As the chaos and panic erupted above, beneath Coltham a troubled mare held her head in her hoofs. The choice was not an easy one to make. She either turned herself in and have every rotten scumbag from all over equestrian go after her home and friends. Or stay hidden and let the Joker continue to rein destruction and death across the city. Both ways she lost, and she had a feeling the Joker knew it.

‘Celestia give me strength,’ she thought as she gazed around her work space. Pictures of the Joker lined her work space, along with documents detailing his known connections and what not. However unless she got her hoofs on him, they’d never know who the pony way. “Times like these I wish I’d stayed in ponyvill.”

“But then who would protect Coltham?” The voice was smooth and calming, a warm welcome to what she was facing thus far. Turning around, Mare Do Well faced the only person to know who lay under her mask. He was a light brown colt with a dark brown mane. He stood with a knowing look in his eyes and an hourglass mark on his flank.

“I Know Whooves, but it just doesn’t make sense. I know he has ties to the Allforponi family, but I can’t see why they choose him. They had at least some form of boundary, but with this pony they’ve crossed the line.” Whooves just shook his head as he began to walk around the cave, he himself voicing his thoughts as he went. “Perhaps it is you who has crossed the line Mare Do well.” Out of habit, he’d begunt o call her that even when they were along. Now that she was complaining, but it did make things seem more tense than need be. “You squeezed them; you hammered them, and pushed them back to the point of desperation. And in their desperation they turned to a man they didn’t fully understand.”

Mare Do Well shook her head, dismissing the idea as she began to walk towards the exit of the cave. “Criminals aren’t complicated Whooves, I just need to figure out what he’s after.” Whooves, seeing that his friend hadn’t seen what he was laying out, continued. “With all due respect, perhaps this is a pony you do not fully understand…” Catching up to the hero, Whooves began to retell one of his infamous stories.

“You see, a few years ago I was serving under the local government in Stalliongrad. You see, they were trying to buy the loyalty of several diamond dog native tribes, with precious stones. However, their caravans were being raided by a bandit in a small forest just a few miles from the destination.” Like many stories before, Mare Do Well listened in. Somehow Whooves stories had a way of foreshadowing future events, as if the colt could see through time.

“So we went looking for the stones…” Whooves had moved in front of Mare Do Well as he went on, stopping her and forcing her to look directly at him as he continued. “But in six months, we never met anyone who had traded with him.” Mare Do Well’s interest peaked as he heard this. Sure diamonds and gems were easy to come by, but in places like stalliongrad the gems were horded in mass by the diamond dogs. It was a well known fact that gems around there would fetch for quite a hoof-full of bits.

“One day, I saw a filly playing with a ruby, the size of a tangerine. The bandit had been throwing them all away.” Even behind the mask, Mare Do Well’s confusion could be felt as she spoke out. “But why steal them?”

Whooves just chuckled and shook his head, knowing this would only confuse his friend further. “Because it was good sport, because some ponies aren’t looking for anything logical, like money. They can’t be bought, bullied, reasoned or negotiated with…” As he trailed off, His head, and subsequently Mare Do Well’s both turned to gaze as a hanging picture of the Joker, his insane grin ever caught on camera.

“Some ponies just want to watch the world burn.”

As he finished those last chilling words, he turned around and continued to trot towards the exit of the cave. As he was almost swallowed up by darkness, Mare Do Well’s voice called out one last time.

“Did you ever catch the bandit?” The way she spoke it, it was almost as if she was begging to hear the answer she was looking for. Seeing a sad nod she asked for the how.

Whooves looked uneasily at his friend before he muttered out his answer. Even though it was barely above a whisper, it carried all the force of it being told directly in her face.

“We burned the forest down.”

With that, Whooves lest the cave, leaving behind a distraught Mare Do Well to look at the Joker in a new light. Not of one pony willing to do anything to satisfy their gain. But of a pony who enjoyed what he did and did it because he felt like it…

The Following morning, all across the city colts and stallions were being pulled off the streets and taken into custody. Each of them for ties to the Allforponi family in one way or another.

Currently sitting in a high end restaurant, Dog mane and Room Service sat at a table, calmly discussing the future events as they slowly shifted to talk of the Joker. “I’m telling you Mane, this guy is legitimately psycho; he’ll stab us in the back if we let him.”

Dog Mane, clearly having heard this before pushed further. “I’m telling you, he could get us exactly what we need. He has the plans; he has the will to do what no pony has ever done before! You saw the chaos he spread; imagine what he could do for us!”

Room Service just shook his head while leaning it against one hoof on the table. “All I can imagine is what he could do To us if we let him get close.” The two would have continued to debate things had Gold Star not walked up next to him. “Hello boys.” Gold Star said with a bit of glee in his voice, as if holding something over their heads they knew nothing about.

Receiving a nod from both ponies, Dog mane spoke up. “So what do you want Lead Star, we’re kind of busy talking here.”

Gold Star ignored the comment about his name, knowing that it would be him with the last laugh.

“You see, there have been some… interesting things going on in Coltham lately. With the rising threat of the joker, we have had to… cut through the red tape a bit.” Seeing the confused look and growing look of panic on Room Service’s face, he went on, all too aware of the numerous police ponies slowly entering behind him.

“Thanks to the new DA, we’re finally taking down the family, you included.” Dog mane, being quick and impulsive, made one desperate attempt to run. He didn’t make it five steps before he was tackled; Room service just shook his head at his associate before calmly letting police take him away…

Outside the restaurant, as Dong Mane was being lead away by a chunky officer named Briar Hoof, he slipped a note into his pocket. Speaking barely above a whisper, he made sure that the officer got what he was saying.

“Make sure the Joker get’s this message.” Oh how it paid to have corrupt officers in their pockets.

As he was lead in, he thought to what the next few days would hold. Court Bench would pay for moving like this, and even though he wouldn’t be able to get him, he had full faith in the Joker to do it for him…

The Coltham courthouse was packed full off officers and criminals as half sat in chains while others sat in uniform. This was a big day; if all went according to plan then the streets would be clean for the first time in generations.

Sitting behind the court bench, a Black robed earth pony sat rifling through evidence. Each page she read through, the crimes got worse. “579 counts of theft… 1287 counts of murder... 753 counts of illegal drug trade…” she stopped suddenly as a playing card appeared under a pile of papers. Seeing it as evidence tying the family to the joker, she shrugged and moved the card over with her hoof before continuing. “97 counts of kidnapping… and 6 unpaid carriage tickets. How do you all plead?”

Almost instantly she regretted it as the court room erupted in shouts of guilty, not guilty, and death threats. Rubbing her head she banged her gavel for order, unaware of a sinister plot moving behind the scenes…

As the day concluded, hundreds of ponies were being forced into carriages, each of them found guilty because of crimes they themselves committed or others committed. Standing atop the steps to the courthouse, Court Bench stood there with a pleased smile on his face. He would have continued to watch hadn’t he felt a pair of hoofs wrap around his neck.

Looking over, he saw the love of his life. Tender Heart, his fiancé and soon to be wife. She was a beautiful mare, having a lavender coat and long black hair; she was everything he could ask for a woman. She was smart, funny, and had so much courage that he sometimes thought she would go through hell and back just to see him. When around her, he truly felt complete.

“So now what, Mr. Big shot?” With news of the trial spreading, it wouldn’t be long before Court Bench became the talk of the city. Already a party was being hosted tonight in his honor, being hosted in the top floor of the most expensive hotel, the Upton.

“So when will I see you tonight?” she asked as their lips met for a quick kiss. This was soon broken off as reporters and journalists converged on the star of the hour…

Across town, hidden in an old warehouse, the Joker sat patiently in a large chair, darkness blanketing him and those around him.

Slowly however, one colt stumbled forward, legs shaking in fear of telling his boss the news of what had happened to most of the family. “M-m-mister J-Joker sir. We’ve received word that members of the family have been arrested.”

“How many...?”

The Joker’s voice cut through the air, making those present flinch in fear, each one praying that they would survive the colt’s wrath.

“Almost everyone sit.” At the delivering of the news, the colt dived to the floor and covered his head with his front legs, just praying the joker would get his death over with fast. However instead of the cries of anger, all he heard was a chuckling.
Slowly it began to build, soon turning into full blown maniacal laughter.

“Wonderful, now we can really get this party started!”

Jumping down from his chair, the Joker began to make his way to the door. With a turn over his shoulder, he called out to the remaining gangsters. “Come on boys, it’s time we crashed a party!”…

A.N. Alright so this chapter came out a bit later than I’d have liked and it’s a bit shorter as well. I just felt that this was a good stopping point for this chapter of the story. Anyway until next time, keep goin and stay golden^^