Please read 'Nightmare Dust and the Silver Sands' and 'The Shadow at the Sides' To understand this.

Okay, I'm basically introducing all of my OCs before I write the Sequel to Nightmare Dust and the Second Sight'

They will be more developed during that story. One of the characters appearing the in next chapter is the one I modeled my Avatar after (It is in my Profile) who is nick-named 'Ducky'

Please review.

This scene is set the year before Anguish sees Pitch and talks to Death. Basically, set before 'The Shadow at the Sides'

Hal of the Tricks

It was dark and chilly in the night, the sky was clear and the moon was bright. The stars like crystals gleamed above and the ink-blue night cast the moonbeams over the town. The streets were lined with ember lights, the golden glow emitting behind the smiles of jack-o-lanterns and purple lights strung on he street lamps and fences. Children were crowding the streets in tight-nit groups, dressed in bazaar and comically frightening costumes, all the more gruesome and over the top than the last. Laughter echoed through the streets and well as music blasting from some of the more large houses, but either way, everywhere was lit up.

High-pitched screams leaped into the air now and again as shadows appeared on the walls or from an ally, jumping out at the unsuspecting trick-or-treaters as they passed only to vanish and leave them either laughing or running for their lives.

Halloween was prosperous this evening. And this one fact made a particular being smile.

There was a young lad of perhaps fifteen years. He was grinning from ear to pointed ear, young face mask-less but still unseen.

He wandered unnoticed between costumed youngsters, a long staff much taller than himself (almost twice as tall in fact) that curled at the end into a spiral was swung over his shoulder and in the other, purple-gloved hand, he held a jack-o-lantern bucket filled with small items like treats, lights and odd little coloured balls.

The boy was dressed in spindly clothing, with black and orange striped arms, His abdomen and legs were covered in slightly ragged black attire, and a dark orange poncho was thrown over his shoulder, curled slippers of the same colour.

He would've blended in nicely with the others around him.

His hair was chocolate-brown and his skin was light, eyes brown and circled with black coul-like paint. On his head sat a small pumpkin-faced cap that covered half of his skull and was attached to another pumpkin-face covering half of his left eye. He was an odd character indeed.

He grinned to himself and reached into his pumpkin, leaning his staff against his shoulder as he fished inside. Rummaging around a little, he pulled out a black ball with spider-web markings adorning it smooth surface.

"Bombs away!" He called, and mimicking a snowball, he chucked it full force towards a shadowing alley beside some teenage trick-or treaters.

There was a crackling sound, and once the unsuspecting teens turned around they saw a large spider-like monster reach out of the shadows and hiss loudly at them. They all screamed loudly and fled the scene just as it faded away, and the boy standing nearby laughed hysterically at the scene. It was only an apparition, after all!

His giggles subsiding, he turned his head and saw a group of children with quite impressive costumes. Smiling in a mock-judgmental fashion, he leaped over unseen by them like a grasshopper and slipped some treats from his bucket into their bags without them noticing. They did spot them a moment later, however, and squealed in delight.

The boy leaned against the wall nearby, smiling to himself in a pleased manner.

Halloween was sure bright tonight, he thought to himself as he continued on the same routine.

As the street began to clear, and the lights began to face, the boy decided to call it a day. Smiling to himself he began strolling down the empty street when suddenly a gust of window nearly knocked him off balance. He stumbled, gasping slightly. Then, he tightened his hold on his curling staff and glanced around uneasily.

"Ha-llow?" He asked in a slightly (barely) accented voice, perhaps Swedish. He frowned, glancing about as the shadows began to creep slightly. A thin, curly-haired also slipped just beneath him. He did not notice however, and turned around, frowning comically, eyes narrowed in feigned seriousness.

"What is dis?"

"Hal!"

He jumped suddenly, clasping his staff to his chest in fright before face-palming heavily, groaning loudly to himself.

"Godamnit! Anguish!"

There was a small, soft, wavering laugh from around about him. Hal chortled a little as well, holding a hand to his face in slight embarrassment.

"Bro, you scared me on my night!"

"I believe I did." The shadow beneath him replied, waving a hand as he grinned down at it "A very lively Halloween it's been, too."

"Thanks to meeeee." Hal replied in a sing-song voice, practically dancing a few steps away. "Not bad for de second year, huh, Bro?"

"Not bad at all. Very original with those jump-frights you have in Your bucket."

"So?" Hal hopped onto a bench nearby, tucking his legs up expectantly. "What is up?"

The shadow stilled and was silent. Then, Anguish went on in a serious, soft tone.

"Death came to me a while ago. Said that next year, just before Easter, something would happen regarding the other Guardians and the Nightmare King."

Hal frowned in slight worry, but his humor did not waver, speaking in his usual, quick sentences, "But he's gone. He's gone. Bro, Death doesn't have ta worry 'bout that guy, does he, I mean..."

"I'm not sure why Death would worry about him." Anguish replied "But I think it means we'll be meeting the Guardians next year."

Hal stopped and straightened up. Then, he shook his head. "Whoa, nih-o!" He exclaimed, jumping up "I'm too busy with candy treats. And making burst spells...and I don't think they'll be all happy with me. Ya know. Sweats and...scares."

"I cannot say different about myself, but It has to be done."

True they'd avoided the Guardians, protectors of Childhood. Hal, a newcomer on bringing joy to children around the world, was a little different from them due to his methods. He did give children sweats and treats if they had good costumes and were being fair in their trick-or treating and scared the others (more, that is) and not to mention the candies gave them bad cavities.

Hal gave an over-dramatic gasp the time Anguish pointed this out on the first year.

"Oooh no! not da cavities! Tooth Fairy won't like me."

He didn't really care, though.

"I'm just saying that you should be prepared, my friend." Anguish said as Half half-pranced half strode down the street. He really wasn't taking this seriously.

"Hal."

"Okay, Okay. I heard." Hal sighed, leaning on his very tall staff. "So have ya told Ayver and Ducky yet? won't they be meeting the Guardians, too?"

Anguish's shadow, still planted against he ground, shook his head.

"I'll be telling them soon enough. But I suppose they too will be meeting the Guardians as well. I will see you another time, Hal."

"Laters, Aggs. Drop by my place sometime." Hal told the shadow belong with a wide smile, looking more innocent than most people his age, "I've got tons of leftover icing from those Halloween cakes me and ma pals made..."

"I'll be obliged to. Until then, farewell."

There was a soft, barley notice breeze as Anguish's shadow left the scene. Hal watched as the small gust of wind carried with it some of the autumn leaves and ruffled the decorations still adorning the street.

He nibbled his lip. A playful, fun-loving boy, he didn't like it when things got too serious. Even he knew when to stop when it came to jump-scares.

The thing was, that Nightmare-King, whatever his name was, did not.

"I don't liiiiike dis." He muttered to himself. Then, he shrugged and wandered off, humming a tune to himself as he leaped into the air, almost mimicking a frog and leaving the street below vacant as it had appeared to all those around it.

Please review. I'll upload the next chapter later.