Night had fallen over the West. Fievel and Tanya had been walking for who knows how long.

Finally, Tanya decided to stop and rest.

"Fievel, it's very late." she said to her brother. "We should rest."

"But Tanya, Mama and Papa are probably worried sick about us!" protested Fievel. "Plus, we have to warn them about Cat R. Waul trying to turn everyone into mouseburgers!"

"I know. I know." nodded Tanya. "But if we don't rest, then we won't have enough energy to keep going."

Fievel sighed sadly as he nodded. "Ok Tanya."

Fievel and Tanya spotted a boulder nearby. They walked over to it and climbed up to sit down. The siblings gazed up at the starry sky. The moon shone down on them brightly.

"The sky does look pretty tonight." mused Tanya.

"It always does." said Fievel. "And I never realized how big the moon is."

Tanya giggled. "It's always been big Fievel." she told him.

Fievel laughed.

He then sighed sadly. "Tanya, I'm so sorry. It's my fault we got into this mess." he said to his sister guiltily.

Tanya looked at her with a soft expression. "Fievel, it's not your fault." she said softly.

Fievel sniffed. "How?! If I hadn't snuck out onto the train, you wouldn't have followed me we would've never fallen off!" he sobbed. "Now we're lost in the middle of nowhere!"

Fievel felt tears fall down his eyes and began to cry. Tanya hated seeing her brother cry. She wrapped him in a warm hug.

"It's ok Fievel." she soothed as he sobbed. "I know that you're always curious to explore new things."

Tanya looked at Fievel with a comforting smile. "Besides, if you hadn't gone out and made me follow you, we would've never found out what Cat R. Waul was up to. We now know the truth thanks to you."

Fievel sniffed but smiled at his sister. "Thanks Tanya."

Tanya smiled. "Anytime."

She wrapped an arm around her only brother. "And hey, no matter what you do, I'll always love you Fievel." she said warmly, making Fievel smile.

Fievel and Tanya looked up at the sky. Then, Fievel began to sing.

("Somewhere Out There" from "An American Tail" plays)

Fievel: Somewhere out there

Beneath the pale moonlight

Someone's thinking of me

And loving me tonight

Tanya smiled as Fievel sang their song and joined in.

Tanya: Somewhere out there

Someone's saying a prayer

That we'll find one another

In that big somewhere out there

And even though I know how very

Far apart we are

It helps to think we might be wishing

On the same bright star

Fievel: And when the night wind starts to sing

A lonesome lullaby

It helps to think we're sleeping

Underneath the same big sky

Both: Somewhere out there

If love can see us through

Then we'll be together

Somewhere out there

Out where dreams

Come true…

"I always love singing our song." Fievel said fondly.

"Me too Fievel. Me too." said Tanya, hugging her brother.

("Somewhere Out There" from "An American Tail" ends)

Suddenly, the two heard a screeching noise.

"What's that?!" Fievel screamed in terror.

Tanya looked up and gasped. There, flying towards them was a black hawk.

"TROUBLE!" Tanya screamed. "RUN FOR IT!"

Without hesitating, Fievel and Tanya ran for their lives. The hawk spotted them and swooped down to get them.

"It's gaining on us!" Fievel screamed as they ran.

"Just keep running!" Tanya cried.

Then, Fievel spotted a hole in the ground.

"Tanya, in there!" he called.

Without asking, Tanya ran after her brother and they jumped into the hole. The hawk swopped down to get then, but it's talons couldn't reach them.

"Phew! That was close!" panted Fievel.

"You can say that again." panted Tanya, placing a hand over her rapidly beating heart.

Suddenly, they heard hissing. Fievel and Tanya froze and slowly turned their hearts to see a red scorpion creep up to them.

"SCORPION!" screamed Tanya.

The scorpion tried to sting them, but Fievel and Tanya were able to quickly back themselves out of the hole.

But they failed to notice the hawk swooping down with a dark gleam in its eyes. It's talons then picked Fievel and Tanya up by the scruffs of their shirts.

The two mice screamed in terror as the hawk flew higher into the night sky.

Indian Camp:

The Indian mice were giving Tiger all the food they gave him as they thought he was the reincarnation of their god. and Tiger was enjoying every moment of it.

"They think I'm their Tiger god. How lucky can you get? I mean, how did they know I was a vegetarian?" he mused.

A mouse fed him an apple, which Tiger ate and let out a burp.

"It's funny how your appetite perks up when you find out… that you're gonna eat dinner instead of be dinner." Tiger laughed. "Innkeeper, more wine." he called.

Then, the hawk holding Fievel and Tanya farewell overhead. One of the tribesmen shouted a war cry, which was carried across the tribe.

Geronimouse shouted out orders in Mousehican Dialect.

Immediately, the indians grabbed their weapons and raced up a hill. They kept quiet as the hawk flew closer.

"I said put us down, you ugly furball! We won't stand for this! Put us down!" shouted Fievel as he and Tanya struggled to get free.

"You heard him! Let us go this instant!" shouted Tanya.

Suddenly, the Indians fired their weapons, which were fireworks. Fievel, Tanya, and the hawk screamed as they exploded near them. Soon, all explosions made the hawk lose its grip on the two mice

"Uh-oh." Fievel and Tanya said in unison.

They suddenly fell down towards the campsite, screaming.

Luckily, luck was on their side as they landed inside a water dish.

"Water!" exclaimed Fievel.

"Oh thank goodness!" Tanya said in relief.

Quickly, the two mice drank a large gulp of water.

"Ah, that's better." said Fievel contently.

"I've never felt so refreshed before." Tanya said in agreement.

Nearby, Tiger was feasting on the food when he grabbed the dish and drank it… along with Fievel and Tanya.

Tiger's mouth:

Fievel and Tanya looked around in terror and their surroundings.

"Oh, no, we're in a mouth." Fievel whispered scaredly.

Both screamed as they grabbed Tiger's uvula.

Tiger started to cough and gag.

"I think a little endive went down the wrong tube." he wheezed, tugging his shirt collar.

"I hope he doesn't throw up." said Fievel.

Tanya gasped when she saw Tiger's breath come up. "Look!" she cried.

Fievel's eyes widened in horror.

"Get us out of here!" he screamed.

"Who said that?" asked Tiger.

"Us!" came the two mice's voices.

"'Us' they say-" said Tiger.

"SAY 'AH!'" Fievel and Tanya screamed as Tiger's breath engulfed them.

"Ah!" said a Tiger, his tongue sprinting out revealing Fievel and Tanya.

The two mice's eyes widened when they saw Tiger.

"Tiger!" they exclaimed happily.

"Fievel! Tanya!" Tiger exclaimed happily as he set them down from his tongue.

"I thought I'd never see you again!" exclaimed Fievel.

"Yeah, we waited for you at the station." added Tanya.

"Believe me, I tried to get there, but I was dogged every step of the way." explained a Tiger, remembering all the times the dogs chased him on his way to the train.

"Aww." Tanya cooed softly, patting Tiger's head. "You must've had quite a bad experience."

"Yeah." nodded Tiger. "But the whole thing with the Indian's booby traps underground and then Mousey's Night Monster were a lot worse."

"Oh, Tiger, you're my best friend." said Fievel, hugging Tiger.

"You're one of the greatest cats we've ever met." Tanya happily admitted, hugging Tiger as well.

"C'mon on, let's go to Green River." said Fievel.

Tiger was about to follow when he spotted Geronimouse leading some Indians towards him with the cooked hawk on a plate.

"Listen little guide, I think there's something I forgot to mention. The only reason I'm not a moccasin right now... is because they think I'm a god." Tiger told his friends.

Fievel and Tanya traded glances.

"And this conversation is making me look very ungodlike." Tiger added nervously.

"Tiger, listen. We have to warn our family and friends." said Tanya.

"The cats are gonna turn them into mouse…" began Fievel before Tiger shushed them

"These folks get offended if you eat and run." he whispered. "I'll join you as soon as I can."

"You promise?" asked Fievel.

"Because we are gonna need help if things go bad." added Tanya.

"I promise. Cross my heart and hope to cry." promised Tiger, crossing his heart and wiping his eyes with his tail.

"Thanks Tiger." smiled Tanya.

"Oh, Tiger. I almost forgot. How do you get to Green River?" asked Fievel.

A sagebrush braked to a stop out of nowhere next to them.

"Just grab a passing sagecoach." said Tiger.

"Alright! Now we don't have to strain ourselves!" cheered Tanya, climbing onto the sagebrush.

Fievel climbed into the sagebrush as well. "See you later, Tiger! Adios." he cal,Ed as it rolled away.

"Don't stay away to long!" Tanya added.

"Sagecoach, get it? Sage." laughed Tiger. "Oh, never mind."

(Theme from Rawhide - Blues Brothers Versions plays)

The sagebrush rolled along down the desert as many animals watched.

Desert Creatures: Rollin', rollin' rollin',

Rollin', rollin' rollin',

Rollin', rollin' rollin'

Rollin', rollin', rollin'

Rawhide!

Jackrabbit: Move 'em on!

Tortoise: Head 'em up!

Scorpion: Head 'em up!

Coyote: Move 'em on!

Bobcat: Move 'em on!

Tarantula: Head 'em up!

Gila Monster: Rawhide!

Gopher Family: Cut 'em out!

Ride 'em in!

Ride 'em in!

Cut 'em out!

Quail: Cut 'em out!

Quail Chick: Ride 'em in, Rawhide!

Chorus: Rollin', rollin', rollin',

Rollin', rollin', rollin', (Ya!)

Rollin', rollin', rollin',

Ya!

Rawhide!

(Theme from Rawhide - Blues Brothers Versions ends)

Soon, the sagebrush ended up at Green River as the sun rose. It then bounced off an old cowboy dog's nose.

"Excuse me, Mr. Dog. We were wondering if you could give us some help." called Fievel.

"Oh, another tumbleweed asking me for help. Oh, no, not again." he stuttered before falling asleep.

Just as Fievel and Tanya were about to wake him up, he suddenly burped, sending them rolling towards a crowd of mice.

To be continued…

I'll be honest with you. Almost every time I listen to the American Tail version of "Somewhere Out There," I tear up.

Next chapter, Tony's gets involved in helping stop Cat R. Waul.

See ya next time!