Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Secret Revealed ❯ Here we go ( Chapter 9 )

Chapter 9

Akane walked down to the dining room in her school clothes.

The house was unusually quiet. Akane knew it was because of Ranma's absence. It didn't help her mood much that P-chan hadn't come home yet either.

"Good morning." She said to everyone at the breakfast table, though she didn't feel happy at all.

Everyone greeted her accordingly and continued on with their breakfast. Comments on the food were the only form of communication that morning.

Akane had barely touched her food before she got up to leave.

"Are you alright Akane?" asked Kasumi in a concerned voice.

"Yes, I'm just going to catch up to Nabiki." Akane responded.

"Oh well if you feel any worse just come home. Or if you want you can just stay. Right Father?"

"Yes, definitely. I won't have my little girl sad all day, but its your choice." Responded Soun

"No, really I'm fine." Akane said and walked out the door and headed for school. She had thought to catch up to Nabiki, but the urge was gone now.

Still she was a little lonely. It was the first time in a long time that she had walked all the way to school by herself. Weirder still was the fact that she would be on time to school, if not early.

Sure enough, Akane arrived at school five minutes before the bell.

As she sat in homeroom, calmly awaiting the announcements, she noticed that Ukyo wasn't in school today.

"I bet she's looking for Ranma." Akane thought and felt guilty for not looking as well.

Her thoughts were interrupted as the announcements came on.

This is principal Kuno. Da' big Kahuna and I have dat good news for all you brudas and sistahs. You get to leave school early."

All heads in the classroom turned to the speaker, some people shaking their heads in disbelief. Principal Kuno never did things like this without a catch. What he said next proved that.

"You get all day to clean the school. Whenever you get finished you can go. So be speedy ya?"

Everyone groaned as their hopes were crushed, but still got to work since their was a chance of them leaving early, no matter how slim.

As Akane did her job of sweeping the classroom, her thoughts wandered back to Ukyo and Ranma.

If Ukyo was searching then she should do. After all Ranma was her houseguest; and fiancé Akane added after a moment.

"Akane" said one of her friends, "Keep working so we can leave early."

"I'm sorry" Akane said and was about to start sweeping again, but she was reminded of Ranma. She handed the broom to her friend and said, "I have to go really."

Before her friend could say anything, she was out the door and heading for U-chan's Okonomiyaki.

***

Ukyo had stayed up for another hour trying to change P-chan back into Ryoga, but nothing worked. Finally she gave up and decided to sleep on it.

Later that morning as she was fixing breakfast an idea came to her. She quickly finished up the okonomiyakis that she was cooking and went up to get P-chan from her room.

He had slept on the opposite end of the bed that she had. Even though Ukyo had been around boys and even slept in the same room as them before, she didn't want any of them to sleep in the same bed with her except Ranma.

P-chan had all but destroyed that. Technically she had only slept with a pig, but it was the principle of it. It didn't help much that she knew what he looked like naked while in his human for. Ukyo had actually gotten angry with herself for liking what she had seen.

Ukyo nudged P-chan awake and after a few moments he was woke and had jumped off the bed.

"Breakfast is ready." Ukyo said, "and I think that I might know how to find out where Ranma is."

Once downstairs, they both ate their okonomiyaki together in silence (A/N: could it be because P-chan is a pig...lol)

After they were finished Ukyo told her plan to P-chan.

"Remember how you told me that Dr. Tofu told you that there were many Kuno's?" Ryoga nodded and Ukyo continued. "Well I think that Ranma may have gone to find a cure from one of them. Matter of fact, I think that's what his date with Kuno was all about. I mean Ranma wouldn't really date Kuno would he? No one does. He must not have gotten what he was looking for from Kuno so I think maybe he went back to Dr. Tofu and he may have told him where to go. I bet if we go to Dr. Tofu, we can find out where Ranma went. Maybe Dr. Tofu will understand what happened to you as well."

Ryoga nodded his head in agreement to what Ukyo had said then jumped down from the chair he had been on. However despite his martial arts agility, the seat had been just to high for him, and he fell flat on his face.

Ukyo lifted him up and stroked his face for a moment. As she did this P-chan noted how beautiful she was, now that he was up close. Quickly he pushed those thoughts from his mind and became ashamed that he had thought of a woman other than Akane for even a second.

Ukyo then put him down on the floor and went to the door. Reluctantly she put up the closed sign on her shop, knowing that it would be there all day and maybe even tomorrow or longer. It was bad enough that she had school to cut into her work hours, but Ukyo knew that this was for the best. If it was to help her bring Ranma back then she would do anything.

"Come on P-chan." Ukyo said as she left out the door and headed for Dr. Tofu's. P-chan obediently followed behind her. Soon they were at Dr. Tofu's.

Hello Dr Tofu?" asked Ukyo as she walked in.

`Hello said a man as he walked out of a room with a teacup in his hands. I don't believe we've met."

"Yes, you're right. My name is Ukyo Kunoji."

"I'm Dr. Tofu. It's nice to meet you. What problem do you have today?"

"Well I was wondering if you've seen Ranma lately."

"Yes. I saw him two days ago."

"Two days ago." Repeated Ukyo softly, then she looked down at P-chan "He hasn't been here since that time he came with you."

Dr. Tofu looked down and noticed P-chan for the first time.

"Oh, it's you. I guess something else happened then. You two should follow me." Dr. Tofu walked into the exam room followed By Ukyo and P-chan. Ukyo placed P-chan on the exam table so that he could see.

"Something did happen," Ukyo said and told him about what had happened with

P-chan The previous night.

"That's really interesting." Said Dr. Tofu after he had heard the story, "I think the still state attack maybe have a loop hole. The attacks effects must wear off for a short time and return at 12:00. That was the time when changed back to this pig right?"

"Yes, and he turned into his human form at around 11:00."

"So for about an hour everyday he can change back then"

"Yes, but how do you know that he couldn't change back before then."

"I don't know, but I also don't think that it could be a really long period of time."

"Ok" Ukyo responded," I have something else to ask."

"Go ahead."

Ukyo told Dr. Tofu about Ranma's disappearance and then told him what she thought he had done.

"He definitely didn't come and ask me though." Dr. Tofu commented, " but I can help you by giving you some places where he may have went. Dr tofu took `The History of the Kuno' off of the shelf and a map along with it. He then flipped through the book till he found what he was looking for.

"The still-state attack was made by the Kuno-ego. It says here that they usually reside in the forest." Dr. tofu grabbed a piece of paper and a pen from the table and wrote down all the possible locations that they could be in. Then he handed it to Ukyo who placed it on the exam table so that P-chan could see.

"I've left out all of the major tourist spots and places really far away from water.'

Ukyo studied the list then looked to see where they were on the map. There were 15 forests, but luckily they were close together.

`"May I keep this map" Ukyo asked and took it when doctor tofu nodded. She uttered a quick "Thanks" then left with P-chan. They were going back to her house to pick up things for the trip. Ukyo though about dropping P-chan off at Akane's house, but realized that he deserved to come along too.

They came up to a street where a bunch of people were crossing and ran straight into it. Ukyo continued on through the cluster determined to get to her house.

She was so focused though, that she didn't notice that she was missing a companion

The jumble coupled with his bad sense of direction had caused P-chan to turn and go the wrong way.

***

And this is where the true updates begin, but beware you're in store for update dry spells. Please review.