This continues a bad end, leading on from the previous chapter.

"Do you think this is how ponies behave?"

Courage whimpered. It was a dream between dreams, a moment between Wrath and Gluttony. "I don't… can we please stop?"

"No. You will see where this leads before you can make your choice, Courage Fire. Know that this is a possible future, as they all have been." The voice itched in Courage's mind, and she could have sworn she had heard it before.

"If I can't stop it, can we get it over with?" Courage's mind felt like an open sore, every thought rasped on exposed nerves and caused her pain. "Please?"

"Come, my pony."

Courage was almost in tears when the group crashed into Gluttony. She looked at each member of their little group and couldn't fail to see symbolism in it. Four Horseponies: Death, Heresy (technically a disease upon society), Alphias (standing in for war, of course), and Corignis was soon to become Queen of Gluttony, which had run towards famine of late.

As the fog of the prescient world folded over her, Courage's panic settled and she centered herself. More details fell into being, and a great inferno in the distance lit up the dark, evening sky.

"Are we all here?" Corignis looked around and smiled at seeing her friend and lovers. "If I do become the empress here, I am making a few changes." She glared at the bonfire. "And if that is the castle I think it is, things are already on track."

Courage's brain caught up with the words and she turned on Corignis. "Wait. 'Empress'? I didn't think you got to choose your title." She started walking in the direction of the huge fire.

"Well of course. When you are the boss, what you say goes." Corignis, without a better idea, started following Courage. "Was that the castle they took you to when you first came here?" She pointed at the inferno with one wing-claw.

"Castle? What went on here?" Striding up to his mares, and leaving Death to follow, Alphias was content at letting Courage lead. "You made it through, obviously, but I have a feeling that every Circle was an ordeal."

"Cannibals." Courage's memories reminded her of what they almost did to her and Corignis, and who it was that saved them. "There seemed to be two factions here. There are the ponies who have given in to Gluttony's vice, they feed and feed, and live well despite it."

Death felt cold. His body was ice, even beyond ice. The chill waters of the Styx were his body now, and the touch of Courage's body only a fading memory. Putting one hoof before the other, he leaned forward into a walk, then a trot to keep up with the others. His ancestor's scythe was heavy beyond measure, and while the others talked he examined it a little more.

The old blade was sharp beyond measure. The old tool was just that. It wasn't a war scythe, or some other cobbled together weapon. When Death swung End, he sliced souls from bodies in a swath. It was a tool and a most efficient one.

"We were lucky enough to have one of the good ponies—the ones accepting their punishment—help us fend off the cannibals. In return, I crafted and cast a spell." A shiver ran up Courage's spine at the memory of the dread, madness-causing spell she had built. "It spread through the cannibals' ranks and they turned on each other."

"You constructed their end from their own nature?" Alphias sounded and was most impressed. "What did you do to build it?"

"Well…" Courage lit her horn and called power. A hurricane thundered through her, and without meaning to she almost cast the spell again by accident. "Whoa, hold on…" She frantically tried to adjust for the raw energy at her beck and call.

"Is the Mistress of Heresy having a power problem?" Alphias leaned in and nibbled at Courage's neck, finding the prospect of a demoness as powerful as himself positively intoxicating. "I could take some of that from—"

"Mine!" Courage's cold focus landed on Alphias, and in surprise at how possessive of her magic she was she stepped back from him. "S-Sorry…"

"My darling Courage, I doubt any could hold desire for power against an arch-demon such as yourself." Alphias purred the words, his eyebrows dancing at the mention of "arch-demon." He inhaled her scent, and found nary a trace of her soul left to her. "Yes…"

"Hold on!" Corignis butted her way into the conversation. "You give me half of your soul, and then dumped the rest to become a full demon?" In a huff at the idea, Corignis stomped her hooves a few times in annoyance. "I had best get rid of my part of it here…"

A little voice inside Courage screamed in terror, but was gently silenced by the sensation of soft wings hugging her. "It's so awesome." Courage closed her eyes and focused again on her energy. "Wow, this is a rush." Choking it down to a trickle of magic, she opened her eyes and projected the first part of the spell for her teacher and lover. "This."

"Want It, Need It. A very potent and simple spell. Good choice." Alphias watched the sigil morph in the air, twisting dark, potent black lines through it. "Spreading through blood contact, I think I can see where this is going. A fitting end for vile creatures."

Looking at the sigil in the air, Courage realized she could have cast it simply with her newfound power. She could have pushed it out and sealed it onto a creature and damned it to a horrible death and not felt bad about it. The voice inside actually screamed. Courage turned to Aplhias and smiled. "I thought so, and extremely effective." Courage banished the spell, unfastening it safely so it wouldn't manifest. "I am excited to see how well it worked." She accepted the nuzzle from Alphias, and returned it.

The nearer the group got to the fire, the clearer it was that it was a castle that was burning. Old, dry timbers thicker than a pony were alight, and as each structural support gave way, another part of the keep folded down upon itself.

The sound of crashing stone and timber brought a huge cheer from an encampment before the collapsing castle. Sounds of merriment—music and laughter—were loud from the tents set up around a much smaller bonfire than the castle itself provided.

"Halt! Who goes there?" The deep voice put both Alphias and Death on edge, but Courage and Corignis squealed in happiness to see Sir Thunder Hoof. "As I eat and feed, is that Courage and Corignis?" The huge knight was as large as ever, and looking every bit as deadly with his pole-arm leveled at the group. His face split into a huge smile, and swung his weapon and visor to the sky.

"And we brought friends!" Courage gestured to Alphias and Death. "Sir Thunder Hoof, I present my stallion, Learned Scholar. And this delightful demon doesn't need an introduction, I think." She gestured to Death.

"We have met." Thunder looked at the robe-wearing skeletal figure and shivered. He could still feel the moment when Death had come for him in Equestria, when his body had been left behind and his spirit sent to the Pit. "You will forgive me for not offering a hoof-bump. I have heard the second is a lot more intense than the first."

Death knew the stallion's name, and dipped his head. "If you will forgive me, that was not I. Gramps…" His bones—now the only part of him that was still him—froze at the memory of the stallion who had taught him everything. "Gramps was careful and efficient at his work."

Thunder froze and stared at the skeletal figure in shock. "Death… Death died? 'Gramps'? Lad, how old are you?" The huge stallion quickly jumped back as End swung out where he had been standing.

"SHIT!" Courage spread both her wings in shock. "Whoa, calm down!"

But Corignis moved faster, rushing between End and Sir Thunder Hoof, letting the fell-blade almost slice the fur on her chest. "Death, you may not reap in these lands!"

Nothing jerked back in shock at what he had been about to do. Death's death, his Gramps of course, still stung him, and he realized how much he missed the old demon. He stared at Corignis and felt her name. "Corignis el Threpin, you are not arch-demon yet. I will not reap, but don't presume to command me in this realm until you are."

Corignis' nose flared at the insult, but she stood her ground. "If I am going to claim Gluttony, I can't back down from any fight within it."

Seeking to break the potential for violence, Courage walked up beside Death and spread one wing over his cloaked back. A gentle squeeze reminded him of her warm body. "If you pick a fight with Cor, you pick a fight with Alphias and me too." Her body almost trembled with power. "I like you, Nothing. Don't push this for a slight."

"Death." Thunder Hoof circled around Corignis and faced the reaper. "I beg your pardon for the affront, and ask that you don't raise your weapon against me, mine, or these allies." He gestured to Corignis and Courage as he bowed. He had put himself within striking range of End, but even being undone at the ancient weapon's touch would have broken the tension.

"I am grieving for him still." Nothing tried to hold on to himself in the icy remnants of his body. The "flesh" part of "flesh and bone" had been the source of some of the best bits of being a demon, and now it was gone. He leaned a little more against Courage, the warmth of her body flowing through the Styx to his bones. For the first moment since he became Death, Nothing could feel some warmth. "I am sorry too."

Courage leaned in and kissed Death's cheek, keeping the cowl between her and his touch. "Then let's go see what the celebration is about!" She released Death, but looked back and saw a ghost of the demon he had been. Part of her felt longing for him.

The look in Courage's eyes was enough to sustain Nothing, to give him the fortitude to fight off the soul-crushing bleakness of his office and keep his own thoughts. The feel of her body under his rushed back, and if he still had flesh he would have shown his excitement. "I think I would like that."

"First…" Sir Thunder Hoof narrowed his eyes and then groaned. Reaching to his pack, he pulled out a steaming hot hayburger. Munching on a mouthful while the four demons waited for him, he gulped down the wonderful meal. "… ahem. First, what is this about standing up for this Circle?" He leveled his gaze at Corignis.

"Gluttony hasn't had a lord for a many centuries." Alphias stepped up beside Corignis. "And the Lord of the Pit has put out the call; the armies of the Pit are summoned, each Circle to be led by their lord. There is… a geas on Corignis… one that can be broken by becoming a lord of a Circle. So here we are." He gestured with a hoof to Corignis.

"We have been doing jolly well…" Thunder paused and took another bite of his burger. "… wiffou a word." His mouth couldn't work fast enough, but he was long past being mortified by speaking with his mouth full.

"Learned, darling, there is a more diplomatic way of handling this." Corignis leaned up and kissed Alphias on the cheek. Turning her face to Sir Thunder Hoof, she flashed a more possessive smile. "We promised we would secure you a succubus, and I offer myself. Let me feed on you all. Let me organize the biggest orgy this Circle has ever seen, and let me grow bloated and full on all your energy."

The offer had Sir Thunder Hoof shifting a little in his armor. Before he could say something in haste, he shoved the rest of his burger in his mouth. Eating helped him not say the words that would beg Corignis for relief from his body, that would promise to put his snout at her hooves for all eternity just for a single day without the extra mass. A moment before he gulped down the mouthful he pulled out a quesadilla.

"Are you eating so you can focus? Or are you scared to say yes?" Corignis leaned forward, and to Thunder's shock she nibbled at the edge of the cheesy meal. "You must say yes now." She kissed the stunned knight. In her belly, she felt a gnawing hunger start, a hunger that was eternal and ancient. The Circle itself poured into her as a vast void that needed filling, and boy did she want to be filled.

Turning, Corignis flicked her tail to the side. "Feed me, Thunder. Feed me and release yourself from this prison."

The sight of Corignis offering herself stirred Thunder beyond any hope to contain. Taking a big bite of the quesadilla, he jumped forward, armor and all. "Curf ooo." He juggled his magic, holding the meal while unfastening the plate covering his underbelly. Corignis was a maddeningly attractive succubus, and he was rock hard already.

"There…" Corignis arched her neck as Sir Thunder Hoof took her. The hunger inside latched on to her succubus-side, and she felt herself already feeding from him. He was every virile stallion she had taken, he was perfection and just what Gluttony wanted for her. Corignis spread her wings as the knight on her back humped again and again. The demoness flapped to the rhythm of their lovemaking—pushing back into his thrusts.

Growing smaller, lighter, Thunder couldn't believe how amazing he felt. With each driving thrust into Corignis his body freely gave up pounds of flesh as raw energy. He had started because his lusts had overwhelmed him, but he continued because this was a purely enjoyable process, for himself and Corignis—or so her vocalizations claimed.

"Quite the sight, isn't it?" Courage nuzzled Nothing's cheek again. "Maybe we could work something out. Maybe I could find a way not to die at your touch." She rubbed her cheek along cowl covering his face, and through it felt the curve of his smile.

"Isn't Learned your stallion? You and Corignis?" Nothing felt more warmth, and he dearly wished that what Courage said was possible. "Why does he put up with you two acting this way?"

"We are succubi… at least Cor still is. But I am stuck with the urges of one it seems. Learned is a realist and knows that while we may share ourselves, we are his, and he is ours." Courage gave an excited little grunt when she saw the knight finish himself in Corignis' body. "I have walked the waters of the Styx, I have swum its depths. Maybe it won't kill me now?"

"You what?" Nothing jerked back in shock. "Of what do you speak? The Styx claims the lives of all that touch it!"

The little voice inside Courage begged to just reach out and touch him, to end the madness of this premonition. But the soft touch of wings remained, and she watched as Nothing pulled back too.

"I see the future. I see what could have been, if things were different. In one of those lives I displeased you greatly, and you shoved me into the river. I fought as long as I could, but a brave fighter stripped my soul on the surface. I fell down, but was still hungry. I hunted and fed." Her mind roamed over the failed history. "I even pulled you from the ferry."

To Nothing's shock, Courage leaned forward and kissed his "lips."

Author's Notes:

Not the end, not even an end... yet. Next week the terror rises, and Courage could face the end of everything. Will the Styx recognize a monster it helped make?

---

Death: Did you personally meet your grandpa coworkers (or family?) Pestilence, War and Famine? Were they cool?

"I did not meet my uncles. The ponies of Equestria defeated Famine with the earth ponies' industrious farming. They defeated Pestilence with their unicorns' magical remedies. And with the magic of friendship they have not know War for far too long. Death is the only Horsepony they could not fully defeat, though alicorns have certainly tried." The skeletal unicorn looked to his three allies and his bleached-white jaw hinged open just a little. "Maybe it is time to revisit the classics."

---

So I do this "Ask x" thing, x can be any pony within the story. You can ask them anything and I they will definitely hopefully reply. Keep the questions appropriate to the age-rating of the stories and of course, I they will answer the best question(s) in the author notes of the next chapter. The more votes a comment has the more likely I will get it to the right pony to answer, try and keep it to one answer per post! I They will pick one question per chapter. (note, the commissioner will answer questions in the comments, since this is their OC)

Support me on atreon

Join me on Discord. Please use your FimFic name as an alias. Warning, said chat may contain NSFW material and should be considered adult in nature.

Awesome ponies who are already helping to keep me in keyboards and rum:
A.P.O.N.I.
Airy Words
Boulder
Canary in the Coal Mine
Daremo
Dio-Drogynous
Ian
Javarod
Mary Rowland
Mephia
Nils
Sirion123

And special thanks to the following, for careful eyes and friendly words:
Airy Words
Cross Lament
Vutava