Genma Saotome opened his eyes and found himself in a courtroom that he
instinctively knew was nowhere on earth. Looking around, he saw that he sat
an empty table. To his right, he saw another table, which was empty and
further onwards, a closed off section with twelve chairs. Seated in those
chairs, were men and women, their faces masked.
'So it finally happened,' he thought cynically. 'Wonder what did it? Too much of Kasumi's cooking no doubt. She always did overdo the good stuff.' He took a deep breath. "Well," he said out loud, "I'm here, let's get on with it."
The jury immediately began to chant. "Here comes the judge, here comes the judge. Everybody knows that here comes the judge."
As they continued, a judge's bench rose out of the floor. Seated at it was a dark skinned woman with silver hair dressed in a black formal kimono. Standing next to her was younger woman with dark hair and pale skin. She held a sheaf of papers.
"Silence in court!" The judge bellowed, banging the desk with a hammer. The jury instantly fell silent. "The prosecution will read the charges."
"The defendant," said a soft voice from Genma's right, "is charged with succumbing to base temptations, sloth, greed, and total failure to perform his duties as a parent."
"And how does the defendant plead?" asked the judge.
"Guilty," Genma replied flatly.
The judge raised an eyebrow. "That's a first," she noted. "Carry on, prosecutor."
"Genma Saotome," said the soft voice. "Did you, or did you not deprive your son of his mother's love, guidance and affection," Genma let out a snort of derision at the word affection. "Guidance and affection," the voice continued after a moment, "by taking him on a ten year training trip where you systematically exposed him to untold hazards, forced him to commit criminal acts, and placed him in life threatening situations? All for the sake of 'training'?"
"I did."
"Do you deny the fact that he could have been killed or crippled in many of these incidents, such as the so-called 'Neko-ken'?"
"No."
"Do you have explanation for your actions?"
"It was in the name of the Art."
"That's hardly an explanation," observed the woman holding the sheaf of papers."
"I know it wasn't," Genma replied.
"Tell the court, Mister Saotome," the judge said. "You snorted when the prosecution mentioned that your son had been deprived of his mother's guidance and affection? Why?"
"Have you met my wife?"
"She'll get her turn."
"She's a sword carrying lunatic obsessed with manhood and honor," Genma all but snarled. "You charge me with failure to perform my duties as a parent? What do you charge her with? She let me take him on that trip in the first place and made him sign a seppeku pledge. Him, a six year old child." Genma stared at the top of his table. "The only reason she calls herself my wife is because of the dishonor it would bring her if we separated."
"I see," the judge murmured and then turned to the jury. "Has the jury reached a verdict?"
"I'm not done yet," Genma said. "Yes, I am guilty, and look where I am now. I spend most of my time as an animal, my own son hates me, and Soun Tendo only lets me stay with him out of pity. I am considered honorless, fat, and stupid. I accept my punishment, whatever it might be, with relief."
"I see. Has the jury reached a verdict?"
Genma sat up straight in his bedroll, the chant of guilty still ringing his ears.
"Bout time," Ranma grumbled. She was perched in the window.
'So this was how it was to be,' Genma thought and stood. "No morning training today, boy," he said and headed downstairs.
"Hello, husband," Nodoka said as they entered the dining room. "Did you sleep well?"
"I dreamed I was on trial," Genma responded as he took his place.
"Oh? And what was the verdict?"
"They sent me back, what do you think?" Genma asked and scooped some rice into his bowl.
End. . .
'So it finally happened,' he thought cynically. 'Wonder what did it? Too much of Kasumi's cooking no doubt. She always did overdo the good stuff.' He took a deep breath. "Well," he said out loud, "I'm here, let's get on with it."
The jury immediately began to chant. "Here comes the judge, here comes the judge. Everybody knows that here comes the judge."
As they continued, a judge's bench rose out of the floor. Seated at it was a dark skinned woman with silver hair dressed in a black formal kimono. Standing next to her was younger woman with dark hair and pale skin. She held a sheaf of papers.
"Silence in court!" The judge bellowed, banging the desk with a hammer. The jury instantly fell silent. "The prosecution will read the charges."
"The defendant," said a soft voice from Genma's right, "is charged with succumbing to base temptations, sloth, greed, and total failure to perform his duties as a parent."
"And how does the defendant plead?" asked the judge.
"Guilty," Genma replied flatly.
The judge raised an eyebrow. "That's a first," she noted. "Carry on, prosecutor."
"Genma Saotome," said the soft voice. "Did you, or did you not deprive your son of his mother's love, guidance and affection," Genma let out a snort of derision at the word affection. "Guidance and affection," the voice continued after a moment, "by taking him on a ten year training trip where you systematically exposed him to untold hazards, forced him to commit criminal acts, and placed him in life threatening situations? All for the sake of 'training'?"
"I did."
"Do you deny the fact that he could have been killed or crippled in many of these incidents, such as the so-called 'Neko-ken'?"
"No."
"Do you have explanation for your actions?"
"It was in the name of the Art."
"That's hardly an explanation," observed the woman holding the sheaf of papers."
"I know it wasn't," Genma replied.
"Tell the court, Mister Saotome," the judge said. "You snorted when the prosecution mentioned that your son had been deprived of his mother's guidance and affection? Why?"
"Have you met my wife?"
"She'll get her turn."
"She's a sword carrying lunatic obsessed with manhood and honor," Genma all but snarled. "You charge me with failure to perform my duties as a parent? What do you charge her with? She let me take him on that trip in the first place and made him sign a seppeku pledge. Him, a six year old child." Genma stared at the top of his table. "The only reason she calls herself my wife is because of the dishonor it would bring her if we separated."
"I see," the judge murmured and then turned to the jury. "Has the jury reached a verdict?"
"I'm not done yet," Genma said. "Yes, I am guilty, and look where I am now. I spend most of my time as an animal, my own son hates me, and Soun Tendo only lets me stay with him out of pity. I am considered honorless, fat, and stupid. I accept my punishment, whatever it might be, with relief."
"I see. Has the jury reached a verdict?"
Genma sat up straight in his bedroll, the chant of guilty still ringing his ears.
"Bout time," Ranma grumbled. She was perched in the window.
'So this was how it was to be,' Genma thought and stood. "No morning training today, boy," he said and headed downstairs.
"Hello, husband," Nodoka said as they entered the dining room. "Did you sleep well?"
"I dreamed I was on trial," Genma responded as he took his place.
"Oh? And what was the verdict?"
"They sent me back, what do you think?" Genma asked and scooped some rice into his bowl.
End. . .