before turning into an abandoned building. His pursuers entered the building moments later, but the wolfdog pup had apparently vanished. "I bet he got the hint and left," Kaltag thought, "Then again, I don't see any other exit out of here, so where'd he go?."

Soon, Kaltag's question would be answered when they heard a board creak above their heads. Balto was above them, on an upper level of the empty building. Steele barked out at him, causing Balto to panic before dashing across a beam towards an open window to try to escape. Unfortunately, his rear leg got tangled in a rope up there, causing him to trip and fall off the beam. His fall would be cut short when the rope became taught, and he was left dangling six feet above the floor. At first, Kaltag thought that they would simply leave the pup hanging there, but Steele had another plan. Grinning, he shouted "Piñata!" and jumped at Balto, snapping his jaw at him. However, Balto was dangling just out of reach, so Steele's jaw only snapped in air. Balto cried out in terror as Steele's jaw approached, and was relieved when his lunge came short. However, his relief would be short lived, as Steele jumped again, "C'mon, join in you guys!" Nikki was the next one to jump up at him, followed by Star, then Kaltag.

Even though their acts were terrorizing the young Balto, Kaltag still felt secure that they weren't going to do any real harm, "After all, none of us are going to bite him," Kaltag thought, trying to suppress his doubts as the four of them took turns trying to snap at Balto. However, on one of his jumps Kaltag briefly made eye contact with him, and when he saw the expression on Balto's face, time seemed to slow down. The younger dog was more than just scared, he was absolutely terrified. Kaltag wasn't looking at the vicious wolf image that his upbringing had put in his head; instead, he was just looking at a scared pup who didn't know why this was happening to him. When Kaltag hit the ground, he watched as Balto cringed every time one of the others snapped up at him, "Wait, that's what we wanted to do to this half-wolf. We wanted him to be scared of us," he thought, "But why doesn't it feel right to do this? What's going on with me?" Kaltag wanted to say something, but remembered that he been called a 'lobo-lover' earlier simply for not wanting to chase him around, which was something that he wanted to avoid. Fortunately, he wouldn't have to feel conflicted for much longer.

A man had heard the barking coming from the building and came in to investigate. When he saw what was happening, he put a stop to it, "Alright all of you, that's enough! Go on, shoo!" he said, and the four of them stopped their barking and obeyed the human's command. Kaltag followed last, and took a moment to look back inside. The human had gotten out a pocketknife and was cutting the rope that Balto was suspended from. The young dog was whimpering from his ordeal, and that affected Kaltag, "Aw jeez, I didn't want to do anything like that. I thought we would just chase him away. How did it end up like this?" Kaltag didn't know it, but that incident would only be the first of many where he would cross paths with Balto. While he would simply go along with the group's prejudice in most of those cases, a few would make him wonder just how far is too far.

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Present Day

By the time the afternoon gave way to evening, Balto found himself in the spot he always went to when he had a lot on his mind; perched on the bow of the beached boat he called home, staring out across the flat tundra that surrounded the area, "Has it really changed?" he thought, "If it has, then it sure isn't showing, but if it hasn't, then what am I still doing here? If nothing's different from before, then why should I stay?"

Soon, he heard the slapping of webbed feet behind him and knew that Boris was coming to talk to him. Boris was an old Russian snow goose whom Balto had met when he was a young pup. The old bird had taken it upon himself to look after Balto until he could manage on his own, and that had led the two to develop a bizarre father-son bond, "So, vhat is on your mind today?" Boris asked. Balto smiled a little; Boris sure had learned how to read his moods well.

"I'm wondering if things really have changed," Balto replied.

"Vhat do you mean? Of course they have changed! You saved all those kids and got the girl of your dreams. You're the hero of the day!" he exclaimed.

"Exactly, I was the hero of that day, but what about the days after?" Balto asked, "What if my acceptance is only short-term, soon to be forgotten?"

"Exactly where is this coming from?" he asked, "This morning you were snuggling with Jenna like you were Casanova. I don't think I've ever seen you happier. Vhat happened to you boychic?"

"A lot of things," Balto replied before telling him the events of that day, putting extra emphasis on the part where Rosy's parents had forbidden him from their home.

"Hm, when you put it that way, they did seem rather harsh," Boris admitted, "Having one human badmouth you is one thing, but more than one, and in spite of vhat you did for them, it's… not right."

"I know, and it's for the same reason that it always has been," Balto continued, "It's all because I'm part wolf. It doesn't matter who I save; I'm still a stray wolfdog."

"But it can't be all bad," Boris said, "Didn't you say that there were kids that were starting to like you? Vhat about the sled dogs on the team you helped as well?"

"Yes, there are the kids, but they aren't the ones who make the rules," Balto replied, "And the team… well I'm not sure if they're completely on my side anymore."

"Well, maybe you just have to give them some time," Boris suggested, "Give them time to get used to you and they'll turn around."

"They might…. or they might not, and just keep going along like they always have," Balto replied, "After a while, they may even forget about me."

"Oh, I don't think so boychic. Whenever something like this happens, it tends to stay in people's minds for quite a while," Boris said.

"Heh, Jenna said something similar too," Balto mused, "She said that they'd remember we well into the next century."

"She's a smart girl, so I'd put quite a bit of faith in vhat she says. In the meantime, since you obviously still need a little leg-up, I'm staying right here with you," Boris said.

"Oh Boris, you don't need to do that for me," Balto said, "Why don't you fly south this year; I'll be okay on my own."

"Fly… Um, no, you still need me," Boris said quickly.

"Aw, c'mon Boris, don't let me hold you back," Balto said, "Don't let me keep you from flying with the other geese."

"You're not the reason I don't fly, it's… a personal reason," Boris replied, "Look, I'm sticking with you boychic, so don't argue with me," he finished before returning to the wheelhouse.

Balto thought about Boris's words. He didn't want to be a burden on the old goose, but the only way to lift that burden would be for him to find a place to settle in. However, the day's events had made the town seem like a far less likely place to live, "If not there, then where? Where would a half-wolf like me belong?" he thought as he closed his eyes. Suddenly, the image of the snow-white wolf that had appeared to him during the serum run flashed through his mind. When he had howled with the wolf, it felt like he belonged with it. He had started to embrace his wolf side, and that gave him a sense of strength; the strength he needed to return the medicine.

Snapping open his eyes, he looked past the town and towards the woods that surrounded it. What if he was actually meant to be in the wild, with the wolves? Maybe that was what the ghostly wolf was trying to tell him; maybe it was trying to show him which side he truly belonged with…

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Chapter 6: Searching for Truth

Balto had a fitful sleep that night, as his dreams echoed what he had been grappling with while awake. He was running along a desolate landscape, hearing Jenna call for him, mixed with the howls of wolves. He'd try to follow one voice, but the call from the other would only grow stronger until he turned around to follow it instead. He went back and forth many times, never able to answer either call. Finally, he woke up, but the dream had only left him more conflicted. He was torn between the side of him that wanted to run free to escape the prejudice of the town, and the side of him that wanted to settle with Jenna. His wolf side and his dog side were fighting it out in his head, but neither was able to gain a clear advantage.

"You never thought about running in the wild before because you were ashamed of your wolf side. Now that you have accepted it, you should embrace it and live the way your mother did," his wolf side argued.

"But what about the town?" his dog side shot back, "What about all the people who could give you love and affection?"

"You know full well that the people who care are outnumbered by those who don't," his wolf side replied, "You saw what happened yesterday; even someone who had claimed to be your friend had turned against you, betraying you."

"But what about Jenna?" Balto thought as the morning light started to enter the wheelhouse. He remembered that only a day before, he had