BALTO: LOST LOVE, LOST MEMORIES

Balto is back! Now that the city has quieted down a bit, Jenna and Balto discuss their past. But something Balto had kept inside slips, and it could change his life forever.

All the characters from the Balto Films are property of Universal Studios and Amblin Entertainment, so they are not mine.

The characters I made are MINE! no stealie. Also, this has nothing to do with the Rodeo series, though Rodeo is in one part of it.

Chapter 1: Dream Of The Wolf

Balto was fast asleep under his worn green blanket, snoring slightly, moving his paws in a terrible dream. He groaned, and then the dream came into focus.

"Balto! Watch out!" he heard his daughter Aleu say. Balto saw Niju leap at him, but Balto swiftly swept his side over so Niju's muzzle hit the ground. Balto bounded in and got a swift hit on Niju's side, and Niju growled, flipping Balto over so that the pure-bred wolf was on top. Niju touched his dark almost-black nose to Balto's. "Say goodbye, doggie." he spoke menacingly. Balto saw Nava's spirit push Niju off, and said with worry, "Balto, are you ok?"

"Balto, are you ok?" Balto woke to Boris standing over him, inquiring if he was somehow hurt. Balto got up and his worn blanket slid to the floor behind him. "Boris? I'm fine, really. Just a stupid dream."

Boris chuckled lightly. "Ahh, I see you are viewing your future again, no?"

The wolfdog shook the static electricity out of his fur. "No, not at all, Boris. Maybe that dream was real but this one? Naw. Why would I ever leave Nome? And how can a spirit physically push a live wolf?"

Boris scratched his head. "Hmm. This time you may be right. But maybe you should be more alert, no? Dangerous things can happen when you don't listen to God's messages."

Balto raised one eyebrow. "Boris, you are a bit too superstitous."

The goose pointed a feathery finger at him. "Superstition saved world, me Grandpap said."

Balto laughed, and stepped off the boat. "Jenna wanted me to meet her in the boiler room. Ya want to come?"

"No thank you. I have to go visit Stella, now that she decided to stay."

Balto smirked. "Suit yourself." He trotted toward Nome Central, still with that young bounce in his step. His aging didn't affect his attitude as he headed to his destination.

Balto wondered why Jenna had called him. He had a funny feeling that it could affect him in some way.

Chapter 2: The Past

Balto stepped into the alley where he had first met Steele. The mere thought of the stubborn, tricky, thinks-he's-all-that dog made Balto's nose wrinkle almost into a snarl. He saw Jenna had used his trick to get the doors open, as he looked at his feet where three bolts lay scattered. Balto stepped into the doorway, and Jenna was sitting there with her tail over her front paws, smiling warmly with a sparkle deep in her eyes. "Well, come in." she said.

"Jenna, why have you called?" asked Balto, as he stepped inside.

"I have always wondered..." Jenna hesitated, then continued. "...always wondered about how you have came here, and your story. I don't mean to be rude."

Balto smiled. "Don't worry. That wasn't rude at all."

Jenna smiled quickly in return, then continued her question. "Maybe just to get to know each other better, we can tell each other our story."

Balto nodded, with a slightly considering look. Little did he know that a foxlike dog stood up on the rafter-like shelf that held all the coal, watching. She was Saratiki, the newest dog in town that had almost captured Kodi's heart though she didn't intend to. She listened, her ears perked, unnoticed, as Balto began his exciting story.

"Well, I was born in a den in a snowy mountain almost on the border of Canada and Alaska. I was born in mid-January, on the 14th."

"Uhuh." said Jenna softly when he hesitated.

Balto's voice took on a storytelling tone as he continued.

"Half my litter looked like my father, a Husky. My one brother and me were wolf-looking. Our litter teased us and teased us. Every day they made fun of us cause we looked different. Father kept the husky half of the litter with him. Then our mother, Aniu, led us off to live a life in harmony with the wolves, who were most like us."

"Interesting..." whispered Saratiki out of hearing, as she leaned closer. She slipped on a peice of coal, and instantly, she drew back out of sight. The peice of coal landed on Balto's head, and he shook it.

"Balto, what was that?" Jenna asked gently. "Is someone up there?"

For once, Balto's sniffing nose failed him, and he shook his head. "Nobody, no, except maybe a mouse..." Jenna tilted her head.

"Are you sure Balto?" Jenna lifted her ears and nose. Nothing. She looked worriedly at Balto. Balto set his face into a confident look, watching the shelves above. "No, Jenna... it's ok dear."

Jenna, trusting in Balto, grinned. "Sorry if I worried you. So you were saying?"

"There was lots of great things out there that I never thought were possible." Balto stated with a spark coming to his eyes in memory. "There were all different wolves. Meat was plentiful, and never would a day go buy without an interesting thing happening. Why, though I was young and mostly free from worries, one thing stayed on my mind forever... somehow, I had seen the future... I had seen you. And Saratiki, she was really there... running with our pack..." Suddenly, at his last sentence, Balto thought he shouldn't have said anything. Sighing, he dropped his head. Growling inwardly at himself, his face became a deep red. Nothing could ever explain his embarressment and his anger at himself.

A look of disbelief crossed Jenna's face. "Sara...what? What did you say?" Anger, but at the same time worry, crossed the rose-red husky's face.

Inside, Balto yelled at himself. But the truth was out, he had to say it. His brown and yellow eyes gazed down at the ground, down at his big wolflike paws. Now you've done it, Balto... he told himself. Then he said with a deep, sad sigh, "Tiki. SARAtiki."

"Balto!" cried out Jenna in pure disbelief. "Oh Balto, I never knew you'd do this! I can't trust you anymore! I'm going to Steele's alley, and absolutely no one can stop me! You are the most unbelievable, most dispicable mutt!" For once in Jenna's long life, she spat at Balto with feirceness she never knew she had. Flicking her tail high and prancing with her head thrown up, she hurried out of the boiler room to Steele's alley. She knew just what she would do. Balto had betrayed her, and perhaps was still adoring Saratiki.

She was going to Steele, to tell him she was sorry, and that she truly loved him. But when she thought about it, she figured out she didn't love Steele... she was just going to him to get back at Balto.

Balto watched, crying. He moved out of the boiler room and raced back to his boat. He quickly hurtled under his blanket, wishing he could just sleep forever and ever. Boris waddled over to him. Without words, he just sat down and watched the blanket, being sure Balto was even breathing in his sadness.

"Boris?" asked Balto, pulling his head out of the green blanket. Boris looked at him.

Balto sighed. "Maybe... somehow, I should return to my pack. Without Jenna here to guide me, I don't belong. With nobody ever even thinking of me, I'd be best in the wild back in my birthplace."

Boris looked over Balto's shoulder, and said with a chuckle, "Not everybody has forgotten about you."

Balto looked behind himself, and saw a husky-colored mix. With a smile, he asked, "Kodi, why have you come?"

Kodi jumped up on the boat. "Dad, I heard about what happened. I understand how you feel, kind of, for I wouldn't like it if Steele became my father. He's the sneakiest dog around, and I kinda worry for Mom." Kodi lowered his head. "And I heard... I heard she might marry Steele."

Balto laid back his ears. "Hmmm..." He was worried. He also felt this could be another reason to return to his pack in the mountains. Boris glared at Kodi, but the the anger dissappeared soon after. Boris said to Kodi, "You know, Balto might want to leave... for good. He feels no one even knows him anymore."

Kodi glanced at Balto. "I have to go. Mom is calling, and Steele's going to be there. I hope nothing bad happened." Then a look of hatred for Steele came to his eyes. He lept off the boat and trotted toward Jenna and Rosy's house.

Balto got up, and yawned. "Boris, go follow Kodi, find out what's going on. You won't have to tell me though, 'cause I'm returning to the wild, where I fit in."

Boris opened his mouth, about to object, but Balto said, "You can't undo the past. You can only make the future and present better."

With that, our hero trots into the forest, beginning a journey that could change his life... and put challenges ahead of him...

Chapter 3: Journey to the Mountains

Balto walked through the forest, careful and alert of his surroundings. Danger could lutk all around him. He heard birds twittering, the occassional call of a caribou, and bushes rustling. Wait, bushes rustling? Balto asked himself with a twitch of his grey-brown ears. Turning toward the source of the sound, he gave a low growl.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." spoke a graceful voice. Balto turned to look behind him.

A female caribou gazed at him with one eyebrow raised up in curiousity. Balto gaped. "You... you speak wolf?"

"Clear as the water in a shallow stream." snorted the doe. "Listen, the only reason I stopped you was because a demon is coming. All animals, even predator and prey, must work together." With caribou language, the tall doe spoke into the bushes. Then to Balto, she spoke, "By the way, that's only my brother. But don't growl at bushes, you might get yourself killed."

A fawn lept out beside the doe. Balto knew this was the doe's brother.

Balto looked at the doe. "Who are you?"

The doe chuckled. She smiled at Balto. "I'm almost as famous as you. I'm the