Hello, and welcome to 'Battlefield'! I've spent the last couple of days eating up more inspiration, and I'm more revved up than ever about my work of love! I'd like to thank all of you for reading my little masterpiece! Thank you all very much!

I just received my new batch of inspiration from the 'Chobits' manga. The 'Mermaid Princess' song instilled a lot of encouragement! It's a really beautiful song; it's still stuck in my head, actually. It's become another theme song in addition to Imogen Heap's song. I created another Gravitation fic thanks to that song; it takes place during February, which is the most romantic month of the year!

Before I continue, I would like to say that I failed to a few important points. I stated that everyone used all available lifelines, but I failed to mention that K contacted Ayaka, Reiji contacted the medical institutions, and Suguru phoned the hotels. Tokyo airports were locked by Ark before the afternoon deadline. I'm sorry for missing such important points!

Please enjoy my work! Thank you, all of you! I would like to give anything huge 'thank you' to the one that inspired me. I can't tell her how much her inspiration means, because words can do justice to my happiness. Let's get into the new chapter!

Theme of 'Battlefield': 'Mermaid Princess' from Chobits, 'Hung Up' from Madonna's 'Confessions on a Dance Floor'

A game plan was about to be set in motion.

The skies were still black, the air was still unbearably heavy, and time seemed to have come to a stop. The limits of reality were no longer in motion, for chaos had taken its place in the realm of veracity. The individuals inside of Eiri Yuki's house felt as if they had been transported to another planet; they were no longer in their warm, familiar world. They were in a world they no longer recognized, a place that wanted to escape from. None of them were comfortable with the heavy sorrow flowing through the air; a mere minute of silence drove all of them crazy, and it was incredibly hard to breathe.

It was a new day, but not a shred of relief came through for any of them. All of them were currently drenched in silence; K had brought his call with the police to a close two hours ago, and his battle plan was about to be turned on. He was a revered, renowned officer in both Japan and America; even though he was a resident of Los Angeles, Japan's police department looked up to him as if he were a brother to them. His vigilance, valiance, passion and endurance made him the perfect police officer; he was a strong warrior and a priceless friend.

It was two o'clock in the afternoon. Reinforcements were summoned by K as soon as he ended his call, and they were all gathered in the beautiful home of Eiri Yuki. To all of them, seconds were no different from years. Every individual was in the living room, filled with the storm of excruciating tension. Mouths were dry, hearts were pounding at the speed of light; they felt as if they had all been struck with the same illness. Tatsuha and Tohma were at Eiri's side, both of their faces radiating concern; Eiri's heart was drenched in silence, and he bore no desire to even walk upon the earth. He was like an animal that had been torn from his soulmate, for he no longer carried the strength to even breathe.

Ryuichi Sakuma's eyes were paintings of sadness. He was a close friend of Shuichi's, and so he wasted no time in rushing to Yuki's house. He brought his tour preparations to a close and made his way over to the establishment, his voice radiant with immaculate worry. Shuichi was a very dear fan of his, and he had no desire to sit on the sidelines during the battle. Ayaka Usami had been summoned as well, and she too was ready to participate in the search. Their concern for the situation made the air even heavier...and all of them knew they were about to begin one of the biggest battles of their lives.

K, of course, was at the head of the group. He stood as the fearless chieftain, ready and willing to take on all challenges. Like the others, he was definitely worried about the missing vocalist, he was thinking of the Shindou as his little brother, instead of just his most precious asset. He was also worried about Shuichi's prince, who had fallen into a zombie-like realm...and was unwilling to leave that realm.

He would have made the perfect drill sergeant, for his leadership skills were flawless. All eyes were on him, focused and filled with the deepest urgency. He was in the middle of a rapid, chaotic conversation, but he was able to stand his ground. Tatsuha was on one end of the conversation; he had just entered his brother's home several moments ago, and seemed to be on fire with concern. His brother was deeply troubled by Shuichi's disappearance, and he had never seen Yuki in such a horrible state before.

"Were all of the hotels checked out?"

"Yes, I'm afraid they were." K explained calmly, rubbing at his chin. His eyes were dark with serenity. "Reiji took care of the hotels herself. None of them gave her any information on Shindou. You'd think that he'd check into a hotel after an argument with Prince Charming, but none of them had anything. Ark snuffed out the airports; all of them were asked to prevent Shindou from catching a flight."

"What about the parks?" Tatsuha asked hurriedly, sounding like a father that was searching for his missing child. His heart was focused on his silent brother, whose face was an unreadable mask. "We've got to cover all grounds here."

K remained calm in the face of chaos. He was an enigmatic, bewitching entity, a soul that could easily charm his way into the hearts of others. At the same time, he was a reckless, relentless cheetah that could snuff out any obstacle. "We've gone through that territory too." he explained as Tatsuha took Eiri by the arm. "Reiji checked in with every available hospital, and found nothing. It's easy to assume that Shuichi could have been discovered sleeping under some tree somewhere, and due to the courtesy of the common man, he wound up in a comfy hospitable bed. We're going to run a thorough check on the parks, but as of right now, the possibility of finding him in a park is low. Besides, if he was sitting in some park, wouldn't he had notified us by now? Wouldn't he have returned to headquarters?"

Ark, K's dearest companion, took up the baton from his partner. "Don't forget about the connection to Shuichi's phone. It's been terminated." he said gravely, his eyes meeting the vigilant eyes of K. "There's no way he could've have destroyed it himself."

"What about your pals at the police department?" Tatsuha asked K, his voice flowing like an agile river. "What's their game plan?"

"They're going to keep an eye on things. A few units are going to assist us in our search, others are simply going to lay in headquarters. We're going to carry out own game plans, and so all of our ends are going to meet. Pretty simple stuff."

The gentle eyes of Ayaka fell into the outside world, which was still lost in a black ocean of rain. Her voice was as soft as a summer breeze, filled with the warmth of a mother's affection. The mournful essence of the rain made its way into her heart, and into her eyes. "Poor Shuichi." she said softly, gazing out of a window. "I hope he's all right."

Her words caused the tension to rise even higher. The air became even heavier; it would have suffocated a complete stranger. It was as if her words transported all of them to another planet, one without the proper resources of life. K's eyes took on a perilous look, and his voice took on a similar tone.

"Well, considering the potency of the storm, I highly doubt that our Shindou's in the greatest of spirits. I'm pretty sure that the encounter with Eiri Yuki is really sinking right about now too."

Ayaka and Hiroshi immediately placed their eyes on the silent novelist, who looked as if his heart was about to crack. Both pairs of eyes were filled with floods of concern, sorrow and confusion; neither of them knew the depth of Yuki's affection, and so both were completely surprised by his pain. Yuki knew he had committed the worst crime imaginable, and felt he deserved the highest punishment available. Ayaka's heart soared out to the novelist, and starlit sorrow fell into her eyes.

He looks so sad...I've never seen him this way before. He's hurting...so much.

Ark rose to the podium after a moment of painful silence. Every one of his words brought on more tension.

"Hiroshi, I have something to ask you. Did Shindou ever tell you anything bad about Eiri Yuki?"

A lightning bolt struck Hiro's heart and caused him to gasp. At the very same time, Yuki's heart jolted, and guilt filled his saddened eyes.

"What?"

Ark's tone remained calm. "I asked you if Shindou ever said anything against Mr. Yuki. Did he ever share his thoughts on being mistreated? Was he ever despondent or lonely around you?"

The atmosphere became the atmosphere of a courtroom in mere seconds. Ark was a lawyer, Hiroshi was the witness...and Yuki was the criminal. The others were members of an audience, and all of them were being suffocated by the hands of fear.

Hiroshi took a few moments to think, then he shook his head fervently. His voice was soft, fragile and almost hoarse. He seemed to be on the same trail as Ark, but was unable to pick up Ark's scent. He was unable to do so because he was afraid to do so. "No...no...he didn't." he said softly, actually speaking to himself rather than Ark. "He...he never told me anything. My Shu was always so..."

Sorrow pierced his heart and tore it apart viciously.

"...happy."

They really were in the middle of a courtroom. They had the entire package; the heartbroken criminal, the determined lawyer, the sorrowful witness and the audience. K had his eyes glued on the lawyer, his own eyes filled with the scent of discovery. His partner was onto something, and it was making Yuki's condition fall further into misery. Tohma kept a tight grip on Yuki's hand, wanting to end the pain his companion was wandering in, but his attempts to comfort him went by unnoticed. Yuki was too far out in the ocean. The novelist couldn't take his mind off of Hiro's words...or Hiro's facial expression.

My Shu was always so...happy.

"Why..." he whispered, his voice drifting into obscurity. He felt as if he were speaking to a dream, a being that had never truly existed.

"Why...why didn't you choose him? Why did it have to be me?"

Ark's eyes gleamed in the midst of the storm. He kept his own eyes glued to the fearful Hiroshi, who was standing on the side of his younger brother. "Was Shindou really happy?" he asked the guitarist, increasing his fear. "Or was he simply hiding behind a mask?"

"What are you getting at?" Ryuichi asked him, his eyes gleaming with anger. He knew where K's partner was going, and didn't like his choice of direction. However, Ark kept his calm in the face of tidal waves. "How could someone possibly be so happy all of the time?" he asked, directing the question to everyone in the room. "We all know Shuichi. He could never stop bouncing off the walls, and always had a smile to offer. His relationship with Yuki was in a sorry state, but he kept his mouth shut. He never removed that smile of his, not even for a second."

Hiro's eyes widened in deep fear, and sadness struck his heart like a lion claw.

Tohma had a solid brick of ice under his left arm. In other words, Yuki was completely frozen.

"Riddle me this, riddle me that. How couldsomeone take so much abuse and keep a smile on his face? What kind of idiot would accept bad treatment with a smile?"

Ryuichi folded his arms angrily. His claws were now out in the open; his voice made that flawlessly clear. "Shuichi's the kind of guy that expects the best out of every one." he said firmly, speaking as if Ark had offended him. "He sees the best qualities in everyone he meets. That's just how he is. I know this is off the subject, but I wish there were more people like him. This world wouldn't be in such a shitty state."

"You've got that right." Suguru put in, placing a hand on Ryuichi's shoulder. "Our Shuichi's pretty innocent."

"Which is exactly why you're going in the wrong direction, Ark." K added bravely, meeting the fire of his friend's eyes. "I understand your thoughts on this. You believe Shuichi ran off and committed suicide, don't you?"

Suicide.

That one lonely word knocked the wind out of all of them.

Suicide.

Reiji clasped a hand to her mouth, feeling her heart pound against her chest in a wild frenzy. The faces of Suguru and Yuuji fell to the floor, radiant with disbelief. Hiro fell to his knees, feeling as if a rope had just been tied around his neck. Tohma's heart jolted as Yuki became colder under his grasp.

Suicide.

"It's a possibility." Ark said after an eternity of silence, noticing the broken hearts within the room. "I mean, think about it. How could someone possibly be so happy all of the time? K, don't tell that you don't know how these things are. Most of the time, the hyped up, happy-pappy ones are the ones with deep emotional problems. Hiro, did Shuichi say anything before he darted out of the door?"

Hiro, who no longer had the strength to be on the witness's stand, mustered up the remnants of his strength. Every piece of his body was ready to fall off; all of them had created minds of their own, and none of them wanted to be a part of him anymore. The stress of the situation was just too much for his body to handle, and he had failed to get a good night's sleep. "Yeah." he said softly, his voice barely above a whisper. "He...he took one last look at Yuki...and said...'I'm sorry'. That was all."

All eyes fell on Yuki, who wanted to tear every single one of his limbs off. He was a stain upon the realm of humanity, and had no right to even look upon humanity's greatest treasure ever again. His emotions were still cryptic to the others, but Tohma could read them perfectly, and they were breaking his heart. The novelist was ready to crack...literally. His eyes, which were still dark pools of blackness, were filled with luminous tears of endless sorrow. The pain of his heart was making itself known in his eyes, for his eyes were fragile shards of despondency.

Ryuichi took a look at Yuki, and then shook his head. "I'm sorry, pal." he said sternly. "I'm not with you on this. There's no way Shuichi could have done himself in."

"I'm with you." K said resolutely, folding his own arms. He turned his attention to his partner, his eyes fearless and bold. "I understand what you're trying to say, but your conclusion isn't valid. Yes, Shuichi's a ball of energy; there was very little we could do to hold him down. But his innocence is far too great for selfishness. His enthusiasm for life was vibrant, and he looked upon all of us as family. He may not want to come into contact with Yuki, but we're still here, and I'm sure he hasn't forgotten us. And don't forget-Reiji contacted every available hospital. None of them picked Shindou off the street. Suicide isn't really in the picture. Nice try, bud, but pull another card."

"Nice work." Suguru said happily, wiping sweat from his forehead. In return, he received a wink from the vigilant officer.

"Thanks. Oh, and by the way, I contacted the media shortly after I awakened. I'm sure all of Japan knows of this situation by now."

Yuki's heart ceased its beating for a second, but that second was no different from a millennium. The novelist's fearful eyes fell onto the officer's face, filled with the shock of a torn animal. K nodded at him sadly, feeling as if he had just offended a very dear friend. "I'm sorry, Yuki, but it had to be done." he explained sadly. "We may not find Shindou. We have to take all possibilities into consideration."

Tohma tightened his grip.

"We're going to do a little research of our own. My friends in the service are going to do whatever they can to find Shindou, but in the meantime, it wouldn't hurt to carry out a few plans of our own. Now, we're going to hitch up in pairs and search the city. If none of us are able to find even a piece of pink fluff, each pair is going to embark on a grand tour of Japan. Each pair is going to carry out their search in separate areas. The police department is free to do as they please, but we're going to carry our search until New Year's Eve. If worse comes to worse, we'll meet back here...in grand Tokyo. Understood?"

Silence ensued. Heads lowered themselves, hearts shattered into a million pieces...and a lost soul fell deeper and deeper into pain. Turbulent winds filled their ears for several minutes, then Suguru gently broke the devastating silence.

"I can't believe we're actually doing this..."

"Neither can I." Ryuichi whispered in return, feeling as if he was meeting the Fujisaki for the very first time. He shook his head sadly, unable to believe that his entire vacation had been eliminated by a single phone call.

"I, of course, will take on Ark as my partner." K continued, bearing the voice of a football coach. "My faithful swordsman and I will journey through the luscious areas of Nagoya and Kyoto."

"I'll be in charge of Yuki-sama!" the gentle Seguchi put in bravely, bearing no desire to emit his pain. He knew he had the perfect chance to claim the one he loved, but Yuki's heart was lost in another dimension. Taking advantage of a brokenhearted soul wouldn't have been a very nice thing to do; it would have been horrifically immoral. He was a strong supporter of the novelist, and just wanted him to be happy. "We'll take on Kyushu and Nagasaki."

"Wise decision." K said happily, breathing a sigh of relief. "You handle him well. The two of you will do just fine."

"I'll be in charge of the one that keeps staring at me." Ryuichi added courageously, feeling the fearless gaze of Tatsuha burn into the back of his head. Yuki's playful sibling winked at him as soon as he turned around. "We'll take Yokohama and Shikoku!" Tatsuha said excitedly, ready to take on the newest challenge at hand. He gave a warm, encouraging smile to his brother.

"Don't you worry! We'll find him!"

"You know, for some reason...that just doesn't sound right. I wish everyone would stop saying that."

Hearing Yuki speak was like communicating with an alien from another planet. Tatsuha focused his eyes on him, filled with fervent apprehension.

"You want everyone to stop saying what?"

Yuki's tone of voice broke his heart.

"I wish everyone would stop telling me to keep it cool."

"Ayaka and I will be in charge of Hiroshima!" Reiji said bravely, trying to keep her eyes from Yuki's mournful facial expression. "We'll also take on Matsue!"

"Akita and Aomori are ours." Hiroshi put in valiantly, removing oceans from his eyes. His two companions, Yuuji and Suguru, stood at his side bravely. The two of them silently exchanged a pledge with each other; both of them vowed to look after Hiroshi with their lives.

A smile of ardent hope lit up K's eyes. He felt as if he had just created a fool-proof game plan with his star players, and he was ready to tackle the world. "Now remember-the extensions of your quest will only come into play if nothing can be found in Tokyo. Once all of you have done your part here, you are free to hitch a plane ride to your chosen areas. Before we leave, however, I have a question to ask our Prince Charming."

Once again, all eyes went straight to the novelist. Yuki never really enjoyed being the center of attention, but that was during book signings and tours. Now he was seriously against the idea of being placed under a hot spotlight; he knew he had done wrong, and couldn't endure anymore destructive attacks. However, K didn't have harmful intentions; he wanted to ask him a question, and it was a question that would forever change his life.

"Eiri Yuki, I want you to look me straight in the eyes. I don't know what happened up there, but I do know this. Shuichi Shindou loved you-he loved with you all of his heart and soul. I believe he still loves you. He's waiting for you somewhere, my friend...so answer this for me. Are you willing to do whatever it takes to find him? Are you willing to even place your life on the line if you have to?"

He received the answer he expected to receive.

"Yes! Yes, dammit! I'll slice off my own damned arms if I have to! I'll do whatever I have to do to bring him back! I love him and I'm ready to do ANYTHING to bring him back! I'll say this one last time; I love him and I'm sorry! So get off of my damn back already! I'm sorry!"

I'm sorry...I'm so sorry...

Tohma brought Yuki into another motherly embrace and comforted him with soft, gentle whispers. The novelist's sobs were the only things that could be heard for an eternity, with the exception of the wind...but then K's hopeful grin broke the silence.

"Yuki, that was exactly what I wanted to hear. Let's begin, shall we?"

"I've never been to New York before. I've heard it's a really cool place!"

"It is. You're going to love it there, dollface. You and I are going to have a blast."

"Are you sure my friends are all right with this? I mean...I know Yuki doesn't care about me...but are you really sure that the others are okay?"

"I'm one hundred percent sure, love. You gave me your best friend's number, remember? I gave him a call while you were asleep. I have to say that you're pretty damned cute when you're sleeping, Shuichi. You're even cuter than a puppy. I may have to adopt you."

"Thanks, but no thanks. I'll be okay in a few days!"

"I know you'll be fine. I'm going to take really good care of you, sweet cheeks. I'll pamper you for a few days, then I'll let you go back to Tokyo...unless I decide to take you for myself."

Shuichi Shindou, the missing vocalist of Bad Luck, was on a flight to New York.

On his side was a young woman, one with lustrous blonde hair, sleek curves and bold brown eyes.

Ark had placed all airports on lock down at seven o'clock.

Shuichi's new 'friend' had decided to catch a ten o'clock flight during the previous night.

She couldn't take her eyes off of him. He was so sweet, so gentle...so weak and vulnerable. Beautiful in every way imaginable. He enjoyed even the smallest of things...and just wanted someone to love.

Such a delicate, pure little thing. Broken by the cruel hand of fate. Such delicate, rich beauty.

It'll be all mine soon. I'll claim him as my own. He won't be hitching a ride back to little ol' Tokyo.

She had rescued him from the storm. He was a serendipity; a pile of gold that had just fallen right out of the sky. She found him under a tree within a park, lost in unconsciousness. She cared for him within her hotel room...and took complete advantage of his vulnerability. The poor young puppy was heartbroken, cold and lonely...he looked as if he had just been thrown out by his dearest, most trusted master. She created a plan, and carried it out quick; she knew she had to claim this treasure for herself.

She had no desire to return Shuichi to his 'rightful owner'.

It's all over, Eiri Uesugi. We've won. My brother and I have won the war. I've got your treasure box.

"Ms. Yoshiki?"

She smiled at him warmly, her ethereal features betraying her true heart.

"Just call me 'Yoshi', Shuichi. That would be fine. We don't have to stick to formalities."

Silence engulfed Eiri's heart.

He and his traveling partner were the last pair. The house was quiet...too quiet...

The Christmas tree was no longer up...the decorations had been removed...

There was nothing left...other than the tears of a broken heart.

He removed a jewelry box from his black coat pocket.

Shards of crystal fell upon it and bestowed a mournful, ethereal gleam to it.

Gentle words left his mouth in delicate whispers.

"When I see you again...I'll give this to you...and I'll explain everything. Then...I'll bring you home. So just wait for me, okay?"

I'm sorry, Shuichi. I'm so sorry...

"I love you, Shu-chan...and I wish you'd...come back to me..."

Tohma Seguchi placed both of their bags into Yuki's vehicle, then rushed back into the house, realizing that Yuki wasn't with him. The softhearted Seguchi found the novelist on his knees, lost in a world of tears...

...clutching a jewelry box to his shivering chest.

Rain poured from the skies...and from his heart.

"Shuichi...please wait for me...I'm sorry..."

At night, the town is quiet like the bottom of the ocean

I continue down the road by myself

Guided by the distant voice

I keep searching for the soft blue light

Hey I discovered myself within

And my spirit calls out to me

No matter how far away I am, I can hear it

Hey I found you

And so, without leaving you again

No matter how much I hurt inside I'll always be near you

I'll never release

Your hand that I held.

-'Nigyo Hime: The Mermaid Princess' lyrics from 'Chobits'

I hope all of you enjoyed this chapter! I loved writing! I hope I can share the joy of creation with other writers out there! I've never felt such enthusiasm for another story before! I'm so happy! Please have fun with 'Kakumei'!

Can any of you guess who tricked Shuichi into hitching a flight to New York? Hmm...where will the story turn next? What will happen? Stay tuned for the next chapter, 'Departure'!