Balto: Break of Sanity
A/N Throw out anything you know about the movie. This is a completely different scenario.
Prologue
Balto and Jenna have known each other for at least three years now, dating secretly under fear of the town's opinions. They were, however finally discovered by Rosy. The couple was inseparable and after several attempts at it, Mr. Hudson (Rosie's father) decided to accept facts. Two years later, Balto and Jenna were blessed with a single pup of which they named Alue. She had the appearance of a wolf, even more so than her proud father. She was raised by her father until she was about a year old and had all of the knowledge and skills of a purebred wolf. About three months after her first birthday, she decided that she was going to leave town to find a home where she would belong and feel accepted; so she ventured to the coast and picked up a pack of her own.
Nome was hit hard by Diphtheria and the medicine team lead by Steele became lost and failed to bring it back. Determined to save Rosy and the other children, Balto journeyed out to find the lost team with Jenna faithfully at his side. (He couldn't convince her otherwise) Boris, Luk, and Muk wanted to help and came as well. Jenna fell from a cliff to the ground ten feet below and was rewarded with a sprained right foreleg. Balto sent her home with Boris, Luk, and Muk going on alone to find the lost sled team. A day after separating, Balto found the team and led them back to Nome saving hundreds of lives. He was so blasted by applause and praise that he failed to notice that his mate and friends weren't present. He ran off into the woods for the night to escape all of the grimy hands and later kicked himself for not checking in on Jenna. But for now it was late. He would bunk down here for the night and check on her the next morning.
Chapter 1 Balto
Balto howled softly under the upstairs window knowing well that Jenna would click down the stairs with someone close behind to let her out. Balto sat back on his haunches in the crisp morning air with the sun just peeking over the horizon at his back with a smile spread across his light muzzle and stared up at the window. The longer he waited, the smaller his anxious smile became and soon after no commotion that would suggest the presence of the Hudson family, it was replaced by a confused frown. He tilted his head and stood up; making his way around to the front of the house pausing at the front door. He pressed his ear flat against the door and listened. Nothing. He tilted his head again and let out a soft whine as he scratched on the door with a socked paw and waited. Nothing.
'How odd,' he thought to himself then sniffed under the crack of the door in a long draw and snorted his disapproval when no recent signs of life reached his nostrils. He blinked slowly then a sudden thought hit him.
'Maybe they're all at the hospital with Rosy,' he thought to himself as he turned and began making his way into town.
After a short stroll and little attention from the mostly sleeping town, he arrived at the hospital and stood on his hind legs placing his forelegs up on the window sill to Rosie's room. He peered into the room and saw her lying in bed asleep. Neither Jenna nor the Hudsons were there. He pushed off and began making his way back to the trawler.
'Boris oughtta have an answer,' he thought to himself as he drew near his home. Little did he know that the answer Boris had was one he hoped he'd never have to hear.
Balto closed in ten yards to his home and saw Boris walking around outside with what looked like an expression of worry plastered on his face. Balto padded up to Boris who was so deep in thought he didn't notice until he heard, "What's the matter, Boris?"
Boris jumped and feathers flew. When the air cleared, Boris was lying flat on his back in the snow. "Balto!" he exclaimed after regaining his senses. He stood up and brushed off the snow that still clung to him. "Don't sneak up on me like that unless you want me to have heart attack!" his heavy Russian accent chopped his speech slightly.
Balto couldn't help a chuckle. "Sorry, Boris," he laughed, but trailed off when he noticed the condition of his friend. Boris's feathers, normally neat and clean, ruffled and dirty; his eyes were baggy, and he looked as though he hadn't slept in days.
"Are you okay?" Balto asked concerned.
"I'm fine," Boris said assuring.
"Well, okay," Balto began, not wanting to keep on the subject, "I was over at Jenna's house earlier and she wasn't home. In fact, no one was. The house was completely empty an…" he trailed off hearing a sigh come from Boris who was looking down at his feet. "Boris, is there something wrong?"
"No, of course not," he honked. Balto's gaze met his and he knew that he'd been read. "Balto, I need to tell you something. Sit down." He sighed again as Balto eased back onto his haunches. Boris ran a wing over the back of his neck and began. "The Hudson family isn't home right now because they've been spending the last thirty six hours abroad looking for…" he trailed off and looked down again.
"Looking for who," Balto asked worried. When Boris looked up again there were tears welling up in his eyes. "Boris, who. Answer me damn it!"
Boris inhaled deeply and managed to choke out, "Looking for Jenna." This hit Balto like a truck. He just sat where he was dumbfounded. Seeing as that Balto said nothing, Boris continued.
"I didn't want to have to tell you boy chick, but there have been no signs of her since we dragged her in two days ago."
Balto flattened his ears. He sent her home with Boris after she hurt her leg. Boris had been talking the whole time Balto was thinking. Balto concluded his thoughts and came in at "…the weather hasn't been favorable lately and it's likely that…"
"Where was she last seen," Balto interrupted.
I already told you, at the boiler room. Everyone I talked to there said that she got angry about something and ran out. If I'm not mistaken, I think it was something Steele said that upset her."
Balto rolled his eyes at the mention of his lifelong bully then remembered Boris saying something about the weather. "What were you saying about the weather?"
Boris thought at the question then snapped his finger-like feathers as he began. "As you know, I am goose; and as such, I have a great knowledge in weather and what is survivable. Jenna has been out in the elements for at least thirty-eight hours now and we've had whiteout conditions as I'm sure you're aware. So…" he cleared his throat.
"What," Balto asked concerned with the fact that his friend had trailed off in mid-sentence.
"I am regretting to the fact that her chances of survival are slim; and with the injury on her leg, it lowered them to nearly impossible."
A possible hint of anger flashed into Balto's eyes. "So, you'd just give up that easily, huh?"
"Balto, I haven't slept in two days, and have flown over every inch of Nome and the surrounding ten miles. I haven't found a single footprint. I'm just not sure, fighto, I'm just not sure." Boris concluded by burying his face tiredly into his wings.
Balto thought for a moment, moving his eyes as he weighed his options in his head, then flattened his ears and stood up. Boris noticed and peered at Balto with his wings still on the side of his face, but said nothing, so Balto turned and began walking. Boris watched him briefly.
"Where are you going," Boris asked remaining where he stood.
"I'm going to find Jenna. You may be willing to give up on her, but she means more to me than life itself. I'm not coming home until she is safe." Balto spoke with his head turned back over his shoulder.
"Balto…" Boris began to say; but Balto turned and began trotting off alone, and in a matter of moments, disappeared into the glare of the early morning sun.