Ranma 1/2:  Bet: Apprentice Option, part b
 It was pointed out to me (by Rick Robinson) that
instead of two divergences (Angel 1/2 and Devil 1/2)
that there should be FOUR divergences from Hel's little
manipulation. One, the demon in the pool. (Devil 1/2)
The second option, the angel in the pool. (Angel 1/2).
Three, neither in the pool. Four, both in the pool (which
was the Fourth Option released a little while ago.)
setting and major char by Rumiko Takahashi
add'l char & situations by way too many people.
 y'know who y'all are, so just take a bow, would'ya?
webpage: http://metroanime.home.mindspring.com/
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 Ryouga Hibiki stood on the cliff's edge, looking
out into the strange valley. He pondered the meaning of all
the little pools, of the bamboo poles sticking out of them.

 Of the cliff crumbling away under his weight,
causing him to tumble down into one of the springs.

 He didn't know that the cliff had been weakened
by a demon's assault. He didn't know that Ranma had
been gone from this place for two years subjectively and
fifteen minutes chronologically.

 All he knew, in his heart of hearts, was that
Ranma was responsible for this.
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 The first man to walk up had been a
postal carrier. Kuno saw through his disguise and
ran him off.

 The second man to walk up to his beloved's
home had been also cleverly disguised, but Kuno knew
that the evil Saotome would likely come in disguise in
order to hide from his greatness. He fled before the
might of the Blue Thunder, taking his delivery of rice
with him.

 Kuno saw the third man wandering by and
immediately drew his bokken and demanded to know
why he was here in front of the Tendo household. They
did say that the third time was the charm, did they not?

 Kuno noted the man's panicked look
and had drawn the immediate conclusion. He had
posed, informed the man that the virtuous and
beautiful flower within that house was to be his
bride, and had attacked.

 The man's glasses had fogged up, he had
mumbled something that started with a Ka... and now
Kuno knew what a Rubik's cube felt like.

 The fourth such man was walking up with
a girl, and the great Tatewaki Kuno was a little cautious
after that last encounter.

 "HOLD!" Kuno posed again, a little
unsteadily. "Who are you to approach the Tendo
household?"

 "Uhm. Ranma Saotome. And this is my
friend Skuld. And you are?"

 "At last," the kendoist trembled, not
sure if his knees would give out or not. "KNOW
YE THIS THEN, AKANE TENDO IS MY FUTURE
BRIDE."

 "Okay. You don't need to shout, y'know.
Oh, uh, congratulations. Hope you two have lots of
future happiness and all."

 Kuno blinked. He considered rushing
forward and attacking but he'd just gotten done
trying to reset his joints and wasn't sure they'd stay
there. "Do you concede then before my superior
skills and noble lineage?"

 "Sure. Say, if you're a swordmaster,
maybe you n' me could have a match sometime.
I recently learned some moves that I'm having a little
trouble with."

 Kuno blinked again. His skill was being
recognized and deferred to? His superior claim to
the beauteous Akane was acknowledged? Either this
Saotome was a coward or he recognized that Kuno
was his superior. "Ah. Well. Good then." He'd have
to think about this.

 "Yeah, not tonight though. I gotta
meet with the Tendos and see if there's a way
I can avoid an engagement to one of his other
daughters. Have a nice night."

 Kuno blinked again. He thought he
heard a noise. Yes, it was his bed calling him.
How could he deny his bedchambers the noble
presence of their master for a second night?
"So be it then. Have a pleasant night. I think I
must be going myself."

 Skuld watched the kendoist stagger
off. "That guy is kinda scary."

 "Nah, I figure he's just like that
minor goddess over in section G, Tiana. Probably this
Akane was nice to him once when he was really down
and he immediately fixated on her."

 "So we just go in?"

 Ranma knocked. "Nah, I figure..."

 The door opened. Ranma and Skuld both
blinked. There was something Belldandy-like about
the girl standing there. "Hello?" The voice was also
perfectly Belldandy.

 "Sorry miss, you just remind me of Skuld's
sister." Ranma bowed and apologized for the moment
of staring.

 "Wow," was Skuld's comment as she was still
staring. She'd have to do some readings, but she might have
found her sister's mortal analogue.

 "I'm Ranma Saotome, and this is my friend
Skuld. Pleased to meet ya."

 "Oh, won't you come in?" Kasumi gestured
towards the inside of the house. "I am Kasumi Tendo."

 Another girl popped out. "He's here?! Hi, I'm
Nabiki Tendo. Come on in, we're all (well, almost all)
anxious to meet you."
----------------------------------------
 Nabiki looked around the table, edged a little
closer to Ranma and looked attentive.

 Kasumi wondered if the formal teaset should
be brought out now, or would it be better if she waited on
such details. Certainly this Ranma was better than she
would have expected.

 "So." Soun Tendo inhaled a massive drag on
his cigarette, snorting an impressive cloud of smoke a
moment later. "Which of my daughters are you going to
marry?"

 "Are you absolutely sure there should be one?
I mean, my dad apparently made a few of these arrangements.
I sure as heck don't wanna force nobody into nothing."

 "You better not choose me," Akane grumbled,
though she was glad to see this guy wasn't too keen on the
marriage thing either. "I hate boys."

 "Uhm, you're Akane, right? It's OK, I already
met your fiance and he explained everything." Ranma
shrugged and smiled.

 Akane blinked, then leveled a cold glare at
her father. "Dad? Have you made OTHER arrangements
specifically involving me?"

 Soun shook his head frantically.

 "He said his name was Tatewaki Kuno..." Skuld
offered, only to be met with a series of moans.

 "I haven't given him permission," Soun said slowly.
Well, Akane COULD do worse.

 "DAD!!!!" Akane panicked. Sometimes her father
got ahold of an idea and just wouldn't let go.

 "Well, that leaves me and Kasumi."

 "NABIKI!!!" Kasumi gently chiding, Akane staring
in increased alarm.

 "Mister Tendo, do you even think this is fair to
your daughters? They don't know me, after all."

 "It is a matter of honor." Soun nodded, gathering
stoic dignity around him like a blanket. "As far as I am
concerned, that is the end of it. For the sake of my deceased
friend, your father, this must be done."

 "Maybe," said Kasumi as if just considering the
idea. "He should get to know us just to see which would be
the better match."

 "What a wonderful idea, Kasumi!" Nabiki nodded
enthusiastically, as well she might as it was her idea anyway.

 Ranma exchanged a glance with Skuld. So far it
was pretty much as she'd predicted.

 "So, Skuld is it? I know Ranma spent most of his
life being trained in the martial arts, but what about you? How
did you get involved in all this?"

 "I was exiled from my homeland temporarily for the
crime of data hacking." Skuld sipped at her tea and noted the
blank looks from all but one. She smiled as Nabiki obviously
started working out angles on how to exploit this. "Because
I was doing a favor for Ranma here, digging up some information
he needed, I've just been tagging along until either my sister
starts going to college here in Japan or until my sentence is
over."

 "So you're an information specialist," Nabiki said
thoughtfully.

 "Actually, I'm mainly a debugger. System maintenance
is my usual occupation." Skuld shrugged.

 "Ah, whatever." Soun managed after a moment. He
had less idea of what this young girl was talking about than Akane,
who was less computer literate than Kasumi (who'd only seen
computers in stores and the like but had read a book.)

 "So where did you say you were from?"

 "Norn's Grove, a little place South of Valhalla."

 "Ah," Soun exclaimed. She was German. Spoke
Japanese very well for a gaijin. No doubt Ranma had been
the tutor.

 "Valhalla?" Kasumi frowned a little. Skuld? Norn's
Grove? Ah, she was Norwegian! No doubt she'd have some
serious trouble with the Japanese summers. "Well we have two
guest rooms, and we can put you up while Ranma decides
to marry me."

 Everyone stared. Kasumi blushed when she realized
what she had said. "...or Nabiki," she appended a moment later.

 "Oh, there's this." Ranma held up an arm fitted with
a bracelet made of jade and silver. "I'm under a curse which this
keeps in control."

 "Yeah, right." Akane scoffed openly.

 Ranma removed the bracelet, setting it on the table
with a raised eyebrow. "Skuld?"

 Skuld pulled a canteen out of her backpack and
splashed Ranma with it, putting the canteen back while the
Tendos were gaping at Ranma.

 Ranma quickly explained that his father had chosen
this wonderful training site, which was where his father had
saved his life from a stray attack from another fight going on
at the same location. He never mentioned exactly WHAT was
fighting there. Hot water changed him back to male, cold water
to female, unless he was wearing the Stability Bracelet.

 "It was originally created for people with curses like
werewolves and the like. If I'm a girl when I wear it, I'll be a girl
until I take it off and get some hot water. It's made dealing with
the curse a lot easier in some ways."

  "Uhm," Nabiki said, starting to have second thoughts
about the whole thing.

 "Now, now, let's worry about this later, shall we?"
Skuld put in quickly. "Worry about it later, eh?"
---------------------------------------------------
 "School, huh?" Ranma wasn't impressed.

 "Yeah, Ranma. All your records show your chronological
and not your biological age. I could fix those but your mother and all
would definitely view this as being strange. Best to leave as is for now."
Skuld shrugged. "I had to mess enough with my own records."

 "What records?"

 "Exactly." Skuld nodded. "Now, thanks to Urd's little
potion and my laptop computer, I look like and am registered as
a fourteen year old exchange student from Norway who registered
high enough on the placement tests that I can attend Furinkan."

 "Uhm, Skuld? Other than you look closer to fifteen, you
haven't changed.."

 "Oh bugger." Skuld frowned. "Well, whatever.
Anyway, you're attending the same class as me and Akane. Nabiki
is in the same class as that Kuno guy."

 "Okay. Did you give me a good grade point average?"

 "You're gonna have to do that yourself, don't know how
much of that Dad'll put up with before he starts with the lightning
bolts."

 "Do I haveta wear a school uniform?"

 "You might be able to get away with some clothes. I doubt
your working clothes..."

 Nabiki opened the door. "C'mon, you two, breakfast!"

 "'Kay." Skuld finished typing on her laptop and closed it
up. "Now try to get through the day without fighting anyone, Ranma."

 "Oh yeah, THAT's gonna happen."

 "Y'never know." Skuld shrugged.

 Kasumi looked up from setting out the breakfast dishes.
"My, Ranma-kun, what was that you were doing this morning?"

 Ranma blinked. "Do you mean the spear katas, the unarmed
stuff, or the meditation?"

 "That bit where you were glowing and floating in midair."

 Kasumi's comment stopped her sisters in midmotion and
even caused Soun to stop reading his paper for a moment.

 "Oh, THAT. Just a meditation technique, building up
your chi, directing the flows, that sorta thing."

 "Oh," Kasumi nodded, satisfied.

 "Floating?" Nabiki repeated.

 "Yeah, advanced chi techniques, y'know," Ranma shrugged.

 Akane blinked. "Allrighty then."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
okay then, here we go with a different sorta crossover.
Apprentice what, you ask? Devil hunter, of course.
          Tyr is a better judge, Thor a better drinker, Hercules
a better brawler and stronger, etc. On the other hand, you
KNOW how much better Ranma gets when he's fighting
strong opponents and he's spent the equivelant of two years
in Einherjar Boot Camp learning from masters of various skills.
The bracelet would be necessary to lock him in female form
while learning from Artemis or among other similar folk.
           Ranma's use among all these powerful is as a wild card.
He can affect the outcome where all other variables are known..
Hmm. From wild horse to wild card, sounds like a good chapter
title...

          Though Ranma MIGHT remind Artemis of Orion, and
if he was the warrior reborn...

          Ranma's not really interested in ANY of the engagements
at this point. He kinda likes some girl, but he's been reading the
canon manga (online at Yggdrasil) and thinks that THAT Ranma
is a jerk and he's not gonna do any of that stuff.

          Also because he's a wild card, Marller wants to recruit/seduce
him for THEIR Side. He's got some other interested parties, knows
about ALL the engagements. Eventually he tries to get Skuld to use
her predictor program, but she tells him that she can't do it without
better Yggdrasil access.
           Skuld's hoping her dad doesn't find out she's lying or will
overlook it. Why? Because depending on how she words the question,
she gets a different answer every time. "Who could make Ranma the
happiest as a wife" is a different candidate than "whose life would be
changed for the best if Ranma chose to marry her" or even "who would
Ranma make the happiest if he married her."
 Skuld also was surprised to see her own name showing up
on the lists and is trying to sort out her own feelings on THAT.
 There is no clearcut choice for True Fiancee in this timeline.
The ones currently on Skuld's lists are: Minako Aino, Rei Hino, Makoto
Kino, Kasumi Tendo, Nabiki Tendo, Kaori Daikokuji, Ukyou Kuonji. The
last five are flagged as arranged engagements by Genma. There's also
Skuld herself, whose name keeps popping up even when she's just
deleted it.
 Why those five? Kaori's engagement is from the anime.
A Tendo-Saotome union is from both, and evidence suggests that
someone (likely both) were drunk in a bar at the time. Ukyou's father
just had to mention the yattai for Genma to agree, which would seem
to indicate he's done it before or just is a pushover. So...more fiancees.
Kino is added because with both of her parents dead, she likely would
have no way of knowing about such a thing. (Hmmm. Maybe Mamoru
also has an arranged marriage, say to Nabiki. Complications...heh)

 Ranma's trained extensively, ate extensively, and has drank
of the Evergold. He's better looking, stronger, tougher, and a better
fighter than in the canon. He uses a lot of weapons quite well, and is
still trying to get his chi to where he can emulate certain manna based
attacks/manuevers. Raideen's lightning (a la Mortal Kombat) is one
example.

 Opponents? Heck, he goes HUNTING devils. (Not demons,
as they have that pesky Doublet System. Point him at some Youma
though and he'll go to town.)

 His manriki gusari is enchanted? (A manriki is a chain weapon
like the kusari-gama, but shorter and with weights at both ends. Ranma
has a crescent-moon blade as one weight while the other more resembles
a barbed spear-head.) Yeah, it's based on Shun's Nebula Chains from
Saint Saeya. Length lengthens or shortens on command, it can be directed
to move by thought, and can be completely quiet if he wills it. He's going
up against supernatural beasties, and even Ranma needs help every so
often.

 Heck, after the Ranma Fan Club starts at Furinkan (girls after
the strong handsome often mysterious and dashing figure who looks so
much more mature than a sixteen year old) he's got even more girl troubles.
Mind you, he'd actively WANT to associate with the Senshi just to have
a chance to bust youma/daimon heads. And once Honey Kisaragi starts
showing up on Skuld's predictor program...

 Skuld in Furinkan... Y'know this is a disaster waiting to happen.
Can you picture her in auto shop? (do they have that in Japan?)

 And here goes Ranma off to smash youma and having all that
fun. Somehow I can't picture Skuld as wanting to stay at home (unless
they're showing some neat mecha) and there's some scenes there...

Kasumi: Skuld-chan, can you move your powerarmor? I need to sweep.

Skuld: Oh, Kasumi?! Just gimmee a minute, I need to adjust my spirit-ward
rocket launcher a little.

 Hmmm. Skuld and Washu in a jam session. May have to incorporate
that in A Very Scary Bet.

Oh, and if he's got different enemies, then different allies and rivals as
well, ne?
 Kasumi answered the knock at the main gate with her usual
politeness and efficiency. "That's odd, there's no one here?" Kasumi paused
as she noted the presence of the two furry tree trunks standing next to the
gate. Her gaze tracked up to the two "tree trunks" to an equally furry
chest,
then to a large muzzle pointing down at her.

 Kasumi blinked. "Oh my." A little louder she called into the house,
"Ranma, I believe you have a visitor."

 Kasumi paused briefly. "I'll go get him. May I say who's here to
see him?"

 The wolf grinned down at her and spoke in a thick Irish brogue.
"Aye, lass, that ye may. Tell him that Fenris be paying him a call to be
giving
the lad a wee bit of payback."
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	Well, anyway, this is just the promised Third Option (the fourth
being already out.) Enjoy.