//------------------------------// // Chapter 20: The Right Choice // Story: The Dark Knight Falls // by TheClownPrinceofCrime //------------------------------// “Harvey? RACHEL?!” Batman yelled in shock. The Joker jumped down from his throne and grabbed his scepter. “You recognize this lovely couple, don’t you? The very ones you failed to save? It really made me wonder if you are actually the ‘protector’ of Gotham.” Harvey and Rachel held their swords like knights and stood beside The Joker. Celestia, Luna, Spike, and Shining Armor were slightly surprised to see two more people whom Batman is very familiar with. Batman clenched his fists in seething anger. “Let them go now! This time, I won’t let you harm them.” he said defensively. “Oh no, no, no, no, I am not going to hurt them. They are going to harm you.” Joker clarified, grinning. Harvey, who still had his face disfigured, menacingly approached him with his sword in hand. Rachel did likewise on Batman’s right. “Here’s the challenge, Batman. You are going to fight your former friends—with nothing held back. Non-negotiable. If you manage to kill them, then your cartoon friends over there will see who you really are.” Joker explained. “But...if they kill you, then there will be no Batman to prevent chaos!” He laughed crazily. “Batman, don’t worry! We can help you!” Spike shouted. Joker, however, pointed his shotgun at him and the others. “I don’t think so, dragon boy. Making one attempt to help your precious Batman will risk you kicking the bucket.” Joker threatened. “Batman, behind you!” Shining Armor warned. Rachel swung her sword toward Batman’s head, but he ducted from the blow. He stepped backward from both of his deceased companions. “You left me to die...you left me to DIE!!” Rachel screamed before swinging her sword at Batman again. He dodged the blow before front-flipping to another spot. “Look at what you did to ME!!” Two-Face cried. “You let that maniac Joker maim me! After everything we’ve been through, THIS is how you repay me?!” Batman realized that they weren’t the real Rachel and Harvey as this was all an illusion. Nevertheless, their harsh words stung him and guilt-tripped him. He again remembered his agonizing failure of saving Rachel from The Joker’s clutches. What hurt him equally was Harvey’s fiery disfigurement and transformation to Two-Face. Seeing illusions of them with the intent of killing him felt as if the whole world was turned against him. Relishing the look of torment on his arch-nemesis’ face, Joker sat back on his throne while aiming his shotgun at Spike and the rulers. “I love this job. I love it!” he smiled. Two-Face swung his sword at Batman; the latter blocked his attack with his arm before punching him on his unburned side of his face. Rachel then attempted to impale him on his chest, but Batman grasped it and threw her against the wall. He dropped her sword on the ground. Suddenly, a bullet struck next to his feet. He looked back to see Two-Face with his revolver pointed at him. He threw his batarang right at his gun’s barrel. Two-Face pulled the trigger only for the gun to end up being blown up. It burned his entire hand. “AHHHHH!!!! It burns!!!” he shrieked. Batman grunted in frustration; he hated to even hurt the very ones he loved, especially Rachel. He was strictly determined to not kill either of them no matter how dire the situation was. Willing to prove Joker wrong, he aimed for the initiative. He activated his crystal magic where he brought both Rachel and Harvey to the ground. They desperately tried to resist his magical grasp but utterly failed. He levitated them up in the air where he made stern eye-contact with them. “Harvey, Rachel, listen to me! I know that I failed to be the protector you always knew me to be, but I have done something which you have never known!” Batman passionately spoke. Spike and the rulers listened eagerly. “Harvey, after your death, I took the blame for your crimes and made Gotham turn against me; I refused to let the secret be manifested to the whole city. Do you know why? Because I believed in you, Harvey. You were the true hero Gotham really needed. You did more than I ever could to save Gotham.” Batman explained. Harvey was amazed at the revelation. His closest ally took the blame for him and maintained his reputation? Never in his time on earth did he imagine him making such a tremendous sacrifice although it was based on a lie. Harvey looked at his old friend with tears in his right eye. “Batman, I...thank you...but does that mean you forgive me? You forgive Gotham for its corruption?” he asked. “I do.” Batman replied. “I d-don’t even know what to say...it’s too late to correct my life now...” Harvey lamented. Suddenly, his face started to heal completely with new skin. “You know that Gordon and I tried to save you, Rachel. Time ran out for the both of us.” Batman said. Rachel looked emotional as she saw him become open and upfront with them both. “I’m so sorry...(sniff)...I don’t know what I was thinking. You never failed Gotham, and you never failed me...or Harvey.” Rachel sobbed. Batman then gently brought them down on the ground. Once they smiled at him, they both vanished from sight. Spike, Celestia, Luna, and Shining Armor were dumbfounded after hearing everything Batman had done. “Wow...you are the most selfless hero I have ever seen! Way more impactful than the heroes I’ve read all the time in my comic books!” Spike acknowledged. Batman nodded to him and slightly smiled. The Joker angrily overthrew his throne and pointed his shotgun at the Spike and the rulers. “FINE!! Have it your way then! If I can’t torture you through those whimsical lovebirds, then I’ll just do it by killing those horses and that dragon myself!” Joker yelled. Batman immediately shot his crystal beam at Joker’s shotgun, exploding it to pieces. He then grabbed his grenade launcher, shot about six grenades at the walls and ceiling. “GO!” he commanded. He jumped out of the portal with the dragon and rulers following him. Once they were out of the mirror, they saw the Mane Six standing together on the thundercloud. “Batman! Guys! You’re all okay!” Twilight shouted. “Twilight!” Shining replied. Brother and sister embraced each other tightly while their tears were rolling down. “Thank Celestia you all made it out okay!” Rarity smiled. Twilight hugged Spike, then the princesses, and then Batman. “This mirror will explode any second! We need to get down fast!” Batman warned. “Don’t mind if I do!!!” Joker yelled, jumping out of the mirror and tackling Batman off the cloud. “BATMAN!! We got to save him!!” Twilight panicked. She and her friends teleported off the cloud. After thirty seconds, the mirror exploded—wiping out the entire cloud. Batman and Joker punched each other repeatedly while falling until they landed on a grassy hill outside of Ponyville. They continued fighting as they rolled down the hill. The Mane Six, the Royal Sisters, Spike, and Shining Armor appeared just on the same spot the duo were. “Catch me if you can, Batsy!” Joker said. He kicked him off of him and dashed to the Everfree Forest. “Batman! Are you all right?!” Pinkie asked. Batman looked up and saw his friends running down the hill to meet him. “I’m fine.” Batman grunted. He pressed his electronic key that signaled the Bat-pod to come to his location. Once he got up, he faced the ponies somberly. “I will fight The Joker alone. All of you stay here and protect the other ponies. Make sure none of them leave their homes until I defeat him.” Batman commanded. “Alone?! In the Everfree Forest?! You can’t!” Applejack protested. “What if you die?!” Rainbow added. “If that’s what it takes to stop him, than so be it. Trust me, you will be saved.” Batman said seriously. “Please Batman...don’t do this alone...” Twilight cried. The Bat-pod suddenly arrived and Batman seated himself on it. Celestia put her hoof on Twilight’s shoulder and comfortably smiled to her. “Don’t worry, Twilight. Batman knows what he’s doing. He’s dealt the likes of The Joker before.” Celestia assured. Loud thunder was heard; lightning strikes were flashing across the sky as a thunderstorm arrived. Batman readied his Bat-pod before glaring at the Everfree Forest. “You wanna get nuts? Come on, let’s get nuts.” he growled. Then he drove off to the forest to make his last stand.