Avatar descended deeper and deeper. His spectral form grew pale as the sounds of wailing and gnashing teeth reached his ears. He thought that no earthly depiction of the horrors of hell had prepared him for the consequences of what he had done. He had left so much undone, so many battles unfought, yet he had chosen death; or rather, death had chosen him.
Avatar wondered what purpose his suffering would serve, but it was his destiny to do so. Death was his entry into the universe of paradox and pain, of unending terror, and of the ceaseless flaying of his soul. It was his only hope that an enternity of torment would so twist and warp his soul that nothing of his life would be remembered. He didn't want to see Chewy's face staring at him in disbelief as Viper consumed him, didn't want to recall the utter look of betrayal on Bibbo's face when he had joined the Siecle Draco, and wanted to forever rid his soul of the memory of outliving his wife by hundreds of years.
He was dead now, life could not touch him; or so he thought.
The demon led him by the handcuffs down a corridor that was black and yet at the same time colorless. He saw fires, but knew they did not exist. There was no lake of burning sulfur, and yet it existed all the same. The demon unlocked his handcuffs and howled an evil cackle. Avatar knew he had reached his final destination. The demon vanished and Avatar was left floating in the place of everything and nothing. He waited for his ceaseless punishment to begin, but nothing happened.
He knew that he posessed no lungs, but still his breathing quickened and "body" began to shake and sweat. The anticipation was the worst part he knew, once it started he could simply succumb. But when would it start? Would there be the sounds of flaming chariots to announce his torturer, or would it take him by surprise? What form would it take? And then it hit him.
It would never start.
This was hell.
To exist for eternity in a place of everything and nothing without even being able to see your own hands. He would not escape his guilts with torment. His guilts would be his torment. Avatar cried. He wept and wailed and gnashed his teeth as his torment joined the cacophany of the billions of similar souls who shared his fate, though he could hear none of it.
And thus he existed with only himself to cause him pain, but being unable to die for a second time.
And then, there was something. Another thing in this realm to divert his thoughts. Avatar turned quickly and could not help but catch his breath. There before him stood an Archangel. In hell, the angel Michael stood with his flaming sword flashing and lightning flaring from his eyes. His face was white as snow while his body glowed like burning bronze. There was a voice like that of rushing waters and of an army, but it did not come from Michael.
"Milliard Kreagan. You are my servant. Perform this one last task for me. Cast down the Dark One in my name."
Avatar was confused, "Was that?..."
Michael responded, "Yes. That was the One Above All who was, and is, and is to come. I am here to give you your mission, and enable you to complete it."
Tears of joy now streamed down Avatar's face. "Yes I am ready. But how can this be? I was consigned to hell."
"Special times and special circumstances. You were fated to die, to experience hell, so that you could complete your final work. Now, as the gifter of magic I return your power to you. Only by first relinquishing it did you prove that you were worthy to be entrusted with the power to change worlds as they are."
The flaming sword passed in an arc through the air and phased through Avatar's soul. As it did so he felt the magic returning, but much differently than before.
"Before, your true power was hidden. Now it will come as easily as a breath. Go. Banish the evil that plagues the universe."
Avatar's body erupted in a pillar of silver light. He was what the ancient magi referred to as the Primarch, long before it was ever used as a title of leadership. Light flashed around him and he saw the glory of the One as it passed before his sight and he became afraid.
Michael saw this and reassured him, "Go. The V awaits. The One is with you and none can stand against you."
Avatar sighed and the barriers of existence parted before his vision. He passed through one plane after another as he searched for his prey. Light and dark mixed and exploded. Sound and silence cancelled one another out. Then he had arrived.
Viper stood before him with the regality of an emporer, but what he saw puzzled and unsettled him.
"Viper. I am the Avatar and your excecutioner. I have come to reclaim what is not yours and destroy you for all time."
The V did not waste time in resisting. All the power at his command was directed at the small, silver form. It fluttered and flashed, but did not go out.
"I am that which you cannot defeat. I am sent by the One, you are powerless against Him. Now die."
Avatar advanced and Viper threw the force of a supernova at his head, but Avatar had experienced hell and continued to stride forward. The shining, silver hands pierced through Viper's hide and all manner of evil began to pour forth. Avatar had been steeled by the Pit however, terror held no sway over him now.
The hands pierced deeper and found what they had wanted. The form of a man began to shimmer in Viper's chest. Avatar pulled it free and Viper roared in defeat.
"I cannot die! I will find a new host and destroy the Earth, to be remade in my image!"
"No."
Avatar held Chewy's shining form under one arm and cast his hand towards Viper. A silent clap of thunder shook the plane for miles and Avatar spoke in a clear loud voice, "Viper! In the name of the One and by the power granted me by Him I cast you down to the Abyss. There never to rise again!"
The shapeless dark form quivered and howled. It was defeated at last and could do naught but fade into eternal non-existence.
Chewy's head lolled to one side and he looked up at Avatar's shining face.
"Is that it? I'm free now... Thank you dear friend."
"Chewy, I'm afraid I have to tell you that we are dead. I can't take you back to Earth now."
"That's okay Avatar. I know you did everything you could, I just wish I could see TOMB one more time to say goodbye."
Both men turned as a new voice spoke. "The world is slowly dying Walrus. You will see them all again in time."
"Michael..."
"Yes Avatar, I am here now that Viper's presence does not hold me at bay. I have one last thing to tell you."
Chewy became impatient, "Well come on, out with it! We've both gone through enough to at least be spared the dramatic foreshadowing."
Michael smiled, "Yes of course. Avatar, there is another. Then Elysium awaits."
Avatar knew what he meant. "Thank you Michael, thank you so much."
"Thank not me, thank the One Above All."
"Yes, all glory and honor be to the One."
Once again the planes of existence parted before Avatar and he was moving.
"Excuse me, where are we going?" Chewy replied.
"Someplace special."
He stopped in a white void. The only thing in the void was the form of a sleeping woman. Sleeping as if she was waiting for someone to come wake her up.
Avatar set Chewy down now that he could stand on his own two legs, and he approached the woman with tears on his face. He bent down and kissed her lips and brushed a lock of her luxurious hair away from her face.
She stirred.
Her eyes fluttered open and she took in the form kneeling above her. "Oh Milliard! You've come back! It's been so long."
Avatar clutched her to his chest. "My beloved princess. I have waited years for this day. I have done so much you would despise, but you are still waiting for me. I love you Delilah."
She held his face in her slender fingers. "Of course I'm still waiting for you. We all do things which we regret. I forgive you because I love you."
Avatar cried again as he kissed her passionately. He then picked her up and turned around.
"Come, we must away from this place. And I have someone I would like for you to meet."
The End: Avatar.
