AUTHOR'S NOTE- PLEASE READ

Allrighty then. This is my first fanfiction in a long, long, long time. And also my first Brave Little Toaster fanfic. I watched the movie not long ago, and it sparked up a need to write up yet another version of an old story I've contemplated but never finished. This time, I'm making a serious attempt at finishing it. This is supposed to be a continuation of the trilogy, directly following Goes to Mars. Don't worry if you ahven't seen the sequels, most references will be to the first movie, though there are caharcters, places and events mentioned that are from the sequels. They're all up on YouTube if you wanna watch them.

I must forewarn all you readers, though, that this will be very dark, gory, and idealogically sensitive. Even more so than the first movie. If I got inspiration form Higurashi and Felidae, you know it's gonna be screwed up. Also, I also must forewarn you that OCs will abound in this fanfiction, I have over seven main ones and even more minor ones, so if you're suscipicous of OCs, I suggest you either click the 'back' button or give the story a chance. Not only are there OCs, there are also OCxCanon pairings. Just letting you know before you go flaming me for anything.

Now, then, for the first chapter.

I never thought it would end up like this. But yet, here we were, stowed away within the dark confines of the now lifeless Salvation Army store.

Everyone else was sleeping around me, and all was eerily dark and quiet. I hated the atmosphere of this place. It was not one of salvation, as the title implied, but rather one of hopelessness and worn sympathy that offered no solace. It smelled heavily of dust, sour milk, and cat pee. Everything they sold in here was old and used. I didn't like it one bit.

I'd been trying to fall asleep for at least an hour, but sleep just wouldn't come. I was still too traumatized by all the events that had occurred previously. I wasn't tired physically, just emotionally. It was hard to take in what had happened.

I'd heard the Master talking about it to the Mistress, but I didn't say anything, thinking it was only a passing thought. I didn't realize he really meant it. "They're getting old," he'd said. "They've got some sentimental value, but you've got to give things up eventually, right?"

"Yeah," the Mistress agreed. "Besides, they're starting to give out. Kind of glitch up."

Old? I'd thought after overhearing the conversation. I'm not that old. Sure, I'm not out-of-the-factory quality, but I'm not rusting over or anything.

But then I realized I was getting old. I couldn't heat up things as good anymore. I smoked out easily. My hope started to plummet downward. Master was right- we are getting old, I'd thought desolately. Now what is he going to do with us?

I'd soon find out.

It was just yesterday. They brought back boxes from the store. When I went over to investigate the strange boxes, my stomach took a hundred-story plunge when I saw a picture of a pristine black toaster imprinted on one. Oh God, he is throwing us out! I started to panic.

I remember sitting on the counter with wide eyes, stunned at what I'd seen earlier. I was wondering what would happen to us now that the Master had gotten new appliances. I was experiencing that similar emptiness I'd felt when we were all in the junkyard.

Blanky crawled onto the countertop and had to say "Toaster!" about three times before I finally responded.

"What's wrong with you?" he asked innocently.

"Ah… nothing you need to worry about," I lied. Should I tell him flat out? No. I'd scare him.

Blanky was unconvinced. "Is there something going on?"

"I said it's nothing you need to worry about." I said a bit too sternly.

Blanky didn't say anything else, but I got the feeling I made him worried. I didn't usually act like that, unless I'm under a lot of stress.

Which I was.

I didn't tell the others about the boxes, but I think everyone in the house in knew I was acting weird. Nobody came to ask me questions, which was fine by me I didn't want to talk. But later, near sunset, Lampy approached me cautiously and told me something that made me worry.

"I heard the Master talking on the phone," Lampy explained.

"And what did you hear?" I expected the worse.

"He was calling this 'Salvation' something-or-other and asked when they would be open, if they took donations. I thought it was kind of weird. I just thought I should tell you. I dunno why."

That was when I knew we were heading toward certain doom. "I dunno either. But I'm glad you told me. Better to let feelings go than bottle them up, I always say."

He smiled tiredly and said, "Too right."

But then things got even worse.

The next morning, I woke up with a heavy drape of foreboding over my body. I sighed deeply with a shudder, dreading what lay ahead. I didn't have to wait long.

I heard the Master talking to the Mistress in the living room quietly. I couldn't hear what they were saying, but I could guess what they were talking about. Abruptly, I wished I wasn't so old.

I heard a slight shuffling in the doorway after they retreated upstairs, and saw Ratso staring at me, obviously wanting to talk. I didn't know he was out.

"Toaster, are you hearin' this stuff?" he hissed, pointing a thumb to the living room. "They're takin' you guys away! For good! Did you know that?"

The question wasn't rhetorical, but I answered anyway. "…Yeah. I did, actually," I sighed. "Just don't tell the others. I don't want to scare them."

"Why not? They're gonna find out eventually. You might as well just spit it out."

"It's a little too late for that…" I mumbled.

"I don't wanna be the one breakin' the ice here. You gotta be the one. Go and tell them."

I suddenly started crying, not of my own accord. "I can't!" I wailed softly. "I just can't! Don't you get it?"

"But-"

Suddenly Radio and Lampy burst in, short of breath. "Toaster! What's going on?" Lampy demanded in a cracking voice.

"Do you know what's happening? All this talk of the Salvation Army and donations! And- wha- hey, have you been crying?" Radio's feats of saying a whole four sentences in one breath have never ceased to amaze me.

I very quickly wiped away tears and said, "Nah. It's that time of year, you know. Pollen and dust." I laughed without much conviction.

Nobody else laughed. "But seriously, something very horrible's going on here!" Radio said.

"I know!" I snapped suddenly. "I know something weird's going on! I know we're going to the Salvation Army, I know the Master's getting rid of us, I know he got new appliances! I know, I know, I know!" About five seconds after that, I realized exactly what I'd just said.

"…And you were whining about how you couldn't tell them…" Ratso muttered after an awkward pause.

"…How long have you known this?" Lampy murmured incredulously.

"A while, but that's not important," I said. "What matters now is "

The Master was walking down the hall with the box. I quickly hid my face and became idle, as did radio and Lampy. Ratso scuttled across the kitchen floor to his cage.

After wondering why the lamp was in the kitchen, he placed Lampy and Radio in the box carefully. Then I was placed in there with them. "Sorry," I heard the Master say quietly. "But it's time to get out with the old and in with the new."

Packing peanuts inside here as well, eh? What a kind afterthought. At least he cares about us that much.

I broke out of my idle state and looked form Lampy to Radio as they stared at me, faces devoid of emotion. Well, with Radio, that's a given since he has no face, but I digress. My heart twisted up in guilt. What was I supposed to say now? "Sorry I didn't tell you sooner"? That sounds too casual. Maybe I just won't say anything, hoping they'll forgive me.

Soon Blanky was put into the box, too. I had no idea where Kirby was. The box was too small for him. Blanky gave me a sharp glance with those beady eyes of his, then turned away. What? What was I supposed to tell all of you? "Whoops, sorry guys, but the Master's dumping us out, just like he did last time. Have fun trying to process that."

Enough of the guilt trip already. I get it.

The box was soon inserted into the backseat of the car, and we drove off to the city, which was a ways off from our humble abode in the country. No time to say goodbye, even.

"I feel kinda bad just throwing them away," the Master said a little anxiously.

"Don't worry about it. Someone'll fix them up and give them a new home."

Blanky whimpered. "B-but… I don't want a new master…" he murmured shakily.

None of us really do. I sincerely wish we could do something about it, but then we'd screw up the Master and Mistress' view of the laws of the universe. And we don't want that to happen.

I felt the car come to a halt and tried to swallow down my fear in vain. Oh God, where are we? I wondered feverishly. Please don't let it be on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere. I don't think I could handle that.

But I could tell by the way I heard a door open and a few jingly bells make a jolly tinkling sound, we were in a store. The name Salvation Army popped to mind.

"This is outrageous…" Lampy muttered in a melancholic tone. No kidding.

The store sounded really silent. I got a kind of warehouse feeling in the back of my mind, even though I hadn't seen the interior or exterior of the place yet. It was the way the shoes sounded on the floor and echoed off the walls. And the air conditioning sounded awful loud and I just felt cold listening to it. I heard a man's voice say passively, "Hello, can I help you?"

"Sure. You take donations, right?" The box was shaken a tiny bit.

"Let me see 'em." The tabs opened and we all became idle. I felt someone's cold eyes prying about, observing our less-than-perfect quality. "Ah, how old are these guys would you say?"

A slight pause. "Uh… all I know is that my mom got them back in the late seventies. They still work, just not… great. Y'know?" No, I don't know. Are you insinuating that, due to fact I've started to burn out a bit, I deserve to be dumped into the hands of some poor family or a hobo? I'm afraid I don't understand your logic.

"I see. Sure, we'll take 'em." I heard the Master exchanging something with the clerk, then he grabbed all of us out and stamped cheap price tags that were grossly under-priced (ten dollars is a bit overkill, even for a secondhand donation-funded facility, don'tchya know) and set on a shelf next to other used appliances that, in my humble opinion, were in much worse shape than us. I guess nobody does any proper cleaning of the residents here, do they?

"Thank you. Have a nice day." Geez, the apathy of your voice really annoys me. Go pet a kitten and get some emotion in you, why don't you.

"No, no, thank you. I needed to make room for the new stuff. Bye." The door shut with the needlessly joyous tinkling again. That was a harsh goodbye, Master. I guess our big journey to find you and saving those animals and your thesis so you could graduate and saving your son from homicidal Martian appliances were all for not, eh? You're very welcome.

I opened my eyes and saw Blanky casting his eyes downward with a big tear dripping down his plastic face. I tried to give him a smile of sympathy, but my attempts were in vain as he gave out a sniffle. Lampy was just staring into space absently, looking simply drained.

"…And the outcasts find themselves stranded on an uncharted desert island within the giant storm. Tune in tomorrow for the conclusion," Radio announced without much conviction, making a subtle attempt at humor.

"…What went on just now?" the deep voice of Kirby said from below the counter in confusion. "The Master didn't give us away just now, did he?"

My heart sank deeply, all the way down to my plug. I tried to swallow down the lump in my throat as I said as positively as I could the words I'd be haunted by for the next week.

"He'll come back. Don't worry. I'm sure he will," I lied almost blatantly.

Oh, how I wish what I said was true. I only wish.

I hadn't even realized I'd fallen asleep, the memory replaying in my exhausted mind, when a warm beam of sunlight cast itself over my face. I woke up with a start and thought, Woah, wait, where am I?

Then I remembered.

I looked it over again. A big, dreary, warehouse-like store with walls of what looked like badly painted tin. Too-cold air conditioning. Things strewn everywhere. Not my first choice of real estate.

"It's about time you woke up!" Radio said right behind me quietly, startling me. "It's almost the afternoon!"

"Is it really?" You'd sleep until noon if you were up all night, too.

"You couldn't sleep either, eh?" Lampy asked in a whisper.

"Yeah… but can you really blame me?"

"No."

Then we were quiet, the whirring of the huge air conditioner filling up the silence. I noticed all the residents around us now. All the residents appliances and knickknacks of all kinds were still and lifeless, waiting for something. Not like I would know. Nobody fills in the newcomers these days, I guess.

The store was lacking customers, just one employee sitting by the register reading the newspaper and looking particularly bored. We were in for a long day.

"Boy, this place sure is happy and lively, isn't it?" Kirby asked sarcastically. Rainbows and daises abound in this lovely paradise, my friend. Rainbows and daisies.

I sighed. "I guess we're going to be here a while…"

"But didn't you say the Master would be coming back?" Blanky asked fairly loudly. Darn him and his ability to nitpick little details like that.

The guy at the register looked up confusedly. We hid our faces and sat tensely, waiting for him to go away. He rustled in his pocket for something, then I heard footsteps head for the door. A cigarette was lit, and the door with the too-happy bells closed. I looked toward the door, saw the employee give a deep drag, then walk out of sight.

"I bet he takes a lot of breathers," Lampy said.

"That means more free time for us," Radio added.

There was a short pause in which we all just sat and looked around the store. The place was a dump. Almost literally a big, roofed dump for used stuff like us. I felt a terrible, hollow twist in my heart, a feeling of which I'd felt within the dump from what seemed like so long ago. How much I'd done for Master then, and he just threw me out like this? I grit my teeth as I remembered the excruciating pain as I let myself be wrenched and disfigured in the gears of the giant crushing machine. Granted, he had no idea I was the one who saved him form an untimely and messy death, but even so, I think I deserved a bit more respect than that.

"But, Toaster, you said…" Blanky began sheepishly, "-you said that Master would come back."

"Did you lie to us?"

Oh, please, enough of this already! I looked down ashamedly at the tabletop, which was coated in a thin layer of dust form disuse. "Well… I… I just didn't want you guys to feel scared…"

"Well, too late!" Kirby snapped. "We're scared as all get-out now! Why didn't you say anything? You knew, didn't you?"

"…I did…" Please, kill me now so I don't have to beat myself up later.

"…And you hid it form us… so we wouldn't be scared…" Lampy murmured.

"Look, I have my reasons, all right?" I said solemnly. "…The fact is, now we're abandoned for good, and this time, we can't come back."

"Well, what should we do now?" Lampy asked.

"You five!" a voice barked form across the room, and I saw an old typewriter reveal its dusty face to us. "You're all talking too much! Be silent and still!" He then hid his face and resumed being silent and still.

I just glared back. Like we were actually going to talk in front of the cigarette guy! Just as I thought that, the employee came back in through the door with someone. A middle-aged mom with plain clothes and her little daughter.

Apparently, they had to get new appliances since theirs stopped working. Great. That made us easy targets for purchasing. We still worked. I felt everyone around me tense as they walked by us.

I saw the mom check my price tag, and could feel the little girl looking at her reflection on me. I'll admit, it's hard to resist my enamel's mirror-like beauty. But I digress. I heard the mom scoff and say, "They're asking way too little for these things. I bet they barely even work." Hey, now! That's profiling, what you're doing there!

"The guy who brought them in said they worked fine," the employee said in that dreary monotone voice of his.

"Hmm…"

"I want this one, Mommy!" the little girl cried out. She poked me a bit too hard, causing me to fall over onto Radio, who, in turn, knocked over Lampy. From now on, lady, keep that kid on a leash. Imagine the chaos if you brought her into a china store.

"Delilah Jane! Look what you did!" the mother scolded, re-positioning us. "Look, don't touch; okay, sweetie?"

"Yes, Mommy…" the little girl, Delilah, murmured reluctantly.

"I suppose we'll take the toaster," the mother said in a absolute tone. No! C'mon, the guys on the other table need attention, too! They've been sitting there for who knows how long!

"Can I hold it, Mommy?"

"All right, just don't drop it, okay?"

Delilah plucked me off the table carefully, then held me in her arms like a baby. Don't try and sway me into going home with you- I'm immune to this stuff. But she didn't put me back, and I didn't hear Mommy change her mind. I cautiously opened one eye, and saw the gang watching me worriedly form the table behind us. I mouthed the words, "Help me" to them, but, alas, there was nothing they could do but watch me get carted away by this family.

After the mom paid the very meager price for me (seriously, though; ten bucks? If you think you're getting business that way, you might want to reconsider your priorities) and a couple of other various appliances, we walked out the door in a plastic bag and were placed into the trunk, and drove away.

I opened my eyes and saw a dusty old tableside lamp, a digital clock whose fiberoptic numbers were losing their color, and a blender. They all had a relieved, dreamy look in their eyes, as if they had just accomplished some big feat.

"What're you guys so happy about?" I asked.

"We're off to a new home now. We're one step closer to fulfilling our ultimate purpose in life."

I arched my eyebrows disbelievingly. The guy sounded as if he'd been rehearsing this and waiting until the time came to say them. Besides, that sounded like a very liberal view of where we were going. Wouldn't surprise me if some guy had told everyone in the shop this before we had a chance to hear it.

So now I was stuck in a plastic bag in a car trunk that smelled like an ashtray with three hippie-like old-timers who were positively tickled pink at the idea of going to a new home.

Please just shoot me now.

"Well," I said casually, "not that I'm not having any fun, but I'm getting out of here."

I turned to open the trunk, and felt a cord grab my arm tightly and fiercely. "Do not try and defy destiny," the lamp said cryptically.

I shrugged his cord away. "Well, what if getting away from here is my destiny?" I quietly opened the trunk, so as the family couldn't see or hear.

"Then we are grievously sympathetic for you," the clock said in a hollow voice. You don't sound very sympathetic.

"Well, you guys have fun at your new home," I said with a grin. "I'll be on my way."

"But where will you go? You have no home now. Appliances need a home in which to serve their purpose."

"That's none of your concern. I'll figure out something," I said simply.

"…Then we wish you good luck on your search." None of them smiled or waved goodbye, just stood there, watching me with cloudy eyes.

Without a word, I leapt out of the trunk and into the road. I hit the asphalt at about sixty miles an hour, landing with a frightening crash that sent a huge wrench of pain through my whole body. But I was out now. Away from those creepy old appliances and from a family I had no desire to live with.

I looked around me and started when I saw a car racing toward me. I became idle and braced myself, but the tires weren't even close and I missed being flattened. I opened my eyes and looked around again, expecting another car. But the road was now quiet and lifeless, surrounded by houses on all sides. I cautiously dashed out of the road and behind a lamppost. Nobody outside. The road was practically deserted. I couldn't believe my luck.

But I was still somewhat wary, so I ran as quickly as I can down the sidewalks, idling whenever a car passed by. I ran all the way back to the Salvation Army store, which wasn't as far away as I thought. Nevertheless, once I got there I was breathless and exhausted. I was surprised when I saw all my friends peeking through the back door. We quickly regrouped and discussed what exactly we were going to do now.

"Well, now we have to find somewhere else to go," I said. "Because we can't stay here, and we don't want to go to a new home."

"Yeah, but what other places are there to go?" Kirby asked.

"W- I don't know, you guys!" I snapped.

"Quiet!" Radio hissed. "Don't arouse any suspicion! This place got busy after you left, so we barely got out unnoticed."

"Okay, okay," I whispered.

"So, like you were saying, we need to find a place to go. So what options are there?" Lampy asked.

"Well, let's see…" I muttered, thinking. "There's, ah… stay here-"

"I don't like that idea," Blanky said in a whimpering voice.

"Neither do I."

"-Find a home with another family-"

"Also out of the question."

"-Or just stay out in the streets."

There was a brief pause as everyone thought this through. "So that's it?"

"Unless anyone has any other ideas, yeah," I said.

Another pause. "…I-I think I have an idea," Blanky murmured nervously.

"Well, let's hear it then."

"…Well… there is the cottage…"

I grinned. "Blanky, that's a great idea."

"What?" Kirby, Lampy, and Radio cried simultaneously. "But that could take weeks- months, even!"

"Well, what other options do we have? We could just get sold and not be happy."

They thought this over a moment. "You have a point…" Lampy said.

"Yeah," Radio agreed.

"I… guess it couldn't hurt…" Kirby muttered reluctantly.

"Then it's settled. We're off to the cottage. C'mon you guys. We've got a long way to go."

Six pages in Microsoft Works Word Processor is a record in chapter-writing for me. So is having over fifty KB in data, even though it got minimized to twenty once I put it in WordPad. But, anyhoo, let's get on with the afternote.

This chapter, as you can tell, is told from Toaster's POV. Don't worry, POV's will change throughout the story, depending on who has the biggest role in the chapter or who has the most important prescence, and, eys, that does include my OCs (who will be introduced in the next chapter). Please don't ask if Lampy or Kirby or whoever will get a chapter, because, yes, they eventually will. Just hold yer horses and don't think too much about it.

If you're wondering why Toaster is sarcastic and slightly OOC, my excuse is that I think that pleasant, motehrly attitude he always has in teh movies is kind of a facade. Like, sure, he has good morals and he wants the best for his friends and anyone involved, but depe inside, he's a bit of a cynic and pokes fun at any situation he's in, no matter how sad or earth-shatteringly important it may be. And my second excuse is that he's slightly matured as opposed to Goes to Mars, let's say the timeframe between now and then is... oh, say, five years. Since the second movie, let's say eight. Since the first, about ten. So, yeah. He still has that girly voice, though... I don't think he's ever growing out of that. XD

If you have any questions, don't be afraid to ask. I don't bite, no matter how snarky I may seem. Besides, I like talking with people. :P

Don't forget to reveiw! Every single one is appreciated, be it negative or just "lol good job". I especially like criticism, I take evry chance I can to improve. So, in short, please reveiw, even if it's a one-word reveiw.

EDIT: HOLY BACON, I hate 's Document editor! I'm trying to add dashes and dividers, but it's being a pregnant goldfish and isn't doing anything. Anybody have any ttips? I'd love 'em.

Cheers,
~UltraVioletSpectrum (aka Mo)