[BALTO: THE DARK SIDE 2 ] - Chapters 6 - 10

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Chapter Six: Kaltag Forms A Plan

Kaltag was having his breakfast near the front door. His mind still swirled around what Balto had said to him yesterday. "Balto, you are such a hard-head,"he mumbled. "You know Steele won't have a chance against him if we bunch up, yet you still want to fight him alone..."

Suddenly something crashed into him head-on. The husky was thrown off his ground. He tumbled backwards and came to a halt after hitting a table leg.

"What the-" he muttered, rubbing his head. Near his food bowl, a small husky cowered in fright, apologizing profusely. It was Star.

"Uh...sorry...pant....Kaltag...pant...It...really...pant...was...pant...an accident."

Kaltag walked towards him and pulled the bowl away. "It's okay. But if it's the food you want, get out of my house!"

Just then, Nikki strode in, though not panting as hard as his friend. "You can keep your food for now, dere. We've got some news for you- big ones, too!"

"Sure. I'm an open-minded kind of dog," Kaltag sat down and continued eating. "So, what's it all about? Some love business?" Both Nikki and Star glared at him.

"No it's not!"sneered Star, catching his breath. "It's about Balto. This is a matter of life and death!"

"What's with him?" Kaltag was suprised. Most of the time, Star and Nikki never cared much about anyone since the epidemic ended. They just go with the flow of their lives, never turning or looking elsewhere.

"We have to warn him!" both the husky and the chow cried in unison. Kaltag gave him a puzzled look.

"What are you talking about?!" he demanded.

Nikki crept close. "Let me do the talking. Just now, Tango came to see us. He's a new friend of Steele, y'know. He asked if Steele is with us since we're his old buddies, but of course he isn't! He told us he's been looking for him everywhere- but he just vanished!"

"Yeah, and you want to know what else he told us?"added Star.

Kaltag rolled his eyes. "Of course I do! Go on, just shoot it out, will ya?!" he bonked him on the head.

"Well, last night he saw Steele lurking around Balto's place. When he asked what he was looking for, Steele just told him to mind his own business."

"What?!" Kaltag looked at them indignantly. The two was quite shocked at his sudden outburst, but just nodded to confirm it was the truth that they had heard.

 Kaltag went into silence. "Guys, are you pondering what I'm pondering?" he asked.

Star replied, "Probably. If Steele's looking for Balto, he wouldn't have found him, cause he's been staying up late at my place." Nikki agreed as well.

Kaltag frowned and sighed. "Can't you see he's trying to get rid of Balto? Even if Steele doesn't find him last night, he knows where to find him now and when he does..." he lifted his right paw and slid it across his neck. Nikki and Star winced in pretended pain, but they perfectly knew what their friend had meant.

"Boy, so much for dat evaluation period." Nikki remarked.

Kaltag stood up and went towards the doggie door. "Come on, mush your butts now!" he called out.

"Where to?"

"Straight to the boat! We need to find Balto..." his voice faded as he sprinted towards the trawler on the outskirts of Nome at full speed. Nikki and Star glanced at each other for a second and followed.

When they finally arrived, the trawler looked empty. They continued to search every part of it and found nothing. There was no sign of Balto anywhere or his feathered companion. So was Steele. Even the old rug which the wolf dog used to sleep with felt cold. If Balto was gone, he would have been gone long before them.

"Maybe he's gone for a walk in the woods," said Star as he trudged on a path leading into a forest of trees. Soon after, he saw a trail of large pawprints and began to sniff it. It was Balto's. Star cried out, "Hey guys! Look at what I've found!"

Kaltag and Nikki approached and inspected. It was Balto's pawprints all right, leading from the boat into the woods. Funny, thought Kaltag. Shouldn't Balto be getting Steele first before going into the woods? If he was, where was Steele's trail? And why didn't Balto come to him before carrying out his plans? Kaltag hadn't seen him since early morning. Maybe Balto was just going for a walk after all.

"Hey, what's dat?"asked Nikki, pointing under a shaded spot beneath the trees. There was another set of pawprints about twenty yards from the first one. From there, they continued through the snow for twenty yards before meeting the first one. They were a bit smaller this time; more of a malamute's. It's scent was there, and it confirmed the dogs' worst fear: It was Steele's. Kaltag, Nikki and Star stared at each other.

"Oh no!!" they gasped.

---

Back in Nome, the news of Balto and Steele's absence began to mount suspicion among its canine residents. The trio tried their best to convince them that nothing bad happened. However, Kaltag couldn't help worrying the wolf dog either. Steele was already on his way to get him and if Balto doesn't realize that, the price would be high. And to think Balto was going to lure him out alone. Even if he does, Steele would had have a plan of his own, just waiting for the right moment to carry it out. That wouldn't give Balto any advantage at all. If Steele kills him, that would be just bad enough for the dogs and people of Nome, and worst for Jenna. But if Steele dies, Balto could be exiled for attempted murder, without any witness to prove his innocence and the worthiness of his actions.

Kaltag sorted out his decision. No, I can't let it happen, I have to help him out. The search will not begin in five days time, it will start today!

He began planning his own moves, pondering on every aspect he could think of. He would have to find more help if he was to take the malamute down from his plot. He thought of some dogs who were capable of doing the job: a medium-sized husky, a brownish-furred spitz and a large mastiff named Trumps, Comet and Beefy respectively. Three hours later, they gathered behind the telegrapher's office; all five of them, except Star who wasn't there for some reason, but the meeting could not wait any longer. Kaltag told them the story while they listened intently.

"So you guys know how the situation goes, right?" he asked, making sure he got his point across before continuing. The dogs exchanged looks for a while and nodded.

"Yeah, but what I don't understand is what are we doin' here," muttered Beefy.

Kaltag began, "Since you all know the truth, you shouldn't have the problem of understanding the purpose of my call. Oh well, as loyal friends of the dog who once guided us back home to safety and to the relief of our fellow humans-"

"Kaltag!" the others groaned in unison.

"Okay, okay! We need to find Balto and rescue him before Steele turns him into mincemeat!" he finally blurted.

"We know that, but how are we going to do it?"

"Don't worry about that. I got it right here in me," Kaltag replied while pointing his head. For the next few minutes, he laid out the plans. "The first thing we need to do is tracking them down. Nikki and Star discovered their tracks near the trawler, so we'll start from there. However, this won't be as easy as it sounds though, since  they've gone into the forest which I think none of us know our way around. For this you need to pair up for protection in case the unexpected happens."

"Like grizzlies and wolves," Comet said gloomily.

Kaltag corrected him. "No, like getting lost or hurt and the sort. Come on guys, I've never spotted a grizzly around town all my life. As for the wolves, they'll never bother us as long as we leave them alone, though there might be some questioning on tresspasing their territory. Heck, they're Balto's friends anyway! Come to think of it, they might even lend a hand," he reasurred them.

He continued, "All right, enough with the wolves. As soon as you detect their scent, just howl out the signal. If you spotted them though, do not try anything until we've all arrived. Within that time, just make sure that Balto is safe at all costs."

"But with all dat howlin', Steele's gonna suspect somethin' is goin' on, dere. He might even kill Balto faster than he should be," Nikki was not quite sure.

"Um...good point," said Kaltag before pausing to think. "Well, to best think to do is keep yourselves in stealth. As long as Steele doesn't sniff you out, he'll never suspect anything. As for the howls, just keep on with it. There might be wolves around, so he might think they're the ones doing all the howling."

The pack nodded understandingly. Kaltag smiled, more satisfied this time. "Since our main concern is Balto, we must try and keep an eye on Steele. Spy on them if necessary, provided that you must remain undetected. I don't think Steele would act on killing him unless he feels endangered. But if things happens the other way round, well, try and negotiate the best way you can. Give him some time to think over his actions. I don't know if that would work- Steele is a hard-head kind of dog as far as I know him, but let's pray it would."

"Okay, that's settled," Beffy said approvingly. "Let's group up, shall we?"

"Sure, whatever you say."

---

Jenna peeped from the corner of a shophouse. She could see Kaltag and a few others behind the telegrapher's office, just a few yards away. She was cautious, constantly looking around to make sure there was nobody within range. So far, there wasn't anyone, which meant she wasn't being noticed yet, although she had a close call when Trumps looked towards her hiding spot when she accidentally kicked over an empty can. Luckily, she was quick to slip away from view.

Her ears became erect as she heard every word spoken by them. Balto in danger? With Steele? Where? Is he all right? Jenna's mind swirled around these questions. Her eyes slowly narrowed. Why, Balto told me another story, she thought to herself as she recalled his visit yesterday. Balto told her he would be gone for a while; a few days at least for a trip to the woods to meet some of his friends. Could Steele be tracking him down? Maybe, but Steele would not want to risk himself going back into the woods after his banishment, would he? Besides, she overheard Kaltag telling his friends about Balto's plan to lure Steele into the woods just now. A tear formed in Jenna's eyes and she sniffled. Oh, Balto. You lied to me about the whole thing, didn't you?

Jenna laid down on the snow and closed her eyes. Balto's image formed in her mind, but she shook it away. She was angry with him. He never told her a lie before, not even once. The fact that he was an outcast before, ridiculed by almost everyone often strike his heart deep, but he never let himself be an outcast in her eyes. He acted naturally towards her, and she solely accepted him for it. True, Balto was famous; a reputable canine in town, but it wasn't the reason for her to actually like him. Balto wasn't like the other dogs. He never turns upon his old enemies, but rather accepts them in a friendly way. He blends with all the dogs in town, never using his great reputation for any bad intentions. He just wants them to accept him for what he is despite his part-wolf heritage. It was his life-long dream, and it had been fulfilled.

But now, Balto lied to her and betrayed his true nature. How could he go up against Steele on his own, leaving her to just stay away and worry the whole thing? He even promised her that he would be coming back. What if he doesn't? Wouldn't that be another problem? Really, Balto was putting himself and the others in trouble as well!

The rust-colored husky shook her head again. No, it can't be! Balto has a caring soul, and would never place anyone else in danger, even if it means risking his own life. The visit...the lie...they all make sense now. Balto wants her to be safe, away from danger. It was just like the time when he asked Boris and the polar bears to take her back to town when she injured herself, while he continues to find the lost team alone. He puts himself at risk just for the benefit of someone...someone he really cares about.

Jenna felt a flame of anger burning wildly inside her. Steele really had gone too far this time. She has to help Balto out, whatever it takes!

She began making quick plans. If she starts now, she might make it before Kaltag and his team. Jenna glanced at the group for the last time, then walked away. Her mind was full of thoughts that she practically wasn't paying attention to where she was going.

"Hey..." she nearly bumped into something. She looked up to see a small grey-shaded husky. "Oh, it's you, Star."

"Yeah, it's me. What are you doing here?" he asked, looking uneasy.

"Oh, here?" Jenna tried to think of an answer. "Um...nothing. I was just having a stroll when I decide to take a rest."

"Without Rosy around?" Star raised an eyebrow.

"Does that matter to you?" she pretended being angry. "I need to give her a break too, you know!"

"Okay, okay. Cool it," the husky stopped questioning her further, much to Jenna's relief. "Uh...maybe it's best if you go and stay home for today, Jenna. The weather doesn't smell too good," Star added. He did not want her to be out here at the moment, not with the news going round; and certainly not with Kaltag planning his rescue attempt behind the telegrapher's office. "Balto might get worried if you fell sick."

Jenna caught the hint. "Yeah, I suppose so. I'd better get back,"she replied and started walking away. Star bid her farewell and silently breathed a sigh of relief.

"Oh, Star. Can you do me a favour?" Jenna looked back.

"Hmm?"

"Don't tell anyone about me being here, okay? I don't want Balto getting worried about me falling sick if the news goes around..." she grinned.

Star grinned back nervously. "Uh, sure."

The rust-and-cream husky nodded and was soon out of sight. Star breathed another sigh and trotted towards the group of dogs, partly hidden from view.

Trumps saw him and greeted, "There you are, Star! Where've you been?" The others merely stared at him and said nothing.

"Quit looking at me like that!" Star said. "Sorry for being late, though. I got a snag with my tummy." He sat down, his face red with embarrassment.

"Heh! I did remind you not to eat those foul-smelling sausages before comin' here, didn't I?" asked Nikki. Laughter greeted in response. Star growled and slapped his back.

"Okay guys, back to the topic," Kaltag interrupted. "Star, you're gonna be with Nikki as usual. He'll tell you what to do later." He gave them the locations to look and added, "Remember, once you find the right path, howl immediately."

Beefy suggested, "I think we should split up and search in a wider area. That way we'll cover more ground."

"Good idea. Perhaps with them, we'll find a hope in all this. Any further questions?"

Star raised his paw. "Actually, I don't have a question to ask, but I do have some latest news." He looked at the eager faces around him and lowered his voice. "Guys, this might sound silly but I really don't think we are up against Steele."

"What do you mean? We all know-" Kaltag began but that was all he could utter as Nikki covered his mouth with his paw. The chow nodded for Star to continue.

"Well, I bumped into Tango again just now. He told me, well, us that is, to be careful with Steele if we run into him," Pausing before their puzzled looks, he glared at Kaltag. "I think you should know this. When Tango met him last night, he wasn't just acting strange, he looked strange, too."

"Strange in what sense?" asked Comet, more puzzled than ever.

"Well, he has green eyes for once."

Kaltag shook himself from Nikki and nearly cried out. "What?! You don't mean green, glowing eyes?!"

"Yeah, that's what he told me, though he didn't mention the glowing part."

Murmurs arose before Nikki piped up. "I don't know why, but it reminds me of Balto's baddy twin-brother." All eyes stared upon him. "Hey, what did I do?" the surprised chow exclaimed.

"But he drowned, remember? We all saw it, didn't we?" protested Beefy. The other dogs exchanged glances and nodded, muttering acknowledgement. Kaltag went forward and hushed them.

"You know, Nikki has a point." he said. "But Steele's been acting very, very strangely these days, especially towards Balto. Suppose Tango is right about Steele, then who is the malamute we've all met at the Old Mill a few days ago?" Kaltag broke off and waited for the response. The possibility of Balto's evil twin coming back to life was starting to give him the chills. "Guys, give it a thought. Why in the world would Steele try to jeopardize his opportunity to be back among us by doing something stupid such as trying to kill a dog everyone admires- unless he's not the real Steele."

"I don't get it. You mean Balto's evil twin is still alive, and that Steele's not actually Steele?" Trumps cut in shortly.

"Perhaps. I think we have an impersonator at hand, that disguises himself as Steele, though I'm not sure who and how. But that green eyes Star told us definitely fits for Balto's evil half." Kaltag resolved. "Either way, Balto's life will be hanging loose if he doesn't realize that soon enough."

"So, what should we do?"

"Well, we have to find out. If it's truly Balto's half brother, we have no choice but to kill him before he could harm Balto. If we spare his life and he walks right here into town again, who knows what a hell of problems that might be, and to think Balto's going to take the final blame for it all." They agreed evenly, remembering what happened before.

"Let's move out." Kaltag said finally. They got up to their feet and set off. They have to act now before anything bad happens. It was bad enough for someone to hunt Balto down, but having an impostor at hand meant a problem in a turn for the worst. It was an ultimate race against time; they would tire themselves out sooner or later, but time will always run on. They could only hope it wasn't too late.
 

Chapter Seven: Revelation

Balto and Steele continued walking through the woods. The morning flakes were falling, adding more snow to the white landscape. The trees became denser after two hours as they reached deeper and deeper into the forest. Balto began a light chat, just to take away the eerie atmosphere around them and of course, the uneasy feeling inside him.

"I've never seen you around here before, Steele."

Steele replied, "Heck, I've never been here! I lived in another part of the forest when I was banished."

"Oh,"said Balto, half-surprised. "And how did you find it so far?"

"Stinking place if you ask me," Steele remarked. "You've got to mind you own food, worry your own safety. It's darn cold, too! I can't imagine how did you managed to live out here alone!"

"Well, you know me," Balto told him. "When I have to live in the cold for all my life, I might as well try and enjoy it!"

Steele stopped and glared at him. "Are you reminding me of something I did?"

"No, of course not!" the wolf dog objected.

"Good, keep it that way! Just don't remind me of that awful place again," Steele continued on his way. Balto shook his head and followed.

"Then I won't." Balto decided to pop in about his return to Nome instead. "You must be happy to have so many new friends around," he said.

"Huh, they treated me like an idol or something! Sure they're nice, but I wish they would get off my butt sometimes!"

"Well then, hang out with your old friends!" Balto suggested as he chuckled, then frowned when he saw Steele's puzzled look. "Aww, come on! Kaltag...Nikki...Star, don't you remember?" he said, trying to stir up the malamute's memory.

"Kaltag...Nikki- yup, I remember them. What's with them?"

Balto's eyebrow titled dangerously. "There's nothing with them, Steele. They wanted to meet you personally, and you acted like they didn't exist. Man, what's wrong with you?"

Suddenly Steele's cool was gone. "You don't need to advice me, Balto. Being back doesn't mean I'm going to be extra nice to everyone, got it?!" Balto shut up and muttered his acknowledgement. So much for friendly talks. Looks like Steele still has a nasty part in him, but at least he let him be close to him, or was it he wanted him to follow him somewhere? Balto wished he knew.

The next minutes flew off in silence. That was until Steele piped up. "Hey, wanna see a beautiful place? I'm sure you gonna love it!" he smiled briskly.

Balto nodded, not minding much of Steele's suggestion. He already sensed something queer going on. Why was Steele so disturbed when it comes to talking about his old friends? Balto began to get uneasy again, along with a hint of suspicion. Perhaps Steele was hiding something, away from his well-known friends, just like Kaltag said before. He glanced at the malamute by his side. It was Steele he saw, by the looks of him of course, but he swore there was something wrong with him.

Balto thought about his plan. He can't simply pulled it out now; that would mean letting the cat out of the bag too soon. If Steele realises that, it would be a stupid, useless mistake, and he might have to pay the consequences. Finally, Balto decided it was best to keep it to himself, act normally and wait for the perfect time, that is, if it did come.

An hour later, they reached a large clearing in the middle of the forest. It was totally bare, except for broken twigs, the snow and the line of trees that surround it. The sweet smell of the forest was everywhere. All in all, it was wonderful. Steele walked to the centre of the clearing and offered Balto to lie down and rest. Balto joined him, sighing comfortably as the snow cushioned his body. He was getting hungry, and looked forward to his breakfast back in town.

"So, what do you say?" Steele asked him.

"Well, it sure is nice. You sure know how to point out beautiful things," Balto replied. Actually, he knew this place long before Steele did, for no dogs in Nome know the woods better than Balto himself. Deep inside him, the feeling clicked in again. Steele said he lived in another part of the woods when he was banned from town; one which is farther away from here. The local wolf pack told him Steele was always seen around there. How did he find out about this place? Strangely, he even led him towards it, without the slightest hint of worry of getting lost, as if he knew his way around.

"Tell me something, Balto," Steele said again, arousing him. "What did you honestly think of me? Did I really change, or was I still the old Steele you once knew?"

"Well, that depends," Balto began. "I'm really not the one to judge you, it's you yourse-" Before he could even finish, Steele growled at him.

"Get to the point, Balto! Just tell me the answer to the damn question!"

Balto shuddered, but he knew it was down to this. There was something between him and Steele after all, some unfinished business he wanted to accomplish. Balto doesn't have a clue of what it is, but he knew how to find out. "Okay, you've changed quite a bit since your return," he said. "You've become friendlier, you have more friends, and you've earned the respect you needed. But somehow, there are some things I don't understand about you."

"What is it?"

Balto shifted his paw uncomfortably. "Well, you seem to change a lot that you don't seem like what I expected. You have new friends but you don't seem to bother about the old ones. You have been giving strange looks to me for the past few days but you acted cool in front of others. This morning you made me follow you in a walk that lasted for hours to a place as far as this. Then you started being nasty with me. Is there something you're trying to hide?"

Steele kept quiet. Then, he smiled. "Yes, I think there is."

"Say it, then!"

"There will come a time when the most powerful will be on top, while the other goes down." Steele answered, raising his front paw. In just a slash he could have torn the wolf dog's throat out.

But Balto was far cleverer, and quicker that he had expected. With alertness and spilt-second timing, he quickly rolled away, just as Steele slammed down. When he was far enough, he jumped into an attack stance, his fur bristling and fangs bared.

"Maybe, but the one going down won't be me!" he said.

Steele was shocked for a moment, then grinned. "Well, well. You are getting quicker and smarter now, I suppose."

"I've always been, Steele, especially when it comes to you. Killing me won't be so easy. I'm not some kind of dog who would have fallen prey to your old tricks."

"Oh, I doubt it," said Steele, smiling slyly. "One of these days you will, soon enough."

"You never changed, do you? Even after being banished all this while you still wanted to kill me, didn't you? We have forgiven you and tried to put our trust in you, yet you betrayed us, didn't you? I thought we were friends now and I respected that, yet you have no respect for me or my existence. You're a total wimp, that's what you are!!"

The malamute growled and bared his teeth."Oh cut the crap, Balto! I don't have anything to with those pathetic fools anyway. All I want is you!"

"You know, I still don't want to fight with you, Steele,"said the wolf dog. "But since you wanted it so much, I'm willing to make that an exception, with one condition."

"Aww, does that matter?"

"I'll fight with you, only if you can catch me first!" As soon as Balto finished his words, he leapt away and sprinted down a snowy path into the forest, throwing up snow behind him.

Strangely, instead of chasing him, Steele remained motionless for a while. Coward fool, he thought, you think you can win this game?! You think I can't track you down?! Big mistake for underrating me, Balto, and you shall pay with your life for it! He pointed his muzzle to the sky and laughed. He glanced at the path the wolf dog took and instead of following it, he ran his own way on a new route.

Meanwhile, Balto was making good progress. He had been running non-stop for two hours or so through snow and thick undergrowth. He took the time by making several rounds here and there, brushing himself against trees and bushes to leave his scent. Steele was a lead dog and lead dogs usually have powerful senses of smell, but without a wolf's nose like Balto's, he would have a little problem tracking him down. He even braced himself into a cold stream in the middle of the forest to fade his scent away. The tracks he made would be a problem, but as soon as Steele got himself hooked up with the wolf dog's scent, he will be confused over the tracks as well.

When the sun came over his head, Balto slowed down. Judging by his speed and endurance, he would have about four hours over Steele at least and probably more with his plan carried out. He would have to stop for rest right now, and perhaps for some food. Boy, I've been running so much I forgot all about my breakfast! Balto thought when he heard the rumbling sounds. Steele would find him sooner or later, but when he does, he'll be ready for it.

As Balto walked through the snow in search of food, he caught a scent and heard the sound of breaking bones. He began to prowl and at the same time trying to find out who it is. As he peeked cautiously from behind a rock, his eyes came upon a young grey wolf feeding on what seemed to be remains of a moose. The sight of food made his mouth water, but Balto decided to stay unnoticed for a while until he really finds out who it is. He laid down to rest with his head and body well-hidden from view, but the sound of his shuffling paws aroused the lone creature's attention. The wolf began to scan its surroundings and smiled.

"C'mon, Balto. You want to ambush me or what?!" The wolf dog recognised the familiar voice calling his name. Relieved, but slightly embarrassed, he came out boldly and walked towards the wolf.

"Kaylar, you caught me!" said Balto.

"Heheh! You think you can beat a full wolf's nose? I'm the maestro when it comes to sniffing!" Kaylar bragged. He was one of Balto's wolf-friends whom he came to know when venturing out into the woods. He was a bright figure of mischief; younger than Balto or any other wolves in his pack but likes to brag around and sometimes getting meddled up in things. "So what brings you here to the outback? I never seen you around for ages."

Balto told him the story, providing details about Steele and his plot. The young wolf smiled. "That dog?! I've seen him around when I went on hunting trips the last few days. What a lonely guy. He never leaves his den, I guess. What a coward," he said as he continued eating.

"Oh, that reminds me. Why are you alone here? Where're the others?" Balto frowned as he saw Kaylar's upset look. The wolf began his own story. He got meddled up in a fight with a younger female in his own pack. Since the leaders weren't so happy, he was temporarily 'banished' to live on his own, until he could accomplish one good deed that would benefit the pack or other fellow wolves.

"So you see, all I could do now are hunting small animals or go scavenging if I had to," he explained with his ears drooped. He pointed out that his meal was from another pack's kill, so when they left, he sneaked around to finish it. Balto nodded sympathetically. It reminded him when he was still an outcast himself.

"Hey, join in! You looked like you could need some," Kaylar chuckled as he heard Balto's rumbling stomach, once again.

"I sure do. Thanks," Balto gulped down hungrily. There wasn't much meat, so he was careful to eat his own share. "That's one good deed you've done for a fellow wolf, er, I mean half-wolf."

"Yeah, I just hope they know that." Kaylar licked his lips and smiled. "But if they find out I've been scavenging another pack's kill, they're gonna kill me!" Balto grinned in acknowledgement. A wolf pack has its own pride and dignity- eating a meal left by another pack without permission was considered a betrayal towards it. It's all in a wolf's life!

After finishing the meal and talking about smaller things, they decided it was time to part. Kaylar wanted Balto to howl with him, but Balto declined politely. If he howls, there might be a bigger chance of Steele finding him sooner. Kaylar nodded and nudged his head against Balto's side. "Okey then. Just remember: howl if you need any help and I'll be there quicker than a breeze. You're part-wolf and there's a reason to be proud of it. Good luck!" he cried before disappearing behind the trees.

Balto watched him left and set off on his own. He doubted Kaylar would have the chance against the older malamute, but if he could finish the whole thing quickly, he would keep the harm out from everyone.

After a few minutes of jogging, Balto slowed down. The food inside him wasn't fully digested so he had to slow down a bit to pump up the new energy. He looked around the endless lines of trees and the landscape of snow. He could make out that he was very far away from town. He sat down and though for a while. Let's see, I've been running all day long and now I've had my meal, so if I keep pressing on I might make it through till sunset. But if I did that, Steele would realize it would be useless to hunt me down, then he might go into town and sneak on Jenna instead. No! I have to stay here for him to catch up and then fight him. Besides, there's Kaylar around so there might be other wolves, too. Balto smiled to himself.

Suddenly, a rustling sound was heard. Balto turned towards it to see a canine flying through the air towards him! An ambush! Balto nearly jumped out of his skin in shock, but instinctively he leapt backwards just to avoid the trashing claws as they hit the spot where he should have been a second ago. The wolf dog stumbled and rolled backwards, but he soon got his footing and crouched low in defensive mode, a growl coming out of his throat. He faced his assailant, ready to attack if it leap at him again. What he saw before his eyes made him gasped.

"Steele!"

The malamute laughed and flashed him a grin. "So, finished your meal, eh Balto? I was hoping you to invite me, and you never did. How selfish!"

"But, how..." Balto was totally lost for words.

"Oh, that happens when you underestimate me, Balto. You think you can make a lead with all that speed and scent you put on trees, didn't you? And how about those tracks, you think you can win by that, too?" Steele said with a snarl. "I can cut through easily enough! I know my way around this woods as well as you do, Balto, only you never realised that. Big mistake for misjudging someone, especially your enemies."

Balto stood petrified, but his mind was not. He had to get away, not because he was a coward, but merely using his advantage. Steele was stronger and he looked determined to kill him, but Balto had eaten a little just now so there ought to be some energy left for him to outrun Steele. If Steele was taking a shortcut to get to him, he'd probably hadn't eaten anything yet. He just wasn't in the mood of fighting Steele yet, let alone kill him. Right now, the main concern was to tire his enemy out before bringing him in.

"You sure are fast, Steele, but you haven't caught me yet!" Balto cried and turned to run again. But before he could sprint away, Steele jumped before him and blocked his path. The wolf dog was half-panicked by now, desperately trying to make his way around, but then Steele leapt again and forced him down into the snow.

"Oh yes I have..." he snarled, but Balto wasn't losing yet. Since his underbelly faced upwards and Steele was on top of him, he rolled around and snapped at the malamute's shoulder. Steele yelped in pain, leaving Balto to launch himself away from him. As he got up, Steele charged and smacked him several times, followed by an abrupt kick to the side. Balto flew backwards and landed roughly on the snow, spitting blood. He got up before the malamute could attack him again and they circled each other, growling and bristling their fur.

"You really want to kill me, do you?" Balto asked through his bared teeth.

"Of course I do. What makes you think I don't?!" Balto did not wait to answer, instead he charged at Steele first in order to have the battle first-hand. Steele fought back with such viciousness and ferocity, even the more nimble wolf dog began to suffer several wounds. But he never went towards Balto's throat, as Balto did. It seemed Steele didn't want to go for the kill yet, but for what reason? Balto found it hard to find an answer, but instead he focused on the fight. Finally, after much bitting, smacking and throwing around, Steele succeeded in pinning Balto on the ground, with his paws on his chest and stomach. The wolf dog thrashed at him wildly with his claws, but the malamute kept his ground. Slowly, he brought his paws to Balto's throat and pressed down.

"Like I said, it's a big mistake..." he smiled with pleasure as Balto gasped for air, his eyes widen in fear and pain. The thrashing continued, but gradually died down. Balto was now struggling for dear life, but Steele's weight on his chest and stomach was squeezing the remaining air out of him. As he sank into the snow, Balto tried to howl and bark, but only helpless, dying gurgles came out. At last, he stopped struggling, trying in vain to breath, hoping to keep his last spark of life going. But he failed to do so, and it was dying away.

So this is how death feels like, Balto thought. This is it, I've been struggling all my life to get away from Steele, yet here I am drying in his grasp. At least you're safe, Jenna. Balto's mind flashed with all the moments they had all the years back, from the first meeting three years ago until the last time they met in Rosy's house. They seemed to be made for each other; even Balto thought there is nothing that can stop his love towards the lovely rust-and-cream husky. They've been together often, but they never describe their own feelings for one another. A tear came out and trickled down Balto's face as his eyelids began to close for the last time. Good bye, Jenna. It's been the greatest times of my life being with you, and before Death greets me in its path, I just want to say that I love you...

All of a sudden, the burden on top of him was lifted, and fresh air rushed in to replenish his burning lungs. The sudden force caused Balto to choke on his own, unable to contain his breathing. He laid in the snow on his side, motionless except for his chest which was bobbing up and down like waves. He closed his eyes to calm himself. After a while, he opened them back, only to meet the eyes of a dog he knew he would hate throughout his life.

"On second thought, I've decided to give you a chance, so be thankful for it!" Steele hissed before him. Balto growled angrily and tried to stand up and tackle him, but he dropped down and cried in pain. His belly, chest and neck hurt terribly, so he decided it was best to keep his temper down. Steele taunted him, "Just look at that! How unkind of you to try and attack me after what I did to you."

Balto bared his teeth at him. "Then why don't you just go ahead and kill me now?!"

"And let you miss the surprise I have for you? I don't think so. Besides, there are better ways to end your life than just strangling you,"said Steele. He walked around Balto and stared hard at him. "I always want people like you to take the long, painful road to your afterlife."

"Slimeball! I know I shouldn't have trusted you!" Balto uttered angrily.

"And you did. What a pity!" again the malamute taunted him. The wolf dog, weak and depressed, just stayed where he was, growling lightly. Steele gave him a disgusted look and glanced at the sun in the sky. It was already late afternoon.

"Oh dear, look at the time! I suppose we'd better get going," he concluded. He approached Balto and stopped at a relatively safe distance. "You wouldn't want to miss this for the whole world, would you? It's gonna be the thrill of your life."

"Where are you taking me?" Balto asked, not believing him.

"To tell you the truth, it'll be the place for your surprise and perhaps...that's where you'll meet your end," Steele answered, smiling evilly.

"You can't force me!" Balto ignored his pain and jumped at him, taking full effort of the remaining strength in him. But the pain affected his agility slowed down his moves.

Steele took that advantage and sidestepped, letting Balto bite through air. As he lost his footing and slid across the snow, the malamute leaped in front of him and shoved him into the air. Balto yelped as his chest hit a nearby tree. He dropped down, breathing heavily of exhaustion and stinging pain. By then, he was too weak to fight back as Steele came around.

"I didn't. It's you who forced yourself, Balto. Now why not relax and enjoy the trip?" he said and grabbed Balto by the scruff of his neck. It was easy as the wolf dog didn't struggle, so Steele swung his head around and flung him again.

Balto yelped once more and his world faded into darkness.

---

Balto woke up. He felt sore all over his body, but it didn't hurt much now. He blinked at the new surrounding. He seemed to be on higher ground now, judging by the view he saw. The woods lay behind him, and about fifty feet away was the edge of a cliff. Balto thought about how deep it would be and cringed.

The long sleep made Balto feel thirsty. He laid his head flat on the snow and began to lick it, enjoying the feeling as it melted and trickled down his throat. He was hungry too, but decided to wait until he was strong enough to get up and walk. Right now, all he has to do is get some rest in hope to restore his energy.

"Oh, you've waken up!" a gruff voice startled him. Balto turned to see Steele coming out from the bushes behind him, with two hares dangling from his mouth. He cursed to himself. If he hadn't forget to notice him earlier, he might even have the chance to escape.

Steele dropped the hares. "Enjoyed the beauty sleep?"

"Not really. I might have had a better one if it wasn't for you!" said Balto.

"In that case, consider having this as part of my apologies," the malamute replied and threw a hare before him. "I've taken all evening to catch this, so don't bother to complain!"

Balto pushed the meal away. "I'm not hungry."

"Oh, for heaven's sake, do you think I put poison in it?" Steele asked between bites of his own. "Well, if you don't enjoy your last meal, suit yourself."

Balto ignored him and glanced at the hare. The more he looked at it, the hungrier he gets, and his stomach rumbled again, demanding to be filled. Balto hesitated, but finally gave in. He pulled the hare closer and began to eat it slowly.

Steele saw him and smiled. "See, I told you so. You don't have to hide your hunger from me, Balto. I know everything about you."

Balto stared at him hard. "You don't know anything about me! You remember last time when you tried to fool me from getting back home with the medicine? Well, guess who's wrong!"

"That's an old story," Steele said, smirking. "You haven't seen the new side of me."

"I already have, and it's even worse!"

The malamute continued, "Quite true. My hate towards you has worsen, and I'm capable of hurting anyone just to get to you, even if it's Jenna."

"Huh, you don't dare! You liked her too much to even harm her!" Balto uttered.

Steele grinned. "You're wrong, Balto. When it comes to you, nothing gets in my way, even that little husky bitch. And I know just the way to prove it!"

Balto stood up, growling. "You lay a paw on her and I'll make sure you suffer!"

"You won't. You're too polite to do that."

"I have changed, Steele." Balto said. "I have suffered enough in my life. I won't be soft anymore. I've even encountered a dog who claims to be my dark half, but he had paid with his life for trying to harm Jenna. I don't want you to be the second one to end up like him."

Steele smiled. "Oh, there won't be a second victim. But you might want to believe in second chances."

"What does that suppose to mean?"

"Watch and learn, for this is my surprise," Steele said. He rose and stood magnificently with his chest puffed out. His eyes glowed and he let out a long, full-throated howl. Suddenly, a whirlwind spun around him, throwing up fallen snow into an impenetrable blanket. Then, the ground near him began to tremble and crack. Balto was surprised and he slowly backed away. As the wind died, he saw a canine-like figure slowly visible through the cloud of snow. As it emerges, Balto nearly jumped in shock. Its looks were as same as his!

"Hi, Balto. Remember me?"

Balto gasped. "What, you again?!"

"Yeah, it's me."

"But you were dead..."

The dog sniggered. "Dead?! Do you think I simply got froze inside that lake? I'm not that easy to be done with, not when my half brother is still alive."

"Well I'm not afraid to fight you again, you-" cried Balto.

"Oh, I never had the time to introduce myself the last time we met," said the dog. "I am Demon, your beloved half brother."

Balto narrowed his gaze. "I don't remember having another name."

"You don't." Demon replied. "I think the 'Balto' becomes inappropriate with my attitude, so I decided to change it."

"Sounds nice, but I think 'jerk' suits you better."

"You can call me what you want, Balto. Steele did that to me like that once and look at him now," Demon gestured at the fallen malamute.

Balto growled. "What have you done to him?!"

"Elementary, but I do know I could get you easily if I can take him along. So, I decided to meet him, but since he wasn't a bit of help, I have to do it by force. Now that I've managed to possess his body, I could return to town in search of you. Looks like all of the dogs got fooled by me. They never know it was you I sought, and when they do you'll be dead and I'll be taking over."

Balto growled again and launched himself towards his dark half. But before he could get to him, some mysterious force slammed him back into the snow. Balto tried to get up, but couldn't. It was as if his muscles had become stiff. He saw Demon smiling.

"You can forget about killing me now. I'm stronger and more powerful than you are. Even if I couldn't control your mind, part of your body belongs to me. Now I have the power to control both Steele and you." Demon approached Balto. Balto fought hard and managed to release himself for a moment. He gave one last heave and snapped at him. Demon quickly avoided the sudden attack and knocked him over. Balto struggled but was too weak as the last energy was drained from him.

"I have waited so long for this moment, being entrapped inside you and finally being free. I won't be inside you again, Balto. You've had your own days far enough. Too bad it's gonna end now, because today's my lucky day." Balto could only close his eyes in defeat as Demon lowered his head and opened his jaws...

Suddenly, a noise was heard from afar. Demon stopped and raised his head. Balto opened his eyes and seeing Demon becoming distracted for a while, he took his chance. He snapped again and this time, it went on-target. Demon yelped out and Balto jumped away, satisfied at his fruitful attempt.

Demon laughed. "A little scratch won't hurt me. In fact, you need more than just you yourself to fight me. If you listen closely, you'll know what I mean."

Balto perked up his ears. Sure enough, he heard the sound of pattering feet through snow, and it was getting closer. Whatever it is, he could make out that someone, or something was coming towards them.

"You heard that? You're not alone, brother." Demon told him. "I bet your foolish friends are on their way to find you, and when they get here, I'll make sure they'll suffer as you would!"

Balto gritted his teeth in silence. He wished he hadn't got himself into this. But putting it away was impossible now that he was facing it right in his face. Fighting against his Demon for his life wasn't his main concern; there are others too. His friends will soon know what was going on, and they will soon find him. Balto was yet to know who it will be, but he was sure his dark half was not playing around.
 

Chapter Eight: The Dark Challenges

The pattering sounds grew louder. Balto began to get anxious. Could it be his friends? He recalled telling Kaltag that he would go into the woods but had done so without telling him. He might be searching for him right now! He quickly cried out, "Kaltag, get away from here!"

A relieved voice answered, "Balto, is that you?" Balto gasped as he made out its owner. Oh no, not Jenna!

"Balto, hold on. I'm coming!" said the voice again. A horrid thought rushed through Balto, and he got up at once. He cried the warning again, hoping Jenna would stay out of danger. It hadn't occurred to him how did Jenna knew he was here; he just wanted her to be safe. Still, the sounds came closer.

"Aww, Balto. Why not let her join the party?" Demon mused. Balto just growled back in reply. All of a sudden, the bushes in front of him gave way as a rust-and-cream husky jumped out, followed by an exhausted-looking goose. Balto mentally slapped his head. What could be worst than this?!

Jenna, on the other hand, couldn't be happier when she saw Balto. "Thank goodness you're still alive!" she panted as she neared him. Balto looked at her gladly. Just then, another Balto-like call went out, and another dog rushed towards her. Jenna stopped dead in her tracks.

"Jenna, it's me, Balto- not him!" her eyes widened in disbelief. Another Balto!

"He's bluffing! I'm the real Balto," said the Balto in front of her.

Jenna backed away, as Boris came to her side. "No, this can't be! I thought Balto's evil twin is already dead," she muttered, not knowing what to do. Boris just shrugged. How could he still be alive? Jenna looked at the wolf dogs before him. One of them must be the real Balto, but which one? Both looked the same, both had the same voice; it was hard just to work out the differences.

"Why don't you look at their eyes?" Boris suggested, knowing the evil Balto had green eyes before. Jenna looked. Both had the same brown eyes. Jenna was surprised at this, but continued searching for more clues, wishing it would separate the real Balto from the fake one. None at all. She was about to give up when she remembered something. Balto had his shoulder wounded during the last fight with his dark half and if she could find that out, she might have a chance. But then, it should heal itself by now, and finding the scar means making close encounters with them. No, it was too risky; Balto's dark half could take that as an advantage. She would have to get help.

"Wait, I know! Why don't we do another quiz?" Boris popped up yet another suggestion.

"That wouldn't help. We've done that before," whispered Jenna.

"But this is different," Boris assured. He had been thinking this for quite a while. The reason Balto's dark half won the quiz before was because the questions involved the incidents when he was still inside Balto, thus he knew what had happened. This time, Boris decided to try a new method. "Okay boys, time for a new quiz," he said to the two Baltos. Both looked at Boris plaintively and nodded.

The Russian goose paused in thought. "Aha! What did you fetch me for breakfast two days ago?"

The first Balto answered. "Why, a nice, big trout."

"It's a headless trout for you and a cut of bacon for myself," replied the second.

Boris looked at them in shock. Both had the correct answers! Jenna asked dryly, "What kind of a question is that?"

"Okay, I'll give it another try!" Boris thought of another question. "Who is your bodyguard?"

"You!" both dogs replied in unison. Boris muttered something and looked at Jenna with a dull face. "I give up!" he cried.

"Not yet. Let me try," Jenna faced the two wolf dogs. "Okay you two, when one of you visited me two days ago, what did you tell me?"

"I told you I was going to meet some friends up here," one of them answered.

"Hey, you haven't finished," added the other. "I said I was going to meet some friends of mine here, for a few days at least."

Jenna thought quickly. "That's a lie. You end up here and I have to worry for that. Why did you lie to me?!" she nearly cried out in exasperation.

Both went silent for a while. The second piped up first. "Well, I don't want you to get hurt in case this impostor wants to get you!" he pointed at his twin brother.

The first defended himself. "Jenna, listen! He's only looking for me. I was only trying to get him away from harming someone else!"

Boris lamented, "I don't think this is working either." Jenna nodded without doubt. She had to admit, they need to do more than just a quiz to find out. Words alone won't prove one's innocence, that's for sure.

As Jenna and Boris were racking their brains to think of a better plan, they heard another sound among the trees. Seconds later, Kaltag came out with his 'rescue team'. He was about to call off the search when Beefy had found the scent that would leads to Balto and Steele and howled just in time to call his friends over. "All right Steele, the game's over. We got you outnumbered..." he trailed off when he saw the malamute lying in the snow.

Kaltag's surprised look turned into an astonished one at the next thing he saw. "Jenna?! What in the world are you doing here?!"

"Trying to do what you planned to do," she glared at him. "What is the meaning of this, Kaltag? You should have told me the truth!"

Kaltag stammered for a while until he was interrupted by Star. "Kaltag, I think you should look at this..." he said, trying to act innocent in front of Jenna's stern look. Kaltag turned and burst out the moment he saw Balto and his twin. "Oh no, not again...!"

Nikki nudged Beffy and smirked. "See, I told you I was right all along!"

Kaltag examined them both. "They look exactly the same! How about a nice quiz to sort them out?"

"It's useless," remarked Boris grimly, and began telling them what happened before they arrive. Still, they found it hard to believe his story. How can a dog who has been frozen to a popsicle in an icy-cold lake comes back alive and then simply knows everything happening around him?

Kaltag decided to try and push his luck. "Okay, if one of you is really Balto, prove it."

"I'm the real Balto," one of them said. "I told you to stay away from here for a few days but you've come at your expenses." Kaltag turned to the group and cried out gratefully, "Now this is the real one!"

Much to their surprise, the other Balto interrupted. "No, he's a fake! I'm the real Balto. I told you to keep Jenna out of this, didn't I?" Upon seeing their looks, Boris whistled quietly, glad that they were now convinced.

Kaltag walked up to his friends. "Any more bright ideas?" They just shook their heads and shrugged. It was hopeless. In this keeps on, they will never find out the real Balto.

"What should we do? The only thing we know is dat one is good and one is evil," Nikki wailed.

"Only one way to find out," Jenna had an idea. She suddenly cried out, lunged at one of them and lashed out. Balto gave a utter of shock and fell back, but she managed to hit him. Then, she quickly moved to the other one and did the same. He gasped, but suddenly dodged back and smacked her before she could do anything. Jenna stumbled, but quickly regained her footing and jumped away safely. The others inspected her, astonished at what she did.

"I'm okay," Jenna ignored the bruise she got, "but at least we now know who's the real Balto and who's the fake one." She pointed at the Balto who attacked her. "That's the fake one. The real Balto would never try to harm his anybody, especially his friends."

"Hey, good point!" Kaltag praised, nodding to the other dogs. They began approaching the helpless wolf dog, ready to attack.

"Guys, please believe me! I didn't do it, I swear..." Balto's cries for mercy were ignored as a quintet of dogs leaped at him, thrashing from all sides. Jenna, relieved that it was finally over, turned around to flash Balto a victory grin when she noticed something. Balto just stood there, staring at her without the slightest hint of expression. Then, a wicked smile etched across his face, while his eyes narrowed into devilish slits.

"That's a nice job you did there, Jenna." Even his voice sounded evil.

The rust-coloured husky stood speechless, then narrowed her eyes as well. "Guys, stop it," she commanded to Kaltag's team with her eyes still on him. Kaltag was about to protest but the urgency and coldness of her voice halted him. He muttered a word to his friends and they stepped away from the other Balto, now bleeding and breathing heavily. Then, to their surprise, Jenna approached and lightly nuzzled him, as tears began forming in her eyes.

"Balto, I...I...didn't know it was you...I'm sorry," her voice quivered.

Balto forced a weak smile. "It's okay, Jenna. I'm...still alive."

"But...but, you hit me, and I thought..."

"It's a long story," replied Balto.

Kaltag said hotly, "Jenna, what the hell do you think you're-" he stopped at her cold look. Jenna faced the standing Balto once more, her face changed into a mask of fury as she growled, "So, it was you all along."

The standing Balto smiled, "Great pretender, aren't I?"

"You evil rat!" Jenna cried. "You're not the real Balto. You tricked all of us into beating him!"

"Part of the plan, my dear. I just can't bear beating him up myself, so I let his pals do the job, or should I say, his girlfriend?" he laughed. That remark made Jenna even angrier than before, but Kaltag persuaded her not to make any bad moves. He knew Balto's life was at stake and possibly theirs, too.

"What do you want with us, you friggin' freak?!" Kaltag barked.

"Please...my name's Demon," the dog said, "and I have nothing to do with you; just Balto and me," he glanced at Steele lying unconscious in the snow and added, "Oh, and that malamute friend of yours."

Beefy snarled furiously, "Steele. What have you done with him?!"

"Oh, nothing much." Demon replied. "Just using him as my disguise. Balto's very sensitive lately when it comes to Steele, so I guess he was the perfect tool to lure him over. But when he doesn't want to help, I have to use the aggressive method. Now that I have his body, I can easily use him to get my plan working. I never realised it was so effective, though. No only did I lure Balto, I also have his goody friends trailing along the way."

"You'll never get away with this!" threatened Comet.

"It's Balto who won't get away. Whether I succeeded killing him or not, I can always impersonate him as I like. I can create havoc all over again, and they'll be blaming Balto all his life. After all, we both looked very much the same, didn't we?"

Kaltag growled. "Oh, that won't be so easy. Ready, guys? One...two...attack!" The dogs jumped at the dark half at his command. Suddenly, a blinding flash blocked their view and all of them were thrown back. Kaltag spat out the snow in his mouth and stared unbelievingly at Demon, who looked as if no one had laid a paw on him.

"Hah, you can't even touch me!" he spoke. "Did I ever tell you I've got some awesome powers within me? Your two strongest friends are at my paws, and with their strength in me, I have the powers I desired." He looked at Balto who was beside Jenna and his eyes glowed menacingly. Suddenly, Balto's body was lifted into the air. Then, he floated before their faces towards Demon.

"BALTO!" Jenna cried and tried to chase after it, but Comet halted her. "Not now, Jenna. We'll think of something."

Demon let the talk end and mused, "Oh, you'd better start thinking now, because I've got someone's life to end any minute now."

"Let him go, Demon. We can talk this over with."

"Sorry, but I don't take pampy advices. But you can always come and try." Demon challenged them.

The dogs could only glare in perfect hatred when another rustling sound was heard, followed by a loud "It's all over, Steele! Help is on the way!". As they turned to look, a grey wolf jumped out into the clearing, followed by four larger ones. They stopped and just stared in disbelief at the sight of two 'Baltos'.

"Whoa, am I dreaming or what?" one of the wolves said.

The grey wolf shook his head. "If that is Balto and that's another Balto, then where is Steele?" he looked over and caught Jenna's puzzled eyes. "Who're you?" they asked, almost together.

"My name's Jenna, and we've come to rescue Balto," Jenna introduced herself.

"What a coincidence! We're about to do just the same," the grey wolf replied, smiling. "By the way, I'm Kaylar, one of Balto's pals and say, Balto told me a lot about you."

Demon's irritating laugh interrupted them. "Well well, more of Balto's canine friends, I suppose. But that won't stop me. Balto's gonna die anyway!" Kaylar was stunned at first, until Jenna explained to him. He went over and told the other wolves. They nodded grimly.

"So Demon, about this 'half-thing' business," Kaylar began as he faced the wolf dog. "What do you say if we talk this over with, hmm?"

"I don't think so," Demon responded. "I have no demands and I don't want anyone spitting nonsense over some silly deals. Mind your own tail or I'll turn yours into a nice furry key chain!"

"That's not a nice way to talk, you know. Let's make sure everything's fair, all right? Nobody gets hurt and-" A sudden hush silenced the young wolf from his words. A big, older-looking wolf stepped forward and calmly approached Demon. He stopped, keeping a distance from him.

"Greetings. My name is Darrak, leader of the wolf pack in this area. I see you have a friend of ours in your paws, and I am willing to do a bargain with you for him."

The dark half growled at him. "Cut the talk, old pa! I told you I don't have anything in mind, and I don't want anybody muzzling around my business. It's all between me and Balto; no one else!"

"My friend, you are meddling with our patience. Don't you know better to do this the easy way than to harm one's life and pay the consequences afterwards?" Darrak spoke calmly. "There's a lot of us on one side, and only you on the other. Not much of a chance, is there?"

"I can manage that. Perhaps you haven't seen my capabilities yet. I was thinking of killing only Balto, but with you, I'm totally comfortable if someone else's goes with him!" replied Demon, eyeing him savagely. Darrak took the challenge and leaped at him. Jenna cried a warning, but it was too late. A vicious fight ensued, with Darrak trying hard to knock the dark half off.  Demon however, was fast on his feet, avoiding every attack with ease and not forgetting to land a few painful strokes to his exhausted opponent. As the battle draws to an end, he slammed his hind legs into the wolf's chest and sent him into the air. Darrak landed in front of him, bloody and barely breathing.

"What a waste," Demon gave him a sly grin. Next, he harnessed his dark powers and directed them towards the wolf. Darrak's body was wrapped in a ball of green light, which then floated before their astonished faces. As Demon swung his head to the left, the ball zoomed past and rammed itself into a large tree, followed by a painful yelp. A swing to the right, and the ball zoomed past once more, hitting into another tree. It seemed to be following every movement of Demon's head, and every time it hits something, cries of pain shot out. The 'lucky' ones just stood rooted to their spots, watching helplessly.

"Stop it, you murderer! You're killing him!" Jenna broke the silence. She just couldn't stand it any longer. Demon looked straight at her, and the ball stopped instantly. He just stared at her, his eyes glowing with anticipation.

"Just...put him down," said Jenna slowly. Demon narrowed his eyes and smiled. Instead of dropping him, he tilted his head up. At that moment, the ball shot into the sky, slowly out of sight until it became a sparkling dot. Then, to their horror, he dropped his head and all of the sudden the ball fell to the ground with a horrifying crash. As the dogs' view cleared from the floating snow, Darrak laid before their eyes, motionless in the cold snow.

One of the wolves nudged the limp body. "You've killed him!" His companions came forward and confronted Demon, angry at the sight of their dead leader. They all readied to attack him at once, when Jenna suddenly jumped forward and halted them.

"Wait a minute. Don't you see what he did just now? With powers like that, he could just easily kill someone else again," she said. The wolves hesitated, but finally gave in. They backed away to their canine friends.

"Well, we'd better think up of something at least," Kaylar suggested to Jenna.

"Don't worry, I've got a bargain for him," she replied at the look of his face, "one even he wouldn't resist." She went forward. Kaylar tried to talk her out of it, but she assured him she was going to be okay. I hope, she muttered under her breath.

Demon smiled when he saw her approaching. "Well well, what do we have here? Are the males so wimpy they appointed you to be the hostage negotiator?"

Jenna was not  in the mood for jokes. "Demon, if you promise to let Balto go, I'll give myself to you as an exchange." All dogs and wolves gasped at the offer.

Demon was about to say no, but instead he decided to give it a bit of thinking over. "And why should I do that?"

"Because you wanted me before, didn't you? But you failed because Balto came around just in time. Today, it's different: You let him go, and you get me." She came closer within range to prove her point. Any attempts to rescue her would be futile now.

Demon smiled evilly. "Hmm, now that's the beauty of negotiations. Okay, if that's what you want."

Jenna gulped as awful thoughts swirled in her mind.

"JENNA, DON'T!" she heard Balto's desperate cry from behind him. "You can't believe him. It's a trap!"

"I have to, Balto!" Jenna told him. "You'll die if I don't!"

"I don't care about that! The thing is, we'll both be dead if he gets you. Just go away!" He looked at her seriously, hoping the was still time to do so.

"I know what I'm doing..."

"But I...I love you!" Balto breathed out the words. "I mean...please let me handle this myself."

Jenna hesitated. Demon smiled, "That's right, sweetie. Why don't you listen to your loverboy?"

"Don't worry, he doesn't have the guts to kill me," Jenna said to Balto, staring at Demon with all her courage.

"Are you underestimating me?" Demon asked, his eyes glowing. "You shouldn't have, because I am capable of doing anything, including breaking promises!" Jenna gasped in horror as the glow in his eyes grew brighter. As a bolt shot out, she screamed, expecting it to hit her. Instead, she was pushed away hard.

As Jenna opened her eyes, she saw Trumps standing beside her with bared fangs at Demon. She saw blood coming out from a wound in his shoulder, probably where the bolt had hit when he pushed her away. "Trumps, you're hurt," she said.

Trumps twitched his ear to signal that he is fine. "You'll have to get through me first!" he aimed at the wolf dog standing before him.

"With pleasure!" Demon rushed forward and rammed him. Trumps skidded, but gained his feet and jumped to counter-attack. However, Demon saw him coming and dodged away. He jumped over and caught him from behind. Trumps wasn't a good fighter but still he fought on bravely. He managed to tore himself from Demon and tried to keep his back off him. But with the dark half gaining the upper-hand, he was losing, just like the wolf before him.

"Jenna, get outta here-" Trumps cried before Demon had him again. Jenna quickly moved away while the others came to her aid. They could do nothing, for they knew helping Trumps might result in another unnecessary death.

Trumps didn't realize he was closing on the edge of the cliff. As Demon lunged for his throat, he quickly jumped away, inches away from the sudden drop. Before he could pick up his senses, the ground beneath him gave way. Trumps gave a desperate shout, but luckily his claws dug into solid earth in the nick of time. He dangled dangerously as loosen rocks tumbled into the dark void, hundreds of feet below.

Demon came to the edge. "Enjoying the view, huh?"

"You pig-willed, cold-hearted swindler..." Trumps cursed, trying to force himself up.

"Keep the words for now. Send me a postcard when you get to heaven," the dark half slammed his paw hard on Trumps's. He yelped out and lost his grip. The last thing Trumps uttered was a long howl as he plunged down to his death. He had gambled with his life on the bet and lost.

"Nooooo..." Jenna cried out as she sobbed. Boris came around and tried to comfort her. Kaltag and his comrades could only stare at them pitifully. They were mad at Demon's cruel acts, but that was all they managed. The wolves just exchange glances, unsure of what to do.

Boris, out of all of them shouted out. "First you kill someone, then another. I'd give you one hard beating if I had paws!"

"Listen, you bag of feathers! One more of that and I'll snap your neck in half!" the wicked half snarled at him savagely. "Don't you ever learn?! I told you to keep away from this because I just want Balto dead, got it? There wouldn't be any waste of lives if you back off in the first place!"

"We're not afraid of you, Demon!" said Star confidently. "And once we find out how to beat you up, we'll make sure you never make it out alive!"

"Very well. You've been warned." Demon gingerly made a line on the snow. "Anyone crossing this border will suffer the same fate as his foolish friends just now. I hate to waste any more time, so I'll just go ahead and see if someone comes in some stupid rescue attempt." He harnessed his dark powers once more and lifted Balto from the ground, holding him over the chasm.

"Now, how should I kill you?" he said aloud. "I'd like to make it slow and painful, so I'll just crush your daylights out until every bone in your body has been broken, then throw your mangled carcass into the chasm for the ravens to feed on. How about that?" Demon answered his own question when his eyes glowed. A large ball of light wrapped itself around Balto's body and began shrinking in size, slowly squeezing him.

"You'll never get away with this, Demon. The ones you've killed with haunt you throughout your life!" Balto struggled to break his way out, but to no avail.

"Ohhh, I'm so scared!" laughed his dark half. "Bye bye my half brother!"

Balto stopped struggling and stared down at the depth below him in defeat. He closed his eyes for a second and glanced at his friends. His eyes caught Jenna's tearful ones, and they stared sadly at each other. Both knew this was going to be the end. They once kept a secret promise to themselves that they will be together before they die, yet now they seemed so far apart...

Suddenly, a flash of black and white jumped from behind Demon and knocked him over. He cried out, arousing the dogs and wolves who were standing nearby. They turned their heads towards them.

"Steele!" they nearly cried out in unison.

"You can't have him, Demon!" the malamute bared his fangs at the dark half.

"How dare you interrupt me?! I'll make you pay after I'm done with him!" Demon tried to put his mind on the ball floating over the chasm but Steele tackled him again. As they rolled in the snow, the dogs and wolves looked in horror at Balto. Demon had failed to regain control of the ball, causing it to deteriorate as it loses its holding powers. Balto might have been spared from being crushed alive, but he couldn't possibly escape the risk of free-falling hundreds of feet to his death.

"Balto, look out!" cried Jenna in fright. Balto gasped as he looked around desperately. He was nearly in the middle of the chasm, away from its edge. Time was running out and his possibility of survival was turning slim.

Suddenly, Balto saw his chance. As the ball breaks apart, a large hole appeared from within. Balto went through and leapt as hard as he could to the nearest side. Luckily, he barely missed the sharp jagged rocks as his body slammed against the cliff. The impact caused him to stumble but he got his feet just in time as a few loosened rocks fell into the darkness below. He drew a deep breath and slowly pushed his way up.

Jenna saw Balto's attempt to leap over the wide crevasse. She saw him as he dropped away and disappeared out of view. She wanted to see if he is all right, but hesitated. What if Balto wasn't there when she looked down? Could he possibly survived the fall after all? She decided just stay put and call his name.

"Balto?"

No answer. Jenna shivered as a chill ran through her spine. Is Balto dead? Then, her questions were answered as Balto's head appeared from behind the rocky edge. "Heh, I'm right here, thank you!" he smiled while his canine friends sighed with relief.

At the same time, Demon managed to tore away from Steele's grasp. Upon seeing Balto emerging safe and sound, he postponed his battle for a moment and ran towards his twin brother, with anger burning wildly in his eyes. Perhaps he still has a chance to kill Balto. All he has to do is ram him hard and send him plunging into the chasm once again, and that is exactly what he's going to do right away.

Balto was about to walk away when he saw his dark half tearing down on him. Before he could do anything, Jenna quickly jumped in front and smacked the assailant with all her might, which sent him into the snow, away from her and Balto. "Go now, Balto. You'll be safe for a while," she said.

"I owe you one, but from now on, I'm fighting Demon. Only Steele and I can kill him." Balto assured as he put her away to safety.

Meanwhile, Steele caught up on Demon was battling it out with the dark half. He fought hard, but Demon proved to be a tough opponent. He has a part of his strength and Balto's inside him, so to Steele it was like fighting a dog with doubled power and stamina. He yelped when Demon forced him down into the snow. He yelped again when the dark half sank his teeth into his side. He retreated, growling in pain and anger.

"You'll pay for this, Steele. I should have killed you a looong time ago but I was too soft by then," Demon scowled at him. "Today, I won't be like that anymore." He was about to lunge at the him when someone pushed him roughly away. It was Balto.

"Then we won't as well, Demon," he said.

Demon got up and rushed at him. Balto jumped over him and turned at his back. He gingerly tackled him and slammed him down. Before he could target his neck, Demon rolled around and shot a bolt of light from his eyes. Balto uttered a cry and jumped away as it flashed through, nearly slashing him. He backed towards Steele, leaving his dark half to get up. "I really don't know what to say, Steele, but thanks. You've save my life."

"Yeah, whatever. Right now we must get rid of that worthless brother of yours."

Balto nodded. "Right. We'll attack him together at once. He will find it hard if he has to focus on either one of us," he suggested. Steele quickly agreed and they began to circle Demon.

Demon looked at them both. "Partners? That's good. You two make it too easy for me!" he grinned and launched himself at Steele, jaws opened wide. Steele fell back as Demon came on him, but Balto barged in just in time and attacked him from behind. Demon yelped out and turned towards Balto, but Steele jumped on his back and trashed him. Angry and confused, he lost all sense of concentration and fought madly, trying to protect his back from the two assailants. When he tried to fend off Steele, Balto would butt in and so was the other way round.

Demon was about to admit his defeat when an idea came to him. He turned away from Steele and focused on fighting Balto instead. He even tried to learn and imitate his moves whilst defending himself. Even though it gave Balto a chance to predict his next move, but the plan worked on Steele. He had failed to recognize which one was the real Balto since they were using the same fighting style. Balto was fighting alone, and that gave Demon an even bigger advantage.

"Steele, lend me a hand, will you?!" Balto cried out, exhausted after a while. Steele could only looked over, but then hesitated. He just didn't want to attack the wrong target. Demon laughed to himself. He was beginning to enjoy this. With Balto tired out, killing him now would be a piece of cake.

Balto was losing the fight. He was much to exhausted to fight back, so he tried his best to dodge his opponent. But the energy was drained of him, and he found himself receiving more of Demon's blows. Balto cried painfully as his dark half clamped his jaws on a part of his shoulder and swung him hard. He flew backwards and bumped against a fallen tree stump. He got up just to see Steele looking at him. Balto paused for breath as he asked, "Steele, why didn't you help me?"

"I was going to. Sorry 'bout this," Steele replied. Before Balto could make out what he meant, Steele suddenly lashed out his paw and slashed his shoulder. Balto again cried out and backed slightly, his own blood staining his fur.

"What the hell are you doing?!" he gasped. Suddenly, Demon came by surprise and knocked him off. Balto took the impact and he and his dark half rolled over the snow several times until they reached a slope near the line of trees. They dropped down and came to a stop. Both got up and circled each other, ready to do battle again.

"Stop!!" a cry halted them just as they were about to lunge at each other's throats. The group of dogs and wolves, including Boris came down toward them. Steele followed as well. They examined the two dogs but failed to pick the odd one out. Both were wounded, both looked exhausted and both certainly looked the same. Even Demon's green eyes that once betrayed him were the same colour as Balto brown ones.

"Great, which one's Balto?" cried Star.

"Uh oh, here we go again," Kaylar said wearily. As they thought and pondered, both the wolf dogs tried their best to convince them.

"I'm the real Balto. You guys got to believe me!" one piped up.

"No, don't listen to what he says. He's lying!" the other intervened.

"I'm not lying. I never lied to my friends!"

"Oh yeah? You lied to Jenna like she said just now!"

"Oh, SHUT UP!" Jenna shouted, and her words had their effect. Both went quiet immediately.

"Ideas, anyone?" Jenna asked her friends. Only shaking heads and grunts greeted her. They were totally blank now, and she wouldn't want to risk her life in another 'blind attack' as she did before. All she could hope was for a miracle to come down.

"Wait. I know a way," a voice spoke. All eyes turned wearily to Steele. The others were not so happy about the malamute coming out with a solution, for they knew he was not to be trusted after his past sins. Still, Jenna decided it was best to give him a chance. "Go ahead, Steele. Tell us what you think."

"No time for that," Steele advanced and eyed the wolf dogs for a second. Suddenly, he charged at one. Kaltag and his team cried out in shock and went forward to stop him from carrying on his surprising onslaught, but the wolf dog who was spared halted them.

"Hey, out of the way...whoever you are!" one of them shouted.

"Believe me, I'm the real Balto" he said. "Steele's done the right thing." He pointed to his shoulder and explained. "He made a mark on me by wounding me, but I was too shocked to realize that. Trust me, that's Demon he's fighting with." The dogs still seemed unsatisfied, but they took in his words.

Steele didn't waste any time. As soon as he knocked Demon off his feet, he forced him down and set himself on top of him so he wouldn't get up. Demon struggled wildly to break free, but Steele's weight kept him down. The malamute gazed at him with his cold-blue eyes.

"I'll make it just the way you like it- nice and easy." He clamped on Demon's furry neck and bit hard. Immediately, a blood-curdling cry came out as a strange happening occurred. Demon's eyes shone with a bright green light that lighted the darker parts of the forest in an eerie glow. Steele's jaws dropped and he let go of him. The marks on the wolf dog's neck where his teeth had been glowed as well, as if there was nothing inside of him but light. Demon started to sink to the ground as strange green vapour came out of his mouth. It floated for a while and formed itself into the shape of a canine.

Steele backed away in surprise, but it came nearer and pounced on him. The malamute shut his eyes in expected pain, but instead he felt a something surging inside his body, bringing with it his strength. He was himself now! But when he saw Demon trying to get on his feet again, Steele knew it wasn't over yet.

"Balto, aim for his throat! Now!" he shouted.

Balto took the hint and rushed over. Before his dark half was able to fight back, Balto brought him down again and plunged his teeth into his assailant. Another similar cry was heard. The dark half dropped to the ground again as the glow from his eyes slowly vanished.

"This isn't over yet, my brother! I'll make sure of that...!" Demon uttered his final words. Suddenly, his body burst into tiny, glowing particles that swirled like thousands of fireflies. Balto looked in awe as they flew up higher and higher. When they reach the treetops, they suddenly turned and swarmed towards him. The last thing he remembered was the burst of bright light before his eyes...
 

Chapter Nine: Success!

Balto felt a gentle lick on his face. He opened his eyes to see Jenna smiling at him. He smiled back and tried to get up but she stopped him. "You gotta rest for a while. It's over now."

Balto ignored her and got to his feet. "I'm fine, really. Must have been knocked out during the excitement." he chuckled slightly. Jenna grinned at him in reply. Soon the dogs and wolves came to see them, happy that he was safe after all.

Kaylar approached and asked, "Feeling okay, Balto? Too bad you miss part of the occasion. Demon's really made a good work on the fireworks display!"

"I saw it all right. What happened to him anyway?"

"It's hard to tell really but part of him goes back to Steele and the other part to you, so I guess he's back where he belongs," said Star. "Feel anything strange about yourself?"

Balto looked at himself. "Emm...nothing I guess, just a bit cold."

"Cold or not, it's a good thing you're back, kiddo!" cried Boris, who pounced on him and ruffled the fur on top of his head. "Now don't you ever do that again, you hear me? You nearly got yourself killed!"

Balto promised and looked at his friends with a sad face. "Sorry to get you guys into this. Two of our friends had sacrificed their own lives for me, and I swear as long as his name exists in our minds, I won't forgive him..." he trailed off and watched the chasm in silence, a place where he should have met his end, but instead another soul took over his place.

After a brief ritual of howling to mourn the death of their friends and burying Darrak's body, Balto went over to Kaltag. "You've been quiet all the while."

Kaltag shook his head. "Balto, I'm the one who should be apologising, not you. If it had been for my stupid rescue mission, none would have been killed. It's all my fault!"

"No, it's not. You've done the right thing. Who would know the truth if Demon succeeded in killing me and impersonated me, then start committing other crimes if weren't for you guys? I also know you wouldn't have a heart to let anyone be killed. It's the fate we must accept, and I'm sure they'll be happy to know that we've won the fight. I'm really glad it's all over." said Balto.

Kaltag gave him a pat on the shoulder. "You bet it. Demon's such a clean guy, we can't even find his leftovers!" Laughter rang out in response. Balto smiled as he looked around his friends, until he sensed that someone was missing.

"Where's Steele?" The noise died down. Everyone looked around them and shrugged.

"Steele? Umm...I don't see him a while ago."

"Beats me. He's probably somewhere."

Boris who was being quiet all the time spoke, "It happens to be that I'm the only one who knows where that mutt is." He drew near and whispered into the wolf dog's ear. Balto eyed his feathered friend and nodded.

"Look, you guys stay here while I go and talk to Steele. We'll need some private time together," he said. The others exchanged glances and agreed. They couldn't possibly let him endure another possible risk, but they knew Balto would have it under control. Jenna, however, couldn't help herself but feel a little worried.

"Balto, be careful!" she said. Balto smiled to her and disappeared among the trees.

---

Steele continued his way through the woods. It was getting dark but he didn't mind about it. Nor did he mind about where he's going. He just wanted to get away.

"Steele, wait up!" someone called after him. Steele knew who it was but still he kept going. The calls continued but he ignored them. It was until Balto caught up and blocked his way did he stopped.

"Get out of my way, Balto!" he growled. Balto backed slightly but kept his ground.

"Listen, Steele. It doesn't have to be like this. You don't have to run away."

"What do you know?! They all hate me!" Steele blurted.

"The same as they did to me once," said the wolf dog. "I know what you want, Steele. You want to be back among us, right? You don't have to ask for it, it's already in for you. Let's go." Balto was about to turned back when he sensed that Steele wasn't coming along.

"They don't need me anymore. It might as well be better without me." he muttered. Balto shook his head and walked towards the malamute. This is harder than I thought, he said to himself.

"Steele, you've saved my life two times already. The first one was before Demon makes a pancake out of me and second, you left your mark on me so you won't be fooled later on," he explained. "You see, you don't have to be a hero in everyone's eyes, because you already are a hero in mine."

Balto added. "Actually, you don't need to be a hero to be among us, Steele. All you need is a second chance, and you proved that right in front of me. You turned yourself for the better. I can't see why we should let you begone forever."

Steele looked at him.

Balto smiled. "Welcome back, Steele. Life in town isn't the same without you."

Relief flushed through Steele, and he found himself smiling back. "Gee thanks, Balto. Maybe I was wrong about you after all. I mean, I just got really jealous of you. I didn't really mean to hurt you. It's just that you...and Jenna..."

Balto cut him short. "It's okay, Steele. It's all forgotten. You'll find someone who loves you soon," he said, unsure whether it was the best answer. He decided to brush it away and held out his paw. "So, are we friends, again?"

Steele gave him a smug look and smiled. He put his own on top of Balto's. "Sure we are!" They laughed together and walked side by side, back to where they came from.

"So, how's it going?" Comet called out the moment he saw Balto, and frowned when he saw Steele with him.

Balto smiled. "Very fine, I'd say. We're just getting ourselves acquainted, aren't we Steele?" Steele nodded in reply.

"I guess we're stuck with the old boss for now on," Nikki remarked, which the malamute took in as a joke. He nudged the chow in the side and laughed, which gave the trio a pleasant shock. But from the innocent act, they knew Steele has turned over a new leaf.

"Well, Steele, welcome back!" they all greeted him. At last, Steele has found what he wanted.

Balto watched them. "Well, I think that's all settled, huh?" he asked in a glad tone.

"Yeah." replied Kaylar. "Hey, come back and visit soon, Balto, that is, if I'd make it alive..." he said in a gloomy tone, remembering the ordeal he's still in.

Balto laughed. "Don't be silly. If it wasn't for you alerting the others, there's no worth telling I might make it or not. I suppose that's worth helping a wolf's friend anyway, huh?" he winked at another wolf beside him.

"Yes, I suppose so. Besides, a half-wolf is still a wolf!" he finally answered.

"You mean it?!" Kaylar looked at his senior with an eager expression.

"Yup, just remember when we get back, you'll be the first one out when we decide who's the new pack leader!" the wolf mused, and his friends laughed. Kaylar frowned at them, but inside he felt much happier himself.

"Well, it's about time we all get home. It'll be night soon," Jenna interrupted as she stared at the sky. The sun was just setting in the horizon and the first stars are coming out. "Our humans would be worried sick if we weren't back in time." The dogs nodded approvingly. They, in fact, had been in the woods for almost two days.

"Yeah, the lady's right," Nikki said. "I hate to stay here any longer, 'cause this place is starting to give me the creeps!" Much to their relief, one of the wolves offered to show them the path back to town. Balto thanked the wolves again before walking up to the group.

"So what are you gonna do when we're back, hold up some sort of celebration?" Beffy asked Balto as they began to make their way.

Balto stopped. "Nothing special. In fact, I think I'll stay here a little bit...longer," he replied, smiling at Jenna's surprised look. The others took the hint and smiled, as they set off back home, leaving him and Jenna alone. All of them , except Boris who walked up and laid a wing on Balto's shoulder.

"Don't lost your way, kiddo. And don't let the cupids bite!" he whispered to him. Balto chuckled and nodded. The Russian goose gave a sly wink and waddled away.
 

Chapter Ten: The Real Date

"So, you said you wanted to stay here longer, didn't you?" Jenna asked Balto as soon as his friends were out of sight, bringing the back the natural sounds of the woods.

"I did..." Balto tried to find the right words, but they just wouldn't slip out. He looked up at the sky. "I just want to enjoy the night for a while." He laid down on a spot overlooking the river, which has a nice view of the mountain range. He looked at Jenna hopefully and she approached him and laid down beside.

"Heh, I don't think the Northern  Lights are coming out tonight," Balto said, looking up again. "And sorry for bringing you to this place, Jenna. I know it's kinda' creepy..."

Jenna cut him off. "No, please don't. Besides, the moon's coming up now. It's gonna be a nice night after all."

Balto watched the moon as it slowly climbed up to the sky, lighting up the land below. He sighed happily. "Yeah, it sure looks nice." He slowly moved his eyes towards Jenna and found her looking at him as well. Balto hesitated, but instead he grinned sheepishly.

"So, what's the occasion?" Jenna asked. She had a slight feeling of what this was all about, but she'd rather let Balto explain it to her.

"Oh...ah, I...er...I just want to ask you something."

Jenna edged closer and waited for the question. Balto paused for a moment before asking, "How did you find me here, Jenna? I thought I never told you where I was going."

"Well, that's what you think," Jenna smirked and proceeded telling him about how she found out the truth. "I've already made a head start before Kaltag and the others, and I even got Boris to fly over the forest to know exactly where you are. Sure saved me a lot of time, don't you think?"

"Wow, that's a clever thing to do! I could never think of if myself!" Balto remarked.

"That's why you shouldn't have lied to me. I was so worried about you!" Jenna exclaimed, suddenly laying her head on Balto's shoulder. Balto glanced at her, and a soft smile formed at his lips.

"I know," he said slowly. "I was worried about you too, in case you might follow me. Demon might have killed both of us."

"But he didn't, did he?"

Balto nodded and admitted, "Yeah. I guess I really owe you a big one, Jenna."

Jenna smiled. She knew perfectly what she wanted to ask. "Does that mean we'll go on yet another date?"

Balto looked at her. He too, knew it was the perfect moment to know what he wanted to know all this while. "It's more than just a date."

Jenna widened her eyes, totally taken aback.

Balto continued, "Jenna, I...I just want to know if there's a place in your heart for me. I mean...all these years, I thought I was fighting alone, and then you came along into my life. You helped me get the medicine back safely, you helped me to know my true self and to be proud of whom I am, and then we often went out together. I...I really appreciate that. I-I really love you!" he finally blurted out. He found Jenna giving him a strange look and wondered if he said anything stupid to her.

"Jenna?"

Jenna's look faded and a wide smile appeared. "Balto, those are the words I've been waiting all my life."

Balto felt himself floating. She did love him! But Balto wanted to know more, so he just stared at her stupidly. "They are?"

"Yes, and I love you too, Balto. There'll always be a place for you in my heart. Only you," she finished.

Balto looked at her, and for a second their eyes met. Suddenly Jenna moved her head towards him. Balto followed, and the space between them closed. Then, their noses touched. Balto found himself locked under Jenna's gaze. He wanted to let go of himself, but he inner self resisted. He never felt being so close to her, and wanted it to last that way forever.

Jenna too, felt the same way. She was never sure if Balto really loved her, but after hearing him saying so, she felt certain she had found the true dream of her life. She knew she found it on this special night, and it was the night she would remember in a lifetime. She closed her eyes, twitched a bit and gave Balto a kiss. Balto looked on in shock, but then his eyes closed as well as he enjoyed the moment. After a while, they both pulled away and smiled at each other.

"Thank you, Balto, for all that you've done," Jenna said first.

"And you too," replied Balto, getting up. "Well, it's getting late. We'd better head back home."

Jenna asked playfully, "Is that yourself saying, or your other half?"

Balto smiled at her. "Well, that depends in who you believe in."

Jenna made a small laugh. "I've already made my choice," she said and snuggled close to him. Balto smiled as he and Jenna set for home, almost unaware of the sounds of the forest that ceased behind them.

After all, they have a greater deal to be merry about.

THE END

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'Balto' and its characters are copyrighted to Universal Studios & Amblin Entertainment
© 1995 Universal Studios & Amblin Entertainment

Demon is copyrighted to Ronnie Chong (the name however, is given by me!)
© 1998 Ronnie Chong

Kaylar, Darrak, Beffy, Comet, Tango, Buck and Trumps are copyrighted to Kylewulf
© 2002 Kylewulf

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