Chapter Five: The Dark, Young Man
It had been three weeks since the wolf had been protecting Ukyo. Every night it returned to look after her. But one night, something happened.
The sun had just went down. Night fell in Nerima. People returned to their houses. And in a dark street, the very same street were Ukyo saw the young girl's death, walked a young man.
He was tall; about six feet high. He had an athletic body - similar to that of Ranma's or Ryoga's. His skin was pale. He wore a red bandanna in his head; his hair was light brown, and his eyes were... violet. A light violet that reflected an immense sadness. He walked along the street, when it began to get cold. Clouds covered the sky, and wind roared. And the young man felt an evil presence. It was approaching him. He could tell exactly were it was. The evil presence stopped, right behind the young man. This last one did not turn to face the creature. He was very scared. However, there were no signs of it. Not even in his eyes, for they only reflected sadness. He didn't shake or shiver. He just stood still, looking only to what he had in front, and he never turned around to face his back.
Suddenly, the creature spoke:
"Well, well... if it isn't the little traitor." It whispered in a low and malevolent voice.
The young man did not move.
"What do you want, son of darkness?" asked the young man, in a very stern and manly voice.
The evil creature laughed.
"HA, HA, HA!!... Son of darkness? Is that how you call your kind now?" asked the creature with a sarcastic tone.
"You are not of my kind" answered the young man, without loosing his posture.
The evil creature laughed even more.
"Not of your kind? Oh, I see." Said the creature, it's words full of irony and cruelty. "You are right. I am not of the ones that believe that the sun will embrace me in it's warm rays and take me to the heavens..."
"I don't believe in that either." Replied the young man.
The creature cackled.
"Oh? Is that so? How strange. That's what mortals believe..." it said sarcastically.
"I don't think of myself as a mortal." Said the young man.
The creature shook it's head.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk... You don't, eh? I always thought you thought of yourself as a mortal, since you are always looking after that girl..." the creature said.
The young man said nothing.
"What is it you want from her?" asked the evil creature "Do you want to... have your way with her, you filthy lad?" mocked the creature.
"Unlike you, I have a pure soul." Said the young man, in a defiant tone.
The creature burst out laughing.
"But boy... you have no soul. You are a creature of the night. You are a son of darkness. And you have no soul at all." said the creature, and then concluded: "and I am your creator. You should be worshiping me and the ground were I step, for I forgave your pitiful life, and gave you a new one."
"A new life!? A NEW LIFE??!! All you did was draw me into the arms of misery! I have been unhappy ever since you brought this hell upon me!
"Ah, how I desire to once again run free through the forests... with the rays of the sun in my face... with fresh fruit in my stomach... and with all my mortal friends...
Right now, they must have made their own lives. They have children... I can feel it. They will never be alone.
"I know that I still have a soul, because I can still feel God. And when he talks to me in my dreams, he tells me he loves me. When I die, I'm sure I will meet him. But when will I die...?
"New life?! This is not a life! This is an eternal damnation!!" yelled the young man full of anger and hatred towards the creature.
The creature then hit the young man in the stomach. He fell to the ground, full of pain.
"Then so be it!" roared the evil creature "THEN SO BE IT, UNGRATEFUL IMBECIL!! I will leave you to enjoy your whore! But don't get too comfortable! For I will butcher both you and her when you less expect it!"
And with that threat, the creature disappeared, just as suddenly as it had come.
The young man put himself on his knees, to recover his breath.
"You dare call her 'whore' again... or put a finger on her... and I will rip out your heart!" he said to himself, full of rage.
He got up, and kept on walking, as if nothing had happened.
It was 8:00 o' clock when Ukyo said good - bye to her last costumer. She was very happy, because she had had a good day. She got a lot of A's in most of her subjects. And she had had a lot of sales. She made very good money. But it was late, and she had to close now, because the wolf could show up at any moment, and she didn't want anyone to see it.
But to her misfortune, as she walked towards the door, ready to close it, a young man entered her restaurant.
Ukyo was about to tell the young man to go away, but something strange about him caught her attention... not to mention the fact that Ukyo thought he was very handsome.
"Welcome to Ucchan's" she greeted.
The young man nodded his head and sat down. Silently, he took a look at the menu. Ukyo looked at him quietly. There was something that was not normal about this man.
"What would you like to eat?" she asked, politely.
It took the young man some time to answer.
"I would like to have a meat okonomiyaki, please." He said coldly.
Ukyo immediately began to work on it. As she did, many questions raced through her mind about the young man. She was also worried that the wolf would come in...
"I haven't seen you around here..." she said as she tried to initiate a conversation.
"I just got here." Replied the young man.
Ukyo shrugged and took the plate with okonomiyaki to the man.
"...From where?" she asked.
"...Germany." said the young man.
"Cool!" said Ukyo, enthusiastically, trying to cheer the young man. He said nothing.
Ukyo looked at him with caution. Who was that man?
"What's your name?" she asked.
The young man turned his head to face her.
"Does it really matter?" he asked coldly.
"It's just a question, sorry." She replied, trying not to loose her temper.
They both stood silent for a moment. Ukyo looked out the window, trying to look for the wolf.
*It sure is taking a sweet time...* she thought, worried that something might had happened to it.
Something broke her concentration. It had been the young man, who had muttered something.
"Excuse me?" she asked.
"...Wilheim." he said.
Ukyo got confused.
"Wilheim... Oh!" she said, realizing that was the young man's name. It sounded... familiar... but she chose to think about that later.
"Well, nice to meet you Wilheim. My name is Ukyo Kuonji." She said, happy that the young man was finally reacting.
"Yeah, nice to meet you too, miss Ukyo." He replied.
Ukyo giggled.
"You sound so formal. Call me Ukyo." She said.
The young man smiled at Ukyo. She blushed. Seeing that she had successfully initiated a conversation with Wilheim, she asked warmly:
"So, what's it like in Germany?"
Wilheim looked puzzled.
"What do you mean?" he asked, confused.
"Like, does it have green fields... a lot of buildings..." Ukyo paused, and then inferred: "...little sun?"
Without getting angry, Wilheim answered sadly:
"It's because of my skin, right?"
Ukyo realized she had made a mistake.
"No, no! I mean... I was just asking..." she said, trying not to piss Wilheim off. But he was not mad. He just sat there without doing anything.
"I know I'm strange..." he sighed.
Ukyo looked at him with concern. She knew that if she didn't say anything, Wilheim would feel very bad about himself.
"No, you're not..." she began "...you're actually kind of cute." She said, blushing.
Wilheim heard this, and he turned around, inevitably smiling; his face bright red. He laughed nervously.
"...Thank you... So are you..." he said timidly.
Ukyo giggled.
"So..." she began, trying to change this subject to a more... sociable one. "How... old are you?" she asked, without accomplishing what she tried.
"I'm... 17..." said Wilheim. "And you?"
"I'm also 17." Replied Ukyo smiling.
Wilheim smiled back, blushing.
"...How long are you gonna be here in Japan?" asked Ukyo.
Wilheim looked thoughtful.
"I... don't know..." he answered, looking doubtful.
Ukyo shrugged.
"You don't know? Why?" she asked confused.
Wilheim raised his head and saw Ukyo directly in her eyes. Their sights met. And when Ukyo concentrated in Wilheim's gaze, she noticed something familiar. His eyes... they reflected... sadness... and concern at the same time...
"Because there's something I have to do. And I don't know how long it'll take me." He finally answered.
Ukyo, who was at the moment concentrated on Wilheim's gaze, snapped out of it.
"Really? What?" she asked a bit confused.
Wilheim didn't answer. Instead, he took out his wallet and left his payment on the table.
"Thanks for dinner..." he said as he got up from his seat and headed towards the door.
Ukyo began to loose her temper. She couldn't stand people who didn't answer her questions.
"Wait! You still haven't answered my question!" she demanded.
Wilheim stopped at the door. He turned around and faced Ukyo. He smiled at her timidly and blushed. He chuckled nervously.
"...Good - bye... miss Ukyo..." he finally said. And then he went out of the restaurant.
Ukyo was a little bit puzzled. She stared at the door for a moment silently, thinking about this mysterious character... Who was he?... What was his mission?... And why his behavior like that? Ukyo didn't take long to return to the present and to find herself really pissed.
She walked towards the door, and opened it with rage. She gasped when she saw that Wilheim was nowhere on sight.
Ukyo heard steps. She turned to her left and saw the wolf walking towards her.
"There you are, boy!" she said happily, as she hugged the wolf, and this last one began to lick her. "I was beginning to worry about you..."
The wolf licked her one last time and emitted a gentle sound.
"You know..." she began. "I met a boy today..."
The wolf looked at her with interest.
"He was very quiet... kind of cold... a little bit timid..." she said. And then she added, with a disappointing tone: "and arrogant."
The wolf wagged it's tail, and gave it's paw to Ukyo. She laughed. Then they both got inside the restaurant.
"Oh..." she said... "... and he was very good - looking." She added with a smile.
If the wolf could laugh, he certainly would have done it.
Ukyo headed to the table were Wilheim had seated to pick up his plate.
"Oh, well..." she began "looks like I only have on more dish to - -" she stopped short and gasped.
Where Wilheim had seated, was his dish. And so was the okonomiyaki Ukyo had prepared from him - not even touched. He didn't even take the smallest bite...
The next morning, Ukyo was at school with Ranma and Akane. They were having lunch together. Ranma and Akane were talking about their training, and Ukyo had her sight lost in the horizon.
"Hey, Ucchan..." began Ranma.
Ukyo returned to the real world.
"...Huh?" she uttered.
"I asked, 'did the wolf come to your house yesterday'?" said Ranma, insistently.
"Uh.. yeah, it did..." replied Ukyo.
Akane looked at her, beginning to get worried.
"...You all right, Ukyo?" she asked with concern.
Ukyo smiled and answered quickly:
"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just that... something happened yesterday..." she said.
Ranma and Akane looked at Ukyo worriedly.
"Really? What?!" they both asked.
Ukyo giggled.
"Nothing bad in the first place, so don't worry..." she said, between chuckles.
Ranma and Akane sighed in relief.
"It's just that..." began Ukyo, trying to visualize the scene of the night before, "yesterday, when I was about to close, a boy came into the restaurant. He was very tall, very pale, and had very... strange eyes."
Ukyo had now Ranma and Akane's attention. Ukyo continued:
"He sat down at the table, and I talked with him. His name is Wilheim, and he is from Germany. He said he was on some kind of mission, or something. And when I asked him what his mission was about, he left without answering..." and then she concluded: "and without taking a single bite of his food..."
Akane and Ranma seemed thoughtful. They were interested in Ukyo's story.
"Who could this guy be...?" asked Akane.
"I don't know..." replied Ukyo. "but..."
"But what?" asked Akane and Ranma insistently.
Ukyo smiled and turned her head away.
"Never mind..." she said in a tiny voice.
Akane looked at her confused. Ranma raised his eyebrow and smiled.
"...Was he cute?" he asked, mocking Ukyo.
For a moment, Ukyo didn't turn back her head or smiled. Then she blushed and giggled.
"Yeah..." she said, turning even redder.
Ranma chuckled.
"Wilheim and Ukyo, sitting down a tree..." he began to sing.
"Stop it, Ran - Chan!" yelled Ukyo between laughter and anger.
Akane smiled. Then she asked:
"You think he might go back?"
Ukyo thought for a moment before answering.
"To be honest, I don't know..." she said, frowning.
Ukyo went to the Tendo's house to eat that evening. Ryoga was there, and she told him the whole story. Ryoga looked thoughtful.
"So you think he'll go back?" he asked.
"I'm not sure..." Ukyo replied.
Ryoga thought for a moment, and then he said:
"I'll go look for him."
Ukyo, Akane, and Ranma looked at Ryoga, surprised.
"...What, now!?" asked Ranma.
Ryoga turned around to look at Ranma and frowned.
"After we eat..." he said coldly.
Ranma shrugged. Ukyo giggled a bit, and then she bit her lip.
"What?" asked Ryoga confused.
"Nothing..." said Ukyo between laughs. She knew Ryoga would get lost before he could find anything.
Ranma looked at Ukyo and smiled.
"I'll go with him." He said.
The sun was already down when Ryoga and Ranma were looking for Wilheim. First, they looked near Ukyo's restaurant. Then they looked in Furinkahn High. Later, they searched at the park. They were not having any luck...
They were both very hungry. Luckily for them, the restaurant were Shampoo worked was just a few streets away...
"Hey, Ryoga, let's stop for a snack." Ranma urged.
Ryoga looked at Ranma.
"I don't know, Ranma..." he said.
Ranma rolled his eyes.
"Come on, Ryoga! Wilheim will not disappear, you know?" he insisted.
Ryoga frowned.
"We still haven't..." he began, but got interrupted by Ranma.
"We'll find that guy, don't worry." Ranma said.
Ryoga sighed.
"Ok." He said, unhappily.
"Nihao, Ranma!" yelled Shampoo as Ranma and Ryoga entered the restaurant. She looked at Ryoga and said grinning:
"The pig - boy here too?"
Ryoga replied with a cold smile.
At that moment, Mousse entered from the back door. He stood in front of Ranma and got into his fight stance.
"Prepare yourself, Saotome! I will not let go of Shampoo that easily!" he said, challenging Ranma.
"Mousse, stop!" yelled Shampoo, beginning to get angry.
"Easy, boy." Began Ranma. He explained: "We're not here to fight. We came here for a snack."
Shampoo smiled at him, and began to jump up and down.
"Ranma going to stay here and eat! Wheee!" she wailed happily.
Cologne entered from the back door and saw Ranma and Ryoga.
"Hello, there son - in - law." She said.
"Uh... hi." Replied Ranma.
"He and Ryoga going to stay and have dinner." Said Shampoo happily.
Cologne smiled at Ranma and Ryoga.
"Is that so?" she asked. "Then have a seat." She invited.
Ranma and Ryoga sat without having any problems. The restaurant was empty, by now.
"I'll have some Chinese bread." Said Ranma smiling.
Shampoo ran to the kitchen and began preparing Ranma's meal. Ryoga just stared at the table without saying anything.
"What troubles you, Ryoga?" Cologne asked.
"Huh...?" uttered Ryoga.
"Is something wrong?" she asked, this time more insistently.
It took a moment for Ryoga to answer.
"Oh, it's just that some strange things have been happening lately..." he said. Then he turned to face Mousse and asked: "Hey, Mousse, are you feeling better?"
Mousse looked puzzled for a moment, but then he knew what Ryoga was talking about.
"Oh, yes. Thanks for asking." He said to Ryoga, as he turned to give cold glance at Ranma.
"Do you know what did it?" asked Ryoga.
Mousse shook his head. In that moment, Shampoo returned from the kitchen with the Chinese bread.
"Thanks!" said Ranma, as he took a bite.
Shampoo giggled. Ryoga looked at Ranma and said:
"Try not to take too long Ranma."
Shampoo turned at Ryoga and looked at him angrily.
"Ranma take as long as he wants!" she said madly.
Ryoga smiled at Shampoo nervously, trying to cover his body from any possible kicks.
"It's just that we have to bee looking for somebody right now..." he said in a sweet tone.
Cologne and Mousse turned to face Ryoga.
"Really? Who?" asked Mousse with interest.
Ryoga dropped his guard stance, as he saw that Shampoo was beginning to get interested.
"A boy that Ukyo saw..." he said.
Shampoo grinned.
"A boy...?" she asked raising her eyebrow.
"Yup." Answered Ranma as he swallowed his bread.
"It's just that there's something strange about this man that Ukyo noticed." Began Ryoga, trying to clear any misunderstanding, "he might be related with the strange things that have been going on..."
Shampoo rolled her eyes and sighed. Mousse asked:
"Like the bite on my neck, and that girl disappearing the other night?"
Ryoga and Ranma looked at each other.
"...Yes..." said Ryoga gloomily.
Mousse grinned.
"Then I want to look for him too." He said.
Ranma was about to say something, but Ryoga agreed, insisting they could use some help.
"I go too." Said Shampoo enthusiastically.
As soon as Ranma finished his snack, he, Ryoga, Mousse, and Shampoo set of to find Wilheim.
"Be careful" warned Cologne before they left the restaurant, "there is something dangerous out there..."
"Do you think Ukyo made it safely to her house?" Ryoga asked Ranma.
Ranma smiled.
"Of course." He said confidently. "After all, that wolf is taking care of her."
Shampoo grabbed Ranma by the shoulder and turned him around.
"Wolf?" she asked.
Ranma thought it would be better to explain. And as he was telling Shampoo the whole story, Mousse stopped the group. He was looking at a young man that was leaning against wall and looking at the sky. He was very tall and had an athletic body. He also wore a red bandanna. His skin was very pale and his eyes were violet.
"...How did this... Wilheim look?" Mousse asked suspiciously.
Ranma, Ryoga, and Shampoo looked at each other and nodded. The group then went to meet the young man.
As he saw them coming, Wilheim smiled and turned to face them.
"Hi." He saluted the group, as he gave his warmest smile towards them.
All of them smiled and greeted him back.
"It's a nice night, isn't it?" Wilheim said as he looked at the sky.
Ranma nodded and said:
"It sure is."
Shampoo, who wanted to end the thing quickly, popped out the question without delay:
"Excuse me, sir... you mister Wilheim?"
Ranma, Ryoga, and Mousse looked at Shampoo, surprised. Wilheim laughed and answered:
"Yes, that's me."
Ranma, Ryoga, and Mousse looked at Wilheim, even more surprised. How could he react so simply at that question?
"You wanted to ask me something...?" Wilheim inferred.
Ranma snapped out of it, and introduced him and the other three.
"Well, yes..." he cleared his throat, "First of all, I would like to introduce myself and my friends: my name is Ranma Saotome, this is Ryoga Hibiki, Mousse, and Shampoo." He said.
Wilheim chuckled.
"Nice to meet you. I guess there's no point in introducing myself, since you already know my name..." he said, smiling. "By the way... how do you know my name?" he asked, stopping his smiling.
Ranma looked at Shampoo.
*Darn.* he thought. *She ruined my strategy...*
Ryoga stepped forward and talked:
"You see, we all know this girl, Ukyo Kuonji. You were in her restaurant yesterday, remember?"
Wilheim smiled once more.
"I sure do." He said. "But that doesn't lead us to anything..."
Mousse interfered:
"She asked us to look for you."
Wilheim got puzzled.
"...Why?" he asked, confused.
*Uh - oh.* thought Ranma. He didn't come prepared with an argument to answer to that question. After all, Ukyo had sent no one to look for Wilheim; Ranma and Ryoga had come by their own free - will and Mousse and Shampoo joined the quest, also by their own free - will. However, Ryoga knew how to answer the question.
"She got very confused when you left without eating..." he said confidently. And then he ended: "and she claims that you didn't answer a question of hers."
Wilheim crossed his arms and took a deep breath.
"About the okonomiyaki..." he began "I wasn't hungry. About the question... what I'm doing here is nobody's business." He answered coldly.
A chill ran down Ryoga's back as he heard this answer. Ranma and Mousse looked at Wilheim cautiously, expecting anything. However, Shampoo asked:
"Do you think Ukyo pretty?"
Ryoga, Ranma, and Mousse dropped their jaws as they heard this very... inopportune question. But before they could tell Shampoo anything, Wilheim answered, without exactly thinking about it:
"She is the most beautiful angel that has walked on the surface of the Earth." As he finished saying this, he immediately realized his mistake and covered his mouth with his hand and turned as red as a grown tomato.
*Ouch...* he thought.
Everyone turned to give Wilheim a surprised glance. He chuckled nervously.
"Well..." he began, still blushing, "I have to go..."
He turned around and began to walk away, but Ryoga reached out and grabbed him by the shoulder.
"Hold on..." he said firmly.
Wilheim turned around and faced Ryoga. His face had returned to his normal, pale color. Ryoga didn't want to have a fight, so he watched his words. After all, Wilheim looked very powerful.
"What are you really doing here?" Ryoga asked, without loosing his posture.
Ranma, Mousse, and Shampoo contemplated the scene, without moving. However, they were all very alert, because if Wilheim dared to raise his fist against Ryoga, they wold all attack him at the same time.
"I told you..." Wilheim replied coldly. "you don't mind."
Ryoga stared at him for a little longer. Then he asked:
"Ok. At least tell me: are you trying to kill somebody?"
The question shocked Ranma, Mousse, and Shampoo. However, Wilheim turned his face away, and replied with a very sad voice:
"I'm trying not to."
Ryoga got confused by Wilheim's answer. This last one turned back to face Ryoga and added:
"Don't worry, I won't kill anyone. All I can tell you is that I'm here to... protect someone."
Relieved by Wilheim's answer, Ryoga let go of Wilheim's shoulder.
"...So you won't kill anyone..." he insisted.
Wilheim smiled sadly at Ryoga and the rest of the group.
"I swear." He said. "...Good - bye."
And with this being said, Wilheim turned around and began to run. He was incredibly fast. Not Ranma, Ryoga, Mousse, or Shampoo tried to persue him. They decided to let him be.
"...He pretty fast..." Shampoo said.
"What a strange guy..." murmured Mousse.
"At least we know he's not dangerous..." said Ranma.
They stood there, quietly. Nobody said anything. Wilheim definitely had something strange in his hands. But what could that be?
After thinking of a possible answer, they all decided to go home and rest. They agreed they would all look for Wilheim again. They needed to know who he wanted to protect... and from what.
Ranma and Ryoga got back to the Tendo's place at 10:00 P. M. Mousse and Shampoo got back to their homes at the same hour. When Ranma and Ryoga entered in the living room, they found a worried Akane.
"What happened? Where were you guys?" she asked desperately.
Ryoga tried to calm Akane down, while Ranma picked up the phone and dialed Ukyo's number.
"...Hello?" answered Ukyo.
"Hi Ucchan." Replied Ranma.
"Oh, hi Ran - Chan!" she said cheerfully.
Ranma tried to think of what exactly was he going to say. However, he was taking a bit long...
"...How are you?" he asked. It was not what he wanted to say. He wanted to tell Ukyo about him, Ryoga, Mousse, and Shampoo meeting Wilheim. But that would give him time to think.
"Fine! The wolf got here about an hour ago. I was beginning to worry about him." She answered happily.
"Seems like you've had a fine day..." said Ranma. His voice had acquired now a very serious tone.
"...What's wrong, Ranma?" asked Ukyo, concerned.
Ranma just blurted it out:
"Ryoga and I found Wilheim about two hours ago."
Ukyo said nothing for a moment.
"...Really?" she finally asked, beginning to get interested.
"Yeah." Ranma said.
Ukyo stood silent again. She wanted to ask many questions. She didn't know were to start from.
"...So... what do you think of him?" she asked. Though she wanted to sound indifferent, her voice revealed curiosity.
Ranma thought of the best way to describe Wilheim.
"He seems like a nice person, but he is very... strange. " he said.
"...Strange?" asked Ukyo, confused.
"Yeah..." said Ranma.
Ukyo sighed. She was hoping Ranma would answer something else...
"...What did you... talk about?" asked Ukyo, still curious.
Ranma tried to tell Ukyo how the conversation with Wilheim was. He omitted some details, such as Ryoga questioning Wilheim and this last one revealing his thoughts about Ukyo.
"Oh..." said Ukyo, sounding disappointed.
Ranma noticed Ukyo's disappointment.
"Well, what did you want me to tell you? I've said everything." He said, in a complaining tone.
Ukyo sighed and asked, without thinking:
"Did he say something about me?" she knew that she had made a mistake. However, she did not even try to take it back.
Ranma got a bit confused... he didn't want to reveal what Wilheim had said.
"Well... actually... no." He finally said.
Ukyo sighed again, even more disappointed.
"But I think he likes you." Ranma said, trying to cheer Ukyo.
Ukyo stood silent for a moment and then she giggled nervously.
"What makes you think that?" she asked, eager for some good news.
*Damn.* Ranma thought. Now he had to think of something to say to Ukyo, so she would take the bait.
"Umm..." he stammered.
Ukyo growled. She was loosing her patience. And Ranma was still thinking of something credible to tell her. Finally, he knew what to say:
"Well, each time we mentioned your name, he smiled."
Ukyo giggled. Ranma raised his eyebrow and said, chuckling:
"And he also giggled, just like you."
Ukyo understood what Ranma was trying to say.
"No, jackass!" she answered, trying to sound offended. "I wanted you to tell me of what he said about the way I reacted when he did not answer my question."
Ranma stopped his laughing. It took him a while to do that...
"Well..." he said, trying not to laugh again, "he said that what he is doing here is nobody's business."
"You told me that already, stupid!" said Ukyo, angrily.
Ranma held his laughter. He knew his life was in danger.
"About your reaction... he said nothing." He said.
Ukyo made a sound. She was not satisfied.
"Oh, man...!" complained Ranma. "Alright, Ukyo. He really liked the way you reacted, ok?!" he said, angrily.
Ukyo made another sound. She was mad. Ranma immediately realized he had made a mortal mistake.
"I'm sorry." He said without loosing time.
"Whatever..." grumbled Ukyo.
"Really..." said Ranma in a tiny voice.
Ukyo sighed, and interrupted him:
"So he said nothing about what he does, or anything?" she asked, trying to cool down.
"Not a thing..." replied Ranma.
"Oh, well..." she said. "Good - bye, then." And then she hung up, without letting Ranma answer.
Ranma hung up the phone and looked at the floor, worried.
"How I'm I gonna tell her what Wilheim said?" he asked himself. "I'll have to think of something..." he said.
Ranma then took some steps towards the kitchen to get a snack. He disappeared through the door, saying:
"And I'm going to get my butt kicked on Monday..."
The next night, it was raining, and it was cold. Ukyo had a rough day. It was 7:00 P. M. and Ukyo wanted to close early. But as she walked towards the door to close it, a young lad came inside. Ukyo recognized him immediately.
Wilheim entered at the restaurant without saying a word. He sat down in a chair and picked up the menu.
Ukyo wanted Wilheim to start some kind of conversation, but he emitted no sound at all. Ukyo didn't really know what to say. She wanted to scold Wilheim for leaving the other night the way he did, but she didn't want things to become hostile.
"Are you hungry tonight?" she asked, trying to keep things at ease.
"...A little." Wilheim answered dryly.
Ukyo sighed, as she was beginning to get upset. She knew she had to get her feelings off her chest before she would burst.
"About the other night..." she began "you could've answered my question, and I wouldn't be so piss-"
"Didn't Ryoga and the others tell you anything?" Wilheim interrupted harshly.
Ukyo bit her lip. She looked away and tried to stay calm. She wasn't angry anymore. Wilheim was beginning to scare her.
Wilheim handed the menu to Ukyo and signaled the food he wanted to eat. Ukyo began to work on her okonomiyaki. She knew she had to talk to Wilheim, but she had to do things smoothly and slowly. If anything went wrong, only God knew what would happen.
"Listen..." she began, in a calm tone of voice "I already know what your answer was going to be..."
"...So what's the problem?" Wilheim asked.
"That..." Ukyo continued "You didn't answer me, and I hate when people do that..."
Silence filled the room for a few moments. Ukyo looked at Wilheim. He was looking at the table, without moving.
"...I apologize" he finally muttered.
Ukyo sighed in relief.
"Thank you..." she said. "That's all I wanted to hear..."
Wilheim raised his sight and looked at Ukyo. Then he smiled.
Seeing that the tension had dropped, Ukyo sighed in relief once more, and then she tried to talk to Wilheim.
"So, what do you think of Ranma and Ryoga?" she asked, smiling.
Wilheim looked at her again and returned the smile.
"They look nice... especially this Ryoga character..." he answered.
Ukyo giggled.
"He does pretty stupid things sometimes... but he is a very good friend..." she said, as she handed Wilheim his dinner...
"I envy you. You have four good friends." Wilheim said quietly.
Ukyo looked puzzled.
"...Four?" she asked.
Wilheim looked at her.
"...Yeah, four..." he answered, getting confused.
Ukyo ignored the fact that Mousse and Shampoo had gone with Ranma and Ryoga.
"...Ranma, Ryoga... and who are the other two?" she asked, this time even more puzzled.
"Uh, Mousse and Shampoo..." he said.
Ukyo rolled her eyes.
"Those two must've gone with them..." she said unhappily.
Wilheim lost track of the whole thing.
"...Aren't they your friends?" he asked.
"Not really..." Ukyo replied. "I barely know Mousse and Shampoo is a pain in the fanny."
Wilheim laughed.
"Well, she sure was a bit... indiscrete..." he said between laughs.
"Really? What did she ask?" asked Ukyo with interest.
Wilheim opened his eyes widely and swallowed. He remembered his little mistake.
"Uh..." he muttered. Ukyo stared at him, waiting for an answer.
"Well, she... she..." he stammered. He had to find something to say.
"Oh, never mind." Said Ukyo smiling. "It's not like I'm dying to know what Shampoo did."
Wilheim laughed nervously.
"I get it... So, what did they tell you?" he asked, still nervous.
Ukyo took a minute to answer.
"Not much... just that they met you..." she said, shrugging.
Wilheim raised his eyebrow.
"...Are you sure?" he insisted.
"Yeah..." Ukyo said giggling. "What, am I being interrogated, or something like that?"
Wilheim chuckled in relief.
"No... not at all..." he said. He knew that if Ranma or Ryoga had said to her what he said, then she wouldn't react like that.
Ukyo glanced at the clock. It was 7:30 P. M. Wilheim noticed this.
"Are you waiting for someone?" he asked.
Ukyo smiled.
"Actually, yes." She answered. "My friend."
Wilheim looked at Ukyo with interest.
"Your friend?" he asked.
"Yeah..." she said. "But it's still early. He always gets here between 9:00 and 10:00 P. M."
Wilheim sighed and turned his sight at the table.
"...Always?" he asked.
Ukyo nodded.
"He's my wolf pet." She said, proudly.
Wilheim smiled and looked at Ukyo.
"Really? A wolf?" he asked, smirking.
"Yes..." replied Ukyo in a serious tone.
Wilheim kept on smirking and looked out the window.
"...That's good." He said, sighing.
Ukyo stared at Wilheim without saying anything for a moment.
"You believe me?" she asked enthusiastically.
Wilheim nodded.
"I've seen a wolf." He said.
Ukyo giggled.
"He's very cute. He looks after me." She said happily.
Wilheim chuckled.
"So, what's his name?" he asked.
Ukyo opened her eyes widely and looked at the floor.
"I... I don't know..." she said in a tiny voice. "I haven't thought of one."
Wilheim smiled.
"You know, I look at him very often..." he said. Ukyo raised her head and his sight met with that of Wilheim's. "I call him Sigfried."
Ukyo smiled.
"Really? Sigfried?" she asked excitedly.
"Yep." He reaffirmed, smiling.
Ukyo jumped up and down happily, as she sang:
"I know the wolf's name! I know the wolf's name!"
Wilheim's eyes shimmered, as he saw Ukyo.
*She's so cute...* he thought.
Blushing, he smiled and turned his head away.
Ukyo stopped her jumping and faced Wilheim.
"What's wrong?" she asked, still smiling. She knew there was nothing to worry about, since she saw that Wilheim had a huge smile on his face.
Wilheim's face returned to it's normal color.
"Nothing..." he said, trying to stop smiling, but failing in the attempt.
Ukyo giggled.
"Come on!" she insisted "you can tell me!"
"It's nothing...!" Wilheim answered, chuckling.
Ukyo shrugged and smiled at Wilheim.
It was 7:45 P. M. now. Ukyo glanced at the clock and saw the time. Wilheim noticed this same action for the second time. He turned his head to face Ukyo and said:
"It's a little late, I suppose. I must go..."
Ukyo immediately ran to the door, and blocked the way out.
"Oh, no!" she protested. "You're not going anywhere until you finish your di-"
Ukyo stopped short as she saw that Wilheim's plate was empty.
"When did you eat it!?" she demanded.
Wilheim smiled, and answered:
"I tend to take big bites at my food..."
Ukyo made a playful grumble. Wilheim laughed as he heard it and asked kindly:
"I'm I excused to leave the restaurant?"
Ukyo giggled and invited Wilheim out of the restaurant.
"Have a nice night!" Ukyo said as she opened the door. Wilheim stepped out of the restaurant, and before he walked away, he made a vow, and he said:
"Sweet dreams, Miss Ukyo..."
Ukyo almost laughed her head off as she heard this. She then stood up straight and with her most serious tone of voice she answered:
"You too, Mister Wilheim!"
Wilheim laughed and shook his head as he walked away from the restaurant. Ukyo then closed the door. She was still giggling.
"...That went a lot better than I thought..." she said to herself.
When he was sure Ukyo wasn't seeing him, Wilheim reached to his pocket, and pulled out the okonomiyaki. He then dropped it in a garbage can near Ukyo's restaurant.
It had been three weeks since the wolf had been protecting Ukyo. Every night it returned to look after her. But one night, something happened.
The sun had just went down. Night fell in Nerima. People returned to their houses. And in a dark street, the very same street were Ukyo saw the young girl's death, walked a young man.
He was tall; about six feet high. He had an athletic body - similar to that of Ranma's or Ryoga's. His skin was pale. He wore a red bandanna in his head; his hair was light brown, and his eyes were... violet. A light violet that reflected an immense sadness. He walked along the street, when it began to get cold. Clouds covered the sky, and wind roared. And the young man felt an evil presence. It was approaching him. He could tell exactly were it was. The evil presence stopped, right behind the young man. This last one did not turn to face the creature. He was very scared. However, there were no signs of it. Not even in his eyes, for they only reflected sadness. He didn't shake or shiver. He just stood still, looking only to what he had in front, and he never turned around to face his back.
Suddenly, the creature spoke:
"Well, well... if it isn't the little traitor." It whispered in a low and malevolent voice.
The young man did not move.
"What do you want, son of darkness?" asked the young man, in a very stern and manly voice.
The evil creature laughed.
"HA, HA, HA!!... Son of darkness? Is that how you call your kind now?" asked the creature with a sarcastic tone.
"You are not of my kind" answered the young man, without loosing his posture.
The evil creature laughed even more.
"Not of your kind? Oh, I see." Said the creature, it's words full of irony and cruelty. "You are right. I am not of the ones that believe that the sun will embrace me in it's warm rays and take me to the heavens..."
"I don't believe in that either." Replied the young man.
The creature cackled.
"Oh? Is that so? How strange. That's what mortals believe..." it said sarcastically.
"I don't think of myself as a mortal." Said the young man.
The creature shook it's head.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk... You don't, eh? I always thought you thought of yourself as a mortal, since you are always looking after that girl..." the creature said.
The young man said nothing.
"What is it you want from her?" asked the evil creature "Do you want to... have your way with her, you filthy lad?" mocked the creature.
"Unlike you, I have a pure soul." Said the young man, in a defiant tone.
The creature burst out laughing.
"But boy... you have no soul. You are a creature of the night. You are a son of darkness. And you have no soul at all." said the creature, and then concluded: "and I am your creator. You should be worshiping me and the ground were I step, for I forgave your pitiful life, and gave you a new one."
"A new life!? A NEW LIFE??!! All you did was draw me into the arms of misery! I have been unhappy ever since you brought this hell upon me!
"Ah, how I desire to once again run free through the forests... with the rays of the sun in my face... with fresh fruit in my stomach... and with all my mortal friends...
Right now, they must have made their own lives. They have children... I can feel it. They will never be alone.
"I know that I still have a soul, because I can still feel God. And when he talks to me in my dreams, he tells me he loves me. When I die, I'm sure I will meet him. But when will I die...?
"New life?! This is not a life! This is an eternal damnation!!" yelled the young man full of anger and hatred towards the creature.
The creature then hit the young man in the stomach. He fell to the ground, full of pain.
"Then so be it!" roared the evil creature "THEN SO BE IT, UNGRATEFUL IMBECIL!! I will leave you to enjoy your whore! But don't get too comfortable! For I will butcher both you and her when you less expect it!"
And with that threat, the creature disappeared, just as suddenly as it had come.
The young man put himself on his knees, to recover his breath.
"You dare call her 'whore' again... or put a finger on her... and I will rip out your heart!" he said to himself, full of rage.
He got up, and kept on walking, as if nothing had happened.
It was 8:00 o' clock when Ukyo said good - bye to her last costumer. She was very happy, because she had had a good day. She got a lot of A's in most of her subjects. And she had had a lot of sales. She made very good money. But it was late, and she had to close now, because the wolf could show up at any moment, and she didn't want anyone to see it.
But to her misfortune, as she walked towards the door, ready to close it, a young man entered her restaurant.
Ukyo was about to tell the young man to go away, but something strange about him caught her attention... not to mention the fact that Ukyo thought he was very handsome.
"Welcome to Ucchan's" she greeted.
The young man nodded his head and sat down. Silently, he took a look at the menu. Ukyo looked at him quietly. There was something that was not normal about this man.
"What would you like to eat?" she asked, politely.
It took the young man some time to answer.
"I would like to have a meat okonomiyaki, please." He said coldly.
Ukyo immediately began to work on it. As she did, many questions raced through her mind about the young man. She was also worried that the wolf would come in...
"I haven't seen you around here..." she said as she tried to initiate a conversation.
"I just got here." Replied the young man.
Ukyo shrugged and took the plate with okonomiyaki to the man.
"...From where?" she asked.
"...Germany." said the young man.
"Cool!" said Ukyo, enthusiastically, trying to cheer the young man. He said nothing.
Ukyo looked at him with caution. Who was that man?
"What's your name?" she asked.
The young man turned his head to face her.
"Does it really matter?" he asked coldly.
"It's just a question, sorry." She replied, trying not to loose her temper.
They both stood silent for a moment. Ukyo looked out the window, trying to look for the wolf.
*It sure is taking a sweet time...* she thought, worried that something might had happened to it.
Something broke her concentration. It had been the young man, who had muttered something.
"Excuse me?" she asked.
"...Wilheim." he said.
Ukyo got confused.
"Wilheim... Oh!" she said, realizing that was the young man's name. It sounded... familiar... but she chose to think about that later.
"Well, nice to meet you Wilheim. My name is Ukyo Kuonji." She said, happy that the young man was finally reacting.
"Yeah, nice to meet you too, miss Ukyo." He replied.
Ukyo giggled.
"You sound so formal. Call me Ukyo." She said.
The young man smiled at Ukyo. She blushed. Seeing that she had successfully initiated a conversation with Wilheim, she asked warmly:
"So, what's it like in Germany?"
Wilheim looked puzzled.
"What do you mean?" he asked, confused.
"Like, does it have green fields... a lot of buildings..." Ukyo paused, and then inferred: "...little sun?"
Without getting angry, Wilheim answered sadly:
"It's because of my skin, right?"
Ukyo realized she had made a mistake.
"No, no! I mean... I was just asking..." she said, trying not to piss Wilheim off. But he was not mad. He just sat there without doing anything.
"I know I'm strange..." he sighed.
Ukyo looked at him with concern. She knew that if she didn't say anything, Wilheim would feel very bad about himself.
"No, you're not..." she began "...you're actually kind of cute." She said, blushing.
Wilheim heard this, and he turned around, inevitably smiling; his face bright red. He laughed nervously.
"...Thank you... So are you..." he said timidly.
Ukyo giggled.
"So..." she began, trying to change this subject to a more... sociable one. "How... old are you?" she asked, without accomplishing what she tried.
"I'm... 17..." said Wilheim. "And you?"
"I'm also 17." Replied Ukyo smiling.
Wilheim smiled back, blushing.
"...How long are you gonna be here in Japan?" asked Ukyo.
Wilheim looked thoughtful.
"I... don't know..." he answered, looking doubtful.
Ukyo shrugged.
"You don't know? Why?" she asked confused.
Wilheim raised his head and saw Ukyo directly in her eyes. Their sights met. And when Ukyo concentrated in Wilheim's gaze, she noticed something familiar. His eyes... they reflected... sadness... and concern at the same time...
"Because there's something I have to do. And I don't know how long it'll take me." He finally answered.
Ukyo, who was at the moment concentrated on Wilheim's gaze, snapped out of it.
"Really? What?" she asked a bit confused.
Wilheim didn't answer. Instead, he took out his wallet and left his payment on the table.
"Thanks for dinner..." he said as he got up from his seat and headed towards the door.
Ukyo began to loose her temper. She couldn't stand people who didn't answer her questions.
"Wait! You still haven't answered my question!" she demanded.
Wilheim stopped at the door. He turned around and faced Ukyo. He smiled at her timidly and blushed. He chuckled nervously.
"...Good - bye... miss Ukyo..." he finally said. And then he went out of the restaurant.
Ukyo was a little bit puzzled. She stared at the door for a moment silently, thinking about this mysterious character... Who was he?... What was his mission?... And why his behavior like that? Ukyo didn't take long to return to the present and to find herself really pissed.
She walked towards the door, and opened it with rage. She gasped when she saw that Wilheim was nowhere on sight.
Ukyo heard steps. She turned to her left and saw the wolf walking towards her.
"There you are, boy!" she said happily, as she hugged the wolf, and this last one began to lick her. "I was beginning to worry about you..."
The wolf licked her one last time and emitted a gentle sound.
"You know..." she began. "I met a boy today..."
The wolf looked at her with interest.
"He was very quiet... kind of cold... a little bit timid..." she said. And then she added, with a disappointing tone: "and arrogant."
The wolf wagged it's tail, and gave it's paw to Ukyo. She laughed. Then they both got inside the restaurant.
"Oh..." she said... "... and he was very good - looking." She added with a smile.
If the wolf could laugh, he certainly would have done it.
Ukyo headed to the table were Wilheim had seated to pick up his plate.
"Oh, well..." she began "looks like I only have on more dish to - -" she stopped short and gasped.
Where Wilheim had seated, was his dish. And so was the okonomiyaki Ukyo had prepared from him - not even touched. He didn't even take the smallest bite...
The next morning, Ukyo was at school with Ranma and Akane. They were having lunch together. Ranma and Akane were talking about their training, and Ukyo had her sight lost in the horizon.
"Hey, Ucchan..." began Ranma.
Ukyo returned to the real world.
"...Huh?" she uttered.
"I asked, 'did the wolf come to your house yesterday'?" said Ranma, insistently.
"Uh.. yeah, it did..." replied Ukyo.
Akane looked at her, beginning to get worried.
"...You all right, Ukyo?" she asked with concern.
Ukyo smiled and answered quickly:
"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just that... something happened yesterday..." she said.
Ranma and Akane looked at Ukyo worriedly.
"Really? What?!" they both asked.
Ukyo giggled.
"Nothing bad in the first place, so don't worry..." she said, between chuckles.
Ranma and Akane sighed in relief.
"It's just that..." began Ukyo, trying to visualize the scene of the night before, "yesterday, when I was about to close, a boy came into the restaurant. He was very tall, very pale, and had very... strange eyes."
Ukyo had now Ranma and Akane's attention. Ukyo continued:
"He sat down at the table, and I talked with him. His name is Wilheim, and he is from Germany. He said he was on some kind of mission, or something. And when I asked him what his mission was about, he left without answering..." and then she concluded: "and without taking a single bite of his food..."
Akane and Ranma seemed thoughtful. They were interested in Ukyo's story.
"Who could this guy be...?" asked Akane.
"I don't know..." replied Ukyo. "but..."
"But what?" asked Akane and Ranma insistently.
Ukyo smiled and turned her head away.
"Never mind..." she said in a tiny voice.
Akane looked at her confused. Ranma raised his eyebrow and smiled.
"...Was he cute?" he asked, mocking Ukyo.
For a moment, Ukyo didn't turn back her head or smiled. Then she blushed and giggled.
"Yeah..." she said, turning even redder.
Ranma chuckled.
"Wilheim and Ukyo, sitting down a tree..." he began to sing.
"Stop it, Ran - Chan!" yelled Ukyo between laughter and anger.
Akane smiled. Then she asked:
"You think he might go back?"
Ukyo thought for a moment before answering.
"To be honest, I don't know..." she said, frowning.
Ukyo went to the Tendo's house to eat that evening. Ryoga was there, and she told him the whole story. Ryoga looked thoughtful.
"So you think he'll go back?" he asked.
"I'm not sure..." Ukyo replied.
Ryoga thought for a moment, and then he said:
"I'll go look for him."
Ukyo, Akane, and Ranma looked at Ryoga, surprised.
"...What, now!?" asked Ranma.
Ryoga turned around to look at Ranma and frowned.
"After we eat..." he said coldly.
Ranma shrugged. Ukyo giggled a bit, and then she bit her lip.
"What?" asked Ryoga confused.
"Nothing..." said Ukyo between laughs. She knew Ryoga would get lost before he could find anything.
Ranma looked at Ukyo and smiled.
"I'll go with him." He said.
The sun was already down when Ryoga and Ranma were looking for Wilheim. First, they looked near Ukyo's restaurant. Then they looked in Furinkahn High. Later, they searched at the park. They were not having any luck...
They were both very hungry. Luckily for them, the restaurant were Shampoo worked was just a few streets away...
"Hey, Ryoga, let's stop for a snack." Ranma urged.
Ryoga looked at Ranma.
"I don't know, Ranma..." he said.
Ranma rolled his eyes.
"Come on, Ryoga! Wilheim will not disappear, you know?" he insisted.
Ryoga frowned.
"We still haven't..." he began, but got interrupted by Ranma.
"We'll find that guy, don't worry." Ranma said.
Ryoga sighed.
"Ok." He said, unhappily.
"Nihao, Ranma!" yelled Shampoo as Ranma and Ryoga entered the restaurant. She looked at Ryoga and said grinning:
"The pig - boy here too?"
Ryoga replied with a cold smile.
At that moment, Mousse entered from the back door. He stood in front of Ranma and got into his fight stance.
"Prepare yourself, Saotome! I will not let go of Shampoo that easily!" he said, challenging Ranma.
"Mousse, stop!" yelled Shampoo, beginning to get angry.
"Easy, boy." Began Ranma. He explained: "We're not here to fight. We came here for a snack."
Shampoo smiled at him, and began to jump up and down.
"Ranma going to stay here and eat! Wheee!" she wailed happily.
Cologne entered from the back door and saw Ranma and Ryoga.
"Hello, there son - in - law." She said.
"Uh... hi." Replied Ranma.
"He and Ryoga going to stay and have dinner." Said Shampoo happily.
Cologne smiled at Ranma and Ryoga.
"Is that so?" she asked. "Then have a seat." She invited.
Ranma and Ryoga sat without having any problems. The restaurant was empty, by now.
"I'll have some Chinese bread." Said Ranma smiling.
Shampoo ran to the kitchen and began preparing Ranma's meal. Ryoga just stared at the table without saying anything.
"What troubles you, Ryoga?" Cologne asked.
"Huh...?" uttered Ryoga.
"Is something wrong?" she asked, this time more insistently.
It took a moment for Ryoga to answer.
"Oh, it's just that some strange things have been happening lately..." he said. Then he turned to face Mousse and asked: "Hey, Mousse, are you feeling better?"
Mousse looked puzzled for a moment, but then he knew what Ryoga was talking about.
"Oh, yes. Thanks for asking." He said to Ryoga, as he turned to give cold glance at Ranma.
"Do you know what did it?" asked Ryoga.
Mousse shook his head. In that moment, Shampoo returned from the kitchen with the Chinese bread.
"Thanks!" said Ranma, as he took a bite.
Shampoo giggled. Ryoga looked at Ranma and said:
"Try not to take too long Ranma."
Shampoo turned at Ryoga and looked at him angrily.
"Ranma take as long as he wants!" she said madly.
Ryoga smiled at Shampoo nervously, trying to cover his body from any possible kicks.
"It's just that we have to bee looking for somebody right now..." he said in a sweet tone.
Cologne and Mousse turned to face Ryoga.
"Really? Who?" asked Mousse with interest.
Ryoga dropped his guard stance, as he saw that Shampoo was beginning to get interested.
"A boy that Ukyo saw..." he said.
Shampoo grinned.
"A boy...?" she asked raising her eyebrow.
"Yup." Answered Ranma as he swallowed his bread.
"It's just that there's something strange about this man that Ukyo noticed." Began Ryoga, trying to clear any misunderstanding, "he might be related with the strange things that have been going on..."
Shampoo rolled her eyes and sighed. Mousse asked:
"Like the bite on my neck, and that girl disappearing the other night?"
Ryoga and Ranma looked at each other.
"...Yes..." said Ryoga gloomily.
Mousse grinned.
"Then I want to look for him too." He said.
Ranma was about to say something, but Ryoga agreed, insisting they could use some help.
"I go too." Said Shampoo enthusiastically.
As soon as Ranma finished his snack, he, Ryoga, Mousse, and Shampoo set of to find Wilheim.
"Be careful" warned Cologne before they left the restaurant, "there is something dangerous out there..."
"Do you think Ukyo made it safely to her house?" Ryoga asked Ranma.
Ranma smiled.
"Of course." He said confidently. "After all, that wolf is taking care of her."
Shampoo grabbed Ranma by the shoulder and turned him around.
"Wolf?" she asked.
Ranma thought it would be better to explain. And as he was telling Shampoo the whole story, Mousse stopped the group. He was looking at a young man that was leaning against wall and looking at the sky. He was very tall and had an athletic body. He also wore a red bandanna. His skin was very pale and his eyes were violet.
"...How did this... Wilheim look?" Mousse asked suspiciously.
Ranma, Ryoga, and Shampoo looked at each other and nodded. The group then went to meet the young man.
As he saw them coming, Wilheim smiled and turned to face them.
"Hi." He saluted the group, as he gave his warmest smile towards them.
All of them smiled and greeted him back.
"It's a nice night, isn't it?" Wilheim said as he looked at the sky.
Ranma nodded and said:
"It sure is."
Shampoo, who wanted to end the thing quickly, popped out the question without delay:
"Excuse me, sir... you mister Wilheim?"
Ranma, Ryoga, and Mousse looked at Shampoo, surprised. Wilheim laughed and answered:
"Yes, that's me."
Ranma, Ryoga, and Mousse looked at Wilheim, even more surprised. How could he react so simply at that question?
"You wanted to ask me something...?" Wilheim inferred.
Ranma snapped out of it, and introduced him and the other three.
"Well, yes..." he cleared his throat, "First of all, I would like to introduce myself and my friends: my name is Ranma Saotome, this is Ryoga Hibiki, Mousse, and Shampoo." He said.
Wilheim chuckled.
"Nice to meet you. I guess there's no point in introducing myself, since you already know my name..." he said, smiling. "By the way... how do you know my name?" he asked, stopping his smiling.
Ranma looked at Shampoo.
*Darn.* he thought. *She ruined my strategy...*
Ryoga stepped forward and talked:
"You see, we all know this girl, Ukyo Kuonji. You were in her restaurant yesterday, remember?"
Wilheim smiled once more.
"I sure do." He said. "But that doesn't lead us to anything..."
Mousse interfered:
"She asked us to look for you."
Wilheim got puzzled.
"...Why?" he asked, confused.
*Uh - oh.* thought Ranma. He didn't come prepared with an argument to answer to that question. After all, Ukyo had sent no one to look for Wilheim; Ranma and Ryoga had come by their own free - will and Mousse and Shampoo joined the quest, also by their own free - will. However, Ryoga knew how to answer the question.
"She got very confused when you left without eating..." he said confidently. And then he ended: "and she claims that you didn't answer a question of hers."
Wilheim crossed his arms and took a deep breath.
"About the okonomiyaki..." he began "I wasn't hungry. About the question... what I'm doing here is nobody's business." He answered coldly.
A chill ran down Ryoga's back as he heard this answer. Ranma and Mousse looked at Wilheim cautiously, expecting anything. However, Shampoo asked:
"Do you think Ukyo pretty?"
Ryoga, Ranma, and Mousse dropped their jaws as they heard this very... inopportune question. But before they could tell Shampoo anything, Wilheim answered, without exactly thinking about it:
"She is the most beautiful angel that has walked on the surface of the Earth." As he finished saying this, he immediately realized his mistake and covered his mouth with his hand and turned as red as a grown tomato.
*Ouch...* he thought.
Everyone turned to give Wilheim a surprised glance. He chuckled nervously.
"Well..." he began, still blushing, "I have to go..."
He turned around and began to walk away, but Ryoga reached out and grabbed him by the shoulder.
"Hold on..." he said firmly.
Wilheim turned around and faced Ryoga. His face had returned to his normal, pale color. Ryoga didn't want to have a fight, so he watched his words. After all, Wilheim looked very powerful.
"What are you really doing here?" Ryoga asked, without loosing his posture.
Ranma, Mousse, and Shampoo contemplated the scene, without moving. However, they were all very alert, because if Wilheim dared to raise his fist against Ryoga, they wold all attack him at the same time.
"I told you..." Wilheim replied coldly. "you don't mind."
Ryoga stared at him for a little longer. Then he asked:
"Ok. At least tell me: are you trying to kill somebody?"
The question shocked Ranma, Mousse, and Shampoo. However, Wilheim turned his face away, and replied with a very sad voice:
"I'm trying not to."
Ryoga got confused by Wilheim's answer. This last one turned back to face Ryoga and added:
"Don't worry, I won't kill anyone. All I can tell you is that I'm here to... protect someone."
Relieved by Wilheim's answer, Ryoga let go of Wilheim's shoulder.
"...So you won't kill anyone..." he insisted.
Wilheim smiled sadly at Ryoga and the rest of the group.
"I swear." He said. "...Good - bye."
And with this being said, Wilheim turned around and began to run. He was incredibly fast. Not Ranma, Ryoga, Mousse, or Shampoo tried to persue him. They decided to let him be.
"...He pretty fast..." Shampoo said.
"What a strange guy..." murmured Mousse.
"At least we know he's not dangerous..." said Ranma.
They stood there, quietly. Nobody said anything. Wilheim definitely had something strange in his hands. But what could that be?
After thinking of a possible answer, they all decided to go home and rest. They agreed they would all look for Wilheim again. They needed to know who he wanted to protect... and from what.
Ranma and Ryoga got back to the Tendo's place at 10:00 P. M. Mousse and Shampoo got back to their homes at the same hour. When Ranma and Ryoga entered in the living room, they found a worried Akane.
"What happened? Where were you guys?" she asked desperately.
Ryoga tried to calm Akane down, while Ranma picked up the phone and dialed Ukyo's number.
"...Hello?" answered Ukyo.
"Hi Ucchan." Replied Ranma.
"Oh, hi Ran - Chan!" she said cheerfully.
Ranma tried to think of what exactly was he going to say. However, he was taking a bit long...
"...How are you?" he asked. It was not what he wanted to say. He wanted to tell Ukyo about him, Ryoga, Mousse, and Shampoo meeting Wilheim. But that would give him time to think.
"Fine! The wolf got here about an hour ago. I was beginning to worry about him." She answered happily.
"Seems like you've had a fine day..." said Ranma. His voice had acquired now a very serious tone.
"...What's wrong, Ranma?" asked Ukyo, concerned.
Ranma just blurted it out:
"Ryoga and I found Wilheim about two hours ago."
Ukyo said nothing for a moment.
"...Really?" she finally asked, beginning to get interested.
"Yeah." Ranma said.
Ukyo stood silent again. She wanted to ask many questions. She didn't know were to start from.
"...So... what do you think of him?" she asked. Though she wanted to sound indifferent, her voice revealed curiosity.
Ranma thought of the best way to describe Wilheim.
"He seems like a nice person, but he is very... strange. " he said.
"...Strange?" asked Ukyo, confused.
"Yeah..." said Ranma.
Ukyo sighed. She was hoping Ranma would answer something else...
"...What did you... talk about?" asked Ukyo, still curious.
Ranma tried to tell Ukyo how the conversation with Wilheim was. He omitted some details, such as Ryoga questioning Wilheim and this last one revealing his thoughts about Ukyo.
"Oh..." said Ukyo, sounding disappointed.
Ranma noticed Ukyo's disappointment.
"Well, what did you want me to tell you? I've said everything." He said, in a complaining tone.
Ukyo sighed and asked, without thinking:
"Did he say something about me?" she knew that she had made a mistake. However, she did not even try to take it back.
Ranma got a bit confused... he didn't want to reveal what Wilheim had said.
"Well... actually... no." He finally said.
Ukyo sighed again, even more disappointed.
"But I think he likes you." Ranma said, trying to cheer Ukyo.
Ukyo stood silent for a moment and then she giggled nervously.
"What makes you think that?" she asked, eager for some good news.
*Damn.* Ranma thought. Now he had to think of something to say to Ukyo, so she would take the bait.
"Umm..." he stammered.
Ukyo growled. She was loosing her patience. And Ranma was still thinking of something credible to tell her. Finally, he knew what to say:
"Well, each time we mentioned your name, he smiled."
Ukyo giggled. Ranma raised his eyebrow and said, chuckling:
"And he also giggled, just like you."
Ukyo understood what Ranma was trying to say.
"No, jackass!" she answered, trying to sound offended. "I wanted you to tell me of what he said about the way I reacted when he did not answer my question."
Ranma stopped his laughing. It took him a while to do that...
"Well..." he said, trying not to laugh again, "he said that what he is doing here is nobody's business."
"You told me that already, stupid!" said Ukyo, angrily.
Ranma held his laughter. He knew his life was in danger.
"About your reaction... he said nothing." He said.
Ukyo made a sound. She was not satisfied.
"Oh, man...!" complained Ranma. "Alright, Ukyo. He really liked the way you reacted, ok?!" he said, angrily.
Ukyo made another sound. She was mad. Ranma immediately realized he had made a mortal mistake.
"I'm sorry." He said without loosing time.
"Whatever..." grumbled Ukyo.
"Really..." said Ranma in a tiny voice.
Ukyo sighed, and interrupted him:
"So he said nothing about what he does, or anything?" she asked, trying to cool down.
"Not a thing..." replied Ranma.
"Oh, well..." she said. "Good - bye, then." And then she hung up, without letting Ranma answer.
Ranma hung up the phone and looked at the floor, worried.
"How I'm I gonna tell her what Wilheim said?" he asked himself. "I'll have to think of something..." he said.
Ranma then took some steps towards the kitchen to get a snack. He disappeared through the door, saying:
"And I'm going to get my butt kicked on Monday..."
The next night, it was raining, and it was cold. Ukyo had a rough day. It was 7:00 P. M. and Ukyo wanted to close early. But as she walked towards the door to close it, a young lad came inside. Ukyo recognized him immediately.
Wilheim entered at the restaurant without saying a word. He sat down in a chair and picked up the menu.
Ukyo wanted Wilheim to start some kind of conversation, but he emitted no sound at all. Ukyo didn't really know what to say. She wanted to scold Wilheim for leaving the other night the way he did, but she didn't want things to become hostile.
"Are you hungry tonight?" she asked, trying to keep things at ease.
"...A little." Wilheim answered dryly.
Ukyo sighed, as she was beginning to get upset. She knew she had to get her feelings off her chest before she would burst.
"About the other night..." she began "you could've answered my question, and I wouldn't be so piss-"
"Didn't Ryoga and the others tell you anything?" Wilheim interrupted harshly.
Ukyo bit her lip. She looked away and tried to stay calm. She wasn't angry anymore. Wilheim was beginning to scare her.
Wilheim handed the menu to Ukyo and signaled the food he wanted to eat. Ukyo began to work on her okonomiyaki. She knew she had to talk to Wilheim, but she had to do things smoothly and slowly. If anything went wrong, only God knew what would happen.
"Listen..." she began, in a calm tone of voice "I already know what your answer was going to be..."
"...So what's the problem?" Wilheim asked.
"That..." Ukyo continued "You didn't answer me, and I hate when people do that..."
Silence filled the room for a few moments. Ukyo looked at Wilheim. He was looking at the table, without moving.
"...I apologize" he finally muttered.
Ukyo sighed in relief.
"Thank you..." she said. "That's all I wanted to hear..."
Wilheim raised his sight and looked at Ukyo. Then he smiled.
Seeing that the tension had dropped, Ukyo sighed in relief once more, and then she tried to talk to Wilheim.
"So, what do you think of Ranma and Ryoga?" she asked, smiling.
Wilheim looked at her again and returned the smile.
"They look nice... especially this Ryoga character..." he answered.
Ukyo giggled.
"He does pretty stupid things sometimes... but he is a very good friend..." she said, as she handed Wilheim his dinner...
"I envy you. You have four good friends." Wilheim said quietly.
Ukyo looked puzzled.
"...Four?" she asked.
Wilheim looked at her.
"...Yeah, four..." he answered, getting confused.
Ukyo ignored the fact that Mousse and Shampoo had gone with Ranma and Ryoga.
"...Ranma, Ryoga... and who are the other two?" she asked, this time even more puzzled.
"Uh, Mousse and Shampoo..." he said.
Ukyo rolled her eyes.
"Those two must've gone with them..." she said unhappily.
Wilheim lost track of the whole thing.
"...Aren't they your friends?" he asked.
"Not really..." Ukyo replied. "I barely know Mousse and Shampoo is a pain in the fanny."
Wilheim laughed.
"Well, she sure was a bit... indiscrete..." he said between laughs.
"Really? What did she ask?" asked Ukyo with interest.
Wilheim opened his eyes widely and swallowed. He remembered his little mistake.
"Uh..." he muttered. Ukyo stared at him, waiting for an answer.
"Well, she... she..." he stammered. He had to find something to say.
"Oh, never mind." Said Ukyo smiling. "It's not like I'm dying to know what Shampoo did."
Wilheim laughed nervously.
"I get it... So, what did they tell you?" he asked, still nervous.
Ukyo took a minute to answer.
"Not much... just that they met you..." she said, shrugging.
Wilheim raised his eyebrow.
"...Are you sure?" he insisted.
"Yeah..." Ukyo said giggling. "What, am I being interrogated, or something like that?"
Wilheim chuckled in relief.
"No... not at all..." he said. He knew that if Ranma or Ryoga had said to her what he said, then she wouldn't react like that.
Ukyo glanced at the clock. It was 7:30 P. M. Wilheim noticed this.
"Are you waiting for someone?" he asked.
Ukyo smiled.
"Actually, yes." She answered. "My friend."
Wilheim looked at Ukyo with interest.
"Your friend?" he asked.
"Yeah..." she said. "But it's still early. He always gets here between 9:00 and 10:00 P. M."
Wilheim sighed and turned his sight at the table.
"...Always?" he asked.
Ukyo nodded.
"He's my wolf pet." She said, proudly.
Wilheim smiled and looked at Ukyo.
"Really? A wolf?" he asked, smirking.
"Yes..." replied Ukyo in a serious tone.
Wilheim kept on smirking and looked out the window.
"...That's good." He said, sighing.
Ukyo stared at Wilheim without saying anything for a moment.
"You believe me?" she asked enthusiastically.
Wilheim nodded.
"I've seen a wolf." He said.
Ukyo giggled.
"He's very cute. He looks after me." She said happily.
Wilheim chuckled.
"So, what's his name?" he asked.
Ukyo opened her eyes widely and looked at the floor.
"I... I don't know..." she said in a tiny voice. "I haven't thought of one."
Wilheim smiled.
"You know, I look at him very often..." he said. Ukyo raised her head and his sight met with that of Wilheim's. "I call him Sigfried."
Ukyo smiled.
"Really? Sigfried?" she asked excitedly.
"Yep." He reaffirmed, smiling.
Ukyo jumped up and down happily, as she sang:
"I know the wolf's name! I know the wolf's name!"
Wilheim's eyes shimmered, as he saw Ukyo.
*She's so cute...* he thought.
Blushing, he smiled and turned his head away.
Ukyo stopped her jumping and faced Wilheim.
"What's wrong?" she asked, still smiling. She knew there was nothing to worry about, since she saw that Wilheim had a huge smile on his face.
Wilheim's face returned to it's normal color.
"Nothing..." he said, trying to stop smiling, but failing in the attempt.
Ukyo giggled.
"Come on!" she insisted "you can tell me!"
"It's nothing...!" Wilheim answered, chuckling.
Ukyo shrugged and smiled at Wilheim.
It was 7:45 P. M. now. Ukyo glanced at the clock and saw the time. Wilheim noticed this same action for the second time. He turned his head to face Ukyo and said:
"It's a little late, I suppose. I must go..."
Ukyo immediately ran to the door, and blocked the way out.
"Oh, no!" she protested. "You're not going anywhere until you finish your di-"
Ukyo stopped short as she saw that Wilheim's plate was empty.
"When did you eat it!?" she demanded.
Wilheim smiled, and answered:
"I tend to take big bites at my food..."
Ukyo made a playful grumble. Wilheim laughed as he heard it and asked kindly:
"I'm I excused to leave the restaurant?"
Ukyo giggled and invited Wilheim out of the restaurant.
"Have a nice night!" Ukyo said as she opened the door. Wilheim stepped out of the restaurant, and before he walked away, he made a vow, and he said:
"Sweet dreams, Miss Ukyo..."
Ukyo almost laughed her head off as she heard this. She then stood up straight and with her most serious tone of voice she answered:
"You too, Mister Wilheim!"
Wilheim laughed and shook his head as he walked away from the restaurant. Ukyo then closed the door. She was still giggling.
"...That went a lot better than I thought..." she said to herself.
When he was sure Ukyo wasn't seeing him, Wilheim reached to his pocket, and pulled out the okonomiyaki. He then dropped it in a garbage can near Ukyo's restaurant.
