A Fearful Joke

Chapters

Prologue: A Surprise Visit
Chapter 1: Self-Doubt
Chapter 2: Time for Fear
Chapter 3: A Laughing Matter
Chapter 4: Fear of What’s To Come
Chapter 5: A Fearful Choice
Chapter 6: Living Your Worst Nightmare
Chapter 7: Put Your Fears Away
Epilogue: The Last Laugh

Prologue: A Surprise Visit

The moon was shining high in the blood red sky while all the streets in Gotham were busy as usual. Only this time, it would be more than usual; flocks of people were gathering together at a special event not far from Wayne Enterprises. Just right in front of the Gotham Museum, there stood a platform where several individuals were getting ready to present before a large number of people. A middle-aged man in a grey suit grabbed the microphone and lightly tapped it. “Welcome, ladies and gentlemen! Tonight is a night of discovery that none of y’all shall ever forget!”

After the people cheered in excitement, he continued speaking, “It is with immense pleasure that I present to you a unique exhibit that is not like any other exhibit you’ve seen before.” He motioned to two people next to him to show them the object.

“I present to you...the Scepter of Healing!” he shouted proudly once they removed the cloth covering it. People stared at the scepter in awe.

“Originally created in Japan during the ancient times, this lustrous relic was used to dispel fear, disease, and illness. Over the centuries however, it soon lost its power and outlived its usefulness. Thus, it has been left forgotten and abandoned. But thanks to our brilliant explorers, it has been re-discovered! And with the help of billionaire Bruce Wayne, who is here with us, we can fund this beautiful treasure for the good of Gotham City!”

The people clapped their hands after he finished while Bruce simply stood there smiling. Barbara Gordon was also there with him.

“Is it possible that the Scepter of Healing could restore its so-called power to heal people again?” a news reporter asked.

“Only time will tell. For now, we shall add this rarity among the other exhibits. I know for a certainty that future generations shall learn of this relic and be benefited by it!” the museum manager replied.

“And so will I!” a sinister voice called out. At that moment, gunfire blared everywhere.

People started to scream and run as multiple gunmen approached the platform, aiming their weapons at the manager. As they focused their attention on the fear-stricken manager, Bruce and Barbara silently slipped away after nodding to each other.

Once the man held his hands up, the infamous Clown Prince of Crime approached him with his signature evil smile on his face. He jumped in front of him and playfully grabbed his chin. “Knock, knock!”

“Uh...(gulps)...hi?” the manager nervously grinned, shaking.

The Joker then scowled at him. “You’re supposed to say ‘Who’s there?’! Such an uncultured swine.” He instantly sprayed joker gas at him before the victim could say anything. After coughing violently, he began to laugh uncontrollably.

Joker casually kicked him off the stage. “Well, that was an awkward greeting. Oh, Harley! We hit the jackpot!”

The said jester backflipped over to the stage while squealing in excitement. “We did it, Mistah J! We finally have the scepter! Now we can do whatever we want with it!”

Suddenly, Joker grabbed Harley’s fools cap which forcefully pulled her to him. “Nah, ah, ah, kiddo, we wouldn’t want to start the party without our newest playmate, remember? No peeking at the birthday present,” sang Joker, wagging his finger. Then he pushed her head away.

“Yes, puddin’. Sorry about that,” Harley apologized, nervously smiling.

Without warning, two batarangs struck at the podium which caught Joker’s attention. He saw Batman and Batgirl descending upon them with their grappling hooks. Joker then smiled brightly. “Oh, goodie! Just when things get spicier as always! Send my biggest fans my warm greetings, boys! HAHAHAHAHA!!!”

Following his order, his goons opened fire on the bat-heroes. However, both of them jumped out of the way and used their capes to block the bullets. Batman punched one goon on the jaw before he sucker-punched the other; Batgirl grabbed the third goon and threw him against two more thugs, knocking them unconscious. Batman dodged a punch from the last thug and then punched him several times until he fell down unconscious as well.

Seeing his henchmen defeated, he grabbed the Scepter of Healing and signaled his own helicopter to pick them up. “Well, I would love to kiss and make up with you, Batsy, but I have a rendezvous to attend to. Toodles!” he waved.

Just as the helicopter arrived and lowered its ladder, Joker and Harley climbed up aboard and then went their way.

“What does Joker want with the scepter anyway?” Batgirl asked.

“We are about to find out,” Batman replied. He shot his grappling hook at the chopper’s tail, pulling him toward it. Batgirl followed along as she did likewise.

A few minutes later, Joker’s helicopter hovered over an abandoned warehouse. The moment Joker lowered the ladder and stepped out, Batman tackled him and ended up falling down through the roof of the warehouse. Meanwhile, Batgirl loosened her grappling hook and jumped down through the broken roof.

Joker groaned as he got up from the floor. “You really know how to make a clown happy, don’t you? Hehehehehe! Here, let me give you a hand!”

As Batman was getting back up, Joker shocked him on the back with a joy buzzer. “AHHHH!” Batman yelled. Then Joker kicked him across the room where a table full of chemicals was stationed.

Before Batman could get back up, he was struck by a figure wearing a trench coat, cowboy hat, and a noose around his neck. “Feeling dizzy yet, Batman?”

Batman looked up and saw Scarecrow staring at him with soulless eyes and exposed teeth. “Crane.”

“Look what I got, bag head! Looks like the Tooth Fairy has been good to us! Hahahahaha!” Joker wheezed.

“Wait, what?! You and Scarecrow are actually working together?” Batgirl asked, flabbergasted.

“Precisely, my dear,” Scarecrow replied, holding his small staff. “You see, the scepter wasn’t just capable of dispelling fear. It was also able to disperse it. Of course, that uncomfortable detail didn’t sit well with the scientists who re-discovered it years ago. So they hid the truth and claimed it was only able to do healing and nothing else.”

Scarecrow scoffed at the mere thought of it. “It’s amazing how fear can blind people. It’s why I love it. Without fear, there is no power.”

“Save the monologue, Crane. We’re taking you both in. It ends now,” growled Batman.

“Wanna bet?” Joker mischievously grinned, holding the scepter.

Batgirl suddenly jumped on Joker and grabbed hold of the object. “Get off me, you little brat!” Joker growled. Both fighters were then in a tug-of-war situation as they were struggling to retrieve it from the other.

Meanwhile, Batman threw a batarang towards Scarecrow who swatted it away with his staff. Then the Dark Knight punched the villain on the stomach several times until the latter struck his stomach with his staff, earning him a groan of pain.

Once he sees Joker and Batgirl pulling the scepter from opposite ends, he runs to them and joins Joker to pull it from the heroine.

Little did the three of them know that a hidden small button was on one of the emeralds of the scepter. Batgirl unknowingly pressed it, causing the trinket to glow brightly. The brightness caught their attention.

“What the...?”

“Huh? What is this?”

“Whoa!!”

“Batgirl, NO!” Batman shouted.

But it was already too late. The brightness shook the room until it exploded into nothingness. Once all the noise died down, Batman was left alone with Batgirl, Joker, and Scarecrow mysteriously gone. This left the Batman surprised.

“Ughhh...oh my...huh? What the heck? Am I dreaming or something?” Joker wondered.

Scarecrow likewise opened his eyes and saw that they were on top of a green hill under the bright sun. He looked left and right and realized they were no longer in Gotham.

“What manner of trickery is this? Where did that scepter bring us to?!” Scarecrow indignantly asked.

“What are those creatures over there?” Joker noticed, pointing at the distant locals. Both villains saw the multi-colored ponies in a town just below the hill they were standing on.

“Hmm, it appears we are in a different universe. But how is that possible? Legends never once spoke about the scepter being an inter-dimensional instrument as well,” Scarecrow reasoned.

As Joker was thinking about the predicament they found themselves in, his confused frown then turned into a sadistic smile. He looked back at his associate. “Crane, old boy, I have a lightbulb in my brain! We have just discovered....our new playground.”

Author's Note

Hey, guys! I hope you enjoyed this prologue! Let me know what you think of this in the comments below!

It’s about time I make a Starlight fanfiction.....with Joker in it of course. :pinkiecrazy:

Chapter 1: Self-Doubt

In the Castle of Friendship, there sat a light purple unicorn at the Friendship Map with a tired expression on her face. In front of her was an open book, and she kept moving her eyes from side to side as she skimmed through the pages. Uttering a sigh of exhaustion, she closed the book with her magic and set it aside.

At that moment, an alicorn princess opened the doors while carrying a large stack of books with her magic. “So, Starlight, did you learn anything meaningful?”

“(Sigh) Not really,” she sadly replied, getting her face out of the table. “I just don’t know if I’m learning anything at all. If anything, I feel so...incomplete.”

“Hey, it’s nothing to worry about. I know how hard it must be for you to learn about friendship,” said Twilight. “I’m sure I can think of something that might help you.” As she started to think about it, she instantly came up with an idea. “(Gasp) That’s it!”

Twilight ran to Starlight and hugged her too tightly. “I know of a perfect place where you can learn more about friendship!”

“What...would...that place be?” Starlight muttered, struggling to breathe.

“Your own village!” Twilight smiled.

*glass shatters*

“You...you’re joking, right?” Starlight nervously grinned, right eye twitching.

“Joking?! I’m completely serious! You have friends down there who will show you everything you need to know! You did live with them after all.”

“Yeah, but that was when I manipulated all of them to do my bidding! Took away their cutie marks, made them so-called ‘equal’, and made their lives completely miserable! I can’t go back there!”

“But you apologized to them! They forgave you and accepted you, so there’s no reason to—.”

“You don’t understand, Twilight. For many years when I lived with them, I felt guilty in the inside for brainwashing them, dictating them, and taking away what really made them unique as ponies. But I kept pushing that guilt away and kept hurting them. They may have forgiven me......but I haven’t forgiven myself,” Starlight vented, tears falling from her eyes.

Twilight was silent for a moment even after Starlight was finished. Looking sadly at the ground, she nodded and lifted her head back up. “I understand now. If you don’t want to go there, that’s perfectly fine. Sorry if I was pushing you to go.”

Wiping her tears away, Starlight sadly smiled. “It’s alright. I appreciate you trying to help, but I just need some time alone for reflection.”

“Of course!” Twilight and Starlight hugged once again but softly this time. Then the former left the latter alone in the room.

She walked toward the open window and gazed at the town she was in. She saw Lyra and Bon Bon talking with each other and hugging each other, a foal hanging out with his best friends, and a mare having a meal with her coltfriend. Seeing all that made Starlight’s pupils shrink and a hopeful smile grew on her face.

“Of course! Why didn’t I think of that?” She teleported off from the castle.

There was a wagon just outside the castle. The front door opened as a blue unicorn exited while she wore her magician cloak and a hat. “The great and powerful Trixie is now ready to start her day! Nothing will surprise Trixie or scare her, for there is nothing to fear!”

Starlight suddenly teleported right in front of her. “Morning, Trixie!”

“GAAAAH!” Trixie shrieked, jumping back to her wagon. “Don’t scare me like that again!”

“Sorry. Just thought I would talk to you,” said Starlight, sadly looking down.

“What’s wrong? Is there something you want to talk about?” Trixie asked, concerned.

“Well....(Sigh)....it’s just that I keep thinking about all the things I’ve done in the past when I—y’know—used to be evil and stuff. I even doubt myself if I have actually changed at all.”

“You’re thinking back at...those moments?”

Starlight nodded. Trixie wrapped her hoof around her with a tender smile. “Nopony is perfect, Starlight. We all have our moments of imperfection. Heck, even the great and powerful Trixie has made many mistakes before.” Then she leaned toward her ear. “Don’t tell anypony I said that.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t,” Starlight giggled. “But thanks.”

“Don’t mention it. Trixie always knows how to make her friends better about themselves!” she proudly declared.

“Well, at least you can understand what I’m going through. Don’t get me wrong, I love our friends. But sometimes, I always get the feeling they don’t fully...ugh, how should I say it?....get me. Sometimes I would feel alone, and that no one actually likes me after what I did.”

“Trust me, Starlight, I know how that feels. Everypony here would often gossip about me despite the fact that I’ve changed. Oh, poor little old Trixie!” Trixie dramatically exclaimed.

Just as she said that, there were three random ponies behind them who cast looks of suspicion on Trixie. They murmured among themselves before they turned their backs on her and left. Trixie looked at them with an annoyed scowl. “See what I mean?”

Starlight then sat down next to Trixie on the wagon. “I really wish I had your confidence. You have no idea how much I want that.”

“Please, you’re very lucky nopony talks about you behind your back every chance they get. You shouldn’t doubt yourself, not after all the right things you did.”

“So...you’re saying I’m actually learning? I feel like I haven’t.”

“Of course you are! You’re a much better learner than I am! And if I can be completely honest, you are a changed pony. Any pony can see that!” Trixie comforted.

Starlight slightly smiled. “I’m very happy to hear that from you.”

“What are friends for?” Trixie and Starlight hugged.

In the middle of the Everfree Forest, Batgirl regained consciousness as she opened her eyes. “Hmmm...mmm...huh? What the? Batman?” She looked left and right and saw no Batman in sight.

She observed her new surroundings: large trees were blocking out the sun rays, insects crawled on the dirt, and birds were chirping on the tree branches. After a few seconds of registering where she was, she finally noticed something odd.

“Where’s the scepter? It must have disappeared somehow. But how did I get here though? In fact, where exactly is ‘here’?”

She grabbed her grappling hook and shot it right over a tall tree branch. She flew right up toward it and landed on the branch. She had a clearer view of the forest as well as the open landscape before her. “Wow. This is definitely not in America! I gotta check it out!” she determined.

However, she noticed a certain pegasus spiraling out of control and ended up crashing into her. They both fell on the ground.

As Batgirl tried to get back up, the grey pegasus shook her head and looked at her with derpy eyes. Amazed at the sight of a strange bipedal bat creature, the pony flew away as far as she could. Batgirl was left stunned.

“Was that....a pegasus pony?! I thought those creatures didn’t exist! I gotta find that scepter before things get any weirder!”

She pulled out her tracker to locate the Scepter of Healing. The device gave the results.

“Hmm, the scepter is about 15 miles from here. That should give me an idea where to go first.” She shot her grappling hook again and flew off from the forest.

Chapter 2: Time for Fear

Back in Ponyville, Starlight and Trixie were relaxing at a spa side by side. But just as they were having a peaceful time together, screams were heard outside. Anxious to see what the commotion was about, both unicorns ran outside. They saw several ponies crowding together just right in front of the mayor's house.

"What in Equastria is going on? Is there a monster on the loose?" Starlight wondered.

"I hope it isn't an Ursa Minor!" Trixie whimpered. Starlight looked at her with an eyebrow raised.

"I have a bad history with those creatures. Just...don't ask."

At that moment, Scarecrow was seen walking slowly in the midst of the town with his staff in hand. "Who is that guy?!" a stallion shouted, sweating.

"That has gotta be a zombie!" a mare yelled.

Then Scarecrow simply waved toward them in a friendly fashion. "Greetings, little ponies. Many apologies for my...unsettling appearance. My name is Jonathan Crane, former professor and doctor of psychology. But you can call me...the Scarecrow." The ponies gasped after hearing his alias.

“Where is the Scepter of Healing?”

“The what?”

“What the heck is that?” some of them murmured.

“I know it’s here. It is what brought me and my comrade here,” said Scarecrow, taking his handgun out. “I’ll ask again. Where is it?”

Suddenly, a rainbow mane-colored pony flew in front of him with an angry look on her face. "Hold it right there, buddy! I don't know what you are or where you've come from, but you're not gonna hurt my friends on my watch!"

Unfazed, Scarecrow pushed her aside and walked toward the frightened ponies. "What the--?! Hey! Who do you think--ah!" The villain shot her with fear toxin without even looking at her.

Coughing, Rainbow looked around and saw every pony laugh at her. The sky turned orange, the grass ignited in flames, and the Wonderbolts started to taunt her, “Hey, look! It’s Rainbow Crash! I bet she can’t even fly!” As soon as they said that, she felt her wings missing and she widened her eyes at the sight of them gone.

“NOO!!!” she screamed. She jumped up and down, but she ended up bumping against the wall.

Scarecrow chuckled at the sight of the poor pegasus sobbing on the ground and screaming at nothing. The residents stared at her in confusion.

“What’s wrong with her?”

“I don’t know! That creep must have done something to her!”

“What kind of gas was that?!”

“I’m glad you asked,” he replied. “Care to take a free sample to find out?” He pointed his gun at them once he re-loaded it.

However, Starlight Glimmer teleported in front of them and ignited her horn at the Scarecrow. “Stop! Leave them alone! Whatever kind of disgusting creature you are, you don’t belong here! I won’t let you hurt them!”

“My, my, my, what an interesting display of heroism. You consider yourself very brave, don't you? I wonder what sort of fears you have.” He shot his fear bullet at her, but Starlight emanated her magical shield and protected herself from the toxin. Everypony fled for their lives the moment the shot was fired.

After she lowered her shield, she fired a beam at him. It struck him hard which sent him flying in the air until he landed on a roof top of a random house. He rolled off to the ground while groaning in discomfort. Then Starlight glared daggers at the villain with her horn still glowing. “Leave now before you get hurt more. This is your last warning.”

Scarecrow stood back up on his feet and picked up his stick. “I like your spirit. That alone says a lot about you and what you’re hiding inside. I’ll be watching you, my little pony.” Then he walked backwards into an alleyway, the shadows hiding his appearance until his glowing eyes and teeth were seen in the darkness. Then he was gone.

Sighing in relief, Starlight's horn stopped glowing and ran to Trixie who was sitting in a corner shaking with her eyes closed. “Is it over?! Is it over?!” she whimpered.

“He’s gone. Are you all right?”

“Trixie’s fine! Just not okay from the inside. Who was that monster?!”

“I don’t know! He called himself the Scarecrow and had some strange gas of some kind. It made Rainbow scream out of terror somehow...” Starlight replied, looking at the said pegasus. The latter was curled up in a ball, her pupils shrunk, her eyes were red, and her tears were falling out.

“Rainbow Dash!” Twilight called out. She and the Mane Four arrived at the spot and checked on the terrorized pony. “What happened?! Are you okay?!”

“Stop laughing at me! I SAID STOP!” Rainbow screamed. She saw Twilight and the others laughing at her and throwing garbage at her.

“What’s the matter, Rainbow Crash? Can’t fly without your wings?”

“LOSER!!! 20% uncooler!”

Rainbow kicked off Twilight and tried to run, but Starlight held her through telekinesis. “Rainbow, we’re trying to help you! What is going on?! What are you seeing?!”

“You’re all making fun of me! Just stop it please!” Rainbow begged, her voice cracking.

“Is she experiencing her worst nightmare? It’s not even night time yet!” Rarity wondered.

“There has to be an explanation for this!” Twilight said.

“Let me help you with that!” another voice yelled out. The ponies looked up and beheld Batgirl descend towards them with her cape. As she landed, she grabbed an antidote from her utility belt. “It’s Scarecrow’s fear toxin. It creates hallucinations for victims where they feel their worst fears.”

“Who in tarnation are ya?” Applejack asked.

“Introductions later! Gotta save your friend now!” Batgirl replied. She injected the antidote in Rainbow’s arm. Once she did that, the pegasus finally breathed slowly and laid her head on the ground.

The ponies looked surprised at the outcome. “Is she...is she all right?” Straight asked.

As if on cue, Rainbow opened her eyes and saw her worrying friends looking at her. “It’s...it’s over! Oh, thank Celestia it’s over! That was the worst nightmare ever!”

“Well, looks like she’s fine!” Batgirl smiled. Rainbow looked at her with a look of awe and admiration.

“Whoa...you look awesome!” she shouted, her pupils enlarging with stars inside.

"Who are you, and what kind of a....creature are you?" Twilight asked, curiously looking up and down at her. "You look like a giant bat."

"You can call me Batgirl. And forgive me if I sound rude, but... I can't believe you ponies can actually talk! Like, this is something I would never imagine becoming a reality!" the heroine exclaimed.

"Of course we can talk, silly!" Pinkie Pie grinned, popping out of nowhere. "There are a lot of weird things that can happen here like a magic-eating centaur, shape-shifting bugs, and an inter-dimensional being of chaos! But now that you're here, WELCOME TO PONYVILLE!" Confetti and balloons shot into the air from her party cannon.

Batgirl looked at her with a puzzled expression. "Ooo....kay?"

"Don't mind her. She's just being...Pinkie," Applejack said.

"Pinkie?" Batgirl repeated.

"Yep. This is Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Twilight Sparkle, my best friend Trixie, and I'm Starlight Glimmer. Pleased to meet you!" She reached out her hoof to Batgirl; they awkwardly shook each other's hoof/hand.

"Nice to...meet you too."

"If I say so, darling, I admire your costume! Although your cape seems a bit too short for my taste. Hmm, perhaps I should make it a little longer," Rarity commented, scrutinizing her outfit.

"I can't believe I'm in a world of talking ponies! This feels so strange yet so amazing! But since Joker and Scarecrow are here, I gotta protect them. Who knows what they're up to," Batgirl thought, not listening to what Rarity said.

"Uh, are you okay?" Starlight asked.

Batgirl shook her head. "Yeah, I'm fine. I wanted to ask you if you know where the Scepter of Healing is?"

The ponies looked at her confused. "The what now?" Trixie asked.

"Wait, Celestia's Scepter of Healing? I know that artifact! But that was taken from us eons ago," recalled Twilight. "How do you know?"

"It used to be in Gotham City--where I come from. But Joker and Scarecrow stole it, and I tried to take it back until it somehow took us here. Now it's gone."

"Joker?" Pinkie asked, smiling.

"Scarecrow?" Fluttershy muttered, scared.

"Maybe the scepter has returned back to its original owner: Princess Celestia!" Twilight reasoned.

"Who's that?"

"She's the current ruler of Equastria, and she might be able to help you. Whatever those villains you mentioned are up to, they won't succeed as long as we work together!" Twilight proudly declared.

"Hmm, sounds like a plan. Lead the way!" Batgirl approved.

After the other ponies left, Rainbow looked at her and said, "Thanks for saving me back there."

"Don't mention it. And your mane looks really cool," replied Batgirl, winking.

Starlight and Trixie, however, looked at each other with worried looks. "I'm having a bad feeling about this."

"Me too, Trixie. That Scarecrow guy didn't mess around, and I'm afraid the Joker--Jester--or whoever he is, may be just as bad as he is."

Chapter 3: A Laughing Matter

The ponies led Batgirl to the city of Canterlot. Once they entered the city, the heroine gazed at the beauty of the palace. She never would have thought that a race who seem to be living in a primitive lifestyle would be that selective in making their city appealing. "Wow..." she muttered in awe.

Starlight ran up to her with a curious look. "So...Batgirl, right? Um...you're from Gotham?"

"Mm-hm," Batgirl nodded.

"Well, I was wondering if you could tell me what that place is like. You know, for...curiosity's sake," Starlight said, nervously smiling.

"Ha, Gotham is a..mixed bag for me," replied Batgirl. "It's a city that has a lot of good people in it, but it is also a city full of crime and psychopaths."

"Really? How do you even manage to live in a crime-infested city?"

"I have my ways of survival, I'll tell you that." Batgirl chuckled.

Then Starlight started to sweat a little. "I see. Well, I'm sure the bad guys you face aren't as worse as a unicorn who's responsible for the brainwashing of a whole village, stealing their cutie marks, and going through time travel just to get revenge on Twilight which nearly destroyed Equestria in the process...all because her friend moved away and she didn't."

Batgirl looked at her with an eyebrow raised. "What?"

Wiping little tears from her eyes, she shook her head. "Never mind. Forget it."

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's nothing, really," Starlight replied, looking down.

"We're here! Welcome to Canterlot!" Twilight announced. They stood before the doors of the castle which suddenly opened before them.

Before they could enter, they were confronted by the Royal Guard who raised their spears at Batgirl. "Halt, creature! Who are you?"

"No worries! She's with us. We're here to see Princess Celestia," said Twilight.

"Lower your weapons," an authoritative voice commanded. The guards did so and went back to their posts. After the ponies and Batgirl entered the throne room, they saw Celestia sitting on her throne. The ponies bowed before her whereas Batgirl was gazing on her majestic appearance.

"Greetings, young creature. I am Princess Celestia, ruler of Equestria. What is your name?"

"Huh? Oh! I'm Batgirl from Gotham City...*clears throat*...Your Highness," she said, finally bowing.

"Please, no need to bow. You're new here, it seems," Celestia said, warmly smiling. "May I ask where this Gotham may be from?"

"It's actually from another dimension. That's where I come from."

"I see," the princess nodded. She swooped down from the throne to meet the visitor on her level. "I must admit I've never met a creature like you before. So I must ask how you got here and why you've come?"

"Well, there's this relic that brought me here. It's called the Scepter of Healing."

Celestia slightly widened her eyes in surprise. "The scepter? You know of it?"

"Yes. It used to be in Gotham where it was gonna be in a museum...until it was stolen."

At that moment, Celestia brought the scepter over with her magic. The ponies gasped at the sight of it. "Then it wasn't a coincidence after all. As you may know, I am the original owner of this artifact. I was very surprised to see it in my own room this morning as it's been centuries since I've had it in my possession. But now that it has returned, I must protect it at all costs. Luckily, whoever tried to steal it won't be able to get their hooves on it."

"Uhhh...yeah, about that...I wasn't the only one who was teleported here..." Batgirl added, rubbing her hair.

"What do you mean?" Celestia asked.

Suddenly, noises of laughter were heard outside the castle. This arrested the attention of the ponies inside. Before the guards could open the doors, they were struck back by the doors as they swung open. Multiple citizens were laughing their butts out as they stumbled across the hallway. The victims fell down on the floor as they uttered their last laughs and gave up their last breath.

"What are they laughing about? *Gasp* ARE THEY HAVING A LAUGHING PARTY?! I WANNA JOIN!" Pinkie excitedly shouted.

"Uh, Pinkie, that wasn't a party..." corrected Batgirl, grabbing her batarang.

Then a sinister laughter echoed from the hallway. The guards fearfully raised their spears at the approaching villain. The Clown Prince of Crime wore his evil grin even as he held a gun.

"Freeze, clown monster! Don't move!" a guard ordered, his hooves shaking.

"Do I look like Mr. Freeze to you?" Joker asked, frowning. "Also, it's Mister Clown Monster to you! The Joker! The King of Joy! The Bringer of Laughter! Haha!"

He pointed the gun at them and pulled the trigger. But instead of firing a bullet, a flagpole was sprouted which said 'BANG!'. That both confused and relieved the guards at the same time.

"Sike!" Joker said, giggling.

"Hehehehehehe!! That guy is funny!" Pinkie laughed, rolling on the floor.

Then Joker pointed at one of the guards and shot the flagpole, impaling him on the chest. It sent him flying in the air until he landed before the shocked Celestia. His head hit the ground...dead.

Pinkie's smile instantly dropped. "Maaaaaaaaybe not."

Celestia ignited her horn and stood in front of the terrified ponies. "Stand back, monster! You are trespassing on my kingdom!"

"Well, what do you know? Batgirl has made new friends with talking horses! Hahahahahahahahaha!!"

"Why do ah get the feelin' he's worse than Discord?" Applejack whispered to Fluttershy. The latter squealed in terror.

"Have I ever told you I'm afraid of clowns?" Fluttershy asked.

Batgirl then swung her batarang and wrapped Joker up with its rope, tying him up. She brought him to his knees. "You're not going anywhere, Joker!"

"Oh really?" Joker evilly smirked. A joker card fell on his hand from his sleeve; with that, he cut himself free and grabbed his real gun from his waist. He opened fire on them, but Celestia shielded them all from the shots whereas Batgirl backflipped away from the bullets.

Joker picked a baby doll from his jacket and threw it to Celestia. "Catch!" The alicorn grabbed it through telekinesis and stared at it in confusion. Suddenly, it exploded which sent her flying towards the throne and crashing it.

“CELESTIA!” Twilight cried out.

“Now where is my birthday present?! Give it back before I make more ponies laugh!” Joker threatened.

“I don’t think so!” Batgirl retorted as she jumped on him. She punched him multiple times in the face and stomach before she body-slammed him on the floor. Starlight and Trixie looked stunned at the scene whereas Rainbow and Pinkie feasted their eyes at Batgirl beating up Joker.

However, Joker grabbed another card and grazed Batgirl’s arm, making her wince in pain. Then he kicked her off him and stood back up. “Alright, kiddies! You all have been very bad ponies, so I’m gonna give you a nice good...spanking!” The Clown brandished his shotgun with a boxing glove on front. He shot the boxing glove to the ceiling and made it explode with purple smoke.

He sprouted springs from his shoes. He jumped up and down over the ponies until he spotted the scepter lying on the floor. He reached for it, but a magical grip took it away from him. He looked and saw Starlight with her horn glowing. He angrily growled at her.

“What a way to ruin the fun, unicorn. You should lighten up a bit!” Joker sneered, spraying joker gas.

Starlight again shielded herself from the gas before she head-butted the villain. She picked him up and threw him against a wall via telekinesis. “First off, bad joke. Second, make one more move and you’re toast. So leave...NOW,” demanded Starlight, glaring daggers.

“Aren’t you a party pooper? In fact, you remind me of a certain nocturnal guy I know,” Joker smirked.

“I SAID LEAVE!” Starlight repeated, horn glowing brighter.

“This isn’t over yet, missy. But I do want to give y’all a fortune cookie. Toodles!” Joker left them with a random fortune cookie before he sprang out of the castle laughing.

After The Joker left, Batgirl lifted herself up while groaning in pain from the flesh wound on her arm. She then noticed the other ponies checking on each other and Twilight helping Celestia up.

“Is everyone okay?” Batgirl asked.

“Yes, darling. Just a bit...*coughs*...stressed out from all this. That’s all,” replied Rarity.

“On second thought, that Joker guy is one big creepy meanie. But he’s still funny! Hehehehehe!” Pinkie giggled.

“The great and powerful Trixie never fears any clown! I shall take on that foe and make him suffer!” Trixie boasted. Once she looked down on a dead pony with a dreadful smile, she jumped back in fear. “That image is stuck in my head forever.”

“What are we gonna do?! Those were the two villains Batgirl mentioned earlier! If we don’t stop them now, they will take over Equestria! We have to do something!” Starlight exclaimed.

“Two? There’s another one?” Celestia asked.

“Yeah, we confronted a guy called Scarecrow who apparently creates toxins to make ponies’ worst fears come true. He’s just as dangerous as Joker!” Straight answered.

“Yeah! He makes King Sombra’s magic seem harmless in comparison!” Rainbow added.

“I see. Then we must work together to make sure they don’t get their hooves on the scepter. I will make sure my sister is aware of this and have her assist us in taking those monsters down,” said Celestia.

“Thank you, Princess,” Batgirl smiled.

Rainbow Dash picked up the fortune cookie and cracked it open. “The note says ‘Laughter is the best medicine’. Huh?”

“RAINBOW, NO!” Batgirl warned. The joker gas erupted from the cookie and got the pegasus.

“No...*cough*... not again!! *cough*” Rainbow muttered before she laughed uncontrollably.

“Here we go again...” Applejack groaned, facepalming.

“Don’t worry, I got an antidote for it too,” sighed Batgirl.

Chapter 4: Fear of What’s To Come

Later in the evening, Joker and Scarecrow were hiding in a cave within the Everfree Forest. They laid out all their chemicals and weapons on the ground after they chopped down some wood. As they assembled their arsenal, they noticed that the sun was setting.

“It’s been a long day already?! I must’ve lost track of time! Oh well, sleep is overrated anyway,” Joker waved off.

“That’s perfect. Because once the night falls, we will make our final move on them.”

“I wouldn’t be so hasty if I were you, ‘Crow. The welcoming committee isn’t so welcoming to...uninvited guests. Some of those ponies don’t even know a good joke even if it bit them in the face! Oh wait...it kinda did. Hehehehehe!”

“Very funny, Joker,” Scarecrow sarcastically replied. “But you are unfortunately correct. The Scepter of Healing will no doubt be under heavy security after today’s events. That’s why I suggest we perform some...less ethical methods of negotiation.”

Joker raised his eyebrow. “Ethical? Since when is ‘ethical’ part of our villain description?”

“If we could capture one of them and threaten them, then they will surely release the scepter to us.”

“Hmm, now that will be fun. Who did you have in mind, hm? Oh, oh, how about we get that pink pony? She’s no Harley, but she’s twice as annoying as Mad Hatter,” Joker suggested, frowning at the thought of Pinkie.

“Remember that unicorn who fought us earlier?” Scarecrow reminded.

“Huh? Oh, yes! That pony would give Bat-brain a run for his money...if he actually is that rich.”

“She’s the only one who had the guts to fight us off. That makes her a very special target for us. I want to know her fears, her secrets, her flaws, her history, everything. If we could strike the ones closest to her, we can get her,” Scarecrow planned, eyes glowing.

Then the Joker wickedly grinned. “Way ahead of you, Crane. I happened to come across that wagon of the blue horse who was talking to the purple one earlier. I left a little surprise for her."

“Of course you did. I will look forward to breaking that unicorn...slowly,” said Scarecrow, evilly chuckling.

As Celestia was setting the sun down and Luna raising the moon, the alicorns reunited with the rest of the group in the throne room. Luna stood before Batgirl as she looked up and down at her. "So then...Batgirl...my sister has informed me of your rogue adversaries and their plan, yes?"

Batgirl nodded.

"If what you say is true, then we must act fast and make sure our kingdom does not fall in their hooves."

"You mean hands?" Batgirl corrected.

"Y-yes, hands.." Luna stammered, looking at her puzzled.

"The rest of you must rest for now. We will increase security of the city on every side, and I will keep this scepter safe where it should be," Celestia commanded.

"But where exactly? Those creeps know where you live and know where to get it!" Starlight shouted. Then she cleared her throat with a look of nervousness. "Um, with all due respect, Princess."

"I understand your concern, Starlight, but rest assured that it will be in safe keeping in a place where neither of them will be able to locate it," Celestia calmly replied.

"In the meantime, make sure you keep Ponyville safe at all costs. All of Equastria is counting on us," advised Luna.

"Don't worry, princesses. We won't let you down!" Twilight assured.

"You can count on us!" Rainbow added.

"Hopefully, ya won't be sprayed with gas again," Applejack muttered.

"I heard that, AJ. I don't even want to think about that!" Rainbow groaned.

Once the group departed from the castle, Starlight and Trixie slowed down behind them. Twilight noticed they soon stopped walking with them. "Are you two okay?"

"Yeah, uh, we decided to just teleport back home since, you know, Trixie is afraid of the dark and stuff," Starlight nervously grinned.

"No, I'm not! The great and powerful Trixie is never afraid of the--!*poof*" Starlight already teleported them both off Canterlot.

"Uh, good night?" Twilight said, arching an eyebrow.

The unicorns reappeared before Trixie's wagon. "A little warning next time?"

"Sorry, Trix. Now listen to me carefully: Joker and Scarecrow will come back and will terrorize Ponyville and Canterlot again. You have to stay put in the wagon until they're gone. It won't be safe for you out here," warned Starlight.

"Stay here?! The great and powerful Trixie will never fall prey to their traps!"

"Oh yeah? When was the last time you stood your ground? Or didn't cower before Scarecrow?" Starlight asked, giving her an unamused look.

Trixie's determined look fell as she thought back on her actions, causing her to blush in embarrassment. "I see your point."

"Look, I just don't want you to get hurt out there, okay? You're my best friend, and I don't want to lose you to those creatures. Do you trust me?"

"*sigh* Yes, I do. Trixie always listens to her best friend!" Trixie sadly smiled. After they shared a brief hug, Starlight got back inside the Castle of Friendship.

Then Trixie entered inside her wagon and breathed in and out. "Well, at least I'll get some sleep. By the morning, nothing will catch Trixie by surprise!" At that moment, she noticed a random envelope on the floor.

"Huh? What's this?" She grabbed it with her magic and opened it up.

Suddenly, blue gas was sprayed on her face, causing her to cough violently. She then started to feel dizzy and exhausted, making her lose her balance. "What...is...*cough* thiiiiis?" she mumbled. She fell on the floor unconscious before she could hear footsteps outside and a sinister laugh.

Chapter 5: A Fearful Choice

Trixie slowly opened her eyes. "Uhhh...*coughs*...where am I? Huh? What the?!" She saw her hooves tied up and bound to a boulder. "Why is Trixie tied up?! What's going on?!" She tried to move her hooves, but the ropes were too tight to budge. She tried to ignite her horn, but it was covered with jelly-like slime.

"Hehehehehehehahahaha, seems like sleeping beauty's finally awake!" an evilly jolly voice spoke. Trixie widened her eyes in fear as The Joker approached her from the shadows.

"You again?! Get away from me, you monster! Trixie's allergic to clowns!" the unicorn screamed, closing her eyes tight.

"Easy, easy, little pony! We just wanted to bring you here for a special occasion! It's something you wouldn't want to miss, y'know!" Joker explained, wagging his finger.

"Miss what?"

"The epoch of fear," replied Scarscrow. Trixie turned her head to see him standing right behind her. Her pupils shrunk in horror at the sight of the monster the ponies encountered earlier.

"You see, your unicorn friend displayed an admirable quality of bravery back there. I'm quite certain she is your source of encouragement. But there is one minuscule issue that we're having..." Scarecrow said.

"The scepter is not here!" Joker finished, scowling at Trixie. "And if we don't get what we want, someone's gonna get a time-out." He held a timed bomb in his hand and strapped it on her stomach. "Get it? Time out? Hahahaha!"

"Is the projector ready?" Scarescrow asked.

"Ready for the sweet, delicious drama, Jack-O-Lantern!" Joker wheezed. He raised it on high for Trixie to see.

"LET ME GO! PLEASE DON'T HURT ME!! DON'T HURT--Hmph!" Her mouth was gagged by Scarecrow before he picked up his staff.

"Now is not the time for fear. That comes later," said Scarecrow.

Early in the morning, the sun rose by Celestia's magic and the moon lowered by Luna's magic. Afterwards, they reunited in a secret storage room where a large container was in the midst thereof. They lifted the cover off where the Scepter of Healing was laying inside. Then they closed the container again.

"So far there is no word from the alien intruders," Luna noted.

"That would mean that they are planning something dangerous and their next move. Did you inform Shining Armor and Cadence of these current events?"

"Yes, sister. They are increasing their defenses as we speak," Luna replied.

"Perfect. I will make sure the Royal Guard watch over the walls of Canterlot and heavily guard the walls of this castle," Celestia added.

"What about Ponyville? Twilight and her friends can't defend the innocents all on their own."

"Not as long as this Batgirl is with them. But knowing Twilight, I know she will do everything in her power to protect Ponyville," Celestia smiled.

The sun rays shined through the window to Starlight's bedroom, forcing her to wake up. As she yawned, she slowly got out of bed with bags under her eyes and her mane all messy. She went to the bathroom to brush her teeth and then got out to have breakfast.

As soon as she was finished eating, there was a loud noise just outside. "What the...?" she muttered. The noise got louder as it got closer which prompted her to look outside. She ran outside to see where the source of the noise came from.

Then the noise sounded more air-born and high-pitched than ever. The confused unicorn looked up and saw a medium-sized drone with a camera hanging below. She looked on in amazement as the drone zoomed past her and the Castle of Friendship. Twilight and Batgirl ran outside and noticed the drone afar off.

"Whoa! What in the name of Celestia was that?!" Twilight shouted, looking on in surprise.

"I don't know...I've never seen anything like it before!" Starlight replied.

Batgirl grabbed her binoculars and got a closer look at the flying object. "That's a drone! It has to be from Joker and Scarecrow, and it looks like it's heading to Canterlot."

"*Gasp* We have to go there now! We don't know what it's gonna do, and we gotta make sure nopony gets hurt!" Twilight panicked.

"Agreed!" Batgirl nodded. "Teleport us there!"

After Twilight nodded back, she ignited her horn and teleported all of them to the city.

Celestia and Luna were sitting on their thrones peacefully with more Royal Guards surrounding the castle, the whole city, and the hallway. Suddenly, the drone crashed through one of the windows into the throne room, startling everyone therein. The guards raised their spears at the machine while standing in front of the Royal Sisters. The latter had their horns ignited as they stood in their battle stances.

The drone slowly descended to their level and then just hovered in the air. The camera moved toward their faces before a small monitor was activated just right on top of the drone. The screen turned on, revealing the face of The Scarecrow.

"Good morning, monarchs of Equastria. Pardon us for interrupting your daily activities," he sarcastically welcomed. "I have an important proposition for you."

"What do you want, fiend?" Luna growled.

"A simple favor, really. You see, my friend Joker and I simply want to go home. After all, the Scepter of Healing was the one that brought us here in the first place, and it is only logical that it can take us back to where we came from. You just have to hand it over to us, and we shall go our way."

"And how do we know you won't go against your word? After what you two have done to us yesterday, I have no reason to hand the scepter over to you," Celestia coldly replied.

Scarecrow then chuckled. "I was hoping you would say that. Joker, you have the floor..." Then the screen transitioned to the Clown Prince of Crime who was smiling with a birthday cap on.

"Helloooooo, candy-colored ponies! Do you know what today is? Trixie's birthday!! Hahahahahahaha!!" He showed them a tied up Trixie with explosives next to the boulder and a bomb strapped to her stomach. Right after he said that, Starlight and her friends burst through the doors and saw her best friend all tied up.

"TRIXIE! NO!"

The camera then turned to face the shocked unicorn. "Well, well, well, looks like the hero is about to feel her worst pain, eh Doc? Hehehe!" Trixie whimpered through the gag and tried to move from her bonds again.

"Let her go, you maniac!!" Starlight angrily demanded.

"Really? Alright, if you say so!" Joker then grabbed a joy buzzer and shocked Trixie with it. Her screams were muffled due to the gag in her mouth. "A shocking turn of events! Haha! Now, where was I? Oh! Yes! If you want to see your friend still in one piece, you will hand the relic over to us. This shouldn't be treated as rocket science."

"If you touch one hair on her head, I'll...I'll--"

"Ahhh, so that is one of your fears, hm? Good. I wonder how many more fears you have," said Scarecrow. Joker shocked Trixie again--this time with her gag removed. Her screams sent chills in everyone's spine in the room, more so for Starlight.

"Please do not make this harder than it needs to be. We just want to go home. That's all. In that way, we won't cause harm in your city and in your town anymore. You have my word," promised Scarecrow.

Trixie still screamed from the painful shocks given to her, making everyone cringe in fear. Having had enough of hearing her torture, Celestia raised her wings high. "STOP! We...we will...give you the scepter."

"Sister, NO!"

"Princess, what are you doing?!"

"Wise decision, Your Highness." Scarecrow complimented. Joker then stopped shocking Trixie, letting her breathe oxygen.

A long arm with claws was deployed from the drone and was extended to reach for the relic. Celestia handed the scepter over to the arm, allowing it to grab it.

Before the drone could fly off, Starlight floated in the air with her magic and stopped it from leaving. "I want my friend back safe and sound. I won't allow you to get the scepter until my best friend is safe back at home!" Trixie sadly smiled and felt tears in her eyes after hearing those words.

"If you want your friend back so badly, follow us to our lair and get her yourself," instructed Scarecrow.

"Fine." Then the drone left the castle with the scepter.

"Starlight, you can't go! It's a trap! What if he kills you?" Twilight protested.

"If I don't go, they'll kill Trixie, and I would then have lost the best friend I could ever ask for. I have to go save her."

"Let me go with you. I know how those creeps work, so I can take them out while you go save her," Batgirl suggested.

"No," Starlight sternly denied. "This is my fight. They want me, and they're gonna face me."

"Very well, Starlight Glimmer. I pray that your mission will be successful. Be careful," said Celestia.

"Just please make it out alive, Starlight. I don't want to lose my best pupil.." Twilight pleaded, tears falling.

Both of them hugged. "I will. Don't worry." With that, Starlight teleported away.

Chapter 6: Living Your Worst Nightmare

Starlight was walking in the middle of the forest while the drone was hovering right in front of her. The camera zoomed in on her determined-looking face, but she kept her eyes focused on the path ahead of her. Then the drone suddenly turned to the right, allowing the unicorn to follow it.

After walking a few miles, she finally spotted a cave ahead right next to a dead end. Glaring daggers at the drone, the latter flew right inside the dark cave. Calmly breathing in and out, she entered the cave.

She lit up her horn in the darkness. "Trixie? Trixie, where are you?!" she called out. Her voice echoed throughout the cave.

She heard neither noise nor answer. Worried, she jumped over a log and ran. Then she suddenly stopped in front of a large boulder that had cut ropes lying around it. "Huh? They must have taken her somewhere! But where exactly?"

At that moment, streams of yellowish green gas filled the whole cave. Too late to protect herself with her magical shield, she tried to cover her face with her hooves until the gas entered her nostrils. She violently coughed with tears forming in her eyes. Then she re-opened her eyes and saw Trixie in a far distance. Her eyes glimmering with hope, she stood up on her hooves and ran as fast as she could.

"Trixie! I'm coming!"

However, large spikes sprouted from the ground and surrounded Starlight. The spikes formed mouths with sharp teeth and red eyes before they started hissing at her. "What the--?! What is happening?!" she cried out. The serpent-like spikes spread their coils around Trixie and started to choke her.

"Let her go!!" Starlight demanded, blasting her spells at the beasts. They unfortunately had no affect on them which made her widen her eyes in shock.

"Is something wrong, my furry friend? Are you hyperventilating? Is it a nightmare? Is it....fear?" Scarecrow taunted, emphasizing on the last word with a monstrous growl.

Dark figures grew out of the ground and formed into ponies....the very ponies she fearfully recognized. They grew sinister grins as they formed a circle around her.

"Would you look at that? A pathetic dictator who ruined our lives!" a stallion condescendingly spat.

"What are you doing here, huh? Do you really think we want you back here after what you did to us?!" a mare sneered, drawing dangerously close to her.

"I...I--j-just...I'm sorry! I thought you f-forgave me!" she replied, sweat drops falling from her forehead.

"LIAR! You're the same monster that manipulated us!"

"Tricked us!"

"Enslaved us!"

"Abused us!"

"You. Are. The WORST!!!" they taunted in unison. The frightened unicorn saw that her old hairstyle returned and tried to change it back to her current hairstyle. Her mane still remained untouched. The ponies then started to call her names.

"Starlight Glimmer? More like Trash-light Dimmer! Haha!" they laughed.

"Stop! Stop! Stop! You're hurting me!" she screamed, crying on the pavement. The ponies then laughed at her misery.

After a few seconds, she no longer heard them laughing. She opened her eyes and then noticed demonic figures with angry expressions on their faces. She slowly got up while she was still weeping. "Who...are...y-you..?"

"You don't belong here, worst pony!" one of the demons angrily shouted. "You should have suffered punishment for what you did!"

"You're an overpowered piece of garbage! Nobody likes you!" another added.

"Please....stop..." Starlight's words drowned out from the demonic screeching and harsh words. She again sobbed out loud and covered her face.

"Twilight and the others would be better off without you. You never change, you never learn, and you will never have friends." The demonic figures then formed into Scarecrow who used his staff to lift up her sobbing face.

"It pleases me to see a hero like you tremble...with fear. It's even more pleasing to see your greatest fear of all..." whispered Scarecrow, moving aside. The spikes continued choking the life out of Trixie while Starlight helplessly watched.

"Why, Starlight? Why....didn't you save me?" Trixie muttered, weakly gasping for air. Then the spikes instantly tightened the coils, snapping her neck.

Starlight laid there frozen, unable to fully process what just happened in front of her. The spikes tore Trixie's carcass apart and dived right back into the ground.

Scarecrow nonchalantly walked past her without looking at her. "You will bring death to all who follow you."

Starlight tried to ignite her horn to fully obliterate him in hellish fury, but she couldn't muster any more mental strength. Instead, she muttered an involuntary giggle. Her pupils shrunk, her eyes turned yellow, and her teeth turned light-green as she started to laugh uncontrollably. More tears started to flow from her swollen eyes, and foam came out of her mouth.

"Pretty fun coping mechanism, isn't it? If the world laughs at you, you laugh back at them! Nightmares are funny the more you get used to 'em! It'll be a silly roller coaster ride until you throw up, ask Mommy and Daddy for another go, and then the cycle continues! Sadly, you'll only be able to enjoy the ride once until you pass out...permanently. Well, it was nice to beat you, miss! Bye-bye!" Joker taunted, throwing a beet at her before taking off.

The beet started to tick with a timer. Meanwhile, Starlight continued to laugh until she felt her oxygen slowly running out.

Just as she was about to give her final breath, a grappling hook grabbed her hoof and took her up through an open gap. The beet exploded which ended up destroying the entire cave.

Starlight landed on Batgirl's arms who quickly administered the laughing gas antidote for her. Then the unicorn closed her eyes and felt despair overwhelm her senses.

"Trixie....I'm so sorry."

Chapter 7: Put Your Fears Away

Celestia, Luna, and the Mane Six all waited for Batgirl to return with Starlight. Twilight faced outside the window with drops of sweat all over her forehead; Pinkie bit her lip in anxiety right before eating her strawberry cupcakes; Fluttershy paced back and forth non-stop; Applejack and Rarity stayed close together, and Rainbow flew around the castle outside. The Royal Sisters silently remained seated on their thrones while closing their eyes.

"They should be back by now, sister. What's keeping them?"

"Don't worry, Lulu. They'll be back safe and sound. I know it," Celestia replied.

Suddenly, a rocket flew right through the window with Rainbow on top thereof. It then exploded just below the ceiling, releasing yellow gas throughout the entire throne room. Every pony coughed and wheezed to gain oxygen until they all passed out.

Just on top of the castle, Joker and Scarecrow were seen carrying a tied-up Trixie and laying her on the balcony. "Ah, don't you love it when you spread joy and laughter in another universe? It's like Santa Claus bringing gifts to good little children! Oh, I miss Christmas already..." Joker sighed.

"Indeed. And now joy will be joined with fear, making it more...complete," added Scarecrow.

"Couldn't have said it better myself, Zombie Man. Let's get the Panic Party started!" Joker shouted, lifting the scepter.

After removing the top lid thereof, he dropped a cup of laughter chemicals into the scepter. Then Scarecrow poured his cup of fear toxin chemicals and mixed them all together. Closing the lid, Joker shook the scepter back and forth which resulted in the relic radiating a bright yellow aurora. It hovered in the air and started to rapidly spin. It ejected a massive stream of yellowish-green gas, making it spread across the entire city.

"And so it begins..." muttered Scarecrow.

"Starlight, are you alright?" Batgirl asked.

After coughing several times, the unicorn opened her eyes and saw multiple ponies glaring at her and gnashing their sharp teeth at her. "NO!" she yelled, shielding her eyes with her hooves.

"What's wrong?" Batgirl looked toward her direction and saw nobody around them. Gasping, she gently laid Starlight on the grass.

"Batgirl, help me! They're going to hurt me!"

"Don't worry, I got the antidote ready--huh? Oh, no, no, no! I used them all up!"

Then the unicorn screamed in horror again and kept her eyes shut tight. "You have to fight it, Starlight! You gotta face your fears! It's the only way now!" Batgirl shouted.

A few seconds later, Starlight opened her eyes and saw herself alone in a dark mindscape. She looked left and right, up and down only to find nothing and no one with her.

“I just want this to stop! PLEASE END THIS!!” she cried out.

Suddenly, a giant black pillar emerged from below and reached all the way above her. It opened its red eyes and sharp teeth before it uttered a cruel laugh. Starlight fearfully trembled before the pillar.

“Poor little Starlight—all alone. No friends, no family, no love. Too weak to save everyone from death, too cowardly to stand up for herself, and too stupid to realize she’s lost,” the pillar taunted.

All her friends from her old village surrounded her again and scornfully laughed at her. The Mane Six also appeared and likewise vehemently mocked her.

Then Starlight stood still and wiped off the tears from her eyes. She remembered the moment the citizens of her old village gladly embrace her after she wholeheartedly apologized for what she did to them.

She even recalled the important lesson she learned when she realized the error of her ways: “Friends can change the world; friends can change the world you see.” She recalled the new friendships she made with Twilight, Trixie, Spike, and the others and having the joy and laughter in making friends with them. She remembered Sunburst and the moment they finally reconciled after so long of not seeing each other.

Sadly smiling, she finally stood upright and glared daggers at the pillar. “I may have messed up in the past, but that is no longer who I am today. I won’t let my past dictate my identity anymore, and neither will YOU!!”

At that moment, the darkness started to crumble and slowly fall apart. The hallucinations screamed in agony and disappeared into thin air. “No! No! Fear must not be conquered! You should be afraid!” the pillar screamed.

“Not anymore,” replied Starlight. She calmly closed her eyes while a bright aurora surrounded her and pushed back the crumbling darkness.

“NO! NOOOOOOOO!!!!!” the pillar vanished from sight along with the rest of the darkness.

Starlight opened her eyes and got back up on her hooves. “I...I did it. I conquered my fears!”

“Awesome! That’s what I’m talking about, girl!” Batgirl complimented. Then they both heard terrified screams and hysterical laughs from a far distance. They widened their eyes in shock to see a humongous puff of gas covering the entire city of Canterlot.

“We don’t have much time. We gotta stop those creeps before the gas spreads throughout Equestria!” Starlight reminded.

“Agreed! Here, take this!” Batgirl handed to her a gas mask before she put one on herself.

“This time, we will work together to save our friends. I’ll take Scarecrow, and you go for Joker. Sounds good?”

“Fine by me,” nodded Batgirl. “But let’s try to get the others to safety first before we do that.”

“Right. With the power of friendship, nothing will stand in our way!” Then Starlight blushed in embarrassment. “Whoa, I almost talked like Twilight right there.”

“At least you don’t sound like her...” Batgirl muttered, winking.

“What was that?”

“Nothing.”

Author's Note

Happy Fourth of July, folks! One more chapter to go!

Epilogue: The Last Laugh

Multiple ponies uttered hysterical laughs as they brandished chainsaws and started to wildly cut random objects and public property whereas the others ran in terror from nothing. One pegasus saw two Royal Guards standing next to each other; as they looked at her, they were giant monstrous cockroaches. She screamed in horror right before she threw knives at them.

The guards dodged the knives and instantly tackled her to the ground. "Get off me! Get off me, you fiends! AHHHH!"

"I will blow those monsters to bits! Get it? Bits? Like coin bits?! HAHAHAHA!!" a stallion manically laughed, shooting a large cannon.

As the chaos continued to unfold in the city, Trixie was left hanging upside down below the balcony where her captors were standing. She saw the city tear itself apart and that her best friend was nowhere in sight. Even worse, she was way too high up on the castle, triggering her anxiety. Sweat drops began to fall from her forehead and tried to look up to the villains. "Put me down this instant! Trixie is terrified of heights!!

"Ah, a fine display of acrophobia, one of the finest fears in existence. But it's not just that, is it? You're worried that your friend won't come save you? Quite hard to accept the reality of the situation, hmm?" Scarecrow taunted.

"Please don't kill me! Please!! Trixie's too young to die!" Trixie sobbed.

"Oh, no, we're not gonna kill you. But they will," Joker giggled. He rang a bell which caught some of the citizens attention.

Trixie appeared as a ravaging bugbear caught in a net. Terrified of the sight, they grabbed their pitch forks and torches before approaching the tied-up Trixie.

"Let me go!" the unicorn again begged.

"If that's what you want..." Joker sang, slowly cutting the rope loose.

The rope was slowly losing its strength from the weight of Trixie's legs. Then the rope snapped, causing her to fall to her doom. As soon as she got close to the berserk mob, a light blue aurora surrounded her and took her away to a safe area. This took the villainous duo and the crowd by surprise. Starlight and Batgirl stood together on top of a building where everyone saw them.

"Impossible..." Scarecrow muttered, shocked.

"Wow, what a way to ruin our fun!" Joker angrily spat.

"It's over, you creeps! Your reign of unamusing terror has come to an end!" Starlight shouted. Then she looked at Trixie and smiled tenderly at her.

"Starlight, my great and powerful assistant..." she said, sadly smiling.

"I'm so glad you're alive, Trixie. I was so afraid that I lost you forever."

"Nothing can destroy the Great and Powerful Trixie...(sniff)...neither our friendship," she said. Both unicorns hugged.

"Hugs and kisses later, girls. We've got an angry and murderous mob to handle," Batgirl reminded, activating her batarang.

"Mind if I help?" Trixie asked, igniting her horn.

Starlight smiled in response. Thus, Batgirl and both unicorns glared daggers at their approaching assailants.

"Let the party...continue," Joker evilly smirked.

The Mane Six and the princesses regained consciousness and slowly got back up on their hooves. While they groaned in exhaustion, they heard screams mixed with laughter outside the castle. All their eyes widened in horror as they heard sounds of violence not far off.

“That...can’t be good...” Twilight gulped.

“It has begun,” Celestia grimly muttered.

“We gotta do something right now! We can’t just stand here and do nothing!” Rainbow urged.

“Rainbow’s right! If those alien ruffians want to harm Canterlot, they will have to get through us first!” Rarity agreed.

“We can’t barge into battle without a plan,” cautioned Luna.

“Indeed,” Celestia concurred. “Up till this point, Joker and Scarecrow have demonstrated how vastly intelligent they are. If they could manage to bring our city to its knees in a short period of time, I fear they will do the same to all Equestria. We must be smarter and discover their weaknesses.”

“But how? We can’t beat ‘em without goin’ through the crazed mob first!” Applejack noted.

As if on cue, dozens of Pegasi smashed through one of the windows and surrounded them. They wore large grins on their faces before they each pulled out a chainsaw. They wickedly laughed as they slowly approached them with the deadly saws.

Celestia and Luna ignited their horns and blasted the saws to bits. Then they grabbed the Pegasi via telekinesis and threw them against a wall, knocking them unconscious.

“Follow me!” Celestia ordered. The heroes followed her outside the palace and saw the battle unfold before their eyes. Fortunately, they noticed Starlight, Trixie, and Batgirl defeating the poisoned ponies one by one.

“Starlight?”

“Batgirl?”

“Trixie?”

“Starlight is okay! Come on, we have to help her!” Twilight cried, flying into battle.

“No, wait!” Luna ordered. But the Mane Five already went with her.

One of the crazed ponies saw the Mane Six run up to him; they appeared as shadowy monstrous beasts ready to devour him. At that moment, the stallion uttered a blood-curdling scream at the top of his lungs. His vocal cords broke, his lungs collapsed, and his oxygen instantly cut short. He fell down on the dirt...dead.

Starlight and the others gasped at the sight. “W-what just happened? Is he...?”

“No...this is worse than I imagined...” Luna whispered, lips quivering.

“A gnarly sight, isn’t it?” Scarecrow spoke, interrupting Luna’s train of thought. “My fear toxin is a very special one in this case; your worst nightmare...is now your own death sentence. Quite poetic, isn’t it?”

“Don’t forget this!” Joker pointed. The dead pony started to laugh although his lips didn’t move; his laughing box kept going and going until it suddenly stopped.

“And that, kiddies, is the final joke. He couldn’t bear the sight of those big bad monsters eating him up, so he fell backward...and died laughing! Literally!” Joker laughed, wheezing.

Starlight fell on her knees and looked at the dead pony’s body in shock. She has never seen villains so evil, cruel, and sadistic where they had to utilize a dark comedic weapon just for giggles at the expense of the innocent’s life. A tear dropped from her eye as she stared at the corpse.

Luna, however, turned red in fury and sent a fiery blast towards Joker. He ducked from the blast and blew raspberries at her. “Missed me!” Springs grew out of his shoes and bounced away from the castle.

“Oh, no, you don’t!” Batgirl shouted, shooting a grappling hook around his leg. It took her to the air along with him.

Scarecrow immediately grabbed the scepter and took off from the balcony. Celestia and Luna tried to blast him with their spells, but the scepter created a force field around him.

“You’re not going anywhere, Scarecrow!” Starlight yelled, teleporting in front of him.

“You can beat me all you want, but it won’t change the fact that you’re weak and fearful,” Scarecrow chuckled. “I know your fears now, and that makes me—AHH!”

Starlight punched him in the face, causing him to drop the scepter. “I’m done listening to you,” she said, glaring daggers.

The Scarecrow coughed out blood until he stared at her. “I must admit, you are very confident. Such confidence is likewise a valuable attribute; it makes me wonder what it’s like to not have fear.”

Then Starlight angrily grabbed him via telekinesis, smashed him from wall to wall, and body-slammed him on the ground. The villain stumbled on his feet before he fell on his back, greatly injured from the attacks.

“It’s over for you,” Starlight growled, horn sizzling.

“I’d be more concerned with your kind if I were you,” Scarecrow warned.

She looked back and saw several more ponies dropping dead from the horrible hallucinations. She widened her eyes in shock again and froze in fear.

“Too late for you now, pony. In a few more minutes, they will all feel the sweet release of death. You lost.”

Thinking quickly, Starlight grabbed the scepter and created a spell therein. This caught him by surprise, prompting him to get up. “What?! What are you doing?!”

“This...ends....NOW!!” Starlight shouted, finishing the spell. The scepter rose in the air and created a massive wave of blue magic throughout Canterlot.

“No!!” Scarecrow cried, running to her. But Celestia blasted him on the back, knocking him unconscious.

All the hundreds of Canterlot citizens were all cured from the deadly toxin. The gas was consumed by the magic before the scepter finally lowered to the ground.

“WE DID IT! JOKER’S PARTY IS OVER!” Pinkie shrieked, shooting confetti. She and her friends cheered for the victory they finally achieved.

“Surrender now, Joker! Make it easy for yourself!” Batgirl ordered.

“I don’t think so! The fun has only begun! Hahahahaha!!!” Joker said, still bouncing up and down.

He picked up a dynamite from his pants and ignited the fuse with a match. “Here, let’s play hot potato! Catch!” He threw the dynamite at her which she instinctively caught. Playing along, she threw it back to him; then he threw it back to her again, and they kept going back and forth until they reached to a dead end.

He dropped his springs and threw it back at her. Then he sprayed her with laughing gas before he immediately took off to one of the trees and hid behind it. Thus, he preceded to childishly giggle with his eyes and ears closed. Suddenly....he heard nothing. He checked to see if the dynamite exploded yet only to discover she was already gone.

“That’s odd. Shouldn’t she be popcorn by now? Something isn’t—huh?” Joker then noticed the dynamite laying right above him on top of a tree branch. His pupils shrunk as he realized he’s been outsmarted. “........uh-oh..”

The tree exploded, sending The Clown Prince of Crime flying in the air. He crashed in front of a smug Batgirl who wore her gas mask. He groaned in pain and weakly looked at her as he trembled.

“You’re...despicable,” he said, falling down unconscious.

Later that day, Starlight, Trixie, Batgirl, and the others regrouped in the throne room whereas Joker and Scarecrow were tied up together next to Batgirl. The Scepter of Healing hovered in the air while Celestia and Luna stood before them.

“Much thanks to you, Batgirl, for your bravery and assistance. Thanks to your efforts, Equestria is now safe and sound from these fiends,” said Celestia.

“It was an honor fighting beside you, Your Highnesses. I gotta say, this was by far the best time of my life! I can’t wait to tell Batman about this!” Batgirl squealed.

“And thank you, Starlight, for saving Equestria. We won’t ever forget what you have accomplished,” said Luna.

“It wasn’t just me, Princesses. It was all of us who worked together,” replied Starlight, smiling with her friends.

“Indeed. It would not have been possible without the help of the Great and Powerful Trixie,” Trixie smugly smirked.

“Except for the part where she got herself captured,” said Twilight, grinning.

Trixie blushed and glared daggers in response. “No need to bring that up!”

“I must be on my way now. If ever you guys need my help for anything, I’ll be in touch,” said Batgirl.

“I do hope so, darling. I would love to make some gorgeous bat-suits with you one day,” sighed Rarity.

“You can come back anytime, partner. Our door’s always open,” added Applejack.

“And you can party with us too! Like, the ‘WELCOME TO EQUESTRIA AGAIN!’ PARTY!!” Pinkie screamed through a microphone.

“The next time I see a bat, I’ll remember you,” Fluttershy smiled.

“Don’t be a stranger, Batgirl! Be a 20% cooler danger to bad guys!” Rainbow waved.

After nodding, Batgirl activated the scepter’s warp button. It transported her and the apprehended villains out of the throne room back in her world.

Starlight sighed as the heroine left. “I’m surely gonna miss her. At least she helped me remember who I am and how important friendship really is. For that, I’m eternally grateful.” She and her friends shared a group hug while the citizens outside cheered in celebration of the villains’ defeat.

“I don’t know about you girls, but I felt like we were related somehow,” said Twilight. “I mean, her voice sounds a bit just like mine. *gasps* Are we cousins?!”

So once again, the day is saved thanks to...the Magic of Friendship!

THE END

Author's Note

Welp, that’s all, folks! Hope you guys enjoyed this story, and thanks again for reading this! Let me know what you think and have a great day!

Peace!