Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma ½.

Author's Notes: Oh yeah, this is the first chapter of what promises to be a rewarding story. I enjoy reading mysteries and I never could quite get the handle of writing them so this will be practice. Please be kind. Also, sorry about confusing the words prologue and epilogue. Never did that before. Oh well, on with the show!

Strange Occurrences

Chapter 1

I woke up sometime around dinnertime. A Saotome's stomach is a wonderful thing. It allows me to tell what time it is based around mealtimes. My bleary eyes looked for Pops, but the scenery wasn't familiar. Wait, I was in Ucchan's living room and a comforting presence was holding me. I could smell the faint antiseptic smell from when I bandaged her arms. Seeing my best friend lying in the tub like that had been burned into my brain. Part of me wanted to cry again, but I held it in. This much crying isn't in my character at all. A soft voice brought my attention back to the present.

"Sleep well, Ranchan?" Ucchan asked. Strangely enough, I did. No nightmares, no pops waking me up with a fling into the koi pond, none of it. Maybe I did need a break from the Tendo house.

"Slept great. Uhm…I'm kinda hungry." I could feel my cheeks heat up as my stomach growled in annoyance over a lack of food. I haven't even had lunch yet! Now I felt like a heel. She almost dies and I say how hungry I am. That's pretty low in my opinion. Her laughter, however, shook me loose from another destructive train of thought.

"You and your stomach! Fine, I'll go rustle up some food." She shifted against me and I realized where my face was. How she hid those behind a simple bandage was beyond me. I moved away to let her get up, but she didn't even get up from the couch; she just seemed to tilt off and fall. Good thing my reflexes are so good, ne? She looked so pale and tired when I got her situated.

"I got a better idea. Let me do the cooking." I smiled. She smiled wanly at me before tucking her legs under herself. I found a blanket and tucked her in, making sure she was comfortable. Ucchan was so pretty when she smiled. Finding my way back downstairs after a smile like that, combined with my relief, and with a healthy dose of hunger, made me wanna cook my best. Sure, I ain't a world-class cook like Kasumi, Shampoo, or Ucchan, but my food won't kill ya. As I set out the ingredients, my mind was plagued by thoughts. What if I hadn't been here in time? Why would Akane do this? I couldn't make okonomiyaki, but I do have a secret weapon. My Pops and I had traveled to America when I was eight years old. There was old master there that everyone referred to as either Mr. Miyagi or Miyagi-san. He was quite a guy and I really hated to leave him, but there were other considerations I guess. While I was there, however, I did under the table work at a local restaurant. It was there that I learned how to make an American hamburger. When I had the burger frying, I began making piecrust and working on milk shakes. Saotome Ranma, short order cook. A sound from behind made me turn quickly, but it was only Ucchan. She was clutching the blanket around herself, wobbling as she struggled to walk.

"What're ya doin'? I told ya I'd cook." I said to her as I helped her onto a stool.

"Hey, I'm not made out of glass." She protested before she sniffed the air. "Mmm…That smells great. Whatcha makin'?" she asked me. I smiled at her.

"It's a surprise." Was my response before I quickly ran to check on the hamburgers. The reason why I wanted to be careful was is because of what usually happens. We burn the burgers. Funny, almost sounds like an analogy to life. Uhm… I'm not gonna worry about it right now. The pie still has some time left in the oven, but the main part of the meal was ready. She stared at the food in front of her as if it was some new opponent. Is this how I look at Akane's cooking? When I don't hesitate to bite into mine does she decide to eat hers. I knew I could cook a great hamburger, but the sounds of ecstasy coming from her direction made me a little uncomfortable. Was she just doing that to make me feel better?

"Ya like it?" I asked her. My worry actually dampening my appetite slightly. She took some time to swallow before smiling at me. There were even more butterflies in my stomach.

"It's great Ranchan." She said and I could tell she meant it. There were tears in her eyes, which left me thinking that my cooking couldn't be that good. Apparently, she's a mind reader as well.

"It's ok, sugar. I'm just thinking about the fact that I haven't really had anyone cook for me, just me, since I left home." I couldn't say anything to that statement, but at least I didn't panic. What changed? It must have something to do with the pretty girl sitting next to me at the counter. It was a lot of fun, actually, to just sit there and talk. I hoped that none of my usual problems would show up right now. Now if wishes were horses…

"Where the Hell am I now?" Three guesses who that is and the first two don't count.

"In my restaurant and it's closed." Ucchan said to the human side of bacon. The Lost Boy had a funny look on his face as he looked at me, then looked at Ucchan. This couldn't be good. The last time he had that look was back in school when I stole the bread and he actually managed to hit me. There was something in his eyes that I didn't like. It reminded me almost of how Kasumi and Nabiki looked. A suspicion entered my mind. If this went down like at home, it was gonna hurt, but if he had a response like Ucchan's… Even though he's a jerk, he's my friend.

"Ranma you ignorant bastard." He spat out. Whoa, not screaming or yelling, but quietly threatening me. Life doesn't get easier does it?

"What did I do now?" I asked, genuinely curious. Maybe it was cuz I was sitting with Ucchan, maybe it was over what happened every time we fought before, or it was something entirely new that he cooked up.

"You had hamburgers and didn't save any for me!" he said in a faintly hurt tone. That was too weird. It went beyond the normal reaction of incredulity. Ucchan was torn between confusion and a sudden fit of the giggles. I was suddenly more wary than at anytime in my entire life. His gaze flashed to Ucchan as she laughed before he suddenly whipped several dozen bandannas at her, almost faster then even I could see! If it wasn't for the fact that I was alert for trouble, my best friend would have been diced Ucchan. My glare was anything but friendly. He assumed an aggressive stance (as if he knew any other) and prepared to attack.

"Stop laughing at me! All you freaks ever do is laugh at me! Akane's even laughin' at me! Life is Hell! Since I'm not a bad guy, I'll give you a gift! An escape from Hell! I'll kill you both!" He was actually frothing at the mouth by the time he was done. Time seemed to slow down as he shot forward with speed I never knew he possessed. His focus was sharp enough to cut diamonds and it showed in his technique. I was hard pressed to dodge let alone find an opening. Thank the Kami he had come here before finding some innocent person on the street. I managed to get in a lucky strike that connected solidly with his ribs before his fist found my stomach and slammed me into the wall. Not once had he used a ki attack even though his aura was fully manifested. It swirled and billowed like some kind of crazy fire, hypnotic and deadly. My limbs wouldn't move as he advanced towards me. Something caught his attention however, his deadly focus intent on the other person in the room. Ucchan was trying to heft her battle spatula, crying from the effort. I tried to shout out for her to get away, but the words caught in my throat. Ryoga's fist came back before suddenly shooting forward and impacting solidly with her spine, hurling her through the wall. His attention came back to me, lifeless and soulless, ready to destroy me, but my fury had woken up my cat. My little kitten was twining about my legs, panting with the need for release.

"You bastard. I made an allowance for you not bein' yourself n' all, but ya just hurt Ucchan! Get ready for the full might of the Neko-ken!" my voice turned into a roar as pent up hatred lent my body new power. Ryoga wasn't even scared of me in full cat mode, which made me pause. I could see tears trailing from his eyes. He was still in there and knew what he did. I snarled, a sound so full of hate that his soul flinched, but I was set on stopping him. When the improved Lost Boy launched himself at me again, I was ready. We exchanged blows at what seemed like double Amaguriken speed before my strategic pressure point shots locked up his body and caused him to tumble to the floor, where he sobbed quietly. Worry about him later, Ucchan needed me now. The hole in the wall led to the kitchen. Ucchan was actually standing up as if nothing had happened, I went to see how she was doing when she suddenly toppled backward into my arms. Her body was twitching spasmodically, her eyes were full of pain.

"Geez Ranchan… Your friends sure play rough, eh?" Brave girl was trying to find the humor in a humorless situation.

"I'll put ya to bed then find out what happened from Ryoga." I said.

"Don't forget to turn off the pie, sugar." She whispered before lapsing into unconsciousness. Well of course, I turned off the pie before carrying her up to bed.

Leaving her snuggled in her bed made me feel somehow better. At least I managed to heal some of her pain. People think that I can only use my chi to attack or heal myself. If they knew I could heal others then I might end up becoming the next Benny Hin. Scary thought. By the time I made it back downstairs, Ryoga had already gotten up and sat in a booth with his feet up. Yep, I pummeled him good.

"Well bacon bits? What's yer excuse this time?" I said as I slid in across from him. He looked over at me with haunted eyes and I instantly regretted my teasing. Maybe he saw it because he didn't seem to get angry.

"I made it to the Tendo dojo earlier today. Akane had made me lunch and I wondered where I could hide, but a look from her sister made me sit down." A sister huh?

"Who, Nabiki?" I asked him. He was truly shocked about something.

"Nope, it was..Kasumi." he said uncertainly.

"What's wrong?" I asked. Ryoga sighed before lapsing into silence again. His stomach growled and I figured the best way to flush the poison from his system was with some good food. He seemed surprised when I began flipping hamburgers, but kept his mouth shut. I slid a warm stack of them to him and he eyed them dubiously. Apparently deciding that my cooking couldn't be as bad as Akane's he ate. He didn't moan in pleasure, but he did consume them at warp speed.

"Man, that was actually good." He said before looking thoughtful. "What got to me was that I Akane didn't smell right. It smelled like the food she made me eat." I was kinda surprised, but not as surprised as I thought. The weird smell from the dish as well as the note came back to me. My eyes widened in horror.

"What's wrong man?" At least he was concerned.

"I-I ate some of that stuff…" was all I could stammer out. Ryoga suddenly looked even more concerned, but at least he wasn't running in terror. He became even more upset as he asked how Ucchan was doing. I told him that she just needed to sleep it off and that she would be okay with some rest. We brainstormed about who could have done this. Akane wasn't to blame or at least not totally. There had to be someone besides Akane involved. I was actually surprised when Ryoga came up with it first.

"Maybe we should talk to Kodachi?" he suggested. It seemed like as good an idea as any we came up with. With a sigh, I came to a conclusion.

"Fine, I'll go to the Kuno's, but you stay here with Ucchan." I left it unsaid what would happen if she were hurt any more then she already was. After leading the Lost Boy up to her living room, I made a mental check of everything I needed. I slipped on a pair of latex gloves that Ucchan keeps in a body fluids kit downstairs and put on the filtration mask before grabbing the bag containing the food container and the note. If Kodachi tried to poison me, at least this gear would by me some time. Before I reached the estate, I bought a large jacket and a pair of goggles. This was going to be some confrontation, my mind was awhirl with counter moves to the various things she could do. I no longer worried about her brother. Compared to her danger level, Kuno was a pansy. Using the inherent stealth of the cat, I was over the wall and dashing across the front lawn. Mr. Green Turtle didn't even bat an eye as I dashed past, but he knew I was there. My mission suddenly seemed in jeopardy. If he had been actively trying to kill me then I would have felt safe. Breaching the mansion was easy as well, but my eyes caught sight of something that made my blood run cold. It looked like Kodachi was tied to a chair; tight cord was wound above her chest and across her stomach, her arms pulled painfully behind her with a gag bisecting her face. Whoever did it hadn't even let her put on something other then flimsy nightclothes. Her head was lowered to her chest and each breath seemed to be an agony. She wasn't my friend, but she wasn't my enemy. The girl was crazy, but I seriously doubted even she would do this to win me over. I stepped carefully across the threshold; her positioning seemed deliberate so that meant a trap. The Umi-Sen-Ken would have been a good idea, but I may need that energy for what lay ahead. As I entered the room, it came to my attention that there were quite a few plants in a circle around the girl. I needed split second timing. It was the work of a few seconds to remove the cords binding her, her hands and feet were a deep purple color as if the oxygen were cut off for an extended period. Her eyes fluttered open, the same look that everyone else had just before they acted strange except there was one difference. The madness that was in her eyes was gone, for how long I didn't know, but this would make it easier. The gag was removed, causing her to cry out softly as it was peeled from the deep marks in her cheeks. She clung to me as best as she could while trying to tell me something, but her voice was gone from crying.

"Shhhh Kodachi-chan... Shhhh..." I tried to soothe her, even adding the "chan" to relax her, but if anything it made her more upset. I spent some of my chi to restore the little damages to her body but her face would still have a slight red mark and her hands trembled from the restored blood flow. With a restored hand she pointed at the flowers. What I saw made me freeze, each bouquet was made with black roses.

"Mwahahahaha! Foul Sorcerer Saotome! I have seen your arts now for myself even if it was to heal my twisted sister! Enjoy your last few moments on this planet! Kodachi, my dear sibling, enjoy your funeral flowers!" exclaimed an obviously more insane Kuno from somewhere above before the bouquets exploded, filling the room with noxious gas that quickly killed the real flowers in the room and even seemed to age the floor. I wrapped the underdressed gymnast in my jacket and, taking a deep breath of untainted air, clapped the mask on her face and took off running like the wind.

The run through the house was hell itself, I tried blasting out windows and walls, but discovered they were obviously reinforced. Must be from the previous times I was here. My only chance was to get to the door, but lack of oxygen was gradually affecting me. The girl in my arms had her eyes scrunched tight against the noxious gas. I prayed for a miracle and got one in an unlikely ally. The floor rumbled beneath me as I ran before exploding in a shower of flooring and concrete, a massive head poked out from the wreckage. It was the diabolical reptile of destruction (and I don't mean Godzilla), it was Mr. Green Turtle. He roared thunderously and I leapt down into the hole he made, gratefully gulping in oxygen. Kodachi squirmed slightly and I let her go, she stayed on her knees beside me.

"Thank you, Ranma-sama." she said after removing the mask. Even her voice was different! She sounded so much sweeter and kinder, but how long would this last? Didn't matter, I had to get her out of here.

"Don't thank me until we're outta this place." I managed to wheeze out, but my weakness was a sham now. I knew her brother was down here, but I wanted to lure him out. The roar of Kodachi's pet alligator cut off horribly with a squelch and a sound of ripping flesh. The head of the faithful pet skidded across the floor and came to a rest in a bloody heap. The girl beside me began to sob brokenly as she stroked the leathery face softly.

"That's what he gets for standing in the way of the Blue Demon of Furinkan High! No longer am I a mere mortal, but the dark gods to exact my vengeance bless me!" His speech disturbed me, but something in me snapped once more. This was Kodachi for crying out loud, but I hated seeing a girl cry. The rage gripped me so tightly I had to grab my head to keep it from exploding, or worse, escaping. My efforts weren't rewarded however, I felt like I was in the Neko-ken, but this made even my fierce cat run away crying. I felt the blood vessels burst in my eyes, turning the world to a red haze. The foolish kendoist stood there proudly with a different sword in his hands. This one looked like an oversized samurai sword, but with jagged and serrated edges. It was designed for killing with maximum pain. Just like Ryoga, he seemed to move with unnatural speed, except Kuno with the same enhancement seemed to disappear. He tried to slash me from behind, but whatever I was caught in was even faster then him. My elbow shot back and connected with his gut, I felt his ribs break and separate, but when I turned around to check, the bastard was still on his feet. His eyes filled with a maniacal light as he licked blood from the blade. I checked myself quickly before seeing Kodachi lying crumpled on the ground, gripping just under her elbow where her arm was severed. Several things happened all in that instant. He charged me, my anger reached critical mass, her crying ceased as she passed out from blood loss, and a sorrowful roar could be heard.

"Kuno! You will die! For your misdeeds I will make you VANISH!" the words leapt from my mouth, I tried to hold my power down but I couldn't. The insane scion realized what he had done, the induced madness fled his eyes and he looked to me for release, but my hand was already moving. I wanted to cry, but the heat of this being's hatred burned away all tears. I summoned a pure scarlet Mouko Takabisha before more gathered around my hand, seven in all, and fired off with killing force into the once proud, but foolish kendoist. The beast inside retreated as I rushed to Kodachi's side. I desperately tried to reattach her arm, but I couldn't even reattach one of my own so how could I do this?

"Kami-sama someone help me... Please help me! I can't do this alone..." I cried for her, there was no way in my weakened state that I could get her to a hospital. She shivered, her eyes looking up at me.

"Ran-ma-sama..." she said weakly.

"I'm here Kodachi-chan...hold on!" I tried to strengthen her again, but I couldn't. Why wouldn't it work now? Her free hand touched my face, trailing blood on my cheek but I didn't care.

"H-hold me...p-please? I'm frightened..." The poor girl sounded so small and so young, I held her up to my chest and cradled her. As she began to truly die, a strange power welled up. It purred and played like my Neko-ken, but this one was larger and vastly more powerful. It felt similar to the other beast, but more benevolent. I cried out to it to help me. I begged it and pleaded. A rumbling purr of agreement was all I got. My eyesight grew dark, but the one thing I saw before darkness claimed me was Kodachi with both arms.

End Chapter 1

Author's Note: Whee... This chapter was fun to write! What has happened to Ranma? Is it something he ate? I won't tell you, but just remember the match up is Ranma & Ukyou. No Kodachi pairing, k? Well, time to mosey on. Ja ne!