Rap, Pain, and Friendship

by Twilight Best Pony

Jobs, Nakedness, and breakfast.(e)

Yesterday's events were pretty crazy for Lyrical and Shadow. Being tackled and almost hugged to death by Pinkie's iron grip, meeting the other mares red faced through some embarrassing moments, Lyrical performing on stage in front of the whole town. Well, besides the colts and fillies but you get the idea. Not to mention Lyrical's poem to the night princess herself. Life was good for Lyrical and Shadow so far. But there was just one problem.

BITS!

Before Lyrical left for Ponyville, he decided to send money to his family back in Detrot. You see, money was always tight for them, and having five other mouths to feed was not easy for his father. He was a hard working stallion, stubborn and grouchy sometimes, but he cared for his family. So the day Lyrical's dad died.

.....

He decided that when he grew up, he would help his family with bills. But first, he has to get a job. He did, but they did not pay him as much. Lyrical use to work at a Hay and Vegetables shop. He would season the vegetables, sell them, collect the bits, clean the store, and repeat. He did not want to do this everyday, so when he saved enough, he bought the next train ticket to Ponyville. His father talked to him about finding a job, even at an early age. But his dad wanted him to have a job he would love. In fact, he did not want a job. He wanted a career.

But here he is, in Ponyville, renting a room thanks to his buddy Shadow, who also wanted to move with his bro Lyrical. Now all he has to do is earn some bits, send some home for the family and keep a little for himself. Pretty easy day it’s going to be.

Right?

---

Lyrical wakes up, the sun shining in his face once again. Man he hated it. The freaking moonlight doesn't blind you...unlike the sun. He slowly gets up, all groggily like. His eyes were half open, under them were dark bags. He clicked his tongue and looked around the room. It was a really big mess, even though he had been there once. Twice now that he slept in it. He turned to the clock at his left and the time read 11:00.

"Ha, if I was back in Detrot I would have been late..." Lyrical said, opening his mouth for a loud yawn. He slowly got out of his bed, weakly and lazily. He quickly fell on the ground, face making contact, strangely not making a noise. He closed his eyes, preparing to sleep again. "HMMMM....This carpet is so soft, and sweet, and pink....

Pink?"

Lyrical's eyes shot open, and he was indeed, laying on top of a pink party pony, her stomach on the ground and Lyrical facing the other side, cross like. Normally, Lyrical would freak out and turn red, but because it was a Friday, he was too lazy to do anything but stand. He got off of the pink pony and made his way to the bathroom, not quite ready to start a new day. He grabbed a nearby towel from the towel rack and turned the nozzle on warm. He took off his hoodie, closed the door, and sleepily made his way in the tub. He closed the curtains, and his coat and mane were immediately covered in warm water.

"Ahhhhhh, that feels better." Lyrical said, standing in the middle of the running water. He grabbed a nearby loofah and scrubbed. After about 10 minutes, he walked out of the shower, towel wrapped around his waist. He looked in the mirror, mane all wet and the spiky, messy part of his hair covering his eyes. He moved them out of the way, and smiled at his own reflection.

"New town, new beginnings." He muttered. His shiny, grey-white eyes in the mirror stared back at him. After about what seemed like centuries, he dried his mane, reverting it back to its old, spiky, messy self.

"Wait," He realized, 'What about Pinkie? How is Shadow going to-"

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!! PINKIE WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!?"

Lyrical walks out of the bathroom to see Shadow red faced and Pinkie yawning, smiling.

"-react." Lyrical said chuckling. Shadow turns around to his laughing friend, a thought suddenly coming to him.

"Lyrical, why are you wearing a towel?" He said. The unicorn looks down at his waist and shrugs. "I don't know, just felt like it I guess." He walks over to his suitcase and searches for a hoodie he would like to wear.

"Red? Nah. Blue? Nah. Black? Naahhh not today. All white? Sure why not."

Shadow rolls his eyes, and noticed Pinkie smiling at him. But this was no regular smile, no it was a mischievous grin. She looks at Lyrical, and then back at Shadow. At first the pegasus was confused, but then grinned at Pinkie's idea. Both ponies slowly walked up behind Lyrical, who was deciding between an all white hoodie or and all black hoodie. He turns around just in time to face a smiling Pinkie and a chuckling Shadow.

"Hey, should I go with all black or all-Why does it feel so breezy all of a sudden?" He asks, eyebrow raised. Pinkie and Shadow were now on the floor laughing their flanks off. Slowly, Pinkie raises part of a white towel, while Shadow raises the other. Slowly, Lyrical's eyes widen, and he looks behind him. The towel that was covering him was gone. Red faced, he pulls the towel back from the Pink one and the Grey one, and places it over his flank. Pinkie slowly gets back up, still giggling.

"Whats wrong Lyri?" She says innocently. Shadow slowly gets back up, still laughing. "Yea...whats wrong Lyrics?" The unicorn glares at Shadow,

"Dude, not cool. I WAS NAKED FOR 5 SECONDS!" Shadow stopped laughing and gave Lyrical a "are you serious?" look. "Bro, we’re always naked."

The words echoed in Lyrical's head. Slowly, he raised his left hoof, and slaps himself in the face. Defeated, he drops the towel and puts on the all white hoodie. "Say Pinkie, why did you come to our room? I thought you went home?" Shadow said. Pinkie was messing with one of Lyrical's hoodies, and placed it on. It was a light blue hoodie, matching her eyes.

"Hmm? Oh! I came by to leave you some cake, but then I fell asleep." She said, sticking her head through the hoodie.

"...That's it?" Shadow and Lyrical said in unison.

"Yup!" She said. Both stallions chuckled. Lyrical had to admit, she did look cute in his hoodie.

"Oh! and I want to know if you guys would like to come and get some breakfast at Sugar Cube Corner." She said. Shadow thought about it and nodded his head. "How about you Lyrics?" He said.

Lyrical was outside in the lobby, already waiting. Pinkie giggled and Shadow smiled. "That would be a yes Pinkie."

Lyrical was outside in the lobby wondering around with a growling stomach. He stumbles over something, and looks down. He sees a mixed tape, labeled "For the rapper." He picks it up, and since he was the only rapper in the inn, placed it in the pocket of his hoodie. He turns around to the hallway where his room is and waits.

"LYRICAL HUNGRY!!" He says. Pinkie walks out of the room, followed by a hungry Shadow. The pink pony comes out of Lyrical’s hoodie, sits in his hair, and points towards the door.

"ONWARD POWERFUL STEED!! TO THE SUGAR OF CUBE CORNERS!" She exclaimed giggling. Shadow and Lyrical chuckle with her giggle, and set their way towards the store.

---

Lyrical, Shadow, and Pinkie, who was still sitting in Lyrical's messy, spiky hair, walked into the bakery. The sign said it was closed, But Pinkie had a key, allowing them to enter the sweet, wonderland. Instantly, Lyrical and Shadow's snouts were filled with the smell of sweets. Lyrical was drooling, staring absentmindedly at sweets, while Shadow took out some bits. "So Pinkie, how much do we have to pay?"

Pinkie gasped and rushed up to Shadow. "One does not pay, when you are with the pink one." She said smiling.

"....What?" Pinkie, in a fit of giggles, dragged Shadow by the foreleg into the kitchen behind the counter. Lyrical, who was not paying attention at all, did not noticed the pegasus being thrown and, crashing into the kitchen. Pinkie jumped behind it, landing perfectly on her hooves while Shadow fell into a bag filled with powder. He got up, shaking the white powder off of him. Pinkie, who was just in front of him, somehow came from behind him and sit on his back. Shadow noticed his sudden weight change and looked behind him. Pinkie, who was still using him as a chair, had a cupcake pan in one hoof and a cake cutter in the other. While his face was red, Shadow just smiled at the pink pony.

"Pinkie, what are you doing?" For once, the pink one had a serious expression on her face. She looked Shadow in the eye.

"My name is not Pinkie Pie grey one. In this time of breakfast, you will address me as The blue hooded chef. Now..."

She hops off of Shadow, placing a small, white chef's hat on him. Standing on her hind legs, cupcake pan covering one side of her body like a shield, wielding the cake cutter in the air with other hoof, she takes a dramatic pose.

"LET’S GET BAKIN"!!" Shadow stares out of the doorway to see Lyrical, staring at the goods with hungry eyes. He looks back at the still posed Pinkie.

".....May Celestia have mercy on my soul..."

---

Meanwhile outside of the kitchen...

Lyrical was drooling over the sweets under the locked counter. Chocolate chip cake, apple pie, chocolate covered eclairs and....

Glazed donuts.

Now you might be thinking, "Glazed donuts? Seriously Lyrical?" in your head, but Lyrical had a sweet memory about these specific donuts long ago.

It was a chilly Friday morning in southwest Detrot, and poor Lyrical had to walk to school in the snow. Only wearing a dark brown hoodie with brown and light brown checker marks covering the sleeves as designs, he walked through the cold. He was far from school, and he did not have the will to go on. He fell in front of a store, eyes closed.

"I'm going to die." He thought. "Goodbye cruel wor-WHAT’S THAT SMELL!?" Snapping out of his not overly dramatic death, he walked into the store. It was warm inside the building. Walking around, he noticed a mare standing behind a counter with a doughnut cutie mark. He walks up to the mare, and asked about what she was selling.

"Glazed Donuts." She said with a smile.The unicorn took out one bit, and the mare gave him one, hot glazed sweet. Lyrical, who was not as good with magic back then, took it with a hoof, and slowly took a bite out of the doughnut.

".....It tastes as if Celestia glazed this wonderful baked good with her own magic." He said, raising the sweet donut in the air. He looked at the smiling mare and he whips out five more bits.

"...MORE." He said hungrily. He took a small bag of hot glazed donuts and ate them on his way to school, and they were delicious.

Sure he wound up arriving 2 hours late but who cares! Them goods were good!

Lyrical snaps out of his daydream, and places his hooves on the counter. "You will be mine my love." He says. Turning around, he sees a mare with black hair and a grey coat staring at him with confusion. Her cutie mark was a musical note of some sort. To her left, was a familiar DJ, snickering. Her shades were covering her eyes, but Lyrical did not care. He stares at the two mares for a second, face turns a little bit red, and he lets out a small smile.

"Err, did you hear that?" Lyrical said, scratching behind his mane with one hoof. Vinyl stops snickering and Octavia rolls her eyes. "Yea, we heard it all buddy." She turns her head to Octavia and nudges her side. "Right Octavia?"

Octavia lets out an annoyed sigh. "Of course, I did not know you liked glazed donuts Lyrical." The male unicorn chuckles, and his blush decreases. He realized who he was talking to.

"I'm sorry, but who are you? I never told you my name."

Well he did not know who he was talking to but hey, can't blame the guy for not knowing.

Octavia looked shocked, while Vinyl rolled her eyes under her shades. "How can you not know me? I was at your party! Vinyl, did you not tell him who I am?" The DJ pony on the other hoof, was bobbing her head up and down to some music she was listening to. "Figures." Octavia sighs. She fixes her bow tie, and looks Lyrical in the eye.

"My name is Octavia Melody, a musician who specializes in playing the cello.”

"Yea I kinda figured music was important to you, considering your cutie mark.” Lyrical mutters.

"What was that?"

"Hmm?"

"...Anyway, Vinyl and I were walking into town, until we noticed you, Pinkie and another stallion walk in here. The sign said it was closed, but Pinkie Pie must have left it open."

'Hey, where are Pinkie and Shadow anyway?' Lyrical thinks to himself.

---

In the kitchen

"I'M HIT! I'M HIT!!!" Shadow said, clutching his right side, which was covered in red frosting. Pinkie stepped in front of the stallion, protecting him from the oven that was shooting out red frosted chocolate cupcakes. The cupcake pan she had in her hoof was deflecting the cupcakes, but she knew at any moment, the pan could shatter from the sheer, sweetness of the baked goods.

"GET OFF YOUR FLANK SOLDIER! WE GOT CUPCAKES TO TAME!!" Pinkie pushes Shadow out of the way, and jumps into the air.

Slow-mo style.

She lands on top of the oven, laughing as she jams the cake cutter into its handle. Pinkie closes it, and jumps off of the machine. She lands in front of Shadow, and behind her, the machine explodes, with red frosting and chocolate chunks flying around. Shadow could only stare in awe as the mini explosion filled the room with red frosting.

"GET UP SOLDIER! WE HAVE TO CLEAN THIS MESS AND STILL MAKE BREAKFAST!!" She gives Shadow a mop and bucket she got out of nowhere. The pegasus could only sigh.

"What have I gotten myself into?"

---

Outside of the kitchen..

'Meh, I'm sure they're good.' He thought, completely oblivious to the noise that just happened behind him. Only Octavia noticed this.

"Did any pony hear that loud boom?" She asks. Lyrical shakes his head to clear his thoughts, and Vinyl takes out one ear bud.

"What?"

Octavia's eyebrow twitched, wanting to give them both a piece of her mind. But then she remembered why they followed Lyrical. She nudges Vinyl's side, and in response, the DJ nods back.

"Listen Lyric's, we followed you here because we want you to work at my club, rapping and entertaining our guests."

At first, Lyrical thought they were kidding, but remembering yesterday's events, he grins widely. But he also remembered why he wanted a job in the first place.

"I don't want to sound greedy, but how much will it be?" Lyrical asked. Vinyl shrugs and Octavia speaks. "It depends on how well your first performance is. We can't just pay anypony like that. They need to prove themselves." Lyrical was hurt a little bit by her lack of faith, but quickly smiled.

"That’s OK, I'll be glad to rap for you guys." Octavia snickered and Vinyl grins.

"Who said it was for us?" Vinyl said.

"...What?" Lyrical asked confused.

"You’re going to be performing in front of other ponies Lyrical," Octavia said. The stallion felt his heart fall for a split second. Vinyl chuckles. "You start next Friday, I'll come for you when it's time ok?" Before Lyrical could protest, the mares made their way out of the building. Octavia leaves while Vinyl turns around to the shocked Lyrical. She gives him a mix tape player and earphones. She lifts up her shades, revealing her blood red eyes, leans into Lyrical's ear and whispers.

"By the way, nice 'Cutie Mark.' "

She leans away to a deep red faced Lyrical, and giggles. "You’re too easy to embarrass you know that? Chow." With that, she leaves the flushed unicorn by himself. He snaps out of his stupor when his stomach grumbles and he enters the kitchen.

"Hey did you guys finish ma-" He was cut off by a small chocolate cake smacking into his face. He hears Pinkie and Shadow laughing.

"..-Breakfast. Ah who cares, it's cake." He licks the frosting and chocolate chunks from his face, finds a nearby cupcake, picks it up with his magic and grins

"My turn."

And in a matter of seconds, Pinkie and Shadow were covered in frosting. Where those extra cupcakes came from we will never know but we do know this.

Red frosting stains white hoodies, buck!!