As nightfall reaches the city, we head over to the courthouse to see a judge working in the late hours, he didn't realize that someone was in the shadows watching him then the judge heard a loud clank.

"Hello? Is any there?" The judge asked then suddenly was ambushed by Trickster. "You? But I sentenced you, put you away for years. You're supposed to be in Blackgate!"

Trickster said nothing a blasted his ray gun at him giving off a purple flash.

Hours later, the police arrived along with Spitfire and Greg, including Pinkie and Fluttershy were watching from a building.

"Canterlot PD," Greg holds his badge to the janitor.

"In there. But you won't believe it," The janitor exclaimed.

The officers and detectives enter the room only to see the judge being carded.

"He's been carded. Literally," Greg gasped.

"Quick, chip him out," Spitfire said as they ran over to him.

Just as they reach for him, the carded judge was yanked by Trickster who was in his go-kart.

"Trickster?"

"After him!" The cops gave chased and Trickster exited out of the courtside ramming through the blockade.

Once Greg and Spitfire were out, they saw two motorcycles passing by them. One detail with pink balloons and lighting bolts and the other one with butterflies, and leaves.

"I love a good car chase!" Pinkie exclaimed as the two got close to Trickster.

Trickster did a hard right, and two girls follow him to Canterlot bridge then Trickster press a button on his kart, which let out an oil slick that cause both Pinkie's and Fluttershy's motorcycles to spin out of control and right into a pillar luckily the girls didn't sustain any injuries allowing Trickster to escape.

"Cupcakes, he got away!" Pinkie glared as Fluttershy console with her.

The next day at their hideout.

"According to Blackgate, Trickster is still locked in his cell and has been there ever since," Twilight read the recent news on Blackgate.

"Perhaps, Trickster left some manner of decoy in his place?" Rainbow asked.

"Could be, but other things don't add up," Fluttershy came in. "Trickster abducted Judge White Castle but not before for the police and Pinkie and I to see."

"Darling, you're not expecting Trickster to make sense, are you?" Rarity asked.

"It was his calling card. His way of announcing his plan," Pinkie popped out of nowhere.

"You think there's more to come?" Applejack asked.

"Maybe, Tricky's out to collect a full deck of people who crossed him."

"That would be about 51 more victims? Where do we even start?"

"There's sure to a couple of names is sure to be on his list, us."

...

"So what are doing here?" Fluttershy asked while she and Pinkie were inside Tricker's hideout.

"Simple we're being bait for him, if you were a demented clown trying to bring a smile to Canterlot where you be?' Pinkie asked.

As the two looked around, none of them knew that Trickster was watching from the shadows, but it lasted long as Pinkie's Pinkie Sense came at the right time as they avoided a laser blast from him then Fluttershy yanked the gun away from him which allowed Pinkie to kicked him right into debris to where he grabs a pogo-stick.

"What's the matter Tricky, cat got your tongue?" Pinkie asked.

Then the pogo-stick became a blaster and fired an energy blast at her but Fluttershy at the last second made her and Pinkie invisible so that it would miss creating a cloud of smoke and from within the cloud of smoke Pinkie fired an electric blast that cause Trickster's pogo-blaster to overload and explode and send him right into the wall.

"Where's the judge?" Pinkie asked him while holding him. "How can you be in two places at once? And why the mime act?"

Something dropped out of Trickster's shirt it was a pin with a radio of Trickster's laugh.

"Wait a minute," Pinkie wondered then wipe his face only to see skin. "You're nothing but a cheap knockoff?"

"How did you know?"

"The real Trickster doesn't have makeup."

Pinkie removed the mask after seeing a person.

"Don't hurt me!"

"Who are you?"

"Quiet Fade, an orderly."

"Blackgate?"

"Trickster said he'd do me in unless I help him with his plan. Gave me the keys to his place bring him stuff."

"Who else is Trickster after?"

Quiet Fade reached for the gun and fired only that it was fake and with a message.

"Suprise?" Fluttershy asked then heard a ticking sound which Pinkie knew all too well.

"Get down!" both lay on the ground as the gun exploded and in a few seconds Quiet Fade was carded.

---

"That could've gone well," Fluttershy sighed.

"Clearly Trickster didn't want him to squeal," Pinkie realized.

"So why didn't we chip him out and question him further?"

"Don't you get it, Vine, Trickster play us for fools, it's time we get some answers, straight from the horse's mouth, at Blackgate."

Both girls there way to Blackgate and snuck inside their way to Trickster's cell.

"Well, look what the cat drag in, Sparky and Vines," Trickster said as the two inside of his cell. "What if I hadn't been decent?"

"You were never decent to begin," Pinkie retorted. "Why bother sending a stand-in to your collection instead of us?"

"To drive you and your galpals batty, of course. And it's working," Trickster then Fluttershy encased him in roots then slammed him on the wall.

"Answers now!" She used her Stare on him.

"Do you honestly think that I would send fluke to eliminate the likes of you? Ha! That is a pleasure I want for myself. And because I miss your company. Two sides of the same card. After all, Sparky knew where I would send my lookalike to find you and I knew all along that if I left a trail of breadcrumbs you gobble them up."

"Then why have an orderly do your dirty work when you could just have him unlock your cell?" Pinkie asked.

"Because you were my ace. My ace in the hole!"

Trickster pulled his flute, played a note, and spew out gas that put both Pinkie and Fluttershy asleep.

"I don't even need you two or the others in my card collection, I never play with a full deck!" Trickster laughed and then grabbed the keys from Pinkie. "Thanks to you, I'm right on schedule. Off to the theater!"

Moments passed then both Pinkie and Fluttershy were outside of Blackgate.

"Thank goodness we woke up before anyone saw inside, only for him to escape," Fluttershy said.

"Then what are waiting, let's hightail to the Canterlot theater and also call the girls," Pinkie exclaimed.

---

As Pinkie calls the others, Greg and Spitfire had made it to the Canterlot Theater.

"If this is a prank, it's not funny," Greg groaned.

"Feels more like a trap," Spitfire suggested.

"You couldn't be any more right, my dear!" Trickster was right in front of them. "Showtime!"

He used his knock-out gas and put both detectives in deep sleep. Moments later the two woke up to be inside the theater with everyone else that Trickster kidnapped then everyone else woke up when the music played and the spotlight shine on Trickster.

"Welcome to Trickster's Revenge-O-Rama," Trickster started. "Allow me to introduce you to our first guest..."

He quickly came off stage only to come back with the carded White Caste.

"Judge White Castle! He's such a card."

"I'll deal Trickster a hand once I get my foot out of this shoe."

"Wait, partner, let's not do anything rash,"

"Now, most of you are wondering why are you here. Because you all done me wrong!" Trickster exclaimed. "Whitey, you sentence me to life in the loony bin. Detectives, you slapped the cuffs on me. Shame on you. Frisk, how many times do have I told, you I hate mac and cheese! Oh, how I've wanted to deck all of you. So deck you I shall!" Trickster warms up his Deck Blaster then pulled back the curtain to show the ocean and kicked the carded judge into the sea.

"Have fun with the fishes!"

"Let's see you laugh at this, clown!" Spitfire slipped out of her shoes, then lunge at him.

Trickster fired the Deck Blaster at her, and in sheer minutes Spitfire was carded.

"Ahh, the queen of hearts."

"Trickster, you better not..."

"Don't make me slap you, Jack!" Trickster warned him. "Get it? Slapjack?"

Nobody realize the Rainbooms were watching from above.

"Set nozzle to wide. Time for my favorite game, 52 pickup!"

He was about to fire when suddenly the curtain dropped down on him.

"The reviews are in, Trickster," Twilight said as he looked above to see them. "Your show's a flop!"

Trickster fired his Deck Blaster at them, making all of them dodge it, then both Rainbow and Applejack kick him at the ribcage.

"You girls, can't stay away from me, can you? I guess opposites do attract.

He pulled on the rope that send him up, and a sandbag down that the girls avoided them then Pinkie and Twilight followed him.

"Come on, let's get these people out of here before Trickster brings the house," Sunset addressed as the others help the people.

...

Trickster made it to the top but was quickly stopped by Twilight's magic blast.

"You're going back, to Blackgate, for a long game of solitaire!" Pinkie exclaimed.

"Funny, Sparkplug, you're quick with the punchline!"

Trickster fired his boxing glove spring at her making her fall down, then Twilight yanked it away with her magic, then the two of them crashed him back into the theater. Trickster got up and slowly walked to his Deck Blaster.

"Sorry, ladies! But he who laughs last laughs the best."

He fired the Deck Blaster at them but a Diamond came in front of them to repel the blast and came right at him and carded him.

"You gambled Trickster, you've lost," Rarity smirked seeing the carded villain.

Next Chapter: Short Story #6-Know your Clues Estimated time remaining: 5 Minutes