Most of the characters mentioned here are property of Rumiko Takahashi from the Ranma ½ series, such as Ukyo, Ranma, Akane, Ryoga, Shampoo, Mousse, Cologne, Kasumi, Kuno, Nabiki, and the other Furinkahn students.

Chapter Two: The First Victims

"What do you mean you were bitten?" asked one girl.

As Ukyo entered the classroom, she saw that all the students were gathered around Yuka. She tried to see what had happened, but everyone got on her way. She then saw Akane and Ranma.

"Hi there" she said to Ranma. "What happened to Yuka?"

Ranma turned around and saw Ukyo.

"Hi" he said gloomily.

Ukyo noticed Ranma's tone of voice and that got her even more worried.

"Apparently, Yuka got bitten" Ranma continued.

"Bitten?" asked a puzzled Ukyo "By what?"

"Don't know" answered Ranma as he shrugged.

"Well, haven't you asked her?" asked Ukyo, eager to know the answer to all of this.

"We did" interfered Akane. "But she herself doesn't know what could possibly have bitten her."

"That's awful." said Ukyo. "And is she okay?"

"She says she's feeling a bit weak" replied Ranma. "But she's okay."

Just as Ranma finished his sentence, a group of students moved enough so that Ukyo could see Yuka. When she saw her, she was pale. And in the side of her neck, she had two huge puncture marks.

"Oh, my God." said Ukyo. Then she added to herself "That's horrible."

"I'm gonna call some kind of bug - catcher." Said Yuka to the crowd. "It might have been a spider."

"A VERY BIG spider" added Akane silently.

When the professor entered the classroom, all the gossip stopped, and everyone went to their respective seats.

At recess, Ukyo, Ranma, and Akane were having lunch together, as usual. However, none of them dared to say a word.

Ukyo tried to break the ice and asked:

"So. what do you both think about my new recipe?"

Akane and Ranma answered at the same time:

"Oh, it's great, thanks."

And after that, not a word was spoken.

Ukyo, again, ventured to speak. only this time she asked:

"What do you think bit Yuka? Akane? Ran - Chan?"

Ranma and Akane looked at each other for a minute.

".I'm not sure" said Akane.

"Beats me" added Ranma.

".Oh." Said Ukyo, disappointed.

They kept on eating the okonomiyaki that Ukyo had made, and no one dared to speak again. except Ukyo, who asked once more, this time, more persistent than before:

"What kind of animal would bite on the neck?"

Ranma shrugged and Akane shook her head.

Ukyo sighed and said silently to herself:

"We don't know and we don't care."

No one mentioned anything about that after that last question. they kept on eating. quietly.

After school was over, Ukyo, Ranma, and Akane went to the Tendo's place, because they had to do a school project. They all worked silently. Nobody said anything.

The weather was terrible. It was awfully cold, and it had rained a lot.

They finished late, around 9:00 o'clock. Ukyo had to go home.

"See you tomorrow" she said as she waved off to Ranma and Akane.

Ukyo then started home. She kept on walking, without looking back. And as she walked farther from the Tendo's place, she also speeded up. Something worried her. and she didn't know what it was.

Ukyo turned in a dark alley, and walked through it. This alley was a shortcut to reach her restaurant. The alley looked dark and scary and tough Ukyo could've ignored it and take the long way, she decided reach her home sooner. she was more scared of staying until later than she was of the alley. As she walked, she felt a chill. and she began to get even more scared.

The sky was clouded and the wind roared. Thunder could be heard from far away. The temperature began to drop. And just then, Ukyo felt the most evil presence anyone could ever imagine. And this presence intimidated her to the point were tears began to come out of her eyes, her pulse and breathing speeded up, and her face turned pale.

In a desperate attempt to defend herself against this evil fiend, Ukyo reached her spatula, and then discharged a powerful blow against the air that surrounded her.

"KUIIIII!!!" she suddenly heard.

And as she looked down, she saw a little black pig with a yellow bandanna that had ducked just in time to dodge the powerful strike.

It took her a moment to recognize the pig.

"P - Chan!" she yelled.

Akane's little black pig, was scared to death as he felt the wind coming from the blow. he had ducked just in time, and now he had assumed a fetal position.

"Oh, P - Chan, I'm so sorry! I didn't know it was you! Poor boy." she said as she wiped the tears of her face and hugged the little pig.

"You must've been scared to death! I'm so sorry." she continued.

"You know, I was also pretty scared." she said as she remembered that she had felt an evil presence. Right now, she felt nothing except P - Chan's fear and her own.

"What are you doing so far from Akane's place? You're supposed to be with her." she whispered to the little pig as she began to stand up.

P - Chan looked at her for a moment, and then he looked away.

".Do you want me to take you there?" Ukyo asked.

P - Chan opened his eyes widely and then looked at her happily. only that when P - Chan felt Ukyo's fear to go back, he just buried his face in her chest.

Ukyo got the idea, and then said:

"I get it. You want to spend this night with me, huh?" she said smiling.

"Kui!" replied the pig happily.

Ukyo giggled.

"Thanks. You know, I could use some company. After all, I live by myself!" she said.

Before they left the alley, Ukyo glanced at the floor and saw something very interesting.

"What the-?" she began.

"Oh, God. this is Ryoga's backpack. and his umbrella!" she exclaimed.

P - Chan just looked silently, without emitting a sound.

"Gosh, I sure hope Ryoga is alright." Ukyo said, sounding worried.

P - Chan looked at the things on the ground, and then he looked at Ukyo.

Ukyo glanced at the little pig. They looked at each other silently for a few moments, and then Ukyo said, smiling:

"Should we take this with us?"

The little pig nodded happily. Ukyo chuckled.

"All right. Besides, Ryoga wanders pretty much from one place to another. I'm sure I'll see him at my restaurant sooner or later." she said. However, she sounded worried. she was scared that something could have happened to Ryoga.

Back at Ukyo's place, she and P - Chan were having some okonomiyaki Ukyo had prepared. After they were done eating, Ukyo looked for something that could be used as a small bed for the little pig. She didn't have to look much, because she simply grabbed one of her pillows and put her in the floor. After that, she grabbed a little blanket. And with that little blanket, she covered little P - Chan's body.

"Now."she said calmly "I'm going to change myself."

As soon as he heard this, P - Chan immediately turned his little head around. Ukyo saw this and she giggled as she changed took off her clothes and put her pajamas on. After that, she got into bed.

The lights were still on. Ukyo and P - Chan stood silent for a moment. Then, Ukyo began to speak:

"I sure hope Ryoga's not harmed. there have some strange things going on lately." she paused, and then continued "like the wolf that I saw the other day. then this. bite that Yuka has on her neck." she finished, and when she turned around, she saw the little pig staring at her silently.

".Do you think Ryoga's alright?" she asked to P - Chan.

P - Chan nodded as he winked to Ukyo. She laughed, and then said:

"All right, then. Don't worry, tomorrow I'll take you to school. Akane will be there, you know."

P - Chan lifted his little ears up and then he emitted some cheering sounds. Ukyo laughed some more.

"You are a funny little guy, P - Chan. Oh well. night."

And with that, they both fell asleep.

Next day, Ukyo got up early, ate breakfast, and woke up P - Chan.

"We're off to school" she said. "Here, get in my backpack. That way, no one will see you."

P - Chan climbed to the backpack obediently. Then Ukyo took off.

As soon as the school bell rang, Ukyo found Ranma and Akane.

"I have a present for you." said Ukyo to Akane.

She reached her backpack, and got P - Chan out.

"P - Chan!" yelled Akane happily as the little pig jumped to her arms.

"Oh, Ukyo, thank you so much!" said Akane as she hugged P - Chan. "Were was he?" she asked.

"I found him in the alley that leads to my house" she replied, and after a pause, she added darkly ".next to Ryoga's stuff."

Akane looked at Ukyo. She began to get worried.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Next to Ryoga's stuff" Ukyo repeated. "Only Ryoga was missing."

Akane's face began to turn pale.

"What could've happened to him?" she asked, worried.

Ranma, who had been silent to the moment, interfered and said:

"Don't worry about a thing, Ryoga's alright."

"How can you be so sure?" asked Akane.

Ranma stood silent for a moment, as he thought for a good, credible excuse. Then he said:

".'Cause I saw him today."

Akane was about to ask something, but then Ranma added:

"I got up early in the morning, because I was thirsty. I was going to get a glass of water, and I saw Ryoga jogging outside."

"That's good" said Ukyo as she sighed in relief.

"Yeah, that's good to hear" added Akane, as color began to fill her face again.

".Well, just tell Ryoga, if you see him again, that his stuff's at my restaurant, ok?" said Ukyo.

"No problem" replied Ranma.

"Well, we better get going, or we'll be late for physics class." Said Akane, as she urged Ranma and Ukyo to go with her.

"So, were is P - Chan going to stay?" asked Ukyo to Akane.

"I know a good place were he can hide!" exclaimed Ranma.

Akane looked at Ukyo for a moment, then she handed P - Chan over to Ranma. But before she let go of the little pig, she asked:

"Can I trust that you won't hurt him?"

Ranma rolled his eyes.

"Yes, Akane, you can trust me" he said in a complaining tone.

With that, Akane let go of P - Chan.

"Let's go" said Ukyo to Akane. "Class is about to start.

As the two girls headed for the classroom, Ranma walked in the opposite direction, carrying P - Chan.

".Bad rain we had yesterday, didn't we?" mocked Ranma.

P - Chan growled at him.

"Hey, don't start with that." Scolded Ranma. "I just saved your butt back there."

Ranma hurried, and hid the little pig in a cottage that was near the football field.

"Stay here. I'll be back for you at recess." Ranma said.

The little pig growled and poked out his tongue.

"Ungrateful little pork!" yelled. Ranma, as he hurried back to the classroom.

A few days had passed since Ukyo found P - Chan in the alley. Turned out that Ryoga was ok. But this did not relief Ukyo entirely. because now Daisuke had been bitten. in the same place. He had also the same two puncture marks Yuka had. Ukyo tried to pay no attention to this. But she couldn't. She only kept thinking about how Yuka and Daisuke could've got bitten in that way. and most important. by what animal.

Ukyo had been working all day. She had run out of bread, and since it was kind of late, she knew the market was already closed.

".Oh, darn." She said, as she realized that there was only one person who could sell her bread at this time of the day. Shampoo.

She sighed as she accepted her fate, and then she took off to Shampoo's restaurant.

"At least they're still open" she said gloomily as she stood in the front door.

When she entered, she was received exactly as she expected.

"The Spatula Girl here?!" exclaimed Shampoo, with an angry look on her face. "You go out! You nothing to do here!" she said to Ukyo.

"Shut up, you hussy!" replied Ukyo "I've had a very lousy day, and all I came to ask you is for some bread, so give me a break already!" she yelled.

"Why, you--!" began Shampoo, but she was stopped by her great grandmother, Cologne.

"Take it easy, girls" she said. "This is no time and place to fight."

Shampoo dropped her stance, looked down and then said sadly:

"I know, great grandmother."

Ukyo immediately noticed something was wrong.

"What happened?" she asked.

"It's Mousse." Replied Cologne. "He's been bit by some animal."

Ukyo dropped her jaw.

"Mousse not feeling well" said Shampoo. "Mousse weak." She added.

Ukyo knew then exactly what happened. The same animal that had bitten Yuka and Daisuke obviously had bitten Mousse.

"Is. is he all right?" asked a scared Ukyo.

"Oh, yes. He's just weak." Replied Cologne, and then she said "You came here for bread, right? Well, come here, and I'll fetch you some."

Ukyo followed Cologne. Cologne sold some bread to Ukyo. And as she gave the bag filled with bread to Ukyo, she asked:

"How's my son - in - law?"

Ukyo, who had been thinking about Mousse, Yuka, and Daisuke to the moment, suddenly snapped out of it, and answered angrily:

"He's not your son - in - law, he's my fiancé. and he's fine."

"Ranma, mine! You, dog of street!" exclaimed Shampoo, hysterically.

Ukyo grabbed her bag, and simply said to Cologne:

"Thanks for the bread."

And as she got out of the restaurant, she punched Shampoo on the nose, and this last one fell flat on her back