The Science of Pony Deduction

"What the hell is that?!" exclaimed John, stepping back a bit, his back brushing the curtain.  The thing was purple, blue, and had some hints of green, swirling endlessly in a circular motion.  Sherlock stepped closer to it, almost hypnotized by it.

"I have no idea."  he said quietly, he bit his lip in concentration, analyzing it.

"Well what do you think it is?" asked John, if Sherlock doesn't know what it is, then what could it be?  A portal?  He pushed the absurd thought to the back of his mind, such things where not possible.  He looked at Sherlock, and saw he mumbled a sentence under his breath.

"What did you say Sherlock?" he asked him.

"I said, I need a cigarette." Sherlock blandly said, frustration welled in John, he stepped toward him, but then cringed when he stepped in a large water puddle.

"Urrgh, how could you be talking about cigarettes when we found a thing that could revolutionize the world as we know it!  We need to do something other than just sit here!" John yelled, his voice echoing through the empty alley.  He shook the water out of his shoe, and crossed his arms at Sherlock and gave him a hard stare, he is so difficult when he is like this, thankfully, John has been stern these past few days and have not let him have a single cigarette.

"You're right John, no use staring at it, time to get dirty." replied Sherlock, shaking his hands and stepped towards the thing, he had a mischievous sparkle in his eye similar to one of a child about to steal some candy.  John gawked, did Sherlock just admit he was wrong?  He didn't stop to think about it and walked beside Sherlock as he walked so close to it that there was only a few inches from it and his face.  Sherlock noticed that it was emitting some heat, so it is using up energy somehow, which explains the glow, but not the colors.  It gleamed and the noise that came from it was too quiet that they could have heard it a block away, which puzzled him.  Sherlock gulped, and John stood wide-eyed, Sherlock lifted up his hand, and  tapped it.  His hand when right through!  Sherlock jerked his hand back, little bits of purple materializing.

"What?!  It has the consistency of water!  There's a wall right behind it!" he said, John stepped back, speechless.  Sherlock then thrust his entire arm into the thing!  His entire arm started to tingle, and he removed it again.  Silence filled the air, and then John broke it.

"Do you think...it goes anywhere?  Like...a portal?" asked John quietly.  A crisp wind blew through the alley, ruffling their hair.

"Probably, but it reeks with horse." said Sherlock, and twiddled his thumbs.  Then a wide grin spread across his face, and gave John a wild look.

"But wherever it goes, I hope it has cigarettes!" he yelled and then jumped right into it!  Purple sparks flew everywhere as it engulfed Johns friend, a gurgling sound arose as the waves on it calmed down.

"SHERLOCK?!?!?" screamed John, his entire body was shaking, did he just lose his friend?  John gulped, well, if he does survive to go wherever it goes, there needs to be somebody to keep him out of trouble.  John held his breath, didn't Sherlock say it was like water?  He closed his eyes, and rammed head first into the portal.

It was indeed like water, he started falling through the stuff, he opened his eyes and screamed...wait..he could breath this stuff?  His entire body started to ache horribly, John cried out, he felt as if he was being torn apart.  Purple and blue swirls where all he could see, and then his head hit something hard and he blacked out.