Marital Arts
Episode 1 (Part 2)

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, or 
        she'd... you know, do herself.  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."

***************

Ranma and Ranko followed Akane and Nabiki to Furinkan High 
School.  About halfway there, they passed a medical clinic where 
Ranma got splashed by some cold water, so Akane went inside to 
ask for some hot water while Nabiki and Ranko went on ahead.  
Inside, they met Dr. Tofu, and Ranma saw the change in Akane's 
manner as they all stood there in the foyer.

Ranma changed back to his male form, then he and Akane ran for 
Furinkan High before the school day started.  When they got there, a 
crowd of boys started to charge them.  Ranma jumped onto the wall 
and watched as Akane quickly beat up the boys.  He thought to 
himself that she was pretty good, though not as good as Ranko or 
himself.

Nabiki called out to him to get into the building before he was late 
for class, and he saw Ranko beside her watching the fight in the 
courtyard.  Akane finished the fight and Ranma jumped down next 
to her.  At that moment another male student decided to block their 
way and threatened Ranma once he learned that he was staying at 
the dojo.  He called himself "Kuno, the Blue Thunder of Furinkan 
High" and gave a few swings which Ranma dodged.  The girls 
watching the proceedings wondered when Kuno had been given 
such a nickname.

Ranma was about to strike back when he saw a body flying in the air 
toward them.  He smiled and pointed behind Kuno, warning him of 
an attack from behind; Kuno refused to believe him until he saw 
Akane also looking upwards behind him.  He turned, but only saw a 
foot just before it hit him in the face and he was knocked to the 
ground, unconscious.

Ranko:  "Hmph.  'Blue Thunder'?  More like 'Blue Blunder'...  Hey 
        Nabiki, throw me my bag, would you?"

Nabiki threw the knapsack down to Ranko as the bell rang for class.  
Ranko, Ranma, and Akane all ran for the classroom, while everyone 
who watched the fight commented on Kuno's new nickname.

***************

Ranma sat in the classroom thinking about Akane and Dr. Tofu.

Teacher:  "Saotome!"

Ranma was startled by the teacher suddenly sending him out into the 
hall.  A moment later Akane and Ranko joined him.  Akane was 
mad at Ranko.

Akane:  "This is your fault."
Ranko:  "Why?  All I said was that he must have been thinking of 
        you.  Weren't you, Ranma?"
Ranma:  [embarrassed] "Well..."  [Ranma noticed Akane watching 
        him]  "What was that fight about this morning, anyway?"
Akane:  "Kuno gave this stupid speech that anyone who wanted to 
        date me had to defeat me in battle."

Ranma and Ranko sat down on the side of the wall.

Ranma:  "What a jerk!  And everyone actually believes that you'd go 
        out with someone just because he defeated you?"

Ranma and Ranko rolled to opposite sides as a kendo sword plowed 
into the concrete wall between them.

Kuno:  "I will never allow this travesty of engagement between you 
        and Akane Tendo to stand, Saotome!"

The classroom windows burst open behind them filled with students.

Ranma:  "What?  Why not?  I defeated her in battle... so according 
        to your own rules I'm the only one that can ask her out!"
Kuno:  "Never, Saotome!  That rule was only meant to apply to me!"
Ranko:  "It's none of your business what they do, you jerk."
Kuno:  "Ah, beauteous one, I do not recognize you..."
Ranko:  "Do you recognize this?"

Ranko kicked Kuno in the face and he is knocked back to the wall.

Kuno:  "Oh, you have defeated me!  You are worthy of going out on 
        a date with me!"
Ranko:  "So who wants to go out with you?"
Kuno:  "Oh, pig-tailed goddess... you cannot refuse one who burns 
        with love..."

Ranko remembered the swimming pool she saw from the ledge that 
morning.  She led the insistent Kuno to the window and opened it.

Ranko:  "Perhaps there is something that can prove how I feel for 
        you.  Shall I show it?"
Kuno:  "Of course, of course..."
Ranko:  "Farewell, Blue Blunder!"

Ranko kicked Kuno out the window and aimed for the swimming 
pool, but didn't get it exactly correct as Kuno bounced onto the 
diving board before landing in the pool.

***************    

Ranma and Akane stopped off at Dr. Tofu's clinic on the way home.  
During a baseball game at school Akane had hit a foul ball directly 
into Ranma's face.  Ranko had laughed and said that he must have 
been thinking of Akane again because he should never have gotten 
hit.  Ranma had blushed because he had been thinking of Akane; 
Akane blushed at the sudden outburst of giggling from the rest of 
the girls there.

Dr. Tofu was outside sweeping the porch when they passed by; he 
offered to look at Ranma.  As he was looking at Ranma, Kasumi and 
Nodoka walked into the clinic (taking a break from shopping) to 
return a book that Kasumi had borrowed.

Dr. Tofu started acting very strangely and twisted Ranma's face 
perpendicular to his body.  Everyone reacted differently as Dr. Tofu 
started to speak to Kasumi.  Ranma was in shock; Akane and Ranko 
looked at him with disbelief in their eyes; Kasumi looked at Ranma 
and asked if he was all right, then gave Dr. Tofu the book and some 
cookies, of which Dr. Tofu started to eat the plate.

Nodoka just thought to herself 'The Love Hysteria' and sighed.  She 
noticed that Kasumi seemed not to notice the effect she had, and that 
Akane seemed upset.  Ranma definitely seemed upset, but that was 
to be expected.

Dr. Tofu fixed the complaining Ranma by turning his head so that it 
leaned the other way.  Akane left the building, and Ranma followed 
her.  Nodoka sighed again and led Kasumi and Ranko back to the 
dojo.

***************

Akane went to the river to think.  Ranma came up behind her and 
she pounded his head into the ground when she discovered his 
presence, and inadvertently cured him.  Ranma thanked her.

Akane noticed that he seemed nervous.  But he blurted out one 
phrase and left her alone as he went back to the dojo.

Ranma:  "Akane, if you want to call off the engagement, I'll 
        understand."

***************

Akane laid back on her bed.  She didn't want to admit it, but she 
believed she was in love with Ranma.  It wasn't just that he had been 
kind to her at her mother's funeral; or that she remembered happy 
times with him when they both were children; or that she found him 
attractive; or that he had a sense of honor she could respect; or even 
that she thought he was attracted to her.  It was because he actually 
seemed to care about what she felt.

She had a crush on Dr. Tofu for the longest time now, but she 
couldn't admit to herself that he was totally in love with Kasumi.  
Until today.  As she fell asleep she was surprised to find herself 
dreaming of Ranma.

***************

Ranma laid down on his futon, trying to sort out his thoughts.  He 
didn't want to admit it, but he believed he was in love with Akane.  
When she was near he wanted to hold her in his arms; he just 
wished he could be sure he knew how she felt about him.   And then 
there was Dr. Tofu, whom he thought she was in love with.

He had never really thought about a girlfriend.  The constant travels 
with either of his parents stopped him from meeting a lot of girls, 
and those he did meet... well, he had to admit to himself, just didn't 
interest him because they were so... passive.  But Akane was 
different.  She was her own person, no matter what anyone else said 
or did.  And she was interested in martial arts, just like he was.  And 
she was attractive.

Ranko walked into the room and laid down exhausted on her futon.  
Ranma turned onto his side to look at her.

Ranma:  "Ranko?"
Ranko:  "What?"
Ranma:  "Do you think Akane likes me?"
Ranko:  "I think so... but why don't you just ask her?"
Ranma:  "I can't..."
Ranko:  "Ranma, one of you is going to have to make the first move.  
        It might as well be you."  [Ranma returned to laying on his 
        back]  "And I wish you'd hurry up.  I'm exhausted."
Ranma:  "Why?"
Ranko:  "Mom's started her Marital Arts training today.  Since she 
        doesn't want to interfere with the two of you before you 
        make a decision, she's using me as the male in my cursed 
        form.  Stupid shiatsu technique."
Ranma:  "What technique?"
Ranko:  "Shiatsu Erection Spot.  She had Kasumi and Nabiki poking 
        me until they got it right."

***************

Nabiki stood over a dejected Kuno, who had once again proven that 
mindless persistence tended to fail.  Everyone had given up on 
Akane except him.  And he would waffle between her and Ranko (or 
Ranma when the conditions were right) incessantly.  She could turn 
that to her advantage.

She plopped down five photographs of Akane doing her martial arts 
workout.  He willingly paid the 3000 yen she asked for; she then 
"accidentally" dropped a pack of five more photos on the floor.  
When he picked them up his eyes widened; the pictures of Ranko 
and Ranma in female form were more risque than the previous 
batch, showing a just a hint of cleavage.

Cheap photos, really.  Taken with a small hand-held camera and 
processed at the local five-hour store, but good enough to relieve 
Tatewaki Kuno of his money.  She charged Kuno a thousand yen 
more than the previous pack and he willingly paid it all.  She 
shivered at the thought of what she could get for some posed 
"accidental" shots of Ranko with her good camera, but if she did that 
she would have to cut her in on the action.

She casually tossed out the prospect of photos of Kuno's "pig-tailed 
twins" and he almost went insane at the thought, declaring that he 
was the only one worthy of Akane Tendo, Ranko Saotome, and her 
shy identical twin sister.  Nabiki inwardly laughed to herself at the 
prospect of eventually convincing Kuno of the existence of the 
"Saotome Quintuplet" - Ranma and two pairs of identical twin 
sisters, one pair with blue and one pair with green eyes.  All she 
needed was some colored contacts and some time in the school 
darkroom.

***************

Akane found herself thinking about the situation the whole day at 
school, so she finally steeled herself and got the tools from the 
closet.  Kasumi stood in the kitchen cleaning up after dinner like she 
always did at this time of day.  She was startled when Akane entered 
the room with a pair of scissors and a comb.

Akane:  "Kasumi, could you cut my hair?"
Kasumi:  "Oh Akane.  Are you sure you want to?  You've grown it 
        for so long now."
Akane:  [sighing]  "It doesn't seem that important anymore."
Kasumi:  "OK, if that's what you want."

Kasumi led Akane to the dojo, where she set up a chair and a sheet 
to catch all the cut hair.  Akane sat down as Kasumi covered her 
body with another sheet and pinned it together at the back of the 
neck.  Kasumi stopped as she was about to start cutting.

Kasumi:  "Last chance, Akane."
Akane:  "Go on, Kasumi."

Kasumi started to cut Akane's hair.

Kasumi:  "So why are you doing this, Akane?"
Akane:  "I just felt that it was time for a change, that's all."
Kasumi:  "So why are you doing this, really?"
Akane:  "I only grew it long to impress this guy.  But he's in love 
        with someone else, so there's no chance for me."
Kasumi:  "And Ranma doesn't fit into this picture at all?"
Akane:  [blushing]  "Maybe."
Kasumi:  "So are you going to keep the engagement?"
Akane:  "I don't know... I mean, I don't know how he feels about it."
Kasumi:  "Did you talk to him about it?"

Kasumi quickly finished cutting Akane's hair with the skill of a 
hairstylist while the both of them remained silent.  Kasumi started to 
clean up the dojo.

Kasumi:  "And who did you have this crush on?"
Akane:  [blushing again]  "I'd rather not say."
Kasumi:  "Come on, you can tell your older sister."
Akane:  [after awhile]  "It was Dr. Tofu."
Kasumi:  "So Dr. Tofu's in love?  How sweet!  Who's he in love 
        with?  Do I know her?"
Akane:  [nodding]
Kasumi:  "So who is it, tell me."
Akane:  [struggling to get the words out, but spurred by the years of 
        emotion]  "Its you."

Kasumi dropped everything onto the floor.

***************

Akane knocked on the door to Ranma and Ranko's room.  Ranma 
answered and she walked in.  He stared at her.

Ranma:  "What did you do to your hair?"

Akane ran her hand through her hair now cut short, then shook her 
head to let it bounce.

Akane:  "I thought that maybe it was time for a change.  Do you like 
        it?"
Ranma:  "Um... well... it sure makes you look... different."
Akane:  "That's not an answer, Ranma."

Akane moved her body near his.  Ranma was filled with the scent of 
her hair, and when she placed a hand on his chest, he couldn't help 
but slip an arm around her waist.  He expected her to move away, or 
to slap him, but she moved in to embrace him.  She had avoided him 
the whole day, but now it seemed...

Ranma:  "Akane, does this mean..."
Akane:  [nodding]  "I want us to remain engaged, Ranma."
Ranma:  "Even though..."
Akane:  "I'm not ready for it tonight, OK?"
Ranma:  "I'll wait until you're ready."
Akane:  "Ranma?"
Ranma:  "What is it, Akane?"
Akane:  "Do you love me?"
Ranma:  [suddenly nervous]  "Um... well... err..."  [steeling himself]  
        "I do love you."

Akane suddenly placed her hands around Ranma's neck and pulled 
his face down for a kiss.  They didn't let go for a long time.

***************

Kasumi entered her room after lunch, hot and bothered.  Her mind 
kept returning to what Akane had told her the day before, that Dr. 
Tofu was in love with her.  She didn't know whether or not it was 
true.  She hadn't seen anything that made her believe that, and Dr. 
Tofu hadn't said anything about it to her.  So she just didn't know.  
But it was true that she had dreamt that morning that Dr. Tofu had 
entered her room to conduct an examination and had ended up 
making love to her.

She had never thought of him that way before.  She hadn't been 
worried that she would find someone special, but at times it seemed 
to her that she had trapped herself in the dojo; all her friends from 
school had gone on to college or to start families.  She had to admit 
that he was attractive, and he was also older than her (she had found 
that younger men bored her).

Kasumi had woken up with her fingers caressing her womanhood at 
the vividness of the dream.  Kasumi had taken out Nodoka's "gift" 
then, and did something she had never done before; she lost her self-
control of her actions and plunged the vibrator in and out of her 
body with abandon until she had attained her release.  She was 
ashamed at her loss of control, of course, but the dream had seemed 
so real and her need had been so overwhelming.  Luckily everyone 
had still been asleep.

She had gone shopping that morning, and had passed by the clinic.  
She almost went in, but the fear that Akane was wrong consumed 
her; she only stopped to spy into a window.  She saw him working 
then, treating a patient with unconscious grace, his muscles moving 
underneath his gi.  She quickly turned away as she remembered the 
morning's dream, hoping to forget it as she rushed home and busied 
herself in preparing lunch for herself and Nodoka.  But it hadn't 
worked.