01x09 - Ace Space Reporter

[bunniefuu]

♪ Once upon a future time ♪

♪ In a place called Stardust Bay ♪

♪ Countin' down to adventure now ♪

♪ Rockets on a mission, we're on our way ♪

♪ Space Racers ♪

♪ Surfing the solar winds ♪

♪ Space Racers ♪

♪ Together the fun begins ♪

♪ Way out where the planets, moons, and stars ♪

♪ all shimmer shine ♪

♪ Havin' a great time exploring ♪

♪ Space Racers ♪

Hey, wait for me!

Announcer: Where is he now?

Today, we have a story for you

about one of the greatest mysteries

in space racing history.

Twenty-five years ago,

Falcon Fairflight challenged Swift Starlight,

the fastest racer ever, to a race.

The two racers carried just enough fuel

to get them to the far side of the Moon and back.

They didn't want any extra weight to slow them down.

They lifted off.

They flew to the Moon, nose cone and nose cone.

They headed around the far side of the Moon.

But what happened next no one expected...

Two rockets raced around the Moon,

but only Falcon Fairflight reappeared

and returned to Earth.

That day was the last time anyone saw

the famous Swift Starlight!

What happened on the far side of the moon?

Where did Swift go?

And where is he now?

So how come you're watchin'

all this stuff about Swift Starlight?

The new issue of theSpace Racer Gazette

comes out next week,

exactly years since Swift Starlight disappeared.

So I thought I would finally solve the mystery

of what happened to him.

Eagle: Everybody knows what happened to him.

It's obvious.

He felt so bad about being beaten that he was embarrassed

to show his wings ever again.

Everybody THINKS they know what happened to him.

But it's just a hypothesis until there's proof.

A hy-wha-thesis? A hypothesis.

You know, a guess about what happened.

It helps to have a hypothesis.

That way you know what you're looking to prove.

Exactly.

And no one has ever found any evidence

that proves what really happened to Swift.

So, as the editor-in-chief of our school news blog,

I'm gonna solve the mystery of Swift Starlight's disappearance

once and for all!

"Youngest-ever graduate of Stardust Space Academy."

"The first Space Racer to make it

around the Moon and back to Earth

in less than eight hours."

Wins race, wins race,

Wins many races!

"Races Falcon Fairflight and disappears, never seen again."

Hey, Chief!

Here's the photograph of Coach Pigeon

for the first page,

in honor of his th anniversary teaching at the Academy.

Let's put this picture in the layout

and see how it looks.

Nice sh*t, Hawk!

You know, there's something about this picture

that looks familiar.

Of course it looks familiar.

We see Coach Pigeon every day!

Yeah, that must be it.

And that reminds me...

I have to interview Coach about Swift Starlight.

How come?I'm interviewing all the teachers.

They've been around a while, they might have known Swift before he disappeared.

Good luck!Thanks. I'm gonna need it.

So far, I haven't learned anything new about Swift,

or the Moon race.

Go, go, go!

Yes! Nice, Starling.

Ha-ha! Nice flyin'!

Do you have a minute, Coach?

I'm interviewing all the teachers about Swift Starlight

for my article.

So, did you know him?

Ah...

I'm, uh, pretty busy here, Robyn.

I have to, uh...

dust all these rings before the next class!

Oh, don't worry,

I won't take up much of your time, Coach.

So, did you know Swift Starlight?

Ah, know him?

Uh, how many people really know anyone?

I, uh... I came to work here after Swift disappeared.

That's all I know.

Gotta go back to work now, uh...

uh, dustin'.

Yeah, look at these rings.

Robyn: I've never seen Coach

dust the rings before.

He was acting like he didn't want to talk to me!

Maybe he's hiding something.

Exactly what I thought!

The question is... what?

And why?

Headmaster Crane: Swift was a very strong flier

and a really nice rocket.

The search party spent weeks

looking on the far side of the Moon,

thinking he may have crashed,

but they found nothing.

Are you still curious about what happened to him?

As a wise rocket once said,

"Curiosity jumbled the jet."

But,as another wise rocket once said,

"All research is curiosity with a purpose."

Which wise rocket said that?

You did!

So what did Headmaster Crane say?

Nothing new.

But he did remind me of something.

Swift only had enough fuel to get back to Earth.

And that got me thinking.

About what?

About where he went when he disappeared.

He couldn't have flown to another planet,

and nobody saw him come back to Earth.

He must have landed on the Moon.

And there's only one way I can prove it.

What's that?

I have to go to the Moon... tonight!

Robyn. Search parties explored the moon

a zillion times after Swift disappeared.

We might just find something they missed.

I doubt it. But hey,

I'm always up for a trip to the moon.

And if you're both going...

I am, too!

Okay then, let's get outta here!

Booster rockets?

Engaged!

Wings? Back!

Space visors?Down!

Blast off!

Wooo-hooo!

Boy, is it always this dark here?

We can never see this side of the Moon from Earth.

That's why it's called the far side.

But sometimes it's dark and sometimes it's light,

depending on where the Sun is.

Robyn: Speaking of the Sun,

lights on, guys.

Okay, let's spread out and keep our eyes open.

What exactly are we looking for?

I'm not sure.

But this is the last place where Swift was heard from.

I figure there might be a clue around here somewhere.

Something that nobody expected to find.

Something that will change everything.

Hey, what are friends for?

Robyn, Hawk, over here!

Doesn't that look like an "X" marked in the lunar dust?

This can't be from years ago.

The lunar dust would have blown it away by now.

Not necessarily.

There's no wind on the Moon,

so even though the lunar surface can change,

it takes a long time, longer than years.

Maybe it's nothing.

But maybe someone wrote it there for a reason.

Well, there's only one way to find out!

[clank]Wait!

There's something here!

Wow! That looks like the patch Swift Starlight used to wear.

What's it doing here?

I'm not sure.

But I think we're on to something.

This stuff looks like

it was buried on purpose.

Whadda we do now?

I think we should head back to school.

I need to do some more research...

and some hard thinking!

This patch is identical

to the one Swift was wearing

when he disappeared.

It must belong to him.

But what about the can of paint?

What could that have to do with Swift Starlight?

I don't know, but it was buried along with the patch.

There has to be a connection.

[yawns] Sorry.

But I'm too tired to think straight.

I'm going to bed.

Ahhhh. Me, too.

Coming, Robyn?

In a minute.

It's almost as if Swift Starlight

got rid of the patch

and then painted something.

But what?

Blue paint, blue paint..

Oh my gosh!

Swift Starlight is... Coach Pigeon?!

So no one saw you fly back to Earth.

But you didn't have enough fuel to go anywhere else.

So you must have disguised yourself.

When we found your patch and the can of paint,

I guessed what happened.

After you painted yourself blue,

you rolled to the Space Academy Lunar Base.

And the rest is history.

Robyn, this is just a hypothesis.

There's nothin' to tie me to that patch or the can of paint.

No? What about this?

Unless Swift had a twin brother--

and I've done extensive research,

so I know he didn't.

Okay, ya got me.

I used to be Swift Starlight.

Gee!

But why did you disappear?

You were the best!

You were so famous!

That's exactly why.

I don't understand.

First, I thought all I wanted

was to win races.

And I did -- lots of 'em.

But then I discovered that winning didn't make me happy.

Everyone was always trying to b*at me...

to be better than me.

It wasn't fun anymore.

Even being famous got to be annoying.

I couldn't go out for a cup of fuel

without being chased for autographs.

So, instead of finishing the race,

I hung back and let Fairflight get ahead of me

when we hit the dark side.

Then I landed.

Nobody on Earth could see me there.

The rest happened exactly like you figured.

I gotta say, I'm impressed.

You are?

Absolutely.

I fooled everyone for a long time.

But you didn't just accept what everybody thought.

You had a hypothesis,

and then you went and found the evidence to prove it.

Way to go, kid.

Gee, thanks.

Oh, I can't wait to write the story.

This is gonna be the scoop of the century!

Coach, is something wrong?

Robyn, I need to ask you a really big favor.

Sure! What?

Please, don't write the story.

Don't write the story?

But I'm a reporter!

A reporter'sjob is to write the story!

Listen, If everyone finds out

I used to be Swift Starlight,

they'll never leave me alone.

I'll have to leave the Academy,

and I love it here.

I love teaching you kids.

I'm much happier as Coach Pigeon

than I ever was as Swift Starlight,

no matter how many medals I won.

Okay, Coach, I'll keep your secret.

Ha ha ha! Tell ya what:

One day when I'm an old rocket,

I'll letyou write the story of my life.

Really?

You got a deal!

So, did you figure out

what our discovery means?

Yep. It means Swift Starlight

wanted to lose that race and disappear.

So where is he now?Who knows?

But I'll bet he's gone on to even greater accomplishments.