Chapter Two:

A Welcome Guest

Upon reaching the top, it didn't even take Star a second to notice how neat and clean the deck was. It was certainly no rotten old tub. The floor was washed spotless, with a bowl of water sitting in a corner.

Must be Balto's, thought Star, who admittedly was a little tired from the walk, and his thoughts from earlier, and longed for a drink. Best not to touch any of his belongings.

It had been quite the walk though, and given how nervous he had felt at the start, Star couldn't help but start panting with relief once he sat down, now that the walk was over. Balto looked over, seeing the goofy little sight that was Star catching his breath. His long tongue just hanging from his mouth as he scanned his surroundings. That was until he noticed Balto was looking at him, to which he quickly recomposed himself and instead took in the air with a swallow as he tried not to look awkward.

"Tired already?" Balto questioned a little smugly.

Admittedly, Star felt a little embarrassed. However, it wasn't long before he quickly brushed it off.

Balto wasn't like the others. The others who Star gradually felt ashamed to be himself with. The others who didn't take the time to understand him, or listen to him. Accept him for who he was.

Balto did.

Balto took it upon himself to comfort him. To show that he cared and understood him. Enough to even become his first real friend, and that was enough to lift Star's spirits a bit more. He could be his own little silly self with Balto.

A wide, goofy grin spread across the small husky's face as he giggled slightly.

"All that running with the sled team must be catching up with me."

Then his face fell again.

The sled team

The medicine

The race

That had been the whole reason he wanted to visit in the first place. Before he could say anything else, Balto spoke up as he sat down in the doorway of the old vessel's cab.

"In that case, you're welcome to have some of my water. You must be thirsty."

Star was taken aback. He wasn't expecting Balto to be so willing to lend his own drinking water to a first-time visitor. He was going to object, feeling that it wasn't really necessary. After all, Star was given plenty of water by his owner and musher each day. Balto, on the other hand, didn't have such luxuries when around humans.

However, he knew once again that Balto meant what he said. The welcoming tone of voice was enough to back that up, and… Star was admittedly very thirsty and secretly hoped he'd have a chance at a nice long drink. He looked over to the water dish on the other side of the deck, and then back to Balto and smiled.

"Thanks, Balto. You really are a good friend. I'll be back in a moment."

As Star turned to walk away, a huge, warm sense of pride surged within the wolfdog when he heard that. Star really looked up to him. He was like Star's own glowing star. A role model in his eyes, who he had full trust in. Balto sighed, as the feeling of warmth filled his big heart. It really felt nice to be there for the little guy.

Star slowly made his way over to the water dish, his paws making light tapping noises with each step he took. It sure felt good once he finally began lapping up some of the water. It was refreshing, kept cool by the cold Alaskan air in the atmosphere. His mind felt at ease. Suddenly, he heard the sound of walking from behind him. At first, he paid it no mind, until he realized something. It didn't sound like the tapping of paws on the wooden boards. He continued his drink until a less than friendly "Ahem" broke the silence from behind him.

Star stopped and turned around. Standing there was white snow goose, staring hard at him with wings crossed like arms. It didn't take long for him to recall where he'd seen that odd bird from and immediately, he felt himself tense up.

"And you are..?" The goose questioned, his Russian accent as present as ever.

Star scrambled for a response but could only find himself stuttering badly.

"I- uh.. well… I-"

"And what do you think you are doing? It is private property, this is. Go on! Shoo!"

He began to flap his wings in a similar way a human would shake their hand in order to shoo someone off. That someone was Star.

Star's ears dropped and he cautiously backed away, tail tucked beneath his legs. He wanted to explain himself, but he just couldn't find the words. He was just about to turn and walk away when…

"Lay off him, will you, Boris? He's a friend. He can stay."

It was Balto.

Boris looked back and forth between the two with clear confusion. Star just stood there anxiously, ears still hanging low. He said nothing but was very thankful Balto had stepped in. He sat down silently as he tried to calm his nerves.

The old goose held his face in his wings in a very annoyed way and sighed. "Balto, Balto, Balto… you can't just bring anyone down here. What is this, some kind of playdate?"

He then brought himself closer to the wolfdog and whispered "I don't trust him. You remember him, no? He's in cahoots with you-know-who-"

Balto cleared his throat loudly as a way of telling Boris to stop talking. He did stop, but a look of indignance and disapproval was still firmly on his face. Balto, on the other hand, looked over to Star. It was like looking at a severely scolded puppy. He just sat there watching the two with a look of shame and embarrassment as he then looked away the moment Balto noticed. His head lowered down, sad blue eyes overlooking the old floorboards beneath him. It was how he looked the night he apologized to the wolfdog. The same look of deep regret spread across his face.

Star wouldn't dare to hurt anyone. Balto knew that for sure. But Boris, well… Boris didn't even know the half of it.

Balto looked back to Boris and whispered "I think you'll find he can be trusted." He then smiled softly over at Star, who luckily seemed to notice as he lifted his head slightly in acknowledgement.

After a moment of silent contemplation as Boris looked back and forth between the two canines, he, knowing it was hard to convince Balto to take no for an answer, waddled off, grumbling.

"'I think you'll find he can be trusted', he says… Hmpf!"

A sly, knowing grin formed on Balto's face as he watched Boris walk away. He then turned back to Star, who sat where he was. A couple feet away and still not moving. The poor husky was in a state of hesitation and didn't know what to do or say now, a downcast expression once again replacing his usual happy smile. The wolfdog walked slowly over.

"I wouldn't take what he said to heart," Balto reassured. "He can often be like this, but he really does mean well. He'll come around, with time."

Star, still feeling down, just glanced between Balto and the floor, contemplating on whether to respond or not. Neither spoke for a moment, until Star gave a small shy smile. He knew Balto had his back. Knowing that, he felt a little more confident again.

"Can I ask you something?" Star asked.

"I'm all ears," grinned Balto, who then twitched his ears in an almost goofy manner as if to make himself quite clear. Needless to say, Star found it amusing and shared a chuckle. No other dog he knew seemed to help lift his spirits like the hybrid outcast did.

"If you had to be a part of something really important, like something very serious, but felt like you just couldn't do it, what would you do?"

Now this was a tough question. For the majority of his life, Balto had never gotten the chance to take part in anything important, so to say he had experience was rather far from the truth. However, for one reason or another, he caught on that Star knew this as well but was still willing to ask for whatever advice his only friend could give, experienced or not. With this in mind, he carefully searched for an answer.

"If it were me in that situation, I'd go in and give it my all, regardless of the inner thoughts telling me I can't, because that's not true. After all, if you ask me, you can do just about anything if you just put your mind to it. You'd be surprised at some of the things you can achieve. I know I sure give Boris something to talk about when I do." He chuckled even more upon hearing an exasperated "Tell me about it..." from his little feathered father figure come from the other side of the boat.

The smaller husky thought about this long and hard. Since the moment he caught wind of the upcoming race, his doubts regarding whether he had a chance at winning had been high as a kite. Those voices at the back of his mind were just viciously eating away at his self-esteem. Telling him he was weak. That he had no chance. That he had no place in such an important task in the first place. He never knew how to handle these thoughts, as he had been surrounded by those who wouldn't give him as much as a second thought. Balto was much different. Much kinder and more patient, willing to offer the advice he could. That advice being ignoring those inner demons of his entirely and to put his best effort in no matter what.

Immediately, Star found himself feeling a little bit better. He gave it a lot of thought, which was something he was still getting used to. He didn't exactly do too much thinking for himself before the day he and Balto started talking. He felt like he was finally in some form of control compared to being around Steele and the rest of his gang. It felt rather nice.

His thoughts were cut short as Balto's voice broke the silence.

"May I ask where this is coming from?" he asked.

"Huh?"

"That question. Is there... something going on?"

"Oh! Right…" Star had gotten so distracted with his thoughts about Balto, he hadn't realized he had zoned out for a moment and had yet to break the news to him.

"Well, the mushers are holding a big sled dog race tomorrow. It's so they can choose who's going to be on the emergency dog sled team."

Balto was puzzled and a little bit concerned. "Emergency? What emergency?"

Star's face turned slightly grim as he looked over the deck, back to the small town. He sighed a heavy sigh.

"A lot of the humans are getting very sick... I don't know what it is, but I know it's really bad. The others say they're out of medicine. I can't remember the name of it though, but a huge snowstorm has prevented it from coming, so the mushers are going to determine who will be on the sled team to fetch it by having a race."

Almost immediately, Balto's mind returned to that one night. Underneath the floor of the hospital, he and Jenna were listening in to the conversation the town doctor was having with Rosy's father. Rosy, Jenna's girl, had fallen gravely ill and was bedridden. He thought back to the doctor's words.

"Diphtheria. She's the eighteenth case this week… and I'm out of antitoxin..."

It all started to come together now. The sled team was to collect the very same medicine that'd help cure Rosy's sickness, and by the sounds of it, more of the town was struck by diphtheria than he thought. It was an epidemic. A life-or-death situation. And the race… Star was running in it. A lot of lives depended on the dog sled team. Their lives depended on these dogs, and one of the dogs... was him.

Now it made sense.

"I take it you're worried about this race," Balto said softly.

Star's ears lowered a little as he spoke.

"Yes, very much… I just... don't know if I can do it. The humans need us more than ever now, but I don't know if I will even do well in the race.. I feel like I'll just let everyone down. No one's ever told me I could actually… you know, do it..."

Balto took in what Star had said. He then smiled a wide smile and looked down at Star.

"I wouldn't say you could… because I believe you can."

The smaller, slender husky turned his head to face Balto. He didn't know how to respond now. Almost no other dog treated him with this much respect or had this much faith in him. He was practically being hit with a wave of new feelings. Feelings he'd never really known until now.

"How… how do you know, Balto? I mean... I'm not exactly as fast or as strong as Steele and the others, at least I don't think I am..."

Balto gave a gentle, tender smile that said I'm not sure, but something in me tells me you've got this.

"It's just a bit of a knack I have, I suppose," he chuckled. "Just remember. Go in and give it your all. You can do it."

He then paused, before adding...

"Just be yourself, Star. It's all you ever have to be."

Give it my all…

Just be myself…

I can do it…

This new sense of encouragement. It was a lot for Star to take in, that was for sure. But the more Balto's words echoed around his mind, the more welcome they were, because they gave him something he'd rarely felt before: Self-assurance.

He was a fast runner. He was the second dog from the front on the fastest dog sled team in Nome, and that just had to mean something. He was Star. A fast, shooting star. All he had to do was what he did best and do it as best as he could. He would run that race with every ounce of stamina he had. For both Balto and the town he called home. He wasn't going to let either of them down without a fight now.

Some time had gone by and it was getting late. Once again, the sun had begun to set over the town of Nome, its orange glow tinting the white snow and the calm waters off the beach where the old wooden fishing trawler sat. As the skies darkened, Star and Balto continued to talk like old friends. About the race. About Steele. About Jenna and Rosy. Both learning a little more about each other as the evening turned to night. Soon enough, it was time for Star to get going.

As he slowly made his way towards the wooden ramp, Balto sat in silence. He was deep in thought about this race Star had discussed. Like Star, he didn't want to let the town down. Most importantly, he didn't want to let Rosy down. The poor little girl was the only human in town who didn't see him as a dangerous animal. And Jenna… What would she do if she lost Rosy? Balto couldn't just stand idly by and let that happen at all.

He then thought about Star too. The others treated him with very little care at all, with almost no one on the team giving him much of a second thought. How would he manage out there with no one else that was supportive of his efforts? Sure, he was more than capable to help move the sled, but he was also sensitive and vulnerable amongst the others, especially Steele.

It was then that Balto secretly formed a plan. He was going to enter the race. He was going to join the team and help bring the medicine. He couldn't be entirely sure if he would be let on, nor if Steele wouldn't cause him trouble if he did win. But the way Balto saw it, it would at least worth a shot.

This time, it was the wolfdog's turn to be shaken from his thoughts as Star spoke up from the edge of the boat. He was getting ready to walk down, preparing for his stroll back to town.

"Hey, Balto.. I just wanted to say thanks for everything. It… really means a lot. No one has ever bothered talking to silly little me like you have." Star couldn't help but giggle slightly. He enjoyed being his silly little self and was more than glad Balto never judged him for it. It was just who he was. But it wasn't just that. The confidence Balto's words had given him. It all felt so good, he just couldn't help but feel at least a little cheery again.

Balto chuckled as he slowly made his way into the old blanket he slept in every night and looked over.

"There's always a first," he responded with a grin. "Goodnight, Star. And good luck."

For the first time that day, the big smile that had been so accustomed to Star formed on his face as he beamed with joy.

"Goodnight, Balto."

With that, he slowly descended the ramp, walked around to the other side of the old wreck, and headed back in the direction of the town he was going to help save. In the direction of home: Nome.

Author's Notes: I've gotta say, this chapter in particular took such a long time to work out, particularly working and reworking certain bits that I felt needed to be less bland or repetitive. I think I somewhat achieved that in the end now. Trying to write the characters as true to themselves as I could left me a tad bit conflicted here too as I had to put together the bit where Star relays the news over to Balto and, while serious, had to sorta keep it from going too deep into it, given Star's more simple-minded yet wholesomely oblivious nature. Especially since we don't exactly hear too much of him, at least in a serious situation if that makes sense. I was actually going to add to this by putting a bit where Star fails to pronounce the word "antitoxin" and only ends up butchering it with random words jumbled together. However, I couldn't exactly think of anything to put together that would sound similar, so I kinda just left it at him simply not knowing what it was called. In the end, I think I did an alright job in writing Star discussing his troubles. That being said, I think I also got Boris down pretty well lol. Writing Balto's dialogue was honestly no trouble since we get the most out of him from the film (obviously) and, depending on who he's with, he's just pretty chill, sweet, and down to earth most of the time, along with also showing signs of being very introverted yet having a good sense of humor (something I can relate to so much lmao). My main difficulties came with trying to make his words of encouragement not sound like a typical message, if you get my meaning. I actually added the bit where Balto jokes about Boris while sharing his advice with Star just as I was going through the final edits to kinda make it feel a bit more natural, if I'm using the right term. All in all, I think it turned out pretty good in the end. Writing these two together is a bit of an interesting and fun challenge in a way. :)