It was a cold and lonesome night; Jenna was out of town with her friends and Balto was wandering around the streets of Nome by himself. Normally he would have been curled up in front of a warm fire inside of his cozy cottage...but some mysterious shadows beckoned him outside and enticed his curiousity. Somewhere in the darkness someone was skulking along and waiting for it's chance to strike at him. Balto knew this from the second he stepped outside. But what should he be afraid of? He was the Hero of Nome after all.
A few more trips up and down the alleys and Balto's eyelids began to sag heavily. He was about to head back home when he heard paws in the snow shuffling towards him. He immediately took a defensive stance low to the ground and spun himself around a few times to try to spot his attacker. "Show yourself." He muttered. A pair of glowing eyes floated forth from the shadows and slowly the black and white husky stepped calmly into view. Balto, consternated, eased out of his defensive stance and looked at his assailant. "Steele?" He asked in disbelief.
Steele stared emotionlessly at Balto for a few short moments before taking the initiative in the conversation. "Yeah..." He stated blankly.
"What are you doing here? More importantly...why are you following me"
"I wanted to say something.." Steele said as he shifted his gaze to the ground in front of his paws.
"Oh"
"I..wanted to say..." Steele at a loss for words sighed, turned around, and began to walk away with his head drooped when Balto circled in front of him and looked worriedly into his eyes. "Please, tell me." He pleaded.
"Well..." Steele began unsurely. "I just wanted to say that I'm...sorry for what I did to you"
Balto cocked his head slightly at the statement and smiled at Steele. "Ah.." His grin grew even wider.
"I'm not longer the hateful, corrupt, egotistical bastard I used to be..." Steele's ears drooped slightly as he continued to speak. "I've finally had a taste of what you had and understand your previous position. It's...not very fun." He chuckled and prompted a small laugh from Balto as well who was still smiling at his former rival. "What are you smiling at?" Steele questioned playfully.
"Oh...nothing." He responded.
"Anyways...I just wanted to ask of your forgiveness." He said with a smile.
"Of course...and you are forgiven." Balto concluded.
Steele moved a bit closer to Balto unexpectedly causing Balto to take a few steps back. "I'd also like to ask you something else"
"Oh? And what might that be?" He asked curiously.
"I was wondering if we could be friends"
Balto's ears perked up happily at the mention of forming a friendship...especially coming from Steele. "Of course!" He responded cheerfully.
"Thanks.." Steele said as he wrapped his paws around Balto who flattened his ears in mild confusion.
"W-..what are you doing?" He asked nervously.
Steele chuckled. "Forming a friendship"
"Oh...yeah." Balto returned the hug uncertainly and stifled a giggle. "Of course"
Steele buried his muzzle into Balto's fur and gave off a slight sight of happiness as he hugged Balto tighter. "You're all I have left.."
A few more trips up and down the alleys and Balto's eyelids began to sag heavily. He was about to head back home when he heard paws in the snow shuffling towards him. He immediately took a defensive stance low to the ground and spun himself around a few times to try to spot his attacker. "Show yourself." He muttered. A pair of glowing eyes floated forth from the shadows and slowly the black and white husky stepped calmly into view. Balto, consternated, eased out of his defensive stance and looked at his assailant. "Steele?" He asked in disbelief.
Steele stared emotionlessly at Balto for a few short moments before taking the initiative in the conversation. "Yeah..." He stated blankly.
"What are you doing here? More importantly...why are you following me"
"I wanted to say something.." Steele said as he shifted his gaze to the ground in front of his paws.
"Oh"
"I..wanted to say..." Steele at a loss for words sighed, turned around, and began to walk away with his head drooped when Balto circled in front of him and looked worriedly into his eyes. "Please, tell me." He pleaded.
"Well..." Steele began unsurely. "I just wanted to say that I'm...sorry for what I did to you"
Balto cocked his head slightly at the statement and smiled at Steele. "Ah.." His grin grew even wider.
"I'm not longer the hateful, corrupt, egotistical bastard I used to be..." Steele's ears drooped slightly as he continued to speak. "I've finally had a taste of what you had and understand your previous position. It's...not very fun." He chuckled and prompted a small laugh from Balto as well who was still smiling at his former rival. "What are you smiling at?" Steele questioned playfully.
"Oh...nothing." He responded.
"Anyways...I just wanted to ask of your forgiveness." He said with a smile.
"Of course...and you are forgiven." Balto concluded.
Steele moved a bit closer to Balto unexpectedly causing Balto to take a few steps back. "I'd also like to ask you something else"
"Oh? And what might that be?" He asked curiously.
"I was wondering if we could be friends"
Balto's ears perked up happily at the mention of forming a friendship...especially coming from Steele. "Of course!" He responded cheerfully.
"Thanks.." Steele said as he wrapped his paws around Balto who flattened his ears in mild confusion.
"W-..what are you doing?" He asked nervously.
Steele chuckled. "Forming a friendship"
"Oh...yeah." Balto returned the hug uncertainly and stifled a giggle. "Of course"
Steele buried his muzzle into Balto's fur and gave off a slight sight of happiness as he hugged Balto tighter. "You're all I have left.."