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Swimming past your sight, two blurs dart back and forth, one black chasing the other blue-yellow. She is yelling in playful threats toward the Blue, warning him about what she will do once she caught him. The Blue didn't speak back, wisely keeping out of her outreached fins. Eventually, the Damselfish slowed down in weariness, and finally gave up, drifting onto coral and trying to take a breath. The Blue returned to her, barely out of breath, a smirk on his face.
"I give up," Dot mutters. She isn't definitely built for speed.
"Sorry that I'm too fast for you, Dot," JC says, taking a brisk spin around her.
"Yeah, yeah . . ." She peers around, spots you, and raises her eye ridges. "Hey . . . it's the Disclaimer time again!"
"Already?" JC's face then seems to change before her eyes, from the serene look into an unusual grimace of slight disappointment. He tries his best to hide it. "Well, it's your turn, Dot."
She doesn't like the way he looks. She nudges him, now truly concerned. "What's up with that frown on your cute face, man?"
"Nothing."
"Oh?" Dot eyes him for a moment, then understanding dawns in her golden eyes. "Oh! Isn't that because this chapter introduces Dory? You want to introduce her instead of me? Awww . . . !" She claps her fins in excitement.
The disappointment changes back into mild annoyance as JC watches his friend leaping in merriness. "Why are you implying that since she and I are same species, we would make a cute couple? I doubt I can spark up a conversation with her."
She stares at him like it is obvious. "She's a cutie, perfect for you, cutie!"
JC looks like he wants to argue, and then a tricky thought comes to his mind. He then smirks dangerously, a perfect imitation of Bruce's 'Hello' grin. "Oh, yeah? Well, if my knowledge isn't mistaken, in some human cultures, humans do mate with their cousins. If it's true in fish cultures, Damselfishes and Clownfishes are cousins, so you, a Damselfish, would mate a Clownfish." The Damselfish fixes an incredulous gaze at him. "How do you like those sea apples, Mrs. Marlin?"
" . . . Vous pensez que vous ĂȘtes ainsi - !" Dot bites her words and bitterly frowns, crossing her fins. "I hate it when you ruin all the happiness."
"I know."
She then smiles. "Marlin is a cutie, although . . ."
The Blue covers his face in tolerated agony. "Just . . . finish the disclaimer, Dot, please."
"Monsieur Jalousie," Dot grins, wagging her tail at the confused JC and faces you, now frowning with displeasure. "Now, as you already know, Debbie doesn't own 'Finding Nemo'. Nothing of it. Okay?" She then hisses to JC, "Sometimes, I swear that the readers have the same short-term memory loss Dory has."
JC watches her departing, and then turns to meet your gaze. A defensive expression comes past his face. "What? Don't look at me, humans. I'm only a Muse. Um, go ahead and read. Please? I'm just leaving . . . " Sweatdropping, he hurries out of your sight.
Chapter Two: Natural Blue and Friendly Sharks
But he wasn't gonna give up! Not this time! He'd admitted to himself that his mistake of picking a home caused him to lose his Coral, but he wasn't going to give up like that on Nemo. He can't. Not when he heard those distressful words from his own son - 'I hate you'. He was determined to find the reason of the words, why, all of a sudden, Nemo would hate him. He wanted to know, and he wanted to find Nemo and eased this trouble between them.
Marlin dove back into the water, looking around. There must be something that he could find that might aid him finding the boat - There! A large school glided silently on a current. One of those fishes must've seen the boat! He hurried toward it, pleading, "Have anybody seen a boat?" When no one paid him any attention, Marlin grew distressed. Why can't they understand? Why can't they just give him a bit of aid? That's all he asked! "Please! A white boat! They took my son!" Again and again, they shoved him out of the way and swam on. He became frustrated, keeping on asking for help, getting nothing. Why didn't they listen? He began to feel lost and upset, not knowing what to do. The only way that he could find the boat again was to find someone who have seen the boat and showed him the way. That's all! And those fishes won't listen! What can he do?
"Look out!"
Startled, Marlin whirled at the distant voice. He couldn't see anything at this moment but an alarmed face with bright blue scales crashing right into him. Aching pain burst in his body and the force sent him tumbling onto the sand bed. The pain mingled into his despair, drying his throat and pushing out heavy sobs. This was hopeless. No one will help and - and - and - oh! What will he do? The manic, worried thoughts kept him occupied, muttering, and he barely heard the same voice that crashed into him trying to soothe him.
"There, there. It's alright. It'll be Ok."
Marlin's determination broke through and he shook his head. "No, it's not okay." He recalled the frightened face of his son and he can't let him down. "They took my son. I have to find the boat!"
He could've darted off if the voice behind him didn't said, "A boat? Hey, I've seen a boat!"
Marlin's eyes widened and he turned to it, questioning, "You have?" He finally took notice of the voice of the fish. He recognized her as one of the Regal Blue Tangs. Clearly, she was the one who bumped into him. Her black-marked bright blue scales were luminous, and her tail and side fins were bright yellow. Her body was twice as big as his, but instead of his round shape, she was flat and narrow, perfectly built for speed. Marlin tensed a bit, knowing that Regal Blue Tangs were known to be aggressive, not afraid to swim in open waters despite their bright coloring, because they had stingers inside their tails, enough to paralyze a fish twice their size.
But this young Regal Blue seemed to be friendly enough, beaming merrily, her scarlet eyes sparkling.
She was nodding at Marlin's question. "It passed by not too long time ago."
"A white one?"
She then held up her right fin. "Hi, I'm Dory."
He ignored the greeting, persuading, "Where? Which way?" He didn't mean to be rude, but each minute waiting increased the distance between him and Nemo. He can't afford listening to needless chattering.
Dory glanced at where he assumed she's seen the boat. "It went this way. It went this way." She then beckoned him. "C'mon, follow me!"
"Oh, thank you! Thank you so much!" Marlin's despair finally broke down by the new hope. Finally, someone was helping him out! Sooner or later, he will find his son! As she led him between the coral and the empty sand bed, Marlin noticed the surroundings at last and became troubled. It was oddly empty, even for a busy current. The waters seemed darker than before, and he only hoped that it was because of the coming twilight. He hoped the dimness was enough to cover his coloring, but he then thought he could be okay. Even though it was empty, there was no hint of a possible ambush. It was too open to allow that. Besides, Dory didn't look troubled of the emptiness at all. Ok, he should be fine . . .
Marlin looked back to Dory, who was swimming in front. He was surprised to see that she was now swimming casually, even musing, instead of the straightforward swim. Slowing down, Dory began to sway in a relaxing motion, smiling and humming to herself. He confusedly watched in a moment, then again was surprised when she merely glanced at him and quickly swam forward. Like she was seeing him for the first time. Huh? What was going on with her? Suddenly, she darted off to her right.
He paused, and then chased after her, thinking that she might have noticed the boat turning into a different direction. But . . . he doubted that because she wasn't acting like she was really leading him. It was like . . . like she was trying to lose him! She sped through coral holes, hid behind beds, and stopping on a speck and sharply turning another way. Marlin would've chose to stop there and let her swim off if she was offended, but he's lost his son and he wasn't giving up right now just because of this crazy female trying to escape. If this Blue did say she did see the boat and know where it went, he will stay on her tail, wherever she will like it or not!
Abruptly, Dory wheeled around at him and sharply said, "Will you quit it?"
Marlin froze in surprise. "What?"
Her friendly expression was changed into a defensive, displeased visage, her dorsal fin and tail bristling in threat. "I'm trying to swim here. Ocean not big enough for you?" She sure acted tough that almost alarmed the small Clownfish, circling him. "You have a problem, buddy?"
"Wait a minute . . ." He didn't mean to get on her bad side.
"Stop following me, okay?"
. . . Stop following you? "But you were showing me where the boat went," he timidly said.
The tough frown abruptly changed back into the bright gaze. "A boat? Hey, I've seen a boat!" She thought for a moment, and then looked toward the same direction they were going. "It passed by not too long ago. It went this way. It went this way. Follow me."
The Clownfish was speechless. Wait . . . those were the exact words she said just several minutes ago! He sped forward and stopped her. His frustration caused the Blue to cower in bafflement as he said, "You already showed me where the boat was going!"
"I did . . . ?" Dory murmured, and then awkward realization dawned. "Oh, no . . ."
"If it's your idea of a prank, it's not funny," Marlin fumed. "And I know funny! I'm a Clownfish."
She looked sincerely apologetic as she admitted, "No, it's not. I know it's not. I'm sorry." She then smiled a bit uncomfortably. "You see, I suffer from short-term memory loss."
He gawked at her honest face. "Short-term memory loss." At her nod, he snorted and turned fin. "I don't believe this." How ridiculous! Short-term memory loss? Oh, yeah? The next thing, a shark will tell him that he's given up on eating fish. Psh, yeah, right!
"No, no, it's true." Dory halted him from swimming off. "I forget things almost instantly. It runs in my family . . . " The grin faded and she lightly tapped her fins together in mild confusion. "A-at least, I think it does." Marlin grimaced as she attempted to remember. It was like watching a rock trying to move. "Hmm, where are they?" For long moments, she tried to recall anything, then he could see the remembrance draining away so fast that not even she noticed it. She seemed to see him, once again for the first time, and beamed helpfully. "Can I help you?"
Poor kid. This is sad. "Something's wrong with you. Really," Marlin mused. He wasn't happy about the turn of events. He followed this forgetful - correction - extremely forgetful fish for awhile and he might've lost the path of the boat. He couldn't even remember which direction it went. And now thanks to her, he lost all sense of direction in these open, dark waters. He stated that to her. "You're wasting my time. I have to find my son." Just then, as he began to swim off, he was stopped by one of the most fearful predators.
A Great White Shark.
He was grinning.
Slowly.
Six rows of lethal-sharp fangs sparkled in the dimness.
"Hello," the Shark cheerfully said.
The grin was truly unforgettable. You would always remember it, especially at three o' clock in the morning, just before you wake screaming in mortal terror.
It wasn't his lucky day. First, he lost his son, misled by an absent Blue and . . . and now a Shark was saying hello in a cheerful expression that was even more disturbing. He didn't move, too scared to escape from the hypnotizing fangs. The Shark was gigantic, but can be speedy when he had to. He can catch a Clownfish, no problem, and there was no safety around here for Marlin. He was vulnerable.
"Well, hi!" Dory greeted back, swimming to his side.
The Great White held out his large fin to the small fishes. "Name's Bruce."
Marlin cowered, startled at the sudden movements, as Dory backed up, looking a bit uncertain if she should shake fins with a Shark.
The Shark, Bruce, quickly drifted backward, bowing his head. "That's alright. I understand. Why trust a shark, right?" He merely turned fin and glided for a few feet, then . . . Marlin couldn't see him moving. First, he remembered he saw the Shark's tail in front, stating that he was leaving, then a wall of hundreds of fangs appeared before his eyes.
Whiteness wickedly winked at him.
Marlin darted to hide behind Dory, too scared to recall that he was endangering her life by doing that. She was surprised, too, but not frightened, mildly floating, as Bruce then gave out a bellyful of laughter. He sounded kinda nice and gleeful, not frightening or looming. Even his eyes weren't all black, which was usual for all the sharks. Instead, his eyes were all white with black pupils, showing awareness, not the hungry insanity that the sharks had. He floated down to lay on his stomach on the sand bed and gazed at the fishes with eager black eyes. "So . . . What's a couple of bites like you doing out so late, eh?"
Still grinning! Goodness, what big teeth . . .
"We're not doing anything," Marlin muttered, peeking out from behind Dory. "We're not even out."
"Greeeeat! How would you morsels like to come to a little get-together I'm having?"
"You mean, like a party?" Dory's eyes brightened.
"Yeah, right, a party." Bruce chuckled heartily. "What do you say?"
"Oh, I love parties!" She grinned to Marlin. "That sounds fun!"
Marlin gingerly inched back. A party with a shark? A dinner party, more likely, with him and the Blue as the appetizers. He didn't favor that. He mumbled nervously, hoping that the Shark got the hint, "Parties are fun and it's tempting, but - "
The Great White held him back with his fin. "Oh, come on, I insist."
He then swam off to somewhere that Marlin was sure that might be dangerous or dark or even occupied with hungry Sharks. Marlin tried not to think too much on that. He had to watch his whereabouts so he could find a way to quietly leave without the Shark noticing. He knew how to leave, but he then was worried about Dory. He was a bit tempted to leave her behind, but it was absurd for him to do that when the Blue was forgetful and was already making friends with the Shark. He already felt paternal protection over her, and he was concerned at how he could convince her to leave before she forgets anything.
He noticed the waters were getting darker and it wasn't because of the twilight. Marlin again shivered at the eerie sight of a sunken Submarine in the middle of a field. He heard about this place from his friends and parents. There was a terrible fight between Divers that swam inside these odd-looking structures, which were called Submarines. One of the Submarines sunk due to a hole it received from an explosion. No one had lived there anymore because the sunken machine destroyed a part of the Reef, making it nearly impossible to survive except for plankton. But he didn't recognize those weird orbs that floated in the waters, held down by chains into the sand bed.
The sight of the Submarine and the orbs weren't exactly cheerful. There was no sound except the quiet whispers of the currents and the flapping of the Shark's fins. The dimness darkened everything, even Dory's blue scales. It was so quiet, so silent. Marlin felt the tense shivers coming up his spine again.
Dory appeared untroubled about it, instead looking excitedly at the orbs. "Hey, look, balloons. It's a party."
Bruce laughed. "Mind your distance, though. Those balloons can be dodgy. You wouldn't want one of them to pop." As he slowed down at the Submarine, he then called, "Anchor! Chum!"
Oh, no . . . more Sharks?
Marlin peered down to the gigantic hole that was big enough to fit Bruce as he swam closer. Sure enough, there were two Sharks circling each other and glancing up. One was a Hammerhead, his eyes sharp and impatient. His scales were much darker grey than Bruce, almost invisible in the dark waters. Beside him, a Mako was fidgeting as if he was frustrated with something. Although he was small for a Mako, his wild eyes and sly grin were enough to reveal his toughness. There was even a fishing hook in his nose!
"There you are, Bruce," the Hammerhead said, rolling his eyes. "Finally!"
"We got company," Bruce cheerfully said, not noticing the impatience.
"It's about time, mate," the Hammerhead muttered, trying to hold down the restless Mako. Oh, look at his fangs!
"We've already through the snacks and I'm still starving," the Mako snapped. Marlin blinked at the countless fangs.
"We almost had a feeding frenzy."
"C'mon, let's use get this over with."
Fangs! Marlin slapped his fins over his eyes, waiting for the fangs to chomp on him.
A bell rang.
Marlin peered through and was surprised to see Bruce drifting behind some kind of podium and the other Sharks waiting before him, looking expectant. Looking around, he found himself and Dory resting comfortably between the Sharks. He was perplexed. What was going on here?
"Right, then," Bruce was saying and he sounded official. "The meeting has officially come to order. Let us all say the pledge." All the Sharks raised their right fin and . . . appeared to say the pledge, apparently. Bruce was elated, and the Hammerhead, Anchor, sounded more enthusiastic than Chum, the Mako.
'I'm a nice shark, not a mindless eating machine.
'If I'm to change this image, I must first change myself.
'Fishes are friends, not food.'
The Clownfish resisted an urge to laugh in disbelief. Vegetarian Sharks? It would be a day!
"Except stinkin' dolphins!" Anchor protested.
"Dolphins, oh, yeah," Chum agreed. "They think they are cute." He then went into the typical dolphin position - dancing on his tail. His voice rose shrilly in pitch as he mocked, "'Look at me, I'm a flippin' dolphin. Let me flip for you, ain't I something?'" Anchor snickered with amusing disdain as Dory laughed delightfully.
"Alright," Bruce said, stopping Chum's show. "Today's meeting is Step Five. Bring a Fish Friend." He looked hopefully to the Sharks. "Do you all have your friends?"
"Got mine," Anchor answered with pride. He raised a fin and Marlin regarded a fish smaller than him, all green and eyes, whimpering and shivering even more violently than the Clownfish. Marlin felt sorry for him.
"Hey, there!" Dory waved.
"How 'bout you, Chum?" Bruce asked.
Chum seemed to hesitate, glancing around his body and finding no other fish. "Oh, um, I . . . seem to have misplaced my . . . friend."
Marlin gasped at the sudden appearance of a fish skeleton popping out from Chum's mouth. Guiltily, Chum then sucked the bones in before anybody else noticed. Marlin didn't feel safe at all. Especially around that Mako.
"That's alright, Chum," Bruce understood. "I had a feeling that this would be a difficult step. You can help yourself to one of my friends."
"Thanks, mate." Chum placed his fin around Marlin and patted him affectionately. "A little chum for Chum, eh?"
Eh, Marlin thought.
"Alright, I will start the testimonies," Bruce began. "Hello. My name is Bruce."
"Hello, Bruce," the Sharks responded in unison.
"It's been three weeks since my last fish, on my honor or may I be chopped and made into soup."
The Sharks and Dory clapped, impressed. "You're an inspiration!" Chum stated.
Marlin gazed around worriedly underneath the Mako's fin. He couldn't see any other escape but the hole in which Bruce had escorted the fishes. He could be very happy to leave right away, like the green, scared fish that just departed with a hurry that envied Marlin. None of the Sharks noticed it leaving. He knew that he can't leave right now, not when the Sharks could see him doing that. He wouldn't like to offend the Sharks, but . . . he needed to find his son. The longer he stayed, the farther he got from his son. Maybe the Sharks would understand that and let him go . . .
"Alright, who's next?" Bruce questioned the audience.
"Oh, pick me, pick me," said the voice of Dory, waving her fin in excitement.
"Yes, the little Sheila over there," Bruce chuckled. "Come over here."
As Dory swam up to the podium, Marlin watched her with mixed concern and distress. Oh, Dory . . . I can't leave her right here with the Sharks. I can't let them eat her after the meeting, no matter how friendly and devoted they are to this 'fishes are friends, not food' motto.
"Hi! I'm Dory!" she voiced modestly.
"Hello, Dory," the Sharks again said in unison.
"And, um . . ." She paused, simpering in bewilderment. "I don't think I've eaten a fish before."
The Sharks stared at her in surprise, didn't realize that a fish would say that. Chum, thinking quickly, clapped. "That's incredible!"
"Good on you, mate," Bruce agreed.
Dory wiped her forehead. "Whew, I'm glad I got that off my chest."
"Alright, who's next?" Marlin tried not to catch Bruce's eye, but the Great White then grinned at him. "How about you, mate? What's your problem?"
Marlin darted out from under Chum's fin, but stopped there. "Me?" He felt a bit undignified at that. "I don't have a problem."
"Oh, ok . . ." Bruce shrugged as Chum and Anchor shook their heads at each other. Suddenly, the trio said one word in perfect unison:
"Denial!"
Bruce gave the Clownfish a little shove, sending him tumbling up to the podium. "Just tell your name."
He trembled, but tried to calm down. After all, the Sharks did seem friendly enough not to eat him, and they weren't trying to hint that they were hungry. Maybe if he would get on their good side, the Sharks would let him go right away once they heard about his lost son. Hopefully, they would understand. Taking a nervous breath, Marlin waved hello. "Ok, uh, hello. My name is Marlin. I'm a Clownfish."
At the name, the Sharks seemed to brighten up. Chum was even grinning like a young pup. "A Clownfish, really?"
"Tell us a joke," Bruce was eager to hear as the gang inched closer.
"I love jokes!" the Mako added.
Okay, there were three sharks in front of him, grinning, showing rows and rows of fangs, and they asked him for a joke. Marlin wouldn't let them down. He chuckled worriedly and gulped. "I actually do know one that's pretty good. There was this mollusk and he walks up to a sea cucumber. Normally, they don't talk, sea cucumbers, but in a joke, everybody talks . . . " He tried to ignore that the Sharks' interested expressions were slackening a bit. Only Dory showed full attention, hanging on each word with interest. "So the mollusk says to the cucumber . . . "
He halted there, had glanced upward. Something familiar had caught his attention. It was hard to see in the dimness, but it was there. The mask wore by one of the Divers. It was hanging up there, held up by a strap on a broken pipe. An image came in his mind - A diver catching his son in a net. His son calling out for him.
"Nemo!" Marlin gasped, darting toward the mask. He can't believe it! There was something that could help him find his son!
Below, the Sharks quietly watched him in distraction as Chum laughed at the half-formed joke. "Nemo! Hahah! Nemo . . . ! I don't get it."
Bruce whispered out from the corners of his lips, "For a Clownfish, he's not that funny."
Marlin overheard them and said, "No, no, he's my son. He was taken by divers."
"Oh, my, you poor fish, " Dory said, following him.
Chum snorted and mumbled, "Humans, think they own everything."
"Probably American," Anchor agreed.
"Now, now, " Bruce defended to the Sharks, "There's a father - looking for his son."
Marlin finally approached the mask. It was larger than him and Dory combined. He searched for any clue of Nemo's whereabouts, but he only found strange markings on the green strap. "What do those markings mean?" He then heard weeping from Bruce who was remorseful that he's never known his father. He tried to ignore the friendly hugs the other Sharks gave. He never thought he could see a Shark hugging. Staring hard at the markings, Marlin then realized that the markings had to be some written language of the Divers. Unfortunately, he didn't know how to read it. "I can't read human," he told Dory.
Dory dove under the mask and caught the strap upon her back. "Then we gotta find a fish who can read. Oh, look, sharks!"
"No, Dory!" Marlin tried to stop her from asking the Sharks for literacy by grabbing on the mask. He only meant to stop her and make her listen. He didn't mean to yank it hard to upset her.
"Hey, that's mine!" she said, holding on the mask, pulling it into a tug-of-war. "Give it back!"
Marlin frowned at that and tried to pull it harder, but the strap slid out from his hold. The strap snapped back into Dory's face. He heard something creaking and a startled yell from Dory. She covered her nose, whimpering in pain. "Oh, I'm sorry! Are you okay?"
Dory rubbed her tender nose. "You really clocked me there. Am I bleeding?"
Marlin could see a faint trickle of blood drifting from her nose. He didn't pay attention to it, instead calming the Blue and checking her nose. What he didn't see was that Bruce was right behind them, has been watching everything. He asked in concern, "Dory, are you o . . ." The blood trickled into Bruce's nostril. Smelling the familiar rust taste, Bruce involuntarily sniffed it all. Great bliss surged into him and something snapped in his brain. The instant of hunting, eating, and tasting blood filled his head, filling him with strength and almost endless hunger. His aware eyes shifted back into the insane blackness, piercing and shiny. "Ooooo . . . that's good . . . "
Chum and Anchor, watching the change, tensed all of a sudden. They turned to each other and screamed, "INTERVENTION!"
Startled, Marlin and Dory looked up as the Sharks leaped to grab on Bruce's fins and pushed him back on the wall. Bruce was baring his fangs in hunger, struggling in the hold.
"Just a bite!" he begged.
"Hold yourself together!" Anchor growled, fighting the urge to slap his friend in the face.
Chum was more anxious. "Remember, mate, fishes are friends, not food!"
"Food!" Bruce lunged, breaking the hold, heading for Dory. She froze in bewilderment, but Marlin quickly yanked her down just in time. Bruce got a mouthful of water, then tumbled into the wall. In the confusion, Marlin and Dory took the mask, using their bodies to carry it and ducking down through a screen. The tunnel was dark and cold to the eyes, but Marlin was more worried about the Great White who had a change of heart. He knew that the Sharks were fooling the fishes around. They were trying to eat them!
Behind them, Bruce bumped the screen off and laughed manically. "I'm having fish tonight!"
"Remember the steps, mate!" Chum distantly shouted as Bruce chased after the fishes.
The Clownfish's and Regal Blue's swiftness was enough to keep them a fin ahead of the Great White, but the mask was slowing them down with its mass. Marlin would choose to leave the mask behind, but these strange human markings could be the only clue to Nemo's whereabouts. He just can't give up that quick! He glanced back and his heart jumped to see Bruce getting close in an alarming rate. They will never get out fast enough to escape Bruce. He was too fast! The fishes pushed on and there was a partly opened door ahead, in which they darted inside. The force of his speed caused Bruce to crash onto the door, shutting and locking it. Safe!
But Marlin was freaking; there was no way out from this room. All he saw was a ladder leading up and some kind of wheel. "There's no other way out!" he said, leaving Dory carrying the mask. "There's got to be a way to escape!"
Powerful strikes shook the door as Bruce rammed it with his nose. Dory swam over to the door and questioned, "Who's it?"
"Dory, help me find a way out!"
"Sorry, come back later. We're trying to escape."
A bolt popped out from the hinges.
Marlin knew that any minute, Bruce will break through the door and catch them. "There's gotta be a way out!"
He gazed up at Dory's voice, "Here's something!" She was at the wheel, peering at markings that looked much like the markings on the mask. She read them, "Es-cap-e. I wonder what that means. Funny, it spells just like 'escape'."
The Clownfish grabbed on her and dragged her up out of the room. Below, he then heard the door popping open and the maddened laugh of the Great White.
"Heeeeeereeee's Brucey!"
When they were free from the Submarine, Marlin didn't hurry off for safety. Something about Dory had surprised him, something that both of them haven't noticed. He pulled on the mask to slow Dory and looked at her with disbelief. "Wait a minute. You can read?!"
"I can read?" Dory repeated, puzzled, then grinned. "Yes, I can read!"
"Well, then, here, read it!"
But before Dory could read one word, Bruce was free from the Submarine, too. His head plunged out from the hole, his mouth opened. He narrowly missed the fishes by a couple of inches. One of his fangs caught on the mask, dropped by the fishes. The fishes had to turn fin and dash forward to avoid more snapping of those fangs. Bruce, not noticing the mask hanging in his mouth, manically chased after.
Meanwhile, Anchor and Chum weren't far behind, already trying to get out from the hole, and that was a bit difficult because they were stuck altogether.
"He didn't really mean that. He never really knew his father," Anchor was saying.
"Don't fall off the wagon!" added Chum.
Bruce hunted after the fishes, but cleverly, as they neared the front of the Submarine, Marlin made a sharp turn and headed downward. Bruce missed and tumbled for a moment in confusion. Dory kept on Marlin's tail, following him into a small tube on the Submarine's side. They were blocked! A torpedo stood in place, and it was held back by a single bolt.
The fishes looked around in alarm as Bruce began ramming the tube. Again and again, his sparkling fangs were seen, darkening the tube and shaking the torpedo. Marlin watched the fangs, seeing the mask still inside Bruce's mouth. How could he get that mask without having the Great White driving his fangs upon him? He didn't see Dory eying the bolt with interest, starting to have an idea.
Meanwhile, the other Sharks were trying to calm Bruce's obsession and reassuring the fishes' anxiety.
"Sorry about Bruce, mate," Chum said, grinning awkwardly.
"He's really a good guy," Anchor agreed.
Marlin wanted to growl back that he wouldn't like to believe the Sharks' words, but he was too concerned about that mask and his escape. Finding his son was the only important thing right now. "I have to get that mask!" he said to Dory.
Dory's eyes seemed to brighten in understanding. "You want that mask? Okay!" With a quick push of her fin, she removed the bolt.
"Nonononono!" The torpedo, now loosened, began to slide out from the tube with the fishes stuck in the way. Marlin gasped as the fangs got closer and closer . . . Bruce opened his mouth just in time for the torpedo to shove right in. Bruce bit on the torpedo, but got stuck there, couldn't open wider, couldn't shake the torpedo free from the tube. Marlin, seeing that he and Dory were still safe, grabbed on the mask and swam back into the tube with the Blue.
Finally, the torpedo was free and Bruce angrily spitted it out. As he eyed the tube hungrily, Chum and Anchor stopped and, with agitation, watched as the torpedo slowly floated down toward one of the mines.
Chum gulped and shakily said, "Bruce?"
"What?" Bruce snarled, noticed the anxiety on his friends' faces, and turned around to see the torpedo's nose inching closer to a mine. He recovered and screamed, "Swim away! Swim away!" Together, the trio darted out of sight, already knowing what would happen if one of the mines was provoked.
The fishes peeked out at the silence and the emptiness. "Aw, is the party over?" Dory pouted.
Dink.
Flashes of fiery orange, dark red, and bright yellow. Waves of heat. The force that shook the very ocean, the Submarine, everything.
Above, two white Pelicans were floating on the surface, minding their business. A bubble erupted just under a Pelican and he looked at it with surprise. The second Pelican made a disgusted face and muttered, "Nice," before he flew off.
A/O:
Dory! *laughs* Ellen DeGeneres did her job beautifully voicing the cute Regal Blue Tang. I immediately fell in love with Dory, her honesty, her optimism, even her short-term memory loss. I thought it was implausible for a person to have that serious problem, but then, the Pixar dudes can do anything they want. Dory is not complete without her flaw. That flaw is what makes Dory Dory. :)
The sharks are also my favorites. Come on! Vegetarian sharks! Anything *is* possible! Even the line 'Fishes are friends, not food' is my favorite quote out of all. It's a classic. I don't mind to be a member of Fishes Anonymous. Bruce, count me in! FYI, I don't even like to eat fishes.
The sentence 'The grin was truly unforgettable. You would always remember it, especially at three o' clock in the morning, just before you wake screaming in mortal terror.' was actually a suggestion from Ivan Alias, in which he recommended it to be included in the novalization. After reading it, I got the chuckles, but then I agreed with him: The line is too good to pass. Good thing I checked the reviews before I posted the Chapter Two. :) Ivan Alias, I'm too nice a gal and wouldn't keep you in my debt. Just know that you have a shining moment of your own, as well. :)
