All Hallows Eve

Disclaimer: I don't own SK but I do own everything else.

Alex-Hernandez, this is for you!

Note: Wow, back from being ever-so-long inactive! I wrote this ages ago but never really thought about posting it. It's not finished but I definitely will, I have everything planned out. I'm always open to feedback, though!

Chapter One:

The Final Chapter Begins…

It was a typical Halloween evening, complete with an air of creepiness. The pink and purple twilight was starless, yet it was lit by the full moon's eerie glow. Dead grasses and leaves were rustled by the wind, while the leaves that had already fallen were being blown around looking like small brown rats scurrying along the ground. This whole effect was helped by the dead tree which was home to a single owl. After all, when owls like that hooted, it meant someone was going to die…

But to the small group of teens (and one adult) it was simply a nice night to go out and catch a movie. Naturally, as it was Halloween night, they saw a horror film. However, it wasn't one filled with ghosts or demons, because that was just a little too close to shattering their reality. The fact that those things could easily happen wasn't something they liked to think about. So they had chosen one of the more randomly violent movies, and enjoyed themselves for a few hours. On their way home, they decide to take a different route than normal. The shamans slowly wandered down the street; each house they passed looked more and more decrepit. Finally, when the group turned the corner they were greeted by the sight of the worst looking house of them all. At one time it must have been quite the impressive home, but now, with broken shutters and cracked paint marring its exterior, it was a mere shadow of the past. Weeds choked the lawn and covered what once were gardens, giving everything a wild feel. As for the house itself, it had a distinct aura of uneasiness about it, which was more or less generated from its appearance. The group stared up at it in silent awe.

Now it could have been out of dislike for Faust, or Halloween spirit, but whatever it was, it made Ren do something that he normally would have reserved for Horohoro.

"Hey Faust, I dare you to go in there! It could be haunted," There was a sneer in Ren's voice. "but it shouldn't matter, we're shamans, right?" Ren smiled coldly.

Faust was broken from his daze.

"What?"

"You heard what I said. Now are you in or out?" Ren gave him a look that said he would never be able to live it down if he backed out.

"In…" Faust sighed and started to cross the weed ridden yard.

"And don't forget to bring us back something good!" There were a few laughs at this.

He ignored them, plodding resolutely on. Upon reaching the door he tried the knob, immensely surprised to have it turn smoothly in his hand. It looked just as old as the rest of the house, and shouldn't it be locked? But it was no matter. He took one last look behind him, at all their smiling faces, and emboldened, stepped through the doorframe into the black abyss of the houses interior…

They had stood in the cold wind and waited… and waited. But Faust did not return from the house. And some of them were starting to get worried.

"What if something happened to him?" Tamao whispered, despite being afraid of him (it was just a feeling, that's all) she was still concerned for the kind doctor.

"Yeah, maybe we should go in and see if he's okay-" Ryu started, only to be cut off by Horohoro.

"Why? He's probably just lost. Or worse, he found something good, and is keeping it from us."

"Yeah, I bet he's enjoying keeping us out here in this cold." Ren shivered slightly, hoping no one noticed his 'weakness'. "You know what he's like, remember that journal we found?"

"Yeah… Man that was so twisted!" Horohoro chimed in.

This time their shivering wasn't from the cold. For a few weeks prior, they had found the journal that Faust wrote in while trying to find the solution for Eliza's death. It was filled with all sorts of devilry, evil markings, and malice for not only her murderer, but God himself. Not taking into mind the fact that they had found it in the trash, they saw it as a window into the way Faust was. Unfortunately, this journal was everything he was against now. But they had no idea… And they were too afraid to ask.

"Okay, I'll admit it was a little…odd. There's really no word for that." Ryu admitted, nervously looking around, as if Faust had somehow heard him.

"Huh. I got one. 'Insane'. Plain and simple." Ren added, nodding in decision.

"Hey now, it wasn't that bad, he was just shaken up by his wife's death is all-"

"'Shaken up' my ass. He's crazy. Why do you bother looking for the good in him?"

"Well aren't we Mr. Negative." Ryu countered, starting to get a little annoyed.

"Whatever, I just hope he comes out soon." Ren pulled the collar of his jacket up to hide his miffed expression.

A sudden flash of lightning and Tamao jolted and screamed shrilly.

"Calm down, it's just lightning from the storm we're due tonight…" Anna admonished, surprisingly gently. But Tamao was not consoled so easily.

"No…" She said, pointing to something beyond their line of vision with a shaky finger. They turned around to see, but the night was too dark and whatever she was pointing at was too far up to be seen clearly.

"I can't see anything…" someone said, but it might as well have been all of them.

Tamao said nothing, her eyes rooted to the spot and her body quaking in little spasms of shock. Another burst of lightning and there-! They finally Saw what she had Seen with her terrified eyes.

And then a mighty crash of thunder rumbled through the air.

Faust hung there, strung up by his arms with what looked like barbed wire. The rest of his body dangled below him like some child's forgotten puppet. His head was lolling unpleasantly to one side, eyes wide and empty; emptier than was possible for one who was living.

A cacophony of screams rent through the night's darkness, the lightning and thunder accenting their fear.

"What the hell?" Ren yelled, not bothering to hide his alarm upon seeing Faust's desecrated corpse.

"Faust…" Ryu whispered, dismayed at having lost a good friend, unable to say or do anything else.

"I can't believe this!" Yoh shouted, eyes shut tightly to try and block the sight from his mind and memory.

Manta made inarticulate sounds of distress, regardless of his personal fear of the doctor; Faust was still a person, wasn't he? No one deserved that.

And Anna, cold, almost emotionless Anna… What of her? She had so far not said or done a thing. Not a scream, not a motion to turn away, she stood transfixed by Faust's gently swaying corpse. Ah! But now she fell to her knees, a lone tear streaming down her face.

"Anna…" Pirka started, unable to find any words to comfort her.

Horohoro felt sick. The very person they were condemning a mere few moments ago, dead. It was almost too much to comprehend. He put his hands to his head. If only this madness would stop; go away to someone else's life!

But it was here to stay and it would only continue to affect their lives...for the worse.