Red Carpet/The Beginning of a Long Night.
"This is News Reel, reporting live at the Red Carpet premier of BATMARE: TARTARUS CITY!" A white pony with a slicked back black mane announced. His cutie mark the same as his name sake, a film reel. He was standing in front of a red velvet rope, behind it, thousands of cheering ponies, excited to see the stars behind the latest film walk the red carpet into The Canterlot Theater. "Let me tell you, viewers at home, this will be a night to remember! This film was a combined effort of many of the citizens of Equestria! Twilight Sparkle, the mare who directed this picture, and even played a roll in it, I won't say which one, orchestrated this amazing event!" The crowd of ponies behind News Reel began cheering. "Speaking of! Here she comes right now, folks!"
A limousine carriage being pulled by two stallions drove up to the theater's entrance. Out of the carriage, came not just one, but six mares. "Oh, looks like I was mistaken, Fillies and Gentlecolts!" News Reel announced. "It's not just the director Twilight Sparkle! We have The Lead Costumer, and the Actress who plays the part of CatMare, Rarity, Associate Producer Rainbow Dash, And actresses, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy, accompanied by Twilight's assistant director, Spike the Dragon! Applejack plays the part of BatMare in this movie, Pinkie Pie as her arch nemesis, The Joker, and Fluttershy....we'll keep her part a secret for now! Ladies! Ladies!" He waved the six mares over. "Care to give us a few words on the movie?"
Twilight was the first to speak. "I just want to say, that it was an unforgettable experience."
Applejack tipped her hat before she spoke. "BatMare sure was an interestin' character ta play...ah haven't done any o' this actin' stuff since the Hearth's Warmin' Pageant, but ah feel ah did pretty good, Sugarcube!"
Pinkie Pie seemed to pop from out of nowhere in front of Applejack. "My favorite part was the clown make-up! It made me look so silly! I like dressing up like a clown! And I loved playing this part because The Joker is a clown! Sure, a super duper meany mean pants clown, but still I had a lot of fun!!! And I'm planning the after party for this premire! Make sure you all come to that! It's gonna be super duper AWESOMEMAZING!!!!!"
"....Indeed, Miss Rarity, do you have anything to say?" News Reel asked the fashionista pony.
"Well, I must say, I had the most fun designing the costumes for this film! My personal favorites being BatMare's battle suit, and my CatMare costume! It just goes to show that I can even make flak armor and leather look fashionable!"
News Reel nodded. "Alright, I'd love to get the opportunity to speak with the rest of you, but the premier's about to begin! This had been News Reel, and we hope you enjoy this showing of BatMare: Tartarus City!"
Everypony cheered as Twilight and friends along with many other ponies involved with the production of the film stepped inside the theater. They all took their seats together, just as the movie was about to begin....
It was a dark night in Canterlot. All was quiet, and the snow silently fell. Inside of a nearby building, it appeared to be an archive of some kind. Bookshelves lined the walls, and at the end, there was a portrait of two ancient ponies, one carrying another on his back. In the room were a group of stallions, all wearing black and blue jumpsuits, Tartarus City written on the back. These stallions were all the hench ponies of the infamous criminal, Two-Face. Before, she was known as Luna, Princess of the night, but she was unable to keep her dark persona, Nightmare Moon at bay, and so she lives in a permanent state of duality with her darker alter-ego. One of the henchponies trotted up to the aforementioned portrait. He attempted to take it off the wall, when it swung open like a door, guarding what looked like a safe. "Look what I found!" he said.
"Don't touch that! She'll kill you!" Another one of the henchponies said.
"Just how long until the boss gets here?" Yet another henchpony asked.
"She'll be here....." The leader of the group assured them.
One of the henchponies stepped over to the leader. "Chains said he saw The Bat....is she here too?" He asked, a fearful tone in his voice.
"Here?! in Tartarus City!? Why would she come here?" The Henchpony leader snapped back. "You guys just need to chill the heck out...." Just then, the sound of a window breaking rang through the room, the henchponies prepping for any kind of combat.
"It's BatMare!" one of them shouted in a panic. However, it wasn't BatMare....stepping toward them, was a different Mare. She had on a tight leather suit, a whip strapped to her belt. Poking through her Cat Eared hood was a horn, so it was clear this mare was a Unicorn. She also had a long, curly purple mane, which was quite beautiful to look at. This mare was Rarity, or as she was known in Canterlot's underground, CatMare. She smirked at the henchponies. "Sorry to disappoint you, Darlings....." She remarked. "It's just little Ol' Me." Two of the henchponies charged at her, one swinging a front hoof to her face. CatMare managed to get in between them, ducking down, causing the henchpony to accidentally punch his comrade in the face. She reached up and grabbed the henchpony's outstretched hoof, she pulled down, throwing him over her shoulder, smashing into his friend that he just punched, and two other henchponies. 'Four down, two to go.' Rarity said in her head. Her horn shined brightly with a blue magical aura, levitating the whip from her belt. She cracked it once, causing the two remaining henchponies to flinch. She smirked at their reaction, cracking the whip a second time, making them flinch again. She cracked the whip again, this time, it wrapped itself around one of the henchpony's leg. She pulled hard, causing the henchpony to topple over, and get pulled toward the feline favoring combatant. She brought her hoof down swiftly on the henchpony's face, knocking him out cold. She repeated the same move on the last henchpony. She looked at all the henchponies sprawled out on the floor, and she smirked at her handy work. "Well, now that they're taken care of, it's time to get what I came for out of that safe." She said to herself as she hooked the whip back onto her belt. She stepped over to the safe, activating her Unicorn's Magic yet again, a blue aura surrounding the dial on the door of the safe. She put her ear up to the door, so she could pick the lock with accuracy. After a few seconds, the door was open. Inside of the safe, was a small computer chip. "Try and get one over on me, will you, Lulu?" She smirked. "I don't think so." She levitated a PDA from her belt, and put the chip inside. The small device activated, revealing a computerized map of the area around her. Rarity smiled, and was about to take her leave, until she felt the horn of a unicorn gently press against the side of her head.
"Take your filthy paws off that, now." She heard a dark sinister voice say.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!!!!" A mare screamed, after receiving an electric shock.
"Wake up, Miss Applejack." Another Mare's voice said. "We have much to discuss...."
S-Shimmer?" Ya won't get away with this...." Applejack spat.
"I already have." Shimmer remarked.
Flashback
"This is News Reel, reporting live from Tartarus City, the controversial super prison built right here in the heart of Canterlot!" The news stallion said into the camera, holding a microphone using his unicorn magic. "In a few moments, Applejack will be live on stage to explain her sudden interest in Equestrian Politics. The infamous millionaire apple farmer has never been one to--"
"It's billionaire apple farmer, Pardner. Millionaires are so last year." Applejack said as she passed by News Reel, wearing a snazzy looking suit. The paparazzi ponies went crazy, shouting questions and asking Applejack to pose for pictures.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!!!!" Applejack screamed again, receiving another shock.
"I'm assuming you thought you were untouchable?" Shimmer remarked. "Well, as you can see, nopony is untouchable."
Flashback
"Thank ya! Thank ya kindly, Canterlot!" Applejack spoke into the microphones, addressing the crown of newsponies. "Imprisoned behind these walls, gang leaders are fightin' a war right in the middle of our once great city!" The farm mare said, gesturing to the towering concrete walls. "Every inmate from Tartarus Asylum and Canterlot Prison has been relocated ta this prison! Now, how can this be safe fer the ponies of Canterlot?
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!!!" Applejack screamed once again, receiving yet another shock. "Shut Tartarus City down. It's out of control." She stammered through gritted teeth.
"Shut it down?" Shimmer laughed at that. "But by the end of tonight, I will be a hero! Just like you.....BATMARE."
Flashback
"Tahday, ah'm startin' a campaign to shut down Tartarus City...and make Canterlot safe again!" Applejack announced. Just then, two smoke bombs were thrown into the crowd. The newsponies panicked, and began running away. A squad of soldiers, all unicorns, wearing uniforms and bright red hats, Applejack recognized them as TYGER operatives....the military service put in charge of guarding Tartarus City., entered the fray. "Remember, Applejack is the priority target!" The captain of the squad relayed to his troops. "Surround her!" Another soldier shouted. Two soldiers climbed up on the stage, Applejack put her hooves up in surrender. "Hooves in the air, Applejack! We have Applejack!" The soldier relayed to his command. He then punched her right in the face, knocking her out cold.
Applejack recognized the mare inches away from her face. It was Sunset Shimmer, the mare put in charge as the Warden of Tartarus City. She was wearing round glasses, and a lab coat. "I suppose I should be thanking you." She said with a taunting chuckle. "Capturing Applejack the Farm Pony is so much easier than BatMare. And now that we have you, Protocol 10 is ready to begin. It will be my legacy. A monument to your failure....And if you try to stop me, I guarantee, everypony will know your secret." Shimmer backed away into the shadow, until Applejack couldn't see her anymore. The lights to the room Applejack was in shined brightly, revealing the predicament she was in. Applejack looked into a mirror, and she saw her reflection. her front hooves were cuffed together, and she was chained to a chair. The chair itself was structurally weak, and the chains were rather rusty. All she had to do was shake herself free, and she would be broken free of her prison. She began to rock back and fourth, causing the chair to rock along with her. After the fourth rock, the chair tipped over, falling to the floor, sending her landing harshly on her side. She then began to struggle against her bonds on her front hooves. Just then, the alarms in her room went, off, a TYGER guard rushing in immediately. "What the hay are you doing?! Did you think we wouldn't hear you!?" He marched toward her, about to stomp his front hoof on her face, but she grabbed a hold of it before it could connect, she used it to drag the guard down, and give him a harsh headbutt. When she did so, she ripped a walky talkie off from the guards vest, quickly opening the back, taking out a small data chip. She quickly hid it away in the pocket of her suit. She stood up, only to be knocked back down by another guard. The guard then slammed her against the wall, causing her to fall to her haunches, then laying back down on the floor. The guard carried her out of the room with his uniorn magic, throwing her on the ground of the insertion area. "Welcome to Tartarus City, Applejack!" He said, a taunting tone in his voice. When she stood back up, she saw a line of inmates, wearing orange jumpsuits, the only thing stopping them from wailing on the poor mare being the guards in the room.
"Hey! look who's here!" One of them shouted.
"What're ya in for, Applejack? Did ya kill yer grandma?" Another inmate taunted.
Applejack ignored them as she was lead up to the gate. "Line A, Applejack! MOVE!" The guard pushed her forward. More inmates were taunting her as she got in line, they were being stopped by a chain link fence. "Hey, Applejack! I heard The Penguin Bros. put a price on your head! I'm cashing!" one inmate shouted.
"Applejack! Get your flank up here!" The guard at the end of the line shouted.
Applejack nodded, and stepped forward in the line. In front of her, was a mare she knew. Rainbow Dash. AKA, Deadshot. One of the most deadly assassins in the criminal underworld. She turned to Applejack. "Applejack....your on my list." She smirked,and poked her chest with a hoof. "Bang." She chortled. She moved aside, so Applejack could go through the gate. On the other side, she saw Sunset Shimmer, with two TYGER guards. As she did, a small alarm went off, causing the guard to punch Applejack in the face, and throw her down to the ground.
"Stand down. Applejack won't be any trouble." Shimmer said to her guard. "Will you, Miss Applejack?" She asked in a taunting tone. "The cuffs can stay on though. We don't want to make things too easy...."
The guard pushed her inside the gate area, where new inmates would be inserted into the prison. "Close the doors! Prepare for insertion!" Applejack heard the guard shout as the gate shut behind her. Inside the area with her, was Diamond Tiara. Wearing a Tartarus City inmate uniform, and looking rather filthy. "Applejack?!" She stammered in disbelief. "There I was, reporting for my school's newspaper on your crummy press conference, and now here we both are!"
"Listen ta me carefully." Applejack said. "When they open the door, Do. Not. Panic. An' stay close ta me."
Tiara scoffed at this. "Do you think I'm taking advice from somepony who's never even been in a fight?!" The door opened, and Diamond Tiara looked to Applejack fearfully.
"Stay Calm. They're tryin' ta scare us." Applejack said to the filly, referring to the inmates behind the chain link fence, some of them climbing over to terrorize the two. Applejack stepped foreward calmly, while Tiara panicked immediately. One of the inmates rushed toward Applejack, she grabbed his hoof and put him down swiftly. She looked over, and noticed Tiara was cornered by two inmates. She galloped over swiftly, turning her back to them, giving both of the inmates a taste of Bucky McGillicuddy and Kicks McGee, knocking them both out. "Lemme help ya, Sugercube." She said, as she helped Tiara to her hooves. "Ah saw an opening in the wall over there. Go while ya still can."
The terrified filly nodded, and ran to the opening, squeezing herself through. When Applejack turned back, the gate had opened, revealing two familiar faces, and at least ten henchponies with them. "Well, look who it is, oh brother o' mine!" The first familiar face said to his mustachioed twin brother. "Welcome to your worst nightmare, farm pony!" The other said with a laugh. She was knocked to the ground by one of the henchponies. She looked up to see one of the stallions throwing a cigar to the ground with his Unicorn magic. "Nighty Night!" He said, stomping a hoof on her face, knocking her out cold.
When Applejack had come too, she realized she was being dragged by two henchponies toward the last two stallions she wanted to see. She was thrown to the ground at their hooves.
"Wakey Wakey, Applejack!" The Mustached Stallion taunted.
"What's wrong? Do you need us to call your grandmother?" The other stallion taunted.
"The Flim Flam Brothers...." Applejack said through gritted teeth.
"Oh, she remembers us!" Flim said.
"How touching!" Flam remarked.
"Your family destroyed us, Applejack!" Flim shouted.
"This...well...let's just call it good ol' fashioned revenge!" Flam said as he slipped a brass horseshoe on. He readied his hoof to punch her square in the jaw. He brought his hoof down, but before it could connect, Applejack grabbed his hoof with her for hooves, and twisted it, breaking the wrist.
"AAGH!!!" Flam shouted in pain, Applejack throwing him into Flim right after, knocking them both down.
"GET HER!" Flim shouted, the henchponies charging toward Applejack.
"HURT HER! Ow..I think she's broken my darned hoof!" Flam shouted in pain.
Applejack grabbed a hold of one of the henchponies by the head with her front hooves, sending her left rear hoof to his face, knocking him out, and shattering the cuffs around her hooves.
"S-She broke free!! How'd she do that?!" One of the henchponies stammered in disbelief. The rest of them lunged at her, Applejack making short work of them, Throwing one henchpony into another, giving another a swift kick in the face, and so fourth. Once she was through. She looked to a nearby dumpster. She had to get to higher ground.
"Ha! I knew she was too chicken to face us!" Flim said.
Applejack ignored this remark, and began climbing the dumpster, then climbing a drain pipe to get to the rooftops.
"Go on then! Climb like a cowardly monkey!" Flam shouted.
"You won't be able to escape us! We own Tartarus City! YOU HEAR?!?! WE OWN THIS TOWN!!!" Flim shouted, unaware that Applejack was ignoring him. She put a hoof to her ear, activating the communication device she had stashed away. "Granny Smith, ya got mah location?"
"Just now, Applejack." Granny Smith said on the other line. "A bit more interference than usual....dern these newfangled doohickies..."
"Ah need an immediate equipment drop on the roof of the ACE Chemicals buildin'. Ah'm on mah way there now." Applejack said as she began scaling the building, using the exterior ventilation ducts to hold onto.
"Sure thing, Sweetie." Granny Smith said. "Ah heard about yer capture through the local gossip....was gettin' yerself arrested apart of yer plan all along?"
Applejack chuckled at this. "Not exactly. Although, ah did get some one on one time with Sunset Shimmer."
"And how was that?" The elderly mare asked.
"Not good." Applejack stated as she climbed. "She knows that Applejack is BatMare. She also told me that somethin' called Protocol 10 will make her famous. Ah cain't leave Tartarus City until ah find out what it is."
"Did it arrive, Sweetie?" Granny Smith asked just as Applejack reached the roof. Applejack looked up, as she saw a plane fly over, dropping a large pod on the roof. "Right on time." Applejack said with a smile. Applejack quickly walked up to the pod, placing her hoof on the DNA identification panel. The panel recognized her touch, and opened, revealing her BatMare battle suit. Applejack quickly tore the suit off of her form, slipping on the crime fighting armor, the finishing touches being her utility belt, glider cape, and cowl. She put a hoof to her ear, activating the cowl's communicator. "Granny Smith, Ah took an encription key from a TYGER guard. Ah'm gonna hack inta their communications." She said, as she took a small device from a pouch in her Utility Belt. The device was a holographic computer terminal, used to hack into pretty much anything. After fiddling about, using the data she recieved from the key she stole from the guard, she got a signal.
"All Units, this is Air TYGER 4," She heard. "We have confirmation that Prisoner 4011 is in the courthouse. I repeat, CatMare is in the courthouse."
"Is she in danger?" She heard Sunset Shimmer's voice ask.
"Affirmative." The guard relayed. "Target is being held by Luna. We believe she intends to kill her. How should we proceed?"
Shimmer laughed at this. "Stand down. Let Two-Face have her fun."
"Affirmative" The guard said.
"That don't sound good." Applejack remarked to Granny Smith.
"No it don't. Our former Princess's little problem with her alter ego may be a problem fer Rarity." She said.
"Iffen there's one pony in Tartarus City who knows what's really goin' on, it's her." Applejack stated. "Ah need ta find CatMare now..."
Inside the courthouse, one half was completely destroyed, while the other was still clean and presentable. In the gallery of this makeshift trial, was Two-Face's henchmen. Standing on the stage, Was princess Luna, wearing a dark blue suit, fiddling with a coin in her Unicorn magic. "The only way to get by in this place is to get ourselves some respect..." Luna said to herself. Just then, her coat morphed from blue to black. "FEAR!!! She growled. That's how we get respect....show them all how we do things!" Her coat morphed back to Blue. "We should be fair, though.....this is a place of justice after all..."
Back to black. "SCREW JUSTICE! Kill her, Then they'll all fear us!!" She turned to her henchponies, half of her body blue, the other half black. "BRING OUT THE DEFENDANT!" She shouted. The curtain next to her lowered, revealing Rarity, The CatMare, dangling upside down over a vat of acid.
"Well, you certainly know how to keep a lady hanging, Lulu." She remarked with a smirk, causing Luna to smack her across the face. "THAT'S for stealing from us! Nopony steals from US!" She shouted.
Rarity pouted. "Oh, I'm sorry I've been a bad kitty.....untie me, and I'll make it up to you." She remarked sarcastically.
"Let's see if the coin thinks your telling the truth!" She flipped the coin in the air with her magic, catching it again with her magical grip. It was on heads. Her coat morphed to complete blue. "This court is now in session." The henchponies cheered. Just then, BatMare dove down from the ceiling, landing right on top of two of the henchponies.
"Looks like our good friend BatMare has arrived!" Luna said, before her coat morphed to black. "GRAB HER AND CUT HER IN TWO!!!" She shouted almost immediately after. Applejack looked toward the small army of henchponies. She scoffed at them, knowing it was east pickings. She turned her back to one of them, bucking him straight to the other side of the room, knocking down two others in the process. When she turned back, she noticed two others running straight toward her. She grapped two Batarangs from her utility belt, throwing them at the stallions' ankles, knocking them both down. She then dove over to two others, knocking their heads together to knock them out. Soon, there was only one henchpony left. Applejack just took one step, before the pony ran out of the courthouse screaming like a small little filly. 'Intimidation is one heck of a weapon...' Applejack remarked to herself.
"OBJECTION!" Luna shouted, firing a magic blast at BatMare, knocking her down. She smirked. "Overruled...." She then trotted over to Rarity, levitating the coin with her magic. "Heads or Tails, kitty cat?"
"Which one lets me out of here?" Rarity asked with a snarky tone.
Luna flipped the coin. It landed on Tails. "Not this one!" She sneered, her coat morphing black. "Time to die!"
"I vote for a stay of execution!" Rarity remarked, cutting herself free of her bonds, and smacking Luna across the face, sending her tumbling to the ground. Rarity leaped from the rope holding her, flipping twice before landing gracefully on her hooves next to Luna, poised like a cat. "No magic left, Lulu? What a shame? This is gonna hurt..." Before she could begin wailing on Luna, something grapped the Alicorn villain by her back hooves. It was a rope, being pulled by BatMare, who was stanging on top of the noose that before held Rarity. Applejack held the villain up by her back hooves, ignoring her struggles to get free.
"And I thought it was cats who had nine lives?" Rarity said with a smirk.
On the chest piece of Applejack's Battle Suit, was a large scorch mark. Thankfully, she had made sure the armor was impervious to any kind of magic. BatMare then let go of Luna, leaving her dangling above the acid. Rarity stepped up to taunt him. "How's it hanging, Lulu?" She then bucked her in the stomach, causing Luna to cough. She used her magic to pull the small computer key she had stolen earlier from Luna's suit pocked. "Come to Kitty..." She remarked Coyly.
"Anypony ever tell you you're full of surprises?" CatMare asked BatMare.
"Ah figgered ya could use mah help, Rarity." Applejack said to her.
"Your right....I think I chipped a hoof back there!" Rarity remarked sarcastically.
"Funny." AJ stated simply.
"So, what do you need, Miss Detective?" Rarity asked.
"Protocol 10. What is it? What do you know, Rarity?" BatMare asked.
"Never heard of it." Rarity said.
"That ain't what ah wanted ta hear." AJ said, an angry tone apparent. "What about Shimmer?"
"I don't trust her." Rarity stated. "She's been missing for years, and then is suddenly put in charge of running Tartarus City..... Rumor has it she's been working with Pinkie The Joker..... planning something very special just for you..... maybe that's Protocol 10?"
Meanwhile, somepony was aiming a pie cannon for CatMare's head. "Twinkle Twinkle Little Bat....watch me prank your favorite cat!!!" The voice giggled wildly, until it turned into a fit of coughing.
Something didn't seem right. AJ quickly grabbed Rarity and pulled her away from the window.
"What the hay?!" CatMare yelled in protest. Smashing through the window was a pie, complete with acid frosting.
"See ya soon, Batsy!" Giggles, and then coughing.
"This place is dangerous...." Rarity remarked. "I like it!"
"It was Joker.....yer not safe here....nopony is." Applejack said.
"Nine lives, remember?" Rarity said, before cracking her whip to a nearby windowsill, swinging out of there. BatMare now had a new objective....Find The Joker, and interrogate her on Protocol 10.....
