//------------------------------// // Rock It For Me// Story: Mother of Invention// by zaponator//------------------------------// A/N Let me explain! This chapter is a joke. Before you go and unfavourite the story, at least check out my complete author's note at the end. Thanks, and happy April! The cave seemed to swallow the light of Applejack's torch as she took a couple tentative steps inside. A slight breeze blew through the confining space of the tunnel, rustling Applejack's loose mand and causing her torch to sputter and nearly go out. Carried on the icy wind, Applejack swore she could hear the sound of distant, dangerous growling. "Yeah, buck this!" Applejack shouted as she threw the torch harshly to the cave floor. She then proceeded to turn abruptly and march straight back the way she'd come. The damp air of the jungle had never felt so welcoming as Applejack emerged from the cave and back into the light of midday. She had only really been in there for about a minute, but to her it had felt like an eternity. In any case, she was eternally grateful to be somewhere safe. She shook her head with an amused smile as she thought about what she'd been about to do. Why in Equestria would she need to risk her well-being exploring some unknown cave? That was just stupid. She just needed to focus all her efforts on surviving, and help would come for her eventually. As interesting as it might be, uncovering the 'mystery of the island' simply wasn't worth the risk. Since she had chosen to simply wait out rescue, she now had a lot of free time on her hooves. Applejack decided that she could spend a little of it walking the jungle, and admiring the scenery. She'd never really taken the time to appreciate it before, but the place really was beautiful. As she wandered aimlessly, she took note of the splendor of it all. The brilliant emerald canopy glowed with the light of the sun behind it. The whole jungle teemed with plant life, almost humming with the boundless energy of life. The bright red feathers of a parrot stood out dazzlingly against— Wait, parrot? Applejack skidded to a halt, snapping her head to a tree branch above her and to the left. Sure enough, there sat a stark red parrot with blue wingtips and a green crest atop its head. She stared, the parrot stared back. Neither made a sound for what felt like hours. Something was wrong. Applejack could feel that there was something off about the situation, but she couldn't quite place her hoof on it. That's when it struck her; the parrot wasn't breathing. Applejack blinked. "What the hay?!" She shouted in surprise. She moved to investigate further, but was cut off by a tinny voice, devoid of any emotion or inflection. "Identification, please." Applejack stared for a moment. The voice had come from the parrot. At least, it sounded like it had. The bird's mouth had opened when the request was made, but its beak hadn't moved at all. Even stranger was the tone of the voice. It hadn't sounded like any living thing Applejack had ever heard before. Applejack gaped at the bird that just seemed to get curiouser and curiouser. After a moment of silence, she spoke slowly. "Are… are ya some sorta ventriloquist or somethin'?" The bird made a whirring noise in response, then fell silent. After a moment, it spoke again in the same hollow, emotionless voice. "Voice key incorrect." Applejack squinted. "Voice key?" The bird leaned forward, spread its wings wide, and opened its beak as far as it would go. "Wait a second…" Applejack muttered. The air filled with a blaring klaxon alarm. Applejack yelped in surprise and fell back onto her haunches. The bird continued to emit the loud siren, and its eyes were now flashing red. Applejack wasn't sure what was going on, but she knew that she didn't want to stay there any longer. Scrambling back to her hooves, Applejack set off in a full-on sprint through the jungle. She crashed through undergrowth and leapt over fallen logs as she went. The parrot took to the wing and followed behind her, blasting alarms without ceasing. Every glance backwards showed Applejack the harshly flashing red eyes of the bird, and spurred her to run even faster. Her breath came in ragged panting, and sweat was rolling down her face as she slid under a tree that had bent too low over her random path. She turned sharply to her right, skidding around a large rock, and dove into the cover of some bushes. As she huddled behind the thick leaves, she noticed that the alarm had stopped. She wasn't sure how long ago it had ceased in its blasting, as she hadn't been able to hear anything above the sounds of her own panicked fleeing for some time. Now, she simply sat back and appreciated the silence. Her respite didn't last long. A sound appeared on the edge of her hearing. It sounded like the distant buzzing of several gigantic buzz saws. She'd never used one herself, seeing as electricity was the stuff of the Devil and was not permitted on Sweet Apple Acres, but she'd seen construction workers around town using them to efficiently slice up wood like a hot knife through butter. Now, the sound was getting closer and closer. Applejack's heart rate increased subtly. Her legs tensed as she gathered all four hooves under herself. She prepared herself to fight or flee whatever showed up, but could never have prepared herself for what actually did. Three horizontal spinning blades of death crashed through the canopy from above, sending shredded bits of plant matter raining down. Three large black discs were supported by the fearsome blades, somehow held aloft by the rapid spinning of the sharp implements around their centers. Riding on the backs of the black objects were some sort of strange creatures. Only their upper half was visible, but from what Applejack could see they had small heads with ears on the sides and eyes on the front. Each of them had two arms, identified as such by the five digits at the end of each one. They were all wearing black body suits, and black visors that obscured their eyes from view, but Applejack could tell they were looking straight at her. They simply stared in surprise for a full minute at the colourful pony before them, before the one in the lead finally snapped to his senses. He shouted something to the other two that was lost the Applejack over the roar of the spinning blades, and gestured angrily at her with one arm. Applejack wasn't sure what was said, but she was reasonably sure it wasn’t friendly. With careful movements, Applejack began slowly backing away. One of the creatures had seen fit to argue with the leader, shouting and making its own angry gestures at the other creature, and none of them had noticed Applejack's stealthy escape. She continued moving at a snail's pace away from the three angry things, but just when she thought she was safe and turned to flee, she heard an angry shout from behind. Without hesitation, Applejack burst into a run as fast as her legs could carry her. Her fatigue was all but forgotten now, replaced by adrenaline-pumping fear. The buzzing rose to a fever pitch behind her as her pursuers gave chase. Applejack darted and weaved through the thick jungle, hoping to use her hunters' larger size against them. It seemed to be working, as the creatures were having a hard time maneuvering their machines to keep up with Applejack's erratic path. A glance over her shoulder showed that all three were slowly falling farther and farther behind. Applejack let out a wheezing laugh as she ran. She just had to keep it up for a few more minutes and she'd lose them. That's when she nearly ran off a cliff. Applejack's eyes widened as the ground dropped off before her suddenly. Her hooves scrabbled against the rocky ground, and she barely managed to stop before a plunge to her death. She breathed heavily and held a hoof over her heart after the close call. A ravine opened up before her like a deep wound in the planet itself. It was at least a hundred feet deep, and too far across for anypony without wings or teleportation to have any chance of crossing. A raging river ran at the bottom, full of sharp rocks that made jumping to the safety of the water impossible. The buzzing of blades came ever closer behind her. Applejack stared at the river. She looked left and right, seeing that the trees had actually stopped a little ways behind her, leaving open ground between the jungle and the cliff, and nowhere to hide. The ravine seemed to run endlessly in both directions, prematurely killing any thoughts of going around. She sighed heavily. Deep down, she supposed that she'd expected this island would be the death of her. The snapping of branches could be heard as Applejack's pursuers neared. She thought of her family. As slim as it was, there had always been the hope that she would see them again someday. That was what had kept her going, kept her fighting to survive no matter the odds. Now, she would never again see one of Big Mac's smiles that he saved only for her. She would never hear Apple Blooms raucous laughter, or her bold retelling of various quests undertaken with her friends. She would never be there to console her siblings when their granny eventually passed away. She would never even know her own sister's cutie mark. The buzzing rose in volume, and Applejack felt displaced air tossing her mane from behind as the machines approached the treeline. Applejack turned around, ready to face her doom with her head held high. She adjusted her hat on her head, tilting it forward slightly in an aggressive fashion. She felt a wetness rolling down her cheek that she made no move to wipe away. "Ma, Pa," she glanced skyward briefly, “see ya in a minute.” The three machines burst through the treeline in a shower of splintered wood and mulched leaves. They hovered to a stop just past the trees, seeing that Applejack had nowhere to run. Applejack stood firm, all four hooves planted strongly. They would not see her beg. The lead creature gestured to the other two, which nodded in return, before looking at Applejack with a malicious grin. Applejack reciprocated with a harsh glare, the shadow of her tilted hat making the doomed pony look surprisingly menacing, even in the face of certain death. Apparently done wasting time, the leader lowered his machine until the blades were close enough to the ground to shred Applejack. Then, without hesitation, he shot off at full speed towards her. Time slowed for Applejack. Her life flashed before her eyes in preparation for the inevitable. As much as she tried not to, Applejack flinched as the machine reached her, expecting to feel intense pain, if only momentarily. However, no pain came. Instead the machine suddenly rebounded off of a bright purple force field that sprang to life around Applejack. The creature in the machine screamed as he fumbled with his controls in an attempt to regain stable flight. His cries were cut short as his craft impacted a thick tree, and was immediately lost in a fiery explosion. The shockwave of the blast sent twigs, plants, and small rocks flying, but Applejack felt nothing from within the safety of the force field. Before she could ponder the strangeness of the shield, she noticed that the creatures in the machines were no longer watching her. They had turned to the side, and were staring with gaping jaws. Applejack followed their gaze, and her own jaw followed their example shortly. Another of the creatures stood there, though this one had no flying machine to speak of. Its face was not obscured by a visor, so Applejack was able to see its small eyes. It did have a little black mask on, but the mask really failed to hide anything at all. It was standing on two legs, and was dressed in a bright red body suit with a large letter 'i' on the front. It was far larger than the other, similar creatures Applejack had seen, and seemed to have more muscles than was physically possible. Of course, since she was dealing with a completely unknown and mysterious species, physical possibilities went right out the window. The last thing Applejack noticed was that the creature seemed to be holding a large boulder above its head in an impossible feat of strength, and it was smiling. With a powerful grunt, the creature threw the boulder at the two remaining flying machines. One of them dodged to the side, but the other was not so quick. The resulting explosion sounded like a thunderclap next to Applejack's head, and filled the whole area with smoke. When the smoke finally cleared, Applejack saw the large creature leap through the air and land on top on the last flying machine. He lifted the pilot out, and knocked him unconscious with a single punch, before kicking off the machine and sending it grinding to a stop in the dirt, kicking up a wave of soil as its blades were reduced to bent and broken scrap metal. Applejack gaped at the destruction before her. She stepped forward to thank the strange being that had saved her life, only to impact the force field nose first. She fell back with a yelp, rubbing her nose with a forehoof. "Oops, sorry. Let me get that." The feminine voice that came from behind her nearly gave Applejack a heart attack. With a shout of surprise, she lashed out with her hind legs. Applejack felt her buck connect with something, and send it flying away with a pained sound. At the same time, two things happened. The force field fell, and Applejack was punched in the face. She hadn't seen anypony coming. One second there was nopony but the large creature a little ways away in front of her, and before she could blink she felt something strike the left side of her face. The first punch was followed up by a second, then a third, and even a fourth and fifth in all the time it took Applejack to register that something was attacking her. The hits weren't terribly hard, but they came so rapidly that Applejack quickly fell to her haunches and raised her forelegs to ward off the pain. The punches continued, bouncing ineffectually off of Applejack's forelegs, and she soon heard a coltish voice coming with the rapid attacks. "Nobody hurts my sister!" Applejack tried to respond that she didn't know who this colt's sister even was, but was unable to get a word in past the flurry of blows. Finally, the rain of punches stopped, and Applejack tentatively uncovered her face to see what had happened. The larger creature was still there, standing a few feet away from her calmly. This close, Applejack could make out the more masculine shape of his face and body, as well as the yellow mane on the top of his head, and the startling lack of a coat or fur. Next to him stood a more feminine creature with a longer, red made, and the same red body suit with the 'i'. She had her arms wrapped around a tiny male creature, also in a matching suit, that was kicking and flailing and glaring at Applejack, presumably the one that had attacked her. Applejack blinked, the female literally had her arms wrapped around the boy like coils of rope. It was pretty freaky. Applejack noticed that all three of them were looking at something behind her. She turned around slowly, and gasped as she saw what was there. Another creature, a twig-thin female in a matching suit, was sitting on the ground behind her, dusting herself off. Her mane was the longest out of all of them, by far; a jet black cascade of hair that covered one eye and touched the ground from her seated position. She looked up at Applejack with her one visible eye, and smiled. "It's alright, guys. I'm sure she was just startled." Her voice was soft, reminding Applejack a little of a certain yellow pegasus that she knew. With a gasp, she realized that this was the voice she had lashed out at a minute ago. She gulped nervously, hoping that her buck hadn't hurt the poor girl. She remembered what the boy had said about hurting his sister, and realized that they must have been a family. Applejack scuffed at the ground nervously with a forehoof. "Aw shucks, I'm sorry. Ah hope Ah didn't hurt ya or nothin'. Ah was just surprised is all. Ah didn't even know you were there behind me until you spoke up." Silence, complete and total, descended upon the area. No one moved, and Applejack could have sworn that no one was even daring to take a breath. She glanced around frantically, even the boy that had attacked her was staring with wide eyes and an open mouth. Finally, someone broke the silence. "You just talked." The not-question came from the female with the long black hair. Applejack looked at her like she'd gone crazy. "Well of course Ah did. So did you." Applejack bristled defensively, momentarily worried that talking was some sort of taboo in their culture. The large creature quickly spoke up to reassure her. "What she means is, we've uh… never seen a talking horse before." He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "For that matter, we've never seen a horse quite like you at all." Applejack balked. "Ah'm a pony! Ah ain't some dirty stinkin' horse!" She stopped herself, breathing deeply. "Ah'm sorry, that was offensive. Ah got no problems with horses. In fact, one of mah best friend is a horse." She cleared her throat. "He's um… he's outta town at the moment, but he's a great friend. His name's Jamal, we sometimes hang out and play basketball and stuff. Ah'll totally introduce him to y'all when he gets back." Applejack's eyes darted back and forth nervously, but no one questioned her story. They simply continued to stare, more confused than ever. The red-haired one spoke first this time. "Well, it's nice to meet you. I'm Helen. What's your name?" Her voice was strong, and carried a motherly kindness that put Applejack at ease, as well as a ferocity that made Applejack fear what would happen if she turned on the female's family. "Ah'm Applejack," she responded quickly, tilting her hat backwards to a more friendly position. "As Ah already told y'all, I'm a pony. I only got one of yer names though, and to be honest, I don't rightly know what ya are either." The large one chuckled. "Well, Applejack, it's a pleasure. My name is Bob. We're humans. Helen here is my wife, and these are our kids." He gestured to the two smaller creatures; the one with black hair, and the small, angry boy. "Well, go on and introduce yourselves." "Oh, right." The black haired girl nodded. "My name's Violet, but you can call me Vi." Being the only one close enough, Violet extended her hand for Applejack to shake. Applejack understood the gesture, and shook her hand vigorously with both forehooves. As she let go, the boy appeared in front of her in a blink. "I'm Dash, and if you even think of kicking my sister again, I'll beat you up!" Applejack leaned backwards from the intense glare Dash was giving her, before the boy was once again picked up by his mother and lifted away. Violet moved with him to join the rest of her family standing a few feet away from Applejack. "Well, it sure is great to meet y'all. I've been awfully lonely," Applejack said. "If you don't mind me askin' though, how did ya do those amazing things when you rescued me? Can all humans do that?" Bob sighed. "We're what's known as 'Supers', meaning that we have abilities far beyond what normal people are capable of. Super powers, basically." He gestured to himself. "As you probably saw, I have super strength, and nigh-invulnerability. Helen can stretch like elastic at will. Dash can move at superhuman speeds, and Vi can become invisible." Applejack nodded. "Well, Ah suppose that explains how you got behind me so easily. But what about that shield that saved me from the first flying machine?" Violet smiled proudly. "That was me too. It's an ability I've only recently developed, but it's already come in handy several times." Applejack tipped her hat to Violet in respect. "Thanks very much fer that sugarcube. I reckon I'd be pony mincemeat if it weren't for you, for all of you, thanks." "Don't worry about it," Bob assured her. "Saving people… and, er, ponies is what we do." He smiled at Applejack. Applejack smiled back. Finally, after days of fighting for survival, she had found some friends on that awful island. Now, she truly felt safe for the first time since waking up on the beach. That safety didn't last long. "Muahahaha!" A cliched, but still malicious laugh filled the air. The sound sent a shiver down Applejack's spine, and she was unable to tell what direction it emanated from. The humans quickly shot to a defensive posture, looking around in all directions. The laughter continued for several seconds, before finally stopping. The ensuing silence felt heavy, dragging moments into years. After what felt like forever, but was actually less than two seconds, a figure rose up from the ravine. He was dressed in a black and white outfit, with white boots and gloves, a white cape, and a large white letter 'S' on the front of a black bodysuit. His bright orange hair was shaped like a fire rising up from his head. His boots were spouting jets of blue flame, and somehow holding him aloft as he rose from the ravine, grinning evilly. "Do all humans have an obsession with spandex or somethin'?" Applejack asked incredulously. The new figure ignored her question, launching immediately into a monologue without even glancing at the assembled heroes and pony. "Behold! It is I, Syndrome! Did you think you could evade me? You can't run forever, I'm afraid. And it looks like your time has run out. It's time for a showdown of the ages. You will face me in epic combat, and you will fall. Every last one of you. For I am—" He cut off suddenly as he looked down. "Is that a pony?" Everyone, including Applejack, nodded mutely. Syndrome stared at Applejack, blinked a few times, then shrugged. "Alright, cool. Now, where was I?" Syndrome landed on the ground and put a finger to his chin in thought, and Bob seized the opportunity. The muscled man reached down and picked up a fist-sized rock from the ground. He threw it faster than anything Applejack had ever seen with deadly accuracy towards Syndrome. Unfortunately, Syndrome caught the motion out of the corner of his eye, and quickly dodged to the side. "Whoa there! A little premature aren't we, Bob?" He smirked. "Well, if you're that eager to get started, I guess I can oblige!" Without any further warning, he raised his right hand and pointed at the group. Even having no idea what he was doing, Applejack instinctively leapt out of the way. The ground she'd been occupying a moment ago erupted in a blue explosion as a blast of energy flew from Syndrome's gauntlet. Applejack quickly regained her hooves, and scrambled to cover as the blasts continued to rain down, kicking up fountains of dirt and debris. "What do we do, Bob?" Helen shouted from her hiding place behind a boulder. "I don't know. I had no idea he was this powerful." Bob shouted back as the tree he took cover behind disintegrated into sawdust and he was forced to leap behind another. Helen gave the two cowering children a stern look. "Stay in cover you two, and don't try to move no matter what. Stay safe, we'll handle this." With that, as if on some signal, Helen and Bob both jumped out of cover and sprinted towards Syndrome, who was still laughing like a maniac. Applejack watched from behind a large boulder as the couple engaged Syndrome in combat. It was truly a wondrous sight to behold. Helen and Bob moved as a complete unit. Bob would jump in and hit with several heavy blows, and as soon as he was pushed back, Helen was striking from afar and all directions at once. Between the two of them, they seemed to be making short work of Syndrome. All it took was one mistake. Helen swung an arm in a wide arc at Syndrome, but slipped on the rocky ground and missed her attack entirely. Bob was still out of position, recovering from his own attack. Syndrome quickly capitalized on the chance, firing a blue beam from his hand at Bob. The large man took the hit square in the chest, falling to the ground with a grunt. His tongue lolled out of his mouth and his breathing slowed as he fell unconscious. Helen's eyes widened, then narrowed dangerously. With a primal scream, she sped towards Syndrome with a coconut in each hand. She spun her arms like twin whips, lashing out with the heavy fruits. Even one of the hits could have easily have broken a bone, but her rage made her sloppy. Syndrome was able to easily dodge every attack, calmly side-stepping past a brutal strike an faking a yawn. This only served to infuriate Helen more, as she swung both arms horizontally in wide arc. Syndrome leaped over the swipe, and Helen overextended herself, spinning around until her back was turned to her foe. Syndrome hit her with a knock-out beam, and she collapsed like a pile of jelly to the rocky ground. Syndrome barked a laugh, and blew on the end of his finger like a gun. "Really, that was just disgraceful. I can't believe I used to idolize you guys." He shook his head slowly. With that, he made his way toward the children, who were still cowering in cover. They had seen the whole thing, but were too petrified to run. Syndrome grinned an insane grin as he approached their cover. He was going to catch them. Those poor, innocent children, Applejack’s newfound friends, were about to be put in the hands of a madman. Applejack didn't realize that she was moving until she was already out of cover. When she spoke, the words came out in a low growl that surprised even herself with its ferocity. "Step. Away. From them." Syndrome stopped in his tracks, turning around slowly to face Applejack. His face held confusion, though it was hidden beneath a layer of unbridled crazy. "You can talk?" His smile widened and grew predatory, sending shivers down Applejack's spine. "Well then," he said quietly, in a dangerous tone. "That changes everything, doesn't it?" "Ah don't reckon it does." Applejack retorted, once again shifting her hat forward. "You're still gonna leave here, and leave us alone, or Ah'm gonna make ya." She scuffed one forehoof against the ground for emphasis. Syndrome laughed maniacally. "No, it just means you'll be coming with me too." He pointed his right hand at Applejack, and she rolled out of the way just in time to dodge a blue beam headed straight for her. She rose to her hooves in a gallop at Syndrome. Applejack reached him before he could adjust his aim, and quickly swatted his hand to the side with a forehoof as it expelled another beam harmlessly into the jungle. He took a swing at her with a fist, but she ducked under it easily. While Syndrome was recovering from his missed punch, Applejack planted her forehooves, spun 180 degrees, and bucked him hard. Syndrome let out a pained grunt as he flew through the air a couple dozen feet, only stopping when he hit a large tree. He slowly pushed to his feet, but Applejack gave him no time to recuperate. She ran up to him while he was still getting up, and let loose several punches with her forehooves in rapid succession. She struck his face and shoulders, sending him back against the tree. When Applejack let up, Syndrome fell forward onto his hands and knees, spitting out a small amount of blood. Applejack jumped behind him, and leapt onto his back. She wrapped her forehooves around his neck in a chokehold, intending to knock him out long enough for her and her new friends to escape. Syndrome rose to an upright position in an attempt to break free, but Applejack merely balanced on her hind legs and continued cutting off his airflow. His hands scrabbled at her hooves, trying to pry them loose, but his strength was fading and her grip didn't budge. Just when Applejack felt secure in her victory, Syndrome pressed a button on his gauntlet, and the ground was left behind in a cloud of smoke and blue fire. His rocket boots propelled them up a few feet, but the balance was thrown off by Applejack's weight on his back, and they quickly began heading towards the ground again. That had been his plan though, and when they landed, Applejack hit the rocky ground first. The impact knocked the air from her lungs and loosened her grip as her back exploded with pain. Syndrome quickly followed up with an elbow to Applejack's gut, causing her to let out a pained wheeze. He rolled off of her while she reeled, and jumped back up to his feet. "Okay… That's it…" He coughed out between deep, raspy breaths. "You… are too much… trouble…" Syndrome paused for a moment to catch his breath. Applejack continued to groan on the ground as her spine felt like it had been torn out. "Forget capturing you," Syndrome said in a much clearer, but still gravelly voice. "I got Mister Incredible and his family. That's good enough. I can deal." His breathing finally evened out completely, and he cleared his throat. "You're just going to have to be one more casualty." He raised his hand to point at Applejack. She tried to move, but was unable to do any more than flop onto her side. The air around Syndrome's gauntlet crackled with powerful energy, all about to be released in a death-blow on Applejack. Syndrome smiled mockingly at Applejack. "Say goodnight, my little pony." And then space itself tore open. "What the?" Syndrome snapped his gaze to the hole in the fabric of reality that had appeared next to Applejack. The motion threw off his aim, and his gauntlet discharged into the ground next to Applejack's face. The heat of the blast curled the hairs of her coat, and the small explosion spattered her face in dirt, but she was alive. Out of the swirling portal stepped a man. He was tall and lanky, with shoulder-length black hair. He was garbed in a black leather duster that swept around his ankles as he stepped into the world, and was also wearing a pair of cowboy boots for some reason. In one hand he held a staff with glowing symbols of power on it. In the other hand, he held a small, wooden rod that looked just as dangerous as the mysterious staff for some reason. The man looked around at the scene that presented itself. He took note of the two unconscious parents with a calm gaze, he seemed to barely contain rage when his eyes passed over the two cowering children, and his only reaction to seeing Applejack's beaten form was a single blink of his eyes. Finally, he looked up at Syndrome with a smirk. "Looks like I missed one hell of a party. Don't tell me you guys had all the fun without me." Syndrome blinked. "What?" "Don't worry, I can just catch up now." "Wha—" The rest of Syndrome's one-word question was cut off by a powerful shout from the new arrival. "Ventas servitas!" The man thrust his staff out, and a wall of wind picked up Syndrome and hurled him towards a large boulder. He hit the boulder hard, but rose back to his feet after a few seconds. "Do you have any idea who I am?!" Syndrome screamed, coughing and ruining the effect. "I am Syndrome!" “Really?” The stranger raised an eyebrow. “Hell’s bells, man, could you be any more cliched? You seriously just used ‘do you have any idea who I am’. What, did you read ‘Being a Supervillian For Dummies’ or something?” With an enraged shout, Syndrome fired a beam of blue towards the duster-clad man. "Vento riflettum." The beam reflected back at Syndrome, who ducked just in time with a high-pitched yelp. The strange man smirked, and Applejack noticed that the small rod he held was beginning to glow. "Nice try, short stuff. But now it's my turn." He slowly raised the rod, and pointed it directly at Syndrome. It was clearly glowing with an orange light now. "Fuego!" A bright orange beam erupted from the end of the rod, surging towards Syndrome with searing heat. He ducked again, but the beam managed to catch the tip of his hair on the way past, setting it ablaze. The beam then continued on, and struck the boulder Syndrome had hit before, blasting a large crater in it. Syndrome dropped to the ground and rolled about until the fire in his hair went out. When he got back to his feet, he looked furious. "You dare to challenge me?!" Syndrome shouted. He put both hands together in front of him, and fired a blue beam larger than any previous attack. The beam was headed straight for the stranger, but Applejack was also in its path, and would be fried as it passed. At the last second, the stranger leapt in front of her, and raised his left wrist. As he did, the sleeve fell away and Applejack spotted a bracelet decorated with tiny shields there. Syndrome's beam struck a translucent barrier in front of the stranger, and stopped dead, fizzling out to nothing without causing any harm. "Yeah, I think I've had about enough of you," the stranger declared before raising his staff once more. Syndrome tensed, ready to dodge an attack. The stranger smirked. "Malivaso." As one, all of Syndrome's gadgets and gear let out puffs of black smoke. Syndrome looked down in confusion, attempting to ignite his rocket boots, or fire a beam from his gauntlets, or even call for backup with his radio. Nothing worked. By now, Applejack had regained her hooves. She shot a glare at Syndrome, and took one step in his direction. That was all it took to have him running away, screaming at the top of his lungs. Applejack smiled devilishly, and the stranger chuckled. Applejack glanced over to Bob and Helen, to see them regaining consciousness with help from their kids. When she looked back to the stranger, he had his eyes closed in concentration. He stood perfectly still for a couple seconds, then spoke a word infused with power. "Aparturum." Once again, a hole in the very fabric of reality opened before him. The portal swirled and twisted for a moment before stabilizing. The man made to step through, but Applejack stopped him with a shout. "Wait!" He turned around to face her. "Yes? Did you need anything else?" "Well it's just that— Wait, aren't you surprised that I can talk or somethin'?" She tilted her head in confusion. The man chuckled, then shrugged. "Not particularly, no. When you've been in my line of work for a while, it takes a lot to surprise you." He smiled. “Plus, if I let myself show surprise, it would totally ruin the whole ‘mysterious wizard’ thing I’m going for here.” Applejack chuckled lightly, before returning to her original concern. "Anyway, Ah wanted to say thanks for savin' us and such. So… y'know, thanks." She smiled sheepishly. "No problem," the man responded, and once again turned to go. "Mah name's Applejack, by the way," Applejack interjected, causing the stranger to stop once more and turn to face her. "What's yours?" He smiled. "It's nice to meet you, Applejack. My name is Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden. Conjure by it at your own risk. When things get strange, when what goes bump in the night flicks on the lights, when no one else can help you, give me a call. "I'm in the book."