The animals returned to their normal sizes. SpongeGar became a regular newt. Reptar Junior shrank back to a grumpy iguana. Gir’s Lost Piggy went back to chewing a Cheeto.
From that day on, the Nickelodeon Animal Rescue Nook had a secret. Whenever a taping went wrong, a prop malfunctioned, or a slime geyser misfired, the animals would gather. And somewhere, in the background of a blooper reel or a lost episode, you could just barely hear a tiny, meowing, roaring, squeaking, newt-bubbling harmony: nickelodeon animal friends
Then, SpongeGar began to vibrate. His spots glowed a brilliant, cartoon-y yellow, and he started absorbing the moisture from the air. The fishbowl water tank lifted into a shimmering orb and hovered above his head. The animals returned to their normal sizes
Before Maya could process this, the stage door burst open. Face, the purple, piano-key-bordered dog from Face the Music , slid in on a wave of slime. His expression was not its usual cheerful smile, but a grim line. Gir’s Lost Piggy went back to chewing a Cheeto
And that’s the story they never aired. But it’s true. Probably. After all, it’s Nickelodeon.
It wasn’t a set. It was real. And its residents were the unsung heroes of Bikini Bottom, the magic of Retroville, and the courage of the Wild Thornberrys.
Gir’s Lost Piggy squeaked-robotically: "MAYBE WE JUST BLOW EVERYTHING UP?"
