From childhood's hour I have not been

As others were-I have not seen

As others saw-I could not bring

My passions from a common spring-

From the same source I have not taken

My sorrow-I could not awaken

My heart to joy at the same tone-

And all I lov'd-I lov'd alone-

Then-in my childhood-in the dawn

Of a most stormy life-was drawn

From ev'ry depth of good and ill

The mystery which binds me still...

From the thunder and the storm-

And the cloud that took the form

(When the rest of Heaven was blue)

Of a demon in my view.

-Edgar Allen Poe.

'Alone'

Over the course of the next year, Raven and Kresk started to become good friends. She still saw him wandering around the tower every now and then, and disapproved of the mischief he caused (curdling milk, displacing valuable items, or just stealing them; whatever took his fancy, usually the general archaic tricks that still seemed to cause the most annoyance), but otherwise the two were developing a bond. He made her smile every now and then, and two or three times got her to laugh (He was quoted on saying that Beast Boy 'Needs to listen to a tape while he sleeps to remind himself to breathe'). When Raven was sad, he would show up and do his best to cheer her up. Sometimes he would just show up and teach her about the Abyss and different kinds of magic; how to summon monsters from the Outer Planes of existence (one of the proudest moments of Kresk's life was when Raven stared in awe when she summoned her first monster; would you believe a demonic raven?). Sometimes he would just burn something and watch the pyre until it was gone. Kresk had an obessesion with fire; he was drawn to it like like a moth to a flame (no pun intended).

But Raven still did not trust Kresk. She still suspected him of something, and feared what he might awaken within her more than ever. For when ever he taught her melee, or dark magic, she could feel the Demon inside her shift. It talked to her, lived through her. Sometimes, she would let go, and forget moments of her life, let the Demon inside take control. And what was really horrible, what really scared her, what really made her distrust Kresk;

It felt so right, so right to be two beings at once, herself and the Demon.

So when her birthday drew nearer, closer like a gargantuan roc blotting out the joy of her life, the existence, possibly the existence of the world, she avoided Kresk if she could. And she couldn't help but notice, Kresk was avoiding her. And when they did meet, he always asked unusual questions. Well, at least for Kresk, like 'What size dress are you again?' or 'Which would you prefer; black or red?' After a while, they stopped talking altogether. They saw each other in the halls, Kresk mindlessly scribbling in his black book, where he kept track of the various favors he owed Demonic Nobility and what they owed him.

Then, Raven's birthday came.

Raven sat gloomily in the living room. It was 2:45 A.M. on the day after (or night of, or morning of; matter of perspective thing don't you know?) her birthday. No one else was awake. It was official; it was the end of the world. Well, nothing to do now but sit back and accept oblivion. It was taking its own sweet time, that was for sure. Her friends, and she would never tell them this, had done a lousy job of cheering her up. Of course, there really is no good way to say 'sorry, your going to kill us all'. But still...

She put her face in her hands, and began to cry. Why her? Why did it have to be her? Why was she cursed with this existence? Why couldn't it be someone else on another world? She closed her eyes, and sobbed some more. Then, she felt someone sit next to her. Someone almost eight feet tall that smelled like brimstone. Kresk said, in the most comforting voice he could muster, "Hey, come on now. What's the matter?" Raven stared up at the demon, who suddenly seemed so old all of the sudden. Of all the people (sort of) to see right now...

"Go away Kresk.", she sobbed.

"Ah come on, it can't be that bad, whatever it is. Just tell me all about it. Whatever it is I've probably heard worse before." And so Raven explained Trigon, about the doom of the world, about the prophecy. When she was done, she couldn't help but notice that Kresk was holding back a laugh. He snickered, "That's something all right.", he almost chuckled. He wasn't helping, to say the least. Kresk stood up, and said, "Kid, come with me." Raven stood up and followed Kresk over to the window that overlooked the city. He said, "You see that world, Raven? At any given time, there are at least a couple dozen apocalypses and doomsdays threatening this planet. Maybe it's a volcano, maybe it's aliens, maybe it's a mega-plague, but whatever it is, chances are it won't do anything except disappear. You think you're going to destroy the world just because someone said so on your birthday? Kid, I'm a demon, a tanar, a herald of destruction! Key-word there, destruction. I know all about apocalypses and doom and gloom, and I don't recall seeing you anywhere. And now that I know what a fantastic young woman you are, I think that counts as a loss. I've missed out on someone extraordinary, who makes a very good apprentice."

He said this with a smile, and, inside, Raven felt a little better. Sometimes, it felt good to hear words of comfort come straight from the horse's (or demon's) mouth. She smiled a bit, and hugged Kresk. Of course she only came up to barely his waist, but the gesture didn't go unnoticed. "Ah, stop it, you're embarassing me. Now come on, I've got something else to show you." As Kresk walked towards the door, Raven followed, and asked, trying not to offend her mentor (of sorts) , "Kresk, how come I look different from you? If you're a demon, and I am least half-one, why don't I have scales or claws or wings?"

Kresk looked at her and grinned, "Luck, I guess. But I wouldn't be so quick to say that you don't have those features. They're there. They're just hidden. You have horns, they're just waiting to sprout where you have a widow's peak. You walk with grace, like you are trying to prove you don't walk on cloven hooves. When you wrap your cloak around you, your wings are showing. You move your hips like you have a forked tail, even when you don't realize it. Your eyes glow like they should be yellow, and your skin is too pale, like it's trying to bleach out the red. Your hands shake every now and then, like they're trying to grow claws, and you coat yourself with perfume to hide the smell of brimstone. In short, you have all the features of a demon, every single one. They show all the time. They're in every little thing you do. And that reminds me, I can't go out like this." Kresk looked at himself.

Indeed, he did draw more than a little attention. Kresk looked at Raven and asked, "Would you mind if I borrowed one of your friends for a moment?"

Raven replied puzzlingly, "Sure?"

"Great, this won't take too long." Kresk shook his hands and popped his neck. Then he concentrated. He began to shrink, until he was a little taller than Raven. His horns fell down into a mane of red hair, his eyes turned green and lost their cat-like irises, and his skin took on an orange hue. He began to develop a figure, and his robes became purple. Soon, within moments, a perfect replica of Starfire stood before Raven. Kresk said, his voice still his own, "Alright, now we can-wait a second, that's not right." He pounded his chest and coughed. Finally his voice morphed into the piping notes of Starfire's. "Testing, testing. Hello, I'm disgustingly cheerful all the time, and one of these day I'm going to drink a gallon of bleach after I save a box of kittens! No, that's not right. It's too simple, not innocent enough. Close though, but not close enough. What would she say?"

Raven looked at Kresk disapprovingly, "I wish you wouldn't talk about my friends that way." Kresk smiled and said,

"We only lie loudest to ourselves, Raven. Now follow me."

Kresk hovered down the hall, complaining the whole way, "I feel so weak in this body. A dretch could rip through it. And I don't like flight. It feels weird not hearing my hooves." Down the hall, down the stairs, over the water to the city shore. Finally, after a long enough time, Kresk proclaimed, "Oh that's it! I'm walking for the rest of this trip. I can't stand fluttering around like a hummingbird!" He landed on his feet and walked through the streets of the city. Even in the darkest hour of the night, the city pulsed with a heartbeat of electricity and sound. Raven couldn't help but notice that Kresk was leading her through one of the darker parts of the city, near the docks. In the distance, dogs barked like they did for Hecate in the ancient times, and the cyclopean buildings leered with dead eyes at her. But the city itself was still alive. People wandered and argued for the darkness, like marionettes performing for the night god Nyx, and stopped to watch as Raven and 'Starfire' passed by.

Finally, Raven piped up, "Kresk, where is it we're going again?" Kresk looked back and answered, grinning (to the best he could in his disguise) , "'Over the mountains of the moon, and down the valley of shadow. Ride boldly ride,' the shade replied, 'if you seek for Eldorado.'"

Raven stared, "What?" Kresk turned around, "Seriously, read the street signs." Raven looked at the corner which bore a lone, gnarled lamp post bearing two equally gnarled signs on it. One said Valley Rd., the other Mountain Blvd.

They were near the docks. There were shady buildings with equally shady folk wandering and flitting around. She saw a large digital clock in the window of an old pawn shop named 'Randall's'. It said 3:03 A.M. It was 3 o'clock in the morning, the hour of demons. Just then, she noticed that Kresk was walking over to a decrepit building. It was old, but not too old, seated between two younger, taller structures, a occult bookstore painted green and a diner with three guard dogs sleeping in front of the door. While the younger buildings were made of concrete and steel, this place was made of aged red brick. It had no windows, save for a skylight on the roof, no vents going out, and one chimney. There was one entrance on the front, a simple push-handle steel door. Above this, was a sign showing Don Quixote in full armor riding towards a golden city on a white charger. The ground was made of large yellow letters spelling out, Eldorado. Another door which even Kresk in his full size could have fit through was guarded by a giant of a man on the side of the building. Kresk lead Raven to this door. The man truly was huge, with burly arms a bald head, a piglike face, and a shirt that bore the image of a huge mouth with pincers on the side. He held a list in one hand, the pen in the other, and an axe and gun in its holster on his side.

He held up his hand as the approached the door. "Whoa ladies. Private party. If you aren't on the list, you don't get in." Kresk, as Starfire, looked indignant, and said, "What? Don't you know who I am? I'm the mastermind behind this little shindig! Now let me - Oh right, I still have the voice." He pounded his chest and coughed loudly. His voice returned to normal. He continued his barrage, "Now as I was saying, I am Kreskarius Voneitz! Let me through. I do have the-" Kresk said something in Abyssal that Raven couldn't understand. The man looked at him, and heartily replied, "Ah, yes, we were expecting you! Please come in! And-" The man snickered, "-Does that dress come in men's sizes?" He burst out laughing. Kresk looked at himself. "Oh right, I probably should get back to my old skin." He stood straight as he could, held his nose, and took a deep breath. In an instant, Kresk's true form ripped from Starfire's shape like it was old fabric.

He went through the door first, and Raven followed. Down a hallway, black and rank with mildew she walked behind Kresk. She couldn't see anything, but then, she heard something. Music. A violent music, a music full of life and rage and passion, a music that danced with her heartbeat. Then the two came to a door. Kresk put his hand on to the entryway, looked down at Raven, smiled, and said, "Get ready for this." He opened the door, and there, beyond, in a huge room, was a menagerie of nightmares. The door led to a grated platform which circled the entire room. A set of stairs led to the main floor. Tables were spread about, on and below the platform. Impossible doors went into the walls, and a stage lay at the far end of the square room. The skylight above provided light by moon, and was complimented by flashing purple, green, blue, and red illuminations. But it was not the room itself, it was its occupants. Demons. And not just any demons, demonic nobility. There, demon princes and lords of all shapes and sizes cavorted in the room, laughing and yelling and roaring in an ecstasy to put any witche's sabbath to shame. Raven looked around at the sheer myriad of forms. Emerald-eyed Grazzt, Master of Shadows and Eloquence, flirted with Nocticula, Queen of Night, Witches, and Nature. Socothbenoth, Lord of Pleasure and Perversion, danced with seductive Malacanthet, Queen of the Succubi. Gluttonous Orcus, Prince of Undeath, quipped with his rival Gamigin, the Soulcounter, and Ahrimanes, Lord of Exiles and the Cacodaemons. Jubilex, Prince of Slime and Ooze, gurgled with cancerous Marbas, King of Disease and Tumors. Zuggtmoy, Queen of Fungi, snarled at Lolth, Matron Goddess of spiders and dark elves. In the corner, Baba Yaga cackled with Baphomet, Prince of Minotaurs, and Aseroth, the Winter Warlock. Yeenoghu, emaciated god of gnolls, barked with Mormo, King of Ghouls, and Merrshaulk, god of the yuan-ti and snakes. In a tank that should have held fish, Vepar, Master of Angry Waves, conversed with Blidooploop, goddess of the kuo toa, while Sess'innek, Demon Prince of lizardmen, watched through wrathful reptilian eyes. A gaggle of demon lords of murder and pain sat and talked of vile things at a nearby table; dove-headed Shax, his servant Rahu the Tormenter, Alvarez and Eldanoth snickering in jest.

Dozen of legends, old gods, and monstrosities sat and celebrated in decadent, hedonistic delight as dretches and succubi passed out food and drink to the horrid guests. On the stage, frog-like hezrou, six-armed, serpent waisted mariliths, dog-headed and four-armed glabrezu, and other demons played a war beat to drums and gongs of stupendous girth.

And what force could cause this unholy sabbath? What being could possibly bring mortal enemies such as these creatures to put aside their enmities and revel in the night? Who was this stupendous being, whoever they may be? And why, why did they do it? What could do what even the Demogorgon, Prince of All Demons (who presently was swimming in the aforementioned tank like a shark, its two heads leering), could not do and unite the Demon Princes, even if just for a night?

Raven felt Kresk lightly elbow her, and shove a box into her hands. He looked down from the side of his eyes, smiled a cheerful smile, and said, "Happy birthday, Raven." She looked up at him, with an expression that begged, 'This was for her? All of this? Kresk actually cared enough to pull favors out of the Demonic Nobility, just for her?' "You go find a seat. I have some business to attend to." He whistled over to someone, and said something in Abyssal. "Astaroth will take care of you. You'll like him. He's a bit eccentric, but he's a bookworm like you. In fact, he's the bookworm. His layer is the single largest library in the multiverse, with at least one copy of every book every printed."

Presently, an odd figure approached the duo. A handsome man, tall and regal. He bore six feathered angel's wings, and wrapped them around his body like a cloak. A sinuous dragon followed him like a pet. He held a book in one hand, and a viper coiled around the other. Kresk began introductions, "Raven, Astaroth, Demon Prince of occult lore, liberal sciences, books, philosophy, dark and hidden knowledge, herald of the apocalypse, and one of the smarter of the Demiurge." Astaroth looked over at Kresk, and spoke in a light, flute of a voice, "Oh Kresk, stop, you'll embarass me. So, this is your young apprentice that you told me about? I can smell order and good on her, but it is a refreshing scent. Especially when you've been standing next to Marbas like I have." He turned his attentions to Raven, and extend the viper-bearing hand, "Salutations! I believe Kresk made the introductions." Raven put her hand forward cautiously. The viper hissed at her and slithered some more. Astaroth saw her suspiscion and smiled a light smile, "Oh, ignore him. He's purely symbolic, he won't do you any harm. He represents knowledge gained through forbidden means, one of the greatest virtues anyone can hold."

"Quit bragging Astaroth. Just get the girl to a seat and-" at this point, Kresk started talking in Abyssal, although it sounded like a threat ("- if so much as one hair on her head gets damaged, I will blame you and personally rip your favorite spellbooks to shreds. Got that? Now go!") Astaroth led Raven to an out-of-the-way table, somewhere between where Behemoth gorged and locust demons of Apollyon chirped their apocalypse song. Mean while, Astaroth tittered on about nothing in particular. For a demon prince, he was rather friendly, and talkative. Kresk took center stage when the last piece of music was done.

He shouted out to the fiendish throng, unnoticed at first, "Is everybody happy?", he yelled with a resounding boom. The crowd looked back at him, and howled, roared, bellowed, screamed, yelled, hissed, and gurgled back a joyous response. Up in the rafters, Raven heard the screeches of Harpies and Vrocks, Decarabia and Pazuzu, rulers of the Abyssal skies. And how could they not be happy? Kresk was renowned for excellent parties. They always featured the hardest liquor, the most delicious food, and the most pleasurable company. He was liked among all the Abyssal nobility for his pranks and dark sense of humor, and even the less popular members of the fiendish court got along with him (you must understand this was no simple feat; it took years of hard work, bribes, and blackmail to achieve). Several creatures called and bellowed out "Speech!" And Kresk obliged. He spoke in Abyssal, the native tongue required for the night.

"Friends! Tanar'ri! Masters and servants alike! Lend me your ears! TONIGHT, a lost lamb returns to her flock! TONIGHT, we live again and revel in the darkness! TONIGHT, we celebrate the heralding of the 666th prophecy of Raum! TONIGHT, we fill the air with our screams! TONIGHT, mortals scream knowing we walk the earth once more! We are the horrors of the Abyss, the kings of darkness! No power thrives with the sheer energy of life like us! No being fills the night air with the screams of death and change like us! Let Heaven and Hell shake, for TONIGHT, the Abyss rises once more! Hail the Tanar! Hail the demonic! Now let us embrace life as it should be! Live tonight, for tommorrow we may die! And seeing you all here tonight, so happy, so entoxicated with delight, so dishonest with your masks of lies, just because I asked it, it reminds me of what good friends I have in all of you. And it reminds me, I am glad I found you all, for you redeemed me with what I needed most; SIN! Bravo! Let this show that no one is above falling to the greatest power of all! And let me say this; if this is sin, I'd hate to see salvation! Now, when mortals scream and fear in the night, who is it they beg for mercy?" The mob shouted, in Abyssal "TANAR!"

"When the power is what fools get the taste for, who's cup do they drink from?" Once more, "TANAR!" And, one last time, "And who, who will be the kings of the multiverse? Who will achieve total supremacy in the end days? Who is still supreme even now, working in the shadows?"

"TANAR!" After this last stanza, he let out a triumphant roar, and the crowd roared with him, and the night air was filled with the sounds of demons and power.