Ranko's expression hardened.  "What *about* her?  She can
rot in hell as far as I'm concerned."  She then looked at Ranma
curiously, but her next words were derailed by Ranma's shocked
expression.  "What?"

Carlin: One thing I would have liked to have seen in the 
prologue is a little more about the week between the 
Ranko's fight with Nodoka and her leaving home. Big 
potential there. 

    "'Rot in hell?'  Whadda ya mean, 'rot in hell'!  Mom's...
well, she's mom!"

Sarcastic woman: Who would show no hesitation to hold you to 
an insane promise and force you to commit seppuku if she deemed
you 'unmanly' 
 

    Akane stopped Ranma with a hand on his arm.  "Ranma...
remember why you're hiding from your mother?"

    "Yeah.  If she finds out I turn into a girl I'll have to...
oh."

Sarcastic man: Bingo. 

    "Have to what?" asked Ranko, her own momentary anger at her
mother overridden by her brother's curious reaction.

    Ranma looked awkward, but there was no help forthcoming

>from the Tendos.  Eventually he looked Ranko in the eye and

said, bitterly, "I found out on Saturday that my shit-stupid

Nitpick man: Shit-stupid, while appropriate given the subject, doesn't
sound like something Ranma would say. 

father made a promise when he took me away on this training trip
we've been on almost ever since I can remember... since I was
five, I think.  He promised that he would make me a man amoung
men, or we would both commit seppuku.  He even drew up a
contract."  Ranma grabbed a handy glass of water and tossed it
on his head.  Now female, Ranko's twin, he continued, "How can
*this* be manly?

    "It hadn't even occurred to me that I might have a mother
until I went to the cemetery with the Tendos on Saturday to pray
at the family memorial for their mother.  Father forced me to
introduce myself as Ranko, not Ranma, and to hide behind my
curse.  Then I found out about the promise, and I had to
continue to..."

Details woman: Assuming Manga continuity, that would put the 
date on this fic at some point in or around Volume 22. 

    "Shit," said Ranko without passion.  "I can just see her
enforcing something like that, too."  She smiled at Ranma wryly.
"I was all set to ask you why it was that mom said that my twin
was *Tendo Ranko*, not you in your... um, your girl form.  I
guess I can understand why now."  As she watched Ranma, Ranko
felt her heart go out to her twin.  Brother.  Whatever.  "I
guess neither of our parents is a prize, Oniichan," she finished
softly.

    Outside the gate tinkled, and Kasumi looked up.  "That's
probably father."

    Steps sounded, the front door opened, and a loud male voice
called out cheerily, "Tadaima!"

    "Welcome home, Otousan, Ojisama," said Kasumi with what
sounded like relief in her voice.

    Ranko saw two men enter the living room and stop, stock
still, in shock.  One was tall with long, black hair.  He wore a
dark grey gi and bore a family resemblance to the three Tendou
girls.

    The other man was shorter, with a stocky build... though
not fat.  He seemed to be quite bald, though it was impossible
to be certain with the white headscarf he wore.  Glasses were
held to his head by sports frames, and he wore an old, spotted,
traditional white gi.  She wondered on several levels whether
this man could possibly be her father.

    "What is this, Ranma?" asked the man in white, looking
unerringly at her brother.

    "Ranma found a mirror in an old haunted house that produces
a copy of anyone who touches it," said Nabiki with a straight
face.

    Souun's jaw dropped.  "Really?" he asked.

    Nabiki laughed, a short, choppy sound.  "I was just joking,
father.  This is Ranma's sister."

<The Chorus Groans>
Obscure man: <Laughing> Manga volume 35, bravo. .

    Both Souun and the man in white, whom Ranko decided to call
Genma for now for the sake of her sanity, laughed heartily.
Genma even went so far as to slap his hand to his thigh and wipe
tears from his eyes.  When he looked at her with no recognition
in his eyes, a terrible doubt began to rise in her.

Foreshadowing woman: Pay attention. 

    "That was a good one, Nabiki," said Soun at last.

    "Ye-heah," guffawed Genma.

    The stillness of the teenagers was absolute.  Being highly-
trained martial artists, Soun and Genma both had keen senses of
the environment and it didn't take them long to notice that
everyone was staring at Genma warily.  "What?" he asked
defiantly.

    Ranma-onna took an aggressive step forward.  "Whadda ya
mean, 'what', ya rotten old fart?  I've had a sister all this
time and you never told me!"

Ironic man: You'd think Ranma would be used to it by now. 

    Genma looked at Ranma blankly, then at Ranko.  "What are
you talking about, boy?  You don't have a sister."

Chorus: WHAT?
Dr. Sam Beckett: Oh boy. 
Martha Stewart: This is not a good thing. 

    *    *    *    *    *    *

    Author's Notes and Credits --

    Credit where credit is due:  I'd like to take a moment to
thank Andy Wennersten (MrNuke999@aol.com), who has (at the time
of this writing) written two parts of a lemon series called "Not
Ranma Half", which may also be known by some people as "The Lost
Sisters".  I got the idea of a wild, bisexual Ranko from reading
this story.  I haven't asked his permission to use this version
of Ranko yet, but I will.  Thanks in absentia, Andy.  (Those of
you who want to read his work, you can find a copy of Not Ranma
Half at the Sakura Lemon Fanfiction Archive at
http://anime.muck.com/~sakura/main.html )

Chorus: <Looks at Happousai and Ataru>
Happousai: Oh right! Like we're the ONLY ONES!

    There's not an awful lot I can say about this story yet
without giving away spoilers, except to say that this is only a
teaser, an announcement of concept if you will.  I have high
hopes for this story, and I have a plot in mind, but we'll have
to see if it actually goes anywhere.

    I *can* tell you about the title, though.  "Wild Child" is
a literal translation of the kanji that make up Ranko's name.

    I'd like to thank the people who gave me feedback on
the first version's many flaws, including Anand Raoh,
Chris Jones, Ronny Hedin, and Thomas Schmidt.

    I hope you enjoyed the story.

--
David Eddy - Senior Consultant, Progress Software Melbourne
dje@progress.com

Carlin: Very enjoyable beginning. An interesting concept and 
a nice take on a Saotome child raised by Nodoka. No huge 
complaints, a few nitpicks which don't distract from the reading. 
My only complaint is that there isn't more to read, good work, 
can't wait for the rest.