Pioran/Plot

Plot
Pioran is first introduced as a part of Parona's plan to escape the Yanome prison. Pioran pretends to have a medical issue to distract the guard while Parona attacks him from behind. By helping out with her plan, Parona promises to let Pioran escape with them.

After Parona frees Pioran and March, Pioran is next seen taking March to the wagon to hide. However, March runs back to stop Parona from killing the Spirit Bear. She tells March that if she can prove the Spirit Bear is dead, then maybe the village will stop sacrificing children. March disagrees with Parona, saying that it's selfish to kill the bear because he isn't the Spirit Bear and, therefore isn't related to the situation. After awhile, Parona agrees to persuade the village without using other's lives.

The three make their way to the wagon and escape with Parona as the driver. March expresses her joy at their escape and is excited to see her parents again. She wonders if they'll be happy to see her and Parona says they will be. Pioran is next seen driving the wagon while the soldiers attack them and she continues driving until she is out of Yanome.

Pioran isn't seen again until Fushi is walking through the forest in the form of March and runs into her. Pioran, who is surprised to see March, starts asking her where they ran off to and where Parona is. She mentions that she spent three days and nights looking for them and goes on to describe how terrible the past few days have been. She wonders why March isn't saying anything and then realizes the truth when Fushi changes back to the Boy's form. She tries to talk to Fushi, but he quietly walks away. She follows him.

After walking for an unknown amount of time, Pioran asks Fushi if they could stop and rest because she hasn't eaten anything for two days. As usual, Fushi doesn't respond and Pioran, in a craze due to hunger and exhaustion, bites his leg. In an attempt to stop her, Fushi climbs up a tree and throws fruit at Pioran - imitating what March did to him. A bit of time passes and Pioran comes across a map of the area. As Pioran is jotting it down, Fushi takes the pen and paper from her and tries to imitate her writing, with little success. Pioran decides to teach Fushi the language and script, and how to live like a human. As time passes, Fushi slowly starts to learn how to form sentences and opens up a little bit about himself. He tells Pioran that he wants to grow up and learn things and also reveals a little about his time with The Nameless Boy. Eventually, they reach Takunaha, Pioran's home country, and she tells Fushi that they are going to go to her lover's home. They decide to rest for the night but are attacked by an unknown creature. It overwhelms Fushi, but he manages to defeat it. Pioran asks what it was, to which Fushi responds that he doesn't know.

After they arrive at her lover's place, a liquor shop run by an old man known as Booze Man, Pioran and Fushi move in with him and his store clerk Gugu. While Gugu and Fushi do the house- and fieldwork together, Pioran is busy writing down what she knows about the Nokkers. After Gugu runs away, Fushi asks her to teach him how to properly clean, cook and work. Pioran refuses this and tells him to find Gugu and ask him instead. Fushi does just that. A few days later, Gugu suddenly comes running home, drunkenly explaining what happened to Fushi and why he needs more alcohol. Pioran quickly realizes that the Nokkers must have attacked again and tells Booze Man to do as Gugu says. She also keeps Rean's parents from leaving the shop, lest they accidentally get involved in the battle themselves. A while later, a victorious Gugu and Fushi return to Booze Man's shop.

Four years later, Pioran still lives with Gugu, Booze Man and Fushi. On the day of Rean's birthday party, her and Booze Man see the two young men off. Pioran asks Booze Man why he is tearing up, to which he replies that he's a little bit worried and can't stand the thought that he will die before Gugu. As Rean's mansion falls apart from the Nokker attack, Booze Man and Pioran watch the dust rise up. Both of them start crying despite trying to keep their composure. Together with Shin and Fushi, they comfort one another.

Fushi decides to leave Takunaha in an effort to shield Pioran and Booze Man from more Nokker attacks, but Pioran soon reunites with him. Fushi tries to convince her to go back, but can't. The two continue to travel together and Pioran continues to take care of Fushi, who refuses any help from her but eventually decides that he needs to protect her. She suggests that Fushi could go to a place devoid of people, Sarlnine Forest, which he agrees to after being reassured by Pioran. However, they're directed to another boat at the port that will supposedly take them to Sarlnine Forest, but after boarding they soon discover that the boat is headed for Jananda Island instead.

After arriving on Jananda, Pioran is put into prison. Fushi can locate her with Joaan's sense of smell, but finds that he can't cross the wall separating them with his current vessels. After accidentally killing a mole. Fushi is able to get past the wall. However, once he reaches the other side, he has trouble scaling the wall up to the prison cells. Instead, he calls out to Pioran. She notices that Fushi's voice is different, to which he replies that he's in Parona's form and that she probably died. Pioran comments that she probably died proudly, protecting someone. She then tells Fushi to leave the island alone since she got caught because of her own mistakes, but Fushi refuses to leave her behind. Pioran points out that there is no way he could get her out, and tells him to give his all for those in need of help. Fushi seems to acknowledge this, but remains convinced that he will rescue Pioran somehow. A few days later, Fushi manages to scale the wall as March. He reaches her cell and slips through the tiny window slit as a mole to hug her. He assures her that he will be able to get her out soon. Fushi explains that by winning the final battle the next day the two of them can leave the island, to which Pioran starts crying and compliments Fushi on how strong he has grown. After Fushi agrees to stay behind on Jananda if the people of the island get to leave, Pioran tells him that she will be waiting at the port in Zedan. Hayase mocks her that she will probably die before they would meet again and knocks her out her with the Western Morning Glory tranquilizer alongside Tonari and her friends.

When Fushi finally manages to reach the island, he feels guilty about having kept Pioran waiting. He can't bring himself to approach her, but keeps worrying about her nonetheless. Meanwhile, Fushi is being kept alive thanks to the generous people in Zedan. He reassures himself that she will be fine without him and leaves her some fruit before boarding another ship disguised as a mole. Suddenly, he starts to worry that Pioran might wait for him forever if he didn't tell her that he is leaving. He writes her a goodbye letter and leaves it next to her sleeping self. He boards a ship, but almost immediately, another worry strikes him and he rushes back. However, Pioran isn't where he last saw her. He looks for her in Joaan's form and discovers that a man is trying to get her back to Jananda. Fushi tries to interfere, when suddenly Pioran pulls out her cane and manages to escape on her own. Fushi follows her quietly for the rest of the day, and notices that she hasn't smiled once. He leaves a gift for her one last time while she's asleep, but this time, she wakes up and immediately recognizes Fushi. He decides to stay with her and together, they travel to Sarlnine Forest.

A month passes. Every time the Beholder calls a Nokker to Fushi's attention, he rushes to get Pioran to safety. He also centers his sleep schedule around her. One day, he asks Pioran what she wishes for and she replies that she would like to be younger. She adds that she has already done everything she wanted to do and is satisfied with her life. Over the next days and weeks, Pioran gradually gets weaker physically and her short-term memory starts to fail her. She gets angry quickly and is paranoid about the Yanome getting them. Fushi continues to care for her despite struggling to understand her condition.

One day, she sends Fushi away to take in the food they left out to dry. As she lays down and prepares to die, she calls out to the Beholder and asks that if possible, she be reborn as something that can be useful to Fushi. The Beholder warns her that by changing her body, the things that make her herself will also change, but Pioran's wish remains. The Beholder orders her to close her eyes and envision what she wishes to become. For a short moment, Pioran is returned to her young self in her vision of Paradise before the Beholder intercepts and gives her soul a new body using Fushi's flesh.

She later reappears in the shape of a white horse, which isn't clearly stated at any point, but heavily implied.