#(supposedly SBB will re-open tomorrow but nick u has a tendency to push back the date)

[techycatartist]

Nickelodeon Universe was bathed in a warm glow as the morning sun beamed through one of the park’s massive skylights. Ride operators had just arrived at the scene, preparing the park for its opening later that day.

Sandy was lying next to the bottom of a Paw Patrol-themed slide, typing away at their phone.

Slime Streak tumbled down the slide, head-first.

“Sandy!!! I didn’t think you’d be here!”

“Me neither, but I guess there was something inside of me that wanted “outside”...or as “outside” as a playground structure can be”.

“Yeah, we can’t really be “outside” when our park is in a big building. Plus, outside here is basically just…swampland. Also, the Metlife Stadium”.

Slime Streak begins scooting back.

“Slime Streak, what are you doing?”

“Going up the slide!”

“...backwards?”

“Yeah”.

Sandy lifts their thumb off their phone, glancing up.

“Just don’t hurt yourself, ok?”

“Okie!!”

Sandy returns to their digital document, a work-in-progress draft of their next Spongebob Squarepants episode review.

[“...If you’re new to the sponge-blog, you might’ve been interested in BassWard because it went sorta viral in the cartoon community, on account of it being the only episode so far to NOT feature Spongebob. After watching the episode myself…yep, he’s not there! Since I’m assuming that you new people are familiar enough with the show, then you know that Spongebob and Squidward are typically paired together due to their opposing personalities/interests/goals. Well, this episode swaps the sponge for Bubble Bass, everyone’s favorite used-to-be-a-one-off character…”]

Simultaneously, Sandy was also listening to Slime Streak.

“So I’ve learned some stuff about Great Adventure because I’ve been hanging out with Lil’ Devil so much. You know how Flash is gonna be there next year, right? Well, there’s some big meeting the humans of Great Adventure have to attend on the 18th. I dunno what exactly’s gonna happen, but if the town-humans like it, it means that the park can build Flash!”

“Weren’t they building Flash already?”

“Not really. It’s mostly dirt right now. The park-humans can’t do their thing until the town-humans approve the stuff”.

“Stuff?”

“Yeah, there’s like…plans. Blueprints. They have to show the town-humans the blueprints first”.

Slime Streak came tumbling down, now shoe-first.

“Oh, and how’s the review going?”

“Good, I guess. Kind of hard to judge it when it’s only an introduction”.

“I’m sure they’re gonna love it!”

Slime Streak crawled back into the slide.

“I really hope Flash gets built, Sandy. They apparently were gonna be in China, but the original park didn’t want them. It’s sad, but a good thing that Great Adventure is giving them a home. It’s like they adopted a puppy!”

“I’d say it’s more like adopting a human, Slime Streak”.

“Oh yeah…right! Sorry, I had puppies on the brain ‘cuz we’re surrounded by Paw Patrol. Great Adventure gave Flash a new home AND a new family! Plus it’s the 50th anniversary so it’s EXTRA special!”

Popping out of the entrance, Slime Streak looked beyond the mesh that kept rowdy kids (like her) from going out towards the edge of the tower.

“Flash’ll be right next to the entrance, so the humans are gonna be scanning their tickets while they hear--”

Slime Streak was stopped in her tracks.

“...that. That! THAT!”

Hurling herself down the slide, NSS yelled at the top of her lungs;

“SANDY!!!! YOUR COASTER IS TESTING!!!”

“...what?”

Sandy felt something tugging on their arm.

“IT’S TESTING!!! COME ON!!”

“Okay, okay…”

Sandy gave a half-hearted shuffle towards the playground’s exit.

“YOU’RE NOT BEING FAST ENOUGH!”

Suddenly, Sandy was knocked off their feet, landing what seemed to be a pile of Nickelodeon's trademark green slime.

“Aw, come on! You know I don’t like the stickiness this leaves on my clothes…”

Sandy’s objections couldn’t stop them from being pulled forward, screaming in surprise.

Given that a sentient pile of slime was an…odd form of transportation, all Sandy could focus on was how close to the “edge” they were-- the last thing they needed was to faceplant.

“I can’t believe you’re doing thiiiiiis!”

Sandy was suddenly swung around, the slime mimicking how a skier would stop.

“...are we done…?”

There was a pause.

Sandy gingerly stepped off the blob-- which quickly formed back into Slime Streak.

“That was fun!”

“For you, maybe…”

“Well I kind of had to, Sandy. You might’ve not believed me if I didn’t take you here…”

“I mean, I guess I don’t entirely not believe you, but I didn’t hear any--”

Right on cue, a train was launched out of the station.

“...thing”.

“See? SEE?”

“I do! I do…”

Slime Streak grabbed one of her hair “tentacles”, looking up at their older-sibling-figure with nervousness.

“You don’t sound happy about it…”

Sandy looked down at her, then turned their head away.

“It’s just that…how long will this last?”

“What do you mean?”

“How long will my coaster operate before it goes down again?”

“It’s not gonna happen, Sandy”.

“Why do you think that is?”

“...because it’s Christmas”.

“It’s not Christmas yet.”

“But it’s almost Christmas. Humans like going to the mall near Christmas time, ‘cuz they gotta get gifts for everyone. The park wants your coaster to be open because there’s gonna be lots of people here!”

“It has been a bit busy these past few days…”

“Yeah…”

“...and students will get time off between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day…”

“...Yeah…”

“...so there’s gonna be even more people at Nickelodeon Universe!”

“...YEAH! It’s gonna be great, Sandy!”

“I guess it will. Though now that my coaster’s open, they should open Shellraiser’s too”.

“Uhmmm, I don’t know about that…I kind of like having Shredder and Timmy in charge!”

“C’mon Slime Streak…”

“I was just joking! Shellraiser should get the chance to be happier too!”

“It would stop him from being so worried about what Takabisha thinks…”

“Speaking of New Year’s, humans like to talk about their “resolutions”. Never done it before, but my resolution is to learn more songs on my ukulele. What about you, Sandy?”

“I think I’d like to…change my outlook on life”.

Their footsteps echoed with each step, keeping a steady pace as the others followed behind.

“Please don’t hide away in your room again!”, Slime Streak yelled out.

“You are going to get through this, as you have before…” Shellraiser’s coaster had finally reopened after months of downtime, just in time for New Year’s Day— and this was one of the only things that could’ve halted his relief.

Sandy kept running, drowning out the noise produced by their parkmates.

“It’s only a few days!” Shredder added.

That sentence stopped Sandy in their tracks.

“A few days…a few DAYS?! WE ALL KNOW THAT IT’S NOT GOING TO BE A FEW DAYS!” Tears were streaming down their face.

“However long it takes, we will be here for you— you just have to trust us!”

“SHUT IT, SHELLRAISER!”

Sandy used their launch powers to pull them right to their charging station, with Shellraiser just barely missing them before they hooked themselves up.

“Just listen to me, Sandy!”

“No…listen to me”, Sandy said through haggard breaths. “When I woke up today, I thought that this year would be different, that my troubles were over. That maybe I was wrong to be so down on myself”.

“BUT I GUESS I’M JUST A STUPID KID WHO GOT THEIR HOPES UP”!

A barrier was beginning to form around them.

“…unless the park is demolishing my coaster, don’t wake me up. I’m done trying to care about my future”.

The barrier was now covering Sandy’s entire body— and so began their hibernation.

Slime Streak broke down into tears, unable to understand why Sandy had seemingly abandoned them.

“Hey, hey…I’ve got you”. Timmy had swooped in to comfort the smaller Coasterdroid.

A look of horror was plastered on Shredder’s face; “Oh my god…I’m an idiot! I can’t believe I said that to them! Now they’ve shut themselves away, and it’s all my fault…”

“You are not to blame for this. None of us are”.

Interrupting her regret was Shellraiser.

“This is their fault”.

“…I don’t think we should be blaming Sandy for this”.

“I’m not referring to Sandy”.

Clouds hung overhead, depriving Nickelodeon Universe of natural sunlight. Shellraiser pointed at the large display located at the front of the park’s entrance.

“It’s THEIR fault”.