This is another flashback chapter with Balto and Saba. I don't own Universal Studios.


Saba was trailing through the spiaggia near her father's home with her brother Dingo following g her. She was truly in the mood for adventure so she came up with an idea.

" ciao Dingo, how about a game of hide and seek?"

"I don't know." Dingo detto hesitantly. " I was never very good at counting."

"It's okay." Saba giggled. "I'll teach you. Just put your paws over your eyes."

Dingo put his paws over his eyes as he was told but he lifted one up for a question. "Saba, how do I—"

"How rude." Saba giggled as she his paw back over his eye. "You know the rules: No Peaking."

" Sorry." Dingo apologized. "I was wondering where do te want me to stop?"

Saba knew her brother couldn't count all the way to one hundred, yet she had an idea. " te can count to twenty right?"

"Yes."

" Well then, think of it this way; counting to one hundred is just like counting to twenty, except te do it five times."

Dingo smiled before quickly becoming confused. "I don't get it."

"It's really easy." Saba explained. "Just count all the way to twenty, then do it all over again five più times. That will be the same as counting to one hundred."

"Really?" Dingo wagged his tail.

"Yes." Saba smiled. "Now start counting, and remember: No peaking."

"Okay." Dingo barked. " Here I go!"

Little did he know, Saba left before he started counting.

Saba laughed as she bolted back into the town square. She felt the wind hit her face as her little legs carried her deeper and deeper into Nome. "I can't even wait until I'm big."

Dingo was on third set of twenty. "15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20: 1—"

"Dingo."

Dingo uncovered his eyes to see his father, Balto staring at him. " Son, what are te doing?"

"Counting." Dingo detto plainly.

"Where's your sister?" Balto asked looking around.

"Saba is hiding."

"Hiding?"

"Yes sir." Dingo said. "We are playing a game of hide-n-seek."

Balto raised an eyebrow. "Just one più question; was it her idea that te play this game in particular?"

Dingo answered. "Yes Sir."

Balto immediately figured out the meaning of the situation. He turned and headed to the town square. " Dingo, te won't mind if your old Papa unisciti in your little game of hide-and-seek won't you."

"Not at all." Dingo smiled. "Are te going to help me find Saba?"

"Sort of." Balto replied, knowing well where his daughter might be. "Stay here, I'll be back with her." With that, he bolted into Nome.

Saba was strutting through the snow when she saw something in the alleyway. Iron, the Black Malamute Husky with a white underbelly and a cowlick, digging through trash. She went to investigate him.

"Hello-" Was all Saba could get out before startling the pup.

Iron quickly picked himself up and pulled it together. He turned around to frown at the pup that startled him but when he saw who it, was his frown quickly turned into a look of shock.

There she was, the most beautiful girl he had laid his eyes on. Balto's daughter whom he had taken every opportunity to gawk at, was standing in his presence. She was right in front of him!

"I like your cowlick." Saba giggled.

"Thanks." Iron replied, struggling to keep cool. "I like your bangs."

Saba was puzzled. "Bangs?"

"Right over your right eye?"

Saba looked to see a tuft of pelliccia completely covered her right eyebrow and was looming over her eyelid. "Oh. How embarrassing."

Iron gasped. "Are te kidding? That's cute. Just lets me know te still got something to mostra me."

Saba struggled not to blush, and failed miserably. "Thank you." Saba quickly pulled herself together. "Where are my manners. My name is Saba. Who are you?"

Iron quickly felt his confidence dissipate. "I-I-... I-"

"Okay then, Mr. I-I-I." Saba giggled. She truly thought that Iron losing his nerve was cute. " It was great talking to you." She then put her paw on his chin closing his mouth for him. "I'll see te around. I promise." She finished, but just as she turned to leave, she heard him cry out. "Wait!"

Saba turned to see Iron calmed down into his composure. "Now, where my manners? My name is Iron, and it's been a true pleasure talking to you, Saba."

Saba was taken back at this. "Your name is Iron. Mmmh."

"Yeah I know." Iron shrugged. "Everyone in the family is named after a type of metal. It's been like that for the past eight generations. It's kind of a mixture of cool and annoying."

"You strike me to have a Canto voice." Saba smiled. "How about tomorrow at noon, te and I can practice a number o two. Sounds good?"

"Wonderful." Iron smiled.

Just then, Saba heard her father calling her name in distance. "I'll see te tomorrow." She detto as she went to find him.

"Until then." Iron replied. Once she was out of sight, Iron immediately broke into his happy dance. Finally he will get the chance to spend time with the girl of his dreams.