Well, as you can imagine, Twilight did not take the news of Spike being kidnapped very well. She was furious, and wanted to teach The Joker a lesson he'd never forget. But Applejack talked her out of it.
"Batmare is the only one who can stop him. If The Joker wants her that badly he'll most certainly get her." Applejack said.
"Yes, but how do you know The Joker can be trusted? What if he doesn't keep his word" Twilight asked.
"Don't you worry about that Twilight. I'm already on it." Applejack reassured her friend.
"You are?" Twilight asked.
"Yes. And don't worry, something tells me that The Joker's not going to go back on his work " Applejack replied
"Please promise me that Spike will be okay. I'm so worried about him." Twilight pleaded.
"That, I can do with no trouble." Applejack said confidently "Pass word to the rest of our friends. Leave everything to Batmare. She'll make sure that so called Clown Prince of Crime has nothing to laugh about."
"You'll never get away with this Joker!" Spike said sternly. He was currently tied to a chair with strong ropes, which he tried, in vein to break free of. He and The Joker were currently inside the Ponyville Clock Tower. Celestia's sun was just beginning to set.
"Funny, I think I already have." The Joker chuckled.
"Just you wait, Batmare will come!" Spike shouted.
"I know. In fact, I'm counting on it." The Joker said with a smile "I've waited a long time, but I'm finally going to get a chance to kill the one responsible for ruining my life. You were the perfect bait to lure her out of hiding."
"Oh yeah?! Not if I break free!" Spike boldly proclaimed.
"Don't bother, I've already made sure that won't happen." The Joker explained "These ropes are the strongest ropes ever created. Your claws aren't strong enough to rip them apart."
"Well, what about my flame breath? You didn't think about THAT did you?!" Spike asked.
"You think I'd be dumb enough to forget?" The Joker asked "It's like you don't even know who I am. I already magically enchanted those ropes to be fireproof. Even the hottest flames of a fully grown dragon wouldn't be able to affect them. You're gonna stay right there til this is all over with. But, just so you don't 'blurt out' during the show" The Joker used his magic to levitate a piece of tape over Spike's mouth, effectively silencing him. "Silence is golden, as they always say." The Joker laughed.
Spike could do nothing, except sit and wait for Batmare to come and rescue him.
The Joker headed up to the roof of the clock tower, as the moon began to rise into the night sky. "It won't be long now." he said to himself.
And it wasn't. "Pardon me." an angry voice said "Have you ever danced with the devil on a pail moonlit night?" The figure who said voice belonged to, punched The Joker firmly in the face.
"So there you are." The Joker said "I've been expecting you. About time really, I was starting to think you'd never show up."
"Well, I'm here." Batmare said crossly.
"Ah, good. I did so want you to be here." The Joker said, flashing a grin at Batmare.
"What do you want from me?" Batmare asked.
"Patience Batmare, patience." The Joker said "First things first. You know something Batsy, I've been doing some thinking. There's just one teeny tiny little problem with our relationship."
"Oh yeah?" Batmare asked "And that would be?"
"YOU ALWAYS WIN!" The Joker shouted "You always have to come along and spoil my fun, no matter what it is that I do. But tonight, that changes."
"Don't count your chickens before they're hatched. You haven't beaten me yet Joker." Batmare said firmly.
"I know." The Joker said happily "Isn't the anticipation of it all just simply killing you?!"
"Hardly." Batmare said, then a thought struck her "Since I'm here now, and there's no one else around, ain't you gonna take my mask off and find out who I really am?"
"Batsy, I'm so disappointed in you." The Joker replied "If I did that here and now, I'd be reducing my greatest (not to mention only) nemisis to a mere mare. And where's the fun in that?"
Batmare humphed "Your ridiculous logic is something I doubt I'll ever understand." she said crossly "So, if you haven't brought me here to unmask me, what DID you bring me here for?"
"I want revenge!" The Joker proclaimed "You ruined my life, and now you're finally going to pay for it! The only payment I'll accept is your life!"
"Whatever happened to you in the past, I doubt I had anything to do with it." Batmare said.
"You idiot! You created me! I'm not lying!" The Joker said angrily.
"Oh really?" Batmare asked.
"Yes!" The Joker hissed "I'm that poor sap you knocked into the vat of chemicals during that break in! And don't tell me to just forget about it! I've tried that, it doesn't work!"
"What are you talking about? I think I'd remember a face like yours." Batmare said "Unless, you're telling me that the stallion in that red hooded costume was YOU!"
"So you finally figured it out huh? Well, better late than never." The Joker said "And now, now you'll pay the price for your intervention!"
"You do realize that I was the one who tried to save you right?" Batmare asked.
"That was just your attempt at covering your tracks!" The Joker hissed "As far as I'm concerned you don't deserve to bear the title of superhero! If it weren't for the fact that every supervillan needs a superhero I wouldn't even call you my nemisis!"
Batmare sighed "Well, moving on. Let Spike go and we'll set this once and for all!" she boldly proclaimed.
"No can do I'm afraid." The Joker said "Spike is my prisoner, and he's gonna stay locked up until I decide otherwise. And don't think I'm going to just tell you where he is. If you want to save your friend you're going to have to get past me!"
"Well, if that's what has to happen then fine by me!" Batmare said.
"I knew you'd say that!" The Joker said "Let's go!"
"I've got no time for games Joker!" Batmare said "So don't try any of your little tricks."
"Oh, you mean like this?" The Joker asked, spraying acid from his trick flower.
"Exactly." Batmare said, dodging the spray and punching The Joker hard in the face. The Joker stumbled back.
"Nice one, but let me show you what a real punch feels like!" The Joker groaned. Before Batmare had a chance to react she was hit with a boxing glove attached to an extendable pole. "Now that's what I call a punchline." The Joker chuckled to himself.
"At the rate this is going this shouldn't take long." Batmare proclaimed "This ends with you behind bars."
"Not a chance fancy pants!" The Joker taunted, and lunged at Batmare.
Before Batmare had a chance to react The Joker had pinned her down, and began to strangle her.
"Well, where's all that fancy talk now?" The Joker asked "Got nothing smart left to say? No final bold words of defience? I've waited all my life for this moment! And now it's coming to me all too easily! So Batmare, speak now, or forever hold your peace! I'm all ears!"
"Ha ha." Batmare muttered.
"What?" The Joker asked.
"You heard me. Ha ha." Batmare said, and used her superior strength to push The Joker away. She was lucky to be alive, but she made sure not to let The Joker know this.
The Joker was furious. Just a few more seconds and Batmare would've been dead. "You're really starting to get on my last nerves! I hate you enough as it is, but you seem willing to push my hatred of you to the breaking point!"
"Is that so? Well I understand your feelings are hurt, but there's nothing you can really do to stop me." Batmare said with a smile
"I will not, and can not accept that!" The Joker yelled, rushing forward. Batmare quickly stopped him with a good punch to the face. The Joker doubled back in pain. "My nose! I think you broke it!" he said, covering his face with his hooves "Like my face wasn't ruined enough already!"
The Joker worried so much over this that he couldn't see where he was going. But Batmare noticed, he was stumbling backwards towards the edge of the clock tower. "Blueblood watch out!" Batmare shouted.
"I told you not to call me that!" The Joker said "My name is The Joker!" As he shouted those last words he finally lost his balance, and plunged over the edge.
Batmare rushed forward in a state of panic, expecting to see the splattered remains of her arch nemisis smeared onto the ground. But instead, she saw what looked like a trick rope. "What the hay?" she asked herself. Then there came a familiar chukcle. Batmare looked down, and saw The Joker dangling in mid air. The trick rope being the only thing that had saved him from falling to his death. "What's so funny?" Batmare asked.
"The simple fact that you actually came to see if I was dead. It confirms that you won't kill me. Even out of some greater good." The Joker chuckled "And you wanna know what? I won't kill you, if only because you're too much fun to have around."
"What?!" Batmare asked, completely confused by this supposed "revelation".
"I didn't realize this until just now, but without you I'd be nothing." The Joker explained, laughing all the while "If you weren't always trying to stop me I'd probably just go around ripping off street gangs and such. The Cops and The Royal Guards would just view me as a pest. I'm the yang to your yin, and your the yin to my yang. And if I were to leave you wouldn't have anyone around who could truly challenge you. You complete me, and make me who I am. It's funny, how I can go from wanting to kill you for ruining my life. To letting you live because I now realize you're a part of my life that I can't do without."
"I think he's finally lost it." Batmare thought to herself, as The Joker laughed wickedly.
"What's the matter Batsy? Cat got your tounge, or should I say 'Bat'?" The Joker asked, laughing even harder.
"Where's Spike?!" Batmare asked "Tell me!"
"I'm still not gonna tell you!" The Joker said "Feel free to search the whole clock tower for him though. Who knows, maybe you'll find him, maybe you won't. Or you could just stay here and try to wring a solid answer out of me. But I can't gurantee I'll spill the beans. And the exact knowledge of whether or not he's here might have slipped my mind."
"He'd better be alive, for your sake!" Batmare threatened "Stay there!"
"That's all I can do! Don't mind me Batsy, I think I'll just hang around! Get it, hang around?!" The Joker said, laughing like someone who had just gone completely insane. Which was exactly the case.
Spike wasn't sure how much time had passed since The Joker had shut him up within the clock tower. He was sure it was at least a few hours though.
At last he heard an unfamiliar, yet friendly voice. "Are you in here Spike?" it asked. All Spike could do in reply was mumble as best he could.
Batmare was relieved to see that Spike was unharmed, and she quickly set to work on freeing her favorite baby dragon. Good thing her utility belt came equiped with a swith blade knife.
Spike was relieved once he was freed, and the tape across his mouth had been removed. "Thank you Batmare." He said, expressing his gratitude.
"Think nothing of it sugarcube." Batmare said happily, flashing a warm and friendly smile.
"Sugarcube? There's only one pony I know who says that on a daily basis." Spike said, putting two and two together "Applejack? Is that you?"
Batmare removed her mask, revealing the familiar orange coat and blonde mane that Spike knew, and saw almost every day. "So, you figured it out." Applejack said happily.
"Applejack, I'm so glad you came." Spike said, hugging his friend tightly "But what about The Joker? What happened to him?"
"He's lost his mind." Applejack said.
"I can't say I'm shocked." Spike commented "The guy was a total nut case from head to hoof."
"That's for certain." Applejack said, and she and Spike promptly laughed. Then Applejack had an idea. "Say Spike, since you know my secret identity and all, feel like lending me a helping claw?" she asked.
"What do you mean?" Spike asked.
"Want to be my partner? Every good superhero needs one." Applejack said.
"I guess." Spike said "I've always wanted to be a super hero! But, what should I call myself?"
"Well, whadya say we head on back to The Batcave and we'll discuss everything." Applejack said, escorting Spike out of the clock tower as the Ponyville police department arrived to arrest The Joker. "First thing's first, we'll probably have to talk to Granny Smith, and see if she thinks me taking on a student is a good idea."
The Joker was arrested, convicted, and hauled off to Canterlot Asylum. Where he was to remain for the rest of his days, in a specially designed solitary confiment cell.
As for Spike, it took some convincing. But when both Twilight and Granny Smith eventually said "Yes." he was allowed to join Applejack as her crime fighting partner.