Not far from the city, the circus was being built for the show which was to premiere that night.
Inside one tent, a beautiful, young Indian mouse was practicing for a high-wire act.
The young mouse imagined what it would be like to be tightrope artist and never to be afraid to do what she wanted to do.
"Mesdames and messieurs, kindly direct your attention high above as the magnificent Cholena is about to preform her daring high-wire act without a net!" shouted an announcer-like voice.
Cholena ("An American Tail: The Treasure of Manhattan Island") smiled as she started walking on a rope.
She could hear the crowd going wild.
A hush comes over the crowd as Cholena begins her graceful trek.
But then, Cholena's imagination was cut short when she started to lose balance. She ran for a pole and held on, catching her breath.
Gaining confidence, Cholena stepped back on the rope and managed to stay balanced.
She pretended to hear a crowd scream 'encore!'
"Thank you" she said in a voice so soft and gentle. "Thank you."
At that moment, she noticed Tzekel Kan standing in the doorway.
"Aha! I see you have been sitting around, my little trinket" he said.
Scared, Cholena jumped off the tightrope and landed on the ground.
"I'm sorry" sighed the Indian mouse. "I just want to contribute more to the circus."
"Your job is to stand there and look beautiful" replied Tzekel Kan. "Not overshadow the main attraction."
"But I wanna do more."
"And you shall. I have the prefect job for a mouse like you."
Cholena was upset.
Every time the circus was brought to a city or a town, they were always stealing from people and she was one of the thieves.
Tzekel Kan picked up Cholena by the tail and showed her Notre Dame in the distance.
"Up in the tower of Notre Dame is a bell of extraordinary value" he told the Indian mouse. "Go up there and find out the bell they call La Fidele. We will steal it and I'll be rich."
"No" protested Cholena. "Why must we always steal? I believe..."
Tzekel Kan chuckled. He knew that Cholena was very disloyal to him.
"Such a disgrace to believe in honesty in a creature as you" the high priest said, insulting poor Cholena. "Where would you be without me?"
"On the streets" Cholena replied sadly.
"Precisely. For it's a cold world out there..."
"For an Indian girl like me."
Unlike Spike was with Nooth, Cholena didn't want to please Tzekel Kan. She wanted her freedom to do all the tightrope tricks she ever wanted regardless of her culture and never be anyone's assistant for once in her life.
Pleased, Tzekel Kan carelessly threw Cholena to the ground and placed a finger under her tiny chin.
"What do I do?" Cholena asked reluctantly.
Tzekel Kan chuckled, liking how his abuse forced the frightened Cholena to do want he asked of her.
"There's a bell-ringer that lives in the tower" he said to Cholena. "Smile at him. Wile and beguile him and he'll tell you exactly what I want to know."
Soon, the high priest disappeared in the dark and Cholena was all alone.
Cholena sighed sadly and headed for Notre Dame as the bells began to ring.
She had no other choice; it was either listen to Tzekel Kan or be left in the streets.
Back in the cathedral, Spike was ringing the bells while Lu-La helped polish them.
"Zoom, zoom!" cried the alien excitedly.
Spike shook his head, chuckling and resumed his work.
Downstairs, the cathedral door opened and Cholena entered.
"Hello" she called. "Is anyone here?"
The archdeacon, Bobnar noticed Cholena and approached her.
"Hello, who are you then?" he chuckled, tickling Cholena.
Smiling, Cholena chuckled a little and gently brushed Bobnar's finger away.
"What's this caper, love?" asked the archdeacon.
"I'm with the circus and..." Cholena began when she heard the bells ring.
"Oh, I just love bells" sighed the mouse.
"If you're looking for the bell tower, just take the stairs" Bobnar advised. "But I warn you, my dear, the bell ringer is not always keen to strangers."
Cholena nodded her thanks and walked up the stairs.
But Spike was alerted by the echoes of Cholena's footsteps and was about to get his corkscrew weapon when Lu-La pulled him by the tail.
"Ow!" cried the rat. "Get off, Lu-La!"
"Spike! Mama! There's a girl in the cathedral!" Chip shouted excitedly.
Hearing this, Mrs. Potts hopped off the table and landed in Lu-La's tentacles.
"Now, Chip, I'll not have you making up such wild stories" she said with a scowl.
"But really, Mama, I saw her" protested the teacup.
At that moment...
"Hello?" called a voice.
"It's her!" cried Chip. "I think she wants ya, Spike."
Spike cocked an eyebrow at the teacup.
"Chip, I told you I'm not interested in girls" he said.
Spike watched from the rafters as Cholena came up the stairs and looked around.
"I am Cholena" said the Indian mouse. "I'm with the circus and, oh, I just love bells. Which one is La Fidele?"
She then noticed Spike's model of Paris and played with one of the wooden figures.
"Are you... hiding from me?" asked Cholena, almost in a mischief manner.
"No" Spike called back. "Be right down!"
"See? I told ya" Chip giggled to Spike.
Spike shushed the teacup and slowly climbed down the rafters, almost suspiciously.
Cholena waited for a moment but realized that Spike hasn't come down.
Curious, Cholena searched around the tower and noticed Spike's lower body inside a bell.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
"Polishing them, miss" Spike replied, using a rag to clean the bell.
Then, he heard Cholena laugh.
"Oi, what's so funny?" Spike snapped.
"Nothing" smiled Cholena. "It just looks like you've got a big hat on your head."
Spike could tell that owner to this soft, gentle voice had some imagination. Just like someone he knew.
"Oh, really? I never looked at it that way" Spike responded, almost laughing.
"Yes, it's a... brass beret" giggled Cholena. "A two ton topper."
"A chapeau in C-sharp!"
The two laughed as Mrs. Potts watched with a gentle smile.
Spike then jumped down and landed in front of Cholena.
The Indian mouse was surprised to see a rat who was nearly two times her size, but she smiled brightly.
"It's a pleasure to meet you" Cholena greeted. "What is your name?"
"Spike" the rat replied.
For a moment, the two rodents found themselves staring at each other as if Cupid has hit them both with his arrow.
Cholena could see in Spike's eyes that he is or was a tortured soul like she is.
Normally Spike had issues with strangers, but he couldn't help but feel something different about this mouse.
After a moment, a voice cleared its throat to snap Spike and Cholena out of it.
"Sorry" Spike apologized.
"Do not apologize" Cholena replied with a smile. "It was my doing."
"So... um, you're Indian."
"Yes, I was from the Lenape tribe before I lost my family."
Spike looked away for a second. He knew what it was like to lose a family.
"Well, I have to go" Cholena said. "I have to get ready for the circus tonight."
"Oh, yes, of course" Spike replied.
"See you tonight!"
"Bye."
And like that, Cholena was gone in a flash.
Sighing happily, Spike sat on the table where his Paris models were and started craving.
Mrs. Potts smiled again as she watched Spike.
"There maybe something there it wasn't there before" she said to herself.
"What's there, Mama?" asked Chip curiously.
"I'll tell you when you're older."
The little teacup looked aside with confused eyes then turned to his mother.
"Okay, I'm older" he said in a older-like voice.
Mrs. Potts laughed, thinking it's cute. Then, she approached Spike, who was craving a wooden model of Cholena.
"That was a brave thing you did, Spike" she said.
Spike smiled a little in response, then started to paint the model.
At last he spoke.
"Do you believe in miracles?"
"Like ordinary miracles?" Mrs Potts wondered. "Well, yes. I do. Lumiere, Cogsworth and I were made from a miracle, remember."
"I know."
Everyday in the tower, Spike saw people together, couples and never realized that it was nice being with someone who loves you.
"I guess I'm just wondering if maybe someone could love me." Spike said.
His eyes wondered away from reality and into his imagination.
In his mind, Spike was out in the streets and stared at the people passing by and starting singing to himself.
Well in reality, Spike had a terrible singing voice but in his imagination, he could sing like Johnny Mathis.
"So many times out there
"I've watched a happy pair
"Of lovers walking in the night
"They had a kind of glow around them
"It almost looked like Heaven's light
"I knew I'd never know
"That warm and loving glow
"Though I might wish with all my might
"No face as hideous as my face
"Was ever meant for Heaven's light
"But suddenly an angel has smiled at me
"And kissed my cheek without a trace of fright
"I dare to dream that she
"Might even care for me
"And as I ring these bells tonight
"My cold, dark tower seems so bright
"I swear it must be Heaven's light"
Soon, the dream ended and Spike sighed, thinking about his new friend.
Lu-La squealed as if to encourage Spike.
"Go to the circus?" he asked.
"Well, Chip wants to go" Mrs. Potts replied. "Lu-La and I will make sure everything is all set until you two get back."
Spike thinks it over, then sits up in his seat.
"Well, if I'm gonna make a miracle of my own, I'm off to the circus!" Spike said.
Lu-La, Chip and Mrs. Potts cheered.
"But what I am gonna wear?" he asked.
Lu-La chattered and then wandered downstairs. She's got an idea for Spike.
Later, Spike walked down the streets with Chip, wearing a red shirt with puffy, striped sleeves and dull red pants.
Ginger, Rocky and Timmy noticed them and were surprised.
"Uh, too much?" Spike asked them.
"No, no. Of course not. It's a new you" Rocky answered.
"Spike, don't worry. You look dashing" Ginger smiled.
Timmy bleated in agreement and offered the animals and teacup a ride.
As soon as they climbed onto Timmy's back, they headed off toward the circus.
To be continued...