A Fearful Joke

by TheClownPrinceofCrime

Chapter 5: A Fearful Choice

Trixie slowly opened her eyes. "Uhhh...*coughs*...where am I? Huh? What the?!" She saw her hooves tied up and bound to a boulder. "Why is Trixie tied up?! What's going on?!" She tried to move her hooves, but the ropes were too tight to budge. She tried to ignite her horn, but it was covered with jelly-like slime.

"Hehehehehehehahahaha, seems like sleeping beauty's finally awake!" an evilly jolly voice spoke. Trixie widened her eyes in fear as The Joker approached her from the shadows.

"You again?! Get away from me, you monster! Trixie's allergic to clowns!" the unicorn screamed, closing her eyes tight.

"Easy, easy, little pony! We just wanted to bring you here for a special occasion! It's something you wouldn't want to miss, y'know!" Joker explained, wagging his finger.

"Miss what?"

"The epoch of fear," replied Scarscrow. Trixie turned her head to see him standing right behind her. Her pupils shrunk in horror at the sight of the monster the ponies encountered earlier.

"You see, your unicorn friend displayed an admirable quality of bravery back there. I'm quite certain she is your source of encouragement. But there is one minuscule issue that we're having..." Scarecrow said.

"The scepter is not here!" Joker finished, scowling at Trixie. "And if we don't get what we want, someone's gonna get a time-out." He held a timed bomb in his hand and strapped it on her stomach. "Get it? Time out? Hahahaha!"

"Is the projector ready?" Scarescrow asked.

"Ready for the sweet, delicious drama, Jack-O-Lantern!" Joker wheezed. He raised it on high for Trixie to see.

"LET ME GO! PLEASE DON'T HURT ME!! DON'T HURT--Hmph!" Her mouth was gagged by Scarecrow before he picked up his staff.

"Now is not the time for fear. That comes later," said Scarecrow.

---

Early in the morning, the sun rose by Celestia's magic and the moon lowered by Luna's magic. Afterwards, they reunited in a secret storage room where a large container was in the midst thereof. They lifted the cover off where the Scepter of Healing was laying inside. Then they closed the container again.

"So far there is no word from the alien intruders," Luna noted.

"That would mean that they are planning something dangerous and their next move. Did you inform Shining Armor and Cadence of these current events?"

"Yes, sister. They are increasing their defenses as we speak," Luna replied.

"Perfect. I will make sure the Royal Guard watch over the walls of Canterlot and heavily guard the walls of this castle," Celestia added.

"What about Ponyville? Twilight and her friends can't defend the innocents all on their own."

"Not as long as this Batgirl is with them. But knowing Twilight, I know she will do everything in her power to protect Ponyville," Celestia smiled.

---

The sun rays shined through the window to Starlight's bedroom, forcing her to wake up. As she yawned, she slowly got out of bed with bags under her eyes and her mane all messy. She went to the bathroom to brush her teeth and then got out to have breakfast.

As soon as she was finished eating, there was a loud noise just outside. "What the...?" she muttered. The noise got louder as it got closer which prompted her to look outside. She ran outside to see where the source of the noise came from.

Then the noise sounded more air-born and high-pitched than ever. The confused unicorn looked up and saw a medium-sized drone with a camera hanging below. She looked on in amazement as the drone zoomed past her and the Castle of Friendship. Twilight and Batgirl ran outside and noticed the drone afar off.

"Whoa! What in the name of Celestia was that?!" Twilight shouted, looking on in surprise.

"I don't know...I've never seen anything like it before!" Starlight replied.

Batgirl grabbed her binoculars and got a closer look at the flying object. "That's a drone! It has to be from Joker and Scarecrow, and it looks like it's heading to Canterlot."

"*Gasp* We have to go there now! We don't know what it's gonna do, and we gotta make sure nopony gets hurt!" Twilight panicked.

"Agreed!" Batgirl nodded. "Teleport us there!"

After Twilight nodded back, she ignited her horn and teleported all of them to the city.

---

Celestia and Luna were sitting on their thrones peacefully with more Royal Guards surrounding the castle, the whole city, and the hallway. Suddenly, the drone crashed through one of the windows into the throne room, startling everyone therein. The guards raised their spears at the machine while standing in front of the Royal Sisters. The latter had their horns ignited as they stood in their battle stances.

The drone slowly descended to their level and then just hovered in the air. The camera moved toward their faces before a small monitor was activated just right on top of the drone. The screen turned on, revealing the face of The Scarecrow.

"Good morning, monarchs of Equastria. Pardon us for interrupting your daily activities," he sarcastically welcomed. "I have an important proposition for you."

"What do you want, fiend?" Luna growled.

"A simple favor, really. You see, my friend Joker and I simply want to go home. After all, the Scepter of Healing was the one that brought us here in the first place, and it is only logical that it can take us back to where we came from. You just have to hand it over to us, and we shall go our way."

"And how do we know you won't go against your word? After what you two have done to us yesterday, I have no reason to hand the scepter over to you," Celestia coldly replied.

Scarecrow then chuckled. "I was hoping you would say that. Joker, you have the floor..." Then the screen transitioned to the Clown Prince of Crime who was smiling with a birthday cap on.

"Helloooooo, candy-colored ponies! Do you know what today is? Trixie's birthday!! Hahahahahahaha!!" He showed them a tied up Trixie with explosives next to the boulder and a bomb strapped to her stomach. Right after he said that, Starlight and her friends burst through the doors and saw her best friend all tied up.

"TRIXIE! NO!"

The camera then turned to face the shocked unicorn. "Well, well, well, looks like the hero is about to feel her worst pain, eh Doc? Hehehe!" Trixie whimpered through the gag and tried to move from her bonds again.

"Let her go, you maniac!!" Starlight angrily demanded.

"Really? Alright, if you say so!" Joker then grabbed a joy buzzer and shocked Trixie with it. Her screams were muffled due to the gag in her mouth. "A shocking turn of events! Haha! Now, where was I? Oh! Yes! If you want to see your friend still in one piece, you will hand the relic over to us. This shouldn't be treated as rocket science."

"If you touch one hair on her head, I'll...I'll--"

"Ahhh, so that is one of your fears, hm? Good. I wonder how many more fears you have," said Scarecrow. Joker shocked Trixie again--this time with her gag removed. Her screams sent chills in everyone's spine in the room, more so for Starlight.

"Please do not make this harder than it needs to be. We just want to go home. That's all. In that way, we won't cause harm in your city and in your town anymore. You have my word," promised Scarecrow.

Trixie still screamed from the painful shocks given to her, making everyone cringe in fear. Having had enough of hearing her torture, Celestia raised her wings high. "STOP! We...we will...give you the scepter."

"Sister, NO!"

"Princess, what are you doing?!"

"Wise decision, Your Highness." Scarecrow complimented. Joker then stopped shocking Trixie, letting her breathe oxygen.

A long arm with claws was deployed from the drone and was extended to reach for the relic. Celestia handed the scepter over to the arm, allowing it to grab it.

Before the drone could fly off, Starlight floated in the air with her magic and stopped it from leaving. "I want my friend back safe and sound. I won't allow you to get the scepter until my best friend is safe back at home!" Trixie sadly smiled and felt tears in her eyes after hearing those words.

"If you want your friend back so badly, follow us to our lair and get her yourself," instructed Scarecrow.

"Fine." Then the drone left the castle with the scepter.

"Starlight, you can't go! It's a trap! What if he kills you?" Twilight protested.

"If I don't go, they'll kill Trixie, and I would then have lost the best friend I could ever ask for. I have to go save her."

"Let me go with you. I know how those creeps work, so I can take them out while you go save her," Batgirl suggested.

"No," Starlight sternly denied. "This is my fight. They want me, and they're gonna face me."

"Very well, Starlight Glimmer. I pray that your mission will be successful. Be careful," said Celestia.

"Just please make it out alive, Starlight. I don't want to lose my best pupil.." Twilight pleaded, tears falling.

Both of them hugged. "I will. Don't worry." With that, Starlight teleported away.

Comments

[Wild Stallion]

"Let her go, you maniac!!" Starlight angrily demanded.

"Really? Alright, if you say so!" Joker then grabbed a joy buzzer and shocked Trixie with it. Her screams were muffled due to the gag in her mouth.

Now Joker... That wasn't even remotely punny.

A shocking turn of events! Haha!

Although that technically is.

"Let me go with you. I know how those creeps work, so I can take them out while you go save her," Batgirl suggested.

Sound suggestion. Listen to her.

" No ," Starlight sternly denied. "This is my fight. They want me , and they're gonna face me ."

Here we go again...