Courage Fire woke to an aching pain in her back, a lungful of dust and a dim light far above her.

“Okay, first of all, ow. What in Tartarus was—” She blinked as somepony coughed behind her. “Who’s there?”

“Who do you think?” groaned a very annoyed Starlight Twist. “Didn’t the Professor tell you to pay attention to your hooves?”

“Hey!” Courage shot back. “For the record, there was—”

“Miss Fire! Miss Twist!” echoed the voice of Professor Forgotten Garden from that distant point of light above them. “Oh dear, please do be well!”

Courage turned over and forced herself to her hooves, waving away the dust and coughing up a few lungfuls of the stuff. Then, she glared up the slanted shaft toward a few shapes she hoped was the rest of the archeological team. The shaft itself had strange ivy-like plants growing out of slots in the rock. Those were probably the only reason they hadn’t broken their necks when they’d landed.

“We’re… intact, more or less!” Twist called up. She’d already gotten to her hooves. She glanced around, flapped her wings a few times and frowned.

“Oh, thank Celestia and Luna, both!” shouted the mad old professor. “I do pride myself on keeping the causality rates for pyramid excavation at a minimum!”

Courage rolled her eyes as Twist stepped up beside her, both of them peering up through dust-speckled sunlight coming from the open trapdoor they’d inadvertently triggered. Okay fine, Courage had triggered.

“Yeah we’re just peachy down here, Professor!” Courage shouted back. “Thank you so much!”

“Anything broken? Can you see where you are? Miss Vault is eager to come to your aid!”

“Don’t let her, Professor!” Twist called out as she tried one more flap, her white and blue tail snapping in the familiar sign of her being very pissed. “That curse is about ten times worse down here. A single flap of my wings barely disturbs the dust!”

“Fascinating! I shall be sure to note that in our expedition log! It may mean you are nearing the source of the foul witchery! Mayhap you can disable the infernal device and regain your power of flight?”

“Seriously, who uses the word ‘mayhap’ there days?” Courage muttered, her own tails flicking in annoyance.

“Shush, dear,” Twist chuckled.

“I’m being serious! That old bat is nuts!”

“What about rope? Or something like that?” Twist called, her indigo coat barely visible in the darkness. “I’m here for the artifacting and Courage is here to deal with enchantment! We’re not really used to this!”

“Alas, I could combine every length we have and it would only reach the midpoint of the shaft!” The professor sounded truly despondent, but that only made Courage roll her eyes again. “No, I fear you have a little recourse to either remain where you are until we can recover you, or seek egress through another avenue! I shall send a messenger to the main encampment for the supplies needed to extract you, but that is a full day’s round trip!”

“Yeah, I just ran those numbers myself,” Twist muttered, pressing her forehead against the cool stone. She coughed a few more times and shivered before glancing at Courage. “Any bright ideas? I’m coming up empty. I mean… they could throw down some more food and water and hope it gets to us intact…”

“Great way to get that all smashed,” Courage tried to rub the dust and grime out of her short dark brown mane. It didn’t do much good. “Anyway, I’m the lockpick, not the guide.”

“Well, you’re all kinds of help today,” Twist sighed, then looked back up. Just visibile at the edge of the light, a half dozen figures stared down into what was probably complete darkness from their perspective. “We’re going to try to find a way out from down here, Professor! If we fail, we’ll meet you here in about a day!”

“I concur!” Professor Garden called. “I shall endeavor to locate a map of the pyramid’s internal structure! I suggest you do the same! However, confirmation of the curse’s strength is worrisome! Conduct yourself with the utmost care, the both of you! And Miss Fire, do watch your step!”

“I’ll do my best!” Courage snarked up at crazy old mare. “Step on one trap and nopony lets you hear the end of it. And stop giggling, Twist!”

Twist tried to compose herself. More or less. “We’ll will find a way to signal you once we’ve found a way up! Good luck, Professor!”

“And to you, young ladies! Be safe!”

The figures above disappeared.

“So, this is great,” Courage growled, glaring at the gloom around them. “Now we’re stuck hundreds of feet below a pyramid discovered less than two weeks ago, one at least three days flight out of Sonambula and rumored to be the home of the ancient sphinx who once challenged one of the Pillars of Equestria!”

“Thank you,” Twist said sweetly as she fiddled around with a saddlebag. “Thank you ever so much for that wonderful recap. What, you plan on making this a story or something?”

“No, just want to make sure it’s noted just how screwed we are.”

“Well, if you’re done with that,” Twist finally pulled something out of her pack. “We have some exploring to do. Unless you want to sit here monologuing.”

Courage blew a raspberry at her.

Twist laughed, flicked her head and a bright beam of white light erupted from the small wooden wand she now carried in her teeth. After making sure the spell would hold, she nestled the wand under her wing.

Courage took the hint and ignited her own horn. A soft green light filled the room, a stark contrast to Twist’s blinding spotlight. It was the first time either of them had a chance to take stock of their surroundings.

The chamber itself wasn’t much larger than their home in Ponyville. In fact, there were only four walls with a strangely angular doorway set into each. Courage wandered forward to inspect a wall. Ancient writing she couldn’t make out filled every inch of the chiseled gray stone. She focused and made her light a little brighter, revealing a large prominent symbol to the right of the door. It was the symbol of… a fountain?

“Hey, Starry, honey?” Courage asked as she turned, only to see Twist investigating another wall. Courage joined her and peered at the symbol illuminated by her wand.

“Well, this is subtle,” Twist chuckled.

“A sign pointing to the treasure room?” Courage laughed, staring at the shapes of dozens of coins and gems. “Okay, if that doesn’t scream trap, I don’t know what does.”

“No argument here,” Twist nodded toward Courage’s door. “What did yours show?”

“A fountain. Maybe a water source?” She glanced around and licked her lips. “There’s a lot of dust, but if nopony’s been down her in thousands of years… shouldn’t it be drier?”

Twist nodded. “That could be useful, assuming it’s not cursed.”

“Not everything in this place is going to be cursed.”

She lightly whapped Courage’s horn. “You’re not the one who suddenly lost her innate talent.”

Courage winced. She’d been so caught up in everything, she hadn’t given one thought as to how Twist might be feeling. She put a hoof on her girlfriend’s shoulder. “Dammit, I’m sorry. Starlight… you okay? That was a nasty fall and you can’t fly your way out this time.”

“Why do you only use my first name when you’re worried or mad?” Twist asked with a little smirk, her eyes sparkling in Courage’s green light.

“Uh…” Courage suddenly found her mouth even more dry.

Twist rolled her eyes and kissed her on the cheek. “Don’t worry, I think it’s cute. I’m fine, Courage. But thanks for asking. Shook me up for a minute, but we’ve been in worse spots before. Now… let’s check out the last wall.”

After a nod from Courage, the two of them investigated the final wall. This symbol appeared a little anticlimactic. It was a picture of a resting sphinx in profile.

“That’s… unhelpful,” Courage muttered. “Any ideas?”

Twist stared at the symbol and glanced around at the writing on the wall. “If Professor Garden or Emerald Scrolls were here, they could tell us in an instant. But it’s just us. And we’re supposedly in the home of a sphinx. All of this might be one immense riddle.”

“A riddle for what, though?” Courage asked. “Money? Wealth? Power? If the ancient sphinx lived here, she’s long dead or long gone.”

“Do I look like a sphinx to you?” Twist snorted and turned toward the Fountain Door. “Maybe the reward is just getting out. But at least we know our options.”

“You thinking what I’m thinking?”

“If there’s a water source, it has to be coming from somewhere…” Twist began with a faint smile.

“And that means there might be a way out,” Courage finished with another shake of her mane. She could feel the dust in sand in there and it was starting to itch. “Shall we?”

“I do believe we shall,” Twist replied.

Courage felt a hint of hope light up inside of her as she trotted through the Fountain Door with Twist.

Starlight Twist sighed as they turned yet another corridor.

“Okay, seriously, if we don’t see something new in the next five minutes, we’re turning around,” she groused.

“No argument here. I feel like this whole thing is sloping downward!”

Twist might have lost her flight, but she hadn’t lost her sense of balance. “No, we’re definitely going down.”

“Great. Just freaking great,” Courage muttered. “At least there’s less dust. Maybe that’s a good sign.”

Twist pulled out her canteen and took another long drink. “I hope so. We’re going to need a refill soon.”

Courage followed her example, though she used a little to wet her face and muzzle. “Let’s just hope the water isn’t cursed.”

Starlight looked over her shoulder at the cute-if-presently-dour mare and tried to smile at her. Most ponies though Courage’s stallion-like brown mane and brown coat were dull, but Twist knew better. Courage was anything but dull. After all, there was a reason the mare hadn’t taken the shaman’s potion to restore her tail to a normal pony shape. Twist considered it a good thing, considering just what Courage could do with all those tails.

Twist shivered just a little and turned her face to hide her blush just as the corridor opened up onto a massive viewing platform.

“Whoa,” Courage whispered.

Twist didn’t have words.

The cavern was enormous, lined by a massive waterfall running down the entire rear wall. In the center sat an enormous stone pillar easily the size of one of Canterlot Castle’s turrets. Wide, shallow bowls were set into the pillar in a spiral staircase-like design that made water flow from one into another. It ended in a massive pool, with a single immense bowl on a raised platform that would give anypony on it a wonderful view of the entire cavern.

Columns lined the chamber, each overgrown in thick growths of plantlife. In fact, it looked like the same strange ivy that had slowed their fall down the shaft. But in here, the plant had overgrown nearly everything, including part of the platform they were on. Beneath the fronds lay strange jewel-like fruit that glowed a faint green, illuminating most of the entire chamber.

But most striking of all was the towering statue of a pleased-looked sphinx looking down on the bowls of water. The statue had a strange purple sheen to it, with some sort of clear jewel set into both eyes.

“This seems a bit much for a trap, doesn’t it?” Courage whispered. “And then some.”

Twist just nodded. The sound of the rushing water all around her made her hyperaware of just how dusty and dirty they both were, but a bit of common sense held her back.

“Are you…” Twist hesitated, licking her dry lips, “you sensing any magic?”

She ached to get into one of those pools and actually be clean again.

“That’s usually your department,” Courage quipped. Her light went out—the odd flowing fruit more than enough to illuminate their surroundings—and she hummed softly before shrugging. “The only spell I found is a water filtration spell. A really good one, too. I don’t think it’s even possible to get this water dirty for more than a second. It’s… actually really impressive.”

Twisted paused and nodded, before the sound of the waterfalls just got to her.

“Good enough for me!” Twist cried as she scampered down one of the ramps leading to the massive water fountain, already undoing the straps of her saddlebags.

“Wait, what?!” Courage cried, racing after her. “What are you doing?”

“Getting some water!” Twist shouted. “And getting this damn sand out of my coat! We both agree this is too big for a trap!”

“Yeah, I know but…” Courage ran side-by-side with her girlfriend.

Twist smirked at her. “Since when are you the worrier?”

Courage matched smirk for smirk. “Oh screw it, you’re right! Race you!”

“Like you could ever catch me.” Twist laughed and sprinted over the plant-strewn growth. She dropped her saddlebags, left Courage in the dust and flung herself toward the large shallow pool. She didn’t even care that her wings caught no air.

She came down in a delightful splash that seemed to melt away the stress. She let out a delighted moan at the touch of the cool water, but found that the water wasn’t deep enough for her to submerge completely. As Courage made the jump into the pool, she eyed the large viewing pedestal and smiled.

Before Courage could react, Twist shimmed up the side of the immense bowl and slipped into the water there. This time, it was deliciously warm, so much so that she let out a tiny little cry of pleasure as her body sank into the wonderful liquid.

“Starry?” called Courage. “Starry, where are you?”

Twist sighed and flopped her dripping body over the lip of the bowl. “Right here, silly!”

“That was fast. Enjoying the view?”

Twist thought cute mare looked even cuter from up here.

“View’s nice. Water’s nice. After I’m done, you should come up here and try it!”

Courage pouted. “What, I can’t come now?”

“Nope!” Twist shook her head, sending water droplets flying through soft white beams of light pouring into the pool from above. “It’s all mine for now! Coming here was my idea and you did trip that trap! So I get first dibs on the bath!”

Courage blew a raspberry, but didn’t protest any further, so Twist let herself slide back into the water.

Twist half-walked, half-swam toward the small waterfall from the bowl above her. She was curious what the next bowl felt like, but for some reason, she didn’t feel any pressing need to know right now. This one was perfect. She held her breath and slipped through the small waterfall.. The warmth of the water seemed to slip through her coat and into her very core, filling her from hoof to wing to chest. Then, as she came out the other side, the warmth flooded her mind.

She stretched out her wings and let herself float, enjoying the way her mane, tail and feathers swayed in the water. She felt every speck of dust or dirt vanish in the heat. Memories and images played across her mind. Simple things, really. Like finding the pyramid, their first look on the inside, the last night they’d spent at camp and where an accidental touch had led to very fun entertainment…

Her tail flicked back and forth under the water. Her hips submerged entirely, because that felt important. As she sank down, all that mattered was feeling the water over as much of her body as possible. The water’s wonderful currents—why hadn’t she noticed those before?—flowed over and around her. She blinked a few times and smiled up at the red-tinted gaze of the sphinx above them, staring right into her pool. Her smile brightened and for a split-second, Twist was sure the sphinx statue was looking directly at her… or into her…

Then, water shifted and the flow ran along someplace new.

Twist gasped softly, her hips bucking involuntarily. She knew Courage would notice soon, but… what sense was there in resisting such… comforting water?

“Starry?”

The water surged again and Twist spread her hind legs to give it better access. It started to stroke her stomach and chest. Then her wings…

“Twist? Hello? You okay?”

The voice was so much closer now. Who was talking? Her consorts knew better than to interrupt her when she bathed in the Pool of Passion. She turned over again and gasped as the water became almost solid, penetrating her briefly…

Something disturbed the water—something other than her movements—and she heard somepony approaching. They waded through the water, climbing over her wing.

“Hey, Starry? You okay?”

She opened her eyes to see her cons—girlfriend. The water was still warm, but now, it was just water. More or less. And it had left her on the edge. It did love to do that. She smiled.

Thankfully, Courage had been kind enough to unintentionally straddle her right wing while checking on her. Her hooves tingled softly. Courage could easily help her with her leftover need…

Yes, she was exactly what she needed right now.

Twist smiled, lifted a sodden wing, and gave courage a little stroke.

Courage instantly convulsed from horn to tail. She was always helpless whenever Twist did something like this to her. She was a bit of a feather-slut and showed it with a tiny spam of green magic. The second stroke got an even bigger magic burst.

“I… is… is... this the best time or place for this?” Courage stammered, her face a red that definitely wasn’t from the statue’s blessed light.

Twist found herself disappointed. Most ponies—at least when they were first brought to her—barely lasted one stroke. Oh well, some were stronger than others. Another stroke and this one left the unicorn a panting, shivering mess.

“Come on… no… really…” The brown unicorn protested, but there wasn’t any real conviction there. “I mean…”

This time, Twist slid a good half of her wing through the mare’s slit. The unicorn’s resistance shattered as she dropped and planted a hungry kiss on Twist’s eager lips.

“This… is a terrible idea…” The mare whimpered as she broke from the kiss. The water level had dropped so they could be comfortable in their fun while still keeping them nice and warm.

“I think it’s the hottest idea I’ve ever had,” Twist whispered. “Just pretend I’m your Sphinx Queen and you’re my slutty little consort. If you’re good, I’ll get you a collar with the proper label later.”

“I hate collars…” The mare muttered as her hoof began to work slowly against Twist’s pussy.

Twist giggled at the cute little submissive mare as she spun her around. “You might change your mind when I’m done with you.”

Now, they were face-to-face with each other’s sopping wet pussies. Twist glanced up at the lusty red light of the sphinx. She smiled and bathed in the light for a moment, then took a single lap of her slutty consort’s eager sex.

“Oh Celestia!” the pony cried, her hips bucking.

Twist giggled. “Why don’t you worship me instead of her right now?”

The mare made a muffled sound of agreement as she buried her muzzle into Twist’s pussy. Twist did the same to the mare. Then, tongues danced. This consort had a wonderfully talented tongue and she used it well. Twist used to think she wasn’t as talented as many in lapping mares into submission, but considering how the unicorn was reacting, she’d improved dramatically since… last night? When she was with… right. Courage Fire. That’s the mare on top of her. How’d she forget?

Courage tasted so much better than Twist remembered! She was a little sip of delicate red apples wine. She got a full taste when Courage came within moments of Twist’s first few laps. But still, Courage wanted more, which was good, because she hadn’t finished her Queen off yet.

A red light caught her eye. The sphinx again. Why did it constantly watch her? Not that she minded. Who wouldn’t like such a large and sexy thing watching her as Courage brought her to her first climax? She screamed into Courage’s pussy, but didn’t look away.

Her paws and tail felt a little strange. Her tongue felt a little rougher. Everything felt better.

She looked at the statue and didn’t see the cruel beast that terrorized ponies, but something else entirely…

Cruelty is not our only way… A whisper? Inside her head? It was something familiar, comforting, motherly… and insanely ancient. After all, our kind are defined by those who give us birth.

Courage came again. More wine red apple wine. Twist’s tongue impaled her consort and Courage cried out, her hips bucking.

No, you will not be cruel as our last daughter. The voice mused. It sounded pleased. You shall be sultry and eager, growing your pack through seduction and sensuality. Do it with our blessing, but do not forget the riddles. You must always give those you desire a chance. As for you, solve the one at the end of the path, and you may decide your fate. Fail, and you know your fate. But for once, is not failure a wondrous thing?

Twist came again, this time an orgasm that crashed through her body and mind. She couldn’t stop staring at those eyes as they shifted from red to the pink of a mare’s pussy. She couldn’t stop cumming. Moments later, the strange thing hit Courage. They were both locked in a cycle of endless orgasm. This was her life now.

Oh yes, you will be mother to many litters. And… if you’re supremely blessed… father as well…

The pink light pulsed brilliantly, consuming her, consuming the world… but never consuming the pleasure…

“No, seriously. What do you remember of the last couple of hours?” Courage Fire asked for the third time as she trotted behind the swaying tail of Starlight Twist.

“Ugh,” Twist muttered. “I already told you! I don’t remember! Everything’s a haze after getting into that second bowl! I just remember the colors red and pink, but that’s it!”

Courage stared at her girlfriend’s hips as they slowly shifted back and forth. Why couldn’t she stop staring? Not that Courage didn’t usually stare… but this seemed excessive. Still, they still glistened softly in the green light of Courage’s light spell. Just the sight of those hips begged her to gently move that beautiful tail aside and—

“Why are you so interested, anyway? We didn’t find anything. No way out. No way up!” Twist’s wings twitched in annoyance. “All the water came through grates, ducts or something else we couldn’t reach. For Celestia’s sake, I think we ended up dropping more than a thousand feet! All I got is this weird… strange feeling I can’t place.”

Courage shook her head and forced herself to focus.

“I don’t know. Still, it bothers me. We go for a swim, then wake up a few hours later without a clue and feeling ‘strange.’” She shivered and glanced around the dark corridor. “We can’t even say what ‘strange’ means! Maybe there actually is a curse.”

“The only curse is the one preventing me from flying out of this place!” Twist snapped as she rounded the final bend leading them right back to where they started. “Now, let’s figure out which one of these is the real way out.”

Courage frowned as Twist stomped through the doorway. Twist? Stomping? That was… odd.

Twist’s wand zipped between the treasure symbol and the symbol of a resting sphinx. “Obvious trap or mystery sphinx?”

“Or sphinx waiting to eat us,” Courage muttered.

“There’s been no proof that the sphinx was actually carnivorous save for her teeth.” Twist said with a wave of a hoof. “I’ve always thought it was some sort of enchantment to make herself look more fierce.”

“You really want to chance that?” Courage demanded as she peered through the sphinx doorway. There was something about it. Something that called to her. Beckoned her.

“Well, it’s either that or the supposed ‘treasure,’” Twist pointed out. “I’d rather scout out the sphinx passage before investigating the treasure door. I think that’s the best plan, don’t you?”

“Well, if you think it’s best… yeah, let’s go with it.”

Wait, why did she just say that? She blinked and lifted a hoof to contradict herself, but Twist had already slipped past her and walked through the door.

Something about the way Twist had done that seemed even more odd. She had brushed past her, not with a friendly bump or a rushed shove… but a motion that felt like the rub of a cat rubbing against her leg.

“Courage,” called Twist in a sing-song voice. “Come on, girl! You’re the one claiming strange things are happening! Doesn’t that mean we should move quick?”

Courage quickly scampered to Twist’s side, feeling a little sheepish. Twist beamed and kissed her on the cheek. “That’s my girl.”

A wonderful tingle shot through her whole body, but it was gone in an instant. Still, she found herself smiling for some reason.

This corridor was far wider than the last one. Four large stallions could march down the passage. More reliefs decorated the walls, showing an entire legion of sphinxes lounging or sleeping. What’s more…

“Is that light?” Courage dropped her spell.

“I think so!” Twist called as she leapt into a full gallop. “Come on! Maybe this is the way out!”

Courage had to push herself to keep up with her oddly eager girlfriend. Courage herself made it panting a few seconds later. She looked up and blinked. While it didn’t seem like the way out, it definitely was something special.

“Oh wow…” Twist whispered as she took it all in.

Courage could only nod as she stared around the lavish room. Maybe half the size of the fountain chamber below, it was filled with hundreds—if not thousands—of velvet-lined beds, chairs, sofas, cushions and pillows. Every cushion or pillow looked brand new, all of them in various shades of red.

In the far right corner, Courage caught side of a much larger bed, while the far left corner had one maybe half the size. Colorful tapestries lined the walls in deep violet, sensual pinks and passionate reds. More than a few had images on them and every one of those were of a rather intimate nature. Courage was no prude, but this was excessive even by her standards.

There was a stature here, too. This sphinx lay in repose with several smaller sphinxes curled her. One of them, with citrine gemstones for eyes, seemed to be staring directly at her. Courage shook herself, trying to free herself from the grip of the statue’s gaze.

“Courage, look!”

Courage’s eyes immediately snapped up to follow Twist’s pointing hoof. Before she could speak, she saw the dozens of incense lamps hanging from the tall ceiling. Each glowed with a soft reddish-pink light and seemed to emit a soft, rose-colored mist, making Courage think a little of that burlesque house they’d visited in Saddle Arabia a few years back. The one where… they’d…

Courage’s gaze slipped back down.

“Oh, wow, another statue.” Twist sounded curious. “Huh… I swore the eyes were white a moment ago, but now they’re pink. Oh, but there’s one with citrines… almost the same shade as your eyes…”

Courage stared into the gaze of the citrine-eyed statue. She couldn’t turn away. It felt strange. She knew she should look away. She knew something was happening. But she didn’t… want to. It was so much easier to submit…

The moment that last word wandered through her mind, the eyes of her statue shifted to a soft red, though she knew they’d always been a soft red.

“Twist…” Courage managed to whisper.

“Shush, sweetie…” said a dreamy voice beside her. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see that Twist had already settled down on a cushion as she stared into the larger statue’s gaze. “Just lay down and relax next to me. Do you understand?”

Courage’s horn lit up, almost of it’s own accord. Her magic yanked a large cushion over beside Twist’s. Then she settled down beside her lover. All without looking away from her beautiful statue. Her statue let out a pulse of light and Courage moaned as the light became pleasure.

“You cannot touch yourself,” Twist whispered as a soft wing curled around Courage’s frame. “Only they can give you pleasure. Do you understand?”

Courage nodded. Another pulse, another moan.

“Once you’re made better, you’ll cum. You’ll cum so hard that everything will become the new normal. Just like me. Do you understand?”

Courage nodded again. Another pulse, this one stronger. Her pussy clenched. The wing of her Queen clenched tighter around her body.

That’s it. Just let go. You will be the first and always have a place of honor in her harem. If she does well, you will even bear the first litter.

Nod. Light. Pleasure.

Yes, vessel. Just embrace what is happening to you. Enjoy it. Love it. Obey and enjoy.

Nod. Light. Pleasure.

Love her…

Nod. Light. Pleasure.

Love your Queen.

Nod. Light. Pleasure.

Starlight Twist yawned and stretched, enjoying the feeling of her feathered tail whipping around as she arched her back. She hadn’t woken up this well rested in years. She shivered from top to bottom and stretched her wings wide. Her mane swung in front of her face, the beautiful purple hair in the tight black-banded braids she loved so much.

“Oh, dearest Courage…” she cooed as she turned and smiled at the snoozing unicorn. Although… it almost seemed like her horn was shorter. Probably a trick of the light. “Courage, wakey-wakey!”

Courage mumbled in her sleep, her eyes still closed. Then she lifted her hips into the air, almost as if…

Twist giggled and smiled at her cute little lover. She was fantasizing about being rutted again, probably. She did that all the time. Well, it wouldn’t do to disappoint her, would it?

Feeling a little wet herself, she curled around her petite pet, so that when Courage snapped awake, she would be looking directly into Twist’s eyes. Then, she used the feathery tip of her tail to slowly and gently prod the mare’s eager pussy. Courage reacted just like she always did, bucking softly and moaning. Twist watched her lover squirm, whimpering her name over and over again and idly wondered what it would be like to mount the short-horned unicorn with a real cock instead of the strapons Courage always craved. That thought sent her soft tail slipping fully into Courage’s sex. Instantly, the other mare spasmed as she came.

She jolted away, but just like all the other times, Courage was captivated by Twist’s eyes. It was cute how much more yellow Courage’s eyes got while they explored. Those sexy yellow catlike eyes were wide as she came, unable to look away.

“Did you have a nice nap, Pet?” Twist giggled.

Courage shivered, squirming as Twist began to slowly draw her tail from her lover’s sex.

“Y-yes…” she mumbled, blushing.

“Good.” Twist giggled as she pulled free, then climbed to her hooves. “Because I have a good feeling around that treasure room icon we found.”

Twist glanced over the room with the three doors, but somehow knew both of the other doors were unimportant. Really, there was only one path. To where the treasures were, of course!

“I… I don’t know,” Courage whispered, twitching a little bit. Was her coat darker now? The lighting in here was odd. “We were… avoiding that… for some reason. Can’t remember… why…”

“I can’t think of any reason to avoid it,” Twist informed her. “And since I’m the leader, I’ve decided we’re going. So, we’re going, aren’t we?”

“Of course, Twist,” Courage said immediately.

“That’s a good pet,” Twist giggled. “Now come on…”

Twist led the way into the passage, this one lit by soft patches of glo-paz in regular intervals. Every so often, she’d look back to make sure Courage was right behind her. For a mare named Courage Fire of all things, she could be pretty submissive.

Every time she passed a pattern of glo-paz, it filled her with an eager warmth. She stretched out her wings to absorb it all, as she stalked proudly through the tall hallway, like a Queen striding through her realm.

Actually, she liked the sound of that. Queen Starlight Twist. Or maybe Queen Starlight? Only her lovers would get to use ‘Twist.’

Her tail whipped back and forth as her stride became more and more confidant. She felt an odd tingle in her wings. She glanced at them, but they didn’t look any different. They were same black and maroon they always were.

“Twist…” Courage whispered. “Twist… this…”

Twist turned around and was surprised to see Courage looking far more petite than she had a moment ago. Her coat was a deep sandy brown and she trembled softly her horn shrank a little… and wings slowly grew at her sides?

That was odd.

Courage stepped forward and passed through another splash of light from the glo-paz. She shook there, letting out a tiny cry as her tails reformed to become like Twist’s, supple and feathered at the end. Courage looked up at her and blinked a few times.

“I have to admit… every time I turn around, you’ve even cuter,” Twist mused, unsure why she had briefly thought the wings and tail strange. “Makes me want to pounce on you right now…”

Courage tried to speak, but nothing came out. Twist just smiled a predatory smile, turned and continued toward the end of the passage. She’d caught the glimmer of gold beyond.

Courage moaned again, watching as the changing Twist sauntered down the corridor like a cat… or a sphinx. She’d tried to tell her they were changing, but the words wouldn’t form!

Already she could feel her normal magic at barely half of her normal reserve. A new magic welled up in her, but she didn’t know how to tap it. Her wings were too small to do anything and her tail… just felt wrong.

“Come on, Pet!” The Que—Twist called.

Whatever was happening was playing with their minds. Despite that, Courage was helpless as she followed Twist through the treasure passage. Every new field of glo-paz light, she felt something else change, inside or out. Soon, the only reason she kept walking was due to Twist’s siren call.

It wasn’t hard to figure out what was going on. This entire pyramid had been a trap. A trap that was anointing Twist as new Sphinx Queen… and Courage would soon become some consort, minion or pet.

The problem was… a very large part of her desperately wanted to be just that. Especially the part between her hind legs. Celestia, she was wet thinking about all of this…

Courage desperately fought against all of it and managed to finally stumble into the treasure room in a semi-pony form. Her mane and tail had been consumed and transformed by the cursed pyramid. They were now mirrors of her Mist—Twist’s own mane and tail. Her wings were now fully developed, though she still had half a horn. Even her mind was still mostly hers, though now she had a submissive streak a mile long.

“This place is perfect…” Twist whispered. With a flap of her mighty wings, she took to the air and explored the enormous towering room of gold, silver, platinum and crystal artifacts. The entire place was laid out like an inverted pyramid, with shelves upon shelves of treasures beyond compare. Despite all of that, something very specific demanded Courage’s attention.

In the very center lay a large ruby, easily three times the size of the Queen—Twist herself. Though Courage’s magic barely worked, even she could sense the enchantment. Not only did this glowing gemstone prevent flight, but it was the very source of their transformations.. Though considering Twist’s loops around the room… maybe that anti-flight spell only applied to non-sphinxes.

“Twist,” she managed to cry. “Something’s… wrong!”

Twist looked down, her golden eyes focusing on her. She smiled and plummeted only to crash to the ground a few inches away.

Courage stumbled back. Where once they had been the same height, Twist loomed above her. Courage could probably fit entirely underneath the half-pony, half-sphinx with room to spare!

“What was that, Pet?” Twist asked.

“This place…” Courage had to force out the words as something inside of her commanded her to be silent. “It’s… changing us.”

As if to prove her point, Twist stretched—making a noise that sounded too much like a purr—and her hooves morphed into feline paws.

“I feel great, Pet!” Twist smiled. “Maybe you’re just feeling a little overwhelmed? After all, we came here to find that giant ruby! And the rest is one heck of a bonus!”

“No, Twist… we… we came to…” Courage couldn’t remember. She vaguely remembered others… but not why. “A riddle…”

“A riddle?” Twist cocked her head, then nodded with a smile. “Yes… I remember something about a riddle. Choose your path… or something…”

“Find… find it please?” Courage begged as her horn slowly slipped into head. She whimpered as her unicorn magic puffed out of existence. Now, she only had that alien magic within her, one she couldn’t use. “I… can’t hold out…”

Twist didn’t seem to notice Courage’s plight. She wandered the treasure room aimlessly, glancing around, only to find in front of the very ruby that was changing them. In fact, it was on a statue of a sphinx before the ruby. “Oh, here it is! Let’s see… huh… I can read it, but it’s in a dialect that hasn’t been used in a few thousand years. Weird.”

Twist began reading, sounding delighted.

“I never was, am always to be,

No one ever saw me, nor ever will

And yet I am the confidence of all

To live and breathe on this terrestrial ball.”

Courage tried to tease out an answer, but her mind was quickly becoming little more than mush. All she wanted to do was lay down at her Queen’s paws and worship her as she deserved. Why resist that?

“Hmm,” Twist mumbled the riddle a few times over as she paced, her rear hooves becoming feline paws. “I wonder… it’s a classic, those always had simple answers…”

Simple answers… like obeying the needs of her body. Courage stretched and saw her forehooves become paws. She wanted to serve her Queen. She should be helping… but she wasn’t pure yet. Soon… everything in her that wasn’t sphinx would be washed away…

“Oh!” Twist laughed. “That’s easy! The answer is ‘Tomorrow!’”

The light in the ruby erupted, becoming a blinding brilliance that washed away everything in the room but them, only to leave them in a great white void. Twist stumbled backward to land on her flank next to Courage. To Courage’s shock, Twist was a pony again! And so was she! She could think! She was herself again!

“Well done, young ones…” came a voice from before them.

They both looked up to see a dark blue sphinx stalking toward them out of the white fog, her eyes glittering like emeralds. She was huge, the size of a two-story house. But there were even bigger sphinxes behind her. They came in every color of the rainbow. A few had some different traits, as if they were part griffon, dog or some other race. All of them stopped before the pulsing ruby floating in the void.

“In five thousand years, no one has been able to both resist and solve our riddle…” the blue sphinx said without moving her mouth. The voice was familiar… the voice she’d heard in the sleeping chambers! She remembered it all! The pools, the statues… everything! “And so, we grant you a boon very few mortals have received.”

“What boon?” Twist perked up. She didn’t seem angry or upset about her transformation and brainwashing. In fact, she sounded… eager?

“Our race is myth now. We know not the fate of the last daughter, the one who challenged who you call Somnambula.” A smaller amber-colored sphinx said, though Courage couldn’t say how she knew the sphinx was speaking. “We would see our race restored through you, without cruelty or evil, but through passion and love. After all, only that allowed you to keep your wits to end your trial.”

“You want us to let you change us again?” Twist said slowly. “Complete the transformation?”

“But…” Courage said, shivering as the sphinxes all stared at him. “You… you said I would give birth to litters…”

“We grant the greatest boon to the new Queen. A boon that will show itself at the proper time.” A green sphinx nodded at Twist. “We grant a lesser boon upon you, First Consort.”

Courage gaped. “First Consort?”

“Fear not,” the amber sphinx said. “Beyond the needs of your Queen, you shall be her greatest and fiercest champion.”

Courage blinked. When said like that… it sounded pretty impressive.

“And if we say no?” Twist demanded, taking a step forward.

As one, the sphinxes’ ears drooped. All of them looked downcast.

“It’s been that long since somepony has made it this far, hasn’t it?”

“Our last daughter was over a thousand years ago,” the blue sphinx said. “She had no desire to return our people to their glory. Only selfish and vain ambition.”

“It was two thousand years before that…” the green sphinx said. “We flourished, for a time. Then were struck down by the Scourging of the Sands.”

“If not you… then who?” asked the small amber sphinx.

“I’ll do—”

Twist stopped and took a deep breath. Then, she turned to Courage.

Courage met her eyes and couldn’t help but smile. In reality, it didn’t matter what Twist looked like. Courage really was hers anyway. It might be strange… but it might also be fun. She nodded, finding herself already getting wet. Well, wet-er.

“We accept,” Twist declared. “We will be—”

The vision vanished, leaving only the beating ruby and them both in pony form. Before anything else could happen, Twist grabbed her and kissed her.

“You’re wonderful,” she whispered, her voice husky.

“And you’re perfect, whatever you look like.” Courage replied.

“I just—aah!”

Twist stumbled away, her body writhing as a beam from both the ruby and the statue struck her. In moments, she locked into the stare of the happy-looking Sphinx.

This time, the changes were much faster. Her mane shifted into purple and black. Her wings stretched, becoming a similar color with a hint of red in them. She squealed as her tail shifted into something far more feline, only to be followed by her four paws. Then, a wash of magic consumed her, leaving the shape of a large sphinx where Twist had been.

The statue shifted and pierced Courage with it’s gaze, though it felt more like she was being pierced by something through her pussy. She gaped, barely able to process the changes to her body as all the magic rewrote her body and mind. She felt her horn slip into her, filling her with alien magic. A wonderful sense of submission and the need to please her Queen washed through every fiber of her being. Then lust took her, her body aching with need. A few parting thoughts were put into her head, and then the light vanished.

Desert Courage the Sphinx, First Consort to the Sphinx Queen Starlight, shakily stood up. She stretched a little… only to find her claws to be massive hooked things. She worked her jaw and realized that while her Queen’s teeth may look that way to be intimidating, the fangs she now sported were for far more than simple fear.

“That’s… an impressive boon,” she whispered to herself, her voice low and husky.

Speaking of her Queen… Desert Courage turned around then gasped.

“I… I think this might be the boon,” Twist whispered.

Courage stared for a few seconds at the far larger sphinx. Well, she mostly stared at the enormous rod hanging beneath her. Then, her need overwhelmed her shock. She turned and lifted her hips.

“My Queen,” Courage purred as the pieces left of her pony self began to dissolve into sand in a breeze. “Your Consort awaits your pleasure.”

“I… I… I think your Queen will be pleasured by experimenting with her boon upon you, my Pet.”

Courage shivered as something appeared around her neck. She glanced down, her hips still up, and looked down at the collar. A small tag dangled from it, reading ‘Slutty Little Consort’ even as her Queen loomed over her.

“I love it, My Queen.”

“I knew you would.”

The giant cock began to slip into Courage’s folds. They felt so different from her… her… As she was slowly taken, old memories began to fade. First, starting with her old body. Thoughts of her unicorn horn and hooves faded into nothingness as she let out a gentle purr.

“That’s right, little one, you love being mounted don’t you? Over and over again?”

Courage nodded silently as the cock stretched her further, opening her so wonderfully she almost burst into tears. She bucked her hips, eager to get it inside of her as the memories of Canterlot and Ponyville were replaced by attending her beloved Queen in her ancient Pyramid. She catered her her Queen’s every whim, bringing her the sacred fruit, bowls of fresh water, lapping her always-wet pussy or worshipping her immense cock.

She could feel her Queen above her, claiming her in her perfect way. She was almost halfway in now, even though Courage thought she could take no more.

“Good pet,” cooed the Queen.

She came on command, as her Queen had trained her to do. Her hips bucked wildly. Her pussy spasmed around the cock. So much more delicious than the cocks of the adventurers that wandered in. They… well, they got their minds toyed with, became potential breeders for a time, then were sent on their way with a little gold. Sadly, none of them ever had the right kind of seed to fill her with young!

“Today’s the day, Pet,” the Queen declared. “Today, I give you your first litter.”

Courage couldn’t speak as her pussy stretched to the limit. She’d wondered when the day would come. When the Spirits would grant the Queen the wisdom to rekindle their race after so many centuries of hiding. When the Stone of Old Kingdom would grant the Queen the power to bring forth their kind once more

“Today I bear your young, my Queen?” Courage said in the ancient tongue of their people, reaching out with her magic to caress her left paw.

“Yes, beloved Pet. Accept my gift to you.”

Her Queen’s hips jerked and Courage was made complete. Any moment… she would be—

The Queen of the Sphinxes cast the Breeder of the Ancients. Courage’s eyes went wide as the ancient spirits of the Sphinx flooded into her womb. She yowled and bucked and screamed, while the Queen, grunted and bucked and panted. They were one. She belonged to her Queen as her Queen imbued her with a dozen generations of Sphinxes, each one a birth that would one day be remembered around the world.

Courage collapsed under the glorious strain of it all and fell into darkness.

Thank you, young ones… whispered something. It caught her and carried her in the most restful of slumbers.

Some time later, Desert Courage lay beside her Queen and Mate, being slowly licked clean of sweat and dirt. Desert blushed a little, noticing that her Queen had moved them to their sleeping chambers.

“Are you well, Desert Courage?” The Queen of the Sphinx, Starlight Sands, whispered.

“I am perfect, my Queen,” Desert Courage replied, rubbing a paw over her womb. “I am to be the mother of your kittens.”

Her Queen smiled fondly at her. “Amazing that I still love you so dearly after so many centuries.”

Desert Courage ducked her head, her collar jingling. “And I you.”

Something cracked open beyond the doorway leading to the Three-Door Room and both sphinxes sighed as one. While the next task would be fun, it required getting up. And everysphinx knew that sphinxes—like their cousins the cat—hated getting up.

“Hey! I think I got it open! Maybe Courage and Twist are down here!” came a vaguely familiar voice.

“The intruders are finally here?” Desert Courage asked as she got to her paws and stretched. “Took them long enough.”

“Who can say?” Her Queen shrugged as she stretched as well, showing off her perfectly wicked claws. “Now, remember to keep at least three males with cocks this time, Pet. I want them nice and thick as they rut me.”

“I just got overly excited last time, my Queen!” Desert Courage whined.

“Only because you sometimes prefer the touch of a tongue upon your folds than the load of a male.”

Desert Courage blushed fiercely. Mostly because she was right.

“What of the rest?” Desert Courage asked hopefully.

“See if you can get us some new consorts. The entire group would be wonderful. Do so, and you may have one of your very own.”

That made Desert Courage’s tail twitch.

“I’ll race you, my love, my Queen.”

The Queen smiled her razor smile. Most mortals found it terrifying. But Desert Courage just found it intensely erotic. She tried not to let that distract her.

“You’re on.”

And so, they began their hunt.

In the hours that passed, not a single pony managed to flee into the relative safety of the desert. The reason why was quite simple. The new Queen had committed to a different path than her predecessors. While it took her some time to work out the kinks, it worked quite well.

For not a single pony ended up wanting to leave the pyramid.

In fact, if a pony were so brave as to find that still-open trap door and listen carefully, the only thing they would hear would be the eager sounds of the Queen of the Sphinxes and her First Consort establishing the Dynasty of Starlight Sands.