No one expected Plankton to shout at SpongeBob in such a cruel manner, and most of the patrons gasped as Misty tried to defend her new friend. “His fault?! Plankton, it was an accident! A big one, sure, but that doesn't change he was trying to do the right thing!”
“But SpongeBoob was the one who stole the wrong secret formula!”
“I didn't know there were two bottles!” SpongeBob shook his head. “Of COURSE you didn't!” Plankton snapped. “Because you got cotton candy for brains!”
“Oooh...” some fish muttered. “No, seriously,” Plankton stated. “He does.”
“Well, we wouldn't even be in this mess in the first place if you weren't so selfish and evil!” SpongeBob huffed. “I was selfish and evil,” Plankton threw an insult back, “until you and those mules ruined everything with your teamwork!”
SpongeBob gasped at that. “You take that back! And leave Sunny and the others out of this! They were just trying to help, and we were actually getting someplace until YOU ruined everything!”
But Plankton wasn't done with his rant just yet, despite the ponies being warmed by SpongeBob’s defense. “You are the worst teammate ever!!”
“NOOOOOOO!!!”
In a total mental breakdown, SpongeBob kicked over a trash can, resulting the crowd to gasp as he began to mix the recycling and the trash piles together.
Sunny and her friends watched horrified as they watched their friend break down... it was just... horrible to witness.
After taking a few breaths, SpongeBob looked around, finally realizing what he was doing. “Look at me. Why, I've become like all of you,” he said after looking at his hands. “Savage. Fear-ridden. Selfish. An entire town of formerly good citizens, turned into heartless freaks, bent on their own self-prever... self-preter...”
“Self-preservation?” Zipp asked. “Yes!” SpongeBob nodded. “We've become alienated from each other. Each one an island unto himself, concerned only with ourselves. And in the name of all fishhood, I am not about to let that happen!”
He then tore some fabric from a fish's shirt and made a headband with it, marching up to the register boat with a determined look on his face. “And so, if a sacrifice is needed to restore Bikini Bottom to its former glory... then I am willing to take one for the team!”
Plankton, Sandy and the crowd watched with shock, and solemn expressions... one fish even took his hat off in respect. It all lasted until Squidward finally spoke after the moment of silence. “You heard him!”
The crowd grabbed SpongeBob by his hands and legs and ran outside with him, and the ponies were not far behind. “SPONGEBOB!!!” Izzy and Misty screamed, but Squidward stopped them right in their tracks. “Sorry, guys, but this is for Bikini Bottomites to see only. Go back to your own world... this is our chance to save ours.”
The ponies watched with wide, fearful eyes as the crowd took SpongeBob away, wondering what would become of him... and Misty fell to the ground, sobbing in sadness. “Misty...” Izzy tried to comfort her. “Don't cry...”
Misty found her voice after a moment. “But it's all my fault... I really thought I saw something good in Plankton... but I guess I just was stupid... just like I was when I served Opaline.”
“Misty, that isn't true,” Zipp frowned. “You were just--”
“I guess you were right, Zipp,” Misty spoke with a voice that was wobbling. “Once a villain, always a villain... and I guess since I was once a villain, I guess that still makes me one too.”
She quickly darted away, and Zipp tried to go after her, but Sunny stopped her first. “Let's all go... I think Misty could use all of us there.”
“Yeah... maybe you're right.”
XXXXXXXXX
Riverstream grumbled to herself as she picked sparkle seaweed for her and her sister to have for dinner later that night, not sure why her sister would neglect trying to sever the bonds between the hippogriffs and the Equestrians.
It could change their lives for the better, and Skygrace wouldn't do anything about it?
And if Skygrace wouldn't do anything, Riverstream supposed that she would have to do something herself. “All I have to do is find them... but where in the world could I start?”
But as she pondered in silence, a small noise gradually grew louder, and Riverstream recognized it easily.
Crying. The very thing she heard her sister doing late at night recently, since she was really missing their mother.
She looked down and saw a blue seapony with a swirly pink and blue horn sniffling as she swam up the mountain, not focused on anything in particular, and Riverstream gasped quietly.
She was an Equestrian!
She could show her sister that they were here!
But first... she'd have to comfort the unicorn, still quietly sobbing.
Riverstream swam down the mountain until she was in front of the stranger, smiling gently. “Hey... are you okay?”
Misty gasped in alarm, not expecting anypony else to be up there, before her frown seemed to deepen. “Not really... my friend is going to be sacrificed, a baby dragon is in danger and it's all my fault...”
“Really? I don't think it is. You seem like a really nice pony.”
“But... I used to serve a villain,” Misty frowned. “So...”
“So that doesn't mean anything. Your actions may define you, but your real intentions is what really show,” Riverstream said. “And, if you really wanna try and save your friend, I may be able to convince my sister to help you.”
“Really?” Misty said, but that bloomed to a gentle smile. “Thank you... for saying that. I'm Misty, by the way.”
“I'm Riverstream-- princess of the hippogriffs of Mount Aris.”
Misty gasped at that. “Opaline told me the hippogriffs disbanded moons ago after... she attacked...”
“We did, but... me and my sister, Queen Skygrace live together at the top of the peak,” Riverstream explained. “But I think she'd--”
“Princess Riverstream, who are you talking to?!”
Both of them turned to see Skygrace swim toward them, and Misty immediately bowed as Skygrace pulled Riverstream away. “Leave here, Equestrian! We will not be pushed away from our home again!”
“Sister, knock it off!” Riverstream snapped coldly. “Misty needs our help! The evil fire alicorn has stolen a baby dragon, and her friend is about to be sacrificed!”
That seemed to cause Skygrace to pause. “Wait, what...?”
“It's true, your majesty,” Misty nodded. “And unless we can save SpongeBob, we'll have no chance of stopping this.”
“MISTY!!!” cried Izzy's voice. “MISTY, WHERE ARE YOU?!”
“There are... more of you?” Skygrace asked. “Yeah... those are my friends,” Misty nodded. “I'm up here, everypony!”
Misty's friends swam up to her and wrapped her in tight hugs, relieved to know she was safe. “Guys, this is Riverstream and her sister, Queen... um...”
“Skygrace,” the queen responded with an edge to her voice. “Of course,” Misty nodded. “I asked them to help us save SpongeBob... and maybe save both worlds as we know it!”
“Sure! We'd love some new friends helping!” Izzy chirped, while Skygrace scoffed. “Friends?! Give me a break... the Equestrians forced us to leave their land without a simple explanation, and I had to find out another way that a fire alicorn had broken up the land! All hippogriffs and seaponies know this story, told by mothers and grandmothers for generations. And you come asking for help in spite of everything?!!”
“Your highness... I know this is hard to understand, but... Equestria is united again,” Sunny said, “and we can't beat the formula thief, save Sparky and defeat Opaline without you. Please... we need you. Both of you.”
Skygrace looked like she was in a rock in a hard place situation by this point, and Riverstream looked entirely desperate. “Please, Skygrace...? Think of the life Mom would have wanted for us... and for our subjects, wherever they may have gone.”
That immediately set Skygrace's thinking into motion. What had she been saying all this time?
Riverstream was right to trust them. The hippogriffs were a species of peace... not of grudges and heartbreak.
And these ponies did seem sweet... and desperate enough to plead to a queen.
So, she sighed with a small smile. “All right... show us the way to this friend of yours.”
XXXXXXXXX
SpongeBob was chained to the top of a giant tower, a giant stone hanging over him as the town began to chant 'sacrifice' over and over, but SpongeBob wasn't afraid... at least not yet.
Mr. Krabs stood beside SpongeBob's side, while Squidward would act as the executioner. Finally, after 5 minutes of chanting, Mr. Krabs spoke to the crowd. “Let the sacrifice... BEGIN!!”
“Krabby! Patties! Krabby! Patties!” the crowd chanted, while the squid-a-saurus rex only scoffed, rolling its eyes. “And I thought my friends were primitive.”
SpongeBob sniffed the air repeatedly, a new scent filling his nostrils. “Don't cry, me boy,” Mr. Krabs said gently. “Everything's gonna be fine. For us.”
“Oh, I'm not crying, Mr. Krabs,” SpongeBob said before he sniffed the air again. “I smell Krabby Patties!”
“That's right. Keep thinking happy thoughts. NOW!!”
Squidward slipped on an executioners mask and sliced the rope holding the stone, and SpongeBob braced himself for impact, waiting for the stone to hit...
...but it never did.
When he opened his eyes after the crowd had gasped, he witnessed the Equestrians and a couple new friends heaving the stone far away from their soon-to-be executed friend. “Ponies!” SpongeBob cried. “You came back!”
Sunny chuckled as they tossed the stone away. “Hey, you really think we'd leave you alone in a time like this? And we brought back-up!”
Queen Skygrace swam forward so the crowd to could see her face to face. “Citizens of Bikini Bottom! I am Queen Skygrace, ruler of the hippogriffs and seaponies of Mount Aris! My kingdom was divided, but your home does not need to be! Listen to Sunny Starscout, her friends and SpongeBob SquarePants-- they seem to know better than even I do! And... listen to my sister, Princess Riverstream. Without her persistence, I wouldn't be standing before you in this moment.”
Riverstream nodded with a smile, and Sunny and SpongeBob smiled back at her. Realizing what SpongeBob said earlier about Krabby Patties, Mr. Krabs sniffed the air and immediately brightened. “The boy's right... I smell them too! Okay, SpongeBob!” he said, ripping off his apocalyptic outfit. “Go get it!”
“Wait... you mean we can take this stuff off?!” Squidward asked, ripping his own apocalyptic outfit off just as Mr. Krabs threw SpongeBob down the mountain of a tower they had perched on. “Go find that Krabby Patty!”
“I got him!” Riverstream said, and caught SpongeBob on her back before she swam out in front of the crowd. “Come on, everybody!” SpongeBob cried. “I've got some Krabby Patty orders to fill!”
Everyone cheered before tearing off their apocalyptic outfits and racing after the sponge and ponies, and as she carried the sniffing sponge on her back, Riverstream turned to her elder sister. “Thank you... for saying all of that, Skygrace.”
“It was the least I could do after shutting you away from the world for so long.”
“But it's all in the past now,” SpongeBob pointed out. “We have a chance to fix all our wrongs. I just hope we can do it before Opaline and whoever stole the formula can reek havoc first.”
“I don't know where Opaline is exactly,” Sunny shook her head, “so we'll go after the formula thief first... for Bikini Bottom. Okay, SpongeBob-- lead the way!”