This story contains MAJOR spoilers for the ending of Ori and the Will of the Wisps, as well as for the side quest "Family Reunion." You have been warned. Please play this masterpiece of a game first if you care about heartwarming, emotional stories in video games.

Also, the inspiration for this story came from the fanfic "Together" by RayDaquaza. I recommend checking that out too. It's not required, but it might get you into the right mood for this story.


"No hopes, no dreams

I have nothing

Death is all that can define me

The ends calling

No more stalling

Stars will fade, but I'll keep shining"

-Chara

(From "Undertale Genocide Package - Star" by Alex Beckham via Man on the Internet)

Prologue

"It began before I had even arrived in Niwen. . ."

". . .when my name was still Ori. . ."


The Moki quickly padded through the darkened lands, a small bundle of fruit in his forepaws as he moved as fast as he could. His ears constantly twitched at the slightest sound, for he knew that danger was everywhere in the Lost Woods.

A loud shriek echoed in the distance.

"Bad things. . .Dark wings. . ." the Moki thought nervously.

Putting on an extra burst of speed, Moki swiftly dashed beneath a couple of Stinger Flies, ignoring the sound of them thudding into the ground behind him. Thankfully, he was quick enough to avoid having his blood sucked by them. However, these insects were the least of his worries when one considered the accursed Decay that was quickly overtaking the woods.

Soon enough, the Moki arrived at a lone house, relief evident on his face as he jumped up to where it hung. Balancing the bundle of fruit in one paw, he took out a small wooden key and unlocked the door. Upon entering and quickly locking the door behind him, he called out in a loud whisper, "Mokayla!"

A female Moki sat at a small table at the bottom of a short flight of stairs. Her ears perked up from their low, sorry state as she heard her name being called. She turned and looked at her mate with a smile, then quickly met him halfway on the stairs. The pair shared a quick nuzzle, both of them smiling with warming joy in spite of their dreary surroundings.

The pair then separated, and Molly said with a smile, "I knew you would find more food. You always do, lovelight."

The husband's smile fell a bit, and he looked down and sighed as he handed the bundle of fruit over to her. "It is... not much. Food is getting harder and harder to find."

Mokayla kept smiling as she carried the food down into the kitchen table. "Do not worry. We will make do. Together. Like always. I will help you if need be."

The male Moki cringed at this, self loathing filling him as he began to really think about the entire situation. He looked around at the dark, dank dwelling, then looked at his mate. She was the very definition of beauty in his eyes. Her soft fur, her gorgeous smile, and her melodious voice. And yet he knew she was putting on a brave face for him. For a split second, he saw how despondent she was when he came in. So, he made up his mind.

"We cannot stay here anymore."

Mokayla's ears perked up, and she turned to him in shock. "What?"

He shook his head and said, "It is not safe, it is too dark, not enough food. We need to go."

Mokayla slowly walked back over to him and said, "Mokhael. . .what are you saying? Where would we go?"

"Anywhere!" Mokhael said with certainty, the very thought of the angel before him having to remain in such a terrible place for one more minute making his heart sick, "We . . .I. . ." Mokhael paused to gather his thoughts, then continued, "I. . . I would never ask you both-," Mokhael nodded his head towards the nesting area above the kitchen, "-to wander aimlessly through danger. But. . .I could go and find a place. I am very fast. Not strong, but fast. I could find a new home for us. Then I could find someone strong. A warrior. They could come back and escort you to our new home. I will pay them for the help. I have been saving Spirit Light."

Mokayla gaped at her mate for a moment, then she asked, "Do you truly mean to do this?"

Mokhael stepped forward and wrapped his tail around Mokayla's legs. "Yes. We cannot live here. Too much danger and. . .Decay. I can find a better home. 2 or 3 days. If not. . .I will come back. But I will. I will find a better home. A safe home. I promise you, sweetlove. Trust me."

Mokayla's tail immediately returned her mate's gesture, and she said, "Of course I trust you. Always have. Always will. If you say so, I believe in you, lovelight."

Mokhael beamed at this sentiment, but then sighed as he reluctantly removed his tail from around his wife and said, "Then I must leave now."

"What?" Mokayla asked, her ears falling flat.

"I cannot wait. We need to leave here as soon as possible. Cannot waste time," Mokhael said, unable to meet his mate's gaze.

Mokyala opened her mouth to protest, but her voice died in her throat. Instead, she simply said one word, "Molly?"

Mokhael was silent at first, then he slowly looked back up at the nesting area. Then he softly padded his way over to it and jumped up onto it. He looked at the small Moki cub sleeping soundly in the straw, hugging Moki doll tightly as she slept. Mokhael heart both leapt and ached as he looked upon the sweet innocent child before him. His daughter was just as much his entire world as his mate was. The way her eyes lit up at the stories he told her, the way she'd laugh during the games they played.

"I have to do this. . .for her. . .for the both of them. . .my family," he thought to himself, and he carefully leaned over to plant a kiss on Molly's head. He took one last look as the child smiled in her sleep, and then he lightly jumped back down to where his mate was.

"She would insist I not leave if she knew. She would cry and make a fuss," Mokhael said, "I do not want her to worry or be sad. When she wakes, tell her that I went to get you both a surprise, and we'll be back together soon. That is the truth."

Mokayla nodded, "Yes. I understand. You will find us a better home."

"A good home," Mokhael insisted, willing an excited smile onto his face, "A safe home. With food and warmth. I will see you again, and then we all will celebrate!" He then took his mate's paws in his own and said, "Do not open door. Whoever has key, you can trust. You have enough food for three days. Stay in house. Do not leave. Please, sweetlove."

Mokayla squeezed her mate's paws in return and said, "I understand. We will wait for you or for the warrior with the key. I promise, lovelight."

The pair stared into each other's eyes for a long moment, their tails intertwining as if they had a will of their own. Then, the spell was broken, the pair broke apart, and before Mokhael had a chance to fully realize what he was doing, he had already grabbed a red carpet bag full of Spirit Light, dashed out of the house, locked the door behind him, and was running due west out of Silent Woods.

Mokayla stood in the house, suddenly feeling very cold. Then the coughing began. The cough she had worked so hard to hide from her mate and pup for several days now. She didn't want her daughter to be afraid, and she didn't want her mate to worry. She coughed and wheezed, the coughing sending her down on all fours, and yet miraculously not waking up Molly. Mokayla staggered over to the kitchen table, holding onto it with her forepaws as she fought to catch her breath.

It ended up being a losing battle, and she passed out. . . .


". . .two more Moki would soon be claimed within the very home their kind had left behind. . ."


. . . and some time later awoke to the cries of her daughter.

"Mama! Mama! It hurts!"

Mokayal was in a cold sweat as she struggled to get up, managing to stand on all fours, but found it nearly impossible to take a step forward. There was a bump as the pup fell off of the nest platform and limped over to her mother.

"It hurts, Mama!" the pup wailed tearfully, "First it itched, now it hurts! I not say at first because I thought you and Papa would be mad 'cause I played in poison ivy, but I not play in poison ivy, but it still itched and now it hurts and-."

"It is okay, it is all okay sweetpup!" Mokayla gasped out, unable to hide her own shortness of breath. She forced herself to stagger over to her daughter and said, "Where does it hurt?"

"All over!" Molly wailed, "And I not find Daddy anywhere!"

Mokayla's mind reeled as she tried to think of a way to explain to the pup what was going on in the midst of this crisis. She cursed herself for hiding her affliction. What if her daughter's pain was her fault? Why did they stay in these accrued woods for so long? They should have left sooner, surely homelessness would have been better than this!

Then, as if to cement the utter horror of the situation, a loud shriek shook the house in its entirety. What's more, the horrifying sound seemed to come right from the other side of the front door.

Molly's eyes widened in terror, and Mokayla leaned close to her and nuzzled her cheek. Quashing her own fear, even as she accepted a sort of instinctual knowledge of what was about to happen to them, the mother whispered to her daughter, "Shhh, shhhh. It is okay, Molly. Just. . .relax. . .please."

Mokayla could feel a strange presence among them, and it manifested as a hard, unfathomably deep numbness that slowly began to overtake her tail, and then her legs, and then slowly began to creep up the rest of her body.

"It will be okay," Mokayla lied to her daughter as they stood on all fours, cheek to cheek as the Decay slowly but surely continued to claim them, "It will all be over soon."

Darkness.


". . .and soon, a third statue would join the two. . ."


"That is. . .my pup's doll! But it is stone! No... I... I must go home."


". . .because of me. . ."


With his petrified arms wrapped tightly around the shoulders of his mate and pup, the father's sightly eyes looked upwards as if to eternally ask the single question of "why?"


". . .like my predecessor, my actions had harmed an innocent soul. . ."


Three of Kuro's four eggs were burned by Sein's light, the lives of owlettes within extinguished by it's intensity.


". . .but I WOULD save them."