Chapter 8

Balto padded through the streets of Nome. Bolt padded inconspicuously behind him.

Balto looked around. "What does Penny look like?"

He turned to Bolt. Bolt shrugged. "She looks like a…like Penny."

Balto rolled his eyes. "I understand. What does a Penny look like?"

"She looks like the most beautiful girl in the world." Bolt said.

Balto continued scanning the streets. "You know I have a person? Technically."

"You do? Technically?" Bolt asked.

"You sound surprised."

Bolt frowned. "Well you just never struck me as a people person."

Balto stared at the dog. "I saved her life."

Bolt chuckled. "Yeah. I saved my person's life too. Feels good doesn't it?"

"Yeah it does. I've saved an entire town." Balto replied.

"I know."

Balto paused. "How do you know that?"

"I told you. I'm from 2009. I know this stuff."

"I'm still remembered in 2009?"

Bolt chuckled. "Hell yeah. You were my hero, you know that?"

Balto laughed. "I guess it was hard for you to be beat up by your hero then."

"Beat up? If you weren't my hero I would have beat YOU up."

Balto smiled. "Come on. Look at you. I'm bigger in every way except head size."

"Well head size can be convenient. I have a bigger head than you. I'm smarter."

Balto paused and frowned. "What are we talking about here?

"I have no idea. Back to finding Penny…"

"What age is she?"

"She's about fourteen. She has red hair. And…she's the most beautiful person in the world."

Balto rolled his eyes for a second time. "Okay. I'll just ask those kind people over there 'are you the most beautiful person in the world?' Geeze."

Bolt padded over to the shadows. He noticed a girl in the street.

His heartbeat increased. He started running towards the girl. He barked happily.

It wasn't Penny.

"Daddy! Look at the doggy!"

The father stared suspiciously at the dirty run down looking dog.

"Come on dear. It could be rabid."

Bolt watched the family move on. "Rabid? I'll show you rabid! Get back here!"

Balto clapped his paws. "Great performance Bolty. You nailed the psychopathic dog bit down."

Bolt was crushed. "How are we gonna find Penny? This city is huge."

"First of all it's a town. Not a city. Second it's small. Third, is that her?"

Bolt looked up. Penny was sticking out like a sore thumb. Her modern day clothes weren't fitting in well with the 1929 depression time period.

"Penny!" Bolt shouted. He ran at his person, barking madly.

The person smiled when she saw him. "Bolt! Where have you been boy?"

Bolt hopped into his owners arms. Balto watched from a distance.

Penny embraced Bolt tight enough to restrict breathing.

He whined slightly. Penny's grip loosened.

She led Bolt to an alley to get out of the road.

She looked around. "I thought I'd lost you Bolty."

Bolt was crying from joy. Penny noticed another dog approaching.

She backed up. The dog looked like a wolf.

Bolt didn't show signs of fear. "This is Penny."

Balto nodded. He sat down in front of the girl. Penny hesitantly patted him on the head.

He looked at Bolt. "You said you touched a broken bottle? I think I know how to get you home."

He padded away. Bolt followed. Penny watched the dogs go and followed them.

"You think it'll...you know, work?" Bolt asked.

"I can't be 100% positive but there's something magic about those bottles." Balto said.

Mittens and Rhino joined them. Balto led them to an old boiler room. Bolt shivered. Now that he was no longer running he could feel just how cold Nome was.

Balto crawled into a small entranceway. Penny had a bit of trouble getting in. She finally squeezed through.

Rhino and Mittens got through with ease.

Balto led them to a small area. Bolt looked up. They were underneath a building.

There was a pile of broken bottles lying under the light. Balto padded over to them.

"I think if anything is gonna get you home, it's this."

Bolt grinned. "Well touch it and find out."

Balto stared at the dog. "I'm not touching that thing." He stated simply.

Bolt rolled his eyes. "Mittens?"

"No way Jose." Mittens replied.

Bolt sighed. "Rhino?"

"Not this time Bolt."

Bolt rubbed his temples. "Penny?"

Of course Penny couldn't understand anything. She was struggling to get a grasp of the situation.

Bolt sighed. "Forgive me...Rhino."

Bolt grabbed Rhino's ball and touched it against the bottle. He disappeared.

"Mittens?"

Mittens hesitantly padded towards the bottles. One paw was all it took. She disappeared.

Bolt looked up at Penny. She gave him a standard dog face. He gestured to the bottles.

Penny crouched down and hesitantly touched the bottle. She too vanished.

Bolt looked at Balto. "I guess that leaves us."

"I don't know. I really ought to ask Jenna."

Balto turned to leave. Bolt stepped in front of him.

"Did you ask her when you went to get the medicine? And if she had said no, would you have gone anyway?"

Balto sighed. "Okay. Let's do this. For Nome."

Bolt nodded. "For Nome."

Two paws lightly touched the bottles. Then the two heroes vanished to 2009.