I gaze into the moon which makes my mind pure as crystal,
my eyes cold as the darkest winter nights,
but yet there is a flame inside.

It guides me into the dark shadows beyond this world,
into the infinity of thoughts...
thoughts of upcoming reality.

Emperor - "Into the Infinity of Thoughts"

*I really did it this time. All ties to my past life gone, the memories sneering back at me like a thousand hecklers at a bad stand-up routine. I was the inept comedian standing in front of the brick wall of my eagerness. My followers clamored and pounded from the other side, but I ignored them, and sped off into the night. I needed a moment to myself. a moment away from the pathetic shell I was only minutes ago. I clenched the wheel tight, and pressed hard on the accelerator pedal, knowing precisely where I was driving, an dcomforted by the knowledge that when the journey was over, I was going to be myself again, if only for a short while. The wheels on my vehicle were really wings, lifting me to past heights, places I've gone before and only dreamed of revisiting...until now. The best parts of my life flashed before my eyes, as the worst parts lay in ruin. Everything was perfect...almost too much so. I thought about pinching my arm, but the momory of the force of the air, and the heat of the explosion, accompanied with the sobs of my once-followers assured me that this dream was, in fact, a perfect reality.*

-The screen suddenly jerks out of it's black state into a sort-of shifting gray state. The Messiah withdraws his black robed arm from in front of the camera, just in time for the viewers to note that he's driving on the wrong side of the road. One half of a second later, the Messiah notes the error of his ways, and quickly shifts to where he belongs. It's a good thing it's the middle of the night, and there isn't any traffic to be seen.-

Messiah: Shit! I apologize for my inexperience operating one of these babies. I usually had my followers do it for me. Regardless, at least I can proclaim that I'm doing more than loafing on a sofa with my thumb up my ass, sniveling and whining because responsibility calls...sort of like some person I know, and am facing at Balls to the Wall. That's right, I'm talking about one Eric Nash. Keep telling yourself you'll dominate the CAW, little man. Go ahead...inflate your ego even more. In due time, you'll be bowing before your commissioner like the rest of the roster. This is why your attitude amuses me greatly. I know your type. All talk until it's show time, whence you fail, miserably. You will be the first to approach me with bent knee.

-From the rearview mirror, one can witness the Messiah's eyebrow furrow in contemplation. His foot gets heavier on the gas pedal, and a robed arm shifts the gear up.-

Messiah: I think I've got one more thing to say. The factors of this being my first promo in years, and my unfamiliarity with your work squelches my usual wordiness, I'm afraid. From what I can tell, you're struck with a common case of laziness. You want to dominate the federation, yet you can't get off the couch to bust a promo. A smart fellow would play his cards right, and sign up with the winning team before he happens to make an enemy. A smart fellow would drop the "my shit don't stink" attitude, and crawl towards his comissioner, begging for forgiveness for showing unruly, and uncomplacent attitude. A smart fellow would also lay down nicely, and let me take a pinfall before the match even starts. THAT is how you truly get to the top, Nash...by being smart. What you'll have to do when you lay down in bed tonight, all pumped up for our match and think. Think that you're facing the man that can and has withstood more punishment than you can ever dream of dishing out. Think that you're facing a man that has made more accomplishments than you ever will. Think that you're only a mere mortal, locked into combat with a Messiah. Then ask yourself...are you stupid, or are you smart?

-The Messiah reaches back without taking his eyes off the long road ahead of him, and with a flick, the camera cuts to blackness.-

*The Valkyries carried me across the land. Soon, I would be at my personal Valhalla, feasting and fighting to my heart's content. But will Valhalla live up to my expectations? Can it? My thoughts are racing along like my car on this road, but each one makes sense. Like the stars in a clear night, I can make out each one; a tiny pinprick of hope in the blackness of my mind. Slowly they fade away, like they do in the breaking dawn. One star now dominates my horizon, and I am at peace with my inner self as I come to realize it's the destination that matters not, but the journey there that determines a man.*