Nobody is more surprised than me that I've stuck it out for the duration of a second Sub-Zero story, with plans for a third. You know why I've actually had the discipline to do it? It's because I have my readers' enthusiasm constantly encouraging me to keep writing my humble little fan-fics. I've said it before and I'll probably say it at least a thousand more times, but it is so awe-inspiring to me that of all the stories swirling around the internet, you've found mine and actually like them enough to stick with them! Even though this is just my hobby, your support still motivates me to work. So I have to say thank you to all you readers out there, whether you're regular reviewers or just silent observers. Without you, I wouldn't have discovered it was possible for me to finish writing stories this long, and I certainly wouldn't believe in myself enough to one day write a bestselling novel. Those are the most precious things you've given to me, and I can't thank you enough for that.

Next, I'd like to thank all the pen pals I've made in the past couple of years. You've opened up my world and enlightened me to how things can be elsewhere. And this isn't limited to just my overseas pen pals either. Even those of you who, like me, live in the United States have educated me tremendously. Since knowledge is what I value the most, thank you for taking me to school.

Lastly, I'd like to thank the friends who've helped me write this story. Obelisk of Light and Grandmaster Sub-Zero have consistently been there for me whenever I needed someone to bounce ideas off of, and I can always count on their completely honest and fair opinions to guide me. And in addition, they're cool people simply to talk to, and they make me laugh quite a bit.

Firebending Master is also a master fight choreographer; without his help, I don't think my fight scenes would've been nearly as interesting and epic. And I won't fault him (too much) for trying to get Scorpion to dramatically overpower Sub-Zero in their fight halfway through the story! And I certainly won't fault him for his constant wise-cracking at my expense! He's pretty cool to talk to too, even if he is ornery to a fault…;)

Last, but certainly not least, is my young friend Haven Rose, who is quite the comedian. As many of you may or may not know, I'm a teacher by day, and I can honestly say that I wish all my students were as bright and talented as she is; I've seen her grown leaps and bounds as a writer since I first met her, and I know it's because she absorbs my advice like a sponge but then just runs with it in ways I never even imagined. I appreciate that she has enough respect for me to listen to my suggestions and take them under advisement, but she also has enough self-confidence to do things her own way when she disagrees with me. And while I could rave all day about what an awesome friend and pen pal she is, what I really want to thank her for is her help with Kabal's characterization. I can't tell you how many hours we've spent figuring out what snappy thing he was going to say and at what time.

So once more, thank you all for everything that you do, and I hope that you'll continue on this journey with me as I start writing my third installment in this series. So, in the words of a variation on a funny internet meme: Keep calm and finish him! And yes, that was cheesy, but I just finished my second story so I don't care. I will be as cheese-tastic as I want to be! XD Peace out, my friends!