Hello all again!
*The reason I am updating this early is I lost the next two chapters, (I'm such a stupid author…) so now I have to rewrite them and I wanted a bit more time for both myself and my beta to work on them.*
As the title suggests, this chapter is where we are properly introduced to Miss Mayzie La Bird, through the musical numbers 'Amayzing Mayzie' and 'Amayzing Gertrude'. This is also the last majority Seussical-based chapter for a while, as I am going to do two more original chapters. The second to come I am trying to get to become darker that what has been written, introducing the dark themes that will be more present towards the finale of this story.
I would like to give a huge thankyou to Arixa23 and to Disneyfanatic99 for reviewing. Reviews are love and make me want to write faster, so thank you so much! Also, another thanks to Arixa23, who is now the beta for this story, which make this story much better for all of you.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything to do with Seuss or Seussical the Musical, its songs, lyrics or its characters/worlds. That belongs to Lynn Ahrens, Stephen Flaherty and the Dr Seuss Enterprise. I only own Kirsty, my names for the Bird Girls and the little important items popping around everywhere.
Now, on with the show!
Sophie :)
P.S. One last thing before you go on: I seriously recommend all of you see Annie, if you have never seen it before. I recently saw it in the glorious Regent Theatre in Melbourne and it is magnificent! I can now see many links between it and my own story (eg. The orphanage and the necklace) and the soundtrack is also extremely addictive; I can't stop listening to it!
Chapter 10: An Amayzing Debut
One by one, three bird girls came into view, reminding Kirsty of the ones she had seen when she had first arrived in the jungle way back in May. "Uh, who are they?" Kirsty whispered to Gertrude, as the three began to twirl around the pair.
"They're the 'Bird Girls', a musical group here in the Jungle of Nool," Gertrude explained, when the three had dispersed to various points. "The blue feather bird is Melissa, who is the oldest sister and the leader of the group. Closest to us is Tayla, with the green feather, second in command. And then the one with the yellow feathers is Sammy, the youngest one. They're sisters and best friends of Mayzie La Bird, who-"
"Hey Gertrude, how ya doing?"
Right on cue, the bedazzled pink feathered bird who was interviewed at the speck incident entered, who Kirsty assumed was Mayzie, looking even more proud and perfect than the last time she had first seen her. She glanced to them both, shaking her head. "Poor little Gertrude! A sorry sight!" Mayzie said, trying to sound sympathetic. "Well, I'm gonna take you under my wing and baby, you'll be all right!" She put her arm around Gertrude's shoulder, moving across a little, pushing Kirsty aside into the Bird Girls.
"Sorry about that," Kirsty apologized, after they had caught her. Melissa and Tayla just shrugged, quickly moving to their positions. The youngest one, Sammy, gave her a small smile in reply.
"No problem, girl," she whispered kindly. With that, Sammy moved into her place, to when Mayzie started to tell Gertrude her story. Kirsty made sure she stayed close, but kept to the side of the pair.
"I was once a plain little bird like you, kid," Mayzie sang to the young bird, adding a few dramatic notions here and there to add to the tale. "One pathetic feather was all I grew. I had nothing show off-ish. What's a plain bird to do?" She sighed, shaking her head as her eyes moved to Gertrude's one-feathered tail and then to Kirsty. "And there's certainly nothing show off-ish on you two…"
"Thank you, Mayzie," Gertrude and Kirsty replied, sarcastically. Even so, Kirsty could tell that her friend was hanging onto every word, even admitting herself that the bird had a great power of persuasion. Seeing this, Mayzie moved over to where Kirsty was standing, continuing her story.
"Then I made a plan for my self-improvement. No more crumbs, I vowed I would have the cake!" she told them, great determination in her voice. "Yes, I went to the doctor…"
"Doctor Dake by the lake!" Melissa, Tayla and Sammy chimed in, that name causing the three to have a 'fangirl' moment, before going back to their backup dance positions.
Mayzie gave out a small giggle, now in between both Gertrude and Kirsty. "And he told me what sort of a pill I should take!" Mayzie continued, pretend to drop a pill into her mouth to help tell push the story. "Now I'm..." As she built up her signature pose, the bird girl gathered around her, splitting Kirsty and Gertrude, the Latin beat increasing. "Amayzing Mayzie! As feathered as feathered can be now!" she sang, while performing some impressive moves which greatly showcased her spectacular pink shaded tail. "Amayzing Mayzie! It was all for sale!"
The Bird Girls formed a small group behind Kirsty, dancing a less exuberant routine for support. "Amayzing Mayzie!"
"The birds are all whistling at me now." Mayzie grinned, shaking her tail right in front of a very envious Gertrude.
"Amayzing Mayzie!"
"Baby, that's my tail!" she winked, before she went into her dance solo, Gertrude watching her with great suspense, the girl now eating out the palm of Mayzie's hand. It was now proven to Gertrude that this was the answer to her love struggle with Horton, that with a tail like Mayzie, that he would have no other option but to notice her.
The Bird Girls watched on, providing some back up, while helping Mayzie to lure Gertrude in further. "High or low,"
"Gee, it's fabulous!" Gertrude exclaimed, her eyes glued to the flawlessness of Mayzie's tail.
"Watch her go!"
"Gee, I'm envious!"
"To and fro, Mayzie's fabulous tail!"
Now next to Kirsty, Gertrude confined to her new friend. "I wish I had one like it," she couldn't help admit to Kirsty, before she waved nervously to Mayzie, who smiled back.
"Left and right."
"Best I've ever seen," Kirsty agreed.
"Day or night."
Mayzie paused a moment from her dance routine and went over to Gertrude. "Kid, you're turning green!" she told the bird, making Gertrude blush with admittance.
"What a sight, Mayzie's fabulous tail!" The Bird Girls sang, as they brought the two back around to Mayzie, who took Gertrude's wings.
"Get those pills," Mayzie urged her.
"Get the pills," the Bird Girls echoed, acting supportive.
Nodding, she quickly grabbed Kirsty. "And you can have frills," The bird ran the tips of her wings through the girl's hair, making it stand up in a style that showed Kirsty off quite well. Kirsty gasped while Gertrude couldn't help but laugh.
"Frills!"
Going back next to Gertrude, she spun the young girl bird around. "For all of the world to see. And you can be amayzing," Mayzie and the Bird Girls sang, at the moment when they parted and Mayzie strutted into the centre of the clearing.
"Well, almost..." Mayzie added as an afterthought, breaking out of her character for that brief second. Luckily for her, she soon snapped back into character. "As amayzing... as me!" Belting out her final note, she struck a fabulous pose, to when the music finished and moved to a more light back up tune.
The group gave a final wave and quickly left the scene, leaving Gertrude and Kirsty alone in the clearing. Without a word, Gertrude took off, Kirsty struggling to keep up by foot. The journey took a few minutes, until they arrived in a west section of the jungle, Kirsty panting heavily.
"Gertrude?" Kirsty asked her friend, wearily. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"
The young bird spun around, slightly shocked by Kirsty's statement. "I've never been more certain in all my life," Gertrude confirmed. "I always knew that my looks were holding me back, but I just refused to admit it. Now, there is nothing stopping. Horton won't be able to resist me with such a flirtatious tail. Look at what it does for Mayzie! I'll be so stunning; you won't believe it's me!"
Before Kirsty could challenge Gertrude's decision, another tune began, Gertrude setting off. "So she flew to the doctor, the doctor named Dake, whose office was high in a tree by the lake," various snooping jungle animals sang, as Gertrude and Kirsty arrived at a short tree, which contained a small hut perched in its branches. "And she cried,"
Knocking loudly on the door, Gertrude continued where they had left off. "Mr. Doctor! Oh, please, do you know of some kind of pill that will make my tail grow?"
A few seconds later, an odd looking man, his attire matching one of a estranged doctor, came sliding down the tree, scaring the living daylights out of Kirsty. The man, who she assumed was Doctor Dake, examine Gertrude's one feathered tail, Kirsty noticed that this figure was once again wearing that familiar red and white top hat, except it was now much shorter than usual. Why on earth does that Hat keep popping up everywhere? Is there something I'm missing here?
Her thoughts were interrupted, as the doctor gave his verdict. "Tut tut!', sagt der dockter. Diese gespra che ist zu veruckti! Ihr kleiner feder swanze ist sauna richitig fur ihr wogel art!" he responded, his thick german accent making it even harder to understand what he was saying. Kirsty and Gertrude, both utterly confused, raised an eyebrow and look to each other.
"Huh?" they asked in unison, which earnt them an over the top eye roll from Dr. Dake.
Clearing his throat, he translated his statement into more understandable English. "In other words, your little tail is just right for your kind of bird!" Gertrude stayed silent for a moment, her head beginning to twitch in anger. Gulping, Kirsty took a few steps back, not wanting to be in her way when Gertrude eventually burst.
As predicted, Gertrude's eyes flashed, her voice growing louder every second. "Then Gertrude had tantrums. She raised such a din that finally the doctor just had to give in!" she screamed, jumping up and down. Soon after, she stormed over to Dake, who had tripped over in fright. Who knew that appearance could be that deceiving!
"All right already!" Dake whispered in a high-pitched voice, trembling with distress. Leaping up, he clapped his hands, to which his two assistants appeared in the blink of an eye. "Bring in the Pill-berry bush!" They dispersed quickly, soon carrying in a strange looking plant, full of multi coloured 'pill' berries.
Nervously, Gertrude picked off a berry, and quickly put it down her throat. "Gulp!" Immediately after she swallowed her first one, she stuck her tongue out, the berries having a terrible after tang. She reached for another, trying to ignore her stomach and stay focused on her ultimate goal. "Gulp! Gulp!" This time she grabbed a handful. "Gulp gulp gulp!" Shortly after she swallowed her final pill, Gertrude began to feel rather nauseous, her stomach churning and her feathers heating up.
Kirsty went over to her friend, who was now breathing in and out quickly, her face white as a sheet. Having no idea what was going on, her head whipped round to Doctor Dake, who was making notes on his clipboard without a care in the world of what was happening to his patient. "Gertrude? Talk to me! What's wrong?"
In a fraction of an instant, Gertrude's head shot right up. "What was that?" she murmured, as the Bird Girls reappeared through a back door, sneaking around behind her. Kirsty just shook her head. Has anyone in this jungle ever heard of knocking, or is it just customary to get involved in other people's business around here?
Meanwhile, Gertrude's situation was escalating quickly. "Something's itching me! What was that? Something's twitching me! What was that?" She looked in the corner of her eye, and gasped, seeing her one feathered tail had now been transformed in a medium sized ensemble of different shades of purple feathers. "Are those feathers I see? I think my tail's beginning!" Gertrude exclaimed, unable to contain her excitement, her dream finally coming true."Oh my word! This is wonderful! Second, third, Wow, I'm colourful!"
"What a bird!" Kirsty commented, also amazed by Gertrude's new tail.
"I'm beginning to be...Amayzing Gertrude!" Gertrude sang, performing her own version of Mayzie's solo, showing off her new tail with much delight.
"Just look at the tail she is sportin," the Bird Girls added, joining in with Gertrude. "Amayzing Gertrude!"
"Thank you, Doctor Dake!" Gertrude went over to the doctor, wrapping him in a tight hug as a sign of her utmost appreciation.
"Thanks, doc!" the Bird Girls echoed, as Gertrude went over to Kirsty, bringing her into an embrace. "Amayzing Gertrude!" the Bird Girls sang, dancing around them.
"And hopefully I'll impress Horton!" the young bird exclaimed, her eyes filled with much confidence.
"Amayzing Gertrude!" the Bird Girls continued.
Just as Kirsty thought that everything was over, Gertrude went back to the pill berry bush, her eyes having an almost crazy look about them. "One more pill will do me good, yes, it will! One more, one more, one more pill," she sang, before showing more pills down her throat. Despite Kirsty and Doctor Dake's efforts to stop her, it was too late, now almost all of the pills gone from the once full bush. This wasn't going to end well, Kirsty was sure of that, but that didn't seem to stop Gertrude.
"Soon, she'll have the biggest tail... she'll have the biggest tail!" the Bird Girls sang, Gertrude coming back into the dance number.
"I'll have the biggest tail!" Gertrude grinned.
"The biggest tail of..."
"All!" Gertrude spun around, hanging onto that last note like an opera singer, before showing off with one final pose, the music stopping. The Bird Girls all flocked around her, admiring her new tail.
While Gertrude chattered to the three girls, Dake went over to Kirsty. "So your friend Gertrude is happy. Her tail's nice and long," he smiled, happy after a good day's work.
Kirsty was just about to agree, when her head struck with pain. Much simular to her earlier vision of McElligot's pool, various blurred images flashed across her mind, including one of Horton, Gertrude and of the clover, falling for what seemed like forever. Luckily, the pain soon ended, to when words came out of Kirsty's mouth like an automatic recording. "Dake, fasten your seat belts. I think things might go wrong…" she breathed, before gasping for air.
Doctor Dake stepped back a bit, fascinated and curious. "What is this? I have never…How is this possible?" Just as Kirsty had begun to leave, he clicked his fingers, the teenager now in a fancy medical chair. "No, No, No! You are not going anywhere, my dear!" With Gertrude and the Bird Girls watching on, he began to examine her, holding up her hair and examining her skin. "Vell, Vell, Vell… This is quite peculiar…" he muttered, fixing his glasses. "I have never seen anything like this in all my years of research. A one of a kind you are, my girl!" He roughly wrote some notes down on his clipboard, before looking Kirsty deep in the eyes. "Oh dear…that is quite alarming…"
"W-what's wrong?" she inquired, now becoming increasingly anxious by the doctor's words.
He let her go, shaking his head. "Oh, nothing that concerns you as yet. Though I must ask, what it is I can do for you? Do you wish to be noticed to?" Before Kirsty had time to answer, he went on, acting as if he was some kind of physiatrist. "So young, yet so deeply complicated…"
Hearing alarm bells all over her mind, Kirsty felt even more vulnerable, especially when Mayzie came into view again. "You don't have to try and hide it, ya know. It's not a crime to want something you can never have. But remember, there is a way to make it all happen…" The doctor's assistants brought out a silver platter, on it some pill berries, which looked a little different from what Gertrude has taken. "Everything you ever wanted, all in one easy solution. Just take some, and all your worries will disappear."
"I-" Kirsty shook her head, not at all comfortable with this situation. She knew that this would somehow end badly, but why was she so tempted to take the risk? What was it she so desperately wanted?
"Come on, Kirsty! Just have a try!" Gertrude added. "Look what those pills did to me. They made me the girl I've always wanted to be. Just think about what it could do for you! If I can do it, then so can you!"
Pressure mounting, all eyes on her, Kirsty held the small pills in her hands, still debating on the pending decision. As she sat in silence, a voice whispered to her, almost like a memory.
Just do it, Kirsty. You're almost there…the girl you dream to be. The entire universe in the palm of your hands. It can all be yours…
Like a trigger, her hand subconsciously shoved the pills down her own throat, in a moment of no control. Distraughtly, she tried to spit them out, but it was all for nought, the damage done. What…what just happened? Was that even me? What on earth have I just done?
Her stomach turning and her head sore, Dake placidly showed her the way out, Gertrude helping her. "Good girl. Now, the process will take a couple of weeks, but I guarantee you vill be looking amayzing in no time! In the meantime, make sure to come back every few days, so I can run some tests. You are quite special, so it is best that you are looked after." Tipping his hat to his two clients, he went back into his office, on his face a sneer of suspicion.
Following a moment of silence, Gertrude began to jump up and down in utter ecstasy. "This has to be the best day of my life, and only better is to come. For both of us! Oh, how on earth can I repay Mayzie, and you as well Kirsty! You supported me in my ventures, which even lead to you taking the chance." She looked back to her friend, her face white and scared. "Speaking of which, what was that something that Mayzie was talking about? Anyway, enough of that! I promised the Bird Girls I would come back to their place, to get ready for my debut as the new and improved Miss Gertrude McFuzz! See you soon, Kirsty! I owe you!"
Quickly Gertrude flew off, waving to Kirsty as she left. After resting for a few minutes, to take in the past moments, she decided to go back to Horton, to try and prepare herself for whatever would happen, and then back to Who, via necklace of course. She hoped that there might be a letter from Jojo in the mail, but she highly doubted it. He had been in the academy for three months now and she still didn't have a reply from her last letter, but she just assumed that he must have been too caught up in actually surviving, not to mention the strict rules that an institution like General Schmitz academy must have. Though, while walking back, she tried to put back that strange message which had caused her to act so desperate with those pills. What did it all mean? Why was it in her mind? And more importantly, was this only the beginning of a spiral into a dangerous madness?
(EDIT: This chapter was redone on the 19/08/2014. I have changed around various parts, and also added in a new section toward the end of the 'Amayzing Gertrude' section, to build on future plot information, while also doing regular spelling and grammar works. If you have the time, could you please comment on this edited version?)