Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Undying Hatred ❯ Nightmares - The End, A New Beginning ( Chapter 3 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

(Before I get into this chapter, I want to thank Nette and chibibunny, who both took the trouble to review my so-far dull, slow-moving fan-fic. I'll dedicate this chapter to them, concidering they're the only ones who wrote reviews which made me want to write it in the first place. ^_^ So, enjoy. I hope this chapter is more interesting than the last. I'm I really home it will be...)

He sighed heavily, shaking a lock of black hair out of his crystal blue-silver eyes. Trudging slowly though the small marketplace, he hardly glanced at the stalls he was passing. His thoughts had made him forget what he had come out for. Still the image of those hateful eyes lingered in his mind. Those horrible, heartless golden eyes... He shuddered hard, bringing himself back to reality. He found himself shivering in the cold and crossed his arms, looking around for something to get to eat. Again, he shook his head to knock an annoying strand of hair out of his eyes. It was the perfect length to constantly have the ends hanging in his eyes and to cover the tops of his ears. He spotted the Akabeko. Recalling the last time he had eaten there, he decided to go. After all, why not? He wasn't very picky and hardly ever treated himself to a decent meal.

Meanwhile, Kaoru walked toward the Akabeko as well, followed shortly by the amber-haired rurouni Kenshin. "You do want to go to the Akabeko, right Kenshin?" At first, the rurouni didn't reply. He was staring distantly ahead of them, at the dark-haired young man heading into the Akabeko. Why did he look familiar...? "Um... What about Fujima's?" He suggested, indicating towards a smaller restraunt across from the Akabeko. "It would be nice to try something new, that it would. Don't you think..?" He asked, glancing into the Akabeko, spotting the man for a split second before he was gone, past Kenshin's range of sight. "...Sure Kenshin, that's a good idea. We do go to the Akabeko a bit too often." Kaoru said to him with a happy smile. Kenshin smiled back, his spirits lifted. He loved it when she smiled...

Akinori stared at the wall across the room, once again thinking about the Battousai. He couldn't get it out of his head, and it was slowly driving him insane. Sometimes he would find himself so lost in thought that he would actually speak alloud. Other times, he would day dream and think up ways to satisfy his thirst for revenge. Suddenly, he looked up. Through the open door, he spotted a red-headed, small-figured man across the street. His heart began to beat wildly. Forgetting that he was hungry, he got up and began walking toward the couple. He had to see for himself wether it was Battousai or not. He had searching for so long... His eyes turned a lighter, colder color blue as terrible, violent thoughts ran through his mind and his heart beat rang in his ears. He strode into Fujima's, shaking with anxiety to finally have a chance for revenge, to make Battousai suffer as badly as he had. He spotted the red-head again, and walked forward toward a table. As he passed he spotted the cross scar. He recalled one of the scars from his nightmares. 'Yes...!' A wicked grin pulled at the edges of his mouth as he took a seat and forced himself to look away, his mind eagerly buzzing with thoughts to plan.

Kenshin glanced at Akinori uneasily over Kaoru's shoulder. He remembered seeing the man from earlier. 'He was going into the Akabeko... Why did he come in here...?' Kenshin thought to himself as Kaoru cheerfully looked over the menu, blissfully unaware of the danger that Kenshin felt present. He scenced an unusual air about Akinori. He could tell by looking at him that the man was very nervous, excited. Kenshin knew all too well that there was no reason to be. Of course, unless there was a reason for his strange familiarity. Still, however, he couldn't remember from where he had seen Akinori before...

A few hours later, the pair were headed home. Kaoru carried a small helping of breakfast for Yahiko, predicting that somehow the child would know he had been left out. Kenshin seemed uneasy to Kaoru. He seemed more alert that he needed to be, and he was constantly glancing over his shoulder. "...Kenshin, what's the matter?" She asked, concern clear in her gentle voice. Kenshin smiled to her. "Oh, nothing to be concerned about Kaoru-dono, This One assures you." He replied, hoping with every fibre of his being that he was being truthful. With one final backward-glance, he told himself firmly that he wasn't being followed, that he was being paranoid, and that the man in the restraunt was no threat what-so-ever.

Unfortunatley, the Battousai was sadly mistaken. Very, very far behind them, Akinori followed the soft double-sets of footprints, a twisted grin etched onto his features as his eyes glittered with an insane evil. 'At last.' He thought, never hesitating to allow himself to laugh cruelly. 'At last my nightmares will come to an end...'