DISCLAIMER: Here is a fanfiction I've begun last November to pay tribute to everyone's favorite but sadly forgotten Don Bluth film, An American Tail, and its underrated sequel, An American Tail: Fievel Goes West, which shared anniversaries that month. The first one turned 30, and the second one turned 25; but sadly, both of them will still be overshadowed by other animated films that are more popular than them like The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, and Beauty & The Beast, which beat Fievel Goes West at the box-office, and thus is shown on channels more, while the AAT films are shown on less channels.

As for this fanfiction, it is an idea of mine I had in mind since 2014, one that invovles a certain sloppy animated franchise people pay more attention to than the American Tail franchise, which DOESN'T deserve any praise for the sloppy sequels while AAT gets treated like it never existed! I'm talking about Ice Age.

I want to point out I was never fond of squirrels being "Wile E. Coyote"-like gimmicks and since the first movie, I was under the impression Scrat would be one of the heroes, but that was false advertising for the first film. It was okay with the first film, but not in the sequels. In fact, I think the whole acorn subplot was a completely pointless waste of potential for the sequels. So, no, I will not have any acorn subplots. This time, a squirrel will be a hero, like I wanted in this idea for Blue Sky to do, but Fox rejected the idea when I sent it to them.

Scrat will not be the hero, because of some article claiming the acorn plots are the only things he's happy with, which is why I completely have lost interest in him. Instead, Scratte will be the hero of this story. I believe she'd be willing to do other things instead of that suck-tacular, unfunny acorn plot.

Like other stories I'll do, Scratte will speak like a human being and not have that squeaky Karen Disher voice. For this story, it's for you to imagine what she'd sound like between Zooey Deschanell, Alyssa Milano or Isla Fisher. To me, they're voices I'd recommend as her speaking voice, but I can't decide which one would be best enough. I sort of alternate between the three in these stories.

This story will start with a "real world filming a cartoon" opening similar to the one in Who Framed Roger Rabbit?. However, the main western story will take place in a dream Scratte has, and it'll take place in a human-free environment composed of anthro animals in the old west (like Robin Hood or Zootopia; I had this idea before I even saw the first Zootopia trailer). Most of them will be counterparts of the Ice Age characters, and some of Rio characters.

I'd like to let you all know that the western story isn't supposed to be canon to the Ice Age, it's supposed to be a different universe that takes place in Scratte's dream, like how The Good, The Bad and the Huckleberry Hound was a Western non-canon to the Yogi Bear franchise.

To anyone who can't tolerate the idea of Scratte talking or doing anything not acorn-related, don't post any negative comments or even read the story. Just go about your business. To anyone who CAN tolerate it, I'll need help on plot elements for the story. If you can ever come up with any, please let me know. I need all the help I can get on trying to make a western story that could be as passable as the other Westerns.

I do not own Ice Age or Rio, but I own some Western counterparts of their characters, and other characters.

Prologue:
We see the same ending with Scrat at the end of the film, Ice Age: Continental Drift, where Scrat ends up in Scratlantis. Since the ending's too annoying to copy every movement from, I'm just going to sum it up.

Scrat eventually floats to where the acorn map took him to, and that was an island full of intelligent saber-toothed squirrels living in peace and harmony, until he let his greed get the best of him and he started nabbing all acorns willy-nilly. The leader, a deep-voiced squirrel named Ariscrattle tried to stop him and convince him to become more than a mindless, thieving rodent incapable of feeling for others, but the stupid jerk-wad let his greed win, and he grabbed the giant acorn plug, which sunk the whole city, leaving

Scrat alone in a dessert, with his eyes sizzling, making him scream that annoying-as-heck scream he always makes.
With that over, a voice was heard saying "And cut!"

We then see a whole film studio where this thing was being filmed by a live-action film crew. The director exclaimed to the cast and crew through his bullhorn, "Okay, everyone, that's a wrap!" They cheered for their work on their latest sequel finally done. The director got out of his seat and said to everyone, "As always, phenomenal work, people...and animals! We have pulled out of the bag yet another top notch Ice Age sequel."

He went up to Scrat and said to him, "Scrat, my boy, you were brilliant once again. Doing as the script instructed you, and never giving up anything for that acorn, not even the company of others." The squirrel smiled at this, as the director continued, while patting him on the head, "That's why people like you, because you're another Wile E. Coyote, a classic failure who gets so much praise. Ironically, your failures are a sucess. With them and your acorn obsession combined, you keep this franchise going and set a perfect example for your species."

A female voice snapped, "Oh, speak for yourself!" The two turned and saw a female animal storming up to them. She was a sexy orange-red-furred saber-toothed squirrel with blue eyelids, green eyes, a brown stripe down her back, black nose and brown paws. Her name was Scratte, Scrat's ex-girlfriend from the last Ice Age film. Unlike Scrat, she could actually talk, off the set at least, and her voice actually sounded human and not like a squeaky critter. She wasn't allowed to talk in the movies though, as prohibited by Blue Sky Studios.

"That whole movie was just yet another wasted opportunity coated with eyesores and ear-sores! Not only were there hammy, over-moving pirates, Mini-Sloths in hyrax form, obnoxious and rude teenage mammoths, and generic teenage daughter plots, which copy certain Disney cartoons, by the way, but there is one horrendous element that really tops it all! The usage of the dull, tiresome, inane acorn subplot that has nothing to do with any of the other characters...for the 4th time, might I add!"

The director, not pleased with Scratte's attitude, mocked, "Aw, is Scrat's ex-girlfriend just jealous that she wasn't given a return in this one?"

"I'm not jealous...well maybe a little, but that's beside the point! You keep re-using that whole aspect where saber-toothed squirrels are portrayed as critters who have no compassionate feel for others and/or rational thought like the herd. The worst part is we don't get any happy endings or any treatment the herd gets. You could've given either me or Scrat the chance to be a hero of one of the sequels and give the main characters a reason not to view us as ugly monsters that should be stepped on. Maybe one of us could even be part of the herd and be friendless no more."

The director said, "Well, Scrat seems to be okay with the whole deal." Scrat nodded smugly, agreeing with the director.

Scratte objected, "Well, Scrat's an idiot! Unlike him, I actually learned more about everything than he has. I even learned how cartoon fans take their characters seriously and pay tribute to them by giving them art and stories that make them look good, except for us saber-toothed squirrels, because thanks to your dumb scheme and no plans of giving us character development, we don't get any fan treatment the others get!" She slapped her forehead as she continued, "Ugh! But still, you gotta admit that there are some people who are getting tired of the same stuff copying WB material and wish for something new." Scratte has a point, there should be some fans who are getting tired of the WB material and want to see another side of the saber-toothed squirrels.

The director sighed at this lecturing, "Scratte, babe, let me explain something to you. The general audience are very particular with their films, they like seeing that Wile E. Coyote stuff in every film; people will never grow tired of it. They're too stupid to. Besides, there is no way a squirrel could be a hero or be on good terms with a mammoth, you know that."

Scratte was in further annoyance at what he was saying. "What you're saying sounds more like of a racial talk than about comedy. You know, I have HAD IT with you narrow-minded morons type-casting us. How do you KNOW something won't work unless you give it a fair chance? Plus, interspecies friendships are quite common among the toon world. If a dog can be friends with a flea, then a squirrel can be friends with a mammoth, and I am willing to PROVE THAT at any costs!"

The director scoffed, "Ha! Good luck with that!"

Scratte growled in anger as she then stormed off the set in anger. Scrat looked puzzled at this, glancing at the director. She can't be serious, can she?

The director said, "Oh relax, she's just overreacting! She can't be serious.

Scratte left the Hollywood sets and was walking down the streets, grumbling in irritation, "Stupid filmmakers! They just don't know how to take risks to make mediocre movies way less mediocre! They even blew their chance on making me or that dumb Scrat the hero of a pirate-themed sequel! I could pull off in being a hero if I've been given the chance and an interesting gimmick!"

She then walked pass a Video/DVD rental store, with a TV playing something in the window; it caught her attention as she watched it. It was a Western movie, and all the action-packed events going on in there interested her so much. She pondered, "Hmm...maybe a Western could work. Everyone loves a good hero of the times in the Old West. I should probably rent some to learn more about the topic." She then checked herself for money, but to her dismay, she had none.

She groaned, "Oh, but those stuck-up Blue Sky filmmakers never paid me enough." She then brightened, remembering something. "Oh, wait!" She then pulled out a credit card that belonged to the director, and she smirked mischievously. She had stolen it from the director when he wasn't looking. "I'll charge whatever Western film I rent to his account." She snickered a bit, before going in the store to rent whatever Western film catches her eye, and using the director's credit card as payment. It should teach the director not to give saber-toothed squirrels such crappy treatment!

Later, in some room, there were cases of famous Western movies stacked near some cabinet with a VCR/DVD player, along with empty snack containers lying on the ground. Some of those Westerns included Blazing Saddles, An American Tail: Fievel Goes West, The Magnificent Seven, The Good, The Bad and the Ugly, Three Amigos, Wild Wild West, City Slickers, City Slickers 2: The Legend of Curly's Gold, and plenty of others. Scratte had spent the whole day watching a marathon of the Westerns she rented from the store, with the director's credit card and she was watching yet another one, but she was growing tired, looking like she was ready to fall asleep.

Scratte sleepily said, "Good stuff...these Westerns." Her eyelids grew dreary and heavy, and she soon fell fast asleep. In her slumbers, she spoke in her sleep, "Just imagine...me...in the Old West..."

Then some ripples appeared as she began to have a dream.

(Dream Sequence)

We now go to where and when the MAIN story of this fanfiction takes place: in the Old West, as Scratte's desires for the Old West have hinted. We see a dessert with a breaktaking sunset.

"ToonFanJoe Productions Present"

"In Unofficial Association with 20th Century Fox and Blue Sky Studios"

"Western Age"

"Score by Randy Newman"

"Additional Score recycled by James Horner"

"Written by Joe Yaroch"

"Executive Producers
Julie Riley
Comickook"

"Directed by Joe Yaroch"

And another Scratte-focused fanfiction has begun which will take a long time to finish, depending on what I come up with to use, or whatever ideas anyone suggests or if I have the time with. Either way, it won't be continued for a while, but this is in no rush unlike other projects I have.

Now, I'm open to suggestions on story elements and suggestions about characters, so if anyone can come up with any, please let me know. I guiltily admit I haven't thought out the whole plot yet, and have you seen all the plots of the other animated and live-action Westerns? It's not easy to compete with them or make it look like an actual movie script.

This wouldn't be so hard if everyone was too busy making up fanfictions centered around Buck with a love-interest.

I know James Horner is gone, but this is a pretend movie, so there wouldn't be harm in recycling some of Mr. Horner's score, as tribute to Fievel Goes West. Besides, I wanted there to be score that makes '90's fans reminiscent of underrated animated films like the AAT films, Balto, We're Back and the Pagemaster.