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Description
Weiss woke up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. A red morning light filled the room, giving everything a soft glow. He got up from the chair he had slept in and stretched, popping a couple of bones in his stiff back. His mind wasn’t quite clear, so he was a bit confused as he looked around the room. Slowly, things started to fall into place. He was in a hospital room in the Light Realm, where May was being treated for… what was it again?
Oh… her fall…
Memories of the past few days returned to him as his head cleared, worrying him even though he knew things were alright at the moment. He quietly drew back the bed’s curtain to check on May. The bed was empty. Weiss’s heart skipped a beat, and he started to search the room. She wasn’t in any of the chairs, or on the balcony. He looked to the ground below, and thankfully saw no sign of her. He checked the closet, which was empty, then moved to the bathroom. The door was closed, so he knocked, to no response.  He tried the knob, and it wouldn’t budge. It was locked, and Weiss’s mind raced with possibilities of what could have happened. He started to pace around the floor, worrying.
The door opened, and May came into the room, grinning, with a huge tray of food. “Oh, Weiss, you’re awake. I brought breakfast!” She put the tray down on the table with a flourish. “What’s wrong? You look tense.”
Weiss stared at her, mouth agape. “You scared me! I didn’t know where you were, I thought something might have happened to you…”
May laughed.  “Oh, come on, what could happen to me here? You know how close an eye they keep on their patients? I had to get an okay from, like, twenty nurses or something just to go down the hall and get breakfast for us!” She paused for a moment, watching Weiss’s face. “I get it,” she said, pouring juice into a pair of glasses. “You’re totally stressed out, huh?”
“Yeah,” Weiss replied, sitting down and biting into what looked like an apple. “Aren’t you?”
“Nah, but you know me. I never worry about anything.” She took a muffin from the tray and munched on it. “They’re letting me out this morning! They said that I might have some sore joints for a while or something like that, but we’re clear to go. I guess we have to go to the central temple in town to get back home. Of course, we could always hang around here for a while…”
Weiss shrugged. “Whatever you want, May. I suppose I’d rather just go home and get away from all of this, but if you want to stay, that’s fine with me.”
The girl pouted. “Aw, you know I can’t make decisions like that. Let’s just get out of here, okay?”
“Fine by me.”
The two of them finished their breakfast, gathered the few belongings they had scattered across the room, and left the hospital. The receptionist waved them off, telling them to stay healthy in the Neutral Realm.

“Hey Weiss! I’ve got an idea!” The two of them were walking the streets towards the center of town, May clinging to Weiss’s arm. “Why don’t we get a souvenir before we go home?”
“We don’t have any money, that’s why.” He dug around in his pockets. “I don’t even have anything from back home.”
May had moved over to a shop window, peering through at some clothes on display. “Well… can we just look? The clothes in here are really cute!”
“I guess looking wouldn’t hurt.” He followed May into the store. Most of the clothes were simple, elegant, and white, with subtle variations between designs. He noticed that brands seemed to be absent from everything, including the store itself. He was about to sit on a bench as May eagerly looked through the clothes, when he heard a familiar voice.
“Hey, guys! Out of the hospital and straight into shopping, eh? That’s what I like to see.” Manfred was waving at them from the other side of the store, a bundle of fabric in his hands.
“Well,” May replied, “We’d like to, but we’re kind of broke. Right, Weiss?”
“Uh… I never really said anything about wanting to…”
Manfred slapped him on the back. “Of course you do, Weiss, my man! And you know what? It’s you’re lucky day! It just so happens that I’ve been working here for the past few days to earn some cash for just this very reason! You guys can each get something, it’s on me.”
May was ecstatic. “Really? Thank you, Manfred!” Weiss stood speechless, and she nudged him, hard. “Come on, Weiss. Say thank you!”
“Uh… thanks,” he murmured. He couldn’t figure out Manfred, and he doubted that he ever would. He seemed nice enough, but to Weiss, there seemed to be something off about him. It was his eyes… They could never seem to focus on a single thing, always darting from place to place. Now he grinned at Weiss, but couldn’t quite keep his eyes on him.
“No problem. You’ve had a tough one, huh? You look totally wound up. I think you just need to chill for a bit, huh?”
“I guess you’re right. I really just want to go home, though.” Weiss continued to browse the store, eventually finding a simple long shirt. May chose a short skirt and a matching blouse. As they waited to purchase the clothes, a man standing behind them tapped Weiss on the shoulder.
“Weiss and May, right? Oh, and, um, Manfred?” He spoke softly, with an almost nervous tone in his voice.
“That’s us,” May replied warily.
“Good. You’re to head to the temple. Now. It’s an order of the highest level. Straight from the top.  Just had to let you know.” The man left the store without waiting for a reply. The three others exchanged a skeptical glance.
“We’d… um… better not take any more detours, May. Come on, let’s get out of here.”
They quickly paid for their clothes and headed for the center of town, Manfred in tow. They reached the temple, a towering building strangely similar to ancient Greek architecture, with pillars surrounding its perimeter. They moved up the steps to the building, where they were greeted by men in white robes, who instructed them to enter the temple and wait at the statue. They went inside.
The interior of the temple was a simple, large room. The floor was made of marble, and there were few decorations. There were a few benches here and there, some of them being occupied by praying citizens. The most striking feature of the temple was its centerpiece, a massive statue made of white stone, the same luminescent material that the white strand of the double helix structure had been fashioned from. Looking up at the face of it, they were shocked to see its subject.
It was Anemonae, smiling down at them and the rest of the temple.  As they stared at her gigantic figure, they heard her voice behind them.
“I told them I didn’t want it too big… but they wouldn’t listen, would they?”
The three of them turned around to face the voice. Anemonae stood behind them, smiling nervously. She didn’t look quite right: her body seemed to flicker in and out of sight, as if it weren’t really there. “Thank you for coming. I’m so glad to see you all made it out of the Dark Realm alright. I… wish I could say the same for myself. Manfred… did you see what happened to me? I closed my eyes, and then…”
“Erm… no?” Manfred looked off in the other direction for a moment while scratching his head. “I mean, uh, yes! We were ambushed by another Curator! I fought him off, but he’d already gotten you. Uh, sorry.”
Anemonae nodded solemnly. “I see. Well, it can’t be helped now, can it? Look, I called you all here to ask you a favor. It’s… rather large, I’m afraid.”
“A favor?” Weiss asked, wary of getting caught up in a bigger mess than he had just gotten out of.
“Yes. I would do it myself, but I unfortunately cannot leave this place at the moment, and the only way I could leave would be to complete this task. You see… I need you three to retrieve the Scythe of Life for me.”
“Oh no. I’m not going back to that place, for you, or anyone else. Besides, can’t you get one of those big guys over there to do it?” He pointed to a pair of large men guarding the doors to the temple.
“No, Weiss… You see, I need you three specifically to do it. You and I are the only people who know of Samaiel’s return. I will need the Scythe to seal him away again and return power to our healers, and I can’t trust anyone else with this task. If word of his return were to spread, chaos would break out all over this Realm… and that’s exactly what he wants, I think. Once you get the Scythe, I’ll take over and make things right again, but first you have to go back and get it for me.”
Weiss crossed his arms, scowling. “No. It’s too dangerous. If I accepted and May was hurt again, I couldn’t live with myself…”
Anemonae sighed. “Weiss… you have to think of the bigger picture. If it hadn’t been for the remnants of the Scythe’s power, May would be dead right now. Do you know how many people’s lives will be destroyed in the very same way if the Scythe isn’t retrieved? What if we become vulnerable simply because the people learn that Samaiel has returned? He’ll come and destroy all of us, because you’re being selfish.”
May spoke up. “Weiss… I’ll do it. She’s right, we need to do this. If you want to go home, fine… but you’ll be going without me. “
“What? No, May-“
“Can’t you see? This is so much more important than us… if I’m hearing this right, this entire Realm hangs in the balance! You have to open your mind, Weiss. Sometimes you have to do things for the good of everyone… not just yourself.”
“I’m sorry,” Anemonae said, “to have to put things in such harsh terms. I hate putting anyone in danger like this… but it has to be done. I can send you home if you’d like, but… I can’t keep in contact with you once I do. I’m sorry, but it’s very possible that you may be separated from May for a very long time.”
Weiss was silent. He stared at the marble floor, deep in thought, for a very long time. Finally, he reluctantly looked up. “Alright. I guess I don’t have much of a choice, do I?”
Anemonae smiled in relief. “Thank you so much, Weiss. Again, I hate to put you in such a position, but it can’t be helped… now, there are a few things I have for you. Firstly, this…” She walked behind the statue and picked up two objects. One was a necklace, which May took and put on. “This will let you communicate with me on your journey. And this is for you, Weiss…” She held out a box, black with green swirls painted onto it. “I’m not quite sure what it is, but an old friend gave it to me and told me to pass it on to you… I hope it turns out to be useful. I’ve also placed a few supplies in my satchel for you to take along with you. Now… do you need anything else before you depart?”
Weiss laughed derisively. “I doubt that you could give us anything we need right now. No, I think we’re as ready as we’re going to be… aren’t we?”
May shook her head. “I can’t think of anything. Manfred? You’re coming with us, right?”
“Of course!” He put his arms around the shoulders of the other two. “Why would I pass up an opportunity to be with my new pals?”
Weiss rolled his eyes. “Let’s just go, then…”
“Alright,” Anemonae said. “Please keep in touch with me, and I’ll help you in any way I can.” She placed her hands together, concentrated for a moment, and drew them apart, revealing another entrance to the Dark Realm. “Make a note of where you arrive, it’s the only place I can open the rift from here. Good luck, and please be careful!”
Manfred eagerly hopped through the rift. Weiss and May exchanged a glance, and holding hands, carefully stepped into the Dark Realm.

Description
Weiss woke up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. A red morning light filled the room, giving everything a soft glow. He got up from the chair he had slept in and stretched, popping a couple of bones in his stiff back. His mind wasn’t quite clear, so he was a bit confused as he looked around the room. Slowly, things started to fall into place. He was in a hospital room in the Light Realm, where May was being treated for… what was it again?
Oh… her fall…
Memories of the past few days returned to him as his head cleared, worrying him even though he knew things were alright at the moment. He quietly drew back the bed’s curtain to check on May. The bed was empty. Weiss’s heart skipped a beat, and he started to search the room. She wasn’t in any of the chairs, or on the balcony. He looked to the ground below, and thankfully saw no sign of her. He checked the closet, which was empty, then moved to the bathroom. The door was closed, so he knocked, to no response.  He tried the knob, and it wouldn’t budge. It was locked, and Weiss’s mind raced with possibilities of what could have happened. He started to pace around the floor, worrying.
The door opened, and May came into the room, grinning, with a huge tray of food. “Oh, Weiss, you’re awake. I brought breakfast!” She put the tray down on the table with a flourish. “What’s wrong? You look tense.”
Weiss stared at her, mouth agape. “You scared me! I didn’t know where you were, I thought something might have happened to you…”
May laughed.  “Oh, come on, what could happen to me here? You know how close an eye they keep on their patients? I had to get an okay from, like, twenty nurses or something just to go down the hall and get breakfast for us!” She paused for a moment, watching Weiss’s face. “I get it,” she said, pouring juice into a pair of glasses. “You’re totally stressed out, huh?”
“Yeah,” Weiss replied, sitting down and biting into what looked like an apple. “Aren’t you?”
“Nah, but you know me. I never worry about anything.” She took a muffin from the tray and munched on it. “They’re letting me out this morning! They said that I might have some sore joints for a while or something like that, but we’re clear to go. I guess we have to go to the central temple in town to get back home. Of course, we could always hang around here for a while…”
Weiss shrugged. “Whatever you want, May. I suppose I’d rather just go home and get away from all of this, but if you want to stay, that’s fine with me.”
The girl pouted. “Aw, you know I can’t make decisions like that. Let’s just get out of here, okay?”
“Fine by me.”
The two of them finished their breakfast, gathered the few belongings they had scattered across the room, and left the hospital. The receptionist waved them off, telling them to stay healthy in the Neutral Realm.

“Hey Weiss! I’ve got an idea!” The two of them were walking the streets towards the center of town, May clinging to Weiss’s arm. “Why don’t we get a souvenir before we go home?”
“We don’t have any money, that’s why.” He dug around in his pockets. “I don’t even have anything from back home.”
May had moved over to a shop window, peering through at some clothes on display. “Well… can we just look? The clothes in here are really cute!”
“I guess looking wouldn’t hurt.” He followed May into the store. Most of the clothes were simple, elegant, and white, with subtle variations between designs. He noticed that brands seemed to be absent from everything, including the store itself. He was about to sit on a bench as May eagerly looked through the clothes, when he heard a familiar voice.
“Hey, guys! Out of the hospital and straight into shopping, eh? That’s what I like to see.” Manfred was waving at them from the other side of the store, a bundle of fabric in his hands.
“Well,” May replied, “We’d like to, but we’re kind of broke. Right, Weiss?”
“Uh… I never really said anything about wanting to…”
Manfred slapped him on the back. “Of course you do, Weiss, my man! And you know what? It’s you’re lucky day! It just so happens that I’ve been working here for the past few days to earn some cash for just this very reason! You guys can each get something, it’s on me.”
May was ecstatic. “Really? Thank you, Manfred!” Weiss stood speechless, and she nudged him, hard. “Come on, Weiss. Say thank you!”
“Uh… thanks,” he murmured. He couldn’t figure out Manfred, and he doubted that he ever would. He seemed nice enough, but to Weiss, there seemed to be something off about him. It was his eyes… They could never seem to focus on a single thing, always darting from place to place. Now he grinned at Weiss, but couldn’t quite keep his eyes on him.
“No problem. You’ve had a tough one, huh? You look totally wound up. I think you just need to chill for a bit, huh?”
“I guess you’re right. I really just want to go home, though.” Weiss continued to browse the store, eventually finding a simple long shirt. May chose a short skirt and a matching blouse. As they waited to purchase the clothes, a man standing behind them tapped Weiss on the shoulder.
“Weiss and May, right? Oh, and, um, Manfred?” He spoke softly, with an almost nervous tone in his voice.
“That’s us,” May replied warily.
“Good. You’re to head to the temple. Now. It’s an order of the highest level. Straight from the top.  Just had to let you know.” The man left the store without waiting for a reply. The three others exchanged a skeptical glance.
“We’d… um… better not take any more detours, May. Come on, let’s get out of here.”
They quickly paid for their clothes and headed for the center of town, Manfred in tow. They reached the temple, a towering building strangely similar to ancient Greek architecture, with pillars surrounding its perimeter. They moved up the steps to the building, where they were greeted by men in white robes, who instructed them to enter the temple and wait at the statue. They went inside.
The interior of the temple was a simple, large room. The floor was made of marble, and there were few decorations. There were a few benches here and there, some of them being occupied by praying citizens. The most striking feature of the temple was its centerpiece, a massive statue made of white stone, the same luminescent material that the white strand of the double helix structure had been fashioned from. Looking up at the face of it, they were shocked to see its subject.
It was Anemonae, smiling down at them and the rest of the temple.  As they stared at her gigantic figure, they heard her voice behind them.
“I told them I didn’t want it too big… but they wouldn’t listen, would they?”
The three of them turned around to face the voice. Anemonae stood behind them, smiling nervously. She didn’t look quite right: her body seemed to flicker in and out of sight, as if it weren’t really there. “Thank you for coming. I’m so glad to see you all made it out of the Dark Realm alright. I… wish I could say the same for myself. Manfred… did you see what happened to me? I closed my eyes, and then…”
“Erm… no?” Manfred looked off in the other direction for a moment while scratching his head. “I mean, uh, yes! We were ambushed by another Curator! I fought him off, but he’d already gotten you. Uh, sorry.”
Anemonae nodded solemnly. “I see. Well, it can’t be helped now, can it? Look, I called you all here to ask you a favor. It’s… rather large, I’m afraid.”
“A favor?” Weiss asked, wary of getting caught up in a bigger mess than he had just gotten out of.
“Yes. I would do it myself, but I unfortunately cannot leave this place at the moment, and the only way I could leave would be to complete this task. You see… I need you three to retrieve the Scythe of Life for me.”
“Oh no. I’m not going back to that place, for you, or anyone else. Besides, can’t you get one of those big guys over there to do it?” He pointed to a pair of large men guarding the doors to the temple.
“No, Weiss… You see, I need you three specifically to do it. You and I are the only people who know of Samaiel’s return. I will need the Scythe to seal him away again and return power to our healers, and I can’t trust anyone else with this task. If word of his return were to spread, chaos would break out all over this Realm… and that’s exactly what he wants, I think. Once you get the Scythe, I’ll take over and make things right again, but first you have to go back and get it for me.”
Weiss crossed his arms, scowling. “No. It’s too dangerous. If I accepted and May was hurt again, I couldn’t live with myself…”
Anemonae sighed. “Weiss… you have to think of the bigger picture. If it hadn’t been for the remnants of the Scythe’s power, May would be dead right now. Do you know how many people’s lives will be destroyed in the very same way if the Scythe isn’t retrieved? What if we become vulnerable simply because the people learn that Samaiel has returned? He’ll come and destroy all of us, because you’re being selfish.”
May spoke up. “Weiss… I’ll do it. She’s right, we need to do this. If you want to go home, fine… but you’ll be going without me. “
“What? No, May-“
“Can’t you see? This is so much more important than us… if I’m hearing this right, this entire Realm hangs in the balance! You have to open your mind, Weiss. Sometimes you have to do things for the good of everyone… not just yourself.”
“I’m sorry,” Anemonae said, “to have to put things in such harsh terms. I hate putting anyone in danger like this… but it has to be done. I can send you home if you’d like, but… I can’t keep in contact with you once I do. I’m sorry, but it’s very possible that you may be separated from May for a very long time.”
Weiss was silent. He stared at the marble floor, deep in thought, for a very long time. Finally, he reluctantly looked up. “Alright. I guess I don’t have much of a choice, do I?”
Anemonae smiled in relief. “Thank you so much, Weiss. Again, I hate to put you in such a position, but it can’t be helped… now, there are a few things I have for you. Firstly, this…” She walked behind the statue and picked up two objects. One was a necklace, which May took and put on. “This will let you communicate with me on your journey. And this is for you, Weiss…” She held out a box, black with green swirls painted onto it. “I’m not quite sure what it is, but an old friend gave it to me and told me to pass it on to you… I hope it turns out to be useful. I’ve also placed a few supplies in my satchel for you to take along with you. Now… do you need anything else before you depart?”
Weiss laughed derisively. “I doubt that you could give us anything we need right now. No, I think we’re as ready as we’re going to be… aren’t we?”
May shook her head. “I can’t think of anything. Manfred? You’re coming with us, right?”
“Of course!” He put his arms around the shoulders of the other two. “Why would I pass up an opportunity to be with my new pals?”
Weiss rolled his eyes. “Let’s just go, then…”
“Alright,” Anemonae said. “Please keep in touch with me, and I’ll help you in any way I can.” She placed her hands together, concentrated for a moment, and drew them apart, revealing another entrance to the Dark Realm. “Make a note of where you arrive, it’s the only place I can open the rift from here. Good luck, and please be careful!”
Manfred eagerly hopped through the rift. Weiss and May exchanged a glance, and holding hands, carefully stepped into the Dark Realm.