I can't believe how big this story got. I know in comparison it's not all that large compared to the epics that span 100,000+ words, but for me, it's a personal achievement. I never expected the story to get as far as it did, in fact my original skeleton only covered the first day of the story. Originally the story was just going to end with the introduction of a villain, and set up a sequel, but I realized something after doing that, that I hadn't realized before.
People really hate cliffhangers.
I had maybe 2 dislikes by the time I finished the story the first time, which increased to 8 within hours of posting the cliffhanger. It was then that I seriously entered mental negotiations to rewrite the ending, and the change of pace is evident with the start of Part Two. I never even planned on that section happening, it just sort of took off on its own. It was difficult, coming up with an entirely new direction to take the story on such short notice, but I'm pleased with how it turned out.
All things considered, what started just as a simple project to challenge myself with providing a complex continuity throughout Part One has evolved into my most popular story. I never in a million years would have seen that coming.
Thank you everypony, for all your love and support, and most of all for all the constructive criticism.
I wouldn't have gotten this far without it.
Lunabrony