CHAPTER 8: THE RETURN
Ralio and Barnes nervously walked through the castle. Their footsteps echoed through the halls of the castle, making them sound louder than they actually were.
They suddenly stopped walking, standing in front of the double doors leading to the courtroom. They both gulped nervously, staring at the door.
"Do you want to knock?" Ralio asked Barnes anxiously.
Barnes's eyes immediately widened in fear. He shook his head rapidly.
"What do you take me for?" Barnes hissed. "A crazy? A psychopath? A sociopath? A-"
"Alright, alright," Ralio cut in, putting up his hands innocently in the air. "Just calm down. Don't freak out. I'll knock."
Ralio hovered his fist over the door, taking a deep breath of air into his lungs. Finally, after what it seemed like eternity to Barnes, he finally knocked on the door.
The soldiers stayed silent, waiting to see what would happen.
"Come in," a voice spoke from inside the courtroom after a few moments.
Ralio nervously glanced at Barnes before opening the double doors to the courtroom. They scurried into the room, both quickly shutting each of the double doors behind them. Five of the court members sat together at a table in the middle of the room, obviously in a meeting.
"Captain Ralio? Captain Barnes?" the head of the court questioned.
Barnes shifted nervously on his feet.
"Hey there Darrien—I mean, uh, sir," Barnes sputtered nervously. Ralio quickly elbowed Barnes in the ribs, causing him to wince in pain.
"Ouch," Barnes mumbled under his breath. "That hurt…"
"What brings you both in here?" Darrien asked, ignoring the soldier's childish antics.
The soldiers glanced at each other from the corners of their eyes. Ralio pursed his lips together, thinking of what to say.
"We've made a, um, discovery," Ralio started nervously. "Like, a pretty big one."
"Yeah, like a really big one," Barnes agreed, nodding his head quickly.
Darrien and the court members looked at each other, a little confused. Their encounter was extremely random, and also very improper.
"Well," Darrien started, turning his head back towards the soldiers. "Is this big discovery of yours important enough to interrupt our meeting?"
"Yes!" Barnes and Ralio blurted in unison.
Darrien and the court members jumped back, a little startled by the soldiers's sudden outburst.
"Well, if it's that important, then so be it," one of the court members said. "You may speak."
Barnes gulped and nervously looked over at Ralio, motioning at him with his head to start talking. Ralio rolled his eyes.
"Well…um…" Ralio stammered, making no eye contact. "We found, um-"
"Found what?" Darrien interrupted, clearly irritated. "I don't have time for you to beat around the bush. If you may, please get this over with as quickly as possible."
Ralio swallowed hard and looked at Barnes out of the corner of his eye. He then took a deep breath, preparing himself to speak.
"We found Link," Ralio finally said after a few moments.
The courtroom went deadly silent. The silence lingering in the room was practically deafening. Every single one of the court members's eyes widened, their eyeballs seemingly popping out of their head.
"W-what?" a court member choked out, breaking the silence. "What on Earth?"
"H-how is that even possible?" another member asked. "We haven't found a single trace of him for years!"
Darrien was the only member who looked slightly skeptical.
"If this is your idea of some sick joke, then it's not very funny," Darrien said angrily. "I am in no mood for people's games right now-"
"We aren't joking!" Barnes blubbered. "We found him, I swear! We saw him selling his food at a meat market in Castle Town. He had himself disguised with a cloak, but Ralio and I followed him home to see who he really was!"
Ralio immediately face-palmed, annoyed that Barnes told the court that they practically stalked Link to try and find him.
"You couldn't have left out that minor detail?" Ralio hissed through clenched teeth.
Barnes awkwardly stared at his shoes.
"Sorry," he mumbled.
Darrien and the court members just stared at the soldiers in utter shock.
"Yeah, uh, we found him," Ralio said nervously, growing uncomfortable from the shocked stares of the court.
"Yep…" Barnes added, anxiously scratching the back of his neck. "Hooray."
The court continued to stare in shock.
"Well…" Darrien started, shaking his head. "What did you say to him? Where is he now?"
"We, um, told him about the, um, situation in the castle," Ralio stated awkwardly. "He also lives in practically the middle of nowhere in some weird forest."
Darrien raised an eyebrow at Ralio.
"What situation?" he asked curiously.
Ralio sighed, not wanting to tell the court that Barnes practically blurted out every single big issue in the castle on their encounter with Link.
"We told him how the castle is, um-"
"How the castle's a big fat mess and we need him back!" Barnes blurted in for Ralio.
Ralio face-palmed for about the fifth time that day.
"Barnes," Ralio hissed. "I think it's time I do the talking now. Please."
Barnes immediately shut his mouth and took a few steps back away from Ralio and the court members.
"Sorry," he mumbled again.
Darrien pinched the bridge of his nose in stress. He turned back to the other members of his court, rolling his eyes.
"We search for six years to find that man, and these absolute idiots find him in a day," Darrien stated flatly, motioning his hands towards the soldiers standing awkwardly in the front of the room.
Ralio cleared his throat loudly, causing Darrien to turn back towards him.
"With all due respect, sir," Ralio started, puffing out his chest. "I was the general of the Hyrulian army. I am no idiot."
"I beg to differ," Darrien replied flatly, rolling his eyes again.
Barnes let out a loud snort from the back of the room. Ralio whirled around and glared at Barnes, causing him to quickly shut his mouth.
"Sorry," Barnes mumbled for practically the millionth time.
Ralio huffed and turned back around to face Darrien again.
"Okay, let's just cut to the chase here," Ralio said quickly, clapping his hands together. "We asked Link to come back to the castle and to join the army again, and he agreed. Boom."
Darrien's jaw dropped to the floor.
"You what?" he shouted, jumping out of his seat. "Without our permission? Without telling us first? Are you insane?"
Ralio just shrugged.
"Have you seen the army out there?" Ralio asked Darrien. "Barnes and I can barely get our groups of men under control! Maybe if Link came back, he could get them together-"
"Absolutely not," Darrien immediately shut down. "He is not becoming general again, and he is definitely not becoming King again. His son already has those two positions filled."
Ralio sighed.
"I know he can't become King again," Ralio started. "But could you at least make him a captain in the army? We need his help, desperately. He doesn't need to be the general."
Darrien pursed his lips, clearly deep in thought.
"He left the castle practically in ruins," Darrien said. "He left the Queen to rule by herself. That right there is almost an act of treason-"
"I'm not saying his actions are forgivable," Ralio interrupted. "I'm just giving you an option to help fix at least one thing in this messed up place. Please."
Darrien sighed, rubbing his fingers on his forehead. Moments of silence passed through the courtroom. Ralio held his breath, impatiently waiting for Darrien's answer.
"Fine," Darrien finally said, breaking the silence. "It will be announced at the ball on Friday. You both may leave now."
Darrien waved the soldiers off, turning back around to his other court members. Barnes and Ralio quickly walked out of the room, shutting the doors behind them.
A morning guard walked down the secret passage to the forbidden room under the castle. He then reached the dimly lit hallways and turned right, walking straight towards the door to the room.
The morning guard then stopped in his tracks, extremely confused. Where was the night guard? They were supposed to switch by now.
The guard looked around the hallways, scanning them for any sign of the night guard.
"Georgie?" the morning guard shouted, calling out the night guard's name. "You down here? I'm ready to take your place! You can go back upstairs!"
No response came. The guard nervously looked around the hallway again, quite frankly a little creeped out.
"Boy, this place gives me the creeps," he muttered under his breath. He nervously scanned his surroundings. Was Georgie trying to scare him?
"Alright! This is your last chance Georgie!" the guard shouted again. "Come out, or I'm leaving you to guard it in the morning!"
No response came again. The guard scratched his head in confusion.
Suddenly, an idea popped in his head. The guard turned around to face the door to the secret room, studying it closely. Could he be in there?
The guard took another quick look around his surroundings before slowly cracking open the door to the room. Immediately, a foul smell filled his nose, causing him to scrunch up his face in disgust.
"Gods, what the hell?" he muttered under his breath. He covered his nose and walked into the room, now fully opening the door.
"Georgie, you in here—holy mother of gods!"
The morning guard stood in shock, staring at Georgie's body laying in a pool of blood on the floor. His legs and arms were sprawled out at weird angles, and there was a deep cut across his throat. He was dead.
Link sat at the edge of his bed, pinching the bridge of his nose in stress. He was reading a letter, or better yet, an invitation.
Sir Link,
My court members and I rejoice together in happiness today. Two captains, or your former friends, came by two days ago to inform me that they had found you. We were honestly shocked, but glad that you had been finally found after all these years.
The two captains told me that you agreed to join the army. We are glad to offer you the role of a Captain in the Hyrulian army. This will be announced today at the banquet today. Consider this your official invitation to the event.
I also sent Captain Barnes and Captain Ralio to come back to your house to escort you to this event. If you do not wish to go, they will leave and go on their own. If you do, they will most likely be at your house by three o'clock to give you a proper outfit to wear.
I hope you will come and I wish you the best of luck.
-Darrien, head of the court
Link sighed, reading the letter over and over again, already regretting his decision. Why did things have to be so complicated? Why couldn't he just walk in there and become a captain without having to officially announce it in front of people?
His stomach suddenly dropped, realizing that Zelda and his son would most likely be there. What would they even think of him randomly returning? Would they be mad?
"Stupid! Stupid!" Link scolded himself, slapping the palm of his hand twice on his forehead. He should've just told Ralio and Barnes to go away. He should've just left the situation alone and continued to hide, never having to face the world again.
But, he didn't. His guilt overcame him, and he hastily agreed to come back to the castle, without thinking of the consequences. He often made decisions without thinking, like the one he made years prior.
He sometimes regretted ever leaving Zelda and his son behind. He missed them so much sometimes that it broke his heart. He would sometimes be up all night, wondering how they were doing. Wondering how they felt towards him leaving. He felt awful, constantly plagued with guilt everyday. He was now especially guilty, recently learning that the castle was pretty much a mess without him.
Suddenly, Link heard a firm knock from outside his front door. Link quickly checked his watch, noticing that the time read five o'clock. If the people at the door were Ralio and Barnes, they were already two hours late.
Link reluctantly got up from his bed and walked towards his front door. He then swung the door open, revealing a very happy-looking Barnes holding a suit, and a very annoyed Ralio.
"Linky!" Barnes blurted, running over to Link with his arms wide. He wrapped his beefy arms around him, surrounding him in a crushing bear hug.
"Hey, get off of me!" Link choked out, flailing his arms around. Barnes reluctantly pulled off of Link, smiling widely. Ralio rolled his eyes and stared at the ground.
"So, you get the letter?" Barnes asked Link.
Link nodded and beckoned the soldiers to come inside. Barnes and Ralio walked inside, shutting the door behind them.
"You guys are pretty late," Link stated with a hint of amusement in his tone.
Ralio gritted his teeth at Barnes, clearly annoyed at him.
"It's because this idiot took a hour to pick out a stupid suit for you to wear!" Ralio explained, jabbing his thumb towards Barnes.
Barnes just shrugged with a small, goofy grin plastered on his face.
"I had to find the best one for our old pal Link here," Barnes said happily.
Ralio threw up his hands in the air in frustration.
"You had all day to find the stupid suit!" Ralio said angrily. "But you chose to pick it out at the last minute! We're going to be late because of you!"
"Ralio, it's alright," Link reassured him. "I'd rather not make some grand entrance into the castle. I'd rather walk in there with nobody around, just the three of us."
Barnes threw Ralio a mischievous smile, as if to say I told you so!
Link studied both of the soldiers. They both had identical, black suits on with a golden Triforce pin clipped onto the breast pockets of their shirts. There were also white cuffs at the collar of their shirts and at the bottom of their sleeves.
"You guys look sharp," Link said, smiling at his old friends. "I like the look."
Barnes smiled confidently. Ralio just gave Link a half-hearted smile, clearly not into the look.
"By the way, where's your dog?" Barnes asked. "What's his name again? Al?"
Link snickered.
"No," he answered, still laughing a bit. "His name is Ace. And it's not a dog, it's a wolf. It's probably in the forest right about now."
Barnes's eyes widened in fear. He never wanted to step near that wolf again.
Link then extended his hand out towards Barnes, locking his eyes with him intensely.
"If you don't mind, can you give me the suit?" Link asked politely, still maintaining the intense eye contact. "I'll go change right now."
Barnes nodded and handed Link the suit. Link walked into his room, shutting the door softly behind him.
Barnes waited for a few moments before speaking up again.
"Boy, he makes some weird eye contact," Barnes said to Ralio, scratching the back of his head.
Jack stood in front of his bedroom mirror, getting ready for the banquet. He wore a fancy, navy blue suit with a black tie and black shoes. His hair was neatly parted to the side, curling up on the ends, as always. He also wore a golden Triforce pin on the breast pocket of the suit.
Jack studied himself in the reflection of the mirror and brushed a stray strand of hair out of his face.
"So obsessed with yourself," a voice suddenly said from behind Jack. "It's nauseating to watch you just ogle yourself in the mirror everyday for hours."
Jack turned around, coming face-to-face with the dark spirit.
"If you could please just leave me alone for one minute, that would be greatly appreciated," Jack snapped at the cloud of darkness.
The darkness laughed cruelly, finding Jack's annoyance amusing.
"So snippy," the darkness teased. "Always so snippy."
Jack turned back around, shaking his head rapidly from side-to-side.
"So, you excited for the big banquet tonight?" the spirit asked sarcastically, moving forward to float closer to Jack.
Jack ran his fingers through his hair, still staring at his reflection in the mirror.
"I could care less," Jack stated flatly. He continued to run his fingers through his hair, attempting to stop his stray hairs from sticking out.
"For gods sake, why don't you just use some hair gel?" the dark spirit snapped, annoyed with how focused Jack was on his appearance. "Not every single little hair on your head is going to perfectly part to the side."
Jack rolled his eyes and continued attempting to flatten his stray hairs.
"Well, I'll tell you, I am very excited for this little event tonight," the darkness stated happily.
Jack snapped his head towards the spirit, his eyes furrowing in confusion.
"Why are you excited?" Jack asked suspiciously, raising an eyebrow at him.
"Oh, I don't know," the spirit stated slyly, laughing a bit.
Jack turned his attention back to his hair, ignoring the spirit's weird behavior. He was used to the way it acted.
"I'm dreading going to this banquet," Jack complained. "Everybody is obnoxiously boring. They all make me want to puke."
The darkness snickered harshly.
"And your mother?" the spirit questioned. "She makes you want to puke?"
"No, not her," Jack said quickly. "I just don't like it when she gets completely drunk out her mind. It's embarrassing."
The spirit snickered again.
"I guess she's the one who's going to want to puke," the dark spirit said, cackling loudly.
Jack grit his teeth together, attempting to ignore that last harsh comment that the spirit said about his mother.
"You know, your father never liked these events either," the dark cloud said slowly.
Jack clenched his teeth even tighter and dug his fingernails into his palms.
"Why are you bringing him up?" he snapped, still not even facing the spirit.
"Well, he's part of our little plan, am I wrong?" the darkness teased.
"Yeah, that's unless if he's already dead," Jack stated harshly. "There would be no need to kill him then, given that fact that he's already a goner."
"Ah, yes," the spirit agreed, a sly tone in his voice. "Of course. You wouldn't even want to become king then, would you? There would be no need anymore."
"There's no heir to the throne," Jack replied. "I have no siblings. I would have to take the throne, whether I liked it or not."
"I'm sure you would like it, wouldn't you?" the darkness said playfully. "You wouldn't have to do a single thing yourself anymore. You would have enough money to buy yourself some pretty clothes that you for some reason are obsessed with. You could lounge all day, get fat, drink liquor, and nobody in this castle would even bat an eye. Maybe you could settle down with a pretty little woman too."
Jack rolled his eyes at that last statement.
"I have absolutely no desire to be with one person for the rest of my life," he said angrily. "If I'm going to rule Hyrule, I'm going to do it alone."
"Gods," the spirit started. "You need to either get over your whorish ways, or just make a compromise with your future wife to let you go to a brothel once or twice a week."
Jack snickered at that, a devilish smirk growing across his face.
"Yeah, right," he laughed. "I could only dream."
Crowds of people were gathered in the banquet hall, or also known as, the ball room. The ball room looked the exact same as it did six years ago, except for the fact that they extended the size of the stage a few more feet out.
Large amounts of people sat elegantly at each of their tables, conversing with each other loudly. Waiters and waitresses served each noble family their food and drinks. Chatter echoed all around the room, bouncing off the walls and ceilings of the castle.
Jack and Zelda sat at their separate table, eating their food quietly. Jack didn't feel like talking much, and neither did Zelda.
Zelda swirled her drink with her straw, seeming a bored. Her eyelids were heavy and her mouth hung open slightly. From first judgement, she looked either tired or extremely drunk. Jack figured that it was the second option.
"So, tell me Jack," she slurred, breaking the silence. "Do you even like going to this things?"
Jack shook his head slightly.
"No, I don't," he replied flatly.
"Me too, I agree," Zelda said, perhaps talking a little too loudly. "I mean, who even wants to talk to these people? They're the most sinfully boring people I've ever met."
Jack pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance. He was going to have to babysit his mother through tonight, once again.
"Mom, could you keep it down a bit," Jack hissed. "There is people all around us."
Zelda waved him off, rolling her eyes.
"I could care less what these people think," she slurred. "They need to find something else to do, rather than just sitting around and talking about people all day—wait, waiter!"
Zelda was suddenly distracted, noticing a waiter walking past their table. The waiter turned around at the sound of the queen calling him.
"Your highness," the waiter greeted politely, bowing to her. "You look splendid this evening-"
"Yeah, okay," Zelda interrupted, waving the waiter off. "Can you refill my drink?" Zelda picked up her empty glass and quickly shoved it into the waiter's hands.
"Of course, your highness," the waiter said, looking at the Queen with a confused expression. "I'll be right back." The waiter walking away, heading towards the back of the room where the drinks were.
Jack covered his face in embarrassment, pressing his palm to his forehead. Why did she always have to be like this?
"Do you need to have a drink at every single event we go to?" he hissed at his mother. "It's a complete embarrassment! For the love of gods, get yourself together-"
"Hey, I am together," Zelda slurred, lazily pointing a finger at Jack. "I am just fine. Just peachy. You don't have to worry about a thing."
Jack grit his teeth in annoyance. He would just have to get her through the night without making a scene, and then they would be okay.
"Linky! When's the last time you've been in a two-horse carriage? I'm sure this is super nostalgic for ya!"
Link, Barnes, and Ralio sat in a small carriage, waiting patiently for it to arrive at the castle.
"I don't know Barnes, it's been a while," Link replied flatly, not making any eye contact.
Barnes studied Link's face with a confused expression.
"What's the matter?" he asked Link. "You nervous?"
Ralio shot Barnes an annoyed look.
"I mean, clearly!" Ralio said, rolling his eyes. "Think about what he's doing!"
"I'll be fine," Link stated emotionlessly.
Barnes patted Link on the back, trying to comfort him.
"You'll be fine!" Barnes reassured him. "The people will be glad to see you!"
Link just stared at the ground, nervously fiddling with his fingers.
"Do they know that I'm coming?" Link asked, still staring at the ground.
Barnes and Ralio were silent, not wanting to answer that question. Ralio then sighed, scratching the back of his neck nervously.
"No, none of them know," Ralio said honestly. "It's an announcement, meaning you don't know who's going to walk into that room until they actually start talking."
Link huffed and nervously ran his fingers through his hair.
"Great," he said sarcastically. "Just great."
Suddenly, the carriage slowed down to a stop. The three men heard footsteps coming towards the door of the carriage. The door to the carriage swung open, revealing a slightly pudgy guard standing outside.
"You may enter the castle," the guard told them. "I will escort you there. The announcement is going to begin soon."
Barnes and Ralio immediately got up. They walked towards the front door of the carriage and jumped out of the door.
Barnes looked back into the carriage in confusion, staring at Link. Link was still in the carriage, glued to his seat.
"Linky? You coming?" Barnes asked softly.
Link hid his face with his hands in embarrassment.
"I can't do this," he said to the soldiers. "I-I can't."
Ralio sighed, looking at his old friend with compassion in his eyes.
"Come on, you can do it," Ralio spoke softly. "I believe in you, I promise. Even if the people don't want you to be there, that's okay. Barnes and I want you to be here."
Barnes grinned widely.
"Yeah, man!" Barnes said happily. "We want you to be here! Don't be so scared. You're a brave guy. We believe in you."
Link sighed and slowly got up from his seat. He felt a little better.
"Alright, I'll go in," he said, smiling at his friends. "Thanks."
Link hopped out of the carriage and nodded politely to the escort guard. Barnes pumped his fist in the air and ran over to Link, crushing him in a huge hug.
"Barnes, get off of him you idiot!" Ralio shouted, noticing Link's terrified expression. "You're gonna kill him before he even gets inside the castle!"
Barnes slowly let go of Link and slapped his back heartily, almost knocking him to the ground.
"Love this guy!" Barnes exclaimed happily, jabbing his finger into Link's chest.
Ralio rolled his eyes and turned towards the castle in front of them.
"Let's get going," the escort said. "We don't have all night. We're already late."
The three nodded and followed the escort into the castle. Link looked up at the castle, starting to get nervous butterflies in his stomach.
The men walked into the castle, entering through the side, not the main entrance. They walked through a large hallway and then reached the main room of the castle.
Link looked up and around the main room, trying to see what had changed since he was last here. The ceilings were still just as high, and the staircases were still just as grand. Everything was just a little older, but still looked the same.
Link reminisced on each of his memories as he looked at the familiar spots of the castle. He felt himself become sad, upset that he had left such a beautiful place in ruins. He couldn't even imagine the stress he put on the people in the castle when he was gone.
The escort then led the group out of the main room of the castle and led them in front of a room with two double doors that were closed. Link could hear large chatter from inside the room. He could only assume that this was where the banquet was being held.
"Okay," the escort started, turning around to the three men. "In there is where they will make the announcement. Link, when you hear them call your name, walk up to the stage in the front. They'll give you a pin that states that your a captain in the Hyrulian army. Got it?"
Link nodded quickly. He felt himself start to panic, his heart beating rapidly. He was never good with attention, but now it was going to be even worse.
"Good luck," the escort said, bowing to the three men. He then scurried off into another hallway, walking quickly.
Zelda chugged the last of her wine and belched loudly, drawing some attention from the nobles. Jack hid his face in embarrassment.
"Would you please," Jack hissed harshly at his mother. "Do you have any manners?"
Zelda rolled her eyes and waved him off.
"Oh please, Jackie, leave me alone. You're always trying to ruin my fun."
Jack gritted his teeth and flared his nostrils in anger.
"Only a few more hours, and then I'm out of here," he thought.
Suddenly, a man tapped his glass at the front of the room on the stage. The nobles stopped their conversations, turning their attention towards the man on the stage.
"Good evening, all," the man said after the crowd quieted down. "I am so glad you all have come today to celebrate Hyrule and our brave army. We honor those in service, and we care for them. Our captains and our general join us at this event today."
The crowd clapped to show their respect towards the soldiers in the room. The captains grinned widely, patting each other on the back happily. Jack's face remained stoic and he gave no reaction to the applause.
The man waited until the crowd died down to begin talking again.
"I come to this event bearing good news and bad news. To get the bad news out of the way, we have recently found out that one of our hard-working guards' dead body has been found in this castle this morning. His name was Georgie, and he served our castle well until the very end."
The crowd all collectively gasped in shock and began to loudly talk to each other. Zelda shot Jack a terrified look, her eyes widened in pure fear.
"Now, now, settle down," the man said. "I am only required to announce this because I do not want anybody who lives here to stay here without knowing that there is a possible killer on the loose in this castle."
The crowd began to talk even louder, almost in an outrage.
"We have doubled our security, so rest assured, everybody will be safe," the man shouted over the crowd. "Everybody, please just calm down."
A few people began to get out of their seats, heading towards the exit of the ball room.
"Come back—sit down!" the man shouted. "You will all be fine! Just stay calm!"
The crowd slowly began to settle down, quieting down to small murmurs.
"If there is any possible suspects that you think are guilty in this castle, please let the court know," the man recommended. The man then sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose in stress.
"Although I have just shared some bad news with you all, I come bearing good news too," the man continued. "We have recently acquired a new captain to our army. We all know him, and I hope we all still respect him as much as I do. Since this banquet celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Hyrulian army, we thought it was no better than to introduce him tonight. Please welcome our long-lost ally, Link Avalon."
Zelda and Jack whirled around in shock to see Link walking through the double doors of the ball room.
Hey guys! I know you guys might be wondering why I updated a week earlier than I anticipated. That's because I just got home from the beach, but I'm leaving tomorrow to go back for another few days. I'm home now, but I'll leaving tomorrow again. So, I decided, why not just update the story today, since I already have ahold of my computer?
Also, thank you guys for the support. Twenty-five reviews right now, which is awesome. I honestly went into this thing not expecting any reviews at all. I was also thinking of starting to respond to some reviewers every time I update with a new chapter. I think it could be kind of fun.
Anyways, please review! I'll see you all in a few days!