As he got closer to the more populated areas, Marshall began to see total chaos. There was horrific screaming, and demons of every shape and size. The mountains were replaced by giant pyramids that resembled the surrounding hellscape. The demons were more active here. The random pyres that shot up over the landscape were getting more frequent. There were cross-section demon buses that ran and flew around, their organs showing out of their right sides. They took the smaller demons around, which Marshall thought was cute in a weird way. There were depictions of Harley everywhere. In her disgusting Nightosphere form, of course. A business suit with a large slit-mouthed head on top. The river of people waiting to talk to Harley Abadeer was just as packed as it normally was. That one guy was still there, rowing on the tops of their heads. For some, the Nightosphere was fun. For the lower class, nothing but pain and suffering. Marshall didn't really feel bad about them. But he was weirded out about how much his mother enjoyed their suffering. It was her job, he supposed.

His mother's castle was basically a carved-out volcano. The only thing that really distinguished it from the mountains and pyramids surrounding it was the black colour and the clouds of sentient blood-mist that came in and out. He floated into one of the open gaps that were used as windows. "Mom?" His voice was muffled by the wind whistling through the stone. She was out, working as usual. Marshall was unsure what his mother even did. He looked around at the pictures on the wall. Many of them were of his mother posing with people that he didn't know. His mother with an old-fashioned president. There was a photo of her golfing, with Peppermint Maid lugging around her equipment. He never knew that they had met before... An incoming cloud dissolved, revealing the ugly demon head that belonged to his mother. As the blood-mist dissipated, he inhaled. It was much more satisfying than any fruit. Her less terrifying head replaced the other one. The shadows reflected dramatically off of her defined cheekbones.

"Marshall! It's been a while." She tried to go for a hug, but Marshall didn't realise, so she stopped. He tried to give her a hug once he realised what she was trying to do, and they both ended up jerking awkwardly around each other. They finally made contact, and there was a short hug. When they released the hug, there was an awkward silence. A fluffy black thing inched into the cave. It meowed emptily.

"What's that?" Marshall pointed to it. He didn't sense a heartbeat coming from it.

"That's Schwabelle. I zombified a cat. Maybe you want a pet?" Marshall shook his head. There was no way Cake would approve of a cat corpse walking around his house. The awkward silence returned. Marshall wasn't used to his mother. He had no idea what to say. Harley cleared her throat. "So… Did you do anything… evil… lately?" She was trying to break the ice. Marshall paused to think.

"I broke a wizard's heart."

"You didn't kill anybody?" His mother was obviously disappointed.

"No, mom. You know I don't do that."

"Why? Because your friends don't want you to? You're going to let yourself be pushed around by mortals?"She crossed her arms, her business suit making her look all the more serious.

"Mom, I don't because I don't feel like it. Is that so hard to understand? It's not who I am."

"Well, it's who you're going to be. One day, this'll be yours." She spread her arms wide, facing the panorama of chaos outside her window.

"How many times do I have to tell you? I'm into music."

"Well, tell that to the vampires. They're not happy with you." She was still facing outside, hands clasped behind her back. He had to hand it to her, she had her priorities straight. "They want someone fierce! Someone who rightly embodies everything that a vampire is." She turned to face Marshall again. "If you don't grow a backbone, they'll incite an uprising." Marshall stared at her with a bored expression.

"But you love chaos. Why is it a problem for you?"

"Because the vampires have a lot of power here. They can gain the trust of the people. Remember the War? They can do it again." She smiled evilly. "But this time, they won't be defeated by mere animals. They won't stop until the Nightosphere and the land of Aaa are indistinguishable. And nobody will be able to control them." Marshall did not want to see that happen.

"Fine, then. What do they want from me?"

"A horrible act. Something that a mortal would go insane thinking about." Marshall also didn't want to take action for his kingdom. He never asked to lead these people. That was what his mother wanted, the reason he was born.

"Like what?"

"Take something beautiful and rare. Then, destroy it! Obliterate it until you are the most feared person between realms. These are the ways of the family business, son." She was scary happy whenever she thought about her son being the destroyer, the messiah of the Nightosphere.

"Yeah, fat chance." His mother tried not to be angry. She used her tactfulness to her advantage and thought of a way that he could appease the masses.

"Well, if you're not going to be destroying anything, you need a Queen who will strike fear into their hearts!" Where was Marshall going to find a Queen? "What about that girl… Ashley, was it? She would be perfect. She's already respected by the target audience." Marshall choked on nothing. No way. "Okay, fine then! What about the brave one?" Marshall wasn't following.

"Who?"

"The human. The last human. How the masses would smile upon such a warping of innocence…" No. Marshall wasn't doing anything of the sort.

"There must be another way!"

"There is. You let every demon in the Nightosphere waltz into your world and feed upon it until it's a hollow, empty shell." The thought of that kind of panic appealed greatly to her, but the fact that she would have no control was a deal breaker for her. Her son would have to stop this uprising before it started. Marshall was beginning to lose it.

"Whatever, Mom! You're probably trying to trick me again! I'm outta here." He began to draw another face on the floor to go back home.

"Don't you want this cat?" She motioned to the cat that was leaning against her leg, totally motionless and expressionless. Marshall poured the bug milk he got from the refrigerator on the face.

"No,Mom! Now's not a good time!" He opened up the portal and fell through into his own world. That boy was not realizing the depth of the situation. He wasn't acting like the vampire monarch he was, governed by emotion instead of logic. Harley sighed, then went back to work.