father!''

''Saba, are you okay?'' Balto asked. He stopped shivering. ''Why would you do that?''

''Dad...'' Saba said. ''I didn't want to lose you. You're the only dad I have.''

Balto was touched by these words and he nuzzled his middle daughter. She blushed upon that mostly because she was doing the things on her own.

''Papa, do you need bandana?'' Aleu asked.

''Not anymore.'' Balto said. Then he lowered his head and both bandanas fell on the ground. ''Here, take your bandanas.''

Jenna took her bandana, as Aleu did. But Aleu didn't put the bandana on herself. Instead she put it on Saba, who was surprised by that.

''Aleu?'' Saba asked her sister. ''Are you trying to warm me up?''

''As you can see, yes.'' Aleu said. ''Remember when you looked after me when I was attacked? I'm making you a favor now!''

Saba looked at the bandana her older sister gave. Then she nuzzled her in gratefulness. Aleu didn't even blush for a bit.

''Balto, Niju's dead.'' Kenai said. ''He fell down the waterfall.''

''And what's with Steele?'' Balto asked.

''The iceberg crushed him to the death.'' Dingo said. ''There's a red water around that iceberg.''

''Hey, guys!'' Thunder yelled. They looked at him and noticed that he grabbed Steele's collar, whic managed to ''survive'' the crush. ''Check this out!''

He put Steele's collar on himself and asked: ''How do I look now?''

Everyone laughed at Thunder's new accessory. Nunivat came, nuzzled him while saying: ''You look more attractive, my dear.''

''And now before we go...'' Balto said. ''There's something I need to say.''

He turned to the wolves, but he had no intention to talk to them, but Forrest, Winter and Angel, who were talking to the wolves.

''Are you saying that these two used us for their own purposes?'' One of the Ousiders' wolves asked Winter.

''Yes.'' Winter said. ''They used you just to lure and kill some of our friends. That's not how to gain a pride or food.''

''But who will be our leader now?'' The scout wolf asked.

''I will.'' Winter said, full of himself. ''I won't promise anything, but I will show you where we can have a lost of food, if you want.''

The wolves started talking to each other. The talk turned into agreement.

''If you know where the food is.'' The scout wolf said. ''Then you're our new leader!''

''Hail Winter!'' The wolves cheered. Winter blushed on the hailing.

''What's going on in here?'' Balto asked.

''Let's say that Winter is the wolves' new leader.'' Angel said. ''He'll make sure they never attack you.''

''Alright.'' Balto said.

''And what're you two going to do, guys?'' Dingo asked Forrest.

''We'll live in the new pack.'' Forrest said. ''I don't feel like ever coming back to Nome.''

''If you say so.'' Dana said.

''Hey, guys.'' Forrest whispered. ''I think that Angel and I are in love!''

''Really?'' Dingo asked.

''Yeah!'' Forrest whispered. ''And if you ever pass by this forest, one day you'll perhaps see our new family!''

''That'd be great, Forrest!'' Dana whispered.

''We're returning to the forest, y'all.'' Angel said. Winter and the wolves headed back to the forest with Winter as their new leader. Angel noticed Forrest talking to Dingo.

''Coming, Forrest?'' Angel asked.

''Be right there, Angel.'' Forrest said.

''As you wish.'' Angel said, nuzzling him in process. Forrest blushed slightly as Angel followed Winter.

''Goodbye, you guys.'' Forrest said, following Angel. ''And I hope we see each other again!''

''Same!'' Everyone exclaimed. ''Bye, Forrest!''

Soon enough, Forrest went out of sight with the wolves, Winter and Angel. Balto and the company gathered up.

''Every adult is here, I see.'' Balto said. ''Now the puppies. 1..., 2..., 3...''

''20..., 21... Everyone's here!'' Jenna exclaimed.

''Okay, let's move!'' Aleu said, who had her bandana on herself again. ''The sun is setting!''

Everyone noticed that and they were going as fast as they could. Just then, Yukon stopped and everyone noticed why.

''Are you okay, Yukon?'' Jenna asked.

''I'm fine, mom.'' Yukon said. ''Something is stuck in my claw!''

Dusty noticed that there's something stuck. It was black, thin and long. Yukon managed to get rid off the thing.

''It's a sled rope!'' Dusty said. She grabbed the rope and pulled it. Out of nowhere, a sled came out of the bush. It was the largest sled they had ever seen.

''It's so big!'' Kodi said. ''Does it have harnesses?''

''Hang on.'' Dusty said. She pulled the rope again, and then, harnesses appeared.

''Let's see...'' Kodi said, starting to count. ''It has eight harnesses!''

''Eight?'' Balto asked. ''I think I have an idea!''

''What'd it be?'' Jenna asked.

''The boys, including me, attach yourselves to the harnesses.'' Balto said. ''You girls, you too, Jenna, get on the sled with the puppies!''

''Understood!'' The adults exclaimed.

Balto took the lead harness, while Kodi, Dingo, Yukon, Kenai, Josh, Thunder and Yang took the other harnesses. Jenna, among with Aleu, Yin, Saba, Dana, Dusty and Nunivat, got onto the sled and each of them put their puppies close to them.

''Is everyone ready?'' Balto asked. Everyone nodded. ''Good! Let's follow the river and we'll be back on our way in no time!''

''MUSH!'' Balto commanded as the boys started running, carrying the sled and following the river.

Balto's Inside Story: Chapter 35: Heroes of Nome
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Meanwhile, back in Nome...

The owners of the dogs and the puppies noticed that they were all missing. At first, they thought that they went together on some kind of canine trip. But the different story emerged.

Some of the claimed that they heard some steps in the night, but they thought that those were the dogs. Later, they thought that someone kidnapped all of them.

The owners gathered in front of city hall, discussing about what happened last night.

''It just all happened out of nowhere.'' One of the owners, Rosy's father, said. ''My dog was nowhere to be found when I woke up.

''Two of my sled dogs are gone missing too.'' Kodi's owner, Simpson, said. ''And the puppies are gone too.''

''It's same here with two of my sled dogs.'' Dingo's musher said. ''Has some of you noticed someone acting suspicious lately?''

''Sadly, no.'' Josh's owner, John, said. ''Both of my rescue dogs and their puppies are gone. We don't know how or why.''

''I don't know why my dogs are gone.'' Yin's owner said. ''I know that Yin has puppies with the dark red husky living nearby, but he would never do something mean to her.''

''It reminds me on Thunder.'' Thunder's owner said. ''He also has puppies with a red female husky nearby, and their love is strong.''

''But what about Balto?'' Rosy's father asked. ''He'd always find and rescue. Has anyone seen him today?''

''No.'' Everyone said.

''What if he's finding the missing ones?'' He asked again.

''It could be.'' The others confirmed.

''I hope Balto will manage to find all of them.'' He continued. ''The sun is setting.''

As the owners kept talking about their missing dogs, they didn't realize that they were eavesdropped by Mel. He gasped, but not because of the missing dogs, becase he knew they weren't all of them kidnapped, but because the sun was setting.

''It's terrible! It's just terrible!'' Mel panicked as he rushed to the boiler room.

Once he entered, he heard the dogs gasping in astonishment, but once they realized it was not Balto, the went silent.

''This is terrible!'' Mel yelled. The other dogs looked at him in curiousity.

''Okay, you win.'' Dipsy commented sarcastically. ''The humans sold the false story, right?''

''It's not that!'' Mel yelled. ''They haven't returned!''

''Take it easy, Mel.'' Dipsy replied, calmly. ''They'll show up out of nowhere!''

''You don't understand!'' Mel continued. ''The sun is setting!''

''Yeah, right.'' Dipsy said. She headed

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