#techyoctimmy

[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]

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]

Shredder looked at the box, which was just big enough to contain everything inside.

Photos, drawings, poetry, unopened gifts, multi-part plans scribbled on loose-leaf; there was even a little homemade doll made in his image.

Lighter fluid rained down on the collection, filling the air with the smell of alcohol.

Shredder pulled a matchbox from her boot, gingerly removing a match from inside. Striking the side of the box, she held the now-ignited stick in front of her.

Shredder tensed up.

“C’mon…it’s getting close to your fingers”, she thought.

Shredder raised her hand slightly…and flicked the match onto the pile. In an instant, everything was set ablaze. While she had used lighter fluid to ensure that nothing would survive the burning process, Shredder jumped back as the inferno grew.

Suddenly, she felt something make contact with her elbow; Shredder turned around to find a fire extinguisher— and Timmy.

“Hey”.

“Oh. Hi.”

Timmy glanced past Shredder, admiring the fire.

“Looks like you wanted this to go out with a bang. Though I figured you wanted this too…we only want to get rid of all your Shellraiser stuff, not the stuff and you”.

“Oh. Yeah. Thanks.”

Shredder grabbed the extinguisher, turning away from Timmy. Getting as close to the fire as she’s comfortable with, Shredder sits down and places the extinguisher next to her.

Timmy keeps her distance; “Do you want me to go back and get the s’mores kit?”

No response.

Timmy sighs.

Shredder glares at the fire, almost as if she’s trying to speed the process up with her mind. Timmy takes her spot right next to Shredder.

“I thought you’d be happier about this”.

“I know”, Shredder whispers back.

The pops and crackles of the fire fills the area.

“Timmy”.

She perks up; “Yes?”

“You saw how big that box was, right?”

“Yeah”.

“Do you know how long it took me to fill that box? Four-and-a-half years. Four-and-a-half years of pining and scheming to get his attention and hanging on every word he said because I was so infatuated with him…and he felt nothing. I tried so hard to make him fall for me…and for what? To be told that I’m an idiot for feeling this way?!”

“Shreds…”

“Well, Shellraiser’s right; I'm an idiot. All this time, all the signs…and only when he spelled it out for me was I able to realize that he never loved me, and never will”.

Shredder wipes tears away from her eyes.

“Guess I’m just…unlovable.”

Timmy looks at Shredder with concern in her eyes.

“This is it”, she thought. “This is the moment you tell her. Her confidence falters. “Or…is it? I hate seeing her like this, but would a love confession make this better? If I fuck this up now, I might not get another chance”.

Timmy shuffles closer.

“I know I’d be pissed if someone tried to confess to me immediately after a breakup, and the last thing I want is to become a rebound”.

She adjusts her position, now facing right in front of Shredder. Timmy glances back at the fire, still burning bright.

“She definitely used lighter fluid for that…”

Suddenly, Timmy was hit with an idea.

“I have to be her lighter fluid”.

Finally, Timmy spoke; “You’re not unlovable, Shredder”.

“I don’t know— when you’re so passionate about a guy that you do all of these things, only for him to not care at all…sounds like the other person was the problem”.

“Your passion wasn’t the problem”.

“…really?”

“Yes. Being passionate is a good thing; the real issue was who you were directing it to.”

“I guess Shellraiser was the most “wrong person” I could’ve chosen”.

“Frankly, I don’t think there is a “right person” for him”.

Shredder was puzzled; “What do you mean?”

“Someone needs to want a ”right person” to find them. Shellraiser just… doesn’t have that desire in him, plain and simple”.

“Oh…then I really screwed up by falling for him”.

“Hey, it’s not your fault. I don’t even think he fully understands that about himself”.

“Yeah, but if I knew beforehand…”

“Hindsight’s 20/20, Shreds”.

“Right”.

Shredder looks at the fire, which has calmed down.

“I really hope there’s someone that’s “right” for me. Someone that might actually like getting all that stuff. Though I guess in retrospect…I did overdo it a bit. Maybe next time I can give…half…of that to them”.

“Well, if you want to find them…you’ll find them”.

Shredder looks back at Timmy.

”I know you want a “right person”.

“Heh, I don’t exactly make it subtle”.

“So…do you have one?”

Their gazes were fixed on each other— Shredder patiently waiting for a response, Timmy overcome with nervousness.

“Y-yeah”, she sputtered out.

Timmy swallows the lump in her throat.

“I, um…think I’ve already found her”.

After a few seconds of (agonizing) silence, Shredder’s eyes widened.

“I’M THAT GIRL?!”

Shredder put her hands on the side of her face.

“How didn’t I realize this sooner? Oh, this must’ve been so annoying for you…!”

“All of that talk was her flirting with me during my stint as park leader last November— and during that and that!“, she thought.

Shredder flailed her arms around; “Augh, I’m the dumbest Coasterdroid in the world!”

“Hey, you could be as dumb as rock and I’d still want you”.

“So you think I’m smart?”

“Always have”.

Shredder smiled.

Timmy returned the gesture, noticeably blushing.

Shredder took a deep breath, audibly exhaling. She clasped her hands together; “Timmy, I’m so happy that you like me— it makes me feel better about this whole thing”.

Timmy’s blush deepened.

“But…”

Timmy’s heart sank.

“I’ve only ever seen you as a friend. I don’t think I can just…jump into a relationship like that”.

Timmy averted her eyes from Shredder, breathing heavily.

Shredder looked at her with concern.

“I’m sorry…”

A tear rolled down Timmy’s cheek.

“I respect your feelings, Shred. I really do”.

Timmy stood up.

“I’m not going to push this any further, but…I’m glad you were able to hear me out”.

Timmy began to walk away, trying to keep her composure.

“WAIT!”

Timmy stopped.

“What if we went on a date?”

Her heart skipped a beat.

There’s still a chance.

Timmy ran back towards Shredder.

“…I’d like that”.

“If it goes well, we’ll go on other dates and maybe things’ll click. If not, that’s okay too. We’ll still be friends— and I know you’ll find that “right person” one day, Timmy”.

Shredder pulls Timmy in for a tight hug.

“I’ve always believed in you”.

Timmy begins to cry— though out of relief.

She returns the hug, resting her head on Shredder’s shoulder.

Sunlight blankets them in a warm embrace.

[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]

Happy Halloween!

Timmy knew that she wanted to cosplay as Kitty Softpaws this year, but felt that her costume wasn’t complete without an accompanying Puss in Boots. Fortunately, Shredder was happy to fill that role for her— much to Timmy’s joy. During this year’s mutli-park Coasterdroid Halloween party, Shredder and Timmy are a frequent subject for photos; they end up splitting the bounty of candy earned from their top placing at the costume contest. Once the party ends, these two spend the rest of the night going through Shredder’s collection of Horror OVAs and Halloween-centric episodes of the many anime she’s watched over the year. In both of their eyes, this Halloween was perfect.

Decided on doing something wholesome this year for Halloween. Out of all my Nickelodeon Universe (NJ) personifications, these two had recieved the least amount of focus in my art— and so I wanted to change that! Given the DreamWorks-themed waterpark situated within the American Dream mall (plus the boost in popularity for these characters because of Puss In Boots: The Last Wish), it only made sense to dress them up as these felines! As for the “Happy Halloween” text itself, what else but green slime— a Nickelodeon staple!

Whether you’re trick-or-treating, attending a halloween party, going to amusement park’s halloween event, or staying home to eat candy and watch a seasonally-appropriate movie, I hope you have a Happy Halloween!

[techycatartist]

Shellraiser had already considered the possibility that Sandy had been permanently “lost” within their Charging Station. He had also considered the possibility that repeating Sandy’s actions would cause him to become lost, forever searching for them— or for an exit.

But as he laid in his Charging Station, a far darker possibility crossed his mind.

“Are they even alive?”

For all of the criticism Timmy had about his choice, it didn’t occur to her that there wouldn’t be a body to find— regardless if it was just Sandy, or the potential dozens who tried to recover them.

“Even if they survived the initial incident, how long would they be able to last, if at all? Would I meet the same fate?”

It would be reasonable for Shellraiser to back out from his decision, perhaps giving more thought to how he and the others could go about rescuing Sandy. With how things had been going, it was likely that Shellraiser’s coaster would remain shuttered—giving him ample time to brainstorm.

Acting “reasonable” wasn’t why Shellraiser was willing to put his life on the line, though.

“No. I can’t stand around and wait for them. Not anymore. If this isn’t the solution, if this ends up costing me my life…let it be known that I did it for the right reasons. Some may be unwilling to go this far, but I am ready to sacrifice myself to keep my family safe”.

The last thing Shellraiser saw was a blinding flash.

Most assumed that an afterlife awaited Coasterdroids who passed away, but without concrete evidence (coupled with the fact that Coasterdroid bodies dissolve into pure energy shortly after death), it remains a coping mechanism for those who lost their parkmate far too soon.

Shellraiser would have expected to meet those who he only knew through second-hand accounts, such as Moonsault Scramble, whose coaster’s land was now partially occupied by his twin sibling.

But the first thing Shellraiser noticed was how warm it was— as if he had fallen asleep with a heavy blanket on.

“Is this…is this it?”

Shellraiser tried to stand up straight, only to find that there was no ground to stand upon. He glanced upwards, hoping to locate anything that suggested a ceiling.

“Perhaps it was foolish of me to assume anything about its appearance. Still, I expected to be more…welcoming”.

Shellraiser glanced at what should’ve been a horizon line.

“Sandy!”

He was taken aback.

“Am I not being loud enough?”

Shellraiser tried again, making an effort to really shout; “SANDY”!

It was like someone had shoved him underwater. Regardless, Shellraiser had to try.

“SANDY!”

“MOONSAULT!”

“GIANT”!

“ZOLA!”

If this truly was the afterlife, they had to be there.

“CAN YOU HEAR ME?”

“GIVE ME A SIGN, PLEASE”!

He tried calling out for Sandy again, but to no avail.

“IF ANYONE IS AROUND, SPEAK UP!”

“I AM IN SEARCH OF SANDY. THEY WEREN’T SUPPOSED TO END UP HERE SO SOON. I WANT TO MAKE AMENDS…”

Before Shellraiser could say anything else, he began to cough.

“Have I exhausted myself already? My throat…”

Suddenly, he came to a realization.

“My throat! I can feel the dryness, the pain from screaming—I lived! If I survived the blast…then so did Sandy. But if my current location isn’t our afterlife, what is it…?”

Suspended in the “air”, Shellraiser was met with a near-featureless space. A cool white compromised most of the scene, adorned with a seemingly uncoordinated pattern of purplish-gray, semi-transparent rectangles.

Without a floor to stand on, trying to walk in this space seemed like a daunting task at best.

“I’ll have to use my launch once more…”

He took a deep breath, then closed his eyes. But that familiar “buzz” wasn’t there. Shellraiser clenched his fists, hoping that it would somehow jumpstart the launch.

He opened up his eyes, relaxing.

“Did I relinquish that power to get here?”

Shellraiser was running out of options. He looked around frantically, hoping to come across anything that even suggested that it could be stood on. However, Shellraiser could only turn his head so far— he had to shift his entire body if he wanted to see what was behind him. Fortunately, the restrictions imposed on his movement didn’t apply for this action; it wasn’t anything substantial, but Shellraiser had finally made some progress.

Then, he noticed something.

Enclosed within a rectangular space was none other than himself, seemingly asleep.

“How can this be…?”

Though he was close enough to recognize his own face, Shellraiser was still a good distance away— and had no idea what to do about it.

Even if it was likely to be ineffective, he tried to reach out towards his “body”; this told Shellraiser that he was more than an arm’s length away.

“Maybe if I…propel myself forward?”

Shellraiser extended his arms in front of him, repeatedly swinging in a quarter-arc motion; it did nothing to move him forward.

“Perhaps I need more reach”.

Shellraiser moved his arms behind his head, tilting back slightly. Despite this change, he got the same results; “I guess…I have to try a steeper angle? No, no…I’m not getting anywhere with this”. He let out a frustrated sigh. “I know I can’t walk forward, if at all. But I can twist myself around, so perhaps…”

Like a dog chasing its tail, Shellraiser began to spin around; he used his arms to keep up the momentum. “If I’m trapped”, Shellraiser thought, “I have to put this trap to the test”.

He continued to spin, gradually getting faster— but if it wasn't for the lingering effects of his entrance into this space, the lack of any obvious directional pointers made it even more disorienting than it normally would’ve been.

Shellraiser yelled as he lost his balance, flailing wildly; he had no way of knowing how this would affect him, as he was no longer “standing” upright.

Suddenly, Shellraiser felt himself move forward.

“Huh?”

For a moment, he was unsure if it had really happened, as Shellraiser was still feeling the effects of all the spinning he did. He closed his eyes, waiting for everything to catch up.

“Have I been deceived by my desperation? What was I doing differently? Twisting around only kept me in place, but losing control has tilted me forward…”

Shellraiser was now “lying” on his chest, his legs positioned behind him.

“When my legs buckled, I tried to reorient them. But I was unsuccessful on that first attempt, so I tried repeatedly…”

He brought his legs in slowly, then extended them back out.

Shellraiser moved.

“That’s it”!

As if he were trying to outmaneuver an oncoming wave, Shellraiser entered a breaststroke.

In just a few seconds, he made it to his target. Though its contents were visible from the outside, Shellraiser was met with a solid surface when he laid his hand on it.

“No reaction. I was led to believe that a part of my soul had remained inside, that I could be reunited with it”.

Upon further inspection, Shellraiser’s “body” was not contained within the rectangle— like an old CRT monitor, his likeness had been “burned” on the surface.

“This is what we were seeing with Sandy— an afterimage left in the wake of their powers. But if this is my Charging Station…”

He looked up at the nearby “rectangles”.

“Each of you…belongs to a Coasterdroid”.

Shellraiser swam upwards, reaching the top of his Charging Station. Knowing that he could choose to rest on these makeshift platforms, he let out a sigh of relief.

“Though our stations are programmed for individual use, they provide the same functions for all; it only makes sense that it comes from the same source”.

Shellraiser began to swim towards the closest Charging Station.

“If one theory was correct,” he thought, “I have another to test. If my Charging Station is here, then the others must be close by”.

While Slime Streak had been without access to her station for a while, Shredder and Timmy could be residing in their respective stations at any given moment. Unfortunately, Shellraiser was greeted with a face he couldn’t put a name to.

“You’re not even a Coasterdroid who lives in our state…”

Shellraiser swam back down to his Charging Station, sitting on its top.

“If I couldn’t get back through my own station, there’s no way that Sandy would have. But it’s not like they wanted to return”.

While Shellraiser was surrounded by thousands of Coasterdroids, he knew that he and Sandy were the only ones who managed to break the boundaries.

“It won’t be hard to spot Sandy among a sea of geometric shapes”.

He stood up, making sure to be thorough in his visual scan.

“But I don’t know when I’ll find them”.

Shellraiser pushed himself off, ready to embark on his search.

“As daunting as it is…it can’t compare to the crushing weight of my guilt”.

He began to kick his feet in a rhythmic motion, propelling himself forward.

“I have to find Sandy”.

But back at Nickelodeon Universe…

“They never came back”, she said in a hushed whisper.

For the first time in two months, Sandy’s Blasting Bronco was open to the public. Though it still had some minor periods of downtime, it was a welcome sight for those who happened to visit that day.

That couldn’t be said for Shredder and Timmy.

“I don’t think they could come back, Shreds”.

“But you said that when their coaster reopened—“

“That was before we knew that Sandy wasn’t in there”.

“So they’re gone forever, then? What about Shellraiser, is he gone too?!”

“No, God no”!

“How do you know?”

“I—I don’t. Not for sure, at least. But…”

Timmy looked at Sandy’s Charging Station, which still displays Sandy’s silhouette.

“If they and Shellraiser ever walk out of their Charging Station looking slightly different, then we’ll know”.

The mere implications of this outcome brought great sadness to Shredder.

“Timmy, I really hope Shellraiser was right about all this. That they all link together, and that he’ll find Sandy”.

“As much as I hate to give him credit for doing something so stupid….I can’t help but agree”.

The pair sat together in silence for a bit, watching the last handful of guests leave the area.

“Shredder?”

“Yes?”

“You know how my coaster was closed today? Well…it’s going to be closed for the next three weeks”.

Timmy had given the park’s website a quick glance beforehand, having a feeling that this would be the case.

“No. Not you. I’ve lost enough this year…”

“I’m not going to hibernate, Shreds”.

“Really?”

“Yeah, I’ll just take the aches and pains as they come. ‘Course, this means that you’re technically going to have to lead this park on your own”.

“What do you mean by ‘technically’…”?

“Well, I’m still gonna try and do what I can. Might just sit around for most of the day, though”.

“Guess that makes sense”.

“Plus, I…like being in your company, y’know? Yeah, I could just sleep through it, but that’s boring. I’m never bored when I’m around you”.

“Oh, same! We make for some good co-leaders, don’t we?”

“Yeah…”

“Though if I’m the one in charge…I recommend you get some rest tonight! Then report back to me tomorrow, ‘cuz we’re gonna meet with Slime Streak and spend the day at Great Adventure”.

Timmy let out a small laugh; “I’ll be sure to follow it, Shreds”.

Slime Streak looked up at her parkmates; “So Sandy’s coaster didn’t bring them back…”

“I know you didn’t want to hear that, but…it’s the truth”.

She turned away from Shredder and Timmy, sitting down on the concrete.

“Chiquita, you don’t have to come back to the park if you don’t want to”.

“Good. I like it here better anyways”.

Shredder’s heart sank.

“You don’t really-”

Timmy gave her a non-verbal “cut it out”, nudging her arm into Shredder’s side.

“We just wanted to let you know about Sandy and Shellraiser, nothing more. We’re worried about them too”.

Slime Streak turned her head slightly; “...and there’s really nothing we can do to help?”

“We can only hope that they’ll come back”.

About a week-and-a-half later, Shredder received news that she had been dreading ever since Shellraiser went missing.

“...I’m so sorry for your park’s loss. We were all hoping that Do-Dodonpa would come back. Shellraiser would talk to me about them, how infectious their energy was. Makes me wish I had gotten to know them better. I’ll make sure to send over something”.

“Oh”.

“You want Shellraiser to be there in-person”.

Shredder paused.

“I…He’s…He can’t make it”.

“No, his coaster hasn’t re-opened yet. The website now says April 30th”.

“I know this is a special case, but…”

Her throat tightened.

“Shellraiser’s gone, and I don’t know when he’ll be back”.

“We lost Sandy when they launched while inside their Charging Station, and once he realized it…Shellraiser did the same in hopes of finding them”.

“I’m sorry, I…”

“He’s not dead, I promise”.

“I never wanted this to happen. I tried my best to convince him to stay but-”.

“You’re right. This is my fault”.

“I’m sorry”.