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Description
A boy and a demon faced each other on the desolate surface of a nameless planet. All around the ground was pockmarked by some force not visible to the eye; very clearly the product of a long, hard battle. Both enemies faces’ were carved with exhaustion; some kind of black smoke or ichor pooled and poured off the demon in billows and the boy’s hair stuck to his face and the veins stood out through his skin, but he was unharmed. They stared at each other for a hard moment, the boy’s raised fist still and strong. The demon snarled at last and bowed its head ever so slightly.
“You win again boy, but I swear by the dead Stars that one day I will wring your thin neck!”
“Save your big-talk for someone it’ll intimidate, demon. Another day of peace between us. Swear it on your honour.”
“By all I am now, and all I was Before I swear on my honour not to lay harm to Code Quinn until the last ray of sun leaves this nameless planet.”
“Thank you very much. Goodnight, demon.” And with that, Code laid himself down and fell asleep.
The demon simply watched as his breaths evened out. Night would come soon enough, on this small planet. She settled down and kept her eyes wide open.

The last finger of light was just disappearing over the edge of the horizon when the boy’s eyes snapped open and he leapt up like a shot, laughing madly. The demon had missed her chance, and she relaxed her tense muscles for a moment, while the boy danced from side to side on his feet.
“Almost got me that time, didn't you? What’s it gonna take for you to die? How long does it take a wound to bleed out for your kind?”
“As if someone of my calibre would deign to share such knowledge with a mere human. But would you care to know that badly?”
“That I would, demon.” Code folded his arms, stance wide open. Immediately, the demon struck out at him.
“Slower than it would take you, Master Quinn.”
He must have been crazy, because he laughed again. The fight was on again. Each time, the boy won and the demon conceded to wait one day before trying to harm the boy. The demon soon grew tired after a few weeks and asked the boy:

“Boy, why won’t you kill me? You win every time, just to rest before we fight again.”
“I don’t fight to kill, that’s why." All at once, something occurred to the boy. “Hey...demon, since when did we have to end up fighting each other?”
“I don’t know. There were others before us, fighting each other.” The demon’s eyes went round like plates before angling down aggressively. “Because of that damn war your people started, that’s why!”
“Tosh! I don’t believe it for a second. It was you people.”
“Oh, my dear boy I have lived quite long enough to know that that is untrue. The War actually started when…when…” The demon fell silent. “When the hearts of my people started dying.”
“Hey, I don’t have a home planet anymore either.”
“Thanks to your people, I’ve been reduced to a charm-slinging Minor Demon stranded on a desolate, slightly-smaller-than-comfortable planet with an annoying human for company.”
“You’re most welcome. For what it’s worth, I can understand having to go out on a search for a suitable energy source to save your planet.”
“Yes. Your planet, Earth and almost all its occupants disappeared into someplace no one knows when one of us finally died, getting sucked into her residual supernovic form. I knew her, we weren't too far from each other.”
“So that means you could see Earth, from where you were?”
“We live in the same galaxy, Master Quinn.”
“And likely we’ll disappear with the whole of the galaxy, too. If any more of your kind go supernova.”
Both boy and demon were quiet for a few seconds. “Demon, would you make a deal for my soul?”
“For what it’s worth now, with everyone important dead and gone I can’t see the point, but if you’re that eager to be rid of your soul, very well.”
“I wish to see all that remains of whatever that remains. I want to explore. You will be my guide, and you will take me wherever I wish.”
“At the end of time I shall feast. Until that time comes I, Onus of the dead Stars will be Servant and Guide to you, till our Deal is finished and done. I will bear the burden you call your Soul, Code Quinn, and make it mine.”
“So be it, Onus the Demonstar. Now let’s get off this stinking pebble!”

And the nameless planet was left with nothing but the scars of battle; not even the last bit of either enemy's shadow.

Description
A boy and a demon faced each other on the desolate surface of a nameless planet. All around the ground was pockmarked by some force not visible to the eye; very clearly the product of a long, hard battle. Both enemies faces’ were carved with exhaustion; some kind of black smoke or ichor pooled and poured off the demon in billows and the boy’s hair stuck to his face and the veins stood out through his skin, but he was unharmed. They stared at each other for a hard moment, the boy’s raised fist still and strong. The demon snarled at last and bowed its head ever so slightly.
“You win again boy, but I swear by the dead Stars that one day I will wring your thin neck!”
“Save your big-talk for someone it’ll intimidate, demon. Another day of peace between us. Swear it on your honour.”
“By all I am now, and all I was Before I swear on my honour not to lay harm to Code Quinn until the last ray of sun leaves this nameless planet.”
“Thank you very much. Goodnight, demon.” And with that, Code laid himself down and fell asleep.
The demon simply watched as his breaths evened out. Night would come soon enough, on this small planet. She settled down and kept her eyes wide open.

The last finger of light was just disappearing over the edge of the horizon when the boy’s eyes snapped open and he leapt up like a shot, laughing madly. The demon had missed her chance, and she relaxed her tense muscles for a moment, while the boy danced from side to side on his feet.
“Almost got me that time, didn't you? What’s it gonna take for you to die? How long does it take a wound to bleed out for your kind?”
“As if someone of my calibre would deign to share such knowledge with a mere human. But would you care to know that badly?”
“That I would, demon.” Code folded his arms, stance wide open. Immediately, the demon struck out at him.
“Slower than it would take you, Master Quinn.”
He must have been crazy, because he laughed again. The fight was on again. Each time, the boy won and the demon conceded to wait one day before trying to harm the boy. The demon soon grew tired after a few weeks and asked the boy:

“Boy, why won’t you kill me? You win every time, just to rest before we fight again.”
“I don’t fight to kill, that’s why." All at once, something occurred to the boy. “Hey...demon, since when did we have to end up fighting each other?”
“I don’t know. There were others before us, fighting each other.” The demon’s eyes went round like plates before angling down aggressively. “Because of that damn war your people started, that’s why!”
“Tosh! I don’t believe it for a second. It was you people.”
“Oh, my dear boy I have lived quite long enough to know that that is untrue. The War actually started when…when…” The demon fell silent. “When the hearts of my people started dying.”
“Hey, I don’t have a home planet anymore either.”
“Thanks to your people, I’ve been reduced to a charm-slinging Minor Demon stranded on a desolate, slightly-smaller-than-comfortable planet with an annoying human for company.”
“You’re most welcome. For what it’s worth, I can understand having to go out on a search for a suitable energy source to save your planet.”
“Yes. Your planet, Earth and almost all its occupants disappeared into someplace no one knows when one of us finally died, getting sucked into her residual supernovic form. I knew her, we weren't too far from each other.”
“So that means you could see Earth, from where you were?”
“We live in the same galaxy, Master Quinn.”
“And likely we’ll disappear with the whole of the galaxy, too. If any more of your kind go supernova.”
Both boy and demon were quiet for a few seconds. “Demon, would you make a deal for my soul?”
“For what it’s worth now, with everyone important dead and gone I can’t see the point, but if you’re that eager to be rid of your soul, very well.”
“I wish to see all that remains of whatever that remains. I want to explore. You will be my guide, and you will take me wherever I wish.”
“At the end of time I shall feast. Until that time comes I, Onus of the dead Stars will be Servant and Guide to you, till our Deal is finished and done. I will bear the burden you call your Soul, Code Quinn, and make it mine.”
“So be it, Onus the Demonstar. Now let’s get off this stinking pebble!”

And the nameless planet was left with nothing but the scars of battle; not even the last bit of either enemy's shadow.