WILD HORSES RUN

First move

Duds

four of Spades

Ranma looked at his paperwork, while playing with his pencil. He had written everything, every little detail he remembered on these papers. It resulted in a nice bundle of 20 pages, telling exactly in the smallest detail he could remember what has happened in that one session. And if he wasn't 100 sure about something, he underlined it. and when he thought something was important, or something could lead to the answer, he'd press his pencil harder on the paper, so that it really showed.

20 pages full of words, letters, sentences, 20 pages of a story he hated. That was a lot of work spent in something he hated more then anything else. But he really wanted to get out of here, so writing these essays were really a necessarily.

Somehow, all this was, in some obscure dark way, funny. In school he'd never even bother to write 3 papers full to make an exercise. And now, here he was. willingly writing papers full of stupid dumb text, with a content he disliked more then anything. How funny was it to write a detailed rapport on how you died? Well, maybe not you, but someone very close to you. someone you hardly know, or have seen, and still having known him all your life. someone you knew every emotion of, someone who's bond with you is stronger then so many other bonds, so strong in a very special way. A strong bond, simply because they shared the same life force.

But… if worked hard enough on, a bond which maybe couldn't be destroyed, but certainly could be weakened. If he just imagined it all being a stupid game, a stupidly realistic game, then the bond was also nothing more then a game. There was a bond, it probably would never break, not for as long as he had to do all this, but the bond would be nothing more then a part of a game. And thinking that, the bond indeed was nothing more then a game.

But, he couldn't always consciously think of it as a game. As much as he tried to avoid it, without sleep he would eventually lose. So he slept as little as possible, but he slept nonetheless. And his subconscious wasn't really co-operating with his everyday conscious. Where his daily conscious could address this all as some foolish game, his subconscious couldn't, and thus did remember the sessions as they actually were. Cruel, horrible, painful, mind shattering, mentally unbearable… he couldn't think of a good adjective to describe it. the things he saw in his dreams, the feelings he felt were so uncanny deep that he sometimes wondered if he really was dreaming, and not just watching another sessions, but this time without the thought that it was all a game. No, dreaming was everything except dreaming. It were nightmares, in every sense of the word. Bad, cruel dreams that made him scared to sleep.

Scared… the great Saotome Ranma wasn't scared of anything… not true, he was afraid, dead afraid to sleep. And he wouldn't sleep as long as he didn't need to sleep. He wouldn't sleep, as long as he had full control over his thought and world. But he had need of sleep, and there was only one situation he could figure were he would be brought near sleep, and out of control over all his bodily functions. And that was making love to the woman he loved, Tendo Akane, or as she sometimes choose to say, Saotome Akane. It wouldn't put him directly to sleep, certainly not, luckily not. it almost always lasted more then an hour before they went to bed.

Every time he made love to her, he was in such a magnificent world. He felt like he was flying through heaven, as if every care in the world, every worry he head, every bad dream, everything negative force that he had in his body flew right away with the power of Akane's love. he couldn't think anymore, couldn't control anything. It was just his love with Akane's love, and the endless everlasting pleasure that came with it. and in that moment he could forget, and could go to sleep with the knowledge that everything was alright. That Akane was close to him, that she loved him, and that they shared a pleasure greater then anything in the world. Nightmares, worries, guilt feelings, all were minuscule in comparison to the pleasure and love he had then shared with Akane.

Sometimes even he could go to sleep without the endless pleasure that only Akane could provide. Only the knowledge that they shared so much made all his worries seem so stupidly little. However, that wouldn't be fun. It was much more fun to float in an endless heaven, then to just sleep in with the beautiful thought that he and Akane loved each other. Besides, that one time he fell asleep without making love, he had soon awakened. The nightmares hadn't then bothered him to such a great extent that he couldn't sleep. But as soon as he closed his eyes, and drifted to the other world, the love, though strong, wasn't strong enough to fight the horrible nightmares that came. And so, he had waken quite quickly.

That one time, Akane had slipped in the bathroom, and had kicked her head against the sink. It really wasn't that bad, but enough to make her cry a little. He had thought that a little insult would lift the tense mood, and well… slipping in the bathroom… that was really… well, not stupid. But damn, it certainly was clumsy. He was wrong apparently, since it had only made Akane angry at him. knowing that as soon as she would start insulting back, which she didn't actually, he himself would start throwing more insults at her. So, he went to the bathroom to grab something that was cold. He came back, and put the thing on her head.

And then, just seeing her smile so cutely at him, made the urge to comment on her temper float away. He made himself comfortable at the end of the bed, where her head lay, and began massaging her head softly. Her soft groaning in pleasure was really making him giddy with love, and also a bit drowsy. He didn't really remember well what she said precisely, because he really was tired and weary, but he did remember that she had apologised for not really being able to love him to sleep. He had just smiled, closed his eyes, and fell in ,a minute or so, beautiful sleep. Then a half hour or so later, he awaked with a jerk. Luckily, Akane, who was still lying with her head in his lap, wasn't awaked by his jerk. He then softly, left the bed, and went to work.

And now, here he was again, with a 20 page long rapport on how he had died. And he thought it had paid of. He was almost certain that he knew what was wrong in that session. He had already noticed it, when he was writing that particular part of the story. But past experience told that it was really better to write the complete story, before pulling conclusions.

Once he had thought that something was so obviously wrong, that he had stopped writing, and concluded that he knew the error. There could be nothing else so more obviously wrong then this. So, he had taken that one error in his head, and started the next session with it. of course, it didn't work out then, simply because it wasn't an error. That one thing he thought was wrong, wasn't wrong at all. He just had remembered it wrongly. And in his bliss to have found the answer so quickly, he forgot to make sure it was absolutely wrong. If he had done that, he'd notice that his desk was indeed in the right corner of the room, as his sessions had showed him, and not in the left corner as he thought it was. he never really new afterwards what the real error was in that session. Though he was very curious, it wasn't necessary anymore. And if there was one thing he wouldn't do, then it was writing those stupid stories for no reason.

Actually, the whole story was only 19 pages long. The last twentieth page was spend on writing that one situation in really stupidly high detail, with every, but really every atom he could remember of the session. If there was a little dust somewhere on the floor, then he had written it on that last paper now. Indeed; that little dust could be the answer to his problem. If he was certain that didn't saw that little dust before, then it was a pro-argument that something was wrong. Of course, he wouldn't base his conclusions on a little dust, but they helped him very much into finding it. the writing of the suspected error was actually something he did out of himself. There were no past experience that told him to do this. He just really wanted to get out of here, and well, it had really proven helpful sometimes. Thrice, he had found out that he was wrong, so writing those last detailed reports was really necessary.

Another thing was the fact that writing those extremely detailed reports on the error was helpful in creating his next session.

It was so, that every time he had found an error in a session, he had to remember it, and use it in the next session. This was because, the error in the session was a proof that the machine, and it actually wasn't a machine, was not really good with that sort of things. The machine was not perfect, that was his ticket out of here.

Since the machine, he just called it that, regardless of the fact that it actually wasn't a machine, made an error somewhere, he proved to him that he was lacking perfection in that point. So, in the next session, if he concentrated on that particular spot, that particular imperfection in the previous session, the machine might make another mistake. Actually… it made a mistake every time he concentrated on the previous error.

The last error the machine had made was that he only had ascended to the sixth floor, and when he had jumped out of the window, he had jumped from the seventh floor, meaning that his weak point were tall buildings. The, you could call it a dream, Ranma had created then, had a tall building, and the machine showed it wrong, so the conclusion was that it wasn't good with tall building. So, in the next session he had to dream about tall buildings, very tall buildings. He knew that was his weakness, and that he would make another mistake, if he just concentrated on them.

When he first thought of that theory, he had scratched his head. Wouldn't it just made another mistake in tall buildings? But further reading in a diary they had found there, showed that the machine, which was actually something alive, with a conscious mind, wanted to correct that imperfection. Problem was, that while he was correcting the error of tall buildings, he would make another mistake. That mistake was then in again something he really wasn't good at. Since he was so busy working on the last mistake, namely the really tall buildings, he couldn't concentrate on his other lacking points, and thus made another mistake, one which was bigger, more obvious then the last one.

So indeed, it was easier and easier every time he did a session. However, if he had missed an error, and concentrated on something else, he could start from the scratch. Since he didn't dream of the real error, the machine didn't have to correct the error, since he just wasn't dreaming of it. and so, the machine could make a perfect world for him, without any error, well, it probably had an error, but this time a really small one, because it had all his attention to make his dream-world a perfect dream-world.

And a dream-world it was, literally. The world wherein he always had to day was indeed an honest to kami dream. he machine that he used, was a machine built to make dreams. He himself would never have figured such a thing out. He might have had an idea, but since it really didn't matter to him, he wouldn't have spend any attention to it. however, he had read a certain book.

-Flashback-

"Have you found anything yet Ranma?" Akane stood in the room where they appeared yesterday. The green carpeted room, with green tables at both sides, and a soft nice green wall, with forms and variations in colours in it. a beautiful room. But that was the last things she wanted to think of right now. What she wanted to know was, where is Ranma, and had he found something.

the day after their… entrance, they decided to search the place through, looking for some clues as to where they were, and if possible, a front door, so they could get out.

After walking 2 hours or so, closely together and observing every room for a certain danger, they concluded that there was no danger at all. Well, not one they could see. They first found a sleeping room. It was at the end of a short hallway, and had a beautiful richly decorated door. They softly had opened it, and peeked inside. As soon as they noticed that there was no one moving in the room, or anyone making a sound, they opened the door a bit further, and scanned the whole room. No one moved, no one said anything, so it must be safe, and they entered.

It was a beautiful room, Akane remembered, and it still is of course. But the first time entering that room was… strange. The wall, the roof, the floor everything in the room was richly decorated, with beautiful lines, shapes, and patterns. And not only the look all those things gave was beautiful and rich, but the material in which they were made was so delicate, expensive looking. She had seen some things, Ranma had seen an awful lot of things, but both couldn't help to let their mouth drop open, and stare in awe.

In the end, they concluded that the room was very small, and hardly had any furniture. Well, that was what Ranma had said anyway. She was still in awe over all the richness and beauty of it. she had then looked at Ranma, not irritated – she didn't think that was possible after their night – but certainly a bit weary.

"what are you talking about. The bed is made from the most expensive looking wood I have ever seen, and is seriously decorated with all sorts of gold and silver, together with other expensive looking materials. And the drapes on the bed. My guess is that only those are as expensive as our complete house."

Ranma looked at the bed, and cocked his head somewhat.

"yeah well, it stays a bed, and damn small for the two of us to sleep in…"

Akane turned to Ranma, and suddenly smiled a wicked smile.

"hmmz… Why do we need so much room then dear? We just sleep on each other" she smiled, and almost laughed after that. Sure, the last adventure had loosened her somewhat. But, the night before had really made some things in her stir. She would never, ever dreamed that she'd make this comment. This was so not her, and still she liked it. sounding perverted had something to it, that she couldn't explain. She would try this more often in the future.

Ranma also seemed eager to experiment a little. He scratched his head, and after a couple of seconds finally answered her.

"Well… we'll need a lot of room if we're gonna try out all those things that are in my head" he had said that with a smile that only said confidence; arrogance; self assured; and everything that looked like it. it had lasted for about 6 seconds, before he began trembling, and stuttering.

"ehm… ehm, I… I really have no idea where that came from… please.. ehm, I really ain't no perv… please don't hit me…" he said, looking at her like a scared little dog, awaiting divine punishment.

Akane indeed felt something stirring in her when he had said that. There was something that resembled anger. Indeed anger at Ranma for making such a comment – but she wasn't irritated with him, just felt twinges of anger - . Then there was wonder. Ranma, the macho jerk, would never could've said something like that. Although it is actually more then logic. If he was so self assured in everything else but love, why couldn't he be that when he was actually in love. Anyway, besides anger, and wonder, there was also something else, something she, more out of a habit then anything else, tried to hide. That feeling insisted that she'd smile. Not a normal smile, but a kind of pervert smile she thought. Maybe not really a pervert smile, that'd be more wicked and daring. It was more a smile that her love for him forced on her – strange, really strange that was.

And with that smile, the feeling wanted to heat her up, because it believed that, that comment of Ranma stirred some desires in her.

She closed her eyes, gave a long exaggerated sigh, and then looked at Ranma, and smiled cutely at him, saying not a thing. Ranma backed away slightly.

"A… Anyway, you're right. Room is beautiful, real beautiful, now err… let's go, visit the rest yes… visit other places, and hope they don't err… do stuff with my mouth, and my…well… lets'go."

And so they went over to the next door in the hallway, namely the kitchen. And well, as said before, old habits die hard, and she had to bump Ranma on the head, hard. She didn't really felt that much anger, or irritation over the comment he had made then. But still, he could show a little respect for her attempts to make good food. A comments like "okay, this room is off limits for ya. We wouldn't want to wreck a total stranger's kitchen now, would we?", didn't really showed any respect for said attempts.

Anyway, like the room, the kitchen was also richly decorated, with green tiles on the floor and the wall. Beautiful expensive looking tiles, that made magazine kitchen look like cheap knock off of this room. The kitchen had everything they needed, expect a washing machine. They had to do wash everything with their hands. And there was also no electricity in the kitchen. The oven was warmed with something besides electricity, she didn't know what, and their cooking plates where simple gas plates. All was richly decorated, and all expensive looking, but it still would've been nicer if their was some kind of modern stuff here.

After the kitchen, they had visited the bathroom. It had a BIG bath, also a green bad, decorated with lines and figures of gold. The taps were, as the decorations on the bath, golden. It was a strange combination, green with gold. But then the colour green used was just so chosen well, that it all mixed perfectly. The sink was, as the bath green, with golden decorations, and golden taps.

Luckily, the shower wasn't golden, but just sort of green soft metal. If they wanted to hold the douche, they would do a lot of heaving with heavy objects. The toilet, was as the sink and bath green, with golden decorations on it.

And… she had then tested the sink for water, and it had indeed worked, which was perfect, because she still felt really sweaty from last night, and for some reason didn't really felt like walking with a sweaty unruly face. She was sweaty in a lot of other places… actually, she couldn't imagine a place on her body which wasn't sweaty. But those had to wait. So she had filled the sink with water, and was washing her face.

Ranma said he'd go looking for some other stuff, and that they'd meet up in the middle room when they were ready.

And now she was here, waiting for him in the middle room, where they had said to meet. Now, Ranma actually was in the room, a very small room, next to the big middle room. Strange, she hadn't noticed that room before, Ranma apparently had. she couldn't really see well from her place what was in the room, but Ranma seemed really concentrated on something. she slowly peered in the room, at Ranma to see what he was doing.

"Have you found anything yet Ranma" she finally asked. She waited a couple of seconds, and saw him not reacting. She stepped a little closer to the room, and called again. he didn't react. She was getting a tad irritated at him now 'and I thought that would be impossible after last night. You are impossible girl'. However, that little irritation that was there rapidly faded into nothing, when she just made the simple conclusion that he was very concentrated, and wasn't just ignoring her. still, he could be a little more aware of his surroundings.

She took another three steps in the direction of the chamber. For some reason, she really didn't want to get near that chamber. It had something, something unpleasant. Not evil or something, as if there was something really wrong there, just an unpleasant feeling that told her, that if she would near that chamber, she'd see something really unpleasant.

So, not wanting to go any further, she again called Ranma, now a little louder then before, and again Ranma didn't react. She sighed, and took another three steps in the chamber direction. now she had a more clear view of the chamber, and saw Ranma standing in front of a table. An old table, and like the rest of the house richly decorated and looking extremely expensive. It had only one difference with the rest, it wasn't maintained.

The rest of the house was perfectly maintained. It had no spider-webs, no dust, no nothing, all was perfectly clean. This desk – what it eventually was – was everything but clean. Several spider-webs hung from the wall, on the desk, and the colour of the desk was hardly visible through the thick layer of dust. And in front of that desk stood a chair or some sort, and she thought she saw something sitting in that chair, but couldn't really see it well, since Ranma was perfectly blocking the way, with that old book in his hands.

She neared some more, and saw now everything clear. It was an old room, just as 'well maintained' as the desk, meaning that spider-web decorated the walls and roof. Dust lay everywhere, and here and there she could see a bug. Suddenly, it all seemed clear why she really didn't want to near this chamber 'ack, bugs'

"Ranma, found anything" she really hoped he had heard her now. She looked at Ranma, who just turned a page.

"Yep, something really really interesting. Something scary also. Come here for a second, I wanna show ya something" Akane just nodded, and carefully neared the place.

When she was at the door, she saw now more clearly what was next to Ranma, in the chair. It was something with clothes, and something really thin. She unconsciously draw conclusions, but somehow didn't think of them. They did however, made her all the more fearful for what was next to Ranma in that chair. However, if Ranma could just stand there like nothing was out of ordinary, she wouldn't be scared either. So, she looked next to Ranma, and saw a skeleton.

"Is that all?" Akane sighed. A stupid skeleton. She was scared of a stupid skeleton. Sure, it was kind of scary that a human being had died here. And it did really scare her, for about three seconds. Ow well, all this must've been making her nerves really wild, and kind of jumpy. She decided to ignore it any further, and look at what Ranma wanted to show her.

she turned to him, and saw that he was looking at her, with a bit of a bored smile.

"aw come'on. Ya ain't telling me ya'r scared of that stupid skeleton. With all the places we've been, a skeleton shouldn't scare ya. Mean, with being to China, fighting and saffron, and all that stuff…" he turned back to his book. "then again, you jump at everything. don't ya". He laughed a bit when had ended his sentence, a pleasant soft laugh.

Strange, it didn't anger or irritate her as much as she thought it would. It probably was because of the way he said it. he didn't sound mean, not at all. There was even something nice in that sentence. However, it certainly wasn't nice to say that she jumps at everything. that wasn't true, not at all. She was just, jumpy. Anyone would be in this place…she looked at Ranma. well, any normal someone anyway.

She wanted to comment back, say something, answer his challenge, but he bead her.

"look her" he shoved the book in front of her. "it's a diary of this ol'chumps here I think. It gives a little explanation on this place. I just read a little; the first days he was here. From what I've read there ain't no danger here."

Akane looked at the scribbles. It was written, and written quite well. It was kind of archaic though, not how one would write a book from this time. But it was readable, and it was Japanese of course. Still, they would need some time translating this.

She looked up at Ranma from the book, and gave him a very serious look.

"and I am NOT jumpy, this place just creeps me out" and with that Ranma started laughing. Still pleasant but a lot harder then previously.

-end of Flashback-

the diary had explained much, actually, it had told them everything they knew from this place.

The first days told how he had suddenly, without really knowing why or how, found himself in this place. Much like Akane and himself. He had also said that he was writing from memories. He hadn't actually been writing the first days in this house, more like after the first 3 or 4 weeks.

He told how he just went to bed on a calm day. it was summer, and the weather was warm. He had a great day in the palace. Walking through the gardens, enjoying the warm sun, and writing a bit. His castle was beautiful, the sun was beautiful, the fields of his lands lay there, having the same beauty as the sun and his castle. He was happy, the people were happy, everyone was happy. It was actually just a day like any other, but still very happy day. and then, he went to sleep.

And awoke in this place. At first he had no idea what to do, so he had hidden himself bravely under the table, till he was sure that no one transported him here to eat him and was now looking for him, he stayed right there. So after two days, he came from under the table, and began searching for clues as to where he was.

That went on and on and on. Explaining very detailed what he and Akane had already seen at that moment. And then he wrote that he didn't know what he had to do. There was no one here, no one who could explain him what this place meant. There was also no way out, no door that could lead to a place out. He had searched the walls, but found nothing that he could use. So, eventually he had to conclude that there was simply no way out, and that there was no one who could safe him.

Then he began telling about the place behind the very special looking green doors, that were in the middle of the wall, in the big green middle room. At that time, he and Akane hadn't looked behind those. Somehow, those green doors were really not that inviting. As if those doors held something really big, and really dangerous. Eventually, they held nothing more then a strange green curved furniture or something like that. It was a green something that went into the air, and stopped at his waist. At the end of the meter long pole, there was place for something, and that something was a green diamond. It wasn't a plate or something where the thing was thrown into, but a fitted place, where the diamond fitted perfectly into. Another thing that really was strange, where the cables and metal object that adorned the green pole, as if it was some high tech pole, that absolutely seemed to have no other purpose except holding that diamond.

And around the pole he saw the same magnificence that he saw in the other rooms. The walls were a beautiful green, adorned with green lines and patterns. The ground had, like the middle room, a green carpet, which was complete heaven to walk on with bare feet. Everything just radiated the same message: "I am beautiful, I am rich, I am everything and so much more, I'm a king and royal,". The room felt like too beautiful to be one of a king. Strange it was, because all in all, the room wasn't that large, and there was only one object in it: a pole with a diamond in it. it was also the only room that had no source of light… well, they didn't notice one, and still, he could see everything perfectly.

As soon as he noticed though, he also began to notice the absence of shadows, which eventually lead to a very dizzy Ranma. He got around it, and then just wondered were the room was built for.

The diary also had an explanation of that. But before that, he had written 2 weeks full of memories of his life before he had written out completely how the rooms looked, how he could meet no one, and how lonely he felt.

He was a shogun in say, the years 1600, or something near. Akane thought that anyway. He actually hadn't had such an exciting life. his underlings were happy, there was no war, there was enough food, and he had a very lovely wife, with lovely kids. All in all, a perfect life, one you'd hardly come across in those days probably. War was almost everywhere back then, and no one was safe for it. except some lords apparently, and he was one of them.

He wrote on; how he wanted to go back to his lovely wife, and six equally lovely kids. He wrote how he wanted to hug and kiss his wife, and how he wanted to lift his kids in his arms, and play with them. He also told his diary, how he longed for his wife's body, how he wanted to stroke, and caress her bosom, and all those others parts. And well… he hadn't mentioned his kids in that part. It was also one of the later parts. He had that part translated together with Akane – well, they almost translated everything together, except when one had to take a bath, had to go to the little room, had to cook… well, stuff like that. It wasn't like there was anything else to do – and both blushed at what the man wrote. None of it left anything over to their imagination.

It was even worse later. He apparently was starting to feel so lonely, he began to sum up all the things he had ever done with his wife, and also everything he dreamt of doing with her. and how he regretted those could never be done now, him being stuck. Both he and Akane had again blushed, and not just a little bit.

They were very new to that subject, and still somewhat shy about it. they hadn't talked about it after awakening that night. It wasn't like there weren't other things to worry about then anyway. But somehow, the story of the poor sob who was captured here had… put a serious fire in both of them. And that night, for the second time, they had enjoyed each other company thoroughly.

After many other paragraphs on how lonely he felt, and how he longed for his wife and kids and yadieyadieya, he finally came to the most interesting part… well, not the most interesting, but something that explained some things.

He told in his diary how, he had no idea why, he had put this diamond on his forehead. He really had no idea how that came to be. Suddenly, he found himself in that room, with that green diamond in his hands, and had an irresistible urge to put it on his forehead. And so he had done just that.

He had then dreamed, said the diary. It was not like a normal dream, it was a dream that he could control. After a second time, he said that it wasn't really a dream anymore, but more like his imagination brought back to life. it was wonderful.

And then he began explaining those dreams, or imaginations, or whatever it was. somehow, he thought he was reading a copy of those longings the man had 15 pages ago. oh well, he hadn't minded, he wanted to love Akane in that way much more anyway. So after having put the diary aside again for a time, he had grabbed it, and began reading again. and so for the coming two weeks, he described his dreams.

They were all very beautiful; he said, all perfectly what he wished for. There was nothing, really nothing wrong with them. He thought that he finally had landed in heaven. A day later, he regretted he had ever said that, and corrected his mistake, it was a fake heaven. A heaven that made his dreams real, a heaven that could give him everything he wanted, because whatever he wanted he simply dreamt it. But none of it was real, it was all in his head. It was perfect, like a machine, but still it was all so very wrong. And it saddened him that he loved a life, a fake life, more then the life he had, the real life.

And from that point, he began to tell about the machine in disgust. It was a horrible machine, a machine of the devil. But he wouldn't sell his soul to it, no; he would fight against it. problem was that he had no idea how. So he simply stayed using that machine, hoping that somehow he could come up with a solution.

And he could come up with a solution. It was a very simple solution, one that he probably would come up with himself… eventually. And in all it's simplicity, the solution was very cunning. He used the dream machine against itself, well, not really against, he told that, that was impossible. The green diamond was indestructible. When he had hidden it, flushed it through the toilet, thrown into the bin, it always appeared in the plate on the green pole.

So, one day he had decided that he wanted to dream about the plans to make this machine. What he then got was something very strange.

Ranma also noticed that the writer was writing in a different style by now. Where he first was somewhat poetic, even literary, he now was fast, and plain. He didn't extend his sentences more then necessary. As if he was in a great hurry. 50 pages ago, he'd write a page on how he 'really' dreamed of his wife, now he told 4 'fake' dreams on one page. It was also done with less expensive carefully chosen words. They were more brute, and crude. Both he and Akane hadn't really that much experience with reading about certain genitals, and some oaths and curses were also pretty rough. They had just gulped, sometimes had a good night sleep over it, but generally ignored it as far as possible, and tried to pick out the most important parts.

Anyway, the first time he had dreamt about the making of the machine, he wasn't really making sense. He wrote of turning around, seeing stars, striped, letters, words, many colours, it was making him sick, it was everything and more, and at the same time it was nothing at all. It was as if he was just writing down whichever words came in his head. After some time thought he began to make sense to them, and probably also to himself.

He thought, for some reason, that he was dreaming about someone. He things he heard, saw and read where like thoughts of a person. He was, quoting: travelling through a whirlpool of thoughts. Some he had even written down.

"Must built…"

"not perfect, we are not perfect, humans are not perfect…"

"Machines, Machines are perfect…"

"going to built a machine…"

"all must be perfect…"

"I will show that a perfect human exists…"

"Machine is a perfect thing…"

"for a human to reach perfection…"

the writer said that it was a human being who thought, it only could be. Because sometimes, he felt emotions. Human emotions, things like hate, and love, sadness and happiness. But the hardest feeling he felt was hate. The human he saw the thoughts off was angry with something or someone. So angry, that he began hating.

The writer suspected that it was humanity he was hating. He had trouble believing that himself. He, who loved his wife kids, and underlings more then himself, couldn't believe one hated everything, and everyone. That was one part he had chosen to write out more then the rest. He repeated constantly, how it shocked him to feel so much hate. It was actually so shocked that he didn't dare to enter the machine again. but after a day or two, he went back in, and directed the machine to dream again about the plans to make this machine.

At this time, the writer had also written down some hypotheses. He suspected that the human who he thought of, was the creator of this machine. That he had built it, to show the people how perfection would look. But he didn't understand why he then was in the person's mind, or why the person hated the other people then so much? If he hated them for their imperfection, why make a machine then? There were other machines who were perfect already, no need to make on, to proof for the umpteenth time that machines were perfect. Okay, it was a kind of special machine, but still.

But, he had put the diamond back on his head, and was again in the thoughts of the man. Now, they had advanced a lot. The man was building something apparently. But… the writer noticed something was wrong. He didn't felt hate anymore, he didn't felt other people anymore. It were just him, and the person's thoughts. As if he had gone somewhere, where other people were not able to get. He had decided to ignore it, and tried to find out what he was thinking.

As he himself had made the hypothecation, the man was indeed making the machine. He wrote on how boring his thought were then. Calculations, endless calculations, on how the power should surge through this and that, and how the brain's wavelengths. He wrote it down quickly, without spending much further thought to it. "I do not understand anything of it. so I will not tire myself by writing down the science his thought were sprouting".

At some point, he began pointing out that the man was somewhat crazy. He didn't think someone could read brains or something, or do things with the brains, by machinery. That was impossible. But he hardly paid mind to it. instead, he choose to pick out the more interesting out of his thoughts, that apparently, to his opinion were none.

Days on, the man his thoughts were full of calculations, and thoughts he didn't understand anything off, after some time, he had the impressions, the man was starting to get so into his calculations, that he actually began to think in calculations. The amount of food he decided to eat wasn't any longer decided by how hungry he felt, but by how his calculation directed him to eat, calculations on how long he should sleep, how long he should wear his clothes, everything was thought through his calculations. But one thought always stayed the same, namely. : "Must reach perfection".

Then, it began to get exciting. Both he and Akane hadn't slept that night, so taken by the story of the man.

It namely thought he had found out what was happening. The thoughts, the calculations, the slowly changing of the thoughts into grades, numbers and calculations. The man's thoughts were slowly changing into a machine. He knew it now. The man didn't want humanity anymore, he hated it, it was imperfect. But Machines, machines were perfect, machines were everything. never there was a flaw, never did they anything you wouldn't expect. They wouldn't let you down, they wouldn't betray you, and wouldn't make mistakes. So, he must've had decided that the only way for a human to be perfect is to be a machine. And what was perfect for one human? His dream. in a dream, everything one wanted to have happened. All was like he'd expect, dreams wouldn't let him down, dreams wouldn't make mistakes, dreams were perfect. So the ultimate life form was the one of the dream, and so he had to life in such a dream, and how else then being a machine could be living in such a dream be accomplished.

And thus, day for day, the man had changed himself in a machine. A perfect machine without flaw, fully perfect. He was a machine, and he was in a dream world. He was even such a perfect machine, that he could make people dream. he was really perfect. Because he delivered perfection to the other people. In those dreams the people had, everything would happen as how the dreamer would want it. and so, it was perfect.

And that's how the man eventually changed into a machine. But how had he managed to get here, he didn't know? A place, a perfect place, that had no people in it, was complete lifeless. Wasn't he then a person on earth? A person with such a desire to be perfect, like a machine, that he eventually become on? He had no idea, it seemed, he could only guess.

And so, the writer thought that, in the man's desire to be perfect, and in his endless hate for humanity for it's imperfection, he had created a sort of barrier around him. one that made him blind for every imperfection that was human, and that blinded the humans for him, because he hated people so much, that he wouldn't be able to stand them. And so, he had created a sphere around him.

And that was where they were now. In that same sphere, a sphere created to be released from all, and everything that was human.

"Umph…" Ranma looked around, searching what had launched into him, and looked right into the eyes of Akane, who smiled sweetly at him. then she saw what he was doing, and began to frown.

Ranma gave her a small pleasant smile. "don't worry. Just doing this, 'cause else I'll forget how that session went. Besides, got the solution. So I'm done. Gonna take a break after this, like I promised."

Akane nodded, and then spread her arms around him, and hugged him tightly. Before Ranma returned her hug as intense as she, he scanned his surroundings, and saw that he was again sitting on the floor, against the wall. Since the carpet was really perfectly soft, he found it much nicer to simply sit on the carpet then on his chair. His chair was softer, sure, but he hadn't had that much space there, then on the ground.

Still a bit drowsy from recalling memories, he grabbed Akane, and softly pressed her against him. sometimes, it was really a bliss, a simple bliss to hold her, have her in his arms. And then stroke her back, but nothing more, just stroke her back or go through her soft hair or pat her head. It was just caressing, and nothing more.

It gave such a pleasant feeling. Not the one that came with love making. This one was more subtle, more gentle, and a lot softer and less intense. A couple of months ago, he couldn't imagine himself enjoying this… this, soft heaven. But here he was, sitting on his but, on the ground, in a room that was much to big for the two of them, holding Akane softly, and wishing it would never stop.

He could, to some extend describe the feeling that was brought when making love. it was intense, it was building. It was so heavy pleasant, that it shut down all your rational thinking, and let your instinct rule. But this, just cuddling and caressing. The only sentence he could think of to describe it was "walking on clouds". He indeed felt like he was walking on clouds, and like some strange soft pleasant thing had placed itself in his heart, and caressed it. it was so wonderful, so heavenly.

And so, sometimes, when he was sitting like this, thinking of things, she would come to him to softly lay her body against his, and just dream with him, enjoy with him, and walk on the clouds with him. and he enjoyed it so much, that every time they parted, it was like a piece of him parted. But well… food and things like that were a necessarity. And so, he was now enjoying the soft fragrance of Akane's just washed hair.

"had a nice bath?" the soft feeling that he was now experiencing in his heart made him a bit deep and slow. But somehow, he knew that the words he spoke were so much more gentle then in any other situation. This situation demanded sweetness, and being gentle. There was no place for excitement, only for bliss, no place for irritation, only for sweetness, no place for anger, only for a soft subtle feeling in the heart that ate every negative force that existed in his heart.

"it was… very nice" she said equally soft and gentle. The slowness in speaking the words came not from the fact that she or he were tired, or weary from answering. But the feeling in their hearts demanded to be felt, to be enjoyed. So, saying a word, meant diverting your attention only a little bit. And the soft feeling didn't agree with having to give more attention to a second word so soon. So, the second word came only when again having bathed in that wonderful feeling.

So, he said nothing, and went on with softly stroking her hair. He could go on with stroking her hair forever, if it wasn't for some human necessaries.

It was so strange actually, but they never have gone from this to their other form of sliding love into each other. This was just too sweet to let go. He think that he wouldn't care if Armageddon came, he would just sit in this position, and enjoy the presence of the love incarnated.

And so, now softer then ever, more gentle then ever, his memories faded back to where he stopped.

So, eventually they had discovered how this all came to be, well, they thought they knew how this all came to be. The writer himself had said that it was only what he thought could be. He wasn't really sure. In his kingdom, many strange things had happened. Like the birth of babies, or the first flight of a bird, or the first leaves on the trees. It all seemed magic to the man. Back then – when translating the book - he had made some crude comment on what the guy thought as magic. now though, he saw which magic he meant.

Not the magic, like changing genders, or the magic that changed their looks somewhat, but real magic. the magic that let everything grow, the magic that sang in his heart, and that he now felt deeper then ever. That magic was, while a different kind of magic, now also magic to him. maybe he saw it less poetic then many of the other people. For other people, it was a way of describing something very beautiful. For him, it was magic, because he couldn't find any other name for it. earlier, he took all those things for granted, now he saw the grandness, and the beauty of it all, now, he thought it was magic. deep wonderful magic.

And so, he understood the guy to some extent, when he explained, that, that magic, the trees, the bird, the humans, that while their could be so much magic in beautiful loving things, there could be the same magic in ugly hating things. And that magic probably was, what created the sphere. And while it was the hate that had created the sphere, it was with the urge to perfection that it was made. Because this place, while really lacking any imperfection, was certainly beautiful. He had seen on his travels many places, and many things. And he knew what this place missed, really missed. Love. there was no love in this place for anyone, only love for perfection.

Then again, they filled that lack of love more then perfectly. Hah, he and Akane were far above perfect, so there.

Anyway, it was on their third day here that they were as far as understanding why the sphere was created. However, they weren't any further on how to escape. At this point, Akane and he were fearing, because, they were over the half of the book, and well… the guy apparently hadn't made it, if his corpse was any indication how he had fared.

But, they held on, and read on. Maybe somehow, somewhere, they would be able to see a way, where the other had not.

So, he had now concluded in his book, that the place finally was finished. The place was there, barred against the impefect humans, and he himself perfect as a machine, and so he came to the conclusion that he had no idea what to do now. He knew how the thing was built, knew why it was built, but that helped nothing. He still couldn't get out of here. So, he had dreamed on, and on, and every time writing the dreams in his book. They were now boring dreams, dreams where he walked through and endless valley, where there was green and water everywhere. Where the birds sang their beautiful songs. All very boring.

And they turned pages, and pages, coming closer to the end, and there came not a change, not one change in the stories. Always dreams, dreams and more dreams. At this point he was seriously getting afraid that it might lead to no solution at all, that eventually he would've dreamed so much, that the guy forgot to ate, and thus actually starve. He also was weighting the idea of trying that stone for himself. However, Akane had said that they'd better first read the book, and only then deciding if it was safe.

Of course, he thought he knew it better – while he thought was most of the time right, this time he had to confess that hey, maybe she had a point – but this was no the case right now. So, listening to Akane's words, he stayed of the Diamond, and read on.

5 days they had now been translating, and in those two days, there was no change in the man's days. Dreams, endless stupidly boring dreams.

Till, on day, there happened something peculiar. He was dreaming about himself, fishing in a nice warm lake. All was peaceful, and all was right with the world. Till suddenly, the river changed colour. From a beautiful healthy sprinkling blue transparent water, it changed into a blood red river. He thought that he had landed in a nightmare. But that was possible. He made his dreams himself, and he wouldn't make a nightmare. Besides, outside the fact that the river was now red, all stayed the same. He still was catching fish, and the trees still rustled softly in the wind. The sun shone heavenly on him, and the atmosphere was still pleasant. The only real thing changed was the colour of the river.

However, fishing in a red river really wasn't that comforting. So he woke. And then he began musing over the red river. What could it mean? What was the problem? Why did his dream falter?

He began to write down the problem, his questions, and started narrowing down his question to one simple question. "Why did his dream failed?". That question, because it was a question that was essential for the whole machine. It couldn't fail, because it was a machine, but now, it had failed. It didn't had a problem, he didn't had a nightmare, and there wasn't anything wrong with the river, the real question was: why had it failed? And so he began musing on that question.

And eventually, he found his answer. The man, who made the machine, was actually the machine himself. It wasn't a machine, but a human, just like him. only so in his quest for perfection that he had thought that he could become one. but, so reasoned the man, he must be conscious of what he did. Every dream he created was consciously created. The calculations, the waves necessary for the dream, were all created in his conscious mind. And that conscious mind could make a mistake. No matter how perfect he thought he had made his thinking, no matter how automatic he thought it was, it was still a conscious mind, that consciously made all the calculations automatically. And so, like every other human, he could make a mistake. Mistaking was a human ability, and he couldn't escape it. and thus he had made that mistake.

Now they were almost at the end of the book. The last 3 pages were devoted for a conclusion. And in that conclusion, they had arranged a solution. One that strangely enough had worked. Thought it took a lot of testing first.

The man had remembered, that while machine were not very frequent in his era, when they failed they mostly broke. Not every one, but most of them broke. If he could only make this machine failing more, he could break the machine. And if that wasn't theory enough, he developed another one. the man thought he was machine, as perfect as a machine. However, if you proved him wrong, by always letting him make mistakes, then he would probably see that he wasn't a machine, and break or something.

Ranma himself found it a little far fetched. Why would that be? The machine may be able to live perfectly with a mistake. It was a machine, they didn't think, they only acted. But well… if a machine indeed made mistakes, he knew that it eventually would break. And, it had a conscious mind, otherwise it indeed wouldn't make a mistake. So that meant that if he indeed made many mistakes, the conscious mind may go rampart. But, what if the conscious mind didn't give shit for the mistakes he made? Then again, if the diary man had only half right, the machine man was obsessed with being right, and couldn't stand being wrong, or make a mistake.

How hard he searched, he couldn't find a crack in his logic.

Then he went on.

He said that, to let him make a mistake, you should dream out of perfection. The machine his conscious mind works with what it expects. And it expects what you dream. so, you could dream whatever you wish, he will always expect what you dream, and thus will be able to built to that expectation, just like a machine. A machine sees something, and acts this way, or a machine sees something else, and goes that way. With this machine it was pretty much the same. He saw your dream, and went the way of the dream. the only difference was, that this conscious mind had to see the dream for himself, and had to create it himself, consciously, and so could make a mistake in creating that dream. but whatever dream, being that a nightmare, or something else, he would always be able to create it perfectly. Because that was what he was built for, perfection.

So, he needed to somehow change his dream that something unpredicted happened. Problem was that he couldn't direct his dreams. As soon as his dreams started, he had no control over them. They just passed him by. He could chose when to wake, and when to sleep. But not how the dream would go, where he would walk, or stuff like that.

He had to, somehow create another life in his dream. a life that could walk in a dream he had created, a dream where he would be in, and where he would do the expected, but were the other life form would do completely different things, things that the machine didn't expect, and so would make mistakes.

But how to create a life form, into his dreams?

The end

well, the end of the diary anyway.

The man probably died from starving himself to dead, or just of old age. Probably from starvation, because the diary ended with that conclusion.

And so, Ranma had reasoned, had thought, and had pained his brain over the problem. The reasoning of the man sounded foolproof, but he was the one who would have to bring it to life, literally. Eventually, he had decided that he really needed to look in that dream-world, otherwise he wouldn't be able to research the place they had to break.

And so, with being cautious, heaving his defences when using the diamond, Ranma experienced his first dream. it came a little as a disappointment. He had expected something grand, that would leave him speechless, that would bring him to the highest grounds of enjoyment, well… or something similar or close. But all he got was a nice dream about him and Akane camping in the woods. They trained a little, then had a spar, and afterwards, they had wild gracious love making. It was nice, very nice. Also it all looking as if really was happening made it all the more pleasant. And so, he did woke with a happy heart, but also somewhat disappointed.

Then he and Akane had discussed what to do now. She said that she also had to try once, he said that… well, he wanted to solve the problem… but so, that he was the one solving. Anyway, eventually, Akane also tried – it was much nicer, he now knew, to work on something together, because when doing that, there was much cuddling and caressing involved – and as Ranma also had a nice, but not wildly exciting dream.

It was about she and him going out shopping. Very simple all in all. Them walking from shop to shop, buying this, and buying that, for no particular reason. Though there was one part in Akane's explanation were she began to stutter. It was something about small clothes, and toys, stuff like that. Well, since she dismissed it as something really not worth mentioning, he dismissed it as something not worth thinking about.

And so, they both sat at a certain moment at the large table in the middle room, looking at each other, and both having no idea how to solve their little problem. They had both now seen the dream, and well, didn't found anything that could lead them to the solution that the diary offered.

So, not really knowing what else to do, Ranma again put the green diamond on his head, to enter dream land. Now though, he made one adjustment. Whereas the last time he was very careful, now he would try to be relaxed, completely relaxed. Letting himself completely open. Maybe by heaving his defences, he also made sure he wouldn't dream anything dangerous. Well, he reasoned that when he was normally dreaming, he was also completely relaxed and defenceless, so he'd try the same on this machine.

When coming back from the dream, and Akane asked him what happened, he could only scratch his head, and laugh stupidly. Sure, their relation was going very well, and that was probably one of the biggest understatement ever said. He couldn't imagine a life without her anymore. But well, he was scared how she would react when he'd explain his dream to her. it didn't had any whips or any material in it, but it sure came close. And well, he had enjoyed the when dreaming the dream, and enjoyed it still when remembering the dream. which only added to his inability to speak. Speaking was pretty hard when flashes of memory were constantly asking his attention, pretty rough flashes, that had as main character the girl in front of him, just not so innocent looking. So he just said that she was the main character – he just wondered if she wanted to be that main character.

Now, he wanted Akane more then anything to try the machine. He gave her the advice to drop every defence. The machine wouldn't attack her, or hurt her in her dreams. It was perfectly safe. When heaving your defence physically, you'd also do it mentally, and that would stop from dreaming nicely.

And so, Akane dreamed, and then came back. Ranma could only smile a smug smile when she saw Akane's burning blush, and looking everywhere but at him. the answer he heard when he asked for her dream, he had expected.

"just err… ehm… just, dream… you know… my dreams, nothing really…" she made a sound with her throat "nothing really special" she still couldn't look him into his eyes.

"so, your fidgeting, and looking everywhere but at me, is because you just had a very normal dream?" Akane now looked straight at Ranma, and instead of answered kept looking into his clear blue eyes.

She gulped "a very normal dream for me, I guess" she again looked away, and began laughing nervously.

"ow ehm… Ranma, aren't you tired? Or need any sleep? Because… ehm, I'm reeeeeeealy sleepy" Ranma just smiled, and speeded behind Akane.

"Ya know 'Kane. We could use that machine sometimes for a better purpose. Like, having again a very nice not defended dream? ya know, to get some inspiration. The things from that second session of yours were really great"

he felt Akane moving in his arms somewhat nervous.

"we could… ehm, I guess" she gulped, and got a very nice blush on her cheeks. Ranma leaned his head against the wall, and went back to remembering everything that had happened in the two months here.

After those not defended dream, Ranma again tried the machine, but this time, He'd see how far he could control the dream. if what the diary was saying is true, then he should be able to have a certain control in which dream he would dream. Sure, he'd be unable to decide what he did in that dream, but at least, he decided what were the surroundings.

First time had failed, he lost his concentration when focusing on a simple training trip. Instead, he had a nice dream, how he seriously kicked Happosai's ass, and rescued Akane from his vile clutches. Second try was better. He was in a normal forest, training with is father. Nothing was strange, nothing out of ordinary, just him and his dad training. It was a nice simple dream, and one he had somehow created.

And while the dream gave indeed some satisfaction, they never truly did. Somehow they felt fake. Somehow, that didn't surprise him. he had the best of dreams right here. His dream was already reality. His reality was his dreams, only 10 times better, Akane made sure of that.

Now, he was in the last stage of executing their plan. Also the hardest part in their plan – well, their plan. The plan of the diary man. Somehow he had to get a person in that dream, someone who would do something unexpected. But how could something like that happen? All those things happened in his head, everything was just his imagination, that somehow got controlled by the green diamond.

And here they lost hope. There was no way he could create something, or someone in his dreams that actually could move, out of his imagination. Logic, because, as soon as someone would move, not like his imagination directed, it wasn't his imagination anymore, so, not his dream. indeed, that was the whole point of it, but… the point was also impossible for as far as they saw it.

Days they had walked aimlessly, days they had just looked into nothing, hoping that one of them could have a smart intake on it, and maybe so have an explanation. But none came. And where the first days were filled with experimenting their new found love for each other, the later days were filled with worry and anxiousness. And that worry was a weak barrier against their curiousity, that was so in the beginning – later though. The worry began to bite on them, the longer they failed to find an answer, the longer they stared at the skeleton. If they didn't find anything really soon, they would end up just like their best friend, Mr. Diary-man.

5 days since Ranma succeeded in forming and creating his own dreams, and the last two days weren't so beautiful as the first three. He was feeling trapped, he felt defeated, and actually, he was defeated. He couldn't go nowhere. He was stuck, he was doomed, and If he didn't find a way out really soon, he was dead, together with his love Akane. He couldn't bare that thought.

This was no way to be defeated, this was everything that could be dishonourable. Not even giving the enemy a clean end, but a slow and painful one, filled with doubt, and for some time false hope. How could they escape, what could they do? Yep, those last two days were the contrary of the first three. Instead of wanting to know every part of Akane's mind and body, he was angrily walking around. Never stopping, never waiting, not listening to anything Akane said, not listening to anything he himself said to him. he was angry, very angry. He wanted to cry, wanted to scream, wanted to tear this place apart.

A stupidly hard slam on the wall had only given him three broken fingers. They healed fast, uncanny fast, even for Ranma. But at that moment he didn't care. He was furious, and the second day wasn't better, worse even. So worse, that Akane had taken the liberty of closing herself up in their chambers, she wasn't angry with Ranma, she had understood him. but, she also had never Ranma seen so, furious, so angry. And while he said that he had every muscle under control, she asked if it was okay if she stayed in their room. Ranma just nodded, very ashamed. But he didn't want to change, not now. He was to furious.

And so, while Akane was hiding in their Room. Ranma had enough of the waiting, the thinking for an answer that wouldn't come as long as he was angered. So, furiously, he went to the only part he could think he could smash. He went to the side room of the middle room, the part that didn't clean itself, the part that had spider-webs everywhere, the part that was small, and had a sort of bureau. The room that had a skeleton still sitting in his chair. Ranma stood next to the skeleton, furiously staring down at it. and with one furious fist slammed the skeleton of his chair. His hand went right through the skeleton, only smashing a couple of ribs against the wall. The rest – lacking support from the ribs - just fell down on the chair.

Ranma looked how the clothes of the man directly disappeared as dust in the air. He was breathing deep, so had to try not to inhale the dust-clothes of the man. The bones lay everywhere passively, so he couldn't vent his anger on them anymore. Also, in the far recesses of his hell whited mind, there was a little voice saying that slamming the dead was very dishonourable.

Deciding to leave the bones alone, he grabbed the chair, and slammed it on the floor. The chair broke with a heavy sound. The hard browned wood splintered under the heavy force that slammed it on the ground. Ranma looked at the mess he made, the rug of the chair still holding. He was breathing hard, and looked strangely at the ground. There was lying something there, a piece of paper it seemed. His anger exchanged for curiousity, he grabbed the paper and looked at it.

It was a perfect white paper, with bleu lines on it, above though, there was written something in black. It was hardly unreadable, as if the hand who had written it hardly had the power to write anything. With a lot of trying, he eventually could decipher it. "Found… Why? Too late… diary… hunger…this is … key… … … " there were some last letter that he couldn't really read well, but he guessed it said something in the lines of "for machine".

He ran to the middle room, grabbed a chair, and began studying it.

It was a strange piece of paper, with a lot of strange bleu marks on it. it was in Japanese luckily, but this document looked more of the hand of someone that worked with it, then just a person who described a machine. And where he couldn't make out any letter of the bleu lines and neat looking formula's, he could understand one thing.

"They weren't dreams" Ranma looked up at the wall. "they weren't dreams". He looked at the wall for a couple of minutes in complete amazement. "not dreams at all." Akane choose that moment to appear, softly gently opening the door. She eeped when she found herself 1 meter above the ground, and a wild grinning Ranma holding her, and turning her in circles laughing.

"they weren't dream, not dreams at all." Akane couldn't help but laugh with Ranma. Somehow he had found something that would help them find a solution for their problem. Ranma eventually put her down, and kissed her hard on the lips. After 2 minutes or so, he draw back, and looked his love and life straight in her eyes.

"I Love ya Akane. I love, love, love, love, love ya. Never ever think anything else. Because, I LOVE ya." And again he pushed his lips furiously against hers. While he was kissing her, he kneeled down, to make it himself somewhat more comfortable. Finally, he broke the kiss again, and now looked straight into her eyes.

"I'm so sorry for my behaviour, but 'kane, this bloody arses were really working on my nerves. But, They won't defeat me… no, 'cause I got'a solution. Well, maybe not a solution, but I got something to work with" Akane could only smile at him. she had no idea what was happening, but it was clear that Ranma had found something.

"that's alright silly. Just… try to control yourself better next time…" she tapped him lightly on the cheek. Ranma just grinned. He grabbed Akane, and put her on the table sitting. He himself placed himself between her knees, and looked up at here.

"I gotta explain it, it's not really simple.".

and so he did. It wasn't a dream, it was a something, a space created by the machine, that looked exactly like his dream. but it wasn't his dream. it was a parallel universe or some sort. It was certainly not here, but somewhere far away, a place where this machine could create and delete as many dreams as he wanted. It was also not them walking in that dream, it was another someone their. It was created someone who looked exactly like them, and who would do exactly what his dream directed him to do. But it wasn't him. and the diamond was meant to give all those feelings, and all those things that copy of him felt to him. that's probably why the dreams felt so fake. The feelings he felt in those dreams, weren't his own, but those of the figure standing there.

And so, he simply had to destroy that reality. Then the machine would break, and they would be able to escape. Problem was, that it was harder then he had expected. He still couldn't control that other character that was walking there. That character was under the control of the machine, and the machine made sure that that character acted exactly like his own dreams directed. Even when he dreamt of that character destroying everything in his dream, the machine wouldn't explode.

But now he knew what to do, well he didn't knew, but he felt, knew somehow still what to do, and he did it. the trick was to create someone else in that world, that was not under the machine his control, but under his control, or just under his own control. But how was he to create something like that? That part came very strangely.

He put the diamond on his head, and concentrated very hard on creating something there, something new, a new life-form, a force, a force, a fore, a new force. A new life. his force, his dream created it, so his force must be able to create something also there. If the machine could, he could also. And that's when he felt his Ki streaming. He literally felt how something, or someone was draining all his power from him. second for second, he felt himself weakening. Till there was no longer any strength in him left, and he just fell flat on the ground.

And then he saw the most bizarre dream. it was in a city, just like the Nerima district. And there stood someone, someone who looked like him. he couldn't think he had failed, because he was dreaming. As soon as the figure began to move, it began to get weird. He looked around him, looked above him, and under him, and eventually scratched the root of his pigtail. Finally he began screaming.

"where am I?"

"where is this?"

"What… How has this happened to me? I was just in that room with Akane and…?"

"where, where is Akane?"

"AKANE"

next time:

Wild Horse's Run

First move

Duds

Five of spades