“It's okay.” Before she made her way to the previously empty practice, however, she turned back to Ranma."Ranma, don't tell shampoo about it. I don't want her to know about it. Knowledge can be fatal and she is reckless at times. But I assure you, she would never be able to

Use such methods. Your honor, your laws ... and I ... wouldn't allow it. "

Ranma thought for a moment about the incident when Akane had been a waterless doll because of Safron and shampoo threatened to kill her ... he had been desperate that she could do something to her ... but Cologne could be relied on. She played with open cards and human lives were worth too much to her. Shampoo was already more unscrupulous ...

"Well, I won't tell her anything and I will return the favor to you for the favor, but I'm not going to use shampoo ..."

"That belongs to other problems at first. We have to concentrate on the here and now. We'll forget about the engagement thing for now. I'll talk to my granddaughter."With these words she turned and hopped on her stick to Dr. Tofu practice.

Ranma looked after the old Amazon. She was an annoying and pushy, sometimes quite condescending and brutal, but he could rely on her.

Cologne was out of sight. He tore himself out of his thoughts and made his way back to the Tendo Dojo.

* I wonder who it was. I believe as soon as Dr. Tofu is back, I'll try to find out more about this ... that person who did this to Akane. Before that I am not allowed to leave them alone, if Kodachi or one of the others shows up, Akane is helpless at their mercy. *

His eyes darkened for a moment when he thought that someone of his fiancée had done something like this without him being able to prevent it. Most of all, it bothered him that it had more or less taken place under his nose, after all he had only been one room further.

Repeatedly he recalled the scene in Akane's room: At first she had yelled at him as usual, but her look when this devil stuff had started to work ... never again, he vowed, would anyone cause her such mental pain, just over his corpse!When he arrived at the dojo, he went to look for the Tendo sisters. He was curious to see how far they got with training. Only afterwards did he want to go to Akane and talk to her. She had been sent to her room because she wasn't allowed to meet any of her sisters ... not yet. In addition, she was still quite exhausted from what had happened that night and had probably fallen asleep. Ranma didn't want to disturb her.

He quietly stepped onto the terrace. If the two had started practicing, as he suspected, he'd rather not bother each other.

He could still remember exactly how he had practiced his concentration in the alleys of the big cities between the arms of the city, where his father was now on the way to get the material for Akane.

He still remembered the ragged figures who had reached out for him, who had called for him and asked for food. He knew they weren't doing as well as he was, but he'd seen that they'd founded their own little state.They provided each other with food and stole from each other on the side. There were some among them who were physically handicapped; they were then sent to beg because they were generally shown the most pity. He would have loved to give them something, but he himself hadn’t always had enough to share.

During this time he had learned to separate the unimportant from the important thoughts and had begun to understand the way these people thought. He admired them for their willpower and he was sure that if they wanted they could get it.

Now he caught a glimpse of Kasumi and Nabiki, who were sitting in front of the pond and trying to feel the aura. It would take a while to get to grips with them, but they were obviously clever because their father had already started to make things difficult for them by throwing stones into the pond or tapping softly on the stones in the garden with a stick .Carefully and quietly, trying not to make any noise, he turned away again and made his way to Akane's room.

+ Knock, knock +

"... Akane?"

For a short time nothing could be heard from the room with the duck on the door.

"You can come in, Ranma, I'm awake."

With a slight creak, Ranma opened the door and stuck her head into the room. "I hope I don't disturb you. Did you sleep?" The rest of his body followed his head when he noticed that Akane was sitting upright in bed and looking at him in a friendly manner. She didn't look irascible or brutal at all as she sat there, fully dressed, in her bed, her legs covered and looking at him with brown eyes.

However, if you looked closely you could see that it was a little pale around the nose. The gleam in her eyes and the smile were also a little limited and faded."I tried it, but falling asleep in broad daylight is not easy, especially not when the sun is shining outside and inviting you to go out." Another, slightly pained smile followed.

Ranma grabbed the armchair that was in front of her desk and sat down next to her on the bed.

"You look good under the circumstances." - he smiled at her, not sure how to start the conversation. It was unfamiliar to have to quench his aura with Akane. He usually only did that when he wanted to hide. But he did not want to hide from her. He had had a hard time not hugging her tonight when they found out what had happened to Akane. She herself had looked so desperate, so helpless.

"Thanks, but I wish the circumstances were different."

Suddenly her control was over.A sob contracted her chest. Her eyes began to shine suspiciously and a single tear made its way to her chin. With one gruff movement, the salt water was removed from the face and landed not on the bedspread, as it would have been determined by gravity, but on the arm of a desperate Akane Tendo.

"I ... I was ... so ... + sob + ... so scared ... + sob + ... Ranma, I ... + sob + ... I don't want ... + sob + .. . one more ... + sob + ... something like that ... + sob + ... feel ... + sob + ... feel ... "She had buried her face in her hands and her shoulders shrugged irregularly. Ranma had looked at her tears in a slightly desperate way and wondered what he should do. It always made him nervous and insecure when a girl was crying, he didn't know how to deal with it. In the end he just let go of thinking and sat down next to her on the bed.He hesitated for a moment, but the feeling that he wanted to protect his fiancée from everything, finally got the upper hand.

His hands grabbed her arms and lifted her up with little effort. He had actually expected that she would fight back, but nothing like that happened. Without resistance, she let everything happen to her. Ranma pulled Akane onto his lap. He put his arms around her and rocked her slowly back and forth.

She pulled her legs up like a little child and buried her face in the crook of his neck. Her fiancé could feel her tears and her fear bothered him.

"Calm down, Akane. We will find the one who did this to you ... I will find him ... for you. We will heal you so that you can live normally again, but please, calm down, .." .My little macho woman. Don't be so desperate, we'll get through it. "

He talked to her reassuringly, rocked her back and forth and gently stroked her tousled hair.After a while, she calmed down and enjoyed the feeling of security.

Suddenly Ranma heard her voice very softly. In everyday life it was always loud and easy to hear. Often she yelled at someone, mostly at him, because something was wrong with her. But now she was very quiet, alarmingly quiet and her uncertainty could be heard.

"Thanks, Ranma. ... you know, I'll try not to give up. It's just ... so scary ... the feeling that there is absolutely nothing you can do ... that I'm scared of my own sisters even though I know they won't hurt me, that I'm just afraid because I've inhaled this ... this substance. I can't control it. It's ... like someone is controlling me. I have every time the feeling that I am transported into another world ... I have the feeling as if I am leaving my body and losing all control, as if someone else is in my body and is afraid, ... but me feel this fear ... it was like seeing myself ... it was so ... weird ... unfamiliar ... like a part of me was separated and smiling at itself because there was no reason to fear ... Ranma, I ... I am so afraid of being so afraid again ... "She gave a short, dry laugh, tried to make the situation funny, but her attempt failed.Tears gathered in her eyes again. "... I think ... I'm going to go crazy ..." now only a barely perceptible whisper could be heard.

Ranma had listened to her without interrupting her once. He had held her in his arms all the time, that made him feel like he could protect her a little - from something he couldn't understand or chase away.

As Akane described her feelings during her "state," he remembered what she had said. Dr. Tofu would probably need every clue he could get.

Although he tried to ignore the tingling sensation creeping up inside him, he didn't quite succeed. He felt the delicate body of his fiancée very close to his and this sensation bothered him a lot. Right now he didn't need anything like that ... how could he protect her when he only had eyes for her?* Well, if there should ever be a romance with her, she will probably have to wait ... * He paused for a moment, had to smile at his own thoughts.

* But I think that with the romantic relationship I would rather get rid of my head. She would rather let Kuno kiss her than me.

...

Oh, what am I actually thinking about it? I'll just see how things develop after this story. Maybe she can suffer me better if I free her from this effect, meanwhile it is probably best if I am just there for her if she needs me. * He was absolutely convinced that everything in this crazy business would end well.

(Note from the author: I don't yet know how I will let it end, that will still be