//------------------------------// // Chapter 1: The Portal // Story: EarthGate: The Beginning // by Chewed Pencil //------------------------------// EarthGate: The Beginning Chapter 1: The Portal Michael Winslow could be described as your average human male of the age of 27. Short brown hair, white skin, and a decent collection of scars an active kid would gather over the years of roughhousing and playing where they shouldn't. Mikey wasn't a bad kid, just overactive when it came to sports or general play. He turned in his small bed, dreaming of winning the World Series, his faceless teammates hoisting him on their shoulders as he held the glittering trophy aloft for all to see. A smile creeped over his features when his door blasted open and a figure confined to a wheelchair rolled in. "MIKEY! MIKEY WAKE UP!" Adam screamed gleefully, the goggles around his neck swinging wildly. He shook the prone form of his friend and roommate. Adam was younger than Michael, at the young age of 20. He was a verified genius when it came to Science. It didn't matter what field it was, he was a master of it. He was an energetic soul, always wearing a smile despite being ill for his entire life. Doctors had said they couldn't help him and his parents had coddled him so much that he ran away, with most of the family fortune. His parents couldn't take the money back because he had earned it by making patents on some of his more useful inventions. "Uuuugh...." What time is it..." Mikey grumbled as he turned over and checked the clock. 12:00 blinked over and over and was starting to give him a headache. "You tripped the breakers again... Didn't you?" "Maaayyybee. But that isn't important! You gotta check ou-" Adam was cut off by a series of racking coughs that didn't seem healthy at all. Michael was fully awake at that moment and leapt up to aid his ill friend. He patted Adam on the back a few times as the coughs subsided. That didn't help at all, he knew, but it made Adam feel better knowing that Mikey was there for him. "You all right there guv?" Mikey said, slipping back into his London accent on accident. Adam was covered in soot and his lab coat was covered in grease stains. He had been working on something mechanical, Michael deduced. "So.... What were you working on this time?" He asked, knowing he was going to get a full tour of the device weather he wanted to or not. "Oh," Adam said, a hint of smugness in his voice. "I think you will find it, 'Magical'." Oh great. Mikey hoped this wasn't another attempt at recreating magic from that pony show he loved so much. Mikey didn't much care for it, but he still entertained Adam by watching it soemtimes with him. It was just too colorful for him. "Well? What are we waiting for? Let's get to it then." Mikey said with a sigh in his voice. /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ "Umm.... It is certainly impressive?" Mikey said, unsure of what he was looking at. It was a massive metal circle that sat against the back wall of the cellar, or Adam's Laboratory as it had come to be known, and it had various red lights all along the edge. It wasn't pretty to look at, but then Adam wasn't known for making pretty things, just effective ones. It had massive cables that led every which way, connecting to computers, leading outside, and even one that led to a large TV. There was an image of what looked to be the inside of another cellar, only a much more better lit one with wooden walls. "Isn't it though! It took me quite awhile to build this baby, and even longer to actually find the correct frequency to connect to another world!" Adam said enthusiastically. "How long did you say you were working on this?" "Oh, about 4 years. Why "I was getting worried that you were so quiet for so long. At least it wasn't another weapon." "Hey! That was supposed to be my new computer!" "Then why did it nearly take out the entire house?" "Giga just din't know what he was doing!" Adam said defensively. "You called?" A tinny voice echoed from a hidden speaker in the room. The voice belonged to Giga, Adam's pride and joy. He was supposed to be an android, but due to his initial rampage, Adam had to decommission him. Adam still kept the AI core and had it connected into everything so that he and Giga could talk anywhere. Adam had tried to assure Mikey that he had fixed the few bugs in his programming, but Mikey wasn't going to trust the wily AI just yet. "Speak of the Devil..." Mikey mumbled under his breath. "Ah, good morning Master Michael. I hope you slept well?" There was a smugness in his voice that put Micheal off. "Oh hey! You're back! Is that the guy you were talking about?" A young sounding voice emanated from the screen. When Michael turned to look, he was greeted with the visage of a small, purple and green lizard that was all to familiar to him. "Oh god damnit...." Michael said, his hand meeting his face. "Don't tell me you built a portal to the My Little Pony world..." "Okay. I didn't build a portal to the My Little Pony world. I built a portal to Equestria, and now, once Twilight gets back, we are going to test this bad boy out!" Adam said with his arms crossed. "Hey Spike! When will Twi be back?" Spike scratched his chin in thought. "I'm not sure, she left a few minuites ago to go and get her friends. She should be back soon though." "Great! That gives me enough time to get ready!" Adam rolled off to his room, taking the small elevator he had installed for him, to grab some of his equipment and get cleaned up. Spike and Mikey sat there in an awkward silence. Michael was still trying to wrap his head around the fact his roommate just built a portal to a fictional world, and Spike was examining the human wearing his lounge pants, a white T, and his blue bathrobe. "Soooo..... How's the weather on your end?" Spike asked. "Wet and cold. But then again, it is usually wet and cold at 3 in the mornig." Mikey retorted, still rather grumpy from getting up so early. He was going to have to call into work once his boss got up. "Really? I think it is around 5 here. Strange." Spike mused. "Oh well. This is more Twilight's thing." The sound of a door opening could be heard from the other side as Spike turned to look up the stairs. "Oh, Twilight is back! Let me go get her." Spike said before rushing off. "Great.... I feel like I am slowly slipping into insanity. Talking to a dragon is not something I was expecting to do today." "Yeah, but that isn't the only thing you're going to do today!" Adam said as the doors opened. He was much more presentable now, the soot and grease were gone and his wrist computer was firmly strapped to his arm. "Oh great.... I just want to get some more sleep..." "You sound alot like Rainbow Dash." An intelligent sounding female voice said from the viewscreen. Twilight Sparkle had made her apperance. Her features were slightly more equine than how the show portrayed them, they looked more like a cross from the original show and the new generation. Not to mention that the color was a tad less vibrant. "I hope that was a compliment..." Michael said with a grunt. "Oh! I'm sorry. I thought you humans liked us." "Ah, let me explain. Not all humans have seen the show, but the ones that have are called Bronies, or Pegasisters for the male and female fans respectively. Some people have seen the show, like Mikey here, but still don't much like it. It personally baffles me why he doesn't like it, but at least he doesn't out right hate you guys." "And the fact I am functioning on 4 hours of sleep. So excuse me for any cynical comments or sarcasm." "Oh, I'm sorry if it is still early for you, but Adam said you would be fine with this." "No, he's right. Now that I am awake, I guess I'll just go along with everything. Life's an adventure and all that jazz." "Oh good! Shall we begin?" Twilight said enthusiasticaly. "Of course!" Adam set about flipping various switches and pressing buttons. He rolled over to his computer and punched in some numbers before the lights on the ring went green one by one. Twilight looked like she was doing something similar, looking over someting that appeared on her screen. "It all looks good on my end Adam!" "Great! All that is left now is to hit this!" Adam motioned to a big red button on a pedestal in front of the ring. What is it with mad scientists and big, red buttons? Adam set his goggles on his face and rolled in front of the ring, which was now humming violently. "HIT IT NOW!" He cried. Mikey gently pressed th buton and the ring flared to life. A shimering, mirror like surface sprang inside the ring, lighting up the entire room. Even on Twilight's end lit up like the fourth of July. "IT'S WORKING! IT'S WORKING!" Adam said, laughing maniacally. "Yeah, way to go Doc." Mikey grumbled. Despite his outward apperance, he was enthralled by the shimmering portal. It looked like a mirror that didn't reflet his side, but rathe showed the interior of Twilight's basement. "Beginning insertion procedure!" Adam wheeled himself as fast as he could towards the portal without a care in th world. A mad grin wide on his face. "Wait!" Mikey cried, but he was too late. Adam had already passed through. "Please... You don't think I hadn't already calibrated the portal already? Who the hell do you think I am?" Adam said, his voice coming from the monitor. He wheeled himelf into view. He was roughly as tall as Twilight in his chair. He spun himself around in a circle and waved at Mikey. "Come on in, the water is fine!" What about the portal? Shouldn't you... I don't know, lock it somehow?" Mikey quiered. "Duh! That is what this is for!" Adam lifted his arm to reveal his arm computer. "I can turn off the portal and lock it while it is still open. We can use Twi's portal to reopen the connection now that it has been fully established." Adam explained. "Now hurry up and get over here! Everypony is waiting on us!" Michael Winslow sighed and closed his eyes. This was not how he was expecting to spend his day. Gathering his courage, he rushed blindly at the glimmering surface of the portal and felt a chill as he passed through.