Characters belong to those who own them. Read and Review.

Akane gasped. Everyone else watched with worry.

"How cute! You turn into a pig, and you look just like P-Chan!"

Everyone else, including P-Chan, did a face-fault.

"Akane, how dense can you be? Ryoga IS P-Chan!" Ranma yelled.

"Ryoga? P-Chan?" Akane said, dumbfounded. P-Chan just looked down, ashamed. She then grabbed some hot water. "I'm going to change you back, and then you've got some explaining to do."

P-Chan then turned around to face away from everyone. "Don't you turn away from me!" Akane said angrily.

"Actually," Mousse said, "he's turning around because he'll be naked when he turns back into a human. I don't think he wants you to see him nude."

"Oh, right," Akane said. She poured the hot water, changing him back into Ryoga. Ryoga grabbed his stuff and walked out of view of everyone. A few seconds later, he came back, fully dressed.

"Ranma, did you know about this?" Akane asked, a little angry.

Ranma sighed. "Yes, I knew from when you found him as P-Chan and had me give him a bath. That's why I was upset at the little porker. But now, I think I see why. He's been looking for me since I started my training journey. I had my father for company, but he didn't have anyone that whole time. When you found him as P-Chan, you were so nice to him and took care of the bump on his head. You even kissed him. You're the first person to treat him like a friend in a long time, and he didn't want to scare you away or give it up by revealing who he was. I was bound by honor not to tell you, although I admit, I was jealous."

"That makes sense," Akane said. "P-Chan always left the room when I was changing, and even ran away when I was going to take him into the furo with me."

"Thanks for understanding," Ryoga said, a tear in his eye. "I don't know how to make it up to you."

"I do," Ranma said. "Ryoga, when I do get married, I want you to be my Best Man."

"I'd be honored to," Ryoga said. "Maybe if I propose to Akari one day, you could do the same for me."

"Just try to stop me," Ranma said.

After school, Ranma and Akane went to the gym. Ryoga, Shampoo, Mousse, and Cologne were already there, with an assortment of musical instruments.

"I managed to get these at a good deal," Cologne said.

"Hey, nice guitar!" Ranma said, picking up a guitar. He played a few notes.

Akane looked around, but didn't see anything like a piano.

"I'm sorry, but I couldn't find a keyboard for you," Cologne said.

"That's Ok," Akane replied. "I'll get one another day. I've got homework to do anyway."

"Don't you want to stay and watch us practice?" Ranma asked.

"No, I'll just get in the way. Have fun!" she said as she walked out.

"That's great for you, Ranma," Ryoga said.

"Huh?" Ranma looked at Ryoga, puzzled at what he meant.

"Akane trusts you by yourself, with Shampoo of all people."

Ranma smiled. "Trust…yeah, that's right. Well, let's get to it!"

Akane came through the front door. "I'm home!" She said as she removed her shoes.

"Oh, I thought you were going to practice in the gym with the others," Kasumi said, turning off her vacuum.

"I've got it covered," Akane said, smiling. She went up to her room and went into her closet. In side a box was the old Yamaha synthesizer she played on with her mother. They also used to have a full-sized piano, but it was sold after their mother passed when they needed money. Wiping a tear, she opened the box and placed the synthesizer on her desk. She plugged it in, and plugged some headphones into the line out. I'd rather nobody else hear me, she thought. As she played a few keys, the basics started to come back to her. After some time, she found she could play all the music that she had played with her mother.

Ranma and Ryoga got home a few hours later. It was decided that Ryoga could stay at the Tendos for a while, during the band training. Akane came down to greet them. "How did it go?"

"We've got potential, but we need more work," Ryoga said.

"I'm sure we can do it, though," Ranma said, smiling. Then he frowned. "I don't know where we'll find a keyboard for you, though."

"Don't worry about it, I found my old one earlier," Akane said. Ranma's frown returned to a smile, and they headed off to dinner.

Meanwhile, Sasuke was busy telling Tatewaki Kuno about what he saw while spying on the Tendos. He knew about the new engagement, and the musical contest, but he had left before finding out about Ryoga's curse.

"So, Ranma Saotome still keeps the fair Akane, and most undoubtedly the Pig-Tailed Girl, ensnared in his vile tapestry of lies and deceit. And what's more, he seeks to send his dark message around the world by use of enchanted musical instruments?" Kuno said.

"Err..yeah, something like that," Sasuke said, sweat-dropping.

"Then I must enter this contest as well, to free the minds of those under his sinister spell, and prevent it from consuming others! Besides, the world should learn of the Blue Thunder, and what better way than immortalizing myself in a song?"

"Perhaps I can help, brother dear?" he heard a familiar voice say. Kodachi, his twisted sister, entered the room. "I do so love music, and this may be my chance to make Ranma-darling my own."

"Sister, you'll help me, then?" Kuno asked.

"Of course! I'll even help you write a love song that'll make your Akane and pigtailed girl beg to be yours."

"L-l-love song?" Kuno managed to say. In his head, he had a vision of Akane and the Pig-Tailed Girl at his side.

"You're so righteous!" the fantasy Pig-Tailed Girl said.

"Talented singers make me so hot!" fantasy Akane added.

Kuno went back to reality. "I'll do it!" he yelled. "However, three will not be enough. I must recruit more for my cause!"