Yay, I got reviews!

Ryan, I'm surprised I haven't really seen anything like this either. You'd think after Martial Arts Tea Ceremony, Caligraphy, and gymnastics, there'd be a martial arts music competition. I did see one fic, but it never went past chapter 1.

A.Nomynous, it isn't a dream sequence, at least after Akane first woke up revision 2edit: and neither is the beginning. I seem to have a hard time getting the characters from what everyone knows to how I need them to be for my story, and I didn't want to take so long that everyone would lose interest. That, and I'm a little tired of the same old arguments. Ranma calling Akane an uncute tomboy, Akane calling Ranma a pervert, stuff like that. I'm pretty sure that out of all the TV episodes, 2 movies, and what I've seen of the OVA, Ranma hasn't done anything I'd classify as perverted. To me, the closest he's been is with Hinako Ninmiya, and that was really just to hit a certain pressure point near her breasts.

Also, I have seen the Xmas OVA episode, and watched the DoCo ending videos. I've also got the Hot Fighting Songs music video DVD on order from Japan (glad I can play region 2 DVDs.) The karaoke during the Xmas one is the only one I consider to be part of the actual storyline. Also, I see Nabiki as being the manager more, and I have plans for Kasumi during the concert.

Perhaps when I have time, I'll try to change the opening chapters. I'm not above editing anything.

One more thing: funny you should mention Akane's mother, as she's involved in a later chapter, but if you've seen the Anime, you'll understand when you see it.

One other thing: I noticed posted on the main page that they don't want real song lyrics copy and pasted. This throws a wrench in my plans. I was going to have Ranma sing Someday by Nickelback, and Ryoga also had a Nickelback song to sing (the one called Believe It Or Not). I thought these songs fit these two, and it was what I was listening to when I started writing this a month or so ago.

However, I'm not licked yet. I've decided to write my own song. Whether this is good or bad, I don't know. If the song seems lame, just pretend it's good, OK? It'll be up in a later chapter, so there may be some delays while I try to make it sound like a real song.

Another thing, things are based off the dub version of the Anime, so certain phrases and flashbacks are based off the English dialogue.

I don't own the characters. See first chapter for the disclaimer.

Ow, my fingers hurt from all this typing…

It was a week after the failed wedding, and the band-in-training was practicing in the gym. Nabiki had managed to get them the gym a few times a week, and they could use one of the classrooms the other times. Right now, one band member was absent, and things didn't sound quite right without him.

"Man, I wish Mousse were here," Ranma said, playing a few random notes. "We don't sound right with those synthesized things from Akane's keyboard."

"Mousse say he drop in late, but no say why," Shampoo said sadly.

"Don't worry Shampoo, I'm here now."

Everyone turned to see Mousse at the doorway. It was immediately apparent that he didn't have his glasses.

"Uh, how are you going to practice if you can't see?" Ryoga asked.

"Who said I couldn't see, Ryoga?" Mousse said, looking right at him.

Shampoo was surprised. She then picked up a book from Akane's bag and held it up.

"If Mousse can really see, what this?"

"'Piano for Dummies: A Reference for the Rest of Us! By Blake Neely. Play-along audio CD included! The fun and easy way to get started on the piano.'" Mousse read effortlessly.

(A/N: I'm not saying Akane's a dummy. This is a book that I actually own. Dummy books can hold some good information.)

"Just saying it's a book would have been surprising enough," Akane said.

"But how? Somethin' magical happen to your eyes?" Ranma couldn't help but ask.

"Not as magical as you may think." Doctor Tofu said, coming in with Kasumi. Tofu was also lacking glasses. "We both now are wearing contacts."

"Now I have perfect vision, Shampoo," Mousse said, coming right up to the Amazon. "Even with my old glasses, I would end up talking to strangers or trees. Not anymore! And these are designed to stay in even when I turn into a duck."

"Pardon me, I need to use the ladies room," Kasumi said.

"Ok, I'll be right here," Tofu replied, and Kasumi left.

Ranma was the first to notice something. "Hey doc, how come you're not acting weird? Normally you go nuts when Kasumi is near you."

Tofu grinned. "That's my reason for getting contacts. Since they're directly on my eyes, they can't fog up, causing me to get confused. I still feel nervous around her, but this is a huge step foreword for me."

"Good for you, Doctor Tofu," Akane said.

Kasumi came back, and the two left the band to their practice. They played for nearly an hour.

Ryoga put down his guitar. "Hey, I've got to go to the restroom. Be right back!"

Ranma eyed him. "Do you need help getting there? We can't have you getting lost."

Ryoga laughed. "It's right across the hall. I'll be fine."

A few minutes later, Ryoga came back in, with a weird grin on his face.

"That was quick," Mousse said. "You ready for more practice?"

"Practice is now over," Ryoga said, getting his umbrella out and pointing it at them. "I'm breaking this gig up."

"Ryoga feel OK?" Shampoo asked, nervous.

Ryoga responded by tossing a bandanna at Shampoo. Mousse deflected it with a chain from his robe just in time.

"What's wrong with you!" Akane yelled. Ryoga just smirked at her. "You need to cool off, Hibiki." She then tossed some water out of her bottle at the boy.

Ryoga just stood there, water dripping off.

"He…he didn't transform?" Ranma asked.

Just then, another Ryoga came back in.

"See, I didn't get lo…" he stopped when he saw the other Ryoga. "Where'd that other me come from?" he asked nervously.

Ranma made a fist. "Copycat Ken, is that you?"

The "evil" Ryoga laughed. "Bingo!" he said, using a green cloth to change back to normal. "Long time no see, Ranma Saotome!"

"Not long enough," Akane said.

"Why are you here?" Ranma asked. "I beat you before, fair and square."

"I'm here for revenge," Ken said, "and I'm going to get it." He then dropped some small orbs, which quickly filled the room with smoke.

When the smoke cleared, Ranma looked around. Ken was gone. What he did notice that there were now two Akanes!

"You're a real pain, Ken. You know that?" Ranma said, walking up to the two.

"I can't believe he copied me!" one of the Akanes said.

"You're the copy! Ranma's the only guy who should turn into a girl," the other one said.

Ranma sighed and then did something that surprised everyone.

He kicked one of the Akanes. She fell back, and the wig fell off, revealing that one to be Ken.

"How…how did you see through my disguise? It was flawless!" Ken said, getting up.

"Akane is my fiancée!" Ranma yelled. "Did you really think that I wouldn't be able to tell the difference!"

"Well, if that didn't work…try this!" Ken then used his cloth to transform again.

When he stood up, he looked somewhat like Mousse but with longer, blue hair.

"What that?" Shampoo asked. She had heard of Copycat Ken from the others, but this was her first encounter with him.

"Something new I came up with," Ken said. "I combine two people's traits into one. I've got the skills of both. It's kinda like the son of Mousse and Shampoo." Everyone else face-faulted.

Shampoo got up first. "Well, at least is good looking child." Mousse sweat-dropped from his spot on the floor.

Ranma dodged a bonbori attached to the end of a chain.

"Bakusai Tenketsu!" Ryoga yelled, touching the unusual weapon with his finger. It shattered into millions of little pieces.

Ken was surprised at Ryoga's sudden interference, and that's when Ranma struck.

"Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken!"

The quick attack shredded Ken's outer clothing, leaving him in his normal form yet again.

"Darn you," Ken said, holding his left shoulder, which had been bruised. "I'll get you next time!" He then leapt out the door. Everyone else ran to the door, but Ken was out of sight.

"I think we've had enough for today," Mousse said.

Ranma nodded. "Let's call it a day."

As Ranma, Akane, and Ryoga headed back to the dojo, Akane decided to speak up.

"Ranma, how did you know that the other Akane was really Ken?"

Ranma slowed down his walking a little. "Well, to be honest, I'm not sure."

"What?" Akane and Ryoga said at the same time.

"Somethin' inside me told me which one was the real you. Maybe it was some small detail about his disguise my brain picked up. Maybe I could detect your distinctive aura. Or I'm used to your body language. Or it's some psychic bond thing." He then stopped. "Or maybe…my heart just knew. Whatever it was, I knew who you were, and nothin' will be able to fool my when it comes to that."

Akane smiled. She wasn't sure why, but she believed what he said. Maybe we do have some sort of psychic thing.

Meanwhile, Ken was on a rooftop somewhere, going over his latest fight.

How did he see through my disguise?, he wondered. Now he was more determined to get back at Ranma and his friends.

It was then that he saw Kuno, Kodachi, and Sasuke on the street below. Knowing that they were pretty much rivals with Ranma and his friends, he decided to follow him. Thanks to his years of following people while secretly taking pictures, he was never seen. He followed them as they went into a nearby park.

"It's hard to believe that none of my fellow Kendo club members know anything about music," Kuno said to his sister.

"I know," Kodachi said. "None of my fellow gymnasts seem interested in being in a band either. Where are we going to find more people?"

A band? Ken thought. So they're going up against Ranma and his band!

"Well," Sasuke started. "Your father is always playing the ukulele. Maybe he would be interested in…"

"Never!" Kuno yelled. "I will not be on the same stage, playing music with that man!"

"Maybe I can be of some help," a new voice said. Hikaru Gosunkugi appeared behind them from seemingly out of nowhere, surprising everyone, even Ken.

"I know you," Kuno said when he saw who it was. "You're that guy that tries to defeat Ranma using voodoo sorcery." Ken also recognized Gosunkugi from his recent spying on people.

"If you seek to defeat Ranma Saotome, I have many methods up my sleeve," Gosunkugi said, and let out a weird little laugh

"Can you play any musical instruments?" Sasuke asked.

"Yup, I can play the organ."

"Well, it's better than nothing," Kodachi said, sighing.

Ken decided that this was too good an opportunity to pass up. However, Kuno disliked him, to the point that he actually trained with Ranma to defeat Ken. No, he'd need to be in disguise while doing this. There was one thing this whole group was oblivious to about Ranma. Ken knew that from his spying on the people Ranma interacted with. He used his cloth and transformed once more.

"May I also join your band, Kuno?" Ken said in his disguise.

Kuno's eyes got big when he saw who (he thought) it was.

"Oh, my pigtailed pretty! You want to join us? Of course you can!"

Later, the Kuno mansion was filled with music. Well, it didn't qualify as music. It was more like noise pollution. Gosunkugi was playing a pipe organ that he managed to bring somehow, while Ken, disguised as Ranma-chan, played the guitar. These were the only two who displayed any talent at all.

Sasuke was sitting in a drum set, seemingly hitting the drums at random. Kuno was playing a lute, getting more notes wrong than right. Kodachi was singing horribly off-key, and adding her insane laughter into the air, which sounded really scary when combined with the pipe organ.

"Brother dear…we suck," Kodachi said. Well, she believed that she was good, but the others made her sound bad.

Gosunkugi then got an idea.

"I can make a special potion that will make us great!" he said.

"You expect us to use underhanded tricks to gain the advantage? That would be dishonorable to a warrior such as myself!" Kuno yelled.

Kodatchi sighed. She didn't want to make her Ranma sound bad, but she wanted to win so badly!

"Perhaps you should reconsider. My dear Ranma is supposedly using dark magic to win, according to you. Why shouldn't we? Fight fire with fire, as they say."

Kuno closed his eyes and thought about it. "Very well. We will use the potion."

"I'll have a batch ready for tomorrow!" Gosunkugi yelled.

Ken smiled. He didn't need the potion. All he had to do is watch someone play guitar on the television, and he could copy their skill. However, it was apparent that some of the other band members needed it badly.