CryCiety - International Cry Research and Theory Development Association

Vault 76, File 168

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   The lights flickered out in the old mansion-like Victorian house - the kind with the wraparound porch and the rotting window-blinds. There was a quiet sigh as the closet door in the upper master's bedroom opened with a squeak. It was just another day in the life of Cry, the man whose true name has been concealed for decades (but we're pretty sure it's Ryan).

   There was another squeak as he hopped into bed with the last of his energy. He knew his performance had been slipping recently - after all, he could only muster 1,652 hits on the practice dummy before he broke a sweat. Maybe he was just stressing himself out. He knew he shouldn't have pressed his fear of alligators by having the terrarium installed into the bottom of his pool.

   Well, he'd figure it out tomorrow. He threw a final glance around his room, going through the 'Goodnight Moon' rhyme in his head (with some substitutions). Goodnight, wrappers. Goodnight, canary. Goodnight, laptop I stole from Jim Carrey. Goodnight, plushies. Goodnight, Jack Horner. Goodnight, small Beatles shrine over in the corner.

   Finally, he looked to his left as glorious sleep began to overtake him, and smiled as a bright white shape took form in the pale moonbeam that hit his bedside table. He reached out a relatively tired arm and grabbed it loosely, tossing it onto his face before pulling the bright blue antique quilt over himself and stretching out to sleep.

   However, everything wasn't quite as carefree amongst the cosmos.

~~~

   Another rumble shot through the ground below. Twilight Sparkle was thrown off her hooves, and went sprawling across the ash-covered marble floor of the main hall. Adrenalin still pumping throughout her body tore her mind away from the pain and directed it to her mentor, who was struggling under a broken marble column.

   The air was heavy with the otherworldly sounds of lasers and whirring as the mechanical beasts decimated what was left of Canterlot outside of the castle. But all of it was drowned out as she broke into a frenzied gallop. "PRINCESS!" she cried, fresh tears stinging her eyes.

   "Twilight!" Celestia replied, pulling her wings out from underneath the column. "Are you alright?!"

   Twilight nodded hurriedly. "Where's Luna?" she shouted as another explosion rocked the building.

   "Some of your friends were seen trying to get to the castle! Luna's trying to get them back to the bunkers!"

   Twilight's eyes flickered with uncountable emotions. "B-but I told them to go! I - I told them to leave! Why wouldn't they listen to me?" She felt a new wave of tears fall down her cheeks. "They could be hurt, or k -"

   "They returned to you because they're your friends, Twilight," Celestia responded briskly, forcing what was left of her own energy to her horn, and it began to glow a celestial gold. "I - have a spell than will summon one of seven saviours to the bunker. And you better be there when he arrives."

   Twilight's fear only increased as she heard her mentor groan in pain as the light around her horn began to swell. She stood back, ready to gallop away, as a beam of light, as bright as the sun, shot through the sky like an arrow of gold. With a final shout of 'NOW GO!' from Celestia, a last thought crossed her mind.

   "B - but what about you?!" she cried.

   "Twilight, I'm an alicorn goddess. I'll be okay. Get the heck out of here."

   Twilight shook her head, and turned, screwing her eyes shut. Without looking back, she galloped away, dodging falling pieces of what used to be an intricately-carved ceiling mural and out the dangerously-sagging doorway.

   This is where the timestreams overlap.