And yet again I... - 01

"Enter the gambit one cannot win"

It was a silent morning. Such a morning as would invite one to stay in bed 
for the entire day. The emphasis in this case should lie on the word 'was'. 
You see, it, the morning, was silent no longer.

Genma Saotome was dragging himself away from a very irate Mrs. Saotome. A 
woman who was in the process of making her opinion known by way of slippers, 
barrel and the occasional kitchen table.

They all proved to be very solid counter-arguments to Genmas points. Except 
for the broken barrel that laid by the side. But that was no fault of the 
barrel.

Together with these 'counter-arguments' Nodoka would sometimes add a few 
choice words, such as; "Never", "I won't allow it" or "Don't take my son."

It took almost no time at all for him to yell out for mercy. Unfortunately, 
it took quite some time for the pleas to get through his wife's ears. When 
it did, she dropped the table and sat down. He was quick to give an 
explanation.

"Nodoka," he started carefully, "I never intended to remove him from you." 
He looked up at her and quickly looked back down at the ground. She didn't 
seem to believe him. "Well, not really." She would believe that. "As you 
know I am heir to a great line of martial artists and it is custom for us to 
go on very long and very difficult training journeys. I would never have met 
you otherwise."

He raised his eyes again, hoping to see any minute sense of support. There 
was none. "I was about to take the boy on one such journey."

"A very long and very difficult one." She added thoughtfully.

He grinned. "That's right! Now, if you'll let me have the boy, we can see 
about-" He stopped himself as he felt the edge of a very sharp Katana lined 
against his throat. "Urm... Nodoka, pumpkin..." He stopped himself from 
swallowing, hoping to avoid a very unpleasant demise.

Her breath came out in sobs and gasps. "What guaranties do I have?"

"Huh?"

"What will you give me in proof that you'll bring him back?"

"Ah, I see." He twisted himself around, pushing at her hands briefly to move 
the sword out of the way. "Nodoka." He looked at her solemnly. "It is not 
about what I will give in assurance, but instead about what I will take. My 
wife." He hugged her to him in a bone-crushing hug. "Please, stay here. I'll 
be back." He left for the second floor.

Now, a lot of attention has been paid over the years to Genmas mistakes and 
Genmas flaws. It has been shown in a very clear manner that he isn't the 
smartest of people and that he has a great penchant for wrong choices.

What needs to be taken into consideration is that his wife, a woman of 
otherwise high standards fell in love with and married him.

So in the end, who is the greater fool? The fool who drives drunk or the 
fool who hands over the keys to the drunk driver?

When Genma came back down a minute or so later, he brought a fully packed 
backpack, note still attached, and an extra sleeping bag. "Nodoka!" He 
yelled out happily. "Didn't you see the backpack I, uhm, bought you?"

No answer came back. "Nodoka?" His voice quivered. There was one scenario he 
hadn't wanted to think about that suddenly flooded his brain. He leapt down 
the stairs several steps at a time. "NODOKA!"

No sign of her. Not even a hint of a kimono sticking out from wherever she 
could be hiding. In that moment the truth hit him and in spite of thinking 
himself a strong man, he felt his knees give way and he sunk to the ground.

"Nodoka." A black hole of despair washed in from nowhere and started eating 
up his insides. "how could you." He let his eyes wander over the furniture 
inn the house. The kitchen where she worked furiously to cook food that was 
to die for. The door to the dojo, the one he'd had to fix after she had sent 
him flying the first time she'd been lucky in sparring with him. The table, 
where she woul-

The table had a slip of neatly folded paper on it. Slowly and with heavy 
movements, he made his way over there.

"Dear Genma." It was written in a very neat and meticulous style, just like 
Nodoka herself. "I am sorry to leave you as I am now doing. But I cannot let 
go of my son at this time. Please do not worry about the training trip. I 
have found your book about advanced training methods and I promise that I 
will teach our son everything that you wished him to learn. I will be 
following your plotted path for dojos as I have also taken your map and your 
"dojo's and other modern relics" guide. Yours truly Nodoka."

Genma stared off into space for a brief time. A thought was nagging at him, 
something that wouldn't let go and still, wouldn't make itself clear.

"I have to stop her. She is making a mistake. The Neko-ken wasn't the only 
bad one in there. It was just the only one were the warning was on a 
different page and I only marked the bad ones."

Backpack in hand, her ran out the door and down the hill. Which was very 
unfortunate, because a little further up the hill stood Nodoka with their 
child in her arms.

"Come on Ranma. This time things will be different."

---------------------------------------

Authors notes: I guess you can spot the premise quite easily. I wish I had 
more to send. Maybe next week, but RL responsibilities are increasing. 
Please tell me what you think.



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