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Description
They moved silently onward through the forest, their destination getting closer by the day. Manfred and Weiss rarely spoke: Weiss had little to say, and Manfred had little interest in comforting him. Weiss didn’t know why he kept going. He was sure that May was doomed, and that there was nothing he could do about it. Still, he trudged forward, a feeling of obligation pushing him as well as a desire to numb some of the pain he felt inside. Inside him was a tumult of emotion, a turbulent vortex of sadness, anger, and resentment which kept him to his own thoughts. Quite a few times, he nearly walked straight into a Soul Collector or some other danger, only to be saved by Manfred. He received no thanks.
There was a clearing in the forest where a small battle had taken place. The masks of a few Soul Collectors lay on the ground, and there were some human bodies as well. Weiss’s heart skipped a beat as he saw one of them: a girl about his age, face-down in the dirt. She wore shining gold armor and held a bow in her hand. Dreading the worst, he ran to the body, turning her over. He breathed a sigh of both relief and sadness. The girl was most certainly dead, but Weiss could not recognize her. He set her down, closing her eyes and crossing her arms across her chest. He and Manfred began to move out of the clearing.
“Hang on, you two!” A voice rang out from behind them, unfamiliar yet friendly in tone. Weiss turned around, and stumbled backwards at what he saw.
The girl he had just laid to rest stood in the clearing, waving at them.
Weiss shook his head to clear his thoughts, and then ran at the girl, sword drawn. He assumed that she was some sort of zombie, or maybe a different type of Soul Collector. As he got close, she darted away from him and tackled him from behind, sending them to the ground. She wrapped her arms around him, embracing him closely. Through that action, Weiss could feel a warmth, a good nature, and a sense of security. The girl got off of him, and he sat up, looking at her. She smiled at him.
“Hello, Weiss. Sorry for the scare.”
Weiss was hesitant. “Who are you?”
She gave him a confused look, but after a moment, realization washed over her face. “Of course, you can’t recognize me, can you?” She grinned. “It’s Anemonae.”
Weiss’s heart sank. Her embrace, her younger look… he had hoped that the girl was May. Manfred bounced over to them, hugging the girl. “Good to see you, Anemonae! I gotta say, you look good! The armored look suits you, I think.”
Her face lit up. “It does? Why, thank you, Manfred!”
Weiss didn’t share their good mood. “Anemonae. What are you doing here?” His voice was icy, dripping with anger.
“I… I was going to help you. I know what happened to May, and-“
“Help us? HELP US?!” Weiss got to his feet in a rage. “What makes you think I want your help?”
“Weiss… I…”
“You screwed me over, Anemonae. You sent me on this goddamn crusade or whatever the hell you want to call it, and now what’s happened? I’ve nearly had my soul sucked out by bloody Dementors, that’s what! I slept for two days, dreaming about some crazy bastard and his stupid parlor tricks! The only girl I’ve ever loved, my best friend for ten fucking years, just ran off with DEATH, and it’s all your fault! So, yeah, just come along with us, because, you know, we’re glad to have you!”
“Don’t even start with me!” It was Anemonae’s turn to be furious. She stood face-to-face with Weiss, her eyes blazing. “You think you’ve got it bad, huh? You think you’ve been separated from your love? Your story doesn’t even come close to mine!” She clawed at the air beside them, tearing open a rift. “Get in there. I’ve got something to show you.” She had calmed down slightly. “Maybe you’ll learn a little humility.”
“Why should I?”
Anemonae paused, her eyes closed and her head cocked. “There are Soul Collectors coming,” she said after a moment. “Lots of them. You wouldn’t stand a chance. Go through if you know what’s good for you.”
Weiss stormed through the portal, and Anemonae followed. Manfred looked behind him, and saw a wall of shadow punctuated by the occasional mask sweeping through the forest. He bolted into the portal.

“Here we are.” The three of them found themselves in an ancient ruin, in the Neutral Realm. Immediately, Anemonae started moving. The two others followed her, taking in the sight of what was once a beautiful city. The architecture of the city was a marriage of the best of the ancient world: the efficiency of the Romans, the simple beauty of the Greeks, and the intricate decorations of the Mayans.
On the edge of the city stood a small home, a beat-up little shack that was the smallest, most pitiful building in the entire city. Anemonae walked straight into it, and as the others did the same, they felt a powerful feeling, an emotion that seemed to come from the walls of the house itself.
“Touch the wall,” the girl said. “Touch it, and perhaps put things in perspective.”

They did.

Description
They moved silently onward through the forest, their destination getting closer by the day. Manfred and Weiss rarely spoke: Weiss had little to say, and Manfred had little interest in comforting him. Weiss didn’t know why he kept going. He was sure that May was doomed, and that there was nothing he could do about it. Still, he trudged forward, a feeling of obligation pushing him as well as a desire to numb some of the pain he felt inside. Inside him was a tumult of emotion, a turbulent vortex of sadness, anger, and resentment which kept him to his own thoughts. Quite a few times, he nearly walked straight into a Soul Collector or some other danger, only to be saved by Manfred. He received no thanks.
There was a clearing in the forest where a small battle had taken place. The masks of a few Soul Collectors lay on the ground, and there were some human bodies as well. Weiss’s heart skipped a beat as he saw one of them: a girl about his age, face-down in the dirt. She wore shining gold armor and held a bow in her hand. Dreading the worst, he ran to the body, turning her over. He breathed a sigh of both relief and sadness. The girl was most certainly dead, but Weiss could not recognize her. He set her down, closing her eyes and crossing her arms across her chest. He and Manfred began to move out of the clearing.
“Hang on, you two!” A voice rang out from behind them, unfamiliar yet friendly in tone. Weiss turned around, and stumbled backwards at what he saw.
The girl he had just laid to rest stood in the clearing, waving at them.
Weiss shook his head to clear his thoughts, and then ran at the girl, sword drawn. He assumed that she was some sort of zombie, or maybe a different type of Soul Collector. As he got close, she darted away from him and tackled him from behind, sending them to the ground. She wrapped her arms around him, embracing him closely. Through that action, Weiss could feel a warmth, a good nature, and a sense of security. The girl got off of him, and he sat up, looking at her. She smiled at him.
“Hello, Weiss. Sorry for the scare.”
Weiss was hesitant. “Who are you?”
She gave him a confused look, but after a moment, realization washed over her face. “Of course, you can’t recognize me, can you?” She grinned. “It’s Anemonae.”
Weiss’s heart sank. Her embrace, her younger look… he had hoped that the girl was May. Manfred bounced over to them, hugging the girl. “Good to see you, Anemonae! I gotta say, you look good! The armored look suits you, I think.”
Her face lit up. “It does? Why, thank you, Manfred!”
Weiss didn’t share their good mood. “Anemonae. What are you doing here?” His voice was icy, dripping with anger.
“I… I was going to help you. I know what happened to May, and-“
“Help us? HELP US?!” Weiss got to his feet in a rage. “What makes you think I want your help?”
“Weiss… I…”
“You screwed me over, Anemonae. You sent me on this goddamn crusade or whatever the hell you want to call it, and now what’s happened? I’ve nearly had my soul sucked out by bloody Dementors, that’s what! I slept for two days, dreaming about some crazy bastard and his stupid parlor tricks! The only girl I’ve ever loved, my best friend for ten fucking years, just ran off with DEATH, and it’s all your fault! So, yeah, just come along with us, because, you know, we’re glad to have you!”
“Don’t even start with me!” It was Anemonae’s turn to be furious. She stood face-to-face with Weiss, her eyes blazing. “You think you’ve got it bad, huh? You think you’ve been separated from your love? Your story doesn’t even come close to mine!” She clawed at the air beside them, tearing open a rift. “Get in there. I’ve got something to show you.” She had calmed down slightly. “Maybe you’ll learn a little humility.”
“Why should I?”
Anemonae paused, her eyes closed and her head cocked. “There are Soul Collectors coming,” she said after a moment. “Lots of them. You wouldn’t stand a chance. Go through if you know what’s good for you.”
Weiss stormed through the portal, and Anemonae followed. Manfred looked behind him, and saw a wall of shadow punctuated by the occasional mask sweeping through the forest. He bolted into the portal.

“Here we are.” The three of them found themselves in an ancient ruin, in the Neutral Realm. Immediately, Anemonae started moving. The two others followed her, taking in the sight of what was once a beautiful city. The architecture of the city was a marriage of the best of the ancient world: the efficiency of the Romans, the simple beauty of the Greeks, and the intricate decorations of the Mayans.
On the edge of the city stood a small home, a beat-up little shack that was the smallest, most pitiful building in the entire city. Anemonae walked straight into it, and as the others did the same, they felt a powerful feeling, an emotion that seemed to come from the walls of the house itself.
“Touch the wall,” the girl said. “Touch it, and perhaps put things in perspective.”

They did.