AKAI ITO
She was dead. His beloved Buffy was dead. And he couldn't do anything to reverse this. Angel begged the Powers to bring the day back, but they told him they couldn't, because some moments in time were unchangeable, unlike others.
The months passed and Angel saw his life without destiny. What mean his promise to become human if he didn't have the chance to enjoy his humanity with the person he loved?
That night, the full moon shone in the sky, and Angel decided to look at it one last time before the fateful morning. When the sunlight shone, he would join Buffy, and not even the Powers could stop him from trying to kill himself a second time.
"Do you think that's what she'd like?"
Angel turned to see a Chinese-looking old man standing right behind him. He didn't feel that presence approaching, and he was soon in a fighting position. The old man held out his hand in a friendly gesture.
"Your girl wouldn't want you to kill yourself." He began. At Angel's puzzled expression, he added. "Sorry for the intrusion, I'm Xia Lao Yue."
"A little ironic, don't you think?"
The old man came closer to Angel. With a flick of his hand, Angel saw a red thread twining on his finger. The wire stretched for meters, maybe miles, until it disappeared. But it was broken.
"It's broken." He said, without emotion in his voice.
"Look again." Retruted Xia Lao.
The vampire obeyed, even reluctantly, and saw that the thread was still joined by a thin line, so fragile but at the same time strong enough to hold the thread together. And rekindle hope in Angel's heart.
"They never break. After all, I put them where they should be."
"But ... Buffy's dead."
"Even death doesn't last forever. But I make love last forever. You'll have your girl. Just trust and wait. The way can be long and arduous, but this is life!"
Somewhere on the wire, too far away to reach at the moment, Angel saw Buffy in a white dress, calmer and happier than ever. He reached out to touch her, but the image disappeared.
"Buffy ..." He whispered.
"Don't worry, she'll be back ..."
With such a promise, Xia Lao is gone. Angel now finds himself alone, still holding his Akai Ito, the thread connecting the predestined lovers. And just like Xia Lao, the wire disappeared, but Angel still felt it, linking him forever to Buffy. He was now certain she will return. He will wait for her, no matter how long the road would be.
Xia Lao was right. If it were easy, it wouldn't be worth it. More confident, he left, and his Akai Ito followed behind him, entangled a little by the way, but never breaking.