Nick sat glumly in the study hall.  To his right was Greg, and at Nick’s left was Amy.  Of course, Matt was around, but no one knew where he was.  Nick looked down at his book, it was easy, but time consuming.  How did Amy whiz through it so fast?  She must have an I.Q. of over 500 to do some of this stuff!
    “Amy, are you ok?”  Greg asked, she didn’t respond.
    “What’s with you two?”
    “Nothing Nick.  Amy is just having a rough time, I think.”
    “Oh, it can’t be that bad.”
    Amy turned red.  “You don’t know the half of it.”

    Christian walked aimlessly down the halls of the library.  Exactly what he was he doing staring at a calendar?  It was then that the day dawned on him. It was October 26.  Why was that day so scary for him?  He couldn’t place it or anything else for that matter in his memory.
    A girl with long green hair approached him.  She was dressed in an elegant long blue dress, and she walked on her heels with perfect grace. She looked at him, and she could tell he was troubled with something.  Though she couldn’t tell what, she decided to help the man. “Excuse me?  Sir, is something wrong?” she asked.  The man grunted away.  She smiled.  “Sir, I don’t want to bother you, but I am Michiru and I would like it very much if I could assist you.”
    “Well I am Christian and I don’t want anyone to help me, Michiru.”
     “OK, just remember, if you need any help, just call Kaiou Michiru.  I would be happy to help you.”
    She looks familiar, and there’s a familiar aura around her.  Could she be the girl from the boat?  The energy patterns are the same… I think.  Yes!  I finally found her.  Now to work on it.  “Yes… would you be able to come by my place this weekend?”
     “OK, Saturday or Sunday?”
     “Sunday, if that’s ok with you.  October 31st?”
     “OK, but that’s Halloween, and I won’t be able to come except early.”
     “Don’t worry,” Once you're there, you’ll stay there.  Once and for all.  I’ll have finally dealt with you!
     With those words, and thoughts, Christian turned and walked away.  The elegant girl looked rather oddly at his departure, shrugged and walked off.  As she left, a white cat rounded the corner, and followed her.

    “Amy, darling, you’ll have to stay home tonight, is that ok?”  Dr. Mizuno asked.
     Amy nodded, she could catch up on reading.  Matt had given her a copy of a story about this princess or something, and had wanted her to take a look.  At first glance she thought it was a bit too Elizabethan, and the story seemed trite.  Rival and Hero fight to rescue the princess, of course Matt said it would end in some sort of tragedy, if she got around to it.
     “But mum, why does the hospital need you?  Isn’t there another doctor there?”
     “I’m not going to the hospital dear. I’m going out.”
     “Where to?”  Amy asked.  She didn’t expect the answer she got.
     “On a date.”  Amy’s face turned red, and she felt rather flustered.
     “Oh… that’s nice.  Have a good time.”  The girl said to her mother, almost like a robot.
     “Aren’t you even going to ask who it is?”  Dr. Mizuno teased.  She knew how Amy didn’t like anything romantic like this.
     “Alright, I’m interested, who?”
     “Professor Tomoe.”  Amy gasped, and had a queasy feeling.  Luckily for her though, the phone rang, and Dr. Mizuno rushed to answer it.  Professor Tomoe? Hotaru’s father?  But… I need ice cream.
     “Hotaru is here, she wants to speak with you Amy.”  Amy picked up the phone, and Hotaru was on the other line.

    “Amy, my papa is leaving me!  I’ll be all alone and I’m scared!  This is the time of year when monsters come out, Greg said so.”  Hotaru said, half believing, and half not, what she said.  Monsters would be a figment of Hotaru's imagination by now, if she wasn’t a Sailor Scout.
    “Hotaru, you know there are no such things as… never mind.”  What was Greg thinking telling Hotaru monsters came out around this time of year?  Didn’t he know how easily she was scared?
    “You see Amy, even you’re scared!  And I got an invitation to a haunted house… and all these scary people I keep meeting.”
    “What scary people?”
    “On the boat there was this guy named Christian.  He said he was an artist, and he scared me.  Then there was this man near my house… and when I went to see Papa he was talking with this strange blue haired woman… and then this girl with long green black hair said I shouldn’t go to the mansion… oh and then there was this big mean dog that ate my lunch… and then there were all these bugs that chirped and made sounds that I couldn’t understand… and of course I can’t forget that blonde jerk that was with Darien… and, and let me see, there was also a kid who said I was a freak, and a little girl who cried when I tried to help her…and Amy I’m scared… because you see,” The list went on.  Amy sat there and listened to Hotaru, nodding as each thing was said.  Green black hair?  Christian, a blue haired woman?  Wait, maybe that was my mum… but what would she be doing at the Professor’s house?
     “Listen, Tomoe Hotaru are you still afraid of monsters in your closet?”  Amy asked after ten minutes of the longest run on sentence ever, went by.  The line went silent for a second, and a stifle ‘mmm-hmm.’ answered her.
    Amy sighed, “You have nothing to worry about.  Andrew is a nice guy, the blonde with Darien.  And that blue haired woman was probably my mum, she’s perfect.”  Amy said.
    Hotaru seemed to contemplate this, and then asked. “Should I go to the mansion?  It says that I can bring a friend… and you have nothing to on Halloween… and nothing scares you Amy.”  The younger girl said.  Amy felt a little flushed that Hotaru was putting her on such a pedestal, because many things frightened her.
     “Halloween, spending sometime with you is certainly better then trick or treating with Serena.  Count me in,”  Amy said.

     “I need a car.”  Nick said to Greg definitely.  Matt and Greg looked nervously at each other.  Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.
    “I hear  there’s this new used car lot down town.  Things are selling cheaper then usual.” Greg said, hoping that Nick would pass it off.
    “We’re going!”

     “Rose, with the loss of another piece I am afraid that you and your succubus aren’t going to see action for a very long time.”  Sillan said, as she motioned to Yuri.  “Send them to the training facilities.”
     “Yes, my queen.”  Yuri said, as she and the succubus disappeared.
     “Bray, Cal, Shism, as for you three and Lord Kuzor, I have an assignment all lined up.  The humans call these devices ‘cars’.  One of our pieces fell there, do not fail me!  I already have lost two of the twelve, I will not let any of you live if you fail me again!  Understand?”
     “Yes,” The emerald knight said.  The knights and their lord disappeared.
    Sillan stood to her feet, brushed away her long dark hair, and walked towards the solitary piece. “Well, well, Meiou Setsuna, it certainly has been a long while.  I am all too happy to see your defeat, because with this clock, not even you could keep me from the time stream!”

     Kuzor smiled, Bray donned his emerald laden suit.  Cal appeared next, dressed in his finest rubies.  Finally Shism showed up, sparkling in gold.  Kuzor was decked out in a diamond vest and helmet.  In his hand, like Bray’s was a long sword.  Cal on the other hand had a two-handed hammer, and Shism had a long spear.  The four of them stepped into the large car lot.
     “We’ll never find it.”  Cal said.  Kuzor nodded.  The shear size of the place made it impossible to search.  The knights however, were not known for their subtlety.
    “Let’s blow it up, and take the remaining piece.  It’ll survive our strikes.”  Shism suggested.  Kuzor looked at his knights, and smiled.  He launched dark blast from his blade, it connected with a car and blew it apart.

    Shism flew towards Sailor Jupiter, who easily sidestepped his spear.  He turned towards her grinning.  As she jumped into the air, he shot up a huge blast of electricity.  A small (lightening rod was it?) popped out of the girl’s tiara and absorbed the bolt.  Shism screamed when he realized his grave mistake.
     “Jupiter Thunder Clap Zap!”  Sailor Jupiter called out, as the lightening ball connected with Shism in full force.  The man’s spear and armor disappeared, however Shism remained.  He stumbled around, and disappeared into a dark portal.
    “Yeah!  Take that you sleaze bag!”

    “I am Sailor Mars!  You’re not going to get away that easy!”
    Cal grinned fiendishly at the girl. “I don’t intend to run away.” He stated, very calmly.  In a minute, his hammer turned red with fire, and flew towards Sailor Mars.  It took her a second to realize what was happening, and that was to long.  The fire enveloped her, sending her to the grand aflame.
    “It’s a pity.  Sailor Mars, I thought you would have been a challenge.”  Cal said, as his eyes roamed the scene.  What?  Shism beaten? He returned his attention to Sailor Mars, who stood up, the flames being blocked by some kind of shield.  But, she wasn’t alone.  Also with her was a man, no boy, dressed in white.  His cape glittered, and Cal disliked him almost immediately.  "Alright boy!  Time to die!”  Cal sent another flaming barrage down towards the boy, who stood there and took the blow.
     “I am the Lucent Knight!  I fight for what is right, you will not harm another living soul.”
     “Them fighting words!”  Cal called out, as he charged down.  In an instant though, his hammer fell into, severed by a ray of green light.
     “Don’t ever turn your back, idiot!  Mars Fire… Ignite!”  Raye shouted.  Cal was quickly surrounded in flame.  Before his armor gave way, he disappeared into a dark portal.

     Kuzor sized up Sailor Venus.  In a second a boy with a long sword came running out of the car dealers.  Good.  As soon as they appeared, Kuzor flashed into the building.  The car dealer screamed.  Before Mina and Nick could get inside, the man was dead, and the piece taken. Kuzor laughed fiendishly at them as they desperately ran in.
     “Sailor Venus, how pitiful!  I didn’t even have to exchange blows!  Cal, Bray, Shism!  Retreat, we have what we came for!”  Kuzor disappeared, as Nick’s sword flashed down where he had just been.

    Bray stumbled through the portal, as a spinning discus whizzed an inch passed his head.  Just an inch.  The first time it had broken his blade, the second time his armor.  He knew what this meant.  Since the knights had lost their weapons and armor, they were no longer invincible.

    Lady Sillan looked greedily at the ‘V’ on the piece.  Five and three were hers!  Even if the scouts had 7 and that other man number 2, they could be grabbed later.  As for number 6, it was on a mansion, guarded by a monster.

Chapter V: Monsters in the Closet, Under the Bed, and In the Mansion.