Mintie sighed. "Please tell me why we are here again…"
The four were setting up the cart camp just outside a dense forest, just besides a camp of archeologists.
"We're here because Death wanted us to overlook this excavation." Director Cut looked into the forest, looking at the entrance to an underground temple.
The temple had been overgrown, looking like a part of the forest, so nobody had found it before now. There had been a sound coming from it, which had attracted somepony's attention.
"I don't know what's so dangerous about this temple." Blue sighed. "Cherrywood is a popular camping area, and we would have known if things were happening here."
Director Cut sighed. "I think we're here to look for an external threat. If this temple is as important as I think it is, should we keep our eyes open for members from possible cults."
Mintie looked at them. "Don't tell me that this will evolve into another Discordian Cult incident. I don't want to be involved if that happens."
Blue laughed a bit. "I don't think so." She looked around. "Now where did Haze go…"
"Probably still sleeping." Director pointed at the wagon.
Mintie giggled. "You should wake him up. Wake up your stallion."
Director couldn't hold back a small laugh.
Blue blushed. "Oh come on you two!" she turned her back to them and trotted over to the wagon.
Director smiled. "She's still trying to deny that it's true?"
"She obviously don't like that we point it out." Mintie giggled and kissed his cheek. "At least we're not scared to say the truth."
Director nodded. "But as soon as they return do we have some work to do. Cults won't strike during the day so we're joining the crew as they are going to enter the temple."
They both giggled as they heard faint sounds of kissing coming from the wagon.
A few minutes later came Blue and Haze from it, Haze rigged with a camera.
Director nodded. "Got all the boxes inside the camera?"
Blue nodded in return. "All four present."
Mintie yawned. "Then what are we waiting for?"
Haze just tilted his head.
The hallway into the temple was damp, water dripping from the ceiling and vines and moss growing everywhere. The camera server as a flashlight, so they could see, and that was good.
As they proceeded deeper down were the walls changing. The stone was changing from a solid wall to a wall made of blocks, all the same size, the ones in the ceiling defying gravity itself. All the blocks were identical too.
"What's wrong with this place…" Blue was unsure. The change had been unpredicted. "This can't be architecture from old Equestria. It's too weird…"
Director sighed. "No wonder this place probably was overgrown."
They entered a large room. The staircase went down to the lower level, where an open portal was located. Only one archeologist was remaining.
Director Cut was the first to take a closer look. "What's going on here?"
The stallion, which was dark green with lime hair and a shovel as his cutiemark looked up. "Monsters! They are crawling on the other side! Nobody else escaped!" He was scared.
Blue sighed. "Looks like we have a worse problems than eventual cults then." She faced the stallion. "You should get out of here. We'll deal with it from this point."
He just nodded before galloping up and away.
Director nodded. "Alright. Get the boxes ready."
Blue rigged down the camera and took the boxes out, sending them to the respective owner. They opened their boxes and entered their reaper state.
"There we go. All set to enter the gate?" Horror Movie took the lead, as usual.
Miasmic smirked. You should go first then, so can I stay here and make sure these beautiful ladies stay safe."
Darth Star hissed. "Don't you even try hitting on me!"
Miasmic laughed. "Oh well. Was worth a try."
Stormy Clouds sighed. "Miasmic. Why do you always cause trouble."
"I don't know." He smirked.
Horror coughed. "You two should save the upcoming loving for later. We're on a serious mission here."
The speakers in his box sparked, and Death appeared on the screen. "It's true. If there are monster on the other side of that gate is that bad news."
Horror nodded. "Shall we investigate?"
Death nodded in agreement. "You and Miasmic should go in, but Darth and Stormy should watch this side, just in case any cult members should come in."
Horror grinned as the screen went black. "Then what are we waiting for?"
The other side of the portal looked like it was a mirrored version of the other room, here the portal server as a mirror, but there was one difference.
"This isn't right…" Horror looked at Miasmic, looking at his odd shape.
"Speak for yourself…" Miasmic stared back. They were both blocky, like they had entered a dimension where round shapes couldn't exist. There were torches on the wall, but they had no frame holding them in place.
"What is this place?" Horror looked around.
Miasmic sighed. "Whatever it is, should we proceed up this tunnel. Maybe we can see where we are."
Horror nodded and they proceeded, and after a minute were they outside. The entrance was in a Cliffside, looking over an alien landscape. It was all made from blocks. Animals, trees, stone, dirt and more. Even the sun was square. It looked beautiful, until it stretched into a wasteland with lava, a red rock and fire. The skies over that was black with smoke, and it was slowly spreading, like a virus. There were monsters spreading from it. Many monsters.
Horror looked at the sight. "This is bad. Especially if it'll spread through the gate."
"Then we should get out of here and warn the others?" Miasmic sighed. Not even he liked this.
"No." Horror had opened a chest by the entrance and was now reading the book he had found in it. "We have to find this person they call Kodi as he is according to this book, experienced when it comes to closing gates."
"Well that tells a lot…" Miasmic rolled his eyes. "Not like that's gonna help us anyways."
Horror took flight. "Then we better search."
Miasmic just sighed and took flight after him.
They both headed over the mountain and away from the corruption. They didn't know what they were looking for, but they had a name, which was more than nothing.
They flew in circles over a mountain range for a few minutes, looking for signs of live when the sound of an engine cut the air. It wasn't a small engine, even if it didn't sound exactly like an engine. Overhead was the shadows of a massive airship seen, entirely made out of blocks. It was defying the few laws of the world by gliding, like it wasn't a part of the grid the world was made of at all. It came down to their level, coming to a halt. A blue creature, a bit like a wolf standing on two legs greeted them.
"Good day gentlemen." He nodded. An eye patch covered his left eye.
"Good day to you too." Horror nodded in return. Behind him was Miasmic acting like he didn't care.
The creature looked up on them. "Why don't you two land? Isn't it exhausting to fly?"
Horror landed, while Miasmic scowled. "No thanks. I prefer to fly."
Horror sighed. "Can you forgive my friend for his rude behavior? He's been too long without the one he loves by his side." He rolled his eyes. "About an hour that is."
Miasmic hissed. "I heard that!"
Horror just grinned. "Now what's going on here?"
The creature chuckled. "We're preparing a frontal attack on Herobrine's armies."
"Who?" Horror was unsure. That was a new name.
"I see that you two are not from around here." The creature sighed. "Very well. I'm Kodi Blackpaw. The King of all skypirates. This is Minecraftia, and here we have the dark forces. This includes a douche named Herobrine. He's powerful, and he has now activated a device known as the Omega Unit. It tears down the border between the Overworld and the Nether, and later The End too. We're trying to stop him before he does. Now where are you two from?"
"We're from a land known as Equestria. It's through a gate not far from where we saw the land get tainted. I'm Horror Movie and that's Miasmic Fog." He pointed at Miasmic, who still was flying.
Kodi stopped. "The gate is still open? That's bad."
"What?" Horror looked at him.
"If he reaches the gate can he use it to make a fracture to your world, gaining a lot more power." Kodi sighed. "It's going to be the end of everything."
Several hunter airships passed by, fast, heading for the battlefield. They left a trail of steam behind them.
"Then what do we do?" Horror looked at the bypassing ships. More were coming each second.
"Blow up the gate, on your side." Kodi was already getting TNT ready. It looked like cubes, just like the rest of the world.
Horror just remained silent.
"Of course. I'll be taking care of that, as none of you guys know how to handle this stuff." Kodi whistled, and his crew assembled on deck. He turned to them. "Alright guys. This is the last time we speak, as I now have to close a gate. You are now under the command of that guy named Steve, as he's been the best man I've had."
One of them were about to object when he jumper off the ship, landing on a waiting Hunter.
Horror nodded at him and took flight, and all three left for the battlefield.
The stain had almost reached the entrance when they arrived. A rain of fireball started as soon as they came in sight. Miasmic and Horror had no problems evading the shots, but Kodi had more problems, as he was a bigger target. His ship was hit several times within a minute, and was already burning when he jumped, hitting ground just before the temple, taking a lot of damage.
"Holy Notch, that was close. Only half a heart left…" he got up and got in under cover fast, using the entrance.
Horror landed, followed by Miasmic. They looked at the battlefield that now was a mess of monsters and airships, and noticed a man. He had hollow white-glowing eyes, and he was just standing there, watching as the tainted land kept spreading, slowly.
"Get in here, now!" Kodi hissed behind them.
Miasmic rolled his eyes. "Sure, whatever…" A fireball flew past him. "Okay! Okay!" he galloped in, panicking.
Horror followed, as they all went deeper inside, the tainted land now starting to spread faster behind them, like it was reaching for the gate. They reached the gate and leapt through.
Horror and Miasmic got up, a bit confused.
"Get out!" They heard Kodi's voice behind them, and nodded before galloping out and into Cherrywood, changing back to their normal shapes, just as they got outside. Mintie Star and Blue Thunder was already outside, chatting as they came.
A series of loud explosions was the next in line, followed by the collapse of the whole center of the forest. The ground shook violently and the air was shredded by the crashing sound. Then silence followed.
A minute later was there movement in the entrance. A blue unicorn came up, with cyan hooves and a really odd cutiemark. He shook his head. "Now that's how we close a gate."
Director Cut looked at him. "But weren't you from that world?"
The pony nodded. "Yeah, but I adapt more than you two. And now that I'm stuck is it better to look like you all anyways." He reached out a hoof. "Call me Diamond Hooves. I was here once before, long ago. And if I'm not wrong are you four reapers."
"How did you know?" Director looked at him.
"They helped me get back last time I was here." Diamond nodded.
Director sighed. "So what now? Where will you live?"
"He can stay at my place." A bat pony came in for landing. It was Pilot Sky. "Much safer and easier than traveling with you four."
Blue looked at the newly arrived pony. "And how do you know about us?"
Pilot grinned unsure. "You can say that I was at the eye of the storm during the Discordian Cult events. I wasn't alone either. Both the Mayor and Twilight were there too.
Director grinded his teeth. "Great. Just great. Now they will start pestering us too…"
Pilot shrugged. "They promised to leave you alone."
Director nodded. "Very well then. But then we're off as this is solved."
The four reapers got ready and started heading off, but then Pilot whistled. "And remember. If any of you need help are we three ready to assist you."
Director just lifted his hoof and waved goodbye before heading off into the sunset with the other reapers.