Ori and the Spirits Within: Revitalized

Chapter 8: Remnants

Finally, the siblings had found themselves soaring over the land they originated from, mostly covered by large trees and open fields of grass. Since Ori didn't remember it at all, he decided to simply gaze out at all the landscapes and features he could find and take in what he could see.

As the two flew around, the spirit noticed multiple floating pieces of rock and stone, a few ice clusters having ground around them. He noticed a large structure nearby, visually seeing gusts of wind coming out of it, seeming to hold up the floating rocks. Ku told him that the structure was called the Forlorn Ruins, which also happened to be where Gumo used to live.

On the right, he saw a distant mountain with a tiny plume of smoke billowing from the top.

Is that a volcano?

In the same direction, he could find a small yet bright orange monument, shining a warm light that he could see from afar. Ku also saw the mountain, mentioning its name, Mount Horu. Though, she neglected to say anything else about it and simply flew southwest, towards another monument she felt like Ori would like to see.

It wasn't long before they came across it: A towering tree, one that stood above all others in the area. He noticed the plethora of holes in its bark, the punctures spilling fresh water from the interior out into the small lakes below. Ku told him that this was the Ginso Tree, and that it provided Nibel with fresh water. Ku went and did a curve around it, getting close to the waterfalls but not too close to get them soaked. Ori simply held on tight, though it was tempting to try and touch the water falling down. After one rotation, Ku started flying back west, hoping to land at their old home.

But before they did, Ori noticed one more landmark, shining from the north. A huge tree, not as tall as the Ginso Tree, but still taller than most of the trees around it. He noticed the radiant, blue light at its center, a similar color to his own glow. He faintly saw its leaves, most of them a green or turquoise color, but some shining a distinctly white color. The general structure of the tree reminded him of the Spirit Willow in Niwen... which only meant one thing.

"Ku? Is that the Spirit Tree?" Ori asked, pointing north.

"Oh, yeah. There he is..." Ku replied. "Let's head home first. Then, you can go talk to him and Sein..."

"Yeah, I-!" Wait... Sein? As in, the person who helped me live? She's here? "S-Sein?"

"Oh, she's like Seir, a floating ball of light in charge of powering the Spirit Tree. Don't worry, though. She'll be nice to you, I promise," Ku replied, holding back a giggle from the spirit's ears.

"I... hope so," Ori nodded, wondering what she was actually like. It wasn't long before Ku descended back towards the ground before landing on the light green grass. Looking up, she saw the small cave up a small hill with a little cove up top, knowing that she remembered exactly where the cave was. As Ori got off of her and stretched his back, he looked around at the blooming flowers around him, the towering trees, and the little critters that scampered up them. It was another nature-filled forest, and Ori... loved it, even though he's barely seen it.

"Well..." Ori muttered, rubbing the back of his head. "Th... This is Nibel?"

"Yep, in all of its glory," Ku replied, spreading her wings as if she was showcasing it to him. "It's... still as pleasant as I remember."

"I bet it is," Ori laughed before pointing at the cave in front of them. "That's... our home, I presume."

"Yep. Swallow's Nest," Ku named, starting to walk forward with Ori following behind, still gazing at the nature surrounding him. Right as Ku walked in, Ori took another look to the right, seeing the light of the Spirit Tree shining from a distance. He also noticed a tree close by, harboring some juicy, red apples. He was a little hungry, so he decided to scale the tree to get himself a snack, forgetting that he brought plenty of apples with him from Niwen. He immediately sank his fangs into the side of it, feeling the overwhelming sweetness come over him. In the short memory he has, this fruit seemed to be the juiciest thing he's ever had, even when compared to apples back in Niwen. It tasted so good...