Ori and the Spirits Within: Revitalized

Chapter 4: Recollection

The celebration for Ori's return was immense, so much so that it lasted all the way until sunset. With the sky lit ablaze in an orange hue, the denizens of the Glades all gathered together around a number of picnic benches in the middle of the Wellspring Glades for a large feast. Honestly, Ori was exhausted after all the excitement that was presented to him. After checking on Ku for about ten minutes, some of the younger moki asked him if he wanted to play tag with them. Seeing as there was nothing better to do, he accepted, not knowing that the game would last nearly an hour. It was an eventful evening for everyone, as to be expected from a shocking yet joyful event such as this. Ori was just glad that he could rest and enjoy some food with all of these happy people.

Ori was surprised by all the food Naru made in such a short time: There was meat, stew, cooked fish, salad, berries, all sorts of items. Ori sat down between Naru and Grom, with Ku sitting on the other side of Naru. While everyone else was enjoying the well-crafted meal, Naru had given Ku her usual bag of bugs and insects to snack upon. No one shared the diet the young owl had, and while they didn't mind it, they wondered why she never at least tried anything else. Still, they weren't going to force her.

Ori began eating some of the stew he got, which made his face scrunch up in delight. It wasn't a familiar taste to him, but it was still really good.

"How is it, honey?" Naru asked her son.

"Mmph?" Ori quickly swallowed the food in his mouth before replying. "It's... really good!"

"Naru mentioned that this was one of your favorite meals that she made," Grom added with a chuckle.

"Oh? Well... I could see why," he replied with a nod. "It's delicious."

"I'm glad you enjoy it," Naru smiled, gently rubbing her adoptive son on his head before resuming her conversations with the other denizens of the Wellspring Glades.

Ori did his best to keep up with their conversations, but most of the stuff they talked about didn't ring any bells, which should be given thanks to his amnesia. He remembered Ku talking about his memories on the way back, about how his memories were in his head and that they come back quicker with a little assistance. He hoped that was true, because the things they were talking about seemed to be really interesting things and he didn't want to be out of the loop. Still, he was happy simply being with these people, even without the memories to provide context...

Finally, after hours of welcoming the heroic spirit back, the celebration ended with the moon slowly rising in the sky. Once all the food was cleaned up and all discussions were finished, the denizens of the Glades all parted ways for the evening, their celebration of the hero's return coming to an end. Ori followed his family back to their home, one that seemed to be within a small cave at the northern border of the Glades. Despite the long celebration, Ori's family decided to stay up just a bit longer.

Ku decided that she wanted to spend the night looking up into the stars and moon, an activity that not only brought her joy but also soothed her mind. Gumo decided to spend part of the night further into the cave, sitting at a workbench to simply meddle and tinker with a few tools and trinkets he had.

Naru wanted to spend some time with their reborn son. She asked Ori if she could hold him in her lap and gently pet him. It seemed a little weird to Ori at first, but he supposed that they did this sort of thing all the time, so he ultimately didn't mind it. With his consent, Naru quietly picked up the spirit and cradled him in her lap as she began slowly rubbing her hand up and down his side and part of his stomach. Immediately, Ori felt a wave of calmness flow through him, his feline traits triggering as Naru pet him.

With a calmness flowing through him, Ori took this moment to quietly think about his life... or rather, the short span that he clearly remembers of it.

Everything he's seen thus far, the nature-filled forest of Niwen that they lived in, the joys of the people who lauded the spirit's revival, the homey atmosphere that embellished the Wellspring Glades, all of it made him... happy? It was a little weird to say that, though. These people, despite being nothing more than strangers to his amnesiac mind, made him feel comforted. Hearing the quiet chatter of their daily lives, their gentle voices saying gratitudes to the spirit, the young moki's laughs and dialogue with one another, it was all just... pleasant. However, nothing of what they talked about seemed to ring in his mind, a fact that the spirit wanted to change soon.