//------------------------------//
// Rap Battle #4: Alternate Aftermath 
// Story: Epic Rap Battles of MLP 
// by enigmaMystere 
//------------------------------//

	Vinyl awoke slowly, squinting into the sun that suddenly appeared above her. Groggily getting to her hooves, she glanced around, confused. "...what just happened? Why am I outside?" She noticed a group of voices nearby, so she silently jumped into a bush, peeking out at the source.

Four ponies were passing by. The adult of the group, a familiar yellow pegasus, trot ahead of the rest, glancing back nervously at the three fillies following her. "...um...what are you girls doing? If you don't mind me asking, I mean..." She squeaked in surprise and fear as a machine was shoved in front of her and into her face, leaving a print on the lens as it bumped her nose.

"Don't mind us, Fluttershy! We're just here to make a video featuring DJ TR33, the newest up-and-coming musician of Ponyville!" The orange filly poked her head out from behind the video camera, patting it with a hoof. 

The DJ hiding in the hedge wondered why that device looked extremely familiar. Maybe it has something to do with the pair of eighth notes on the side of it?

"Neat, huh? Vinyl lent it to us!" 

Ah, that explains it.

She paused, bringing the same hoof up to her chin, lost in thought. "She said something about having it for music videos. I forget."

Vinyl's eye twitched, realizing she never took the memory card out before letting them borrow it. The memory card with her latest video on it. She might delete all my hard work!! She bit on a branch, trying to keep herself from yelling out in agony.

Fluttershy glanced around, worried. "...where is Vinyl, anyways? I thought we were going to meet here with Octavia..."

"Oh, she left town." The white unicorn filly said, putting down her microphone. "Apparently, Octavia gave away something important to her on accident."





On a mountain fifty miles away from Ponyville, a different white unicorn sneezed. She pulled her scarf tighter around herself, climbing higher and higher. "...can't believe Octy...gave my Cloudsmith record away...don't worry, my precious...I won't let anyone hurt you!" 

She stopped at a ledge, a group of fifteen snow-beasts in her way. "This hardly seems fair." She smirked, getting into a fighting stance. "You shoulda brought more!" She leapt at them, a hoof reared back to strike. "AW, YEAH!"





Vinyl, nestled inconspicuously in the bushes, recalled the discovery of her missing record. Her jaw dropped as she realized just what was going on. I'm in the past! DEAR LUNA, THIS IS AWESOME! She grinned, watching excitedly from her little hiding spot as the events in front of her unfolded.

Fluttershy frowned, upset. "...oh...well that's not good..." She looked up, and seeing a grey mare approaching, quickly turned to the three fillies. "I'm sorry, girls, but I need to talk to somebu-" She blushed, shaking her head. "Excuse me, somepony. Maybe you can interview Pinkie? I'm sure she'd like that..."

Thinking about it, that slip-up makes sense. It sounded like she was going to say 'somebunny'. Vinyl recalled the story she shared where she was somehow turned into a rabbit. She wasn't really paying attention to the 'why', much more interested in what the creatures had to say.

The trio grinned at each other, nodding simultaneously. "CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS INTERVIEWERS, YAY!" They galloped off, the yellow one calling over her shoulder at Fluttershy. "See ya later, DJ TR33!"

Fluttershy thought for a moment, pondering what they said. "...I'd like to be a TR33." Smiling at that thought, she slowly approached the other mare.

Vinyl facehoofed, groaning slightly at that bad joke.

The earth pony looked up at Fluttershy, a sheepish smile on her face. "My apologies. I didn't expect that it would take such a long time to acquire another cello."

"Oh, it's no problem at all." She lift up the flap of her saddlebag with her wing, pulling out a familiar black box. "Would you like to hear the results?"

Octavia stared at the device for a few moments. "Pardon me for asking, but how are you going to use that? Vinyl always used her magic."





The white unicorn sneezed once more, beginning to wonder if she was getting a cold. Looking down at the pile of snow trolls underhoof, she yanked up on the hair of the leader, frowning in annoyance. "So let me get this straight - you don't know where my Cloudsmith album is?"

It shook its head, eyes wide in fear of the unicorn in front of it.

She sighed, jumping off the troll pile. "Next stop, the Mammoth Fields..."





Fluttershy smiled, wiggling the tips of her wings. "I'll use it with these, of course." She then proceeded to press buttons with a deftness that would impress most video gamers. Looking at the screen, she tilted her head, confused. "...this is odd...why are they pitting ponies against each other? That doesn't seem very-"

"Fluttershy." The yellow pegasus glanced up at her friend, who looked like she was straining herself holding something inside. "Please, just tell me who won."

"...oh...um...okay..." Fluttershy flicked the screen repeatedly, eyes wide in surprise, keeping tally in her mind. "...wow...that's a lot of votes..." Eventually, she reached the end. She nervously turned to the mare, shock written all over her face. "...you..."

Octavia stood there, confused. "...me...what? Did I win?"

With a small blush, she nodded, placing the phone back into her saddlebag. "Congratulations." She squeaked as the gray mare suddenly pulled her into a crushing hug, one that rivaled Luna's.

"Oh, thank you, Fluttershy!" To say she was beaming would be an understatement. "Vinyl will finally go to rehab! She'll be able to quit drinking so much!"

Fluttershy sighed, glad that was over. Suddenly a blur of white and green raced past her. Blinking, she looked after them, recognizing the bunny, as well as the creature currently clamped onto one of his ears. "Gummy! Please, why are you biting Angel bunny?" She chased after them, worried something bad would happen, leaving behind a bemused mare.

Vinyl's jaw dropped. "...this can't be right...I won, didn't I?" Before she could think about this any more, a tugging sensation gripped her body. She cried out in surprise as an unknown force yanked her backwards and into a darkness.





Present Day

"Come on, Sparkle! Where is she? Surely she can't be that hard to bring back!"

The library wasn't anywhere near full, but it was hard to tell from looking around. Everypony who had a rap battle, not including Octavia (she was still looking for Dinky), Discord (he was trapped on the sun), Chrysalis (she decided to honor the bet...for now), the Flim Flam Brothers (they were chased out of town) and, for some reason, Luna, was gathered in there, giving their full and undivided attention to the studious unicorn.

Said mare was glaring at the blue unicorn who kept interrupting her. "Would you like to attempt this?" She narrowed her eyes as the ex-showmare shuffled nervously. "I didn't think so." She sighed, running a hoof through her hair. "...she's in an entirely different dimension...that just makes it that much harder to retrieve her..." Her eyelids began to feel heavy. "...mana exhaustion...I...I need to rest a bit...before I do that again..." With that, she collapsed, causing the room to break out in panic.





I'll be honest here, we're just throwing science at the wall and hoping it will stick. *gets a hoof over the head* ...ouch. Okay, so this is essentially what I've decided the 'Alternate Aftermath' chapters will go - a re-hash of the chapter with the other participant winning, and seeing what would happen then. Please don't be mad. This is so the next few rap battles have time to be worked on, as, currently, there are no lines for the next one. ^^;

...what? That's all I have to say right now.

Have a nice day!

Enigma out.~