Disclaimer: Shaman King belongs to Hiroyuki Takei, not me.
You were a child who was made of glass
You carried a black heart passed down from your dad
If somebody loved you, they'd tell you by now
We all turn away when you're down.
And when you're gone, they say your name
And when you're gone, will they love you the same?
Well, if not, that's okay.
If not, that's okay.
--"That's Okay" by the Hush Sound
July 22, 2007
Her hand crept quietly into her husband's. He smiled over his shoulder at her. "You excited?" he said.
"Mm-hm."
They walked in silence, comfortable silence, the summer sun shining on their heads and their sandals kicking up soft clouds of dust. There was no need to consult their map. They had walked this path often enough in their childhoods, crossing back and forth to school.
"Are you thinking?" he asked.
"Mm-hm."
The river beside the road lazed by them as light bounced off the flickering ripples. They walked steadily, her steps in line with his. Out of long habit he slowed his longer strides to match hers.
"Tell me what you're thinking."
She stared straight ahead. He asked this question often. But for once, she wanted to answer him. "Will he forgive us?" she asked.
This time he sighed. "I hope so."
The sun was slightly tinged with orange, hinting at the coming sunset. He squinted, rubbing his eyes with the back of his free hand. She curled her soft, slender fingers around his broad palm.
"Are you worried?"
She relaxed her grip. "Shut up."
I think she's worried.
She sighed and wrapped her fingers around his thumb. "Maybe a little."
The top of the inn's roof rose in the distance, the spires marking a familiar shape in the bright blue sky. He wiggled his thumb in her grip as a reassuring gesture. She squeezed it, then let go.
"What are you thinking about now?"
She sighed again. The rooftop blurred in her vision. "Everything."
July 22, 1985
Lightning crackled in the dark blue sky, lighting the drawn face of the young mother. "Why isn't she crying?" she demanded as she struggled to sit up. "Takashi, why doesn't she cry?"
The nurse laughed. "Most new parents wish their babies would stop crying," she said. "Don't worry about it." She rolled the little bassinette closer to the mother's bed. "Now, I'll be back in half an hour to take her back to the nursery."
Thunder rolled overhead as Takashi lifted the hours-old baby gingerly out of the plastic crib. "She's so small, Julia," he said.
Julia held out her arms and her husband carefully handed her the little yellow-blanketed bundle. "She's not small, she's perfect," she frowned. "And she's going to be blonde. J'ai une jolie petite fille francaise, n'est pas? Elle est très comme sa maman."
Takashi scowled. "Don't speak French. We live in Japan, speak Japanese."
"But she is French," Julia said serenely, stroking her finger against her baby daughter's round cheek.
Takashi sat on the edge of his young wife's hospital bed. "Half French," he reminded her. "And half Japanese."
Julia cradled the baby in the crook of her arm. "She's lovely," she sighed. "I didn't think she would be pretty."
Takashi finally smiled. "She has to be pretty. She's your daughter," he said.
"My daughter," Julia repeated. She looked up at her husband. "Ours, you mean."
Takashi leaned over and kissed first the top of Julia's head, then the baby girl's forehead. "Our daughter, Anhura Souma."
Julia's smile faded. "Do we have to name her that?" she asked. "I hate it."
"Anhura is a family name," Takashi protested.
"I can't even pronounce it," Julia said. "An…Anhu...Bah. I hate it."
"Ah-nyu-rah," Takashi sounded out.
"The closest I can get is Anna," Julia said. She readjusted the baby. "T'aimes le nom Anna? Oui? C'est plus trop jolie."
"Julia," Takashi warned.
Julia ignored him as she studied the infant's face. "She's so solemn," she said. "So quiet. Like she's just observing everything around her."
Takashi leaned over her arm. The baby blinked as her father drew closer and she waved a little fist in his direction. He kissed the tiny fingertips. Anhura didn't make a sound. She merely watched him. "She's unusual," he whispered.
The nurse bustled into the room ten minutes later, laughing and chattering as she took the baby away. Julia settled down to sleep, exhausted from her long hours of labor, and Takashi went back to their quiet little flat.
The sky crackled during the hot summer night. Lightning raged, trigged by the oppressive heat, but no rain fell. The babies in the nursery murmured and cried; the nurses soothed and chided them by turns.
Only baby Anhura stayed silent. She lay cozily in her small crib, her soft yellow blanket swaddled around her. Her wide eyes stared out the window, watching the storm, until finally she fell asleep to the sounds and flashes of cracking lightning.
December, 1985
The bedraggled Christmas tree in the corner of the living room offered very little cheer. Julia banged a wooden spoon against the side of the saucepan in an angry attempt at stirring. Staticky Christmas carols warbled over the radio, but it did nothing to lighten her mood. With a fierce gesture she switched off the heat, dumped the steaming water and noodles into the strainer in the sink, and slammed the pot onto a hot pad.
Takashi stuck his head out the door to the tiny bedroom. "Could you keep it down?" he said. "I'm trying to write a report."
"Of course you're trying to write a report," Julia seethed. "It's Christmas Eve, it's a perfect time to write a report."
"I would be at the office, but it's closed," Takashi retorted.
"Oh, and of course you'd rather be at the office than with your wife," Julia shouted. She flung the wooden spoon haphazardly at Takashi's head; he ducked and missed it narrowly.
"I'm trying to make enough money for us to pay the rent, Julia, would you rather we be homeless?" he demanded.
Julia ferociously dried her hands on her apron, yanked it off, and slammed it to the floor. "If we were homeless, maybe you could spend more time with me!" she bellowed. She lapsed into French, waving her hands at him as her volume increased.
Takashi strode out of the room and grabbed her by the wrist. "Stop it," he ordered. "The neighbors will hear you."
"So what?" Julia said. "They hear us fight all the time. They're used to it by now." She pulled free and dropped her hands.
"If you hate me this much, why did you marry me?" Takashi said.
Julia jammed her hands on her hips. "I don't know, maybe because I was nineteen and you got me pregnant and didn't want to raise a child alone!"
"Good point. You wouldn't be able to raise a child by yourself," Takashi said.
Julia's green eyes widened. "I spend more time with Anna in a day than you spend in a week," she shot back.
"Her name is Anhura, and if you're such a good mother, where is she?" Takashi said, folding his arms.
Julia dropped her hands. "Oh, God," she whispered. "I haven't…I thought…" She ran to the little crib in the corner and pulled back the covers. "But I knew…I thought…"
At the sight of his wife's panic, Takashi relented. "She's in here," he said reluctantly, holding the door to the bedroom open. Five month old Anhura lay on her tummy on her parents' unmade bed, propped up on pillows and playing with a soft plush rattle. Julia rushed into the room and pulled the baby into her arms. Anhura yelped as her mother pressed kisses all over the baby's blonde head. "Oh, mon Dieu," Julia whimpered. "Oh, Anna. Je suis desolée. Je suis une mere terrible."
"You're not a bad mother," Takashi said.
"I am," Julia said, nuzzling her cheek against the baby's golden hair. "I am horrible."
Takashi sat down next to them. "I know life is hard right now," he said gently. "It's just so expensive to live in Tokyo. Especially with a baby."
Julia stroked her fingertip over Anhura's tiny fist. "She doesn't mean to be expensive," she said.
"You know," Takashi said slowly. "We could always move back home."
Julia's eyes lit up. "To France?" she said.
"No, to my parents' house."
She scowled. "I don't want to live with your parents. I want a home just for the three of us," she said, scooting away from him.
"Just think about it," Takashi persisted. He leaned over her shoulder. "We could move in with my family and live there rent-free. I could work for the family company, and you could even get a job if you wanted. We save up for a few years, and then we could move back to Tokyo."
She glanced at him over her shoulder. "And have a house of our own?" she said.
Takashi kissed her lightly on the cheek. "We'll have a house of our own," he promised. "And maybe even a little brother or sister for Anhura."
"Oh, you would like that, wouldn't you, Anna?" Julia crooned, holding the baby up.
"Her name is Anhura, not Anna," Takashi groaned.
"I hate that name," Julia reminded him. "If you had only picked a name I could say, we wouldn't have this problem."
"It's a family name."
"You and your precious family," Julia mumbled. She flopped back on the bed and held Anhura up in the air. The baby kicked her tiny legs and made little disgruntled noises. Her young mother sighed. "I don't want to live with them."
"I know it's not your first choice, but it's the best decision," Takashi said. "I hate my job here. And you hate being trapped in the apartment all day."
"I do," Julia sighed. She sat up and carefully placed the baby on the bed. "But…Takashi, I've never met your family. What if they don't like me?"
Takashi rubbed the back of his neck. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," he said. "But my older brother has been begging me to come back and help the company."
Anhura wriggled on her back, reaching up for her parents. Julia patted her little tummy. "I suppose we can try it," she sighed.
January 4, 1986
Julia tightened her grip on the handle of the baby carrier as she burrowed deeper into the collar of her coat. "It's so cold," she complained.
Takashi stamped the snow off his shoes and rang the bell. "Stop complaining," he said. "Try to smile. You want my family to like you, don't you?" Julia just rolled her eyes.
The door swung open and a skinny eleven-year-old girl hurtled towards them. "Uncle Takashi!" she hollered. "Everybody, Uncle Takashi's here!"
Julia hung back, clutching the baby carrier like her life depended on it, as the rest of Takashi's family poured into the foyer. A little boy about six with gaps in his front teeth wrapped his arms around Takashi's leg. "Whadja bring us, Uncle Takashi?" he begged.
He laughed. "Just the wife and baby," he said.
A girl who looked about ten peered into the carrier. "Aw, she's not even awake," she said.
"She's scrawny," the older girl announced. "Ayame's only a few weeks old and she's bigger."
"She's not scrawny, she's just small for her age," Julia protested.
The little boy stared up at her. "Why do you talk funny?" he asked.
"She's French," Takashi explained.
"French?"
Takashi picked the boy up around his waist, hoisting him in the air and making him howl with laughter. "She's from France," he said. "Does your grandmother have dinner ready? I'm starving." Julia slipped off her boots and removed her coat awkwardly, still balancing the carrier in one hand, then followed her husband into his house.
The rest of the family sat around the table, chatting as steam puffed out of the corners of covered dishes. Takashi made the rounds, hugging and greeting his relatives. Julia stood in the doorway, watching quietly. The three children pushed past her and clambered into their seats.
"Now that Takashi's here, let's eat," one of the men said.
Takashi took a seat then glanced around. "Julia, what are you doing?" he asked. "Come sit."
Julia approached shyly. "Put that down," the oldest woman ordered. Julia obeyed and lifted the sleeping baby onto her lap. "I take it this is your wife, Takashi?"
He took a large spoonful of rice from the pot in the center. "This is Julia," he said. "Julia, this is my mother, Atsuko." The old woman nodded her head, unsmiling. "My brother Outa and his wife Lin, and my sister Suzume and her husband Kenji." He pointed to the children. "Besani and Sakura are Outa's daughters and Kito is Suzume's son."
"The youngest ones are in bed," Suzume said. Round cheeked and bright eyed, she seemed the most friendly out of the family. "Haru is three, and our Ayame is four weeks old. How old is your little one?"
"Six months," Julia said, wrapping her arms around her sleeping daughter.
"She's blonde," Atsuko said, her wrinkled mouth drawing down.
"Julia's French, Kaa'san," Takashi reminded her. "She gets it from her mother."
"How did you meet her?" Outa asked, shoveling stir fried pork in his mouth.
"She sang in a concert at Tokyo University, and I stayed after to talk to her," Takashi explained.
"And then you got her pregnant," Kenji grinned. Julia's ears turned red and she stared down at her empty plate.
Suzume elbowed her husband. "What's your daughter's name?" she asked Julia.
Takashi swallowed quickly. "Anhura," he said. "We named her Anhura."
Atsuko nodded. "We haven't had an Anhura in the family in quite some time," she said. "It's good to hear the name again."
Takashi smiled, shooting his wife a look that clearly said See? I told you so.
Julia ate quietly, balancing the chopsticks she never quite managed to conquer in one hand while holding Anhura with the other. Her husband's family talked loudly, arguing and laughing by turns. The three older children spent most of dinner squabbling and whining to their parents about why they didn't like the food on their plate.
Outa's wife Lin, thin-faced and long-nosed, checked her watch. "It's late," she announced. "Besani, Sakura, time for bed."
"You too, Kito," Suzume added.
Julia shifted Anhura in her arms. "I suppose I should put Anna to bed too," she murmured.
"Anna?" Atsuko asked sharply.
"Just a nickname, Mother," Takashi exclaimed.
"You look tired. I'll take her up to the nursery," Suzume offered.
"The nursery?" Julia repeated.
Suzume picked up the six-month-old baby. "The two youngest ones share a room," she explained. "We can put in a third crib easily. And we've already let the babysitter know."
"What babysitter?" Takashi asked.
"A babysitter stays here from eight to five, every day," Lin said haughtily. "We all work, after all."
"That's perfect," Takashi said. "Julia wanted to get a job, didn't you, Julia?"
"Oh," she said. "Yes." She watched as the sister-in-law she had just met carried her child away. Relieved to have the chore taken care of by someone else for the night, she settled back in her chair and placed her hand on her husband's knee. He patted it gently and flashed her an absentminded smile.
September 4, 1986
Julia dropped her attaché case on the floor with a heavy sigh. "Takashi?" she called.
"No one's home yet," the babysitter said. She bounced Ayame on her hip; the dark-haired toddler giggled.
"Really?" Julia said. She rubbed the back of her neck. "That never happens."
"An emergency meeting was called at the company," the babysitter explained. "They told me to stay until seven at the earliest."
Julia frowned. "But I work at the company too," she protested. "They didn't tell me anything."
The babysitter shrugged as she handed Ayame a sippy cup. "I don't know," she said. She glanced at the blonde woman out of the corner of her eye- a sharp, judging look.
"I guess I'll start dinner," she said, looking away.
"Don't bother," the babysitter said. "Atsuko-san said we should just order takeout."
Julia snatched up her attaché case. "I'm going to go take a bath," she mumbled.
She was partway up the stairs when the babysitter caught up. "Wait a minute," she said, leaning on the bottom railing. "Don't you want to see your daughter? You haven't visited her in three days."
Julia closed her eyes, slumping against the balustrade for a brief moment, then headed resolutely for the nursery. I've just been so busy, she argued to herself. That's all. I don't have much time to see her. And she's just a baby. She doesn't mind.
She pushed the door open to the nursery and was greeted with a shouted argument. "That's mine! Give it back!" four-year-old Haru wailed.
Seven-year-old Kito dangled a toy truck above his head. "Nah-uh," he said. "Come an' get it!"
Besani reached over her cousin's head and yanked the truck out of his hands. "Don't talk to my brother that way!" the twelve-year-old said.
"Yeah, don't talk to my brother that way," Sakura echoed. She took the truck and smacked Kito upside the head with it. He let out a bloodcurdling howl.
Julia rubbed her temples. "Besani, where's Anna?" she asked.
Besani frowned. "Anna?"
"Where's my daughter?" Julia asked.
Sakura jabbed her thumb in the direction of the corner. "She's over there, Julia," she said.
"Why can't you call me Aunt Julia?" she asked.
Sakura frowned. Julia shook her head and walked over to the corner. Her fourteen-month-old daughter played quietly with a soft cloth doll, staring at her cousins and their ruckus. "There you are, Anna," she sighed. "Come here. Come to mama."
Anhura put the end of her doll's pigtail in her little pink mouth and chewed it thoughtfully. "Don't do that," Julia scolded. She pulled it away as she lifted her daughter onto her hip. Anhura looked startled. "Don't look at me like that. I didn't hurt you."
Kito ran by shrieking, Haru at his heels. "I'm going to tell my mom!" he screamed. Besani laughed loudly. Anhura buried her face in the crook of her mother's neck.
"Don't be so skittish, Anna," Julia chided. She carried the toddler out of the nursery and to the room she shared with her husband. Carefully she set the baby down on the bed. She smiled gently, then laid down next to her. Anhura pulled herself up in a sitting position and hugged her doll tightly. Julia stroked her daughter's soft blonde hair away from her face. The little girl sighed, tucked her thumb in her mouth, and patted the top of her mother's head.
Julia smiled to herself. "Anna," she singsonged. "Anna, can you say it? Say 'mama'?" The toddler merely looked at her. Julia pulled the tiny thumb out of the tiny mouth. "Say 'mama'."
Anhura smiled. "Mama," she repeated proudly.
Julia clapped her hands. "That's my little girl," she praised.
"Mama," Anhura said again. She shook the doll by the wrist and smiled. "Mama, Mama."
"Mm-hm," Julia smiled. Gently she traced the curve of her daughter's round cheek with her fingertip. Anhura nibbled on her doll's round hand. She was a pretty child, Julia realized. She would grow up to be a pretty woman. Idly she wondered about her daughter's future. Would she graduate from school and marry a kind and handsome man who would take care of her? Or would she end up pregnant and lonely, left as a burden on an older man's hands?
She lay there for a while, thinking, not even noticing when the sun set and darkened the room. Anhura sat beside her, her soft doll resting on her lap. Her brown eyes closed slowly, lazily; her golden head bobbed in sleepiness.
"Julia? What on earth are you doing?"
Julia jerked out of her daze. "Takashi," she said, surprised. "I didn't hear you come in. You're awfully late."
He dropped his briefcase by the door and loosened his tie. "Meeting ran overtime," he said brusquely. "Why do you have Anhura in here? Didn't the babysitter put her to bed?"
Julia ran her hand along her small daughter's back. "I was lonely," she confessed. "And I haven't spent time with Anna in a while." Takashi rolled his eyes as he unbuttoned his work shirt. "At least I pay some kind of attention to her. You don't even remember she exists."
"Of course I do," he said wearily. "I'm just busy."
Julia sat up and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. "Why wasn't I called for the meeting too?" she asked.
"Darling, you're just a secretary," Takashi said. He dropped his work shirt in the laundry hamper. "You weren't needed."
The words stung. "But Lin and Suzume were called," she objected.
"Lin and Suzume…" His voice trailed off.
Julia's lips thinned. "Tell me," she said, her tone more commanding than she had ever used before.
"Lin and Suzume both graduated from college and have been with the company ever since," Takashi said.
Julia leaped to her feet. "They graduated from college because they didn't have a baby to think about," she said.
Takashi glanced sharply at the dozing baby on the bed. "You think she's a mistake?" he asked. "Would you rather she had never been born?"
Julia followed his gaze helplessly. "Of course not," she blurted out. "I just…I wish I was treated like everyone else."
Takashi sank next to her. "Of course you're treated the same," he soothed.
Julia flopped onto the bed, drawing Anhura to her side and pulling comfort from the soft warmth of her little body. "You're just saying that," she mumbled. "I hate this place."
Takashi kissed the top of her head lightly. "We won't stay here too much longer," he promised. "Now go put Anhura to bed. You have work tomorrow morning."
"Can't you put her to bed?" Julia asked.
He shook his head. "I'm exhausted," he said.
Julia picked up the little girl. "Give her a kiss," she said.
Takashi did so. "Good night, Anhura," he said gently.
"Night," Anhura echoed sleepily.
Julia carried the drowsy toddler back to the nursery. It was quiet by now. Haru flopped in his narrow bed, his skinny chest rising and falling regularly. Ayame slept in a crib next to his bed. Julia carefully placed Anhura in her crib; the little girl's hands dropped sleepily beside her. The young mother tucked the doll in the crook of her arm and pulled the blankets up to her chin. Anhura sighed in her sleep, snuggling into the pillow. Julia brushed a lock of fair away from her forehead. "Goodnight, little one," she murmured.
April 10, 1987
"Come on!" Besani hollered, tearing off down the path with Sakura at her heels. Kito and Haru followed close behind.
"Slow down," Outa huffed at his daughter. He hefted the picnic basket and glared at his mother. "Why are we here again?"
Atsuko strolled down the path. "We always come to the park to see the cherry blossoms bloom," she shrugged.
Takashi tailed at the end of the group, his wife walking quietly alongside him. "Where's Anhura?" he asked.
"With her cousins," Julia sighed.
She watched her small daughter toddle behind the other children. "Wait for me!" she cried. "Besi, Saki, wait for me."
"Slowpoke," Besani called, her dark hair flipping behind her as she ran.
Julia shook her head. She knew better than to say anything about it, but she always had the unsettling feeling that her husband's nieces and nephews bullied their child.
It didn't help that Anhura was so timid, though. She cried easily, running to the shelter of her mother's arms at the slightest provocation. Despite her young age, though, Anhura had learned that her father did not welcome her as readily. He liked to see her shrieking and laughing like her cousins, not sobbing and begging for comfort.
Takashi spread the picnic blanket on the ground. Julia sat down, tucking her slender legs beneath her, and opened her book. The spring sunshine pleasantly warmed the back of her neck as she turned the pages.
Suddenly her golden-haired daughter tore across the field towards her parents. Julia dropped her book in surprise as Anhura hurtled against her shoulder. "Anna!" she said. "Que'est-ce qui ne va pas?"
Her little girl buried her face in the fabric of her dress. Julia wrapped her arms around the toddler and lifted her onto her lap. Anhura's little fingers gripped her sleeve. "What is it, darling?" she murmured, her lips close to the child's flyaway blonde hair. "You're shaking."
Julia rested her chin on Anhura's head. Why was I left with this child? she thought reluctantly.
Anhura pulled back and stared up at her, her chocolate brown eyes wide in her pale face. "Don't be afraid," Julia chided gently. "You're all right."
She twirled a long strand of golden hair around her finger. I should have just left, she thought. I could have had the baby, left her at an orphanage, and gone back to school. I wouldn't have to deal with this.
She thought back to her heady university days- the parties, the music classes, the plans and dreams that she put away when a fling with a Japanese businessman left her in a delicate situation.
She was a mistake.
Anhura still stared up at her, shock written all over her face. "You're still trembling, little one," Julia said, pushing away her rebellious thoughts. "Mama will take care of you."
Anhura hunched on her mother's lap and clamped her small hands over her ears, as if she was trying to drown out words that only she could hear.
November 3, 1987
Anhura coughed and rubbed her mouth with the back of her little hand. "Let's play!" her cousin Ayame crowed. She waved a skinny fashion doll in the air, the matted hair brushing against Anhura's nose. She coughed again.
Julia frowned over the top of her television guide. "Anna? Est-ce que tu es malade?" she asked.
Anhura looked up at her, rubbing her cheek. "Je ne me sens pas bien," she sighed.
"What are you talking about?" Suzume asked. She pulled a dress on a fashion doll and handed it to Ayame, who shrieked in delight.
"I think she has a cold," Julia said. She lifted her daughter onto her lap and kissed her hot forehead, then picked up the remote. "You want to watch soap operas with your mama, yes?" Anhura snuggled into her mother's lap and tucked her thumb in her mouth.
"She could probably use some cough syrup," Suzume said. "I'll get some."
Anhura took the sticky sweet medicine without a word. Julia played idly with her daughter's long soft hair as they watched several soap opera episodes together. The toddler's coughs slowed and her eyes drooped closed.
"I suppose I ought to put you to bed," Julia said. "Are you sleepy, Anna?"
Anhura roused slightly and wrapped her tiny hands around her mother's delicate fingers. "Mama?" she rasped.
"Hm?"
"Do you love me?"
"Of course," Julia said.
Anhura paused. "Do you want me?"
Julia stifled the sudden pang of guilt. "Of course," she said, but her heart wasn't in it.
The toddler traced one little fingertip against her mother's collarbone. "Your heart doesn't say that," she objected sleepily.
Julia stood up quickly, hugging her daughter to her chest. "You should go to sleep," she said. Her stomach twisted. How can she know that? She thought. She's only two and a half. How can she guess that?
"I hear you, Mama."
Julia stopped dead in her tracks in the middle of the hallway. "You can hear me?' she whispered.
Anhura nodded.
"You mean, you can hear me talk to you," Julia said, struggling to keep her voice light.
"No," she objected. "Your mouth doesn't move but I can hear you anyway."
Julia's hands trembled. "Anhura, let's keep this a secret," she whispered.
"A secret?"
"Like how you talk to Mama in French," Julia said, struggling to keep her voice light. "A secret, for you and Mama."
Anhura nodded. "A secret," she murmured.
Julia set her down in her narrow bed and tucked a blanket around her. "Goodnight, Anna."
Anhura rolled over, reaching for the soft doll by her pillow. "I love you," she said.
Julia turned off the light and closed the door. Anhura let go of the doll's arm, frozen, as she stared at her.
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Author's Notes:
Dear merciful goodness, this has been in the works for ages. I think I got the original idea back in...2003? 2004? Maybe 2005. Something like that. Anyways, I've always wanted to write out Anna's story. I've played with origin stories for Anna before. They're all very bad and I don't recommend you read them. But one of them I liked so well back in the day that I wanted to continue it by writing the entire Shaman King series from Anna's point of view.
Crazy, yes? Yes.
I wrote a couple of chapters, but never really liked them and ended the story instead. But it's always been drilling in the back of my head, the need to write Anna's story. I wrote the first chapter of "Spider Lilies" about a year or so ago, but didn't have the time to really work on it. However, now that I have more free time, the Shaman King series is finished, and I feel like my skills as a writer have improved from my high school days, I really want to write this.
My intention is to stay true to the manga while filling in the gaps as best I can. I mean, think about it...there's all these long sections of Yoh-centric material, and then Anna will pop in. What's she doing in the meantime? Plus, delving into her childhood prior to meeting Yoh is fascinating. Let me tell you, I've had a horrible time writing about her parents. Horrible.
And this part is just a little silly, but I have a tendency to pick a song and play it on repeat when writing a chapter, just so I can have the proper mood music. Each chapter includes a quote from the song, so if you want to have mood music while you read, I encourage you to go on Youtube and give it a listen. This chapter's song is "That's Okay," by the Hush Sound.
Feel free to ask me any questions you might have about this story (well...novel, really). Leave reviews, too! I'd love to hear what you think!