Balto: Break of Sanity
A/N Throw out anything you know about the movie. This is a completely different scenario.
Prologue
Balto and Jenna have known each other for at least three years now, dating secretly under fear of the town’s opinions. They were, however finally discovered by Rosy. The couple was inseparable and after several attempts at it, Mr. Hudson (Rosie’s father) decided to accept facts. Two years later, Balto and Jenna were blessed with a single pup of which they named Alue. She had the appearance of a wolf, even more so than her proud father. She was raised by her father until she was about a year old and had all of the knowledge and skills of a purebred wolf. About three months after her first birthday, she decided that she was going to leave town to find a home where she would belong and feel accepted; so she ventured to the coast and picked up a pack of her own. Balto couldn't have been more proud of her
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Nome was hit hard by Diphtheria and the medicine team lead by Steele became lost and failed to bring it back. Determined to save Rosy and the other children, Balto journeyed out to find the lost team with Jenna faithfully at his side. (He couldn’t convince her otherwise) Boris, Luk, and Muk wanted to help and came as well. Jenna fell from a cliff to the ground ten feet below and was rewarded for her clumsiness with a sprained right foreleg. Balto sent her home with Boris, Luk, and Muk going on alone to find the lost sled team. A day after separating, Balto found the team and led them back to Nome saving hundreds of lives. He was so blasted by applause and praise that he failed to notice that his mate and friends weren’t present. He ran off into the woods for the night to escape all of the grimy hands and later kicked himself for not checking in on Jenna. But for now it was late. He would bunk down here out in woods for the night and check on her the next morning.
Chapter 1 Balto
Balto howled softly under the upstairs window knowing well that Jenna would click down the stairs with someone close behind to let her out. Balto sat back on his haunches in the crisp morning air with the sun just peeking over the horizon at his back with a smile spread across his light muzzle and stared up at the window. The longer he waited, the smaller his anxious smile became and soon after no commotion that would suggest the presence of the Hudson family, it was replaced by a confused frown. He tilted his head and stood up, making his way around to the front of the house pausing at the front door. He pressed his ear flat against the door and listened. Nothing. He tilted his head again and let out a soft whine as he scratched on the door with a socked paw and waited. Nothing.
‘How odd,’ he thought to himself then sniffed under the crack of the door in a long draw and snorted his disapproval when no recent signs of life reached his nostrils. He blinked slowly then a sudden thought hit him.
‘Maybe they’re all at the hospital with Rosy,’ he thought to himself as he turned and began making his way into town.
After a short stroll and little attention from the mostly sleeping town, he arrived at the hospital and stood on his hind legs, placing his forelegs up on the window sill to Rosie’s room. He peered into the room and saw her lying in bed asleep. Neither Jenna nor the Hudsons were there. He pushed off and began making his way back to the trawler.
‘Boris oughtta have an answer,’ he thought to himself as he drew near his home.
Little did he know that the answer Boris had was one he hoped he’d never have to hear.
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Balto closed in ten yards to his home and saw Boris walking around outside with what looked like an expression of worry plastered on his face. Balto padded up to Boris who was so deep in thought he didn’t notice until he heard, “What’s the matter, Boris?”
Boris jumped and feathers flew. When the air cleared, Boris was lying flat on his back in the snow.
“Balto!” he exclaimed after regaining his senses.
He stood up and brushed off the snow that still clung to him.
“Don’t sneak up on me like that unless you want me to have heart attack!” his heavy Russian accent chopped his speech slightly.
Balto couldn’t help a chuckle.
“Sorry, Boris,” he laughed, but trailed off when he noticed the condition of his friend.
Boris’s feathers, normally neat and clean, were ruffled and dirty; his eyes were baggy, and he looked as though he hadn’t slept in days.
“Are you okay?” Balto asked concerned.
“I’m fine,” Boris said assuringly."
“Well, okay,” Balto began, not wanting to keep on the subject, “I was over at Jenna’s house earlier and she wasn’t home. In fact, no one was. The house was completely empty an…”
He trailed off hearing a sigh come from Boris who was looking down at his feet.
“Boris, is there something wrong?”
“No, of course not,” he honked.
Balto’s gaze met his and he knew that he’d been read.
“Balto, I need to tell you something. Sit down.”
He sighed again as Balto eased back onto his haunches. Boris ran a wing over the back of his neck and began.
“The Hudson family isn’t home right now because they’ve been spending the last thirty six hours looking for…” he trailed off and looked down again.
“Looking for who,” Balto asked worried.
When Boris looked up again there were tears welling up in his eyes. This worried Balto deeply.
“Boris, who. Answer me damn it!”
Boris inhaled deeply and managed to choke out, “Looking for Jenna.”
This hit Balto like a truck. He just sat where he was dumbfounded. Seeing as that Balto said nothing, Boris continued
“I didn’t want to have to tell you boy-chick, but there have been no signs of her since we dragged her in two days ago.”
Balto flattened his ears. He sent her home with Boris after she hurt her leg. Boris had been talking the whole time Balto was thinking. Balto concluded his thoughts and came in at “…the weather hasn’t been favorable lately and it’s likely that…"
“Where was she last seen,” Balto interrupted.
“I already told you, at the boiler room. Everyone I talked to there said that she got angry about something and ran out. If I’m not mistaken, I think it was something Steele said that upset her.”
Balto rolled his eyes at the mention of his lifelong bully then remembered Boris saying something about the weather.
“What were you saying about the weather?”
Boris thought at the question then snapped his finger-like feathers as he began.
“As you know, I am goose; and as such, I have great knowledge in weather and Jenna has been out in the elements for at least thirty-eight hours now and we’ve had whiteout conditions as I’m sure you’re aware. “
The entire time he spoke he found it increasingly difficult to continue.
“So…” he cleared his throat.
“What,” Balto asked concerned with the fact that his friend had trailed off in mid-sentence.
“I am regretting to the fact that her chances of survival are slim; and with the injury on her leg, it lowered them to nearly impossible.”
A possible hint of anger flashed into Balto’s eyes.
“So, you’d just give up that easily, huh?”
“Balto, I haven’t slept in two days, and have flown over every inch of Nome and the surrounding ten miles. I haven’t found a single footprint. I’m just not sure, Balto I’m just not sure.”
Boris concluded by burying his face tiredly into his wings.
Balto thought for a moment, moving his eyes as he weighed his options in his head, then flattened his ears and stood up. Boris noticed and peered at Balto with his wings still on the side of his face, but said nothing, so Balto turned and began walking. Boris watched him briefly.
“Where are you going,” Boris asked remaining where he stood.
“I’m going to find Jenna. You may be willing to give up on her, but she means more to me than life itself. I’m not coming home until I know she is safe.” Balto spoke with his head turned back over his shoulder.
“Balto…” Boris began to protest; but Balto turned and began trotting off alone, and in a matter of moments, disappeared into the glare of the early morning sun.
Chapter 2
Jenna
Jenna climbed out of the snow covered shelter she dug in the lee side of a hill and shook off the flakes of ice that still clung to her tangled fur. Once the most of it was gone, she sat out in the fresh, clean air and breathed it in greedily taking note of the hunger that burned deep in her stomach. She was lost, so alone. She felt a sudden hopelessness flood over her and briefly thought of Rosy. Jenna knew she would be heartbroken if she woke to find her dog missing. Or would she even wake at all? Was it already too late? Oh God. She longed to go home and be with her companion; but not until the task ahead was done.
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Two Days Ago
Jenna walked between Mr. and Mrs. Hudson through the middle of town to clear their heads from the great dark cloud that hung over their heads. She usually enjoyed their company and would laugh with them in their own way (though she couldn’t understand what was being said) but not this time; the mood shared by the two humans was sullen and stressful. Mr. and Mrs. Hudson stepped into the local general store leaving Jenna out on the porch. She watched the new machines known as auto mobiles roll by as she sat alone awaiting the return of her humans. She still favored her leg that gave protest to weight now and she had to lay down to please it placing her head down on her paws. She was drifting off into a daydream about the way things used to be before this dreadful turn of events. She was lying next to her mate by the dim light of the fire place with Rosy in between stroking the two lovingly. Jenna subconsciously wished to stay in this perfect world. Here she could be happy again.
She was snapped out from her temporary Heaven by a faint hissing sound. She raised her head from her paws and straitened her ears, twitching them rapidly to locate the source.
“Hey,” whispered a voice from the nearby alley way.
Jenna slowly rose to her feet and turned to the direction of the sound. The voice she heard was familiar but impossible, a former ghost of a being that was many miles away. She rounded the corner of the alley way and from behind a stack of crates rose a large black and white husky with broad shoulders and a glinting gold collar hanging dominantly around his thick neck.
“Steele,” Jenna uttered flabbergasted. She felt awkward being near him seeing as that she’d chosen Balto over him. She could still sense the pain of his defeat.
“Surprise,” Steele said rolling his shoulders, “I knew you’d miss me, Jenna, but I didn’t expect you to be so lost for words,” he said sleazily.
He was right about one thing though, Jenna was completely shocked. “I thought you and your team were lost in the storm,” she said suspiciously.
“Well, I thought I’d just pop in for a little visit,” Steele teased trying to avoid the accusation, “I came back all alone, half dead and almost frozen,” he began cornily, “My team is gone,” he said with a false concern.
“Jenna,” called Mr. Hudson.
Steele shrunk back slightly then regained. “I was never here, understood?” He turned and disappeared into the shadows.
Jenna bounded out of the alley and up to where Mr. Hudson and his wife stood. Jenna had decided then that she would go to the boiler room that night to talk with the other dogs that always were there. She was the only one aware of Balto’s plans. They might laugh, but they had to know that the children had a glimmer of hope.
Later That Night
The wind was stiff that night and a steady precipitation of snow was carried with it as the group of dogs took in what Jenna had just told them
“I don’t get it. How could Balto hope to find Steele and his team? They were off the trail,” argued a tan husky with a brown spot on his back.
“Well, he’s tracking them,” Jenna answered.
“That mutt! Tracking a championship team, in a blizzard!?” Laughter erupted from the group of about ten. Jenna was just about to come back when a loud thud sounded and a flurry of snow swirled in on a cold breeze. The dogs all turned to the ice covered dog that loomed in the shady doorway.
“Balto,” Jenna asked hopefully. The dog moved into the light and his face became visible. Jenna rolled her eyes.
“Steele,” everyone except Jenna stated shocked.
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Jenna had heard enough. She heard Steele tell her to her face that Balto was dead and the medicine. He backed up his story by producing her bandanna from his collar. She was momentarily saddened then looked Steele in the eyes and accused him of lying. She collected her bandanna and three legged walked out into the night. The snowfall had become less intense and she sat out alone on a hill with a lantern at her feet. She watched the snow dance in the dim light it threw out in front of her. She let out a sigh and frost appeared from her muzzle rising and curling until it disappeared from sight. She looked back at the sleepy town that illuminated from seemingly out of nowhere and made a decision. She had to find Balto. She just had to.
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