Ori and the Spirits Within: Revitalized

Chapter 27: Where One Belongs

It was a bright day for the people of Niwen, the sun casting its light down from the western sky. Having gotten well into the afternoon, most people of the Wellspring Glades were out on their daily errands and jobs, talking with each other about life and their experiences. The younger kids were running around the fields, being the innocent and joyful children they were. Overall, it was a calm and happy day... for most people...

It had only been an hour or two since Ori's true revival, returning to the real world to live the peaceful life he deserved. If it were left at that, Ori would have been the happiest boy in Niwen, cherishing the warmth and comfort of his family and friends and thinking about the peaceful future ahead of him. Unfortunately, Ori's mind was completely clouded in grief, mourning the loss of a dear friend who he cherished like a brother. He wanted to be happy about the reunion with his family, he really did... but the sorrow of Vini's absence eclipsed that joy...

After they arrived back home, knowing that it was past lunchtime, Naru and Gumo went over to grab a few fruits from their stash and gave some to Ori and Sein. Gumo asked if Ku wanted him to fetch some bugs, but she said she wasn't hungry right now. Everyone sat around the kids' nest and ate their snacks, including Ori, yet it did little to quell the sadness in the room. Everyone was sad right now, the loss of the human soul at the forefront of all their minds. Still, Naru and Gumo wished to remedy that. This was supposed to be a joyous day for everyone, especially Ori... but it just wasn't...

"So... anything you want to do, Ori?" Gumo asked with a soft smile, seeing the bright spirit in his nest.

"*sniffle*" Ori quietly shook his head, not even looking Gumo in the eye.

"Yeah, you're probably tired..." Naru replied. "Maybe you want to take a nap?"

"..."

"Mmm..." Naru rubbed her face, worrying over the mental state of her reborn son.

"Uh... h-hey, Sein," Ku piped up. "Wh-What are you going to do now that Ori's back?"

"Well... um..." Sein looked over to Ori, seeing him sniffling and wiping his nose. She remembered a conversation she had with the Spirit Tree before leaving for Niwen, saying that she should return to Nibel after Ori had returned. She would have obeyed that request immediately, but... she couldn't leave her beloved spirit like this. The least she could do was stick around for a while longer, at least until Ori felt a little better...

"I don't know," Sein shrugged.

"Well... there's still daylight left," Naru spoke up. "Maybe you want to go say hi to your friends, Ori?"

"Y-Yeah, how about we-?"

"How are you ok with this?" Ori spoke, his tone stronger than normal.

"Huh?" Ku tilted her head to the side.

"*sniffle* H-How are all of you just brushing past Vini? H-He's gone, a-and you're just talking like nothing's wrong with the world!"

"O-Ori, it's not like that," Naru replied, leaning over to gently hold the spirit's hand. "We all feel bad about what happened to Vini. He didn't deserve to die after everything he did for us... but he wouldn't want us to be so unhappy right now."

"Wh... Mmm..."

"She's right, Ori," Gumo continued in her stead. "Vini gave himself up so that you could live with us again. We are mourning over him, but we're also happy that you're back in our lives..."

"*sniffle* B-But... h-he needed to be happy too, and... h-he's just...!" Ori muttered.

"Ori..." Ku slowly leaned over to give Ori a warm hug from the side, but the spirit hopped out of the nest before she could. She could barely see the spirit clenching his fist before letting out a quiet sigh.