The next chapter is here! Just this one, and one more to go.

My next fanfic is progressing nicely. Ryan L. Spradling (who I assume Sonic 1 is from the email address), the Sonic Underground crossover is a good idea. It also gave me another idea for the fanfic. I may only spend only a chapter or two on that, but I'll try to use the SU part.

Priestess Kohana, thanks for continual reviews. However, don't forget to update your own fics! I'm waiting to see waht happens in Paralyzed.

The next fic is going to be a big project for me. It'll cross into our world, other shows and/or video games, and even other fanfics! I still have to determine if I can get away with a T rating on it, since there'll be violence, cursing, a death or two, drug use…

Anyway, here we go! Chapter 9.

Ranma smiled. "The last piece is sung by Ryoga, and is called…"

Ranma was interrupted by the sound of someone running.

"Ranma Saotome, I won't let your vile deeds go unpunished!" Kuno shouted as he ran onto the stage. Ranma was caught off guard for a second, but managed to kick Kuno in the face before his Boken could hit him. This was nothing new to Ranma. However, the Boken flew out of Kuno's hand and sailed through the air. It impacted a stage light, causing it to short out and smoke. The smoke caused the sprinklers to turn on. The resulting shower caused a shock to the audience as four of the band members turned into a red-headed girl, a pig, a cat, and a duck.

Akane got the dust cover out of the box for her synthesizer and put it on the device to prevent water damage. She was actually feeling out of place, being the only member of the band who didn't change due to the water.

Kuno just stared at Ranma-chan, mouth wide open. "Ranma is the pig-tailed girl!" he yelled incredulously.

Kodachi was equally surprised. Kuno had carried her to just offstage before he went out. Now she saw that the pig-tailed girl she hated so much and the man she loved were the same.

"So, you figured it out, did you?" Ranma-chan replied. "Like I tried to tell you before, we have the same mind and body. The same memories. The same feelings. The same everything. I only physically change."

Everyone was surprised when Ranma-chan flew halfway across the stage from Kuno's punch. Not because Kuno was able to actually hit her, but because he hit her when she was in girl form.

Ranma-chan stood up and looked at Kuno in shock. She saw the pain and anger in his eyes.

"All this time," the Kendoist slowly said. "You've been using me! You used my affections to your advantage, toying with my heart!"

Ranma-chan bit her lower lip. She did lead him on quite a few times, especially during that whole thing with the magic sword that grants wishes.

"And you, Akane Tendo!" Kuno continued, pointing at Akane. "You're the same as this…this…thing! You're really a man too, aren't you! I wondered from the way you fought and act, but now I know why you don't have any feminine qualities. You were born without them!"

"Hey!" Akane said angrily. She was feeling sorry for Kuno, since not only Ranma, but Nabiki and even she had used his emotions for their own schemes. But then he had to go and say that. "I don't have a curse, and I am a girl!"

The official who was taking the applications recognized Kuno from when he came in with his group and told the judges. The one judge then spoke into the microphone. "Mr. Kuno, if you do not calm down and behave, we will disqualify your group."

Kuno wasn't listening. He got out another Boken and drew it back. "I'll kill you both for messing with the heart of Tatewaki Kuno!"

He flew at Akane, bent on getting revenge on her first. Akane could only watch as Kuno came at her with incredible speed, when Ranma-chan knocked into him, causing them both to tumble back onto the stage floor. Ranma-chan leapt away from the enraged Kendoist as he swung his Boken at her, but it managed to cut into her side. The gash reminded Akane of the dream she had the night after the wedding. This one was much smaller, but it was in the same exact spot, which sent a chill up Akanes spine.

Ranma-chan backed away from Kuno. He was truly mad. While she wasn't going to die or anything from the gash, it hurt pretty bad, which made it harder for her to fight back and defend herself. Then she got an idea.

She backed away from Kuno, who was burning with rage. Which ever direction she twisted, he was still heading towards her.

I have to make this as tight as I can so that Akane and the others won't get caught in it.

Just as Kuno was close enough, he raised his Boken to strike. That's when Ranma-chan made her move.

"Hiryu Shoten Ha!"

A twister appeared and threw Kuno up and out of the building, creating a hole in the process.

Now that Kuno was gone, everyone calmed back down. Akane noticed that her fellow band members were still cursed. "Hey, anyone got any hot water out there?" she shouted into the audience.

"I'll go try to find some!" She heard Ukyo shout back, but she couldn't see her.

"Well, if possible, we still need one more piece of music for your entry," one of the judges said. The sprinklers continued to rain water onto the stage.

Ranma-chan looked at her. "Akane, I may be able to play guitar as a girl, but they can't play as animals!" she said, indicating the pig, cat, and duck with her arm.

P-Chan looked down. In this form, he'd never be able to sing his song: 'Wondering Soul'.

The judges started talking to each other. Then they faced back to the stage.

"Given current circumstances, even though this is supposed to be a band, we will accept a solo piece by Akane Tendo."

Akane gulped. A solo piece! She didn't know what to do. Then she felt a hand on her arm. Looking, she saw it was Ranma-chan's hand.

"You can do it. I know you can," she assured her. Ranma-chan was holding Ryoga's umbrella over Akane and the keyboard. While Ranma-chan was still getting wet from the sprinklers, she was protecting her fiancée and her fiancées instrument from the indoor rain.

Akane removed the dust cover from the synthesizer and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the power light was still on. The water didn't damage it. Ranma-chan removed her hand from Akane's shoulder and gently took the dust cover from her. Akane shook the excess water from her hands and pressed a key on the keyboard, hoping to hear a note.

She did.

She pressed it again and looked at the judges to see if they heard it. They all nodded.

She pressed the key once more to make sure. Then she started to play her music, starting with the same tune.

Her music had a melancholy effect, which was actually aided by the sound of rain provided by the sprinkler system. Every once in a while, she used one of the sound affect keys on her keyboard to play a thunder sound. This added even more to the atmosphere of the music.

Partway in, she turned on the built-in percussion. While not as good as Mouse on a real set of drums, it still got the mood and rhythm across.

Ranma-chan just stood there, holding the umbrella, taking in the beautiful music.

Towards the end of the piece, sunlight started to come through the hole that Kuno had made, and it shined on Akane and her synthesizer like a spotlight. After she finished, everyone in the audience stood up and applauded. Even the judges were clapping. Ranma-chan handed her the dust cover, which she put over her synthesizer again. Ranma-chan then gave her a thumbs-up and smiled. Akane smiled back.

"Very nice, Miss Tendo," one of the judges said.

"Thank you," Akane said, coming to the front of the stage and bowing. "It…it's kind of a…tribute to my late mother, who taught me how to play." The other band members came up to her, smiling (as best they can as animals, anyway.)

Kodachi was in awe at the music. It sounded so beautiful. It even brought back memories of her own mother. Then she realized something.

During the Rhythmic Gymnastics Competition where she had fought the Pig-Tailed Girl, she had make Kodachi swear that, if she lost the match, she would stay from Ranma. So that means…Ranma himself was telling me to stay away from him! He never wanted to be with me. I just couldn't see it.

The technicians were finally able to turn off the sprinklers. Ukyo got back with some water and tossed it at the band members without thinking. As soon as Mousse and Ryoga changed back, they leapt behind the drums to hide their nakedness. Mousse already had his clothes back there, and Ranma tossed Ryoga's pants over to them. They felt embarrassed, but then realized that the attention wasn't on them…

Shampoo stood there, dazed. All she could see was the darkness in front of the stage, and millions of flashes of white light. After a few moments, she realized that she didn't have any clothes on, and the flashes were from cameras. Turning red with embarrassment, she leapt back behind the drums with the others. Mousse and Ryoga already had their pants on, and Mousse put his robe over Shampoo. There were groans of disappointment from the audience.

"Shampoo thank Mousse," Shampoo said. Then she realized that the sleeves of the robes weighted a ton with all the chains and stuff. "…Shampoo think," she added.

"Since Mr. Kuno disqualified his group, which was the only group left after the Cursed, the contest is over. We will now decide a winner."

The judges reviewed the scores, as the members of all the bands and the audience held their breath.

"Ladies and gentlemen," one of them said into the microphone. "The winner is…the Cursed!"

The auditorium erupted with applause. Even the other bands were applauding. They had enjoyed the music, especially Akane's piece.

The band bowed. They then left the stage. Ranma noticed Kodachi sitting by the wall offstage.

"Good job," she said. "…especially you, Akane Tendo."

"Th…Thank you," Akane got out after her initial shock. Kodachi was being nice?

"Ranma, Akane, I hope for the best for you too," Kodachi said.

"Thanks!" Ranma said, and the band left.

Kodachi was left to sit on the floor. She still couldn't move from Dr. Tofu's paralysis technique. She had a lot to think about anyway, so it didn't matter to her where she was.

And there we go. What music did Akane play? The song her mother tried to teach her earlier! Anyway, the real music can be found via link on my homepage, or go to wwwocremixorg (change underscores to dots), and go to the Super Metroid (under S). Find the song titled 'One Girl In All The World' (not to be confused with the song 'All the World in One Girl,' which is also a great song by the same person.) These were written by The Wingless, not me. The song even features a slight Japanese feel, so it works nicely.

Oh, and I only came up with the title Wondering Soul for Ryoga's song. I didn't write any lyrics to go with it.