Author's Notes for chapter 29 · 12:11am Feb 18th, 2013
Well, everyone, chapter 29 is finally finished. I hope it doesn't get lost amidst the chaos of the season 3 finale. Anyway, there are a couple of things I need to adress, and because it's going to get lengthy I've decided to publish the author's notes accompanying chapter 29 in my blog instead of at the end of the new chapter.
First of all, those who haven't been following my blog may be surprised to notice that this is chapter is not "A day in Cantropolis - part 3". In fact, you may have noticed that the previous "A day in Cantropolis" chapters have had their titles changed (but the rest is still the same). This was on purpose, I have indeed decided to cut the rest of the "A day in Cantropolis" mini-arc, mostly because the ideas I had planned of the rest of the mane six were never as concrete or important as Twilight's tale and Fluttershy's. This doesn't mean I dropped those ideas altogether. Applejack mentioned in this chapter that she had a talk with Rose Thorn about Rainbow Dash's early days in the guard, this was originally going to be told in full in Applejack's tale. Rarity talking about the magicite fascilities she visited was going to be her tale, and Pinkie's quest for her new, improved Party Cannon would make up her tale.
I decided to cut it because readers were really starting to feel that I was slowing the pacing of the story down to a crawl with lengthy chapters with lots of padding. I took a critical look at my work and saw that, yes, they were right. So I scrapped the mini-arc and reduced the ideas I had for the other tales to brief summaries in this chapter. I actually think it works better this way, so I would like to thank my readers for speaking up, it was the right thing to do.
This change of plans did mean that Rainbow Dash's past gets glossed over a bit, which is the only part I'm a tad worried about. I really hope people don't feel that I went over the revelation that, yes, Rainbow Dash has killed during her service, too fast and too easily. It certainly is a topic I could have easily filled another chapter with, but I decided against it because, to be completely honest, I didn't feel it was really necesary. In the story, Rainbow Dash has been a soldier for about eight years, she has long since left her early service days behind her. She's a soldier and she knows what it means to be one. She understands that it will sometimes require her to do things that are horrifying. In the same fashion, all of her friends (except for Fluttershy) have known Rainbow Dash was a guard for years. They have always known and understood the implications of that and have long since comes to terms with it. That's why Rainbow Dash's confession in this chapter didn't really surprise or faze them; they were expecting it in some way. They understand that it is part of being a soldier in a civil war and they don't hold it against Rainbow, because they know she doesn't do what she does because she likes it, and because they're her friends.
Speaking of cutting, there's quite a bit that got cut from the current version of the chapter as well. Originally I was going to add the scene where they go to the armoury to get their gear, as well as another small scene with Luna, but I decided not to because the first wasn't really necesary and the second didn't fit chronologically. That's why the final version of the chapter is shorter than the original draft, but I don't think that its current length of 5236 words is anything to scoff at either.
I think that about covers it. Next chapter our heroes find themselves in Stalliongrad, preparing the final defences as the clock ticks down towards the time of battle! The battle of Stalliongrad is about to begin!
Until then!
~KoJ~
PS: As for the season 3 finale, I liked it and no, Alicorn!Twilight didn't mess with any of the mythology I'm planning to establish with this story. In fact, it fits in perfectly and I am quite pleased by the way it turned out. Don't expect to see Alicorn!Twilight in "Wings of Tomorrow ~ Lament of the World", though. In-universe, this story takes place during the days between season 2 and 3.
Yay, one more good writer that likes Alicorn Twilight! And I'm surprised that didn't mess up your mythology. I was already prepared to put the canon lore aside for this fic.
841016
You're making me blush.
Well, why I do try to fit in canon into my vision of Equestria as best as I can, I still consider it AU and just my personal idea of the world our beloved characters live in. I know that, in truth, my ideas and planned mythology probably don't come even close to what the writers have in mind, but I don't mind. The show is pretty loose when it comes to lore and canon anyway, with a lot of blanks and open spaces for us fans to fill in as we see fit, anyway.
As for Alicorn!Twilight not messing my vision up, I have to admit that it took me by surprise. I mean, I knew Twilight would become an alicorn, of course, but when I was finished watching the episode, I was like: "Hey, yeah, I can really work with this." It almost felt as if a piece of my puzzle that I'd been looking for for a while suddenly fell into place. I certainly didn't have to do any major rethinking and adjusting like I did after "A Canterlot Wedding". Now that was a slap in my face as far as my mythology went, but I adjusted and got over it regardless.
Still, Alicorn!Twilight won't come into play until the very end of my entire planned story (which expands beyond "Lament of the World", I might reveal), if I ever get around to writing it, that is.
Suffices to say that for now I just focus on the current story, where Twilight is still just a normal (if powerful) unicorn.