Friendship Is Optimal: Changing Tides

by Boopy Doopy

Gimme Stitches

“Nonny?” a familiar voice whispered carefully as a small, velvety wing touched Night Watcher’s cheek. “Nonny, I'm hungry,” a young foal said.

Night Watcher was on their side, their face and a couple of hooves hanging off the edge of the bed as they opened their eyes and took in the scene. A filly had her gaze trained on them, hopeful, yet questioning, tilting her head as she touched their cheek again. She had brown eyes and an orange coat with a banana yellow mane and tail that seemed to reflect off of moonlight streaming in from the window. But her voice was familiar. Night Watcher heard it every day.

“Hey, Rory,” they told Aurora, their own voice more neutral than it was before, maybe still a smidge on the feminine side. Their body was pretty androgynous looking, just like it was when they played Equestria Online, very few details about them leaning toward one sex or the other. It felt nice, just like the room they were in.

It was a simple looking one, with two beds, one larger than the other. A bookshelf and desk with a record player lined one side, and a large window offered a perfect view of the moon hanging outside, full and bright as the sky around it was littered with stars. Outside beyond that was a beach that several ponies walked along—Night Watcher's vision was excellent now. Although one of them turned around, and stared up at the window, as though they were looking right at them. They turned to somepony else to explain something, then seemed to head to the house.

Night Watcher could only guess who that was. So then this was all real.

Night Watcher started to cry, and put their head in their wings.

“Nonny?” Aurora asked quietly, sounding like she would cry just because they were crying. “What's wrong?”

Night Watcher cried for a few seconds more, then wiped their eyes and carefully pet Aurora's mane, pulling the small filly in close. “It's nothing, honey,” they told her. “I'm just happy you're safe.” They took a breath and asked, “You said you were hungry? Let's see if we can find some food for you, okay?”

The two headed down to the kitchen, another room Night Watcher recognized, although a few things changed after so long. They didn't think their mother would mind them raiding the fridge for food; she even prepared a couple of meals for them to eat. A bean and rice mix with a sauce she couldn't name and green beans and carrots on the side. It was delicious, and tasted just like home, cooking they'd been missing since forever ago. Aurora only ate the rice and carrots though.

Night Watcher felt nice, nicer than they had in years—maybe ever. They were in Equestria and safe, their mother was here, and they had a body that felt comfortable. It might have been somewhat embarrassing being naked now, but they figured it was something they'd get used to. It wasn't too bad.

What did the bat pony remember though, about what happened just before they woke up? They closed their eyes and tried to recall the minutes and hours. They remembered being hit by the car, being in pain, and trying to inject themself. They remembered being unable to, and a pony coming up to inject them. They remembered being tired, and then… Night Watcher didn’t know. Maybe a few people coming up to them, and being put on a stretcher in an ambulance? They must have gone to the hospital, and could vaguely remember bright white lights. But how long were they there? Minutes? Months? It felt longer than a day, at least. Maybe longer than a week. Their daughter’s lack of surprise by the circumstances seemed to indicate that. She shouldn’t have even known who they were yet.

And then they were waking up here, with Aurora. And finding out this was real. How was this real?

They definitely remembered the voice of the pony now, a thought that made them tear up again. They definitely needed to find him. How did he know to be right there, right then? Did it even matter? Night Watcher was glad he was.

The two finished their food, then raided the freezer for a couple of bowls of chocolate ice cream before they both settled into the couch. Night Watcher wrapped a wing around their daughter to pull her close and tight, and closed their eyes to silently cry. Why had they waited so long? They always knew logically that this was real. They'd known that since before Warm Spell uploaded. Yet it took ages for them to actually get here. It was just so much wasted time…

Their body moved comfortably, without any issue, and Aurora seemed like she was already settled in. They were here. They were safe. They didn't have to worry anymore. And Pete was here, and so was their family, and…

And Night Watcher was going to need time to process all of their feelings. How many years had it been since their father—their mother—got cancer? Night Watcher's lip trembled, and they pulled Aurora closer. They wouldn't have to worry about that anymore either. Or anything else.

Why were they still so terrified then?

A soft knock came, and the front door opened slowly to show not one, but two familiar faces. Candle Light reached them first, while Pete took hold of Aurora. Night Watcher's quiet crying quickly turned into loud sobs as they held onto the mare, like they were clinging onto dear life.

“Hey, Nighty,” Candle Light whispered softly, her voice somehow clear, without a hint of a tear in it. There was only gentle happiness. “Glad you could finally make it.” Night Watcher could practically hear her smiling.

It took them more than a minute of holding onto Candle Light before they finally calmed down enough to take a breath and wipe their eyes. Their fur was just as soft as their mother's and helped to dry their tears. It also helped that she let them lean into her neck.

“I'm sorry, Dad… Mom…” Night Watcher finally got out, looking up into her eyes. The bat pony almost expected to see icy blue eyes again, but no. They were still shining brightly emerald green. Their mother had changed, a lot. So had Night Watcher.

“Why are you apologizing?” her mother asked softly. “You don't have anything to be sorry for.”

“I'm sorry for taking so long to get here,” Night Watcher got out shakily, the tear drops still dripping down. The floodgates had been fully opened, and they wouldn't stop now. Candle Light pulled them in again tightly.

“For being dumb, for not talking to you forever. For… everything…”

That this was real, everypony was certainly going to hate them now for making them wait, for forcing Candle Light to agonize over them for years and years. How their mother didn't already hate them, Night Watcher didn't know. Maybe because that was just who she was. It was one thing that hadn't changed.

“Thank you, Mom,” Night Watcher continued, looking back up into her eyes. “For saving me, and Rory, and Pete, and…” They glanced away for a moment before putting their eyes back on her. “You're my hero.”

Now Candle Light’s smile became a wide grin as she sniffed, having to avoid crying herself. “Thank you for letting me be, honey.”

The two hugged a while more, Night Watcher apologizing again and again and Candle Light reassuring them that they had nothing to be sorry for. Then they turned to hug Pete—Turning Point, who was a bat pony just like they were. How he knew to be there at that moment, Night Watcher didn't know, but they were glad for it. They saved their life.

The adults talked for a bit while Aurora sat on Night Watcher’s back; Night Watcher explained that they were non-binary, something that her mother apparently already knew. They talked to Turning Point about Aurora, and he talked about what he'd been doing for the last few years, which turned out to be effectively sitting and watching with Celestia in Canterlot Night Watcher and Aurora go about their lives day in and day out. Night Watcher thought about how the love they felt for him just before he died was still with them now, and asked Candle Light what they should do now that the three of them were here. The mare assured them that they would figure it out later, and that first Night Watcher and Aurora should go down to the beach with her and Turning Point.

The night was clear and littered with stars. The moon hung high and bright over the town Night Watcher had only been to a handful of times. It was cool out tonight, with a soft wind blowing through their fur and messing up their manes, the wind carrying the salty scent of the ocean with it. It wouldn't be oppressively hot here like in Arizona, or bitterly cold like in North Dakota. The bat pony smiled shyly at the thought.

They still felt afraid though, and began to tear up again.

Candle Light stopped at a bench along the way, telling Turning Point that he and Aurora should continue on down to the beach and that the two of them would catch up soon. When they slowly walked on, Candle Light wrapped her hoof around her foal again.

“What's wrong, honey?” she asked quietly.

“It's been so long… forever,” Night Watcher got out in a whisper, having to wipe their eyes again, this time with a wing. There were crickets chirping and cicadas buzzing in the grass as they picked up on sounds of laughter coming from down at the beach. They knew who was waiting down there.

“They're gonna hate me,” Night Watcher said quietly. “It's been forever.”

“Why would they hate you, sweetheart?” Candle Light asked gently.

“I don't know…”

Candle Light pulled them closer, tighter, and helped them to lean into her shoulder. “I know everything's changed,” she started kindly, “but I promise they won't hate you. We never have. We all love you so much.”

Why did it feel like they did then? Like Night Watcher didn't deserve their love after everything? Didn't deserve to be happy? Why were they so afraid?

Her mother seemed to read her mind. “You deserve to be happy, honey. You always have.”

Night Watcher sniffed loudly. “I haven't been in forever though,” they choked out in a whisper. “I don’t know if I can be… not in forever…”

Candle Light continued to hold them, the bat pony almost able to physically feel all the love she radiated. “You'll be happy here,” she told them. “Trust me.”

“I don’t deserve it though,” they said as the tears dripped down, off of their cheeks and onto their mother’s coat. “I’m just…” They didn’t speak for a long moment as Candle Light carefully brushed their wings with a hoof.

“Just what?”

“Just selfish!” they finally finished. “I did everything wrong, and I don’t know why! And if not for you and Pete, I would’ve just died! And Aurora would be alone, and I knew all that, and I did it anyway! I wouldn’t have used the injection on Aurora if I didn’t think it would work, and I still didn’t use it on myself anyway, and I was the only one who said you shouldn’t emigrate, and would’ve killed you if Mom listened to me, and I tried to keep everyone else from emigrating, and—”

“Honey, honey, honey,” Candle Light interrupted softly, tightening her grip on them before they could hyperventilate. Their muzzle pushed into her neck as she said, “You don’t need to take care of everypony, sweetie. It’s not your responsibility.” Night Watcher sniffled again, and Candle Light spoke in a whisper now. “I’m here to take care of you, okay? You’re safe now.”

“I don’t deserve it,” they said just as quietly, not pulling back from her neck. “I messed everything up. I don’t deserve to be safe or happy. I should just be dead out there. You should all hate me.” They sniffed loudly, and finished, “I should just fucking die.”

“You deserve to be happy,” Candle Light told them again. “It’s my job to take care of you, not your job to take care of everypony else. You deserve to be safe and happy, and you will be.”

Night Watcher didn't pull out of her grasp, but did look up into her eyes. “You promise?” This time, their voice was as clear as could be.

Candle Light smiled like she always did, like she always used to before, and rubbed their back softly. “I promise, sweetie. You'll be happy here.”

“But it's been so long,” they whimpered. “I've missed everything. They all know I kept making bad choices. They’re all gonna hate me…” Their voice cracked as they said, “I'll never get that time back, Mom…”

That, of all things, made Candle Light laugh lightly. “Nighty, you haven't missed a thing,” she said with a wide grin. “You have so much more time than you'll ever know.”

More time than they would ever know? That felt impossible, but Candle Light never lied to her, not ever.

She kissed their forehead, and finished, “Now let's head down to the beach. The rest of your family is waiting to see you.”

It was a beautiful night to spend outside. It felt absolutely perfect.

Comments

[Walabio]

Pete is definitely a construct from the memories of Night Wing and the spying from those drones pretending to be FairyFies. Whether Night Wing is a true upload depends on how long it took for that one* to die.

* As an Esperantist, I knot that in Esperanto has the gender-neutral singular pronoun (one can make it plural "tiuj") which can to people. It is too bad that English has to make the plural pronoun "they" have indefinite number in English. ¡Oh wait! ¡One does not!:

Just as one can say ¿Kiu estas tiu?" in Esperanto, one can say "¿Who is that one?" in English (tiu means that one; while, tiuj means those ones). Rather than make "they" less precise, one cold use "that one" and "this one" instead. I shall give an example:

> "'But it's been so long,' that one whimpered. 'I've missed everything. They all know I kept making bad choices. They’re all gonna hate me…' That one's voice cracked as that one said, 'I'll never get that time back, Mom…'"

¿Do I expect you to head mine advice? No. ¿Does that bother me? No:

As an Esperantist, I am used to people ignoring our advice, even though I know that if everypony would just listen to our advice and learn Esperanto, everypony could speak with everypony else.

[Boopy Doopy]

11814073
It's implied that they were in the hospital for a few weeks that they don't remember.

[Walabio]

11814096

That is the impression I got, but her memory is Swiß Cheese and cannot be trusted. The think is that even if the others would confirm this, they could be wrong because CelestAI lies and could simulate anything for that one's family.