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// Hey, Johnny Park! 
// Story: Friendship Is Optimal: Changing Tides 
// by Boopy Doopy 
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Candle Light didn’t know why her daughter looked so upset. Night Watcher had a hard scowl on her face, and greeted her like she’d rather be doing anything else. It almost made her gasp to see, but the unicorn withheld from doing that. Instead, she tilted her head and stepped up to the bat pony.
“Are you okay, honey?” she asked carefully. “If it’s not a good time, I understand. I just miss seeing you. Are you doing alright?” 
Her daughter let out a breath, then shifted her eyes around like she was debating how to answer. If Candle Light knew her well, she would put on an emotionless expression and say she was doing just fine.
“Just been trying to get used to… all of this,” Night Watcher told her. She used a hoof to indicate to Summer’s Edge in general. Or maybe just ‘the world’, both Equestria and the Outer Realm. “Sorry I haven’t visited you, uh, Dad. Just… you know.” She didn’t say what Candle Light was supposed to know.
“Well, I’m glad you’re finally here, honey,” the unicorn told her, trying to push past the awkwardness as she hugged her daughter. She didn’t return it, but did say, “I didn’t think you’d show up so quickly. I thought it’d be another few weeks before I saw you. I’m glad your little sister got to you quick.”
“Mom, actually,” she explained. “And it’s been a few hours.” She looked like she was settling her face away from the scowl she had on, although she rubbed a hoof into the ground. “I heard you guys talking about that whole ‘uploading’ thing earlier today. About it starting in America sometime soon, and how you told them we should follow after you.” She paused and let out a breath she’d been holding in. “I don’t like that idea. For obvious reasons.”
“Because you think I’m not me?” Candle Light asked. It wasn’t accusatory, but Night Watcher flinched anyway. The mare frowned, and she asked, “How am I not myself? I don’t feel like a copy. And your mother and your siblings don’t think that about me.”
Night Watcher frowned, an uncomfortable look forming on her face. Was it weird that her daughter was now the tallest? Candle Light used to be the tallest in her family. She didn’t mind it though. The bat pony looked at her hooves and then glanced back down at the unicorn.
“I don’t have any proof,” she admitted, sounding a little defeated by the idea. “It’s just a feeling, even though it’s probably dumb.” There was a moment of silence, like she wanted to say something more personal. She held back though, continuing, “I know I’ve just been watching from everyone else’s screen, but you act different. But only a little bit different. It’s like you’re ninety five percent the same.”
“Well, I think that’s just because I’ve been here so long, Daffie… err, Nighty,” Candle Light explained. “It’s been almost two years for me. I don’t feel like I’ve changed, but I wouldn’t be surprised if I changed a little bit. But that’s why I want you guys in here with me.”
“You changed when you got here though, Dad,” Night Watcher told her. “You’ve been a girl since day one, as far as I know. That’s not just because of how long you’ve been here.”
Now Candle Light shifted on her hooves uncomfortably, her face becoming bright red. “I– don’t tell your mother this, please,” she said. “This is just between you and me for now. But I… I think Celestia turned me into a mare at the start because I might actually be transgender. A friend of mine explained it to me recently, and it makes sense. I like being this way a lot more than being a stallion, even though I’d be a stallion if there was a good one that didn’t feel terrible.”
“My dad– you weren’t transgender before,” the bat pony quickly corrected, flaring her wings. She had an accusing tone in her voice as she said, “You’ve always been a guy, and didn’t seem uncomfortable.”
“I know that. But with over a year and a half of being like this, I think it’s a good assumption to make,” she said. “It feels better like this.”
Night Watcher only stared at her skeptically, an unsure look painted on her face. Candle Light quickly continued, “Besides, it’s kind of fun learning new things about myself! And about Equestria, too. I’m actually gonna go to a university soon with one of my new friends, Rising Ranks, and study magic and science.”
“You weren’t into science either,” Night Watcher highlighted. “Like I said, it’s basically still you, but it’s kind of different, and it’s weird, and it doesn’t help all of this settle.” Her eyes began to tear up, and she looked away. “It’s like I lost my dad and got an almost exact, but not quite perfect, copy of him. It’s a little uncanny. And it doesn’t help when you bring up having them go to Japan or wherever for us to kill ourselves.”
“Daffie…”
Night Watcher turned away and sniffed. Candle Light frowned sadly and felt a well of emotion kick up inside of her. It made the desire for her family to follow her to Equestria that much stronger. She didn’t say that though, instead putting a hoof on the bat pony’s shoulder and meeting her gaze when her head turned.
“It seems just like you,” she said tearfully, glancing between Candle Light and her hooves. “There’s no doubt about that. And maybe i’m just being an idiot–”
“You’re not an idiot, Daffie,” Candle Light interrupted.
“–but I can’t get myself to believe that it’s you. And I don’t really have a good reason for why either.”
“Honey,” Candle Light started. She paused until Night Watcher fully turned her way, bringing her dark eyes to the unicorn’s emerald ones. “I promise you, it’s me,” she told her slowly, like she was speaking to a foal younger than Warm Spell. “I feel like me, and I think I act like me, so that must mean it’s me, right?”
“Unless–” Candle Light stopped her daughter before she could finish her thought.
“And if I’m just a copy of me like you think,” she said softly, carefully, “I still feel like me, and love you and your siblings and your mother with all my heart. So would there really be a difference? But I don’t think you even think that. I certainly don’t think I’m a copy, and don’t feel like one.”
Night Watcher sniffed again, and then she did cry. Candle Light only took a second to wrap her hooves around her in a tight hug as her daughter leaned into her. She felt wings wrap loosely around her, and rubbed the bat pony’s back comfortingly. 
“I promise you it’s me, sweet heart,” she whispered. “And you know I’d never lie to you.”
A few seconds later, her daughter pulled back, and wiped her eyes dry. “I– thanks for… telling me that, Dad,” she said, although she kept her eyes pointed to the ground. Night Watcher swallowed, and continued, “But don’t tell them they should go to Japan and try to go to Equestria? I… don’t like hearing stuff like that. Not right now.”
“It would be nice if all you guys were here with me,” she said, “but okay. I’ll keep it to myself for a while.”
“A long while? Please, Dad?” her daughter almost begged. “I’m still trying to wrap my head around all of this, and hearing stuff like that just stresses me out.”
“A long while,” she assured her. “I promise.”
“Thanks.” Night Watcher’s voice cracked. “That… makes me feel a lot better about it actually being you. I… thought you were gonna argue with me about it.”
“You know me too well to do something like that, sweetie,” the mare laughed softly. “I’d love to spend more time with you though. It’s been so long for me. Almost two years, like I said.”
“Yeah, that would be good,” she agreed. “I can’t tonight, but I’ll see you tomorrow?” the bat pony asked. “I’d talk to you more, but after sleeping all afternoon, I kind of need to focus on homework and stuff. Sorry I’ve… been kind of ignoring you. It’s just been hard without you here.”
“Tomorrow,” Candle light nodded, now fully grinning. “And it’s okay. I can’t wait. I love you, Nighty.”
The androgynous looking pony hesitated for a long moment, almost a lifetime, then finally replied with an almost imperceptible smile, “I love you, Dad.” She flew off a moment later, taking to the skies without a word. The unicorn watched her fly with a happy, satisfied smile. That went so much better than she thought it would.
She blinked, and suddenly, she was in tears, ones of relief dripping down her cheeks, the same ones she let out at the end of that perfect day with her wife. Things were going so well, much better than she expected. All of her family was finally going to spend time with her, even if it was only every few weeks. She was having fun being a mare, she had nice friends, and she was having a good time learning about magic. How could a place like this be so perfect? With as amazing as it was in Equestria, her family was going to have to come live here with her for good before too long. She wondered how long it would be before they arrived.
She didn’t think about what the answer might be. Candle Light wiped her eyes dry, and then smiled widely. She wasn’t the one who made the decision to emigrate here, but it was certainly the best decision anyone had ever made about her.
She told her friends about it that evening, in particular, Rising Ranks and Careful Calling. The stallion in particular seemed to come over to her home every evening to study magic with her and just chat in general. 
“She took a long time, but I’m glad she’s starting to come around,” the mare said excitedly. “It’s not gonna be very long until you guys finally get to meet her, I bet. She’s gonna visit me a few weeks from now.”
“Is she moving to Equestria?” Careful Calling asked. “Wait, the rest of your family is still in the Outer Realm. When do you think they’d emigrate here? I’ve been wanting to tell Soft Step that she and her friends should, too, but I don’t really know how to.”
“I bet you could make it so your family shows up tomorrow,” Rising Ranks told Candle Light. “Like, if you asked Celestia, I bet she’d adjust your sense of time so it seems like they showed up very soon. You, too, Careful.”
“That would be nice,” Careful Calling said wistfully.
“Yeah…” Candle Light agreed. “But I think I’m okay with seeing them every few weeks for now,” she continued. “As long as they get here eventually. Depending on how long it takes, I bet I could show off all sorts of things to them! I bet there’s no limit to what I can do here!” She smiled, then finished, “Besides, I told Nighty I wouldn’t bring it up to her to make her more comfortable, and that might mess things up.”
“That makes sense,” the stallion nodded. “I don’t really know how it would work anyway. I just know that Celesita could probably do it. I wonder though how it would affect things with us ponies in Equestria right now though? I’ll have to ask somepony about that.”
The topic changed with that, and before long, as it seemed to be many times late at night these days, Rising Ranks was chatting up Candle Light after Careful Calling had left. They talked about science and magic mostly, and about Candle Light visiting that university in Canterlot, soon. However, just as happened every night, the time they spent had to end.
“You know, we always talk at your house,” he said with a little grin. “You should come over and see mine sometime. Maybe sometime soon? Tonight even? Just as friends, of course.”
“Tonight? At this hour?” she asked. “That seems pretty late, doesn’t it?”
“A little bit,” he nodded, “but I don’t think it’d be an issue.”
It wouldn’t, Candle Light knew, just the same way it wasn’t an issue when she made plans for specific dates to see her children, even though when they visited wasn’t exactly regular. They always appeared exactly when she wanted them to. She had a feeling that, in the same way, Celestia could probably make the day and night last as long as Candle Light or anypony else wanted.
“Plus,” Rising Ranks continued, “I have a whole lot of spell books that I haven’t read through, and I was thinking we could read through them together. You’re way better at picking everything up than I am, and you know it.”
Wait, was he flirting with her? Candle Light didn’t know, but her face went a little red at the thought. He might have said ‘just as friends’, but it didn’t entirely feel like he meant that. She didn’t brush off the comment like she probably should have though.
“What kinds of spells?” she asked. “Cause I’ve been learning a lot of stuff from the books I have here already.”
“It’s more complicated stuff,” he said. “Like transformation spells and magical beams and memory magic and gravity alteration and all sorts of things. I have books about science there, too, and how the Outer Realm works with Equestria.”
He was roping Candle Light in, and she knew it. “Where’s your house?” she asked. “Not too far away, right? It’s more difficult to teleport to places I haven’t been, especially if they’re not close by.”
“It’s in Canterlot,” he explained, “but I teleport here every day. It took me a long time to build up the strength to do it.”
“Wait, you teleport all the way here from Canterlot?” the mare asked, surprised. The stallion nodded, and Candle Light jumped up in excitement. “Show me! Show me! Show me!”
Rising Ranks laughed and lit up his horn, teleporting the two of them away.