It had been almost a month since the secant abyss gate was added to his dominion, and already Zephyr was gaining more from it than he ever could have imagined. Not only were his stores of Infernium and infernal stone filling up nicely. After making an example from their former peers, Zephyr's honor guards had each gained a strong following. Demon warriors of all sorts were beginning to see the potential of serving Zephyr. Rose was making good progress with her pet project as well. Creating a device that could suck up and store magic, Zephyr hoped to use it to harvest evil energy from the infernal abyss and use it to enhance his powers. It was in the middle of testing the magic gathering device when Gnarl reported in.

"I can feel two more energy surges, my lord! There are more gates. One is enrapturing the elves of Evernight, so we can only hope that it leads to something horrible. And ether those dwarves have started blowing themselves up, or another gate has emerged in the Golden Hills."

"Order my forces to contain the situation around the dwarven gate, I'm going to go make sure that the one in Evernight doesn't become a problem."

"Oh, would it really be that bad if we just let a few more elves get sucked in like moths to a flame?"

"My judgment in this is final, Gnarl." Zephyr then gathered his horde of minions and ventured into Evernight, but what he found was rather shocking. A large number of elves with much larger ears and blond dreadlocks seemed to be creeping around, using light magic to try and heal the forest. All of whom gave Zephyr dirty looks as he walked by into Oberon's grove. Even more of them were guarding the newest abyss gate, Queen Fay herself investigating.

"I was expecting Luna to be here. And what is up with the double knife-ears?" Fay and her tanned elves turned to look at Zephyr, all looking enraged at both his presence and his use of racial slurs.

"Luna is taking some time to cleanse herself of her darker impulses. And my subjects from Everlight have come to assist in the restoration of this land. Wich, you are clearly sabotaging!" She said, pointing at the hell portal pulsing with dark power.

"Oh, so you think this is m falt?"

"DO NOT PLAY STUPID WITH ME! Two other gates to the Infernal Abyss have opened up in your other domains, do not try to play me for a fool!"

"Look, I'm going in to investigate what the hell is going this time, pun intended, if you want to come along, fine. Bring the beach boys if you want, might need the cannon fodder." The saber-carrying elves looked to Zephyr with even more murder in their eyes than before. Fay, on the other hand, seemed like she was considering his words.

"Very well, dark one. I shall accompany you into the abyss. But be warned, try anything nefarious. You will face your final punishment!" Her eyes glowed with magical power, reinforcing her point.

"Very scary, miss fussy britches! Let's just go to hell already." The unlikely fellowship then entered the fiery pit. Fay was horrified by what she saw, which Zephyr found amusing.

"What's the matter, hell a little too much for you?"

"Shut up." The happy little band continued forward, finding some roots blocking their path. While Fay was working out a way to get through it, Zephyr sent a minion to activate an object that only it could reach. A spotlight started, the abyssal plant withering in the light, clearing the path.

"Those roots don't seem to like the light. Ah, I know how they feel. My eyes, my poor eyes! I can't take anymore!"

"Oh, don't be a crybaby, Gnarl!" Zephyr began to march on, but stopped when he noticed that the elves and Fay were giving him looks.

"What?"

"Who were you calling a crybaby just now?"

"Oh! Ya, it must have looked like I was babbling to myself like a lunatic. My adviser can communicate with me telepathically. If I start talking to myself, I'm talking to him." After dealing with a wraith wielding a gun of all things, Zephyr and company found themselves in a hellish theater. Just then, a deep yet elegant voice was calling out directions.

"Places everybody! Elves..." Zephyr could see that the stands were filled with elvish prisoners, he had heard of a captive audience, but this was just silly.

"Not again..."

"My eyes cannot continue to watch this travesty!"

No, no, please no!" They cried out, clearly not enjoying the production very much. The voice continued speaking, preparing for the show.

"Wraiths... And... Oberon Greenhaze!" Zephyr looked down, feeling bad that he didn't see him before. It indeed was Oberon, still trapped in his tree, even in hell. Seeing his old friend like this, now that he remembered how close they were, was truly heartbreaking.

"And I see we have some special guests in the back. Now... Welcome to... The terror of Evernight forest - I do hope you enjoy the show!" All the lights flash on, illuminating the stage.

"Act 1, in which the elven race live peacefully, deep in Evernight forest... Protected by their unworthy deity, the Mother Goddess." Two elves in exaggerated masks started poorly reading their lines next to a defaced mother goddess statue on stage.

"Oh brother, how lucky we elves are to live in the bountiful green bosom of Evernight."

"Ay, my friend, we are. Let us pray to the mother goddess. For even though she is a cold and uncaring harlot, undeserving of worship, she alone will listen to our woe, our sorry, and our poetry."

"Cold and unfeeling harlot, eh? The writer of this play doesn't seem to like the mother goddess or the elves, for that matter. Aah, I think I'm a fan already." Gnarl said as the second act was getting underway.

"Act 2, in which the dwarves attack Evernight, crushing the elves into the ground of their precious forest!" Wraiths dressed up as dwarves, then charge out, ganging up on, then chopping the elves on stage up into bloody bits. Fay and her elves were as horrified as Gnarl and the minions were entertained. But it seemed that the play was not even over yet.

"Act 3, in which terror comes to Evernight forest." After a few moments of nothing happening, the voice became angry.

"Where is it, where's the terror? I want the... Terror!"

"Hsssss Hsss Hssssssss." Said one of the wraiths to the voice, who did not seem pleased with the response.

"What do you mean it's broken? Okay, back to Act 1 again, everyone, it not like you lot don't need the practice!" Everything then went as it did before the play started, disappointing Gnarl to no end.

"Oh, shame, just when things were getting good! Perhaps we should locate this terror of Evernight, sire... Help end things with a bang!"

"I don't think Fay would like that very much, Gnarl. Besides, I would rather locate the abyss stone and get this little slice of hell under my control."

"WHAT!?" Zephyr then turned to see a furious-looking queen Fay. She began to glow with a power that indeed equaled his own.

"How dare you think only of increasing your own power while my people are forced to suffer this indignity!"

"Calme down, cow. The only way to free your people from this eternal horror show is to get the abyss stone. And I don't think you would want to claim it for yourself, right? Wouldn't want to risk becoming just as corrupted as Luna, would we? So that only leaves me to take it unless you really want its dark power for yourself, then, by all means, have it!" Fay was still angry, but her power began to waver slightly. She then dropped her attack stance and crossed her arms.

"Very well, dark one. Let us look for the cursed thing and be done here. I do not wish to behold a parody of my people's suffering."

"As you wish, queen fussy pants." Fay steamed under Zephyr's insults but contained herself as they looked for the abyss stone. However, it was not hard to find as Zephyr soon found it while going to check up on his old friend.

"There's the abyss stone, sire. Oberon's roots are covering it." Zephyr ignored Gnarl as he moved over to Oberon, laying a gentle hand on his roots.

"It's been a while. I see you've been better." Oberon seemed in a half-awake, dazed state. Only barely able to recognize that Zephyr was even there.

"I know that voice... Zephyr? I dreamed of you before... You put me out of my misery... But I seem to have only found more in death."

"I'm going to try and help you, buddy. I just need the abyss stone behind you."

"I am unable to move like this... You will have to destroy me-"

"God dame it, man, you're always so overdramatic! This is just like that time you tripped in that swamp and insisted that I leave you for the frog-men. I didn't listen then, and I'm not listening now! Besides, I have people who can fly on my payroll. We can have the stone moved in ten minutes tops. So I don't want to hear one more god-dam word about sacrificing you, got it?!" Oberon took a moment to respond to that, and when he finally did, it was with laughter.

"You undersell the situation, as usual, friend... I had broken my ankle in that swamp... And if I had known the horror, I'd inflict on my homeland only a year later. I would have insisted harder than you let the-"

"I said zip it, leaf brain!"

"Your one to talk, thistle bush!" They both laughed as neither had in a long time. Zephyr could feel the eyes of the fairy queen and her escort on him again.

"You know, for so-called good people, you do an awful lot of staring." Zephyr said, his voice filled with venom.

"S-Sorry, it's just that... Well... I didn't expect someone so unapologetically evil to show such kindness."

"Me and Oberon go way back. Before I was the overlord, I was one of the legendary heroes that fought to overthrow my predecessor Uroburous."

"I had no idea-"

"Ya because you never asked, did you?" The uncomfortable silence lasted until the succubi arrived. Using their chains, they lifted the stone from behind Oberon and landed it on the waypoint gate. The voice did not sound pleased at all whatsoever.

"NO! Without my actors, how can I have my play? And without my play, how can I be remembered? I will be remembered!"

"Well, if no one remembers you, you must not have been worth remembering in the first place." The ground then started quaking with the unknown creature's rage, but then he began to laugh in an unhinged way.

"Your actions have amused me. I have plenty of abysses... Why not try the conquer those as well? You and your little vermin army."

"So I take it I'm talking to the ruler of hell then? Why have I not heard about you before?"

"I do not dought you have, but because of that wretched mother goddesses curse, you are doomed to forget me! Farewell mortal, I look forward to watching you fall to my infant hordes!" The voice then stopped communicating, leaving the hell empty and silent.

"Well, that was fun! You may deliver your people from this abyss if you like queen Fay... But I have a favor to ask in return."

"Oh, and what is that exactly?"

"Help me free Oberon from the tree." Fay was clearly shocked by the request, probably not expecting Zephyr to be so selfless.

"I... Will try."

"That is all I ask. Thank you." She then hovered over to the half-sleeping Oberon. Her hands then began to glow with a soft blue light that blinded Zephyr and his minions. But when the light faded, his heart sank, seeing that Oberon was still trapped by legs that grew roots into the hellish soil.

"I'm sorry, overlord Zephyr. Your friend is beyond my power to heal completely."

"I thank you for the effort. I believe your business is done here, begone." Fay and her elves then left the abyss, and Zephyr took his time looking at the half-dazed and confused mess that was once his only true friend, before he to left for the comforts of the dark tower.