Fire and darkness all around, screams in the distance

The 'minotaur' is the one responsible.

What is his identity?

Not all is as it seems. The rings bear their power!

Beware Spike, it all ends with you.

Save them

….
……
………………..

WAKE UP SPIKE!

“GYAH!” Spike yelped bolting up on his bed,

“What the- wait… I’m in bed? Was that all-” Spike said before Luna appeared next to him.

“No it wasn’t,” Luna said.

“AAH!” Spike fell off his bed, but when he got up, saw he was in the ballroom again. After looking around he turned to Luna, feeling annoyed.

“Stop doing that, please,” Spike said.

“Forgive us,” Luna responded, looking somewhat amused.

“So did I do it then? Where are they?” Spike asked as Luna’s amused expression quickly turned somber.

“They are with Applejack over there.” Luna gestured to a faded group of ponies, Applejack comforting three shaking fillies.

“There, there… It’s fine, just let it out,” Applejack said, doing her best to channel Fluttershy’s natural kindness.

“It was so scary…” Apple Bloom whimpered.

“I’m never sleeping again!” Sweetie Belle cried. Scootaloo just remained silent, looking as if she was struggling to accept what happened.

“Oh…” Spike said, realizing how traumatizing this must have been for them.

“Indeed, we have done our best to soothe their trauma, but the rest is up to them. They remember everything they did to you.”

“Will they recover?” Spike genuinely asked.

“No doubt. We’ve seen far worse cases.”

Spike was about to ask but Luna gave him a look that told him he was better off not knowing. It took a few minutes but Applejack helped the fillies off of her and they seemed to have calmed down enough that they could walk on their own.

As he got closer, Spike could see that the fillies couldn’t look him in the eye.

“Girls, it’s alright,” Spike said, trying to get them to calm down.

“It’s just that we almost killed you, Spike. Don’t you resent us a little?” Scootaloo asked.

“Not at all. From what Luna told me, you weren't in control back there,” Spike assured.

“But…” AB was cut off with a thump to the head by her sister and she looked surprised.

“None of that, sis. Ya know he forgives ya, so that’s enough self-pity. That goes for all of ya,” Applejack added.

“Ok...” the three fillies said.

“So then, who’s next?” Applejack asked.

“Next? Don’t I get to rest?” Spike asked.

“No, Spike. The longer we wait, the closer the souls are to falling into the clutches of the Shadow. Besides, you already rested, remember?” Luna said, sounding like a mother.

“Ugh…” Spike groaned.

“The next is… oh my…” Luna said with some surprise.

“What?” Spike said before he saw who it was…

Three diamonds…

“RARITY!” Spike exclaimed, leaping towards the portal before Luna caught him with her magic.

“CALM YOURSELF YOUNG DRAGON!” Luna yelled as she yanked the struggling dragon back.

“Rarity needs me!” Spike said.

“Only after we give you more powers to aid you! Otherwise, you could be killed!” Luna scolded Spike who stopped struggling.

“Good point,” Spike said, looking sheepish.

“Next time, think before you leap,” Luna said, sounding annoyed before turning to Applejack who was explaining what Luna was going to do to the CMC.

“We’re going to become rings? Will that hurt?” Scootaloo asked.

“Enope, but it’ll help Spike out,” Applejack said looking at Sweetie Belle who looked concerned.

“Will my sis be okay?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“Yes. Yer gonna help Spike with savin her, along with me,” Applejack said.

“Alright,” Sweetie Belle said, looking determined.

“Very well, girls. If you would gather around Spike,” Luna announced and they did so. A quick spell later and Spike had two rings, the most recent with all three of their cutie marks on it.

“Cool,” Spike said “What did I get this time?”

“The power of replication, Those three will control copies of you that will aid in confusing your foes.”

“Sweet!” Spike said before turning to the portal with a determined expression.

“I’m going to save you Rarity, just you wait!”

With that, he jumped in.

There was no disorientation this time when Spike walked through the opening. Spike looked around and saw that he was in a garden, full of flowers and a fountain.

It was night time and a distant howl could be heard in the distance.

“Am I in Canterlot?” Spike said, confused as he walked around. “This is almost pleasant compared to the last two places.”

As Spike walked forward he took a step back when he saw the large pony statue.

It was in a pose of pure elegance and crafted out of chiseled diamond, matching Rarity down to a T.

“Focus, Spike!” Applejack snapped, making Spike jump.

“Sorry.” Spike walked up the steps to the right of the statue and noticed a plaque.

“Only nobility may trot beyond this point. I am always watching,” Spike read out before looking Applejack in the eye.

“Not like ya have a choice there partner.” Applejack shrugged.

“Yeah,” Spike said with a nod. He continued up the steps and entered through the doorway.

Not noticing the statue turning its head in his direction….

As Spike continued through a pathway he noticed writing on the walls saying things like “Don’t look away” or “Heed the plaques.”

“I can’t help but wonder if these are hints,” Spike said

“I bet they are!” a higher-pitched voice said.

“Huh?” Spike turned and saw the CMC with him.

“Oh yeah, you guys are here too,” Spike said.

“How did you forget?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“I dunno.” Spike opened the next door to the courtyard.

“The landscaping isn’t bad here, we must confess,” Luna admitted.

“So much space! I bet we could have an entire hoofball game here!” Scootaloo said, running around with childish enthusiasm.

“Calm down, Scootaloo! It’s dangerous here,” Luna warned.

“Aw...” Scootaloo said. Spike walked to the statue in the center, another Rarity statue, smaller than the first but still made of diamond.

“Another diamond statue? The ones who live here must be crazy rich,” Spike joked before noticing another plaque.

“Hmm… Beware of the Diamond Watchers. Trespassers and non-royals shall tread no further than the hedge maze gate, or else...” Sweetie Belle read.

“Ain’t Spike technically a prince, considering he’s the brother to a princess?” Apple Bloom said.

“Not really, I'm more of a squire, because I haven't gotten the ‘royal initiation yet’ or something.” Spike walked around the statue and towards the front gate.

Before hearing a lady-like chuckle.

“Huh? Rarity?” Spike said, whirling to look in the direction of the noise only to jump when he saw the statue had rotated itself all the way around to look at him.

“.................Did that statue move?” Spike asked, rooted to the spot with fear.

“M-maybe we turned around on accident?” Sweetie Belle offered. Spike decided to test this by moving around the statue, but he noticed it didn’t move with him.

“Heh, guess I was imagining things,” Spike said, turning to look at the gate.

“Snk!” The voice came again and Spike whirled on the spot to see the statue was facing him again.

“Ok! Now I’m starting to get what’s off about this place!” Scootaloo said getting behind Spike.

“Okay girls, let’s just… back away slowly.” Spike backed away and kept his eyes firmly locked on the statue. Eventually, Spike felt his tail touch the gate and he jumped a little.

“Okay, I assume this is where we go?” Spike said, looking at the gate while the girls continued watching the statue. Then Spike noticed the plaque on the side of the gate.

“Hmm, ‘Tread beyond this gate and you’ve sealed your fate’.... Well, that’s a bad omen,” Spike said with a shiver.

Despite every nerve in his body screaming at him to leave, he forced himself to open the gates and the CMC trembled as they creaked open. Behind them lay a massive hedge maze.

“HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!” a terrifying laugh echoed around the courtyard making Spike and Apple Bloom comically jump and scream and Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo run around in a panic and crash into each other.

“Ooof!” The two fillies grunted as they fell down.

“What the hay was that?!” AB said, shaking.

“Guys… look.” Scootaloo pointed back towards the statue… or lack thereof.

“I'm starting to realize what kind of monster we’re dealing with,” Spike said.

“Good luck, Spike!” Sweetie Belle said as the CMC returned to ring form.

“Wha- don’t leave me out here alone! Girls?...” Spike sighed and turned to see the interior of the hedge maze he was about to enter.

Mustering his courage Spike walked in and the gate closed behind him.

“Gulp!” Spike audibly said.

As Spike walked through the initial pathways he saw more plaques.

“Whoever lives here must really love plaques,” Spike said before reading what the plaque said.

“‘You failed to take heed, now you shall bleed’?... Not a fan of this plaque” Spike honestly said, before jumping with a scream as a thrown ax embedded itself in the plaque, narrowly missing his head.

“What the?!” Spike said, turning to see who threw that.

All he saw was a statue standing there.

“Was that there before?” Spike said approaching it, now that he got a closer look at these things he could see that the eyes seemed different. Like they were crystal balls in the statue’s head instead of being part of it.

“That’s odd… why would they design it like-” Spike jumped when the eye darted in his direction, a second later the statue moved, pulling an ax out of nowhere and swinging it down at Spike.

“AAAAAHHH!” Spike cried, jumping back and narrowly avoiding an ax to the skull. He skittered back, keeping his eyes on the statue the whole time.

“IT MOVED!?” Spike cried, and suddenly he heard more hoofsteps and whirled to see more statues. And he knew those weren't there before.

Suddenly more steps were heard and Spike looked to see the one that almost killed him was closer now. Disoriented, Spike could tell he was gradually being surrounded so he picked a direction and ran.

“Twilight always told me to get more exercise! Well how’s this?!” Spike said with exasperation. Spike looked back and saw the statues had moved again but weren’t as long as he was looking…. Wait.

Spike paused upon that thought. Could it be? Spike stood and watched them carefully and he slowly turned his gaze away. As soon as they left his sight, he heard hoofsteps and turned to see the Rarity-like statues had moved again but had ceased moving the moment they entered his sight.

“So that’s how they work!” Spike said

“Good job there partner,” Applejack said coming out of her ring.

"Well I am pretty smart," Spike said, sounding flattered which got an eye roll from AJ.

"We need to get moving," Applejack said.

"Right," Spike responded, running from the statues, glancing back at them every now and then.

Spike found some more Soul shards but found that instead of being bunched together, these ones were scattered.

Spike paused when the hoof steps got louder and turned to see them.

"Not getting the drop on me," Spike said with an air of cockyness.

Chnk!

"Huh?" Spike said at the random sound before turning to see some long spears stab out of the ground. “Gya!” Spike said, stumbling back against the statue away from the trap. Spike looked up and the statue swung its ax down.

Spike dodged and used Applejack's strength boost.

“TAKE THIS!” Spike yelled, punching the statue in the face….

“.......OOOOWWW!” Spike yelled, clutching his hurting hand in pain.

“They’re made of diamond, remember?!” Applejack yelled.

“I know!” Spike said before the statue pinned him with a hoof. Spike was panicking and before he knew it the statue's face distorted into an impossibly wide smile when it lunged for his head.

---

“Well, that didn’t work…” Spike said as he got up, back at the front gate.

“You could try eating them,” Applejack suggested.

“No way. I tried an apple back in your nightmare and it tasted awful.” Spike checked around a corner.

“Just suggestin,” Applejack said with a shrug.

Spike scurried along looking around corners and finding a soul shard or two, but it wasn’t long before he heard the hoofsteps again and Spike paused as he turned a corner and saw a Diamond Watcher.

“Great,” Spike muttered as he turned and saw two more gathering to his left.

“What am I going to do here?!” Spike exclaimed before an idea came to mind.

“Girls, we need to multiply!” Spike said.

“Got it!” The CMC came out of the ring and then a glow overcame them. The next thing they knew there were four Spikes. The four scattered in different directions and when the statues were free to move they glanced from side to side, confused as to who to chase.

“This is working!” Spike said as the Diamond Watchers were being led astray by the fake Spikes. He began to think he was going to breeze through this when the copies suddenly vanished.

“Of course they have a time limit!” Spike said with a sigh as he collected another shard. The statues moved after the real Spike as he turned to look ahead of himself to keep a watch for traps.

Spike turned a corner, avoiding another thrown ax and grabbing the last Soul Shard.

“That’s all of them! Hurry along to the other side of the maze,” Luna instructed.

“Ok,” Spike said, making his way through the maze. Interestingly, the statues seemed to have disappeared.

When Spike made it to the edge of the maze he looked up at what laid before him.

A mansion, not nearly as big as Canterlot Castle but far bigger than most mansions.

“Wow,” Spike said.

“Indeed, not a bad design, but now isn’t the time for sightseeing,” Luna said.

“So is Rarity’s soul in there somewhere?” Spike said, going up to the door.

“Yes, we can sense it,” Luna said.

“Ok.”

Upon entering the building, Spike found himself in a ballroom, not unlike the one on the other side of the portal. There were stairs and a single white soul drifted helplessly through the room.

“Wait for me, Rarity! I’ll save you!” Spike ascended the stairs and entered through the doorway to the left.

As Spike ran along the corridors, he came upon a room with more Soul Shards, this time together not separate, and he ran about collecting them. It wasn’t long before the hoofsteps were getting louder so Spike ran while occasionally glancing over his shoulder.

This cost him when he didn’t see a swinging ax trap coming.

---Back at the entrance---

“Are you serious?!” Spike said with exasperation.

“Gotta pay attention to your surroundings, Spike,” Scootaloo said.

Spike was about to give a rebuttal when he heard laughter from a doorway and he knew that the Diamond Watchers were going to be upon him soon.

Spike hurried down the other way. As he rounded a corner he saw the statues trying to box him in.

"Not this time!" Spike said with determination. The small dragon used his multiply power and his copies ran back the way he came while Spike continued collecting shards. When he was done with that room he saw that several of the statues had broken off to chase them.

With that done, Spike carefully maneuvered around the statue that remained and scurried off to a hallway. Spike had to pause and go when the spear traps jutted in and out of the ground.

"Carefully…" Spike said before jumping past the spikes.

"Psst," Spike heard a statue say and spun to see a statue right behind him. He ducked an ax swing and fled onto an area full of swinging ax traps.

Spike carefully maneuvered around them, dividing his attention between the statues and the swinging blades.

Having sensed his clones had already vanished, Spike hurried as the hoofsteps got louder again.

Spike ran into a living room-like place and jumped over the couch and collected some more shards as the statues pursued Spike around the furniture.

Spike fled the room as the Statues got in and he came into another area with swinging axes. Spike saw a statue ahead, standing still until he got closer, Spike had one chance and slid on his knees under a swing for his head and he managed to perform a roll that bypassed a swinging ax.

“Wow! Good job Spike!” Scootaloo cheered as they ran.

“Yeah, I did pretty good back there!” Spike said, feeling proud of himself.

Spike ran through another room and glanced about seeing several statues coming from the left and right.

Spike managed to avoid them as he ran through several more rooms collecting shards, until he was making a loop around a corner hallway and he paused when he saw them crowding the escape routes.

“H-hey! That’s not fair!” Spike tried to run around them but a few swings of an ax kept him back.

“Luna, please tell me I have another chance,” Spike said with a gulp, but keeping an eye on the statues so they did not move.

“No, Spike. We’re trying but our strength is exhausted. We cannot save you again!” Luna said, panicking a little.

“WHAT DO I DO?!” Spike shouted as he laid against the wall, penned in, feeling hopeless.

“Spike! Ah have an idea,” Applejack said coming out of the ring.

“Well? What is it? Spike said making the mistake of looking away and hoofsteps advanced on his position. Spike yelped as he narrowly avoided an ax blow.

“Use the strength boost and get to the light fixtures up there!” Applejack pointed up to a dangling light fixture above the Diamond Watchers.

“Ok!” Spike was willing to try anything at this point and used his strength power to leap onto the back of the Diamond Watcher who bit at him and he leapt at the wall fixture. Avoiding an ax blade, he jumped onto the light fixture.

“Ah! What do I do now!?” Spike yelled as he dangled.

“Swing to the other side!” Applejack called from ground level, Spike noticed a Diamond Watcher trying to ax her but failing as the ax went through her. “Ah'm already a ghost ya varmint!” Applejack angrily said to the statue.

Spike swung and launched himself over the crowd of statues, landing on the other side of them with Applejack following closely behind him.

“Run!” Applejack yelled, galloping past Spike who followed shortly after.

“We have them all, right?” Spike called to Luna.

“Almost. Head down that hallway to your left.” Spike went down the hall and found the last set in a room with two big Rarity statues. As he grabbed the last one he saw a Diamond Watcher trying to corner him and he ran down another hall.

“You can collect the soul now, Spike!” Luna informed the baby dragon.

“Ok!” Spike said as he turned and ran down the hallway to his right and continued on until he was back in the main lobby.

But as he looked down the stairs he saw something odd…

A shadowy creature that looked like-

“A minotaur...” Spike said stepping back a little in shock

“So… you are the one that is collecting my souls? I expected something greater than a mere whelp.”

“W-who are-” Spike said but Luna finished for him.

"The Shadow," Luna said with a hint of fear.

"To think you're the one Luna chose this time? She must be desperate," the Shadow said with a grin.

"Y-your not real! You were just a nightmare!" Spike cried.

"You speak nonsense. This is our first meeting and evidently, our last," the Shadow growled, taking a step forward and making Spike flinch.

“You have been lucky so far but your princess cannot save you here, not while I’m around at least. GET HIM!” The Shadow called out and suddenly Spike was scooped off the ground and thrown down the stairs by a statue that blindsided him.

“Spike! No!” Applejack yelled

“Finish him”

The Rarity statue approached the downed Spike and picked him up before pinning him to a wall and raising its ax.

“Watch Luna, as your little champion is killed!” The monster laughed.

“NO!” Luna cried.

Spike stared into the glowing red crystal eyes with fear “RARITY! PLEASE STOP! IT’S ME, SPIKE!” Spike cried, hoping she’d hear him.

As he shut his eyes expecting death, he instead noticed the hoof was…… trembling? Spike looked up and he was surprised to see tears coming out of the crystal eyes.

“What are you waiting for? Kill him!” The Shadow growled, getting impatient.

“You heard me, didn’t you Rarity?” Spike said, feeling hopeful for a change.

“S-Spike…” Spike faintly heard the Statue say.

“Kill him now, you foal!” The Shadow yelled.

“Rarity, I-if this is it I just wanted to say that….” Spike forced himself to keep going knowing this could be his last chance. “I LOVE YOU! And I forgive you for this, it’s not your fault, I-I just… I love you…” Spike said with as much bravery as he could before shutting his eyes waiting for death.

“Spike…” Applejack said in awe.

“As amusing as that was, I command you to finish him off!” The Shadow shouted.

The statue glanced between the Shadow and Spike looking conflicted

“KILL HIM!”

The Statue's eyes glowed redder and it raised its arm… and swung…

CLANK!

...But instead, she paused mid-swing, and the ax hit the ground, with Spike being dropped immediately afterward.

“Rarity?” Spike said in awe as the Shadow stepped back in shock.

“What? Impossible! I have control of her!” the Shadow shouted in disbelief.

“Apparently, their bond is stronger,” Applejack said, trotting down the stairs.

“Ignorant mortals, you’re messing with the wrong demon!” The Shadow growled before he bellowed out “COME, TITAN!” and then he vanished. Suddenly the mansion shook as though something massive struck the building.

“What is it now?!” Applejack questioned.

“I don’t know but we need to leave!” Spike frantically ran over and grabbed Rarity’s soul and dashed for the exit, with Applejack returning to her ring form.

When Spike got outside, he saw what was causing the rumbling.

A crystal statue, bigger than the mansion itself rose above the building.

“...I’d say are you kidding me… but that really doesn’t do this justice…” Spike said, stepping back as the giant Rarity statue looked down at him with its red crystal eyes.

“RUUUUUUUN!” Spike yelled using the multiplication power in time because the creature hurled a giant ax at him and it wound up hitting the wrong one.

Spike ran to the hedge maze but found that the gate was locked. On the other side of the gate, a statue was giving him a warped smile, showing the culprit.

“Oh great! Where do we go now?!” Spike said before Sweetie called him.

“OVER HERE!” Sweetie called pointing down a pathway.

“OK!” Spike ran down to her and along the path she indicated. Spike continued running as the Ursa Major-sized statue pursued him, destroying the manor and crushing its way past the hedge maze in the process.

“When I get home I’m never making fun of a statue again!” Spike screamed as he made it back out into the courtyard. If only it were possible for him to double the size of his eyes in alarm like Pinkie could because that’s what he wanted to do right now.

Statues, too many to count, were littered about in the yard with all of their red eyes locked onto Spike.

Hearing the rumbling of the Titan behind him, he bolted forward and hoped for the best. Since his multiplication power was spent already, he had to, as RD would say, wing it.

Spike bobbed and weaved as he ran around the statues, the closest ones taking swings at him with their axes. A giant ax flew through the air and demolished a group of Diamond Watchers to Spike’s left. Spike continued running through the army of statues until he could make out the gates up ahead.

When Spike made it to the gate and opened it, he was blindsided by an ax swing that cut into his arm, spilling some blood.

Spike screamed in pain as the shallow wound bled and he fell down. Looking up, he saw a statue waiting for him on the other side of the gate.

“Oh no! Spike!” The CMC cried running up to him.

"Are you alright?" Luna frantically asked.

“I’m f-fine…” Spike said getting up as the statue swung its ax down at him and he dodged to the left and ran around the Diamond Watcher and ran to the door on the other side.

Meanwhile, a giant ax sailed through the air and smashed the wall next to him.

Spike got through the door and ran for the stairs leading to the portal.

Spike ducked as the big statue stationed at the garden stairs took a swing at him with its diamond hoof and he tumbled down the stairs.

Mustering what strength he had left he got up and limped towards the portal.

“Spike! You're almost there!” Luna frantically called.

Spike looked up and saw the statues surrounding the portal. With a cry of determination, he summoned his copies and they ran forward to distract the statues.

Spike hurried to the portal as the Titan peeked over the garden and slammed a massive hoof down on the ground behind Spike.

The impact wound up launching Spike into the portal.

The manor of evil has been cleared, and Spike managed to reach Rarity despite it just being a golem made of her soul.

What could this mean?

Look forward to next time.