What is Weakness?
A Ranma ½ fanfiction by Selene Starblade
Disclaimer: uh.. Wait, wait.. I know it's around here somewhere.. How did that sock get there? Hold on.. Aha! No, wait, that's not it..
Chapter one: Bad to Worse @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
Hibiki Ryooga looked around.
He was lost, and he admitted it.
As to why he was lost..
Well, he wasn't sure of that, and he admitted that as well. It seemed to happen rather a lot. Sometimes he got a sneaking suspicion that some sort of bad joke of cosmic proportions was being played on him, and other times he didn't think about it.
After all, it wasn't like there was a whole heck of a lot he could do about it.
Anyways, he was lost. Just like usual, he desperately wanted not to be lost, although the reason was a little different this time around.
Normally, he would be trying to find the Tendoo-ke in the Fuurinkan district of Nerima. This was because he often was trying to figure out a way to tell Tendoo Akane how he felt about her, or just to spend time with her as P-chan. Occasionally, he would be trying to find the Tendoo-ke so that he could punish Ranma.
He was trying to find the Tendoo-ke.
Anyone finding out his purpose, however, would be sorely surprised- it was just a little unusual for him.
He was trying to find Ranma to protect him.
At this point, it is likely that the reader is either facefaulting or claiming loudly that such a thing is impossible.
Well, poo on you.
******
Okay, let me see. According to this map, I'm somewhere in the Golden Gate park, and the Tendoo-ke is on University Avenue, so.
Ryooga looked up from his map of San Francisco, and checked his bearings with what he thought was the Eiffel Tower on the horizon.
Right. That way.
So figuring, Hibiki Ryooga wandered in the general direction of Harajuku. As he walked, he thought to himself.
Things just keep getting wierder all the time. I hope I find Ranma soon. That Moxibustion thing must be real- Ranma never would have gone flying after a little strike like that. Poor guy. I've gotta find him before any of the others do. I mean, really, picking on someone who can't defend himself? Even for Mousse, that's low.
Ryooga took a right turn down a bicycle path, and turned to continue, now heading towards Juuban district.
I wonder who the loon with the shears was. Oh well. Now, let's see, was it a left on Beverly Hills? I think so.
The lost boy took a right turn down a highway, and began walking in the emergency lane, the wrong way.
A few moments later, he looked around, and found a sign that read "Mount Fuji. Please do not climb."
Ryooga sweatdropped.
This could take a while.
******
Saotome Ranma looked around.
She was lost.
She looked around again, not quite believing it.
"Where the heck am I now?"
((Somewhere underneath Tokyo Disneyland, Ryooga sneezed and felt a sudden desire to bring a copyright lawsuit to court.))
Ranma began to wonder if Ryooga was contagious.
((Ryooga sneezed again and stepped, much to the owner's surprise, out of a toolshed somewhere in Asakusa.))
Shaking it off, she tried to figure out how to get back to the Tendoo-ke. Walking past a lingerie store, she stopped for a moment and smacked her forehead with the heel of her palm.
She knew she'd forgotten something. Looking down at herself, Ranma grumbled. She was wearing her Communist Chinese uniform. She. Ranma had gone back into the house to change clothes, and had forgotten to change forms at the same time.
Oh well, no help for it at this point.
Ranma took a random left turn, figuring that eventually, she would find a police officer or a map or something, so until then she might as well wander randomly, to increase her chances of running into such.
As far as getting home was concerned.
Ranma was in something of a bind. With the Ultimate Weakness Moxibustion reducing her strength basically to nil, more was affected than just her strikes. She could no longer make her high jumps- likely the best she would be able to manage now was about five feet, maybe six in male form. She could still move as fast as ever, but with absolutely nothing behind the speed, as she was she really couldn't fight. Ranma only knew a few tricks that could be used with minimal strength, and only the trick she'd absorbed from Happosai, the one where you cause your opponent to toss himself up into the air, was of any use right now. She wasn't about to employ any of her father's distraction techniques, thank-you-very-much.
Of course, Ukyoo was right. Ranma told herself, continuing to wander aimlessly. They won't want me to keep the dojo anymore. And I'm not about to let Kuno and Nabiki have at me when I can't do anything about it. The Amazons only wanted breeding material, which I'm not about to do, and besides, I'm no good as a fighter now.. And there's no way I'm going with Ukyoo. She may be my friend, but a life like that.. No way. And Akane's pretty well established how SHE feels about me, moxibustion or no. Hm. Come to think of it, the only person there who's likely to actually miss me myself, is Kasumi..
Ranma stopped for a moment, then nodded to herself.
Right. Pops and the engagements. that's it. I was getting really tired of the old lardball anyways. I guess it's leaving for me. I'll have to leave a note for Kasumi, but that's about it. I'll have to return in the night, and leave then too. Lucky thing Oyaji is a deep sleeper. I'm almost tempted to hide in the area and see how he deals with this mess he's made.. Nah, too risky.
Halfway down what had seemed to be an empty alley, Ranma ran into something.
******
"Dinnertime!"
As the collected Tendoo household (plus moocher) sat down at the dinner table, minus Kasumi, Souun looked around. Something was missing.
"Say," Began Nabiki, "Where's Ranma-kun?"
Akana frowned. "That baka! He said he was going for a walk, and he isn't back yet!"
The two patriarchs blinked.
"Say, Saotome, did he get the Master to undo that moxibustion yet?"
Genma-panda sweatdropped. [Not that I know of, Tendoo.] He flipped the sign. [I'm sure he'll. persuade. the Master sooner or later.]
Souun smiled. "Quite right Saotome. Why, I'll bet he's out trying to get the moxibustion chart from the Master even now!"
The panda grinned stupidly. [Of course, Tendoo! He is my son, after all!]
Souuns smile faded slightly. His friend was right, Ranma was Genma's son. Somehow the thought wasn't entirely reassuring.
Kasumi stepped out of the kitchen door. "Ara. but didn't Grandfather Happosai destroy the chart?"
Souun and Genma froze.
Akane frowned at the room in general, refusing to even think of frowning at Kasumi. "Of course he did! You were there, oneechan!"
Nabiki glanced from her father to the panda and back. Surprisingly, the two patriarchs hadn't even noticed that Kasumi hadn't brought the food out with her.
[D-d-d-d-DESTROYED???????]
"Saotome, do you know what this means?!"
Genma began to look somewhat frightened. [Um. no?]
Souun Tendo stood up from the table, surrounded by an aura of burning anger, eyes glowing red, the rest of him covered in shadows. "YOUR SON WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO RUN A DOJO! HE IS WEAK FOR LIFE!!!!"
Akane and Nabiki leaned out of the way, Kasumi kept her rather subdued smile, and Genma cowered.
Then Souun burst into tears, and they relaxed slightly. "Waaaaah! Our legacies will never live on!"
[And I'll never get to be supported by my son in my old age!]
"And my daughter will be married to a weakling!"
[And I'll have to pay for my food!]
"And." Souun broke off and went over what Genma's last few signs said.
[What?]
"SA-OOO-TOOOO-MEEEEEEE! Are you implying that you only wanted to unite the schools so you would have somewhere to stay without paying anything?!?"
[Um. no?]
Souun growled.
Nabiki sighed. "Give it up, uncle Saotome. Daddy's got you pegged."
Akane looked over at Kasumi, who was still standing at the kitchen door. "Kasumi-oneechan, can we eat now?"
Kasumi frowned. Well, not quite exactly. more like she looked slightly disapproving but still pleasant. No one had seen Kasumi actually frown in recent memory.
Ignoring the sounds of her father visiting surprising amounts of pain upon his old friend, she looked at Akane. "But what about Ranma-kun? Shouldn't we wait for him to return?"
Akane snorted. "That baka's probably at Ukyo's or the Nekohanten right now. He doesn't need to eat dinner here!"
Kasumi brightened slightly. "Oh, that's right! Ranma-kun will be safe there too. Thank you for reminding me, imootochan."
As she headed into the kitchen, Akane snorted. "No need to sound so happy about it, oneechan."
Souun returned to his seat to wait for dinner, leaving a somewhat mangled panda where it lay by the other end of the table.
******
Ko Lon sat in the Nekohanten, on her own for once. She had a bowl of chicken ramen on the table in front of her, but she wasn't eating. Instead, she was thinking.
I can't believe Happi would even use one of the weakness techniques on Ranma. Son-in-law is his student, after all.
She thought back to when Mu Tsu had come in, blathering happily about his victory over Ranma.
At least a day, and Ranma's still not strong again, or he would have bounced back and beaten Mu Tsu. That means it's not the Baby's Strength pressure point. And I'm sure Happi doesn't know about the Power Leech pills, and noone's seen the Devastating Feebleness Charm in almost a thousand years. That leaves only one thing- the Ultimate Weakness Moxibustion.
She sighed and started in on her ramen.
I'll have to go find muko-dono tomorrow and offer my assistance. All I need to do is decide which technique to teach him.
******
Ryooga looked down from the top of Tookyoo Tower.
"How on earth did I get way the heck up here? I was going downhill a moment ago.."
After a few more minutes wandering, he finally made his way to the streets again, and also to a decision.
Fine, then. I'll just wander around any direction until I get where I'm going. It's my best bet, really.
If he had been paying attention to the weather, he would have been surprised- It looked like rain, but it wasn't raining. Normally the presence of a Juusenkyo-cursed person is generally enough to start any cloud raining, no matter how small and wispy.
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
So what's going on here?
Wouldn't you like to know.
Review! Review! Review!
No comments here really, other than that I FINALLY have a page that my fanfictions are on aside from FF.net! It shows up on my author page, so go ahead and check it out, 'coz I've got fanart there too!
Ja, ne!
Disclaimer: uh.. Wait, wait.. I know it's around here somewhere.. How did that sock get there? Hold on.. Aha! No, wait, that's not it..
Chapter one: Bad to Worse @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
Hibiki Ryooga looked around.
He was lost, and he admitted it.
As to why he was lost..
Well, he wasn't sure of that, and he admitted that as well. It seemed to happen rather a lot. Sometimes he got a sneaking suspicion that some sort of bad joke of cosmic proportions was being played on him, and other times he didn't think about it.
After all, it wasn't like there was a whole heck of a lot he could do about it.
Anyways, he was lost. Just like usual, he desperately wanted not to be lost, although the reason was a little different this time around.
Normally, he would be trying to find the Tendoo-ke in the Fuurinkan district of Nerima. This was because he often was trying to figure out a way to tell Tendoo Akane how he felt about her, or just to spend time with her as P-chan. Occasionally, he would be trying to find the Tendoo-ke so that he could punish Ranma.
He was trying to find the Tendoo-ke.
Anyone finding out his purpose, however, would be sorely surprised- it was just a little unusual for him.
He was trying to find Ranma to protect him.
At this point, it is likely that the reader is either facefaulting or claiming loudly that such a thing is impossible.
Well, poo on you.
******
Okay, let me see. According to this map, I'm somewhere in the Golden Gate park, and the Tendoo-ke is on University Avenue, so.
Ryooga looked up from his map of San Francisco, and checked his bearings with what he thought was the Eiffel Tower on the horizon.
Right. That way.
So figuring, Hibiki Ryooga wandered in the general direction of Harajuku. As he walked, he thought to himself.
Things just keep getting wierder all the time. I hope I find Ranma soon. That Moxibustion thing must be real- Ranma never would have gone flying after a little strike like that. Poor guy. I've gotta find him before any of the others do. I mean, really, picking on someone who can't defend himself? Even for Mousse, that's low.
Ryooga took a right turn down a bicycle path, and turned to continue, now heading towards Juuban district.
I wonder who the loon with the shears was. Oh well. Now, let's see, was it a left on Beverly Hills? I think so.
The lost boy took a right turn down a highway, and began walking in the emergency lane, the wrong way.
A few moments later, he looked around, and found a sign that read "Mount Fuji. Please do not climb."
Ryooga sweatdropped.
This could take a while.
******
Saotome Ranma looked around.
She was lost.
She looked around again, not quite believing it.
"Where the heck am I now?"
((Somewhere underneath Tokyo Disneyland, Ryooga sneezed and felt a sudden desire to bring a copyright lawsuit to court.))
Ranma began to wonder if Ryooga was contagious.
((Ryooga sneezed again and stepped, much to the owner's surprise, out of a toolshed somewhere in Asakusa.))
Shaking it off, she tried to figure out how to get back to the Tendoo-ke. Walking past a lingerie store, she stopped for a moment and smacked her forehead with the heel of her palm.
She knew she'd forgotten something. Looking down at herself, Ranma grumbled. She was wearing her Communist Chinese uniform. She. Ranma had gone back into the house to change clothes, and had forgotten to change forms at the same time.
Oh well, no help for it at this point.
Ranma took a random left turn, figuring that eventually, she would find a police officer or a map or something, so until then she might as well wander randomly, to increase her chances of running into such.
As far as getting home was concerned.
Ranma was in something of a bind. With the Ultimate Weakness Moxibustion reducing her strength basically to nil, more was affected than just her strikes. She could no longer make her high jumps- likely the best she would be able to manage now was about five feet, maybe six in male form. She could still move as fast as ever, but with absolutely nothing behind the speed, as she was she really couldn't fight. Ranma only knew a few tricks that could be used with minimal strength, and only the trick she'd absorbed from Happosai, the one where you cause your opponent to toss himself up into the air, was of any use right now. She wasn't about to employ any of her father's distraction techniques, thank-you-very-much.
Of course, Ukyoo was right. Ranma told herself, continuing to wander aimlessly. They won't want me to keep the dojo anymore. And I'm not about to let Kuno and Nabiki have at me when I can't do anything about it. The Amazons only wanted breeding material, which I'm not about to do, and besides, I'm no good as a fighter now.. And there's no way I'm going with Ukyoo. She may be my friend, but a life like that.. No way. And Akane's pretty well established how SHE feels about me, moxibustion or no. Hm. Come to think of it, the only person there who's likely to actually miss me myself, is Kasumi..
Ranma stopped for a moment, then nodded to herself.
Right. Pops and the engagements. that's it. I was getting really tired of the old lardball anyways. I guess it's leaving for me. I'll have to leave a note for Kasumi, but that's about it. I'll have to return in the night, and leave then too. Lucky thing Oyaji is a deep sleeper. I'm almost tempted to hide in the area and see how he deals with this mess he's made.. Nah, too risky.
Halfway down what had seemed to be an empty alley, Ranma ran into something.
******
"Dinnertime!"
As the collected Tendoo household (plus moocher) sat down at the dinner table, minus Kasumi, Souun looked around. Something was missing.
"Say," Began Nabiki, "Where's Ranma-kun?"
Akana frowned. "That baka! He said he was going for a walk, and he isn't back yet!"
The two patriarchs blinked.
"Say, Saotome, did he get the Master to undo that moxibustion yet?"
Genma-panda sweatdropped. [Not that I know of, Tendoo.] He flipped the sign. [I'm sure he'll. persuade. the Master sooner or later.]
Souun smiled. "Quite right Saotome. Why, I'll bet he's out trying to get the moxibustion chart from the Master even now!"
The panda grinned stupidly. [Of course, Tendoo! He is my son, after all!]
Souuns smile faded slightly. His friend was right, Ranma was Genma's son. Somehow the thought wasn't entirely reassuring.
Kasumi stepped out of the kitchen door. "Ara. but didn't Grandfather Happosai destroy the chart?"
Souun and Genma froze.
Akane frowned at the room in general, refusing to even think of frowning at Kasumi. "Of course he did! You were there, oneechan!"
Nabiki glanced from her father to the panda and back. Surprisingly, the two patriarchs hadn't even noticed that Kasumi hadn't brought the food out with her.
[D-d-d-d-DESTROYED???????]
"Saotome, do you know what this means?!"
Genma began to look somewhat frightened. [Um. no?]
Souun Tendo stood up from the table, surrounded by an aura of burning anger, eyes glowing red, the rest of him covered in shadows. "YOUR SON WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO RUN A DOJO! HE IS WEAK FOR LIFE!!!!"
Akane and Nabiki leaned out of the way, Kasumi kept her rather subdued smile, and Genma cowered.
Then Souun burst into tears, and they relaxed slightly. "Waaaaah! Our legacies will never live on!"
[And I'll never get to be supported by my son in my old age!]
"And my daughter will be married to a weakling!"
[And I'll have to pay for my food!]
"And." Souun broke off and went over what Genma's last few signs said.
[What?]
"SA-OOO-TOOOO-MEEEEEEE! Are you implying that you only wanted to unite the schools so you would have somewhere to stay without paying anything?!?"
[Um. no?]
Souun growled.
Nabiki sighed. "Give it up, uncle Saotome. Daddy's got you pegged."
Akane looked over at Kasumi, who was still standing at the kitchen door. "Kasumi-oneechan, can we eat now?"
Kasumi frowned. Well, not quite exactly. more like she looked slightly disapproving but still pleasant. No one had seen Kasumi actually frown in recent memory.
Ignoring the sounds of her father visiting surprising amounts of pain upon his old friend, she looked at Akane. "But what about Ranma-kun? Shouldn't we wait for him to return?"
Akane snorted. "That baka's probably at Ukyo's or the Nekohanten right now. He doesn't need to eat dinner here!"
Kasumi brightened slightly. "Oh, that's right! Ranma-kun will be safe there too. Thank you for reminding me, imootochan."
As she headed into the kitchen, Akane snorted. "No need to sound so happy about it, oneechan."
Souun returned to his seat to wait for dinner, leaving a somewhat mangled panda where it lay by the other end of the table.
******
Ko Lon sat in the Nekohanten, on her own for once. She had a bowl of chicken ramen on the table in front of her, but she wasn't eating. Instead, she was thinking.
I can't believe Happi would even use one of the weakness techniques on Ranma. Son-in-law is his student, after all.
She thought back to when Mu Tsu had come in, blathering happily about his victory over Ranma.
At least a day, and Ranma's still not strong again, or he would have bounced back and beaten Mu Tsu. That means it's not the Baby's Strength pressure point. And I'm sure Happi doesn't know about the Power Leech pills, and noone's seen the Devastating Feebleness Charm in almost a thousand years. That leaves only one thing- the Ultimate Weakness Moxibustion.
She sighed and started in on her ramen.
I'll have to go find muko-dono tomorrow and offer my assistance. All I need to do is decide which technique to teach him.
******
Ryooga looked down from the top of Tookyoo Tower.
"How on earth did I get way the heck up here? I was going downhill a moment ago.."
After a few more minutes wandering, he finally made his way to the streets again, and also to a decision.
Fine, then. I'll just wander around any direction until I get where I'm going. It's my best bet, really.
If he had been paying attention to the weather, he would have been surprised- It looked like rain, but it wasn't raining. Normally the presence of a Juusenkyo-cursed person is generally enough to start any cloud raining, no matter how small and wispy.
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
So what's going on here?
Wouldn't you like to know.
Review! Review! Review!
No comments here really, other than that I FINALLY have a page that my fanfictions are on aside from FF.net! It shows up on my author page, so go ahead and check it out, 'coz I've got fanart there too!
Ja, ne!