Power of the Pure Heart - Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Pikanterie

SpongeBob SquarePants cautiously crept through the sunny park, gazing around himself in an alert manner. He was determined to not let the prettiness of this place lull him into a false sense of security, not when he knew his opponent was somewhere nearby.

A strange sound behind him.

The young sponge spun around.

Nothing but a pink jellyfish.

SpongeBob smiled, wiped the sweat off of his brow, reached out to pet it and…

“Hiiiiiiiiiiiii-yaahhh!”

…a hand wearing a large green glove slammed down in front of him, prompting the yellow sponge to jump back in surprise. The hand was soon followed by its owner, a land squirrel in a white diving suit. She landed on the ground roughly then quickly stood up, looking at SpongeBob with a large grin plastered on her face.

“Y’all better learn to pay attention, SpongeBob, ‘cause you’re about to get schooled, Texas style!”

SpongeBob’s own smirk simply widened and he brandished his pair of red gloves. “We’ll see who pays what, Sandy!”

Immediately, the two leaped at each other, disappearing in a cloud of dust. Their momentum carried them right into the path of a jogging, aquamarine, male fish.

Wham!

The three of them landed in a heap. From beneath the squirrel and sponge, the fish glared at the two karate choppers. “Hey, watch where you’re going…!”

His eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. “Oh my gosh! You’re SpongeBob SquarePants, the guy who saved us all from Plankton!”

SpongeBob blushed and got off of him, saying, “Eheheh, that’s me. Sorry about that.”

“Me too,” stated Sandy sheepishly.

The fish joyfully whipped out a notebook and opened it, shoving it in SpongeBob’s face. “Can I please have your autograph, sir?”

A red crab quickly ran between them, holding out an eager claw. “Not without paying his agent ten dollars first!”

“Done!”

Thus, the jogger handed the money to Mr. Krabs then the autograph book to SpongeBob. He happily signed his name and returned it to the even happier fish.

“Thanks a lot!” he said then resumed jogging.

 “You’re welcome!” The sponge called after him. “Now, where was I? Oh yeah…”

Ducking in time to avoid the squirrel’s karate chop, SpongeBob countered with a kick and so the two returned to their duel.

Meanwhile, Mr. Krabs, having zoomed off, returned with a box of chocolates in his claws. He ambled over to a beige pufferfish seated on a picnic blanket and handed her the confections.

Mrs. Puff simply looked at the sweets. “Oh, really, Eugene, you shouldn’t have…”

Mr. Krabs waved a claw. “Nonsense, Poppy; we only just got back together again so it’s only fair that I give you a treat!”

“No, I mean, I’m on a diet.”

Mr. Krabs’ eyestalks drooped. “Oh… I guess I should have figured that out when I saw what you had packed for our picnic.” He motioned to the various healthy foods. “Ah, well. I’m certain Pearl will love these chocolates. Now where is that daughter of mine…?”

Meanwhile, the jellyfish from earlier buzzed by, now being pursued by a pink starfish in green and purple shorts. “Hey, Mindy, watch me! I’m gonna catch this jellyfish, look! Are you watching? Keep looking at me!”

The bespectacled, young mermaid chuckled. “I’m watching, Patrick, I’m…” Her smile soon turned into a look of fright. “Patrick, watch out for that…”

Bzzzzaaap!

“Eeeeyyeeeooooow!”

“…swarm,” finished Mindy meekly and she hurried to Patrick’s side as said swarm of jellyfish scattered. “Patrick! Are you all right?”

Patrick had red, swollen bumps all over his body. Having collapsed, he looked up at Mindy woozily. “Oh… I think I need some C.P.R. – and I don’t mean the type that stands for ‘Candy Peppermint Resuscitation’.”

On yet another picnic blanket nearby, two blue octopi were watching this with varying degrees of amusement. The female, who was sitting up, shook her head and wondered aloud, “I just don’t see what the princess sees in him, hero or not.”

The male, who was lying down with one arm folded behind his head, sighed blissfully, said, “Somehow, I can’t bring myself to be exasperated,” and popped a grape into his mouth.

Ever since he had been freed from Plankton’s control, Squidward Tentacles had become a slightly better person. Now that he could see that things could be worse, he was a bit more grateful for his lot in life. He was even more tolerant of his neighbours’ behaviour though that was helped partially by the fact that Patrick was often out with Princess Mindy and SpongeBob was busy being the manager of the Krusty Krab 2. When his girlfriend Squilvia had finally moved to Bikini Bottom, he had been afraid she wouldn’t like him anymore now that he didn’t ‘suffer fools as lightly as’ he used to. Thankfully, it turned out she was glad that his two neighbours had rescued him and others from slavery. So, all around, Squidward had become a little happier.

However, there were still some things that were guaranteed to get Squidward as riled up as ever.

“Well, well, well, Squiddy. Who is this fascinating creature that’s obviously feeling so sorry for you that she has to keep you company?”

…Like him.

Squidward began choking on his food and sat bolt upright, managing to hack up the errant fruit. Squilvia stared in puzzlement at the newcomer and asked, “Uh, who are you?”

Squidward couldn’t help but smirk when he saw the other male squid’s unibrow droop a little at this statement but he quickly recovered, straightening out his maroon robe and flashing his most charming smile. “You must be new here, Miss…?”

“Squilvia.”

“…Squilvia.” The robed squid did a courtly bow. “I am Squilliam Fancyson III, Bikini Bottom’s richest resident and most esteemed patron of the arts.”

He then kissed the lady’s hand, causing Squilvia to turn red with embarrassment and Squidward to turn red with rage. He shoved Squilliam away, angrily yelling, “That’s my girlfriend’s hand you’re getting lip marks all over, Fancy Boy!”

Squilliam gasped in a mocking manner. “‘Your girlfriend’? Why, Squidward, don’t be so delusional! It’s clear she’s only with you because she hasn’t heard of me…until now.”

He turned once again to Squilvia, who was looking rather bewildered. “Come, Squilvia, why don’t you and I take a ride in my balloon/casino? It’s just right over…”

Kaboom!

The resounding explosion knocked everybody in the park off of their feet. And it didn’t take long for the source to be identified.

“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh! My balloon/casino!”

Any further cries of horror from Squilliam were drowned out by the screams coming from inside the casino that was attached to the combusting balloon. As the fire started to quickly spread from the balloon to the casino, a small stampede of gamblers managed to shove their way through the sole exit.

“Help!”

Mr. Krabs’ shell turned white. “Pearl, me little girl!”

Immediately, he dashed for the casino’s entrance but a pack grabbed hold of the crab before he could get inside. Struggle as he might, he couldn’t break loose. “Let me go, I have to save me daughter! I’m a war veteran, I can handle a little fire!”

A large tongue of flame erupted from the casino’s doorway and swatted the mob, including Mr. Krabs, away.

Everyone was most distressed, particularly Mrs. Puff. “That fire’s just too much; by the time the fire department gets here, it will be too late for poor Pearl!” She started sobbing.

SpongeBob SquarePants looked in terror and sadness at the burning building/vehicle. “Oh, I wish I could do something!”

The second those words escape his lips, he felt something familiar swell up inside of him, forcing him to utter more words.

“I’m a Goofy Goober!”

Hearing this, each person turned to see what the matter was, only to be sent spinning as the sponge, now outfitted once more in his flamboyant peanut-themed costume, zoomed past them and into the casino, playing a heroic tune on his guitar all the while.

A bubble shield encompassed SpongeBob as he looked around the burning tables and slot machines. “Pearl, where are you?”

“Over *cough* here!”

SpongeBob bravely flew in the direction of Pearl’s voice, the bubble shield protecting him from the flames. It didn’t take long for him to find the teenage whale whose feet were buried under a mountain of debris.

Pearl gaped at her would-be rescuer from where she sat pinned to the ground. “SpongeBob?! *hack* I thought I was imagining things!”

SpongeBob just smiled and stuck one of his hands under the pile of rubble while the other kept strumming the guitar (the bubble shield enlarged accordingly). “Don’t worry, Pearl; I’ll get you out of here!”

With super-powered strength, SpongeBob easily lifted the wreckage off of Pearl’s legs (one of which looked broken) and tossed it aside. Taking the surprised whale in one arm while the bubble shield grew big enough to envelop both of them, the sponge smashed their way out through the nearest wall.

No sooner had they both escaped the balloon/casino than the whole thing collapsed to the ground in a great blaze. The multitude cheered wildly and several emergency vehicles pulled up. SpongeBob gingerly deposited the girl onto a gurney as it was wheeled toward them.

“Pearl!”

Mr. Krabs rushed forward and hugged his daughter, huge tears flowing from his eyestalks. “Oh Pearl, me darling girl, I’m so glad you’re alive!”

Pearl smiled weakly and embraced back. “Oh Daddy, you’re embarrassing me.”

The gurney was rolled towards a waiting ambulance while Mr. Krabs concernedly walked alongside it. “But what were you doing in that fiery death trap to begin with?”

The whale looked rather guilty. “Um, I was tired of my puny allowance so I kind of decided to get some more money by…gambling.”

“You what?!”

To Pearl’s shock, her father rounded on a sweating Squilliam Fancyson but her father’s girlfriend, who was looking quite miffed, beat him to the punch.

“You! Just who do you think you are, letting a minor gamble in your establishment?”

Squilliam held out his hands defensively. “But, but, but, but I wasn’t the one who let her in!”

Mrs. Puff irately jabbed a fin into his nose. “Perhaps not personally but your employees certainly did! And I’m willing to bet my whole school that you used bribery to make the proper authorities turn a blind eye on your balloon/casino’s obvious fire hazards! You make me feel sick (and just a wee bit hypocritical)!”

While the pufferfish continued berating Squilliam (and making Squilvia titter and Squidward guffaw), Mr. Krabs tearfully turned to his daughter and said, “Oh Pearl, I almost lost you today. Next time you want any money, just please ask your old man instead.”

Pearl looked ready to cry as well. “Wow, really?”

“Really.”

While this sentimental scene was going on, SpongeBob (back in his normal attire) was basking in the adulation of the throng. Patrick and Sandy gave him high fives, Princess Mindy shook his hand, more people asked for autographs and journalists interviewed him, eager to hear his own firsthand account of his heroics. It was all the sponge could do to keep from bursting with joy and pride; life was great.

“Mr. SquarePants, how did you feel going into that inferno?”

“Pretty fearless, actually.”

“What is that thing you do with the guitar and such, SpongeBob SquarePants?”

“I’m not really sure; I just felt the urge to do something and it just happened!”

Having read about it in a book found in the palace’s library, Princess Mindy knew it was the Power of the Pure Heart but she decided not to say anything. After all, SpongeBob seemed to be doing fine with the power despite his lack of information. It was practically second nature!

“Are you going to try and recapture that dastardly criminal, Sheldon J. Plankton?”

“Well, why not? After all, we can’t have the citizens of Bikini Bottom threatened by the likes of…” SpongeBob suddenly realized what the interviewer had just asked him. “…Sheldon J. Plankton?! What do you mean?”

“Oh, he escaped from prison last night.”

SpongeBob felt the happy bubble inside of him slowly deflate.

A fearful hush fell over the crowd. For several seconds, nobody spoke. Then the silence was shattered by Patrick’s laughter. “Ha ha ha ha ha, oh that’s a good one! You really had me going for a moment!”

At that moment, somebody’s pocket radio activated. “This is an emergency news bulletin! It has been discovered that, last night, Sheldon J. Plankton, notorious would-be world conqueror, escaped from the Institution for the Criminally Tiny! He is described as being puny, green and having one eye. Anyone who sees him is advised to panic and run away. And now for the weather…”

Before every person could start panicking despite having not seen Plankton, the reporter asked SpongeBob SquarePants, “So are you or are you not going to try and get him back in jail?”

For a moment, the young sponge felt like he would faint. He remembered the pain Plankton had inflicted on him many times in the past. But then he recalled the pain the villain had also inflicted on his loved ones; how he had faced Plankton and won the day, giving every Bikini Bottomite their freedom back in the process. SpongeBob then realized that if he didn’t stop Plankton, he would do terrible things not just to his friends but to everyone in the entire ocean.

His look of abject shock transformed into a look of smug confidence. He puffed out his chest as much as he could and stood tall.

“Of course I will! In fact, I’ll personally look for Plankton myself! I, SpongeBob SquarePants, swear that I’ll make him go back to the Institution if it’s the last thing I do!”

The entire gathering whooped and applauded.