"This scent is… Queen Aranyani?!"
"The change is so great. To protect the Nara, Queen Aranyani exhausted her strength and memories. Even her body shrank from something so towering to a size not much larger than the Aranara… That must have been a calamity hundreds of times more grueling than anything the Aranara have endured… Just with my eyes alone, even I dare not be certain…"
"Queen Aranyani was a benevolent king. She loved all things in the forest equally—whether Aranara, Nara, long-maned tigers, or mushrooms… Before her, everyone was like green leaves on the same tree. Whether plucked from the high canopy or the low branches, the leaves were all the same shape."
"The Grass Archon went very, very far to heal the world… By the time she returned, many Aranara had already gone back to Sarva, and the Forest King who once blessed the Aranara alongside her had also returned to Sarva. Such a distant age… yet the Aranara will forever remember her story."
The moment they entered the true Vanarana, Nahida was surrounded by all the Aranara. After five hundred years of separation, both sides were reunited, yet almost everything had changed. At this moment, many Aranara learned for the first time what the "scent of sadness" was like.
Nahida herself was far from calm. Her slightly flustered gaze swept across the forest spirits before her—she had no memory of any individual among them. The only thing she knew was what she understood of the Aranara as a race.
"We waited for you for so, so long. You have finally returned."
Faced with the expectations of so many Aranara, and with that weighty greeting, Nahida unconsciously took a step back.
At her side, Victor Wang felt a surge of sorrow. Sorrow for the disappearance of Greater Lord Rukkhadevata. Sorrow that the Aranara never managed to await the true return of Greater Lord Rukkhadevata. And sorrow for Nahida's helplessness.
The Aranara were created by Greater Lord Rukkhadevata. Nahida was the continuation of the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata. Could Nahida truly represent the return of the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata…?
Yet the present world no longer held any trace of the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata. And so, the Aranara had instead become Nahida's creations.
The most tragic of all… was that Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, forgotten by the world.
An Aranara whose leaves had turned withered brown stepped forward. "Lord of Plants, it is said that you lost your memories five hundred years ago. It seems that this was indeed true."
Nahida gently shook her head. "I'm sorry… I don't remember…"
"You have done very well. Please don't worry. Even if you don't remember us, we understand."
"Yes, please don't be sad. It's a pity that many stories of the past were lost. The parts we did not walk alongside you through—we don't know them either, so we cannot tell you."
"It's alright. The forest will remember everything. All beautiful things will never fade away, and all pain will become nourishment for beautiful things."
Paimon couldn't bear it anymore and said sadly, "The Aranara are all wonderful, and Nahida is wonderful too. Everything is clearly wonderful… so why does it still feel so sad…?"
Lumine sighed. "This is a reunion after five hundred years…"
Nahida responded to the Aranara's kindness. "Tell me your names. This time, I won't forget."
The withered brown Aranara at the front spoke. "I am Aramuhukunda. I once built the Varuna contraption together with you."
"Aramuhukunda…!"
"The first Aranara in the world!"
That name stirred a wave of discussion among the Aranara.
"We thought you had set out on the path to face Viaghara, or that you had accompanied the Nara Varuna to distant lands, or perhaps gone to Sarva. Who would have thought you were right here in Vanarana?" some Aranara speculated.
"I knew you grew up to become a Vasara Tree," Araja, who had taken part in the last Utsava Festival, said. "I thought once you became a Vasara Tree, you wouldn't be able to move around anymore. Was that idea wrong?"
"No, Araja. Like you, I can only appear within dreams. I simply used teleportation to come from my own dream into yours."
After explaining, Aramuhukunda continued. "I should have been guarding the Vanarana of the past, guarding the embodiment of Marana. But the years were too long, and my body was eroded by the embodiment of Marana. I came here to ask Queen Aranyani to completely defeat the embodiment of Marana."
"Marana… the Withering. I understand. We will save the Ashvattha Tree, and then eliminate Marana."
Nahida agreed, then listened as the Aranara reported their names one by one. She committed them to heart before finally raising the purpose of their visit.
"To heal the Ashvattha Tree, we need Vasoma Fruit. I heard you've already prepared them."
Arama, who was responsible for safeguarding the Vasoma Fruit, stepped forward. "There are three here."
"That's enough. Let's depart."
With Arama accompanying them, the group hurried toward the Ashvattha Hall.
The Ashvattha Tree itself seemed to rejoice at Nahida's arrival. Though it had no branches or leaves, it still radiated streaks of green light to express its emotions.
Three green points of light flew out from Arama's body. He stepped forward and communed with the Ashvattha Tree. "Please accept the power of these three Vasoma Fruits."
The Ashvattha Tree did not refuse, allowing the lights to sink into it.
Although no change was visible on the surface, Arama retreated excitedly, waving both little hands in anticipation. "Next… next it's time… next it's time!"
"Next it's time for what?" Paimon asked curiously.
"Next, we listen to Queen Aranyani' song! Long ago, it was Queen Aranyani' song that summoned the Ashvattha Tree from Sarva. After accepting the Vasoma Fruits, the Ashvattha Tree has gained the power to sprout anew. As long as Queen Aranyani sings once more, surely the Ashvattha Tree will recover!"
"Eh? Nahida has to sing?"
Not just Paimon—both Lumine and Victor Wang froze for a moment.
Nahida, however, nodded very seriously.
"This is a song I learned from Irminsul. Once… I sang it here. I hope it can help you regain your vitality."
Walking up to the Ashvattha Tree, Nahida closed her eyes and began to hum, "La… la la la… la… la… la… la la la…"
"Will this really work?" Paimon whispered.
"Queen Aranyani's song is very powerful!"
"Like how Lumine's singing can attract Whopperflowers?"
"Then Nara Lumine is very powerful too."
"Paimon… why did you have to bring that up…?"
"The Ashvattha Tree is reacting."
Victor Wang's words cut off the others' whispering.
On the bare, spiraled trunk of the Ashvattha Tree, countless tiny buds began to grow. A surge of power welled up from beneath the tree—an overwhelmingly vibrant life force. Nourished by it, the Ashvattha Tree emitted continuous sounds as the buds rapidly grew into new trunks, breaking through the old, decayed husk and gradually transforming.
"La… la la la… la… la—"
As the ethereal, crystal-clear singing ceased, the entire Ashvattha Tree stood renewed—lush with branches and leaves, brimming with vitality.
"Nahida's song is amazing!"
"Queen Aranyani's song is amazing!"
"This is the Ashvattha Tree's own power," Nahida said gently. "I merely helped it reconnect with Sarva."
===BREAK===
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