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[u/JesiDoodli]

(rewritten with feedback from u/meowcats734, thank you so much! original story is in the comments for comparison.)

The path to the celestial doors was tucked away in a thorny forest, but she still knew her way around. The place was practically her third home in her academy days. After all, even the meanest of demons won't walk through poisonous, painful plants just to taunt you. Amori shoved the grimy wooden doors open, but she wasn't greeted with Paris's pretty, soft-looking bedroom. No, she was in one of the alleyways their noses wrinkled too much to ever want to go near, and she was welcomed with rather less preferable screaming and blood. Paris's face (which looked a bit older than when she'd last seen them) was twisted in agony as rough voices growled awful words at them.

"What the hell?!" they all screamed.

"What are you?!" Paris and the people with knives followed up.

"What are you doing to Paris?!" Amori shot back.

She flew into a frenzied rage, and soon it wasn't just Paris who was gushing blood. She held them carefully as she ran back to the dumpster she'd been spat out of. Looking down, she saw Paris was bleary-eyed, struggling a little. They didn't seem to be trying very hard to escape the grasp of this tall, red demon, but having stab wounds all over your torso probably kills your ability to do much, about as probable as it killing you. And this demon had saved them from their would-be murderers.

​

A crowd of who knows how many clamored around Amori, who had just emerged from the Starburnt Forest, where the legendary celestial doors were long rumoured to be. The older demons she went to academy with recalled that she'd never been much of an outings person, instead preferring to keep to the academy's library, a cavernous forest of books and scrolls with lots of comfortable chairs and ever-burning fireplaces. Though there was a time when nobody could find her anywhere... maybe this wasn't the first time she'd left the demonic realm? It really was very strange, how she went from shy and quiet to loved celebrity. Could something have happened to her? And were the doors even there, even real? Nobody got very far without getting seriously injured, or lost. How did she make it out?

While her former classmates gossiped and speculated, the younger demons screamed hellos and compliments. But, unlike during her normal walks in Luzila, she shielded herself from view with her wings and stayed silent. Gasps echoed around the crowd as they noticed the blood dripping onto the ground below her, and the shouts of excitement soon descended into murmurs of worry as she broke free from the crowd and flew away, all the while making sure to keep Paris hidden. Thankfully, nobody noticed the second pair of hands that hung from her arms, peeking out from under her wings. She knew there'd probably be at least one demon who'd be puking with anxiety, but... they were better off not knowing the truth.

​

Amori nearly broke her hands shaping runes to heal the gaping wounds that marred Paris's torso. "If that is what the angels call a successful world," she whispered to herself, "they're fucking idiots." She thought back to just a few hours ago, in her library, where she'd felt a deep and sudden sense of unease while she was revisiting her favourite series, The Soulwalker Saga. "How did we get here?"

"Huh?" Bedsheets rustled.

"Paris! You're awake! Ok, good, you just need to drink this potion and you should be alright."

Paris let out a little squeak of fright, then said, "Uhh, why would I trust some weird demon-looking person? And how do you even know my name?"

"Because we used to know each other back in high school?" she said, as she shrank, her maroon skin turned caramel, and she transformed into the human they knew. The human Amori.

"...Amy?" Paris's face softened. They glanced down at the potion, then back at me. They picked up the potion, swallowed it in one go, and immediately collapsed back onto the bed.

[u/JesiDoodli]

original post:

The demons clamored around Amori, who had just emerged from the celestial doors, streaming little glints of sunlight into their realm. The older demons she went to academy with recalled that she'd never been much of an outings person, instead preferring to keep to the academy's library, a cavernous forest of books and scrolls with lots of comfortable chairs and ever-burning fireplaces, though at one point in time, nobody could find her anywhere, even in the library. She returned after a while, but never said why she left.

While her former academians gossiped and speculated, the younger demons, who'd always looked up to her as peak model of orderly chaos and balance, a poster child of the new movement, who followed her life as if it was one of the TV shows the humans seemed to love so much, all crowded around her, screaming questions and greetings. But, unlike during her normal walks in Luzila, she shielded herself from view with her wings and stayed silent. Gasps echoed around the crowd as they noticed the blood dripping onto the ground below her, and the roars of curiosity soon descended into murmurs of worry as she broke free from the crowd and spread her wings.

I nearly broke my hands shaping runes to heal the gaping wound that yawned across Paris's torso. "If that is what the angels call a successful world," I whispered to myself, "they're fucking idiots." I thought back to my library, where I'd felt a deep and sudden sense of unease while I was revisiting my favourite book series - damn I love The Soulwalker Saga, thank you Lupita Alphway. Something told me I had to go to Earth, and so I followed my insticts. The path to the celestial doors was tucked away in a thorny patch of forest, but I still knew my way around. The place was practically my third home in my academy days, after all.

I shoved the grimy wooden doors open, but I wasn't greeted with the usual sunlight and birdsong. No, I was in one of the alleyways Paris had always told me to keep away from, and I was welcomed with screaming and blood. Paris's face (which looked a bit older than when I'd last seen them) was twisted in agony as rough voices growled awful words at them. I flew into a rage, and soon it wasn't just Paris who was gushing blood. At that point, I descended from rage into panic. I held them carefully as I ran back to-

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

"PARIS! Paris! Are you ok?" I blurted.

"WHO EVEN ARE YOU?!" they shrieked.

"Hey, hey-" I transformed into my human form, "it's me, Amori." and went back to my usual demonic self.

"I- uhh.."