Life in Allspark Wells

by The FraudulentBrit

When Girl Meets Bird

Life in Allspark Wells

Part 6; When Girl Meets Bird

Seated at her desk in Dr. Pennywhistle’s class, Marble Pie found herself completely entranced at her teacher’s lesson on the ancient world of the eons long past. As the older man pointed to the map hung over the dry erase board, he continued, “The old kingdom of the Quintessons was, for their day, the most powerful nation in the world.” With every word Dr. Pennywhistle said, Marble wrote down an abridged version in her notebook.

Despite her fears that attending school would overwhelm her, Marble found that it was, in actuality, not too terrible. The routine of scheduled classes made everything easier to manage, and teachers like Dr. Pennywhistle were more than willing to accommodate her “different way of thinking.” Now, where once she would have been overwhelmed by the crowded classrooms or loud lunch breaks, Marble was actually doing better than either she or Beachcomber thought possible.”

As Dr. Pennywhistle paused for a moment, one of the other students, a red boy named Nosecone, asked, “But didn’t the Quintessons build their monuments off the backs of slaves?” Hearing this, Marble gulped as she thought to herself, ‘I don’t remember him saying anything about slaves.’ Before she could say anything, Dr. Pennywhistle pointed to his student as he explained, “To some extent.”

Taking a deep breath, the old teacher continued, “The Quintessons, like the earliest of the Iaconians, employed slavery. However, many of their great works, such as the pyramids, were built primarily by ordinary citizens conscripted. This included everyone from farmers during the off season and merchants to skilled masons and stoneworkers.” As Marble and the rest of the class took this in, he finished with, “Either a little worse for wear or in perfect shape. Take your pick.”

Before he could continue, the bell rang, signaling it was the end of the school day. Letting out a gentle chuckle, Dr. Pennywhistle said, “Alright everyone. That should be enough for today. We shall pick up from here on Monday. Have a good weekend everyone.” With that, he gave a polite bow as he bade his pupils farewell.

As she packed her backpack, Marble heard the familiar sound of Apple Bloom’s voice call out, “Hey Marble.” Turning to face her friend, the gray geologist found the former farm girl walking up to her, clad in her red off the shoulder shirt, black tank top, dark blue and green kilt, and black laced boots. Smiling, Apple Bloom asked, “You ready for our little meetin’ in the park?”

Nodding with excitement, Marble replied, “Yeah.” She then asked, “So, Ironhide gonna pick you up or something?” Shaking her head, Apple Bloom answered, “Nope. Mrs. Soft Shoe is gonna pick me and Tendy up. We’re gonna meet up with you and Sideswipe.”

At that moment, both girls heard the sound a familiar teenaged girl clearing her throat followed by a snarky, “you girls talking about me behind my back?” Turning to see who it was, Marble was overjoyed to see her girlfriend Sideswipe leaning against the doorframe. Allowing her cheeks to blush red, the gray geologist walked up to her girlfriend as she cheekily replied, “Only to tell Apple Bloom how awesome you are.”

Needless to say, Marble and Sideswipe pulled each other into a tight hug.

Once both girls finished their hug, Sideswipe turned to Apple Bloom and said, “We’ll see you at the park. You make sure Sparkplug doesn’t cause too much trouble ‘till then.” Nodding, the former farm girl replied, “You got it.” Apple Bloom then made her way through the door as she said, “Ah better hurry. Don’t wanna hold Tender Taps up.”

Once Apple Bloom was gone, Sideswipe turned to Marble as she playfully asked, “So, shall we my love?” Blushing as she held her arm, Marble extended her hand as she replied, “Anywhere with you.” Taking her girlfriend’s hand, Sideswipe led Marble away, both girls looking forward to what Apple Bloom had planned for everyone.

The Park, A Short While Later

As Sideswipe’s motorcycle pulled into a parking spot, the young biker revved her beloved bike down as she let out a sigh of relief, saying, “I dunno about you, but I love getting to take this old girl out for a spin.” She turned to her girlfriend as she asked, “Am I right?”

Marble, on the other hand, was removing her helmet as she replied, “Maybe for you. Either I’m going crazy, or your bike is getting louder.” Shaking her head, the gray geologist apologized, “Sorry if that came out as rude.” Thankfully for her, Sideswipe rested a hand on her shoulder as she replied, “I know loud noises get to you. Maybe I can find you some earmuffs.” Smiling, Marble gently replied, “I’d appreciate that.”

Once both girls made their way into the park, they were greeted by the sight of Tender Taps, Apple Bloom, Pastel Goth, and Rattrap all sitting around each other on a blanket. However, there was one thing different about this particular get together that caught Marble completely off guard.

Everyone had their pets with them.

Indeed, Apple Bloom was busy petting Sparkplug the highland terrier, Tender Taps was stroking the orange tabby Skimbles, Rattrap was allowing his rat, Munchy, to run across his arms, and even Pastel was playing with another small rodent in a clear travel box. Overall, everyone was having fun with their pets.

Everyone except Marble Pie.

As Marble and Sideswipe walked up to the rest of the group, Tender Taps greeted them with a warm, “Hey guys. Glad you could make it.” Sitting down next to the orange hoofer, Marble replied, “Thanks. Good to see you too.” She then turned to Rattrap as she continued, “Hey Rattrap. Haven’t seen you in a while.”

Shrugging, Rattrap replied, “Same here. Feels like it has been a year or two.” As he said this, Munchy scrambled down the scrawny teen’s arm and onto the blanket as his owner replied, “I think Munchy is happy to see you too.” Watching the small rat make his way to her, Marble couldn’t help but giggle as she replied, “You know, when he’s not sneaking up on you, your little friend is quite adorable.”

Pastel then rose up and pulled Marble and Sideswipe into a tight hug as she exclaimed, “It’s so good to see you girls!” As she released them, the cerulean goth took their hands as she added, “Oh, I almost forgot. There’s someone I want to introduce you to.” She then presented her clear travel box, revealing that it housed a yellow and black hamster looking up at them. As the two girlfriends took the sight of the small rodent in, Pastel enthusiastically exclaimed, “Girls, this is Rosemary.”

Taking in the sight of Rosemary, Marble couldn’t help but squeal, “She’s so cute!” She turned to Sideswipe as she asked, “Isn’t she just so adorable that you want to hug her?” Straightening her vest, the pale biker replied, “I suppose. I mean, I’m not exactly a hamster kind of girl.” Nonetheless, she turned to Pastel as she added, “But Rosemary here is on the cuter side of them.”

Smiling, Pastel replied, “Thanks. I wanted to let the little girl out to stretch her legs but…” As she said this, the sound of barking and hissing caught everyone’s attention. Turning to see what it was, Marble found Sparkplug and Skimbles were staring each other down, both dog and cat clearly antagonizing each other. Seeing the two animals growl at each other, Marble couldn’t help but remark, “I can’t help but think that we should have expected this would happen.”

However, as Apple Bloom and Tender Taps prepared to intervene, Sparkplug and Skimbles suddenly calmed down and began to sniff each other. Once it was clear that the dog and cat had seemingly made peace with each other, the former farm girl remarked, “Phew. Ah was worried they’d try to tear each other apart.” Tender Taps, for his part, wiped his brow as he added, “Yeah. I’d hate to have to explain to Double Shuffle how Skimbles got hurt.” Everyone let out a good laugh at Tender’s remark.

At that moment, Rattrap asked, “Hey Marble, you not have a pet or somethin’?”

As everyone turned to face her, Marble let out a nervous gulp as she replied, “I… Uh…. I don’t have a pet.” For several moments, the rest of the group stared at the gray geologist, leading to her starting to turn pale as she asked, “Uh, that’s bad right?”

Sideswipe rested her hand on her girlfriend’s shoulder as she reassured her, “Of course not. Besides…” She leaned into Marble’s ear as she whispered, “Ironhide may say Sparkplug is a family pet, but let’s be honest, he and Apple Bloom are inseparable.” She then pointed to the former farm girl, who had been knocked onto her back as the small terrier stood on her chest, affectionately licking her face. Nudging her girlfriend, the pale biker tried to reassure Marble, “See? You aren’t the only one pet-less ‘round here.”

Rather than being comforted, Marble simply shrugged as she sighed, “I guess.” She then sat down as she apologized, “Sorry if that came out weird.” As Sideswipe sat down next to her girlfriend as she reassured her, “It’s alright.” As the two girls began to lean against each other, Marble asked, “You think I’d be good with a pet?” Thankfully, Sideswipe answered, “I think you’d be great. Maybe you’d need a little help at first, but you’d be great.”

Feeling her confidence get boosted, Marble smiled as she let out a gentle, “Thanks.” As the rest of their friends continued to play with their pets and catch up with each other, the gray geologist couldn’t help but think to herself, ‘Maybe I could ask Mr. Beachcomber about this.’

Allspark Wells Geology Museum, Early That Evening…

“See you tomorrow Sideswipe!” Marble called out as Sideswipe drove off into the horizon. Turning to make her way towards the museum’s front door as she wrapped her arms around herself in a self-hug while squealing, “I still can’t believe I have a such an awesome girlfriend!” Twirling around in joy, the gray geologist took a deep breath, as she looked up to the sign above the front door and thought to herself, ‘As much as that little pet playdate was kinda fun, it’s always good to be home.’

Entering the museum’s front foyer, the gray geologist couldn’t help feel comfortable at home. As much as she loved spending time with her sisters Maud, Limestone, and Pinkie, Marble always felt that she just didn’t belong on the Pie family’s rock farm. And once it became clear that her father, Igneous Rock Pie, refused to even try to understand her or connect with her, she took the first opportunity to get away from him by studying under the esteemed geologist Beachcomber.

And now here she was, living in Allspark Wells, living with a man who had proven himself to be the parent she always wanted and surrounded by friends she loved more than anything, with the possible exception of her sisters.

At that moment, Marble was distracted from her evaluation of her life by the sound of Beachcomber calling out, “Well now, look who’s back.” Turning to face her mentor and guardian, she found the blue skinned professor walking up to her as he asked, “You have fun with your friends?”

Marble gave her answer by hugging her mentor as she replied, “We did.” As Beachcomber hugged his protégé back, she asked, “Uh, Mr. Beachcomber? Can I ask something?” Nodding, Beachcomber replied, “Sure thing kiddo. What is it?”

Before Marble could ask her question, one of the museum’s other staff members, an orange man with red hair, ran up to the two and called out, “Mr. Beachcomber? We need your opinion on the rearrangement of the coal mining exhibit.” Turning to face his coworker, Beachcomber replied, “Alrighty then. I’ll go check up on it now.”

As for Marble, the gray girl began to pout in disappointment as she thought to herself, ‘Great. Just as I try to ask him, he get’s distracted.’ Thankfully, Beachcomber reassured her, “Come on Marble. You can tell me on the way there.” Upon hearing this, the young geologist thought to herself, ‘Ok, this is it. This is the moment. This is your chance. Just tell him already.’

Taking a deep breath, Marble said, “I was wondering if I could have a pet.”

The moment those words escaped her lips, Marble realized she’d acted impulsively and scrunched herself up in preparation for the inevitable rebuttal from Beachcomber. ‘Come on.’ She thought to herself. ‘You know he’s just gonna say something like “Don’t be ridiculous. You’re too dumb to take care a pet.” Just….’

To the gray geologist’s surprise, Beachcomber gently rested his hand on his protégé’s shoulder, rubbing her leather jacket as he replied, “So, I take it your friend’s pets made you a little jealous?” Pausing for a moment, Marble simply sighed as she replied, “A little.”

Motioning his head to the hallway leading to the coal mining exhibit, Beachcomber invited, “Walk with me a bit.” Caught off guard, Marble replied, “Uh, ok.” She then followed her mentor as he began his inspection.

The moment the two were in the coal mining exhibit, Beachcomber took a deep breath as he began, “Well then, I’ll go ahead and get right to the chase. I don’t think you’re quite ready for a pet.” Taking this in, Marble let out a sigh of resignation as she admitted, “I kinda figured you’d say that.” When the older geologist looked down to her, the gray girl covered her face and quickly apologized, “Sorry if that was too snippy, I didn’t mean to be mean.”

Thankfully, Beachcomber reassured his pupil, “Calm down kid. I’m not gonna go on some rampage like your old man.” As Marble took this in, the older man continued, “But, if I may be a bit honest, there are a few reasons why you can’t have a pet.”

Approaching a diorama depicting how plant matter is compressed in the ground, Beachcomber began, “Firstly, the museum board would never allow any animal other than a service dog on the premises.” Marble simply shrugged as she replied, “Guess that makes sense.” The older geologist continued, “Secondly, with you now in school and me busy with everything here, it would be pretty hard to give a dog or cat or even a fish the attention they’d need.” He then paused for a moment before he gave his final reason.

“And finally, I don’t think you’re ready for the responsibility.”

Marble found herself taken aback by his blunt answer. After a few moments, she asked, “What? I mean, what do you mean I’m not ready?” Once again, she quickly added, “I mean, I don’t wanna sound rude, I’d just like to know.”

Giving his protégé a reassuring smile, Beachcomber warmly praised her with, “Marble, I’m so proud of how much you’ve matured since you came here. I mean, you’ve made friends, you’re able to attend school without a panic attack, and you’ve been managing your Perceptor’s syndrome like a champ.” Feeling her heart soar at her mentor’s compliments, Marble found herself wrapping her mentor in a tight hug, one which he happily returned. After a few moments, she released him as she apologized, “Sorry about that.”

Thankfully, Beachcomber reassured her, “It’s ok.” He then rested his hand on his pupil’s shoulder as he finished, “Trust me, If it was either the museum’s policy or my trust with your maturity, I’d seriously consider a pet. But as it stands, I don’t think we’d be able to take a pet in.”

Smiling, Marble replied, “I understand. Thanks for, you know, explaining why.” Beachcomber, in turn, replied, “No problem. Now then, I better check out what the others wanted from this place, and I think you should get a little studying done.” Letting out a gentle sigh, the gray geologist nodded as she replied, “Ok. Thanks Mr. Beachcomber.” With that, Marble left for the elevator that would take her up to her and her mentor’s little apartment, all while Beachcomber remarked to himself, “Maybe I should have a word with the board about this.”

Downtown Allspark Wells, the Next Day…

Looking up to the sun as it’s light drenched Allspark Wells in a blanket of warmth and light, Marble straightened her jacket as she remarked, “Well isn’t this the perfect weather? Not too hot, and just cool enough that I don’t need to bundle up under a hundred layers.” Indeed, to the gray geologist, the slight chill that could only signal the beginning of autumn was the perfect temperature. Taking a deep breath, Marble looked back towards Sideswipe as she asked, “Wouldn’t you agree?”

Walking up to her girlfriend, Sideswipe tucked her hands into her vest as she replied, “I dunno. Maybe it’s just a little too cool for my tastes.” Hearing this, the gray geologist quipped, “Maybe you wouldn’t be so cold if you wore some sleeves every now and again.” Sideswipe simply chuckled as she pulled out her right hand as she reassured Marble, “It’s not that cold.”

Taking her girlfriend’s hand, Marble warmly said, “Thanks for coming.” Blushing, Sideswipe scratched the back of her neck as she asked, “For what?” The gray geologist brushed her long bangs out of her face as she answered, “For being the best girlfriend ever.” Smiling, Sideswipe replied, “I try my best.”

She then pulled Marble into a gentle kiss, one which the gray geologist was entirely happy to reciprocate.

Once they finished their kiss, Sideswipe asked, “So, since we have the day to ourselves, what would you like to do?” Marble paused for a moment, thinking to herself, ‘Hm… So many choices. There’s the arcade, there’s that little bookstore Apple Bloom told us about earlier, and then there’s that café, even if it’s a bit of a walk.’ After a few moments, the young geologist playfully replied, “I’m up for anything.”

Giving a cocky smirk, Sideswipe replied, “In that case, how about we grab a little snack?”

A Local Shop, A Few Minutes Later….

“Thank you sir.” Marble said as she handed the vendor a ten-dollar bill. The vendor, in turn handed the young girl two cups filled with pretzel bites as he replied, “You’re welcome young lady.” The gray geologist gave a gentle nod as she took the two cups and made her way back to Sideswipe, who was leaning against a lamp post.

Handing one of the cups of pretzel bites to her girlfriend, Marble happily said, “Here you go. On me.” As she accepted the snack, Sideswipe remarked, “You know I could have covered these, right?” Nodding, Marble answered, “I know, but I wanted to.” The pale biker couldn’t help but giggle as she replied, “In that case, here’s to us.”

As both girls ate out of their cups of pretzels, Marble asked, “So, how’s that chemistry teacher of yours?” Upon hearing this, Sideswipe groaned, “Ugh, you mean Mr. Windcharger? He’s the worst.” Picking one of her pretzel bites, the young biker continued, “He actually locked a girl out of the classroom because she was thirty seconds late. Like, he’s just a massive wanker!” Resting her arm around her girlfriend, Marble reassured her, “I’m sorry about him. Maybe one of these days he’ll get himself in trouble.”

At that moment, Sideswipe and Marble were caught off guard by the sound of something screaming. As the piercing scream rang in their ears, both girls wrapped their arms around each other as the gray girl asked, “What the hell was that?” Shaking her head, Sideswipe replied, “Hell if I know.”

As the two girls released each other, another scream, this one far more pained, rang out, forcing Marble to release her girlfriend and cover her ears. Once it stopped, the gray geologist remarked, “There’s something kinda familiar about that sound. It almost sounds like….” She was interrupted by the scream yet again, now almost sounding like a child crying. Hearing this, Marble turned to Sideswipe as she said, “I think it’s coming from up ahead. Come on!”

After a few minutes, both girls made it to the source of the screaming, an abandoned alley. Stepping into the alley, Marble called out, “Uh… Hello? Anyone here?” When no one spoke up, Sideswipe added, “We promise, we won’t hurt you.” Again, no one spoke up. Turning to her girlfriend, the pale biker asked, “You think we’re both going crazy?”

They received their answer in the form of yet another cry, this one betraying both pain and fear. Though Marble recoiled with just how piercing it was, she was able to figure out it was coming from behind a nearby dumpster. Pointing to the dumpster, she called out, “They’re over there. Come on!” As she and Sideswipe made it to the dumpster, both girls realized whatever was making the cries was behind the large green device. Tiptoeing up to the small crevice that separated the dumpster from the wall, Marble found herself caught completely off guard by the source of the noise.

There, lying on the ground and surrounded by discarded pieces of rope, was a large red parrot.

Indeed, the parrot that layed before them was a rather large bird, specifically big enough to require being held by both hands. It had an off-white upper beak, a black lower beak, black stripes that dripped down its face, and brilliant scarlet feathers throughout most of the body, save for the tips of its wings and tail, which were yellow and blue.

But what really caught Marble’s attention was the poor bird’s condition. the poor creature was visibly skinnier than a parrot it’s size should be, and with every breath, feathers fell off as if it was molting. All in all, the poor creature reminded the two girls of a starving dog left alone to the elements.

“Oh you poor thing.” Marble exclaimed as she knelt down to extend her hand to the large parrot. For several moments, the crimson bird sat there, not entirely sure it could trust the gray girl in front of her. As it tilted her head, Marble continued to reassure, “It’s ok. I’m not gonna hurt you.”

At that moment, an idea sprang into the gray geologist’s head. Pulling a pretzel bite out from her cup and offered it to the parrot. Initially, the large bird simply sniffed the delicious snack. However, after a few moments, it scooped up the pretzel bite in its beak and began to devour the morsel. Seeing this, Marble asked the bird, “Tasty, huh?”

Both she and Sideswipe were caught off guard by the parrot replying, “yummy.”

As the parrot finished the pretzel bite, Marble remarked, “Whoa. I know parrots can talk but I’ve never heard one answer me like that.” Sideswipe nodded as she replied, “I’ve read that some parrots can hold conversations, but I’ve never seen it in person.” The girls were interrupted from their conversation by the sound of the parrot’s voice calling out, “Thanks.”

Turning to face the red parrot, Marble asked incredulously, “Are you actually talking to me?” Walking up to the gray girl, the bird replied, “Thanks.” Taking this in, the gray girl found herself thinking, ‘Ok, I’m having a conversation with a parrot. I did not anticipate this happening today.’

Unfortunately, the entertaining mood was interrupted by the red bird letting out another cry, this one conveying the parrot’s pain and sorrow. Extending her hand, Marble asked, “Hey, you wanna come with us?” Hearing this, Sideswipe asked, “What are you doing? Didn’t you say something about Beachcomber not wanting you to have a pet?” Turning to her girlfriend, the gray girl explained, “This little fella is stuck here all on their own. At least we can get them somewhere they’ll be more comfortable.”

Shrugging, Sideswipe relented as she replied, “Alright. I guess we can give it a shot.” Marble pulled her girlfriend into a tight hug as she replied, “Thanks.”

Turning back to the parrot, Marble extended her hand as she offered, “Come on. Let’s get you out of here.” To her pleasant surprise, the red bird climbed onto her arm and perched itself on her shoulder. Smiling, the gray girl couldn’t help but playfully quip, “Look Sideswipe. I’m a pirate. Avast ye mateys.” Sideswipe couldn’t help but giggle and reply “Aye aye captain Marble. Let’s get our new friend back to the museum.

And so, Marble and Sideswipe began the trek back to the latter’s bike, all with their new feathery friend in tow.

Allspark Wells Geology Museum

Entering the museum, Sideswipe called out, “Hello? Mr. Beachcomber?” Marble immediately warned her girlfriend, “He’s not just gonna be out here in the front lobby. We’ll have to get to his office.” The gray girl was caught off guard by the sound of the parrot letting out an enthusiastic whistle right into her ear, forcing Marble to collapse to her knees as she groaned, “Ugh!”

As the young geologist fell to her knees, the red parrot flapped its wings as it glided down to the floor. Looking up to Marble, the bird asked, “Ok?” Once she recovered from the shock of the noise, the gray geologist asked, “Please don’t do that again, ok? It’s very rude.” The red parrot nodded its head and began to nuzzle against her knee, something Marble took as a sign of affection and a way of saying “yes.”

Extending her hand, Marble invited, “Come on.” The scarlet parrot let out an enthusiastic chirp as it climbed onto her arm and birched itself on her shoulder. Turning to her girlfriend, the gay geologist asked, “Now then, shall we?”

Before Sideswipe could say anything in response, both girls were interrupted by the sound of Beachcomber’s voice calling out, “Well now, I thought you two weren’t going to be back for a few more hours?” As Marble turned to face her mentor, she found the blue geologist walking up to her, his normally jovial expression slowly morphing into a confused and concerned scowl as he asked, “Uh, Marble? Why is there a macaw on your shoulder?”

Marble immediately began to fear that her mentor would lash out at her for “taking in a pet” when he explicitly told her not to. Deciding she’d rather avoid that fate, the gray girl took a deep breath as she explained, “Look, Sideswipe and I found this little guy behind a dumpster and they were crying out and we couldn’t just leave ‘em there.”

For a few moments, everyone stood there, wondering who was going to speak up first. Eventually, Beachcomber let out a sigh as he said, “Alright then. Would you girls please follow me?” With that, he led Marble and Sideswipe away, leaving both girls nervous as to what would happen next.

Beachcomber’s Apartment…

Kneeling next to the coffee table to look the red parrot in the eyes, Marble offered it a small cracker as she asked, “So, you hungry?” To her delight, the crimson bird snatched the cracker with its clawed foot and began to nibble on it. As Marble let out a gentle giggle, Sideswipe asked, “You sure parrots can eat crackers? I mean, I know the old saying “Polly want a cracker…””

“It’s just a little something to tide them over.” Marble gently interrupted. Turning to her girlfriend, she further explained, “Once their full, I’ll look up what macaws naturally eat. Hopefully, by then, Beachcomber will finish setting up an appointment with the vet.”

Taking this in, Sideswipe replied, “Ah. Ok, that sounds more like a plan.” She then began to giggle, leading Marble to ask, “What’s so funny?” Catching herself, the pale biker replied, “It’s just kinda cute how you’ve stepped up and taken the initiative with that little parrot.” Blushing, Marble replied, “Well, we couldn’t let them just die.” Turning back to the macaw, she continued, “And besides, its not everyday you find a parrot in the middle of nowhere.” Both girls turned to face the parrot, which was now finishing the cracker.

At that moment, Beachcomber entered the room and said, “Well now, I’ve got good news and bad news.” As he approached the red parrot, he continued, “Good news, I’ve managed to schedule an appointment with a bird expert not too far from here.” Marble immediately asked, “So what’s the bad news?” Sideswipe then asked, “A bird expert, who are they?”

Turning to the pale biker, Beachcomber answered, “She’s some woman by the name of Airazor.” He then turned to his protégé as he continued, “Bad news, she’s busy at the moment. Said something about back-to-back surgeries on some bald eagles. Sort of a once in a lifetime situation.” Finally turning to the red parrot, Beachcomber finished with, “She said that if our friend didn’t have any broken bones, then we can afford to wait until tomorrow morning.”

As Marble turned her attention to the scarlet macaw, she explained, “Well, they don’t seem to have any broken bones. However….” Pausing for a moment, the gray girl added, “I’m surprised they haven’t tried to fly yet. It’s almost like they can’t.”

Giving his protégé a small smile, Beachcomber reassured her, “Well, at any rate, I think you did a good job bringing them here.” Turning to her mentor, the gray girl replied, “Thanks. I just didn’t want to leave them to the elements.” As the two hugged, the older geologist reassured the young teen, “Don’t worry. We’ll take our new friend to this Airazor person tomorrow morning and get this whole thing all sorted out.”

Once they’d finished their hug, Beachcomber said, “Now then, I’ve got some things I need to get done downstairs, and I think you two better keep a good eye on our new friend.” Smiling, Marble reassured her mentor, “I think we can do that sir.” Sideswipe then replied, “Yeah. We’ve got this.” Satisfied, Beachcomber bade the girls farewell as he quipped, “Good luck kids.” With this, he left to resume his duties.

Once Beachcomber was gone, Marble turned to the scarlet macaw and reassured it, “I don’t what’ll happen next, but I promise to take care of you, at least for now.” The parrot let out an excited and enthusiastic squawk before it said, “Like you! Like you!” With that, the macaw began to affectionately nibble Marble’s nose, something the gray girl found both hilarious and somewhat adorable.

All while Sideswipe stood by and quipped to herself, “Looks like you might just find yourself with a pet after all.”

Author's Note:

Next Time; Marble and Beachcomber visit the illustrious Airazor, all while the gray girl finds that she and the scarlet macaw make quite the perfect pair.

Comments

[The FraudulentBrit]

11862168
In hindsight, I probably used the term a bit too much. Guess I should wait “a short while” in between each use of the term. 😏