It had been a long day on the humble little island. Humble as it was, the island itself had blown up in tourism since the reign of Queen Ariel and King Eric. People, the world over arrived to trade, some to visit, while others to settle. The same applied to a bright and inquisitive inventor. She had been an odd sort, hailing from a distant land, with an adopted son no less. But the little family had another addition.
Flapping his wings, that addition rested upon the roof of their home. He was a gannet, very common to the area, but like his owner, he was a new arrival. Atop his head, he wore a cap of sorts, fitted with various lenses, all of varied sizes. They were his goggles, specially crafted to his size and taste. Being the pet of an inventor, he often found himself assisting in various jobs, repair or otherwise, so the lenses helped.
With a sigh he removed it, setting it down neatly, if only to allow his golden-crowned head to breathe. The sun was slowly setting. The gannet, one by the name of Brine, enjoyed the scenery. It was quiet, serene, nary a disturbance.
"Hey, Honey-Feathers!"
That is until a raspy and brash voice squawked through the silence, and in moments a female gannet landed. Being female, she was larger than Brine, that was the one way a human could tell them apart. The only other creatures besides other animals, that could understand their speech were mermaids, and even after becoming human, Queen Ariel could still understand her animal friends.
If Brine could smile, he would have, but instead, he leaned in and replied, "Hi Sugar-Beak."
The female gannet was no stranger, for she had lived on the island since she hatched, and everyone knew her name: Scuttle.
Scuttle let out a tiny giggle and leaned in as she and Brine pecked each other's beaks.
"Oh, I love it when you call me that! You're always such a charmer dear!" Scuttle replied.
"Well, that's one of my many talents," Brine replied as he wiped his wing with his other.
Scuttle chattered concernedly towards her mate, "Rough day at the shop?"
"No more than usual," Brine replied, "People need repairs and upkeep, and our family is the one to do it."
"Aww my poor Briney winey! Are you tired? Do you need a rest?" Scuttle asked.
"Nah I'm good," Brine replied waving his wing, "I may not be as young as I used to be, but I can hold it together."
"I feel you there honey, those grandkids of ours ran me ragged," Scuttle shook herself, for the moment causing her feathers to puff out.
"Sorry I couldn't join you dear," Brine apologized, "I know how energetic the boys can be."
Scuttle waved her husband's comment off with a wing, "Nah, don't sweat it. I totally get it. You pets are pretty loyal."
"Research assistant," Brine corrected.
"Right, right, sorry," Scuttle apologized.
When Brine first moved to the island, it was inevitable he and Scuttle would meet. After all, Scuttle frequented the village, and Brine lived in the village itself. Of course, first meetings didn't always go the way one wanted.
"So, did you tell them your favorite story?" Brine asked.
"Naturally!" Scuttle boasted, "The boys just ate it up!"
Brine chuckled and shook his head, "I remember when you used to tell our daughter that, she loved it."
"Yeah, especially the dinglehopper part! That's how you tell a climax!"
Hearing that word brought back memories to Brine. Scuttle's first meeting with Brine had been mere curiosity, even more so when she noticed another gannet living with the new humans. The two introduced themselves, and all seemed pleasant, at least until Scuttle bragged bout her 'knowledge' of human objects. The dinglehopper had been the first.
Scuttle always enjoyed telling others about human objects. It wasn't as if she was trying to brag, but she prided herself in what she knew, at least until Brine corrected her.
Fork, hearing that dreaded word always brought a shudder to Scuttle. According to Brine, a dinglehopper, or fork, was not used for styling hair, but for the consumption of food. Needless to say, this led to a back-and-forth argument.
Brine always recalled his youthful days, and frankly, he admitted he was a tad arrogant back then. As he and Scuttle argued, he shoved his own knowledge back in her face. The more he pressed and insisted, the more irritated Scuttle had become. She was almost like a child throwing a tantrum.
From that point on, every time the two gannets met, the pair took great strides to try and prove who was smarter. It was a classic rivalry, though somewhat one-sided.
No matter how much the pair fought, Brine always seemed to come out on top, so much that Scuttle herself started to feel so discouraged from the moment, and needless to say for the creatures who knew her, it was odd to say the least.
Back in the present, the two birds soared their way to the swamp, landing perfectly upon a tree branch. It swayed slightly underneath their combined weight, but certainly not enough to break it.
"It's nice here isn't it?" Brine remarked.
"Yeah...though if you want, I could provide a little, musical serenade," Scuttle suggested.
Brine looked at his wife, "Please don't."
But it was too late.
"Bow wocka wow wow!" Scuttle repeated over and over again, prompting Brine to cover his ears.
"Okay Scuttle, that's enough," Brine said half-pleading.
Scuttle paused for a moment, "Just one more," She stated, "Bow chicka wow wow wow!"
Once the song had fully ended, Brine pulled his wings aside, "Thanks dear...we really could have used that.
"Aww, honey you're just being nice! But you always were so sweet!" Scuttle replied romantically.
Brine being nice was the center point of their relationship. Once Scuttle had realized she wasn't the expert she thought she was, she became depressed, wondering if she knew anything at all. That is until Brine flew in.
At first, Scuttle had thought Brine had come to rub it in, but to her surprise he didn't. Instead, he had stated she had a creative mind, and as the research assistant of an inventor, he had found that many mundane objects could have multiple uses. Those words had perked Scuttle up, and in that moment she found herself seeing Brine in a new light.
Time and circumstance followed, and in the end, the rest was history. The pair of them became mates, and soon after Shelly was laid and hatched. Now their daughter was an adult with a family of her own. It was a fairy tale ending of sorts.
The two gannets leaned in close to one another, heads touching as they huddled next to each other for warmth. It was a wonderful night, and through it all, Scuttle knew she and Ariel had something in common: they too found their prince.
A/N: Just something short to sort of establish Scuttle's mate.