As Shiro was in big trouble, big as he found himself in the clutches of Urasue.
The grim reaper has put him in a tub of green water with his hands tied. The water was filled with medicinal herbs. Giving out the color green as the water smell disgusting.
"Shiro!" yelled Romelle from the bridge he remembered.
"Stats" Stats' voice carried into the bridge.
Shiro took a deep breath and said, "Stop! What do you think you're pulling here".
"You are an insolent boy, are you not?" Urasue said as she was done pouring out the remains of the water. "That should do it, yeah".
Shiro wanted nothing more than to run back to the bridge, find his friends, and return to the warm safety of Arus. He wanted to see Stats' glow-filled smile again and seeing Romelle's kind expression once again.
And more than anything, Shiro wanted to look into Keith's eyes. He wanted to tell him that he was okay and all right, that deep down that he is all right, that he's not just reincarnation especially he doesn't know all the details but his old enemy, Allura, who ashes had been stolen by Urasue.
But Shiro can't do any of that, instead, he stuck by this twisted plot set up by the grim reaper.
Then suddenly, Allura walks out of the kiln slowly, all dress in a costume, made from an ankle-length Altean gown with a sky blue bodice, a white skirt, and a knee-length pink cape; all accented with gold. The bodice has a sweetheart neckline and ends in a "V" shape at her waist. The skirt has a pink hem and a pale blue stripe down the front. The dress has long blue sleeves, as well as white puff sleeves attached to a white undershirt.
"So you're dressed… the attire of a priestess is most fitting and flatters your good looks". Urasue complimenting her.
"I have done well to baked and reshape your body with Daemon remains and graveyard soil. All I need do now is place a daemon soul or in this case a human soul within you".
"What are you saying" Shiro whispered
"My herbs will soon cause your soul to leave your body. I will have you return it… Allura's soul".
"Allura's soul…? Does that mean this girl is Allura?" Shiro thought.
The herbs were pulsed with bright power. A split second later, back at the bridge where Romelle, Keith, and Stats were on was slashed by Urasue resulting them fall downwards into the deep valley below, with the clay warriors. But Keith steps on a branch midway and leaps off, cushioning his landing.
"Where's Shiro and…?" Keith said, looks around the area.
But soon Keith looks up. A gigantic figure falls from the sky and collides with him. Guess what it was Romelle, grabbing on Stats' arms to float safely on the ground.
"Stats"
"You said it, I wonder if Keith's all right."
"Stats"
"I doubt it, nothing can kill that guy"
Their wishes were answered as Keith crawls out from under the rubble. "Hey, you guys…!"
"Oh, there you are Keith"
Now all back together again, Romelle and Keith talk about the days' events and the days before. "Shiro was Abducted!?"
"Yes, the Grim reaper took him"
"Then, he wasn't thrown to the ground and killed…?"
Romelle notice among the clay warriors. Light orbs appear on their backs and float upwards.
"Souls…?" Romelle through.
"Hey, Romelle, what is it"
"Nothing but Keith do you remember at that time when Shiro first appeared before us... And Coran said back then that Shiro could be the reincarnation of both Allura and The samurai".
"Yes, what of it".
"Can you tell me about it, between you and Allura, years ago, what really happened".
"Why should I ask that question"
"I want to know in advance, plus everyone keeps telling me the story, I just want to know the real story from you"
"If I was thinking correctly and Human souls were being used to move these puppets. Not only that…" Romelle explains as she puts her hand into a warrior. "Bones have been baked into the statues.
"Bones…?"
"Urasue, she uses bones… Bones and souls. She stole Allura's remains, and has Shiro in confinement"
"So what you're saying is that we need to recover Allura's bones now"
"We haven't got much time, I fear. We may well be meeting up with Allura soon".
"Meeting Allura…?, But she's dying for forever"
If Urasue uses her tricks to reincarnate her, she will become a formidable foe". Romelle looks up, determined "We have got to stop her".
Keith knew that somewhere down there, in the twisted heart of the graveyard, Urasue waited for them. And that when they finally came face-to-face, only one of them would survive the encounter. But Keith couldn't worry about that just yet. Before he could take on Urasue, the half-daemon had to find someone else, Shiro.
Outside Urasue's kiln as Urasue finish pouring more green water into the tub.
"I feel awful… I can't…move…" Shiro said, struggling
"It won't be long, Allura until the soul is drawn out of this boy's body"
"Ugh, how many times do I have to say it, I'm not just some reincarnation," Shiro said out loud, even though he couldn't communicate with her or made her take responsibility.
"This boy is still talking, The herds should have caused him to lose consciousness by now."
Then suddenly, the quintessence Crystal on Shiro starts to glow while she struggles. "This light! So you have a fragment of the quintessence Crystal!? What great fortune! I'll help myself to it" she said, rushes towards Shiro
"No! You mustn't" Shiro shouted as even though he projected as loud as he could, Shiro's voice hardly seemed to carry over the dead but surprisingly a white sphere appears and pushes her away.
"Amazing, the power of the quintessence Crystal had created a shield around the casket. The shield must be holding the soul in check"
Keith walk up the cliff with Romelle and Stats follows from behind. Keith sides heavily as he tells his story
Many years prior.
Before being dragged into the darkness of the tree, apparently, Keith had gone to retrieve the crystal from Allura who once defended Aurs from threats from the outside world
"You could become human, Keith?"
"What are you saying, Allura?"
"I'm saying if you use the quintessence Crystal, you could become human as well".
It wasn't exactly a story one would immediately believe, but Romelle was insistent. Both of them also knew that Keith wasn't the kind of person who would tell that sort of lie.
"I needed the quintessence Crystal, too. In order to become a full-fledged daemon".
But someone's perception was awfully Sharp and just getting near him was impossible to even him, with his sword draws and pauses. He turns around and walks away.
"Hey you bastard, why would you not finish me off".
"It's a waste of my powers, just don't hang around here anymore"
Even if Keith could've gotten his hands on the quintessence Crystal, he had no intention of killing Takashi, and Takashi wouldn't kill me either.
"Keith, you're there aren't you? Why don't you come out?"
Keith peeps out of a tree. All wondering what will happen next but was willing to try, to sitting apprehensively next to Takashi.
"We've never talked like this before. This is the first time."
"Yeah, what of it"
"Keith, how do I look to you, do you see me as human"
"What why would you ask me that question"
"I never show anyone my weakness. I must never waiver. Otherwise, some daemon will get the better of me. I'm human, but I mustn't be human. You and I have things in common".
Then looks down, close to Keith "You, the half-daemon. That's why I couldn't kill you and besides you were friends with the Priestess".
"Humph! Complaining? It's not like you at all." Keith said, scoffs at that, and walks off. But he stops and looks back at Takashi, who looks at him with soft eyes.
"I guess…it's unlike me… after all, I am a samurai"
"Looking at Takashi's sad face… For the first time in my life, I felt like I'd done something wrong". Keith said, narrating. "I knew the tale, the samurai, the number by the hundreds, an organization, shrouded by mystery, since ancient times, they served as the balance between humans and Daemons but whoever is leading this group is unknown, Daemons... mystical creatures of the unknown, strong and mighty, having incredible powers and wounds heal in the blink of the eye, no mere person will ever have, but the samurai fight with mortal bodies nevertheless they fight to defend the world".
"Darn it, all I could do think about was Takashi"
"Keith, why have you stopped," Romelle said to him as they stop in the middle of the mountain.
"At that time, isn't it true that you once loved the samurai"
After pausing by that statement, Keith was surprised that Romelle were more open to believing his story. He had nothing to base it on, but Shiro and Romelle both had the feeling that Keith had a lot on his mind. Almost like they were convinced he was currently somewhere far, far away, lost in a time of the past.
"You could become human, Keith" Allura explained to Keith, "if I you use the quintessence Crystal"
"You were planning to become human?"
"It was a spur of the moment thing but I still wanted to become human, if I became human I would be-"
"I would come here and I'll bring the quintessence Crystal?" Keith made an annoyed face and said, "I was deceived on that promise day."
"Allura you"
"die boy", she said colder, shooting more arrows at him and soon she killed Takashi, "I can't believe she did that, killing him in front of me but she attended to kill me as well"
"You obviously know the rest, I attack Aurs and seized the crystal and I was sealed away". Keith explains as he continued walking, leaving Romelle so lost in thought. It couldn't have been like that, there must have been some kind of mistake in some kind.
Back at the kin, the shield around Shiro has started to enlarge and static appears around.
"This is, The shield expanded rapidly all of this is, the soul is huge".
"I feel sick… I'm going to throw up…" Shiro said, weakly.
Erasure looks at Allura who is sitting at a corner, "It is a powerful grudge. Something damnable must surely have happened to her in her previous life."
"Help me, come quickly Keith"
"Shiro!" Keith shouted.
"Keith!"
"You crazy lady, what're you doing to Shiro"
"Are you still alive?!"
"Lady Allura" Romelle complains, looking over the distance.
"Don't… Don't call my name…" the voice within Shiro is speaking to him.
"Allura…"
Upon hearing that, Shiro suddenly opens his eyes, and his body jerks upwards. The white shield explodes and the white orbs fly out of Shiro's body.
"Oh! It's leaving his body!"
"Shiro"
"The second you said her name, her heart skipped a beat and Allura's soul sprang forth."
The white orbs of soul fly into Allura's body violently, throwing her body upwards in the sky. Allura is bathed in white light and she lands gently. She holds up her hands and touches her face.
"Stats, Stats, Stats" Stats shouted as runs to the tub.
"That boy is just an empty shell now. My allies are going to be pleased to see this"
"Shiro's soul has gone into Allura," Keith thought
"Listen, Urasue… You dared to use Allura's bones…" Romelle shouted at her.
"Exactly! I have used my powers to turn Allura's remains into flesh and blood You could say I am her birth mother. Allura will do anything I ask of her.
But that wasn't the case as Allura walks to her. "Now, use your powers to rid us of these bothersome…" it wasn't definitely the case as Allura puts her hands on Urasue's shoulders "Ohh…"
Suddenly a current charges out of Allura's hands and shocks her. Urasue falls backward and spins, yelling in reclusive pain, drops to the ground, and is reduced to a burning mess.
"Idiot not me..."
"You dragged me out, I never wanted to wake up"
"Allura, I can't believe you're really here, again"
"Keith… Why are you alive? I know I sealed you up…" Allura said, slowly
"Sorry about that! It took me about years to get out, but I'm fine, ready to take you on again" Keith explain
"You're hateful! I hate you!" Allura said, looks up in tears.
Suddenly a red glow appears on Allura's shoulders and she winces in pain. She holds a hand to it. The red glow disappears and a bloody appears in its place.
"What's the matter, Allura?"
holds up her bloodied hand and shouts "Why did you betray me, Keith!?"
"Wh-What is that? That blood…"
"Keith…? Isn't that the fatal wound you inflicted on Allura?"
"I inflicted what are you saying you think I'm the one who killed Allura"
"That's right! That's how she died". Romelle explains Blood drips from Allura's wound and forms a red puddle on the ground.
"Not me! Romelle, don't you remember my side of the story"
"Yeah I did but still"
"I never thought… I never expected to hear such excuses… Stop it, Keith. It's unbecoming." Becoming agitated, "Stop it… Stop it! Keith… Don't you remember saying it? That's you'd become human"
"Human…? That's right he wanted to become human"
"You said you'd become human. I believed you, and took the quintessence Crystal to you that day."
She did, she took the quintessence Crystal to the snowy field. But someone runs up behind her and cut her back.
With her shoulder bleeding. Keith walks up to her. Allura tried reaches for the quintessence Crystal on the ground but Keith stamps on Allura's hand.
"You think I'd want to be human to be with you? How dense can you get? I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing this so I can be with Takashi. After that, I'm taking the Jewel to Lord Zarkon. It is where it belongs." With that being said, Keith walks away.
Agitated, Allura couldn't understand, "you traitor, TRAITOR?"
"But, Allura, I can't believe that Keith committed such a heinous crime"
"Are you suggesting that I was the one that betrayed you?"
"You know it's true, that is the ay I summons up the last vestiges of ty strength and bound you to the tree with my arrow"
"Keith…" said Allura as she walks to Keith.
"Allura" Keith gaps, it wasn't him, what is this to all of this.
"You and I were fated never to meet again, and yet fate is a funny thing", Allura said, holds Keith's arms gently until the current surges from Allura's hands and shocks Keith. Causing him falls backward in pain.
"Stop this assault, Allura" Romelle said, holds Allura's sleeves
"Who are you"
"My name is Romelle, I came from the exact same place, Aurs, and an Altean, and you may not know this, but many years have passed since your demise".
"Then explain why you would speak on Keith's behalf"
Then suddenly, Allura takes Romelle's bow and arrow and pushes her away and continue shoots at Keith.
"Stats" Stats said as he dragging Shiro out of the tub.
"Romelle"
"You mustn't, Allura. Keith is not the enemy."
"What do you mean? Have you been taken in by this half-daemon?!"
"No, I haven't, I don't know any parts of your story, it is telling a different part"
"Doesn't matter, I ain't going to give up, I won't miss again"
Keith looks at Allura, all concerningly, while Stats and Romelle leaning to an unconscious Shiro on the ground.
"Shiro" Romelle shouted
"Stats"
"I know", but Being concern about Shiro, Romelle wondered if Allura will be satisfied or not or even if possible to destroy her hatred and calm her soul within since the soul won't return into this body and Shiro will never wake up again.
Just as soon as bow and arrow meet dagger, Keith had successfully destroyed the bow. But Keith thrown away his dagger.
"Stats"
"What are you doing, Keith"
Keith cupped his hands around Allura's waist and called out, "Allura look at me!"
Even though he projected as loud as he could, Keith's voice hardly seemed to carry over to Allura. The only thing that she focuses on is to escape, "No, let me go".
"No, I meant every word?" Keith continued. "I don't know what happened what you saw on that day but I don't know that I wasn't the cause of death".
"Liar" Allura muttered to herself. "I was a fool to believe you, I was a fool to keep thinking that I want to live with you"
Keith took a step, then stopped. His brow furrowed as he thought about what Allura had just said.
"Um, that came out wrong. I mean, why would she think that, I meant I always viewed her as a friend or sister, I guess she must have thought alone, heartbroken you been"
While Keith trailed off, a sense of relief from Romelle starting to creep in before adding, "Allura has calmed down? That's good"
Keith waited for a response, but none came.
Allura trailed off, a sense of isolation starting to creep in before remembering, "Me… A human?" Keith asked Allura as they sitting on a knoll in the sunset.
"Sure you can. You're half-human after all." Remembering like it was yesterday with Keith looks down, "If the quintessence Crystal fell into the hands of a true daemon, its powers would greatly increase. But if it was used to turn you into a human, the crystal would be purified and would probably cease to exist."
"Then what would happen to you, Allura?"
"I'm the one who protected the crystal, if it were to disappear, we could become ordinary people".
Keith had no second thoughts…! He believed that he could live as a human with Takashi and Allura. He wanted that life! But…that day…change.
"At that time you said you were willing to become human and I thought that you were willing to live together, I was a fool, a-"
"Cut it out", Keith said out loud, hugging Allura so tightly like you couldn't see a single sign of life anywhere around them.
"You see, Allura, you've had a heartbroken experience too..."
"Keith"
"Just remember, you're an ordinary person too, far from it actually that's why I wanted to become human to help you escape from the burden of the quintessence Crystal".
"Let go, Keith, it's too late for me".
Allura shoots currants of magic flies at Keith with a pink glow. Luckily Keith got away from her, getting new scars in the process but got away from her from the last
"Allura" Keith trailed, trying to recover from the attack.
"I don't care what you said, I detested you, at the moment of my death, So long as the hatred is not erased, this soul will not return to the Afterlife! Keith! All it takes is your death…!"
"Keith… I want you to destroy Allura's body. This rebirth is nothing more than a sham. You must release her soul from within." Romelle said, still on the ground with Shiro and Stats.
"It's no use, unless my hated disappeared, my soul cannot return to that body either" Allura shouted as she rushes to him, determined that Keith's death that will put an end her suffering.
But Keith, Keith just stood there, ignoring Romelle's command as he cannot make himself to kill her but just then, Shiro suddenly wakes and souls fly out of Allura's body.
"Shiro, he's trying to take back his soul!
"No…! I… I… I still have my revenge"
The souls fly back into Shiro's body. "Shiro, you... weren't just a cast-off shell without a soul" Romelle through as she witnesses the event.
"Shiro" Keith shouted as he wonders that did Allura calm down for a bit, however that wasn't the case as Allura, still moving and walks away from the group unsteadily.
"All that's keeping Allura going now is her deeply grudge. It seems most of her soul has returned to the boy, but not her pent-up grudges have been absorbed well into the bones and graveyard earth. The once pure maiden is now a dark daemon filled with hatred". Urasue complimenting, as the wind blows and her charred ashes are scattered in the wind.
Followed that Keith runs after Allura.
"Keith, wait" Romelle shouted and immediately Shiro wakes up with his heart racing.
As Allura walks in the mountain path. All in pain and struggling for air. "If I remain near that boy, he'll take the rest of my soul! I've got to get away… Oh!" Allura trailed trying not to get back but trips and slides down the cliff edge. But luckily Keith appears and grabs her hand. She hangs over the cliff while Keith struggles to hold on to her.
"Keith…"
"Allura… You can't go on like this. You must return to Shiro".
"Are you telling me to die…? If I return to that man, that means I will no longer be myself. Keith… Is that what you want? I'll never die!"
Allura grabs Keith's hand and shocks him. "Didn't I tell you? When I die, you're coming with me!" She said, angry
"No!"
Keith falls over the cliff and hangs on to the edge with one hand. He struggles to keep his hold on Allura, but her hand slips and falls into the valley below. She looks at him in shock as she falls.
"Allura" Keith shouted in horror.
He looked over the edge of the cliff and wondered how did this happen. Keith suddenly found himself realizing that someone had disguised as Allura, why did it, why come to this, did someone else disguise as him and attacked Allura, somebody has made Allura and Keith hate each other, for what purpose as he walks from the cliff. Returning to Romelle and Shiro.
"Keith, are you all right," Romelle asked him, "where's Allura".
"I'm sorry, she felt from the cliff, I was unable to save her"
"It's okay it's better this way," Romelle said and she was right, with a body of bones and graveyard soil and a soul build on malice isn't a life worth living.
"Stats"
"It's okay, boy, I'm fine" Shiro asking him.
"Shiro, I'm sorry I couldn't protect you," Keith said, relieved that Shiro still the same person.
"it's all right, I'm just glad that you're okay"
"I see, you have forgiven me"
"Forgive you why do you think that"
"Because I was unable to look at you, I know you're not Allura or Takashi, but I didn't care about that I was so consumed with rage at Allura, I took it out on you"
Shiro leaned in, putting his hand on Keith's shoulder, "it's okay, I finally got you to look me in the face".
"Eh," Keith said to himself, for some strange reason, Keith felt relieved when he saw Shiro smile.
"Speaking of that, where's Urasue" There was a part of him that wanted to throw her into the kiln and burn her alive after what she had done to him. But there was more of a pressing matter. "... And Allura also"
"Oh, that's over"
"Oh, Really"
"Rest in peace, Allura" Keith thought.
At a riverbank near the mountainside "Alive, I'm alive, Keith" Allura shout it to the sky as she was surrounded by a land of skeletons. While Shiro and Keith were walking on different land, skeleton free.
"You, really don't remember anything"
"Not a thing, sorry"
"How many times are you going to be saying that, don't apologize wasn't your fault"
"Stats"
"I know Stats, he doesn't feel the same but Shiro is strange, even Allura's powerful soul could not win against Shiro, I guess Shiro is not some mere reincarnation he's more than that". Romelle told to herself.
the group arrived back at Temple of Lions to find a worried Coran waiting for them at the entrance with a group of sentries.
"Thank goodness!" he said. "I was just about to send out a search party. Are you all right?"
Keith shook his head. he was far from all right. Ever since he'd witnessed Allura's return, he hadn't been able to shake the image of her. "Romelle, what happened?" Coran pressed. "did you retrieve the remains?"
"No, we didn't . . Urasue use them to revive her"
"That's . . . that's impossible! Only the Avatar has ever possessed that ability." Coran looked at Romelle. He saw the intense fear in her eyes. "And she said I was the one responsible for her death—that I've turned my back on her. Is it true? where there was a reason behind her death" Keith told him.
"No! Allura died in the fire before she got her injury" Coran tugged at his mustache in thought. "That was very disturbing news, I feel like the challenges are getting more and more dangerous
More indeed what kind of challenges those to they face as the journey continues for Shiro and Keith.
And the journey for another one, incoming.