//------------------------------// // In Another World... // Story: Toastbusters // by lunabrony //------------------------------// The preceding trailer had just ended, and there was a brief moment of silence between previews. Under normal circumstances the trailers would be back to back, but the projection pony needed a few seconds to switch the reels. Apple Bloom was on the farthest nearest end of the row, sitting on the aisle, with Babs sitting next to her. The two had a bag of popcorn in between them. Scootaloo was next to Babs, and Sweetie Belle on the furthest end. She eyed Scootaloo's hay fries hungrily, and reached out a hoof to snatch one. This resulted in a sharp kick from Scootaloo, and Sweetie drew her hoof back, her eyes filled with surprise. "But I thought we were friends," she whispered. "Of course we're friends," Scootaloo said. "Still doesn't mean you can steal my fries," she said protectively. "Get your own." Babs glared at her. "Scootaloo, share your fries." "But she always takes the curly ones!" "Share," Babs hissed. Scootaloo sighed, and pushed the basket into Sweetie Belle's lap. "Friends don't take other friends curly hay fries," Scootaloo muttered. The following preview has been approved to accompony this feature by the Equestrian Ratings Council. The film advertised has been rated PG. "Oh, good!" Sweetie Belle whispered. "If it's good, maybe I'll get Rarity to take me! At least if its PG she can't argue that I'm too young for it." "You gotta be kiddin," Apple Bloom said. "She don't trust ya with PG-13 movies yet?" "Not all of them," Sweetie Belle said. "She likes to make sure they're safe so they don't warp my innocent mind." "...She DOES know you're here seeing Princess Bridle, right?" The unicorn filly grinned. "I might have forgotten to mention that." The screen crackled to life again, and the fillies fell silent. Two ponies were standing in the kitchen. One unicorn mare, and a pegasus stallion. Judging by the faint light streaming in through the window, and the coffee brewing in its pot, it appeared to be early morning. Both were dressed in robes, hair mussled and unkept. They stood staring impatiently at a medium-sized metal toaster, the inside of its slots glowing a fiery red. "How long has it been, Bayseed?" The stallion asked. The mare looked up at a clock on the wall. "Almost five minutes, give or take." "Ugh, why does it take so long to make breakfast? We're hungry now, and we'll have to be at work by the time this toast is done." "Be patient, Simmer," the mare said gently. "It'll be done any moment." Simmer was about to respond, but was silenced by thin tendrils of smoke that wafted up from the slots in the toaster, which prompted Bayseed to frown. "It must be done by now," she said. "Push the handle up." Bayseed did, and forced the contents of the toaster up manually with the handle on the side. The toast inside flung itself up from the slots in the machine. Bayseed gasped in shock. "Is... is that..." Simmer stammered, unable to comprehend what he was seeing. "It's BURNT!" Bayseed screamed, flinging her hoof over her forehead dramatically, turning her gaze away from the outer blackened layer that covered the toast. "Don't look at it, Simmer, don't look at it!" COMING THIS FALL... "What do we do?!" Simmer panicked. "We have to get it out of here!" He reached a hoof for it, but Bayseed smacked it away. "Don't touch it! Call someone!" "Who'm I gonna call?!" Simmer protested. WHEN THINGS HEAT UP... The door was kicked open, revealing three unicorn stallions in bright blue uniforms. They all had large coffee pot shaped canisters on their backs, attached to flexible hoses that wound around to their front legs. One was labeled Caramel, the second Vanilla, and the third labeled Mint. "Don't worry, we got this," the first unicorn said. "We came as fast as we could," the second said. "Who are you?!" Bayseed demanded. "We're a professional organization, ma'am," the first unicorn said. "We travel the town saving innocent folks just like yourselves from the worst evils this world has ever known. Including such unspeakable terrors as the one before you." He narrowed his eyes. "We're the Toastbusters. And we deal with burnt toast." "Step away from the toaster," the third unicorn said. The two tenants just stayed there, frightened. "I said step away from the toaster!" DON'T GET BURNT OUT. Pulling their masks down, the three unicorns faced the perilous evil before them. "Dairy packs ready?" The first asked. "Ready." The second said. "Ready." The third confirmed. "Fire! And don't cross the creams!" Milky white liquid spouted from the hoses they carried, filling the apartment with the smell of vanilla. TOASTBUSTERS COMING THIS FALL The three stallions stood at the bottom of an enormous hill, looking up at an enormous, elephant sized marshmallow rolling down the hill towards them. "We're going to need a bigger pot," the third one said. Scootaloo and Apple Bloom just stared at the screen in stunned silence. "Who in the hay makes these things?" Bloom asked. "That was the dumbest thing ah've ever seen, and ah saw Sharknado 3: Shark Harder." "I don't think it's supposed to be taken seriously," Scootaloo shrugged. "Jeez, Sweetie Belle, you didn' tell me yer sister was in the picture business. She's put on weight since I saw her last," Babs quipped with a wide smirk on her face. Sweetie Belle looked genuinely confused for a moment, then gasped, vaulted over Scootaloo, and tackled Babs out of her chair.