day."

"Whatever your reasoning, you still did it and your good deed should not go unthanked," she continued, bowing her head slightly. "You protected him, and that meant that everything I've worked for was not in vain. And, just as I promised, you have regained some of the glory you once held," she said, looking at his prize collars before turning to Balto. "Congratulations, you've done it. You became a champion and have honoured your father's memory well."

"Eh, question," Steele cut in. "What makes him so special? Why was it so important for him to win the race?"

"I had a feeling you'd ask that, and it's actually one of the reasons I remained here, watching over him," she started. "It was important for him to win this race because it would correct a wrong that was made years ago. It was a wrong perpetrated by you, Steele. Returning that collar may be an act of good faith, but the way I see it, you never deserved it in the first place."

"What are you talking about? Of course I deserve it! I first won it five years ago, fair and square!" he protested.

"Did you? You may not know this, but I was present at that race as well. I saw the trick you pulled on Amak's team, and that was what cost him the race. You cheated Steele; you took the trophy that should have been Amak's in the first place."

"Hang on, Amak? You've said that name before," Balto put in, remembering it from one of his prior dreams. "Who was he? How did Steele know him? And… how do you two know each other?" he asked, wondering how on earth a dog like Steele would know a wolf like his mother.

"Amak was another racing dog I knew years ago," Steele explained. "Come to think of it, he was a lot like you, Balto: overly righteous, always thought he had the moral high ground, and never knew when not to stick his nose into something."

'He was a racing dog…' Balto thought, starting to put the pieces together.

"That's what you think, but the way I saw it, Amak was honest, humble and caring. He always put others before himself - you were just too selfish to see it," she countered.

"As for how I know this lobo," Steele continued, completely ignoring her protest. "I caught her and Amak sneaking around the town together. Yep, it turned out Amak liked his girls on the wild side, if you catch my meaning."

'Amak was her lover?' Balto thought. 'If that's so, then… can it be?'

"You laugh, but that's because you could never understand the beauty of how we felt for each other. In your ignorance, you decided to shame Amak away from the town," she countered. "You may have defeated him then, but after today, that wrong has been righted. While Amak fell to your madness - his son would pick up his mantle."

"His son? What do you mean - and… today?" Steele said, trying to make sense of this. "But the only thing that happened today was…" his gaze shifted towards Balto, who remained silent, almost as surprised by this. "No way," he gasped, shaking his head. "It's impossible."

"Oh I assure you it is," she replied. "Look at him, can you not see the resemblance? Even his character he shares with Amak."

Another look at Balto, and the most curious thing happened. For a brief moment, he saw not a wolfdog, but his long-gone rival, in Balto. He'd never made the connection until now, even though the resemblance had been staring him in the face for years. "But the chances… this can't be-"

"It all makes sense now," Balto whispered, as every piece finally fell into place. His mother, his father, Steele, and everything behind what his mother had done for him. It was the last mystery from his life, finally revealed, and the peace that followed allowed him to utter the words he'd wanted to for years, "Amak was my father."

There was a pause, as Steele just shook his head as he tried to comprehend this. "Don't try to deny it Steele, you had this coming," Aniu added. "Amak may be gone, but part of him still lives on in Balto. That part allowed him to defeat you today, which is how it should have been with Amak five years ago."

"All this time… it was always him… but that's… that would make you… no way… no effing way!" Steele stuttered. Balto stepped forward to try to help him, but Steele now regarded him like a rabid animal. "No, no! You stay away from me!" he cried, before finally dashing away in shock. All this time, the one wolfdog who he'd always picked on, was actually the son of his oldest rival.

"Well at least you're handling it a little better than he is," she quipped, before smiling at him. "Now you know the last missing piece of your heritage. You are the son of Aniu, a wolf who is now a spirit guide, and Amak, a great racing dog who had what he earned stolen away from him."

"It's amazing… who would've thought this whole thing with Steele dated back to before I was born… but if my father never did win the race, then why did you always refer to him as a champion when I was a pup?" he asked.

"He may not have been the official champion, but in my eyes, he was the rightful one," she replied, before giving him a soft nuzzle. "Champion or not, he still inspired you, just as he inspired those on his team. Even just remembering his image was enough to sway dogs, who, like you, were inspired by his courage and humility."

"His image… the husky in my dreams. That was him!" Balto exclaimed, recalling the unknown husky from his recent dreams that always encouraged him.

"Yes. I thought it would be best if you knew what he looked like too, because you never got the chance to see him in life," she replied.

"That's the last thing - why didn't I ever get to see him? What happened to him?" Balto asked. "Why isn't he here?"

Aniu bit her lip - this was going to be hard to tell, but her son deserved to know the truth. "He's not here because he's… already passed on," she started. "Steele wasn't the only danger to us when we became mates. There was a wolf I knew named Mayak who wanted me as well. After Steele caught us together in town, he exiled us, and because of that, Mayak found us soon after. He saw me as his alone, and when he found out that I was bearing our pups, he saw it as a betrayal. Your father fought bravely… but it would not be enough. Mayak murdered your father before my very eyes, and I barely escaped myself," she explained, pushing her nuzzle a little harder. Balto was very quiet, as a few tears rolled down his muzzle.

"I was alone in the world, but alive thanks to him," she continued. "I eventually found my way to Nome, where you were born, and where I thought we would be safe… but I didn't anticipate Mayak's ruthlessness. He still pursued us, and when I knew we'd been found, I had to make one of the hardest choices in my life," she continued, taking a deep breath. "We couldn't run or hide - all that was left was to fight. I couldn't tell you why, but I had to leave you in order to protect you."

"That day… the day you said you were going out hunting-"

"I was actually going to engage Mayak, to keep him from hurting you," she continued, remembering the last, painful day her son ever saw her. "I'm so sorry I lied to you my son, but it was the only way to keep you safe. I fought my hardest, but Mayak was too strong. He struck a fatal blow to me, so I had to use the last of my strength to send both of us over a cliff. Victory that day came with great sacrifice, but in the end, you were safe, and that's all that mattered."

"But because of the bond you felt, you stayed as a spirit guide," Balto added. The previous year, after he'd safely seen Aleu off to her new home, his mother appeared to him, revealing her identity to him. He'd seen her many times before, but it wasn't until then that she told him her name… and how she was his spirit guide. She stayed behind to watch over him… but his father was still absent. "What about dad?" he asked.

"Unfortunately, he'd already gone on to the next life. I haven't seen him in almost five years… but I will see him soon enough."

"What? How?"

"My son, you must know that much like a parent to their child, or a teacher to their student, a spirit guide cannot stay in this world forever," she started. "There must come a time where the one being guided has learned all they need to forge their own path in life. For you, that time is now."

Balto broke away, tears streaming down his face as he realised what she was saying to him. "You mean… you're leaving?" he whispered.

"I must, because I do not belong here. My time already came, and the only reason I stayed was to make sure you would be able to walk your own path," she replied. "You have accepted who you are, come to understand your wolf side, and now your dog side too. I have accomplished everything I wanted for you, which is why it is my time to move on."

Despite her assurances, Balto just shook his head. "No, no - you can't leave now!"

"I'm sorry, but this is how it must be."

"No no no no no!" he cried, leaning into her and sobbing into her