Notch's sword moved so fast it was a blur. The mutant creeper gave a shriek of anguish as its head was slashed off from its body. Scarlet blood gushed from its head and body. Notch backed away quickly, expecting the blood and creeper to disappear in a puff of smoke, just like a normal dead mob. However, instead of disappearing, the creeper slowly faded.

The sword-wielding human backed away, his eyes wide with terror and shock, his sword spattered with blood. Blade and Scythe were howling and mewling frantically.

The creeper's eyes glowed red, and for a minute, Notch thought that the creeper would respawn and attack him. But it simply faded, along with its blood. Only a faint lisp remained in the air, but it still chilled Notch to the bone. Whining, Blade ran behind Notch and stayed there, tail between his legs, Scythe accompanying him.

"What the freaking Ender..." whispered Notch.

He took a few stumbling steps backwards, then suddenly regained himself, and sprinted away as fast as he could. What the freaking heck WAS that thing? Was it from the unknown dimension from which Endermen spawned? Was it from The End? Was it even a living creature? Was it a robot? Was it a...

Notch didn't have any time to think about the creeper after that, for he was suddenly thrown, head-first, by an invisible force into a golden, pulsating portal.

"AAAAAARGH!" yelled Notch.

He was spinning, turning, twisting, bouncing, running, flying, swimming, walking... All around him was a swirling mass of gold, twisted images flickering in and out like a badly-tuned television. Notch yelled and felt for the exit, for this must be a sort of portal just like a Nether Portal... right? You could get out any time... right?

No, he could not. Notch twisted and turned, only dimly aware of his loyal pets, who had followed him into the portal. Now, Scythe was clawing at Notch's leg, Blade was howling louder than ever, and all the while, Notch was played with by the almighty force of the portal...

And then it stopped, and he was just floating in a golden, pulsing place, his wolf and cat suddenly quiet.

After a few stunned minutes, Notch found that he could move around in the portal just like swimming. He pulled himself through the golden swirling mass, using his arms to propel himself. Blade followed him, doggy-paddling. Scythe simply clung onto Notch's leg.

As he travelled through the portal, he saw glimpses... glimpses of a different world, a different dimension. He saw mushroom-like people. He saw upright turtle things and enlarged brown mushrooms with short, stubby legs and a face. He saw four humans, two male, two female. He saw green pipes. He saw cloud-like platforms.

He didn't know it at the time, but Notch was seeing the Mushroom Kingdom for the first time.

Notch reached out for the green-pipe picture. Once his fingers touched the illusion, he was sucked into a world most unlike his own.


"D'you think he's okay?"

"Uh, lemme think about that. Hm... NO!"

"He sure took quite a fall."

"I hope he doesn't die."

"What if he did?"

"Would the police come here?"

"Of course they won't!"

"Ahem. If I may be so prudent to interrupt, he appears to be waking up."

The voices silenced immediately. Notch groaned, and slowly opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was a purple-and-yellow jester, with a mask for a face.

"WHAT THE FU - "

"Shut the freakin' hell up, dude!" exclaimed one of the voices. "D'you wanna get killed?"

"It's not like we're hiding from a zombie apocalypse or anything," sneered another voice.

"Don't worry," soothed a nearby woman, with long brown hair and a rainbow-coloured dress. "There's no zombies here."

"Really?" exclaimed Notch, startled. "There's tons of zombies from where I come from."

There was a sharp intake of breath. Notch looked towards the sound, and saw a young girl, about sixteen, wearing a green shirt and brown pants. She whispered something in another girl's ear, the latter girl having green pigtails and wearing a polka-dot dress. The latter girl's eyes widened, and she took a few hasty steps backwards.

What's up with these people? Notch thought. It's like they've never even seen a zombie.

"Where're you from?" demanded a mask-wearing man, wearing a cap and a bandanna around the neck. "What's your name? Why'd you come here?"

"Shut up, L," snapped a muscly Scotsman with a bristly brown beard.

There was a rustle of feathers, and Notch was shocked to see two black wings protruding from L's shoulder blades.

"Uh, guys?" said yet another girl, who had pink hair and cat-like glasses. "I think we should leave this guy with the Count and the Lady, 'K?"

There was much grumbling at this, but the others heeded the girl's command, turning around and trooping out of the room. The girl followed them, looking back as she exited. The door shut with a 'snap'.

"I'm truly sorry for that extremely rude awakening," apologised what happened to be the Count. He had dark-blue skin, and wore a monocle, top hat and cape. "My name is Count Blumiere. This is my wife, Lady Timpani. And, of course, you have met my minions."

"M-minions?" yelped Notch. Was this guy some sort of evil mastermind?

"I think we should introduce ourselves, and our land," smiled Timpani. "You do not come from here, and you have much to learn."

"Learn... about what?"

"About the Mushroom Kingdom."