Destiny of the Small 

(started 2/22/08 - )

Summary: In “Balto II: Wolf Quest”, Aleu met her spirit guide – a small field mouse named Muru – and discovered that she was meant for a different purpose. But how did Muru learn about his destiny to become a spirit guide? All will be told in a tale about the life of one ordinary brown mouse that was so small but had a special fate all his own. This is the . . . Destiny of the Small. 

Rating: G for General Audiences. There’s nothing too horrible here, except for maybe a bit of intense peril and danger . . . and maybe a character death too, but they’re not too bad. It’s all necessary for the story.

Disclaimer: Any official characters and events from Balto and Balto II: Wolf Quest are the properties of Universal Studios, Inc. This story is complete fiction, despite being based on actual characters from the films. However, any personalities of characters that were mentioned but not shown in the films or mentioned and not given much additional information/screen time are created from the imagination of Juuchan17, the author. 

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Author’s Note: 

Okay, this is different.

I have always liked Muru’s character in “Wolf Quest”, despite his scene being so small, but I am surprised that no one has written a story all about him before!

(Well, I haven’t seen one yet . . . and if someone has, I’d like to read it . . . Please? I mean, I’ve read many stories that have used him, but none that explain his background and past prior to meeting Aleu. Again, if anyone has written one, please send it my way!)

His character is so mysterious, so mystical, so interesting . . . and yet, we don’t know that much about him since he is only a spirit. (And yet we continue to write fics on Aniu, and she’s both a spirit and Balto’s mother! How odd is that?) There are so many unanswered questions, so I thought, “Why not create some answers?” 

This fic will hopefully add a bit of background to Muru’s history and possibly tell how spirit guides – like him – come into existence. Yes, I know WQ had an Inuit mystic and spiritual feel to it, and I will try my best to stay true to the basis of that. I’m actually fascinated by the cultures and concepts of the Inuit, although I am not one myself. Also, the Inuit believe that all living creatures have spirits and souls, even the plants and animals they kill for food and nourishment, so that too will be shown here. So yeah, this fic’s gonna have some magical stuff in it, but it’ll seem to blend in with the feel of WQ, despite the fact that only Aniu, Aleu and Muru will be the main focuses of this story – but in the end, this is Muru’s tale.

By the way, the subject of animal religion and the beliefs used in this tale are completely fictional, but if you happen to be offended, you don’t have to read it – it is your own personal choice, but you’ll be sorry for missing out on a great story. Just don’t send your flames to me, okay? I don’t like them much. 

I hope you enjoy this different tale, and perhaps you will learn to see how sometimes the smallest of mammals can help make the biggest of differences.

- Juuchan17 

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Prologue 

The cave was dark and dreary, almost like a black hole that vacuumed all of the daylight out of the area. The air was cool and easy to breathe, unlike the setting evening sun outside of the cave’s opening, so the quiet panting of a quadruped carefully and confidently entered its dark crevices and found a comfortable place against the walls to rest for the night with the feeling that this wasn’t someone else’s home.

It was a young creature that looked like a dog . . . no, it was a she-wolf. She appeared to be over a year old, although her actions didn’t seem typical to those of a lone wolf’s. Her ears were dipped in dark brown, unlike the rest of her body, which was a light shade of gray-brown. Her muzzle was marked with a rugged blaze that matched her coat streaking down her nose and white-beige around her eyebrows and around her jaws. The markings continued down her furred neck to her underbelly and down to the underside tip of her tail. Even her large paws and slender yet muscular legs were donned with the light markings, easily giving her a more wolf-like look. The she-wolf’s eyes were a stunning bright blue, trapped in wide almond pools of gold – they were the she-wolf’s wildest feature. 

The past twenty-four hours had not been easy for the she-wolf – one could easily notice her exhaustion and tell that she had been fleeing from somewhere faraway. Why she was running for so long without finding shelter within the forests below, it was hard to tell. Now that the she-wolf was in the mountains, it would at least a half-day journey before reaching low forest ground and this appeared to be the closest place to shelter that she could get out of the sun’s brightness and get some rest.

Despite the fact that she was comfortably pacing in a tight circle and lying down with her eyes closing immediately after landing on the ground to sleep, the she-wolf had no idea that someone else’s presence was by her side at that very moment. 

From behind a small rock, a swirl of gentle mist appeared then disappeared, revealing a small creature that peered out at the young yearling. It was a rodent with fur the light-brown color of ground wheat and small, dark eyes like night. Its tiny fingers clutched against the smoothness of the stone, it lifted itself up onto the rock without any hesitation, standing on it to get a better look of the creature. It was unafraid as it stood on the hard substance and observed from a careful distance.

From any normal pair of eyes, the she-wolf would seem to appear as a normal creature; however, the mouse could see a bright aura surrounding the lying form of the she-wolf. Its eyes squinted as a curved smirk of glee grew on its face. 

“I’ve found her . . .” The tiny masculine voice of the creature squeaked out in a murmur to itself. “Oh, she’s come at last . . . just as planned . . .” Quicker than a smack of its tail, the mouse scampered deeper into the cavern with soft, light chuckles of joy. “I must prepare for her arrival . . .” A thin film of mist seemed to fill the air, acting like paw-prints coming from behind the quietly fleeing form, as if to be like a lingering sign for the now-dreaming wolf for when she rose from her slumber.

Now, one may think that these actions by such a tiny creature are risky and hardly mouse-like . . . and you’d be right. You see, this small creature was not your ordinary mouse, despite its standard appearance – he happened to be a young field mouse that was given a second chance at life . . . and because of it, he learned of a mystically-amazing world that very few creatures on Earth have ever witnessed face-to-face. 

This is the story of spirit guides – spiritual guardians that are born to watch over all creatures meant for an unexpected destiny higher than they can ever imagine. It is up to them to carefully show their partner the path they are meant for . . . without actually telling them upfront. It takes many moons – sometimes years even – to learn all the tactics and skills necessary to be successful in their one chance to prove themselves in front of their tutors – the Great Spirits themselves.

Although it sounds difficult to understand right now, all things will be made clear as this particular rodent’s tale is spun . . . 

(Prologue completed – 2/22/08)

Sorry it's so short!

To Be Continued in Piece I - What Happened 'Neath the Full Moon . . .

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