Batman Vs Nightmare Moonby ZombieBrony22ChaptersSo It BeginsPreperationHope in DarknessFight NightSo It BeginsThe sun in Gotham has set and the criminals took the setting sun as a sign of freedom. Two of them stood outside a bank, awaiting the explosion from their mines. BOOM! The two grabbed their bags of money and bolted. Elsewhere, he watched. Waiting for the moment to strike, as he suited up and started his car. He spotted a police car through his camera system across the city and saw the two criminals on the run. He hopped in his car and drove off into the night. The police lost the criminals who reached a rooftop... but not before meeting him--the Batman, the Dark Knight. Batman focused his view on the two criminals who drew 2 handguns. Batman threw a batarang which disarmed the two. They decided to charge Batman, which failed miserably as Batman tackled one of them, causing the criminal to hit his head against the roof. The other throws a punch, which Batman dodges. The two entered a fistfight, with Batman mostly dodging the punches, until Batman lands one punch, knocking both of them out. By the time police came up, the two criminals were tied up and Batman was gone. Sure enough, he made it to another roof above the crime scene, standing in the night as a flash of lightning made him visible for a few seconds. The sunset over Gotham City, signaling the criminals and scum of the city to reign chaos upon the innocent. Bruce Wayne looked upon the city from the view of his mansion. He just sighed and took a seat one of the many couches in one of the many living rooms. Alfred Pennyworth entered the room, holding a tray of tea. "Master Bruce? How long has it been since you were out there last?" He asked, setting his tray down. "5 years, Alfred." Bruce answered as he took a sip. "The city needs you again, you know that." Alfred said. "The Justice League can protect the city, Clark's been coming by time to time." Bruce said. "But the city needs you, not Superman.” Alfred told Bruce, trying to sway him. Bruce took another sip of Alfred’s signature tea, getting up from the couch. “When’s the gala tonight?” Bruce asked. “10:30, sir. Might I suggest you wear your best suit?” Alfred asked. “Indeed, Alfred. Indeed…” Bruce sat in the back of a limo, being driven by a close employee of his. “So what’s the gala about?” He asked. “A fundraiser for the return of the Batman.” Bruce responded. “Well, you think he’s coming back?” Bruce took a moment to come up with an answer. “Batman isn’t needed anymore. Gordon’s cleaned up Gotham without him.” Bruce said. “I mean, yeah, the crime rate’s down, but after what happened with Joker--” “Joker’s gone, let’s just forget about him.” Bruce responded quickly. “...Yes, sir.” The two arrived at the gala in Wayne Enterprises. Paparazzi herded near the entrance, praying to get a look at the rich billionaire. Their questions all began overlapping as Bruce ignored all of them until one stepped forward. “Mister Wayne, how about the rumors that you are the Batman? Can you confirm or deny them?” The reporter asked. “I am not the Batman and never cooperated with him. I have too much to live for and too much to do with my time. But let’s not worry about the ‘who’-- let’s worry about getting him back out there, whoever he is.” Bruce acted with a convincing, fake smile. The paparazzi were not entertained, but Bruce ignored them again as he entered the gala. Several members of Gotham’s elite were already in the gala-- dancing, drinking, and starting conversations. All activity ceased when they noticed Bruce. “Thank you all for coming. I appreciate your sincerity to the mayor’s wishes. That or I admire your partying preferences.” Some laughs formed in the crowd. “Now, I believe it’s time for the mayor to share a few words.” Bruce stepped aside, expecting the mayor. But he never showed. Moments passed before some people started murmuring among themselves. “Where’s the mayor?!” One guest asked. The murmurs got louder until… “Your mayor isn’t returning.” A voice said from the walls. People showed signs of panic and confusion. “Confused? Good. I like confused subjects.” The voice boomed as a starry substance flew through the windows, shattering everything in its wake. Bruce felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Once he unlocked his phone, the words ‘Get out’ were displayed, sent by Alfred. The substance before the crowd formed into an outline, then an explosion of darkness revealed a form of… “Is... that a horse?” A partier asked, snickering. The boogey-horse looked at the rude partier, and blasted a form of energy at him, which caused him to disintegrate. At this point, the entire crowd ran away screaming, nearly trampling over each other in their desperation to get away-- their desperation to live. Bruce ran around back, careful not to run into that creature again. As Bruce made it to the outside, he noticed that the moon was locked in place at the center of the sky. “How’s that possible? It’s only--” As Bruce looked up, the moon shone and formed a form of symbol, similar to the entity Bruce just encountered. He did the only thing that came to mind and took a picture. “...Reports all over the world are stating the same situation-- the moon, apparently, um… ‘stuck’. Now, for more local news-- the ‘Bring Back Batman’ Gala was interrupted by what some are calling the cause of this darkness. As more and more reports of car accidents, disappearances of public officials, and other strange occurrences continue to develop, Gotham all has the same question: Where is the Batman?” Bruce was on his phone back at Wayne Manor, trying to call old friends. “Come on Clark, there has to be something you can do.” Bruce begged over the phone. “I’m sorry, Bruce. Metropolis has the same problem and people are panicking, they need me here.” Bruce hung up and dialed another old ally. “Dick? How are things in Blud--” Dick Grayson, former Robin, and current Nightwing, hung up without saying a word. Bruce sighed and tossed his phone across the room, causing it to smash into pieces. “Well, good thing we have more of those…” Alfred said as he handed Bruce a cup of tea. “Thanks, Alfred.” Bruce took a sip. “Perhaps you should... call Barbara, sir?” Alfred suggested. “She made it clear she never wants to see me again. There’s no point-- Diana’s busy, Hal and Stewart are trying to find out the cause of all this, Clark’s on the front lines in Metropolis… what are my options?” Bruce asked. Bruce took a seat, reluctant to answer his own question. He knew what he had to do, but couldn’t. Not after what happened with… The room exploded in light as Bruce and Alfred were submerged in a warm glow. “I’m aware that we are getting old, but I believe this is too soon!” Alfred called out as Bruce struggled to see an entity approach the two. “Bruce Wayne, Alfred Pennyworth. I need your help.” A strong yet distant voice said. Bruce struggled to speak as the force grew closer, forming a similar silhouette of the intruder from the gala. “Who… are you?” Bruce managed to speak. The bright flash ceased, revealing an all-white, 4’3… unicorn in the manor, with hair that literally flowed with a bright rainbow palette. “Who I am is unimportant-- That intruder from the gala tonight, that was a being from another world-- my world. As long as she has control of your moon, she will never stop.” “Who is she?” Bruce asked. “Nightmare Moon- my… sister.” “What does she want?” “A new empire. I believe she plans to consume your world and use what’s left of it as an army against mine.” “How do I stop her?” Bruce asked. “You will need to speak to an old protege of mine, but she will not be so cooperative. She was brash and reckless, and once she saw an opportunity for more power, she abandoned me and her teachings.” “I know how that feels...” Bruce smiled, remembering Jason Todd- the second Robin, who now prefers to be called the ‘Red Hood’. “If my guesses are correct, she is at Canterlot City, in the local high school. Show her this, and she will help you. Hopefully…” Celestia used her horn to levitate a small journal and hand it to Bruce, with a sun symbol on it. “Why should I trust you?” Bruce looked up, but saw that she was gone, all that remained were Bruce, Alfred, and the journal. “Alfred…” Alfred got on his feet following the entrance. “...get the Batcomputer running.” Bruce entered the Bat-Cave which was covered with cobwebs and dust, thanks to years of abandonment. “Hopefully, sir, you like spiders as much as bats.” Alfred remarked. Bruce chuckled as he went over to the Batcomputer and activated it using the handprint scanner. The computer roared to life, with the automated voice stating “Welcome back, sir.” “Computer, access Wayne Enterprises files in Canterlot City.” “Of course, sir.” The computer loaded up files and documents, discussing a deal with Filthy Rich- Canterlot local billionaire- for property in the city. Sure enough, Filthy lent a hand and sold one of his buildings. Once Bruce accessed the camera footage, he had a front view of CHS, including the horse statue by the massive door. “What’s so important about that location, sir?” Alfred asked. “Aside from massive energy spikes in the past year alone, that… being told me that the only way I could take down this ‘Nightmare Moon’ was to talk to her old protegee. My guess is that she’s either a staff member or--” Bruce made it to where the spikes first started-- with someone walking out of the statue. She had crimson red and yellow hair, and a patch on the back of her leather jacket-- the symbol matching the one on the journal. “A student.” Bruce rose from his seat and paced over to the dressing room to change into thermals. Once done, he made his way to the Batsuit- something he hasn’t seen, let alone worn in years. He noticed a large collection of dust on the cape and shook it out as he took off the gloves first and put them on. He then made his way to the bodysuit itself- unzipping the back and slipping into it. He then grabbed the cape and cowl headpiece, placing it on him as he remembered the feeling- the rush he had every time he put on this suit. “I suppose I will be returning to comms, sir?” Alfred asked. Bruce activated the remote start to the Batwing, which until now sat in place, collecting dust. “That would be great, Alfred- thanks.” Bruce said as he entered the Batwing, opened the exit of the Batcave, and hovered into the sky. Once in takeoff, Bruce activated the camouflage, blending into the night sky. Bruce had a good look at the moon, now imprinted with this… “Nightmare Moon’s” symbol. He knew he had to stop her, it was only a matter of preparation and training. He’s not as young as he used to be. Bruce flew into the boundaries of Canterlot City, which lights shone brightly in the permanent night. The Batwing parked atop the building of which Bruce bought from Filthy Rich. He ejected from the vehicle and- using his cape glider- flew his way to the school building. He landed atop the statue where he spotted Sunset Shimmer leaving the building after school hours, holding a sum of cash. “Is that… money, sir?” Alfred asked. Bruce activated his voice changer to avoid detection. “I guess she was reckless…” Batman said as he silently landed behind her. Sunset held the money and counted it up, giggling to herself. Batman decided to break his silence. “Sunset Shimmer.” He said, boldly and silently. Sunset jumped and turned around, to see the Dark Knight standing in front of her. She looked nervous for only a millisecond, before setting an evil grin on her face. “I thought you’d be taller. Nice outfit, though.” “I need your help.” Batman said, ignoring her brash comment. “I’m not your girl.” Sunset started walking away, but saw the moon. “Oh, no…” Sunset’s brave act completely faded away and was replaced with utter fear. “Your former mentor sent me, told me I had to find you for answers.” “Celestia? If she’s counting on some creep in a mask… How should I trust you?” Sunset asked, pointing a finger in Batman’s face. “It’s rude to point.” Batman said as he held out the journal. “Where… where did you get this?” Sunset asked as she took the journal. “Who do you think? Tell me, how do I stop Nightmare Moon?” Batman asked again, running out of patience. “You… you’re gonna need the Elements of Harmony, they’re the only things that can stop her.” Sunset said. “And where are they?” Batman asked. Sunset gulped nervously before pointing to the statue. “That’s the gateway to Equestria- the only one. It won’t be open again for… a long time.” Sunset answered. Batman realized that the answer he has isn’t the one he likes. “So what you’re saying is that I can’t stop her, I can only send her back to her homeworld?” Sunset turned away to check her money again, avoiding Batman’s gaze. “Y-yes. Are we done? I have someone in my car, and I really don’t like keeping people wait--” Sunset turned away, but Batman’s gone. She breathed a sigh of relief and returned to her car. “~Carrie!~! Good news: you’re good for tonight, but if you don’t get my rival out of the Spring Flame, you will regret it. Am I clear?” Carrie Kelly nodded viciously before leaving the car. Before Sunset can get back in her car, a batarang hit the road next to her car with a piece of paper on it. Sunset opened the paper which read, in bold writing... I’LL BE WATCHING YOU PreperationAfter his encounter with Sunset Shimmer, Bruce returned to the Batcave, and was researching the intel on the energy waves in Canterlot throughout the decades prior. He noticed a common trend-- they always grew to immense levels every 30 months for 3 days before decreasing to normal levels again. “2 and a half years between spikes… I suppose that’s when the portal will open again.” "Then I suppose that’s not an option for the near future.” Alfred said. “So, what do we do?” Bruce asked, stroking his chin trying to think of a solution. As Bruce thought about his options, the alarm for the Batcave security rang off-- Someone had broken in. “Hello?” Bruce called out. No-one answered—alarming Bruce. Bruce rose from his seat to prepare for a break-in but was stopped by the door to the Batcave being blown open and Nightmare Moon trotting into the room. Bruce quickly got on his feet, grabbing the nearest Bat-gadget he could find-- the grappling gun. “Do you really expect to stop me? Especially with that… excuse of a weapon?” Nightmare Moon let out a chuckle. Bruce didn’t answer and he fired the hook at her-- But her magic caught the piece of metal and melted it in an instant. “Cute. But futile.” Nightmare Moon taunted as she used her magic to grab the grapple gun out of Bruce’s hands. Bruce went for another gadget, but Nightmare used her magic to restrain him and force him to his knees. Alfred charged at her, only for her to launch the grapple gun at his head, knocking him out cold. “Alfred!” Bruce called. Nightmare Moon glanced at Bruce and Alfred—taking note of their anatomy, recalling the comment the partier made before. “I suppose this form’s more humorous than intimidating...” Nightmare Moon commented as she used her magic to remove her helmet and breastplate. She started floating as mist enveloped her. Bruce noticed that the magic trapping him was getting weak, inciting him to rip his way out and to grab for a Batarang, only for her to launch a single tendril, knocking the bat-shaped throwing star out of his hand and into the computer screen. After a moment, the mist faded, revealing Nightmare Moon’s new form—her body was altered to match a human—she formed tendrils to spread and clothe her—resulting in torn and somewhat unattached clothing. “I suppose this'll do...” She grabbed her armor and reshaped it to fit her new form. Bruce went for a smoke grenade, but Nightmare sent a tendril at Bruce, grabbing his arm before tossing him onto the cave wall, cracking his back. When he fell to the ground, Bruce winced as he reared back, setting his spine back in place. “Aw... sensitive back?” Nightmare teased. Bruce growled as he went for another gadget. Nightmare was tired of his games—she grabbed him by the throat with a tendril, pulling him in. “I want you to hear me, Batman: I respect your efforts to maintain order in your world, but that time’s over. Your world belongs to me now... it is my kingdom. If you try to stop me, you will wind up like your super friend...” Nightmare pulled out a torn piece of fabric and threw it at Bruce. It landed next to Bruce, revealing Superman’s symbol from his suit. Bruce was mortified—he hadn’t heard from Clark in a while, what if she... “What did you do...? What did you do?!" Nightmare cackled as she used the tendril to lead Bruce out through the Batmobile exit ramp—which lead to a small lake on Wayne Manor. Once he was out, she threw him onto the shore. Bruce rose from the mud and charged for the Manor, only for Nightmare’s magic to envelop the mansion and pull it to the ground, destroying it. “Damn it!” Bruce yelled, throwing a rock into the lake in anger. He took a breath before deciding to call the one person he hadn’t tried contacting yet. The dial went off as a piece of debris crashed next to Bruce. He then decided to start walking away, ensuring his safety. “Lucius? I need a new suit—meet me at the Batcave beneath Arkham. I don’t have much time.” Bruce had arrived at the Arkham Batcave- recalling its use during the riot at Arkham Asylum a while back. He found an old version of the Batsuit that he believed stood the best chance in fighting Nightmare Moon—it was designed to go toe-to-toe with Superman, consisting of complex machinery and Kryptonite-infused joints, it was able to beat the Man of Steel once, but Bruce had a feeling that it may not stand a chance against Nightmare Moon. As Bruce lost himself in thought, someone entered the Batcave through the retinal scan. “Mister Wayne... I didn’t think you’d still be out here considering the circumstances.” Lucius Fox stated. Lucius Fox was the designer of all of Batman’s technology and armor. If Bruce ever needed a new tool for the job, Lucius would be his first call. “Lucius, I know this is a strange request, but what’s the suit’s durability against magic?” Bruce asked, not wasting time. “Well... I don’t quite know. Maybe it could withstand a few blasts, but it was designed to fight Superman—someone whose weakness we know. This... entity has almost no weakness as far as we can tell.” Lucius said. “Okay... how about a way to redirect her magic against her? Like a mirror...” Bruce suggested. “I’m not too sure if anything like that is possible in the time that we have—she's hunting you down, Bruce. It could be days, hours, or any minute now. The time it would take to create something capable of redirecting her levels of mana could take months.” Lucius gravely added. Bruce stopped for a moment, what did Lucius mean by... “Mana?” “It’s Maori, it’s the belief of a supernatural force which can be concentrated in objects or people. This ‘Nightmare Moon’ checks every box of having or... being just that.” Bruce sighed—this was completely out of his field of knowledge. “We should give Zatanna a call, see what she has.” Bruce said. “Um... who?” Lucius asked. Bruce remembered that Lucius wasn’t in-the-know when it came to the Justice League. “She’s defined as a Homo Magi, a human born with the ability to manipulate mana.” Bruce answered. “O...kay. I suppose you have her number?” Lucius asked, still wondering about what Bruce meant by “Homo Magi”. “Yes...” Bruce smirked recalling past nights he spent with Zatanna... Bruce dialed the number and waited. “Let me guess... you’re going against Nightmare Moon and you want my help.” Zatanna responded. “Y-yes... can you help me out?” Bruce asked. “I’m in.” Zatanna hung up and a bright light shone behind Bruce. He and Lucius turned around and saw Zatanna enter the cave through a portal. “Uh... perhaps I should invest in... magic-proof security...” Lucius fathomed. “What do you need, Bruce?” “I could use more knowledge over what I’m up against—magic has never been my forte.” Bruce admitted. Zatanna cleared her throat. “Well, for starters—this isn’t some run-of-the-mill bad guy—she's the Princess of the Moon back in Equestria.” Bruce hesitated for a moment. Zatanna noticed Bruce’s confusion and decided to fill him in. “In Equestria, the sun and moon don’t move on their own—Celestia and her sister Luna moved the sun and moon appropriately. However, Celestia... cast a shadow over her sister, causing her to grow bitter over the years. In time, Luna gave in to her demons, and--” “Nightmare Moon was born...” Bruce finished. Silence struck the trio. No-one knew what to say or do until Zatanna came up with a plan. “Your suit was designed to fight Superman, but Nightmare Moon has different abilities. She’s not exactly on another power level, you’re just not equipped to take her on.” “Okay, so what are we missing?” Lucius asked, not wanting to waste any time. Zatanna looked over Bruce’s Anti-Superman Armor, searching for flaws that Nightmare can exploit. “For starters... it weighs too much, you should be lighter so you can move around faster. Superman would charge you, Nightmare would rely on those tendrils of hers...” “That can be arranged, what else?” Lucius asked. “One of Nightmare’s powers are hallucinations—she'll make you see whatever you want to see.” “The suit’s equipped with thermal sensors... would that work?” Lucius asked. “It’ll do. How about combat? How much longer can it last in hand-to-hand?” “It can go toe-to-toe with Superman, is that enough?” Bruce asked. “Perhaps, but Nightmare Moon has been taking hostages all over the world. Odds are she’s using them as an army.” Zatanna said. Bruce clenched his fists thinking about Alfred. “How do you know that? Does she have a history of possession?” Bruce asked. “No, that’s just what every villain with magic does, nowadays.” Zatanna joked. She chuckled a bit and Bruce’s face didn’t budge. “Sorry... couldn’t help myself. Anyway, the suit should do fine with a few changes... want me to help?” Zatanna asked Lucius. “Uh... sure.” Lucius said. Hope in DarknessGotham’s sun had set, and the streets fell dead—no-one dared to go out and about with the Batman cracking down on the Joker Gang. Batman and Tim Drake—known as Robin—were grappling and gliding from rooftop-to-rooftop, searching for another lead. “Did we check the warehouses yet?” Robin asked, loud enough for Batman to hear. “Not just yet—we still need to check the Narrows.” Batman bluntly answered. It had been a year since Joker was sentenced to cryo-genesis by the state following the death of a pregnant Batgirl. Batman hasn’t been able to reach out to Nightwing due to the incident... “So... how’s Dick?” Robin asked. Batman didn’t even respond as he leapt onto another building, sticking the landing perfectly. As Robin jumped, however, Batman shot his grappling hook onto the building behind them and attached Robin to it, dangling him across the brick wall... “You know what happened, Robin.” Batman said. Sure enough, Batman looked up to see Nightmare Moon’s symbol imprinted into Gotham’s moon, and the landscape began to change. The buildings around him disintegrated as the very ground below rose and changed into the surface of the moon, and the night sky was morphed into the vast emptiness of space. Robin rose up above the ground as his suit burned away, revealing Nightmare Moon underneath. “Yes, Bruce... tell me at least what happened to Tim? What exactly happened this night in the Narrows, all those years ago?” Nightmare smiled as she began to charge at Batman. Batman charged back, only for Nightmare Moon to send Batman across the landscape, landing him near the dark side of the moon. “You can try, Bruce, but I’ve spent a thousand years, here... I know this place like the back of my hoof!” Nightmare began to emerge out of the darkness behind Batman as he turned to go for another fight. He couldn’t even get close to her as she sent out a beam of energy, quickly-- but not painlessly-- disintegrating him. “Do you think you can win? Think again...” Bruce woke with a start as he quickly rose out of bed to see his calendar—four days had passed since Nightmare Moon had set her spell in place. Gotham had fallen into a dark winter and food is scarce. The common people are surviving through Wayne Enterprises safe-zones, where food was grown by UV-lights. As for the outside, it belongs to the criminals, now—save for a small group of vigilantes who deal out lethal force... the Sons of Batman. As for the others, Lucius and Zatanna were killed, and Bruce sent Alfred away to a nearby volcano, where it was rumored that the heat can keep them warm and safe as long as they gather enough resources to last them... Bruce would’ve gone with him, but Gotham was his home... and it needed him, just one last time. He was currently looking after the people inside the Batcave—which was now converted into a safe-zone, with heaters and water-filters. Most of Gotham’s population were in these safe-zones, but some weren’t so fortunate and froze to death. As for the others, Superman is still missing and declared dead, the others have rallied people to the Watchtower, and Martian Manhunter is working to settle people onto Mars until the planet returns to normal, if it ever will... “It feels like the end... for the first time since I became Batman... I don’t know if I can win this one, Dick... give me a call... please.” Bruce hung up the phone while firmly grasping the phone. Behind him, a bright light emerged behind him, but not as bright as Celestia’s the week prior... he turned to see Diana—Wonder Woman—walk out of a boom tube, a gateway that can be used to travel through space thanks to the help of the Mother Boxes, objects containing immense power... “Hello, Bruce.” She said, somewhat shivering from the temperature decrease. “...Diana.” Bruce said back as he put his mask back on. He didn’t care about people seeing his face, anymore... as far as he was concerned, it was the end of the world. “You may as well wear a jacket while you’re at it...” Diana said, going over his tattered Batsuit. “Perhaps a duster, maybe... some goggles, too—why not?” Bruce asked as he then opened a side compartment next to the Bat-computer, revealing a dark purple suit with a darkened cape and several new gadgets inside of it. “Before Zatanna and Lucius were killed we all worked on ways to defeat Nightmare Moon. This is the end result.” Bruce said with a smile as Diana simply looked on. She smiled for a moment, but it soon faded. “You can always come to the Watchtower with us—there are thousands of inhabitable planets out there, and human refugees have already been sent to them.” She offered, but Bruce didn’t budge. Diana knew there was no convincing him—ever since Clark was declared dead, he barely did anything else but research Equestrian magic, desperate to find a way to beat her once and for all. “I can’t, Diana... not until this is over. But you’re free to see if any of these people want to go with you...” Bruce said, gesturing to the refugees gathered in the Batcave, just living out what could be their last days. She chuckled and shook her head. “I can’t do that, Bruce—they're your people... they look up to you, always have.” Bruce looks out into the crowd, seeing Commissioner Gordon, along with several numbers of the GCPD, and the people of Gotham, the ones who refused to leave with the Justice League, for reasons such as concerns over family, religious reasons, or even just to see the Batman up close... “I know... and that might kill them. It’s me against Nightmare Moon, and so far I’ve got nothing—no strategy, no intel... nothing but an upgraded suit.” Bruce said, glancing at what he called the ‘Nightmare Suit’... his only line of defense against her, and it had no promise of working... “Okay... you cannot beat her, but perhaps you do not need to, Bruce... think about it, what if you just... sent her home?” Diana asked. “I’ve thought about that, but it still won’t undo her spell--” Bruce stopped, coming to a realization... “I can’t stop her... but maybe I can send her to someone who can.” Bruce said as he ran over to the Batcomputer, entering a few lines of coding and opening a separate window for Boom Tube research—everything the League has learned about them, Bruce saved into the Batcomputer, should the need ever arise... just like now. “Bruce? What are you--?” Diana started to ask before the voice of the Batcomputer cut her off. “SET DESTINATION: EQUESTRIA... PLEASE CONFIRM.” The computed voice said. “Confirm.” Bruce said, setting a miniature Boom Tube device into a compartment in the Batcomputer... A few glowing lights later, the computer let out a ding, and Bruce took the device, setting it inside the Nightmare Suit’s utility belt... “Tonight, we’re getting our sun back...” Bruce said as he started suiting up... Fight NightUp in space, just outside of Earth’s atmosphere, rested the Watchtower, containing a few thousand humans who remained hopeful that the Justice League would defeat Nightmare Moon and take their planet back... One of them, was Twilight Sparkle, mockingly called “Sci-Twi” by bullies from her school—Crystal Prep. She was now one of the only remaining humans who hoped to return home. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw someone with red and yellow hair and a leather jacket take a seat next to her, and take a deep breath. “Hey, Twilight...” Sunset Shimmer said, unable to glance at her. Twilight turned to the stranger, surprised to hear her name out loud. “Y-you know me?” She asked, nervous over her intentions. Sunset, adjusting her seat, nodded. “Yeah... we met, once—back at the freshman year Friendship Games? I... technically forced you to show me every bit of research you made on magical oddities?” Sunset asked Twilight, the former looking down in shame. Twilight’s eyes widened, but her shock soon faded. “Yeah... who would’ve guessed that the one thing I didn’t know about happened to destroy the world?” She asked, hoping to lighten the mood. The two shared a chuckle as they then looked over to see everyone gathered at the observation deck, all whispering over... something. Sunset and Twilight got up and walked over, Twilight’s eyes widened while Sunset cracks a smile. “Kick her ass, Bats...” The moon seemed to have a high-powered spotlight on it—or perhaps a spell enchanting the light—because the moon, still projecting Nightmare Moon’s face, was now blocked off by Batman’s symbol... Back on Earth, Batman stood next to his Bat-Signal, decked out in his Nightmare Armor... the city was almost pitch-black thanks to the lack of people living in it, and now the city was starting to freeze over. Thankfully, Bruce prepared for this, installing heaters in his suit along with Freeze-Tech to preserve the suit’s room temperature as a backup... he won’t be freezing over, tonight. His cowl’s sensors alerted him to Nightmare Moon’s aura behind him, and he turned to see the Mistress of the Night before him, decked out in her own armor, resembling a knight’s armor save for the human variation of her helmet. She donned a spear as she simply started laughing. “You truly think you can defeat me? I’ve spent countless nights haunting you, studying you... I’ve predicted your next move before you can even comprehend it.” She cackled. Batman tried to prove her wrong by not moving, but this only resulted in Nightmare delivering the first blow, slashing at his cowl with her spear, only for the cowl to deflect the blow and chink the spear. Beneath the completely covered cowl, Bruce cracked a smile. “Did you predict that?” She let out a deep growl as she charged again, but this time, Batman charged back, attempting to surprise her with two Batarangs from his utility belt, but she phased through them and jumped about two stories in the air and held her spear down as she let out an inhuman roar, attempting to stab him. Batman rolled out of the stab, however, and Nightmare’s spear was embedded into the concrete roof of the GCPD. Batman then went for the Boom Tube—this was his shot! However, Nightmare decided to abandon her spear and charge at him, starting to charge up her magic. “If I cannot have this world... then I will BURN IT TO THE GROUND!” Just as they were about to clash, Nightmare phased through Batman and reformed behind him, striking his mid-back. His suit took most of the impact, but not all of it, his back still sensitive to when Bane broke it all of those years ago... He let out an angry growl as he tossed two smoke bombs to each side of her and charged back in, only for Nightmare to send him flying with a flick to his face. “Face it, human... I far outpower you... stand down, and perhaps I’ll keep you alive.” She cruelly smiled as Batman struggled to rise to his feet from the impact. Once he got back on his feet, he took a step towards Nightmare, only to stumble and fall... “How about we see what truly happened to Dick Grayson, shall we?” Nightmare cackled as she wrapped Batman in darkness and began conjuring a vision... Bruce was back in Wayne Manor, when Dick Grayson, the first Robin and current Nightwing entered from the main hallway. “Bruce...” “Dick...” He said, reading a newspaper about Batman’s recent apprehension of the Joker. Silence, for a moment, until Dick clears his throat. “Bruce... Barbara’s 4 weeks pregnant.” He said with a hint of bitterness in his voice. Bruce glanced at Dick for a moment before going right back to his newspaper, where it is said that the Joker will be cryogenically frozen alongside Mr. Freeze’s wife, so he can never hurt another soul ever again... “I was only back for 2...” He said, getting in front of Bruce and pulling the newspaper from his hands. Bruce let out a sigh and got up from his seat, standing in place. “I’m... sorry, Dick...” He said, knowing what was about to happen. He scoffed and grabbed Bruce by the shoulders. “Sorry?! Bruce, you know how I’ve felt about Barbara... I trusted you, and you just... took her away!” He said punching Bruce in the face and knocking to the ground. Once Bruce was on the ground, Dick pinned him down to the floor and began beating on him... and as he did, the nightmare faded away, and Bruce saw that Nightmare was beating him, chipping his cowl with her armor-embedded knuckles. “It’s over, Bruce!” She cackled as she used her magic to bring her spear to her... As she thrusted down on Bruce, he had the spear by its blade, cutting into his hand, but sparing his life... “When will you quit?! I am Nightmare Moon, Mistress of the Night! And you... are... NOTHING!” She forced the blade upwards, cutting deeper into Bruce’s hands, and as she went for the killing strike... A boom tube opened behind her. “And I... am... Batman.” Batman said as he rose to his feet and, with blood still flowing down his hands, kicked Nightmare back into the Boom Tube. “No!” She screamed as the portal closed behind her, and she was back in her dimension, for more qualified beings to put a stop to her... As he panted for breath, he knew that they might take a while to stop her, so he limped back to the Batwing, eager to get out of the city... One week later, as Bruce rested in the Batcave, now empty once again thanks to the last cluster of refugees going on the Watchtower, Bruce heard the doors open, and he turned to see someone he didn’t think he’d see again... “So... what did I miss?” Sunset Shimmer asked him, wearing a winter-fur coat as her breath was visible in the air. He is somewhat shocked to see her, seeing as how she was last seen on the Watchtower before the fight. “How did you--?” “I have my secrets.” She smirked while leaning on a wall and bounced a ball across the wall, onto the floor, and back into her hand, creating a cycle that was starting to irritate Bruce. “What do you want?” He grumbled. Sunset stopped bouncing the ball and caught it in her hand. “I just... wanted to say thanks. For setting me straight, y’know? I mean, not like I was scared or anything--” “You’re lying.” He let out a small grin as Sunset started growing a shade redder. “U-um, I have no idea what you’re talking about. Y-you set me straight, only you...” She nervously chuckled. “You’re blushing, nervously posing... you met someone, didn’t you?” Bruce deduced as he took a sip of tea. Sunset tried fumbling through a dismissive remark, but she decided that it wasn’t smart to tell the Batman to “shut up”. “W-well... yeah. I’m not perfect... I’m actually far from it, but I just want a second chance... I didn’t think I’d want that, but here we are.” Bruce took a moment to set his tea down and lean forward slightly. “So why are you here?” He asked. Sunset took a breath and cleared her throat. “I want to help you. However I can, really... maybe as your pair of eyes and ears at Canterlot for anything... magical, y’know?” She asked, while Bruce began counting how many times she said “y’know”. Bruce let out a hum as he stood up from the chair... and a bright light rang out from outside... The two of them walked up the stairs and they saw it: the sun had returned, and the temperature was almost immediately increasing... The two looked onto the ice-covered city with few buildings—not including Wayne Tower or the GCPD—still standing, as it slowly got enveloped with light, giving the two hope that things will one day return to normal... but that was a long day away—for right now, there was work to be done. Author's Note FINALLY, this story is done! It took far too long, but this story will have a large part to play later on down the line, so keep an eye out for this version of Batman... What started as a simple fanfic idea I had turned into a year-long hiatus, and I'm sorry for that, but it's over and done for now. I hope you guys enjoyed this one, and see you guys next time!
So It BeginsThe sun in Gotham has set and the criminals took the setting sun as a sign of freedom. Two of them stood outside a bank, awaiting the explosion from their mines. BOOM! The two grabbed their bags of money and bolted. Elsewhere, he watched. Waiting for the moment to strike, as he suited up and started his car. He spotted a police car through his camera system across the city and saw the two criminals on the run. He hopped in his car and drove off into the night. The police lost the criminals who reached a rooftop... but not before meeting him--the Batman, the Dark Knight. Batman focused his view on the two criminals who drew 2 handguns. Batman threw a batarang which disarmed the two. They decided to charge Batman, which failed miserably as Batman tackled one of them, causing the criminal to hit his head against the roof. The other throws a punch, which Batman dodges. The two entered a fistfight, with Batman mostly dodging the punches, until Batman lands one punch, knocking both of them out. By the time police came up, the two criminals were tied up and Batman was gone. Sure enough, he made it to another roof above the crime scene, standing in the night as a flash of lightning made him visible for a few seconds. The sunset over Gotham City, signaling the criminals and scum of the city to reign chaos upon the innocent. Bruce Wayne looked upon the city from the view of his mansion. He just sighed and took a seat one of the many couches in one of the many living rooms. Alfred Pennyworth entered the room, holding a tray of tea. "Master Bruce? How long has it been since you were out there last?" He asked, setting his tray down. "5 years, Alfred." Bruce answered as he took a sip. "The city needs you again, you know that." Alfred said. "The Justice League can protect the city, Clark's been coming by time to time." Bruce said. "But the city needs you, not Superman.” Alfred told Bruce, trying to sway him. Bruce took another sip of Alfred’s signature tea, getting up from the couch. “When’s the gala tonight?” Bruce asked. “10:30, sir. Might I suggest you wear your best suit?” Alfred asked. “Indeed, Alfred. Indeed…” Bruce sat in the back of a limo, being driven by a close employee of his. “So what’s the gala about?” He asked. “A fundraiser for the return of the Batman.” Bruce responded. “Well, you think he’s coming back?” Bruce took a moment to come up with an answer. “Batman isn’t needed anymore. Gordon’s cleaned up Gotham without him.” Bruce said. “I mean, yeah, the crime rate’s down, but after what happened with Joker--” “Joker’s gone, let’s just forget about him.” Bruce responded quickly. “...Yes, sir.” The two arrived at the gala in Wayne Enterprises. Paparazzi herded near the entrance, praying to get a look at the rich billionaire. Their questions all began overlapping as Bruce ignored all of them until one stepped forward. “Mister Wayne, how about the rumors that you are the Batman? Can you confirm or deny them?” The reporter asked. “I am not the Batman and never cooperated with him. I have too much to live for and too much to do with my time. But let’s not worry about the ‘who’-- let’s worry about getting him back out there, whoever he is.” Bruce acted with a convincing, fake smile. The paparazzi were not entertained, but Bruce ignored them again as he entered the gala. Several members of Gotham’s elite were already in the gala-- dancing, drinking, and starting conversations. All activity ceased when they noticed Bruce. “Thank you all for coming. I appreciate your sincerity to the mayor’s wishes. That or I admire your partying preferences.” Some laughs formed in the crowd. “Now, I believe it’s time for the mayor to share a few words.” Bruce stepped aside, expecting the mayor. But he never showed. Moments passed before some people started murmuring among themselves. “Where’s the mayor?!” One guest asked. The murmurs got louder until… “Your mayor isn’t returning.” A voice said from the walls. People showed signs of panic and confusion. “Confused? Good. I like confused subjects.” The voice boomed as a starry substance flew through the windows, shattering everything in its wake. Bruce felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Once he unlocked his phone, the words ‘Get out’ were displayed, sent by Alfred. The substance before the crowd formed into an outline, then an explosion of darkness revealed a form of… “Is... that a horse?” A partier asked, snickering. The boogey-horse looked at the rude partier, and blasted a form of energy at him, which caused him to disintegrate. At this point, the entire crowd ran away screaming, nearly trampling over each other in their desperation to get away-- their desperation to live. Bruce ran around back, careful not to run into that creature again. As Bruce made it to the outside, he noticed that the moon was locked in place at the center of the sky. “How’s that possible? It’s only--” As Bruce looked up, the moon shone and formed a form of symbol, similar to the entity Bruce just encountered. He did the only thing that came to mind and took a picture. “...Reports all over the world are stating the same situation-- the moon, apparently, um… ‘stuck’. Now, for more local news-- the ‘Bring Back Batman’ Gala was interrupted by what some are calling the cause of this darkness. As more and more reports of car accidents, disappearances of public officials, and other strange occurrences continue to develop, Gotham all has the same question: Where is the Batman?” Bruce was on his phone back at Wayne Manor, trying to call old friends. “Come on Clark, there has to be something you can do.” Bruce begged over the phone. “I’m sorry, Bruce. Metropolis has the same problem and people are panicking, they need me here.” Bruce hung up and dialed another old ally. “Dick? How are things in Blud--” Dick Grayson, former Robin, and current Nightwing, hung up without saying a word. Bruce sighed and tossed his phone across the room, causing it to smash into pieces. “Well, good thing we have more of those…” Alfred said as he handed Bruce a cup of tea. “Thanks, Alfred.” Bruce took a sip. “Perhaps you should... call Barbara, sir?” Alfred suggested. “She made it clear she never wants to see me again. There’s no point-- Diana’s busy, Hal and Stewart are trying to find out the cause of all this, Clark’s on the front lines in Metropolis… what are my options?” Bruce asked. Bruce took a seat, reluctant to answer his own question. He knew what he had to do, but couldn’t. Not after what happened with… The room exploded in light as Bruce and Alfred were submerged in a warm glow. “I’m aware that we are getting old, but I believe this is too soon!” Alfred called out as Bruce struggled to see an entity approach the two. “Bruce Wayne, Alfred Pennyworth. I need your help.” A strong yet distant voice said. Bruce struggled to speak as the force grew closer, forming a similar silhouette of the intruder from the gala. “Who… are you?” Bruce managed to speak. The bright flash ceased, revealing an all-white, 4’3… unicorn in the manor, with hair that literally flowed with a bright rainbow palette. “Who I am is unimportant-- That intruder from the gala tonight, that was a being from another world-- my world. As long as she has control of your moon, she will never stop.” “Who is she?” Bruce asked. “Nightmare Moon- my… sister.” “What does she want?” “A new empire. I believe she plans to consume your world and use what’s left of it as an army against mine.” “How do I stop her?” Bruce asked. “You will need to speak to an old protege of mine, but she will not be so cooperative. She was brash and reckless, and once she saw an opportunity for more power, she abandoned me and her teachings.” “I know how that feels...” Bruce smiled, remembering Jason Todd- the second Robin, who now prefers to be called the ‘Red Hood’. “If my guesses are correct, she is at Canterlot City, in the local high school. Show her this, and she will help you. Hopefully…” Celestia used her horn to levitate a small journal and hand it to Bruce, with a sun symbol on it. “Why should I trust you?” Bruce looked up, but saw that she was gone, all that remained were Bruce, Alfred, and the journal. “Alfred…” Alfred got on his feet following the entrance. “...get the Batcomputer running.” Bruce entered the Bat-Cave which was covered with cobwebs and dust, thanks to years of abandonment. “Hopefully, sir, you like spiders as much as bats.” Alfred remarked. Bruce chuckled as he went over to the Batcomputer and activated it using the handprint scanner. The computer roared to life, with the automated voice stating “Welcome back, sir.” “Computer, access Wayne Enterprises files in Canterlot City.” “Of course, sir.” The computer loaded up files and documents, discussing a deal with Filthy Rich- Canterlot local billionaire- for property in the city. Sure enough, Filthy lent a hand and sold one of his buildings. Once Bruce accessed the camera footage, he had a front view of CHS, including the horse statue by the massive door. “What’s so important about that location, sir?” Alfred asked. “Aside from massive energy spikes in the past year alone, that… being told me that the only way I could take down this ‘Nightmare Moon’ was to talk to her old protegee. My guess is that she’s either a staff member or--” Bruce made it to where the spikes first started-- with someone walking out of the statue. She had crimson red and yellow hair, and a patch on the back of her leather jacket-- the symbol matching the one on the journal. “A student.” Bruce rose from his seat and paced over to the dressing room to change into thermals. Once done, he made his way to the Batsuit- something he hasn’t seen, let alone worn in years. He noticed a large collection of dust on the cape and shook it out as he took off the gloves first and put them on. He then made his way to the bodysuit itself- unzipping the back and slipping into it. He then grabbed the cape and cowl headpiece, placing it on him as he remembered the feeling- the rush he had every time he put on this suit. “I suppose I will be returning to comms, sir?” Alfred asked. Bruce activated the remote start to the Batwing, which until now sat in place, collecting dust. “That would be great, Alfred- thanks.” Bruce said as he entered the Batwing, opened the exit of the Batcave, and hovered into the sky. Once in takeoff, Bruce activated the camouflage, blending into the night sky. Bruce had a good look at the moon, now imprinted with this… “Nightmare Moon’s” symbol. He knew he had to stop her, it was only a matter of preparation and training. He’s not as young as he used to be. Bruce flew into the boundaries of Canterlot City, which lights shone brightly in the permanent night. The Batwing parked atop the building of which Bruce bought from Filthy Rich. He ejected from the vehicle and- using his cape glider- flew his way to the school building. He landed atop the statue where he spotted Sunset Shimmer leaving the building after school hours, holding a sum of cash. “Is that… money, sir?” Alfred asked. Bruce activated his voice changer to avoid detection. “I guess she was reckless…” Batman said as he silently landed behind her. Sunset held the money and counted it up, giggling to herself. Batman decided to break his silence. “Sunset Shimmer.” He said, boldly and silently. Sunset jumped and turned around, to see the Dark Knight standing in front of her. She looked nervous for only a millisecond, before setting an evil grin on her face. “I thought you’d be taller. Nice outfit, though.” “I need your help.” Batman said, ignoring her brash comment. “I’m not your girl.” Sunset started walking away, but saw the moon. “Oh, no…” Sunset’s brave act completely faded away and was replaced with utter fear. “Your former mentor sent me, told me I had to find you for answers.” “Celestia? If she’s counting on some creep in a mask… How should I trust you?” Sunset asked, pointing a finger in Batman’s face. “It’s rude to point.” Batman said as he held out the journal. “Where… where did you get this?” Sunset asked as she took the journal. “Who do you think? Tell me, how do I stop Nightmare Moon?” Batman asked again, running out of patience. “You… you’re gonna need the Elements of Harmony, they’re the only things that can stop her.” Sunset said. “And where are they?” Batman asked. Sunset gulped nervously before pointing to the statue. “That’s the gateway to Equestria- the only one. It won’t be open again for… a long time.” Sunset answered. Batman realized that the answer he has isn’t the one he likes. “So what you’re saying is that I can’t stop her, I can only send her back to her homeworld?” Sunset turned away to check her money again, avoiding Batman’s gaze. “Y-yes. Are we done? I have someone in my car, and I really don’t like keeping people wait--” Sunset turned away, but Batman’s gone. She breathed a sigh of relief and returned to her car. “~Carrie!~! Good news: you’re good for tonight, but if you don’t get my rival out of the Spring Flame, you will regret it. Am I clear?” Carrie Kelly nodded viciously before leaving the car. Before Sunset can get back in her car, a batarang hit the road next to her car with a piece of paper on it. Sunset opened the paper which read, in bold writing... I’LL BE WATCHING YOU
PreperationAfter his encounter with Sunset Shimmer, Bruce returned to the Batcave, and was researching the intel on the energy waves in Canterlot throughout the decades prior. He noticed a common trend-- they always grew to immense levels every 30 months for 3 days before decreasing to normal levels again. “2 and a half years between spikes… I suppose that’s when the portal will open again.” "Then I suppose that’s not an option for the near future.” Alfred said. “So, what do we do?” Bruce asked, stroking his chin trying to think of a solution. As Bruce thought about his options, the alarm for the Batcave security rang off-- Someone had broken in. “Hello?” Bruce called out. No-one answered—alarming Bruce. Bruce rose from his seat to prepare for a break-in but was stopped by the door to the Batcave being blown open and Nightmare Moon trotting into the room. Bruce quickly got on his feet, grabbing the nearest Bat-gadget he could find-- the grappling gun. “Do you really expect to stop me? Especially with that… excuse of a weapon?” Nightmare Moon let out a chuckle. Bruce didn’t answer and he fired the hook at her-- But her magic caught the piece of metal and melted it in an instant. “Cute. But futile.” Nightmare Moon taunted as she used her magic to grab the grapple gun out of Bruce’s hands. Bruce went for another gadget, but Nightmare used her magic to restrain him and force him to his knees. Alfred charged at her, only for her to launch the grapple gun at his head, knocking him out cold. “Alfred!” Bruce called. Nightmare Moon glanced at Bruce and Alfred—taking note of their anatomy, recalling the comment the partier made before. “I suppose this form’s more humorous than intimidating...” Nightmare Moon commented as she used her magic to remove her helmet and breastplate. She started floating as mist enveloped her. Bruce noticed that the magic trapping him was getting weak, inciting him to rip his way out and to grab for a Batarang, only for her to launch a single tendril, knocking the bat-shaped throwing star out of his hand and into the computer screen. After a moment, the mist faded, revealing Nightmare Moon’s new form—her body was altered to match a human—she formed tendrils to spread and clothe her—resulting in torn and somewhat unattached clothing. “I suppose this'll do...” She grabbed her armor and reshaped it to fit her new form. Bruce went for a smoke grenade, but Nightmare sent a tendril at Bruce, grabbing his arm before tossing him onto the cave wall, cracking his back. When he fell to the ground, Bruce winced as he reared back, setting his spine back in place. “Aw... sensitive back?” Nightmare teased. Bruce growled as he went for another gadget. Nightmare was tired of his games—she grabbed him by the throat with a tendril, pulling him in. “I want you to hear me, Batman: I respect your efforts to maintain order in your world, but that time’s over. Your world belongs to me now... it is my kingdom. If you try to stop me, you will wind up like your super friend...” Nightmare pulled out a torn piece of fabric and threw it at Bruce. It landed next to Bruce, revealing Superman’s symbol from his suit. Bruce was mortified—he hadn’t heard from Clark in a while, what if she... “What did you do...? What did you do?!" Nightmare cackled as she used the tendril to lead Bruce out through the Batmobile exit ramp—which lead to a small lake on Wayne Manor. Once he was out, she threw him onto the shore. Bruce rose from the mud and charged for the Manor, only for Nightmare’s magic to envelop the mansion and pull it to the ground, destroying it. “Damn it!” Bruce yelled, throwing a rock into the lake in anger. He took a breath before deciding to call the one person he hadn’t tried contacting yet. The dial went off as a piece of debris crashed next to Bruce. He then decided to start walking away, ensuring his safety. “Lucius? I need a new suit—meet me at the Batcave beneath Arkham. I don’t have much time.” Bruce had arrived at the Arkham Batcave- recalling its use during the riot at Arkham Asylum a while back. He found an old version of the Batsuit that he believed stood the best chance in fighting Nightmare Moon—it was designed to go toe-to-toe with Superman, consisting of complex machinery and Kryptonite-infused joints, it was able to beat the Man of Steel once, but Bruce had a feeling that it may not stand a chance against Nightmare Moon. As Bruce lost himself in thought, someone entered the Batcave through the retinal scan. “Mister Wayne... I didn’t think you’d still be out here considering the circumstances.” Lucius Fox stated. Lucius Fox was the designer of all of Batman’s technology and armor. If Bruce ever needed a new tool for the job, Lucius would be his first call. “Lucius, I know this is a strange request, but what’s the suit’s durability against magic?” Bruce asked, not wasting time. “Well... I don’t quite know. Maybe it could withstand a few blasts, but it was designed to fight Superman—someone whose weakness we know. This... entity has almost no weakness as far as we can tell.” Lucius said. “Okay... how about a way to redirect her magic against her? Like a mirror...” Bruce suggested. “I’m not too sure if anything like that is possible in the time that we have—she's hunting you down, Bruce. It could be days, hours, or any minute now. The time it would take to create something capable of redirecting her levels of mana could take months.” Lucius gravely added. Bruce stopped for a moment, what did Lucius mean by... “Mana?” “It’s Maori, it’s the belief of a supernatural force which can be concentrated in objects or people. This ‘Nightmare Moon’ checks every box of having or... being just that.” Bruce sighed—this was completely out of his field of knowledge. “We should give Zatanna a call, see what she has.” Bruce said. “Um... who?” Lucius asked. Bruce remembered that Lucius wasn’t in-the-know when it came to the Justice League. “She’s defined as a Homo Magi, a human born with the ability to manipulate mana.” Bruce answered. “O...kay. I suppose you have her number?” Lucius asked, still wondering about what Bruce meant by “Homo Magi”. “Yes...” Bruce smirked recalling past nights he spent with Zatanna... Bruce dialed the number and waited. “Let me guess... you’re going against Nightmare Moon and you want my help.” Zatanna responded. “Y-yes... can you help me out?” Bruce asked. “I’m in.” Zatanna hung up and a bright light shone behind Bruce. He and Lucius turned around and saw Zatanna enter the cave through a portal. “Uh... perhaps I should invest in... magic-proof security...” Lucius fathomed. “What do you need, Bruce?” “I could use more knowledge over what I’m up against—magic has never been my forte.” Bruce admitted. Zatanna cleared her throat. “Well, for starters—this isn’t some run-of-the-mill bad guy—she's the Princess of the Moon back in Equestria.” Bruce hesitated for a moment. Zatanna noticed Bruce’s confusion and decided to fill him in. “In Equestria, the sun and moon don’t move on their own—Celestia and her sister Luna moved the sun and moon appropriately. However, Celestia... cast a shadow over her sister, causing her to grow bitter over the years. In time, Luna gave in to her demons, and--” “Nightmare Moon was born...” Bruce finished. Silence struck the trio. No-one knew what to say or do until Zatanna came up with a plan. “Your suit was designed to fight Superman, but Nightmare Moon has different abilities. She’s not exactly on another power level, you’re just not equipped to take her on.” “Okay, so what are we missing?” Lucius asked, not wanting to waste any time. Zatanna looked over Bruce’s Anti-Superman Armor, searching for flaws that Nightmare can exploit. “For starters... it weighs too much, you should be lighter so you can move around faster. Superman would charge you, Nightmare would rely on those tendrils of hers...” “That can be arranged, what else?” Lucius asked. “One of Nightmare’s powers are hallucinations—she'll make you see whatever you want to see.” “The suit’s equipped with thermal sensors... would that work?” Lucius asked. “It’ll do. How about combat? How much longer can it last in hand-to-hand?” “It can go toe-to-toe with Superman, is that enough?” Bruce asked. “Perhaps, but Nightmare Moon has been taking hostages all over the world. Odds are she’s using them as an army.” Zatanna said. Bruce clenched his fists thinking about Alfred. “How do you know that? Does she have a history of possession?” Bruce asked. “No, that’s just what every villain with magic does, nowadays.” Zatanna joked. She chuckled a bit and Bruce’s face didn’t budge. “Sorry... couldn’t help myself. Anyway, the suit should do fine with a few changes... want me to help?” Zatanna asked Lucius. “Uh... sure.” Lucius said.
Hope in DarknessGotham’s sun had set, and the streets fell dead—no-one dared to go out and about with the Batman cracking down on the Joker Gang. Batman and Tim Drake—known as Robin—were grappling and gliding from rooftop-to-rooftop, searching for another lead. “Did we check the warehouses yet?” Robin asked, loud enough for Batman to hear. “Not just yet—we still need to check the Narrows.” Batman bluntly answered. It had been a year since Joker was sentenced to cryo-genesis by the state following the death of a pregnant Batgirl. Batman hasn’t been able to reach out to Nightwing due to the incident... “So... how’s Dick?” Robin asked. Batman didn’t even respond as he leapt onto another building, sticking the landing perfectly. As Robin jumped, however, Batman shot his grappling hook onto the building behind them and attached Robin to it, dangling him across the brick wall... “You know what happened, Robin.” Batman said. Sure enough, Batman looked up to see Nightmare Moon’s symbol imprinted into Gotham’s moon, and the landscape began to change. The buildings around him disintegrated as the very ground below rose and changed into the surface of the moon, and the night sky was morphed into the vast emptiness of space. Robin rose up above the ground as his suit burned away, revealing Nightmare Moon underneath. “Yes, Bruce... tell me at least what happened to Tim? What exactly happened this night in the Narrows, all those years ago?” Nightmare smiled as she began to charge at Batman. Batman charged back, only for Nightmare Moon to send Batman across the landscape, landing him near the dark side of the moon. “You can try, Bruce, but I’ve spent a thousand years, here... I know this place like the back of my hoof!” Nightmare began to emerge out of the darkness behind Batman as he turned to go for another fight. He couldn’t even get close to her as she sent out a beam of energy, quickly-- but not painlessly-- disintegrating him. “Do you think you can win? Think again...” Bruce woke with a start as he quickly rose out of bed to see his calendar—four days had passed since Nightmare Moon had set her spell in place. Gotham had fallen into a dark winter and food is scarce. The common people are surviving through Wayne Enterprises safe-zones, where food was grown by UV-lights. As for the outside, it belongs to the criminals, now—save for a small group of vigilantes who deal out lethal force... the Sons of Batman. As for the others, Lucius and Zatanna were killed, and Bruce sent Alfred away to a nearby volcano, where it was rumored that the heat can keep them warm and safe as long as they gather enough resources to last them... Bruce would’ve gone with him, but Gotham was his home... and it needed him, just one last time. He was currently looking after the people inside the Batcave—which was now converted into a safe-zone, with heaters and water-filters. Most of Gotham’s population were in these safe-zones, but some weren’t so fortunate and froze to death. As for the others, Superman is still missing and declared dead, the others have rallied people to the Watchtower, and Martian Manhunter is working to settle people onto Mars until the planet returns to normal, if it ever will... “It feels like the end... for the first time since I became Batman... I don’t know if I can win this one, Dick... give me a call... please.” Bruce hung up the phone while firmly grasping the phone. Behind him, a bright light emerged behind him, but not as bright as Celestia’s the week prior... he turned to see Diana—Wonder Woman—walk out of a boom tube, a gateway that can be used to travel through space thanks to the help of the Mother Boxes, objects containing immense power... “Hello, Bruce.” She said, somewhat shivering from the temperature decrease. “...Diana.” Bruce said back as he put his mask back on. He didn’t care about people seeing his face, anymore... as far as he was concerned, it was the end of the world. “You may as well wear a jacket while you’re at it...” Diana said, going over his tattered Batsuit. “Perhaps a duster, maybe... some goggles, too—why not?” Bruce asked as he then opened a side compartment next to the Bat-computer, revealing a dark purple suit with a darkened cape and several new gadgets inside of it. “Before Zatanna and Lucius were killed we all worked on ways to defeat Nightmare Moon. This is the end result.” Bruce said with a smile as Diana simply looked on. She smiled for a moment, but it soon faded. “You can always come to the Watchtower with us—there are thousands of inhabitable planets out there, and human refugees have already been sent to them.” She offered, but Bruce didn’t budge. Diana knew there was no convincing him—ever since Clark was declared dead, he barely did anything else but research Equestrian magic, desperate to find a way to beat her once and for all. “I can’t, Diana... not until this is over. But you’re free to see if any of these people want to go with you...” Bruce said, gesturing to the refugees gathered in the Batcave, just living out what could be their last days. She chuckled and shook her head. “I can’t do that, Bruce—they're your people... they look up to you, always have.” Bruce looks out into the crowd, seeing Commissioner Gordon, along with several numbers of the GCPD, and the people of Gotham, the ones who refused to leave with the Justice League, for reasons such as concerns over family, religious reasons, or even just to see the Batman up close... “I know... and that might kill them. It’s me against Nightmare Moon, and so far I’ve got nothing—no strategy, no intel... nothing but an upgraded suit.” Bruce said, glancing at what he called the ‘Nightmare Suit’... his only line of defense against her, and it had no promise of working... “Okay... you cannot beat her, but perhaps you do not need to, Bruce... think about it, what if you just... sent her home?” Diana asked. “I’ve thought about that, but it still won’t undo her spell--” Bruce stopped, coming to a realization... “I can’t stop her... but maybe I can send her to someone who can.” Bruce said as he ran over to the Batcomputer, entering a few lines of coding and opening a separate window for Boom Tube research—everything the League has learned about them, Bruce saved into the Batcomputer, should the need ever arise... just like now. “Bruce? What are you--?” Diana started to ask before the voice of the Batcomputer cut her off. “SET DESTINATION: EQUESTRIA... PLEASE CONFIRM.” The computed voice said. “Confirm.” Bruce said, setting a miniature Boom Tube device into a compartment in the Batcomputer... A few glowing lights later, the computer let out a ding, and Bruce took the device, setting it inside the Nightmare Suit’s utility belt... “Tonight, we’re getting our sun back...” Bruce said as he started suiting up...
Fight NightUp in space, just outside of Earth’s atmosphere, rested the Watchtower, containing a few thousand humans who remained hopeful that the Justice League would defeat Nightmare Moon and take their planet back... One of them, was Twilight Sparkle, mockingly called “Sci-Twi” by bullies from her school—Crystal Prep. She was now one of the only remaining humans who hoped to return home. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw someone with red and yellow hair and a leather jacket take a seat next to her, and take a deep breath. “Hey, Twilight...” Sunset Shimmer said, unable to glance at her. Twilight turned to the stranger, surprised to hear her name out loud. “Y-you know me?” She asked, nervous over her intentions. Sunset, adjusting her seat, nodded. “Yeah... we met, once—back at the freshman year Friendship Games? I... technically forced you to show me every bit of research you made on magical oddities?” Sunset asked Twilight, the former looking down in shame. Twilight’s eyes widened, but her shock soon faded. “Yeah... who would’ve guessed that the one thing I didn’t know about happened to destroy the world?” She asked, hoping to lighten the mood. The two shared a chuckle as they then looked over to see everyone gathered at the observation deck, all whispering over... something. Sunset and Twilight got up and walked over, Twilight’s eyes widened while Sunset cracks a smile. “Kick her ass, Bats...” The moon seemed to have a high-powered spotlight on it—or perhaps a spell enchanting the light—because the moon, still projecting Nightmare Moon’s face, was now blocked off by Batman’s symbol... Back on Earth, Batman stood next to his Bat-Signal, decked out in his Nightmare Armor... the city was almost pitch-black thanks to the lack of people living in it, and now the city was starting to freeze over. Thankfully, Bruce prepared for this, installing heaters in his suit along with Freeze-Tech to preserve the suit’s room temperature as a backup... he won’t be freezing over, tonight. His cowl’s sensors alerted him to Nightmare Moon’s aura behind him, and he turned to see the Mistress of the Night before him, decked out in her own armor, resembling a knight’s armor save for the human variation of her helmet. She donned a spear as she simply started laughing. “You truly think you can defeat me? I’ve spent countless nights haunting you, studying you... I’ve predicted your next move before you can even comprehend it.” She cackled. Batman tried to prove her wrong by not moving, but this only resulted in Nightmare delivering the first blow, slashing at his cowl with her spear, only for the cowl to deflect the blow and chink the spear. Beneath the completely covered cowl, Bruce cracked a smile. “Did you predict that?” She let out a deep growl as she charged again, but this time, Batman charged back, attempting to surprise her with two Batarangs from his utility belt, but she phased through them and jumped about two stories in the air and held her spear down as she let out an inhuman roar, attempting to stab him. Batman rolled out of the stab, however, and Nightmare’s spear was embedded into the concrete roof of the GCPD. Batman then went for the Boom Tube—this was his shot! However, Nightmare decided to abandon her spear and charge at him, starting to charge up her magic. “If I cannot have this world... then I will BURN IT TO THE GROUND!” Just as they were about to clash, Nightmare phased through Batman and reformed behind him, striking his mid-back. His suit took most of the impact, but not all of it, his back still sensitive to when Bane broke it all of those years ago... He let out an angry growl as he tossed two smoke bombs to each side of her and charged back in, only for Nightmare to send him flying with a flick to his face. “Face it, human... I far outpower you... stand down, and perhaps I’ll keep you alive.” She cruelly smiled as Batman struggled to rise to his feet from the impact. Once he got back on his feet, he took a step towards Nightmare, only to stumble and fall... “How about we see what truly happened to Dick Grayson, shall we?” Nightmare cackled as she wrapped Batman in darkness and began conjuring a vision... Bruce was back in Wayne Manor, when Dick Grayson, the first Robin and current Nightwing entered from the main hallway. “Bruce...” “Dick...” He said, reading a newspaper about Batman’s recent apprehension of the Joker. Silence, for a moment, until Dick clears his throat. “Bruce... Barbara’s 4 weeks pregnant.” He said with a hint of bitterness in his voice. Bruce glanced at Dick for a moment before going right back to his newspaper, where it is said that the Joker will be cryogenically frozen alongside Mr. Freeze’s wife, so he can never hurt another soul ever again... “I was only back for 2...” He said, getting in front of Bruce and pulling the newspaper from his hands. Bruce let out a sigh and got up from his seat, standing in place. “I’m... sorry, Dick...” He said, knowing what was about to happen. He scoffed and grabbed Bruce by the shoulders. “Sorry?! Bruce, you know how I’ve felt about Barbara... I trusted you, and you just... took her away!” He said punching Bruce in the face and knocking to the ground. Once Bruce was on the ground, Dick pinned him down to the floor and began beating on him... and as he did, the nightmare faded away, and Bruce saw that Nightmare was beating him, chipping his cowl with her armor-embedded knuckles. “It’s over, Bruce!” She cackled as she used her magic to bring her spear to her... As she thrusted down on Bruce, he had the spear by its blade, cutting into his hand, but sparing his life... “When will you quit?! I am Nightmare Moon, Mistress of the Night! And you... are... NOTHING!” She forced the blade upwards, cutting deeper into Bruce’s hands, and as she went for the killing strike... A boom tube opened behind her. “And I... am... Batman.” Batman said as he rose to his feet and, with blood still flowing down his hands, kicked Nightmare back into the Boom Tube. “No!” She screamed as the portal closed behind her, and she was back in her dimension, for more qualified beings to put a stop to her... As he panted for breath, he knew that they might take a while to stop her, so he limped back to the Batwing, eager to get out of the city... One week later, as Bruce rested in the Batcave, now empty once again thanks to the last cluster of refugees going on the Watchtower, Bruce heard the doors open, and he turned to see someone he didn’t think he’d see again... “So... what did I miss?” Sunset Shimmer asked him, wearing a winter-fur coat as her breath was visible in the air. He is somewhat shocked to see her, seeing as how she was last seen on the Watchtower before the fight. “How did you--?” “I have my secrets.” She smirked while leaning on a wall and bounced a ball across the wall, onto the floor, and back into her hand, creating a cycle that was starting to irritate Bruce. “What do you want?” He grumbled. Sunset stopped bouncing the ball and caught it in her hand. “I just... wanted to say thanks. For setting me straight, y’know? I mean, not like I was scared or anything--” “You’re lying.” He let out a small grin as Sunset started growing a shade redder. “U-um, I have no idea what you’re talking about. Y-you set me straight, only you...” She nervously chuckled. “You’re blushing, nervously posing... you met someone, didn’t you?” Bruce deduced as he took a sip of tea. Sunset tried fumbling through a dismissive remark, but she decided that it wasn’t smart to tell the Batman to “shut up”. “W-well... yeah. I’m not perfect... I’m actually far from it, but I just want a second chance... I didn’t think I’d want that, but here we are.” Bruce took a moment to set his tea down and lean forward slightly. “So why are you here?” He asked. Sunset took a breath and cleared her throat. “I want to help you. However I can, really... maybe as your pair of eyes and ears at Canterlot for anything... magical, y’know?” She asked, while Bruce began counting how many times she said “y’know”. Bruce let out a hum as he stood up from the chair... and a bright light rang out from outside... The two of them walked up the stairs and they saw it: the sun had returned, and the temperature was almost immediately increasing... The two looked onto the ice-covered city with few buildings—not including Wayne Tower or the GCPD—still standing, as it slowly got enveloped with light, giving the two hope that things will one day return to normal... but that was a long day away—for right now, there was work to be done. Author's Note FINALLY, this story is done! It took far too long, but this story will have a large part to play later on down the line, so keep an eye out for this version of Batman... What started as a simple fanfic idea I had turned into a year-long hiatus, and I'm sorry for that, but it's over and done for now. I hope you guys enjoyed this one, and see you guys next time!
