So, that was five years of my life.

I wasn't going to write an author's note here at the end: to be honest, I'm kind of out of things to say for this story. If you're interested in insights on the writing process for AoS, then I have chapter-by-chapter commentaries on my deviantART page. Writing those up in tandem with the chapters really bled me dry of anything left for me to talk about here.

But as I sit here, staring at that epilogue document, readying myself to hit the "Post New Chapter" button and mark this story as Complete once and for all, I feel this...ethereal presence looming over me, as if my meditative spirit is detaching itself from my body and clinging to the last moments that I'll have with this very first fanfiction of mine. And I know that that spirit isn't going to settle itself down until I write this and give myself a sense of closure.

I started Aura of Storms on a whim. Back in February 2013, I got a fever that was so bad it made me hallucinate. While I was home alone, shivering in my bed and cowering from the shower on the other side of the door (I convinced myself that its warm water was trying to tempt me into a realm of darkness and evil), I fell into a chaotic Pokémon related dream. The specific events were fuzzy, but there was a dramatic death encapsulated in it, followed by a long period of miserable grieving. I woke up feeling a flurry of emotions, letting the events in that dream stick with me while I mulled over what my subconscious was trying to tell me.

After I got better, and I stopped believing that I was a prophet destined to dictate the next Epic Fantasy for the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon fandom, I started pondering over some more pragmatic and realistic concepts for a PMD style story. A bunch of ideas bounced around in my head for the next month, and in March I decided to start writing.

I had absolutely no idea what I was getting into when I started. I was not expecting myself to write something this long—and if I was, I wasn't expecting myself to follow through with it all the way. Sometimes I imagine what it would be like to go back in time to that day and just warn my past self about how that decision to start writing was going to completely change the course of his life. "Hey, younger me. I see you got Google Docs open right there. I just thought I should let you know that you're about to begin a very incredible journey. By starting this story, you're going to open yourself up to a somewhat small but very kindhearted and creative fandom. Over the next five years, you're going to become passionate about writing. Not only are you going to finish this story, but you're going to have plans for lots of new ones after it's done. It's not just going to be a little side-hobby that you dabble on from time to time. It's going to become your child, and you're going to learn so much from it. You're going to make incredible new friends, join incredible new communities, and go down a path that will completely reshape whom you are as a person."

I'd probably respond by saying, "Get the hell out of here you quixotic lunatic. Time travel isn't real."

Well, now I'm here. And boy am I glad that I decided to follow through with this crazy idea.

Anyway, now that this whole thing is finally done, I suppose thanks are in order. I know, I know, this is just a fanfiction: it's not like I'm getting an Oscar or anything, no need to get all exultant about it. But this has been a part of my life for a long time, and I want to acknowledge those who helped me along the way.

First and foremost, Shadow of Antioch has been my beta reader since chapter 20, and he's both spotted several of my embarrassing mistakes and smacked me upside the head when I made really stupid plot/pacing decisions. He's also been a fan of the story for many years now, and has cheered me on for a long time. If you haven't checked out his own PMD story yet, I encourage you to do so (partly because I beta read for him too). Thank you so much for everything you've done for me, Shadow.

BlazionSpring has been another good friend and continued fan of my story. He gave me feedback consistently after every single chapter I wrote, and it was a joy to hear from him every time. Thank you for being such an awesome companion.

The very first person aside from myself who looked at my story and gave me feedback was ScytheRider, a man who needs no introduction. His advice was of remarkable help to me, both the direct advice that he gave to me specifically and the general writing advice that he offers to everybody that views his profile. He has had a profound influence on my style, and I'm happy to call him my friend and brother-in-writing-arms. Scythe has raised mountains and carved valleys into the landscape of my life, and I thank him from the bottom of my heart for that.

I also give endless thanks to Zion of Arcadia. She deserves a flower shop and a book of love letters from me. Every single one of her chapter reviews brightened my day. They were well-written, full of content, and an utter joy to read, no matter how critical or praiseworthy they ended up being. She always gave good advice and clear insight on the impressions that each chapter gave her, and she was always generous with her distribution of kindness. Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you!

It's natural as well to thank Nintendo and Chunsoft for actually making the games that inspired this story. I will be eternally grateful for everything that they've done for me.

And finally (and most generically), I'd like to thank everyone who's read and/or reviewed my story (that means you!). I read all of the feedback that I get, even though I don't always have anything to say in response. This story doesn't have a whole lot of fans (although I don't really think it deserves that many fans, so that fact doesn't bother me much), but if you consider yourself to be one, then I am absolutely honored. Thank you so much for your support.

Alright, I think my soul is starting to cave its way back into my body. I've kept you all here long enough, and I'm ready for this leg of the journey to come to an end. Remember, everybody: no matter what the weather, no matter what the time of day, and no matter where you're from...you can always make your own sunshine. Take care of yourself. Love everybody around you. Be careful out there. And most of all...

...Smiles go for miles.

Farewell, you wonderful people.