Spike marched towards the door, not willing to waste any more time, this was it, the last one, if he failed here, his family was screwed.

He would not spend the rest of his life in regret, he had to win!

Spike entered the portal.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rotten Rapacity

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Spike exited the portal and had to shield his eyes, the glare was so great.

When his eyes adjusted, he turned to see something that shocked him.

Gold… everywhere! Stacked in mountains, molten gold being poured into holes in the floor, statues of gold.

“Wow… just a handful of this stuff could give me enough money to retire early…” Spike said in awe.

“You're not here to gawk at Aurum’s gold, you're here to get his contract, remember?” Varek said.

“Yeah, you're right,” Spike said as he ran on through the stacks of gold.

As Spike made his way down the path of what looked like a temple of gold Spike came to a hallway that showed him the torture of this place.

Decaying corpses, still moving, chained to the wall, reaching fruitlessly for piles of gold laid just out of their reach.

“Please… one gold coin is all I want,” The carcass begged.

“Mine…. It will be mine…” Another croaked.

“Gold… gold… gold…” Another one muttered.

“Truly a sight, but this is what happens to greedy fools, their greed rotted them and now they are chained for eternity forever having their obsession dangled in front of them, just out of reach…. It's quite amusing,” Varek said with a chuckle.

“It’s sickening,” Spike said as he ran past and into a giant room full of more gold and statues, as he looked around he saw more skeletal people struggling against their chains to slake their avarice.

To no avail.

“Where is-” Spike heard laughter and went around a giant statue to see someone sitting on a golden throne, counting gold coins.

“Two million eight thousand four hundred and nine gold coins, Two million eight thousand four hundred and ten gold coins, Two million eight thousand four hundred and eleven gold coins, not enough, not nearly enough!” The being growled in a dark raspy voice.

He looked like a mostly decayed being, with exposed golden bones, wearing lots of gold and jewelry, and spikes coming out of his head.

“Two million eight thousand four hundred and-” He counted and Spike called out to him.

“Hello!” Spike said and he paused and looked at him.

“An unmarked human?” He sniffed the air “And no scent of death…. Your living, what are you doing in MY temple, disturbing MY counting of MY money!?” He growled standing up.

“I’ll be quick,” Spike held no hope he’d give it over but tried anyways “I need the contract between you and Verak, times up,” Spike said.

“......HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!” He broke down laughing and leaped out and landed in front of Spike, now that he was there, he saw how tall this guy was, he was twice Spike’s size.

“So… Varek lost his nerve and sent a puny mortal to steal from me?... I won’t, If I give him the contract he'll rescind exactly eighty-nine quadrillion from me!” He said.

“Th-that’s more than mine!?” Spike said.

“Because I asked for more!” He said “More is better! More is EVERYTHING! I’ll forever add to my gold pile” He said.

“Aurum’s gold… your Aurum aren’t you?” Spike said.

“Yesss, the personification of human greed, I own everything! Everything is mine! Including the contract, and soon, YOU!” Aurum then tried to grab Spike but he dodged and ran and Aurum chased him.

“I WON’T LET YOU TAKE MY GOLD!” Aurum screeched as he swung his claws at Spike who ducked and he wound up breaking a wall.

Spike ran into another part of the temple where holes in the walls were pouring an endless stream of gold into a pile, he ran around the pouring gold to avoid being knocked down, he ran into another part of the hallway filled with more people being denied their gold as they were chained to a wall.

Spike ran past them and thought he had gotten away when Aurum burst out of a gold pile and grabbed Spike by his neck.

“Huh?!” Spike exclaimed.

“Where there’s gold, I am too,” Aurum said with a grin showing his rotten teeth, he then slammed Spike on the ground and raised his foot before stomping on his head.

2 lives left “Dead already? Wow, you must be a glutton for suffering,” Varek chuckled.

Spike got up at the entrance to Aurum's lair and he sighed.

He got up and ran through a doorway to his right, collecting shards and after running down a hallway he saw more slaves being forced to push a giant wheel in circles, churning more gold out.

“This is horrible,” Spike said as he left the scene.

“It’s hell, what do you mortals expect?” Varek asked as Spike made his way past more chained victims.

As Spike made it to a room pouring molten gold into slides to pour down another slide.

“This guy is obsessed with gold,” Spike said.

“He’s the living embodiment of greed,” Varek said.

Spike was about to reply when suddenly gold burst all over the room as Aurum came out.

“Get your filth away from my money!” Aurum growled before he lunged at Spike and swung his claws at him.

Spike dodged and ran out of the room, collecting shards as he fled, looking back he saw Aurum wasn’t chasing him.

Spike knew he was going to ambush him again, so he paused and ran down a hallway with less gold piles.

As Spike ran past one Aurum’s arm reached out of it and grabbed his leg tripping him up.

Spike kicked his hand until he let go and he got up and saw the rotted being leaving the gold pile.

“I’ll gouge out your eyes, they leer at my gold!” Aurum sneered.

“I just want to save my family!” Spike said running away.

“LIAR! You want to take my stuff, but I won’t part with any of it, not even a single gold coin!” Aurum roared as he chased Spike.

Spike rounded a corner and fled down another hallway collecting shards while Aurum burst out of a gold pile, missing him, and diving into another one.

Spike ran out into the lower floor of the room with the molten gold slides and he made his way around the molten gold pool.

Aurum came out of the gold pool and was swimming after him, Spike exclaimed in surprise and fled faster but Aurum was a surprisingly fast swimmer.

“Hah!” Aurum jumped out of the gold and flung some molten gold at him.

“AAAGH!” Spike cried as it burned but he ran on and Aurum continued chasing him.

“Spike collected more shards and fled into another room with another gold pool, as Spike ran he slipped a little and stumbled, and Aurum capitalized on this by swatting him into the molten pool.

1 life left: “On the bright side, you’ll make a great gold statue,” Varek laughed.

“Spike…” A voice said and Spike opened his eyes seeing the angel standing above him.

“You…” Spike said but she vanished before he could say anything else.

Spike sighed and got up.

“How much time do I have left?” Spike asked.

“Twenty minutes,” Varek said.

“Tch!” Spike knew he had to hurry so he ran for it and collected more shards in the left corridors again.

But Aurum was already on his trail.

“FOUND YOU!” Aurum said as he jumped out of a gold bucket and swung his claws at Spike.

Spike dodged and used his speed boost to run faster around a room and collect shards, leaving just as Aurum entered, and he saw Spike stepping on his gold.

“Tch! LEAVE MY GOLD ALONE!” Aurum said as he ran after Spike who slowed down.

“No!” Spike said before he got an idea and he scooped up some gold coins off the ground as he entered another room and he turned and saw a pit where slaves were working in.

Perfect…

“Hey!” Spike turned and showed that he had the coins.

“What?! Put those down! THEIR MINE!” Aurum screeched.

“Then go get them!” Spike said pitching them over the edge and Aurum jumped in after them.

“Had a feeling he was too greedy to ignore that,” Spike said as he ran up some stairs as Aurum climbed out.

“You little!” Aurum chased him up the stairs and Spike made it up to the top and he collected the shards up there.

Aurum chased him around up there but Spike saw a chain dangling over the pit and he saw a chance and jumped onto the chain and slid down it before swinging onto the ground.

“CURSE YOU!” Aurum screamed as he jumped off the ledge and landed on the ground, somehow staying intact.

Spike ran out of the room and found the last set of shards in a room full of coins, even the floor was made of them.

Spike ran around collecting when suddenly Aurum busted out of a pile and slashed Spike in the arm.

“AAH!” Spike cried as he fell down and Aurum stomped at him but Spike rolled out of the way and ran away using a combo of vanish and speed boost.

“Tch!” Aurum looked down and saw the blood trail and knew where he was going.

He had to stop him!

Spike ran back towards the throne room, as Varek told him that’s where it is.

Spike made his way to the throne room and saw Aurum standing there.

“I WON’T LET YOU STEAL FROM ME!” Aurum said.

“Five minute’s just letting you know,” Varek said.

“No!” Spike said before he knew he had to go for broke, he activated his speed boost and he ran towards Aurum.

“RAH!” Aurum lunged at Spike.

Time seemed to slow… and Spike slid under him… and Aurum hit the ground behind him as Spike ran over to the throne where the safe was and he opened it.

Collecting the contract.

“NOOO!” Aurum screamed going into frenzy and chasing Spike who ran down the halls towards the portal.

As the chase went on Spike could see the portal ahead… and Aurum burst out of the gold in front of the portal and he punched Spike back.

Spike hit the ground and got up with a bloody nose.

“Hahahaha! You’ll never get past me!” Aurum said.

“Move it!” Spike demanded and he used vanish but Aurum saw where he was based on the moving gold piece on the ground.

He punched Spike back again and Spike became visible.

“Give back my contract!” Aurum said.

“Please… get out of the way, Varek will kill my family!” Spike pleaded.

“No! I want my contract!” Aurum sneered.

“Thirty seconds remaining,” Varek casually said.

“No!” Spike needed to get past Aurum but how?!.... Then he remembered something on his hand… it’s been the thing that’s kept him going… he’s had it ever since he and Rarity got married.

…He had no choice… he removed his wedding ring.

“Look! I have something you don’t!” Spike said.

“...A ring?...” Aurum’s eyes were locked onto it.

“It’s yours, go get it!” Spike turned and threw it.

“....” Aurum knew he was being played… he needed to stay… To go get the ring… to stay… to get the ring… he needed to stay… To go get the ring… to stay… to get the ring… he needed to stay… To go get the ring… to stay… to get the ring… he needed to stay!… To go get the ring!… to stay!… to get the ring!

HE NEEDED TO-

“MIIIINE!” Aurum abandoned his post and ran for the ring as Spike used speed boost to run for the portal.

“3, 2, 1” Varek counted down.

“NOOO!” Spike leaped into the portal.

YOU ESCAPED!

Spike made it into the office, crashed into the barrier, and fell.

Spike got up and slammed the contract on the desk.

“I HAVE IT! I made it, now please let me-... Varek?” Spike looked around and didn’t see the demon anywhere.

“Where is he?” Spike asked.

“....Oh your back,” Varek reentered the office and looked at Spike with an odd expression, Spike looked at him firmly.

“I completed our deal Varek, we’re done… please, let me off the hook no-”

“No,” Varek simply said.

“...What?” Spike said.

“I’m afraid boy… you failed,” Varek said before he shot forward and struck Spike in the stomach hard.

“UGH!....b-but-” Spike fell to the ground.

“Now, to deal with those other pests, I’ll be back Spike, you two, watch him,” Varek ordered his hounds before he walked away.

As Spike's vision faded he croaked out

“No…”

Author's Note

Spike failed, is this the end?...