Morning Sparks

Crayon Paintbrush Doe stood at the control panel of her fortress, watching the morning light stream through the crystal windows of the main tower. Canvas City sprawled below her, a colorful maze of art studios and galleries where humans and humanoid deer worked side by side.

"Time for the daily system check," she said, pressing the blue activation button.

The fortress hummed to life. Energy coursed through the crayon towers, making them glow with rainbow light. The paintbrush towers spun slowly, their bristled tops catching the sunlight.

Suddenly, the control panel sparked. Red warning lights flashed across the main screen.

"That's not supposed to happen," Crayon muttered, frowning at the readout. The temporal stabilizer readings jumped wildly between normal and critical.

A strange crackling sound filled the air. Behind her, the air itself seemed to shimmer and bend, like looking through water. The shimmer grew larger, forming a perfect circle that hung suspended three feet off the ground.

Crayon turned around slowly, her deer ears twitching with concern.

"What in Canvas City is that?"

The Visitor's Warning

Through the shimmering portal stepped another Crayon Paintbrush Doe, but she looked different. Her supersuit was faded and torn, her orange cape had several holes, and her yellow gloves were scuffed. Most shocking of all, she carried a sparrow perched on her shoulder.

"Finally! I found the right timeline," the other Crayon said, brushing dust from her mask. "I'm you from two weeks in the future, and Canvas City is gone. Completely erased."

"What do you mean, gone?" Crayon asked, her deer ears flattening with worry.

"The temporal stabilizer breaks down completely. Every timeline starts colliding. Past, present, future—all mixed up. The city can't handle it." Future Crayon pointed at the sparrow. "This little guy is all that's left of the Canvas City zoo."

The sparrow chirped sadly.

"But there's hope," Future Crayon continued. "I figured out how to fix it, but I need your help. We have to shut down the fortress systems right now, before another portal opens."

"Wait," Crayon said, stepping back. "How do I know you're really me?"

Future Crayon smiled sadly. "Because you're thinking the exact same thing I thought when I met my future self."