The Light Ceremony had taken place," said the Spirit Tree. "All had gathered round. People sang and played instruments, and my children danced about. I believe I even saw one of them doing a dance called 'the worm.' I sent my light into the sky, hoping it would catch your attention."

"So it wasn't Jesus," Ori said.

Ignoring him, the Spirit Tree continued, "All was peaceful... until she came."

"Who's she?"

"Kuro."

A gigantic, dark purple owl planted her talons into the ground, sending everyone running around like headless chickens.

"You cannot sing!" she declared before catching a fleeing spirit with her talon and stomping her to the ground. "Your 'harp' is a pathetic excuse for an instrument!" she said, staring down another, who was trembling with fear upon staring into her white, soulless eyes. She barely grabbed a third victim's tail with her beak and flung him into the air. "Are you dancing or convulsing?!" The fantastical terrorist turned to the Spirit Tree. "Your light killed my—"

"Wait, wait!" interrupted the Spirit Tree. "You cannot spoil the—"

Kuro narrowed her eyes. "QUIET," she spoke in a menacingly low voice.

A spirit with four antennae watching the massacre was horrified and turned to the captain watching beside her. "We have to stop this monster now!" she said to him.

"Rally the troops!" The captain put his mask on and ran to the field. A plethora of spirits with various masks and markings grabbed their shields and weapons. Coming by the hundreds, they tried to block Kuro in every direction. Surrounding her, the army banded their voices together and let out a war cry in an attempt to intimidate her. She countered with a shriek of her own, and their war cry turned to cries for their mommies as they ran like a herd of deer. She flew to the tree's top and found what she was looking for: the light and eyes of the Spirit Tree.

"Augh, who are you?!" asked Sein.

"This is for my children," she said grudgingly.

"That doesn't answer my questi—" Before he could finish talking, Kuro pulled him from the Spirit Tree. "Wha—hey, where are you taking me?! LET ME GO!" Kuro flew off with Sein.

Sein lamented knowing that life would soon disappear from Nibel. The spirits would grow weak, and the grass and leaves would gradually cripple, their color fading… Everything would be gone. After a few minutes of flying, Kuro finally found a forest at which to abandon Sein. "Hey, could you at least tell me what's going on? OW, OW!" Sein tried to ask before exclaiming in pain. Kuro crushed him with her talons, weakening him, before dropping him into the forest. "What is your problem?!" he yelled before falling onto a small field of grass. There he was, reduced to a crystal ball, and thought to be doomed, never to see the light of day again.

Sein finished the story, "And the spirits, she knocked out about seven or eight, and then she told me,

'Yo, Sein, smell you later!

Laying in the—"

"Sein, please," interrupted the Spirit Tree, trying to prevent him from breaking out into song.

"Oh, sorry."

"So, you were taken from the Spirit Tree. That explains the lifelessness around us," Ori said.

"In order to revive Nibel, we must restore the three elements: one of water, one of wind, and one of fire."

"Sounds like every fantasy game I've ever played," Ori jested.

"Considering we're within one, that's not too far off." He thought he had said that under his breath, but realized he didn't when Ori jumped for joy.

"We're in a fantasy game?!"

"Look what you've started, Sein…" the Spirit Tree sighed.

"I didn't realize he would hear me, my condolences!" said Sein.

"N-no matter. Ori, you must hurry. Restore the elements and save the forest. Our world and I might not last much longer."

"I'll do what I can," Ori said, running off with Sein. If he restored the forest, everything would be back to the way it was. The people, the wildlife, the plants, and maybe even Naru—they would all return.