What a long strange trip it’s been.
After all, it’s a dangerous business, going out your door. My goal when I set out was to combine elements of two stories, Friendship is Magic, and Baldur's Gate, that I thought would go together into a whole that was more than the sum of its parts. I tried to paint a story through the eyes of a Twilight Sparkle tainted by a darker world, and show her journey down the line between hero and monster. I attempted to struggle with questions of life and death that the show itself could never address.
For journeying with me thus far, you have my thanks. It’s been an immense privilege to have you join me. I can only hope that it’s been as much fun for you as it’s been for me. When I began, I expected this first part to be about 85,000 words. But, to quote Tolkien, the tale grew in the telling.
I’d like extend some extra gratitude to a few people who have given me extraordinary help along the way.
Idle Prose: This guy has been amazing. The story would be half of what it is without him. The first proper editing I got of this story was on the Ponychan fic board, and Idle Prose was kind enough to review my story and stick with me as an editor. My first chapter was extremely rough until he got to it. Go read what he’s written, and he’s got a lot of big ideas in the pipes.
Extravagaunte: He helped me out a great deal, pointing out where I was unclear. It was especially awesome that he was largely unfamiliar with Baldur’s Gate and Forgotten Realms. It helped me identify areas that needed extra clarification. He’s a tabletop buddy of mine, and he just recently moved away for college. I wish him all the best.
Furutta: At first I was hesitant about sharing my story with people I knew in real life and preferred to hide in anonymity. Furutta helped me get over that difficulty. He’s my best friend, and it’s fantastic to have his interest and support.
The Music Man: He joined me late in this process, but so far, he’s found several errors that were overlooked in the past. The chapters that were already published are cleaner now that he’s been through them, and with his help, I’m confident that future chapters will be even better.
Additionally, I owe a debt to all the authors who have inspired me, fanfiction or otherwise. Kkat, author of Fallout Equestria, demonstrated to me what a crossover could be, and wrote my favorite story to date. Jetfire, author of It’s a Dangerous Buisness, Going Out Your Door was also a huge inspiration.
I’d also like to thank the Equestria Daily pre-reader volunteers for taking the time to look at my story, and Equestria Daily for featuring The Sword Coast. Without Equestria Daily’s help, my story would have a fraction of the views it has now, and as a writer, all I really want is for my work to be seen.
You all have my thanks for reading. Without you, I doubt I would have been able to finish this story. If you’d like to recommend my story to others, please rate and favorite if you haven’t already. Without updates to attract attention, it’s the only way it will be seen. If you don’t have an account, make one. If you have any advice on how to promote my story, please send me a message.
I look forward to seeing you all in the future. The Sequel: Shadows of the Crystal Empire, has begun. There are also a few side stories collected under the title Tales of the Sword Coast, focusing on the individuals and events surrounding Twilight Sparkle, but beyond her sight.