This is a new era of heroes, the era of the Justilce League. But as a new kind of hero appears, also a new kind of threat.
This is a new era of heroes, the era of the Justilce League. But as a new kind of hero appears, also a new kind of threat.
As Diamond Tiara does her best to balance her hero-self with her normal self, a new, powerful foe appear, and he's obssesed with 'playing' with Batmare.
In the meantime, Cheerilee struggles with a problematic student, and all her attempts to help her being blocked; and Princess Luna does her best to protect the sanity of her chosen knight.
In the one-room schoolhouse, the colts and fillies watched Miss Cheerilee with varying degrees of disinterest as she used her mouth to write a short but complex equation on the chalkboard. After she spat the chalk back into the tray, she said with her normal exuberance, "I know this looks very difficult, but, if you were paying attention, you will find that the solution is actually easy. Who would like to try solving this for the class?"
A lone forehoof spring up from the sea of students. Cheerilee said, "Please come to the board, Sweetie Belle."
Groans could be heard from the rest of the class as the filly bounded to the front of the class with unwarranted enthusiasm. Sweetie Belle studied the equation carefully and then closed her eyes. For her, the world around her seemed to slow to a crawl as she envisioned the equation. Her cerebral implants boosted the speed of her thought processes and allowed her access to a virtual whiteboard and calculator. Step by step, she grouped like terms, unwinding functions until all that was left was the variable and its value.
In real time, the bulk of the class looked on in contempt as Sweetie Belle picked up the chalk in her green magic aura and tore through the solution in less than a heartbeat. She smiled innocently at the teacher and asked, "Is that right?"
"That is very good, Sweetie Belle. Most students have trouble with this concept the first time around, but you did everything perfectly."
The filly gave a soft giggle and said, "I just did everything you taught us. I could almost see the answer begging to be set free. Sometimes I feel like I have a second brain helping me."
Scootaloo stifled a giggle as she winked at Sweetie Belle. The pegasus nudged Apple Bloom and whispered, "Go on. See how easy it is?"
The earth pony groaned, "Ah don't feel so good."
Sweetie Bell said, "It's only math, Apple Bloom."
The redhead replied, "Ah got a stomachache or somethin'."
With concern, Cheerilee asked, "How bad is it?"
Shaking her head, Apple Bloom replied as she rubbed her tummy, "Ah think some of Granny Smith's herbal tea might work."
Cheerilee rang the schoolhouse bell three times, paused, and repeated twice. She said, "Nurse Redheart will be here shortly. Why don't you lie down in the back of the class?" Apple Bloom complied and settled into a more comfortable position.
Cheerilee looked at the rest of the class and said, "Who want to try a problem next?"
Scootaloo said, "If she can do it, I can do it." She approached the board as Cheerilee wrote another equation. The bulk of the class watched with interest as she struggled through the problem. On a couple of the steps, Cheerilee gave a hint, but the filly solved almost all of the problem by herself.
Encouraged by the performance of the least intellectual Crusader, the rest of the class, for the most part, raised their forehooves to ask for a turn. Cheerilee beamed; this was the sort of enthusiasm that had drawn her to teaching.
A rumbling snore snapped her out of her reverie. A pink filly was slumped over her desk with her face in an open notebook. A line of saliva leaked from her mouth and smeared the ink.
Gently, Cheerilee said, "Diamond Tiara, it's time for you to go to the board."
Groggily, the filly went to the board and completed the problem in a minute. She returned to her seat and continued dozing, drooling over her opened notebook.
Cheerilee watched with concern. The students had accepted their slumbering classmate as the new normal. Cheerilee, however, saw beyond what the students had noticed. The teacher had not been surprised when the filly missed half a school year after her parents had died. Any foal would have been devastated by such an event. Having the filly repeat a grade was also to be expected, given the long absence. What worried the teacher was that Diamond Tiara showed all the signs of being repeatedly abused.
For almost a year now, Diamond Tiara had spent her days in class asleep. Clearly, she was exhausted. Something was keeping her up all night. Something was leaving her with a multitude of well-concealed injuries. It was not uncommon for her to stumble in with limp. The cuts and bruises did not come a loving family.
Cheerilee was at her wit's end. She had tried talking to the filly without success. Her butler and tutor, Randolph, had been equally tight-lipped. Reports to Foal Protective Services had been duly filed, and, apparently, ignored; every time she asked for an update on the case, she was told that the matter was confidential. This was particularly troubling; someone in the government knew what was going on and letting the abuse continue.
When she rang the bell to signal the end of the school day, Cheerilee decided to try a different tack. As the students streamed out the door, she said, 'Silver Spoon, could you please stay for a moment?"
The gray filly looked confused, but she stayed behind while her classmates made their escape. She watched, puzzled, as Cheerilee shut the door. Silver Spoon asked, "What's the matter, Miss Cheerilee?"
The teacher replied, "I'm sorry to keep you after class like this, but I have to ask. Have you talked to Diamond Tiara lately? Can you tell me what is wrong with her?"
Shaking her head, Silver Spoon replied, "I haven't talked to her in a long time. These days, she only talks to Scootaloo or Sweetie Belle, and only after they wake her up."
"I thought you were friends."
"So did I! She won't even let me near her. I . . . I told her if she wouldn't talk to me, we couldn't be friends." Silver Spoon sniffed. "She just shrugged and walked away."
Cheerilee put a comforting forehoof on the filly's withers. "She's hurting more than you might imagine."
"Why won't she talk to me? Why doesn't she want to be my friend anymore? Is that what happens when your parents die?" Gently, Cheerilee embraced the sobbing student. "I don't know, Silver Spoon. It hurts me to see her that way. There is something wrong, and I want to stop it. But I don’t know how.”
That night:
The nondescript train sped along the tracks from Manehattan to Canterlot. A casual observer would have dismissed it as an ordinary freight train. A casual observer would have been wrong. This was the armored transport for the First Bank of Manhattan. Its boxcars were filled with bags of golden bits, the weekly payroll for the Royal Guard. The locomotive was special, the latest in magical transport technology, fast, quiet, efficient. The train itself had both magical and conventional armor, resistant to all known forms of attack. It could easily shrug off anything all but the most determined and well-equipped robber could throw at it.
The earth pony crew consisted of the traditional five members. The conductor was in charge of all operations. The engineer drove the train, with the firepony as his assistant. The head brakepony attended all of the miscellaneous tasks in the locomotive, while the rear brakepony performed the same duties in the caboose.
Confident in the autopilot's capabilities, the quintet gathered in a boxcar and studied the manifest. The conductor said, "That's a total of a thousand bags. What does that make everypony's share?"
The firepony replied, "At 2000 bits per bag, that puts us 400,000 bits each. Not bad for one day on the job."
The head brakepony snorted, "You got it wrong. The boss is going to want a quarter as his share."
The engineer grumbled, "It just figures that we take all the risks and he gets the biggest share."
The rear brakepony replied, "You gotta admit it takes some serious juice to get a fake train crew on board a maximum security train. He gives me the creeps, though. Seriously, what kind of pony dresses like a clown?"
A loud thunk got everypony's attention. "What was that?" asked the brakepony.
The conductor said, "I don't know. Let's split up and see what that was."
The five fanned out, carrying daggers in their mouths. A whizzing sound caught their attention as each lamp shattered in turn, blanketing the interior in darkness. The tension in the air ratcheted up. The crew now knew they were being hunted. It has to be one of the new vigilantes. The Arrow was bad news. His bloodthirsty reputation was well-founded. More than one untouchable had met their end at his hooves. The bat was worse. She didn't kill. She showed her victims there are fates worse than death.
The crew activated the glow crystals sewn into their uniforms. The eerie green light cast shadows down the length of the cars. Looking up, the rear brakepony saw a metal bat-shaped blade embedded in the wall. He yelled around his dagger, "Show yourself, Batfilly! I'm not afraid of you!"
A harsh voice whispered in his ear, "How many times to I have to tell you? I'm Batmare!"
The thug looked up, only to receive a powerful kick between the eyes. As he screamed in pain, the vigilante dropped from her tether on the ceiling, landing on pressure points on his back. Before he could recover use of his limbs, she had him hobbled.
The conductor's thrown dagger struck Batmare squarely in the barrel and clattered harmlessly off her armor. He instinctively ducked under her ascender's grapnel as it passed over his head. He had barely drawn another dagger when the winch activated, burying him in a rack of coin bags.
The head brakepony hurled bag after bag at the vigilante while the engineer and the firepony retreated to the locomotive. Deftly, Batmare dodged the attacks and subdued the pony with a buck to the jaw. Quickly, she hobbled him before going to restrain his partner.
Softly, the filly stepped toward the locomotive. She heard a scream of terror followed by hysterical laughter. Abruptly, silence reigned.
Cautiously, she used a telescoping baton to push the door open. Lying on the floor, the engineer and the firepony stared at her with lifeless eyes. Each had a grotesque rictus that was out of place with their expressions of terror.
Looking up, she saw a cloaked figure leaning against the back of the engineer's seat. It gave a soft and subtle chuckle that crescendoed into a maniacal laugh. For the first time since her parents' deaths, she was truly afraid. Boldly, she strode forward and said, "What sort of sick murderer are you?"
Suddenly, the cabin lights came on. This time, the maniacal laughter came from behind. Batmare executed a quick jump kick, giving herself some separation from the voice as she attacked the figure, which gave a loud pop before it collapsed. The new threat made her blood run even colder. His clothing seemed vaguely familiar; he wore a purple pork pie hat and a fringed purple poncho with woven designs in shades of gray. The pure white fur color was not unusual, but the venomous green curly mane and tail were. Eye shadow made his emerald green eyes look slitted, and bright red lipstick made his smile look like it had been cut into his face.
“Ah, you came! You actually came, Batsy! I was waiting for you!” cheered the strange pony. "Who are you?!" demanded Batmare.
The clown ignored her and walked to the engineer's corpse, turning it so that both its grin and his were facing the vigilante. With a chuckle, he said, "It's so hard to find good help these days. Can you believe he was actually afraid of clowns?"
Batmare felt a chill as the clown gave another maniacal laugh. She repeated, "Who are you?"
“Oh, just a pony who was dying to meet you, Batsy!” giggled the clown. Casually, he reached under his poncho before whipping a forehoof toward the filly. A rubber chicken with its head strapped to his forehoof went flying. Batmare dodged as she tried to deflect it with her baton. The body of the chicken snapped off the weapon and then slammed onto the metal wall, leaving a large dent.
The clown whipped his forehoof again. This time, the chicken slammed into the control panel, breaking it as it locked the throttle fully open. Batmare used the resulting jolt to launch a flying kick at her foe. He reached under his poncho with his other forehoof and whipped out a second rubber chicken that deflected her kick.
As Batmare landed, the clown whipped back his poncho, exposing a red boutonniere. A stream of weaponized limburger flew from its stamen toward Batmare's face. She dodged, only to run into the strike from the first rubber chicken. A low blow from the second knocked her off her feet. As she struggled to regain her footing, the first chicken slammed onto her back, knocking her back down. As he delivered blow after blow, the clown cackled, "How do you like that massage? HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!”
As she curled to protect her underside, Batmare deployed her mask's filters. Unseen, a small ball rolled from her utility belt over to the clown. It detonated, spraying him with tear gas.
The clown gagged, "Fuchi capesta! Lay off that cabbage!" Instinctively, he covered his nose with his forelegs. The chickens whipped around and struck him on the back of the head. Despite the pain, he laughed. "You don't disappoint, Batsy. You're every bit the special playmate I was hoping for. Let's have a toast."
What looked like a grilled cheese sandwich flew from a harness that had been covered by the poncho. The clown followed that with a whip of the forelegs. Batmare rolled under the attack and countered with a pair of batarangs. The now-decapitated chickens dented the metal walls while the blades hidden in the sandwich dug deeply into the back of the engineer's seat.
Batmare sprang at her foe, only to halt her attack as he flung his poncho at her. He said, "Ta ta, Batsy! Playtime's over for now."
The moment's distraction was all he needed to escape out the emergency exit window. Batmare moved to pursue. As she stuck her head out the window, she saw the clown holding onto a handle on the side of the locomotive. He shouted, "Not so fast, Batsy. This train's gonna crash into Canterlot in a minute. Who's it gonna be, me or them?"
Frustrated, she yelled again, "Who are the hay are you?"
His eye twitched. “You forgot about me, right? Have fun figuring that out!” With that, he released the handle. A raft of animal-shaped balloons inflated from his harness and lifted him away to safety.
Desperately, she tapped her commlink. "Doctor! Come in!"
"What is it?"
"I'm in a Magitek 500 locomotive with a blown control panel. How do I stop it?"
"Let's see. There's a maintenance panel on the floor two meters from the main throttle."
"I don't see any . . ." With a groan of annoyance, she cleared the corpses to access the panel. "Got it."
"Pull the yellow lever." Batmare complied and was rewarded with a solid clunk.
"We're still moving, Doctor."
"That disconnected the motor power. Push the red button for the emergency brakes."
Batmare's action was rewarded with the scream of brakes. Batmare looked out the front window. Two pinpricks of red showed there was other train on the tracks. She pulled a crystal from her utility belt. It projected the front view from her aerial transport and its control panel. Moving the virtual joystick, she centered the targeting reticle on a hardpoint on the caboose. With a flick of a virtual switch, she deployed the harpoons, firmly attaching steel cables to the train. She pressed the button on the virtual throttle, activating the thrust reversers. The aircraft screamed in protest along with the brakes as the pinpricks of light grew ever larger.
Slowly, she made headway against momentum. The wheels started to glow cherry red against the tracks. She could see the shock on the face of the rear brakepony looking from the caboose of the stopped train. He froze in terror as certain death screamed at him. Anticlimactically, the locomotive of the former runaway nudged the stopped caboose and coupled with the stopped train.
Batmare limped to the caboose of her train, making sure that the surviving thugs were secured before she exited. She climbed up the ramp of her transport as it hovered over the caboose. Once she was seated, she released the harpoons and flew away.
The transport's communicator crackled. "Little Miss, are you all right?"
"No. Prepare for urgent medical response."
"Is it that bad?"
"It's nothing compared to what Luna will do when I tell her how badly I botched this one."
From a distance, the clown watched the bat-shaped plane fly off into the clouds. He laughed as he withdrew a real rubber chicken from his harness and set it on his back. "Isn't she the perfect playmate, Boneless Number Two? This is the beginning of a beautiful friendship. HAHAHAHAHAHA!”
Wearily, Diamond Tiara cracked one eye open. The gold-trimmed alarm clock on her nightstand read five o'clock. The rosy fingers of sunlight that touched her cheek confirmed that the day had indeed broken. Her body vehemently protested as she rolled off the bed. It hurt to move. It hurt to stay still. It hurt to breathe. That pain, however, was not what forced her from her slumber. The humiliation of her defeat was more than she could bear.
She sighed. Her regular exercises would do more harm than good. She would have to try the earth pony centering routines that Apple Bloom had been teaching her. These were supposed to help her connect with her earth pony magic. No matter how hard she tried, though, she couldn't feel the spark that the redhead had insisted was there.
The filly frowned when she looked at herself in the mirror. The compression bandages that covered her barrel and hindquarters made her look like a mummy. Still, that did not prevent her from slowly flowing from pose to pose, purportedly opening up different pathways for her magic. If nothing else, each pose allowed her to direct force at a specific point while being firmly anchored.
Sweat matted her mane and tail when she was finished. A growling stomach set her priorities. She would have breakfast first, and then shower.
As she descended the grand staircase, she saw Randolph waiting with a tray with aspirin and orange juice. At the table after nights on the town, her parents had always joked that this was the breakfast of champions. If that was what they had needed after such celebration, she didn't want to find out what a hangover was.
Eagerly, she downed the proffered pills and chased them with the juice. Randolph said, "Little Miss, a Miss Cheerilee is here to see you."
Diamond Tiara choked. When she recovered, she sputtered, "M . . . Miss Cheerilee? Aren't you supposed to be at the schoolhouse this early?"
With concern, Cheerilee asked, "Early? What time do you think it is?"
"It's five in the morning. Can't you see the sunrise?"
"That's the sunset. I received a note this morning saying that you had to miss class today because of an accident. I came to see if you are all right."
Randolph hastily interjected, "Yes, I was explaining to Miss Cheerilee how you needed time away to recover."
Weakly, Diamond Tiara laughed. "It was just an accident, Miss Cheerilee. There's nothing to be worried about. Thank Celestia that it's nothing that Randolph can't handle."
"It's not just this accident that has me worried, Diamond Tiara. I'm not blind. I can see the bruises. I can see the scars. I don't care what anyone says; that is not love. This has to stop before it kills you."
Randolph said, "Little Miss, your teacher has suggested that we take you someplace safe, someplace far away from what is hurting you. Won't you take her advice?"
Diamond Tiara looked back to her teacher. "Miss Cheerilee, I know this looks bad, but . . ."
Despite having faced the worst that the Equestrian underworld had to offer, Diamond Tiara wilted under Cheerilee's glare. The teacher said, "No 'buts'. I've talked with Foal Protective Services more times than I care to remember. I've already talked to them about this latest 'accident'. The princesses will hear of this if it continues." Her gaze softened. "Please, Diamond Tiara, let me help. I can protect you. Any of the Element Bearers can protect you. You know where to find us." With that, she left the mansion.
“Thank you for your concern, Miss Cheerilee.” said Diamond Tiara, lowering her gaze.
After the door closed, Randolph said, "She really does care about you, Little Miss. She is right; you cannot go on like this forever. At least give yourself a chance to recover."
Shaking her head, Diamond Tiara replied, "It's my duty. It's the reason I'm here; I can't give this up."
"You must consider what those around you perceive, Little Miss. She is right; you are badly hurt."
Pointing to her bandages, Diamond Tiara continued, "This is nothing compared to what she is going to do." Stiffly moving to take on a regal bearing, she said, "Mine own Dark Knight, thy performance last night was a disappointment." Slumping down to a more comfortable posture, she said, "I can't fail her. I won't; too much is at stake."
A regal figure stepped from the shadows. "You have a talent for mimicry, Dark Knight, but that is a skill to be developed later. We must speak of your performance last night."
Diamond Tiara sighed as she gestured for Princess Luna to sit at the coffee table. The filly settled in on the seat opposite the ruler. Randolph returned with a tray with two soup plates of steaming Phrench onion soup, each with a giant crouton topped with melted cheese. He arranged the place settings on the short table before serving the meal.
Diamond Tiara attacked her dish muzzle-first while Princess Luna daintily levitated a soup spoon from the table. The filly lifted her dripping muzzle from her plate and said, "Delicious as always, Randolph."
Luna added, "Indeed." She directed her attention at the filly. "You are hurt much worse than normal. Was that part of the train incident?"
Downcast, Diamond Tiara said, "Yes. I thought it was going to be a routine train robbery, but that damned clown was waiting for me with his rubber chickens."
Raising an eyebrow, Luna replied, "A clown did this to you? Are you coulrophobic?"
"No! It's not what it looks like. That was a madpony wearing a disguise, and those so-called toys hit hard enough to break the train's controls."
"So, you say that he is responsible for the two deaths and the damage to the train?"
"I was too late to save the two in the cabin. The clown killed them before I got there."
"How did he best you?"
"That train was a trap, and I walked right into it. He was waiting for me."
"You have the best training and equipment."
"So did he. His moves and his weapons are different than anything I've seen before, and he caught me by surprise." Diamond Tiara sighed. "I could have caught him, but that would have meant letting the train crash into Canterlot Station.
Luna nodded. "I see. I will make hunting this clown a top priority. Also, you are to be commended for minimizing both the destruction and the loss of life to a minimum. Still, the president of the bank is up in arms over the thousands of bits in damage to his train."
"I'm sorry. I did my best."
"I know. Still, I must have you suspend all crimefighting activity until further notice."
"Wait. WHAT?!" screamed Diamond Tiara. "Anyone short of a metapony would have been killed by that maniac!"
Calmly, Luna replied, "I know. Crimefighting is the easy part. I have to take care of the politics. It's all I can do to keep Foal Protective Services at bay without revealing your secret."
"That's not fair!"
Luna replied, "Indeed, it is not. It is politics. It is only with great reluctance that my sister tolerates this new generation of heroes, and the collateral damage from your activities gnaws at her sensibilities. Remember, as much as you are my knight, you are also my student, and this last is the only reason Tia tolerates you, specifically. You must be both or you must be neither. Which do you choose?"
Angrily, Diamond Tiara crossed her forehooves. "What's her problem with me, anyway? I'm not the only junior superhero out there."
"Yes, but you are the only one without special abilities. You are the only one whose actions nearly cost another filly's life."
Diamond Tiara pouted, but she also nodded in reluctant agreement. "Fine."
"Make no mistake, Dark Knight. I am still proud of you, but you are still a filly. You have much growing to do in both body and mind." Luna sighed. "You must have more to your life than just fighting crime; go reconnect with your friends. The gray one with glasses is as heartbroken as you; she thinks you have forsaken her."
"I guess you're right," sighed Diamond Tiara. "I just wanted to keep her away from the danger my life has become."
"A life without risk is no better than death. Go to her, Dark Knight, for your sake as well as hers."
Diamond Tiara watched as Luna vanished into the shadows. The filly stared, lost in thought.
Canterlot outskirts, Abandoned Mansion:
The delivery cart outside the service entrance sagged ever lower as each bag was thrown in. A line of ponies extended from the cart to some place in the cellar. In the fashion of a bucket brigade, each passed the bag he received to the next pony in line. A rough-looking earth pony said, "Hurry, you mooks! We gotta get outta here before those damned vigilantes show up."
An equally disreputable pegasus replied between bags. "Relax. The boss would be long gone if he thought they were coming."
A unicorn mare said, "I don't suppose you'd make everypony's life easier and just give up."
The henchponies looked at the figure in black, shocked. The earth pony screamed, "Get her!"
Unimpressed, the mare whipped her bo staff, disabling the leader. "Come along quietly, and nopony will get hurt."
The thugs rejected the invitation and charged.
While the thugs were occupied, a blue-cloaked figure quietly ascended the stairs, reaching the study on the third floor. A stream of light bled through the crack at the bottom of the doorway. With a solid buck the stallion tore the door from its hinges and spun to level a drawn bow at the figure seated behind the desk. "Breaking Wave, you have failed Equestria."
The Arrow watched as the mob boss sat motionless behind the desk. The stallion was absolutely still, with a wide grin that was the antithesis of the terror shown on the rest of his face. The office was decorated with balloons and bunting, with a small layer cake on one side of the desk and a punchbowl and cups on the other.
Cautiously, Arrow walked in with bow trained on the stallion. Something tapped him on the left flank. He spun to face it, only to have his legs knocked out from under him from the right. As he fell, a meringue pie was plastered on his face.
The green-maned clown cried, "Wakka wakka!" As the Arrow struggled to remove the pie, the clown reached under his purple poncho an withdrew a rubber chicken attached by a strap on each foreleg. He slammed one onto the Arrow's barrel. "Aren't you too old for this kind of party?"
Arrow rolled away before the second chicken slammed into the floor, smashing a hole into the boards.
The clown dodged the blindly launched arrow. "You're no fun! I came here to play with the little bat filly. WHERE IS SHE?!"
The clown tugged at the chicken embedded in the floor. As he abandoned it, he said, "Alas, Semiboneless Number Four." Turning back to the struggling Arrow, he said, "I guess we'll find out why they say I'm a cutup." He threw aside his poncho, and from his harness he launched what looked like a grilled cheese sandwich.
A bo staff flew into the room and deflected missile. The blades hidden inside the bread embedded deeply into the floor, inches from Arrow's head. Canary telekinetically retrieved her staff and said, "Really, darling, you must get some fresh material." The clown easily jumped over the sweep at his legs.
The clown swung his remaining chicken at her. He dodged her staff as his blow went wide. "That's what I don't like to play with grownups. You have no sense of fun."
He flung a hoofful of small balls at the Canary and said, "Oh, look. I've lost my marbles."
Arrow managed to tear the pie free in time to see the balls detonate around Canary. He took great gulps of air as he launched himself at the clown. The green-maned figure batted him away with the rubber chicken.
Arrow flung an arrow that the clown easily dodged. The clown pulled a ribbon attached to the balloons. They flatulently deflated, filling the room with the scent of limburger and a noxious green cloud. The clown said, "Well, that's a gas."
Arrow tried to respond, but he found himself laughing uncontrollably. The corners of his mouth were being forced into a manic grin. The clown said, "You're just too boring. He whipped the chicken toward Arrow's head.
A scream filled the room blowing the clown and the gas out the window. He cackled madly as he reached under his poncho and pulled. A gaggle of animal-shaped balloons inflated, catching the wind that carried him away.
Canary rushed to her partner. "Arrow! What's wrong?" she cried. The vigilante could not stop laughing. Desperately, she cast a stasis spell; she could not hold it for long. She draped herself over him and pressed the cabochon cut onyx disk over her heart. In a flash of light, the two vanished.
Canterlot Castle, Intensive Care Ward:
It hurt too much for this to be death. Blue Blood weakly cracked open an eye as the scent of disinfectant assaulted his nose. The supposedly soothing decorations were uncomfortably familiar. He had spent an unpleasant convalescence in that very room after his battle with the Lost Generals.
As he opened his eyes further, he groaned, "Great. Not again."
"Blue Blood!" cried Celestia.
"Hey, auntie. What brings you here?" he quipped weakly.
"That's what we wanted to ask you," replied Luna as she walked to her sister's side. "We talked with Canary, but she was not much help. She burned out her magic trying to save you; she was very worried about you."
"As was I," added Celestia. "You have no idea how close you came to dying. It took every bit of skill my physicians had to cure you, even with my magic. What happened to you, nephew?"
Blue Blood groaned as his memories flooded back. "It was some creepy clown. He set up an ambush."
Luna quirked an eyebrow. "Did you say 'clown'?"
"I cannot believe that a mere clown laid you and the Canary low," added Celestia.
"It was no ordinary clown. He was just as skilled as me, and his weapons were unfamiliar to us."
Luna said, "Canary said something about the room being set up for a party."
Blue Blood groaned, "There must have been some sort of gas in the balloons."
Luna frowned. "I must talk with my Dark Knight."
Celestia said darkly, "Bring her here. She has much to explain."
"What? Why?" asked Blue Blood.
The princess held up a mirror. Torn away from the fur on his face was a simple message. "BATSY COME PLAY".
The throne room was not a pleasant place. Ordinarily, Princess Celestia would have been flanked by the Royal Guard, and the informal audiences would be conducted. This evening, however, she was alone with her sister as the elder princess waited impatiently for one of her subjects. The princess wanted answers, and the filly who had the gall to ignore a royal summons was holding them back. The princess had sent the summons with Sweetie Bot as her intermediary. The reply from the absent filly had been a terse, ‘Can't’. Celestia had followed up with a less than polite order. Now, the ruler waited for a response.
As Celestia shifted impatiently on her throne, her sister rose from her seat. Gently chiding the elder princess, Luna said, "I warned you that this was not the right time to summon my knight. Save for the poison, she is in the same condition as the Arrow."
Celestia replied, "I cannot simply sit idle. She will talk to me."
Luna nodded. "You have my word that she will come before you, but not on this day. Would you have Blue Blood dragged around Equestria in his condition?"
Celestia sighed. "I guess you are right."
The clock chimed ten times. Luna said, "I can delay my duties no longer. Please, sister, sleep on this before you do something you regret. I shall speak more with my knight on this matter."
Celestia yawned before giving a small nod. "You may be right, but I expect answers in the morning."
"It is time for the sun to go to bed, Tia. I will tell you what I discover."
Celestia stretched as she rose. She slowly walked to the door, pausing to put on her mask of imperturbability before stepping out into the hallway.
Luna sighed as her sister left the room. The lunar princess sealed the chamber before settling into a comfortable position on a cushion that that been concealed behind the thrones. She then closed her eyes and walked into the Dream Realm.
The dreamscape was a jumble of hopes and fears, possibilities and impossibilities. Through long practice, Luna had managed to arrange the dreams behind doors and windows, allowing her to walk into one dream while preventing it from bleeding into others.
As she scanned her domain, she breathed a sigh of relief. It would be a relatively slow night. A few ponies would need a nudge to push them to the correct sides of their dilemmas. A few foals needed their hooves held to work their way past their nightmares. Once she cleared these cases, she was ready to address a festering issue. There were two recurring nightmares that had manifested every night for months. She now had time to break the cycle.
Luna walked through a door of sorrows, where she found a gray-coated filly with a silver mane tied in a neat braid. The string of pearls that she wore and the expensive frame on her glasses showed that she saw herself as a pony of means. Her companion, a pink filly with a pale lavender mane with a white streak, showed off her wealth with a delicate tiara. The two were happily chatting with each other.
Silver Spoon, the gray filly, cringed as she found herself compelled to repeat the scenario she had suffered through for over a hundred nights. Try as she might, she could not break out of its grasp. To make matters worse, she remembered every detail even through her waking hours.
“So, Diamond Tiara,” said Silver Spoon to her friend, “are you coming to my birthday pool-party this weekend?”
Diamond Tiara smiled, and winked an eye at her friend.
“Of course, I will, Silver. I’ll ask daddy to get you the best present he can find. You’ll love it; I’m sure.”
Silver smiled, but her smile froze when she realized she was about to enter into the ugly part of the dream.
A thunderhead blotted out the sun. The rumble of thunder announced a powerful lightning bolt that struck the ground between the two fillies. A crack appeared in the ground between them. It slowly expanded, moving them apart.
Silver Spoon extended her hoof, offering it to her friend.
“Diamond Tiara, come on! Jump! We’re not that far! Jump!”
But, on the other side of the crack, Diamond Tiara turned her back on her.
“I’m sorry, Silver Spoon. You just aren't worth the effort.
The crack grew ever wider, sending the pink filly toward the horizon.
“NO, DIAMOND TIARA!” called Silver Spoon. “Don’t leave me, Diamond Tiara!! Jump! You still can!”
The rest of the world began to fall away as Diamond Tiara moved ever further. Soon, the only things left were Silver Spoon atop a narrow earthen spire, and Diamond Tiara on a similar structure, impossibly far away.
Princess Luna walked to the gray filly, who had curled into a ball, sobbing. She settled down next to the child and draped a wing over her.
“Princess Luna,” said Silver Spoon weakly. “Hello again. Sorry for keep bothering you with this dream.”
Luna replied, "It is no bother, little one. It is I who should apologize for not dealing with this sooner."
Silver Spoon leaned into Luna's coat. Between sobs, the said, "Why does Diamond Tiara reject me? After she faced her mother, I thought we were BFFs. When her parents passed, I made sure I was always there for her. Why does she push me away?"
The filly sobbed quietly as Luna held her closer with a wing. Silver Spoon continued, "Now, she only talks to Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle, and barely talks, at that. I thought . . ." The filly shook her head. "I'm sorry. I've told you this story a million time already."
"Do not be sorry. You cannot heal unless you open your heart."
"What do I do, Princess Luna?" asked Silver Spoon. "I just can't take this much longer." Luna replied, "Do not give up hope. Diamond Tiara is hurting as much as you are. She is trying to protect you. She is afraid that anypony who gets too close to her will be hurt. I will do everything in my power to help you both."
Silver sobbed again and nodded weakly.
As the skies cleared, Princess Luna transformed the dream into a party at the vacation house of Granny Spoon. Smiling, Silver Spoon joined in the festivities.
The door had transformed to one of joy when Luna exited the dream. She closed that door and then entered through a door of vengeance.
This dream was set at night in a back alley of Manehattan. A pink filly with light lavender mane with a white streak happily trotted between her mother and father. As they passed a broken streetlamp, a grim expression came to her face. This was the same dream she had relived for over a hundred nights. She refused to allow any other to intrude on her subconscious.
"That was a deplorable demonstration of modern theatre killing the art," complained the filly's mother. "The production team could have, at least, spent a little more on props. If nothing else, it would have given this mess something worthwhile."
Her husband rolled his eyes as he nuzzled his daughter. “Say what you want, Spoiled. Personally, I enjoyed it.”
“Daddy is right! Their acting was not the best, but they did what they could with the script,” said the little filly.
The mother shook her head in disgust. “Humph, sometimes I forget where my little darling gets her deplorable taste.”
A disreputable unicorn stepped from the shadows. His face was a blur, just as the filly remembered. A long, ratty coat covered his cutie mark. In his magic, he held a duck's foot pistol, threatening all three at once.
“The bits. Now!”
Calmly, Filthy Rich used a forehoof to reach for his bit pouch. He slowly tried to move to shield his loved ones.
"Stop right there," snarled the robber.
Filthy sighed as he obeyed. He tossed the bag at the robber's hooves.
The robber said, "The jewelry, too."
Spoiled said, "Mother Milk gave this to me. I shall not cast my pearls before swine."
"You give, or I take."
“Spoiled . . .” Filthy warned desperately.
“No, no, no, and NO!” declared Spoiled Rich. “A pony of my station would never stoop to reward such a hooligan!"
Noticing that the robber got angrier at every word Spoiled Rich said, Diamond Tiara tugged at her mother's leg. “Mother, please shut up!”
“Quiet, Diamond Tiara. I rather be dead than allow this pony to touch my pearls.”
The robber grinned. “You asked for it.”
Time seemed to slow to a crawl as the hammers came down. Spoiled stood with a look of shock while Filthy leapt at the assailant. The robber tipped up the barrels reflexively. Three heavy slugs cracked the sound barrier in their flight downrange. The one to the left tore its way through the stallion's chest. The one to the right struck the string of pearls on its way through the mare's neck. The one in the middle tore off the filly's tiara.
Time snapped back to normal as the dead weight of the stallion fell on top of the robber. With a hint of contempt, the robber rolled the body off and walked to what was left of the mare. He spat in her face before picking up the pearls in his magic. The daughter could do nothing but watch in horror.
The faceless robber gathered his spoils and walked away. As he approached a streetlamp, a small voice from behind cried, "Wait!" He turned. What was left of the parents was still there, but the filly was gone. When he turned back, a small figure dropped from the lamp's crossarm. As the figure fell, its cape spread like the wings of a giant bat.
“What?”
Batmare lunged, driving her forehooves into the robber's jugular groove, driving him back. Her forehooves dropped to the ground as she drew in her hind legs. She uncoiled like a spring, catching his chin in a handspring buck. Time again slowed to a crawl as she set up for the finishing blow. The mechanics played out in her mind. Leap to gain altitude. Draw in the legs to gather energy. Use momentum to add power as all four hooves strike out, going through the target.
At the apex of her leap, the dingy alleyway melted away, along with her costume. She landed on a picnic blanket in a peaceful meadow. She groaned in annoyance as she turned to face the architect of the change.
Gently, the Princess of the Night said, "You cannot live in the past, Dark Knight. You must leave this behind if you are to have any hope of moving forward."
"Why? Why can't you let me have my dream? That was not even a real pony!"
"It takes only a small step to start the slide into madness, Dark Knight. I cannot let you become what I once was. Do not cross the line between justice and vengeance. Do not become the very thing you are fighting."
Diamond Tiara stood defiantly. "I can't help it. This is my strength. This is why I fight. I cannot forget."
The air suddenly became frigid as the Princess of the Night grew in stature. Her coat faded to black as her pupils became slitted and sharp canines began to protrude from her mouth. In the Royal Canterlot Voice, she said, "Look at me! Do you think I have forgotten? Is this what you want to become?"
Downcast, the filly silently shook her head.
Luna said as her appearance morphed back to normal, "You are lying to yourself. That is not where your true strength lies. You must look beyond mere emotion."
“I know, I know! But it's not easy, especially after being beaten so easily.”
Princess Luna sighed. “I did not come here to bring up old arguments.”
Diamond Tiara frowned. “I know. I did not show up for the summons. I'm sorry, Princess Luna. I couldn't face your sister, not like this. I'm having enough trouble dealing with the beating that clown gave me. I'm afraid I would have said something stupid when Princess Celestia started blaming me for everything that went wrong."
Luna gave her protege a sad smile. "Don't worry about that, Dark Knight. You will have time to face her when you have recovered. I came here to apologize. I should have taken things more seriously when you told me about that clown."
“Did he appear again?” asked Diamond Tiara, curious.
“Yes. That is the reason Tia summoned you. Last night, he tried to lure you with an attack in Canterlot. Arrow and Canary confronted him, and he almost killed Arrow."
“What?!” exclaimed Diamond Tiara. “This is Arrow we’re talking about! He is one of the best fighters in Equestria, and he wasn’t alone! How could that clown defeat them?”
“Apparently, he set an ambush for you, and Arrow was already incapacitated before Canary showed up,” explained Luna.
“Impossible . . .”
Luna nodded. “No. The clown used poison gas. It took every resource Celestia could bring to bear to save Blue Blood. She does not appreciate such dastardly tactics used against any pony, let alone one who is practically her son."
“I see,” said Diamond. “So, the clown set that ambush for me, you say?”
“Indeed,” said Luna, thoughtful. “Tell me, Dark Knight, have you faced this clown before that night? Have you met before?”
“No. That was the first time. I swear!”
“Are you completely sure?” asked Luna.
Diamond Tiara was about to answer, then she stammered. “I . . . I can’t really tell. First time I saw him, I had a gut feeling that we had met before. I know I would have remembered that clown costume.”
"I need you to remember. We need all the information we can get on this menace."
"All right!" exclaimed Diamond Tiara. "Does this mean I'm not suspended anymore?"
Luna gave a small smile. "The Batmare still needs to heal. Until you have done that, work with your mind, not your body."
“Fair enough. What about the clown?” asked Diamond Tiara.
“We’ll let Dash to take care of him. This is clearly a job for a metapony. I would ask Spike, but he is off planet, according to Twilight Sparkle.”
“Well, at least everything is going to be fixed soon.” Diamond Tiara finally smiled. “You said this was a new age of heroes; we're sure to get more allies.”
“Maybe, but that means it is also a new age of villains. This is what Tia feared in the first place.”
Diamond Tiara frowned; she hadn’t considered that.
“It is almost daytime!” announced Luna. “Take care, Dark Knight. Consider this a vacation from the bat. Reconnect with your friends; that is the only way Diamond Tiara can find happiness again."
“I’ll try,” sighed Diamond Tiara.
“Also, go to Twilight Sparkle for help, please. That’s all I ask,” said Luna before disappearing.
The gold-trimmed alarm clock on her nightstand gave a melodic chime. With a yawn, Diamond Tiara opened her eyes. She silenced the alarm as she prepared for the day.
When she opened her bedroom door, Randolph greeted her with a small bow. "Good morning, Little Miss. Are you going to school today?"
"Yes, Randolph. Two days in bed are more than enough for me. Besides, Miss Cheerilee will be here with the princesses if I don't make an appearance soon"
"Very well, Little Miss. Your breakfast is waiting on the dining room table."
To everypony's relief, the long school day finally came to an end. Diamond Tiara was grateful for the buffer that Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo had provided between her and her overly curious classmates. While the colts and fillies had become accustomed to the vigilante coming in with cuts and bruises, her mummy-like appearance piqued their curiosity. The three fillies stayed behind after the others had left the schoolhouse.
“Hey, how are you doing?” asked Sweetie Belle with concern as the three made their exit.
“I’m fine, I guess. How is your sister? Is she all right?”
“She’s going to be fine!” assured Sweetie. “Blood is still recovering, but they're both looking forward to helping you put away that clown for good.”
“Thank Celestia.” Diamond Tiara smiled. “Hey, where’s Apple Bloom?”
“At the hospital, apparently,” explained Scootaloo. “Remember her stomachache?”
“Yeah?”
“It turned out to be an appendicitis. They got it out in time. Nothing to worry about.”
A gray filly was waiting for them in the schoolyard. Silver Spoon called her friend. “Hey, Diamond Tiara!”
She turned. “Oh, Silver. What’s up?”
“My parents are out of town for business for a whole week. Do you know what it means?”
Diamond Tiara gulped. “You're taking a quick vacation?” “No, silly! We're having a week-long slumber party!” said Silver Spoon. “Just the two of us, like the old times. Remember how much fun we had?”
The old times were only a year ago. It seemed like a lifetime.
“Silver, I . . .”
“You know the staff doesn't care about what we do. So, come on!” urged the gray filly. “We are still friends, after all.”
Diamond Tiara grinned. Perhaps it was time to take Luna's advice to heart.
“You know what? Let’s do it! I could use a change of pace!”
“I’m glad you agree,” said Silver, rushing home.
Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle looked at Diamond Tiara with concern. “Are you sure about this?”
“Yes, I miss this. And, Dash will take care of the clown, so I’m free. Now, come on! I want to finish all my homework before I go party!”
Diamond Tiara looked up at the crystal edifice with trepidation. Shimmering in the sunlight, it was bright and inviting, and one would expect from the Castle of Friendship. Shuddering, the filly could not decide whether she'd rather face the crazy clown instead of facing the princess who dwelled within. Princess Luna herself had ordered this visit, so the filly didn't have much choice. Besides, Diamond Tiara knew she could use advice from an expert. Setting her misgivings aside, she rang the bell at the service entrance.
A moment later, Princess Twilight Sparkle opened the door. If one ignored her wings, they could easily mistake her for the unicorn she once was as she stood bare-headed and unadorned. Smiling warmly, she said, "Good morning, Diamond Tiara. I take it you're not here for the latest issue 'Filly Nilly'."
Sarcastically, Diamond Tiara replied, "Of course, I am. Celestia forbid that I walk into a public library." Her withers slumped as she gave a sigh. "Princess Luna sent me here for help with my friendship problem." Slumping even lower, she continued, "As much I hate to admit it, she's right."
Stepping aside, Twilight said warmly, "Come on in. I just got a dozen cookies from Sugarcube Corner."
Twilight frowned as the filly passed. "You really should be more careful. This last 'accident' looks a lot worse than normal." Diamond Tiara grunted in acknowledgement as she walked to a cushion beside a low table and gingerly set herself down.
A moment later, Twilight joined the filly at the table, levitating a tray with milk and cookies. Using her telekinesis, she poured a glass of milk and set it, along with a cookie in front of the filly. With unbearably cheeriness, the princess said, "I'm so glad you finally decided to come over. Holding in all that emotion must be . . ."
"Where's Spike?" interrupted Diamond Tiara.
Wistfully, Twilight turned her head toward the window. "He's somewhere, out there. It's been three days since he's left the planet. I still can't used to the idea that my foal brother is now a superhero. He's still so young, but he's responsible for many worlds."
"I guess being a Green Lantern is a pretty big job."
"Sometimes, I wish he hadn't grown up so quickly," replied Twilight. "Still, I'm proud of him. Enough about Spike. What is your friendship problem?"
The pink filly stared at the ground as she mustered her courage. She looked out the window before directing her attention at the princess. "It's Silver Spoon, my best friend. I don't know what to do about her."
"What do you mean?" asked Twilight. "Did you two have a fight?"
Diamond Tiara reached into her mane, behind her right ear. She set a bat-shaped commlink on the table. "No. It's about who I've become."
"So, your extracurricular activities are interfering with your friendship?"
Holding back tears, Diamond Tiara nodded. "Being Batmare is a full-time job. Being a student is a full-time job. I don't have time for friendship; I have to sleep." She sighed. "I don't want to lose her; she's always been there for me in the good times and the bad."
Tears began to flow down Diamond Tiara's face. "When I lost everything, she was the first one to come to my aid; anything I needed, she was happy to provide."
Twilight nodded. "Then you became Batmare."
Diamond Tiara continued. "I still see Silver Spoon at school, and I can understand why she is so upset with me. Still, she hasn't given up on us; she even invited me to her house for a week. Thanks to Luna, I now actually have the time."
Nodding, Twilight said, "You should go. You should enjoy your fillyhood while you still can. To tell you the truth, I think all of you junior crimefighters would be better off waiting until you're adults." Diamond Tiara opened her mouth to object, but Twilight continued. "I know you can't do that any more than you can change your Cutie Marks. Still, friendship is important. You should go."
"I'm going; that's not the problem." Diamond Tiara sighed. Gesturing at the commlink, she asked, "How am I supposed to explain this? She's my best friend. She hasn't asked, but she deserves an explanation."
"I don't understand," said Twilight.
"What if I slip up and tell her about Batmare? I've never been able to keep secrets from her. It'd be better if she just forgot about me."
Twilight frowned, visibly annoyed. "You'd rather have her give up your friendship?"
"I don't know. If I tell her the truth, she might hate me. Worse, she might get some ridiculous idea, like joining me. Can you imagine how it would feel to have your best friend hurt because somepony wanted to harm you?"
Twilight glanced up at the alcove where a portrait of Starlight Glimmer was illuminated by a pair of candlesticks. "I don't have to imagine."
A gust of wind drew their attention back to the table. Rainbow Dash hovered above, finishing the rest of the cookies and milk. After swallowing, she said, "You know you have no right to complain, don't you, Batfilly?"
Huffing, Diamond Tiara replied, "That doesn't change the fact that I have a psycho clown after me."
Dash's expression softened. "I'm on it. I'm not about to let anypony else go through what I did with Reverse Dash."
Twilight stole another glance at Starlight's portrait before turning her attention back to Dash. "So, what brings you here so early, Rainbow?"
Rainbow Dash zipped out of the room and returned in a fraction of a second. "The same thing as last week. I want to see if the new 'Daring Do' book has been released."
Twilight chuckled. "No, Rainbow. You have to give A.K. Yearling a chance to have an adventure, first. Besides, you could always drop by and offer your help."
Shaking her head, Rainbow replied, "She's changed since the Arrow killed Cabelleron. When she found out I work with Arrow, she said, 'You . . .'" Rainbow looked over the Diamond Tiara, who was staring. Rainbow gave a nervous chuckle before continuing. "Let's just say she doesn't want anything to do with me. Apparently, Cabelleron was the only thing that was keeping her life interesting."
Twilight said, "Come to think of it, nopony's seen or heard from Yearling in a while. I'll have to make sure that she's all right."
Grimly, Rainbow replied, "She'd better be. Anyone who harms her will have to answer to me." The pegasus turned to Diamond Tiara. "Have fun with your friend. I'll make sure that clown doesn't get anywhere near you. I won't have anypony else going through what I did with Reverse."
For the first time in a long time, Diamond Tiara gave an honest smile. "Thanks. I think I know what to with my friend."
Twilight returned the smile. "I'm so happy for you.
Turning to Diamond Tiara, Dash asked, "Could I borrow a few of your toys?"
Puzzled, the filly raised an eyebrow. "Sure."
Canterlot, that night:
Word of the Arrow's defeat had spread like wildfire, and it seemed that every two-bit criminal had come out to celebrate. Every shadow seemed to hide a mugger, every doorway a burglar. With the resident vigilante incapacitated, they had free rein to plunder the city. One by one, they came to understand that they were working under an incorrect assumption as the found themselves hanging upside down from lampposts, waiting for the Royal Guard to collect them.
Dash wore a satisfied smile as she continued with her primary objective. One advantage of her super speed was that she could afford to address the minor distractions while searching for the killer clown.
As she continued her patrol, she muttered to herself, "If I was a crazy clown, where would I hide?" She continued flying as she pondered. Frustrated, she cried out, "Come on! Give me a sign!"
A shaft of light blinded her as she passed through it. Instinctively, she flew up and away before hovering at a safe altitude as her vision cleared.
Looking down, Dash traced the light to its source. The searchlight had been installed on the roof of a mansion that had been abandoned after the Arrow had retired its owner.
Puzzled, Dash followed the shaft of light upward. What could it be tracking? The light stopped against a cloud. Inside the circle of light was the silhouette of a bat with the words "COME PLAY".
A multi-colored streak of light followed the beam to its source. It was time to party.
Ponyville, Silver Spoon's bedroom:
Two fillies lay back on matching lounges, enjoying avocado mask and cucumber facials. Diamond Tiara gave a satisfied sigh as the treatment drew away the stress of her new life. Smiling Silver Spoon said, "I'm glad you came, Diamond Tiara."
Blindly, Diamond Tiara turned toward her friend and said, "You've said that, like, ten times already." She sighed. "I'm glad I could come."
"You don't know how much I missed you," replied Silver Spoon. She frowned at the ensuing silence.
A knock at the door broke the awkward silence. Silver Spoon got up to open the door while Diamond Tiara rolled over to watch.
The earth pony butler announced, "The snacks you requested, Miss Silver."
Smiling, Silver Spoon said, 'Very good, Manesworth." With that, the filly tugged the cart into her room and closed the door.
Diamond Tiara looked at the contents. There were a stack of graham crackers, a bowl of marshmallows, and a plate of chocolate bar. A small brazier, two spatulas, and several skewers were also included. Puzzled, the filly asked, "What's this?"
Giggling, Silver Spoon replied, "I thought that as long as were camping out in my room, we should make s'mores." Rushing to the window, the filly said, "What is that?"
Diamond Tiara walked over and looked. She shivered when she saw the image projected on the cloud.
Concerned, Silver Spoon gently leaned against her. "Are you all right?"
Diamond Tiara nodded. "That b . . . bat startled me."
Silver Spoon drew her into a hug. "I know you're afraid of bats. But I bet that was for Batmare! Wouldn't it be great to be a hero like her?"
Diamond Tiara drew away. "No!"
Silver Spoon looked shocked at her friend's reaction. "It's all right, Diamond Tiara. She's really a mare, not a bat."
Diamond Tiara moved back toward her friend and awkwardly hugged her. "It's not that. She's almost been killed so many times. I don't want that to happen with you."
Silver Spoon returned the hug. "Everything will be fine. This is Ponyville, remember? Can you even imagine Batmare having anything to do with fillies like us?"
Canterlot, abandoned mansion:
From the shadows, a black-clad figure watched as the clown balanced on his hind legs on a giant beach ball while he juggled three knives. Turning to the rubber chicken on his back, he said, "Do you think she'll get my invitation, Boneless Number Two? I do so hope that Batsy will come to my party."
The figure frowned. There was something familiar about that clown. Those moves were somehow familiar even though the stallion was not. Regardless, it was time to start the party.
The clown turned his head toward a flicker of movement. He flung two of his knives in response. They clattered to the floor along with the batarangs they had intercepted. He gave a chilling laugh. "Welcome to the party, Batsy! We've been dying for you to come."
A whirring from behind caught his attention. His third knife dropped a third batarang. He said, "I think I smell a bat . . . there!" Reaching under his purple poncho, he strapped his rubber chickens to his forelegs as he leapt at a shadowy corner. The heavy bodies of his doctored toys splintered the floorboards, but his quarry was not there.
The clown growled, "Come on, Batsy. Come out and play."
A soft giggle seemed to come from everywhere.
"I get it! You want to play hide and seek. Ready or not, here I come!"
The clown carefully stalked about, slamming a fake rubber chicken into each hiding place he encountered. A buck to the rear sent him flying into the wall. "Tag! You're it!"
The clown twisted around, looking the black-clad figure in the eye. "I told you at the last party that I wanted the bat to come play. You should know it's rude to come to a party uninvited."
The figure shrugged. "My invitation must have gotten lost in the mail."
"Have a few more," said the clown. He flung his forelegs back, slipping off the rubber chickens and exposing a harness under his poncho. A hidden mechanism launched a pair of invitations at the figure. To his surprise, they seemed to go through the figure and embed themselves into the wall.
The clown laughed. "Nice trick! I can do magic, too, even though I don't have a horn like yours." He somehow drew an impossibly large layer cake from under his poncho and launched it at the figure's face.
The figure sidestepped, and then moved to charge. "Hey!" she cried. "I'm stuck!" Looking down she could see the gloss of a quick-setting adhesive.
A party hat dropped over her head before she looked up. The clown cackled, "Try getting that off, Miss Unicorn; that'll block even an alicorn's magic." He retrieved his rubber chickens. "Now, tell me where Batsy is hiding. I see her toys everywhere."
The figure pulled a batarang from a hidden harness using her mouth and flung it at the clown. It barely had enough power to drop at his hooves. "She's staying home like a good filly."
"No, no, no, no, no!" exclaimed the clown. "She's the guest of honor! I guess I'll just have to leave her a reminder of what happens to party poopers." He retrieved his rubber chickens and swung them menacingly as he approached the trapped figure.
As the clown closed in, the figure asked, "Don't you want to say hello to the guest I brought along first?"
The clown spun around and called, "Come out and join the fun!"
"Let him have it, Boneless Three!"
The clown turned back in time to catch a face full of rubber chicken filled with lead weights. As the last vestiges of consciousness slipped away, he moaned, "Not you, Boneless."
As he dropped, the flower pinned to his poncho squirted out a noxious stream of weaponized limburger followed by a puff of poison gas. The figure flapped previously-concealed wings and blew the mess away. She then blurred for a moment, revealing a more colorful costume. She said, "Canary sends her greetings, too." She slammed Boneless on him once again to ensured that he stayed subdued.
Dash sniffed contemptuously. "Luna was right. You'd spill the beans if you thought your victim was helpless.'
"I'd better see what other surprises he has on him." In a cyan blur with rainbow-hued highlights, she stripped all the clothing and equipment from the clown. Under the poncho, he had a harness with weapons made to look like clown's props: a boxing glove on a mechanized arm, a joy buzzer set to kill, a flower that squirted acid, and much more. The real surprise, however, was what lay underneath. Dash said, "I know that Cutie Mark! Your colors are wrong; you're supposed to be orange with a brown mane and tail. What happened to you, Cheese Sandwich?"
Canterlot Castle, maximum security cell: The clown woke to find he was looking up at the face of a disappointed Princess Luna. He tried to move, but he was strapped down like a sacrifice on an altar. Laughing, he asked, "Is the party over?"
"It is for you, Cheese Sandwich. What is your grievance with my Dark Knight?"
Shaking his head, the clown replied, "No, no, no. Cheese Sandwich dyed; Batsy sure he was all white. No Cheese, no more. Maybe curds? No whey! Now, it’s only …"
Silence hung in the air for an awkward minute.
With exaggerated patience, Luna asked, "What is it, Cheese Sandwich?"
"Not butter, too solid for cream. Is tofu really a thing? Maybe jelly; I'm on a roll!" The clown gave a maniacal laugh.
"The humor in the situation in lacking," deadpanned the Princess.
The clown shifted tactics. "Knock, knock!"
"This is neither the time nor place for frivolity."
"Fine. Be a party pooper!"
The clown spoke in a poor imitation of Luna's voice. "Who's there?"
He continued, "Good question! I have absolutely no idea now." He filled the room with another chilling laugh.
Luna sniffed. "A fool would cut with wit. A jester would delight the audience. You, Cheese Sandwich, are no more than a joker."
Another maniacal laugh filled the air. "Joker. I like it! I knew there was a funny bone somewhere under the frown."
Luna said, "Enough with the jokes. Did my knight paint your fur?"
"No, she missed the punchline." Another chilling laugh filled the air.
"That's not what you said earlier. Did she attack you?"
"I'm too weak to say."
"What does that have to do with anything?"
"I'm not strong enough to face the truth!" He gave another laugh. "Do you get it?"
Luna frowned. "Let's see what makes you tick." Channeling a spell not used in over a thousand years she entered Joker's mind. It was a jumble of nightmares, each incomprehensible, but each ending with a vision of the Dark Knight as it faded to white.
"There is no saving this one." Turning to the unicorn guards, she said, "Prepare him for transport to the psychiatric ward."
The guards pointed their horns at the Joker. He gave a maniacal grin as he waited. His world faded to black.
There’s a party at the city, and everyone should come!
In the pre-dawn darkness, Diamond Tiara woke with a start. Something was wrong. Had she overslept? Wait. This wasn't her bed. The warmth of the embrace was comforting. The scent was familiar. Silver Spoon? Of course! This was a sleepover. There was nothing she really had to do except go to school. The filly turned to look at the clock; its glowing hands showed four o'clock.
Muzzily, Silver Spoon said, "What's wrong? It's not even morning yet."
Diamond Tiara laughed softly. "Everything is right. It's just been such a long time since I've had this much sleep."
"What do you mean? We were up super late."
"You're right. Sorry to wake you."
Silver Spoon snuggled against her friend. "G'night, Diamond Tiara."
"Good morning, Silver Spoon." Each filly gave a wide yawn before falling asleep.
Promptly at seven o'clock, the magic glockenspiel banished sleep for another morning. A pair of maids burst into the bedroom and carried the fillies out by the scruffs of their necks and carried them to the waiting step-in bathtub. Manesworth announced, "Breakfast will be served in one hour." As the fillies were scrubbed from nose to tail, Diamond Tiara said, "This was always my favorite part of the sleepovers."
Silver Spoon giggled, "This the only way to go for a pony on a schedule."
Mere minutes later, the two stepped into the drying station, where a built-in charm separated water from fur and deposited in the drain. The maids brushed and combed, completing the grooming for the pair.
As Silver Spoon put on her glasses and pearl necklace, Diamond Tiara looked puzzled. "Hey, this isn't my tiara." The item in question was woven from silver wire with small diamonds set in as accents. Two pieces were featured in the center, a tenth-bit and a small pearl.
Silver Spoon said, "I was waiting for the right moment to give this to you. I know how much you miss your parents, so I made something so you could keep a little bit of them wherever you go."
"I . . . I don't know what to say."
Silver Spoon set the tiara on her friend's head. "How about 'thank you'? Come on, let's go to breakfast. I can just feel that this will be a great day."
As the pair walked to school, Silver Spoon could not help but think how everything seemed, clearer, fresher, nicer. Could that truly be the result of a good night's sleep. Silver Spoon startled her when she said, "I can't wait for tonight; I have all sorts of scary bat stories to tell you."
Diamond Tiara replied, "Bats are scary, but clowns are worse."
"How can that be?" asked Silver Spoon. "They make ponies laugh."
Shuddering, Diamond Tiara said, "Believe me, you don't want to know."
In the one-room schoolhouse, seeing Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara together again gave Cheerilee a bit of hope that she hadn't felt since her student's tragedy. While this was a solid first step in the youngster's recovery, she still had a long way to go. Cheerilee could not understand why Foal Protective Services had taken no action on such an egregious case. Even a blind pony could see that Diamond Tiara was being abused; the filly should have been placed in foster care months ago. Every time the teacher tried to move the case forward, she was stonewalled.
During the first recess, Cheerilee frowned when she saw Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle approach their old tormentors. The way Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara had carried on in class had led the teacher to believe that things were getting back to normal. However, "normal" also meant that the rich fillies would be picking on the Cutie Mark Crusaders again. From a distance, she watched for any hint of trouble.
Out of Cheerilee's hearing, Scootaloo said, "Hey, Diamond Tiara." In an icier tone, she continued, "Silver Spoon."
"What do you want this time?" asked the pink filly with a hint of exasperation.
Sweetie Belle said, "You're invited to Twilight's castle this afternoon after class."
"Are you serious? I have plans with Silver Spoon already. Go have fun without me."
Silver Spoon said, "That's all right. We can go there first, DT."
Scootaloo shook her head. "It's private."
The rich fillies glared at the pegasus.
Scootaloo continued, "The princesses want to talk to you."
"They've been yelling at me for three days straight! Can't I have even one day's peace?"
Sweetie Belle replied, "We're just the messengers."
Diamond Tiara deflated. "I know. I'm sorry."
As she watched Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle walk away, Silver Spoon asked, "What is going on?"
"Apparently, I'm still in some sort of trouble with the princesses. We're still on for tonight; I'll be over as soon as I can."
Silver Spoon protested, "Let me go with you; I can't let you face them alone."
Sighing, Diamond Tiara replied, "I can't. Believe me, I'd be in even more trouble if you came."
The other twowere about to leave, when Diamond Tiara asked. “Hey, how’s Apple Bloom?”
“Still at the hospital.” said Sweetie Belle. “There was a complication with her procedure, and she would have to stay at the hospital for a bit longer. But, the doctor can handle it. Before you realize, she’ll be with us again.”
“Good to know.” said Diamond, as the two left.
Like any good castle, the Castle of Friendship had its share of secret escape tunnels. Diamond Tiara entered the one with a spare costume. Minutes later, Batmare stepped out of Spike's closet. From there, she went to Starlight Glimmer's old room and shut the door. She then tipped back the head on the bust of Haycartes and pressed the button that was hidden underneath.
The armoire swung back to reveal the War Room. Unlike the throne room, this was meant to be accessible only to a privileged few. The middle of the room had a large table that featured a projection of the Cutie Map. The chairs around it had different markings, each depicting its intended occupant. To Batmare's dismay, almost all were occupied. Befitting her role, Princess Twilight sat between Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. Arrow sat next to Celestia while Canary sat by his other side. Sweetie Borg sat next to Canary, while Dash sat between her and Alicorn Marevel. Next to Marevel was an empty seat for Green Lantern. The last empty seat was next to Luna. With a sigh, Batmare walked to take her place next to her mentor.
To Batmare's surprise, a visitor chair had been set behind Twilight. The Dark Knight asked, "Pinkie Pie? What are you doing here?"
"Waiting for you, silly."
Without a hint of fear, Batmare looked directly at Celestia and said, "If this is about the train, I take responsibility for what happened. It was only thing I could do to save Canterlot Station."
The solar princess said, "We're here to talk about the clown."
"What can I tell you? The first time I saw him was on that train." The others all eyed her skeptically.
Luna said, "Think carefully, my knight. You said he seemed familiar for some reason."
"I already told you, I don't know why."
Pinkie Pie suddenly appeared in front of Batmare, looking her in the eye. "Are you sure?"
Defiantly, Batmare replied, "Positive."
Eyeball to eyeball, Pinkie Pie said, "Are you sure you're sure?"
"Yes!"
"You don't remember even a smidgen about Cheese Sandwich?"
Batmare backed up in shock. "Cheese Sandwich?!"
Haughtily, Arrow asked, "What did you do to that maniac?" Gently, he touched the still-healing scars that the clown had inflicted on his face.
"I saved his life."
"What?!" came from the astonished others.
"It was in Manehattan. I'd tracked some would-be bank robbers to a cheese factory next to a Manehattan First Bank branch. I was on a catwalk over a vat of cheese sauce when one of them blasted me into Cheese Sandwich and knocked him into the vat. I fished him out before he drowned."
Celestia raised and eyebrow. "Cheese sauce?"
Batmare shrugged. "For internal use only, I guess. It's good to eat, but not to touch. I don't think I even want to know what's really in it. My suit and the emergency shower saved me from it. Cheese Sandwich was soaked in the stuff for more than a minute before I could get him out and clean him off. Now that I think about it, his fur was already beginning to change color when I left."
Twilight's brow furrowed. "You must have been the last thing he saw when he was drowning in that madness. That must be why he blames you."
"If you already know who the clown is, why did you have to drag me in during my recuperation? You're the ones who keep saying I need time to be a filly, and the second I actually start having fun, you make me stop."
Luna replied, "That was never our intention, my knight."
Canary added, "Every time somepony questions him about his motives or his background, he gives some sort of nonsensical story."
Celestia finished. "There is only one common thread: you."
Dash said, "It's like you're always there, looking over him, making him want to do the things he does."
Batmare pursed her lips. "And where is he now?"
"He is safely locked away," replied Luna.
Celestia said, "He's in the same maximum security cell where we had Arrow. We have him in the straitjacket and restraints meant for those who would be a danger to themselves or others."
Worried, Batmare said, "You do realize that Arrow escaped in less than twenty-four hours."
"He's on the long road to rehabilitation," said Celestia.
With a touch of anxiety, Pinkie Pie asked, 'Do you suppose I could visit him?" Her mane deflated when the others replied with sad smiles.
Luna said, "Nay, Pinkamina Diane Pie. The stallion you knew as Cheese Sandwich is gone. All that is left is the Joker."
As the party pony's mane and tail began to straighten, Twilight held her close under her wing.
Canterlot General Hospital, Psychiatric Wing, Maximum Security Ward:
Despite the padded walls, the maniacal laughter traveled the length of the hallway. Nurse Riker turned to Doctor Mindset and said, "Can't we do anything about him?"
The unicorn doctor replied, "With the amount of tranquilizer we've given him, he shouldn't even be awake. If we give him any more, it'd kill him."
"He's upsetting everyone on this floor."
The doctor groaned. "I'll see what I can do."
The doctor opened the door to the maximum security cell. The surfaces were all padded, but an examination table had been added. The clown had been fitted with a straitjacket and a muzzle. His barrel and his hind legs were both strapped to the table. The surface had been tilted at a seventy degree angle, allowing him to recline while being almost upright.
The clown turned his head and said, "Doc, you gotta help me! I can't move my legs!"
Drily, the doctor replied, "Yes, you've proven to be a danger to staff. We must keep you restrained until we're sure you won't attack us."
"We have a chicken and egg problem here."
"After all you've done, do you really expect us to trust you?"
"I mean Boneless Number Two over there is going to have kittens. Have you ever tried to hatch a cat?"
The doctor rolled his eyes. "Princess Luna gave us some more information about you. I'd like to talk with you about how you came to be this way."
"Why worry about the past? Every time I try to remember I come up with something different. Face, it; yesterday's history and tomorrow's a mystery. Today is a gift, though. That's why they call it the present."
"I did not know you were a philosopher."
"Well, I have to add something to my schtick. After seeing the Dash, every day is a slow day."
The doctor instinctively recoiled at the maniacal laugh that followed. "Come now, Cheese Sandwich. We have to have a good idea of where you came from in order to get you where you are supposed to go."
"Hey! If we're going to dig into my past, at least let me choose the one that I like. I want the one where I met the bat on the street and hit a home run."
The doctor tried to keep a neutral expression. "We can't help you unless you tell us the truth."
Quietly, the clown said, "Doc, come here. There's something I have to get off my barrel."
The doctor rolled his eyes and moved next to the clown. "What is it?"
The clown whispered. Annoyed, the doctor leaned in so that he could hear. The clown yelled, "Your stethoscope! It's freezing!"
As the clown laughed maniacally, the doctor left in disgust. As the doctor slammed the cell door shut, Nurse Riker said, "You've only been in for less than half the session."
Levitating a clipboard with the chart from her, he replied, "There's no more progress that I can make today." Absently, he patted a pocket. "I thought I had a pen with me."
The nurse replied, "Here, use mine."
As the two returned to the office, the clown waved his tail. The pen it held was just the right size to undo his restraints.
The new shift was greeted with eerie silence. Curious, the duty nurse went to the nearest cell. It was empty. Concerned, she went to each in turn. They, too, were empty. The last one was not. Her scream would not be soon forgotten.
Canterlot, Nightfall:
Word of the hospital escape spread soon after dark. The Royal Guard was out in force, but so were the escapees. A typical scene played out in a secluded park as couple went on a romantic stroll by the lake. Four thugs dropped from the trees, landing in front of them with knives at the ready. Hastily, the couple retreated, only to have four more thugs drop from the trees behind them, menacing them with knives held in their mouths or with their magic.
One of the unicorn thugs asked, "What was it the boss told us to do?"
An earth pony thug in the other group said around his knife, "He said to party."
A third thug stepped toward the couple. "What do you say we have a little fun?" He yelped when he found his forehoof pinned to the ground.
"You have failed Equestria!" intoned the Arrow as he dropped in front of the couple.
"Get them!" yelled the leader. Knives flew at the Arrow, who managed to riposte with each shot in rapid succession.
A black figure dropped down behind the couple and deflected the knives with her bo staff. At the four thugs collapsed on her, she repelled them with a single word: "NO!!"
As the couple fled, Arrow and Canary hobbled the criminals. Arrow grumbled, "It looks like the escapees have teamed up with the local gangs."
Sweetie Borg's voice crackled over the commlink, "They're breaking all of the shop windows! There are so many of them!"
Canary replied, "Something tells me this is just the beginning."
Cloudsdale, Nightfall:
Scootaloo decided there was nothing quite like having a real family as she flew between her adoptive parents. A familiar voice crackled over her commlink, "Hey, squirt. We have a situation in Canterlot."
"Be there in half a shake."
Windy looked at her sternly. "Make sure you get something healthy to eat; you need to keep your strength up."
The filly replied, "I've got it under control."
Bow said sternly, "We expect you back by eight. It's a school night, after all."
"But Dad . . ." Scootaloo received a glare in return. "Fine. I promise I'll do what I can."
Her parents gave her a warm hug. Windy said, "But most of all, come home safely."
When the three broke their embrace, Scootaloo flew behind a cloud and cried, "SHAZAM!"
Alicorn Marevel appeared and then flew to Canterlot with all due haste.
Castle of Friendship, War Room:
Twilight Sparkle smiled grimly as she tracked the action on the projection of the Cutie Map. Zooming in, she saw a hot spot. She said, "There's a sniper hidden on Mane Street between Harvest and Vine. Marevel, draw them out. Dash, nab them."
"On it, Princess."
"You got it, Twi."
Turning to another area she said, "Sweetie Borg, the fire department is overwhelmed. Connect to the hydrant fifty meters in front of you and spray full blast over the Unification Building at a sixty-degree angle."
"Thar she blows!"
Her eyes opened wide. "Canary! Buck it!" A satisfying crunch came over the speakers.
"I'd say that was a two for one shot."
Arrow came over the commlink. "What's the next target?"
"Sewers. Jump!"
Twilight braced for a long night.
Ponyville, Town Center:
Manehattan could be described as the city that never sleeps. Ponyville, however, rose and slept with Celestia's sun. After dark, the streets were all but empty. Nopony was out to greet the pasty-faced aerostat with poison green hair and a maniacal leer.
Over an array of loudspeakers, a maniacal laugh boomed. "Batsy! Batsy! Come out and play!"
Curious residents peeked their heads out their windows. A voice cried out, "It's a crazy clown!"
"Run for your lives! We're doomed!"
"The horror! The horror!"
In any other locale in Equestria, this would have been an unprecedented disaster in the making. In Ponyville, it was just another Tuesday. In a well-choreographed dance, shutters slammed shut, windows closed, and lights turned off.
Silver Spoon’s mansion:
Two fillies lounged inside the fort they had built built from bedsheets and sofa cushions. They were having fun in the way only colts or fillies could manage.
Silver Spoon giggled, "And then Mother said I was acting like a foal. Can you believe that?"
Diamond Tiara nibbled her slice of artichoke heart and gorgonzola pizza. "So, what did you do?"
"I told her if she didn't like it, she should get out of my fort."
"The paired shared a laugh. Diamond Tiara couldn't remember the last time she was this happy, but she didn't care. She was finally having fun.
Their laughter abruptly stopped when the bass thump of an explosion shook down the fort. The friends looked at each other and said, "It must be Tuesday."
"Jinx!"
Silver Spoon said, "Let's see what it is this time."
The fillies went to the window. The glow they saw in the distance could only mean one thing.
Aghast, Diamond Tiara said, "Canterlot is burning."
"Then what was that big boom?" asked Silver Spoon.
When she heard the laugh, Diamond Tiara's blood ran cold. The clown's voice said, "Baaaatsy! Come out and play! You missed your party, Batsy! I know you're out there somewhere!"
Looking up, the two saw the aerostat decorated with the clown's face. To their horror, they saw something large drop from the gondola. Silver Spoon gasped, "That's a clown?"
Diamond Tiara threw herself over Silver Spoon. She winced as the ensuing explosion raked pieces of safety glass through her fur.
"Come out, come out, Batsy!" Another laugh filled the air. "It's just you and me. All your meta friends are at their own party in Canterlot."
After a brief pause, he said, "So, you want to play hide and seek? I'll count to 200 and then start taking away all your hiding places, one by one."
An ebullient voice came over the loudspeakers. "Come on, Cheese Sandwich. Don't you remember me?"
"Who are you? How could an earth pony get up here?"
"I flew, silly. I brought along someone you should remember. Say 'hi', Boneless."
A loud zipping sound game over the speakers. The clown growled, "Say 'hello' to my little friend."
*CRASH*
"You."
*SMASH*
"Imposter!"
*WHACK*
"Stay still, you pink monster!"
*CRUNCH*
"Cheese! We're friends!"
*SMACK*
"Leggo, you pink maniac!"
"Can't you see I'm a fellow party pony, Cheese Sandwich?"
"I"
*THUD*
"am"
*SNAP*
"the"
*CRACKLE*
"Joker!"
*POP*
"Tell me you meant to hit the gondola release," said the not-so-bubbly voice.
Manesworth led Silver Spoon away from the window as the magic-powered Ponyville-rated safety shutters slid shut. He said, "Let's get you to safety while the authorities handle this."
Manesworth replied, "She was galloping through the kitchen."
Silver Spoon needed no further prompting. She shot through the back door a split-second before it was shut and sealed.
Heedless of the mayhem, she galloped at full speed along a familiar path. At stately Rich Manor, she flew past Randolph at the front door and slammed into the pink filly who was staring at the family portrait above the mantle.
As Randolph shut the door behind her. Silver Spoon flailed wildly at her friend. Diamond Tiara offered no resistance. The gray filly screamed, "Why?! What are you!? Friend?! Not friend?! Bully? Coward?! Traitor?! Why?!"
Randolph cleared his throat. "Little Miss, you must decide who you really are."
"You're right," replied Diamond Tiara. With unexpected suddenness, Silver Spoon found herself pinned to the floor. Diamond Tiara continued. "I am, and always will be, your friend. I thought I'd lost everything, Silver Spoon. That damned clown just reminded me how much I have to live for."
"What are you talking about?"
"If I do nothing, I lose everyone in Ponyville. I lose you. If I do something, the princess will take me away from you forever." Diamond Tiara nuzzled her friend. "I guess this was never about finding happiness."
Diamond Tiara released her friend. Silver Spoon asked, "What do you mean?"
The pink filly pressed bricks on the fireplace in sequence, and a panel beside the fireplace swung open, revealing an elevator car. Stepping inside, Diamond Tiara said, "I don't care what anyone says. I don't care what anyone does. I will do what I have to do to keep Ponyville safe. I'll do what I have to do to keep you safe."
"Wait!" called Silver Spoon as she crowded in next to her friend.
Diamond Tiara said, "Please, Silver Spoon. Stay out of this; it's the only way you'll be safe."
Silver Spoon replied. "No. You're my friend. Where you go, I'll follow."
When the car stopped, the door opened. Black shapes flew past, startling Silver Spoon. "B . . . bats?" she stuttered.
Strategic lighting revealed that the fillies were in a cavern inhabited by bats. Neatly arranged was equipment far beyond the sophistication one would expect in the Royal Canterlot Crime Laboratory. A brown earth pony stallion was busily working on a mechanical device. Vehicles for air, land, and sea sat, ready to go at a moment's notice, each sporting bat wings. The centerpiece, however, was a rack with a costume set next to a ponyquin with a cape and cowl.
"What is all this?" asked Silver Spoon.
The pink filly walked to the ponyquin. "This is what I've been trying to protect you from." She began to don the costume. Turning to the earth pony, she said, "Doctor, can you keep her safe?"
Doctor replied, "It'll take more than a mad clown to get to us."
"I don't understand," said Silver Spoon. "Can't you stay here with me?"
"This is what I do. This is who I am."
"What is that?"
The pink filly pulled down the cowl, covering her mane and eyes. With a flourish of the cape, she turned to face her friend. In a voice feared by the underworld, she said, "I'm Batmare!"
Only the craziest or the bravest of ponies would have braved the explosions to watch the gondola succumb to the clutches of gravity. As the Joker floated gently down, buoyed by a bevy of bestial balloons, he cackled wildly as what was left of his airship embedded itself into the ground with a resounding thud. "Hahahahaha! Finally, that crazy pink maniac is gone for good!"
A rhythmic whump caught his attention. His nemesis flew around him in a pylon turn, riding a hoof-powered helicopter that seemed to have giant candy canes as its main structural members. She cried out, "Don't do it, Cheese! You can still be the party pony you were meant to be!"
He shouted, "How about an invitation to a necktie party, Caballeron-style?" He flung a pair of envelopes with razor-sharp inserts straight for her throat. To his surprise, they were deflected away by a single apple.
From the ground, Applejack shouted, "That's cutting things too close, you varmint."
The clown hurled a pair of bright red balls at her. She reared up to protect her face as they detonated on the ground, throwing her back. "How you like them apples, farmer?" He gave a chilling laugh. "You would not believe how long I've been waiting to use that gag."
As he touched down, Pinkie Pie dropped between Applejack and him. "Please, Cheese, don't you want to see ponies smile?"
Joker gave a bone-chilling laugh. "No, no, no, no, no. Everypony should party hard . . . AND DIE LAUGHING!" Lethal cheese sauce squirted from his boutonniere, whizzing harmlessly past where Pinkie's head had been. A swipe from a rubber chicken went for her head while another simultaneously went for her legs. The pink party pony somehow flattened between the two arcs. Three razor-sharp invitations flew at her. She casually swept them away.
With tears forming in her eyes, Pinkie Pie's mane and tail straightened. "You're gone, really gone, aren't you, Cheese Sandwich?"
Joker abruptly stopped. He pulled out a hoofkerchief and stepped toward the party pony. "There, there. Don't cry."
A voice that was rarely heard above a whisper roared, "DON'T YOU DARE!"
The dagger hidden inside the hoofkerchief went wide as Pinkie sprang toward the voice. Joker locked eyes with the yellow pony staring at him. Fluttershy continued in a more controlled volume. "You should be ashamed of yourself. Now sit down and wait for the guard ponies."
The staring contest continued for a minute. Joker's eyes narrowed. "I'd rather see you dance!" He flung a hoofful of marble-sized spheres at Fluttershy.
Pinkie Pie sprang up in front of her friend and batted the balls back with Boneless. Around his neck, she said, "Cheese it, Fluttershy!"
As the timid pegasus flew away to help Applejack, Joker batted the balls with Boneless Number Two. "Two can play at this game!" he cried. He smiled around the chicken's neck as the volley continued. As he was about to make his third return, a premonition made him look down. There were several marbles by his hooves. That was strange; all his marbles should be in the . . .
The new marbles detonated, blanketing him in smoke. The split-second's distraction was enough to make him miss his return. His own marbles struck him before they dropped to the ground and exploded like firecrackers.
Although he was blinded by the smoke, clairvoyance alerted him to a new attack. He turned to counter, only to find that his hooves were glued to the ground. When the smoke cleared, Joker gave a genuine smile to the diminutive figure who stood between the Bearers and him.
"Hahahahaha! You came Batsy! You came! Now that's how to party!"
"The party's over, Cheese Sandwich," said Batmare as she drew a batarang.
With inequine strength, Joker pulled free of the adhesive. He laughed. "Here's where the fun begins!" Dropping his poncho, he exposed his equipment harness. He flung a rubber chicken with a burning fuse at Batmare while he launched an apple bomb over her head.
Batmare intercepted the chicken with her batarang. To her surprise, her cape was snatched away.
Joker looked up as the pink party pony caught the bomb in the cape and wrapped it up. She landed, sitting atop the package when it exploded flatulently. The Doctor's version of spider's silk was stronger than spun steel, allowing the blast to be diverted away. She said, "Excuse me!" as she was launched back toward Applejack.
"This is a real party, Batsy! You'll have so much fun seeing what I do to your friends before I finish with you."
"This is not a party!" cried Pinkie Pie. "Parties are about making other ponies happy!"
The clown gave an evil laugh. "You're right. I should spread the laughter." With a twist of his neck, he released the balloons from his harness. On exploded, and the others drifted toward town. Their numbers dwindled as they burst one by one.
A noxious green cloud came from each balloon. Before the scent of limburger reached her, Batmare activated her mask's filters and threw gas masks to Applejack, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie. Over her commlink, the Dark Knight said, "Code Blue, Doctor. Code Blue."
Underground cave:
Silver Spoon slowly walked among the vehicles and equipment in the Batcave. She filled the silence as she spoke to herself. "I don't get it. Diamond Tiara is absolutely terrified of bats. How can she be Batmare?"
She jumped, startled, when Doctor replied, "Strength of will and lots of money."
"This is a dream, isn't it? Come on, Luna, I want to wake up now."
"Is this really so hard to believe? Your friend is hurting more than you might imagine. This is the only way she can feel better."
"That can't be right."
"Can you not see the scars?" asked Doctor. "Can you not see how tired she is every day?"
"She said she was in trouble with the princesses," mused Silver Spoon. "That was a couple days after news of Batmare wrecking that bank train broke."
The gray filly shouted, "Celestia! That's what she's trying to keep me safe from?!?"
"So, do you believe now?"
"Do you really approve of a little filly like Diamond Tiara risking her life every night?" asked Silver Spoon with a glare.
"No, I do not. That's the price I pay to follow my dreams."
She said, "I don't understand, Doctor. With a mind like yours, you could be rich and happy doing what you want."
The brown earth pony shook his head. "That's where you're wrong. My special talent is designing and making weapons. Do you have any idea how disappointed Princess Celestia was when she saw my first invention? I can still hear her saying, 'I'm not angry; I'm disappointed. We are a peaceful nation, young colt.'" He snorted. "If you want peace, prepare for war."
A voice came over the loudspeaker. "Code Blue, Doctor. Code Blue."
Doctor hurried to a console. "Come here if you want to help your friend."
"What do you mean?"
"There's a gas attack going on. We're going to stop it."
Silver Spoon trotted over. "What do you want me to do?"
"Do you play those new video games?"
She sniffed. "I have the latest arcade console in my game room."
"Good. I'm the pilot, and you're the gunner."
Ponyville:
As they weathered the chemical assault in their hazmat suits, Roseluck, Lily, and Daisy were living proof that only the paranoid survive. Other residents of Ponyville, to their chagrin, discovered that Ponyville-rated barriers were no match against poison gas. The scent of weaponized limburger was their first hint that something was wrong. The laughter was next. There was no joy in that sound, only the desperation of the condemned. With each balloon detonated, more victims join the chorus.
As he danced through the streets, evading and countering attacks, Joker laughed gleefully. Despite the honest joy, the sound was still chilling. "Are you having fun yet, Batsy? What about you, girls? Now this is a real party!"
Pinkie Pie's mane and tail began to straighten. "Listen to yourself. Does it really make you happy when you hurt other ponies?"
Joker drew a rubber chicken with a loop for his pastern. As he whirled it, he cackled, "Give the mare a prize! She understands the Joker!"
With mane and tail fully straight, Pinkie Pie stopped abruptly. "I will not fight my friend."
Laughing maniacally, Joker swung the chicken at her head. A lasso caught his forehoof and pulled it away, forcing his head into Batmare's flying kick. With a slash of a batarang, she cut away Joker's harness. She said, "When I said it was over, I meant it, Cheese."
Joker bit through the rope. "Why must you be such a wet blanket, Batsy? This is the party of a lifetime! Can't you hear all the laughter?"
"That's just the gas. If this had been a real party, they'd be demanding a refund."
For a half second, the Joker lost his smile. He then continued as if nothing had gone wrong. "You wouldn't recognize fun if it bit you on the flank. Who's the party pony here?"
"What do you think they'd do without that gas making them laugh?"
Joker shrugged. "They won't live long enough to find out."
"That's where you're wrong."
A giant bat-shaped shadow passed over the pair. Looking up, Joker saw an aircraft silhouetted against the full moon. It swooped down to roof level and a ventral turret swung about, spraying a blue mist over each house. The laughter died out as it passed.
Joker cried, "That's cheating! You don't deserve to party."
Batmare struck with both forehooves before Joker could react. His eyes began to swell shut. Still, he swung the rubber chickens with uncanny accuracy. Dodging, Batmare said, "Everypony thought that gas was a stupid idea. Princess Celestia herself helped make the antidote."
The combatants traded blows, but in the open, Batmare's agility gave her a clear advantage, allowing her to duck out of range between counterattacks. Despite his clairvoyance, Joker was accumulating an impressive collection of bruises while Batmare was able to dodge or deflect most of his attacks.
Batmare said, "Face it, Cheese. You were never really a party pony, you were a caterer. People only went to your parties for the food."
Joker froze for a second, allowing Batmare to land a series of solid blows.
He lashed out again. "You lie! I was always booked full!"
"That's only because ponies were desperate. Pinkie Pie couldn't be everywhere, you know. You were just a cheap imitation."
Joker's attacks became wilder, more powerful, but more predictable. Batmare took full advantage to launch her attacks. Hooves and batarangs found their marks time and time again.
Batmare asked, "Is that why you hate me? That secret sauce was the only thing that kept your parties from being total flops, and I contaminated it with you."
With a roar of rage, Joker launched himself in an all-or-nothing attack. Batmare casually met his chin with a full buck. The clown dropped, unconscious.
Batmare reached into a pouch on her utility belt. Weakly, Pinkamena said, "Don't kill him."
Batmare replied, "It's just a special tranquilizer. Doctor found something to counter the immunity the cheese sauce normally gives him."
Joker twitched as the drug was administered before relaxing with an obscene leer on his face.
Applejack said, "Y'all done good there, Batmare." She winced as Fluttershy wrapped a compression bandage around her barrel.
Pinkie Pie added, "There really isn't anything left of Cheese Sandwich, is there."
Batmare nodded. "I'm afraid he's gone." She tapped her commlink. "Twilight, I have the Joker out for the count in front of Silver Spoon's mansion."
"What?! When did he get here?"
"Canterlot attack was just a diversion."
With a pop of displaced air, the Princess of Friendship appeared on scene. She enveloped the clown in her magic. "I'll keep him in a stasis bubble until we can figure out what to do with him."
Batmare said, "You should tell Celestia that the security in her hospital stinks. He's the second dangerous prisoner to escape from it."
"I'll personally see that he's put someplace more secure. What about you? What will you do now?"
"There are two more ponies I need to talk to tonight. Then, I can get back to the recuperating from my injuries like I'm supposed to."
"The princesses will want to talk with you."
"It'll have to wait for tomorrow night."
"I understand. You've earned your rest, Dark Knight."
As Batmare sank into the shadows, Pinkamena lay down and sobbed quietly. "He's really gone. The only other super party pony is gone. My friend is gone."
Fluttershy lay next to her and lay a comforting wing over her. "There, there, Pinkie. Everything will be all right."
Turning to face her friend, Pinkamena asked, "How do you do it, Fluttershy? How can you still smile after you lose a friend?"
"It takes time, Pinkie."
"When does the hurting stop?"
Fluttershy held her closer. "It never does." Applejack and Twilight moved to join in the hug.
In Cheerilee's modest cottage, the teacher rummaged through her medicine cabinet for aspirin. The antidote had saved her from the Joker's gas, but it had left her with a massive headache. A harsh voice said, "Good evening."
Cheerilee spun around. Standing in the doorway of the bathroom was a small figure in a costume that had been featured in newspapers large and small across the land. "Batfilly?" cried the teacher.
The figure groaned. "That's 'Batmare'."
"What . . . what do you want? I'm not in trouble, am I?"
The figure pushed back her cowl, revealing a familiar, bruised face. "No. I just came by to say goodbye."
Aghast, Cheerilee said, "Diamond Tiara? Take that costume off right now! Somepony might mistake you for the real Batmare and hurt you!"
Patiently, Diamond Tiara explained, "I am the real Batmare."
"Stop. Just stop. Do you know how much it hurts me to see you with all those injuries? Just tell me who has been doing this to you, and I'll make sure they won't hurt you again, even if I have to talk to the princesses themselves."
"It's too late for that. I disobeyed them, and now they're going to send me away."
"What do you mean? Why would they do that to an innocent filly?"
Diamond Tiara sighed. "The innocent filly died when her parents were killed. I disobeyed the princesses to save Ponyville, and now I have to pay the price."
"You need professional help. I . . . I know ponies."
"I was never abused, not the way you think. Every cut, every bruise I earned fighting crime. Do you remember the stories in the newspapers?"
Cheerilee stared at her pupil for a moment. The teacher asked, "May I hug you?"
Diamond Tiara shrugged. "It won't help anything."
"I will help me." For a moment, the two shared an embrace in silence.
"I don't understand," said Cheerilee. "You're not like Dash, Green Lantern, or Alicorn Marevel. You don't have any super powers."
"That's where you're wrong. I have one super power. I never give up."
Diamond Tiara broke the hug. "It's been an honor being your student, Miss Cheerilee. I know all the colts and fillies are in good hooves." With that, the filly raised her cowl and vanished into the shadows.
She came back to light only for a second. “By the way, there’s a chance I’ll miss classes tomorrow. As you can see, I had a long night.”
With that, she disappeared into darkness again.
As she returned to the Batcave, both teacher and student shed a tear for the child who no longer was.
Silver Spoon turned to the sound of hooves approaching. She watched as a small figure limped from the shadows. When the figure lowered its cowl, Silver Spoon rushed over and held her in a gentle hug. "Diamond Tiara! You made it back!"
Smirking, the filly replied, "Was there ever any doubt?" She returned the hug, and the friends enjoyed the embrace.
As she broke free, Diamond Tiara said, "I guess I owe you an explanation."
Silver Spoon replied, "The only thing you need to explain is whether we're still friends. Nothing else matters."
Diamond Tiara nodded. "We are friends; that's why I kept this hidden. I couldn't risk having somepony hurt you because of me. If ending our friendship was what was needed to keep you safe, I would have gladly paid that price."
"Do you really mean that Diamond?"
"The choice is yours, Silver Spoon. You know what my life has become. You know the danger. Do you still want to be my friend?"
Silver Spoon responded with a hug. "Our friendship is more precious than anything."
As much as Princess Celestia was the day, Princess Luna was the night, and Canterlot Castle had been designed to accommodate both. In the lunarium, the Princess of the Night mentally prepared for her court session. She carefully arranged small bouquets of lavender in the vases mounted in the sconces. The flowers added color to the dim lights and gave the room a fresh scent. Once she had the last vase filled, she turned to the two servants who were pulling the flower cart.
"Thank you for bringing the exact flowers that I requested. You may take the remainder of your shifts off tonight. I shall ensure your dreams are pleasant."
With practiced stoicism, the two servants bowed to their princess and closed the doors behind them. Once their hoofbeats faded in the distance, Luna said, "You may come out now, Dark Knight."
A shadow detached itself from the background and floated down through an open skylight, aided by the synthetic spider silk cape that served as an airfoil. In the dim light, the form revealed itself to be Batmare, who landed in front of the princess.
"Walk with me," said Luna. "We have much to discuss."
To Batmare's dismay, her mentor led her to the throne room. This could only mean one thing. The door opened, revealing Princess Celestia standing beside her throne.
As she used her magic to close the doors behind them, Luna said, "Beautiful night, isn't it?"
"Indeed," replied Celestia. "Thank you for coming, Dark Knight."
Batmare shook her head impatiently. “Let me get to the point. I disobeyed you, and I'm sorry I did that. However, Cheese Sandwich would have destroyed my town had I done nothing. I'd rather die protecting those who deserve it than live knowing that I could have saved innocent lives and did nothing."
“We know,” said Celestia. “My sister and I have discussed what happened with Cheese Sandwich, and we agreed that we both owe you an apology.”
“What?” Batmare gasped in utter disbelief.
"What happened last night has forced us to realize that we face a new type of threat that our old ways cannot counter," explained Luna. "The Joker was the second patient to escape the maximum security ward in the psychiatric wing of our hospital. The diversion he created was so compelling that we committed all of our resources to it, leaving Ponyville unprotected. It was your initiative that prevented this from becoming a complete disaster. For that, you have our thanks."
“Thank you,” said Batmare, relieved.
Celestia said, "The intent of our order has not changed. We want you to give your body a chance to heal."
Luna added, "Unless it is an absolute emergency, I want you set aside your crime-fighting activities until I am convinced you have fully recovered."
“That’s exactly what I was planning,” asserted the vigilante.
“Good,” said the princesses in unison.
“Also, did you take care of your friendship problem?” asked Princess Luna.
“Yes, yes I did!” said Batmare proudly. “Also, I had a heart-to-heart with my teacher, Miss Cheerilee. I hope she accepts what it means for me to be Batmare."
“I’m sure she appreciated the gesture.” Luna smiled. “Tia, may I have a talk with my Dark Knight, alone?”
Celestia nodded. “Of course. Now, if you excuse me, I must follow the sun. Good night, Dark Knight, Luna.” With that, the solar princess retired to her chambers. Teacher and pupil waited until they were sure Celestia was out of earshot. “What can I say?” sighed Batmare. “I’m glad I didn’t ruin everything for once.”
Princess Luna smiled sadly at the little vigilante and embraced her with a wing. “You need to have more confidence in yourself, Dark Knight. I’m sorry if I make you think you are not doing well. I'm hard on you because I know you can be better. I know there is greatness within you, Dark Knight, and I want to make sure you bring it out. I apologize if things seem rough, but you are the first child I have tried to teach, and we're barely starting to know each other."
Diamond Tiara took off her mask, and smiled at Princess Luna.
"I'm grateful for your time. At first, I thought I was all alone. All the other junior heroes had somepony to guide them. Marevel had Dash. Lantern had Twilight. Sweetie Borg had Rarity. Then, you decided to take me under your wing, the only pony who understands why I have to do this. I know I still have a lot to learn."
“And I’m glad you've accepted me as your mentor.”
The tinkle of broken glass caught their attention, followed by the solid thunk of metal striking wood. Batmare raised her mask as she and Luna turned to face the threat. Batmare had a batarang at the ready while Luna charged her horn. They heard a distant voice say, "Come on, come on. Why isn't this thing . . . AAAAAH!"
A whirring sound grew ever closer until the stained glass window depicting Luna raising the moon exploded inward. Luna caught the shards in her magic and gently set them aside. The intruder cursed under her breath as she dangled from the ceiling.
Both Batmare and Princess Luna face-hoofed simultaneously.
The intruder had a gray head and a long, silvery mane that looked as though it had recently been released from a braid. A black domino mask obscured its eyes. A black bodysuit covered the bulk of her body, and a stylized silver bird covered each cutie mark. The silvery tail fluttered as it waved back and forth.
Batmare groaned. "Double-click and then press and hold."
The intruder obeyed, and she then descended at a controlled pace, hanging from a cable.
Exasperated, Batmare said, "So, who are you supposed to be?"
The intruder winked an eye at her and replied, "Have your already forgotten your partner? It's me, Silver Wing!"
Deadpan, Batmare replied, "Is that supposed to be a disguise?"
Anxiously, Silver Wing said, "Don't you want me as your partner?"
Luna said, "That is your decision, Dark Knight."
"Do you have any idea what you're getting into?" asked Batmare.
Silver Wing shook her head. "No. All I know is that I belong at your side. Together, we can take on whatever the world throws at us."
Batmare looked at Luna. The princess replied, "Consider this a test of your judgement."
Batmare looked back at Silver Wing. "Fine. I'll train you. If you survive that, you can decide whether this is what you really want. Don't even think about going around in a costume until I'm sure you're ready. For Luna's sake, we're going to choose you a new name. Something that doesn't give away your identity."
Giddily, Silver Wing said, "Come on! I can't wait?"
Batmare prepared her ascender and led her partner to the empty window frame. "Let's get back to the cave. We'll start as soon as I kill the Doctor."
Luna halted the pair with her magic. “My window, Dark Knight. Who is going to pay for it?”
“Ask Silver. She became my responsibility after she broke it, not before.”
Ponyville schoolhouse, the next morning:
The roles were reversed as Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon arrived at school. Diamond Tiara was reasonably rested, but Silver Spoon was bone tired. The latter was not accustomed to late hours, and the training was far more strenuous than anything she had done in her life.
Since the two had arrived early, Cheerilee was the only pony in the room when they entered. The teacher said, "You two are early. Tell me, Diamond Tiara, can we continue the conversation we had at my home?"
Diamond Tiara shrugged. "Sure."
"How did it go with the princesses?" asked the teacher.
"Great! They agreed that I did the right thing."
“So, you’re not leaving Ponyville?” asked Cheerilee.
“No, I’m not!”
Cheerilee sighed as she took a folder from her desk. “It's good to see you in such a good mood. To be honest, I already knew. Princess Luna sent me a letter today, and I was glad to see everything went fine.”
Diamond Tiara noticed something strange with the teacher’s tone. “Is something wrong, Miss Cheerilee?”
The teacher gave Diamond the thick folder. “Diamond Tiara, I need you to give this to your guardian. They need to sign it, and I'll have to meet with them after class.”
“What is it?” asked Diamond Tiara.
Cheerilee shook her head. “You must understand that the wellbeing of my students means everything to me. Both personally and professionally, I have obligations I cannot overlook, like one of my students intentionally endangering herself. I know you cannot stop, Diamond Tiara. The only way I can let you continue is if you are no longer my student."
“She knows?” asked Silver Spoon.
“She knows,” said Diamond Tiara, accepting the folder. “So, I am expelled? Fine, if this is the only option, I accept it.”
“No Diamond, don’t misunderstand me. An expulsion would be a demerit on your permanent record. This is a form certifying that you have special needs due to the trauma you suffered. As such, you need care beyond what I am capable of providing. Your best choice is to hire a tutor who can accommodate your unique circumstances."
Diamond Tiara smiled, and put the documents on her saddlebag. “All right! Thank you, Miss Cheerilee.”
“I wish you the best, Diamond Tiara. And good luck, Batmare.”
“Thank you.”
The pink filly said goodbye to her teacher and to her friend before returning back home.
Miss Cheerilee watched her leave and then turned to Silver Spoon. The gray filly yawned.
“I’m watching you, Silver Spoon. If I see a single bruise on you, you’ll be out of my school that instant, and I’ll talk to your parents. Understood?”
“Understood.”
Ponyville General:
One of the benefits of living in the same small town as Princess Celestia's personal student was that the ruler had taken pains to accommodate her student's maladroit tendencies. A casual visitor would have been surprised to find a completely modern hospital, complete with a trauma center unparalleled in Equestria. Thus, as Applejack and Big Macintosh sat in the doctor's office, they quietly counted their blessings.
Things had started routinely enough. Apple Bloom had been diagnosed with appendicitis, and the operation had been a success. However, there had been a complication, and the filly needed a blood transfusion urgently. The entire town had volunteered to donate, but not even her siblings had a compatible blood type. Her type was a rarity among rarities, showing up perhaps once in a generation in the Pear family tree. Grand Pear had offered a unit of AB-, but nopony else was willing to consider a donor in such frail condition. With Dash unavailable, it had looked like there was no way to find the needed blood in time.
When all hope was gone, the doctor had come to them and told them of a healthy mystery donor, but did not have time to offer details. Faced with a choice between life and death, the siblings had chosen life. Now they had to learn the price they had paid to save their sister.
The doctor walked to them and said, "It looks like she will pull through this time."
Applejack replied, "Thanks, doc. Now, what's this about a mystery donor? I want to shake that pony's hoof."
The siblings tensed when he replied, "I want to have you sit before we continue."
"What's wrong, doc?" asked Big Macintosh.
"You see, the donor is not a pony."
The older Apple siblings exchanged a confused look.
“What y'all mean? I thought only ponies could donate blood to other ponies,” said Applejack.
“There are exceptions,” said the doctor. “Please come on in!”
Thorax, Changeling King, entered to the room, seeming happy. “Oh, hello friend Applejack, and . . . sorry, I forgot your name.”
“Big Mac,” said the red stallion, relieved. “How y'all doin', big fella?”
“Oh, nice! Perfect!” Thorax smiled. “The doctor told me I'd just saved a pony's life with my blood donation. It was your sister, right?”
Applejack smiled. “Thank y'all kindly, Thorax. Ah didn’t know changelings had the same blood types as ponies.”
“Oh, we don’t!” explained Thorax. “But our shapeshifting occurs at molecular level. All I had to do was to change my blood to match Apple Bloom’s, and that was that. She’s going to be okay!”
Big Mac smiled, and hugged the changeling. He exhausted his daily allotment of words to convey his gratitude. “Come over to Sweet Apple Acres any time. Ah’ll ask Granny to bake a pie just for y'all.”
“Oh, it was nothing,” said Thorax, blushing.
“Changeling blood transfusion are becoming more and more common around Equestria,” explained the doctor. “But not all the ponies are willing to accept it. Most of them still believe the rumors of crazy side effects. No matter how much we insist is perfectly safe, they refuse to believe.”
“Well, y'all had nothing to worry about with us.” assured Applejack. “Thorax is a good friend, and we can trust him. And, if y'all say you’ve done this before, we believe y'all.”
The doctor simply shrugged. “Yeah, this is the first time when the donor is no other than the Changeling King, but I don’t think that would make any difference.”
Applejack said, "Look, doc. If it weren't fer Thorax here, we'd be planning li'l Apple Bloom's funeral right now. I'm just glad he was here to help." Looking to the changeling, she asked, "What are y'all doin' here, Thorax?"
“I came to visit Spike, but he’s out, apparently,” explained Thorax. “Oh, well, there will be other days.”
Nurse Redheart came to the room. “Excuse me, she’s awake.”
The two older Apple siblings ran to Apple Bloom’s room to greet their ailing sister.
Apple Bloom was feeling dizzy and disoriented, but she smiled when she saw her brother and sister. “Howdy y'all. Sorry Ah was such a bother.”
Applejack was about to hug her sister when she froze in surprise.
There was something different about Apple Bloom's eyes. They were now bright green.
