Kingdom Hearts:Light Of Nome
Chapter 6:Steele's Descent Into Darkness
Back in the town of Nome,things were not looking good. Many people had given up hope,and it was to the point where any of the children could go at any time. Many parents were going in and out to say their goodbyes,and each and every time they came out drenched in their own tears.
In the news and report station of the town,the news reporter had just received a telegram from miles away "Stop. Cannot send more antitoxin. Stop. Weather too severe. Stop. Lost sled team only hope. Stop. Our prayers are with them. Anchorage. Stop."
By now,Borris's group had made it back to town with the intent of heading to the hospital,and as they trudged through the blizzard Jenna asked nervously "Do you think this stuff will help?"
Donald admits his shivering replied "I-i-i-I'm not sure J-j-Jenna. All we know is that S-s-s-sora wants us to help in anyway possible."
Goofy who was shivering as well added "We j-j-just have to by Sora and Balto more time."
"The duck is right,as long as Sora and Balto can bring back the medicine,that girl of yours should be quite alright." Borris told Jenna in a comforting tone as he turned around and smiled to which she smiled back.
They soon reached the hospital and like they intended,Donald cast cure on the kids and gave the staff some of their potions as a last resort. As Donald and Goofy did this,Jenna looked out the window and up at the night sky as she whispered "Sora,Balto,I'm really counting on you guys." before she fell headed to the boiler room where the over dogs were.
Meanwhile Steele's gang was still stranded as the snow hammered down on them. The other dogs were buried under a mountain of snow all except for Steele,this was one of the few times he felt legitimately scared and fearful. He had gotten the dogs lost,the medicine was now without a way home,and the blame honestly couldn't be shifted onto him. Granted he did get them lost,but it was the blizzard and Saix's heartless that driven them off the main road,and Steele hopelessly wandered the empty space between them and looked down the cliff leading into the woods below.
As he was considering just abandoning the mission and starting a new life elsewhere,a familiar voice interrupted his thoughts as his eyes widened.
"Well look at this,a stranded dog and his team. If I had a heart this is where I'd feel obligation to help you." Steele turned around sharply to see Saix appearing out of another dark portal as he said in a panic "It's you from before,please you have to help us. We're on the verge of freezing to death and I must be known as the one who saved the town."
Saix got a frown on his face and asked "Is this really how the great and powerful Steele reacts? He cowers like a newborn puppy,and begs for salvation?" Steele was about to plead even more but as he began to open his mouth,Saix quickly interrupted "I know you want Jenna,but she doesn't want you. What she really wants,is the wolf dog."
"Balto?" Steele asked as his eyes widened out frustration and he snarled "What do I have to do? I will not let that freak take her away from me. She's the best,and I deserve the best!"
Saix started to smile and coldly replied "Good,Balto is on his way here right now…..and so is Sora."
"Sora? Him too?!" Steele growled back as he started to grit his teeth to which Saix smiled even more and continued "They may claim to want to help you,but all they really want is to take away your fame,your power,and Jenna. And when it's all said and done,you'll be an outcast...forgotten...disregarded...shamed...and Sora will just leave along with his freinds for other worlds with the fame and glory that rightfully belongs to you...just like the meddler he is."
Steele raised an eyebrow and asked out of confusion and intrigue "Meddler?" Saix got a slight frown and mockingly replied "You still don't know yet do you? That boy and his two companioms travel from world to world,constantly fighting the heartless,and he always leaves with everlasting fame,but he never returns to the worlds and people that respect him. And he intends to do the same here."
"Why that no good rat. He thinks he can just waltz in and take all the glory that should belong to me!" Steele shouted out of pure rage and detest for Sora,and Saix was getting more and more satisfied at Steele's seemingly newfound strenght and anger.
Saix suddenly decided to tell Steele all of Sora's achievements from other worlds and it got him even more riled up as Steele started to growl even more ferociously while he his eyes became redder and darker as Saix finished "When they get here,do not hold back. Do whatever it takes to make sure you will be segmented as the greatest dog that Nome has ever known for all eternity."
"Is anyone hurt!?" Balto yelled when he and Sora came sliding down on a trail of ice,in an instant Saix glanced his left eye toward the duo and remarked "Speak of the Devil." Before Saix disappeared once again,he emotionlessly whispered into Steele's ear "Don't let me down." as he vanished into another dark portal.
"Balto! Sora!"
"Is that Balto and Sora?"
"How did you two find us?!" Star,Nikki,and Kaltag yelled as they emerged from the snow along with the other dogs.
As Sora looked around at the chaos he whispered to himself "Man what a mess. We gotta get them home."
"Everyone…..is…...fine." Steele growled as he hung his head and Star added "Yeah but our musher hit his head and he didn't get up." Star nudged the musher's arm hoping for some kind if response,but to no avail.
"And he's not moving." Kaltag added to which Balto suggested "All right follow me."
"Yeah we can lead you guys home." Sora added but as he picked up the musher's reign,Steele slammed his paw down on it and growled "We don't need your help!"
Sora stared at the dog and asked sternly "What are you don't Steele?"
"I'm making sure that you don't take everything away from me." He growled ferociously as Balto got a disgusted frown and asked "Is this what this is all about,just glory? Look I hate to break the bad news to you Steele but the lives of dozens of kids matter a lot more than your glory. So why don't you sit back and let us save those kids."
"Maybe we should listen to them.' Star suggested but Steele snarled at him as he hid his head under his paws out of fear. Steele was going in fully now and he was starting to become a legitimate threat.
"How would you two get us home?" Nikki asked to which Sora replied "We marked the trail. Easy to follow."
Balto went up to a tree and started to demonstrate,but Steele jumped into the tree and broke it as he said "I'll get us back,I'm the lead dog,I'm in charge."
"Then let us take the medicine back. They're getting worse and worse,so put aside your ego for 30 seconds and let us help." Sora said sternly as Balto walked up to the medicine,but before he could reach it Steele jumped in front of it,blocking it and snarled "If a single one of you so much as touches that box,I'll tear you apart your bodies apart and leave them for the wolves!"
Nikki who was strongly getting off on this whispered to Kaltag "Two bones says Steele takes them."
Nikki got a smug smile and replied "Yeah you're on."
The other dogs started to circle the three as Balto sternly made their goal clear "Steele,we're not leaving without that medicine." He proceed to walk towards it once again,but this time Steele pushed him into the snow to which Sora yelled "Balto! What's the big idea?"
Meanwhile Nikki and Kaltag were snickering as Nikki said "Hey this is gonna be good." Sora overheard their giggling and yelled "Who's side are you guys on,he's getting slugged?!"
Balto dragged himself out of the snow with a few bruises and scratches,but he continued on as he jokingly asked "Since-since when do you need a pedigree to help someone?" He walked towards the medicine once again to which Steele blocked it again as well. Sora was getting frustrated but tried to polietly ask "Come on Steele,let us help you."
Steele's eyes were twitching and going back and forth between red and his normal color. Kaltag took notice to this and whispered in awe as he chuckled "Look at his eyes look at his eyes."
Sora amidst all this tried to make a sudden dash for the medicine,but Steele saw this and pushed him into the snow with newfound strength and super speed as the others watched in awe.
"He'll feel that tomorrow." Kaltag joked to which Nikki added "I think he's feeling it now. Ouch!" Sora sluggishly got up from the snow as he stumbled on his feet and used the keyblade to hold himself up. Balto frantically ran in front of Steele and sternly stated "We're not going to fight you Steele."
"Why do you think that this'll change things? Do you honestly think that if you bring the medicine back that you'll be seen a a hero and not as the freak you truly are? Well I can tell you one thing,you will never be seen as a hero,and I'll make sure of it!" Steele ran up to Balto and grabbed him by the neck with a powerful bite with his jaw and threw him into a nearby tree.
The dogs all gasped at the sight and brutality,even Nikki and Kaltag were shocked and mortified as Kaltag exclaimed "That can't be legal!" as Nikki added "Yeah!"
Steele heavily panted while Balto got up once again and tried to make a break for the medicine,but Steele pushed Balto out of the way agai but this time he didn't pay attention and knocked over the medicine container as they all watched in sheer horror.
Meanwhile Saix was watching from a mountain cliff as he said to himself in a surprised voice "This is not what I was expecting. Balto should be embracing his inner darkness to fight back,but it seems that him and Sora's light have,overshadowed it. It looks like I'll have to do this myself." before he vanished into another dark portal.
"Hey that stuff is fragile!" Nikki yelled much more seriously to which Star asked in a panic "What's with Steele? Balto and Sora just want to help!"
"Yeah now you guys see him for who he truly is!" Sora exclaimed to which Nikki admitted "Actually we've never really liked him at all." Sora was shocked and dumbfounded as he asked in confusion "What? You guys always hated him?" They regrettably nodded their heads so as not to upset Steele even further as Sora yelled "Oh we are not done with this conversation!"
Sora's attention was however brought back to Balto as Steele grabbed him by the tail and swung him into a rock by the cliff face,temporarily knocking him out. A quick and cold breeze managed to unwrap and blow off Jenna's orange bandana from his neck to which it flew into the yellow,orange,and red snow.
Sora had enough of this fighting and yelled "Noooooo!" as he whipped out the keyblade and made a quick dash for Steele. Steele was maniacally laughing for he was about to finish Balto off for good with a powerful bite to the neck,but just as he was about to clamp his razor sharp jaws onto Balto,Sora jumped right in at the last possible second and held Steele's mouth wide open with the handle of the keyblade.
The others were in awe at the sight and Nikki exclaimed "That's some weapon you got Sora!" "You all need to get out of here! Those kids are not gonna last much longer!" He told them as he managed to use some of his strength to push Steele back while he cast stopga,ultimately freezing him in midair.
Sora cast curaga on Balto as it woke him up from his knocked out state,but before he could regain his posture,Sora said quickly "You guys have to get going,Steele won't be frozen for long and I know he's not gonna be happy if he sees you gone."
Immediately they started to hurry things up as Sora lifted the musher and laid him on the sled to rest. He hooked up the dogs to their hooks and reigns as he said "You guys gotta get there fast. Donald and Goofy should have done all that they could,but I don't know how much longer they have." Balto noticed Sora's specific wording and said "You're acting like you're not coming with us."
"I'll catch up with you guys. I'll follow the trail like we marked,someone needs to hold Steele back long enough for you guys,I'll make it back I promise." Sora said reassuringly as Star smiled "You know Sora,you seem like a nice guy."
"We'll continue this conversation another time." Sora smiled,but he got more serious when he saw that time was starting to catch up to Steele.
"Go!" He yelled as the dogs rushed off with the medicine and Steele fell into the snow dumbfounded as he asked "Wait what? What happened? Where-" He stopped when he turned around to see that Balto and the medicine were gone and asked more angrily "Where is the medicine?"
"It's long gone Steele. I trust them a lot more with it that I ever would with you." Sora said as Steele started to growl ferociously and make a dash towards Sora as he yelled "I'll tear you apart!"
As Steele got closer and closer,Sora went into limit form and used strike raid,Steele dodged the first keyblade swing and grinned "That the best you can do?" as he jumped up in the air preparing for an attack,but his smile went away when the keyblade came back like a boomerang and bopped him in the head. He slid through the snow as the attack made him lose his balance and compousre,but he got an idea and pulled out his claws and jammed them into the ground as he used them to drift through the snow. He made another dash for Sora but this time Sora used a single Sonic Blade dash which knocked Steele into the air. He performed Ragnarok amd multiple lasers popped out of the keyblade and swarmed Steele from all sides. He tried to knock them away but it was no use as he was getting beat up from every angle,and eventually the damage was enough for Steele to be knocked out for a bit as he fell into the snow with a loud thud. Sora went back into his normal clothes and mumbled "What a joke."
He stared off into the snow and saw that there was a trail of dog prints as he said "Balto,Jenna,Rosie,I'm on my way."
He went into valor form and used his increased speed to make a break for it and catch up to Balto.
However Steele wasn't knocked out for long as he soon woke up,and when he saw that he was the only one there,he yelled furiously "Go ahead run! You'll never get home anyway! I'll make sure of that!"
He had an idea in mind as he picked up Jenna's bandana and ran off into a patch of nearby woods and stared at some of Balto's marks in the trees.
He started laughing maniacally as he panted "I'll show them all! Why not this way? How about over here? Oops wrong way!" He started making marks in all the trees he could find as he had the full intention of making sure that Sora and Balto would stay lost.