The lights come up, revealing a green unicorn sitting behind the desk. He blinks at the bright lights a bit, confused.
“Psst, dude!” A voice calls from offstage, causing the pony to turn towards it. “That’s your cue!” A white mare walks on, giving a half-frown. “You aren’t traumatized by the spell Twi cast, are you?” She places a hoof on his forehead, making sure not to touch his horn.
The unicorn resists the urge to lean away from the mare as he responds, “Surprisingly enough, no. I’ll probably freak out a bit later on, but I’m fine for now.” He looks around again. “It’s all still a bit surreal to be honest. What with the whole ‘pulled from your dimension to host a show where alternate-dimension versions of some ponies you know and others you don’t answer questions’ thing.”
She shrugs, sitting on the desk while facing him. “Well, I’ve been tugged around many other dimensions, myself. Not to host a show, but still. Tell you what.” She leaps off the desk, flipping backwards and landing perfectly on one of the guest chairs. “I’ll be the first pony you’ll ask. You know, help you get a feel for this universe. Sound good?”
He smiles, “I would very much appreciate that Miss Scratch.”
“Hey, hey, call me Vi. ‘Miss Scratch’ makes me feel old. I’m only twenty four!” She huffs slightly, crossing her forehooves over her chest and slouching down in the chair. “Question me, Rhiny.”
He blinks silently for a moment, “Rhiny? That’s a new one.” He shakes it off, “Alright then, Vi, mind if I ask you something before we start everything then?”
She tilts her head, readjusting the rifle on her back when it whacks her in the head. “Sorry ‘bout that, and sure. What do you want to ask me?”
“Why are the question cards on a ring that’s chained to the desk?” He rattles said chain for emphasis.
Vinyl rubs the back of her head, sheepishly smiling. “Well, see, when E hosted, he’d fling cards when he was done with them.” She pushes her shades up her nose, hiding her eyes. “Let’s just say that they’re more dangerous than we originally thought.”
“Ah... I see.” He moves his black and blue mane out of his face, “Well, enough delaying, shall I do the introduction, or do you want to?”
She waves a gestures a hoof at him, smiling brightly. “You can. You’re the host, after all.” She turns to the pony behind the camera, giggling. “Ready to roll the camera?”
The pegasus steps out slightly, quirking a brow at them. “It’s been running for about two minutes, now.”
“Urk!” The stallion blanches. He clears his throat and faces the camera. “Sorry about that, everypony! Good day and welcome to the third Q and A show for Epic Rap Battles of MLP! I’m your alternate dimensional host, Rhino, and with me is our first guest, Vinyl Scratch.” He gestures to the mare.
She pumps a hoof into the air, beaming brightly. “Yo! What’s up, everypony?”
Rhino shuffles through the cards, “Looks like we’ve got quite a few for you, Vi. First up:”
Has Enigma ever taken you flying?
- Rhino
Vinyl stares at him, an amused smirk on her face. “That’s interesting. You seem to have your name on the first question of the show.” She giggles, waving a hoof in the air. “But I digress. Enigma has taken me flying...if catching me while I was falling counts.”
“To some, I suppose it might.” He looks at the next question, “Another one from the ‘other’ me it seems:”
What is your favorite snack?
- Rhino
She laughs, not even trying to hide her mirth. “Dude, that’s rich!” She forces herself to calm down, a hoof covering her mouth. “I’d say cheese tortellini. Though that’s more of a meal, isn’t it? Snack, snack...” She rubs her chin, thinking a bit. “I guess I’d say cheese and crackers with some lemonade. That’s always a nice thing to eat between meals.” She turns to him, a playful smile on her lips. “What about you, Rhiny? Or would you prefer Rhy?”
Rhino shrugs, “No preference really, my name is so short that I haven’t really had many nicknames. If I had to pick a snack though, I would definitely say strawberry applesauce.”
“...I’ve never really heard of that before. As for the nickname situation, I suppose that’s fair.” She shrugs slightly. “Though, to be honest, I prefer calling you Rhy. Rhy rhymes with a few other nicknames I’ve given others - Vi, Twi, ‘Shy, and some I can’t remember right now.”
He waves a hoof, “By all means, ‘Rhy’me away.”
She frowns slightly at him, lowering her shades. “Dude. I do the bad puns around here.”
Rhino maintains a straight face. “I blame Volt’s influence, puns are pretty much his thing. I guess it rubs off.”
She giggles, smacking his shoulder playfully. “Hey, it’s fine - I was just kidding, anyways. So, what’s the next question?”
“Here we are:”
Vinyl, Would you ever consider doing your mane in an alternate style? Maybe something like Octavia’s?
- Rhino
“Hat trick!” She throws her hooves up in the air, grinning brightly.
Rhino tilts his head to the side, “Hat trick?”
Vinyl’s smile falters slightly, and she sighs softly. “Sorry, sports term. Anyways, no, I’ve never considered that. Don’t know why I’d want to, either. No offense to Tavi, but I like my mane as it is.” She taps a hoof against one of the carefully-styled spikes of her mane. If sitting backwards in front of a blaring speaker counted as ‘carefully-styling’.
She looks over at him, eyes narrowing slightly. “Your mane looks a lot like hers, now that I think about it. Just...shorter in the back and longer in the front. And darker, definitely darker.”
The stallion looks at the small part of his mane he can see in front of his eyes, “Thanks I guess. Alright, next question:”
Vinyl: Can you tell us what made you want to create a portable version of the bass cannon? I'm sure something must have driven you to create such weapons.
- raybony
“Oh, that was easy.” She giggles, pulling the long metal weapon off her back. She holds it up so the pony in front of her can see it clearly. “The Bass Cannon was too bulky. These are not only streamlined, but altered just enough to work for more than just a unicorn.” She averts her eyes, muttering to herself. “...I will not lose in a Death Battle again...” She passes it over to him, letting him get a better look.
Rhino’s eyes gain an analytical spark to them as he slowly observes the weapon. He mutters half to himself and half to Vinyl as he looks, “Fascinating use of runes. Sound amplification and direction of course but the fact that you actually use it to project music also astounds me. Much more elegant than I first thought it would be.” He passes the gun back to her. “I could spend a day or more looking at that, but let’s not tempt me while we are under a time limit.”
“Glad you approve, dude.” She takes it, returning it to the sling on her back. “Let’s move on, shall we?”
“We shall:”
Vinyl: So what is the next step for the Dubstep Guns? Maybe create an instrument weapon? I'm sure that it would be quite useful for some adventurous musician.
- raybony
She looks at him for a few moments, considering that idea. “...you know, I haven’t thought of that before.” She leans back in her seat, focusing at a random spot on the ceiling. “I suppose I could. Maybe if I start off with a lyre, I could figure out exactly what applied magics can do when applied to music that isn’t dubstep.” She sighs, rolling her eyes. “I’d ask if Tavi would allow me to tinker with her cello, but she is fiercely protective of that thing.”
Rhino nods, “Personally I find it best to test new arrangements on spare items, not important ones. Just in case the unexpected happens. I know more things I’ve tried have come apart or blown up when I wasn’t careful than I’d care to admit.”
She giggles, tapping his forehead playfully. “You and I are a lot alike, dude. Doubt you broke her instrument and set it on fire...then forgot about it in the morning.” She grimaces, turning her head away.
He smirks, “Bet you haven’t forgot it since then.”
“You can say that again.” She waves her hoof dismissively. “Enough about that, though. Let’s get to the next question, ne?”
“Next up:”
Vinyl: If you had to choose between Playing Music and E, which one would you give up?
- raybony
“...That’s...not even a difficult question. I’d choose E.” She blushes a little, looking offstage. “...Where is he, anyways? He was supposed to be here to meet you...”
The stallion reassures her, “Don’t worry, I’m sure he’s fine. Stuff happens that makes ponies late. Continuing:”
Vinyl, what’s gonna happen with you and E now?
- GeneralPoopTickler
She blushes even more, carefully clearing her throat and sliding her iconic shades on over her eyes before responding. “Well, hopefully our relationship will continue to grow, even after...well, you know.” Her horn lights up and zaps the card, evaporating it. “Next question, please?”
The stallion brushes the ashes off the desk, “Glad I was using magic to hold those and not my hooves or mouth... Seems no matter where you are, celebrity couples never have enough privacy. Anyway, next- wow they are really nosy aren’t they?”
This is for Vinyl, so you finally have Enigma to be with you, got any plans for the future, and how are you naming your foals, if you get any?
- raybony
Her shades slide off her nose, revealing a magenta eye twitching slightly. “I’d name my firstborn ‘None-o’-Yer-Business’.” She turns to the other unicorn, frowning deeply. “Rhiny, how many more of my questions are like that?” She reaches towards her back, resting a hoof on the reassuring cold mythril there.
He chuckles nervously as he moves the cards away from him so he isn’t in the line of fire, “Well... all of them. Pretty much all just as personal and devoid of shame, though nothing explicit thankfully.”
She grits her teeth, trying to calm herself down. “What.... do they say?”
He holds up a hoof. “If I might make a suggestion, save the gun for afterwards and we can launch the bad ones like clay birds for you to practice your aim on. I would really prefer not to be near something that has you this mad. Some of our viewers might need a translation for this next one:”
Ay yo Vinyl: Why you been trippin' on some foolishness to da point where you had ta Pinkie Promise to hook up wit E, ma ni-- uh... I mean Equine?
- TPurnell18
Rhino sticks his tongue out, “Bleh, not a fan of talking with that accent.”
“I was too nervous to ask him out. The fear of breaking a Pinkie Promise outweighed that nervousness.” Vinyl sits still, her eyes on the last card. “And that one?”
“I’ll be honest, I’m not sure whether you should be insulted by this one or not:”
Hey Vinyl, everypony sees you as a party hard, play hard kind of pony, one that does not stay still, so how does it feel to be married and to shock us all by doing so?
- Demon Pie
“Engaged, not married!” She rips all three intrusive questions off the chain with her magic and flings them into the air, smoothly drawing her V-Rifle. “And it feels better than these cards will, mutha-”
A blast of lightning and dubstep shoots out of the gun, disintegrating all three of the cards at once. The recoil causes her and the chair to fall backwards, landing with a loud thud.
Vinyl leaps up, grinning wildly. “WOO! Now that was a rush! I’ve even forgotten why I was angry.” She turns to him, her smile never faltering. “How about you?”
Rhino’s ears twitch from the ringing due to the blast as he shakily smiles, “I think my rush was more terror than excitement, but yes, that was a rush. Thankfully, those were the last of your solo questions... and thankfully for the questioners you don’t know where any of them live...”
She shrugs, giggling a bit. “Yeah, I suppose I overreacted. Anyways, good luck with the rest of the questions and guests~” She trots offstage, leaving him by himself.
Rhino brings a thermos out from under the table and takes a sip as he looks over the cards again. “Well that went better than expected... and yet worse.” He shrugs, turning back to the camera, “Alright, next up we have the prismatic rain-boomer herself. The one, the only, Miss Rainbow Dash!”
The mare in question flies into the room, purposefully performing a few tricks before settling in her seat. “Yes, no need to say anything. I know I’m awesome.” She glances at the stallion, her brow furrowing in confusion. “Who are you?”
He tilts his head in her direction, “My name is Rhino. It is very nice to meet you again for the first time Miss Dash.”
She stares blankly at him. “What the hay are you talking about?”
His eyes widen in understanding, “Ah right, only some of you know. Suffice to say, I’m here because of various dimension crossing shenanigans.”
“Uh huh.” She rolls her hoof at him, an unamused look on her face. “You got questions for me or what, Rhinestone?”
Rhino grumbles to himself as he gets the question, “Another new nickname.. don’t like this one nearly as much...” He clears his throat, “The first question is:”
Rainbow Dash: I half-expect you to be getting a visit from a certain someone regarding what happened at a certain academy *cough* Lightning Dust *cough* Would you be ready for a battle if she challenged you to one? I mean, considering how well (or maybe not) you did against Twilight... ah, I think you could do it.
- TPurnell18
“Lightning Dust?” She scoffs, waving her hoof dismissively. “She’s learned her lesson - she got demoted to Wingpony, and Spitfire gave her a stern warning. She wouldn’t risk her spot again.” She pauses, putting a hoof to her chin. “...I think I strayed from the question. Anyways, yeah, I think I’d be ready for any rap battles that come my way.”
“Alright, this is the other one:”
Rainbow Dash: I thought Pinkie Invited Everyone in ponyville. Why were you practicing new tricks instead of attending the party?
- raybony
“Oh, that. Yeah, I had to leave the party for a bit to clear my mind.” She shrugs. “Not gonna share what was on it, though.”
Rhino sets down the cards, “That’s your business, so if you want to keep it secret, that’s fine.”
“Thanks.” She stands up, bumping her hoof against the unicorn’s shoulder. “You know, you aren’t that bad. I just snapped earlier because of...actually, I’m not entirely sure why.” She leaves, wondering out loud. “Maybe it has something to do with that week I can’t remember? Stupid heat...”
Rhino acts like he didn’t hear that last part, though the small flush in his face says otherwise. “Well, not the worst reaction I’ve gotten from a version of her. It’s still weird seeing a friend and having them not know who I am.”
A gray mare pops up behind him, hugging him excitedly. “Hiya! You’re new, right?”
“Gah!” Rhino jumps from the unexpected hug, causing himself, the mare, and his chair to fall over backwards behind the desk.
Two faces hover above him, three golden eyes fixed on him while the fourth looked at a nearby wall. The one on the right opens her mouth. “Hey, are you okay?”
The host is silent as he slowly gets up, rights his chair and sits back down, looking at the pegasi. After a moment he responds, “Just a bit startled, though may I ask: changelings, illusions, clones, or siblings?”
The one on the left answers, keeping one eye focused on him. “Twins. Derpy’s a minute older, though.”
“Ditzy got most of the cuteness, as a result.” She sticks her tongue out playfully at her sister, causing them both to laugh at the silliness.
Rhino chuckles as the oddness wears off, “Well, the more the merrier, I guess. To answer the hugging question: Yes, I am new, and it’s very nice to meet both of you. My name is Rhino, a fact that would have been much easier to avoid repeating if they gave me a nametag or something.”
The mare with the crossed eyes speaks up, grinning brightly. “Nice to meet you, Rhino. I’m Ditzy Doo.”
“And I’m Derpy Hooves!” The other pegasus, who was a shade darker than her sister, says, moving to sit on the couch. Her twin quickly joins her, and they both look at him. “I think you have a question for one of us?”
He looks down at the cards, “Right, this one is for Miss Hooves:”
To Derpy: How did you meet the Doctor?
- Cloud-Runner
Derpy blinks, looking at her sister. “What are they talking about?”
She sighs, shaking her head slightly. “They got us confused again.” She turns to the stallion, smiling softly. “I was just a little filly when I first met him. He just arrived in this blue police box and asked me if I had anything to eat.” She laughs, thinking back to that night. “He went through different foods before finally settling on leek sticks and custard. He left almost immediately, and every night for ten years I waited in my backyard, waiting for him to show back up. Eventually, he did.”
“Hmm, not sure if this should remind me of a romance story or a science fiction one. I guess it depends on what he is to you.” He looks at the twins again. “Does the ‘being mistaken for your sister thing’ happen often?”
“Yes.” They answer him at the same time.
One of them whispers into the other’s ear, causing her to panic. “Oh, Featherweight! I forgot about him!” She speeds off, leaving behind the lighter-toned mare.
“This has been fun, Rhino. And hey, if you’re still here tomorrow, maybe we could hang out a bit?” She giggles, smiling innocently at him.
He smiles back, “Sounds good, Ditzy! I’m looking forward to it.”
She leaves the stage just as a chestnut stallion walks in, a confused look on his face. “This is odd. I could’ve sworn this was where they kept the English muffins.”
The cross-eyed mare pokes her head back in, her cheeks puffed out indignation. “Traitor.” With that, she pops back out, leaving an embarrassed earth pony and a confused unicorn in her wake.
Rhino recovers his composure as he remarks, “Well, that was interesting. Sweet mares though.” He looks to the earth stallion, “Do you need some help, sir?”
“No, I don’t think so.” The pony looks around once more. “Frankly, I feel like I should be here. Have you seen anything unusual lately?” He pulls out a silver stick, pointing it at the unicorn. He glances at it before turning back to the other stallion. “Strike that, where did you come from?”
Rhino tilts his head at the odd question, “Parallel universe, you?”
“A planet called Gallopfrey, but that’s not important.” He sits down in a guest chair, a ponderous look on his face. “So, I figure there’s a reason Miss Sparkle instructed me to come in here. If it’s not for English muffins, then I’m at a loss for ideas.”
Rhino looks down at his cards, “Probably to answer questions. At least, that’s what this whole strange time has been about so far. Let’s see... you don’t look like a ‘Braeburn’ or ‘Pinchy’ so... might you be ‘the Doctor?’”
“Ah, that’s me.” He smiles, nodding politely. “May I ask what the question is?”
The unicorn flips through the cards again, “Ah, here we are:”
This is for the Doctor, why did you have to take away your Timelord part, were you being followed by some kind of evil spirit or something? And if this can cause some kind of time paradox domehicky, then say it in some way that it won't affected, even if it is a bunch of nonsense to us.
- raybony
“Well, that’s a bit of a tricky question. You see, I had to keep myself hidden until I was needed. If Discord’s Weeping Pegasi had caught me, there’s no telling how powerful he would have become.” He places a hoof on his chin, thoughtful. “You see, when one of the Pegasi makes a pony travel through dimensions, the amount of time they’re gone from their own universe, as well as any interactions they have, cause chaos, feeding his pool of energy and thus making him stronger. Hopefully that makes sense to everyone.”
Rhino shrugs, “Well, not sure what Weeping Pegasi are, but hopefully my dimension hopping has less consequences than the variant you’re talking about. Let’s look at the next one:”
This is for the Doctor, where did you get the experience to rap battle, had some lessons from Enigma maybe?
- raybony
“Ah, that’s a really good question.” He shrugs, chuckling a bit. “To be fair, I did get lessons, but not from Enema.”
“ENIGMA!”
“Sorry, I can never get that name right.” He coughs, blushing a bit in embarrassment. “Anyways, I learned from Derpy. She was really nice about it, as well.”
The host puts a hoof to his chin in thought, “Hmm, never would have seen her as a rapper, but I suppose anypony can have hidden talents.” He looks to the Doctor, “Anyway, it appears those were the only questions we had for you Doctor, thank you very much for dropping by and answering them.”
“Not a problem. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I think Ditzy has made some muffins for me.” He nods, quickly getting up and leaving the stage.
Rhino brings out his thermos again and sips. He looks through the cards before huffing lightly and talking to the camera, “Before we bring up our next guest, I hope the audience doesn’t mind while I go ahead and take care of something to avoid answering the same question over and over.” His horns glows as his name is scribed in glowing green script in the air above and behind him. “Maybe that will help. Alright, next up we have a Mr. Braeburn.” He raises his voice at the name of the guest so that they can hear him backstage.
The yellow stallion walks in, looking up at the words in midair. “Ah reckon yer a magic whiz?” He sits down, an eyebrow quirked.
“In a manner of speaking I suppose, it’s part of my talent.” He gestures to Braeburn, “Surely some consider you a ‘whiz’ in certain things as well?”
“Well, Little Strongheart considers me a whiz in-” He cuts himself off, closing his mouth tightly. “Never mind. I grow and sell apples and apple accessories. I like to think I’m just as good as my cousin at it.”
Rhino nods, “Gotta love family skills. Although, truthfully, I’ve never fully understood the concept of ‘apple accessories.’”
“Neither do Ah, but Granny Smith says it’s important.” He shrugs, glancing at the cards. “So you say ya have some questions fer me?”
He nods, “That Ah do:”
Braeburn, how'd the honeymoon go so far?
- Jolly Roger
“Ah’ll answer that question after ya answer mine - what was up with copyin’ my accent?” He stares at him, not angry but confused.
Rhino cringes slightly as he realizes what he did, “Mah apologies. It’s... just a quirk of mine really. Ah can’t really control it that well. Ah don’t mean anythin’ by it.”
“Ah see.” He nods, smirking a bit. “That makes sense. Anyways, the honeymoon went well, and we’re still doin’ well together. So there’s that.”
“Glad ta hear it. Next:”
This is for Braeburn, how did it feel when you got accepted into the tribe of the buffaloes and getting to marry Strongheart?
- raybony
“It was amazin’, t’say the least.” He smiles, a distant look in his eyes. “They didn’t even mind me misplacin’ the Dreamcatcher. Ah didn’t expect that at all.”
Rhino smiles and lightly chuckles at the glassy-eyed stallion, “Sounds like ya picked a winner then. Hope you two stay happy. Here’s th’ last of ‘em:”
Braeburn, what are your thoughts on the fact that when your wife gets older, she’ll be twice your size?
- Rhino
“Ah don’t mind.” He chuckles, tipping his hat down a bit. “Ah suppose Ah’ll find out how it works in th’ bedroom, but that’s a long time comin’.”
“Ignoring the double meaning there. Looks like those were all the questions we had for ya. Thank ya for ya time.” Rhino tips an imaginary hat at the yellow stallion.
He laughs, bumping a hoof against the other pony. “No problem, fella! Now, if ya excuse me, Ah have a buffalo waitin’ fer me at home.” He gets up, quickly leaving the studio through an emergency exit at the back of the set.
“‘Buffalo gals, won’t you come out tonight?’ Why would they when the stallions come to them?” Rhino laughs at his own joke as he ruffles through the cards again, “Our next guest is... Pinkie Pie!”
“Hiya!” The pink mare pops out from underneath the cushion for one of the chairs. “Wanna slice of apple pie?” She holds out a plate with the delicious dessert on it.
Rhino seems unphased by the appearance, “Yes please.” He levitates the plate over to himself and nips a piece off with magic. “Did you want some?”
“No thanks! I had a big breakfast!” She sits down on the overturned cushion, smiling brightly. “You have a question for me, Rhiny-Shiny?”
The unicorn stops chewing abruptly at the nickname, but soon returns to eating. He swallows before speaking, “That I do Miss Pie:”
I have a question for Pinkie Pie: with all these rap battles going on, for the victors, do you throw a party for everypony that wins them?
- Demon Pie
“Of course!” She laughs, leaping onto the back of the chair somehow without tipping it over. “I’m glad they took a few weeks off a while back, though. My party budget was starting to run out!” She points out the window at the back of the room. “I almost had to make a huge pie just to resupply it!”
“How would making a giant pie resupply your party budget?”
“Well, I did it once before to get more cupcake money. The internet is a marvelous thing!” She giggles, bouncing away. “See you at the party! Of course, I’m not sure you need to meet everypony again, but everypony should have the chance to meet you, since you’re from another dimension!”
Rhino finishes up the pie before remarking, “Still makes good deserts, still very random, and still exacerbates my lack of comfort at large social gatherings. Alright it looks like next up we have-” He stops suddenly, eyes widening as he rereads the card before taking out the thermos, drinking a swig, and leaving it on the desk this time. “Ahem, next up, we have Miss Fluttershy.”
A head peeks out from behind one of the lounge chairs, teal eyes filled with worry. “...um...h-hi.” She carefully steps around the seat, nervously sitting down in the chair. She glances at the name in the air, visibly relaxing.
Rhino, on the other hoof, tenses the instant the pegasus comes on stage and shows no sign of it going away as he looks at her before looking away, “Welcome Miss Fluttershy, and thank you for being here.”
“Oh, it’s my pleasure.” She smiles softly at him. “Vinyl told me you were a nice pony. A-anyways, you have a question for me, right?”
He takes another drink before he responds, his tension lessening but still present in both stance and voice, “Actually, from what I’m seeing, you have more questions than any other guest. Seems the questioners have a favorite, or at the very least, they find you interesting.”
“O-oh my.” She blushes slightly, hiding behind her pink mane. “I-I suppose I’ll have to answer some questions, then...I only expected two, at the most.” She glances at his thermos, confused. “What is that, Rhino?”
He looks to the thermos, “Milk, actually.”
She tilts her head, curious. “So milk calms you down? Why are you nervous? I-if you don’t mind me asking.”
He sips the drink again, “To the first question: yes, I suppose it does. Also the act of drinking itself gives my mind something else to focus on besides whatever the cause of the nervousness is. As for that cause...” He trails off and looks at her again, “Suffice to say Miss, the circumstances of my being here mean I have certain reactions to certain things. It’s nothing against you, it’s just an unfortunate side effect.” He shakes his head and comes out of it with a small smile.
“I think I understand.” She smiles softly, nodding a bit. “Um, maybe we should get to the questions before somepony gets upset?” She glances offstage at a tall dark pony, who was glaring at them impatiently.
Rhino nods, “Yes I suppose we should.” He gives the dark pony a glare of his own, “And if certain ponies do get upset, they will take it up with me, and not this guest. Understand?”
“You’re treading on thin ice.” The midnight-black alicorn turns away, walking toward the snack table.
He turns towards the butter pegasus, “My apologies for that, let’s move on to the questions so things can hopefully be more pleasant:”
Question for Fluttershy: With your alter egos of F.S. Braveheart and Glaze, have you considered that you might have multiple personality disorder?
- KenSES64
“Oh, it’s not multiple personality disorder. I just prefer aliases when I do something rather...bold.” She giggles a little, blushing softly. “After all, most ponies wouldn’t associate me with adventure stories or dubstep.”
Rhino smiles at her giggle, “Like I said earlier, hidden talents. Next up, and forewarning to you, I’m sorry if the questioners aren’t very tactful:”
Also, my question for Fluttershy is "Why exactly are you so shy? Did you have some sort of traumatizing event in your past?"
- xXSilverLiningXx
She is silent for a few moments, staring down at her hooves. “...I’d...rather not talk about it...i-if that’s alright with you...”
He speaks softly, “Oh, I’m perfectly fine with that.” He sighs, “Unfortunately, it is not up to me.” Rhino looks offstage.
Vinyl pokes her head out. “She can skip it. She really doesn’t like thinking about her past that much.”
The stallion brightens, “Excellent, moving on then:”
Fluttershy: Will you be a participant in a rap battle anytime soon? I mean, I know you got it in you to spit hot fire, but would you be willing?
- TPurnell18
She taps her chin, thinking a bit. “I’m not sure. It’s definitely been a while, but I don’t like upsetting ponies like that.” She smiles, looking at her friend. “I will be DJ’ing a rap battle sometime soon, though. That’s always fun.”
Rhino nods absentmindedly as he gets out the next question, “Amazing how many ponies rap here. Next up:”
How do you get your mane the way you do?
- Rhino
She stares blankly at him, confused. “...I...wake up? I don’t really need to style my mane...it naturally looks this way.”
The stallion cracks a momentary smile, “Sorry ladies, no beauty secrets today. Here we go:”
Fluttershy: Why did you name your DJ persona after a doll? You don't need to answer if its personal.
- raybony
“Oh.” She shrugs a bit, looking everywhere but at the stallion in front of her. “Well, when my brother gave me it, he left for a long time. It’s a precious toy, a memory I wanted to keep. I, um, I guess I adopted the name Glaze for a sense of comfort...to keep him close to me in spirit...”
Rhino’s ears fold back and he stays silent for a moment. “Let’s-let’s just move on:”
Fluttershy: Just how big is your family? So far we have seen an adventurous sister and a... well fighter brother. Not to mention that they seem that they wouldn't be related to you. If you don't mind me saying.
- raybony
“...Um...I have one mom...and three siblings...” She hides behind her mane, unsure of what else to say. “...I guess I’m...the one in the middle of my sisters?”
A thoughtful look appears on Rhino’s face, “Any comments on the large difference in attitude between you and at least two of your siblings?”
“...W-well, my older sister is rather adventurous because of stories she used to read...and my brother was protective of me, growing up...” She puts a hoof on her lips, silent for a few moments. “...I have no idea why my little sister is so reckless...”
“Hopefully she tries at least to be a little safe.”
Fluttershy shrugs, giggling softly. “She has a couple of good friends. I’m certain they’ll reign her in, even if only a little bit.”
He flips another card. “Every little bit counts. Next:”
If Daring Do is real, why does Fluttershy write the books?
- ninjapinkiesdude
He blinks at the question, “Wait, you write the Daring Do books?”
“Y-yes, I do.” She blushes brightly, shifting a bit uncomfortably. “U-Under the name ‘F.S. Braveheart’. I-I thought you knew.”
He scratches his chin with a hoof, “No, no I did not know that. I haven’t read Daring in a while now... completely forgot the author’s name. Wow.”
“I-I see.” She smiles nervously. “A-anyways, it started off with my sister returning from her adventures with these amazing stories. I didn’t want to forget them, so I wrote them down...and then my publisher thought they were a new story. She took them, and that’s how the whole series started.” She shrugs slightly. “Daring was surprisingly okay with that.”
Rhino shakes his head, bemused, “Daring Do is real and your sister... again, wow. Alright, this next question was a two parter but you pretty much answered the second part already so I’ll just read out the initial one:”
1.) Spitfire mentions multiple authors. Who else writes them?
- SuperChaosKG
“Oh, that.” She rubs the back of her head, embarrassed. “When they decided to make a movie of the series, there were some filmmakers called in to adapt the books. When the fourth film was being made, I was attempting to reform Discord.” She sighs, lowering her head. “...they made some really odd decisions that Daring and I weren’t exactly comfortable with, such as creating a species called ‘humans’ that were apparently powerful aliens...needless to say, it didn’t do as well as the other films.”
“Maybe the fans were adverse to what looked to be a step towards science-fiction.”
“That makes sense.” Fluttershy stands up and walks off, silently considering that idea.
The green unicorn lets out a breath as the pegasus exits. “Friends not knowing who you are is one thing, but that,” he gestures after the guest, “that was just eerie and uncomfortable.”
“Why is that?” A gray pony walks out from behind him, her face completely neutral.
He continues as he nurses the thermos again, “Because I don’t feel one can ever be completely prepared for seeing an alternate version of one’s marefriend. So much is the same so it evokes almost the same emotions, yet enough is different for it to give one pause.”
“So you felt something for our Fluttershy.” She tuts at him, shaking her head. “Discord won’t like that.” She sits down in the seat, seeking comfort while speaking. “Nopony knows it besides Vinyl and I, but he has a bit of a crush on her.”
He sighs, “I suppose I can’t blame him for that, and even though I know she isn’t my Fluttershy... a bit of that protectiveness still flares up when I think about it.” He shakes his head and gulps down the milk before turning to the mare, “I’m sorry Miss, are you another guest?”
“You can say that. My name’s Octavia Philharmonica.” She glances around momentarily, a frown on her lips. “Or, rather, Octavia Melody. I had to change my name when I entered the country.”
“Well that’s a shame, I prefer your original name, much more fitting.” He sighs, “But, I suppose some things can’t be helped.”
“I’m glad you understand, Rhino. By the way, you might want to back up a bit.” She points a hoof above his head.
The host looks up to see a pink cotton candy cloud. As soon as he sees it, it looses a torrent of chocolate milk rain on top of him. He simply looks back at Octavia as he remarks, “I guess I can understand why he did that. Joke’s on him, though, I love milk.” He licks his lips only to gag immediately. “Ugh! It tastes like sweat!”
“I tried to tell you.”
Rhino sighs as he flips through the cards almost out of habit at this point, “I’m not sure this could have been avoided. I’ll just get a towel after this and until then I’ll just be damp and smell like chocolate. Now then, thank you for coming Miss Octavia, and here is your first question:”
This is for Octavia, we know that you are a skilled fighter, but I will really like to know is how long did it take you to master this techniques and if you can tell, where did you learn them? Don't answer if it goes against some kind of code.
- raybony
“I can only answer the first part. It took me fifteen years to master the style I chose. As for the second part, it was a necessity back in the ex-CCCP.” She looks at the unicorn, an eyebrow quirked. “Is everything alright? You seem a bit confused.”
“I suppose I am. Between the treble clef cutie mark and the refined air about you, I didn’t think you were a celebrated fighter.”
“That’s a fair point of view.” She smiles a bit at him. “Of course, I do have to make sure I don’t get robbed. Or that I’m capable of defeating Slendermane in the process of rescuing a friend’s daughter.”
He stays silent for a moment, “You know what? I’m not even going to be surprised about that sentence. Everypony seems to have some mysterious and unexpected side to them, I’m just going to take it all in stride now. It’s just easier that way.”
A white, well-dressed stallion appears behind him, smirking in spite of his facelessness. Good colt. The voice transmitted itself into his mind.
“Slendermane, stop that.” She turns to Rhino, a sheepish smile on her face. “I apologize for my friend, here.”
Rhino’s fur along his spine stands straight up as he still wears a smile, muttering, “Just go with it, just go with it.” He clears his throat, “Next:”
Octavia: What are you and Cinnamon/Zolo doing now? Going to some date after this?~
- raybony
She blinks, a faint hint of color tinting her cheeks. “...Zolo is just a friend. N-nothing more. I am going to join him at a diner later on, though.”
“As friends?”
“Of course.”
Rhino steels himself. “My apologies if this crosses a line, but are you certain he sees it that way too?”
Octavia places a hoof on her chin, thinking a bit. “I suppose I haven’t considered that. I may be a skillful strategist, but my knowledge of romance is limited. I doubt I even know what love is like.” She sighs, shaking her head. “Maybe it’d be best if we moved on?”
He nods, “This next one looks to be exactly the change of subject you probably hoped it was:”
Do you have a particular outfit you use for adventuring?
- Rhino
“Yes, I do. I don’t find it fashionable, though, so I tend to not wear it when I’m sure somepony will see me. A rescue mission, for example, would be one such aversion.” She glances over to the camera, frowning slightly. “...If you must know, it’s a green adventurer’s outfit.”
“Probably useful for forest adventures though, right?”
She looks him dead in the eyes, her expression completely neutral. “I normally wear it in dungeons where I’m certain no one that sees it will survive.”
He takes the hint, “Noted. Next:”
What was the easiest quest you have ever been on? What was the hardest?
- Rhino
“The easiest? Simple - when I rescued Dinky from captivity. The hardest is also simple.” She crosses her forehooves, her eyes narrowing slightly. “I cannot divulge any details on it, though, for national security reasons.”
Rhino nods appreciatively, “Well then Miss Octavia, thank you for answering your questions and providing an... enlightening view of things.”
“You’re quite welcome.” She gets up and leaves the stage behind him, the tall stallion following her closely.
Rhino shakes his head again as he asks off-camera, “Can I get a towel and a refill please?”