Ride the Wind II: Justice Unbound
By SparklyTree3876
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Adventure/Romance
Pairing: Jesse/Nadine, Glen/Annie, Andros/Ashley, Zhane/Karone, Tommy/Kim (mentioned), Jason/Trini (mentioned), Billy/Kat (mentioned), TJ/Cassie (mentioned), Rocky/Aisha (mentioned), Adam/Tanya (mentioned), and Zack/Angela (mentioned)
Author's Notes: Hi, readers. I'd like to present another Power Rangers/Free Willy crossover and a sequel to "Ride the Wind." It is AU set four years after the previous fic and shows Jesse, Nadine, Elvis, Randolph, Andros, Ashley, Zhane, and Karone teaming up to investigate a young female orca named Lilli after they learn from Glen and Annie that she resembles Willy's daughter, Isabella, who disappeared ten months earlier. This is the first time I have written a sequel to any of my chaptered fics. The idea for this sequel came when I started thinking about the possibility a captive orca could be one of Willy's offspring due to resembling him or her. As a result, it was born. The crossover will begin in 2012 and will jump ahead to 2013. It is recommended you read "Ride the Wind" if you haven't. I hope you enjoy this crossover sequel. Constructive criticism is welcome.
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Chapter 1: Wonderful Morning Ruined
Clouds covered half the early morning sky above the San Juan Islands in early September. The sun came out from behind a large one. It shined down on the ocean, making it appear as if it were sparking. The last of the predawn mist was evaporating. A gentle wind went through the trees along the shoreline. This made their leaves rustle quietly. A bald eagle screeched while gliding effortlessly through the sky. It flapped its wings to gain altitude. It emitted another screech, this one being louder.
Three years had passed since Tommy, Kim, Heather, Jason, Trini, Benny, Billy, Kat, Olivia, Andros, Ashley, Zhane, and Karone came here for their camping trip and made friends with Jesse, Nadine, Randolph, Rae, and Willy. The Southern Resident orcas were still having problems with pollution, boat traffic, habitat degradation, and food shortage. They were dying faster than new calves could replace them. Six orcas had already died this year. This included J48, Riptide (J30), Raggedy (K40), and Victoria (L112). Victoria was found dead on Feb. 11, 2012 on the shoreline of Long Beach, Washington. A necropsy determined she died of blunt force trauma due to an unknown source. Victoria was born to Surprise (L86) in February 2009, J48 to Slick (J16) in December 2011, Riptide to Samish (J14) in 1996, and Raggedy to Kiska (K18) in 1963. A small glimmer of hope came when two calves were born within three months of each other. Her name was Joy (L119). She was the daughter of Matia (L77). She was born in May. His name was Tilem l'nges (J49). He was the son of Hy'shqa (J37), who was the daughter of Samish. He was born in August.
The eagle screeched once more. Another one came up beside it and looked at it. It emitted a screech to its companion, who responded in kind. It shifted its attention to the sky. Both eagles flapped their wings in almost perfect unison. They gained a bit of altitude. They screeched so loud that they sent an echo through the forest. Two white-tailed deer grazing close to the edge became annoyed. They ran off into the undergrowth while holding their tails high. Three others mimicked both of their actions.
The eagles looked down at the water. Just then, three orcas broke the surface. They let out loud bursts of air. They darted underwater quickly. Two more came up. Three others followed suit. They disappeared just as fast as their podmates had. An orca spyhopped. It squealed playfully. Another one mimicked both of its actions. Both orcas slipped underwater. Another leapt into the air. It landed on its stomach with two huge splashes.
An orca surfaced with a large salmon in its mouth. It moved its head from side to side. It darted underwater and turned upside down toward the surface. It leapt backward while throwing the salmon into the air. The salmon landed in the water a short distance away as the orca hit the water on its back and created two huge splashes. It swam underwater toward its sinking prize. It grabbed the salmon. It went to the surface, throwing the salmon upward. The salmon landed in water.
The orca swam to the salmon as it sank underwater. It squeaked delightfully, as it caught its catch in its mouth. It didn't swallow it. It surfaced, letting out a loud burst of air. It shook the salmon from side to side. It slipped beneath the surface. It went downward. It headed upward, bubbles leaving its blowhole. It spyhopped. The salmon fell from its mouth, landing beside it in the water. It ducked underwater to grab it once more. It decided it was tired of playing with its catch. It swallowed the salmon.
An orca came up with a medium-sized salmon in its mouth. It moved its head up and down three times. It repeated its action from side to side twice. Another orca surfaced beside it and grabbed the salmon. It began tugging on its podmate's catch. The other orca pulled back a little harder. The salmon started splitting apart in the middle. The first orca tightened its grip on it. The second orca did the same.
Both orcas pulled on the salmon even harder. Determined squeaks left their blowholes. The salmon came apart. They looked at each other. They chattered in much amusement. They swallowed their pieces before folding their tongues. The first orca moved closer to the second one. It nuzzled its podmate very affectionately. The other orca responded in kind. They headed underwater, slapping their tails on the surface.
Unbeknownst to the pod, a boat captain was watching it through binoculars on his cabin roof not far from it. So was another crewmember at the bow. The first mate had his hands on the steering wheel. Two smaller boats were nearby. The captain adjusted his binoculars a bit. He could see an orca throwing a stick around. He spotted another one with a rock in its mouth. He chuckled as he took them off his eyes.
"Those orcas may be having fun now, but they won't be in a second," the captain said and laid his binoculars aside. "Start the engine now."
"Yes, sir!" the first mate responded and did just that. He looked toward two young men in the other boats. "Start your engines now."
The first man saluted him. "You got it!"
The second man nodded at him. "That's right."
The men started the boat engines. The larger boat began going toward the orcas. The smaller boats followed close behind. The captain rubbed his hands together. He formed a big smile on his face.
"This is going to be fun," the captain said and clapped twice.
"It sure will, sir," the first mate agreed. "We will be paid handsomely for this."
"I get the most money because I am the captain," the captain pointed out matter-of-factly.
"You deserve it," the first mate commented with pride. "Yep, yep, yep, yep, yep, yep."
"You watch The Land Before Time too much," the captain grumbled in some annoyance.
"What can I say? I've loved that movie since I was a small boy," the first mate said and moved his eyebrows up and down. "Ducky is my favorite character."
The boat engines caught the orcas' attention. They looked toward them and squealed alarmingly. Some older ones had been through captures and had seen podmates hauled away. They remembered the loud explosions that ripped through the water in an attempt to get them to go in a certain direction. They recalled crying to their podmates as they were taken away.
Four orcas emitted loud squeals and swam off in another direction. This tactic was well known to old capture boats. One or more orcas would act as a diversion in an attempt to help their podmates escape. The men were undeterred. They sped up their boats. They drove the pod toward shore steadily. The captain looked toward a middle-aged man at the stern and a young one in the first small boat.
"Release the net now!" the captain ordered sharply.
"Yes, sir!" the middle-aged man replied and did just that.
"Here we go," the young man said and clapped three times as the net hit the water. He took hold of it. "Whoohoo!"
The orcas squeaked with panic as the net started to encircle them. Six managed to slip through it, but the others weren't able to. The men drove them closer to shore. Three orcas rushed at the net, but they turned away at the last second. Two others spyhopped, getting a glimpse of their podmates that had escaped. They slipped underwater. The captain smirked as he and his crew continued encircling them.
"You're not getting away, pretty things," the captain whispered maliciously. "You are ours."
The first mate chuckled. "Oh, yeah."
The boats finished with the net. Four orcas surfaced close to it while letting out frightened cries. They headed underwater. Men in the second small boat hit the water with sticks to herd the pod toward the center. The orcas could only watch as the captain started talking with the first mate.