Balto's Story
Part 1: Balto's Past
Chapter 1: Family reunion.
Middle of summer 1929...
Balto slept peacefully one night. Across from him, Aleu and Kenai slept peacefully as well, with Kenai warmly but gently wrapping his body and tail around Aleu like a blanket (though they both are covered in their own blanket already). As Balto dreamt, he was running up a hill, then stopped on his tracks. Down the hill, he saw a grey husky smiling at him. He smiled as he ran down the hill towards the husky.
"Aurora!" Balto happily greeted his sister. He nuzzled her affectionately, and she nuzzled him back. "It's been a while since I saw you, sister."
"Same here, brother." Aurora smiled at her little brother, and she leaned against him and rested her head on top of his neck. They embraced for a few moments before parting.
"What brings you here, sister?" Balto asked.
"Brother, I have exciting news that you will love to hear." She informed him.
"What will that be?" He asked with curiosity.
"Mother and father wanted me to tell you that you can finally have that family reunion you've been dreaming about for over a year!" Aurora said.
"Really? I can finally introduce to the family my mate and pups? That's great news indeed! Thank you for telling me!" Her brother replied enthusiastically.
"I thought you'd be so excited." Balto's sister replied with a smile.
"Where will we be having the reunion?" Balto asked.
"We'll have it here on your beach." Aurora replied. "Later today, go gather your mate, and the rest of your sons and daughters. You can invite their mates, if they would like."
"Anyways, Aleu and Kenai already live here with me." He replied.
Aurora nodded and leaned forward to nuzzle him. "See you again tonight, brother!"
"You too, sister! See you, Eyak, Aurora, mom, and dad tonight!" Balto bid as his sister, himself, and his surroundings faded away...
Balto woke up, yawning as he lifted his head. As he closed his muzzle and rested his head, he felt something rub against his muzzle.
"Morning, papa." Aleu sweetly greeted her father, nuzzling him. He smiled warmly at his daughter, and her mate at her side.
"Morning, Aleu. You too, Kenai." Balto nuzzled her daughter and son in-law.
"You two, I have something important for you to do." Balto said.
"What will that be, Balto?" Kenai asked.
"Aleu, around late afternoon or early evening, go to town with Kenai and gather your siblings and their mates. We will be having a family reunion here at the beach tonight." Balto instructed.
"Really, with whom?" Kenai inquired. Balto grinned.
"You met my mother and sister, right?" He asked Kenai. His son in-law nodded.
"Well, my other sister, Aurora, told me that we will have a family reunion. I'll finally be able to introduce the family to my mother, father, and siblings."
"A family reunion tonight with grandma, grandpa, and our uncle and aunts? That sure is exciting!" Aleu replied enthusiastically and nuzzled her father. "We haven't had a family reunion since we met grandma and grandpa on mom's side of the family."
Balto smiled. "Now you will be able to meet my side." Balto replied.
"How about you, Balto, what will you do?" Kenai inquired.
"I will tell Jenna about this and see if Max and Molly can come too." He replied.
"Will do!" Kenai said.
Balto, Kenai, and Aleu got up and went about their day. They told their family members about the reunion, and everyone was excited for the following night. As the sun was almost done setting, Balto looked out from his boat, watching out for his family members to come to the beach. Jenna sat beside him.
"You sure have been excited to introduce me and the family to your parents and siblings." Jenna said, and nuzzled her love on the cheek. Balto blushed and chuckled.
"You've already met my mother and siblings. You have yet to meet my father." Balto replied as he nuzzled his mate back.
"We shouldn't have to wait too long now. It's almost time." Jenna said. Balto nodded
Not too long later, Balto and Jenna spotted Yukon with his mate Yin, and her brother Yang, walking to the beach. Balto and Jenna proceeded to walk down the boat and greet their son and in-laws at the beach. A little bit later, Aleu and Kenai returned. A few minutes after that, Dingo and Nunivat came to the beach, alongside Dana and Thunder respectively.
"Thunder, Nunivat, it's good to see you two again." Dana said.
"Likewise, it's good to see you and Dingo again." Thunder replied.
"Say, does anyone know where Nate and Drake went last week?" Nunivat questioned.
"Sorry, sis." Dingo replied. "They're on vacation."
"The brothers wanted me to tell you that they are on a trip to San Francisco with their owners, and their grandmother and uncle. They'll be back in a couple of months." Dana added.
"Too bad they can't be with us today. Hope they have fun." Nunivat commented.
Balto, Jenna, and their family members chatted at the moment while they wait for the rest of the family to arrive. When the sun finally set, the rest of the family arrived at the beach.
"Your pups told us that we are having a family reunion." Max commented.
"This will be exciting, Balto, to finally meet your parents, and even your siblings!" Molly replied.
"Glad that you two are able to be here." Balto said. "Now, we just have to wait for my parents and siblings to come."
Including Balto, the group of 17 huskies and wolfdogs chatted at the moment. As Balto surveyed his family and listened to their conversations, he waited for his parents and siblings to arrive. Sure enough they did. Down the beach, Balto smiled as he spotted 2 white figures and 2 grey figures walk up the beach. There they were: Balto's mother Aniu, his father Beringo, his older brother Eyak, and his older sisters Juneau and Aurora. Jenna and her pups and in-laws watched as Balto ran over to greet the new comers.
"Mom, dad! Juneau, Eyak, Aurora! It's so good to see all of you again!" Balto exclaimed as his family nuzzled him affectionately. Balto nuzzled them back. He escorted them to the group of 16. Now, there were 22 of them in total.
"Dad, this is grandma and grandpa...?" Yukon began.
"And your uncle and aunts." Balto finished. Yukon glanced over at Yin and Yang. Besides Balto, the white wolf Aniu affectionately nuzzled her son.
"Balto, this is your father?" Jenna asked, referring to the grey male husky.
"Yes my love, he is." Balto replied.
"Beringo's you're father?" Max and Molly asked Balto incredulously.
"Beringo is my father." Balto replied. "You two know him already?"
"We've known him way before you were born." Molly replied.
"Nice to see you two again, after such a long time." Beringo greeted Max and Molly.
With that, the family reunion began. Balto introduced to his parents and siblings each and everyone of his pups and their mates. The party of 22 chatted with each other, getting to know one another. Balto introduced Jenna to his mother and father, and they lovingly nuzzled their daughter in-law, thanking her for being Balto's friend when he was an outcast. They told her how proud they are that she is their son's mate.
"You have a wonderful family, my son." Aniu smiled lovingly as she nuzzled her youngest son. Balto nuzzled Aniu back.
"Thanks, mom." Balto replied.
"You have a beautiful mate indeed." Aniu said.
"We are proud that you have Jenna as her mate, and to have her as our daughter in-law." Beringo said.
"Thanks, dad." Balto replied.
"Dad, no offense, but grandma is a wolf?" Saba asked.
"You never told us that." Kodi added.
"Yes, I never told you or your siblings." Balto replied to his son and daughter.
"Kodi, Saba, Dad is half wolf, just like me." Aleu told her brother and sister. "It's because of grandma Aniu that dad is half wolf. And yes, dad told me. It was because of finding out I was a wolf dog that I ran away 3 years ago. Right papa?"
"True enough." Balto replied as he wrapped his leg around his daughter's shoulder. He nuzzled Aleu, and she nuzzled him back.
"But that's okay. I learned afterwards to accept my wolf side." Aleu added, and her father nodded.
Her brothers and their mates glanced at each other, confused. Yukon, Dingo, Kodi, Saba, and Nunivat couldn't imagine that their father was half wolf. But does that mean...?
"Mom, did you know about this too?" Dingo asked.
"Yes." Jenna replied. " I knew all the time that your father was a wolfdog."
"So did we." Molly added, replying for Max. "But that didn't stop Jenna from becoming friends, and then mates with your father. Nor should it change how you feel about your father, and even Aleu."
"Very true, Molly. It should not change how you feel about your father, or your sister." Aniu replied.
"Wait. If Balto is half wolf..." Yin began.
"Why doesn't Juneau, Aurora, or Eyak look like their mother, just as Balto does?" Yang finished.
"Simple," Juneau added. "Aurora, Eyak, and I took after our father."
"While Balto took after Aniu. Just like Aleu took after him, while the rest of you took after your mother." Eyak replied, referring to Balto's pups.
"Dad, why didn't you tell any of us?" Kodi asked. "I'm not mad, but why didn't you tell us that you are half wolf, and that Aleu is as well?"
"Son, I didn't tell you or your siblings, partially because of Aleu running away after I had to tell her about her wolf side." Balto answered. Dingo glanced over to his mother, wanting to ask her the same thing. She only nodded.
"Indeed, my grandsons and granddaughters." Aniu spoke as she walked up to address her grandchildren. "In short, Beringo and I met one day. Despite me being a wolf, and him being a husky, we grew to be close friends and eventually fell in love and became mates. One day, I gave birth to your uncle, aunts, and your father. Like him, his siblings, and your sister Aleu, you all have wolf blood in you too."
Kodi and his siblings gasped and chatted with each other about this revelation.
"But what does having wolf blood have to give them?" Dusty asked.
"Dusty, having wolf blood gave Balto, Aleu, and her siblings advantages over regular huskies such as yourself." Beringo replied.
"Like what?" She asked.
"Yukon, have you ever thought why you were stronger than your other siblings?" Aniu asked.
"No, grandmother." He replied.
"You have inherited strength from your wolf side." She replied. Yukon glanced at himself, surprised to know wolf flows through him, giving him his strength.
"He sure is a strong guy, thanks to his wolf side." Yin replied lovingly as she sat next to him, licked his cheek, and rubbed his shoulder with her chin. Yang sat next to him, patting his shoulder.
Aniu turned around. "And to my dear Kodi and Dingo..." The brothers sat down in front of their grandmother. "Your father became the fastest in Nome because the speed granted by his wolf side that he inherited from me. And thus, it has been passed on to you both." Kodi and Dingo glanced at each other, surprised.
"Well, I wasn't such a good, nor fast sled dog, until Kodi trained me."
"And I couldn't run too far, until dad trained me to outrun him."
"Well, I don't care if Saba has wolf blood in her. I still love her just the same." Josh added as he held Saba and nuzzled her.
"Same her with my Nunivat." Thunder added as he also held her and nuzzled her.
Dusty and the other in-laws also expressed their love and support for their mates,despite their wolf blood. Even Kenai told of his continued love towards Aleu, despite her being half wolf rather than a full wolf like he is.
"Balto being half wolf never changed what I thought about him, nor does it keep me from loving him." Jenna added as she lovingly embraced her mate.
"Didn't matter to us that he's a wolfdog. He's our wolfdog." Max and Molly said as they joined Balto.
"While being half wolf makes everyone stronger, even your father, it wasn't always the case, as being a half breed caused others to hate him for a long time. Since we are all here, why don't we tell you all about Balto's past?" Beringo asked the group.
"Balto, you can also find out more about your past that we didn't get to tell you yet." Aniu told her son.
"I'll learn as much about my past as much as everyone else will." Balto replied. As everyone sat down in a circle around Aniu, Beringo, Juneau, Eyak, and Aurora, Balto also sat down in front of his family. Jenna snuggled with him. She licked his cheek, and rested her head on his paws, while he rested his head on top of hers. Beringo and Aniu smiled at their son, lovingly snuggling with his beautiful mate.
Aniu and her son and daughters prepared to tell their story...