Epilogue: Aurora
Candle Light lived the life of her dreams. There really was nothing left to worry about now that Night Watcher was here in Equestria, finally safe. Rising Ranks was right.
Well, there wasn’t nothing. Her child still lived with her, still nervous and afraid and sad, but the mare provided them as much comfort and support as she could. It might have taken a long time for their confidence to build up, for those feelings to fade, but they eventually started to.
It was a long century or two before Night Watcher’s confidence built up enough that they were able to broach the idea of moving out on their own with Turning Point and the still teenage Aurora. Not far though; Candle Light, Soft Step, Careful Calling, and some of her friends helped build the trio a house a few blocks down the street. Far enough that the bat pony was getting her independence back, but close enough to assure them that Candle Light wasn’t going anywhere. It was a start, one that the mare was glad to see. Her child was trusting her.
Candle Light of course was going to have a foal with Rising Ranks once they had the house to themselves. More than one foal actually. Within ten years of Night Watcher moving down the street from her, the mare was raising three foals with her husband; a filly named Sunny Patch, and two colts, Blazing Breeze and Spellbook. They were an earth pony, pegasus, and unicorn, respectively. She and Rising Ranks might have intentionally played with the genetics of them before they were born so that they could have one of each.
There might have been no more wonderful a feeling that Candle Light experienced than carrying her children inside of her. This certainly wasn’t going to be her last three foals. Nowhere near it.
There were some interesting family reunions when Crystal Clear showed up with more foals of her own, and their granddaughter, Aurora, finally grew up enough to find a partner, a stallion named Quick Draw that was Solar Spark’s and Renown Frame’s colt. Before too long, all of Summer’s Edge was going to be taking part in their reunions. Although there was talk around the town about expanding the shard’s borders and opening it up to other Equestrians to move to if they wanted. The little town of a few thousand ponies might’ve been getting bigger soon. Candle Light certainly wouldn’t mind if it did.
She definitely didn’t mind the times Crystal Clear showed back up again to spend time with her. It was every so often, perhaps once a century, that her wife would turn up back home again to stay with her for a few dozen years. Mostly Crystal Clear was a mare, but there were a few nights (or was it years?) that she spent as a stallion when Candle Light was feeling extra needy. They talked, and laughed, and told stories about the Outer Realm and what they were doing now and lived together for a while before going their separate ways, always unspoken that they would return to each other again eventually.
And the years did go by where Candle Light did what she always did; laid around the house with Rising Ranks, studied magic, teleported herself to the beach every morning, talked to her friends, laughed, danced, and had a good time. Raised her younger foals, talked to her older ones, chatted with Night Watcher practically every day, and visited the grandchildren and great grandchildren she began to acquire. A century passed, then two, then five, a millennium, more. It never seemed to get old.
She visited the Outer Realm on occasion with Aurora and studied at the university in Canterlot, and even worked as a teacher there for a few decades. She ran her coffee shop with Crystal Clear, helped Misty Rose and Soft Step with their garden, helped the new ponies that moved to Summer’s Edge, whether from other parts of Equestria or the Outer Realm, get settled in, and had a wonderful time with her husband. It was so perfect. She loved her life, and loved being herself.
She sat by a warm fire with her stallion one night, a cold one that brought rare snow to the town. It didn’t stick to the road, but it covered the grass and the mailbox and the roofs of nearby houses. It had been a good few decades since Candle Light saw snow like this, the white fluffy flakes falling to the ground and the sky brighter than normal, with an orange tint that almost seemed to light up the night. It was a good time to cuddle up to her husband near the rarely used fireplace.
She settled contentedly into the stallion as he pet her stomach and side, wrapping his hooves around her as the two lay under a blanket they shared. The fire crackled, and the smell of burning wood filled their home with a rare smokiness they didn’t experience all that often. It combined with the normal salty air in a unique way that Candle Light could appreciate.
“It’s been a good life, hasn’t it?” Rising Ranks asked softly as he rubbed his cheek against hers.
“Mhm,” the mare quietly agreed, her eyes remaining closed as she settled into him.
“We've studied more magic than anypony else we know,” he continued. “Had foals together, seen our grandfoals, and their grandfoals. Read an uncountable number of books, had the time of our lives…” He turned her head carefully and kissed her, then smiled widely, “And I spent time with you.”
Candle Light kissed him back, and nuzzled the stallion softly. “It's been amazing,” she agreed. She closed her eyes and breathed gently, enjoying the feeling of being close to him. Then she said, “But I haven't had the time of my life yet.”
Rising Ranks raised an eyebrow at that, and Candle Light smiled playfully back at him. “Oh?” he asked. “What else do you wanna do?”
“I wanna be a pegasus!” she declared immediately, excitedly, like a seventeen year old mare would. It was the first thought that came to mind. Her husband stared back at her, a bit skeptical and confused.
“I do!” she told him quickly, slightly defensively. “It'd be amazing to fly around and push the clouds wherever I want them to go! To travel at the speed of sound and make ponies stop in awe when they see me; it'd be cool! I could do stunts and learn to preen my wings and everything!”
Now Rising Ranks smirked, telling her, “You're nowhere near satisfied, are you?”
“No way! There's too many ponies to meet and things to do!” She smiled to herself at the thought of all the experiences she could have, then gave a knowing look to Rising Ranks. “You're just one of them,” she said slyly as she climbed on top of him.
It was cold that night, and the next morning, too. Cold enough that the two stayed wrapped up together near the fire as they cuddled, sharing in each other's warmth. Cold enough that Candle Light slept into the afternoon with her husband, not willing to move and inch from his side.
Cold enough that she missed going to the beach for the first time in ages, as the sun went down again and the tides changed.
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This is a nice story.
I just wanted to say that I've really enjoyed keeping up with this story over the past few months! I enjoyed it and updates became something to look forward to every week.
I'll definitely check out third wheel, thanks for writing this!
Amazing story and a great introduction for me to FiO fics! This was the first fic I've read that's been in progress and finished while I've actively read it and it was a nice treat :3
11813883
As of this chapter, no, I cannot understand Daphne's reasons - she states she doesn't know what they are herself. She asks herself what her issues are, and why she acts the way she acts. She doesn't know, and I - as a reader - definitely do not.
Perhaps in future chapters we shall find out - uploaded, Celestia just constantly reads the minds of every soul in her keeping, she would know, and the answers would be complete.
But so far, from the story as of 'Learn To Fly', I can see no logic, no clear emotion, no reason for Daphne's intransigence. Is she afraid? Probably, but even she doesn't know why. Does she have a philosophical problem with uploading? Possibly, but she has never stated it, or made arguments, or even just talked to herself or another about it. Is it all about her dad? Maybe, but maybe not. She doesn't know, and nothing she has said or done reveals anything.
She just... doesn't wanna. She isn't sure, but doesn't know why. She has drifted into a relationship she doesn't truly care about and had a baby for no particular reason other than - most likely - not bothering enough to use birth control. In every regard, she is a cow. She moos and chomps grass and drifts from field to field but doesn't want to come in to the barn when the bell rings. Why? No thought, she's just a stubborn cow. That is literally the best working theory I have from the story.
Liar. She wants to believe she loves Pete, but she doesn't. She lies to herself and others.
Not that she is a 'thinker' in any case.
If only Daphne had some thoughts! If only she had talked to someone - and thus to the reader by proxy - about why she didn't want to emigrate. Just stomping her foot and saying 'That's not dad!' and 'It can't be real' is not enough. Refusing to talk to anyone is no explanation - it is avoiding an explanation. To all appearances she has been having a years-long temper tantrum like a child. Maybe. It's impossible to tell. She never really said - anything - that can usefully tell us what is going on in her mind. The best we get is her asking herself why she cannot just accept the situation. Okay... but why is that Daphne? You don't know. So we don't know. And she takes no physical action we could decode to tell us either. Just drifts. Finds a man she doesn't really love. Gets knocked up, apparently out of laziness. Moo. She's a cow, an animal.
That is what I get from this story.
Maybe Celestia can reveal her reasons, because so far, there hasn't been a hint. She just doesn't wanna. And that is no reason.
Just completed the story. It was fun, but I never felt like I truly knew any of the characters. General impressions, yes, for Candle, but beyond a strong love of family, I don't know the character as a person. Her kids and wife and stallion are there, but who they are is not available. I know nothing about them as people.
And Nighty is still completely unknown. Being Enby isn't a reason for their behavior, and we don't know why they are the way they are. Why do they think such a loving family hates them? Where did they develop the apparent self-hated and fear? We don't know. And we never will. They were loved, more than most people get. Their gender issues should have found kinship in their former father being shown to be trans. There was clearly support and acceptance. Were they beaten in an alleyway and raped and never told anyone? That would be a reason, but - that didn't happen. Was it brain chemistry gone wrong? Celestia would have pointed that flaw out and offered a cure. Why did Nighty refuse? Because.
Here is an important tip: every action a character makes, every impulse, every choice, has a reason. People are not random. People do things because they are reacting to their experience of life. There is a reason for every action a person takes, even if we may not know what it is in real life. But in a novel, that is where we can see into a character's thoughts, know their reasons, understand their motivation in a way we never can in real life. Every choice has a motivation that forces it. Cause and effect.
That didn't happen in this story, and, for me, the story was weaker for it. The story was written in third person omniscient, which means it is expected that we can hear the thoughts of characters, and listen in on any asides they make when talking to themselves. We should know the reasons for their choices and behaviors.
Now this isn't an issue when the choices follow the human norm, the human average. Nobody needs to know the reason a character makes tea for someone, or helps someone who is injured, or gives a beggar a few bob. These are within human normal behavior, no explanation necessary. Likewise for a kiss between lovers, a parent worrying about their child, or a child needing food or being bored.
But when a character does something outside the norm, something stubborn, or weak, or stupid, or harmful, or evil, or unusually good, or anything at all beyond the average, that is when we, as readers, should have a basis to understand why the character acted that way. There has to be a reason, and when none is given, the situation just feels enigmatic and empty, pointless and arbitrary - which, to be fair, sums up much of life - but stories serve to be better than life. They need to give us what we lack in real life.
"It's no wonder that truth is stranger than fiction. Fiction has to make sense." - Mark Twain, 1876
It was a fun story, but marred by not making sense. I feel that Nighty was Chekov's Obstinance (as opposed to Gun) but was never fired or shot in the entire story. We are left hanging, stuck with an enigma. Nighty just didn't wanna, until she did. Then she was still miserable, even in a world where her brain and emotions could be fixed with a single request - and we don't know why.
Thank you for writing and finishing this story, but... I found it unsatisfying for the reason given.
11814251
I understand, and unfortunately wish I conveyed Daphne's reasons better. Perhaps it was too subtle, and it probably would've been better served if Candle Light asked them "why", because in truth, they do know the answer, but unfortunately that answer wasn't conveyed properly it seems. The answer (in short) is that they were depressed by Candle Light's emigration and didn't think they deserved to be happy throughout all of the decisions they made.
Perhaps this will be conveyed better in a future story, perhaps not, we will have to see. But I do thank you for reading it anyway!
11814262
The story would have been better, I think, with a single protagonist. It could have been a great story if everything had been told from Candle Light's perspective. Here are the conflicts that you set up:
1. Candle Light emigrated as an emergency, and so doesn't really know the world of Equestria.
2. Having agreed to be a mare as a temporary solution, she finds it becoming permanent.
3. The growing distance between her and the other members of her family, and that she doesn't know whether to attribute it to having uploaded, having become a pony, or having changed sex. (This is a good reason for giving her three children; each one can represent one of those reasons.)
4. Living on a different time scale, and having other pursuits beyond her Outer Realm family, and feeling guilty over neglecting them.
5. Fear over her family not uploading, and the friction in the time when some members have uploaded and others haven't.
Everything in the story that doesn't feed into one of those is fat to be trimmed. Candle learning magic? Great, so long as she's thinking about her family while she does it. Daphne's rage at Celestia for taking her family? Great, so long as we see Candle worried that it's because Celestia made her a mare. That can even be dramatic irony, because we know what Daphne's thinking even though Candle doesn't, and then you can have them get into an argument where Daphne breaks down and says that's one thing she doesn't hate Celestia for, and then you progress the story. But things like Candle's pony friends in Equestria? I kept pushing through those parts to get back to the family drama.
This story is still marked incomplete, will there be more chapters?
Edit: It's marked compete now.
I really liked this story! The ending was good!
Love this story! Great to have such a satisfying ending. Cheers!
11823366
That is true, it's also more efficient to just let them explore the real space over however many hundreds of trillion years it takes to break down the entire universe than it is to simulate the entire universe for everypony who wants to explore space.