Ranma 1/2-Ranko 1/2:  Marital Arts
Episode 1 - Part II

Ranma:  "'Cause... because she's a girl." 
Ranko:  "So?  You swing at me pretty easily.  And remember 
	Shampoo?  You defeated her pretty fast." 
Ranma:  "That's different." 
Ranko:  "Why?  You were both girls.  Is it because you like Akane?" 
Ranma:  "Hmph!  No way!" 
Ranko:  "Then why are you blushing?" 
 
Akane quietly left the door and continued on to her room, thinking 
about what she had heard. 
 
Ranma:  "Did mom put you up to this?" 
Ranko:  "Of course not.  I'm having all this fun at my own 
	initiative." 
Ranma:  "Well, stop it." 
Ranko:  "Make me." 
 
Nodoka stood off to one side in her room.  She had heard and seen 
everything (including the resulting fight).  Ranko and Ranma soon 
lay on their back, out of breath. 
 
Ranma:  "We really need to fight people we can beat." 
Ranko:  "You said it." 
 
*************** 
 
Everyone had finished taking a bath and had gathered in the living 
room at Nodoka's request.  Nodoka sipped at a cup of tea. 
 
Nodoka:  "Now, you may all know that Ranma and Ranko are the 
	heirs of the Saotome School of Anything-Goes Martial 
	Arts, and that Akane is the heir of the Tendo School of 
	Anything-Goes Martial Arts, but there is another tradition 
	to be passed down.  And now that all five of you are over 
	the age of sixteen, I may reveal it to you." 
 
All five looked at Nodoka in surprise.  Nodoka pointed at the Tendo 
girls. 
 
Nodoka:  "Your mother and I were the heirs of another ancestral 
	tradition.  Before she died, she asked me to come and see to 
	your training at this point in time.  You are also the heirs of 
	the Saotome and Tendo Schools of 'Almost Anything-Goes 
	Marital Arts Lovemaking'.  Now, all of you have certain 
	subconscious self-defense "talents" that must be deactivated 
	before your training can begin.  Now don't worry.  These 
	abilities were only implanted in the event that a master 
	from a rival school hunted you down and will only activate 
	if a specific stimulus is received and if you're not attracted 
	to your partner.  I will see to all of you tonight." 
 
Nodoka took another sip of her tea. 
 
Nodoka:  "Now, I suppose I should explain a little about my school 
	to all of you.  The principal behind Almost Anything-Goes 
	Marital Arts Lovemaking is that two people in love want to 
	and can give their partner and themself greater physical 
	pleasure because they love each other, and all our 
	techniques are designed to effect that or to protect ourselves 
	from people that we do not love.  Do you have any 
	questions?" 
 
Kasumi:  "Why 'Almost Anything-Goes'?" 
Nodoka:  "Because while you will learn techniques, whether or not 
	you use them, and with whom, is entirely up to you.  I will 
	not judge you except as it threatens the school." 
 
Ranko:  "Mom?  About those... things that you're deactivating?  
	What are they?"  
Nodoka:  "Just because we are a secret school doesn't mean that we 
	don't have rival schools that will attempt to destroy us.  To 
	prevent that, we programmed our techniques into your 
	subconscious so that if a master of another school tried to 
	seduce you using an advanced technique, you could counter 
	it and not fall under their spell.  When I deactivate these 
	defenses, it will allow me to teach you to access these 
	techniques voluntarily without them kicking in during the 
	process." 
 
Akane:  "Auntie, are you saying that we'll be happy together?" 
	[takes a quick look at Ranma] 
Nodoka:  "No, Akane, that is not what I'm saying.  I can't make you 
	fall in love with my son, and I won't make you marry if you 
	don't love him.  But if you do love him, the techniques can 
	help you find greater joy in each other." 
 
Nabiki:  "What do you mean by 'secret school'?" 
Nodoka:  "Our art has survived a thousand years only by being 
	passed on through the family line to avoid persecution by 
	others.  You may only tell someone about our school if they 
	swear to secrecy upon penalty of death.  When you marry, 
	and if you change your names, it is further hidden by taking 
	the names of your husband.  That is why it is the Saotome 
	and Tendo schools right now instead of our maiden 
	names." 
 
Nodoka takes another sip of her tea, noting that everyone else has 
started to drink some. 
 
Nodoka:  "Now, you are all free to decline the offer, but it is a family 
	tradition, and I don't think that any of you will be hurt by 
	learning these techniques.  And it will make your married 
	life more enjoyable.  However, Ranma and Akane, if they 
	decide to remain engaged and join my school, will have to 
	sleep together by the end of this week." 
 
Ranma and Akane both jump up, saying that they don't want to 
sleep together, that they're not attracted to each other, that they don't 
even like each other, and that the engagement is off.  Nodoka looked 
at them shrewdly and asked if that was how they really felt.  They 
both affirmed it and then Nodoka whispered something into both 
their ears. 
 
Ranma and Akane started to take off each other's clothes.  Kasumi, 
Nabiki, and Ranko look surprised at this.  After their clothes had 
fallen to the floor Nodoka whispered again into their ears and they 
stopped, looked embarrassed, and grabbed for their clothes.  They 
demanded to know what Nodoka did to them. 
 
Nodoka smiled and said that all she had done was activate a 
relaxation mode where inhibitions and negative feelings (such as 
fear and anger) would be suppressed.  She said that if there had been 
nothing there, then nothing would have happened between the two 
of them. 
 
Ranma and Akane looked at each other and blushed while they put 
their clothes back on. 
 
Akane still protested, saying that she wasn't prepared to take the 
chance of becoming pregnant, even if they did decide to remain 
engaged.  Nodoka just smiled at her. 
 
Nodoka:  "Have you been drinking your tea, Akane?" 
Akane:  "My... tea?" 
 
Nodoka indicated the bitter tea that they had been drinking.  Their 
mother's tea that Nodoka had sent them over the years.  They had 
drunk it at first to remember their mother, and had acquired a taste 
for it, though no one who came to their house could stand it.  Nabiki 
looked curious. 
 
Nabiki:  "What about the tea, Auntie?" 
Nodoka:  "It causes the body to release a spermicide into the genitals 
	when sexually excited." 
 
Ranma suddenly spits out the tea with a shocked look on his face.  
Ranko laughs at his expression.  Nodoka ignores the whole event. 
 
Nodoka:  "Its been a secret of our two schools for five hundred years.  
	It must be drunk at least once a week to be effective." 
Nabiki:  [with a faraway look in her eyes]  "I'm rich." 
Nodoka:  "No, dear.  It is a secret of our school, so you may sell it 
	only as a folk remedy.  You'll find that people won't believe 
	you enough to trust you.  And you must not let scientists get 
	hold of it; the supply is limited because some of the 
	ingredients are rare; if they were to get hold of it our supply 
	would dwindle to nothing." 
 
Kasumi:  "Oh!  What about father?" 
Nodoka:  "I'll decide whether to tell your fathers or to keep it a 
	secret from them after all of you tell me whether or not you 
	want to join my school." 
 
After a moment of silence to indicate that there were no more 
questions, Nodoka dismissed them. 
 
Nodoka:  "Now, I'll start with Kasumi and finish with Ranko and 
	Ranma.  I'll meet all of you in your rooms, and I want you 
	to start thinking about what decision you'll make." 
 
*************** 
 
As Nodoka entered Kasumi's room, Ranko and Ranma lay back on 
the futons in their room. 
 
Ranma:  "So what do you think?" 
Ranko:  "It explains a few things." 
Ranma:  "Oh?  Like what?" 
Ranko:  "Why I can't remember anything about the times mom took 
	us anywhere by ourselves." 
 
Ranma tried to remember, but obviously can't. 
Ranma:  "You're... you're right!  I can't remember any of it either." 
Ranko:  "She made us forget that we forgot.  And how she and pops 
	would sometimes make love where we could see them.  I 
	think she wanted to show us how wonderful it could be." 
 
There was a soft knock on the door, then Nabiki and Akane entered 
and sat on the edge of the futons.  Ranma and Ranko sat up. 
 
Akane:  "Ranma..." 
Ranma:  "What is it, Akane?" 
Akane:  [blushing]  "About tonight..." 
Ranma:  [blushing]  "Its OK, Akane, I understand." 
Akane:  "You do?" 
Ranma:  "Its not that I don't like you, Akane.  Its just that I don't 
	know if... you know." 
 
Akane silently nodded.  She could tell that Ranma had been 
thinking what she had. 
 
Nabiki:  "I don't know what the rest of you are going to do, but I'm 
	going to accept your mother's offer." 
Ranko:  "You are?" 
Nabiki:  "Sure.  Not even money can buy happiness, you know.  
	Well, it can, but why pay for it when you can get it for 
	free?" 
Akane:  "Nabiki!" 
Nabiki:  "Oh, come on, Akane.  Don't tell me you haven't worried 
	about finding a husband that could fulfill you completely." 
 
Akane blushed again.  So did Ranko.  Ranma hadn't stopped. 
 
Ranko:  "Well, I think Nabiki's right.  When I find that special guy I 
	want things to be great." 
Ranma:  "I'm going to accept, too." 
Akane:  "Ranma!" 
Ranma:  "What is it, Akane?" 
Akane:  [blushing]  "I'm going to accept.  That means we... we're 
	going to have to..." 
Ranma:  "No, it doesn't.  We can always just break off the 
	engagement."  [quieter]  "I mean, if you want to..." 
 
Akane looked at Ranma with a strange expression on her face, then 
she and Nabiki left and returned to their rooms to await their turn 
with Nodoka.  Ranko and Ranma returned to staring at the ceiling. 
 
Ranko:  "Way to go, Mr. Smooth." 
Ranma:  "Shut up." 
Ranko:  "Make me." 
 
Nodoka soon popped her head in the door. 
 
Nodoka:  "Are you two fighting again?" 
Ranma and Ranko:  "Sorry mom." 
 
***************