"Very good." The thundering voice echoes through the lobby of the Hotel.
Angel and the MoG turned toward the sound.
"My faith in you was not misplaced." The thundering voice said again, appearing before the gang.
"What.. Are you?" Angel asked, walking toward the now shimming golden light.
"I am pure." The shimmering light spoke. "You have succeeded."
Angel looked down to the broken form of Cordelia lying on the floor. "She was my."
"Friend." The shimmering light said.
"Yes." Angel said, lowering his head.
"It was necessary." The shimmering light claimed.
"Necessary?" Wesley asked.
"To prove you were the champion." The shimmering light said to Angel. "That you would prevail."
"That he would stop the apocalypse?" Gunn asked.
"Of course." The simmering light replied. "You have stopped the end. Brought light to the darkness and destroyed the evil lurking here."
"Some of it." Angel said. "There's more out there."
"Yes." The shimmering light nodded. "But you have earned your reward."
"My reward?" Angel scoffed.
"His. reward?" Wes echoed. "The prophecy."
"Shanshu." The shimmering light said, blasting Angel with its essence.
Angel fell to the floor, screaming in pain. Gunn rushed to Angel's side, only to be restrained by Wesley.
"Let go man." Gunn said.
"Charles, no." Wes held him back. "This is Angel's reward to become."
"Human." Fred finished Wes's sentence. "Sorry."
"It is done." The shimmering light said, pouring back into one spot.
Angel lay motionless on the floor.
"Is he." Wes began.
"He will recover." The shimmering light said.
Hours passed, Gunn and Wesley moved Angel to the comfort of his own bed. Fred and Lorne cleaned the lobby and removed the remains of Cordelia Chase.
"I miss her." Fred said, trying to ignore the fact that she was cleaning up her friend's remains.
"I know you do, sugar pie." Lorne said, placing an arm around Fred. "But you have to remember, that wasn't Cordelia."
"It was." Fred said.
"It was her body." Lorne nodded. "But not her. Not her soul. That's still."
"Up there." Fred said, looking to the sky.
"Yes." Lorne nodded.
Angel and the MoG turned toward the sound.
"My faith in you was not misplaced." The thundering voice said again, appearing before the gang.
"What.. Are you?" Angel asked, walking toward the now shimming golden light.
"I am pure." The shimmering light spoke. "You have succeeded."
Angel looked down to the broken form of Cordelia lying on the floor. "She was my."
"Friend." The shimmering light said.
"Yes." Angel said, lowering his head.
"It was necessary." The shimmering light claimed.
"Necessary?" Wesley asked.
"To prove you were the champion." The shimmering light said to Angel. "That you would prevail."
"That he would stop the apocalypse?" Gunn asked.
"Of course." The simmering light replied. "You have stopped the end. Brought light to the darkness and destroyed the evil lurking here."
"Some of it." Angel said. "There's more out there."
"Yes." The shimmering light nodded. "But you have earned your reward."
"My reward?" Angel scoffed.
"His. reward?" Wes echoed. "The prophecy."
"Shanshu." The shimmering light said, blasting Angel with its essence.
Angel fell to the floor, screaming in pain. Gunn rushed to Angel's side, only to be restrained by Wesley.
"Let go man." Gunn said.
"Charles, no." Wes held him back. "This is Angel's reward to become."
"Human." Fred finished Wes's sentence. "Sorry."
"It is done." The shimmering light said, pouring back into one spot.
Angel lay motionless on the floor.
"Is he." Wes began.
"He will recover." The shimmering light said.
Hours passed, Gunn and Wesley moved Angel to the comfort of his own bed. Fred and Lorne cleaned the lobby and removed the remains of Cordelia Chase.
"I miss her." Fred said, trying to ignore the fact that she was cleaning up her friend's remains.
"I know you do, sugar pie." Lorne said, placing an arm around Fred. "But you have to remember, that wasn't Cordelia."
"It was." Fred said.
"It was her body." Lorne nodded. "But not her. Not her soul. That's still."
"Up there." Fred said, looking to the sky.
"Yes." Lorne nodded.