Always go to a therapist or specialist if you have psychological complaints!
Do not self-diagnose through social media, influencer or any website.
People who have been diagnosed themselves have no idea what additional suffering they cause to those who have been diagnosed.
Anyway, in this chapter I want to show how Ranma denies that he has problems and yet slowly breaks in his mental battle.
I hope this isn't long-winded, but I want a good representation of what's going on inside Ranma.
"Yes, the Lost Soul of Happiness. When a warrior wins his battle but must sacrifice his most cherished possession, there is a chance that part of your happiness will be lost." Cologne said.
"Ooh, that's so bad..." Kasumi said.
" From what I heard from Mousse, this happened twice at Son-in-Law. First time Akane turned into a doll, second time she turned back but no sign of-..." related Cologne but was abruptly cut short by Ranma.
"Enough! I don't want to hear about it!" Ranma snapped as he sat down on the porch.
"Ranma, if you're suffering from PTSD then maybe you should see Dr. Tofu." Soun said.
"I don't have PTSD! Leave me alone!" Ranma shouted before sprinting away towards the roof.
Everyone looked at the empty porch and garden before Ryoga spoke, "Elder, how do we get his soul back? This is not the Ranma I know."
" No, he doesn't even want his favorite okinomiyaki. While Ranma is a big eater." Ukyo said with a sigh.
" My son isn't happy. I was right, Genma." Nodoka said and Genma started thinking.
"Maybe we shouldn't do anything with his soul for a while." Nabiki said and everyone looked at her in shock.
" Nabiki-neechan! Ranma is suffering and you won't do anything about it?!" Akane said angrily.
" Haven't you noticed anything? Ranma-kun is asking himself what he wants and what he should do." said Nabiki.
"How did you come to that again, Nabiki?" Soun asked.
"I like to observe, you know that. I had my suspicions but the kiss he gave to Akane was confirmation." Nabiki explained.
" KISS?!" Ukyo and Shampoo exclaimed and Nabiki nodded and looked at Akane who had a light blush on her cheeks.
" Ran-chan…" Ukyo said in dismay.
"I don't believe Airen kissed Kitchen Destroyer." Shampoo said and crossed her arms.
"It's true. Ranma told myself." Ryoga said.
Ukyo and Shampoo looked at Ryoga. What, everyone was looking at him. Apparently Ranma had talked to Ryoga and confided things.
But Ryoga kept his honor and didn't say anything else about it except, "All I can say is that Ranma is madly in l-l-love with Akane-san."
That was difficult for him to say. But Ryoga said it anyway, hoping that Ukyo and Shampoo will bother Ranma less now.
Akane looked at hands on the table. Now the trouble started.
" Airen confused, don't know feelings." Shampoo said angrily.
"Anyway, leave Ranma alone if you want him to get better." Ryoga said.
Before Shampoo could even protest, Cologne intervened.
" Ryoga speaks words of wisdom there. Shampoo, Okinomiyaki girl and you too Mousse, leave Ranma alone. In the meantime, I'm going to call the old council in China." Cologne said.
"Can they help my son?" Nodoka asked.
"The Amazons have many secrets that lead to recovery. They know what Ranma needs."
''But in the meantime, what should we do to make Ranma-kun happy?'' Kasumi asked.
"What does Son-in-Law do every day besides school?" Cologne asked.
''In the morning he trains, then school, after school he trains even more and after dinner Ranma watches TV or reads a manga.'' Akane listed.
"It's almost fall break, what if we all go to the hot spring?" Nodoka said. "Maybe a different environment will do wonders."
"We can indeed do that as long as we don't have an answer from the council," Cologne said.
He didn't know how long he had been on the roof, but when Ranma came back in the house, he only saw his mother sitting there.
" Ofukuro... Aren't you sleeping yet?" Ranma asked as he sits down with her.
"Ranma, how can I sleep when my son is in pain that cannot be seen? I don't know exactly what you have but know that I am always here for you." Nodoka said.
Ranma swallowed and took a breath.
" Ofukuro, after the wedding failed, you know? I slept a lot, like I was burned out."
"Yes, I remember that."
"After that everything changed. I don't sleep much. When I sleep…When I sleep…I'm trapped in bad dreams until I wake up with a fast beating heart. There's a lot more but…" Ranma said slowly to Nodoka, whose cheeks were wet with tears.
Nodoka knew what had happened after the stories she had heard. But having Ranma trapped in his mind was something else entirely.
" Ofukuro… I… I… have…" Ranma stammered as he held back tears.
He hadn't cried since Akane woke up after the fight with Saffron. So why would he cry now?
Ranma tried to regain his composure until two arms wrapped around his torso from behind and he felt a chin, resting on his shoulder.
He smelled the scent of Akane's shampoo and knew it was her. He placed his hand over hers.
"Ranma, let yourself go. Even martial artists shed their tears. Right, Okaa-san?" Akane asked Nodoka.
Although Akane cautiously said Okaa-san, Nodoka smiled at her.
Ranma's eyes widened and turned to look at Akane.
Did Akane just call his mother her own? Did this really happen? Did that mean…. Akane had sorted out her feelings?
His azure eyes saw Akane's hazel brown eyes and a soft and gentle smile on her lips.
" Akane-chan is right. And she is here for you, Ranma." Nodoka said.
Was it strange that Nodoka reacted like that? Perhaps to the outside world, but Akane had explained to Nodoka that she only wanted to express her feelings when she was back to her old self. That she wanted to be with Ranma forever because she loved him.
Ranma's hand holding hers, slowly let go of her hand and placed it on her shoulder.
He gently leaned his head forward, resting his forehead on Akane's other shoulder.
"Ranma, it's just me and Akane here." Nodoka said but Ranma said nothing and swallowed again.
It now became very difficult to hold back those tears.
" Let your tears flow, Ranma. " Akane said softly and Ranma closed his eyes, the last attempt to hold back his tears.
Nodoka looked at Akane, that stubborn boy. He needed a little push.
" Baka…" Akane said softly and placed her lips on his temple and whispered softly, "It wasn't your fault…"
Ranma's eyes widened as he felt her lips on his temple until she murmured the words like a gentle breeze on a summer evening.
''...''
A soft inhale followed after Akane said these words and Nodoka looked over to see Ranma silently letting his tears fall.
Nodoka smiled slightly and nodded to Akane.
It was a start, but Akane knew deep down that there was much more to be done to get Ranma back to his old self.
Akane slowly wrapped her arms around Ranma, who now buried his face in the depths of her neck and wrapped his arms around her body.
Nodoka stood up and yawned. "I'll leave you alone. Good night." she said and walked out of the living room.
When Akane and Ranma were alone together, she felt more of Ranma's tears fall onto her neck, sliding softly over her skin.
Ranma had held himself back in front of his mother. But with Akane he let go more.
Ranma sobbed softly and Akane gently rubbed his back. How much more did he keep to himself?
" I promise you, Ranma, that I will train hard. That you never have to go through this again." Akane thought.
Ranma rose and wiped his face. He grabbed a tissue from the table and blew his nose.
"Do you feel relieved?" Akane asked.
" A little." Ranma said and put his legs under the blanket of the kotatsu, where it was warm.
"I'll get water." Akane said and left the living room.
Ranma sighed deeply a few times. It had indeed done him good, the tears.
Akane came back with 2 glasses of water and placed them on the table and sat next to Ranma, under the kotatsu.
Ranma took a few sips and said, "Thank you, Akane."
"You're welcome. If you want, you can rest for a while before going to bed." Akane said and that sounded very tempting to Ranma.
He lay on his side with his arm under his head and closed his eyes.
**
Cold water fell over both Akane and Ranma. He watched her regain her form.
But there was no sign of life.
Ranma closed his eyes for a moment and when they opened, he had only his red Chinese shirt in his hands.
As Ranma gets up, he sees that it is surrounded by darkness. He runs and runs to find Akane until he falls into a black hole...
"...Akane!"
Ranma woke up with a pounding heart and feeling rushed. He felt in his cheeks that he had been crying.
When he had calmed down a bit, he was surprised to see that he was not in his bedroom.
He looked to his right and saw the large cupboard. So he was in the living room.
There was a small night light on so Ranma had a feeling it had been his father who had turned on the light.
As a child, Ranma was sometimes afraid when he missed his mother and Genma would always hang a small lamp explaining that this way his mother would be closer to Ranma.
Ranma stirred and felt a pillow under his head and… someone was next to him.
Was it his father?
He turned his head and saw Akane sleeping next to him.
Her hair fell over her face and she lay breathing softly.
She turned to face Ranma.
" ...Ran...ma.."
He blushed slightly, she was dreaming about him.
Ranma then had an idea, maybe he would sleep better... if he held her?
He carefully puts his arm around her. When he gently lays down against her, Akane automatically lies even closer to him and puts her arm around him.
Ranma was shocked at first until he felt her even closer to him. She was... warm and she was breathing. He smelled her shampoo, the soft scent of peach and bergamot.
It gave him a feeling of security and he closed his eyes to relax.
"Wake up you two." Kasumi said distantly.
Akane opened her eyes and looked straight at the face of a sleeping Ranma.
Akane moved a little and found them holding each other. A little color came to her cheeks and she carefully extricated herself from Ranma and sat up.
She saw breakfast on the table for her and Ranma and looked up to see Kasumi and Nodoka sitting there.
"Good morning, Akane-chan. Did you sleep well?" Kasumi asked.
'' Well actually yes. What time is it?'' Akane asked. She knew it was Sunday morning and Kasumi and Nodoka always got out of bed at 7:30.
''It's half past ten am. Everyone has already had breakfast.'' Nodoka said.
Akane didn't know what to say other than blushing. She had just slept well. Was that because she was in Ranma's arms? Maybe...
''Ranma, wake up. Ranma!'' Akane shouted and Ranma stirred and yawned, sitting up and rubbing his eyes from sleep.
When Ranma opened his eyes he was surprised to see breakfast in front of him.
''Huh? How long did I sleep?'' Ranma asked uncertainly, looking sideways at Akane who had already started her breakfast.
''It's 9:30, Ranma. You look a bit more rested.'' Nodoka.
Ranma nodded. He felt that way too. He started his breakfast. Had crying helped? Maybe. He had had nightmares, he could still feel that in his muscles, which he tensed in his sleep.
He placed a pickled vegetable on his rice and picked up the whole piece and took a bite. In any case, he felt more energetic.
Akane thought it was strange, no one making a comment about her and Ranma sleeping there.
If it had been up to Nabiki, she would have asked for a lot of money as blackmail a long time ago.
Once Ranma and Akane had both eaten their breakfast, Akane went to change into her gi.
Ranma did the same but finished faster and walked to the dojo and saw Soun and his father standing there.
''Oyaji... C-c-chichi...'' Ranma stuttered. Ever since Akane addressed his mother as mother, he tried the same.
Genma's double chin hit the floor and Soun started to get tears in the corners of his eyes but remained as serious as possible.
''Ranma! Are you sick?'' Genma asked and touched his son's forehead to check if he had a fever, which resulted in Genma being hit in the head by Ranma.
''Leave me alone, you old fool! What are you doing here anyway?'' Ranma asked irritated.
''Saotome and I are going to watch you train Akane. When you get students later, you have to know what teaching means.'' Soun said.
Ranma thought about it, but he didn't get a chance to ask anything.
Happosai rushed in with a bucket of water and threw it over Ranma.
''Ranmaaaaa! I have fresh bras for you. Go try them on for this old pathetic man!'' Happosai shouted.
Akane and Ranma moments, I always get those happy thoughts when I see it happening in the manga or anime.
Who is your favorite character from Ranma? Do you have more of them?
Mine is Ranma, Akane, Ryoga and Kasumi!