Balto: Let Me Be Surprised

Balto123

Notes: This fanfic is set in the universe of the first “All Dogs Go To Heaven” movie from 1989. In my universe, ONLY the original ADGTH movie exists. Neither the sequel, the Christmas Carol, nor the TV series exist. The characters and their surroundings are exactly as the original ADGTH movie portrayed. Why? I hate the sequels and TV show, I feel they really cheapened and ruined the original movie, which has been a firm favorite of mine since I was ten.

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Description: Set after the events of ‘Balto: A New Threat’. Carver gets the shock of his life when he discovers all dogs really do go to heaven!

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Carver opened his eyes, expecting to see either the dark walls of the factory, or the face of his attacker Dingo. Instead, his eyes met with the sight of tall, white pillars and swirling clouds of mist. He looked down, and was more than a little surprised when he discovered he appeared to be lying on something resembling a cloud.

In fact, it was a cloud!

"Where am I?" he asked, instinctively reaching down to feel round his neck from where the rope had cut into him. Instead, all he felt was smooth fur.

"This is the Great Hall of Judgment." An angelic voice answered. Carver swiveled round, and was stunned at what he saw.

In front of him was a beautiful female whippet, her coat appearing to glisten with an unearthly glow. What was more, she was floating two feet off the ground. When Carver looked down, he was stunned to discover that he was as well.

"Judgment!?" he squeaked, eyeing the angel-dog before him.

"Oh, not to worry Carver, you'll go to heaven. All dogs go to heaven because, unlike humans, they're naturally good and loyal and kind."

Carver stared at her blankly "Your kidding…right?’’

"Me? Loyal and kind? *Ahem*, girly you’ve clearly got your facts wrong!’’ he thought.

She smiled at him "You see Carver, what you did on Earth was of no fault of yours. You were incapable off knowing what you were doing’’

"You sure about that?’’ he thought, forcing back a smirk.

"Yeah, yeah I guess…I guess that's true" he tried to hide the embarrassment in his voice, with little success.

Carver sighed and shook his head. That’s when he realized something. His pain was completely gone, not even so much as a headache.

"Hey, where’s my rabies gone?’’ he appealed. He couldn’t get over having a clear head for the first time in a good few years.

She looked at him with slight bewilderment "Removed. Don’t tell me you miss it?’’

"I’m not exactly sure’’ he thought, but refrained from speaking it aloud.

"No, no. Just…surprised that all’’ he smiled faintly.

She smiled in understanding "Welcome to doing whatever you wish," came her singsong voice.

"This is a really a lovely place you got here," he said, taking a good look at his surroundings.

"Eating whatever you please. Follow me," she said, floating away. Carver instinctively followed her.

"To a constant temperature climate, we keep it seventy-three degrees. We're still on Fahrenheit here"

"That's fine with me" Carver said, trying to keep up.

"Welcome to no more rat race..." she continued as she floated up a long spiraling staircase.

"Oh boy" he muttered, eyeing the long flight of stairs.

"…To order and calm instead."

"Ah…great" panting, he reached the top.

"Welcome," she twirled onto a pedestal, "to being…dead"

"What?" Carver’s head shot up. "You mean I'm...I'm...?" he couldn’t say the final word, though he could guess what was coming next.

"Stone cold I'm afraid." She said matter-o-factly. Carver got the distinct impression that she had answered that question many times before.

"I can't believe it!" he exclaimed, shocked at her cheerful, giddy way of answering his question. Shaking his head, he continued, "I've been murdered!" he snarled.

"Hmm…I'm having a little trouble finding any goodness or loyalty here, but let me see," she continued flipping through the pages of a thick tome that had materialized out of thin air.

"He killed me!" he growled, slamming his fist onto the pedestal. Surprisingly, he felt no pain whatsoever.

"I beg your pardon?" the angel dog asked without pausing in her reading.

"There's been a mistake made here!" he shouted.

"Oh no mistake I’m afraid. This is your time’’ she smiled at him, shutting the tome with a heavy snap. Carver glared at her.

"I don't wanna die, you've got the wrong guy!’’ he stammered, to the obvious amusement of the whippet.

"I was double crossed by a dirty rat!’’ he continued. "Actually this rat was a dog, and he hung me out to dry! I just got into town! Hey, this is hard to explain, may I speak with your superior ‘cause I don't wanna die!" he yelled in desperation.

"Welcome to doing whatever you wish" she sang, seemingly pleased with her findings and amused at his struggle.

"You got the wrong guy" he pressed.

"Laughing and singing all day!" she smiled at him, to his utter annoyance.

"Hey, listen!" Carver tried getting her attention. "My time's not up yet!"

"Oh, but it is. There's no mistake about that. We know everything."

Carver’s mind supplied him with a very disturbing sensation of having been watched all his life. He growled to himself.

"Murdered in the prime of my life! That Dingo, I’ll kill him’’ he muttered.

She said nothing, but grabbed his paw and led him down a hallway. Carver immediately noticed the staggering number of clocks and watches attached to the…walls, as well as scattered on the …floor.

"This must be the watch department, huh?" he asked, unable to get over the fact that he was dead, let alone the fact that he was in heaven!

"Still, it could have been worse. I could have gone…there’’ he thought, suppressing a shiver.

"Well, you might call it that," she said, while reaching for a watch up on a shelf. "You see, this watch is your life. And it’s stopped."

Carver eyed the watch. Sure enough, both hands were frozen. He looked at her pleadingly.

"Well, can't you just wind it up or something?" he made a reach for it.

"And send you back? Oh no, no, no! No one's ever allowed to go back. Just put your paw right here" she said, replacing the watch and shoving a book out to him.

"What's this for?" he eyed it suspiciously. The page in question was completely blank.

"It's for the Book of Records. You see, everything about you that was, or will be, is right here"

Carver skimmed through the book, leering at it "Ah, isn't that wonderful? I love it here" he sneered. "You mean there's no surprises or anything?"

"Oh no, no, no. We know everything," she grabbed his paw, dipped it in ink, and pressed it onto the page.

"That's just lovely" he shook the excess ink off his paw. Breathing deeply, he looked around again with distain. "The clouds, the grass, the air..." he didn’t bother hiding the distain in his voice.

"Heaven is a wonderful place." She answered dreamily.

"Yeah" he drawled. "So, no surprises, huh?"

"Great. Looks like I’m stuck here then’’ he mentally muttered.

Carver looked back towards the hallway with the watches. A mischievous glint came to his eyes as he began devising a plan.

"Say, would you like to dance?" he asked, steeling behind the whippet and sweeping her into a waltz much to her surprise.

"Time to turn on the charm Carver’’

They danced around for a short time before he spoke again. "So, you mean that if I was waiting for an inside advance, straight up here I'd know in advance whether or not I’d got it?"

"Oh, yes. We know how it all turns out" she answered.

He forced a smile "We’ll see’’ he thought.

"You must have studied dancing. You have…natural rhythm. Surprising for a whippet" He span round.

"Ah, I'm getting dizzy!" she squealed as Carver span her around.

He smirked "Everything’s so lovely here. So planned, so ordered. And that's what's driving me crazy" he said, dipping her.

He glanced back at the hallway, and picked his moment.

"You see,’’ he said, spinning her. "I need Brazil, the throb and the thrill. I've never been there, but someday I will! Adventure and danger, love from a stranger. Let me be surprised!"

He made a beeline for the hallway "Today there’s sun, they said there'd be snow. But when all’s said and done, it's fun not to know! What keeps my heart humming, is guessing what's coming. Let me be surprised!"

The whippet giggled as she pushed herself out of his grasp. Carver decided to turn the charm up a notch.

"Oh, aint it great, when fate let's you wait’’ he grabbed the watch when she wasn’t looking.

He smirked "The world seems mirthless, and you feel worthless, then suddenly, there's a big bone on your plate!" he floated back to the pedestal, the angel in pursuit.

"Oh, Carver please remember, down there's a world of used cars and singles bars. Broken dreams and out of reach stars!" she span him back round, unawares of the watch.

"But it isn't over, not for this rover.