Chapter 53: My Anima
So...Blanca.
Husky and Nana see her, Nana thinking that she's a real angel. Then she wakes up and GASP, she's the White Shadow!
Husky and Nana escape the room, recognizing her from last night. They find themselves in a strange room full of plants. Then Nana sees this:
She screams and runs off. Then the White Shadow flies around her. She freaks out, thinking it's trying to get inside her. Then Cooro and Senri burst in...then Fly bursts in after them, shoving them out of the way. He cries out "Blanca!" and the White Shadow returns to Blanca's body. Nana asks if Blanca is the girl's name and Fly responds in the affirmative. He says she's an angel Anima. Husky demands to know what the hell is going on and Fly offers to explain in a different room, leading them to another track that leads out to Astar. Turns out they're in a tunnel that was made in the capital a long time ago. Only a small part of it is still usable. He takes them outdoors to the Astarian National Research Facility. Then he takes them to the library where they see Marca (surprise surprise, Husky isn't happy to see her). Cooro just recognizes her as the lady who gave them apples. Fly asks her to make them some tea as he leads the kids away.
He finds out they met Lyra and confirms that she underwent Anima implantation at her own request. He also confirms that he can also remove an Anima, turning the Anima user into a human. He says that becoming an Anima is not something children wish for; they unconsciously draw in Animas in order to survive. A child cries, an Anima arrives. The Anima marking is a scar that he can remove with surgery. Animas tend to leave on their own when a child grows up, no longer being needed. But Fly asks why wait? Why prolong your suffering? The facility can help children lead normal lives.
Husky calls him out, asking what exactly is he supposed to do for them? Fly responds by saying that since Nana is good with a needle, he can have her take an apprenticeship under a seamstress. He then cryptically says that if there's someone that you can't see because of your Anima, you can see them again in Husky's earshot. However, he won't recommend the procedure to Senri, saying that being a Kimunkle the Anima are sacred to his culture. The offer stands for everyone else though. Cooro himself says that Nana should do what will make her happy.
We later seen Nana bathing to prep for the surgery. Cooro himself is thinking by the window, wondering if he really will be happier without an Anima. I mean, he had one since birth so he wouldn't know. So Nana is being led to the surgery room to be prepped for anesthesia. She hesitates and admits that since it's the last time, she wants to say goodbye to her Anima. She sprouts her bat wings and bat ears and thanks them for helping her and introducing her to her friends. When Marca asks if she's ready, she flies off, saying she's changed her mind. She's not happy despite her Anima; she's happy because of her Anima. And hey, if it's going to disappear when she's an adult, what's the rush? She then rushes over to see Husky, afraid that he had the surgery and Husky pops out to yell at her for screaming. Nana hugs him and says that she didn't have the surgery. Husky says he thought about it but didn't go through with it; he's happy the way he is. When Nana asks where Cooro and Senri are, Husky says they never wanted to remove their Anima in the first place so they're probably in the waiting room. The chapter ends with them going off to search for them.
