They were all in Steve's home, getting comfortable for the evening. Steve had used his crafting table to make more beds, and they were taking this valuable time to take baths. The bathroom was decorated with golden tiles, and the walls and tub were lined with diamonds. A great fountain poured water into the bath, and small trees sat in the corner. Paintings lined the walls, and the ceiling had been sculpted to look like a sunset. After they dried off, they all met in the main hall. They were discussing how to get back when Steve intervened.

"I think I know how to get you all back to your world. You came through a matter converter, right? Those operate with portals. I'm having a thought, if we can get you to a portal, we could try and see if it takes you back."

They looked at each other, knowing no other ideas. They all agreed it was worth a shot, and were curious as to where the portal would take them exactly. Twilight was more perturbed than curious, though. "How would we find these portals? And how would we know if they really can take us back, without any major problems?"

Steve thought a bit. "We don't really know for sure. There are three portals you could try. The Nether, the End, and the Aether. I would suggest very highly that we wait before trying the Nether or the End, as both are highly dangerous. I will go on a scavenge mission in the morning, and gather materials for the Aether portal. In the meantime, we must rest. There are swarms of creatures outside just waiting for a chance to come in. The door is well protected, however, and I'm surprised you didn't set off the trap."

The mares looked toward the door, and sure enough, at this angle, they saw a slight rise in the floor. Spike crept around it, and saw a dispenser full of fire and arrows. He cringed, hating to think of what could have happened to his friends. "I truly apologize, the trap is meant to keep any... unwanted guests from coming in. For the future, there is a button on the wall that disables it. Now, we should be heading to bed. I will see you all at sunrise. Good night."

They said their thanks, and trundled off to bed. As they lay down, thoughts of home carried them to a troubled, exhausted sleep.

:::

The morning came around, and they could hear the sounds of pigs and cows outside. The rain had come in the night, and it pounded on the roof in a relentless attempt to drench them. Zombies could be heard growling from Steve's dungeon, and a fresh smell of roses filled the chamber. The breakfast they ate was a fast, hurried one of apples. When they finished, they asked Steve about his mission.

"I'm going out to find glowstone, and maybe a few diamonds, if I'm lucky. They'll make excellent armor and tools. I'll be back around evening, and if it's later, don't wait up for me."

As they waved goodbye, a sudden chill swept over the mares. It felt like they were being watched. They glanced around, unsure of what caused the feeling. On the top of a hill, far away, they saw a figure, outlined against the grey sky. They blinked, and looked again. But the figure was gone. They looked to their right, and saw lightning strike by the jungle. A storm was brewing, and it would hit hard. Unbeknownst to them,, it would bring more than just rain.

They went back inside, trying to find the plans they had made. Steve had shown them drawer upon drawer of paper, and some empty books. They finally found them, nestled into a small notebook. When they unfolded them, a miraculous drawing of an immense machine met them. Trapped lightning spun around coils, great turbines powered the core, and impossible geometry appeared from the doorway. Another drawing depicted every separate part, and numbers beside them. On the last paper, a massive archway was shown, and a lever joined it to the power source, redstone dust. The plans were delicate, and needed excruciating attention to even the smallest detail. But it would be done, it had to be. Their futures depended on it.

:::

Far away from them, a lonely pony tried to break the rock beneath his tired hooves. Steve knew he was close to it, he could sense it. The diamonds lay under his hooves, he just had to reach them. He heard a popping noise, and turned quickly around. Seeing nothing, he returned to his task. Enderponies could be dangerous, so he needed to be careful. Finally, with one last swing of his pickaxe, he broke through. Tumbling down, he found a ledge, and landed straight on it. But his safety was short lived. A skeleton stood on the ledge next to him, looking right at Steve. Steve looked for a way to escape, but found none. Then he felt a sharp pain in his side, and a warm substance running down his body. Then there was blackness.

:::

Meanwhile, in Steve's residence, seven individuals tried to get some sleep, but a nagging feeling kept them awake. It felt as if something bad was going to happen. They tried for hours to get sleep, but nothing worked. As they started to drift off, they heard the door open. As they peered from their beds, they saw a figure limp into the room, and Twilight was on alert. The lamps flickered on, and there stood Steve, bleeding from an arrow wound in his side. His goatee was disheveled, and he was still going, towards his weapon rack.

"Hey, Steve? What's going on?" Rainbow Dash asked.

He grunted, grabbing an iron sword. "Grab something to fight with, we've got company."

After he said that, they heard a loud bang. Then another. It was coming from all around, surrounding them like a cloud. They got to their hooves, and stood in the middle of the floor, ready to fight. Then, the onslaught began.

Author's Note

What will happen to our heroes? Oh yeah, as you may have guessed, the figure on the hill is Herobrine. Just ponyfied, obviously. Don't worry, he's just a cameo, at least for now.

Sorry for the cliffhanger, but at least I update my stuff regularly, so you won't be stuck for a year waiting for the next chapter.
I hope you're enjoying this. I know I am. And there will be separate chapters for each portal. See you all next chapter.