Part 10: Paladin's Acknowledged

Several days later, Buffy and Angel woke to the sound of Darkmoon saying crossly, "Will you two get your lazy butts up? I have better things to do than keep everyone from bothering you!"

Angel cracked his eyes open faintly, as Buffy buried her face into the crook of Angel's arm and shoulder, grumbling. With a mischievous smile, Angel grabbed Darkmoon from off of his chest, and threw him out of the room.

Darkmoon's shout of "You'll pay for that!" followed by a thud, made Angel sigh in satisfaction. Buffy chuckled faintly as she opened her eyes to look at her lover.

With a grin, she said, "I'm beginning to understand why you like doing that, Honey."

Angel nodded, then said with resignation, "We should go out there. We need to prepare for the harpy, and in order for that to happen, the druids have to make us paladins."

Buffy grumbled, then -- when Angel nudged her -- exclaimed, "Alright!"

Minutes later, vampire and Slayer stepped out of the bedroom, saw everyone there, and understood why Darkmoon had wanted them to get up. The druids stood by the fireplace, glancing nervously at the Watchers. The Watchers -- except for Giles -- stood by the opposite wall of the fireplace, glaring at the druids. The Slayerettes sat on the couch while Giles stood by it, gazing nervously at everyone but themselves. Darkmoon stood in guardian form by the druids, clearly making sure that the Watchers didn't try anything.

"What's going on here," Angel asked quietly.

Darkmoon changed form to the familiar, walked over to Angel, then leapt onto his master's shoulders, saying, "Oh, the usual. The Watchers are furious at what Buffy did, and blame the druids. The druids are insisting that what they did was at our request. And the local group and I are trying to keep the others from fighting."

Angel gazed at Darkmoon out of the corner of his eye, and said, "Huh. What do you say to that Buffy?"

With a gleam in her eye, the Slayer said, "That the Watchers -- except for Giles -- are too full of themselves to look beyond their own goals to realize that what we did is for the better."

A Watcher asked sharply, "How so, Slayer."

Putting an arm around her lover's waist, Buffy replied, "Angel doesn't have to worry about loosing his soul anymore, and I'm immortal. I can't die, no matter what you do to me. The same goes for Angel and Darkmoon. The spell which binds us to each other cannot be broken, unless we want it broken."

"And that will never happen," Angel said quietly and firmly. "Buffy and I made a vow -- not long ago -- that if one of us died, the other would soon follow. If one of us lived beyond the other, that one's grief would be so great, that that one wouldn't want to live if the other wasn't with them."

"And I would not want to live if my master died before me," Darkmoon added. "My goal in life is to be my master's familiar and guardian. If he dies before I do, I would have no reason to live."

"Well said," Giles murmured from where he stood.

"Well," Buffy said brightly, "now that we've talked this subject to death, let's get onto business."

A Watcher asked bitterly, "And what business would that be, Slayer?"

"The real reason why the druids are here: to make me and Angel paladins."

"Are you sure that this is how this is supposed to be done," Buffy asked nervously.

"Yes," said a female druid in a soothing voice. "First you must be acknowledged by the higher powers. After that, you will receive the weapons of your rank. Then -- if all goes well -- you will receive your mounts."

"Why do we have to do this tonight? Why not tomorrow!" Buffy complained.

"Because this night is the night of your birth," said another druid. "You have expressed the wish to be wedded to the souled vampire on this, your eighteenth birthday. We will do so before the ceremony to make you both paladins."

Buffy's eyes grew huge, as she whispered, "You're really going to marry us together?" At the druids' nods of acknowledgement, the Slayer then asked, "Does Angel know this?"

"Yes. It is he who requested that we do so."

Tears fell down her face, as Buffy threw her arms around the druid sitting nearest her.

In a broken voice, she whispered repeatedly, "Thank you."

The sun had set, and all was ready, when Angel and Buffy stepped outside. A druid solemnly gestured for the vampire and Slayer to come closer. Their hands linked together, they did so.

Addressing everyone, and no one, the druid said, "Here before me stand two who wish to be acknowledged as paladins. One, a vampire in possession of his soul, accepts the call of Dark Paladin. The other, a Slayer, accepts the call of Light Paladin." After a pause, the man continued, saying loudly, "Hear me, great heavens! I call upon you to recognize these two warriors, and give them the rank of paladin."

After a moment of silence, thunder rumbled overhead in a clear sky.

"What gives them the right to be paladins," a voice with no source thundered.

Buffy released Angel's hand, and stepped back, as Angel said firmly, "I have aided the Slayer in her calling. I have endured the torments of Hell for over seven hundred years, for the sake of the world."

"Acknowledged," the sourceless voice said, "your reasons are accepted."

With a nod, Angel stepped back, as Buffy stepped forward, saying, "I have fought against the forces of darkness for four years. I have died and come back, because of my calling as a Slayer. I have had to send my lover to hell, for the sake of the world."

Silence, then, "We hear and accept."

A glow surrounded the two warriors, as weapons appeared beside them.

"Accept these weapons, and know that we are pleased," the sourceless voice said, then continued, "Accept, also, the mounts you are given. They have awaited your calling for nearly three hundred years."

With those words, the thunder in the sky stopped, as a light brighter than the sun appeared. Within that light a neigh was heard. As the light disappeared, a pure white horse with wings hovered.

In silence, the pegasus floated down to earth, to land in front of Buffy. The Slayer gasped as the creature bowed to her, then nuzzled her.

As this happened, a dark shadow appeared in the ground. From the shadow, a neigh was heard. Moments later, a horse black as night, with flaming mane and tail, leapt out. Snorting, the creature skittishly moved towards a stunned Angel. Upon reaching the vampire, the night-stallion bowed.

In a hoarse whisper, Angel said, "It was you who helped me out of Hell."