Parona/Plot

Spirit Bear Ritual
March is seen playing house with her dolls and Parona surprises March with a new doll in the shape of a crab. She plays with March until dinner time.

The next day, Parona is practicing archery using a big, heavy bow instead of a lighter, smaller one. Each time she shoots, she misses. March arrives and asks Parona if she wants to play, but Parona refuses, saying that she would like to train today but that they can play tomorrow. Later that day, a sound is heard throughout the village. Parona tries to take March into the forest to play but is stopped by Hayase. Hayase asks if they heard the villagers' signal to assemble and tells them to go to where everyone else is. Parona is then seen several days later watching March depart to be sacrificed to Oniguma, strangely unable to meet the young girl's eyes nor return her farewell wave.

As March and Hayase are making their way up the mountain, an arrow flies toward Hayase and March takes that opportunity to escape. Hayase chases after her but Parona appears and knocks Hayase down. However, Hayase and her men soon defeats her ties her to a tree. Her plan to fake March's death is also revealed. Parona is told that the ones to punish her will be the people of Ninannah. Some time later, Parona finds an opportunity and begins trying to untie herself. Just then, a giant bear appears and kills the two men who were ordered to stand guard. Parona manages to escape just before the bear attacks her. She shoots it with an arrow but does not succeed in killing it. The bear hits her and she is sent flying down the hill. She lands safely and promises to save March.

While looking for March, Parona encounters Fushi and asks if he had seen a little girl. Fushi gives no response, but starts to lead Parona towards the ritual site. Parona arrives at the ritual site right as Oniguma appears. She rushes towards March and tries to wake up and untie her from the altar. Oniguma attacks Parona. As Hayase orders her men to close the gate, Fushi appears and engages in a fight against Oniguma using its wolf form, shocking everyone on site and giving Parona enough time to finally wake up March. After Oniguma was defeated, Parona and March are offered a choice: Die together, or go to Yanome with Hayase and live. Parona chooses the latter.

Trip to Yanome
On their way to Yanome, they are met again with the shaman who chose the sacrifice for the ritual. When questioned by Parona, the shaman reveals her real identity as a criminal, and Yanome's ultimate goal of mental control and invasion. Parona also expresses her hatred on the Ninannah ritual, recalling her childhood memory in which her sister Penna who sacrificed herself to the tradition in order to save Parona's life. Later, Parona is introduced to Fushi by March after he transforms into the boy's form. Having learned about Fushi's immortality, Parona expresses sympathy, questioning what meaning one could find in living when given an eternal life. However, seeing March confused by her words, Parona immediately apologizes for looking for meaning in life and death. Arriving at Yanome, Hayase provides the captives a change of clothes, and states that March and Parona are no longer women of Ninannah. While looking at March, Parona says to herself that she will use the life her sister saved for good.

After a short tour of Yanome's city, Parona, March and Fushi sit down for a meal, only to be poisoned Hayase's Western Morning Glory. They find themselves in a prison when they wake up.

Yanome Prison
Parona is able to make an escape plan in which she asks for Pioran's help in exchange for taking her with them. Parona plans to subdue a prison guard before disguising herself, then place herself on the final guard shift when she will be able to take a trophy from Oniguma to convince the Ninannah villagers the sacrifice ritual is no longer neccessary. While hatching her plan, Parona hears from March that Oniguma is dead. Fearing that the bear's body will be burned, thus losing the opportunity for a trophy, Parona decides to carry out her plan right away instead of the next day. Parona proceeds to escape her cell through the window and use a rope to navigate to the other side. She loses her foothold, however, and the rope holding her up snaps. Parona falls down into a storage shed and is spotted by a Yanome guard. Upon waking up, Parona finds herself restrained before the guard pulls up her tunic. Parona is able to kick the guard away, then stab him using a makeshift spear she had planted in the shed beforehand. Parona takes the guard's uniform and successfully tricks another guard into change shifts. She then approaches March and reveals that they are going to break out from the prison.

Parona helps Fushi, March, and Pioran escape from their prison cells. March bids goodbye to Oniguma and Parona gives the key to Pioran. Upon seeing Parona trying to cut Oniguma, March stops her and decries the cruelty of Parona's intentions. Parona attempts to entice March's compliance with a toy, but March strongly refuses. Parona explains that if they prove that Oniguma is dead then they might stop sending children for ritual. March replies that the bear is not Oniguma, and that it would be selfish to harm it. Parona then continues to persuade March that the bear died to save poor little girls like March to be sacrificed. Upon seeing March's scared face, Parona decides that he will not cut the bear and resolves that she will simply persuade the villagers by talking to them.

The Escape
Parona, March, and Pioran escape the Yanome prison on a wagon, planning to charge through the Yanome city back to Ninannah. While escaping, they are attacked by Hayase and her guards, demanding that they give up Fushi in order to be spared. March and Parona adamantly refuse. As Parona fights to keep enemy combatants from jumping on the carriage, March spots Hayase readying to shoot Parona. The arrow is loosed, but Parona escapes its mark when March pushes her out of the way. Parona falls down in shock as she sees March's wound, while Fushi transforms into Oniguma and attacks Hayase.

Parona tries to stop March's bleeding with her undergarment-wrappings. March offers Parona a thank-you "meal" she made using Fushi's fur, and whispers that Parona should become a mother in her stead. Parona tearfully reassures March that she will be fine and all that is left is for them to go home. March asks Parona if Fushi is there and Parona replies that Fushi is there. March smiles in relief before taking her final breath. With great grief, Parona compliments March's "cooking" as she passes away. Carrying March, Parona jumps off the wagon and approaches Fushi who is still battling the Yanome guards, thanking him for fighting for March. Fushi transforms back into the boy. Parona apologizes to March's body in her arms for always being late due to work, but her work is "finished early" this time. Facing the heavily injured Hayase, Parona declares that she shall "go back together" with March, brandishing Hayase's broken naginata blade.

Unable to sense March's presence as a ghost, Parona holds the blade at her throat, stating that she cannot accept such a reality and that she will be with March soon. As if powered by March's will, Fushi grabs Parona's hand, stopping her from committing suicide. Fushi transforms into Oniguma, carrying Parona on its back, and heads back towards Parona's village. After their arrival, March's mother approaches from a crowd, asking what had unfolded in the past six months. Parona gives March's parents a letter with March's handprint and relays the message that March is doing just fine. March's parents soon turn shock into grief and give Parona a hug, thanking her for fighting for March. Upon hearing news of the Yanome's approach, Parona warns Fushi that they must be after him and tells him to run. In her parting words, she tells Fushi that life isn't simply given; it must be won. Fushi then transforms into a wolf and leaves.

Parona climbs up the village tower and spots Hayase in the distance. Parona looses an arrow at Hayase, piercing Hayase's hand. The observing villagers cheer, but Parona declares amid frustrated tears that she missed.

Aftermath
After Fushi captures Hayase on Jananda Island, it is revealed that Hayase murdered Parona at some point and repaired her facial injuries with Parona's skin.