Shadow6865@aol.com wrote:
 

"Her husband was...not a well man, dear.  Even before you were born, he
promised a friend that one of his daughters would marry his friend's
son.  That promise would apply to you, too, if he knew about you.  He
was interested in continuing his family, and his dojo, above seeing his
family as people.  His daughters were mere pawns to him, Ami, and as far
as I can tell they still are.  Your mother wanted at least one of her
children to grow up free of him.  So, when she became pregnant with
twins, we agreed to pretend that she would only give birth to one child.
The other one...was you, Ami."

Hmm.  There's no way of getting around the darkness in this business.  
Either Dr. Mizuno is lieing or Mrs. Tendo really mistrusted and 
disliked her husband.  

"So, the girl I saw..."

"...was your twin, yes.  Her name is Akane Tendo.  She's...well, she's
like your friend Makoto...or what she would be if Makoto had had to grow
up under that man!"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, Akane's this close to becoming a murderer.  She has no control
over her anger, and she usually vents it on her fiancee, Ranma
Saotome...supposedly, the man she loves most in the world.  

Where would Dr. Mizuno get the idea that Akane loves Ranma? 
"fiance".  

I've seen

him in here several times, when she beats him up too badly for the local
clinic to take care of.  And *he's* supposed to be a top martial artist.
Sometimes, when I see him, it's almost like he's been fighting side by
side with the Sailor Senshi...."

What, does she assume that every time Ranma gets bunged up it's Akane's
doing?  With only one exception, most of Ranma's major injuries in the
actual source material have been duels of the week. 

"There are two elder sisters, who sometimes come in when Ranma's here.
Nabiki, I fear, is headed for the yakuza, 

Only if she marries an oyabun.  Career opportunities for women in the
yaks are rather limited.  To tell the truth, I think Nabiki is more
likely to become a sleazy tabloid gossip columnist.

but Kasumi is not too bad off.

She's kind of like Usagi, in a way, although every time I talk to her, I
fear she's about to burn out from taking care of her family."

I really can't imagine what way Kasumi is like Usagi.  

"I want to see them."

"Now, dear, you promised you'd think about it."

"But..."

"Do you want to end up like them?  Like I said, the reason I never told
you this was for your own protection."  Ami's mother hugged Ami, burying
her daughter's head in her bosom.  "You've got such promise, such
potential.  I don't want to see you throw it all away.  I'm scared,
Ami...scared that, if you see them, you'll become like them."

******

In the privacy of her own bedroom, Nabiki's eyebrows had long since come
to rest on the ceiling.  They had another sister?!?  Thank goodness she
had thought to bug the bedroom of that girl when some doctor, out of
nowhere, said that she was a genetic match for Akane and would Soun mind
asking Akane to please donate some blood quickly.

Her eyebrows came off the ceiling, and into an unflattering frown, when
she heard the doctor's description of the Tendo family.  'Headed for the
yakuza'?  While Nabiki had to admit the idea was not totally repellant,
it was obvious that this Ami would not get an unbiased opinion of the
Tendos this way.

If Nabiki thinks that idea isn't totally repellent, then clearly Dr. Mizuno
has given an unbiased opinion of her at least.  

Time to make a new friend.  And, for once, she could be legitimately
curious if the hospital staff asked why she wanted to see Ami.  After
all, her sister *was* asked to save this girl's life; why should Nabiki
be suspect if she just wanted to find out why?

                        I don't like this new version for several reasons.

                                1. I believe that the author of the original
Ani Muzo/Akane Tendou fic was being
funny and did not mean for the fic to be taken seriously.

Doesn't mean it can't spark someone else.  

                                2. You corrupt the Ranma 1/2 universe in an
unjustifable way. I like darkfics and have nothing aganist them but that does
not mean that they can totally change they very essence of every Ranma
character. Soun loves his daughters and does not see them as pawns. Nabiki
might have a money obession but that is because it is traditional for the
woman in a Japanese household to control the money. Kasumi is not a burn out
and Akane is not a homicidal maniac. If you used actual manga evidence for
your darkfic proposes it would be much better, Genma uses Ranma as a pawn
more than SOun could ever imagine using his daughters.

Well, actually I think it's a wee bit more likely that Dr. Mizuno is nuts.  
However, what you say about Nabiki isn't really true.  Takahashi herself
is less than complimentary about Nabiki, and I have a tankubon which contains
a cover showing her sporting horns and a tail as she controls Ranma and Akane
puppets.  

                                3. You have a misconception of the engagement
deal. The deal was never spefically between Ranma and Akane, it was between
Ranma and any of the Tendou girls. Ranma could have been just as easily
engaged to Kasumi or Nabiki and Soun asks him "Which girl he wants?" Kasumi
and Nabiki are quick to assert Ranma as the choice. Any hardcore KTFer who
wishes to disagree well that's your problem.

No misconception there.  Dr. Mizuno is clearly aware that the engagement could
apply to any Tendo daughter, including Ami Tendo.  The horror of being engaged
to a Saotome, even potentially, is certainly one reason why the good doctor may
have told a brace of lies.  

                                                        Shadow

                                                        Anti-KTF