AN: Hey! What's up, everyone!? I'm FINALLY back! Sorry I've been gone so long, but I got super stuck with this chapter because it's the longest one so far. And now I'm also back in University and my professors are just piling on the schoolwork. But hey, I'm back now! ^^ So, the last chapter was kind of a "Lamby-centric" one. This one is going to feature the whole gang again! So yay! Anyways, without further ado, on with the chapter! Also disclaimer, I own NONE of the songs used in this chapter with the exception of 'The Sparkle Bugs'' song. Enjoy!
Four Days Later (Friday):
Butterfly, Black Widow, and Ladybug were all onstage rehearsing their act once again. The three insects were dancing around the stage singing to the best of their ability. Well, as best as they could singing to an empty venue. To them, it wasn't really surprising that nobody else was there. It was late in the afternoon, and The Doghouse wasn't normally open until the evening; after sunset to be more exact.
The Doghouse was one of the hottest night spots in all of Maskglen. The building itself had been around for some time, but the club was opened just the year before. The proprietor was none other than Bulldog, who was another one of Butterfly, Black Widow, and Ladybug's friends as well as their boss. He was a golden Bulldog who liked to wear very dazzling suits and shoes. To most citizens of the town, he was a really fun dude to hang out with. Apparently the building was bought and given to him as an engagement gift by his extremely rich and loving long-time fiancé, Leopard.
The place was totally empty as of that moment. No one except the employees were there and all of the chairs were turned upside down on the tables. The few other performers were all backstage primping and getting themselves ready for their turn on the stage.
Butterfly and her group ignored the slightly unsettling silence and kept on singing.
"Sometimes you've got to take a chance! Break the status quo, this is your time!" Butterfly sang, her hypnotic voice sounded throughout the empty place. Black Widow sang in perfect harmony with her as Ladybug pulled out some amazing dance moves.
"Yeah, you can't miss your chance! Don't let the moment pass you by!" Black widow sang,
Ladybug performed a few spins before singing her part. "Don't wait, don't hesitate!"
Then the trio sang in harmony. Butterfly sang the high notes, Ladybug sang the middle notes, and Black Widow sang the lower ones. "The fear will whisper in your ear. You just need to tune it out. Listen to the crowd cheer, yeah listen to the crowd cheer. Hear them clap, hear them shout, show them what it's all about!"
Then the background music stopped as did their singing. They stood there for a moment feeling short of breath from practicing.
"Okay. I think we've got that part down." Butterfly said, turning to her friends. "Should we work on the last chorus?"
"Butterfly, could we possibly take a few minutes to catch our breath? I don't feel very good." Black Widow asked, the Arachnid was super worn down; Ladybug looked like she was about to faint from exhaustion.
"Okay then, how about we take five?" Butterfly replied,
Ladybug suddenly felt her legs give out and she fell forward landing face-first on the stage. Black Widow and Butterfly gasped in shock.
"Ladybug!?" Black Widow said urgently,
"...I'm okay…" Ladybug said tiredly, her voice was muffled from being facedown on the floor.
"…Let's make it ten minutes." Butterfly said with an uneasy smile,
The group dispersed and got off the stage to let the next group practice. Black Widow helped Ladybug up while Butterfly walked over to one of the tables. They had started unstacking the chairs and were setting them up as the venue was going to open soon. She took a seat and sighed as she ran a hand through her antennae. So many thoughts were racing through her mind. Tomorrow night was the night of the big talent showcase. The whole town was going to be there. There was even some talk about talent agents from some big time record labels attending too. If she and her group did this right, then it meant that they could get the big break that they'd been hoping for. Butterfly, Black Widow, and Ladybug were all so stoked to get back into the music scene.
Butterfly was especially excited to start singing again. She had been a professional some years ago, selling out huge crowds out in Los Angeles. But life got in the way and she sadly fell from grace and eventually she was officially off the map. The Rhopalocera traveled the country in search for work before finally making her way to Maskglen and settling down there. She had to resort to singing at bars and nightclubs to earn an honest living. Although it paid the bills and fed her, the love and passion that she had for music and singing was completely gone. Whenever Butterfly sang, she would just feel so empty and sad. With this show, she was hoping she could get that old feeling back.
Butterfly was snapped out of her thoughts when someone sat down at the table with her.
"Hey, Butterfly. You okay?" A male voice asked,
Butterfly was startled, but was relieved when she saw who it was.
"Oh, hey, Croc." She replied,
The glitzy clad Crocodile smiled sincerely, "You nervous for tomorrow night?" He asked,
"Don't I know it!?" Butterfly replied, "Like, I know it's just a show, but I really want us to do well! Our music careers are on the line here."
"Yeah, I know how you feel. There are times where I'm scared I'm going to mess up too." Crocodile said, he then put a hand on Butterfly's shoulder. "Don't worry, I'm sure you three will be great."
Butterfly smiled up at the fuschia-colored reptile. "Thanks, Croc. I'm sure you'll be great too."
Croc smiled back flashing his sharp white teeth.
Flamingo clocked out for the day. She gave a long and relieved sigh knowing that the week was finally done. Monday and Tuesday were nothing out of the ordinary for her, but on Thursday and Friday the hospital got super packed; there were sick and injured patients left and right. Suddenly, she and all of the other hospital staff were swamped. Flamingo was exhausted, but she was also proud knowing that she was doing good and helping people.
The fabulous pink bird let out a loud yawn as she strutted to the elevator to take her to the first floor of the hospital; she just couldn't wait to get home and collapse into bed.
Flamingo pressed a button to summon the elevator to her floor. As she stood there waiting, someone else walked up to her.
"You feeling alright, Flamingo?" A smooth voice asked,
Flamingo turned to see one of her fellow doctors. It was a serpent covered in black and gold scales that shimmered in the fluorescent lights. His many snake arms were slowly moving around behind him. He was clad in aqua-colored scrubs. He had his clipboard tucked under his arm and a steaming cup of joe in his left hand.
"Hey Serpent." Flamingo said with a tired smile, "I'm fine, just a little burned out is all."
"I can tell." Serpent said as he took a sip from his cup,
"Well, I'm not surprised; you are a doctor, after all." Flamingo joked,
The two of them shared a good laugh.
"Yeah, it's been a rough day, hasn't it?" Serpent said,
"More like a rough week. But hey, it's all part of the job, am I right?" Flamingo said,
"The right thing to do isn't always the easiest thing." Serpent agreed,
Flamingo tiredly nodded, it was then that she noticed the huge bags under Serpent's slitted blue eyes and the large amount of coffee in his styrofoam cup.
"Are you working the night shift?" She asked curiously,
Serpent nodded using one of his snake arms to rub his tired left eye. "Yeah. Since we're pretty backed up, they needed more people to stay and tend to the patients; I volunteered." He explained,
"You already work so hard, Serpent. You should really take it easy. Too much work isn't good for you." Flamingo replied concerned,
The charming snake doctor shrugged, "I know, but what can I say? They need me here." He said, "Besides, you tend to stretch yourself too thin as well, Flamingo."
The pink bird sighed helplessly, "I know. But we can't help it if it's busy; not to mention unpredictable. You never really know when people are going to need your help. You know, this job is one of the reasons why I never date anymore?"
"Wait, I thought that you were dating that one guy. You know, that red bird from the UK? He was a really good singer."
"You mean Robin?" Flamingo said,
"Yeah! That's the one! Whatever happened to him?" Serpent asked,
"He had to move back to the United Kingdom for work. It sucked, but it's okay. I got over it." Flamingo said with a shrug, "I keep busy that I don't ever think about it. I have my friends and my work. That's enough for me."
"Well, have you ever considered getting back in the saddle?" Serpent suggested,
"No way!" Flamingo emphasized, "It takes too much time. Besides, a lot of the doctors here like to flirt with me and it freaks me out a little."
"True, but you should still live your life; it's the only one you have." Serpent replied.
"I guess so." Flamingo said, she then looked up at her friend and colleague concerned.
"You think you'll be okay tonight?" She asked him,
Serpent shrugged, "Meh, it won't be so bad. I won't be doing it all alone."
Before he could say anything else, another doctor popped out of one of the rooms. He was a pig but he was short and had shimmering golden flesh rather than the pink flesh a pig usually has.
"Yeah! I'm here to help too!" He exclaimed,
The sassy bird beamed, "Awesome! You're both some of the best doctors I know. The patients will be in good hands with you two.
Suddenly the elevator dinged and arrived at their floor.
"Oh, I gotta go." Flamingo said, she hurried towards the elevator.
"Goodnight, Flamingo. We'll see you on Monday." Serpent waved, Golden Pig waved goodbye too.
Flamingo entered the elevator and pressed the button for the first floor. She smiled and waved to the two doctors one more time saying 'Bye' before the doors closed and took her down to the front lobby.
Flamingo drove home as fast as she could. Much like the week before, she found herself falling asleep at the wheel about several times having to constantly jerk herself awake before she either drove off the road or rear-ended somebody else.
She turned onto one of the main roads downtown, passing the many different stores and restaurants that lined the street. Flamingo couldn't help but smile as she passed by Café Mystère and saw Miss Bee gingerly closing up shop for the night. It wasn't long after that she passed by The Doghouse. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Butterfly along with Black Widow and Ladybug leaving the venue. The three groupmates talked briefly before sharing a group hug and saying goodbye. Ladybug and Black Widow walked down the way Flamingo came while Butterfly walked in the opposite direction. Judging by how she was tightly hugging herself, her wings were folded, and her trench coat was buttoned up all the way, she was very cold. It was a rather chilly night for late September, especially in South Carolina.
Flamingo pulled over to the side of the road and parked.
"Hey, Butterfly." She called out,
The sparkly Rhopalocera stopped at the mention of her name and looked over, noticing her friend there.
Butterfly's compound eyes lit up then. "Flamingo! Hi!" She replied,
"You look frío, amiga. Care for a ride?" Flamingo offered,
"That would be amazing, thanks." Butterfly said, the lovely winged insect wasted no time and hustled into Flamingo's car. Once she was in, Flamingo started driving again.
"I take it you just finished another rehearsal?" Flamingo asked intrigued,
"Yep, the last one; tomorrow night's the show." Butterfly said nervously,
"Butterfly, you guys are going to be great. You'll rock the house!" Flamingo assured her,
Butterfly smiled sweetly.
In total it took about ten minutes to get home; although to both ladies it felt like an eternity. The pink bird slowly pulled up to the front of Butterfly's house. Butterfly got out and thanked Flamingo for the ride, also saying goodnight before hurrying inside. Flamingo drove two doors down and parked her car in the driveway heading into her own home. Once inside, she immediately changed into her pjs before climbing into bed passing out from exhaustion.
The Next Day (Saturday):
For Butterfly, the next day sped by from the moment she woke up in the morning and through the afternoon. Before the Rhopalocera knew it, dusk drew nearer and nearer; as did her and her group's nerve-wracking performance.
Butterfly took a deep breath as she looked at herself in her bathroom mirror. She could have gotten herself dolled up when she got to The Doghouse, but she didn't feel comfortable being around that many people backstage. So she opted to just do it all at home.
"This is it…" Butterfly said to herself, she then finished applying her makeup. She put on a light touch of sparkly eyeshadow before closing her makeup case and putting it away. The winged lady took one last look in the mirror before turning off her bathroom light and leaving.
Butterfly grabbed her coat and keys before leaving her dwelling. She walked two doors down to Flamingo's house and rang the doorbell. The door almost immediately opened to reveal Flamingo dressed in a dazzling magenta dress that went down a little past her feathery knees. She also wore a lot of blush as well as double the amount of mascara that she normally wore; a pearl necklace hung around her neck.
"Butterfly! Are you ready?" Flamingo asked,
Butterfly smiled shyly. But then she remembered all of the encouragement that her friends had given her.
The Rhopalocera suddenly felt a zap of courage and was more confident. "I'm ready." She said,
"Should we get Lamby?" Flamingo asked,
"Yeah, let's go." Butterfly nodded,
The two ladies walked up to the house that stood in between theirs and rang the doorbell.
"Lamby! We're here!" Flamingo called out in a singsong voice,
There was no response.
Flamingo rang the doorbell once more and tried again. "Come on, Lamby! I know it's only 7:25 but we've got to get to The Doghouse by 8:00. Butterfly and her group are going on at 9:00!"
Suddenly the front door swung open to reveal Lamby standing there. The young sheep looked HORRIBLE! She was still in her pjs, her white hair and wool were all askew, and her eyes were bloodshot with dark circles under them. She had a thick manila folder tucked under her right arm.
It was a rather startling sight for both Flamingo and Butterfly; neither of them really knew what to say. Ultimately, Butterfly was the one to speak.
"Lamby, are you okay?" She asked,
"Yeah, I'm fine. Never better." Lamby said with a tired smile,
"We were just coming to pick you up for the showcase." Flamingo explained,
Lamby's face suddenly transitioned from a worn down expression to a surprised one. Her ears drooped as she looked at them sadly.
"That was tonight? Listen, I'm really sorry. I know I promised to be there, but I can't come. I'm really busy right now." Lamby said, the ewe then held up the manila folder. "I'm grading all my kids' homework assignments."
"Snore!" Flamingo exclaimed sarcastically, "Come on, you should totally come with us! It'll be a lot more fun! Plus, you promised Butterfly you'd be there. Tomorrow's Sunday, you can grade those assignments then."
Lamby thought it over for a moment. The sheep was really conflicted about putting off her work. She never liked procrastinating; it just always seemed wrong. But she remembered that she did make a promise to Butterfly, and a promise is a promise. Finally she looked at the two winged ladies and smiled.
"Aww, what the heck!? Let's go!" She said,
"Alright!" Butterfly and Flamingo exclaimed excitedly,
Lamby got herself cleaned up real quick and applied some light makeup. She changed into a simple aqua sundress and her strappy sandals. The trio then hopped into the pink bird's car and took off.
Flamingo parked her car in front of The Doghouse and the three of them climbed out. The club was nothing like it was when Butterfly and her group rehearsed there the day before. The entire place was lit up and the sign hanging at the front of the place was flashing the name of the venue as well as the event scheduled for that night.
Butterfly, Lamby, and Flamingo were all in awe at the dazzling display. But Flamingo snapped out of it and checked the time on her phone.
"We'd best get in there. The show's starting in five minutes and you go on in about an hour." She said to her sparkly friend.
Butterfly nodded. They went through the glass double doors and entered the venue. The building was even more vibrant and alive on the inside; it was also packed. Many different animals and objects were either standing or sitting around chatting amongst themselves. Some also chose to indulge in a drink or two.
The three ladies looked around for a moment. Butterfly began to walk away from them.
"I'd better get backstage. You guys find a table." She said,
"Got it." Lamby replied nodding,
"¡Rompe una pierna, amiga!" Flamingo winked,
"Yeah, knock 'em dead!" Lamby said,
The Rhopalocera took one last glance over her shoulder at her friends before disappearing behind the stage to where they kept the vanities and dressing rooms.
Flamingo and Lamby looked around for a place to sit. Since the club was so crowded, they kept finding themselves bumping into other people who shot them dirty looks.
"Sorry, sorry, sorry." Lamby said repeatedly as she and Flamingo pushed their way through the crowd, but suddenly they heard a whistle.
"Hey! Guys, over here!" A familiar voice called out,
Both girls looked in the direction of the voice to see none other than Whatchamacallit. He was with Thingamajig, Monster, Miss Monster, Night Angel, and Kitty. They were all seated at one of the tables with round banquette seating in the corner.
"Hey guys!" Flamingo called out, she took Lamby's hand and dragged her over to where they were sitting.
"Hi." Lamby said shyly waving,
"How's life?" Flamingo asked them,
"It's been good." Kitty answered,
"We're doing fine." Monster replied for him and his fiancée,
"Can't complain." Whatchamacallit shrugged,
"Cool." Flamingo said,
Night Angel beamed. "Here, we saved spots for you."
"Thanks." Lamby replied,
The sassy pink bird and the sweet sheep sat down with them. Flamingo took the spot next to Night Angel while Lamby squeezed in on the other side of the table. After getting situated, she realized she was sitting next to Thingamajig and Whatchamacallit.
She gave the monsters a friendly smile. "Hello, Thingamajig, Whatchamacallit. So good to see you both again." She greeted,
"Nice to see you too, Tambry." Whatchamacallit said,
"It's Lamby." Lamby corrected him,
"Oh yeah, sorry." Whatchamacallit apologized sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck,
The ewe giggled, "No worries, it's cool."
Thingamajig flashed his crooked but sincere smile at her. "Fancy seeing you here, Lamby." He replied,
"You too. I'm here for Butterfly, Black Widow, and Ladybug; gotta support them." Lamby replied,
"Yeah, that's why we're here too." He replied, gesturing to everyone else at the table.
"Butterfly seems really nervous. But I think she's going to be great." Lamby said,
"Totally." Thingamajig replied, "We all have faith in her."
"Speaking of which, are you ever going to perform at one of these, Thing? I think you would knock it out of the park." Whatchamacallit said playfullying elbowing his taller friend,
Thingamajig smiled and rolled his eyes. "Whatcha, we've talked about bringing up that topic." But he was interrupted by Night Angel.
"Yeah, Thing! You should do it! It's been so long since we've heard you sing!" She agreed, nodding eagerly.
"You sing?" Lamby asked curiously,
In response to this, the green monster just covered his face with his left hand in embarrassment.
"Oh yeah! Thing here has one of the best singing voices that I've ever heard!" Whatchamacallit replied, he gave the taller monster a friendly slap on the back.
Thingamajig removed his hand and blushed a little as he stumbled to find his words. "Well, I don't know about 'one of the best'..." He shrugged,
"You do have a nice voice, Thing!" Miss Monster cut in,
"Yeah, we've heard it countless times. Your voice is incredible!" Monster agreed,
"It's like an angel's!" Kitty squealed,
The athletic monster blushed more profusely at everyone's kind words. "Come on, guys. My voice isn't that good." He said shyly,
"Don't be so modest, I'm sure you have a beautiful voice." Lamby said sweetly, "I'd certainly like to hear you sing."
The furry green monster gave the pretty sheep a small smile; his face was now completely scarlet.
"I might sing sometime. We'll see." He replied,
"Awesome!" Lamby replied, "I can't wait!"
Suddenly the lights got really low.
"Shh shh! The show's starting!" Night Angel yelled in a whisper,
The whole venue got quiet as the stage lit up. Everyone applauded as Bulldog appeared offstage clad in a shiny golden tuxedo. He headed up to the center of the stage.
He walked up to the microphone and spoke into it.
"Hey there, everyone! Happy Friday night to you all!"
The whole place erupted in applause. The gilded pooch flashed a bright smile at the audience waiting for them to quiet down before continuing.
"It is so good to be here with all of you tonight! For it is The Doghouse's first ever Annual Grand Talent Showcase!" He announced proudly,
Everyone applauded again. This time, a few people even whistled.
"This evening, you will all be enriched and entertained by some truly amazing performers. These people have worked endlessly for the past couple of months and we hope that you enjoy the talent that they have to offer!" Bulldog said, he reached into the pocket of his tux and pulled out a small card then looked at it.
"For our first performance tonight, please give a warm welcome to Astronaut and his rendition of "Never Gonna Give You Up!" Bulldog said, he walked off the stage.
Whatcha rolled his one blue eye in annoyance. "Ugh, seriously!? This song!? It's been done to death!"
In response, Thing kicked Whatcha's leg under the table. The hairy red, white, and blue monster let out a yell and rubbed his aching shin. He shot his friend a glare.
"Ow! What was that for!?" He whined,
"Be respectful." Miss Monster said sternly,
Whatchamacallit groaned before finally shutting up.
Everyone clapped as Astronaut walked up. Instead of his normal spacesuit, he was clad in a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up, black pants, and a shimmering golden vest that looked like it came from Bulldog's closet. The usually iconic music was replaced by a gentle piano version. Then he began to sing.
"We're no strangers to lo-ove. You know the rules and so do I-I." Some people in the audience whistled for him. His smooth, airy voice rang through the air taking everyone completely by surprise.
"A full commitment's what I'm thinking o-of. You wouldn't get this from any other guy."
His voice got really high with his falsetto. "And I just wanna tell you how I'm feeling…"
"Wow, he's really good." Lamby whispered to the others impressed, the others nodded in response.
"Gotta make you understand." Suddenly the music got super upbeat and energetic and the tempo sped up. The crowd went wild.
"Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down. Never gonna run around and desert you." Astronaut went to the edge of the stage where he knelt down to be face-to-face with a colorful seahorse sitting at a table right in the front next to a turtle with spiky black hair and clad in leather. He blew her a kiss causing her to swoon and nearly faint. He straightened up and went back to singing.
"Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye. Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you."
All of a sudden, he started dancing around the stage as the interlude played. The entire place was now alive with energy. People were applauding loudly and cheering to the music.
Then Astronaut belted out the final pre-chorus. "And I just wanna tell you how I'm feeling. Gotta make you understand." Then he went completely all out with the vocals. "Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down. Never gonna run around and desert you. Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye. Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you. Yeah, never gonna give you up!" The song ended there.
Everyone applauded the aurous spaceman. He gave a bow at the crowd before doing a goofy moonwalk offstage.
Bulldog came hustling back up and yelled into the mic. "Wasn't that epic, ladies and gentlemen!?"
The venue once again erupted in cheer.
"Alright! Well there's plenty more talent where that came from, folks!" Bulldog said,
The night went on and more acts performed. Right after Astronaut sang, Fox went up and performed "Hey Look Ma, I Made It". By Panic! At the Disco! Following him, Frog went up and performed a flawless dance routine which had everyone floored. After him, there were a few people that decided to sing a song as well, such as Crocodile with "Toxic" By Britney Spears and Skeleton with "Hard to Handle" by Otis Redding. Before long, it was finally time for Butterfly, Black Widow, and Ladybug to perform.
"Okay, our last group is bound to knock your socks off!" Bulldog announced, "Debuting their original song "Make Tonight Your Night", give it up for Black Widow, Ladybug, and Butterfly! The 'Sparkle Bugs'!"
All of the patrons in the place clapped yet again. The main group of eight clapped for their friends.
"Come on, ladies!" Night Angel cheered,
"Knock 'em dead!" Thingamajig cheered as well,
"You can do it!" Lamby continued,
The three winged ladies stepped out onto the stage. They gazed out at the crowd who was waiting for them to start their song. The trio stiffened when they saw three men sitting at the back of the club. They highly resembled humans that were mentioned in many myths and lore. All three were dressed up in black suits with shades. Everyone had heard of them before. They were from Mystery Voice Records; one of the most well-known recording companies around. That label accepted only the best performers out there. The 'Men in Black' were what they called their agents that would travel from town to town seeking out new talent.
The three bugs each took a deep breath to regain their composure. They looked at each other giving a nod. Then the music started and they sang the song; Butterfly was the first to sing.
"It's so easy to often doubt yourself. It's so easy to bid all your hopes goodbye."
There was a light applause from the crowd. Black Widow sang the next part.
"You're so tempted to put your dreams on the shelf. You feel a piece of yourself die."
Then it was Ladybug's turn.
"But you'll never get anywhere just standing there. Pick yourself up, turn your frown upside down."
Then the three sang in harmony. "Just take a breath and look around. It's never the end, it's always the start. Everybody in this world plays a special part."
Suddenly an electric guitar started playing a sweet riff. What followed was a rapid beat of drums which psyched the crowd up.
"You need to spread your wings and fly! You need to trust in your heart, you gotta make your mark! You need to try to fly! There's no better time, make tonight your night!"
The interlude played and Ladybug performed her big dance break. This made the audience, including their friends, get up out of their seats and start dancing as well. Butterfly walked around the stage clapping her hands to the beat while Black Widow vocalized some really high notes. Then they started singing the bridge.
"Sometimes you've got to take a chance! Break the status quo, this is your time!" Butterfly sang,
"Yeah, you can't miss your chance! Don't let the moment pass you by!" Black widow sang,
"Don't wait, don't hesitate!" Ladybug continued,
The three of them sang together, "The fear will whisper in your ear. You just need to tune it out. Listen to the crowd cheer, yeah listen to the crowd cheer. Hear them clap, hear them shout, show them what it's all about!" Then the chorus started up again.
"You need to spread your wings and fly! You need to trust in your heart, you gotta make your mark! You need to try to fly! There's no better time, make tonight your night!"
"Oooooooooooooohhhhhhhhh yeah!" Black Widow belted out,
"Make tonight your night!" They finished together in perfect harmony. Then the song ended.
The crowd applauded louder than they did for any of the other acts. The three insects looked over to their friends who were all whistling and whooping for them.
The three Arthropod women took a bow and hurried offstage to join their friends at their table.
"Girls, that was amazing!" Miss Monster complimented,
"Yeah, you really killed it!" Lamby added,
"¡Espectacular trabajo, amigas!" Flamingo exclaimed,
"You really think we were that good?" Black Widow asked surprised,
Thingamajig nodded. "And how! Listen to everyone! They're all still super hyped from your performance!"
Butterfly, Black Widow, and Ladybug looked around. They found that their friends were right. People were still clapping for their act; everybody loved them. The trio looked back to their friends, their eyes brimming with tears.
Suddenly the 'Men in Black' from Mystery Voice Records appeared before the group.
The middle one spoke up, "'Sparkle Bugs', we were very impressed by your performance…" He then handed each of them a card with a phone number and the name of the label on it.
"We think our employer would love to work with you. Give him a call if you're interested…" The one standing on the right said, and with that, they walked away.
The girls were unable to hold in their excitement. They let out an excited scream and jumped up and down. Their friends clapped and cheered for them as well.
"Way to go, guys!" Lamby said ecstatically,
"We did it, girls! We did it!" Black Widow cried out happily, her silver eyes were completely glossed with joyous tears.
"Hey, you guys deserve it." Monster said,
Ladybug smirked, "And you thought we were going to blow it, Butterfly." She joked,
The sparkling Rhopalocera laughed as she rubbed the back of her neck. "I will never doubt us again." She said,
"Hey, Black Widow!" A voice called out,
The ebony Arachnid turned to see her husband, Cricket, sitting at another table across the room. He waved to her excitedly as a wide and proud grin was plastered on his face.
"There's my husband. I gotta go." Black Widow said, and with that, she rushed over to his table. "I got the gig, honey!" She yelled ecstatically, Cricket's smile grew even wider.
Ladybug and Butterfly decided to stay with the group. Ladybug sat next to Flamingo while Butterfly squeezed in next to Lamby.
Bulldog came back up onstage and spoke into the mic. "Well, ladies and gentlemen. It's been quite a night, hasn't it?"
Everyone applauded.
"Yeah, well, despite the programs saying that "'The Sparkle Bugs'" were the last act of the night, we have a last-minute participant who wants to perform." Bulldog explained,
All of the club's patrons gasped and started murmuring amongst themselves.
"Wait, what's going on?" Night Angel asked confused,
"That's strange. I thought we were the final act." Butterfly said,
"There's someone else going on now." Monster said, he took Miss Monster's hand in hers.
"He says 'he needs no introduction'. So without further ado, please give a round of applause to our final act." He walked offstage.
Nobody really knew how to respond but just clapped anyway. Suddenly, the whole place went dark. The backdrop to the stage lit up and there stood the performer completely shrouded in shadow. Based on their silhouette, it was very easy to see that they were a bird. They just stood there in silence. Suddenly a chorus sang.
"(Whoa!)"
There was a moment of silence. Then the performer sang. His voice was deep and rich.
"Ladies and gents, this is the moment you've waited for." The chorus sounded again.
"(Whoa!)"
"Been searching in the dark, your sweat soaking through the floor." The bird sang,
"(Whoa!)"
Flamingo gasped and her large pink tail feathers shot straight up. "I love this song!" She yelled in a whisper,
"What is it?" Night Angel asked curiously,
"It's from The Greatest Showman. It's one of my favorite movies of all time!" Flamingo gushed,
"Oh yeah! You were telling me about that film." Butterfly nodded,
"I've seen it too! It's awesome!" Kitty exclaimed, "Phantom of the Opera's still my favorite, though."
Their other friends nodded while the male continued to sing.
"And buried in your bones is an ache that you can't ignore. Taking your breath, stealing your mind and all that was real was left behind."
The crowd started to cheer for the mystery performer. He kept going.
"Don't fight it, it's coming for you. Running at you. It's only this moment, don't care what comes after. Your fever dream can't you see getting closer? Just surrender 'cause you feel the feeling taking over."
The group was now completely entranced by this singer. His voice was angelic and operatic all at the same time. Not to mention, he had really good stage presence.
"It's fire, it's freedom, it's flooding open. It's a preacher in the pulpit and you'll find devotion. There's something breaking at the brick of every wall it's holding. I'll let you know…"
Suddenly the entire stage lit up revealing the mystery singer. He was a tall blue peacock. With long feathers sitting atop his head. He wore a dazzling blue suit. Behind him, his gorgeous train of blue and green tail feathers fanned out wowing everyone.
Flamingo's eyes widened at the sight of the singing bird. Her throat tightened as her heart began to thump loudly in her chest.
Peacock belted out, "So tell me, do you wanna go? Where it's covered in all the colored lights. Where the runaways are running the night. Impossible comes true, it's taking over you."
The chorus joined him again.
"(Oh, this is the greatest show!)"
"We light up, we won't come down!"
"(And the sun can't stop us now)"
"Watching it come true, it's taking over you."
"(Oh, this is the greatest show!)"
Flamingo just watched in complete awe. He was absolutely stunning! The large train of feathers, his deep, dark eyes, his mesmerizing voice, she never imagined that there was a bird as handsome and hypnotic as he was. The sassy pink bird sat there watching with a slack-jawed expression as the peacock performed.
Bright sparks flew up on the stage as the lights above the bird glimmered. The colorful peacock sang with all that he had as he finished the number.
"This is the moment, this is the moment, the moment you've waited for! This is the greatest show!"
Flamingo's large eyes brightened as the performance went on. It was at this moment that some of her friends were starting to notice her attraction to the fabulous feathered showman. Thingamajig and Whatchamacallit looked at each other confused while Night Angel smirked at her.
"Baby! Baby! Oh yeah! This is the greatest show!" Peacock belted out, one more set of sparks went off making the audience rise from their seats and erupt into great applause; he had gotten a standing ovation. The peacock was receiving just as much applause as the 'Sparkle Bugs' had before him if not more. He bowed dramatically before strutting off of the stage. Bulldog hustled back up and spoke again.
"Wow! Talk about a surprise performance, am I right!?" He yelled,
Everyone cheered.
"Well, ladies and gentlemen. That's all we have for you tonight. We here at The Doghouse would like to thank you all for coming out to our showcase and showing some love to each of our performers. We wish you all a safe journey home and we can't wait to see you again, next time."
There was another round of applause before the stage lights turned off and the rest of the lights in the club came on. Normal pop music started playing through the speakers as the club returned to the way it was every other night. People talked, ate, drank, and listened to the music. Some people who just came for the show got up and left.
The now group of ten sat together for another half hour gushing over the amazing acts they witnessed that night. Monster and Miss Monster decided to order a few side dishes for everyone to dig into. The group chatted while they ate.
"It's been quite a night, huh guys?" Monster said,
Whatchamacallit grabbed a few mozzarella sticks and put them on his plate. "Yeah! Everyone was great! Especially you guys!" He said to both Ladybug and Butterfly.
"Thanks." Ladybug beamed,
"It was great to do it." Butterfly said as she popped a nacho chip into her mouth.
"It's also amazing that that label wants to sign you." Miss Monster said,
"Absolutely! But don't think that just because we're signing with a label that we're going to quit singing here. Right, Butterfly?" Ladybug asked,
Butterfly nodded, "Of course not! We'll still perform at other future showcases."
"Awesome! This was really fun. I can't wait to come to one of these again." Lamby said, she grabbed a French Fry and bit into it.
"Hopefully next time Thing won't have cold feet." Whatcha joked again,
Thingamajig rolled his eyes again. He stared at his plate of fried pickles as he tried to strike up another conversation. "So, uh, what did you guys think of that surprise act? I sure didn't see that coming."
"Me neither. He was really good, though." Butterfly replied,
Night Angel smirked, "I noticed someone enjoyed his performance." She looked over at Flamingo who was busy munching on a dinner roll.
The pink avian looked at her heaven-sent friend oddly. "What? Why are you looking at me?" She asked,
"You like him." Night Angel said booping her beak,
"What!? I do not like him!" Flamingo yelled,
"Oh come on, Flamingo! You were totally making goo-goo eyes at him the whole performance!" Night Angel said,
Flamingo fired back defensively, "I was not!"
"Were to!" Night Angel teased,
"No! I just...really love that song is all." Flamingo replied, her pink cheeks turned slightly red with blush. "And he sang it very well…"
"Alright, guys. Let's not get into an argument." Monster said trying to quell the debate,
Both the bird and angel immediately quieted down. Flamingo folded her arms across her chest and stuck her tongue out at Night Angel. This didn't affect her at all.
The rest of the night was finished mostly in silence. At the end of the night, everyone said goodbye and went their separate ways. Flamingo was nice enough to also drop Ladybug off at her home before she went back with Butterfly and Lamby. The three neighbors said goodnight and went into their homes.
Butterfly entered her dwelling and headed straight to bed. Before she drifted off, however, she took one last look at the calling card of the record label in her hands.
She smiled to herself. "This is only the start." She carefully set the card on her nightstand and slowly slipped into her dreams.
And that's Chapter 6! So yeah, a lot happened in this chapter. Butterfly, Black Widow, and Ladybug all finally performed and got offered by a label which is awesome! What will happen in the next chapter? Find out next time! I'll try to have Chapter 7 up one of these days. It will all depend on how school is. But until then, bye.