Peace and quiet. Two words any sane citizen would never associate with PaRappa Town. Yet here it was, the town known for it's weekly, if not daily, spontaneous wacky brouhahas, usually involving music, a crazy inventor, or some other oddball thing running rampant throughout the town, was completely still on this particular night. Times like this were extremely rare, and usually signaled the calm before the storm for the town.

For Colonel Noodle, he could care less what came the next day, since the quiet meant it gave him some much-needed downtime from his busy day. Wiping down the countertop, he looked around Beard Burgers and smiled to himself. Not a customer in sight, he thought to himself. Maybe I can close up early tonight.

Colonel Noodle began to hum a tune to himself has he continued to wipe the counter. It had been more than a decade since his plot to turn all the food in the world into noodles was thwarted by a young rapper named PaRappa Rappa. Noodle had attempted to stop the pup by challenging him to a rap battle, but quickly found himself in over his head. Noodle considered himself one of the best emcees in PaRappa Town, if not in all of Rodney State, but PaRappa had outclassed him by such a wide margin, despite being so young at the time. PaRappa had been the one to convince him that that there was more food out there that he could enjoy other than noodles or burgers, and convinced Noodle to give up his plan.

Noodle stopped his cleaning briefly as PaRappa had crossed his mind. The once young pup had since matured into a talented, silver-tongued young adult, and an absolute phenom on the microphone and behind the production board. The last time Noodle had seen PaRappa personally was two years ago, right before he took off on a nationwide tour as the opening act for a local band called MilkCan, who had just released their first album. Thanks to the tour, his popularity exploded, and most of his time was spent touring and recording music since then, only returning to PaRappa Town whenever he had free time.

Noodle shook the memories out his head, and resumed cleaning. He had doubts PaRappa would return long-term, but the dog brought a lot of life to the city whenever he was around that was sorely missed. Nowadays, with both PaRappa and MilkCan gone, the only one around who had a shred of the charisma they had was... Joe Chin.

Noodle shuddered at the thought. Joe Chin was influential in town because of his money, but most considered him a talentless hack. Thankfully, Joe was at least humble enough to admit he could never do what PaRappa does, saving the town from a musical disaster.

The resturant's doorbell went off, signaling someone had walked in. He groaned inwardly, but knew he couldn't turn away customers, so he tossed away his cloth, and went into service mode, putting a smile on his face.

"...That's pretty crazy man," a smooth voice Noodle instantly recognized said as it approached the counter. "But then again, it sounds normal compared to some of the crazy shit we got into years ago!"

"I know what you mean!" Another voice the chef didn't quite recognize spoke up. "I thought I'd get away from all the craziness of PaRappa town when I moved, but I guess it just follows you no matter where you go!"

The voices laughed loudly, the people they belonged to finally coming into sight. Both of them were sheepdogs, but with key differences. One had short, messy blonde hair, and wore a black leather jacket with a grey shirt and blue jeans. The other however had all blues: A dark blue zipper hoodie with matching pants and a light blue undershirt. Red sneakers and a bright orange beanie offset the dark colors of his clothing. Colonel Noodle's smile became a genuine one.

"Well, look who's finally back home!" Noodle said to the dogs as they approached. "I guess you couldn't stay away from my burgers and noodles for too long, eh PaRappa?"

The beanie-wearing dog simply shook his head. "Now you know I wouldn't give up Beard Burgers for the world," PaRappa said. He extended out his hand for a five, which Noodle happily accepted. "I've been feeling homesick anyway, so I decided it was time to come back and see how everybody was doing."

"About time," Noodle said. "The music scene hasn't been the same since you and MilkCan started recording and touring nonstop."

"That's a lie," PaRappa replied. "I produced a few up and comers from the town not that long ago, and they were amazing. People just need to give them a chance." PaRappa paused and shook his head. "But I'm not here to talk about that. I'm back to catch up with everyone, especially this lovable fool right here. You remember Matt Major, right?" PaRappa gestured to his companion. "I ran into him at the airport."

"Matt Major..." Noodle mused, looking at the other dog. "I thought you looked familiar. Didn't you move away a few years ago?"

"Yep," Matt replied. "My family moved to Suzuki State right before the whole Noodle thing happened. I've been meaning to come back and visit, but life kept getting in the way of it. But I'm moving back to go to college here, so hopefully I can reconnect with everyone in my free time."

Noodle nodded, smiling. "Great to see both of you back around here. Got any plans for the night?"

The dogs shrugged. "I figured me and Matt would drive around the town for a bit and see what's changed, since we haven't been in town for a while. You wanna come with, Noodle?"

"If it lets me close up early, of course!" The Beard Burgers heir tossed off his apron and hopped over the counter. "What're we waiting for?!" The dogs laughed at Colonel Noodle's eagerness to cut loose.

"Okay, you close up. Me and Matt'll be in my Range Rover outside."

Within five minutes, the trio were cruising around PaRappa Town, reminiscing about their past misadventures. PaRappa drove by an empty lot where Tamanegi's old Karate dojo used to be. PaRappa remembered that the dojo had burned down not too long after he started dating Sunny Funny, and the police had ruled it an arson. Tamanegi was devastated, but managed to recover thanks to a TV show he hosted called "Romantic Karate."

turning left, they went down Kutaragi Avenue, passing by the local TV studio. Matt remembered it as where Cheep Cheep the Cooking Chicken had filmed her cooking show for years. The station also gave Tamanegi a second chance at life by allowing him to film the "Romantic Karate" series. A few blocks down was the Flea Market, where PaRappa worked for a time under Prince Fleaswallow to pay for repairing his dad's car.

"I wonder who runs the market now," Noodle said from the backseat as they passed it by. "Last I heard, Fleaswallow got stung at the market a while back, but he bolted out of town before the cops could catch him."

"Really?" PaRappa asked, mildly surprised. "I mean, it wasn't exactly a secret he did some shady stuff in the past, but he at least seemed to be straight while he was here. Why'd they go after him?"

"Who knows? I've heard everything from murder to drug trafficking. All I know is that Fleaswallow was better to hang around than that throbbing prick known as Joe Chin."

Matt guffawed at Colonel Noodle's remark. "Is he still an insufferable con artist?" he asked.

"The very same," Noodle muttered. "And his ego is twice as big now. If it wasn't for his money keeping him in the good graces of the city council, he'd have been run out by now."

"I'm surprised he's still not bankrupt from all the scams and pyramid schemes," PaRappa said, taking a right into the downtown core. "From the faulty chainsaws, shady non-profits, and other failed ventures, he should be in the red by now. Then again, he was always a crafty dude, so it makes sense he'd have a way to keep his cream rising."

"Speaking of Joe," Matt interjected. "Remember how you two butted heads over Sunny Funny all those years ago? It's crazy to think it's been so long since you won her heart at that rap at Club Fun all those years ago!"

Almost immediately, PaRappa's expression dropped into a sullen frown at the mention of Sunny Funny. "Yeah..." He said wistfully, looking distantly into the horizon.

Matt blinked in surprise, not expecting PaRappa's reaction. Realizing he hit a nerve, he began to apologize, but PaRappa stopped him.

"Don't worry about it," PaRappa reassured, giving Matt a weak smile. "I never told you what happened, so I can't be upset with you for bringing Sunny up. Just a lot of bad memories, is all."

Matt was surprised by PaRappa's words, but he couldn't help but ask, "Then what did happen between you two? You two were pretty much inseparable."

PaRappa shook his head as they stopped at a red light. "I don't really feel like getting into the details right now. It still hurts to think about." His entire mood had changed in that moment, from his voice, to his body language. Matt frowned, but didn't say anything, knowing a breakup with Sunny was likely bad enough for PaRappa's self-esteem.

Luckily, Colonel Noodle decided to ease the awkwardness in the car. "Forget about that drama, PaRappa," Noodle interjected, reaching for the radio dial. "Let's see what's playing on the airwaves!" After a bit of fiddling, Noodle settled on a station that began playing a soulful hip hop song PaRappa knew all too well.

...Kicking the flow with finesse, Never stressed over nonsense
Used to be self-conscious about my skills, but now I chill
Straight rhyming with a jazzy pace
Word to my girl Katy Kat on the jazzy bass
Never up in your face with that mumbling crap
So here's a laid back track from the kid with the orange cap
Rappers wanna copycat, but I do my thing
I'll give it to ya hardcore, or with a new jack swing
Or I can jam with MilkCan, and make a raw fusion
Leaving all wack emcees and biters in confusion
They hate my versatility, cuz they lack the ability
To put two lines together, their crap is tiring,
Yo, put the mic down, Beard Burgers is hiring...

Noodle and Matt bopped their heads to the beat, admiring PaRappa's lyricism. PaRappa, however, paid the song no mind, having heard it multiple times before. The traffic light finally turned green, so PaRappa hit the accelerator and began driving once again.

"You've definitely come a long way since I last saw you, PaRappa," Matt noted, still bopping to the music. "I remember it was a struggle for you to gain any lasting popularity in PaRappa Town."

"Yeah, especially after MilkCan got going," the rapper agreed. "But I can't be mad at them, their tour is the reason I blew up in the first place! Ma-San still isn't too happy about me taking their shine during it though..."

"Don't even sweat that, dude," Noodles said. "Katy obviously still rocks with you, and I'm sure Lammy does too. Ma-San is probably jealous, but she'll eventually realize you never meant to upstage them on purpose."

"I hope so..."

Eventually, the conversation turns towards their personal lives. Colonel Noodle revealed he was planning on expanding to Neon Heights with a second restaurant, a dream his father never got to see out before he died. Matt mentioned he was planning on learning political science or law, while also planning on trying out for the college basketball team. He also revealed that he had a falling out with Paula Fox about a year ago, and hadn't heard from her since. PaRappa raised an eyebrow, but decided not to pry since he didn't elaborate about Sunny.

Eventually, after another hour of banter, PaRappa dropped off Colonel Noodle at his house, which looked like a cross between a burger and a pack of ramen noodles. PaRappa always thought it was one of the weirder architectural designs in town, but figured there was probably worse out there.

"Thanks for the ride, PaRappa," Noodle said as he got out his car. "Nice seeing you again, too Matt! Since you two are gonna be back in town for a while, you can have anything at the restaurant on the house tomorrow. Just, uh, try not to tell PJ about it, okay?"

PaRappa chuckled. "I'll do my best, but you know he's got a sixth sense when it comes to food."

"Ain't that the truth." Noodle waves off PaRappa and Matt as they drive off into the night.

"So, where we headed now?" Matt asked as they drove away.

"My old place," PaRappa said simply. "Nobody knows I'm back in town yet besides my family, so I plan on crashing there for the night. We got a spare room if you wanna hang around."

"Sure!" Matt readily agreed. "It's been ages since I've seen your family, so it'd be great! How's Pinto doing anyway?"

"She's too smart for her own good," PaRappa said. "She's smart enough to leapfrog into Grade 9, but Mom and Pops don't want her jumping into such an advanced grade with way older kids. Personally..." PaRappa was interrupted by the radio DJ giving an update.

"...Guess who's back in town, folks?" The DJ's voice excitedly bellowed through the speakers. "That's right, PaRappa the Rapper was spotted cruising downtown minutes earlier with Colonel Noodle and another friend. Seems like our favorite dog is back home, but for how long?"

PaRappa and Matt stared at the radio in shock. "Uh-oh..." they said simultaneously.

"According to eyewitnesses, he seemed to be headed towards his house. Better catch him before he hits the hay, ladies!"

PaRappa curses loudly as he makes a sharp U-turn. "Change of plans," PaRappa said. "We're crashing at Club Fun."

"Can we even do that?" Matt asked skeptically. "Wait, better question: How are we even getting inside?!"

PaRappa simply smirks at his companion. "Well, let's just say Club Fun had a change in management in recent years."

Matt just stared at PaRappa dumbfounded, until his mind finally put the pieces together.

"Wait, you're the manager of Club Fun now?!" Matt exclaimed.

"Nope." PaRappa continues to smirk. "I own it."

PaRappa quickly drives his Range Rover behind the club, making sure he and Matt weren't spotted. Quickly, they made their way to the back door, and PaRappa pulled out a set of keys. Quickly, he grabbed the master key, and opened it up. Once inside, he went over to the keypad on the wall and punched in a security code, preventing the alarm from going off. He motioned for Matt to come in, who quickly locked the door behind him.

"Not exactly where I planned on staying on my first night back," Matt commented, his eyes trying to adjust to the darkness.

"Yeah, I'm really sorry about that by the way," PaRappa said as he turned on the flashlight on his phone. "But some of those fans wild out, and even broke into my house a few times to get close to me."

"Wait, seriously?" Matt was perplexed.

"Yeah, man." PaRappa slowly walked down the hall, taking care not to trip over anything. "One time, one of them got into Pinto's room, and scared the daylights out of her. I ended up beating the breaks off them for that stunt. You can try whatever with me, but don't mess with my family."

Matt said nothing as he followed his friend. It took a lot for PaRappa to truly get mad, so it wasn't terribly surprising that his family was the fine line for him.

Slowly, they made their way down the hall, watching out for any loose cables or mats. Soon, PaRappa stopped in front of a random door. Saying nothing, he opened it with his keys, and turned on the light in the room. Matt walked in, and was greeted by several beds, a fridge, a couch, tv, PS4, some tables, and mini-fridges scattered around. Matt turned and looked at PaRappa, who was still in the doorway, quizzically.

"Sometimes when we have crazy performances here, we get so exhausted, we don't wanna risk driving home," he explained. "But there was nowhere to properly sleep. So I invested in some bedroom stuff, and put them into spare rooms we weren't using. So now, if me, or anyone else is too tired after a show, and doesn't wanna risk crashing their car, they can crash here."

"That's... actually rather selfless of you," Matt said. "Normally, you'd be lucky for a venue or event to pay for your hotel accommodations."

PaRappa simply shrugged and walked inside. "I own the place now, so it's the least I could do." He grabbed a PS4 controller off the shelf. "You up for some Gran Turismo for old times sake?"

"Am I?" Matt replied, a haughty smirk formed on his lips. "I used to whip your ass at GT all the time back in the day. I predict it'll be more of the same."

PaRappa returned his smirk as he tossed Matt another controller. "Bring it, Mr. Major. You're going down this time."

"Try me, Mr. Superstar."

So what do y'all think? Should I leave it as it is, or continue in my spare time? I got a lot of other stories that need updates, but I've been kicking this idea around for a while now...

Also, I wrote PaRappa's verse while listening to the instrumental of "Jazz (We've Got)" by A Tribe Called Quest. If you're into jazz-influenced hip hop, I recommend giving these guys a listen.