Mindcrackedby mathwiz617ChaptersThrough the Portal, and What Twilight Found There (redone)Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 4Chapter 5Chapter 6Through the Portal, and What Twilight Found There (redone)Twilight looked out the window in her bedroom. Outside, thunder rumbled as the Royal Guard’s pegasus unit tried to pick apart what seemed to be Discord’s latest attempt at getting her to stay awake. It was a large storm, and more importantly, very loud. She saw a few lightning bolts strike before she closed the curtains. She then lit a candle and sat down at her desk. If she wasn’t going to sleep, she may as well start on the next day’s work. The next morning, she woke with a start as Spike shook her shoulder. She didn’t remember falling asleep, but it didn’t matter. Looking at the paperwork strewn across her desk, she sighed as she noticed that she had drooled a little overnight. Fortunately, none of the scrolls were damaged, but still. Checking outside, she was pleased to see absolutely no storm damage. However, some guards were standing around some strange object in the middle of the statue garden. Throwing open the window, Twilight flew outside and down to the group. “What did Discord do this time?” she asked. “Actually,” Discord said from behind her, “I didn’t do anything. This… thing won’t even respond to my powers. I tried making it green, but nope, nothing. I didn’t even make the storm last night.” “Right,” Twilight sighed. “So, if you didn’t do this, what did?” “I don’t know,” Discord snarked. “I just got here. These guards have been looking it over all morning. Ask them.” Turning to the guards, Twilight recognized the top ranking pony. "Lieutenant," she asked him, "what's going on here?" "Well, Your Highness," he began, "we really don't know. This structure appeared last night during the storm. Obviously, it's dark purple with a light purple center, but beyond that, we have no idea what it is." Twilight thought for a second. "Clear both sides," she instructed, levitating some nearby stones. Once they did as instructed, she shot the stones at the structure, aiming at different places. As they struck, most bounced off without damaging the thing, but the stone that flew through the middle disappeared. "Where'd it go?" one of the younger guards asked, looking around the structure. "My guess, some other dimension," Twilight said. "This must be a portal, like the one in the Crystal Empire. I think Princess Celestia should know about this." "Come on, Princess," Twilight pleaded. "Please let me go through. I am one of the two living ponies to traverse different dimensions." Princess Celestia seemed reluctant. "After your description of the last world you went to, I am hesitant to send you to another. What if you don't come back?" "But I will," Twilight said. "It'll just be a quick exploration, to see if there's intelligent life on the other side. I've always dreamed of making first contact with a new species." Celestia sighed. "If I can't talk you out of it, I might as well help ensure your safe return. I shall have the cooks prepare some bread and apples. You should also keep a journal, so your description won’t be as… haphazard as last time.” Twilight winced. While her account of Earth had been spotty at best, both princesses knew that bringing that up always struck a nerve. Nodding her assent, she waited for her supplies to be readied. She didn’t have to wait long. In less than an hour, a pair of saddlebags was brought out to her, filled with apples, carrots, and bread. On top of the food was a journal, some ink, and a few quills. Now prepared, Twilight walked into the swirling purple light, her vision fading as she was transported through the void between worlds. Stepping out the other side, the first thing she noticed was the dirt in front of her. Then the grass just a few meters away. Everything seemed perfectly formed, precise cubes laid down to form a perfectly flat expanse. She saw patterns in the dirt, repeating exactly every meter. This world was not like any she could have imagined. She sat down just outside the portal, pulled out her book and quill, which had somehow transformed to match the landscape, and began to take notes. The entire time, she had the feeling that she was being watched. From atop his faithful donkey, a lone man stared out into the wilderness. He had recently received permission to explore new territory, and, by Notch, explore he had. Over five thousand blocks away from his home island, Paulsoares had found many, many familiar things. Clumps of Podzol, mountainous savannas, even a jungle temple all fell within his gaze at one point or another. He was about to turn back when he noticed something strange. In the middle of a large stretch of flat land, there was a Nether portal. Asking his friends, he discovered that he was, indeed, the first into this new area. Where this portal came from, he could only guess. Even more interesting was the purple, winged, horned horse sitting in front of it. He never thought he would put those words together, but here it was. “Hya! Forward, Ferris!” he shouted, spurring his donkey into action. Ferris Mueller wasn’t exactly the fastest on four legs, but was fast enough to catch the other horse’s attention. It calmly put away what looked like a book and quill before taking off into the sky, out of Paul’s reach. Since it didn’t fly more than about ten blocks high, Paul dismounted, pulled a stack of cobblestone out of his pack, and faced the ground. He then jumped, placed a block, and jumped again, repeating until he was level with the hovering horse. Pulling out his sword, he dropped it off of the pillar as a sign of peace. He then repeated the process with his bow. The sun was still high in the sky, and there were no caves around, so he still felt safe without them. A few tense seconds went by, until the horse opened its mouth. Instead of a whinny, what came out floored Paul. It said, “Hello.” Chapter 2“Hello,” the biped replied, a bewildered look on its face. “I… uh… I’m sorry, but what exactly are you? And, well, can we have this conversation on the ground?” Twilight was confused for a second, until she realized that the biped probably would hurt itself falling this distance. Slowly descending, she watched as it, she assumed male by the deeper voice, pulled out a shiny blue pickaxe and broke the pillar, one cube at a time. Once they both were on the ground, Twilight introduced herself. “I’m Twilight Sparkle, princess of Equestria,” she said. “I’m the youngest alicorn in the land, and I used to bear the duty of the Bearer of the Element of Magic. I’m here to research this world and its inhabitants.” The biped nodded as he collected his weapons, storing them in pouches on his belt for future use. “I’m also a bit of an explorer, being one of two ponies to travel between dimensions.” Her last sentence caught his attention. “I’m an explorer, too,” he replied. “My name is Paulsoaresjr, but everyone calls me Paul. I don’t have any fancy titles, but I’m well known in the community. I like to think of myself as a bit of an expert in inter-dimensional travel myself, having been to both the Nether and the End. Really, though, most Crafters have, so it’s not that special. I made a museum back in Spawn Town, if you want to take a look. I was going to head back soon, anyway.” Twilight thought for a second. “That would be a tremendous help,” she said. Paul climbed onto his donkey and set it trotting off to the west, judging by the movement of the sun. Twilight followed close behind. A few minutes later, they happened upon a small wooden shack. Paul placed down a fence post and tied the donkey to it, opened the door, and motioned for Twilight to come inside. When they discovered she couldn't fit through the door, he widened the entrance by another meter, allowing her to get through. Once she was inside, he sealed the entrance and laid down a torch. As the sun set, Twilight looked through the one square of glass in the hut's wall. Outside, darkness fell quickly, and other bipeds began to appear, along with the occasional green quadruped. Paul explained that these were evil creatures that appeared in the dark. There were many zombies and skeletons, a few tall endermen, and enough creepers to blow even the most highly armored Crafter sky-high. "Will your donkey be alright?" Twilight asked. "Ferris will be fine," Paul answered. "Hostile mobs don't notice horses. Not horses from this world, that is. I'm not sure about you." "I'm a pony," Twilight responded. "I think I should stay in here, just in case." The two spent the night talking about the basics of this world: the selective gravity, the cubic nature of everything, and death and respawning. The last one intrigued Twilight, until Paul told her that there was no in-between for the two. Near sunup, Twilight was feeling hungry, so she reached into her bags, surprised to find that the bread and apples had flattened and stacked together. This left a lot of room for other things. Eating one of each, she listened as Paul explained that this world was just one in a huge universe. There were, theoretically, infinite worlds, no two the same. Paul, and some of his friends, lived multiple lives on different worlds. A few of them had dabbled in magic, though there was no way to access it on this world, which had been dubbed 'Mindcrack'. Once the zombies and skeletons finished burning, the two of them walked outside. Whacking a creeper over the head with his blade, Paul hopped on Ferris' back and bid Twilight follow him south. Trudging along through the savanna, Twilight asked about Paul's friends. "Well, the one who maintains this world is Guude, so he's first and foremost. Then there's Pause, Beef and Etho, who make up 'Team Canada', and Zisteau, who occasionally joins them in their… I'll call it 'fun'. There's the 'B-Team', Bdoubleo and GenerikB, who get into a lot of trouble here. Doc , Anderz and Baj may be a little hard for you to understand. Sethbling is a scientist, and finally, there's my neighbor, Vechs. He's a trouble maker if I've ever seen one. I'm sure I've forgotten a few, but those are the ones here currently. We actually have a meeting coming up about what to do with these easterly lands, so you'll get to meet all of them soon." "Neat," Twilight responded after taking it all in. Thinking for a second, she asked, "You do know where that portal I came through is, right?" "Of course," Paul assured her. "I wrote down the coordinates of every important thing I've come across in my journeys." "Thank goodness," Twilight sighed. Their conversation shifted back to Paul's friends, and their various interests and achievements. For the next couple of daylight cycles (Twilight refused to call them days, due to how short they were), Twilight learned much about the inhabitants of Mindcrack. She heard of redstone, and the Crafters well-learned in its ways, Etho, Sethbling, and others. She was told of the excellent artists, Bdoubleo and Arkas, and Guude's sculptures. The secret of creating new worlds in this universe was revealed, including Vechs' methods of sculpting them to his liking. All this, and more, Twilight wrote in her journal. It wasn't until four daylight cycles later they came upon another portal. At this point, Paul dismounted his donkey and pushed him through. "After you," he told Twilight, motioning towards the portal. She entered, and everything went black. Chapter 3Rematerializing on the other side of the portal, the first thing Twilight noticed was the heat. It felt like standing close to a dragon's breath, a sensation she had never wished to feel again. The air smelled of sulfur, and the ground below her gave slightly as she stepped forward. Once her eyes adjusted, she saw that everything was a dim red color. There were specks of light in the distance, but between her and them was a multitude of bipedal zombie pigs. Walking to a nearby ledge, Twilight looked down, immediately regretting it. Below was a sixty meter drop into a lake of glowing lava. "Home's this way!" Paul called to her from around the portal. "This is as far as I could go this way without a pack full of blocks." Twilight turned around, careful to stay on the ledge. There was no telling what the thermal currents here would do to her flying. As she caught up to Paul, the two resumed their journey. "What is this place?" she asked. "This is the Nether," Paul responded. "Some call it Hell. It's not the most friendly place, to say the least." "I'll say. Why aren't these mobs attacking us?" "The zombie pigmen? They're relatively docile. They will retaliate to any attack en mass, however. There's also ghasts, which will attack us on sight, as well as blazes and wither skeletons, which are just as deadly. The only real reason to come to the Nether more than once is for quick travel. Every one block here, in the x-z plane, is equal to eight in the overworld. It'll make getting home a lot easier, hopefully." "It sounds safer to just walk the distance in the overworld," Twilight pointed out. "Probably," Paul agreed. "However, that would mean crossing a three hundred block wide ocean. I'm not going to subject Ferris to that. He can't swim." Twilight looked at him, somewhat surprised to see the donkey withstanding the environment. Paul was scanning the horizon, bow in hand, while Ferris trudged along. Her look caught Paul's eye, and he explained, "It's for ghasts. They fly and spit explosive fireballs. I don't hear any now, but that doesn't mean that there aren't any around." "When you say 'explosive,' how bad are you talking about?" Twilight asked. "Strong enough to destroy a few blocks," Paul answered. "Not as strong as a creeper blast, but it doesn't have to be. A lot of the Nether, it seems, is just a one block thick floor over a lava lake. One bad step, and you can lose all your stuff. I essentially make a living showing others how to not die, so I prefer to not take chances here." Twilight nodded, thankful to be traveling with someone so level-headed. She watched as her companion pulled out a notepad and map. Glancing at the items, she saw what must have been sets of coordinates, along with labels for each. It was fairly easy to tell which set was what, since the labels were such like, "Home" and "Met purple ~~horse~~ pony here". They were currently headed for "Nether Hub: Spawn". Not much later, they arrived at a large tunnel, which Twilight reasoned led to the Hub. Paul explained that the tunnel, which was four meters wide by four tall, was just small enough that ghasts wouldn't spawn. The tunnel wasn't very long, and in a short time, the pair arrived in the Hub. It was much brighter than the rest of the Nether, which Paul explained was due to glowstone hidden in the floor. The floor had a symbol on it, one that looked like a brain split by a lightning bolt. There were tunnels going various directions, and stairs leading to the middle of the Hub. Looking up, Twilight was stricken by the scale that these Crafters built with. The dome was at least as tall as Celestia's throne room, and, according to Paul, this was just one of four. Ascending the stairs, Twilight couldn't help but notice shapes on the wall. They were strangely hypnotic, as if silently begging her to draw some pattern out of the apparent chaos. In stark contrast to the shapes' silent pleas, the portal in the center of the room made its presence known through ear-splitting, wholly unholy noises. The other portals had made the same noise, but not nearly this loud. "So, this is the way to Spawn town, right?" Twilight asked over the racket. "Yep," Paul shouted back. "Ladies first!" With one final look at her guide, Twilight jumped into the swirling purple light. Chapter 4Light filtering through vines greeted Twilight on the other side. Stepping away from the portal, she saw that she was in a garden of sorts. It was walled in, with flowers and trees and nice green grass. "Welcome to Spawn," Paul said from behind her, as he popped back into the overworld. "This is where we entered this world, and so, it is also where we built our 'home town'. We hold our meetings in the town hall to the left, and our main source of food is to the right. Etho brews potions in that large blue-grey building behind you, across the bridge, and, well, there's so much more here." Looking at the buildings Paul pointed out, Twilight was intrigued by the big one with a chicken on top. "What happens in there?" she asked. "I was hoping you wouldn't ask that," Paul commented. "Like I said, it's our main source of food. King Cluck's serves free lava-crisped chicken in large amounts." "That sounds… inhumane." "It is. What happens is, adult chickens lay eggs into a hopper duct, which then feeds them into a dispenser. The dispenser hatches the babies, which then grow half a block after five minutes." "And they grow into a block of lava," Twilight continued, "instantly cooking the meat, which is then collected into a chest. I can understand the process, I just can't understand why you do it." "I don't partake in auto-slaughtered chicken," Paul said, munching on a melon slice. "Those that do are probably looking to fill their stomachs so, you know, they don't die. It's more of a symbol of our dominion over this world than anything. That, and a way to make things easier. When you don't have to worry about food, you can do a lot of other things." "That makes sense," Twilight ceded. "That doesn't make it any more humane, though. Oh well. I'm not here to pass judgement, just make first contact." "Fair enough. Hey, we should tour the town before the meeting." "Alright. I really want to see this museum of yours." Paul led her to a sandstone pyramid at the edge of town. Inside, she was startled by a zombie, which Paul had apparently trapped and named 'Professor Bones'. While Paul checked the donation chest, Twilight looked around the museum. To the right was a collection of blocks from various natural structures. There were pistons, mossy cobblestone and bricks, and even a block of TNT. On the other side was a wall of signs. Examining them, Twilight saw that it was a collection of dates. Each date marked an important event in Mindcrack history; mainly new Crafters entering the world, or the world being remade. “I guess it’s time to add a new date,” Paul said as he walked up behind her. He wrote a few words on a board, then nailed it to the wall. It read: “Visited by Princess Twilight Sparkle. April 23-”. “I assume you’ll update it when I leave?” Twilight asked. “Of course. You’re the first visitor to stay more than one day, and the most important one since Dinnerbone.” “Did you mention Dinnerbone before? I feel like you did.” “No, I didn’t. At least, I don’t remember doing so. He’s one of the most important Crafters. In order of importance: Notch created the universe, Jeb maintains it, and Dinnerbone keeps it interesting. Many crafters work beneath the three, creating new things for the universe. Then there’s those who maintain worlds, like Guude does this one. Finally, there’s everybody else. Many in the last category find their way into the two above, though, creating new worlds or new content as they so choose. Not much is seen by other Crafters, but those who share their vision have created quite a large community.” “You sound like you’re selling yourself short,” Twilight observed. “Perhaps,” Paul agreed. “I try to be humble. I let others take the spotlight; I don’t really need it.” He pulled a clock out of his pack. “Oh, it’s almost time for the meeting. We should go.” Town hall was abuzz even before Twilight and Paul arrived. After hitching Ferris to a nearby fencepost, the two walked inside. As they did, the conversation died almost immediately. Twilight felt about a dozen pairs of eyes staring at her. It wasn’t a completely foreign feeling, but unwelcome nonetheless. Looking around, Twilight recognized some of the Crafters from Paul’s descriptions. Guude was standing at the head of the congregation, with Arkas and Baj on each side. To the left was the B-team, Sethbling, and Avidya. To the right stood Etho, Zisteau, and Nebris. She caught a glimpse of somebody, probably Adlington, falling off the rafters and dying, dropping the contents of his bag all over the floor. Avidya sighed, put down a chest, and started to clean up. “I don’t even know how he got up there,” he muttered. That seemed to break the tension, as most of the assembled Crafters started to laugh. “So, uh, Paul, what do you have here?” Guude asked, after everyone had quieted down. “Not what, who,” Paul corrected. Bumping Twilight, he whispered, “Introduce yourself.” Twilight cleared her throat. “I am Princess Twilight Sparkle of Equestria. I come in peace. A portal appeared in my castle’s gardens last night. When I passed through, I ended up in this world. I came to learn, and to establish good relations.” "Well, uh, welcome, I guess," Guude said. "I definitely wasn't expecting a guest from another universe. I actually called this meeting today because a new Crafter is joining our world." This news was met with a chorus of cheers from the Crafters in the hall. "You all probably have heard of her. Yes, her. Please welcome Aureylian to Mindcrack." With an audible pop, a new Crafter appeared. She had bright red hair and a nice white dress. As the others greeted her, she blushed, perhaps not used to all the attention. "Hello all," she said. "I'm happy to be here with you all. I'm sure it'll be a lot of fun, and…" She trailed off as her eyes alighted on Twilight. "Ooh, a unicorn! Oh, wow, she's purple, too. I thought they didn't exist in this world." "Well, until recently, she didn't," Paul explained. "I found her in the wilderness to the east. It's a long story." "By the way," Twilight chimed in, flaring her wings, "I'm an alicorn. I have control over magic and the ability to fly." “Oh, that’s even cooler,” Aureylian replied. “Well, we have all the time in the world, why don’t you tell the story now?” Paul shrugged. “Ok, but don’t go saying you’re bored halfway through.” Chapter 5"Well, that's a crazy story," Guude said as Paul finished, Twilight having interjected at times. "Yeah," Etho agreed. "I barely believe it, and the proof is standing right here. Then again, crazier things have happened." "At least you obey gravity, Twilight," Zisteau added. Murmurs of acknowledgement went around the room. "Well, I'm off for a while. See you guys later." Just as suddenly as Aureylian had appeared earlier, the zombie pig Crafter disappeared. "I'm going to go make sure nobody pranked me while I was away," Paul told Twilight. "Do you want to see my treehouse?" "Sure," Twilight said. "I'm very interested in your home. A treehouse, you said? Is it in a tree or on top of a tree?" "A bit of both," Paul clarified as they walked out of town hall. "You'll see." Heading southwest for a while, the two rounded a mountain base. As they did, an army of pumpkins on top of fences met them. Each had one raised lever and one lowered lever. They perfectly matched the gigantic one on top of the docks nearby. Paul ignored them and started searching his property. "What are you looking for?" Twilight asked. "A sign," he answered. "It's common courtesy to leave a sign when you prank someone. I have a strong suspicion that I know who did this." Looking up at his home, he noticed something amiss. "He tore out my window, too." Leading Twilight up the stairs into his home, Paul examined the damage. "Well, here we go," he sighed. The boarded up window had a sign posted on it. It read, "Do I even have to do this anymore? You know it's me. -Vechs. P.S. I was going to write something about an eviction notice, but I forgot what exactly it was. Derp." “Yep, just as I thought,” Paul said. "I guess he figured that with Guude resetting the world again soon, all bets are off." "What does resetting the world entail?" Twilight asked. "It's a clean wipe. The terrain is remade, backpacks are cleared, anything made is destroyed, etcetera. Oh, I'd probably leave soon if I were you, just to be sure you don't get caught in the wipe." "I guess that's a good idea. How do I get home, though? You made it sound like there's not enough time to get back to the portal I came in through." "There may not be," Paul admitted. "Not through the Nether, and definitely not overland. However, there is one other way. I need to pay Vechs a visit anyway, so you might as well come along." "What does Vechs have that you don't?" Twilight asked. "Not much," Paul confessed. "Just a sprawling underground fortress, a huge pumpkin farm, two skeleton spawners, and his crown jewel: one of the three End portals." When Twilight looked confused at the last item, he said, "I'll explain on the way." After a single minute of walking, the pair came to an unassuming dirt wall at the edge of Paul's property. Digging two cubes into it, Paul revealed a stairway into the ground. "Welcome to Vechs' base," he said. "You have no idea how long he kept this 'secret' entrance from me." As the two climbed down the stairs, he began to explain, "Now, an End portal is similar to a Nether portal, but the activation is slightly different. It requires Eyes of Ender, which are Ender Pearls mixed with Blaze powder, inserted into sockets in a ring. Twelve will power the portal, which will send you to the End, which is the third dimension every world can access. It's just a big island floating over the void, and is covered by Endermen. The Enderdragon ruled it, right up until the Crafters in this world killed her and took her egg. When the dragon died, she left behind another portal. This one takes you back to the last place you slept. With any luck, it'll send you back home." "That sounds like a cruel way to get home," Twilight said. "You forget, here it's either kill or be killed," Paul laughed. "I don't want you to die just to get home, so this is the only other way." "Fair enough." Looking down, she asked, "How much further until the main part of the base?" "Just a hundred blocks or so." Author's Note My plans for this story fizzled out at the end of Mindcrack S4. Ah well, I can at least promise one more chapter and a sequel. Chapter 6Twilight was amazed at the detail put into the underground lair Vechs resided in. Paul had given her a whirlwind tour, showing her the sprawling farm, the interspersed terrariums, the stash of powerful enchanted bows, and even Project Rainbow, arguably the noisiest spot in the base. As they went back to 'Intersection 1', Paul pointed to the sign labeled 'Stronghold'. "That's where we need to go," he said. "The End portal is in the center of the stronghold. He's cleared a good path, so it shouldn't take long." "Good," Twilight sighed. "My legs are starting to ache. I haven't walked this much in a long time." The two walked through the tunnel, watching as it transitioned from solid stone to stone bricks. Before long, they came to the portal. This one was horizontal, which clearly differentiated it from the Nether portals. With a careful step, Twilight stepped into the starry plane. She immediately emerged on the other side on top of an obsidian platform. The entire dimension pulsed with strange energy, as if actively trying to push her out. She could hear the cries of trapped endermen in the distance as Paul popped in beside her. With a nod, he led her to a small bedrock structure. Inside was another portal. “Just hop on in, and it’ll take you home,” Paul said. Twilight looked at him. “Oh, don’t worry. I’m sure we’ll see each other again. We can call this ‘goodbye for now.’ The reset will only take a day, so come back anytime you like.” “Thanks. I’ll be sure to come again,” Twilight said. “There’s so much to learn here. Oh, when you say ‘a day’, do you mean your time or my time?” “My time.” Paul shook his head. “I really wish I could come with you. Your world sounds so interesting.” Twilight nodded. “There’s rarely a dull day. It is interesting, just in a different way than this world.” She sighed. “I wish I could have stayed longer." Shaking her head, she said, "I'm not good at goodbyes. I guess that I should get going before this gets any harder." Paul patted her on the back, slipping something into her pack, and she took a step forward. Once she touched the shimmering plane, she felt her body go weightless. Words started to scroll through her vision. Noting various names that Paul had mentioned, Twilight focused her mind on returning to Equestria. Her sight faded out and back in, blurriness giving way to a clear picture of her room in Canterlot Castle. Looking at the clock on her desk, she saw that a day had passed since she left, give or take a few hours. Out the window, the portal remained where it had been. Opening her door, Twilight was met by unchanging expressions from the guards outside. "The princesses are waiting for you in the throne room, Your Highness," the one on the left told her. Nodding her thanks, Twilight gathered the magic around her for a teleportation spell. Oh, controlling magic is so much easier in this world, she thought. Launching herself through the castle, she appeared in front of the doors to the throne room in an instant. The guards in front of her greeted her, then pushed the door open, announcing her presence. Celestia, in her ever serene voice, called for day court to be adjourned. As the nobles filtered out of the room, some rather upset, the elder Princess called down to the younger one. "Welcome back, Twilight. It is good to see you again so soon." Luna added on from her spot beside Celestia. "Tell us of your expedition. We have been very eager to hear of your time in other lands." Twilight looked behind her, unwilling to start until the doors were closed. She didn't want to start any rumors among the elite. After all the nobles were out of earshot, she began. A while later, after her tale was finished, Celestia spoke. "This is quite the story, Twilight. Did you happen to bring along a souvenir from this cubic world?” Twilight reached into her bags, pulling out the food that once filled it. The princesses were intrigued by its now flat, cubic look, but were amazed at what came out next: a shining blue pickaxe. It held a magical glow, and a piece of paper was attached to the handle. The note read: “Twilight, I know you may be eager to return. However, I must warn you, what you have seen is only a small fraction of what the Mindcrack world has available. Much of what is left to be seen is dangerous, and may leak into your world without you taking precautions. Should you want to sever the link between our worlds, take this pickaxe and break the portal that led you here. Destroying one of the blocks on the side should do. This pickaxe should do that quickly enough. If you ever want to reestablish the passage, replace the block and light the center on fire. We Crafters await your decision. Paulsoares Jr.” Twilight paused as she finished reading the letter. “I would love to go back,” she said. “Maybe it would be better for you to see it though, Princess.” Celestia thought for a second. “Indeed. You have definitely piqued my interest. How about you, Luna?” “I must see this for myself,” the younger alicorn agreed. “How long must we wait until we can traverse this pathway ourselves?” “About twenty minutes,” Twilight estimated, yawning. “Ah, it’s been full day since I slept properly. I’m going to go take a nap.” As Twilight exited the room, she couldn’t help but hear the two immortals discussing their plans for their inter-dimensional vacation.
Through the Portal, and What Twilight Found There (redone)Twilight looked out the window in her bedroom. Outside, thunder rumbled as the Royal Guard’s pegasus unit tried to pick apart what seemed to be Discord’s latest attempt at getting her to stay awake. It was a large storm, and more importantly, very loud. She saw a few lightning bolts strike before she closed the curtains. She then lit a candle and sat down at her desk. If she wasn’t going to sleep, she may as well start on the next day’s work. The next morning, she woke with a start as Spike shook her shoulder. She didn’t remember falling asleep, but it didn’t matter. Looking at the paperwork strewn across her desk, she sighed as she noticed that she had drooled a little overnight. Fortunately, none of the scrolls were damaged, but still. Checking outside, she was pleased to see absolutely no storm damage. However, some guards were standing around some strange object in the middle of the statue garden. Throwing open the window, Twilight flew outside and down to the group. “What did Discord do this time?” she asked. “Actually,” Discord said from behind her, “I didn’t do anything. This… thing won’t even respond to my powers. I tried making it green, but nope, nothing. I didn’t even make the storm last night.” “Right,” Twilight sighed. “So, if you didn’t do this, what did?” “I don’t know,” Discord snarked. “I just got here. These guards have been looking it over all morning. Ask them.” Turning to the guards, Twilight recognized the top ranking pony. "Lieutenant," she asked him, "what's going on here?" "Well, Your Highness," he began, "we really don't know. This structure appeared last night during the storm. Obviously, it's dark purple with a light purple center, but beyond that, we have no idea what it is." Twilight thought for a second. "Clear both sides," she instructed, levitating some nearby stones. Once they did as instructed, she shot the stones at the structure, aiming at different places. As they struck, most bounced off without damaging the thing, but the stone that flew through the middle disappeared. "Where'd it go?" one of the younger guards asked, looking around the structure. "My guess, some other dimension," Twilight said. "This must be a portal, like the one in the Crystal Empire. I think Princess Celestia should know about this." "Come on, Princess," Twilight pleaded. "Please let me go through. I am one of the two living ponies to traverse different dimensions." Princess Celestia seemed reluctant. "After your description of the last world you went to, I am hesitant to send you to another. What if you don't come back?" "But I will," Twilight said. "It'll just be a quick exploration, to see if there's intelligent life on the other side. I've always dreamed of making first contact with a new species." Celestia sighed. "If I can't talk you out of it, I might as well help ensure your safe return. I shall have the cooks prepare some bread and apples. You should also keep a journal, so your description won’t be as… haphazard as last time.” Twilight winced. While her account of Earth had been spotty at best, both princesses knew that bringing that up always struck a nerve. Nodding her assent, she waited for her supplies to be readied. She didn’t have to wait long. In less than an hour, a pair of saddlebags was brought out to her, filled with apples, carrots, and bread. On top of the food was a journal, some ink, and a few quills. Now prepared, Twilight walked into the swirling purple light, her vision fading as she was transported through the void between worlds. Stepping out the other side, the first thing she noticed was the dirt in front of her. Then the grass just a few meters away. Everything seemed perfectly formed, precise cubes laid down to form a perfectly flat expanse. She saw patterns in the dirt, repeating exactly every meter. This world was not like any she could have imagined. She sat down just outside the portal, pulled out her book and quill, which had somehow transformed to match the landscape, and began to take notes. The entire time, she had the feeling that she was being watched. From atop his faithful donkey, a lone man stared out into the wilderness. He had recently received permission to explore new territory, and, by Notch, explore he had. Over five thousand blocks away from his home island, Paulsoares had found many, many familiar things. Clumps of Podzol, mountainous savannas, even a jungle temple all fell within his gaze at one point or another. He was about to turn back when he noticed something strange. In the middle of a large stretch of flat land, there was a Nether portal. Asking his friends, he discovered that he was, indeed, the first into this new area. Where this portal came from, he could only guess. Even more interesting was the purple, winged, horned horse sitting in front of it. He never thought he would put those words together, but here it was. “Hya! Forward, Ferris!” he shouted, spurring his donkey into action. Ferris Mueller wasn’t exactly the fastest on four legs, but was fast enough to catch the other horse’s attention. It calmly put away what looked like a book and quill before taking off into the sky, out of Paul’s reach. Since it didn’t fly more than about ten blocks high, Paul dismounted, pulled a stack of cobblestone out of his pack, and faced the ground. He then jumped, placed a block, and jumped again, repeating until he was level with the hovering horse. Pulling out his sword, he dropped it off of the pillar as a sign of peace. He then repeated the process with his bow. The sun was still high in the sky, and there were no caves around, so he still felt safe without them. A few tense seconds went by, until the horse opened its mouth. Instead of a whinny, what came out floored Paul. It said, “Hello.”
Chapter 2“Hello,” the biped replied, a bewildered look on its face. “I… uh… I’m sorry, but what exactly are you? And, well, can we have this conversation on the ground?” Twilight was confused for a second, until she realized that the biped probably would hurt itself falling this distance. Slowly descending, she watched as it, she assumed male by the deeper voice, pulled out a shiny blue pickaxe and broke the pillar, one cube at a time. Once they both were on the ground, Twilight introduced herself. “I’m Twilight Sparkle, princess of Equestria,” she said. “I’m the youngest alicorn in the land, and I used to bear the duty of the Bearer of the Element of Magic. I’m here to research this world and its inhabitants.” The biped nodded as he collected his weapons, storing them in pouches on his belt for future use. “I’m also a bit of an explorer, being one of two ponies to travel between dimensions.” Her last sentence caught his attention. “I’m an explorer, too,” he replied. “My name is Paulsoaresjr, but everyone calls me Paul. I don’t have any fancy titles, but I’m well known in the community. I like to think of myself as a bit of an expert in inter-dimensional travel myself, having been to both the Nether and the End. Really, though, most Crafters have, so it’s not that special. I made a museum back in Spawn Town, if you want to take a look. I was going to head back soon, anyway.” Twilight thought for a second. “That would be a tremendous help,” she said. Paul climbed onto his donkey and set it trotting off to the west, judging by the movement of the sun. Twilight followed close behind. A few minutes later, they happened upon a small wooden shack. Paul placed down a fence post and tied the donkey to it, opened the door, and motioned for Twilight to come inside. When they discovered she couldn't fit through the door, he widened the entrance by another meter, allowing her to get through. Once she was inside, he sealed the entrance and laid down a torch. As the sun set, Twilight looked through the one square of glass in the hut's wall. Outside, darkness fell quickly, and other bipeds began to appear, along with the occasional green quadruped. Paul explained that these were evil creatures that appeared in the dark. There were many zombies and skeletons, a few tall endermen, and enough creepers to blow even the most highly armored Crafter sky-high. "Will your donkey be alright?" Twilight asked. "Ferris will be fine," Paul answered. "Hostile mobs don't notice horses. Not horses from this world, that is. I'm not sure about you." "I'm a pony," Twilight responded. "I think I should stay in here, just in case." The two spent the night talking about the basics of this world: the selective gravity, the cubic nature of everything, and death and respawning. The last one intrigued Twilight, until Paul told her that there was no in-between for the two. Near sunup, Twilight was feeling hungry, so she reached into her bags, surprised to find that the bread and apples had flattened and stacked together. This left a lot of room for other things. Eating one of each, she listened as Paul explained that this world was just one in a huge universe. There were, theoretically, infinite worlds, no two the same. Paul, and some of his friends, lived multiple lives on different worlds. A few of them had dabbled in magic, though there was no way to access it on this world, which had been dubbed 'Mindcrack'. Once the zombies and skeletons finished burning, the two of them walked outside. Whacking a creeper over the head with his blade, Paul hopped on Ferris' back and bid Twilight follow him south. Trudging along through the savanna, Twilight asked about Paul's friends. "Well, the one who maintains this world is Guude, so he's first and foremost. Then there's Pause, Beef and Etho, who make up 'Team Canada', and Zisteau, who occasionally joins them in their… I'll call it 'fun'. There's the 'B-Team', Bdoubleo and GenerikB, who get into a lot of trouble here. Doc , Anderz and Baj may be a little hard for you to understand. Sethbling is a scientist, and finally, there's my neighbor, Vechs. He's a trouble maker if I've ever seen one. I'm sure I've forgotten a few, but those are the ones here currently. We actually have a meeting coming up about what to do with these easterly lands, so you'll get to meet all of them soon." "Neat," Twilight responded after taking it all in. Thinking for a second, she asked, "You do know where that portal I came through is, right?" "Of course," Paul assured her. "I wrote down the coordinates of every important thing I've come across in my journeys." "Thank goodness," Twilight sighed. Their conversation shifted back to Paul's friends, and their various interests and achievements. For the next couple of daylight cycles (Twilight refused to call them days, due to how short they were), Twilight learned much about the inhabitants of Mindcrack. She heard of redstone, and the Crafters well-learned in its ways, Etho, Sethbling, and others. She was told of the excellent artists, Bdoubleo and Arkas, and Guude's sculptures. The secret of creating new worlds in this universe was revealed, including Vechs' methods of sculpting them to his liking. All this, and more, Twilight wrote in her journal. It wasn't until four daylight cycles later they came upon another portal. At this point, Paul dismounted his donkey and pushed him through. "After you," he told Twilight, motioning towards the portal. She entered, and everything went black.
Chapter 3Rematerializing on the other side of the portal, the first thing Twilight noticed was the heat. It felt like standing close to a dragon's breath, a sensation she had never wished to feel again. The air smelled of sulfur, and the ground below her gave slightly as she stepped forward. Once her eyes adjusted, she saw that everything was a dim red color. There were specks of light in the distance, but between her and them was a multitude of bipedal zombie pigs. Walking to a nearby ledge, Twilight looked down, immediately regretting it. Below was a sixty meter drop into a lake of glowing lava. "Home's this way!" Paul called to her from around the portal. "This is as far as I could go this way without a pack full of blocks." Twilight turned around, careful to stay on the ledge. There was no telling what the thermal currents here would do to her flying. As she caught up to Paul, the two resumed their journey. "What is this place?" she asked. "This is the Nether," Paul responded. "Some call it Hell. It's not the most friendly place, to say the least." "I'll say. Why aren't these mobs attacking us?" "The zombie pigmen? They're relatively docile. They will retaliate to any attack en mass, however. There's also ghasts, which will attack us on sight, as well as blazes and wither skeletons, which are just as deadly. The only real reason to come to the Nether more than once is for quick travel. Every one block here, in the x-z plane, is equal to eight in the overworld. It'll make getting home a lot easier, hopefully." "It sounds safer to just walk the distance in the overworld," Twilight pointed out. "Probably," Paul agreed. "However, that would mean crossing a three hundred block wide ocean. I'm not going to subject Ferris to that. He can't swim." Twilight looked at him, somewhat surprised to see the donkey withstanding the environment. Paul was scanning the horizon, bow in hand, while Ferris trudged along. Her look caught Paul's eye, and he explained, "It's for ghasts. They fly and spit explosive fireballs. I don't hear any now, but that doesn't mean that there aren't any around." "When you say 'explosive,' how bad are you talking about?" Twilight asked. "Strong enough to destroy a few blocks," Paul answered. "Not as strong as a creeper blast, but it doesn't have to be. A lot of the Nether, it seems, is just a one block thick floor over a lava lake. One bad step, and you can lose all your stuff. I essentially make a living showing others how to not die, so I prefer to not take chances here." Twilight nodded, thankful to be traveling with someone so level-headed. She watched as her companion pulled out a notepad and map. Glancing at the items, she saw what must have been sets of coordinates, along with labels for each. It was fairly easy to tell which set was what, since the labels were such like, "Home" and "Met purple ~~horse~~ pony here". They were currently headed for "Nether Hub: Spawn". Not much later, they arrived at a large tunnel, which Twilight reasoned led to the Hub. Paul explained that the tunnel, which was four meters wide by four tall, was just small enough that ghasts wouldn't spawn. The tunnel wasn't very long, and in a short time, the pair arrived in the Hub. It was much brighter than the rest of the Nether, which Paul explained was due to glowstone hidden in the floor. The floor had a symbol on it, one that looked like a brain split by a lightning bolt. There were tunnels going various directions, and stairs leading to the middle of the Hub. Looking up, Twilight was stricken by the scale that these Crafters built with. The dome was at least as tall as Celestia's throne room, and, according to Paul, this was just one of four. Ascending the stairs, Twilight couldn't help but notice shapes on the wall. They were strangely hypnotic, as if silently begging her to draw some pattern out of the apparent chaos. In stark contrast to the shapes' silent pleas, the portal in the center of the room made its presence known through ear-splitting, wholly unholy noises. The other portals had made the same noise, but not nearly this loud. "So, this is the way to Spawn town, right?" Twilight asked over the racket. "Yep," Paul shouted back. "Ladies first!" With one final look at her guide, Twilight jumped into the swirling purple light.
Chapter 4Light filtering through vines greeted Twilight on the other side. Stepping away from the portal, she saw that she was in a garden of sorts. It was walled in, with flowers and trees and nice green grass. "Welcome to Spawn," Paul said from behind her, as he popped back into the overworld. "This is where we entered this world, and so, it is also where we built our 'home town'. We hold our meetings in the town hall to the left, and our main source of food is to the right. Etho brews potions in that large blue-grey building behind you, across the bridge, and, well, there's so much more here." Looking at the buildings Paul pointed out, Twilight was intrigued by the big one with a chicken on top. "What happens in there?" she asked. "I was hoping you wouldn't ask that," Paul commented. "Like I said, it's our main source of food. King Cluck's serves free lava-crisped chicken in large amounts." "That sounds… inhumane." "It is. What happens is, adult chickens lay eggs into a hopper duct, which then feeds them into a dispenser. The dispenser hatches the babies, which then grow half a block after five minutes." "And they grow into a block of lava," Twilight continued, "instantly cooking the meat, which is then collected into a chest. I can understand the process, I just can't understand why you do it." "I don't partake in auto-slaughtered chicken," Paul said, munching on a melon slice. "Those that do are probably looking to fill their stomachs so, you know, they don't die. It's more of a symbol of our dominion over this world than anything. That, and a way to make things easier. When you don't have to worry about food, you can do a lot of other things." "That makes sense," Twilight ceded. "That doesn't make it any more humane, though. Oh well. I'm not here to pass judgement, just make first contact." "Fair enough. Hey, we should tour the town before the meeting." "Alright. I really want to see this museum of yours." Paul led her to a sandstone pyramid at the edge of town. Inside, she was startled by a zombie, which Paul had apparently trapped and named 'Professor Bones'. While Paul checked the donation chest, Twilight looked around the museum. To the right was a collection of blocks from various natural structures. There were pistons, mossy cobblestone and bricks, and even a block of TNT. On the other side was a wall of signs. Examining them, Twilight saw that it was a collection of dates. Each date marked an important event in Mindcrack history; mainly new Crafters entering the world, or the world being remade. “I guess it’s time to add a new date,” Paul said as he walked up behind her. He wrote a few words on a board, then nailed it to the wall. It read: “Visited by Princess Twilight Sparkle. April 23-”. “I assume you’ll update it when I leave?” Twilight asked. “Of course. You’re the first visitor to stay more than one day, and the most important one since Dinnerbone.” “Did you mention Dinnerbone before? I feel like you did.” “No, I didn’t. At least, I don’t remember doing so. He’s one of the most important Crafters. In order of importance: Notch created the universe, Jeb maintains it, and Dinnerbone keeps it interesting. Many crafters work beneath the three, creating new things for the universe. Then there’s those who maintain worlds, like Guude does this one. Finally, there’s everybody else. Many in the last category find their way into the two above, though, creating new worlds or new content as they so choose. Not much is seen by other Crafters, but those who share their vision have created quite a large community.” “You sound like you’re selling yourself short,” Twilight observed. “Perhaps,” Paul agreed. “I try to be humble. I let others take the spotlight; I don’t really need it.” He pulled a clock out of his pack. “Oh, it’s almost time for the meeting. We should go.” Town hall was abuzz even before Twilight and Paul arrived. After hitching Ferris to a nearby fencepost, the two walked inside. As they did, the conversation died almost immediately. Twilight felt about a dozen pairs of eyes staring at her. It wasn’t a completely foreign feeling, but unwelcome nonetheless. Looking around, Twilight recognized some of the Crafters from Paul’s descriptions. Guude was standing at the head of the congregation, with Arkas and Baj on each side. To the left was the B-team, Sethbling, and Avidya. To the right stood Etho, Zisteau, and Nebris. She caught a glimpse of somebody, probably Adlington, falling off the rafters and dying, dropping the contents of his bag all over the floor. Avidya sighed, put down a chest, and started to clean up. “I don’t even know how he got up there,” he muttered. That seemed to break the tension, as most of the assembled Crafters started to laugh. “So, uh, Paul, what do you have here?” Guude asked, after everyone had quieted down. “Not what, who,” Paul corrected. Bumping Twilight, he whispered, “Introduce yourself.” Twilight cleared her throat. “I am Princess Twilight Sparkle of Equestria. I come in peace. A portal appeared in my castle’s gardens last night. When I passed through, I ended up in this world. I came to learn, and to establish good relations.” "Well, uh, welcome, I guess," Guude said. "I definitely wasn't expecting a guest from another universe. I actually called this meeting today because a new Crafter is joining our world." This news was met with a chorus of cheers from the Crafters in the hall. "You all probably have heard of her. Yes, her. Please welcome Aureylian to Mindcrack." With an audible pop, a new Crafter appeared. She had bright red hair and a nice white dress. As the others greeted her, she blushed, perhaps not used to all the attention. "Hello all," she said. "I'm happy to be here with you all. I'm sure it'll be a lot of fun, and…" She trailed off as her eyes alighted on Twilight. "Ooh, a unicorn! Oh, wow, she's purple, too. I thought they didn't exist in this world." "Well, until recently, she didn't," Paul explained. "I found her in the wilderness to the east. It's a long story." "By the way," Twilight chimed in, flaring her wings, "I'm an alicorn. I have control over magic and the ability to fly." “Oh, that’s even cooler,” Aureylian replied. “Well, we have all the time in the world, why don’t you tell the story now?” Paul shrugged. “Ok, but don’t go saying you’re bored halfway through.”
Chapter 5"Well, that's a crazy story," Guude said as Paul finished, Twilight having interjected at times. "Yeah," Etho agreed. "I barely believe it, and the proof is standing right here. Then again, crazier things have happened." "At least you obey gravity, Twilight," Zisteau added. Murmurs of acknowledgement went around the room. "Well, I'm off for a while. See you guys later." Just as suddenly as Aureylian had appeared earlier, the zombie pig Crafter disappeared. "I'm going to go make sure nobody pranked me while I was away," Paul told Twilight. "Do you want to see my treehouse?" "Sure," Twilight said. "I'm very interested in your home. A treehouse, you said? Is it in a tree or on top of a tree?" "A bit of both," Paul clarified as they walked out of town hall. "You'll see." Heading southwest for a while, the two rounded a mountain base. As they did, an army of pumpkins on top of fences met them. Each had one raised lever and one lowered lever. They perfectly matched the gigantic one on top of the docks nearby. Paul ignored them and started searching his property. "What are you looking for?" Twilight asked. "A sign," he answered. "It's common courtesy to leave a sign when you prank someone. I have a strong suspicion that I know who did this." Looking up at his home, he noticed something amiss. "He tore out my window, too." Leading Twilight up the stairs into his home, Paul examined the damage. "Well, here we go," he sighed. The boarded up window had a sign posted on it. It read, "Do I even have to do this anymore? You know it's me. -Vechs. P.S. I was going to write something about an eviction notice, but I forgot what exactly it was. Derp." “Yep, just as I thought,” Paul said. "I guess he figured that with Guude resetting the world again soon, all bets are off." "What does resetting the world entail?" Twilight asked. "It's a clean wipe. The terrain is remade, backpacks are cleared, anything made is destroyed, etcetera. Oh, I'd probably leave soon if I were you, just to be sure you don't get caught in the wipe." "I guess that's a good idea. How do I get home, though? You made it sound like there's not enough time to get back to the portal I came in through." "There may not be," Paul admitted. "Not through the Nether, and definitely not overland. However, there is one other way. I need to pay Vechs a visit anyway, so you might as well come along." "What does Vechs have that you don't?" Twilight asked. "Not much," Paul confessed. "Just a sprawling underground fortress, a huge pumpkin farm, two skeleton spawners, and his crown jewel: one of the three End portals." When Twilight looked confused at the last item, he said, "I'll explain on the way." After a single minute of walking, the pair came to an unassuming dirt wall at the edge of Paul's property. Digging two cubes into it, Paul revealed a stairway into the ground. "Welcome to Vechs' base," he said. "You have no idea how long he kept this 'secret' entrance from me." As the two climbed down the stairs, he began to explain, "Now, an End portal is similar to a Nether portal, but the activation is slightly different. It requires Eyes of Ender, which are Ender Pearls mixed with Blaze powder, inserted into sockets in a ring. Twelve will power the portal, which will send you to the End, which is the third dimension every world can access. It's just a big island floating over the void, and is covered by Endermen. The Enderdragon ruled it, right up until the Crafters in this world killed her and took her egg. When the dragon died, she left behind another portal. This one takes you back to the last place you slept. With any luck, it'll send you back home." "That sounds like a cruel way to get home," Twilight said. "You forget, here it's either kill or be killed," Paul laughed. "I don't want you to die just to get home, so this is the only other way." "Fair enough." Looking down, she asked, "How much further until the main part of the base?" "Just a hundred blocks or so." Author's Note My plans for this story fizzled out at the end of Mindcrack S4. Ah well, I can at least promise one more chapter and a sequel.
Chapter 6Twilight was amazed at the detail put into the underground lair Vechs resided in. Paul had given her a whirlwind tour, showing her the sprawling farm, the interspersed terrariums, the stash of powerful enchanted bows, and even Project Rainbow, arguably the noisiest spot in the base. As they went back to 'Intersection 1', Paul pointed to the sign labeled 'Stronghold'. "That's where we need to go," he said. "The End portal is in the center of the stronghold. He's cleared a good path, so it shouldn't take long." "Good," Twilight sighed. "My legs are starting to ache. I haven't walked this much in a long time." The two walked through the tunnel, watching as it transitioned from solid stone to stone bricks. Before long, they came to the portal. This one was horizontal, which clearly differentiated it from the Nether portals. With a careful step, Twilight stepped into the starry plane. She immediately emerged on the other side on top of an obsidian platform. The entire dimension pulsed with strange energy, as if actively trying to push her out. She could hear the cries of trapped endermen in the distance as Paul popped in beside her. With a nod, he led her to a small bedrock structure. Inside was another portal. “Just hop on in, and it’ll take you home,” Paul said. Twilight looked at him. “Oh, don’t worry. I’m sure we’ll see each other again. We can call this ‘goodbye for now.’ The reset will only take a day, so come back anytime you like.” “Thanks. I’ll be sure to come again,” Twilight said. “There’s so much to learn here. Oh, when you say ‘a day’, do you mean your time or my time?” “My time.” Paul shook his head. “I really wish I could come with you. Your world sounds so interesting.” Twilight nodded. “There’s rarely a dull day. It is interesting, just in a different way than this world.” She sighed. “I wish I could have stayed longer." Shaking her head, she said, "I'm not good at goodbyes. I guess that I should get going before this gets any harder." Paul patted her on the back, slipping something into her pack, and she took a step forward. Once she touched the shimmering plane, she felt her body go weightless. Words started to scroll through her vision. Noting various names that Paul had mentioned, Twilight focused her mind on returning to Equestria. Her sight faded out and back in, blurriness giving way to a clear picture of her room in Canterlot Castle. Looking at the clock on her desk, she saw that a day had passed since she left, give or take a few hours. Out the window, the portal remained where it had been. Opening her door, Twilight was met by unchanging expressions from the guards outside. "The princesses are waiting for you in the throne room, Your Highness," the one on the left told her. Nodding her thanks, Twilight gathered the magic around her for a teleportation spell. Oh, controlling magic is so much easier in this world, she thought. Launching herself through the castle, she appeared in front of the doors to the throne room in an instant. The guards in front of her greeted her, then pushed the door open, announcing her presence. Celestia, in her ever serene voice, called for day court to be adjourned. As the nobles filtered out of the room, some rather upset, the elder Princess called down to the younger one. "Welcome back, Twilight. It is good to see you again so soon." Luna added on from her spot beside Celestia. "Tell us of your expedition. We have been very eager to hear of your time in other lands." Twilight looked behind her, unwilling to start until the doors were closed. She didn't want to start any rumors among the elite. After all the nobles were out of earshot, she began. A while later, after her tale was finished, Celestia spoke. "This is quite the story, Twilight. Did you happen to bring along a souvenir from this cubic world?” Twilight reached into her bags, pulling out the food that once filled it. The princesses were intrigued by its now flat, cubic look, but were amazed at what came out next: a shining blue pickaxe. It held a magical glow, and a piece of paper was attached to the handle. The note read: “Twilight, I know you may be eager to return. However, I must warn you, what you have seen is only a small fraction of what the Mindcrack world has available. Much of what is left to be seen is dangerous, and may leak into your world without you taking precautions. Should you want to sever the link between our worlds, take this pickaxe and break the portal that led you here. Destroying one of the blocks on the side should do. This pickaxe should do that quickly enough. If you ever want to reestablish the passage, replace the block and light the center on fire. We Crafters await your decision. Paulsoares Jr.” Twilight paused as she finished reading the letter. “I would love to go back,” she said. “Maybe it would be better for you to see it though, Princess.” Celestia thought for a second. “Indeed. You have definitely piqued my interest. How about you, Luna?” “I must see this for myself,” the younger alicorn agreed. “How long must we wait until we can traverse this pathway ourselves?” “About twenty minutes,” Twilight estimated, yawning. “Ah, it’s been full day since I slept properly. I’m going to go take a nap.” As Twilight exited the room, she couldn’t help but hear the two immortals discussing their plans for their inter-dimensional vacation.
