Riffraff and Graceful each had their favorite artists and standards, they also respected one of the great tenants of a true musician: to each his or her own. Everypony had their preferences and dislikes, and it was what made the surviving practitioners of jazz and blues so dynamic. Artists constantly influenced each other and endless fusions into other genres could be found, each of which possessed their own unique sound and mixture. The pegasi spent nearly five hours practicing with the siblings, trading techniques and suggestions back and forth and finishing with a satisfying jam session that went on for well over an hour.

It had been past dinnertime when Graceful and Riffraff finally left the unicorns’ residence, and they stopped at a small restaurant to enjoy a quick but fulfilling meal together. The two were in high spirits, constantly finding more reasons to feel at home in the rural community. Their relationship was no secret and yet they hardly received more than the occasional wayward glare, finding the vast majority of Ponyville’s citizens to be laid-back and almost clinically accepting of any and all that chose to spend more than a few days in their midst.

Even Amdusias had relaxed somewhat as the pegasi reveled in the serenity of the slower, easier life in such a small town. The demon remained wary of the hints and traces of darkness that could be sensed through the surrounding forest, unrelenting in informing the two of any potential danger he’d detected throughout the day. But he’d eventually let himself grow less tense as each passing day failed to whip the trio into some horrible, life-threatening situation. He refused to accept that all was unabashedly free of possible doom; after all, Princess Luna living somewhere just outside Ponyville meant, to him, that at least some elements of darkness would be drawn to the location. But whatever hints he’d once heard in Helheim about a plot involving Nightmare Moon had long since ceased whispering across demonic lips. He was no fool and certainly didn’t assume that what he’d gathered about the Blood Seers was only rumor, that they’d given up on whatever diabolical quest they’d undertaken. But he prided himself on his heightened supernatural perception, and when entire days passed without even a warning nudge to his instincts, he couldn’t help but succumb at least partially to the peace offered by the tiny mortal village.

He’d found himself spending more and more time with the two, joining them throughout the day whenever they were in semi-private, and almost always lounging with them in the motel room. Most nights were spent together, as well, as the intoxicating draw of sleeping with two other warm bodies became a regular comfort, without which left him feeling almost lonely. He still tried his best to remain neutral, never failing to dryly insult one pony or the other, or to shove one of their hooves away when it explored a bit too thoroughly. But their evenings rarely ended with anything but a tight embrace between the three, curled up together in the bed like any other abnormally affectionate family of three.

The night after their half-practice, half-training with the unicorns concluded with the trio in this usual arrangement, Amdusias hugging Graceful tightly with one huge arm as Riffraff pressed gently against his partner’s back, one of his own forelimbs curled about the demon’s waist. They hadn’t shared anything beyond Graceful’s awkward goodnight-hugs-and-kisses, but fell asleep rather quickly all the same, even the supernatural reptile slipping into a deep slumber despite hardly even feeling the need to indulge the unwritten obligations of his demonic alignment.

But as the moon rose high into the cool, cloudless night sky, Riffraff found himself stirring and awakening with the all-too-familiar urge to make a contractual payment. He grimaced against his partner’s back, sighing quietly as he rolled his head back slowly. He tried to think back to the last cigarette he’d smoked, and realized it had been sometime shortly after their meal at the restaurant; thanks to a rather animated argument between the two mortals and Amdusias on the merits of using Riff’s effects pedals during a performance, he’d completely forgotten about his urges and hadn’t stepped outside to light up even before bed. He had no doubt that the reptile’s admittedly amiable presence had likely made the physical need ebb, but now that Amdusias snored quietly, his supernatural abilities muted by his own heavy slumber, the craving had once again risen up to snap impatiently at his nerves.

The crimson stallion grumbled and silently cursed the demon despite smiling a bit. I guess I can’t be too mad. He probably didn’t even mean to take off the edge. It’s still sweet of him, unintentional or not...gives me more time with Gracie. He carefully lifted his leg from Amdusias’s waist and then slipped backward from Graceful’s slim frame. The periwinkle pegasus shivered once and curled closer to the demon in response, the scaled arm around him pulling him instinctively tighter. Riffraff smiled again at the sight as he slid gently out of the bed. Talk about having come a long way... He chuckled softly to himself as he swept his leather pouch off the counter and carefully opened the door before slipping into the hallway, heading for the lobby.

He emerged into the brisk night air a moment later, a cigarette already pushed into his muzzle as he leaned out of the slight breeze to light the tip. Riffraff took a slow draw and closed his eyes while resting back against the front of the inn. Ponyville’s nightlife differed greatly from Manehattan’s in every possible way – it was rare he could actually hear crickets chirping when he and Graceful toured the larger metropolises, for one thing. He smiled softly and lifted his ears as he took in the stillness around him. The occasional flit of wings across the trees, the gentle flicker of the few streetlights dotting the abandoned street.

When he opened his eyes again, letting his vision adjust steadily to the darkness, he could see only three or four windows that glowed with somepony’s late-night activities. For the most part, however, the entire town seemed to bask in the comforting lack of light, embraced and not shrouded by the night. His wings shifted quietly on his back as the leisurely wind caressed along his feathers and through his mane, dragging his thin plumes of smoke along the sidewalk to disappear into the silent shadows. This...this is serenity.

The small flare of his cigarette offered the only globe of light around the crimson pony, even the lobby of their inn having gone dim for the evening. But as he gazed around through the yellow-orange gleam that surrounded him, his grey eyes spotted a figure moving along the sidewalk from the direction of the town’s center. He tilted his head a bit, holding his cigarette down by his side as he squinted a bit, then smiled slightly as he instantly recognized the distinctive, pointed shadow, chased by a quietly fluttering shape that was impossible to mistake even in this near-ebony dusk.

He continued to puff quietly, the warm embers illuminating his features as the unicorn’s hoofsteps hesitantly drew closer until Trixie slowly sat down a few feet away. Her violet hat and cape sparkled a bit under the natural, pale moonlight and she studied the pegasus searchingly with eyes of the same hue. Riffraff glanced toward her as his own gaze drew silently across her form, pausing for a moment on the aquamarine gem holding her cape secure around her neck as the same smile tugged at his muzzle.

When their eyes finally met, the mare set her jaw stubbornly while he simply kept smoking wordlessly, each half-daring the other to speak first. But eventually, Trixie grumbled and sat slowly back onto the chilly concrete below their hooves. “Guitarist.”

Riffraff smiled slightly as he removed the near-finished butt and snubbed it out under a hoof as he exhaled a long cloud of wispy smoke upward. “Magician.”

She scowled and reached up to adjust her hat before mumbling embarrassedly, “Why do you follow Trixie around?”

“If I recall correctly...you actually came up to me,” Riff replied with an amused laugh. “I have a legitimate reason to be outside. If I don’t smoke, I turn into Graceful Melody.” She blinked, unable to repress her morbid stare as the masculine pegasus chuckled quietly. “But what are you doing out and about at this hour?”

“The Great and Powerful Trixie fancied a late-night stroll,” the unicorn answered loftily, gesturing idly with a hoof. “She also does not need to explain herself to a two-bit musician.”

Riff shrugged amiably. “She doesn’t need to, but she often does.” He paused before tilting his head meditatively as he studied the light blue crystal resting upon her chest. He reached out and poked it gently, and the mare flinched back with a huff. “Okay, instead of questioning why you came over to stalk me...I’ll ask about this. It’s one thing I’ve always been curious about, because you don’t seem like the type for flashy jewels. Flashy clothing, yes. Flashy magic, of course. But...” He smiled at her grumpy expression, prodding the aquamarine gem once more. “Not this kinda stuff. What’s the story with it?”

Trixie rolled her eyes but glanced down at the stone all the same, a few stray beams of moonlight glancing off its polished surface. “You can be very persistent, Riffraff. But...it’s...it’s the one thing Trixie kept from home. It was a gift when I...when Trixie was a young filly. Trixie remembers her father being very displeased at the idea of giving his daughter such an expensive gemstone at her immature age.” She smiled a bit, the expression both fond and yet sad. “Trixie saw a beautiful actress wearing a brooch with a similar gem, and Trixie was consumed with a need to have one of her own. I...Trixie managed to wheedle one out of her father as a ‘spontaneous’ gift. And now...Trixie keeps it as a reminder that...” She hesitated and met Riffraff’s gaze squarely. “Trixie can achieve whatever she sets her eyes upon. Nothing...nothing can stop Trixie from attaining what she desires, as long as she seeks it on her own.” She nodded once and self-consciously reached up to rub a hoof along the smooth jewel.

Riffraff blinked, genuinely surprised by her sincerity. “I never woulda thought that, Trixie. I’m...I respect that. It ain’t a bad thing to have as your mantra.”

“Trixie isn’t so sure about that,” she replied glumly, her mood visibly drooping as she rubbed at her muzzle. “You’ve seen the way ponies aren’t so happy with Trixie’s...tenacity.”

The crimson stallion shrugged again. “So what? Plenty of ponies who hate the music me’n Grace play. Even more ponies who aren’t so hot on the fact that he enjoys dressing up like a filly in public and then proceeding to do unspeakable things to me. Also in public.” He laughed softly and drew closer, nudging her side gently. “I know Trixie isn’t blind to those stupid ponies around her, but...I’ve also never known her for giving up on doing what she wants to do.”

She sighed and nodded grudgingly. “Trixie is a very stubborn pony.”

“Yeah...Trixie is. And just what the hell is wrong with that?”

She glanced up at him and smiled faintly. Riffraff smiled back and reached up to quietly pull her hat off, holding it just out of her reach when she huffed and flailed for it with a front hoof. “Trixie...Trixie demands you return her hat!” the unicorn grumbled, looking almost embarrassed without the patterned cap upon her mane. But the stallion chuckled softly as he leaned back somewhat, his eyes taking in her gently curving mane, the almost-silver periwinkle seeming to glow subtly beneath the celestial lights above.

“I think Trixie could do without for now,” Riffraff replied amusedly, pausing and then settling the pointed hat onto his own head with a satisfied grunt. She tried to snatch it away once more, but the larger pony craned his neck out of her reach as he snickered softly. “C’mon, just go without it for now. I know it’s...part of who you are, and that you don’t feel right without it, but...”

Before he could continue, however, the mare froze up as a mixture of surprise and what might have been fear spread across her features. “How...how do you know that?” she stammered, blushing slightly again. “Trixie has never said that!”

Riffraff shrugged and nudged her gently once more before starting to stroll along the sidewalk, the unicorn quickly following at his side. “Well, Trixie doesn’t have to. I know what it’s like to feel so attached to something that you don’t wanna be seen without it. Sentimental reasons, reasons of identity...but it’s okay to go without it sometimes. Besides, you’re...well...you know.”

She blinked and gazed up at him with a sudden vulnerability in her eyes, ears lowered somewhat. “Trixie is what?”

He hesitated, meeting her nervous gaze with his own awkward expression. “You’re...a very beautiful pony. And...you don’t need to hide behind your act to get attention, you know. There’s plenty to appreciate behind the scenes.” He smiled lamely, embarrassed by his choice of words as he nodded quietly. “I just hate to think that you really believe the only way to show yourself to the world is through your act. It might be what sets you apart, makes you unique, but you shouldn’t let it define you. I know by now there’s more to you than being the greatest magician in all of Equestria.”

But whatever sheepishness he felt didn’t seem to make any less of an impact on the unicorn as her cheeks flushed, glancing down for a moment and then reaching a foreleg up to pull him down into an impulsive kiss. His eyes widened for a moment, but only for a moment as he pulled her close and returned the affection compassionately, their muzzles working together slowly.

She pulled away a few seconds later, still blushing as their eyes met, a whirlwind of emotions passing between them. “I...Riffraff...” She bit her lip nervously, casting her gaze aside as she swallowed quietly. “Trixie doesn’t want to...get between you and Graceful...”

He smiled slightly despite himself, leaning forward and tenderly kissing the tip of her horn. It sent a shiver down her spine and she instinctively pressed against him once more as he murmured softly, “Come on, now. You know him well enough by now. He’d be thrilled. And, besides...” Riffraff winked and plucked her hat from his head to place it gently back upon her own. “What happened to Trixie never giving up on what she wants? If...she wants this silly guitarist for a night, Trixie can have him for a night.”

She gazed up at him silently, searching his features for some sign of pity, some hint that the pegasus was only offering her a temporary comfort out of sympathy. But she only found a genuine invitation in his eyes and she blushed again before replying softly, “Then...Trixie will have you for a night.” She smiled hesitantly and then nodded as she nuzzled into his neck and whispered into his light red mane. “Follow Trixie, silly fancolt.”

Riffraff laughed softly and nodded as she pulled back with another small smile before she turned and trotted back toward the center of town. He immediately jogged after her with a chuckle, matching her pace and bumping their flanks lightly together. “We aren’t going to the library, are we? That would be...really awkward.”

Trixie rolled his eyes but smiled a bit, her face seeming to glow with a new-found vivacity. “Trixie does not wish to be found by her greatest nemesis in the morning in the legs of some strange stallion. We will get Trixie’s tent and blankets and we shall go...somewhere quiet.” She paused and blushed again, adding quickly: “Trixie thought it might be...might be awkward to retrieve your things if they...are back in the room where...”

“Ah, yeah. That would be awkward, mostly because Graceful would probably start cheering us on.” He looked amused and the mare snorted soft laughter, glancing up at him as they moved quickly down the abandoned streets.

“You two...you are very strange.” She smiled and turned her gaze ahead once more. “But Trixie likes that about you.”

Trixie’s small wagon had been parked at the back of the library, and she and Riffraff had dug out her tent and a bundle of blankets as quietly as they could. But they’d found themselves giggling, feeling almost like schoolchildren sneaking away from their teachers as most of the bedding was rolled up and strapped to Riffraff’s broad back, Trixie securing the tent beneath her cape.

They’d all but dashed back to the outskirts of town, both feeling light on their hooves as their respective worries and stresses seemed to fade with each warm glance, with each long stride toward the dark but somehow inviting forest that edged well over half the perimeter of the small town. Part of the stallion wanted to stumble to a stop, apologize profusely and rush back to his companion and Amdusias...but the other, overwhelming part of him felt simply too good in that moment to let his fears get the better of him. He knew Graceful hadn’t been putting up some brave front in hewing Riff about sharing an evening with the magician, and he couldn’t deny the childish excitement of sharing this strange reconnection with an old traveling partner; No...with an old friend.

The two ponies had slowed a bit as they entered the forest, finding a small clearing and both forcing their eagerness aside long enough to quickly piece together the tent to one side of the opening between thick trees and vegetation. They traded constant smiles, however, and Riff knew Trixie’s heart had to be thudding in her chest just as heavily as his own was. It was the rush of a passionate encounter, but one that felt like more than a simple one-night stand and rather like a reunion between two friends who maybe both had regrets about not working a bit harder to at least remain in touch over the months.

They eventually managed to create some semblance of a tent from the fumbling around in near pitch-blackness, only the stray beams of moonlight and a soft glow from Trixie’s horn giving them the light to try and align poles, canvas and stakes. Satisfied enough, Trixie stepped back and shook her head amusedly before glancing at Riffraff as the crimson pegasus smiled sheepishly and grabbed the bundle of blankets, pulling the rope away and then simply tossing them out on the dead leaves and soft detritus as the unicorn laughed quietly, eying him with entertainment. He shrugged lamely and began to spread them out a bit more evenly, but Trixie approached and gently shoved him down onto the thick mess of bedding before he could protest, a blush coming to his own features. He thought momentarily back to Amdusias’s wariness of Luna and cleared his throat embarrassedly as the smiling mare quietly straddled him and looked down into his grey eyes. “Um...I know you...didn’t mean to tell us, but...is Luna gonna come find and kill me?”

Trixie blinked and leaned back slightly before groaning and rubbing slowly at her own muzzle. “Trixie...should not drink. She says more than she intends to. But...” The unicorn softened and gazed down at him again, smiling after a few moments. “She will not. Because she will not know, and...even if she does find out, you cannot stop Trixie.” Her hoof cupped his cheek tenderly as she lowered her head and whispered, mere inches from his face: “Because Trixie wants you...and she will get what she sets her eyes upon.” She nodded firmly, then pressed their muzzles together and Riffraff’s eyes fluttered shut as his strong forelegs wrapped silently around her neck, their jaws automatically working together in a deep, delicious kiss that instantly filled them with a welcome blaze of passion.

Her body steadily lowered down upon the larger male’s form as the kiss continued eagerly for several seconds, Riff’s hooves gripping gently into her shoulders. He could feel his arousal already emerging shamelessly between them and she trembled a bit, accidentally nipping his tongue when the pressure of his maleness against her sensitive loins elicited a brief shiver along her spine. Her own front hooves slipped between their torsos, beginning to slowly massage along his masculine chest, the heated interlocking of their maws growing almost fierce. But just as she moved her hips to rock back slightly, Riffraff gently grasped her forelegs near the shoulder and carefully pushed her up and away from the kiss.

Trixie seemed almost hurt, her eyes opening hesitantly as if expecting a shameful apology, some string of guilt within the stallion preventing him from proceeding any further. But the guitarist only gave her a small, amused smile, as if he’d predicted her thoughts verbatim. “No, it’s not that. It’s this.” He reached up with a hoof, her eyes following nervously before blinking in surprise when it grasped the fabric of her hat and pulled it free, leaving her mane to spill forward across her features. Her now-revealed horn gleamed softly in the moonlight and she blushed shyly when he carefully laid the cap aside, murmuring, “I’m yours for the night, Trixie. But let me be with you. Just for now, leave the Great and Powerful Trixie behind. I’m your friend, not hers.”

She hesitated and swallowed quietly as his hoof hovered above the translucent gem that clutched her trademark cape around her neck. Their eyes met once more, trust passing between them before she nodded once. He smiled tenderly and grasped the aquamarine stone to twist it carefully, releasing the fabric from the hooks hidden on the smooth backside of the gem. Her cape fluttered briefly into the air and Riffraff released the jewel, the pattered material immediately pulled back toward the ground to thump into the dirt a few feet away.

But Trixie had all but forgotten about her outfit as she looked down at the pegasus with a heartfelt appreciation at his words, the meaningful actions that she knew he understood represented something for her that so few would bother to think about. She remained atop him, forelegs straddling his sides, still blushing quietly as he gazed over her unclothed body with a soft smile. One hoof stroked gently down along her chest as the other slid down along her side, tracing along her ribs before teasing the inside of a hind leg. She twitched a bit but smiled despite herself, closing her eyes and tilting her head upward as she allowed the muscular stallion to admire her slender frame, lean from months of living on the road and scrounging a living from her meager bookings. But Riff’s expression was warm and genuine, his eyes showing a mix of playfulness and unbridled compassion as he ran one hoof up quietly through her light blue mane, the other grasping gently into her flank.

Her eyes remained closed, feeling his arousal pulsing powerfully against her crotch and stomach as her body responded in kind, a very distinct warmth beginning to build between her legs. She trembled when the hoof gripping into her hindquarters squeezed down and then pulled her forward. Gasping softly at the sensation of her sensitive entrance sliding along the bottom of his thick member, the mare couldn’t help a quiet whimper as her cheeks flushed once more. “Riff...”

“I’m right here,” he replied quietly, continuing to gently guide her along his torso. Her trembling lips passed the flared tip of his erection and they both twitched before he grunted softly when it sprung up behind her, freed of the hot compression between their lower bodies. But he ignored his own blatant arousal and instead brought his other hoof down to gently spread her thighs as he lifted his muzzle toward her waist. Trixie shivered when his nose pressed to her smooth stomach, then sighing softly as he kissed just below her navel. His hooves had shifted down to grasp her buttocks from beneath, supporting her above his breast as he slowly nuzzled along her stomach before beginning to trail slow, teasing kisses toward her groin. He felt her trembling frame shift closer, her forelegs eventually wrapping around his head shakily in a vain attempt to steady herself against the thrill of Riffraff’s gentle ministrations.

The crimson pegasus glanced up at her, watching the unsteady heaving of her chest, hearing the quiet whispers of his name, and he smiled before lowering his head and pressing his muzzle gently against her quivering vagina. She immediately gasped again, bowing her head forward and biting her lower lip as her hooves instinctively grasped into the back of his head and pulled him closer. He obliged willingly, slowly nuzzling along her labia as a bit of wetness trickled down his muzzle before he tilted his maw back slightly and instead pushed his thick tongue out to tease slowly over the smooth flesh. She gave a shuddering moan above him, head tilting back before her entire body twitched as he drew the tip of his tongue gently across her clitoris. She gripped almost desperately into the back of his head and her eagerness melted into the stallion as he responded by opening his muzzle wider and guiding his tongue into her tight folds.

A soft cry sounded from her muzzle, eyes clenched tightly shut and her horn sparking a bit from the rush of ecstasy. She couldn’t help grinding forward against his features as his tongue explored steadily into her warm passage, almost hesitant and delicate at first. But as her sex began to contract around his appendage, the pegasus responded by making his motions a bit stronger, pressing forward more firmly and twisting his tongue about, feeling out each sensitive fold as his teeth ground lightly against her outer lips. Her body trembled and an ember of pleasure started to glow brightly deep in her loins, his hooves squeezing tighter into her flank as she began to rock her hips back and forth. “Oh, Riff...oh...gods, Riffraff...”

She suddenly bowed her head forward, muzzle pressing down against her chest as she panted hard and felt her body awakening a long-dormant sensation. The movements of his tongue became faster, sliding in and out of her entrance and occasionally glancing against her sensitive clitoris. She whimpered loudly before bucking her hips hard as her vagina began to flex spasmodically around his tongue, leaning over the pegasus slightly and gripping desperately into his pink mane as she cried out several times before throwing her head back in delight, her horn letting off a bright pulse of periwinkle light.

Riffraff winced at the sudden increase in pressure around his tongue but kept at his fervent motions doggedly as he felt her whole frame convulsing before a rush of warm fluids washed over his tongue and spilled across his muzzle. She continued to cry out blissfully as her climax blossomed powerfully, the sweet juices cascading over his features as he did his best to keep the movements of his tongue steady, finding it nearly impossible and finally pulling out even as her orgasm seemed to only become more intense. He swallowed a good bit of her fluids, then began lapping tenderly across her soaked entrance as she trembled violently and ground hard against his muzzle even as his tongue slid across her damp lips, each pass causing her sensitive flesh to twitch.

She whimpered between heaving breaths as her orgasm subsided a few moments later, the motions of her hips finally slowing. Riffraff nuzzled into her silken lips tenderly, rewarded with another trickle of clear fluids that dribbled over his muzzle. He smiled and leaned back a bit, licking at his own maw with a pleased expression. Above him, Trixie continued to breathe hard as she sat back on his chest, horn still sparking slightly from the sheer rush of ecstasy. She gazed down at him as his hooves moved quietly up from her buttocks to massage slowly down her sides, pressing gently into her ribs to feel each deep breath through her lungs. “Riff...oh, Riff...”

He grinned despite himself, reaching up to quietly brush her mane back. “It has been a while for you, hasn’t it?”

Trixie nodded once but otherwise remained silently as she quietly slid her hips backward on his chest, lowering her muzzle to meet his once more in a hungry kiss. But before she could move any further down along his body, the muscular stallion grasped into her shoulders and forced the unicorn to roll with him to the side. Their kiss broke long enough for her to gasp softly in surprise, but as he positioned himself above her, Trixie’s expression became eager. She nodded several times as Riffraff nuzzled into her neck, nipping gently at her mane while slipping one hoof down to tenderly cup her moist crotch. She closed her eyes, leaning forward while the pegasus quietly traced his lips along her throat and to the bottom of her jawline, his other foreleg wrapping around her neck to pull her up against him.

Riffraff lifted his head instinctively as he arched his back, the rounded tip of his engorged erection dragging a thin line of his own translucent fluids across her stomach. In response, Trixie wrapped her forelegs around his neck and nuzzled into his throat as the masculine scent of the stallion filled her nostrils, a sense of comfort flowing through her. Her horn pressed against his cheek and he rubbed his muzzle against it, eliciting a soft sigh from the unicorn. Rumbling softly, Riffraff slowly kissed the base of her spiraling appendage as he guided the flared head of his thick member toward her warm sex, both ponies twitching a bit at the contact of sensitive flesh. He lowered his muzzle and kissed her tenderly, his hooves shifting up to grasp into her shoulders, easing his hips down and inserting the tip of his large malehood past her entrance.

Her eyes opened wide and she gasped into the kiss, unable to keep her jaws locked with Riff’s as her head rolled back and a low moan rose into the leafy branches above. The stallion grit his own teeth as her passage immediately contracted around his stiff tip and he grunted quietly, slipping one foreleg around her neck to pull her head against his shoulder in an almost protective gesture as he pushed himself forward gently. Inch by inch of his maroon-fleshed member eased past her stretched entrance as she bit her lip and buried her muzzle into his pinkish mane, releasing another half-whimper, half-moan of delight even as a tear rolled down her cheek. He hesitated a moment, feeling the light trickle against his neck, but she immediately tightened her forelegs around him, panting heatedly. “No...don’t stop, Riff, please...”

He grunted softly and kissed the junction of her shoulder and neck as he pulled back just an inch before letting his hips plunge forward with a bit more force. Her legs spread slightly and he felt the warmth of her tight passage stretching to accommodate his girth, her hot fluids lubricating more of his shaft and allowing him to sink in nearly to the stiff ring of flesh that throbbed near the base of his erection. He breathed hard for a moment, closing his eyes as they both savored the mix of pain and pleasure, bodies pressed tightly together.

But a moment later, he forced his hips backward and she instantly cried out blissfully, clutching into his neck fiercely and all but yanking him back down. He gave a surprised gasp as his length quickly thrust deep into her folds again before he instinctively began a slow, firm rhythm. The stallion brought his rear hooves forward a bit, gaining a more stable stance as he started to work himself in and out of the unicorn’s enveloping passage. The sensation of her tight, gripping entrance around him had already coaxed at his limits, an undeniable urge thrumming through him. But he did his best to shove it back as he focused solely on the female, holding her tightly and rocking his hips powerfully back and forth.

His heavy testicles began a gentle, steady tattoo against her buttocks as her sex became more and more aroused, releasing further streams of the clear fluids that only made his thrusting easier as his entire member was soon coated in the warm juices. She panted hard into his mane and her eyes remained tightly shut as her hips moved naturally in time with his, each passing push forward sending another inch or so into her eager passage. Trixie could feel her orgasm rising quickly as he came closer and closer to hilting himself, her body trembling as she tightened her legs around his neck and began to beg him to move faster, harder.

Riff was only too glad to oblige as the distinct, rhythmic contractions around his steely member became too powerful to ignore. He dropped one foreleg back to the soft blankets below for stability, the other still hugging her upper body tight as he started to thrust more urgently, allowing his primal desires a bit more control. He grunted quietly with each long, full push forward, working his hips faster and then groaning blissfully when his waist finally kissed against hers, completely burying his length inside the mare’s passage. He held himself there for a few moments, continuing to rock his hips with his member hilted, each roll of his waist shifting his stiff cock within and causing her to cry out again and again until Trixie gave a delighted moan and arched her back hard.

The moment she began to climax, Riff grinned and swiftly pulled his hips back with a forceful grunt, only to immediately shove forward again, leaning into a suddenly rapid thrusting that sent nearly his entire length racing in and out of her as the harmonica hanging around his neck swung wildly between them. She screamed out blissfully as her orgasm quickly intensified in response to the unexpected pounding of his engorged malehood, clinging desperately to his strong frame as her slender body jerked and convulsed in the throes of her pleasure. He clenched his teeth, eyes closed tightly as sweat poured down along his neck, muscles bulging and veins pulsing as he put everything he had into the wild thrusts.

He managed to hold back for nearly three or four minutes of the blinding pace, Trixie’s blissful screams almost continuous as she seemed to flow effortlessly from one sexual peak to the next, their bodies moving with a feral intensity together. Her fluids had long since soaked both their crotches, wet hide smacking audibly together as his testicles slammed mercilessly against her hindquarters again and again, begging for release with the unavoidable burn of his own climax sending a hot fire through his veins. As he felt himself approach the breaking point, Riff wrapped both forelegs tightly around Trixie’s upper body, clutching her almost protectively close as he let his body fall back into a seated position, holding her head tightly against his masculine breast as her own hips rocked up and down of their own accord. He made shorter, faster thrusts, no longer able to rocket his entire length in and out, but hardly caring as his mind and body flared with an intense compassion for the unicorn.

She held onto his neck just as tightly, tears of indescribable pleasure rolling down her cheeks as her cries became one long, guttural moan that was only half-muffled against his muscular chest, hardly noticing the slight jerks through Riff’s frame each time she made contact with the harmonica that bound his soul. She felt his thick member stiffening as each short, powerful shove upward shook her whole frame and continued to prolong her drawn-out climax. The mare wasn’t sure if either of them used any words amongst the frantic panting and groaning, but she didn’t need Riff’s voice to grant her the reassurance and genuineness of their bestial act, the fierce grip of his limbs around her more than enough. His legs tightened further, his muzzle shoved into her mane, hot breath rushing across her back before he suddenly gave a loud cry of bliss.

Her passage immediately clamped all the more fiercely around his rock-hard member as he refused to throw his head back, keeping their bodies pressed as closely as he could as his hips twitched once before giving a massive shove upward that was accompanied by the first tremendous gout of thick equine seed. His mind was instantly aflame with passionate ecstasy and he clutched the unicorn fervidly against his frame, crying out again and again against her neck and mane as his orgasm exploded through him like a cavalcade of cannon-fire. She could only cling to him with all her might as his frenzied thrusts up and into her sex sent wave after wave of the thick, milky-white fluid flooding through her passage, only to spill in thick rivulets back down across his lap. The pegasus’s wings were spread wide and he felt almost lost in the torrent of pleasure, grounded solely by the intense compassion and kindred he was unashamed to admit for the mare held tightly against him.

It felt like an eternity before Riff’s movements finally slowed, then stopped; yet it came all too soon for the two ponies as they hugged each other fiercely and breathed raggedly into one another’s necks as sweat ran down across their bodies, still locked together with Riffraff buried deep within Trixie’s stretched entrance. They could hardly formulate words – and they hardly wanted to, choosing instead to simply hold the other tightly, basking in the comfortable silence of the afterglow, chests heaving in time as the forest around them seemed to shelter them from the rest of the world, leaving the two companions, friends and lovers to themselves.

Trixie eventually dropped her head back against Riffraff’s toned chest, still breathing heavily but feeling the numbing glow of pleasure finally fading into a more tolerable level. Her horn glimmered with a pale off-blue luminescence that glinted off his dented silver harmonica, reflecting the depth of her serenity. She swallowed thickly after a moment and closed her eyes as one hoof slid around to rub slowly down the stallion’s sweat-drenched breast. “Riffraff...”

His own eyes remained shut as he slowly nuzzled through her damp mane, one of his own hooves massaging soothingly down her spine as the crimson pegasus rocked quietly with the unicorn. He could feel gentle tremors quivering along her form and he lifted his head a bit to gaze down at her with a hint of worry. “Yeah, Trixie?”

“Are you...truly my friend?” She pressed her features closer to his chest, curling her upper body against him as their lower torsos remained joined together. “Even knowing what I’m like?”

Riffraff smiled faintly and let himself carefully fall onto his back. Both ponies winced as his still-semi-erect member shifted inside her passage, but they settled quietly as his forelegs regained their secure embrace around her. “Yeah, I am. In fact...I am because I know what you’re like.” He silently nuzzled through her mane before kissing the base of her horn gently, the female squirming a bit in response as he added softly: “In case you haven’t noticed, I don’t exactly travel with a normal pony as it is. I like who you are. You’re eccentric, you’re self-centered, you’re prideful...but you’re also stubborn, and you don’t know how to give up.” He lifted one front hoof, quietly cupping the back of her skull and pulling her muzzle gently against his neck as he gazed up at the small slice of the nocturnal sky visible past the ring of trees. “I couldn’t ask for a better pony to be friends with. Crazy friends are the ones you can always depend on to be crazy. I know I don’t gotta worry about you changing.”

He glanced down and she lifted her head from the protection of his neck and shoulder to meet his grey eyes gratefully. “Thank you for understanding, Riff. And...well...” She smiled a bit and dropped her muzzle to his neck again, mumbling quietly. “For allowing the Eccentric and Self-Centered Trixie to think she has been able to have you for a night.”

“She has had me for a night. I’ll never have a problem admitting that.” He laughed quietly as she gave a muffled grumble, squeezing her powder-blue frame down against his again. “That’s right, I’m gonna go around and tell everypony how I had the rare, magnificent pleasure of bedding the Great and Powerful Trixie.”

“As long as you don’t write a lame blues song about Trixie,” she muttered, smiling all the same as one of his hooves traced softly along her spine. A note of hesitation slipped into her voice, however, as she tilted her eyes up to him again. “You...you’re sure that...I haven’t made any problems with...”

Riffraff smiled, stroking her cheek slowly. The gesture alone reassured her but he leaned forward nonetheless, kissing her forehead gently. “Promise. We’re friends. You should see what Graceful does with brand-new acquaintances. Or. Strangers in the public bathrooms.” He shuddered a bit and Trixie laughed despite herself, shaking her head quietly but looking relieved as she nuzzled into his neck again. The pegasus smiled again and squeezed her gently. “You wanna...drag this stuff into the tent? I dunno how the Great and Powerful Trixie feels about sleeping out in the open with some lowly guitarist, after all.”

“The Great and Powerful Trixie chooses with whom she sleeps,” the unicorn replied smugly, snuggling down against him and reaching over to grab one of the loose blankets to pull across their joined frames. “And the Great and Powerful Trixie never settles for anything less than she deserves.”

“I love how you can both honor me and simultaneously demean me to the status of a ‘thing’,” Riffraff remarked dryly, earning a gentle prod of her horn against his cheek. “Ow.”

“Silence. The Great and Powerful Trixie wants to sleep now,” she murmured, closing her eyes and then wrapping her forelegs around his neck as she added softly, “With...her friend.”

Riffraff smiled slightly once more but nodded and held her protectively as they curled up together beneath the blankets. He gazed up once more at the gentle glow of the moon, feeling content with his actions outside of his own odd relationship for the first time in ages. Eventually his eyes slid shut as well, the two ponies drifting off together in their private little corner of the forest as Trixie’s hat and cape lay nearby, discarded, unneeded and forgotten for at least one night.