Batmare and the foal wonder!

The purple unicorn mare struggled against her bonds as she went through recent events in her mind. Earlier that day, she had asked her zebra friend to check out a mysterious disturbance in the Everfree forest. A few hours after that, while perusing a particularly interesting tome on the history of books, her friend burst into her library by kicking down the door. The appropriately half-crazed zebra glared at her when she asked what was going on.

"What's going on!" The startled unicorn asked.

The zebras' answer to this was to glare at the purple mare.

"Is... is something wrong?"

"Oh no, everything's fine. I'm just tired of being used."

"I- what are you talking about?"

"Young mare, you've crossed the line! I will no longer abide abuse!"

"But... I've never abused you! How can you say that?"

"I suppose you think you are my friend. I will explain to you your hypocrisy."

"I am your friend, if I've hurt your feelings, I'm sorry!"

"I have noticed something of a trend. You only visit when you need something from me!"

"That's not true! Why, just the other day I... well, last week didn't I bring you a flower?"

"That was an ingredient for a potion. One you only wanted for yourself."

"Oh, I'm so sorry, I didn't realize you were feeling used."

"Now you're starting to get the notion! Of favors to call in, I have a wealth."

"What favor can I do for you?"

"Now you are aware of my pain, I wish to collect on a small loan."

"I think I still have some money left over from that scheme Dash had. I didn't know you had any debt Zec-"

"NO! That is no longer my name! From now on you will call me 'Two-Tone'!"

"Two-Tone? Okay, I guess. Um, what kind of favor did you have in mind?"

At this Two-Tone grinned a half evil, half maniacal grin and began to slowly walk toward the unicorn. What happened to her next she couldn't recall. Lost in though, she was startled by the sound of a door banging shut above her. 'That must mean I'm in a multiple story building' she thought to herself.

"Astute as always, my apprentice." A voice echoed in the purple mares head.

"P-princess, thank goodness! I'm in trouble, I can't move and I don't know where I am!"

"Calm down, my little pony, you are quite safe. You are in Trotham city."

"H-how do you know where I am? Why do you know where I am? Is this your doing?"

"Once again, my congratulations, you have already figured out I arranged for you to be here."

"Two-tone is working for you?"

"Ha! Bravo, three for three my student, well done!"

"Th-thank you." The unicorn blushed a bit at the praise.

"While Two-Tone may not know it, per se, she is indeed serving my purposes. Now it is your turn, my faithful student. I have a new assignment for you, starting immediately."

"I don't know princess, this isn't going to involve hurting anypony, is it?"

"Of course not, my dear! I promise I will never ask you to hurt anypony for this assignment."

"Still..."

"You wouldn't want to disappoint me, would you?"

"Oh no, of course not!"

"I didn't think the problem with the late report was the start of a trend, but..."

"I... I can handle it, I can! I'm responsible, I'm punctual, really!"

"Of course you are, my favorite student! Well, most of the time..."

"It... it won't happen again! I won't let you down, I'll do anything!!!"

"Anything?"

"YES!"

It was almost like the purple unicorn could hear the voice inside her head smile as her eye began to twitch. Her whole body was shaking with nervous energy. She couldn't let the princess down, she wouldn't!

"Good, now here's the plan..." the voice continued as a magical aura enveloped the mare.

As the unicorn levitated off the ground, the bindings around her legs unraveled and her blindfold fell off. The aura disappeared as her hooves touched the ground and a large cheshire grin spread over her face.

To an unseen pony the unicorn muttered enthusiastically "Sure thing Missus J!"

Two-Tone walked up the stairs of the princess suite at the top of Trotham tower. She spared a glance at the room her hostage was in on the second floor but continued on. She was expecting visitors soon, and more than likely they would arrive on the roof. As she exited the building, a wild gust of wind slammed the door shut, but again, she paid no mind to the disturbance. She found an appropriate vantage point where she could wait and pulled out an old Zebrican coin. Both sides of the coin had the head of a famous zebra politician on it, a rare defect, but one side had a long, jagged cut. She began to nonchalantly flip the coin as she waited, humming a song to herself.

A dark figure soared across the gloomy Trotham night sky. Actually, two figures would be more accurate, one much smaller and slightly behind and below the other. In fact, only one figure was dark, the other was decidedly not dark at all, since it was covered in what appeared to be brightly lit neon target symbols.

The first, actually dark figure alighted upon a cloud and shaded her eyes with her hoof, unnecessarily, and began to search the city below for some kind of sign. The second figure swung back and forth directly below the first, the effect of which gave the impression of some kind of strange and gaudy wall clock.

"Warping wires, Batmare, it looks like half the city doesn't have power!"

"Right you are, old chum, if only there was some clue as to how this happened."

"Well, the sections of the city that are lit seem to form three arrows pointing toward Trotham tower..." Pipsqueak petulantly pointed out.

"Sorry, Pip, I can't hear you; but look! The sections of the city that are still lit seem to form arrows that point directly to Trotham Tower!"

"Brilliant deduction as always, Batmare!" Pipsqueak commended almost non-sarcastically.

Batmare dived off the cloud and folded her wings, speeding straight for the roof of Trotham Tower. Pipsqueak compulsorily followed in her wake. As she neared the tower, Batmare dramatically flared her wings at the last second and landed daintily on her perfectly pedicured hooves. Suddenly a zebra jumped out of the shadows and glared at the alicorn.

"AHA, I've bee-"

"aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!" Pipsqueak rudely interrupted as he made a noisy splat sound next to Batmare.

"Look at the foal I do not dare, is he okay? How did he fare?"

"Oh, he'll be fine in a moment, children are very resilient!"

Pipsqueak responded, in what may or may not have been agreement, with a strange gurgling noise.

"... Well... I've been waiting for you, Batmare. For your doom, you must prepare!"

"Why?"

"Half the cities power, I now hold. Half of its money I want to acquire!"

"Really? All this is about money?"

"Always being used has grown old, for the approval of others I no longer aspire. With money at hoof, I will need no other, I can simply pay ponies to do what I say. Instead of being shoved, I will be the shove-er, and I will force everypony out of my way! "

"So where do I come in, in this plan of yours?"

"They will not think me a great threat, but defeating Batmare will fill them with dread. For your sidekick you should not fret, I only wish for Batmares head!"

At this she lunged at Batmare with a mighty leap. Somersaulting through the air, she landed a solid kick to Batmares shoulder. If Batmare hadn't moved as quickly as she did, it would have been her head. A vicious, action packed fight follows, the audio of which has been transcribed for your entertainment.

"Grrr"

"HyA!"

*crunch*

*grunt*

*shff*

*fwipfwipfwipfwip POING*

"Heeeeeeyaw!"

"oooOOOOoooooOOOOoooo!"

"Hngggg"

"Fu-"

"Ow! That hurt!"

"Rrrrrrrrrrr"

"Mmmmmmmmmmmm"

"RrrrrrrAAAAAAAAAA"

"Hrng! Huf!"

"Who says 'Huf'?"

"Ngyahhhr"

"Whargarble!"

*CRACK!* "EYAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

"Ha! You are defeated!"

Two-Tone lay panting on the ground, with one front hoof pointing in an unnatural direction. Batmare stood over her, triumphant. The zebra glared at Batmare with intense hatred, then swiftly stood and limped with impressive speed, all things considered, to the door leading downstairs.

" I still have one trick up my sleeve, I will never again be a pawn!"

With these words she descended the stairs, with Batmare close behind. Pipsqueak wheezed in encouragement as he tried to stand. Two-tone entered the hallway and opened the third door down, stopping short at the sight before her. Her hostage had disappeared! The rope and blindfold were there on the ground, but there was no other sign of escape. Batmare entered the room as well.

"Is this your trick? It's not very good."

A winded and limping Pipsqueak entered the room. "A... rope trick?.... What.... are you.... a... cowpony?"

Batmare threw a deadpan look at Pipsqueak. "I'm just going to chalk that one up to a concussion, old chum."

"This cannot be, how could she leave? How is it that my hostage is gone?"

Batmare struck a dramatic pose. "Looks like you were a one trick pony after all, Two-Tone!"

Pipsqueak collapsed at the pun and gurgled his approval.

Standing not ten hooves away from the scene, an invisible (formerly purple) unicorn watched.

"Shouldn't we stop them from taking Two-Tone, puddin'?"

"Neigh, my student, Two-Tone has failed me, and deserves to be punished. Besides, I don't want to reveal my presence, just yet."

"But, they'll throw her in jail!"

"Precisely, we'll always know exactly where she is. And do you honestly think that there's any prison we can't break her out of?"

"Ah, now I see! You're so smart, Missus J!"