Chapter Text
The Tendo household was unusually noisy, even for a house that hosted both Ranma Saotome and the chaos that perpetually followed him. This time, the noise wasn’t coming from sparring in the dojo, a fight between Ranma and Akane, or a bizarre challenger seeking vengeance. No, the commotion stemmed from a new houseguest.
Or, more precisely, Akane's new 'pet.'
"Isn't he the cutest, Ranma?" Akane cooed, cradling a tiny black piglet in her arms. The pig snorted and squirmed slightly, as if protesting her enthusiasm, but Akane was undeterred. "I found him outside all alone. Someone must’ve abandoned him. I’m going to take care of him from now on!"
Ranma's eyes twitched. He recognized that pig. How could he not? The yellow bandana around the piglet's neck was a dead giveaway.
"You're calling that cute?" Ranma scoffed, pointing an accusatory finger. "That's not a pig; that's—"
Akane's glare cut him off. "What did I tell you about insulting innocent animals? If you’re going to be a jerk, keep your opinions to yourself!"
Ranma clenched his fists, biting back the retort that threatened to spill out. He knew the truth—he’d seen the truth.
That pig wasn’t just a pig; it was Ryoga Hibiki, his rival and sometimes friend. Thanks to a cursed spring in Jusenkyo, Ryoga transformed into a pig whenever splashed with cold water. Worse, Akane had no idea of Ryoga’s double life, and the thought of Ryoga—P-Chan, as Akane had lovingly named him—living in such close proximity to her made Ranma’s blood boil.
Days passed, and P-Chan quickly became Akane’s constant companion. He slept in her room, ate from her hand, and even accompanied her to the bathroom.
Ranma tried multiple times to 'rescue' P-Chan, but Akane was always one step ahead, either catching him in the act or scolding him for his 'jealousy.'
“Seriously, Ranma, what is your problem?” Akane huffed one evening as she stood in the doorway to her room, arms crossed.
Behind her, P-Chan sat smugly on her bed, his small black form radiating self-satisfaction. “Why do you hate him so much? He’s just a harmless little pig!”
“Harmless?!” Ranma growled, his teeth grinding together. “You don’t know the half of it!”
“Then explain, why don’t you?” Akane challenged.
Ranma opened his mouth, ready to blurt out Ryoga’s secret, but stopped. He couldn’t do it.
Revealing Ryoga’s curse would be breaking an unspoken rule. Despite his frustrations, there were lines he wouldn’t cross. Besides, he knew Akane wouldn’t believe him without proof—and Ryoga would never let that happen.
“Forget it,” Ranma muttered, turning away. “But don’t come crying to me when that pig shows his true colors.”
***
Ranma’s frustration hit a boiling point one night when he accidentally walked in on Akane bathing.
“Ranma, you pervert!” Akane shrieked, hurling a bucket of soapy water at him. He barely dodged in time, slipping on the wet tile as he made his retreat.
His heart was pounding—not from seeing Akane, but from what he’d also seen. Sitting innocently on the closed lid of the toilet was P-Chan, his beady eyes locked on Akane as she scrubbed herself down.
The sight was enough to make Ranma see red. He stormed back to his room, fuming. “That jerk! He’s sitting there like some… some king while she—!” Ranma groaned, dragging his hands down his face.
“And she doesn’t even know! If she knew he was Ryoga…"
But she didn’t know. And that was the problem.
While Ranma stewed, P-Chan sat in the bathroom, trying to maintain his composure.
He hated being in this position. Not only was he stuck as a pig, but every moment in Akane’s presence felt like a mix of bliss and pure humiliation.
He hadn’t asked to end up in her bathroom, much less her life like this, but he also couldn’t bring himself to leave.
“P-Chan, you’re so well-behaved,” Akane said cheerfully as she rinsed her hair. “Ranma could learn a thing or two from you.”
P-Chan snorted, though inwardly he cringed.
He wanted to yell, I’m not a pig—I’m Ryoga! And Ranma is right! But all that came out was a faint squeal.
When Akane stood to dry off, he averted his gaze as much as he could. But being a pig meant limited options, and despite his best efforts, he caught glimpses of her nude body in the mirror.
His tiny body burned with embarrassment, and he wished desperately that he could vanish—or at least explain himself. But for now, all he could do was endure.
By the end of the week, Ranma was on edge.
Every time he saw P-Chan nestled in Akane’s arms or tailing after her like a loyal pet, he felt his temper rise. But it was the nightly bathroom ritual that drove him over the edge.
That’s it!” Ranma declared one evening, slamming his fist into his palm. “I can’t let this go on. I don’t care if she kills me—I’ve gotta get that pig away from her!"
Ranma’s plan was simple—wait until Akane was asleep, sneak into her room, grab P-Chan, and deal with him somewhere far away from the Tendo household. He’d already mapped out his route: in through the window, over the dresser, grab the pig, and back out. Easy.
Except nothing with Akane was ever easy.
That night, Ranma crouched outside Akane’s window, the faint moonlight guiding his movements. He pushed the window open with care, wincing at the faint creak of the frame.
Inside, Akane was curled up beneath her blankets, her soft breathing filling the room.
Quietly, he crept inside, his movements as fluid as a cat’s. He was just inches away from the sleeping pig when a floorboard creaked beneath his foot.
Akane stirred. “P-Chan…?” she murmured, her eyes fluttering open. Thinking fast, Ranma dropped to the floor, flattening himself against the boards. P-Chan snorted in his sleep, and Akane relaxed, pulling the blankets up to her chin. Ranma let out a slow, silent breath.
That was close.
He waited a few more minutes until Akane’s breathing evened out again, then inched closer to P-Chan. Finally, he reached out, his fingers brushing the piglet’s fur.
Just as he was about to grab him, P-Chan’s eyes snapped open, meeting Ranma’s. For a moment, the two rivals locked eyes. Then P-Chan let out a high-pitched squeal, wriggling furiously against Akane’s chest.
“P-Chan?!” Akane sat up abruptly, her gaze darting around the room. Her eyes landed on Ranma, who was frozen mid-grab, his hand still hovering over the pig.
“Ranma!” she yelled, her voice loud enough to shake the walls. “What are you doing in my room?!”
“Uh…” Ranma scrambled for an excuse, but nothing came to mind. “I, uh, thought I heard something! Like… a burglar!”
Akane didn’t buy it for a second. Grabbing the nearest object—a pillow—she hurled it at him with all her strength. “Get out, you creep!”
“Don’t worry, P-Chan,” she said, stroking his fur. “I won’t let that idiot bother you again.”
Ryoga snuggled closer, though his thoughts were a storm of embarrassment and guilt. He could only imagine the smug expression Ranma would wear if he ever spilled the truth.
The next morning, Ranma sat at the breakfast table, his mood darker than usual. Across from him, P-Chan perched comfortably in Akane’s lap, munching on a piece of toast she’d given him.
Ranma’s eye twitched. “You really spoil that pig, you know.”
“He’s not just a pig; he’s family,” Akane shot back, scratching P-Chan behind the ears. The pig snorted happily, though he firmly avoided Ranma’s glare.
“Family, huh?” Ranma muttered, leaning back in his chair. “Well, don’t come crying to me when your ‘family' starts causing trouble.”
“Why are you always so mean to him?” Akane demanded. “He’s done nothing to you!”
Ranma slammed his hands on the table, startling everyone. “Nothing?!” he barked. “You have no idea what he’s done—what he’s seen! If you knew the truth—”
“Ranma!” Soun’s booming voice cut through the tension. “A gentleman does not raise his voice at the table. Apologize to Akane at once.”
Ranma groaned, slumping in his seat. “Sorry,” he muttered, though his eyes never left P-Chan.
***
That evening, Ranma made up his mind. If he couldn’t steal P-Chan away, he’d expose Ryoga for what he was. He knew where the opportunity would come—bath time.
Ranma waited outside the bathroom, listening as Akane chatted cheerfully to P-Chan. He could hear the water running, the faint splashes as she stepped into the tub. His blood boiled at the thought of Ryoga sitting smugly on the toilet seat, taking in every detail.
“Alright, you little pervert,” Ranma muttered under his breath. “This ends now.”
He waited until Akane’s voice faded, a sign she’d leaned back to relax. Then, he slid the door open just enough to peek inside. Sure enough, there was P-Chan, perched on the toilet, his face turned toward the tub.
Ranma burst in, grabbing the pig by the scruff of his neck. “Gotcha!”
“Ranma?!” Akane shrieked, covering herself with her arms. “What are you doing?!”
“This!” Ranma held up P-Chan. “This isn’t a pig! This is Ryoga!”
“What are you talking about?!” Akane demanded, her face red with a mix of anger and embarrassment. “Put him down!”
“Fine!” Ranma said. With one swift motion, he tossed P-Chan into the tub.
There was a flash of light, a puff of steam, and then—
“RANMAAAA!” Ryoga’s furious voice echoed through the bathroom as he emerged from the water, fully human and completely naked.
Akane stared, her mouth opening and closing like a fish. Her face turned crimson.
“Ranma, you jerk! Get out of here!” She screamed, throwing a soap dish at his head.
Ranma ducked out of the bathroom just in time, narrowly avoiding the soap dish that shattered against the doorframe. He stood in the hallway, catching his breath and trying to process the chaos he’d just unleashed. A moment later, Akane’s furious voice rang out again.
“RYOGA?! WHAT IS GOING ON?!”
Ranma smirked despite himself. “Guess the truth’s out now.”
Inside the bathroom, Ryoga frantically tried to cover himself with whatever he could find—a small towel, the soap bucket, even his hands—but none of it did much to hide his mortification. Akane, still in the tub, had her back turned to him, her face beet red.
“I—I can explain!” Ryoga stammered, his voice cracking under the weight of his humiliation.
“Start explaining now, Ryoga!” Akane snapped, her fists clenched so tightly her knuckles turned white. “What are you doing here? Why were you pretending to be P-Chan? And how long has this been going on?!”
Ryoga froze, his mind spinning. There was no way out of this. No half-truths, no excuses. He was trapped.
“I… I didn’t mean for it to happen this way,” Ryoga began, his voice barely above a whisper. “It’s… it’s because of Jusenkyo.”
“Jusenkyo?” Akane repeated. “What does that have to do with anything?”
Ryoga swallowed hard, wishing the ground would open up and swallow him. “It’s… the curse,” he admitted. “I fell into a spring there—the Spring of Drowned Pig. Now, whenever I’m splashed with cold water, I… I turn into a pig.”
There was a long, tense silence as Akane processed his words. Then, slowly, she turned to face him, her expression a mixture of disbelief and anger. “You mean to tell me… that P-Chan— the pig I’ve been feeding, holding, and… and bathing with— was actually you this entire time?!”
Ryoga flinched. “I didn’t mean for it to go so far! At first, I just wanted to stay close to you—to protect you! But then you started treating me like… like a pet, and I couldn’t bring myself to tell you the truth.”
“Protect me?!” Akane shouted, standing up in the tub and pointing an accusing finger at him. “You were spying on me! Do you have any idea how—how violated I feel right now?!”
Ryoga’s shoulders slumped. He couldn’t deny it. She was right.
“I’m sorry,” he said, his voice barely audible. “I didn’t mean to hurt you. I just… I cared about you so much, and I—”
“Get out,” Akane interrupted, her tone icy. “Get out of my sight. Now.”
Ryoga opened his mouth to protest but thought better of it. With a defeated sigh, he turned and left the bathroom, his head hanging low.
Ryoga didn’t make it far. The moment he stepped into the hallway, he was greeted by Ranma, who leaned casually against the wall, arms crossed and a smug grin plastered across his face.
“Well, that went well,” Ranma said, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “How’s it feel to finally get caught, P-Chan?”
Ryoga’s fists clenched. “Don’t push me, Ranma.”
“What’re you gonna do, huh? Turn into a pig and squeal at me?” Ranma shot back, his grin widening. “Face it, Ryoga. You’ve been living on borrowed time, and now Akane knows the truth.”
Ryoga lunged at Ranma furiously. Ranma sidestepped easily, laughing as Ryoga stumbled into the wall.
“Boys!” Akane’s voice thundered from the bathroom, stopping both of them in their tracks. A moment later, she stormed out, wrapped in a towel and dripping wet. Her face was still flushed, her anger radiating like heat waves.
“Ranma, don’t think for a second that you’re off the hook,” she snapped, jabbing a finger at him. “You knew about this, didn’t you?”
Ranma held up his hands defensively. “Hey, I tried to tell you! You’re the one who wouldn’t listen.”
“That’s no excuse!” Akane retorted. “You let this go on for weeks! You could’ve stopped it the moment you found out!”
“And what was I supposed to do?!” Ranma shot back. “You never believe me about anything!”
“Because you’re always acting like a jerk!” Akane yelled.
Ryoga, still leaning against the wall, cleared his throat. “Uh, maybe I should just—”
“You stay right there!” Akane barked, silencing him immediately. She turned back to Ranma, her voice trembling with anger. “Both of you are to blame for this mess! But you…” She pointed at Ryoga. “You crossed a line I never thought you’d cross. I can’t believe I trusted you.”
Ryoga’s heart sank. “Akane, I—”
“I don’t want to hear it,” she said sharply. “I need time to think.”
Without another word, she turned and walked away, leaving the two boys in stunned silence.
Ranma and Ryoga stood in the hallway, neither speaking for several minutes. Finally, Ryoga broke the silence.
“Are you happy now, Ranma?” he asked bitterly. “You got what you wanted. Akane hates me.”
Ranma frowned. “This isn’t about me, Ryoga. You brought this on yourself.”
Ryoga gritted his teeth, his voice low and tense. “You think you’ve got it all figured out, don’t you, Ranma? You’re always the one who gets things right, while I… I can’t do anything without messing it up.”
Ranma’s expression softened—just a little. “Look, I get it. You like her. And yeah, I think you went about it in the worst way possible. But maybe this is your chance to fix things.”
Ryoga scoffed. “And how am I supposed to do that?”
“By being honest,” Ranma said simply. “You owe her that much.”
Ryoga didn’t respond. He wasn't sure he could.
***
Later that night, Akane sat alone in her room, chest feeling empty where P-Chan used to sleep. Her feelings were a tangled mess of anger, betrayal, and—beneath it all—a faint sense of loss. She didn’t know what to do, but one thing was certain: things could never go back to the way they were.
For better or worse, the truth was out. And now, it was up to her to decide what to do with it.