AUTHOR'S NOTES FOR EVERYONE:

Well, another story finished. I was really glad I finished this one actually as it's the first multi-chapter and really long piece I've finished for a while now. I was in despair that I'd lost everything for long stories but I guess I put one out after all. I found it enjoyable to write but some parts were hard. Especially the middle with the X-Laws and the ending. I had to rewrite them a lot before giving them to Leslie to beta. I think it turned out better than I hoped to be honest. Even Mai.

I was trying to think WHY I found this story so good to write. I think it's because Hao is such an interesting character. Sure, evil twin is NOT an original thing but really he was more human than he ever admitted. His views were founded on what had been taught to him by other people. Like how they say the child makes the man. Hao was plotted against and hated by humans the first time and he really just saw what they were doing and just gradually began to hate them. He's a product of his background I guess.

HOWEVER, that said, he really takes it to an extreme, doesn't he? So really that's why I wanted to put him with a human in this story. I hope I wrote him ok. Because even if he ever realised that humans could be good I think he was too far down the path he had set himself to change now. Even if he wanted to include a singular entity in his plan there was nor room. And I don't think he would allow it either. Why a girl? Well, Mai seemed easier to slot into his world than a boy.

Why no pairings? As I said before, humans have no place in Hao's mind or his heart. At least, I don't think so. He might change, anyone can. But in this situation it was really impossible. Even though Mai somehow (even I don't know her reasons) fell in love with Hao he would never return it. Lust is a different story but Hao is much too controlled for that and besides, I get the feeling his lust is directed towards Anna.

On Marco and the X-Laws. As I mentioned, I find them much more scary than Hao could ever be. Leslie mentioned it was the fact they think they are righteous in their task. They would not accept that there were innocents in the middle, you were with or against. When they killed that 'vampire' who was, again, a product of his background, when this guy was even probably going to be good (he proved this by sacrificing himself) the X-Laws murdered him. They have no problem slaughtering innocents. Mai is yet another victory for them. She only committed the 'crime' of loving Hao and was killed. It is scary. But I made that one up, didn't I?

Well, yes. But what I wanted reaaaallly to do here was do a back story which could have happened. Mai didn't want Yoh's group to know she loved Hao and was looking for him. I was planning on having her ask Yoh not to tell the others at all what had happened. If she died. Which she did. But I cut it. But the reason was I wanted to think what would happen if there was ANOTHER tie between Yoh and Hao that brought them closer. Just to see what would happen, no one would ever know she existed because neither Yoh nor Hao would ever tell.

I can't explain it and it's going on…

Ugh. This is developing into a large rant, isn't it? Or not. OK, random things, music I listened to while writing was random Jpop stuff probably ;;;; I usually listen to music that suits the mood of the scene I'm writing. Sad for sad and so on.

TO LESLIE/ALTENG: Thank you so much for helping me out! I hope you don't mind me calling on you again for a beta role. Our email exchanges were really fun. I liked our discussions. Let's continue!

TO ALL THE READERS: I tried to comment to you individually in the last chapter, I hope that was alright. I want to thank everyone for reading this story. I really didn't think I'd get any reviews at all for this, as I said. Thank you so much. Thank you! I mean it. You are all really wonderful to me. Thank you again.

(shameless plug: you might like to read my Jun and Pailong fiction if you like those characters!)

I'm planning a new Shaman King fiction, though it may or may not come into being on Thank you for sticking with me. It's over! Yay!

THANK YOU THANK YOU!

Yours faithfully,

dillpops 05/03/05