//------------------------------// // Chapter 14: Confronting Chaos // Story: The Dark Knight Falls // by TheClownPrinceofCrime //------------------------------// “Guards! Find the Joker! We want him alive!” Luna sternly ordered. The Royal Guard nodded and went their way to begin the manhunt for Joker. Batman activated his crystal magic and flew off to the thunderstorm. He shot a beam on the ground which turned into a portal for the ponies and dragon to enter into. Once it opened, the Mane Six, the princesses, Spike, and Shining Armor walked through it before it closed behind them. They all reunited in the middle of a black and huge thundercloud; they felt the chilling winds passing by them and saw other winds singing praises to Discord. Right above them, cotton candy, in the form of elephants, were dancing in circles, blowing their trunks inharmoniously, and spraying vanilla at each other. Right next to them, there were several ponies floating in the air who were forced to run on a treadmill; their pace made the treadmill produce strawberry milk with eggs. Once that was done, treadmills produced thin robotic legs to kick them off and fall from the sky. Rainbow Dash had to fly down to save them from their deaths. Suddenly, an amused laugh caught their attention. They searched for the source of the laugh, walking on the clouds. Luckily, those clouds were strong enough to sustain their weight so they wouldn’t fall through it. “Where are you, Discord? Show yourself!” Celestia demanded. “Hahahahaha!!” a familiar voice laughed. After they passed by two pillar-like clouds, they found the wicked draconequus sitting on his throne, drinking strawberry milk with eggs. After he was finished with his casual meal, he spotted his enemies with his left eye. “Ahhh, if it isn’t my delightful yet predictable foes now here to fight me.” he sarcastically remarked. “Your reign of chaos ends now, Discord!” Celestia declared. “Now? But I just got started! It can’t end now!” he mocked. “Enough games, Discord!” Batman spoke, glaring at him. “I will give you only one chance to fully surrender yourself to us and deactivate whatever chaos you are about to commence!” “Or else what, Batsy?” Discord evilly smirked. Batman cringed at the nickname that Joker usually addresses him. “Or else we will have to take the hard way to bring you down before anyone in Equestria gets hurt.” Batman growled. “Hahahahaha! As if any of you have the backbone to actually follow that sort of method! Hah!” Discord again mocked before his smug smile turned to an annoyed scowl. “How disappointing that your attitude and tone is reminiscent of Celestia and Luna’s. (Sigh) Ever since we first met, you looked like someone whom I can actually respect and regard as decent. But no! You’re just like them, it seems. How boring...” Discord said. “Hey! Nopony insults Batman like that!” Rainbow defied. “We neither have the time nor the patience for your antics, traitor! Surrender now!” Luna commanded. Enraged, Discord threw away his cup of chocolate milk and stood up from his throne. “Really now? What makes you think that I’ll take orders from you again? You have done nothing but humiliate me, disrespect me, and dishonor me! If you think that I’ll be a lapdog for you again, than you’re even more stupid than I realized!” “Discord, please, stop making this harder than what it already is!” Twilight pleaded. “Just cease all this chaos you’re causing, and nopony will get hurt. We’ll even consider making your punishment less severe.” “Pffff, says the pony who helped turn me into stone. Face it, Twilight, you and your friends are complete hypocrites who look down on others and think that you are better than everypony else. Look at yourself in a mirror!” Discord snapped his fingers, making a large mirror appear in front of them. “Here is the challenge I will give to each of the Elements of Harmony presented here: this mirror will take you into a transparent dimension where you will encounter trials...and somepony who will demonstrate those trials. There, you will be tested if you are being true to your element. If you fail these tests, you will perish; however, if you pass them, you six will be enabled to annihilate me.” Discord explained. “What about me, Batman, the princesses, and Shining Armor?” Spike asked. “Ohhh, hahahahaha!! You remaining five will be in another dimension to face different challenges! How could I forget that! Hahahahaha!!” Discord laughed, snapping his fingers to make another mirror appear. The Mane Six looked at each other with brave expressions before glaring at the Lord of Chaos. “We accept your challenge, Discord. But don’t think we’ll be weak enough to fail those trials.” Twilight warned. “Yeah! Once we stop you, we will have the greatest villain defeat party EVER!!” Pinkie added, hugging her friends tightly. Fluttershy looked directly at Discord’s eyes with tears flowing on her face. She also gave a short gaze on her nearly-healed stab wound on her wing. She then slowly changed her sad feature to a fierce glare, although she was careful enough to not use the Stare on Discord. “You and Joker will pay for all the crimes you committed in Equestria. I will never forget what you did to us...to MEEEEE!!!!!!!” she angrily shrieked at the top of her lungs. The Mane Five were startled by her sudden outburst but not surprised as they were used to her sudden change of mood. Her fierce emotion though cracked a devious smirk on Discord’s face. “Neither will I, Fluttershy...” Discord hissed. The first mirror began to shine blue as it opened a passage for the Elements. Looking at each other and nodding, the Mane Six entered the mirror. The passage closed. The second mirror opened its passage for Batman, Spike, Shining Armor, and the princesses to enter. Once they all entered, the portal closed behind them. Discord then cackled, lighting bolts shining behind his throne. “This is going to be FUN!!” he said. Batman and his team saw themselves standing on a glass. Above them was nothing but deep darkness; the only thing that was shining was the glass floor although it flashed in bright blue color. It helped them see in the darkness. “Where are we?” Spike asked. “I have no clue. We’re in some sort of...glass dimension. But I have a feeling that we will be heading into some trouble.” Batman said. “And trouble you shall get, Batsy!” an enthusiastic voice called out. They swiftly turned their heads to see The Joker sitting in his clown throne. However, there were three things that arrested Batman’s attention: there were two swords being held by two people standing next to him. A man stood on his right side, and a woman stood on his left side. Finally, a wallpaper was behind his throne: the picture of Gotham City engulfed in flames. Batman widened his eyes in shock as he recognized those two people. He never thought he would see them alive again. “Harvey? RACHEL?!” Batman shouted.