Welcome to 'Thunder', the newest entry to 'Kakumei'! The excitement grows higher and higher with each passing day! I've read so many more Gravi fics, they're really too hard to keep up with! We Gravitation authors have to stick together, yes precious? WRITE ON! Get it? Ha ha ha ha ha ha!
I am happy to announce the location of the finale! The grand finale is going to occur in the Empire State Building of New York, but what's going to happen? Is Eiri gone forever? Will the finale center on just Shuichi and Yoshi? Will Yoshi's dreams come true? I POSSESS THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE FUTURE! You unfortunate souls will just have to wait! Hold on your seatbelts, hee hee hee!
All reviews accepted! However, flames are my immortal enemies. I just found a few more flames in the Gravi fics I've read, and so I hate them even more. DON'T FLAME ME, PLEASE!
Enjoy! Happy reading!
Theme of 'Thunder': Mermaid Princess of Chobits anime, Wunderkind by Alanis Morrisette (Chronicles of Narnia OST). Music for Yoshi's party: Sean Paul's 'We Be Burnin'. (A/N: I love that song)
Note: Sawasdee Sumiyoshi restaurant is a true place within Nagoya, Japan. Thank you for reading. Researching for 'Kakumei' is fun. Another note: Original characters will be introduced in this chapter. I would like to issue another warning for this chapter: something big is going to hit Shuichi. If any of you have seen Coyote Ugly, think of that when you reach Yoshi's party.
When a lion waits for an opportunity to strike its prey, it assumes an enigmatic, silent position. It enters a world of thought, and searches for a solution to its situation. Claude K. Winchester, who was affectionately referred to as 'K', was up in an obscure, unpredictable position. His eyes were calm and silent, but they held a desire to spring out at audience. His body was in a serene position, but at the same time he was in the stance of a determined warrior. One could have easily said that he was relaxing, for he was enjoying a drink...but closer inspection revealed that he was silently searching for a solution. He was searching for a solution that seemed to be non-existent, but he was ready to sacrifice anything to find it.
His thoughts were hidden behind his eyes. Not even his companion knew his mind's activity. K was known for his random acts of chaotic silliness, and he was notorious for being dangerously unpredictable. His companion knew that he was wrestling with some invisible force, but the officer had a perfectly calm exterior. Both of them seemed to be having a peaceful meeting, but only they knew their current emotions. K, of course, was silently lost in a battle; his companion was silently trying to put the pieces of a puzzle together.
All of Japan was aware of Shuichi Shindou's disappearance, and its people were in despair. Bad Luck had an immeasurable fan base, thanks to the endearing qualities of its puppy-eyed vocalist, and at the moment, the band's fans were drowning in misery. Many of them were filled with the fury of frustration; some of them were conducting searches of their own. Many devoted fans were sharing their thoughts inside of the Sawasdee Sumiyoshi, and not a single thought was drenched in optimism.
"It's been...how many days now?"
"What do you think happened?"
"I don't know. Shindou was a spirited ball of energy. I didn't know him, but I miss him the way I would miss a brother. Don't you remember Bad Luck's last tour? Man, it was incredible!"
"I'll never forget it. I reserved a seat for their next tour, but it doesn't look like there's gonna be one now. They can't go on without Shuichi."
"You can say that again."
Ark, K's closest friend, narrowed his eyes at the officer in frustration. K was calmly sipping at his drink, but he was clearly frustrated about the current situation. K had a knack for hiding behind secretive masks; he even admitted to enjoying the masks he created. The officer asked him a question after an eternity of silence, his voice as nonchalant as a bartender's.
"How's your Fakuton?"
Ark looked down at his dish in surprise. He had completely forgotten its presence, but was in no mood to finish it off. He removed his focus from it after a second of acknowledgement, and placed his attention back on K. "Don't give me that." he snapped firmly. "Your silence is annoying me. You usually aren't this quiet. It's really hard to read you."
K smiled at him roguishly, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "Well, what do you expect? We aren't in the middle of a cruise here. My pals haven't seen Shuichi in days. Sightseeing is fun, but not when you're in the middle of a search. And to make matters worse, we haven't found a damn thing. It's as if Shindou's fallen off the face of the earth."
Ark detected something he had never heard before in K's voice; brotherly concern. Shuichi was no longer just a 'missing person'. He was a friend that needed to be found...a dear friend. He had filled K's life with a jubilance that could never be replaced, and the officer missed him dearly.
"I bet your pals really miss him, eh?"
"You bet they do." K replied sadly, twirling his beloved guns about his fingers. "They've made new friends, but Shindou's their lifelong friend. I can't tell you how depressing this is."
K's beloved possessions 'made friends' every time he set off on random rampages. They had many several 'friends' already, and they were on their way to making more. Of course, K's gunfire didn't harm anyone; he created explosions just for the spirit of things. He was a bloodhound on the trail...unfortunately, the person he was looking for was nowhere to be found, so he was a little on the edge.
The officer released a heavy sigh, and then gulped down the rest of his drink. "During your last investigation, I received an update from Seguchi." he reported, his calm eyes drowning in frustration. "And guess what? He told me that Eiri Yuki made an attempt at suicide."
Ark's eyes widened in sorrow. His food and drink fell into oblivion as he placed all of his attention on K, who looked like a historian that had failed to finish the world's greatest mystery. "Are you serious?" he asked him gently, and received a stern nod in return.
"I couldn't be more serious. Seguchi was hysterical."
"Is everything all right now?"
"I highly doubt that it is. Seguchi's reports are never optimistic. Yuki's emotionally unstable, and they've been unable to locate any information. Things aren't too good on their end, either."
He took a moment to reflect upon his thoughts, and then he continued. His eyes were filled with sadness, weariness and confusion. His voice was no different.
"Seguchi rescued Yuki, but he barely missed him. It was a close call, from what I heard."
Ark looked like someone watching a horrific science-fiction movie. His gentle personality was shining in his eyes, and through his voice. "Wow...I can't believe it!" he said softly, bearing the voice of a millionaire that lost everything in one swoop. "Eiri Yuki actually tried to snuff himself out? Why do you think-"
"Why else? He misses Shindou like crazy."
Ark's eyes became the eyes of a saddened lamb. "But if he loves Shindou so much, then why was he such a-"
"Yuki's treatment against Shindou led us to the worst assumptions. His foul, filthy behavior led us to believe that he was nothing more than a low-life. His reaction to this entire situation, however, flipped my assumptions inside out. Shindou's disappearance has caused his entire psyche to crash. You remember me telling you about his attempt at suicide, right? He's emotionally unstable. All of these factors lead up to one thing; Eiri Yuki's finally showing his true colors. He took Shindou for granted, and this tragedy brought him to the light. That's all there is to it."
Sadness caused Ark's heart to plunge into obscurity. If he had been a canine, his ears would've lowered and a soft whimper would've made a descent. Silence pounded on both of them for a few minutes, then Ark asked the question that was on both minds.
"Do you think we'll find him?"
This question brought on a response Ark didn't expect to see. It was a response he would never forget.
Claude K. Winchester's eyes became sad.
"K..."
The only answer Ark received was silence.
If someone had said there was a dog show going off in Yoshi's home, they wouldn't have been too far from the bulls-eye. Her house was alive with excitement, all because she was hellbent on showing off her new 'puppy'. Her home, which was usually silent with the serenity of an enigmatic night, was filled to the rims with adrenaline; music was at a high volume, streams of confetti were soaring through atmosphere, and jubilant voices were piercing the cool air. The owner of the house was throwing her newest guest a party, and was happily showing him off. All of them were cooing over him as if he really were a puppy, acting as if they had never seen a cute being. In their eyes, Yoshi's new toy was the cutest thing alive. His appearance, which had been completely remodeled by the Garren salon, held them in a fiery trance. His hair had lost its pure pink jubilance; it was now black. The color change was accompanied by an elegant, slick cut; a long strand of hair was stuck to each cheek, and the rest of his hair seemed to be locked on his head. His new look horrified him, but it made all of New York fall madly in love with him.
"He's absolutely adorable! Can I hold him?"
"I'll take him home! Hey cutie, why don't you shack up with me? I'll help you recover from your iddy-bitty break up!"
"The poor thing's scared to death! He's soooo vulnerable!"
"Puppies are at their cutest when they're vulnerable. They're perfect for picking."
The 'vulnerable puppy' was completely oblivious to everything. To him, they were sweet, friendly and enthusiastic women; in other words, they were no different from Yoshi. In his eyes, they were a little on the weird side, but they meant no harm.
His interpretation of the situation was way off the mark.
"Hey Yoshi! Bring us some of the good stuff! I bet he'd like a taste of it!"
Those words sent a thunderbolt through him. The 'good stuff' was evidently alcohol, and he had no tolerance for any kind of alcohol. He had consumed several of Yuki's beer bottles in the past (out of sheer curiosity), and his horrific hangover caused him to regret everything. But, of course, he was clueless when it came to the forces of evil...
"Thank you, but I don't drink!"
The one that had demanded the 'good stuff', a tall female with luminous brown eyes, placed a hand on Shuichi's shoulder. She received a frightened facial expression as a response to her movement, and she gave him the response a lion would give to a fearful mouse.
She licked her lips.
"Don't worry, sweet thing. It'll be fine. It's nothing heavy, right?"
Her companion, a smaller female with long black hair, grinned at them. She emitted an aura that told Shuichi she was enjoying some of the good stuff, and that made things even worse. Her voice proved everything.
"Of course it isn't heavy! He'll tolerate it! And if he doesn't, I'll just have to give him a little rubdown! He'd like that, wouldn't he?"
"Sure he would. Your boyfriend wouldn't, though!" her friend shot back at her, and she received a cold glare in response.
"Go screw yourself. He won't care about me petting that cute little thing."
An elegant wine glass was shoved in Shuichi's hands a second later, and he found the mischievous eyes of Yoshi. Her outfit displayed the sleek, graceful beauty of her body perfectly, which made her ecstatic. She smiled at him, and then delivered a wink.
"Here! Take a drink!"
He was a fish out of water.
"But-"
"Don't worry about it, dollface! Nothing's gonna happen to ya! 'Sides, you only live once! Enjoy yourself! Go on!"
Right then and there, Shuichi Shindou's world turned inside out.
Nobody laid a hand on Yoshi's stereo system, but the music soared beyond an excruciating level. The voices of her friends became louder, the lights became brighter...
...nothing was right.
Everything was all wrong.
He didn't belong here. New York wasn't his home. And he didn't belong with Yoshi.
It was all...wrong...
"Hey there, sexy. Drink that and you'll forget your troubles! I promise!"
Those words came from another on of Yoshi's friends, and they were the perfect weapons. Shuichi digested those words for a minute, and thought of the pain he had endured during that fateful night in Tokyo. He had placed his heart in the deepest of wishes; he had believed in fairy tales...he had believed in true love. That night caused all of those beliefs to shrivel up and die.
His Prince Charming didn't love him. He didn't want to have anything to do with him.
His adventure in New York was a blast. He was able to witness sights he had never dreamt of before, and was able to eat the treasures of many worlds. The trip to the salon alone was a wonderful experience, even though he was reluctant to give up his natural look. He had only spent a few days in Yoshi's world, but he loved it dearly. There was only one problem, though.
It wasn't his.
The translucent red liquid left the glass and entered Shuichi's body. After the last drop made its descent into him, he gathered his strength and spoke.
"Yoshi!"
His caretaker had a large fanbase. She was in the arms of several men, and she was enjoying her company. She loved it when her admirers worshiped her.
"That's right, daddy! Bring it home, right here! You're a bunch of tigers!"
The vocalist's heart sank. He loved New York, but it wasn't his home. It wasn't where he belonged. His world was Tokyo; he didn't belong in Yoshi's wild party.
"Yoshi!"
She searched for the owner of the voice, and found his face a moment later. At first she looked irritated, but then her heart melted. Her puppy wasn't happy.
"What is it, baby cakes? What's on your mind?"
His eyes were filled with a fervent level of sadness; the sadness was strong that it was practically fierce. He was sad, so sad...
"I'd...I'd like...to..."
She thought he was the cutest thing, and she was ready to eat him.
"You'd like to do what, sweet cheeks?"
Shuichi looked like a timid student facing a furious teacher.
"...I'd...like...to go home tomorrow, please."
Her response set off a red alarm.
"Sorry. You can't, sweet thing. Yeah, that's it! Bring it home!"
Fear shot into Shuichi's eyes and caused them to become radiant, violet diamonds.
"Why not?"
"You and I aren't finished! I'm keeping you a little longer!"
The vocalist became sick to his stomach. Something was definitely about to happen. Nothing felt right.
"How much longer?"
"Oh, I'd say...until the end of forever. You aren't going anywhere, Shuichi!"
His eyes became solid pools of cold, hard fear. Everything crumbled beneath his feet. The music became louder and louder...his head began to spin...the room began to spin...
"I've caught my fish and now I'm ready to reel him in! You're my new toy, sweet thing!"
...his head began to pound...nausea struck him...
"What are you saying?"
"I'm not beating around the bush. You're all mine now, and that's the bottom line. Get used to it."
...his heartbeat rose to a painful speed...
"You tricked me?"
"Not really. You fell for everything yourself, you broken thing you. Oh, and since we're on the subject of betrayal...I didn't really call your pals. They have no idea where you are! Pretty sneaky of me, right?"
Shuichi Shindou fell to his knees, clutching his heart. His breathing became rapid...sweat began to soak his heaving body...the music became louder...
"You...you KIDNAPPED me!"
He had been nothing more than a toy to her. She saw him as plaything, an animal. He was nothing more than her toy, and now...he was also her hostage.
The vocalist's heart was infinitely pure, and so heavy reality never sat well with him. The dirge of betrayal slapped him right in the face, and ate away at his heart. He had placed his trust in Yoshi, and she was laughing at it.
His heart began to pound faster...nausea exploded and soared throughout his body...the world continued to spin...none of his friends knew where he was...
...everything was all wrong...so wrong...
A bright light exploded in front of him, then strength evaporated from his body. His body became excruciatingly heavy; it felt so heavy that it was practically foreign. Cold claws attacked every limb of his body, and fire tore at his bloodstream...
He couldn't call for help. His cell phone was no longer in existence. Its life had ended during his flight from Yuki's house.
Yoshi's true heart became clear. He was now afraid of her and her companions; he felt like a broken lion trapped in a cage. Her exterior was an upbeat one, but now he could see who she truly was. She was an unpredictable, vindictive fox.
I'm...I'm trapped...
"Hey Yoshiki! I think something's wrong with your new toy!"
"I knew he wouldn't be able to handle it! It was too heavy for him, the poor thing!"
The world quickened its pace. It wouldn't stop spinning...his life was in danger...
"Yoshiki! I guess it's finally time!"
"You're right. We'll tie him down as soon as he falls, and then we'll have mealtime."
Shuichi Shindou's eyes closed. One last word left his lips, and that word...was a name.
"Yuki..."