Chapter seventeen: The aftermath

Shiro desperately clung to Hunk's shoulders as they sat on Kiaion's back, the nekomata descending from the mountaintop temple. As they began to make their way down, Lance, Ozar, Pidge, and Stats began to grow back to normal size. At first, they seemed to weigh Kiaion down a bit due to the unexpected shift in weight, but he manages to maintain his altitude.

"Look! We're back to normal!" said Pidge.

"Stats!" Stats said.

"Tokajin probably died, undoing his spells." Ozar realized. "Those men in the box garden have probably reverted back, too."

Soon, the group reached the bottom of the mountain, right back to where this whole adventure began: at the creek where they found the Tree of Human Fruit. It was then that the sun was finally starting to rise...the tree had been dried-up and Tōkajin was no where to be found but more importantly.

"Where's Keith?" Shiro asked, worriedly...and soon after, they all glanced at each other, apprehensively. Not long after...their eyes fell on the river nearby.

"...He...he must have fallen into the river and drowned," said Pidge. "His body might have been carried off...!"

"...Oh, no...!" Shiro whispered as tears began to form in his eyes. "It...it can't be...!" He soon sniffed as he dropped down to his knees.

"...Stats...!" Stats whimpered, his tears already starting to fall.

"I can't believe he did that, In spite how hurt he was!" Hunk said, solemnly. "He was willing to fight on for us, If I could do something about this Maybe I could-" He then tightly clenched his fists. "But I didn't I couldn't help him!"

"...It's my fault...!" Shiro whispered as his tears fell from his eyes. "Keith saw that I was in danger! He gave his life for mine! It's my fault!!"

"Come now," Lance said, even though he had a solemn expression, as well. "I know this must be hard to hear, Shiro, but Keith did what he had to in order to protect you."

Shiro sniffled as she looked up at Lance, who tried to look as reassuring as possible...even though he could see just a small glint of sadness in his eyes.

"To save me? As if that makes me happy! He had no daemon powers, yet he acted so foolishly!" Shiro said as he blast his fist to the ground! "Keith was stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid Keith! What good is it if he's dead?! What am I to do from now?!"

"Yes, he was foolish!" said Lance, "but Keith was brave and valiant until the very end. He died like a true hero would...and for that, we will remember him forever."

"...A hero, huh?"

The group gasped before they turned around...and there he was: Keith with his Raven-black hair and purple eyes! He still had his arm in a sling, but he was alive!

"Keith!" the group cheered before Stats ran toward him.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on!" Keith cried. "My arm's still broken-OOF!!"

Too late. Stats tackled into him, causing him to fall to the ground while he groaned in pain. Lance, Hunk, Pidge, Ozar, and Kiaion seemed to be the only ones who managed to restrain themselves from glomping on him.

"Stats!" Stats cried. "Stats!"

"I knew you wouldn't die so easily." Lance said.

"Of course I won't die!" Keith scoffed as he tried to stand up.

"Thank goodness!" Shiro said, softly.

"I ain't so easy to kill! Stop thinking rubbish!" Keith said.

"Did you say "rubbish"? Of course we worried!" Shiro said, so fierce "We knew you were Overwhelming yourself!"

"W-Wha! you were actually worried about me," he said.

"Yes I was!" Shiro yelled. "You never expected me to be worried about you!" he then grabs Keith's clothes. "I mean you're went against an enemy that you know that couldn't win, you're lucky that your powers came back!"

"But I'm alive, so what's the big deal?! i won did i" Keith said

Angered, Shiro slapped Keith with his free arm. "You always put yourself in danger, because an enemy that stronger than you! Why can't you realize that some enemies that you cannot win your own" Shiro berated with his tears in his eyes.

Keith was put in his place. "Shiro I..." he stuttered.

Keith didn't have a chance to reply. At that moment, Ozar walking towards them and said, "Hey, since Tokajin is gone, We have a group of survivors are probably confuse and scared, we need to tell them everything!"

"You're right!" Shiro agreed

"Yeah!" Keith agreed as he cups his right cheek which was struck by.

Soon, after Shiro went back up to retriever his sword, he actually found it in one of the rooms, Tokajin had a lot of weapons, the group stood in front of several makeshift grave markers along with some flowers. Shiro suggested making a memorial for all those who had fallen victim to Tōkajin, which the others agreed to. Even Keith, who normally didn't have such sentiment for such things.

All the while, Ozar had to literally tell the survivors of Tokajin that they were being sacrificed. At first they didn't believe him, but he did show them the kitchen where Tokajin turned his victims Into human face fruit, that was proven enough to them to believe.

"Well, that puts an end to that," said Lance as he finished the prayers.

"I hope these people finally find peace," said Hunk.

"We should probably get going to Sokka's tree!" Ozar said as he turned to the survivors and Tokajin's animal servants. "These people need a home and you need a place to recover your injuries!"

Hunk and Keith look at themselves, he was right they do need some place to recover.

"Well, now that that's over with," Keith began as he turned to walk away, "let's get going."

"Stats!" Stats asked.

"What do you think!" Keith inquired "to Sokka's tree!"

"No arguments here!" Shiro said.

Later that day, Shiro return to train for the final Selection, It was just about dusk and he was sitting on a log in his casual clothes. He was on top of the tree and yet, He come just couldn't bring himself to climb down.

He sighed in exasperation as he slumped against the wood.

"Maybe coming back here was a bad idea..." he muttered as he thought back to when he left Keith, on bad terms since he slapped him in the face, plus he had a broken arm that hadn't completely healed.

Shiro sighed as he fiddled with a stick, remembering the first time he saw Keith turn human on the night of the new moon...and that time, he was close to death on that night, as well.

"...It must be so hard for him...having a body that's half-human and half-daemon. Keith says he still wants to use the jewel to turn into a full-fledged daemon...but there was also a time that he was going to turn human...for Takashi...I can't help wondering...does he still want to become a fully-fledged daemon?"

Meanwhile, Keith and the others sat in front of the firepit with Sokka, who was out collecting the last of his herbs for the day.

"Duh!" Lance exclaimed "Ice fist are so yesterday!"

"Hey, Keith!" Hunk said. "What do you think!"

but Keith wasn't listening to him, Instead his mind was focus on the quintessence crystal, before he got slap, he was going to tell the others that he got the crystal back but changes his mind, especially on Shiro since he was furious with him.

"Hey, Keith!" Hunk said again, trying to get Keith out to his trance.

"Oh, I was...I lost in thought!" Keith said.

Hunk, Pidge, and Lance nodded in agreement.

"So, which weapon are you agreeing with, ice fist and ice staff". asked Lance.

"Um...Neither because we have better things to think about!" Keith said.

"Hah!" the others said, confusing.

"Like what!" Lance said.

"Well!" Keith exclaimed "I wanna become a fully-fledged daemon, of course!"

"You're still on about that?" Lance asked as he picked up a grilled trout.

"What good is having a weak human body, anyway?!" Keith asked. "Altea is full of enemies that are out to kill you! One moment of weakness and you're a dead man, plain and simple!"

"Even so, you still managed to defeat Tōkajin," Pidge said. "In fact, the reason why you got that second burst of strength was because Shiro was in danger."

"She's right," Lance added. "Any time Shiro's in trouble, you always rush to his rescue, even when you're human."

"That...that doesn't mean anything!" Keith said with a slight blush tinging his face.

"Have you ever seen anyone using the quintessence crystal fragments to do good deeds?" Hunk said as he looks into the fire "This is what I believe… Those who seek the quintessence crystal, lose their hearts in the process."

Keith tried not to show it...but he did seem mildly disturbed after realizing that they were right, there were times that people that went after it and pay the price for their obsession.

"I don't remember ever saying that I want to become a good daemon." asked Keith.

"Even so, Keith," Hunk began, "do you not desire to protect Shiro? That's why you desire power so much, isn't it?"

Keith's eyes went wide at that while Hunk's eyes took on a look of seriousness.

"You said it yourself," said Hunk. "You don't want to give up your humanity like Tōkajin did...but regardless, your humanity will be lost if you use the crystal's power...if you use the jewel to turn into a full-fledged daemon...you could end up hurting Shiro in a fit of savagery...or worse. You could end up tearing him apart and devouring him!"

Keith's eyes went wide in horror while Hunk's eyes softened.

"I'm sorry I had to tell you that," he said, "but maybe now, you might reconsider your choice. How do you know that things won't change between you and Shiro?"

"Yeah, Keith, how do you know that?" asked Lance.

Keith opened his mouth...and yet, the words remained caught in his throat while the others looked at him, expectantly. The half-daemon attempted to argue...but in his frustration, his words ended up coming out in a deep growl.

"What do you guys know?!" he questioned before he turned and stormed out, just as Sokka walked in.

"What ires him so?" asked Sokka.

"It's a long story, Sokka," said Lance.

Keith stood in the forest, pacing back and forth along a small stream of water. He growled, he huffed, and he kicked away little pebbles. He clenched his fists tightly until his knuckles were right and he stamped his foot.

"They don't know what the hell they're talking about," he muttered. "Of course things will be the same between me and Shiro! Once I become a full-fledged daemon, everything will be just how it always is! Nothing's gonna change between us!!" That's when he noticed his reflection in the water...and suddenly, his eyes softened and...his heart weighed heavy in the pit of his stomach.

"...Nothing will change...right?" he thought.