#techyocsandysbb

[techycatartist]

Shellraiser was slowly pulled back into consciousness, as his Circadian rhythm was the only thing keeping him well-rested.

“Five”, he muttered to himself. “It’s been five rests since I arrived here”.

Shellraiser clenches his fist, only to be met with nothing.

“I can’t help it”, he thought. “Even if my launch wouldn’t help me escape…”.

Hopping off the Charging Station he had used as a makeshift bed, Shellraiser made his way over to its closest neighbor— though he had no idea if these two were actually from the same park. Shellraiser then pressed his palms on the front of the Charging Station.

“How thick are the walls that separate us?”, he spoke out loud. “You cannot hear me, or see me, but I can peer at the Coasterdroid within. Clearly, these walls are strong…but if I were to damage its surface…”

Shellraiser slammed his fist onto the surface…and was met with failure. Though appearing to be made of glass, the front of the Charging Station absorbed the blow, as if it had a layer of protective padding surrounding it.

After a few seconds, Shellraiser felt a sharp pain in his right shoulder. Using his other hand, he massaged the shoulder until the pain subsided.

“If not just for that result, it’s clear that I cannot fight my way out of here”, he mused.

With that option exhausted, Shellraiser went back to the only other thing he’d been doing— swimming through the void.

Cuboid after cuboid surrounded him, suspended within the void with no apparent pattern or categorization. While Shellraiser had been swimming forward ever since he began his search, there was no way to tell if that truly was the case. Anyone in this situation would’ve been hopelessly confused at best.

Luckily, Shellraiser had a goal to work towards beyond his escape. Unluckily, it was the only thing he could think about.

“I’m not going to let you run away again”.

A painful squeeze of their arm.

Electricity surging through his body.

His gaze fixed on Sandy’s Charging Station, trying to discern where he had last seen them before he passed out.

Regret had colored these memories from the moment he had woken up— and Shellraiser’s guilt compelled him to relieve them again and again.

Shellraiser paused, looking around.

“Please.”

He resumed swimming.

“Please let me find them”.

No matter how often (or how long) he paused, Shellraiser came up empty. As dedicated to the search as he was, he could feel himself becoming more hopeless with each rest that passed.

“Would it be worth returning to the park?”

Eventually, mental (and physical) exhaustion would set in. Climbing on top of the nearest charging station— but making sure to look around him one last time— Shellraiser laid down and let his body lull itself to sleep.

“This is the sixth rest”.

As much as he was grateful to be getting any sort of sleep, Shellraiser hadn’t dreamt since his arrival. Every rest made him feel like a robot— a binary “power down”, then “power on”. If that wasn’t enough, Shellraiser was essentially limited to two actions; searching and resting.

He swam away from his “bed”, looking around the area one last time.

“Checking for Sandy…not here.”

“Checking for Sandy…not here.”

“Checking for Sandy…not here.”

As loud as his mind was, the silence surrounding him was equally torturous— and he was the only thing that could break it.

“Checking for Sandy…”

Shellraiser looked around.

“…not here”.

Shoving his face into his hands, Shellraiser groaned in frustration.

“This is…this is the inside of our Charging Stations, right? Or have I been sent to the underworld? Is this my own personalized punishment?”

“What did I do to be treated like this?!”, he yelled out loud.

“I’m not going to let you run away again”, Shellraiser’s mind responds.

Shame washes over him.

“If this is the underworld, I hope they aren’t hurting Sandy…”

Kicking his feet, Shellraiser increased his pace— something inside of him felt that he was running out of time. Every perimeter check he took only made Shellraiser more frantic.

By the ninth instance, he was just about ready to throw in the towel.

“If it wasn’t a personalized punishment already…”

Shellraiser leaned up on the side of a nearby Charging Station.

“One more lap. If I don’t find them, I’ll rest. If it kills me, then I tried my best…and I’m sorry”.

Using the Charging Station as a base, Shellraiser pushed himself away and swam for his life. Surrounding Charging Stations began to blur as he picked up speed.

In the monotony of the void, an irregularly made itself present.

Shellraiser abruptly stopped, rubbing his eyes.

Something was there.

As if he were going for the gold, Shellraiser made a beeline for it.

Soon, details began to reveal themselves; a pallet of brown, blue, purple, gray— hints of red and green. It was motionless, hovering close to— if not on top of— a Charging Station.

“Could it be…?”

On his left, the figure had a centralized blob of brown, with two triangles sticking out from the sides.

That blob was hair.

Those triangles were horns.

Sandy’s horns.

Shellraiser bit his hand, quickly deciding not to call out to them. “They’re probably still mad at me…or even afraid, after what I did”, he thought.

Fortunately, Sandy was facing away from him— it would allow him to get closer without them noticing (and potentially fleeing).

“I have to be gentle”.

At that point, Sandy was unmistakably present in Shellraiser’s vision. Close enough for them to hear, but far enough that he couldn’t grab them.

He took a deep breath.

“Sandy…?”

They snapped upright.

Sandy paused; “I’m hearing things…right?”, they thought.

They began to turn around.

Shellraiser held his breath.

He locked eyes with Sandy.

Their eyes widened.

Immediately, Sandy reached over the edge of the Charging Station they were resting on.

“WAIT!”

Ignoring Shellraiser, they looked down at the front of the Charging station…and plunged their hands right into it.

Shellraiser was stunned. “Of course!”, he thought. “My technique was flawed— if kept whole, it can handle blunt impacts. But slicing through it breaks down its power!”

A low hum emitted from the Charging Station as Sandy began pulling their hands away from each other. Cracks quickly appeared from the incision they had made.

“C’mon…!”

A jagged hole emerged from the gap between their knuckles; light shone from within, a faint movement present.

Sandy‘s body trembled due to the pressure, but they soldiered on.

Shellraiser directed his attention to the gap. The “movement” he saw was a seemingly-random pattern of shapes— and the soundscape had changed.

Amongst the electric buzz and television static, something sounded…organic. A faint conversation he couldn’t understand.

The gap was slowly expanding. Sandy coughed as their lungs reminded them to breathe.

Shellraiser was captivated by the activity coming from within— but Sandy’s grip was weakening.

“No…no!”

The cracks began to shrink back towards the gap, the pressure on their hands increasing. Tears rolled down Sandy’s face as they yelled out in pain.

Their hands shot up into the air, defeated. The gap quickly closed, leaving no trace of the damage that had occured; silence filled the air once more.

Sandy collapsed, breathing heavily.

Shellraiser swims by.

“Sandy, I-“

They curl up into a ball, too tired to try anything else.

“I just want to talk”.

Shellraiser waits for a response.

Sandy slowly picks their head up…and gives him a dirty look.

“I’m not going to force you back into reality”.

Sandy continues to glare at him.

Shellraiser switches up his strategy; “If you weren’t able to leave, I’m not able to leave. I wouldn’t be able to take you anywhere— even if I wanted to”.

Sandy remains unconvinced.

He takes a breath.

Shellraiser reaches out towards Sandy, then makes a fist with both hands.

“Still no pulse”, he thinks.

Suddenly, Shellraiser pulls his arms back, resting his fists on his hips.

“See? I can’t launch”.

Sandy looks down at their right hand. They make a tight fist, then release.

“Okay. I’ll listen”.

Shellraiser felt a weight lift off their shoulders; he smiled.

“I’m so happy to have found you, Sandy”.

Sandy turns over to face him.

“It’s good to see that you’ve kept yourself intact. Though I must ask…how were you able to tear into that Charging Station?”

Sandy takes a breath.

“When I came across this Charging Station, I noticed that I couldn’t see the Coasterdroid it belonged to. When I got closer, I realized that the Charging Station was unoccupied…or at least I thought it was. Initially, I tried punching my way through, but it wouldn’t budge. Eventually, I got fed up and began clawing at the surface. That’s when it broke for the first time”.

“It wasn’t open for too long, but I got a look inside— and it finally dawned on me; this Charging Station belonged to a coaster that’s still under construction!”

“Since then, I’ve made multiple attempts to enter inside, but I keep failing. It seems to get stronger with every attempt, and I don’t know how many tries I have before it completely locks me out”.

“How long have you been trying to break through?”, Shellraiser inquires.

“Since I got here”.

“Well, you’ve certainly made more progress than I have! Though now that I know your technique, I should be able to break through and get us back to Nick Universe— the others are probably worried sick about us“.

“I never said anything about escaping”.

“…Is that not what you were trying to do?”

“Well…yes. I am trying to get out of here, like you are— but I’m not going back to Nick Universe”.

“Why? Is it not where your coaster is? Is it not home?”

“No. Not anymore”.

Shellraiser decides to let them continue speaking.

“You see, if this coaster is still under construction, it doesn’t have a Coasterdroid yet. While I know my coaster’s still standing, I’m technically coaster-less as long as I remain stuck in here. But what if I wasn’t? What if I…found a coaster to tether myself to?”

“What are you talking about…?”, Shellraiser interrupts.

“You said you wanted to hear me out, right?! Then listen”.

He hesitates, but ultimately complies.

“I know you’re all accepting of my coaster as it is…but ’m tired of being an unreliable prototype. If I could become a Coasterdroid for a different coaster…I would finally be able to enjoy my life. I’d still be myself— because I like who I am— but…I’d be better.”

“No”, Shellraiser responded firmly.

“…What?”

“Sandy, I can’t let you do this”.

“Why not?”

“This plan of yours…it’s flimsy at best and potentially catastrophic at worst!”

“Oh, really?” Sandy asked sarcastically.

“Yes! If you were to successfully break through and enter that Charging Station, you’re robbing an innocent Coasterdroid of the life that’s promised to them! Also, if this Charging Station is putting so much effort to keep you from breaking through, who’s to say that it won’t just kill you— and the Coasterdroid who it belongs to— if you actually make it in! You would be dead, and this coaster would never get its Coasterdroid”.

“But even if you were to enter and survive the Coasterdroid creation process…would you still be yourself? Or will these higher forces just wipe away everything you wanted to keep?”

“WELL IT’S NOT LIKE I WANTED TO BE TRAPPED HERE!”, Sandy yelled.

Shellraiser is taken aback.

“I didn’t know that my launch powers could activate when in my Charging Station. I didn’t know it would put me inside of my Charging Station…and I don’t think you knew that either”.

Shellraiser takes a breath; “You’re right. I took a massive risk in replicating your actions— but I did it for the right reason. I wanted to save you—“

“YOUR ATTEMPT AT “SAVING ME” IS WHAT GOT ME STUCK HERE IN THE FIRST PLACE!” Sandy loses their composure. “If you had just left me alone…!”

Sandy wailed in anguish, pulling at their afro in a misguided attempt to self-regulate.

Shellraiser had to restrain himself from intervening, though he couldn’t look away.

This was the punishment he deserved.

Sandy yelped as they felt their grip pull away from their hair. Pulling their left hand closer, they saw a clump of hair resting in their palm.

”Oh Neptune…”, they mumbled in shock. Sandy quickly took their other hand out of their hair. They then tossed the clump away from them…only for it to continue floating where it was placed.

Sandy curled up in shame.

“I’m sorry”.

No response.

“I overstepped your boundaries that day, and likely would’ve made things worse if I actually got to “help” you. At that moment, I thought you needed to be told what to do, how to act, how to feel— but all you wanted was for someone to listen”.

Sandy turned around.

“Is that right?”

“…Yes”.

After a few moments of silence, Sandy un-curls. “Okay. I accept your apology”.

Shellraiser gives them a warm smile.

“I guess you’re not as much of a Squidward as I thought you were. Though Squidward has apologized for making Spongebob feel bad in certain episodes…so I guess you really are like Squidward— in a good way”.

Shellraiser lets out a small chuckle; “It always goes back to SpongeBob, doesn’t it?”

“It sure does! Y’know, I hope all of this SpongeBob knowledge doesn’t go away when I get reincarnated…or reassigned? It doesn’t make sense for a non-SpongeBob coaster to be obsessed with him…but does it have to? I’m sure the other Coasterdroids there have heard of the show…”

Shellraiser’s heart sank; “They still want to abandon their coaster…”, he thought.

“…Oh, and just because I’m gonna have new neighbors doesn’t mean you guys can’t visit me! I’m sure you’ll be able to contact me…wherever…I end up”.

His mind yelled at him to stop Sandy, that they couldn’t be trusted to do the right thing, and that they would die in their attempts to find a “better life”.

Yet, he remained silent. Shellraiser wanted to say something, but was stuck on what to say.

Then, as if a light switch had been flicked on, it came to him.

“My feelings”.

Shellraiser took a deep breath.

“Sandy”.

They reoriented themselves.

“I’m not happy that you’re going through with this plan”.

Sandy gave him a look.

“But at the end of the day, it is your decision to make. I won’t stop you”.

Sandy relaxed.

“Though if I can do one last thing, I want you to know that…”

Shellraiser felt his throat dry up.

“I am eternally grateful to have known you as a member of my family”.

Shellraiser shut his eyes, preparing for the worst.

“I…didn’t know you saw me that way, Shellraiser. I’m…glad I know the truth”.

Something had begun to change within Sandy.

“Maybe I don’t want to run away from him—and Slime Streak, Shredder, and Timmy. But…do I really want to go back to that?”, they thought.

Sandy had a lot of time to think as they aimlessly floated through the void— enough time to think about severing the link they had to their coaster, and Nick Universe as a whole.

Sometimes, it only takes a moment for a realization to kick in.

“…You know what?”

Shellraiser held his breath.

“I think…I’m gonna sleep on it. I’m already exhausted as is, I don’t think I could break through that barrier even if I wanted to. I think you should sleep too”.

“I agree”.

Sandy swims up to their Charging Station-turned-bed, pulling themselves up to the top. Shellraiser did the same, finding a Charging Station close to Sandy’s.

Sandy lies down on their side, facing away from Shellraiser.

Shellraiser can’t help but face towards Sandy.

“I hope you’ll still be here when I wake up”, he thought.

“I want to say Goodbye”.

[techycatartist]

“Okay Sandy,” they thought. “Wave’s almost ready to be caught”.

Sandy pushed themselves up onto their surfboard, their mind dead-set on a goal. Faintly, they could hear the others give some commentary;

“They’re getting ready to stand..”

“The wave is forming!”

“I believe in you, Sandy!”

Finally standing up on their surfboard, Sandy glared confidently at the wave.

The surging carried them upward….for all of two seconds, as it didn’t take long for Sandy to lose their balance.

Sandy tried reaching out for their surfboard as it quickly slipped away from their feet, only to be consumed by the waves crashing around them.

Tumbling through the water, Sandy’s feet dragged across the bottom of the pool as they tried to push themselves to the surface. Fortunately, the current was pushing them closer to the shallow end of the pool.

Sandy ducked under the diminishing wave, placing their feet firmly on the ground.

“Go!”

Like a dolphin, Sandy shot out of the water, taking a well-needed gasp of air. They crashed back down to the surface back-first, kicking their feet to propel themselves forward.

“There they are!”

“I’ll get Sandy’s board”.

“Yeah, they’re not gonna give up after one failed attempt!”

With the wave-controlling program close to resetting, the water had grown calm— and so did Sandy, who let it guide them to the entrance.

Slowly but surely, Sandy had come to a stop, lying there as the water receded.

Most people would get up at that point, but Sandy was content to remain there.

The tide is rolling in.

It only reaches up to my feet, at first.

But with every wave, it gets closer.

The water is cold, but not frigid.

It’s…Refreshing.

Slowly, the water begins to surround me.

It gets to the point where my head is just above the water.

The next wave is approaching.

It’ll definitely pull me underwater if I don’t get up.

But I’m still lying there.

Sandy closed their eyes, smiling as water washed over their face.

Bliss.

After a few seconds, Sandy sat up; “Woooo! I might’ve wiped out, but I had a ton of fun with it!”

Slime Streak quickly joined them in the pool, boogie-board in her hand; “You still were awesome!”

“I know, right?”

Shredder approached them, holding Sandy’s surfboard. “Ready for round two?”

“Of course!”

“Just make sure you have your board leash tightened this time, okay?”, Timmy reminded.

“Oh yeah…probably makes it easier to recover, heh!” Sandy grabbed the leash, tightening it around their ankle.

Sandy and Slime Streak excitedly dashed into the water, Shellraiser watching from a distance as he relaxed on a chair, “tanning” in the sunbeam.

“Ah…”, he mused. “Nothing can spoil this day!”

“…She wishes she could take them out of the water, so she could cuddle and sleep with them…”

Displayed on screen was “Sue Nahmee”, the main antagonist of “Saving Bikini Bottom”, the newest SpongeBob film. During this scene, viewers were offered a look into Sue’s childhood— except her adult head was slapped onto a child’s body in (probably) the worst chroma-key job in the history of cinema.

Not a single member of the group wasn’t completely dumbfounded by what they were witnessing.

“I can’t believe this was approved to air…”, Shellraiser muttered.

“I can believe it. You think those execs care about making a quality product! Nah, they just want people’s money…or in this case, their parent’s money”, Timmy countered.

“I’m surprised they left the robot horse behind. Y’know…the cute animal sidekick that they want kids to cling on to and beg their parents to buy the marketable plushie of”, Shredder added.

Sandy was furiously typing on her phone, Slime Streak drowning her “sorrows” with popcorn.

“I had to pause the movie and walk out of the room when this scene came on. Then I went to ITSUGAR, got myself some candy, and came back to my room. The candy wasn’t really necessary, I just needed something good to counteract the badness that was this movie”, she said in-between handfuls.

“Well, it’s a good thing I’ve completely cut her from my revision of the movie…and every other human, honestly. I actually think the Rattlesnake gang from earlier would make for a good antagonist— though the real conflict will be whether Sandy should stay in Texas or return to Bikini Bottom”, Sandy stated.

“Woah, that already sounds like a way better story!”

“Yep! It makes a world of difference when you have a writer who cares about the thing you’re making…and no execs to bow down to!”

Lights flashed around as a disco ball sparkled above their heads. Located in a nearby town, Shredder and Timmy had decided that their date-slash-“girl’s night out” should be at a Karaoke bar.

With a recently-updated machine and complimentary room service at hand, the pair were enjoying a wonderful night out with fellow Jerseyans Nitro, Medusa, Harley Quinn, and Green Lantern.

Of course, their song choice— or more accurately, album choice, was obvious.

♪Red Wine Supernova, fall right into me!♪

While some of the album’s setlist had been sung by the entire group, Timmy and Shredder wanted to keep this track for themselves. The song wasn’t a duet piece— but that didn’t matter to them.

Timmy started the second verse; ♪I like!♪

♪I like!♪, Shredder sang in response.

♪What you like!♪

♪What you like!♪

♪Long hair,♪

♪Thick curls!♪, Shredder putting her own spin on the lyrics.

♪That’s my type!♪

♪That’s right!♪

♪You just told me…♪

Shredder pulled Timmy in closer.

♪…”Want me to ride you?”♪

An “Ooh~!” erupted from the others, catching on to Shredder’s double entendre.

Timmy pulled Shredder in even closer, their foreheads touching.

♪Baby I will, ‘cause I really want to!♪

They would sing the last of the verse together, continuing their simultaneous duet to the end of the song.

Though their throats would be unquestionably sore the next day, the memories that Timmy and Shredder made that night was worth the pain.

“HALT!”

Lil’ Devil turned around, a plastic crown firmly clamped in-between his teeth.

“As the thief responsible for stealing the queen’s crown, you must be vanquished! Surrender now, or die by my blade!”, Joust declared.

Lil’ Devil wordlessly looked him up-and-down…and began to run right towards him.

Joust prepared himself, pointing his lance at the “devil-child”.

“You won’t get away with this!”

Lil’ Devil suddenly reared left, swiping at Joust with his tail.

“AUGH!” Joust fell to the floor in dramatic fashion. Even if he wasn’t actually hurt, he had to sell it like he was.

“Kozmo!”

The chipmunk-girl rushed onto the scene, complete with her own story-appropriate costume.

“Oh no, you’re wounded!”

“He got me where I least expected it! Quickly, look into your mage-tome for healing spells!”

Kozmo flipped through the pages of her tome— in reality, her wilderness book— until she found a page about treating an open wound.

Kozmo showed Joust the page; “Here! Spell of Gauze-ian Wrapped”.

“Perfect! Now, do your magic!”

Just as Kozmo was about to recite the incantation, her book was suddenly ripped from her fingers!

“No”!, she cried out.

Lil’ Devil scampered off, now with two valuable items in tow.

“Without my mage’s tome, I can’t perform any spells!”

“…and I am too weak to fight!”, Joust added.

“WHO CAN STOP THAT MENACE?”, the both of them yelled.

Lil Devil looked, back smiling “evilly”…and was completely unaware of the green puddle that appeared right in front of him. As soon as he stepped in it, Lil’ Devil was stuck in place.

Dropping the book and crown, Lil’ Devil began pulling at his leg, hoping to free himself from the trap. Suddenly, the puddle began to move— and a humanoid figure emerged!

“Sorry bud, your reign of terror is up!”

Slime Streak threw the book and crown away from Lil’ Devil, who fruitlessly tried to go after it.

“It’s an eternity of chores for you!”.

Lil’ Devil sighed sadly, crossing his arms as he was pulled back to the “castle”— really, the birthday pavilion.

Kozmo spotted the valuables flying towards her and Joust; “My book, and the crown!” She reached out as far as she could, catching her “tome” in her arms.

The crown…would land right on the concrete, splitting in two.

“I was hoping to catch both of them. W-we can fix it, right?”

The crown— now covered in sparkly duck tape— rested on the head of it’s rightful owner.

“Oh Sandy, Queen of the Atoll Kingdom, we have succeeded in retrieving your crown! While I graciously put my health on the line when facing the devil-child, Kozmo’s intellect and magical prowess was the reason why I was able to find him!”

Slime Streak walked over to Joust and Kozmo, standing proudly.

“Of course, we wouldn’t have been able to subdue LDC and retrieve our stolen items without Nicky’s help. though I was put off by their slimy green skin, I learned that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover”.

“Oh, what wondrous news; With the evil vanquished, my kingdom is peaceful once more!”

Sandy stood up from their “throne”, retrieving a plastic chest they had hidden behind it.

“I must reward you handsomely— here!”

They opened the chest, revealing what goods lay within.

“Take as many SpongeBob fruit snacks as you want!”

Within seconds, the chest had been emptied. As the trio began reaping their reward, Lil’ Devil shuffled over, sitting next to Slime Streak with his own stash of SpongeBob fruit snacks.

Sandy sighed happily.

“I’m so glad we’re friends”.

Shellraiser bowed upon seeing his sibling in-person for the first time in years.

“I am always honored to be in your presence”.

“And I am honored to have been given the opportunity to see you standing before me”, Takabisha responded.

“I understand there was something you wanted to show me”.

“Yes. Though I have many fun events planned…”

Do-Dodonpa’s loop stood tall, awaiting its final resting place.

“…we must take the time to honor those who have left us”.

Situated near Eejanaika was a mural of Fuji-Q’s coaster lineup, past and present. In front of Do-Dodonpa’s was the lead car of its blue train.

Shellraiser took a sponge from the bucket, cleaning off the outer shell; it would shine in the sun once he was done.

Takabisha placed a bundle of incense next to the wheel assembly, wafting a strawberry scent into the surrounding area. A bouquet of white chrysanthemums was laid on one of the front seats.

Shellraiser scooped water into his ladle, gently pouring it over the front of the car.

Takabisha and Shellraiser crouched down, holding their hands up in prayer.

“May Do-Dodonpa’s kindness be honored by those who remember, and may the coaster who settles upon their land carry on their legacy…”

Festive music echoed through the halls of the American Dream Mall, as no time was wasted in transforming it into the holiday shopping destination. Trees were abundant, lights twinkled above every storefront, and Santa was getting ready to open his ears to those who desired to let him know what they wanted under the tree this year.

For the resident Coasterdroids of Nickelodeon Universe, things were no different.

Shredder climbed up the ladder, mistletoe in hand. She had done this every year since the park had opened— but she now had someone who was willing to honor the tradition that it represented.

Just as she was about to hang the mistletoe up…she felt something brush against her cheek.

Timmy had made her way up the ladder, planting a kiss on Shredder— who just so happened to be holding the mistletoe above their heads.

They giggled, Shredder returning the favor with a quick kiss on Timmy’s forehead.

Shellraiser had spent all afternoon setting up and decorating the tree. Though he had a couple of ornaments he liked (and some he was…less fond of, like the mooning Santa that Timmy had purchased as a gag gift two Christmas-es ago), there was one ornament that stood above the rest— literally, as he had left a space just below their tree topper, which was a homemade clay model of Patrick Star.

It was a small frame, containing a group photo and a personalized message;

“Our first Christmas together”.

“…a ukulele songbook, a sandwich press, a new purse, a cat—or dog, one of those big bubble wands, a conveyor belt sushi place to open at this mall…Oh! And I want a new coaster here, maybe something small like a Zamperla mini mouse or SBF spinner so I’m not the “baby” anymore…”

“Woah, slow down!” Sandy advised. “Santa’s gotta give presents to other kids too, you know”.

“Yeah, you’re right. I still hope we get a new coaster here eventually”.

“I’d welcome it!”

“Hey, Sandy…what do you want for Christmas this year?”

Sandy pondered for a moment.

“I…actually haven’t thought about it”.

“Woah, really? You’ve always wanted things for Christmas, Sandy! A lot of things!

“Yeah, I have— mostly Spongebob merch, of course. But…when I was stuck in that void, all alone…I wanted nothing more than to be someone else”.

“Oh…that’s not good”.

“It wasn’t, even if I thought it was at the time”.

“But you aren’t thinking like that anymore, right?”

Sandy shook their head; “No”.

“‘Cuz I like that you’re Sandy, and so do you!”

Sandy smiles.

“Yep. And after all the things I’ve been through…I think I already have everything I want”.

[techycatartist]

Ever since it was announced that Walibi Holland was getting a pair of RMC Raptors, those who visited the park were eager to document its construction. By this point in time, work was right on track for the ride—now known as “YoY”— to meet its intended opening next spring.

Though the station had yet to be finished, it seemed as if the land knew where to place the coaster’s Charging Stations; two clouds of energy hovered where the ride’s operator booth would be.

The clouds appeared to be idle— but everyone knew they were hard at work, creating a Coasterdroid that would perfectly personify the coaster that they’d be attached to.

That is, until they began to tremble, lights flashing from within.

A human figure appeared in the center of each Charging Station, quickly increasing in size. While nobody was there to hear it, the sound of screaming gradually added itself to the environment.

Like a stuntman jumping through a prop wall, Shellraiser and Sandy bursted out of the Charging Stations— skidding to a stop stomach-first on the dirt below.

Shellraiser picked his head up, spitting out some dirt that had unfortunately made its way into his mouth. He shuddered, trying not to think of all the germs that could be living in it.

“Uh, Shellriser…I don’t think we’re in New Jersey”.

Sandy looked up at the track above their head— a mass of green and blue, held up with black supports.

“We’re not even in the United States”, he replied.

“Do you even know what this park is…or who this is?”

Shellraiser began to ponder; “I know RMC mentioned something about a park overseas getting dueling Raptors, but the name of the park escapes me…”

Fortunately, someone had noticed the two standing within all the hustle-and-bustle of the construction site— and they landed right behind Sandy.

Upon realizing that another being had joined them, Sandy turned around, then turned back to motion at Shellraiser. “Hey! Someone’s here…” Snapping out of his thoughts, Shellraiser picked his head up— and immediately raised an eyebrow at who he was witnessing.

Standing in front of them was a Coasterdroid who could be best described as wearing an outfit rooted in “fairy-core”, with an added insect motif.

“Hallo, YoY! Het is met veel plezier dat we u hier verwelkomen. Dit is Walibi Holland!”, Untamed said with a smile.

“Oh, um…we don’t speak Dutch, sorry!”, Sandy apologized.

“Ah, I see! Perhaps it’s because you two were entirely manufactured in America…I used to be a Vekoma woodie, you know— but no worries, I’m sure you’ll pick up the language quickly”.

“Oh, no, you’re mistaken— we’re not YoY”, Shellraiser clarified. “I am TMNT Shellraiser, sibling of Takabisha. This is Sandy’s Blasting Bronco”. Sandy waves at Untamed. “We’re from the American Dream Meadowlands Mall in New Jersey”.

“That makes sense— Coasterdroids don’t usually appear until they are ready to open. Though I must wonder…how did you guys end up here, within a construction site, no less?”

“Well, the short answer is that Sandy got themselves trapped within their Charging Station, I went into my Charging Station to find them, and then we broke into these Charging Stations to escape— and it turns out they belong to this “YoY” coaster here”.

“Oh, wow…I didn’t even know that was possible!”

“Neither did I— and that’s the last time we’ll be trapped in there, that’s for sure!”

“Well I’m glad you found your way out— and that I’ve meet you, sir!” Untamed eagerly shakes Shellraiser’s hand, who didn’t expect that level of intensity.

“Well, I won’t be forgetting about you anytime soon. But I must ask…where is the nearest airport?”

“Oh, I can help with that! You might want to wash off before you leave, though”. Untamed gestured at the two, their clothes stained with dirt and grass. “I can even cook something up for you guys— my treat!”

“Thank you for your generosity, but that won’t be necessary— humans can’t see us even if we were clean“.

Sandy introjects; “C’mon Shellraiser, they’re just trying to help, and I was thinking…maybe we could take a ride on their coaster before we leave?”

Shellraiser looked at Untamed— who quietly chanted “RMC!”— then looked back at Sandy, who had their puppy dog eyes on. He sighs, unable to resist; “We’ll stay for the afternoon”.

Sandy (and Untamed) cheer. “Here, hold on! I can fly us to my coaster!” Sandy and Shellraiser grabbed onto their arm, Untamed reacting quickly to pull them up in the air. Shellraiser yelped in surprise, his feet leaving the ground.

Shellraiser stepped out of the vehicle, returning to the grounds of one of the largest malls in the United States. Sandy followed shortly after, standing right next to him as the NJ Transit bus drove off.

“We’re here”.

He looked up at the monolith known as the American Dream Meadowlands. Despite the valid criticisms lobbied at the property and its owners, Shellraiser couldn’t help but appreciate what he had been given.

“I’m so happy to be back here, Shellraiser”. Sandy turned to look at him. “Don’t you agree?”

Shellraiser smiled; “Yes”.

“Always”.

NSS was lying on her side, arms retracted into her sweater. “I hate it here”. Timmy sat next to her, with Shredder staying close by.

“I know, honey. We just wanted to check up on you, that’s all”, Shredder replied.

“Well, you could’ve done it at Dutch Wonderland instead of making me come back here…”

“You know they wanted to come here, right? I can see Joust riding your coaster right now”.

“I could’ve been left alone just fine…I’m a good houseguest”.

“Well, I didn’t want you to be left alone”, Timmy said firmly.

“Really? ‘Cuz it looks like you and Shredder are doing great without me...”,Slime Streak said bitterly.

“Chiquita, different types of love are expressed in different ways. Yes, I love being with Shredder— she is the light of my life. But…I also love you. You’re like a niece to me, and I haven’t stopped worrying about you since we let you leave”.

Slime Streak pulled her sweater over her head. Timmy sighed.

“You know, I miss them too. Haven’t stopped hoping that they’d come back”.

“But you stopped searching for them, right? Shredder too”.

Shredder took over for Timmy; “Slime Streak, there was only so much we could do. Trust me, I tried and thought of what to try. When everything was exhausted..all that was left to do was hope”.

“Well maybe you should TRY HARDER”. Shredder jumped a little, surprised at Slime Streak’s anger. “It’s not like they’re just going to show up out of the blue...”

“Slime Streak!”

NSS didn’t notice, as she was too distracted by her sadness— but Timmy and Shredder did.

“Shredder!…Timmy!”

“Oh my god…”, Timmy muttered.

“I can’t believe my eyes!”

Timmy smiled, grabbing her girlfriend’s hand as the two made a run for it. The sound of their footsteps got Slime Streak’s attention, pulling her sweater off her face.

“THEY’RE BACK!”, Shredder shouted from a distance.

Slime Streak turned around…and immediately got off her feet.

Running as fast as she could, Slime Streak called out to them;

“Sandy!”

“Slime Streak!”

She picked up her pace.

“SANDY!”

“SLIME STREAK!”

They were now seconds away from reuniting.

“SANDYYYYY!”

“SLIIIME STREAAK!”

Slime Streak jumped into Sandy’s arms, nearly knocking them over. Shellraiser then joins in the embrace, followed by Shredder and Timmy. A chorus of giddy shouting erupts from the group-hug, with a few “I missed you”-s and “Oh my god”-s sprinkled in.

“I know I haven’t made this clear in the past, so let it be known that I care for all of you dearly. From the moment I entered the void, I thought of returning with Sandy and making our family whole again. It’s almost unbelievable that I’m experiencing this, after everything that happened…and I am truly grateful”.

Shellraiser pauses, taking a breath.

“I’ve also realized that I haven’t been the best leader— Instead of encouraging your positive traits and individualities, I berated you for simple mistakes and quirks I deemed as “improper”. I’m sorry for any pain I have put you through, and vow to do better in the future”.

Timmy places her hand on his shoulder; “Shellraiser…I always knew you had a hidden soft side!”

He laughs; “Guess I finally came out of my shell!”

Eventually, the group-hug ends— though Shredder and Timmy remain at each other’s side.

“So, what did we miss?”, Shellraiser asked.

“Uh…a lot, actually”, Timmy replies, Shredder nodding to reaffirm her statement.

“Ah, it must’ve been an exciting few weeks for you two— though from the looks of it, you’ve handled things well”.

Timmy and Shredder look at each other, their smiles gone. Timmy nudges Shredder, pressuring her to deliver the news.

Shredder takes a breath before she finally speaks.

“Shellraiser…It’s September”.

Shellraiser’s face falls; “…what”.

“WE’VE BEEN GONE FOR NINE MONTHS?!” Sandy shouts.

“That’s not…all of it, though”.

Timmy steps in; “Yeah, uh…there’s no good way to deliver this. Shellraiser, your coaster has some major structural issues…and it hasn’t operated since a few days after you left”.

Shellraiser looked at her, stunned into silence.

“Sandy’s coaster has continued to close for weeks at a time without warning— something that even I and Slime Streak weren’t immune to. So, you know, nothing’s improved on that front…and I don’t think it ever will as long as Triple Five’s managing this place”.

“Yeah, and, Um…Fuji-Q decided to pull the plug on Do-Dodonpa. The funeral was held back in March, and their coaster has been sitting half-demolished for a while now”, Shredder mumbled, hanging her head down.

Shellraiser sinks to his knees, cusping his face in his hands. Shredder rests her head on Timmy’s shoulder, trying to hide her face.

Suddenly, Shellraiser feels something grab at him; he pulls his face out of his hands.

“Hey”.

Sandy’s arms were wrapped around him, a rarity for the touch-adverse teen.

“You’re not the only maintenance headache here. Whatever happens next, we’ll be here for you”.

Shellraiser closed his eyes, placing his hands on top of Sandy’s.

A single tear ran down his cheek.

After a few moments of silence, Shellraisee felt a light tap on his shoulder.

“…I think you should talk to Takabisha about this, and also the whole “disappearing for nine months” thing”, Shredder gently suggested.

Shellraiser looked at her, softly tapping Sandy’s arm for them to let him go. “No”. He stood back up. “I know I just said that I won’t force you guys to uphold my standards, but… he probably thinks I’m a disgrace”.

He looked away from Shredder; “It’s better that I never contact him again, lest I bring shame to the family”.

“Check your phone”.

Shellraiser turned to Timmy.

“What?”

”Go to your room, find your phone, and power it on”.

Shellraiser looks at her, a mix of confusion and suspicion in his eyes.

“You heard me. Go”.

After some hesitation, Shellraiser walks away.

Sandy looks at Timmy and Shredder, who glance at each other knowingly.

“What’s going on?”, they ask.

“Wait for it…”, Timmy replies.

Suddenly, Shellraiser runs back into frame, holding his phone.

“I can’t believe it…”

He turns his phone around, pointing at the wall of “missed call” notifications and unread texts.

“…he carries no shame”.

“Ooooh. That’s why you sent him off like that, Timmy!” Sandy remarked.

“Well, I might’ve received a few calls from Takabisha asking if Shellraiser was back, I might’ve told them about his coaster’s structural issues, and I might’ve told him to send some messages to Shellraiser’s phone to show that they still care“.

Shellraiser frantically typed up a response, his phone jittering around in his hands.

“Looks like it worked out well!”

“Hey, I like busting his chops as much as the next guy…but I still care about him, even if it’s hard to tell sometimes. Plus, now Shellraiser can’t say I’ve never done a nice thing for him!”

Shellraiser put his phone in his jacket pocket, satisfied with his message.

“Speaking of nice things…has anything good happened while we were gone?”

“Please”, Shellraiser emphasizes. “We can’t take anymore bad news!”

Shredder looked at her girlfriend, who had a smile that matched her’s.

“Well….I finally found someone who appreciates my passion…who loves me for who I am…”

Timmy and Shredder were now facing each other, their noses nearly touching.

“…and I’ve found a woman who can love me back…that I was the “right person” for someone”.

They closed their eyes, Shredder tilting her head slightly…and let their lips meet. Timmy placed her hands at the sides of Shredder’s face, bathed in the warmth of sun-rays beaming down on them from the skylight above.

Sandy clasped their hands together; “Aww, congrats you two!” They look over at Shellraiser with a smile; “I knew it!”

“She actually took my words to heart”, he said quietly. Shellraiser smiled; “Feels nice to know I’ve unambiguously helped someone…”

Timmy and Shredder stare at each other, still in post-kiss awe.

“So…was it as good as you thought it would be!”Timmy asks.

“Even better”, Shredder replies.

NSS approaches Sandy, looking up at them with hesitation on their face.

“Slime Streak….”.

“Yes?”, she mumbled, fidgeting around.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have left you like that. You just wanted your best friend back, and I did the worst possible thing a friend could do— reject you. I let my anguish consume me, and all it did was make things worse, for all of us. Swear on my heart, I’ll never run off like that again”.

Slime Streak slowly raises her hand up…and extends her pinky.

“Promise?”

Sandy smiles, locking their pinky with Slime Streak’s.

“When in doubt, pinky out”.

Slime Streak pulls away, quickly going in for a hug.

Sandy reciprocates, letting Slime Streak stay there as long as she needs.

“We’re still friends, right?”

“Of course”.

Slime Streak looks up at Sandy, wiping tears from her eyes.

“Well, as your friend, I have to let you know…that the Sandy movie was BAD”!

NSS resumes crying, ending their hug.

“I COULD BARELY FINISH IT!”

NSS covers their eyes with their hair-tentacles. Sandy gently rubs her back, trying to soothe her.

“Aw, it’s ok…I’m used to modern Spongebob stuff being inconsistent. Even if the movie’s bad, it’s not completely worthless to me— because it’ll make a good “fix-fic” plot!“

NSS sniffles; “Yeah, you always write good stuff…I wanna be your beta reader!”

“Like I’d choose anyone else!”

Shellraiser, who had given the pair of friends and lovers some space, re-positioned himself right in-between everyone.

He takes a breath; “The last thing I wanted to hear upon my arrival was that my coaster has been SBNO for months due to unspecified structural issues…but the fact that I, and Sandy, were able to return at all makes my coaster’s operational status a little more bearable. Though I hope that these structural issues will be resolved sooner than later, I know that I’ll be supported every step of the way by those who love me the most”.

Shellraiser finished his speech off with a smile, watching as his family did the same.

[techycatartist]

Shellraiser couldn’t tell what was around him— his vision was no better than a camera trying (and failing) to focus.

He tried to reach out for something…only to slip back into unconsciousness.

Though his vision was slightly less blurred when he awoke again, he was still too weak to make any strenuous movements. “I’m still in the void…or at least, I appear to be”, he thought.

Just as his mind began to wander to the topic of Sandy, he lost consciousness again.

Eventually, Shellraiser was able to keep himself awake. He groaned in pain, bringing his hand up to his forehead— and discovered a noticeable bump.

“I will have to ice this when I return home…”

Shellraiser was suspended around several Charging Stations, enveloped in silence once more. He looked straight ahead at his surroundings…and saw something floating in the distance.

Or more accurately, Someone.

“Sandy!” His heart began pounding.

Shellraiser flipped himself onto his stomach, entering a butterfly kick. Everything became a blur once more as he focused on reuniting with them.

As he got closer, he noticed that Sandy was lying on their back, their arms slack and eyes shut.

They weren’t moving.

Shellraiser embraced Sandy, pulling them close to his chest; their head would end up resting perfectly on his shoulder.

“Oh, what have I done…”

Shellraiser, normally so concerned about his appearance, couldn’t stop himself from mourning. Tears slipped across his face, raining down on Sandy.

“This is all my fault…If I had just let you decompress, if I wasn’t so obsessed with my reputation…you’d still be with me…”

“I AM NOTHING BUT A DISGRACE!”, he yelled.

“A disgrace...and a fool. I tried to mold you and the others into the perfect family, and all it did was obscure the truth— you already were!”

Shellraiser continued to cry, curling his body inward.

“I can never return…and maybe that’s for the best”.

He looked up at the “sky”.

“Oh, those who blessed me with sentience…do as you wish with me! I deserve any and all punishment you choose to deliver! My only request is that you treat Sandy better than I have…”

Shellraiser’s vision was obscured by tears— so obscured that he didn’t realize his mask had been taken off.

Sandy, who had folded the mask into a square, brought it up to his face.

“It’s gonna be okay, Shellraiser…”

They began wiping his tears away.

“I’m here”.

Shellraiser finally realized what was happening— his eyes went wide with shock.

“You’re alive…?”

“Yeah.”

Sandy teared up.

“I’m alive”.

It was Shellraiser’s time to wail, though out of relief; he hugged Sandy tightly, who was quietly crying for the same reason.

Eventually, Shellraiser was able to re-compose himself, drying his face with his folded-up mask.

“I’m gonna have to wash this when I get back home...”, he said as he placed the soiled mask in his jacket.

“Don’t you mean when we get back home?”

Shellraiser was stunned; “Does this mean…?”

“Yep, I’m gonna keep being Sandy!”

Shellraiser smiled; “You’re gonna make me cry again…” He sniffled.

“Well, your crying did wake me up…”

“You heard everything, didn’t you?”

“Yep! It was all thanks to the tears of one Goofy Goober…”

“…who made it to Shell City and found you”.

Sandy smiled; “Just like SpongeBob”.

Shellraiser took a deep breath, exhaling audibly.

“Okay. I have you back…”

“And I’m not going anywhere!”

“But…how are we going to leave?”

Sandy stopped smiling; “Oh...right”. They rested their hand on their mouth, trying to think.

“I’ve got nothing, Shellraiser…”

“Well, why don’t we retrace our steps?”

“I don’t think that’ll help— I mean…” They looked around. “I don’t even know where that Charging Station is…or where to start searching for it…”

“Not physically, Sandy”.

“Oh! Um..Well the last thing I remember was that I was bringing my feet into the gap ‘cuz you said to. It was working fine until I got past my heels. Then I felt something shot through my body and…” They trailed off.

Sandy looked at Shellraiser, who had already figured it out.

“I launched”.

“Exactly— and by the looks of it…we were sent pretty far. That launch must’ve been supercharged by the barrier’s energy”.

Sandy tried to activate their launch again, but found themselves stuck where they were.

“Well, I can’t launch now. Maybe it needs a source to draw power from?”

“Good thing we know where to find it”. Shellraiser extended his arm, bringing the surrounding Charging Stations to Sandy’s attention.

“You want me to break into another Charging Station?”

“Precisely. Though you might want to keep yourself facing forward this time”.

“Hm?”

“Well, you’d want to go inside the Charging Station, right?”

“Oh, I get it now! I’m gonna break the front open, place my feet on the gap…”

“…and that would trigger the launch and send us home!”, Sandy and Shellraiser said simultaneously.

Sandy gasped; “It’ll be just like when Spongebob and Patrick rode David Hasselhoff back to Bikini Bottom!”

Shellraiser let out a chuckle; “Let’s hope we don’t have to deal with Plankton when we get back…”

“I’ll swim in front ‘cuz I know how an under-construction Charging Station looks, if that’s ok with you!”

“Lead the way, Sandy”.

Sandy squealed and flapped their hands in joy, taking off like a rocket. Shellraiser followed, easily keeping pace.

“Y’know, swimming from station to station is kinda fun! When we get back home, we should totally spend a day at the Dreamworks Water Park!”

“I think I’ve had enough swimming for a while— I’ll just chill on one of the benches near the wave pool”.

Despite the fun they were having, Sandy had yet to find the Charging Station they needed for the pair’s escape.

Fortunately, Sandy and Shellraiser wouldn’t have to search for much longer.

“There!” Sandy paused, pointing at something in the distance.

“You see those two Charging Stations? They’re a bit transparent compared to the ones we’ve come across...”

They swam off, with Shellraiser following behind.

Sandy approached the Charging Stations, placing their hand on the one closest to them.

“…which means their coaster is still under construction!”

On Sandy’s left, Shellraiser arrived, moving over to the other Charging Station.

“These two are quite close to each other…” He extended his arm into the space between the Charging Stations. “Completely parallel, unlike how most of them have been distributed around”.

“That just means that these two were meant for us to come across!”

“Hopefully they’ll be easier to break through”.

“They should be!”

Sandy raised their hands up, preparing to tear the barrier open.

“I still have no idea if this will work”.

Shellraiser finished their thought; “But what else can we do but try?”

Sandy plunged their hands into the barrier, using all their strength to begin pulling it apart.

“Wow, you’re making great progress!” Shellraiser slashed at the barrier with his hand, grabbing the edges of the gash as he worked to make it bigger.

Sandy watched as the gap became larger and larger. Though the process was still strenuous on their body, their assumption had proven correct.

“I think it’s big enough for me to go through! How about you, Shellraiser?” Sandy looked over at his progress.

Shellraiser’s gap had reached near his knees and just over his forehead; “I concur!”

“Okay! I’m gonna place my feet in the barrier— you should do the same!”

“Then I’ll count us down!”

“Good call!”

Sandy’s gaze returned to the inside of their chosen Charging Station, their arms reaching high above their head.

“Alright— on the count of three! One…”

Sandy moved their feet towards the edge of the barrier.

“…Two…”

Shellraiser took a deep breath, focusing on the outcome he hoped to reach.

“…Three!”

With one swift motion, Sandy and Shellraiser brought their feet onto the barrier, a surge of electricity flowing through their bodies.

Their respective yells were cut off as they were shot inside their Charging Stations. Each barrier immediately began reforming, the landscape growing quiet.

Upon finishing their reconstruction, the Charging Stations gave off a brief shimmer, looking no different then they had before.

The void was at peace once again.

EDM music pounded in his ears as he hid behind a barrier. Today was the monthly “Late-Night Laser Tag” event, in which adults 18 to 30 could play unlimited rounds for a set fee— and as suggested in the title, the venue would remain open past its usual closing time of 9pm.

Just as the man thought he was safe, his gear flashed.

“Armor depleted”, a mechanical voice said. “Return to a power battery to recharge, or your gun will be disabled for the rest of the mission”.

“Fuck”, he muttered.

Another man rounded the bend, only for his armor to do the same.

“They got me, Tony! I can’t believe our team is losing to those girls…”

“Hey dumbass, you know there’s girls on your team too! I swear to god, I always get paired with the idiots…”

Just as she finished that thought, the woman’s armor flashed. “Aw, C’mon! I was distracted…”

Shredder snuck past her ”victims”, giggling to herself.

“I see you…”

She pointed her blaster at her next target.

“Zap!”

Shredder happily skipped past.

“I see you…”

She snuck up on an enemy player from behind.

“Zap!”

They yelped in surprise. Shredder quickly moved away.

“Ooh, she’s good”, the person muttered.

Shredder was rapidly approaching the enemy’s base— her ultimate target. Though any person could shoot at the base to earn points and contribute to their team’s overall score, whoever successfully “breaks” the base gets a large bonus.

Despite there being no indication which team was the “hero” or “villain” (an intentional choice), Shredder took it upon herself to make it the latter.

“Foolish heroes! You thought you could take me and my army down, but your overconfidence was your downfall! Once your base falls, nothing can stop us from winning this battle!”

Shredder pointed her blaster up high, taking aim at the base’s flashing target.

“You’re mine!”

She pulled the trigger, her blaster letting out a buzz as it successfully registered a hit. A speaker mounted on the side of the wall broadcasted a message; “Blue Team base power-core meltdown in two hits!”

“Haha, yeah!”

But just when she was about to claim her bonus points…

“BANG!”

Shredder froze in place, her armor flashing.

“You left yourself open!”

She gasped dramatically as her attacker fled the scene.

“Armor depleted! Return to a power battery to recharge, or your gun will be disabled for the rest of the mission”.

Clutching her chest, Shredder acted as if she had been actually wounded. She got on her knees, crawling her way towards the closest Red Team-branded battery.

“Shredder!”

She perked up instantly. “Oh, my most favorite soldier…!” Shredder ran towards Timmy, who was happy to play along with her “villain” act.

“Who hurt you, my lady?“

Shredder fell back, with Timmy moving quickly to catch her.

“It doesn’t matter— you need to take the base down for me! It’s the only way we can win…and that’s an order!”

Timmy nodded; “I understand, my lady”. She helped Shredder get back onto her feet, who quickly retreated to a nearby power battery.

With a determined look on her face, Timmy sprinted towards the base, barely managing to sneak past an enemy player. Moving behind the closest wall, she took a peek at her surroundings before she jumped out.

Timmy pulled the trigger on her blaster as fast as she could.

It buzzed, notifying Timmy of her success. “DANGER! Blue Team base power-core meltdown in one hit!”

Timmy could hear footsteps rapidly approaching behind her. “There’s no time to flee”, she thought as she glanced at the clock. “It’s now or never!”

Timmy ran right under the base, aiming up at the target.

Her gun buzzed.

“YES!”

Lights flashed around her as alarms blared; “DANGER! Blue Team base power-core has failed! Evacuate Immediately!” Though there were no real consequences for sticking around, Timmy still went along with the illusion, making a successful escape.

A television screen sat above the door to the arena, quickly updating as the session concluded; “RED TEAM WINS!” Below the title displayed the top five players— with the best two being “Sk8terGrrl” and “Shred_Sama”.

Shredder eagerly munched at her pizza slice, with Timmy holding a slice in one hand and her phone in another.

“Some ppl might think it’s a bad thing to end a date with frozen pizza, but what they don’t consider is the fun of swiping stuff right under someone’s unassuming nose!”

“Well, it helps that we can turn invisible”, Timmy said as she took a bite out of her pizza.

“I don’t know why we can do it, but thank goodness we can! It’s a shame I couldn’t do it when we were at the laser tag arena, though I guess we can’t interact with humans if they can’t see us…”

A photo of Timmy and Shredder decked out in laser tag gear was on Timmy’s phone screen. She smiled, making sure to add it to her “Favorites” folder— which contained dozens of photos featuring Shredder or the two together. Timmy scrolled through the album, sighing dreamily.

“…what do you want to do next?”

Timmy was snapped out of her daydream, looking up at Shredder.

“I think this date went well, didn’t it?”

“U-um, yeah! Yes it did…”

“So…you wanna go for round two?”

Shredder leaned towards Timmy, who blushed in response.

“Yes…please”.

Shredder smiled, not realizing how she had come off to Timmy.

“Great! I can’t wait to see where you’ll take me next!”

Timmy let out a small chuckle.

“Me too”.

[techycatartist]

Sandy slept soundly, their hand gripping a blanket— Shellraiser’s jacket— as he floated towards them.

“Thank goodness…they’re still here”, he quietly remarked.

“The things I would’ve done if you had vanished…”

He glanced at the front of the Charging Station.

“I wouldn’t have been willing to come back as myself”.

Shellraiser places his right hand on the Charging Station.

“How do we get out of here?, he thought.

Sandy began pulling their hands away from each other. Cracks quickly appeared from the incision they had made.

“C’mon…!”

A jagged hole emerged from the gap between their knuckles; light shone from within, a faint movement present.

Sandy‘s body trembled due to the pressure, but they soldiered on.

“The fact that they were able to break the barrier at all is commendable…but to be able to do so as it becomes stronger and stronger…shows their determination”.

Shellraiser looks down at his arms— visibly toned as a result of all the exercise he partakes in.

“Sandy isn’t strong enough to do this on their own, but if I were to help…”

Shellraiser’s confidence fades.

“…I would be a massive hypocrite”.

He sighs, leaning up against the side of the Charging Station.

“I stand by what I said to Sandy— their misguided desires, the unknown danger of it all…how it was different from me replicating their actions to find where they had gone”.

Shellraiser felt his mask sag; he swiftly brought his hands to the back of his hair, untying the knot.

“But do I really have another choice?!”

Shellraiser gripped his mask.

“At worst, we’ll die if we go through that Charging Station”.

Shellraiser brought his mask up to his face, making sure to perfectly align the slots for his eyes.

“It could wipe our identities away, or even mash us together as it “creates” a Coasterdroid for this coaster…”

Shellraiser brought the ends behind his head, twisting them together.

“…or it could leave us alone— and lead us back home”.

Shellraiser finished the knot, pulling it tightly.

“I can’t appeal to Sandy like I had tried to dissuade them”.

He swam up, just in time to see Sandy begin to stir awake.

“So I’ll have to try something else”.

Sandy stretched out of their sleep.

“Hm…?”

They noticed Shellraiser’s jacket.

“Did you give this to me?”

Shellraiser smiled; “Yes”.

“…Thank you”.

Sandy gently handed back the jacket to Shellraiser.

Shellraiser took a breath. “So. I’ve had some time to think about some things, and…”

Sandy tensed up.

“I’ve decided to join you in breaking and entering this Charging Station”.

Sandy’s eyes widened, the shock kicking the tenseness out of them.

“What?!”

“Yes, despite my status as the park’s signature coaster, there are many things about myself that I don’t like— that pothole is a particular bother for me. I know I was quick to criticize your way of thinking, but I was only thinking of the negative outcomes”.

“Hey, you know you don’t have to do this because I am, right? I mean, you’re Shellraiser, the steepest roller coaster in the world! I like seeing you as a Gerstlauer Eurofighter, as Takabisha’s twin! Besides, your coaster’s way more reliable than mine…”

“I’m honored by your praise, but this is what I’ve decided for myself— just like you have”.

“Oh…okay then”.

“Don’t worry”.

Shellraiser extended his hand.

“I’ll be with you the entire time”.

Sandy looked away, grabbing their shoulder.

“Okay”.

Sandy returned the hand-shake.

“We’ll do this together”.

Sandy stood in front of the Charging Station, glancing up and down at it.

“You can start it, Sandy. I’ll jump in right after”.

Sandy extended their fingers, holding their hand vertically as they pulled their arm back.

Suddenly, their arm thrusted forward, slicing right through the front. Sandy quickly repeated their actions, bringing their other hand inside the Charging Station. Then, they began to pull their hands away from each other— and a hole began to form.

“Okay…you can help me now!”, they requested. The Charging Station began to drone back at them, a low hum returning to the soundscape.

Shellraiser maneuvered his arms over Sandy’s shoulders, tightly gripping the sides of the broken barrier.

“You pull down, I pull up, OK?”

Sandy gave an affirmative “Mmph!”, placing their feet on the bottom edge of the Charging Station.

Shellraiser immediately felt the power of the barrier as he pulled, electricity blipping through his fingers— though it wasn’t enough to stop him.

“It’s working!”, Sandy exclaimed in-between huffs.

The gap had quickly expanded above Shellraiser’s head, and was currently making its way past his chest. Shellraiser could hear the “conversation” again, echoing from within.

“C’mon Sandy…show me how strong you are!”

“I’m trying!” Sandy could feel their muscles scream in pain. “I don’t exactly have “breaking-through-a-barrier” arms!”

“Then let me help you!”

Shellraiser pulled his right hand off the gap’s jagged edge…only for it to begin reforming. He yelped, quickly reversing his decision.

“Sandy…I can’t move my hands away without undoing my efforts— you must do this on your own!”

Sandy let out a frustrated yell. “Maybe we should’ve swapped directions!”

Sandy flipped themselves around, keeping their hands on the gap. Their back was now grazing the inside of the Charging Station, briefly letting go to reposition their arms.

“That’s it— tilt your head back slightly, it’ll give you more leverage!”

Sandy was breathing heavily; “I’m not sure how much longer I can do this…we might just have to crawl our way to freedom, Shellraiser!”

Shellraiser analyzed their progress— and was hit with an idea.

“USE YOUR LEGS!”

Sandy looked down at their feet; “Shellraiser, you’re a genius!” Sandy pulled their legs away from the surface of the Charging Station, scrunching their body up as they placed the edge of their heels on the gap.

As soon as Sandy began to push down, pain shot through their legs. They yelled out in surprise; “My everything is burning!”

“Push through it, Sandy— you’re making progress!”

At this point, the barrier had moved past Shellraiser’s stomach; Sandy gasped at the size of the gap.

“I think it’s almost enough for us to climb through! Though, you might need to crouch down, Shellraiser.”

“It’s ok, just keep pushing down!”

Sandy began to shuffle their feet into the gap, trying not to lose their grip…or balance.

“C’mon…”

Every movement was strenuous, no matter how little it was— but they were making progress.

“C’mon…!”

Their feet began to tilt towards the inside.

“I’ve...”

Using every ounce of strength they could muster. Sandy nudged their feet forward.

“…got it!”

Sandy placed their heels firmly on the edge of the Charging Station….and felt electricity pulse through their body.

All Sandy could do was gasp.

Pushed back by the force of their launch, Sandy slammed the back of their head right into Shellraiser, who let out a pained grunt.

Everything went black.

The momentum carried them forward, ripping them away from the Charging Station.

It quickly closed, looking no worse for wear.

Shellraiser and Sandy tumbled through the void, unaware of where or when they’d stop.

“Attention, loyal subjects!” A woman’s voice crackled over an aging P.A. system. “Dutch Wonderland, the kingdom for kids, is now open! Once you make your way through the entrance, we’ll check your ticket— and the fun can begin! All patrons are subject to a security check before entering…”

“We’re here”.

RMT looked down at Slime Streak, holding her hand as the two walked past the entrance.

“I understand why you’d want a change of scenery, but you’ll always be welcome at Great Adventure if you ever want to come back”.

Slime Streak gave a small nod in response.

RMT sighed; she hated seeing Slime Streak like this. “They’re going to come back, dear. I just know it”.

Slime Streak turned away from RMT.

“…and if you can’t reach Shredder or Timmy, call me. I’ll get here as quickly as possible. Though I’m sure this is nothing a queen can’t handle!”

“Thanks, Miss Mine Train”, Kingdom Coaster replied. “Though I must say…it’s unfortunate that your 50th anniversary isn’t going too well”.

“It’s not what we would’ve wanted, but we’re making the best of it— though with how silent they’ve been with Flash, I fear that they’ll be delayed…”

“I wonder if the merger messed things up?”

“Well, it hasn’t actually been finalized yet”.

“Maybe it’ll help things, then”.

“That’s our hope. I’d say they should fix the Skyride, but perhaps the company should help the park finish our current refurbishment projects before we start another one. Though I would like to see it run again someday…”

Slime Streak sat off to the side, watching the two converse— but not actually paying attention to what they were saying.

“YOU THERE!”

Slime Streak jumped as a lance poked into her line of sight. She quickly got up from her seat, turning towards the voice.

“I understand that our queen has graciously allowed you sanctuary within the walls of our kingdom, correct?”

“Yes…?”

“Though I admire her generosity, I must notify you that any attempts to harm the queen or her royal mage will be met with physical resistance, courtesy of me— Sir Joust! It is my duty to guard their lives, and as someone trained in the art of the blade— and with Mayhem at my side— don’t even think about fighting back! Do you understand?”

Slime Streak was unimpressed, sitting back down; “Sure, I guess…”

Joust lowered his lance; “Aw, c’mon! You’re supposed to quiver in fear at my awesomeness! It’s no fun if you don’t play along…”

“I don’t feel like playing along, Joust”.

“Why not?”

Slime Streak sighed; “My best friend is missing”.

“Oh…”

Joust sat down next to her.

“Apparently Sandy got stuck inside their Charging Station, and that led to Shellraiser to go inside his to find them”.

“So he’s missing too?”

Slime Streak nodded sadly.

“Oh. That’s bad”.

“It is. It makes me feel…ultra sad. Like, sadder than when you scrape your knee or drop your ice cream. It’s a sadness that doesn’t go away”.

“…Could you make it go away?”

“Well, that’s why I’m here. I needed a break from living in New Jersey. That’s where my sadness originated”.

“Then maybe Pennsylvania will bring you some happiness!”

“I hope so, Joust. I really do”.

[techycatartist]

Felt like drawing some chibis again….so here’s some of the Nick Universe gang! Timmy’s already themed to the (OG) Fairly Oddparents, so it only makes sense to have her cosplaying as one of the titular fairies— and every Cosmo needs a Wanda! Shredder was happy to join in…but they were still missing something; a godkid! With Sandy as Hazel, this cosplay was ready for the public (or more accurately, Shellraiser and Slime Streak).

Hope you all enjoy! I’ve only seen bits and pieces of A New Wish but it looks miles ahead of what the OG show became in its final seasons. It’s cool when the ppl behind a reboot/revival/sequel series are allowed to do their thing while respecting the foundation of what made the OG show so beloved.

[techycatartist]

“They would’ve shown up by now”.

Shredder glanced at her parkmates forlornly, having just pulled herself away from Sandy’s Charging Station.

“Maybe they don’t want to come back…”

“I don’t think that’s how it works, Shredder. If anything, Sandy’s return would probably happen when their coaster reopens. Of course, the only thing it would ensure is that they won’t be back for a while, knowing this park’s track record.”

“Well then maybe we should just…open it ourselves! We can do it when the park’s closed so that the humans won’t know”.

“As much as it would be fun to show up those “experts” who seem just as clueless about Sandy’s coaster as we are, there’s no way we could get away with it without the humans noticing— and no way that Shellraiser would let us get away with it”.

Shellraiser shot a glare at Timmy, not wanting to waste energy by verbalizing his disapproval.

“Shreds, it’s only been a month. If it’s too much for you to handle, I’ll take over the checking duties”.

“That’s one month too late!”

“I know this means a lot to you, but you shouldn’t tear yourself apart over this. Please, let me handle it”.

“But is it going to change anything, Timmy?!”

“We can’t give up on Sandy. If checking on their charging station is all that can be done, then I’m going to do it”.

“Is that all that can be done, though?”

Shredder was snapped out of their despair at the sound of Shellraiser’s voice.

“…Huh?”

“As unfortunate as my coaster’s downtime has been for my well-being, it has left me with time to consider”.

“Consider what?”

“Well, let’s think back to what happened. Sandy stepped into their Charging Station, then used their launch powers while they were plugging in. After the explosion, it appeared that their Charging Station was occupied.”

“Don’t we know that already?”

Shellraiser used a firmer tone; “It appeared to be occupied”.

Gears were turning in Shredder’s head.

“Oh. So it’s possible that--”

“Sandy was never “there” in the first place”. Timmy had reached that conclusion ever so slightly faster. “Great. And this is supposed to help us because…?”

“You’ve only been skimming the surface, per se”.

“Skimming the surface…” Shredder mused. “You mean that we need to go in to Sandy’s charging station”?

“That’s one course of action we could take”.

Shredder was swept into a momentary period of validation, as she craved Shellraiser’s attention like nothing else.

“It’d be great if any of us could actually do that. Sandy’s Charging Station is, well, theirs. You can’t do anything with someone else’s station”.

“No…”

“Unless you meant it literally, in which our only option is to find someone who can crack that Charging Station open and modify it. Unfortunately, the only Coasterdroid who’d have the skills to even try would want nothing less than an arm and leg from each of us in return…”

“He’s not going to use Sandy’s station, Timmy”.

“What?”

Shredder pointed at Shellraiser.

“You…you’re gonna use your launch power while you’re plugged in”.

“Correct”.

She ran up to him.

“No”.

Shredder clasped Shellraiser’s hand.

“You can’t do this to-“

With one swift motion, her grasp was broken— and Shellraiser was on the other side of the park.

Still, Shredder couldn’t stay away.

“I WON’T LET YOU GET AWAY WITH THIS!”

Given his coaster’s lack-of-operation, Shellraiser needed a moment to recover from using his launch powers. Fortunately, Shellraiser wasn’t far from his coaster’s station— all he needed to do was run.

“…YOU’RE MAKING A MISTAKE!”

Shellraiser didn’t even consider looking back.

By the time Shredder made it up the stairs, he was already plugged in.

“Do you really think this won’t end in the same way? That you won’t be just as lost as Sandy?”

“I have thought about that possibility— but you aren’t considering the idea that we can return”.

“But how will you find your way back? Hell, will there even BE a way back?!”

“She’s right, Shellraiser”. Timmy arrived, slightly late. “All we know is that Sandy is lost…somewhere…within their Charging Station. Even if you were able to use their Charging Station for this, who’s to say you’ll end up in the same place? Hell, it’s more likely that you’re going somewhere completely inaccessible to Sandy— it’s your station after all”.

“Yes, it would be better if I could use Sandy’s Charging Station. But while each station is hard-wired to its user, they all perform the same functions. With all the Coasterdroids that exist, I believe that they all connect to the same source”.

“….So you’re willing to risk your life to test a theory?“

“No. I’m risking my life to save Sandy”.

“And what are we gonna do when you get lost, huh? You want me to go into MY Charging Station, launch myself into the void, and leave Shredder and Slime Streak ALONE? What happens when I get lost, huh?! Do we just keep getting launch coasters to go into their stations until there’s NOBODY LEFT?!”

“I’ve already lost one person I hold dear,” Shredder interrupted. “Don’t make me lose another. Especially not you”.

“You said it yourself— there’s no use in waiting for Sandy to return on their own”.

“Yes, but…you’re my rival. My hero. How am I supposed to go through my day without you?”

“Perhaps by removing your self-imposed devotion to me”.

Shredder’s face became flush with embarrassment.

“Wow, way to ruin your final moments with us, Shellraiser”.

“I’m just pointing out what’s been obvious to me since she started acting like this. Besides, it’s not like you don’t find it as problematic as I do”.

“Yeah, because telling her to fuck off before you die is REALLY helpful. She deserves better than that”.

“Well, would you like to take my place? You’d be far away from me either way— but I have a feeling that you want to stay with Shredder”.

Timmy glanced back at Shredder, who looked to be on the verge of tears.

“No”.

“Then it’s decided. I don’t know when I’ll be back, if at all. But whatever happens, I will do everything in my power to find Sandy. I know it may not look like it at times, but I do care”.

Shellraiser’s face softened.

“If these are the last words I speak, let it be known that I am honored to be part of this family”.

Timmy’s eyes widened, quickly switching her sights to Shredder.

Without a single word, Timmy grabbed Shredder’s arm and activated her own launch powers.

Now standing towards the entrance of Nickelodeon Universe, Timmy spun around on her heels— just before she was sent backwards, heading towards Sandy.

Timmy watched as the same electric shockwave poured out from Shellraiser’s charging station. While similar in appearance, it was far more powerful; Timmy and Shredder were lucky to have fled in time.

Timmy finally came to a stop in the middle of the park, gingerly letting go of Shredder. Moments later, power was restored to Nickelodeon Universe.

Shredder had been silently weeping, her cheeks streaked with tears. With an unsteady gait, she slumped to the ground.

Timmy followed suit, though she was more careful about her descent.

There had been times where she wished to spend time with Shredder alone— Ideally, a week-long vacation in a nice location. Something they would both enjoy.

Unfortunately, Timmy’s wish had been granted.

[Author’s Note: For clarification, Shellraiser’s not dead. Also, Shellraiser’s coaster (as of today) is still closed. However, Sandy’s coaster has actually re-opened— if you’re in the area, I encourage you to check it out. You should do it sooner than later, knowing how easily it closes for extended periods.]

[techycatartist]

Under the protection of a magical barrier, Sandy (as their coaster) had laid dormant ever since New Year’s Day. In a state of perpetual slumber, Sandy was entirely untroubled by their circumstances for the first time in a while.

Suddenly, a pair of hands grasped at Sandy’s body, shaking them awake— and before they could resist, they were pulled out of their hibernation.

“…I’m really sorry I had to do that”. Shredder took their hands off Sandy’s shoulders, waiting for Sandy’s response.

“…Why aren’t you sad about this?”

“Why would we be?”

Sandy’s assumptions were broken upon hearing the sound of their coaster’s LSM launch.

“No…this is a dream”.

“I can verify that this situation is quite real,” Shellraiser said. “Your coaster has been returned to an operational state”.

“How long has it been?”

“Two days since the stated re-opening date”.

Sandy could feel their throat tightening.

“The park hasn’t opened yet, but—”

“YOU’RE BACK!”

Slime Streak embraced her older sibling, unable to wait any longer.

“Your coaster’s all good now, like I wanted it to be”.

Sandy winced at the feeling of Slime Streak’s nails digging into their back.

“….Don’t leave again”.

Eyes wet with tears, Slime Streak was desperate to get their friend back.

“Please…”

“I…”

Sandy pulled away from her.

“…I can’t”.

“…What?”

“I can’t do this again”.

Slime Streak was too shocked to keep holding on— and Sandy didn’t hesitate. Timmy scooped Slime Streak up into her arms, overcome with grief.

“Sandy, don’t you see what you’re doing to her?” Timmy begged. “Just stay with us, even if it goes down tomorrow”.

“No”.

Sandy shook their head.

“I said what I said”.

Sandy stepped back into their charging station.

“Hibernation will get you nowhere, Sandy. Though your circumstances aren’t ideal, it is the reality you must face”.

“But I can’t live like this, Shellraiser”.

The barrier began surrounding Sandy again.

“I don’t want to”.

Shellraiser shot them a glare, unable to contain his displeasure.

“I’m not going to let you run away again”.

Shellraiser grabbed Sandy’s arm— but was met with a powerful shockwave of electricity.

Though fixed to their spot, Sandy could still use their launch powers.

Shredder caught Shellraiser in her arms, just barely saving him from a concussion. As another victim of the shockwave, her legs buckled as the two slumped to the ground.

Timmy was curled around Slime Streak, sparing the young girl from any additional pain. “You’re safe, chiquita”.

Barely hanging on, Shellraiser glanced up where he had last seen Sandy.

Sandy’s charging station was occupied once more, and within a few days, their coaster would receive the label of “temporarily closed”.

But history decided to repeat itself…

On the morning of January 17th, Sandy’s Blasting Bronco had been removed from the website’s “Ride Maintenance Schedule”.

“…Should we?”

Shredder turned to her neighbor.

“You’re the one who’s questioning this? I thought you love doing what he says…”

“I do, I do! But…isn’t this…what got us hurt the last time?”

“Last time I checked, it was Shellraiser who decided to overstep their boundaries. He knows better after that, and he even agreed to let Slime Streak stay at Great Adventure for the time being— something I’m sure he wouldn’t have agreed to before this happened. This is our chance to make things right, but the only way it can happen is if you wake them up”.

Shredder looked away from Timmy.

“Would you want me to take care of that?”

Shredder grabbed her shoulder.

“…Okay”.

“Then all you need to do is listen”.

Timmy approached the charging station.

“Hey”.

Shredder looked up.

“You’ve got this. We’ve got this”.

Shredder gave a half-hearted smile.

Timmy gingerly stuck her hands in the barrier.

Her expression changed.

“….What?”

Shredder ran up to the scene.

“Is Sandy OK?”

“I-I don’t know. I can’t…I can’t get a grip on them”.

Shredder stuck her hands in, only to be met with a coldness that swirled around her fingers.

“…They’re gone”.

[Author’s Note: For clarification, Sandy’s not dead. With how often their coaster is closed IRL, I decided to put them “in stasis” for the time being. While I hope that Nick U will improve on SBB and Shellraiser’s reliability, it’s likely that they’ll continue to operate sporadically. Though the story won’t end here…]

[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”.

[techycatartist]

11-06-23

Dear Diary,

It’s been over a month since I’ve had something substantial to add…though some of that was just not having the motivation to write. But I think I’ll get somewhere with this.

So, the elephant in the room. My coaster’s still not open. Neither is Shellraiser’s. Though it seems that it’s actually caught up to him— he (begrudgingly) has stepped down from his leader role in order to not make his sick worse. Seems like all the extra work for the Halloween party was too much.

Shredder, by default, is in charge now (and you better believe she lost it when Shellraiser personally appointed the role to her). Timmy’s her right-hand woman that keeps her in check (and uses the opportunity to very obviously flirt with Shredder— too bad Shredder’s mind is so dead set on romancing Shellraiser that it completely flies over her head). They’ve actually adapted quite well to the role, though they’re not leading like Shellraiser does.

Shredder’s birthday just passed. She seemed to have enjoyed it for real, unlike what I was doing for mine. I made a point to be there physically but it was a struggle to be there mentally for more than a few moments. Nothing against her, it’s just me.

I tried spending some time with him, y’know, given that both of our coasters are down for neptune knows how long, but...he’s kind of boring tbh. He doesn’t watch the same stuff that I do, and he’s always watching with a critical eye. Seems like Shellraiser even treats his downtime seriously! Eventually I just retreated back to my room.

Slime is currently having a playdate with Lil’ Devil Coaster. She’s been spending a lot of time outside the park because of me. I’m not the awesome big sibling she used to have, just a sad sack of nothing.

Though speaking of other Coasterdroids like me…We had a multi-park Halloween party a week ago. Mostly other NJ parks, though we shockingly managed to get a hold of the Hersheypark gang (minus Skyrush, who apparently collapsed into a “ball of sickness” after their coaster had been running on one train for the back half of the season— evidently, it caught up). Can’t say I did much partying though…I don’t like large social gatherings even when I’m not depressed. But I did give an initial “hello” to all the guests before I crawled back under my metaphorical rock…though I nearly had a full conversation with someone.

With the Great Adventure crowd came El Toro, and while I don’t know him personally I know that his coaster was closed for a good while and didn’t open until June. I thought he might have some advice I could use. But…his coaster DID re-open this year— and to my knowledge, has operated without any further extended downtime.

He’s not struggling like I am (and probably doesn’t want to talk to a ‘nobody’ like me).

I tried to keep myself entertained during the party, putting on the usual lineup of halloween-themed episodes.

But it wasn’t the same. It wasn’t fulfilling.

At least I have a stash of Hershey’s candy in my room now.

11-07-23

Dear Diary,

It’s 8 am as I write this, which is new for me. Usually I write in here when I can’t sleep, though I guess sleep is still relevant here. I didn’t get you to keep a record of my dreams, but I feel like I need to get this one down, for…reasons.

[The dream starts here]

It’s a warm summer day.

I’m at the beach, strangely in my usual wear instead of my bathing suit.

I’m lying down in the sand on my back.

My dream-self knows the others are there, but I can’t see them.

It looks like nobody else is on the beach, or in the water.

It’s very quiet, besides the ocean.

The tide is rolling in.

It only reaches up to my feet, at first.

But with every wave, it gets closer.

The water is cold, but not frigid. Refreshing(?)

Slowly, the water begins to surround me.

It gets to the point where my head is just above the water.

At that point, I’m some distance away from the shore.

The next wave is unusually large.

It’ll definitely pull me underwater if I don’t get up.

But I’m still lying there.

I don’t know why.

The wave is getting closer, building and building.

It reaches me, floating me towards the ocean.

Just as it’s about to hit my face, I wake up.

…Maybe I’ll figure out what this means someday.

[techycatartist]

10-03-23

Dear Diary,

Yesterday was my coaster’s 3rd anniversary, which also meant that it was my birthday. My family pulled out all the stops; the decorations were Spongebob themed, the food was Spongebob themed, the cake was Spongebob themed, my presents were Spongebob stuff— everything was tailored to my hyperfixation. They really did a good job, and I have a whole host of stuff to add to the collection.

I also got a lot of nice messages from the humans who follow my Sponge-Blog (it’s one of the only things they know about me, ‘cuz technically I’m not supposed to interact with them).

But none of this changes the fact that my coaster is still closed for “maintenance”.

It’s been over a month…I think? It was definitely closed after the ACE humans did their event here, but I didn’t actually see when it switched from a “temporary closure”. As of today, the website says it’s supposed to re-open by the end of this week. I’m doubtful it’ll even open in time for Christmas.

I’m not the only one who’s sick, though. Shellraiser’s coaster has been closed for a few days now— the website says he’ll have to wait until Halloween.

In spite of that, he’s still doing his usual jobs and stuff. Of course, Shredder is trying to make him take an actual break (her infatuation drives basically everything she does for him), but he’s stubborn. Even then, I don’t think he’s feeling all that bad. At least, compared to me.

I have a confession to make— but you have to keep it a secret, ok? Don’t pull a “Little Yellow Book” on me!

Ok? Ok.

I kind of…no. I DID put on a mask the entire day.

Not like the usual “I’m trying to be as neurotypical as possible around non-family because what if they think my true self is annoying” mask. A “I’m happy and enjoying my birthday” mask.

They’re not stupid. They know I’m depressed. Even Slime can tell, and by Neptune she’s trying her best to make me feel better.

But all I’ve been doing is making everyone sad, just like how my coaster has been making all the humans sad.

So in the interest of having a “Happy” Birthday, I faked it.

And it worked, because nobody could tell otherwise. In fact, everybody told me how glad they were to “have me back”.

I collapsed into tears the second I went back into my room.

I can’t mask forever, but don’t know how to stop this.

My depression is tied to my coaster. If it re-opens, I feel better. If it doesn’t...

I’ll die.

I don’t know what the humans are doing (or NOT doing) to my coaster. I think the park wants my coaster to be open again??? There has to be a reason why they keep my coaster’s name on the “Ride Maintenance” schedule, right?

They want me around, right?

Maybe my next birthday will be better.

But I don’t know if I’ll have another one to celebrate.

[techycatartist]

Shellraiser walked towards the back of Nickelodeon Universe, holding a plate with both hands. He couldn’t help but be worried when they didn’t show up for breakfast, but a quick look at the park’s website made it clear why Sandy was absent.

Still, Shellraiser didn’t expect to see them lying on their coaster’s unload platform.

“Oh!”

He carefully walked around Sandy, who flipped onto their side, looking away from Shellraiser.

“I know you prefer to handle breakfast yourself, but…I took it upon myself to prepare it. I made sure to construct it to your exact preferences— moderately toasted wheat bread, avocado flesh smashed into a smooth paste, two egg whites cooked with oil, and a salt-pepper ratio favoring the latter”.

Sandy turned their head slightly, as if to emphasize their deliberation.

“I insist that you should eat”.

There’s a pause.

“Please”.

Sandy turns their head away.

Shellraiser shoots a quick glance at the floor; “I would leave it with you, but I refuse to place this plate on such a dirty surface. Please, take it— even if you aren’t going to eat it now”.

Sandy doesn’t give a response.

“If not, I will be forced to throw it out”.

Shellraiser waits, his usual irateness-in-response-to-someone’s-disobedience absent.

There is no response.

“I’m going to take your silence as disinterest— and so I will throw this out”.

Shellraiser turns around and begins to approach the stairs, only to stop upon hearing Sandy’s voice.

“I should be angry”.

He looks back at them.

“I should be angry, y’know. After three months of smooth sailing, my coaster is broken again. It’s likely going to miss that posted end-date, and it’s entirely possible that it’ll be closed for the rest of the year. But…I can’t be bothered to react like that”.

“I know this is going to be tough for you, but I don’t want to see you like this”.

“But you are, aren’t you?”

“I was talking in a metaphorical sense”.

“I know, I know. But my point still stands”.

“I will do what I can to make things better—“

“But you can’t. It’s not going to do anything to solve the problem at hand— my coaster’s unreliability is the problem. I’m the problem”.

Sandy pushed themselves onto their back.

“I’m nothing more than a lifeless machine”.

“No you aren’t”.

“Try telling that to the humans. Oh, wait. We can’t”.

Shellraiser couldn’t come up with a good counter-response; Coasterdroids were bound to living outside of humanity’s “bubble”— even the smallest interaction could expose their existence. It was better to be invisible, on a literal and figurative sense.

“I’m sorry this is happening again, Sandy. If there’s anything I can do, please tell me”.

“…you could start by leaving me alone”.

Shellraiser complied, despite his sadness. He ended up eating the breakfast he made for Sandy, not willing to waste his effort.

By the end of the hour, Sandy had retreated back to their apartment.

They wouldn’t be seen for the rest of the day.

[techycatartist]

“You’re up early”.

Shellraiser glanced down at Sandy, who met him in the middle of the park. While he was used to being the first one awake, the others took a while to follow— but he preferred it this way, as it gave him some quiet time to reflect on the day to come.

But given the circumstances, Shellraiser readily accepted Sandy’s presence.

“Is something wrong?”

“No, actually. I just…woke up. Stopped being tired. Got out of my room for once. Isn’t that good? I mean, I’ve been staying inside my appartament a lot— ever since my coaster’s been closed”.

Sandy took a quick glance back at their coaster; it was already illuminated by sunbeams.

“Those humans have been there since I woke up”.

“Yeah, I noticed”.

Shellraiser expected Sandy to be happier about this development, but perhaps they didn’t catch on to what he was suggesting. He took a more direct approach;

“You know, this could be the day your coaster re-opens”.

Sandy pondered for a bit.

“Maybe. They did test my coaster’s turntable on Sunday…”

Normally, Shellraiser would be engaging in his morining exercise routine, but he opted for a leisurely walk around the mall— it was something more at Sandy’s speed.

“Y’know, would be funny if they re-opened it today”.

“How so?”

“It’d be funny…because Wildcat’s Revenge is opening today. Y’know, the park sees that Hershey’s got this brand-new RMC that’s gonna be popular and bring in vistiors and all that, so our park’s like “this is the perfect time to re-open Sandy— in fact, we’ve been wating ‘till June 2nd this whole time! Now, we can get the vistiors to stop here on their way so that we can make some of that sweet, sweet chocolate money”! Although I guess you could just go to ITSUGAR if you wanted “chocolate money”. Pretty sure they sell that there”.

“Chocolate money? Did you say chocolate money?”

Sandy couldn’t help but smile.

“Yes, sir— with or without nuts”!

Sandy laughed.

“Did I get it right?”

“Nailed it!”

Suddenly, Sandy felt an all-too-familiar buzz. They hand-flapped in response. Shellraiser looked at them with concern.

“Is this a good or bad stim?”

“…Good. I think. Hold on. Hold on”.

Sandy got themselves ready.

“I want to try something”.

Before Shellraiser could give his output, Sandy bolted across the walkway.

A few moments later, Sandy passes by Shellraiser again— but running backwards.

Sandy eventually returned, digging their heels in to stop.

“…How do you feel?”

While not losing their innate ability to “launch”, it required more of their energy to pull off because their coaster was SBNO. As such, previous attempts had resulted in them feeling fatigued for the rest of the day.

But this time was different.

After waiting for the usual signs of tiredness, Sandy took a deep breath.

“…Ready”.

Shellraiser took advantage of his own “launch” power to quickly get the two back to the park’s entrance. Just off to the side was the park’s ticket booth, which also contained information about the rides that would be closed today.

After a handful of test runs, Sandy’s Blasting Bronco was no longer on that list.

Sandy watched eagerly as visitors piled into their coaster’s station, with Slime Streak close by.

“Can you believe Shellraiser knew this whole time? He must be a wizard!”

“I don’t think he knew this whole time, Nick— and he’s definitely not a wizard. But…”

Their coaster’s train soared up past the two.

“I’m glad his prediction came true”.

[techycatartist]

Sandy’s coaster may have opened in time to reap some of the benefits of those who were on spring break, but within a few days, it fell still once more. Now a month since their coaster’s unexpected extended closure, Sandy finds themselves at their limit;

“Why is it so hard for my coaster to run consistently? It wasn’t even open for a week…”

“Sandy, it’s not just you. The humans who are in charge of maintaining our coasters seem to struggle when it comes to meeting deadlines. Slime Streak was supposed to open last week, but they’ve already moved the date back twice”.

“But it is me, Shellraiser! Why am I always down the most? Why does it take so long to get new parts shipped here? Why am I the only one of my kind despite being such a small-scale coaster? It’s because I’m an Intamin!”

“You’re saying that like it’s a bad thing….”

“Because it IS!”

This cynicism towards their manufacturer wasn’t new— but it came as a shock to their parkmate.

“I’m different. I know that. There’s a lot of me that’s different. I like most of me— in fact, I’m proud to say that I’m a nonbinary autistic person with vitiligo. But not this. I don’t have it as bad as some of the other Intamins, hell, not even as bad as some of the other Intamins in this state. But, you know, the “world’s smallest violin” and all…”

Sandy rests their head upon Shellraiser’s shoulder— an uncommon gesture for them, given their dislike for physical affection. But in this moment, Sandy needed that kind of support from their older brother/father figure.

“I just worry that I’m not good enough to stick around. What good is a coaster that can’t do the one thing it’s designed to do?”

“But your coaster does do the thing that it’s designed to do— and the humans love you. They might even love your coaster more than mine. You have your place in this park, Sandy”.

Sandy isn’t convinced.

“Tell that to a manufacturer who sacrifices reliability just to make something “unique”…the humans who visit this park may love me, but the park surely doesn’t. Most parks who work with Intamin learn the hard way, it seems”.

“Without innovation, this industry would stagnate. If nobody took risks, most parks wouldn’t exist in their current state, if at all. Intamin is not the best with reliability, that is true. But there’s a reason why they’re still in buisness— they do not fear failure. Not every idea will turn into a fully realized product, but…”

“This is not what I need right now…”

“Then what do you need?”

Tears well up in Sandy’s eyes…

“I just want my coaster to be open for once…”

Shellraiser remains quiet, just letting Sandy rest on them as they cry.

“I’m sorry this is happening to you, Sandy”.

Sandy can only muster a hushed whisper in response.

“I want to live…”

[techycatartist]

In reference to an earlier post about Sandy’s Blasting Bronco being down for annual maintenance;

SBB remained hopeful that their coaster would re-open by the posted date (March 10th, iirc), even though the prospect of their coaster being closed for “longer than it should” again worried them. Unfortunately, their coaster would miss that re-opening date, so a new one was set. But then it missed that date, and the next, and the next. With their coaster a double-combo of being from a manufacturer with a penchant for unreliable rides and a prototype model, SBB began to fear the worst for their future— how longer would the park want to deal with their coaster?

It was then when their coaster re-opened ahead of it’s scheduled date (which would’ve been today), just in time to reap the benefits of the spring break crowds.

SBB cried tears of joy at the sound of that familiar LSM whine.

To a Coasterdroid like them, there is nothing more fufilling than seeing your coaster run as it should.

[techycatartist]

Despite their hyperfixaton on the series, Sandy isn’t all enthusiastic to see Spongebob win/has won “Best Cartoon” at the Kid’s Choice Awards every single year.

“I’d be celebrating more if it felt like SB had a chance to lose, but…it effortlessly wins year after year. Yeah “award shows are rigged” and all but it’s kind of ridiculous how Nickeldeon’s too scared to let anyone else win. And this is coming from ME, of all people!”