The Mission Begins/Morning Side Orphanage Investigation (Sonic and Sally Version)

*(As night fell, it began to rain. The bus pulled over near Central Park, close towards the zoo. Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Shaggy, the Fearsome Four, Sally, Cosmo, Amy, and Sadie hitched the ride unbeknownst to human passengers and the human driver, and they carefully jumped off the bus without being seen. They hid underneath a mailbox to stay dry. Sonic was now wearing a red raincoat, a red rain hat, and red rain boots. Tails was now wearing a light blue raincoat, a light blue rain hat, and light blue rain boots. Knuckles was now wearing a green raincoat, a green rain hat, and green rain boots. Quackerjack was now wearing a purple raincoat, a purple rain hat, and purple rain boots over his regular clothes. Megavolt was now wearing a yellow raincoat, a yellow rain hat, and yellow rain boots over his regular clothes. Bushroot was now wearing a lavender raincoat, a lavender rain hat, and lavender rain boots. Liquidator was now wearing an aquamarine raincoat and an aquamarine rain hat. Shaggy was now wearing a yellow raincoat, a yellow rain hat, and red rain boots over his regular clothes. Sally was now wearing a blue shawl over her regular vest, a white headscarf, and blue rain boots. Cosmo was now wearing a green shawl over her regular dress, a yellow headscarf, and green rain boots. Amy was now wearing a red shawl over her regular dress, a pink headscarf, and red rain boots. And Sadie was now wearing a pink shawl over her regular outfit, a red headscarf, and pink rain boots. After the bus took off, Sonic took out a map to find find where to take a route to Morningside Orphanage)*

Sonic: Here it is. It's 3 blocks down and…. Four blocks over.

Sally: (Opening up her umbrella) Why don't we take a shortcut through the zoo?

Tails: Uh, gee--Sally, uh-- I don't know.

Knuckles: We meant, uh, well…. It could be risky.

Cosmo: Well, come on.

Amy: Remember our pledge? 'Through storm and rain and dark of night….'

Bushroot: (Finishing her sentence) 'It never failed to do what's right.'

*(Bushroot took his hat off for a brief moment to say part of the pledge. His hat suddenly filled up with rainwater and when Bushroot put his rain-hat back on, the rainwater splashed on him)*

Liquidator: All right…. Duty calls.

*(The twelve entered the zoo, where it is really damp, dark, a bit cold and a bit frightening. Tails whistled cheerfully to to brighten up their dark shortcut, but his whistles began to die down and weaken due to very animal noises coming from all over, thus making the twelve frightful)*

Sadie: Uh, guys, maybe we ought to go back. It's so dark in there.

*(She pointed out the observatory where darkness from the other side is pitch black)*

Shaggy: Dark? Like, who's uh--who's afraid of the dark?

Megavolt: Look, you uh…. You-you better stay out here. I'll-I'll check it out.

Quackerjack: (Volunteering) Me too.

*(Megavolt and Quackerjack waved at their comrades to ensure them that they will be alright walking towards the darkness. Quackerjack took their lantern with him to see what over the side. The ten took cover behind the green metal wastebasket, making their hearts pacing with suspense. A loud roar was heard. Megavolt and Quackerjack began to run from the darkness and for their lives, screaming. Their fear made them almost forget about the ten)*

Sally: Hey!

Amy: Wait!

Cosmo: Wait for us!

Sadie: Don’t leave us here!

*(They came to run back to them, grabbing each other's hands and resuming running. However, they got trampled on by their lantern and Sally's umbrella. Finally, they reached towards the gate and sighed and panted in relief)*

Quackerjack: (Panting) Well, how about trying 3 blocks down and 4 blocks over, Sparky?

Megavolt: (Angrily) Don’t call me “Sparky!”

Tails: What did you do to make him so mad?

Quackerjack: Nothing. It's just, uh--just a grumpy old lion.

Shaggy: Well, after all, waking him up in the middle of the night. Like, wouldn't you be grumpy, too?

Quackerjack: We didn't wake him in the middle of the night.

Megavolt: We just walked into a thing….

*(The twelve were the first to arrive at Morningside Orphanage, sneaking inside from a partially open window. They split up to look for any clues Kairi left behind. They went to the bedroom where Kairi slept, but she was not seen--well, not yet, anyways)*

Sonic: PSST! PSST!

Knuckles: Guys, over here. We found something.

*(Knuckles pointed out two boxes with the labels with Kairi's name on the side)*

Tails: These are Kairi's belongings.

Sadie: Good work. Now we're getting somewhere.

*(The Fearsome Four, the two humans, and the six Mobians jumped into the box and looked at the items the orphan owned before they disappeared. There are three cats who happened to hear the twelve--a yellow-furred cat with orange stripes and green eyes, a white-furred cat with blue eyes and wearing a blue butterfly hairclip and a black ribbon around her neck, and a dark-blue-furred kitten with green eyes were taking a nap. They overheard them talking)*

Sally: Oh, look!

Amy: Girl treasures for Kairi!

Cosmo: Beautiful!

Sonic: Boy, does that girl collect.

Knuckles: (Agreeing) Yeah.

Tails: You can say that again.

Shaggy: Like, do you think she could be still in the orphanage?

Sadie: She can't be. It says on the box, 'HOLD UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE'.

Bushroot: Then maybe she's been adopted.

Quackerjack: No, because…. She would've taken these things with her.

Liquidator: Yeah. It's kinda like, well, kinda-bow, kinda-wow.

*(The two cats and kitten looked from above and discovered the twelve in the box)*

Male cat: (Excitedly) A hedgehog, an echidna, and a fox!

Female cat: (Excitedly) A chipmunk, a hedgehog, and a seedrian!

Kitten: (Excitedly) Two humans and four mutant animals!

Sonic, Sally, Knuckles, Amy, Tails, and Cosmo: (Screaming) Cats!

*(They quickly hid inside one of Kairi's old shoes)*

Male cat: Now, look here, you twelve, if folks find out animals moved in here, I'll get kicked out…. Even lose my job.

Sally: Oh, don't worry, Mr. Cat.

Amy: We won't be here long.

Cosmo: That's right.

Male cat: Actually, my name's Jaune-Tom.

Female cat: I'm Mewsette.

Kitten: And I'm Robespierre.

Sadie: Jaune-Tom, Mewsette, and Robespierre?

Shaggy: Oh yeah! Like, we remember you.

Bushroot: Didn't know you got cats for buddies.

Liquidator: (Interested) Kinda-bow, kinda-wow!

Sadie: Yep. We sure did.

*(Shaggy nodded in agreement)*

Robespierre: Jaune-Tom and Mewsette became best of friends since when they were my age.

Mewsette: And besides, we don't eat mice.

*(Mewsette finished, as she, Jaune-Tom, and Robespierre are doing a relaxing stretch)*

Tails: Then Jaune-Tom, could you, Mewsette, and Robespierre tell us about the girl calling herself Kairi?

Jaune-Tom: Well, we sure can, but you ain't gonna find her around here.

Robespierre: Yeah.

Mewsette: (Spoke sadly) Anyway, the poor girl ran away.

Sonic's group, Sally's group, and Fearsome Four: (Confused) Ran away?!

Shaggy: Like, why would she run away?

Sally: Didn't she want to be adopted?

Jaune-Tom: Of course.

Mewsette: Every orphan wanted to be adopted.

Sonic: But maybe something bad has happened to her.

Knuckles: Probably.

Sadie: When's the last time you three saw her?

Amy: Was there anything unusual?

Cosmo: Try to remember.

*(The three cats slows themselves down to regain their recent memory with Kairi. Finally, they remembered everything and began to explain every detail as a flashback came on)*

Jaune-Tom: Well, the last time we saw her, we found her sitting on her bed, all alone and sad, and holding her stuffed toy unicorn very tight. We came up to them for comfort and I asked…. What's wrong, Kairi, honey?

Kairi: (Glumly) Nothing.

Mewsette: (Comforting) Aw, come, come now, no secrets. You can tell us.

Kairi: (Sighs sadly) You really want to know?

*(Jaune-Tom, Mewsette, and Robespierre nodded and then Kairi explained)*

Kairi: (Sadly) Well, it was adoption day at the orphanage. A couple came by to adopt someone and looked at me. But they chose a little red-haired girl named Lil' Suzy. She was prettier than me.

Jaune-Tom: Aw, s-s-she couldn't be!

Mewsette: Jaune-Tom's right! Now, you listen to us. You're something extra special.

Kairi: (Sadly) No, I’m not.

Robespierre: (Supportingly) Why, someday a mama and a papa will come down to the orphanage looking for a pretty little girl just like you.

Kairi: (Hopefully) Honest?

Jaune-Tom: (Softly) We'll bet our whiskers on it. But... You got to believe it. Keep your faith.

Robespierre: (Noticing a bluebird outside) See that bluebird?

Kairi: Yes.

Mewsette: Faith is a bluebird you see from afar. It's for real and for sure as the evening star. You can't touch it out or buy it or wrap it up tight, but it's there just the same, making things turn out right.

*(Kairi smiled softly and got confident)*

Kairi: (Happily) You know, you're right! *(Repeating after Mewsette)* Can't touch it out or buy it or wrap it up tight, but it's there just the same, making things turn out right. But whoever adopts me has to adopt Luna, too.

Jaune-Tom: Oh, they'll love her.

Robespierre: (Playfully) She doesn't eat much, does she?

*(Kairi giggled and took some gingersnaps from her skirt pocket)*

Kairi; I got these for you three from the cafeteria so you guys can have energy in you. *(Smiling)* Despite that I’m not supposed to do that.

Mewsette: (Smiling) Don't worry. It's a secret.

Kairi: You're the best, Jaune-Tom! And you too, Mewsette! And also you, Robespierre!

*(And then Kairi gave Jaune-Tom, Mewsette, and Robespierre a rub on their bellies, making them purr)*

Kairi: I love you, Jaune-Tom, Mewsette, and Robespierre. Oh! We better hurry! Or we'll be late for supper!

*(The little girl and the three cats hurried out)*

Mewsette: Well, she seemed happy enough.

*(Jaune-Tom concluded back in the present)*

Jaune-Tom: But the next thing we heard…. She was gone.

Bushroot: Aren't the police still looking for her?

Robespierre: (Sadly) No, no, no. They gave up weeks ago.

Sadie: This is terrible, that poor darling.

Sonic: We still can't believe Kairi would run away just like that.

Shaggy: But it also be hard to believe that any child like her would be gone for so long.

Sally: Something else might've happened to her.

*(Suddenly, Jaune-Tom, Mewsette, and Robespierre remembered something very important)*

Robespierre: Well, come to think of it, there was.

Jaune-Tom: Oh no, it was nothing. Kairi wouldn't get in with her.

Megavolt: Get-Get in what?

Liquidator: With-With who?

Mewsette: A weird lady tried to give them a ride, but they wouldn't have anything to do with trashy people like her.

Sally, Amy, and Cosmo: Trashy people?

Sadie: Who?

Jaune-Tom: She and her partner run a sleazy pawn shop down the street.

Quackerjack: We need to head down there and see if they got her captive now.

Sadie: (Agreeing) Who knows what kind of people they are.

Sally: (Getting ready to leave with her comrades) She could be in real trouble.

Shaggy: (Agreeing) Like, we got to find her and help her.

Robespierre: (Concerned) Yeah, but-- Guys?

Mewsette: (Concerned) What-What can you do about it?

*(At first, was a short pause. But the three cats finally gave in)*

Jaune-Tom: (Calm supportingly) Alright. Be careful.

*(They nod and the twelve then left to get to the said pawn shop Jaune-Tom mentioned)*

***Coming up:***