It was a nice day in the kingdom of Enchancia with everyone busy all throughout. With King Roland and Queen Miranda minding the castle, James playing with Max the royal dog and Amber doing... Amber things
And of course, there's Sofia the First.
Sofia, all dolled up as always, was making her way up the stairs of the tower. She was gonna visit a certain sorcerer who lives there
All of a sudden, a certain voice caught her attention which made her halt. She glances at then direction, and notices it was coming from the workshop of Cedric
Slowly, she made her way up the stairs to check it out. It is not really her schedule for sorcery lessons, but Sofia has been visiting him frequently for no reason at all
The door wasn't fully close, and Sofia could hear what was happening inside. She slowly peeked inside, and so she saw Cedric himself watching the pot boiling.
He was doing some kind of… singing?
I'm on my last shift now, but it is still tiring
The pot is already hot, but the spell is still brewing
And now I want to use my wand finish quickly
But it wouldn't feel so right now, it seems like luck
With everything around me, once is enough
But these days mostly, it feels like I'm stuck
Over and over again, I just wanna say fu…
A sudden creak from the door immediately stopped the sorcerer from his ramblings. He turned, and the sight of no other than the youngest princess of Enchancia caused him to almost trip
"Sofia?" he blurted in surprise "What are you doing here?"
Sofia then opened the door fully to come inside
"You were saying something, like you were talking to someone…" Sofia stated while looking around "And so I wanted to see if you were okay"
A sigh escaped from his mouth upon listening to this. But a certain smell from the pot caused him to immediately turn.
He was too late, the mixture had already turned dark blue instead of aquamarine…
"Aww, Merlyn's mushrooms…"
Taking interest, Sofia immediately came to her sorcerer's side
"Did I do something wrong, Mr. Ceedric?"
"Yes… I mean no" He almost slipped
The auburn haired princess casted him a raised eyebrow, knowing how secretive he can be
Cedric responded with an exhausted look "Okayy… how can I help you, Princess Sofia?"
Sofia put her hands behind her back "Well, I heard you talking… well it was more like singing and I thought it was interesting!"
"What singing?" Cedric asked in idle "You mean rapping?"
Sofia's grew confused over his answer
"Rapping?"
"Yeah, well technically, it's a form of singing but a bit different" He answered while fixing up his pot
"What's the difference with the two?"
"Welll…. How do I explain this?" he stated "Singing is about harmony, pitch, rhythm while Rapping focuses more on rhymes and beat"
"oooohhh" Sofia couldn't help but mesmerize while listening closely "Wait, let me help you with that, Mr. Ceedric"
Sofia then lended the sorcerer a hand on lifting the pot which looked too heavy for him alone
"Thank you" He briefly responded
When they finally tidied up the place, Cedric let out a huff as he went to his chair by the table. And Sofia followed him as she sat on his table, which annoyed the Sorcerer
"I haven't heard of this rap before, where did you learn about it?" Sofia asked while kicking her feet back and forth
"It's a common thing we do in Hexley Hall when I was there, the sorcerers would gather up and rap about anything that comes in our mind on the spot. " Cedric explained while writing something on a paper "We call it a freestyle."
"I see. I guess I do freestyles too, but by singing" Sofia responded with her finger on her chin
"Perhaps, but a freestyle in rap requires more rhyme and precision. It has to go well with the beat and rhythm or it's gonna go out of place" Cedric followed up "And it requires a whole vast of word vocabulary. Especially in speed rap"
"Speed rap?"
This sounded very interesting to Sofia as her curiosity was building up. She wanted to hear more of this "freestyle" that her favorite sorcerer was talking about
"Can you show me an example, Mr. Ceedric!?" Sofia requested with wonder in her eyes.
"Sure, give me something to rap about"
"How about… popcorn?"
"Popcorn? Where did that come from?"
"I don't know, I guess it just came to my mind"
Cedric couldn't help but chuckle slightly with her response. Either ways, it was a good chance for him to show off to her apprentice about his skills outside of sorcery
"Okay, here goes"
Corny, and corny and corny
Look at the corns man, poppin and poppin and poppin
Flippin and flippin and flippin, even though it sounds very funny
But first I need a fan, freely and freely and freely
And now I need words to rhyme, like a dictionary
Thick, big and full of words, even though it's heavy
And I need more gold here, like being wealthy
Stacked, wrapped, and full of yellow, even though it's corny
Cedric was getting on his rhythm with his freestyle, while Sofia was getting in with the beat. She had the sudden urge to bop her head and kick her feet faster
"Ohhh, I get it Mr. Ceedric!" Sofia cheered in amazement "Stacked like the seeds in a cob, wrapped like a husk on a corn, and full of yellow like a corn"
She was now deep in her thoughts upon analyzing the lyrics even more. But just as sudden, her face lit up again with the realization
"This could also relate to gold since it is stacked together in bars, wrapped in a bag and it is color yellow!" She cheered in delight 'That was amazing, Mr. Ceedric! How did you come up with that"
"Well… I don't know" Cedric scratched his head in a subtle way "I guess when you've been doing it a lot of times, the words just come to you"
"But you did mention that a freestyle is on the spot right? So you didn't plan that line before"
"Nope"
"Wow, that's even more impressive, Mr. Ceedric!" Sofia applauded
"In freestyle, we call it a bar – a line that needs critical thinking to fully comprehend which is mostly double meaning. And how you put harmony and in a very smooth transition between words is what we call a flow" he added
"To explain more thoroughly, freestyle is like a big rock flowing in a river. The heavy stone represents the bar which contains the content, and it order to deliver the meaning, you need to have a smooth flow that has harmony and is good to hear."
A thought came to Sofia, which made her even more excited
"Do you think I can do it too?" Sofia asked with anticipation brewing in her look
"Hmmm… I don't know…" Cedric was about to shut her down but the sudden pout on her face made him think otherwise
"W-well… you can always try. he he"
"Great!" Sofia smiled in response
She took a deep breath and thought of the words to use in her first "Freestyle"
~S~
My name is Sofia,
And this is Mr. Ceedric!
My hair is brown, and…
I'm wearing… purple?
Cedric grimaced to himself after listening to that. That was certainly absolute terrible. Sofia took notice of this and frowned
"That's okay, Sofia" Cedric comforted her as he knelt down on her level and gave her a nice pat on the head
"Even I was terrible at first, but you'll get better at it eventually!"
Sofia raised her head to face him
"Really?" she asked in a low voice
"Of course, now let's try it again" Cedric responded with a smile "And quick tip, don't over think about the words, just let it find you"
"Let it find me?" she repeated "But How will I do a freestyle if I won't find the perfect words?"
"That is the beauty of freestyle, Sofia. You can literally say anything that's on your mind!" Cedric responded
"Sometimes, you just have to trust your mind and let the flow deliver the heavy bars"
"Ohh… go with the flow" Sofia smiled in realization at this
"Okay, Mr. Ceedric. I think I got this now"
"All right, but I'll help you this time." Cedric stated
"I can set the mood and rhythm for you, then you can just fit right in"
"Okay!" She agreed with joy radiating from her eyes
Cedric cleared his throat to start as he clapped his hands repeatedly to make a certain beat
(The beat to this is C.R.E.A.M Instrumental)
~C~
I'm here with Sofia, and she's a little girl
She likes dancing, so let's show her a twirl
But that's not all I can say about this princess
So you better stay tuned, because we mean business
Cedric looked at her as signal to jump in. Sofia nodded in response. The beat was fresh and ready, and it was enough to pump up the little princess for a good freestyle
~S~
Oh umm… my name is Sofia, and I am eight
I'm not really fond of dancing, but I think it is great
Some say I'm a princess, but I think I'm just a girl
So don't even bother giving me a twirl
Cedric immediately jumped in after the fourth bar
Sofia, why are you stealing my rhymes, that's not cool
You can't trick me princess, because I'm not a fool
You can't be doing that, that's against the rule
And if you want to settle this with rapping, you still need to go to school
Sofia didn't hesitate after his last rhyme
Okay, I'm sorry for that, Mr. Ceedric
But this time, it will be different
I may not rhyme well as good as you
But I can be witty too like you too
A delighted smile forms on Sofia, finally figuring out what a freestyle is. And she can freely say whatever's on her mind with a very catchy beat and rhythm.
She's enjoying herself thoroughly
~C~
Sofia can be witty, well that's no surprise
If you win against me, I might give you a prize
My flow is so smooth, and my rhymes are just tight
Yours is kinda lousy, and the rhymes are kinda light
~S~
My rhymes are kinda light, but this time they won't be
Because from this moment on my bars are gonna be heavy
Slippery like I'm a honeybee, and right as a rising sun
And I'm just getting started now, cause it's kinda fun
~C~
Don't even start Sofia, because you cannot beat the master
I teach you two ways, from noon until asunder
You're just getting started… but I'm finishing this list
Cause in this game, I'm the one and only realist!
"Mr. Ceedric, what's a realist?" Sofia asked out of nowhere which seemingly cut the beat
"You know what… I don't even know myself…" Cedric scratched his head
"I see…" Sofia hesitated there for a second
"Anyways…"
~S~
You say you're the realist, or is that what you claim?
Well maybe I'm the realist, because I got the first in my name
You claim to be better, but Mr. Ceedric I'm the best!
I'm glowing in this freestyle, like the amulet on my chest
For a second there, Cedric was actually very impressed with Sofia's verse. She was better than he expected
Either ways, he won't be beaten by a child
~C~
Hah, you say you're the best, but my rhymes are still better
In this pressure I'm giving you, you'd easily melt like butter
Because I'm getting hot every second, you can call me mistah fayah (mister fire)
And I'll be great soon, and you'll be seeing me on the flayahs (fliers)
~S~
You're hot and you can fly, well I'm a princess with tricks
Cause I can do all that, I'm the everlasting Phoenix
And you called me a butter, Cedric, that's not something to boast
Because I got all the bread in the world, and after this… You're toast!
The beat stopped, while Sofia was really feeling herself. As she slowly opened her eyes, she noticed Cedric looking at her with utmost shock in his face
Never in his wildest dreams did the sorcerer expect Sofia of all people to outrap him… in a freestyle battle!
Either ways, it's time for him to get really serious
You claim to be a Phoenix, well I'm a fierce dragon
Cause I spit fire, and I soar high with a passion
Sofia the first, even your name sounds lame
I'll beat you now, Princess, even if it's just a game
Cedric was confident of his verse, but upon thinking thoroughly – He realized he might've gone too far. And as he turned to Sofia, she only looked at him with a sad expression
"S-sofia… I'm sor…"
"SIKE!~" Sofia yelped with her high pitched voice out of nowhere as a smirk forms on her lips
~S~
You're a dragon, but I'm a blacksmith in the stars
Your spit may be fire, but I got the hottest bars
It's over I won, you lost, and I got you nice
A fair win, Mr. Ceedric, so just give me my prize
~C~
The prize will be different, because you aint winnin
The only chance I lose, is if you catch me slippin
I'm undisputed, Sofia, and with this beat I'm feelin
Like a fish out of the sea, and I'm the one who's reelin
~S~
You're losing your grip, Mr. Ceedric, and I'm not talking about vines
Cause you'll lose and you'll slip, can't you see the signs?
But since you're a fish now, consider me as the sea
Cause I'll always be FIRST before your name, just call me C
~C~
I can see well, Sofia, and it's twenty-twenty (20/20)
And my win is absolute, like fifty plus fifty…(50 + 50)
Percent, and the disadvantage is fifty forty (50 – 40)
And this is gonna end up in a disaster, like twenty twenty (2020)
"Too soon?" Sofia cut in
"Yup." Cedric responded
"Too soon…"
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"Sofia, let's put a conclusion to this" Cedric stated "This time, let's use a two-bar setup instead of the usual four"
"Isn't that more difficult?"
"Oh, are you backing down now?" Cedric teased with a leer
Sofia gave him a playful pout in return as she slowly nodded
"You're on, Mr. Ceedric!"
~C~
My turn is now, and this one is mine
So Sofia back down, and it'll just be fine
~S~
It won't be fine, and I won't lose to Mr. Ceedric
I'm winning already, and I'm making this quick
~C~
You're making this quick? Well I'm a flash in the makings
My bars will be harsh, it'll definitely hurt your feelings
~S~
It won't affect me at all, because Mr. Ceedric is harmless
Just like last year at my tea party, when you wore a dress~
~C~
Oh you're getting personal now, well at least I don't cry at my dreams
You're a crybaby deep inside, and you still hide from bees
~S~
I don't hide from bees, because they are my friends
But I have a lot to talk about so this verse extends
Do you remember when you ruined my birthday, and it was all over the place
You also slipped on the floor, and broke a very expensive vase
"Hey that's cheating!"
Sofia stuck a tongue out in a playful manner
"Ohh okay…" Cedric uttered slow
~C~
Do you remember that one time when we were at the silo
It was your birthday too then, and there was a hipo
And so I gave you your gift, all wrapped with a lizzo
But upon doing so, you went red as a tomato
~S~
We were at the silo, because you hated the crowd at my bash
So you hid behind the waterfall and got hit by the splash
And that present was special to me, of course I'll blush
That was a precious gift… because it was from my cru…
Sofia immediately paused upon realizing what the following word would mean. She desperately thought up of other words that rhymes to use, but failed miserably
And so the little princess finally gave in
"Okay Mr. Ceedric… you win"
The sorcerer jumped in delight with that word. Despite being an adult, Cedric sure can be a kid sometimes
"Wait… I just realized" Cedric said while looking up
"I haven't made a prize for myself, so there is no reason for me to celebrate this"
"Oh there is a prize, Mr. Ceedric" Sofia hummed slowly as she flaunts her arms to the side, indicating a hug
"Oh no.., not a hug!" Cedric could only groan, but it was too late as his abdomen was fully wrapped by the Sofia herself
He sighed to himself as he slowly caressed Sofia's hair. He despised hugs, and so he considers this more of a punishment
"Mr. Ceedric"
"Yeah?" he annoyingly responded "What is it now?"
Sofia only looked up at him with a warm smile from his abdomen. Her eyes were glimmering of joy and happiness as she held him close.
This was enough for Cedric to fold and lose his "grumpy" persona as he smiled in response
"Thank you for teaching me, Mr. Ceedric~"
"Let's do it again!"
"Wait what…"
"If you're that good at freestyle, then surely you can beat me twice right?"
"B-But…."
"Oh, are you backing down now?" Sofia teased with a leer, using the same words he used earlier
The sorcerer scoffed in intrigue as he responded with a smirk of his own
And so their afternoon was filled of beats and flows and rhymes… and bars as Cedric and Sofia filled the rest of their day with such poetic way
~ D~
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