Jenna stood with half of her on Rosy's bed while the sounds of nurses filled her ears.

"Come on, back to bed."

Jenna felt more at a loss than she had ever been before. She had the lights to guide Balto and Cole home, but even now, the team was nowhere to be seen.

"Here, drink this.", she heard over her shoulder.

Jenna didn't see it, but a nurse was handing Rosy's mother a cup of something in hopes to ease the worry, but Rosy's father laid with his head in his wife's lap while she stayed awake. She took it, but the nurse could see that it was only a temporary relief. Rosy moaned in pain as Jenna laid her own head on the bed as tears came to her eyes.

"Bato, Togo, why aren't you here?", she couldn't help but think.

Jenna wasn't the only one who was feeling worried and hopeless though. Outside of Nome, at the abandoned boat, Boris was with Muk and Luk though the polar bears were looking pretty sad and whimpering.

"Balto, Togo.", Muk sobbed.

Luk reached over to the blanket Balto used to cuddle under and cuddled it to his cheek as if remembering.

"B-b-Balto.", Muk sobbed between tears, "T-t-Togo."

Luk put the blanket around his shoulders like a shawl before gathering Muk and Boris in a bear hug, but this time Boris was too sad and worried to object. He managed to get to a place where he had gotten his head on Luk's head and settled there. But just when it looked like hope had disappeared completely, a couple wolf howls rang out in the distance making Boris get up surprised.

"Balto? Togo?", he asked turning to look out into the wilderness.

Then, in the distance, Balto and Cole burst over a hill with the team heading right for Nome.

"Balto and Togo are back!", Boris called out excitedly.

Unfortunately, Boris wasn't the only one who had heard that wolf howling. Steele was taking a break from all the attention he was getting and thought about going to find Jenna to try and explain to her why he said what he did. He had decided that Jenna had plenty of time to regain her resolve and hopefully would be more willing to give him a shot. Remembering that her owner was at the hospital, Steele had started there and was just arriving when a wolf howling caught his ears.

"No, it couldn't.", he thought to himself as he got into a good position to see out of Nome.

The sight of Balto and Cole heading towards Nome made his eyes grow wide in shock. The two were alive as Jenna had claimed and were heading with the medicine in tow! Steele's black heart grew colder as a thought came to mind. If Balto and Cole made it, his lies would all be exposed, his image would be shattered, and his life ruined. Steele couldn't let that happen and he wouldn't if he could do something about it!

/

Outside of Nome, Balto and Cole continued running together as Nome was on the horizon.

"Hey Balto, look!", Cole called out gesturing forward with his head.

Balto saw the lights he had shown Jenna and knew right away how they got there.

"Jenna.", he said happily.

Cole and Balto both gave out another wolf howl before continuing to run towards Nome, but then something caught Cole's nose making him turn to see Steele jump over a pile of snow right for Balto!

"Balto, duck!", Star yelled as he had noticed Steele as well.

Balto had reacted just in time as Steele's jaws snapped over him and the malamute landed in the snow, but got back on his feet running towards Balto again. Soon, they were neck and neck again.

"Wow, here we are again.", Cole said looking into Steele's icy eyes and recalling the first time they raced, "Don't you know when to admit defeat?"

Steele's expression only darkened further.

"The only way you wolf dogs are getting that medicine to Nome is over my cold, dead body!"

He tried to bite Balto again, but Balto avoided him yet again.

"Steele, Nome needs us and you're preventing us again?"

Cole's eyes narrowed as Nikki, Kaltag, and Star's voices came to his ears.

"He looks like he's lost it."

"This is the most uncanny…the most degrading… the most downtrodden-"

"He's gone!"

Steele yet again tried to attack Balto, but as Balto avoided him, Cole then snapped his jaws on Steele's collar hoping to stop him, but Steele slipped on an ice patch almost making Cole slip too before the collar around Steele's neck broke causing the malamute to slide uncontrollably towards a snow pile where he crashed, but got back on his feet and charged Cole this time.

"Give it back!", he demanded.

Cole sneered.

"On one condition.", he said before avoiding Steele's jaws again, "That you apologize for all the mean things you did and promise to stop bullying."

That only seemed to make Steele even angrier and more determined to stop Balto and Cole. Nome was drawing nearer and if they got through, Steele was through and it seemed Cole knew that too.

/

"It didn't have to come to this.", Cole said firmly still holding Steele's collar in his mouth even though Steele didn't seem to be listening, "You could've let me and Balto lead you back to Nome, but even at rock bottom, you denied us. You've lost Steele. It's over."

"It's not over til I say it is!", Steele snarled.

They were just near the outskirts of Nome when Steele tried to attack Cole again, but Cole slipped on an ice patch as Steele's jaws missed his collar and made the malamute slip as well and collide into the side of a boat nearby hard enough to make Steele fall to the ground and lay limp. Cole held on to Steele's collar still as he rejoined the team though Balto looked apologetic.

"Is he…dead?", Star asked a bit timid as the team rushed past.

"I don't think so.", Cole answered, "Maybe knocked out."

As the team continued to Nome, Balto and Cole's howling had reached Jenna's ears and she got up as her face filled with hope.

"They came back.", she thought to herself.

She barked alerting Rosy's parents who got up and hurried to the window.

"The team!"

"They made it!"

All across Nome, lights were coming on and people were dressing themselves as they came outside. Balto and Cole continued to run and as they made their way to the hospital, Cole saw Balto's elevated expression as the cheering rang out. Balto was being accepted at last and Cole couldn't help but smile as he remembered the white wolf.

"Thanks.", he whispered to himself.

As the team came up to the hospital, they slowed down so the doctor could come over to the sled which had stopped while a couple other people helped untie it.

"Steady, steady. Easy now.", the doctor told them, "That's had a long journey."

A couple other people noticed the musher and Cole saw concern in their faces.

"How is he?"

"He's going to be okay."

Cole felt relief that the musher was going to make it and the memory of his old musher getting into a similar incident faded. The doctor hurried the medicine inside where his nurses helped him administer it to all the children there. Cole felt proud before noticing Balto's timid expression as people came over to him.

"Good dog, Balto!"

"Dear, dear boy."

"That's a good boy!"

Balto's timidness began to wane as people started petting him and unhitching him from the harness. Cole smiled as people started petting him too. Then the sound of Boris laughing caught their ears as Boris flew out of the sky and hugged Balto around the neck.

"Not dog, not wolf! You're a hero!"

"He sure is.", Cole said still smiling.

/

"Balto! Togo!"

Boris looked with Cole and Balto and flinched as Muk charged at the trio. Boris yelped as Muk gave Balto and Cole each a large slobbery kiss as they leaned into Luk who had gotten all three of them in a huge bear hug and gave another slobbery kiss to each of them before Cole and Balto got out of his grip. Balto smiled seeing that people no longer were fearing him before a hand rubbed his head.

"Come on boy. There's someone who wants to see you.

Cole saw it was Rosy's father and as Balto and Cole followed, Cole saw something in the distance. It was Steele staggering as if wounded, but still looking determined and angry.

"It's mine!", he strained to say despite his pain, "That collar's mine!"

Cole held on to it giving Steele a firm look.

"Not until you accept my terms.", he said as Steele managed to get close.

Nikki, Kaltag, and Star then made a barricade in front of Cole and giving Steele firm looks also.

"Move it!", Steele ordered.

Nikki, Kaltag, and Star didn't move which surprised Steele, but only for a moment.

"Hey, I said move it!", Steele snapped.

Nikki, Kaltag, and Star still wouldn't budge.

"If you three don't move it-"

"We're not.", Nikki said firmly, "We're tired of your bad attitude and cruel treatment."

"Togo was right about you.", Kaltag added, "You don't deserve to be lead dog."

"Togo should be lead dog.", Star put it, "Not you."

Steele couldn't believe his ears!

"You three think you can stop me?!", he snarled.

Cole smiled as Dixie had shown up with a bunch of other dogs and gave Steele a whack on his back leg that seemed to be wounded making the malamute collapse to the ground in pain as she made her way to his face.

"Steele, you are positively disposable!", she said to his face before she smacked it with her own forepaw.

Steele then noticed the bunch of other dogs who had once adored him were now there now wearing annoyed and disapproving looks.

"Lucy, you've got some explaining to do.", Cole said laying Steele's collar on the ground and heading into the hospital after Balto. Inside, Cole had caught up to Balto who was seeing Rosy stir before opening her eyes and seeing her mother.

"Mommy?", she asked drowsily.

"Rosy, darling.", her mother gushed.

"Oh, I fell asleep.", Rosy added as she and her mother shared a hug.

/

Cole looked around with Balto to see that the other children had recovered nicely. Then Cole felt as if someone was putting something around his neck.

"Togo, I think Jenna found something of yours.", Rosy's father said.

Cole noticed in a reflective surface that Rosy's father had placed his own collar back on his neck as Balto noticed Rosy's musher's hat. Cole saw that familiar look in his eye and gave a nod of approval. Balto went over and retrieved Rosy's hat and came up to her with Cole right beside him. This time, Rosy's parents parted back so Rosy could interact with them.

"Balto, Togo.", Rosy said before taking her hat back and giving them a group hug, "I'd be lost without you."

Balto was enjoying the moment before Cole heard Jenna clearing her throat as if to get their attention. It did and both wolf dogs turned to see Jenna standing in the doorway with her scarf back on.

"Jenna.", Balto said smiling.

"Well, don't stand there gawking Romeo.", Cole told him playfully, "Go and get your Juliet."

Balto did so and Cole watched pleased as the two shared a playful moment before their noses touched. It was surprising at first, but then Cole saw Jenna shyly glance aside and return her gaze to Balto who gave a smile before he came over. Cheering reached their ears and all three looked out to see the crowd of Nome residents and sled dogs applauding them. Cole then noticed a couple residents carrying Steele inside the hospital.

"He's hurt pretty bad, but he'll live."

"Doubt he'll be running again after this."

Steele was able to give Cole a cold glare, but Cole wasn't bothered.

"Steele, I know you aren't going to, but just for the record, I just want you to know that I forgive you."

Steele turned away from him still sneering as Cole then heard Star's voice outside.

"Way to go Balto and Togo!"

"They have the most endurance, the most fidelity, intelligence-", Kaltag stammered.

"Yeah! Yeah!", Nikki agreed.

"They should build a statue of them!", Star put in.

He then whimpered as Kaltag gave a light push.

"You said it!", Kaltag told him.

Star was speechless.

"I did?"

/

Cole felt obliged to go back and ask Steele some things, but as soon as he was out of sight, a snowy wind picked up and a familiar force pulled him towards a mirror nearby. Cole turned fast to see Balto and Jenna grow further away from him.

"Balto! Jenna!", he called out.

But they didn't seem to hear as Cole's sight became a blur of an aroura and then Cole found himself in a park where he felt like floating. He noticed a little girl with a husky pup near her feet as they looked up to a statue of two dogs standing side by side.

"This is it, Grandma.", the little girl called to an elderly woman coming up to them, "Blaze found it!"

"Oh yes.", the grandmother said before the girl checked out the plaque at the statue's base, "What does it say?"

The girl started reading.

"Dedicated to the 'indomible'-"

"Indomitable.", the grandmother corrected with a chuckle.

"Indomible spirit of the sled dogs—", the girl tried again.

"That relayed antitoxin 6oo miles from Nenana to the relief of stricken Nome in the winter of 1925.", the grandmother finished.

"Endurance, fidelity, intelligence.", the girl added before turning to her grandmother, "Balto and Togo really did do all that didn't they, Grandma?"

"Oh, yes sweetheart. They really did.", the grandmother said placing a familiar hat on the girl's head, "And today they run the Iditarod dog race over the very path they and the others took."

"Can Blaze do that too Grandma?", the girl asked.

"Maybe, with practice.", the grandmother said, "A lot of practice."

"Come on Blaze.", the girl said excitedly leading her puppy away, "Come on mush!"

The grandmother chuckled before turning to the statue of the two dogs.

"Thank you Balto and Togo.", she said, "I would be lost without you."

Cole realized that the old woman was Rosy, but didn't have time to say anything cause her granddaughter called her and she headed off. He then felt the pull again and as he faded away again, his eyes looked up to the twin dog statues standing proudly in the sunlight. The memory of his experience repeated itself in his mind. Meeting Balto, running alongside him, protecting him from Steele, the fight with the bear, nearly drowning, and saving Nome. Then the memory of the white wolf came back to his mind as he heard the chorus of howls Balto and him shared with her before everything went black once more.