or: Stop it with the Star Wars references already they aren't funny

I don't know why you'd be reading this before reading Stormy 3, but whatever: Link!

Stormy 3 was an easier write than Stormy 2 was; I already knew where I was going with it when I started. I wrote Stormy 2 with 3 in mind, hence Wobbler hammering Starry = Stormy into the readers' head, and yes, Princess Celestia. If you read Stormy 2 Chapter 3 again, you see that the Princess was scheduled to visit Whinnypeg. This still happened after Stormy left, and the town was still abuzz with the news. Little wonder word of Stormy reached the Princess's ears. The reader just forgot about that little tidbit when Wobbler's revelation hit.

The only major difference between drafts was Spyglass's profession. Originally he was a scientist, and the Finely Focused Filly was a bit of alliteration I was proud of for a place I couldn't find a good spot in the plot for. This would also have tied in to Stormy's interest in magical theory. (All that unicorn crap rubbed off on her as a kid.) We see bits of that interest in Stormy 2, with the pegasus "magic" before the storm, but there was nowhere to put it in 3's final draft.

The biggest issue with Spyglass being a scientist was his age. Stormy is barely out of high school, and I wanted Spyglass to be about the same. But he also needed a house that could support a guest with her own private room. Not likely on the kind of salary a lab monkey would pull, and he is way too young to be accomplished in any manner. So I came up with the current solution. Works a lot better in my opinion.

The rest was about as planned, hitting the scenes I wanted: The opening with "Starry", the rain and the balcony, the horrifically contrived scenario to get Stormy's robe away from her, the meeting with the Princess.

What else... oh yeah.

The sidekick character in Stormy 1 was an earth pony. In 2 it was a pegasus. So it's only natural that 3's secondary character would be a unicorn. On top of that, Stormy was born of a union of a pegasus and a unicorn, so I think it's fitting that she enter into a pegasus/unicorn relationship herself.

One thing Stormy 3 is lacking is a villain character. This was very intentional. In Stormy Nights 1, the villain was Sterling, her father. In Stormy Nights 2, the mayor filled that role, even if she was more on the right side of the argument than Wobbler. She still represented the narrative forces against Stormy.

But I wanted to make clear that there was no external antagonist in Stormy 3. The villain of Stormy Nights 3 is Stormy Nights. She is the one holding herself back, telling her that she can't attain her hopes and dreams, and she is the one that needs to be defeated in order for the protagonist (who is also Stormy Nights) to prevail.

Originally, Stormy was going to come to her realization about her abilities in front of the Princess. You can see the remnants of that, as Celestia is guiding her towards a conclusion that well, Stormy had already beaten her to. The Princess part strictly didn't have to be there anymore, but hey, I already foreshadowed it in 2, and I wanted my Princess cameo. It wouldn't be My Little Pony without the moral to the Princess. And the scene with Spyglass: just before writing that paragraph, I knew. I knew what Stormy needed more than anything at that moment was a really good cry.

I couldn't decide on the romance ending or the friendship ending. So I used both. Go me.

I do like art of Stormy. It's fun to see peoples' interpretations of her. This is my personal favorite, so far. So if there are any bored artists in the audience I don't like begging for art. I know people need commission money, yet I can't afford to pay for pony pics. Such is life. I'm doing it now, aren't I? But if any pops up, please do let me know.

And what happens after the story ends? I have a few ideas. Yours might be different, and that's fine. But everything isn't all nice and neat in the story, because real life isn't like that either.

Will Stormy get over her deep-rooted issues? No, I don't think so. Not completely. One lifetime isn't long enough to heal scars that deep. But she has a pony she knows loves her, and she has her best friend there to hold her up. So while they won't go away completely, I think she can still find happiness despite them.

Children? I think so. Perhaps... two. A colt, then a filly. Both pegasi. Why not. I like pegasi.

Will Wobbler improve? She did get a serious wake up call there. And she owes a lot to Stormy, a pony who lives on the ground now. Stormy also knows the weather, and can serve as an excellent bridge between Wobbler and the grounders. Will she make it to Canterlot? Maybe. Maybe not.

Is anything for certain? No.

But there's hope.

And hope is the best thing that I can give to Stormy.