Balto: Puppy Days

Notes: I was browsing this site, and came across an absolutely adorable picture of Balto as a puppy by Kelev, and I thought that I could use it to write a story. Please enjoy!

Note: This fic takes place a month or so after the original Balto, and will, for the most part, disregard the sequels, because I feel they sort of take away from the magic of the original.

Things had never been better.

This was the thought that was running through Balto’s mind as he strolled about Nome, with Jenna at his side. Ever since the medicine run a month earlier, the entire town, humans and dogs alike, had had their perspectives of Balto completely changed; while they had once shunned him and rejected him because of his wolf heritage, they now treated him as a hero in light of his bravery and successful delivery of the medicine. Balto chuckled quietly as he thought of some of the things he had heard from the other dogs, as well as his own sled team. They ran the gamut from exaggerations of his exploits, to complete fabrications (Balto rolled his eyes at this,) and even the suggestion that a statue should be made in his honor (this came from Star, mainly.)

Though Balto was flattered by all this, and ecstatic at finally being accepted, he never forgot his first friends: Boris, Muk, and Luk. He and Jenna had just been to see them, and, Balto was happy to say, they were still the same; Boris was still caring but grumpy, and Muk and Luk… well, they were still somewhat terrified of swimming, but were trying to conquer their fears, a task made somewhat easier by their selfless rescue of Balto a month earlier, during which they had swam for the first time in their lives.

The best part of it all, though, was Jenna. Even before the medicine run, she’d reached out to him and recognized that he was more than just a halfbreed. She’d always been so kind and accepting, and now… now that Balto was a hero, they were able to be together.

Rosy’s family had, in gratitude, accepted him into their home. While Balto was occasionally a bit uneasy, due both to his past experiences and wolf heritage, he was for the most part happy, feeling truly content for the first time in a long while.

Yes, life was good for him. The town accepted him, he was with Jenna…

A soft yawn interrupted his thoughts. Looking back, he saw Jenna starting to slow down, her eyebrows growing heavy. Balto smiled. “Tired, Jenna?”

Looking up, Jenna shook her head. “No, I’m fine. I…” Almost immediately, she yawned again.

Balto chuckled. That was just like Jenna; she almost never thought about herself, and even in moments of weakness, she put on a strong front. Still…

Balto walked over to Jenna, nuzzling her snout gently.

“Jenna, head back to Rosy’s.” He told her.

Jenna blinked in surprise. “But, Balto…”

Balto gave her a warm smile. “Go. You’re tired.” Seeing the unsure look on Jenna’s face, Balto nuzzled her again. “Don’t worry. I probably won’t go that far, and besides, I can take care of myself.”

After a few moments of thought, Jenna smiled, albeit reluctantly. “Alright, Balto.” She gave him a tender lick. “I’ll see you later.”

Balto watched her leave, then turned around and strode further off.

**************************************************

About half an hour later, Balto was walking about the snowy outskirts of Nome. He’d always enjoyed the peace and quiet it lent him. Whenever he’d wanted time to think, he’d sneak out during the night while Boris, Muk, and Luk were still asleep, sit at the head of the run-down boat that had served as his home, and peacefully take in the vast expanse of white.

Presently, he was about to turn around and head back when something caught his nose. Puzzled, he sniffed the air.

Upon recognizing the scent, Balto’s expression hardened. “Steele.”

Chuckling ominously, Steele sauntered up behind Balto, his every step precise and filled with some dark intent. “Nothing gets past you, eh, wolfdog?” Steele punctuated this last remark by spitting at Balto and striding up beside him, his cold blue eyes bearing into the wolf dog.

On alert, Balto bared his teeth, but still kept calm. “How long have you been following me?” he asked, matching Steele’s every step.

The sinewy malamute chuckled, beginning to circle around Balto. “Oh, I’ve been following you for a while, wolfdog. At least for an hour or so.” He licked his lips in anticipation before speaking again. “Maybe you should have kept Jenna with you; at least then you wouldn’t be all by your lonesome.” Steele grinned maliciously.

Beginning to growl, Balto stopped moving, as did Steele. They turned to face each other, neither taking their eyes off the other.

Balto was the first to speak. “What is it you want, Steele?”

Steele shook his head, as though exasperated. “I want what you’ve got, wolfdog.” He paused to think for a minute. “No: I want what’s mine.”

Steele began advancing towards Balto. “The glory, the praise… you took all that away from me.”

Balto growled, moving toward Steele in turn. “Hey, I was actually concerned about the town and the kids. You just wanted the glory.”

Steele laughed cruelly. “Don’t kid yourself, half-breed. You just wanted to impress Jenna.”

Balto faltered for a second at this comment. He had wanted to prove himself to Jenna…

Seeing the look on Balto’s face, Steele smirked. “Now who’s the selfish one, eh? Can’t criticize me there, wolfdog.” The large malamute laughed cruelly.

Though momentarily taken off guard, Balto eventually responded in kind. “You’re right; I did want Jenna to see me as a hero.” He began advancing toward Steele. “But I also wanted to save the kids. They hadn’t done anything to deserve death, and I wasn’t going to just let them die.”

Steele smirked. “Spoken like a true hero,” he spat, beginning to growl. “But you’re gonna die like the mongrel you are.”

Balto scarcely had time to process this before Steele lunged, fangs bared. Balto managed to roll out of the way in time to avoid any serious injury, but Steele’s teeth still grazed him, cutting a shallow but noticeable wound on his side.

Gritting his teeth in pain, Balto staggered and glared at Steele. “You’re trying to kill me?”

Casually wiping the blood off his snout with a paw, Steele rolled his eyes. “Give the mutt a prize,” he growled, narrowing his eyes. He began making his way toward Balto.

“I’m gonna mess you up real good, wolfdog,” Steele hissed as he licked his teeth in anticipation. “That way, when they find your body, they’ll think maybe another wild animal got you.” He turned to the side to avoid a retaliatory attack by Balto, grabbing his neck in the process.

With a savage howl, Steele began shaking Balto about, slamming him into the ground and tossing him from side to side, only grinning in response to Balto’s groans of pain. After a while, Steele seemed to grow bored with this and tossed a bloodied and beaten Balto against the snow.

“Hurts, doesn’t it, wolfdog?” Steele jeered, watching Balto struggle to his feet. “Yeah, go on, get up. It makes this more fun.”

Painfully turning his head, Balto coughed, spitting up a combination of saliva and blood. Though he was in obvious pain, he managed to ask a question, husky-voiced and raspy. “W-why are you doing this?” Balto panted, his legs beginning to give out.

Shaking his head incredulously, Steele replied, moving in for the final blow. “Haven’t I already told ya, wolfdog? You hogged my glory away from me; I’m just returning the favor.” Steele chuckled again, unaware that he was within striking distance of Balto’s teeth. Balto didn’t fail to notice it, and took the opportunity.

His bite fell short, and he only managed to wound Steele slightly at the hindquarters before his legs buckled again. Steele took the opportunity to strike, sinking his teeth in Balto’s neck. He savored Balto’s groans of pain before tearing his mouth away forcefully.

Balto howled in pain as his neck was all but torn open, blood flowing freely from the opening. Even through his pain, there was only one thing on his mind.

Jenna…

His consciousness slowly leaving him, Balto began to turn around, aiming for the town. However, his wounds and fatigue were too great; he collapsed almost immediately. As his breathing grew shallow, he began shivering, an action that had nothing to do with the cold.

Jenna…

Jenna awoke with a start, looking about Rosy’s room frantically.

Something wasn’t right.

‘Where’s Balto? He’s been gone for a long time’. A worried feeling began to stir in her gut. ‘I hope nothing happened to him…’

Taking care not to wake Rosy, Jenna leapt gently onto the floor, and quietly made her way to the bedroom door. Fortunately for her, it was slightly ajar. Ever so carefully, Jenna nosed it all the way open, allowing her to make her way through. She carefully padded her way through the house, trying her best to be as quiet as possible. After a few tense minutes, she finally reached her destination: the front door.

Unfortunately, it was firmly shut. Jenna shook her head, looking about for any other possible escape routes. She found one, in the form of a partially open window.

Jenna thought it over for a second; it would be a tight fit, but she’d probably be able to make her way through. Taking a deep breath, she jumped up to the window sill and flattened herself as best she could. She felt cramped, but with a little effort, she managed to squeeze through, landing outside on the cool, white snow.

Jenna wasted no time; she ran as fast as she could to the spot where she and Balto had parted ways. Once she reached that point, she began sniffing the air, searching for any trace of Balto.

In a few minutes, she finally caught his scent, much to her relief. However, this relief became tinged with worry when she caught the scent of another, much less pleasant individual.

Jenna narrowed her eyes. “Steele.” Ever since the medicine run, Steele had become something of a recluse. He spent most of his time slinking about Nome, shirking away from the disapproving glares from the town’s dogs. In fact, aside from personality and outlook, Steele had developed a way of life much like Balto’s used to be, albeit far less sympathetic. Unfortunately, one thing that hadn’t changed was his attraction to Jenna. Whenever they crossed paths, Steele always tried to woo Jenna, despite having full knowledge of her relationship with Balto. And she, like she always had and always would, turned him down.

The worried feeling returned, stronger than before. Apprehensively, Jenna followed the scents of Balto and Steele, looking about for any sign of the wolf dog. She trotted along, trying to pinpoint the source, when a new, strange smell stopped her in her tracks.

Puzzled, Jenna sniffed the air again. On closer examination, she noticed that the smell had a very cold, metallic smell, as well as a bitter undertone.

Icy claws of horror gripped at Jenna’s heart as she recognized the smell.

‘Blood?!’

Jenna’s eyes widened, and she quickened her pace, eventually breaking into a full-on run.

*************************************************************************************

A few minutes later, Jenna reached her destination. She came to a dead stop as she beheld the sight before her.

Balto was lying upon the snow, bloodied and beaten. He had several gaping wounds spread about his body, blood staining the fur around. The worst injury, however, was located around his neck; it was practically torn open. He didn’t seem to be breathing.

Jenna’s legs almost gave out. ‘No…Balto…’

Shaking, Jenna dashed toward Balto’s prone body. “Balto!”

Once she approached him, she laid down and put her head next to his chest, heedless of the stains of blood. ‘Please… Just a small breath…Anything…’ Jenna silently pleaded.

To her utmost relief, Balto’s chest heaved as he took a struggling gasp of air.

“Balto!” Jenna leapt to her feet. She immediately began nuzzling Balto’s snout. “Please, Balto. Hang on…”

Balto did not immediately reply; he took several difficult, gasping breaths, coughing several times, before his eyes focused on Jenna.

“…Jenna?” Balto uttered weakly, his voice tinged with pain and weariness.

“Shh.” Jenna quietly soothed Balto. “Don’t talk. Just save your strength…”

As tenderly as she could, she slipped underneath Balto’s prone body, causing him to groan in pain.

Jenna winced. “I’m sorry, Balto,” she apologized, truly meaning it. “Just hang in there; I’ll take you back to the town.”

“…m’kay,” Balto weakly replied, too weak to say anything else.

Shuddering at the thought of Balto in so much agony, Jenna started back toward Nome. However, she hadn’t taken so many as three or four steps before Balto coughed again, this time spitting up blood.

Jenna looked towards the town. If she hurried, she could probably reach it in a few minutes, but she wasn’t sure if Balto could handle it in his condition.

‘Besides’, Jenna thought, turning her head to get another look at Balto, ‘even if I went easy on him, he might not make it…’

Almost as soon as the last thought made its way into her head, she clamped down on it. No. Balto was strong. He’d get through this. Still…

It only took Jenna a second to decide her next course of action. ‘Having him around friends might help him’, Jenna decided. As gently as she could, she trotted off towards Balto’s old home.

**********************************************************************************

Upon reaching the old boat, Jenna gently set Balto on the vessel’s old wooden deck. She then searched about the deck, locating Boris. He was sleeping in what appeared to be a very uncomfortable position, with Luk’s arm wrapped tightly around him. It was a wonder he hadn’t already woken up.

Jenna momentarily shook her head before nosing the goose. “Boris.” She continued nudging him. “Boris, wake up. It’s important.”

Grumbling, Boris came to, almost immediately noticing Luk’s arm around his body. Visibly irritated, he squeezed his way out of the polar bear’s grip, panting and laying flat on the floor of the boat for a few seconds before getting up.

“Oi… idiot balls of fluff…” he mumbled under his breath. He took a minute to straighten his ruffled feathers. “Is bad enough I have to put up with ‘Uncle Boris’ all the time…” At that moment, he looked up and noticed Jenna. “You want something, Jenna?”

Jenna opened her mouth to speak, but faltered. Sighing, she turned her head aside. “It-it’s Balto. Something happened to him.”

A puzzled look on his face, Boris waddled up to Jenna. “Judging by your face, I assume is not a good thing?” the goose asked.

Jenna turned her head back to Boris. “It-it might be easier to just show you.” She turned around and started towards the deck, Boris following close behind, a look of apprehension and concern on his face as he went.

That expression quickly turned to abject shock when Boris laid eyes on Balto’s prostrate body.

“B-B-Balto?!” Boris stuttered, running over to the wolf dog. He grabbed the hybrid’s head with his wings and began pleading. “Balto, is me, Boris. What happened? Please, say something!”

The only reply he got was a wet, hacking cough. Getting the message, Boris backed off, a look of guilt on his features.

“Easy, Boris,” Jenna lightly reprimanded the goose. “Don’t strain him too much.”

Sighing, Boris rubbed the back of his friend apologetically, moving close to Balto. He examined the wolf dog’s injuries, wincing at each subsequent wound he discovered. When he came to Balto’s neck wound, Boris let out a gasp. Gently, he moved one of his wings soothingly across Balto’s back. As he did so, he glanced at Jenna. “Jenna, do you know what was doing this?” the goose inquired, gently removing his wing from the hybrid.

Jenna’s face darkened. “I have a good idea…” she growled, thinking of Steele. Upon glancing once more at the currently groaning Balto, however, her expression softened. “But right now, the most important thing is to help him as much as we can.”

With a determined look on her face, the husky slipped her bandanna off. “Boris, tie this around Balto’s neck as tightly as you can. We need to try and stop the bleeding.” She glanced at the ship’s cabin. “I’ll go wake Muk and Luk and fill them in.” Slowly, Jenna padded towards the sleeping polar bears, seemingly reluctant to leave Balto’s side.

Nodding in affirmation after her, Boris took the piece of cloth and began tying it about the wolfdog’s neck. As Boris was halfway through, Balto’s eyes opened, causing Boris to jump. “Balto?...”

Giving a weak smile, Balto struggled to speak. “…that you, Boris…?”

Smiling uneasily in reply, Boris affectionately patted Balto on the head. “Yes, Balto, its me. Do not worry; Boris Goosinoff is here.” He finished tying the bandanna, which was already quickly staining with blood. Balto winced before his eyes refocused on his friend. “…thanks, Boris.” He managed to gasp out, the smile still on his features.

Chuckling weakly, Boris nodded. “Don’t mention it. Is never a problem to help a friend.”

Balto nodded, closing his eyes slowly. “Is Jenna here?” he suddenly mumbled, gradually lapsing into unconsciousness again.

Boris, noticing Balto’s heavier eyelids, briefly panicked, but managed to keep it to himself. “She’s the one who brought you here. Don’t worry; she’ll be with you.” He looked towards the cabin, from which Jenna padded out, followed closely by a very confused and upset-looking Muk and Luk. Both of their eyes widened upon seeing Balto’s wounds.

“Balto!” This had scarcely left Muk’s mouth before Luk wailed and began charging toward Balto. Boris quickly put his own body between the large polar bear cub and the wolfdog, successfully stopping his charge. Unfortunately, this also resulted in Boris nearly being crushed, along with having the wind knocked out of him. Irritably, the goose pulled himself up and glared at Luk. Gasping for breath, he admonished the bear.

“Balto…does not need…crushing…right…now!” Boris managed to yell hoarsely, before collapsing back down, panting from both the yelling and the impact. Luk glanced down at him worriedly, throwing his sibling a worried glance accompanied by a short series of whimpers.

Momentarily startled, Muk frowned and crossed his arms. “Well, you were runnin’ right at him! A’course he was gonna get knocked over!” What Muk failed to mention was that he had been moments away from doing that exact same thing.

He might have gone on if Balto hadn’t suddenly coughed again, a wet, hacking noise that immediately drew the bears’ and Jenna’s attention. “Muk… Luk…Jenna… Boris,” Balto rasped, face contorting in pain from the effort. “Glad to see you guys here.” Balto curled up tighter, shivering. “Really…means a lot.”

Jenna padded her way over to Balto, nuzzling him gently. “Don’t talk like that, Balto. You’ll get through this; I know you will.”

Balto glanced at her, smiling. “Thanks… for the vote of confidence, Jenna.” A shudder ran through his body, causing it to contort and contract. Jenna gasped in alarm.

“So…cold…” Balto whispered in a shockingly weak voice, beginning to shiver. “Hurts…”

Jenna couldn’t stand it any longer; she dropped to the deck and curled her body as tightly and gently as possible around the dying wolfdog. “Balto, please…” she pleaded. “Don’t…” she faltered, unable to continue.

Muk, Luk, and Boris (who had finally gotten up) watched anxiously. Luk whimpered something to Boris.

Boris, not in the mood to berate the young polar bear, merely shook his head. “Hey, is Balto. He trekked miles through freezing coldness, he can get through this.” Despite the confident words, Boris’ tone and face betrayed his uncertainty and dread.

“Only one thing we can do now…” the goose muttered sullenly. He searched about the boat until he located Balto’s blanket, draping it over Jenna and the wolf dog, the latter of whom was lapsing into a troubled sleep.

Jenna, though she was beginning to doze off as well, began to silently comfort the hybrid. “It’s okay, Balto… It’s okay…”

She continued in this fashion for a few minutes before falling silent, sleep having finally claimed her.

Boris stood for a few minutes until he was certain that, for the moment, all was relatively well. He then turned to the bears, both on the verge of frightened tears. “Come on. Is getting late.” He began heading for the ship’s cabin, throwing one last worried glance at Balto before entering. The siblings glanced at each other, desperation and worry etched on their faces. They both turned their heads to look at Balto, who had now completely fallen asleep. They both winced as the wolf dog whimpered in his sleep and muttered something unintelligible.

Boris’ voice brought them back to attention. “Oi! Idiot balls of fluff!” The goose’s voice was quiet but forceful. “Leave them be.”

The bears, mildly chastened, sighed and reluctantly followed Boris’ voice into the cabin, where they immediately plopped down.

In a few minutes, only troubled snores and Balto’s pained whimpering broke the night’s silence.

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A few hours later, very little had changed. Jenna was still curled about Balto, the former’s body attempting to provide some comfort to her mate’s ravaged being. Boris and the polar bears still slept fitfully, their dreams filled with uncertainty and fear over the fate of their shared friend.

None of them could have anticipated that, on this dark and tragic night, a miracle could occur.

A gust of wind whipped through the previously still night. It started out gently at first, but began to pick up speed and intensity in the course of a few seconds. Soon, it grew from a simple gust to a veritable blizzard, whipping up the snow and blowing it about.

Not one of the sleepers stirred.

The blizzard began to shift and grow smaller, though it lost none of its intensity. It became more compact and localized, until it took the form of a wintry sphere, right on the ship’s deck. As the winds and snow whipped about, a four-legged shape began to resolve itself into existence, gradually revealing piercing yellow eyes and thick, white fur. The tiny blizzard finally began to lose its momentum as the creature appeared, before finally dissipating entirely to reveal the animal within: a large, majestic white wolf.

Almost as soon as it appeared, the wolf set its eyes on Balto. The strange creature strode up to the prostrate body, its footfalls so light they made practically no sound. It was almost as though it didn’t even exist. The wolf craned its head downward to gaze at the quietly whimpering wolfdog. At first glance, its stare appeared impassive and serene; however, if one were to look closer, they would notice a distinctive spark of tenderness in the wolf’s eyes.

“Balto.” The wolf spoke gently, its voice ethereal and otherworldly, but at the same time soothing and calming. Balto stirred, but remained asleep.

The wolf closed its eyes. Good; waking Balto was not its intention. Opening its striking yellow eyes again, it continued. “Balto, you cannot die; it is not your time, yet.” Balto whimpered in his sleep, but quickly settled down. Nodding, the wolf continued.

“There is still too much left for you here, Balto,” the wolf intoned softly. It looked about, eyes skimming across its varied inhabitants. “There are those who care for you…” its eyes ran over the cabin. “…and above all, there are those who love you dearly, and who wish for a future with you.” The wolf’s eyes rested on Jenna, who was still sleeping fitfully.

The wolf took a deep breath, having finished speaking. As it did so, it reached its snout towards Balto and touched his forehead lightly. When it pulled its snout away, the area it had touched had begun to shine with a soft, white light.

“And so I give to you the gift of life.” the wolf softly whispered, the light beginning to spread about Balto’s body.

Balto snuffled, then settled down with a peaceful, smiling expression. The light was almost finished spreading.

The wolf looked on, satisfied, as a soft wind began blowing about it. As the wind picked up speed, it gave a few final words:

“Sleep well, my son, and awaken to a new day.” Then, just like that, the wolf was gone, and only the cool night breeze remained.

*************************************************************************

As bright, early morning sunlight broke over Nome, Jenna stirred, blinking her eyes open. She quickly squinted them shut as the sun’s rays entered her vision.

‘It’s morning…’ Jenna quietly mused. As she yawned, something entered her mind.

“Balto!” Alarmed, and dreading what she would find, Jenna craned her head to the side, where the wolf dog had been laying.

To her horror, the space next to her was empty.

“Balto?!” Jenna cried out frantically. She quickly scrambled up and began swinging her head every which way, looking for sight or scent of her mate.

‘Where did he go?’ Jenna thought to herself, concern quickly overtaking her. He couldn’t have walked off, not in the condition he was in. And even if he was able to get up and leave, Balto was not the kind of dog who would do that sort of thing.

As Jenna lowered her head, panting, something caught her eye. She looked towards the blanket.

Contrary to what she had believed, the space underneath the blanket was occupied. More specifically, it was occupied by a small lump that shifted and moved every now and then.

Now both nervous and curious, Jenna walked to the edge of the blanket, gripped it in her teeth, and pulled it off, revealing…

Jenna gasped softly, the blanket falling from her mouth. Through her shock, she managed only one word:

“Balto?”

Jenna gaped at the peacefully slumbering form before her. She was certain it was Balto; his paws were rather large in proportion to his legs, his fur was a mix of gray and brown, and his face, peaceful and contented, was unmistakable.

The only difference was the fact that the Balto she saw in front of her was a pup who couldn’t have been more than eight or nine weeks old, ten weeks at most. The bloodied bandanna he had previously worn about his neck now covered him like a blanket.

‘What happened?’ Jenna thought to herself, incredulous. Just the other night, Balto had been a young adult wolfdog, barely clinging to life. However, the puppy she saw snoozing before her was unharmed, without so much as even a scratch. The relief this brought to the husky balanced out Jenna’s shock and disbelief. And her disbelief was considerable.

‘How does something like this even happen?’ a part of her thought. True, she was no stranger to amazing and unbelievable events-Balto’s ordeal a month before was proof of that-but until now, she had never even imagined anything like this being possible, much less actually occurring. Despite that, Jenna was still happy beyond imagining at the fact that her mate was no longer in danger of dying.

As Jenna continued to take the sight in, gape softening to a warm smile, Balto snuffled, lightly hitting his snout with a paw. The impact, inconsequential as it was, began to wake him up.

Jenna noticed this, and kept silent, watching as the pup began to force himself to wakefulness. She wanted to run to him, to greet him, to tell him how glad she was he was alive, but something held her back.

If Balto’s been changed like this, who knows what else might have happened to him? This thought remained in Jenna’s head, gnawing at her mildly.

She watched as Balto finally managed to sit up, head tilting back in a surprisingly huge yawn. The action caused the bandanna to completely slip off him, falling about his feet. As he finished yawning, he tilted his head back down, a sleepy smile on his features. Slowly, he blinked open his eyes. Against her will, Jenna audibly drew in breath.

The sound seemingly alerted the pup; eyes half open but now mostly awake, he turned his head in Jenna’s direction. He kept his head in that position for a second, blinking the rest of his eyes open. Then, he cocked his head, looking straight at Jenna. Finally, he smiled, straightened his head, and, with his tail wagging, chirped out a single word:

“Hi!”

Jenna started; Balto’s voice was energetic, childish, and playful, indicative of his puppyhood. It was so different from what she was used to, Jenna could only stare dumbly in bemusement.

Finally managing to shake off her shock, Jenna slowly walked towards Balto, who was busily scratching an ear with a leg. She stopped a few inches away from him. Mustering up her courage, Jenna spoke softly: “Balto? Is that you?”

The pup stopped scratching and looked up at Jenna. “Yep! That’s me! Who’re you?” Balto cheerily replied, completely missing Jenna’s shocked expression.

Jenna, caught off guard by the strange question and reaction, momentarily stuttered. “I…you…You don’t know who I am?”

Balto raised an eyebrow. “Why? Am I s’posed to?” The question wasn’t sarcastic or mocking; the pup’s tone was genuinely curious as he sat there, apparently thinking hard. Finally, he looked back up at Jenna. “Nope, I don’t know you.” The pup shifted nervously. “Sorry.” Balto’s expression was so forlorn and apologetic, Jenna couldn’t help chuckling softly. Immediately, she moved to reassure the pup.

“That’s okay, Balto, really.” Her tone was soothing and comforting, and quickly caused Balto’s expression to soften to a satisfied smile. Jenna laid herself down, allowing herself to be at Balto’s level. “You wanna know my name?” she asked softly.

Balto nodded, tail beginning to wag again. “Sure! The enthusiasm he exhibited for such a small thing was surprising, but Jenna nonetheless smiled.

Chuckling again at the pup’s exuberance, the husky replied. “My name’s Jenna.”

Balto laughed, walking up to Jenna and looking up at her. “Nice to meetcha’, Jenna!” His tail was wagging much faster, now. “That’s a nice name!”

Almost immediately, though, Balto’s cheerful expression contorted into a comically puzzled one. “How didja know my name, anyway?”

Jenna winced; she should have expected this. What was she supposed to say? An idea occurred to her; it was a gamble, but it would have to do.

“I’m… a friend of Boris’,” she stated, uneasily. “He told me about you.” She hoped he at least remembered his caretaker…

She needn’t have worried. “Boris?!” Immediately, Balto’s ears shot straight up, and his little tail began wagging at breakneck speed. “Whereishewhereishewhereishe?!”

Jenna stepped back, startled at the enthusiasm of her strangely regressed mate’s inquiry. He really was a puppy now…

“He’s, um, over there,” Jenna slowly told the puppy, getting up and turning towards the cabin. “I’ll go wake him up.” She started in the cabin’s direction.

She had only taken a couple of steps when Balto ran at her, circling around her paws. “Ooh! Ooh! Lemme do it, Jenna!” Without waiting for an answer, Balto darted into the cabin. Jenna called after him. “Balto, wait…” Before she could complete her sentence, Balto ran back out. There was a slightly frightened look on his face.

Jenna’s alarm quickly turned to concern. She once again lowered herself to the ground, and, with a tender voice, asked, “Balto? What’s wrong?”

Balto looked up, his frightened eyes softening slightly in Jenna’s warm, caring gaze. He turned his head toward the cabin, ears folded back. “Bears,” he muttered softly, fear beginning to creep back into his features.

Jenna blinked. ‘He’s talking about Muk and Luk,’ she realized. “Don’t worry, they won’t hurt you,” she said reassuringly. “They’re Boris’ friends, too.”

Balto, clearly confused, looked back at the cabin. “They are? He never told me ‘bout them…” Once again, his expression softened, and he smiled brightly. “But he never told me ‘bout you, ‘neither, so I guess that’s okay.” He paused. “Can I go wake up Boris, now?” he asked, tilting his head.

Jenna was once again taken off guard, this time because Balto actually asked for her permission. Shaking this off, she answered the pup. “Um, sure.”

“Yay!” Needing no second bidding, Balto dashed back into the cabin. Jenna, despite herself, poked her head in to watch things unfold. She couldn’t help smiling as the pup bounced around the goose, who was lying separately from the two bears. Balto continuously nipped at his legs, wings, and anything else that came within reach. All the while, he tried to urge the goose awake.

“Boris!” he called, his movements becoming even more energetic. “Wake up, Boris!” As the goose mumbled something in his sleep, Balto began pouncing on him. “Borisborisborisborisborisboris!”

“Ugh… I am waking up, I am waking up!” the goose grumbled, stumbling awkwardly to his feet. His eyes were still clenched shut.

“’’Morning, Boris!” Balto yipped, eyes gleaming.

Boris shook his head. “Who said that?” Groaning, Boris turned to his side, opening his eyes and rubbing the sleep out of them. Once his eyes were fully open, he turned his head back towards the direction of Balto’s voice.

Boris did a number of things in that moment; he widened his eyes, let his beak drop wide open, and muttered something in Russian.

“Hi, Boris!” the pup exclaimed cheerfully.

Boris said nothing, save for some unidentifiable sound coming from his throat. Balto, puzzled, tilted his head. “Boris?”

The goose replied, albeit in a small, barely audible voice, “Please tell me this is a dream…”

The goose continued to stand still for a few seconds, still trying to process what he was seeing.

Now utterly lost, Balto began sniffing Boris. “Boris? It’s me, Balto!”

“I can… see that…” the goose mumbled, trying to put together an appropriate response. Aside from that, silence reigned supreme for the next few seconds.

Then, a shout rang out that roused even Nome’s heaviest sleepers, dog and human alike.

“VHAT HAPPENED TO YOU!?”

This outburst caused Jenna to jump back, and Balto to lose his balance and fall backwards onto his rear. Muk and Luk also snapped awake, disturbed by the noise.

“Uncle Boris, what’s wrong, what’s wrong, is Balto okay, is he okay, is he…” Muk immediately let loose a stream of questions, attempting to clamber over his larger sibling to get to Boris. Unfortunately, this led to Luk losing his balance and falling on his stomach, inadvertently crushing his sibling under his weight, much to the latter’s annoyance.

Boris smacked his forehead in annoyance at the two’s antics; Jenna merely shook her head. However, Balto, still sitting down, blinked and tilted his head. “Boris, those bears are kinda weird…” he whispered to the goose, still tilting his head in various directions as he attempted to get a glimpse of the smaller polar bear who, at the moment, was squirming around, attempting to wriggle out from Luk’s considerable bulk.

“You are not saying anything new, Balto…” Boris grumbledd, before he remembered the situation at hand.

“You are thinking that’s weird? What’s weird is what has happened to you, Balto!” the goose shouted, though not unkindly, at his ward.

Balto frowned. “Whadda ya mean, Boris?”

Boris pretended to think, all while Muk and Luk continued struggling. “Hmm, let’s see. Yesterday, you were big half-wolf, and you were bleeding like crazy.”

Jenna grimaced. “Boris…” she tried catching the goose’s attention.

Boris held up a wing. “Be with you one moment, Jenna.” With this, he returned his attention to a rather perplexed puppy.

“Today, you are half-wolf puppy, and you do not have so much as a scrape!” Boris paused mid-rant to take a deep breath. “And you are not thinking that is weird?!”

Balto, still frowning, blinked slowly for a few seconds before replying. “What’cha talkin’ ‘bout, Boris? I’ve been little for…for…”

His little face suddenly screwed up. “Don’t know how long it’s been, but I’ve been little since we met. Don’tcha ‘member?”

Boris raised a wing to reply, but faltered, at a complete loss for words. “Uhhh…”

Deciding to intervene before things got more complicated than they had already become, Jenna motioned to Boris with her head. “Boris, can I talk to you for a second?”

Boris, noticing the gesture, nodded as he refocused his attention on the pup. “Balto, wait here for little while, okay, kiddo?”

Balto blinked a couple more times, before smiling. “ ‘kay, Boris!”

Boris gave an affirming nod before glancing at the polar bears; they were still struggling, but Muk’s front legs were beginning to wriggle their way out. “And keep eye on these two, alright?” Balto answered with another, even more enthusiastic “ ‘kay!’”.

Walking up to Jenna, goose and dog walked around to the back of the boat, leaving Balto with the bears. The pup watched intently as Muk gradually began to squirm his way out from under Luk’s body. His body suddenly gave out, and he lay on the wooden deck, panting. His back legs were still trapped. Balto’s eyes widened, gazing with rapt attention at the two.

Boris groaned, hearing the noises even from the back of the old boat. “Sometimes, I am wondering why I put up with those two…” Shaking his head, he looked up at Jenna. “Alright, Jenna, what is going on?” He paused briefly as he overheard Muk (who had gotten a second wind) continuing to struggle his way free. “I wake up, see Balto. Balto is puppy. Balto has no injuries. Balto doesn’t even seem to remember being big dog in first place!”

Jenna shook her head, glancing at Balto. “That’s what I tried to tell you.” She sighed, almost a bit sadly. “He didn’t remember me, either.”

That caught the goose’s attention. “He is not remembering you?!” Jenna nodded. “Are you being serious, Jenna?”

“Yeah.” Jenna once again glanced in the puppy’s direction. “Not to mention he didn’t know who Muk and Luk were.”

Boris’ raised both of his eyebrows. “Yes, I was kind of figuring that when he told me how weird they were being.” In spite of himself, Boris chuckled. “He was knowing full well how annoying the bears could be.”

Chuckling a bit herself, Jenna nonetheless managed to regain her serious demeanor. “Anyway, we still don’t know how this happened…” a small, relieved smile spread across her face as she said this. “…but right now, all that matters is that Balto’s okay.”

“Relatively speaking, you mean,” Boris shot back lightheartedly, although he was unable to stifle a smile of his own.

Jenna laughed. “Yeah, that’s true.” As she calmed herself, she addressed Boris. “We should probably check on Balto, and make sure he’s…”

A loud WHUMP suddenly sounded through the air, startling both dog and goose.

“What the…” Boris cautiously turned his head, almost afraid to see what was going on.

“LUK!”

Muk’s voice, pained and annoyed, rang out loud and clear. As Jenna listened, bemused, a third, rather different sound came forth: giggling. It wouldn’t have taken a genius to know that it was Balto.

Boris and Jenna looked at each other.

“So…” Boris began. “You want to just wait here, or see what bears have gotten themselves into this time?”

Sighing, Jenna started towards the front of the boat. “We should go check it out. After all, we need to tell Muk and Luk what’s going on.” Jenna’s ears pricked up as she heard Muk yell irately at Luk. “Right now, it doesn’t sound like they’ve noticed anything strange yet.”

Boris grumbled as he began following her. “Would not surprise me in the least…”

Cautiously, they both walked, not knowing what they would see. Once they reached their companions, however, they both stopped in their tracks and stared, open-mouthed, at the scene before them.

Muk was sprawled out on the deck, his lower body sticking up in the air. Luk sat and towered above him, attempting to look down at his sibling with worried eyes. This proved rather difficult for him at the moment, however, for a very apparent reason.

Both of Muk’s legs was crammed into Luk’s mouth, which the former was struggling to free. To the side, Balto shook in his sitting position, still giggling.

Jenna was the first to speak. “What…how did…”

“Sometimes, is better not to ask, Jenna,” the goose interrupted her. Taking a deep breath, he waddled up to the polar bears, glaring at them before unceremoniously delivering a smack , light but firm, to both of them. The impact finally jarred Muk’s feet free, and sent him tumbling backwards a short distance from Luk. Picking himself up, he began trying to clean Luk’s saliva from his fur, shooting his sibling a dirty look. Luk spared the smaller bear a glance before turning his attention to Boris, whimpering.

The goose, clearly annoyed, responded to the unintelligible noise. “Well, would you rather have been stuck like that all day?” The goose crossed his wings in front of his chest, frowning. “How you get yourselves into these situations, I don’t wish to know, but try to practice little common sense, alright?” He turned his gaze to Muk as he said this.

The polar bear in question was still cleaning himself, making a face of disgust as his paws found a particularly nasty glob of slobber. Shaking it off messily, he began twisting his body and running his paws through his thick coat, attempting to get as much moisture out of it as he could.

It just so happened that, midway through the process, he happened to twist his head in Balto’s direction.

The sight of the regressed half-wolf caused the young polar bear to completely stop moving, his eyes widening until it seemed as though they would fall out of his head. Balto, happily oblivious to this reaction, greeted him.

“Hi! My name’s Balto! What’s yours?”

This simple question set Muk stammering as he attempted to put together a coherent response. “L-L-Luk!” He called out to his brother, who had, up until then, been whimpering apologetically to his ‘Uncle.’ Startled by Muk’s cries, he turned in the other bear’s direction, bounding towards him and bowling a very annoyed Boris over in the process. All the while, Muk continued stammering, choking out a barely-intelligible sentence.

“E-‘ey, Luk! L-lookit this!” Muk gestured frantically at the small puppy who, for the fifth time that morning, was completely baffled, this time by the strange polar bears. Everyone was acting so funny today…

The large polar bear stared at the puppy, his eyes as wide as saucers. Leaning in close, he tentatively sniffed the younger creature, who began to look a little uncomfortable at the nearness of the strange bear.

Then, a massive smile split Luk’s face. Uttering an unintelligible vocalization, he lunged forward, grabbing the puppy and hugging him tightly even as the younger creature yelped in protest. Muk, shaking off his shock, ran forward and tried to hug the puppy as well, embracing much of his sibling’s bulk as in the process. Balto, predictably, was not faring well; he looked exceedingly uncomfortable in the presence of the two-pronged crushing force that was being applied to his tiny body. He was so starved for air, his face was beginning to turn the slightest shade of blue.

Jenna watched all of this with a growing sense of alarm. She’d somewhat expected the bears to manhandle (or bear-handle, if one wanted to get nitpicky) Balto, but she’d stood back; after all, Balto was their friend, too, and they were probably overjoyed to see him alive and unharmed. However, when she noticed Balto’s face turning blue from lack of oxygen, she immediately decided that enough was enough.

“Muk! Luk! That’s enough!” She ran towards the three. “He can’t breathe!”

“Huh?” Muk glanced quizzically at the female husky. “What are ya talkin’ about? We’re just huggin’…”

Luk, at that moment, happened to glance down, noticing Balto’s complexion. He whimpered to his brother in his usual unintelligible manner. In response, Muk looked up at him, confused.

“What, you too? I told ya, we ain’t…”

Muk’s voice trailed off as he, too, noticed Balto struggling for air. “…Oh.” Instantly, both polar bears released their grip, dropping the puppy onto the deck. He laid there, gasping and taking deep breaths of air. Jenna, worried for Balto, sat down beside him, giving him her best apologetic and reassuring look. In the meantime, Boris, having finally recovered from Luk’s charge, stormed over to the two bears.

“BEARS! Is self control meaning ANYTHING to you two?” Boris fumed at the two, who lowered their heads apologetically. Boris, undeterred, carried on.

“You’re happy that Balto’s okay; I understand that. We are, too.” Boris hardened his tone, just a little bit. “But if you had PAID ATTENTION, you will notice that Balto is PUPPY right now, and he is not doing well with the HUGGING and the LICKING!” He took a break mid-rant to offer a concerned aside to the puppy. “You doing okay, kiddo?”

Balto, still catching his breath, managed to raise his head and nod weakly, smiling. Boris smiled in return, before returning his attention to the two other young creatures present on the boat.

“In future, take stock of situation BEFORE rushing in and suffocating!” Boris yelled, although a bit less loudly than before. “Especially considering Balto is not even remembering you!”

The bears, upon hearing this revelation, abruptly raised their heads, evidently taken off guard. Luk’s bottom lip began quivering. Muk was all but speechless, and could only muster up a barely audible “W-what?”

“Yes, you are hearing me right.” Boris sighed, massaging his temples. “He is only remembering me, but he is thinking that I found him not so long ago.”

Both polar bears’ eyes widened in shock. “U-uncle Boris,” Muk ventured reluctantly, “H-how’d Balto get like this?”

Boris shook his head. “That is something we’re not knowing.” He glanced over at Jenna and Balto; the female husky was gently nuzzling the pup’s side with her snout. Balto looked a little unsure, but he appeared to gradually be getting more accustomed to the older dog’s affectionate actions, even going as far as leaning further towards her to give her more chances to cuddle him. It was funny, Boris thought; Balto didn’t even remember Jenna, but he seemed so comfortable with her…

“Uncle Boris?” Muk’s voice cut through Boris’ musings.

“Huh? Oh.” Boris, upon refocusing his attention, continued explaining the situation. “All I know is, Jenna woke up, saw Balto under blanket. Balto woke up, ‘met’ Jenna, then ran and jumped all over me to wake me up.” Boris smiled. “I guess it is not really mattering how it happened, though, if Balto is alive, eh?”

“What’re ya talkin’ about, Boris?” Balto piped up from his position beside Jenna, who answered for Boris.

“It’s just boring grown-up stuff, Balto. You wouldn’t be interested.” Jenna replied , smiling.

Balto, apparently, completely took her word for it. He let out a slightly disappointed ‘oh’ and settled back down.

Boris chuckled to himself, despite the situation. Always was a funny kid… he thought to himself. However, along with this thought came a realization; while Balto was like this, he would need someone to care for him, provide for him, and, if necessary, protect him.

Boris let out a resigned mental sigh. Well, I did it once, I can do it again. He waddled over to Balto and Jenna, sharing a knowing glance with the husky.

Well, the goose thought to himself, smiling inwardly, At least I will have a little help this time…