Chapter Text
Light shined upon the world. Protected the living from Decay and corruption. A Spirit Tree is the very beating heart in the center of the forest, a magnificent and magical tree that takes care of all living beings for them to prosper. Be them of the light, dark, or the normal uncountable creatures that roamed the land, also seen as the lightless.
The Spirit Tree was not only responsible for aiding life to bloom but also brought into the world those who carried its pure light essence: guardian spirits. They were mortals, beings of light with powers to protect the forest from the decay where the Spirit Tree couldn't. All spirits had similar characteristics, being them the most common: the white glowing fur over their entires bodies, long, tapered ears, hooves for feet, and black eyes with white pupils. Some could be taller than others with a variety of personalities, but all of them are the children of the forest, stars shining into the night.
Naru lived her life with her adopted son, a guardian spirit in peace in the tranquil grove of the Swallows Nest. Despite originating from a people of shadows, Naru never bothered to such trivial matters, and only embraced the gift of being the mother of a lost, newborn spirit, a child of light.
Since the day she had found him, months and years had passed. He was radiant under the sunshine, so energetic, fast, and nimble as always. A loved and happy little spirit living the best life without knowing the dangers of the world. Since he arrived, Naru wasn't certain if she was allowed to foster a spirit. It's been a few years already, and until now, no problems had arisen, so Naru made her best to give her son the best childhood she could. But one disheartening feeling that Naru secretly had was the fact that he was unable to name her own son. No matter if he accepted her as his mother.
It felt like, a fear that someday, she would have to see him go. Because he belongs among the light. And thus, a struggle had been present. Not naming your child is wrong by all means, but she knew, he already had a name, and feared asking the former parent. And this parent stood in the center of their forest. Naru couldn't do that, she was far too attached to her child. The fear of losing him was too much.
She always knew, that maybe this bond of light and shadow, wasn't meant to last. Doing her best to push aside these thoughts, she proceeded to do what she loved most, to be his mother.
…
It was another beautiful day in Nibel, Naru and her son went out to pick fruit, it was time to eat. Naru took her son on her shoulders and visited each tree to harvest its fruits one by one. They reach a river and marvel at its other side: large peach trees, in abundance ready for anyone. With all the ripe and succulent food. Determined and with lots of enthusiasm, Naru and her son prepare to cross the river, and together they build a bridge. They worked hard during the day and had a lot of fun building it. Arriving at night, the bridge was complete, and they finally enjoyed a nice meal under the peach trees. All that effort required some recharging, so they went forward and serviced themselves.
The night was cool and tranquil, illuminated by the blue glow of the forest's flora. Naru got a mouthful bite so big that had her son impressed. They laugh and enjoy themselves until the little spirit had the idea of keeping the peaches in his house to eat later. He gathered several in his arms and walked home. Naru didn't even notice since she was so busy eating.
On the way back, he catches a flash of lightning had lit the night skies for an instant. Strangely there was no thunder, it wasn't raining, only an ocean of stars. The spirit sensed something weird, once he took his eyes off the sky, the forest seemed a bit different, felt to him like he was being watched. Then a certain mysterious fogginess began to flow and momentarily was all around, passing through the forest. What is that? He would ask himself a bit uncomfortable. He never had seen mists before. It didn't feel evil in nature but was unsettling all the same. Through the woods and branches of each tree, these odd bluish clouds were practically everywhere, moving suspiciously.
it was looking for something. The spirit looked still for a while until the mist became aware of the child's presence, and it approached.
Scared by the unknown energy, the little one dropped the peaches and ran home and not back to Naru. The fog followed him, it looked like he was the target. He made lots of noise passing through the bridge and Naru rose to worry.
He was practically at the entrance to his house, a small cave where he and Naru lived, it was where he could feel safe. The energy seemed stronger with each step, increasingly bright, more familiar, the child felt that it might not be harmful, but he did not give the chance to know. Until one point, the child could clearly see, the source of this energy that passed through the forest, it was the Spirit Tree. It emanated this foggy energy throughout the land. It was looking for something, something that belonged to it, a child that was stolen from it in the storm of that night.
The child stopped mesmerized by the light of the great tree, the energy enveloped his body, lifting him in the air, it seemed to want to take him back. Back to his family. Naru arrives alarmed calling and taking her child inside their cave, pushing away all the misty energy and praying it would not come inside their home. Naru was concerned about what the Spirit Tree wanted with her adopted son.
She already knew. And miraculously, the Spirit Tree doesn't give chase. Instead, the mists dissipate and go away. Naru kept holding her son firm, not willing to let go. But her greatest fear had just come to reality. What would await now?
"I can't let you go." She sobs. "You are my gift, I can't let you go." Naru cried while hugging her child.
The child did not understand. After leaving the trance, he just followed his mother, as if nothing had happened. Naru denied the return of the child where it belonged.
They remained together, yet Naru was still concerned. She recalled that stormy night. that very moment Naru was blessed with a purpose to fill her empty heart. A white and shiny leaf passed before Naru and was carried by the winds. Intrigued, and knowing what that was, Naru followed the shiny leaf to where it landed, and from that leaf, the little spirit arose. She was enchanted with the beauty of the little creature, she felt blessed before a gift from heaven. Embracing his light, as a child of her own.
…
If only it was that simple. If only Naru could live without the knowledge that she is hurting the Spirit Tree in some way. But none of her worries really could compete when the forest became blind.
Through the passage of time, the forest withered and decayed, the trees lost their fruit, and the animals were leaving their homes. Through the passage of time, Naru felt that she was paying for her sin, for stealing one of the children of the forest, a child of the great tree. There was nearly no life to be found outside their cave, trees were dying, the waters were corrupted, the winds won't blow, and the warmth was out of control. Food was missing for as long as they could remember.
The last fruit of their stock, the last peach was in Naru's hands. Analyzing the situation to look for more food, Naru does another, desperate search in her grove that was once so rich, and is now a bark of its former being. To her surprise, there were fruits on the highest branch of a tree, Naru tried to make an effort to climb, but the tree was so fragile and its branches could not bear any additional weight. She fell from the tree several times until she was exhausted and defeated. She returns home and looks at the last peach, she hands it to her child who slept peacefully in his nest.
Sensing the fruit close the spirit wakes up, noticing his mother tired and hurt. He offers her the peach and feels worried about her state, but she rejects it as any mother would do for her children. She sweetly informs that she is going to rest, and closes her eyes. The spirit understands the current situation. This was the last piece of food they had, and Naru was so tired and hurting herself doing more and more searches. She hasn't eaten in some time, he believed. The little one feels he needs to do something, he gets up from his bed and goes to the tree that the mother tried to climb. With ease, he reaches the fruits and fills his arms, proud to give his mother the good news.
Giving hope to his mother made his heart rejoice, memories were appearing before his eyes as he walked carefully through the forest. The day they built the bridge, it had been so much fun. When they could drink the waters of the rivers without worry. When he played piggyback ride with his mother around their grove. When they drew their little family on the walls of the cave in different colors and ways. Those were the best days, the nostalgia was almost overwhelming. He wondered, why is he thinking this? Remembering the good times? Much more was still to come, these trying times will pass! But his heart was heavy, something was amiss. He began crying for some reason. Tears streamed down his face without control and no matter how he wiped them.
This turmoil only endured, he had to see Naru immediately. He hurried back home. And when arriving, a tense atmosphere hovered in his home. Naru was still sitting and resting, and so, so anxious he presents the fruits to the sleeping mother.
"Mom? I managed to get more fruit for us! Look!" Said the child hopeful, and yearning for a reaction.
But Naru was still asleep, unmoved.
"Mom? Wake up!" The son pleaded, bringing a peach closer to his mother's nose, just like she used to awake him.
But Naru did not wake up. It began to feel far too stressful for the little spirit. His tears soaking her form while he denied the truth with everything he had.
"Mom! Mom! Please wake up!" He begged again, shaking his mother. And to his dismay, Naru never awoke. She fell onto the ground, already lifeless. And to the poor child, trying his hardest to receive an answer, tearing up rivers, was forced to understand.
Naru was gone.
He cried out alone in a dying forest, with nobody to help him or his mother.
…
He was an orphan once more. Heartbroken and in utter despair for hours, he realized couldn't stay. He gave up on the hope to see Naru awakening and showing her smile to him, and seeing her lifeless body only hurt. He couldn't stay there anymore. Mourning his loss, the child leaves in search of light… Forced to abandon all memories he had made in the Swallows Nest.
So small and so frail, he wandered through the forest alone, bearing the cold of the dark night. His cries were met with silence, his hopes to find help eventually went astray. He couldn't go back. Only pain awaited him, and as he trudged for hours and hours, it only got worse. A path of thorns blocked his path with no manners to evade it and since there was no turning back, he squeezed through the sharp thorns, wounding himself but pressing forward.
The child becomes very weak without support. As the night endured, the darkness grew stronger, the fear of what could be lurking in it made him go faster without rest. He kept on–until his strength faltered, his vision blurred.
Each step became more and more difficult, aimlessly wandering in the withering darkness on what seemed an eternal night, until he eventually falls exhausted. Afraid of the dark, he dragged himself forward, never ever stopping. His wounds were worsening, the unforgiving cold wind blowing, and his heart struggling to function.
He felt weaker by the second, worse by the instant. He could barely see anymore. He felt it. He wouldn't last long. Yet, in search of light, in search of hope and healing, he never stopped. Until he finally couldn't go on anymore. Until he felt… his very life slipping away in the cold embrace of death. He faintly called his mother, reaching out his hand, grasping only void.
The little spirit then drew his last breath.
Silence filled the forest. Another had fallen. But before the child's body, a white flower bloomed. Then a second one appeared, then a third and more surged around him. Those flowers united to make a shine with everything they could muster, and swiftly a tiny hovering light arrived from the fog, circling above him.
Suddenly, more and more of these tiny lights were coming, and thousands of the same white flowers bloomed filling the entire field. Their power dispersed the darkness, clearing the surroundings. Soon the Spirit Tree was visible on the horizon and with all its remaining might, focused all the tiny lights to gather on the spirit, forming a shell that lifted him in the air.
Miraculously, the child started to recover his senses, his wounds were healing and any malaise he had were washed away and warmth was restored to his body. He gasped for air and opened his eyes to see the Spirit Tree on the horizon, and heard its words.
"Ori, don't lose… hope. I feel your pain, and urge you to find our only salvation. Find our wisp, recover what was lost."
Then Ori is put on the ground again, and the light energy that restored him faded. Ori was in a new shock. He felt no hunger, cold, or fear. He was confused by what had happened. He knew it was not a nightmare. Even still, fear was coming back. Where to go now? He was still lost even without the darkness.
At that moment, his journey began.