"Balto's a True Hero"
by SimbiAni™

Summary: «BALTO1» This story takes place after Steele's shocking return. When it's freezing cold, Balto fell off that cliff, he thinks about giving up... then a vision of Jenna comes to him in his heart. ©98. Plz read&review, thx! «songfic» Mariah Carey, "A Hero Lies in You". Lyrics may be slightly diff to fit story.

A/N: This fic was first started sometime in late '98 and sorta finished in early 99... and finally posted here in its entirety 'cuz it was lost... Btw, I was 15 when I wrote this, LoL... And don't you think this song is soooo perfect for this movie! I do! ˆ-ˆ

(warning: this fic is already 7 years old... lmao once again, its OLD and not new!)

All over the city, lights were turning off to finally welcome the night. But hopeful Jenna was dragging a lit lantern to the top of a snowmound overlooking the city. She also gathered some bits & pieces of broken colored-glass bottles, which she placed on a mound behind the first. Moving out of the way, she let the lantern light shine down on them. This created a miniature "Northern Lights" effect.

Gasping in awe, she then looked to the wild, and whispered, "Balto..."

Meanwhile, Balto dug himself out of the pile of snow he'd gotten trapped under. The freezing wind was blowing, and he was very weak, but all he could think about was the girl his Jenna loved so much, Rosie. If he didn't make it... Shivering, he covered his muzzle with his paws. After a moment of sniffle-crying, he looked up to see a magnificent white wolf before him. It howled, and Balto felt ashamed.

"Just leave..."

The wolf looked at him, then walked away.

Back at the entrance to town, Jenna was concentrating on sending a message to Balto, thru her heart.

"Wherever you are, Balto, I love you. Please come home. Save Rosie. I know you can do it."

Then, it was like she was there with Balto. He saw her. "Jenna? Is it really you?"

"Oh, Balto! Are you alright?"

"Uh, kinda. Man, it's freezing! But I do feel better now that you are here... wait, how did you get here?"

She smiled. "Oh, Balto... I'm not really here... but I wanna help you get through this. Home. For Rosie."

"Rosie... I've tried, but, this fall, it's lost..."

"You're gonna honestly tell me that you wanna give up? I don't think you really wanna do that. Come on, Balto! I believe in you!"

He looked up at her. She smiled. The warmth of their love between them that shone in their eyes was enough to make them forget the cold. (and remember, this a blizzard in the winter mountains of Alaska! LoL...) Yes, indeed. And so, she sang...

"There's a hero, if you look inside your heart, you don't have to be afraid, of what you are..."

Balto shook his head. "It's no use; I fell over the cliff with it and I don't know what happened to the crate."

"There's an answer, if you reach into your soul, and the sorrow that you know, will melt away!"

"But-"

And Jenna whispered to him. "Sing with me! And then a hero comes along, with the strength to carry on-" The white wolf came up and howled to Jenna's tune. "And you cast your fears aside, and you know you can survive..."

Balto thought of Steele. "Steele's gonna be sorry if something happens to Rosie."

Jenna walked around Balto. "So when you feel like hope is gone, Look inside you and be strong..."

"But I'm just a dog-wolf. I can't make it back!"

"And you'll finally see the truth; that a hero lies in you..."

"Me? Yeah, right."

Jenna kinda laughed. "It's a long road, and you face the world alone-"

"Alone? Not when my thoughts are of you."

This made Jenna blush. "No one reaches out a hand, for you to hold..." She extended her paw toward him, and he gently kissed it.

"I'll never leave you."

"Oh, Balto!" She smiled again. "You can fall in luv, if you search within yourself, and the emptiness you felt, will disappear..."

Balto howled. "Oh, oh!"

"The lord knows, dreams are hard to follow..."

Balto shook his head. "No kidding..."

"But don't let anyone, tear them away, yea..."

"Like Steele?"

"Hold on, there will be tomorrow... Anytime now, you'll find the way, hey..."

"If only I could."

"Balto, sing with me now. Please?"

"Alright."

And they sang the chorus together.

"And then a hero comes along, with the strength to carry on! And you cast your fears aside, and you know you can survive! So when you feel like hope is gone, look inside you and be strong! And you'll finally see the truth, that a hero lies in you!" Then they brushed against each other for warmth, but also, for love.

Jenna finished the last line... "That a hero lies, in, you..."

"Thanks, Jenna. Thank you very much."

"Go on, Balto. I know you'll make it."

"You're leaving?"

"Well, I kinda have to. It is very cold out here," She grinned, then became serious again. "And Rosie needs me. Don't worry, I'll be waiting for you when you get back. Remember, you can do it!"

Leaving a kiss on his nose, she disappeared into the snow. The white wolf seemed to, too.

Balto shook his head once more, tired, and wondering. Could he really make it? There was only one way to find out...

That's when Balto saw the medicine crate nearby, not broken! And with the lantern still attached to the top of the box! He looked up at the long fall down the cliffside, amazed.

He also remembered what Boris had said- "Let me tell you something, Balto. A dog, cannot make this journey alone... But, maybe, a wolf, can..."

At first, Balto felt more ashamed. But then with new determination, he looked over at the white wolf's pawprints. He placed his paw in the print of the wolf's. Pulling it back, he saw, it matched! He did this a few more times to make sure. Then he howled. He knew what he had to do.

Then the white wolf appeared again and howled with him.

Balto grabbed hold of the crate's ropes and started his ascent up the mountain side. This was gonna be tough, and it was gonna take every once of wolf strength in him. Oh, yeah. For sure. But he would make it. For Rosie. For Jenna. For himself. Yes, he would make it, no matter what Steele had said.

Balto, was a true hero. Yay, Balto!

(continues as in the movie)

BALTO™ is copyright of Universal, etc. ˆ-ˆ

PS. Believe it or not, this is a work of fiction. All the incidents, names, and characters are imaginary.
Any resemblence to actual persons etc, living or dead, is completely coincidental. ˆ-˜
©98