"I'm telling you man, it works!" I said to my best friend Fred on our way home from school.
"And I'm telling you it's a load of bull." Fred replied.
"Dude, you know how smart my parents are, and they've been working on this machine for years. They haven't touched it in a week, so the machine must work! They'd never leave a project unfinished like this."
"How many times have you said your parents made something that works and it failed?"
"I don't know, but they specifically told me NOT to touch it, so somethings up!"
"Well, maybe they just had to do some research on a part and they don't want you messing with the machine."
"I will prove it works dude, just come over to my house."
"Fine, but on one condition."
"What?"
"I can bring Luke and Jodi over so they can watch you make a fool of yourself."
These were pretty high stakes. Luke is one of the most popular guys in our class, and I have a crush on Jodi. If this does fail, my whole life could be over, but I wasn't going to let Fred win this one. "Sure, bring whoever you want. I don't care."
"Wow, you must really believe this thing works."
"Of course I do, my parents made it after all."
There was a shrill, repetitive barking from a Maltese. "Well, guess I'll see you later." Fred said.
"Yeah, just be over here in ten so I can prove I'm right."
"All right, just be ready to have your life ruined."
I waved to Fred as I stepped into my house.
"MOM!" I shouted when I walked in. "SOME FRIENDS FROM SCHOOL ARE COMING OVER SOON!"
"Ok Joe, just don't go into the basement." My mom responded.
"I know I know." I said as I dropped my backpack on the table. I wandered back into the living room and started playing video games while I waited for Fred when a little white dog wandered up. "Hey there Champ, who's a good boy?" I asked my dog. I went back to playing video games. After about ten minutes, Fred, Tom, and Jodi showed up.
"Well Joe, we're ready. Show us the machine."
"All right, follow me." I shut of my console and led my friends downstairs. I didn't worry about my mother noticing us, she was too busy sewing. "Well guys, there it is." I pointed at a small black box in the back of the room.
"That's it?" Luke asked.
"I was expecting more." Fred said.
"Yeah well my parents kind of make everything as small as possible you know." I explained.
The four of us stared at it for a few seconds.
"Well, are we going to just stand around here all day or are we going to use the thing?" Jodi asked.
"Yeah, turn it on dude, show us how much of a failure your family is." Fred said.
I'm not sure why we're even friends, Fred is just a big jerk.
"Come on man, I have to be back home for dinner." Luke said.
"Ok, everyone stand back." I reached behind the machine and felt around for the small button to switch it on, and I pushed it. An orange oval appeared in the room. "There, see? It worked, now go home guys, I should turn it off before something happens."
"Not so fast Joe. We aren't leaving until we find out if it works. As far as we know, this is all just a light show." Fred said.
God do I want to punch that guy. "Fine, you want proof it works then go ahead, step in the portal."
Fred stepped forward hesitantly. "If this is just a trick, I'm gonna make your life terrible dude." He looked at the portal again then back at me.
"Go on, quit stalling." I said.
Fred stepped into the portal. His body vanished from the room. Jodi gasped and Luke stared, astonished.
"We should go help him." Jodi said.
"Yeah, what if it put him in the middle of a war?" Luke asked.
"Guys, you gotta come see this." Fred's voice echoed.
I walked up to the portal and stepped in, doing my best to look braver than I really was. The portal was painless, though it did alter my body shape. Jodi and Luke walked in behind me.
"What the heck? Where are we?" Luke asked.
"No way." I said.
"Joe, you do know where we are right?" Fred asked.
"We're in Equestria. We were somehow transported into My Little Pony!"
"I don't believe this." Fred hated the show more than I thought was possible for any living being to hate anything, but he did know enough of it to know what I was saying. "So you're telling me, that machine your parents made put us in a show of cartoon ponies and the bane of my existence?"
"Yes, It appears so."
"Ok, well, I'm going back before something bad happens, like the portal closes."
"Why? You do know that stuff only happens in movies, tv shows, and books right?"
"Fred relax, Joe is right. I think we should stay here." Jodi said.
"Luke, what do you think we should do, stay here or go back?" Fred asked.
Luke was staring at his hooves, trying to figure out how to pick a flower.
"Luke, LUKE!" Fred slapped Luke's side.
"OW, what do you want?" Luke asked angrily.
"Do you think we should explore or go back?"
Luke looked around for a few seconds, thinking. "I don't know, I guess we should explore a bit." he eventually decided.
"Oh come on, you've gotta be kidding me!"
I looked at Fred and made sure he saw me, then I smirked. We both knew this was perfect for me.
"Ok fine, you guys go ahead and explore. I'm going back." Fred turned around and started heading back to the orange vortex. It vanished shortly before he stepped in it. He stared at the spot where it was. His pupils and iris shrunk down so you could only see the whites of his eyes.
"Aww man. Bad luck bro." Luke said, no longer occupied on picking things up. He put a hoof on Fred's back.
"So, we're stuck here? Forever?" Fred asked.
"Well, probably not forever, one of my parents is bound to figure out what happened and switch on the machine again." I replied.
"I'm going to kill you for getting us trapped here." he glared at me and started walking up to me.
"Why, you're the one who wanted to go through the portal, so it's more of your fault."
Fred stopped in his tracks and stared at me. "I should beat you right now."
"Fred, he does have a point, and when have you been such a jerk?" Jodi asked.
"Oh, he's always been like this." I said.
"Wow, really? Why are you guys friends?"
"Honestly, I have no clue."
"Guys, I think we should probably start to figure out how we get back." Luke chimed in.
"Yes, finally someone starts acting sane!" Fred shouts.
"I have to use the bathroom, like, now."
Fred face hoofed. "I'm surrounded by idiots."