Sunlight peered through the small window of Balto's ship. Kodi awoke and yawned; Balto finally arriving back to the ship carrying a fish in his mouth and Boris carrying the fishing gear they had made together. Balto plopped down on the floor and dropped the raw fish on Kodi's head. Kodi jumped up out of the blanket and sniffed around. Then he sat back down. "Dig in, my boy! It's your favourite-" Balto was interupted by Kodi's loving voice.
"Salmon? Whoohoo!" Kodi and Balto dug their teeth into the fish, and ate until only the bone was left. "Well, that was very tasty, as always!" Said Kodi. "Thanks, Dad!" Then Kodi jumped up, energetic as always.
"Don't forget to thank me, I helped your father catch the fish too, you know!" Said Boris.
"OK, thanks Boris! Heh heh." Kodi said as he chuckled.
"hmph." Boris grunted, and started to mop the ship.
Kodi began to run towards the mail station, and then he saw her. " Dusti.." He gazed at her with longfull eyes. Dusti.. He thought again. Wait..Dusti? Was she always as cute as she was before? He thought..again.
"Hey, Mr.Simpson. Here's your mail." Said Mr. Conners. He placed the heavy bag of mail on the back of the sled. Kodi ran even faster towards his mail team. He was late.
"There you are, Kodi!" Mr. Simpson said. Kodi barked and licked Mr. Simpsons face. Then Kodi looked over at Dusti-who was always near Kirby. Kodi felt a little jelous of him. He slowly walked over, but only made it halfway. Mr. Simpson grabbed Kodi and started to put his harness on him. He put Dusti right behind him-and Kirby in the back of Dusti. OK, Kodi told himself. Have courage like Dad. Just turn around and talk to her. Kodi turned around. Dusti didn't seem to notice him. "Uhhh, Hi..Dusti!" He said, hesitating. She lifted her eyes to him that were glued to the ground. When she lifted her head up, they were so close, that their noses touched. Dusti blushed, and so did Kodi. He backed up a little bit. "oh, umm, sorry..about..that..ummm,so,yeah-how are you?" Kodi tried to hold back his nervousness. Then Dusti giggled. "Whats so funny?" Said Kodi, now trying to hold back his laughter.
"Sometimes you can just be so funny!" Dusti smiled.
"Really?" Asked Kodi.
"Yes. Thats what you do best. You know how to cheer me up." She laughed again. "You know you want to laugh, so laugh! Enjoy yourself!" Kodi knew he did want to laugh. But he tried even harder to hold it back.
"No I don't." He replied.
"Oh yes you do!" Dusti said as she playfully leaped on top of Kodi. He couldn't hold back his laughter anymore. They both burst out laughing, playfully rolling in the snow. Kirby watched, cautiously.
Dusti and Kodi got up off the ground, and back into place with the rest of the team. Kodi was still turned around. They both took a small glance at eachother, then Dusti glued her eyes back onto the snowy ground. "Oh, I need to ask you a question, Dusti." Kodi said. Dusti's eyes were still on the ground.
"What?" She asked.
"Well, do you remeber when you said 'you cheer me up', right?" Kodi said in his girliest voice. Dusti giggled, still looking at the ground.
"Yes. and? whats the question?" She asked him again.
"Well," He said. "You sounded sad. And you would be sad if you said that I cheer you up. That's why I cheered you up. Because you were sad. And now you look sad again. You understand all of that-Right?" Dusti knew Kodi was worried about her, and that she could trust him.
"OK. I'll tell you-later. Will you promise to meet me in a secret place? Tommorow night?" She asked.
"OK." Kodi replied, whispering. "Meet me at the boiler room, midnight. alright?" Kodi whispered. Dusti nodded, and Kodi turned around. Kirby knew he had to follow them tonight-or something might turn out the way he didn't plan it.
"Mush!" Mr. Simpson ordered the dogs. They headed towards white mountain, to deliver the mail.
Balto and Jenna stoot by the post office, eagerly waiting for Kodi and his team to come back. Then barks filled the silent air. Balto could see the team slowly approaching Nome,with Kodi in front-leading the team! "Jenna, look!" He turned Jenna's head with his paw, towards Kodi's team. "I think Kodi finally made lead dog!" Jenna watched closely as they made their way to the post office. Kodi howled. Jenna and Balto returned the howl. When they reached Nome's post office, Balto noticed Kodi looked so proud of himself. Mr. Simpson took Kodi's harness off of him, then he raced over to his parents.
"Dad! Dad! I'm lead dog!" Was the first thing he announced.
"I know, son. That's wonderful!" Jenna barked. Then he raced back over to his team.
"Dusti!" He hollered. She turned her head. "It's tonight. And don't forget- the boiler room." He whispered; Dusti stared at the ground, sighing.
"Ok." She said. She started to jog down the road. Then she looked back. "See you then!" She howled. Then she dissapeared out of sight. Kirby glanced at Kodi.
"Hey." Kodi shuffled his way over to Kirby.He looked behind him, and waved at his parents. Balto and Jenna waved back at him, and began to walk back home.
"Yeah," said Kodi.
"Hey, uhh, want to get some grub at the meat place tonight? All of the humans will be asleep and.." Kirby's voice trailed off. He noticed Kodi looking at the ground.
"Umm, not tonight, Kirby." He told him. "I've got somewhere to go." He looked at Kirby's blazing eyes. Yeah, somewhere like the boiler room!
"Oh, thats Ok." Kirby replied. "We can go some other time. See you later." Or even tonight! Kirby thought, as he walked towards the boiler room.
I've got to find a place to hide! And quick..Uh oh..I think I hear them coming! AHA! Theres a hiding spot! Kirby hid in a small doorway. He hit his head on a pipe over his head. "OW!" He yelped.
"What was that?" A voice said. Dusti! Kirby thought.
"It's probably just a mouse...I think." And that must be Kodi. Kirby watched in exitement. Kodi and Dusti walked through the door. They sat by the furnace, which was suprisingly close to the small doorway Kirby was hid away in. Kirby walked slowly backwards, trying to be as carefull and quiet as possible. I have to stay completely hiddin. He told himself. I think this was a bad hiding spot..I mean,what if dusti and Kodi walk in? Kirby began to panic. "So, what was it you wanted to tell me?" Kodi asked.
"Errr..Kodi.." Dusti began. Kirby edged closer towards the small opening. "Well, I like you a lot..but I'm still so.." She stopped.
"Your still what?" Kodi asked. Dusti looked at the furnace.
"I'm still so close to Kirby." She looked at the opening. Kirby backed up at the wall. Kodi thought of an idea.
"Dusti, follow me." He told her. Kirby hoped that he wouldn't be caught. Dusti followed Kodi into an old room under the hosbital. A gate at the roof let some light in the room. They walked through a piece of old cloth. Dusti sneezed. Kirby, who was hiding behind the big piece of cloth, let out a sigh of relief. Dusti began to look suspicsious. "Watch." Kodi said, as he walked up to a mound of dirt-which had a lot of broken bottles at the top. "These," He said, pointing a sharp claw at the bottles. "Are the polar ice caps!" He continued, placing them directly under the gate at the roof. They began to shimmer.
"Kodi, those are just a bunch of broken bottles." Dusti remarked. Kodi pointed another claw at the gate.
"The sun." He said, laughing and smiling.
"Kodi, what are you doing?" Kodi didn't pay attention.
"And to the north.." He looked over at the cloth. Dusti did the same. Kodi then moved out of the way of the bottles, and watched for Dusti's reaction. She noticed the northern lights reflecting off the bottles.
"Oh, Kodi! This is just beautiful.." She and Kodi gasped at the shadow casted behind the cloth. "Kodi! There is someone else here!" She whispered.
" Then lets find out whos behind there." He whispered back. A human walked on the gate, as the northern lights dissapeared. Kirby panicked. Did they find out I was spying on them? He wondered. "Lets go, Dusti." Kodi said, watching behind the cloth. Kirby held his breath as they walked past the cloth. But he didn't notice Kodi watching him. Kirby. Why would someone like that spy on Dusti and me? Kodi pondered. They both left. Kirby let out his breath.
"Phew! Atleast I didn't get caught!" He smiled a smile of triumph, as did Kodi.
"Kirby, I'm not going to ask you again!" Kodi barked, Dusti watching behind them. "Why were you spying on us?" Kirby didn't anwser. "Kirby?!" Kodi yelled. Kirby's anger couldn't hold on.
"...I didn't." He smirked, sheepishly.
"Then why were you behind the cloth? Huh?" Kirby"s head shot up. How did he know? He knew all along! That deciving little.. Kirby growled- and pounced on Kodi.
"Ahh! Kirby? what are you doing?!" Kodi yelled.
"FWAHAHAHAHAHA! You knew I was going to be there! You are evil! You never were my friend, and you just want a reason to get me in trouble!" Kirby spat on the ground. He laughed.
"No! I swear! I just want to know-why were you spying on us?" Kirby frowned.
"Why?" He said. "Because..If I followed you on your little date with Dusti there is only one reason-I am also in love with Dusti." He panted.
"Kirby.." Dusti looked mad and surprised at the same time. She walked out of the crowd of sled dogs and next to Kirby. Kirby lept off of Kodi.
"Whats going on here?" Jenna barked. Noone got to anwser her question; Balto walked into the crowd, frowning.
"Kirby.." Dusti repeated. "I never knew you could be such a..A JERK!" Dusti slapped Kirby, and simply walked away. The crowd laughed, even Balto and Jenna.
"Hahahahahahahh! Kirby got served!" Ralph yelped, which in turn made everyone burst out laughing. "Hahaha! Burn!" Another sled dog said. Kirby slipped away.
"Kodi, come on. Lets go." Dusti hollered. Kodi got up and caught up with Dusti. Balto and Jenna watched Dusti and Kodi walk down the small streets of Nome. Dusti licked Kodi, then nuzzled him. Balto knew, somehow, that things would be ok with Kodi and Kirby after a while. Then he and Jenna began to walk towards the beach. Dusti and Kodi walked to Balto's boat. Kodi and Dusti smiled at eachother.
3 MONTHS LATER...
"Daddy! Daddy! Can we go in the woods?" A pup yelped.
"Not today, but maybe tommorow. Its to cold and wet outside. But maybe you can go swimming-if your mother allows it." Kodi said. "Dusti!" Kodi hollered. "Would it be ok if the pups went swimming at the beach? I think mom and dad are down there already." Kodi laughed, to Dusti's response.
"Yes, if Balto and Jenna are ready for it!" Dusti watched the other 4 pups. Kodi looked back at his pup. He lookes just like dad..Well..thats probably why we named him Balto Junior! Kodi chuckled.
"Junior, yes. Head down to the beach." Junior spread a smile across his face. "Yippee!" He yelled. "Come on, Ty! Lets go swim! We get to see grampa and grandma!"
"Grandparents already. I think I'm beggining to feel old as well!" Jenna said, looking at Balto.
"Well," Balto said. "Lets hope they have as much adventure as we did." He smiled.
After a couple of weeks, Balto, Jenna, Dusti, and Kodi stood by a crate with Dusti and Kodi's pups in it. On the front of the crate, there was a sign that said: Free pups to good homes.