The next morning, Dory, Hank, and Bailey woke up and continued their journey. They were now 30 miles away from Alaska, but Hank felt they were lost.
“I think we’re lost.” He said.
“Maybe we should check the compass!” Said Dory.
“What use?” Asked Hank. “It’ll only point North!”
“Hey, guys!” Said Bailey. “Maybe I could use my echolocation to find Alaska! Ooooooohhhh! I see something, but it’s not an island. I think it’s a fish! Maybe he could help us!”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Said Hank. “What if it’s a predator? It’s a known fact that whales swallow dolphins by accident.”
“Well, I know how to speak whale!” Claimed Dory. “Whoooooo’s theeeeeere?” The ‘fish’ then started shrieking. “Wait, I know that! That’s orca-ish! That’s an orca!” Hank then put a tentacle on Dory’s mouth.
“Want to know another name for orca?” Hank asked. “Killer whale. That means it could kill us!”
“What is it with men and asking for directions?” Dory asked herself. “You have to trust me. That’s what friends do.” Hank then remembered when they drove the truck off the cliff.
“Alright.” Said Hank. “But don’t come crying to me when it tries grinding you up with it’s teeth.”
“Here goes.” Said Dory, who started speaking whale. “Weeeeee neeeeeed to goooooo to Alaskaaaaaa! Dooooo yoooooou knooooooow any directioooooons?” The orca then swam closer to the trio.
“Thaaaaaat’s the riiiiiiight waaaaaaay!” Dory continued. “See, I told you he wouldn’t eat us.”
“I’ll give you one minute before I say ‘I told you so’.” Said Hank.
“Coooooome clooooseeeeer!” Said Dory, and the orca appeared right behind her and Hank.
“Dory! Hank!” Shouted Bailey. “Look out!” And the orca opened its mouth and swallowed the fish and octopus whole. Hank managed to escape by squeezing himself out of the orca’s blowhole, but Dory was still trapped.
“It’s okay, guys!” Said Dory. “I can find a way out. I can speak whale.”
“I’m not gonna lose my friend to some monochrome dolphin!” Shouted Bailey, whose nasal accent finally subsided. “Get my friend out of your gut!” He then started ramming into the orca, who retaliated by biting his face, leaving large bite marks. Bailey then headed for the back and smacked the orca with his tail, making it spit Dory out. Hank then swam to the orca’s face and squirted ink at him, making him swim off.
“Did it get colder, or is it just me?” Asked Dory.
“Come to think of it,” Hank started. “I’m getting cold, too. We must be getting closer.”
“You guys don’t look so good.” Said Bailey. “Perhaps I was better off at the Marine Life Institute.”
“No, Barney.” Dory said weakly. “You’re almost home.”
“No!” Said Bailey. “I don’t want you to die! I’ll carry you in my mouth, if I have to!”
“No more mouths!” Said Hank, grabbing Dory with his tentacles. “I’ll just wrap myself around your neck like a scarf.” Hank then wrapped himself around Bailey’s neck, letting go of the compass in the process. “Don’t worry about us. Just continue heading North. Use your echolocation.”
“Alright!” Said Bailey, placing his pectoral fins on his head. “Ooooooooh! I see something! That must be Alaska!”
“Go.” Hank said weakly. “Your destiny awaits.” Bailey swam as fast as he could to the Glacier Park wildlife reserve.
———————————
Back at the sunken ship, Destiny was with CAG. She was on Step 5 of her recovery process: Bring a fish friend. She decided to bring Nemo, who’s been in Mr. Ray’s school for more than a year, but hasn’t seen a single shark. Marlin was hesitant at first, but after learning that Destiny was trained to eat krill instead of other fish, he reluctantly let Destiny take Nemo to the sharks, since Marlin knew them personally.
“This is amazing, Destiny!” Nemo told the whale shark. “I’ve never seen a shark before! Is this the same one my dad fought?”
“Destiny!” Said Bruce. “You remembered! All right, everyone! Today is Step 5, bring a fish friend. Everyone got their friends?”
“Got mine.” Said Anchor, lifting his right pectoral fin to reveal a plump blue cross-eyed fish. “He can’t talk, so I’m going to call him Gubbles.”
“Got mine.” Said Chum, turning to his side to reveal a remora attached. “And I didn’t eat her this time! Her name is Erica.”
“Got mine.” Said Murray, with a greenback horse mackerel next to him. “His name is Eben.”
“And I’ve got mine.” Said Bruce, lifting his right pectoral fin to reveal a cardinalfish. “His name is Kevin. Now it’s your turn, Destiny!”
“Got mine!” Said Destiny, showing off Nemo. “His name is Nemo, and his father knows you and Dory!”
“Really?!” Anchor asked with excitement. “You’re the one who was captured by humans and taken halfway across the ocean?”
“Yep.” Nemo replied stoically.
“It’s great to know that a father still has his son.” Bruce sobbed. “I never knew my father!” Nemo noticed that all the other fish, except for Erica, were rather nervous.
“How come you’re not scared?” He asked the remora.
“I’m a remora, also known as a suckerfish.” Replied Erica. “I’m not scared of sharks because my kind lives with them. We remoras stick ourselves to the likes of sharks, stingrays, turtles, and even whales, and eat parasites that are harmful to our hosts. I used to live on a leatherback sea turtle far away from here, but Chum here found me, and he’s my new host!”
“And I’m proud of it!” Said Chum.
“So you won’t eat us?” Asked Kevin.
“Of course, not!” Said Bruce. “Fish are friends, not food!”
“Then what do you eat?” Asked Eben.
“I eat seaweed.” Replied Anchor.
“Murray and I eat clams.” Replied Chum. “He helps open the shells.”
“And I like to eat seagulls.” Replied Bruce. “You think dolphins are annoying? Try listening to a seagull! All they say is ‘Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine!’ It drives me nuts! That’s why seagulls are better food than friends.”
“And I eat krill!” Replied Destiny. She then looked at Gubbles. “What’s wrong with Gubbles?”
“He has special needs.” Answered Anchor.
“So, Nemo.” Said Bruce. “You say you were taken halfway across the ocean and ended up with humans?”
“That’s right.” Replied the clownfish.
“Tell us the story!” Demanded Chum. “I love stories.”
“No!” Shouted Anchor.
“That’s right.” Said Nemo. “When I hatched, I had a bad fin, see?” He wiggled his ‘lucky fin’. “Dad told me that the ocean wasn’t safe, so we never ventured beyond the reef. On my first day at school, my classmates urged me to touch something called a ‘butt’. I hesitated at first, but after getting in a fight with dad, I touched it myself, but got caught by this large creature called a dentist!” The other fish just looked at Nemo in awe as he told his story.
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| Nurse shark with remoras attending |
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