A.N. - This chapter has been a long time comming and I am happy that it is now moving along nicely. I am 40 done with the next chapter and have outlined the rest of the story. You will get to meet the Tenchi Muyo character in chapter 3 so please be patiant as I am trying not to rush this along. If you are going to say anything about grammer and stuff of that nature read next line.

This chapter has been edited and scrapped and re-written multiple times as of now. So please be gentle as I suck at editting my own work. Always on the look for a pre-reader if anyone is intersted ;).

Final note. I am doing a re-write on Lifes little twist and have written the next chapter for it. When the first two chapters have finished being redone I will update it.


Nightmares

He held his wife in his arms as he ran. She was limp and covered in blood making her slippery in his arm, but there was no fear of him dropping her. Her head was cradled against his chest allowing the blood from his own wound to mingle with hers. He knew he was pushing his family, but in a place like Nerima anything that could go wrong would.

At Ukyo's restaurant Ranma handed his wife's body to his father-in-law as he entered. Ranma was unsure of what he would find inside so was careful to enter with little noise as possible. He let his sense stretch out and search for signs of life inside. He barely ducked, as a blade appeared where his head had been. The attacker was standing beside him and had a look of shock as Ranma came face to face with the young woman.

By her clothing Ranma knew she was another of Amazon assassins sent to kill him and those he cared for. With out hesitation Ranma grabbed the assailant and struck her with his Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken. Her dead body hit the floor as Ranma ran to the stairs leading to Ukyo's private quarters. Konatsu's dead body covered Ukyo who was moaning.

Pulling Ukyo free from Konatsu he looked to see if she had any wounds. "Uchan are you ok?"

"Yeah I think so. Oh Konatsu…" sorrow crept into her voice, looking at the ninja that had saved her life. "Where is the bitch that killed him?" Anger quickly replaced sorrow as she grabbed her battle spatula from where it lay on the floor.

"Dead." The monotone answer scared her. Looking into Ranma's eyes she saw the normal glint of joy seemed impossible to destroy before was sadly missing. His blue eyes instead had a fire of anger that sought death. "Lets go." Without further word he pulled her outside and took his wife's body back.

As he cradled her in his arms he noticed multiple familiar ki's coming their way.

"It seems we will have a few more traveling companions tonight." Everyone looked surprised as more of their friends came straggling up.

Ranma quickly appraised the group that was gathering around him. Ryoga had several deep scratches covered him, but otherwise he was ok, beside him was Akari crying in his arms. Shampoo and Cologne looked to have seen battle this night also, but were no worse for wear. Tatewaki Kuno carried Mousse's body in his arm. Sorrow on his face showed he was last of his clan. Mousse was breathing, but otherwise unconscious. Among the Tendo's, Soun carried Genma's body, Nabiki and Kasumi helped Nodoka as she was falling apart at the night's events.

Ranma looked around one last time then came to a simple solution. Tonight they would leave Nerima, but he was far from through with these amazons. "We must head to the west to Mt. Fuji. Pops and me have trained there several times. Plenty of places to hide out till we can regroup and make plans."

Everyone just nodded. Running to the west no one said a word, but everyone was sure they had heard Ranma start crying over his dead wife and unborn child as he ran. As morning broke they where clear of Tokyo and making quickly for their destination. None had argued with Ranma but it was quickly become clear that Ranma would not make the trip without medical help.

Before anyone could say anything to him about it he knelt down laying Akane on the ground. Looking back at everyone else only the faint whisper escaped his lips, "Sorry". He collapsed beside his wife body unconscious.

Network

Ranma woke with a start and a scream, his hand on abdomen where the axe had cut and sitting up quickly. 'The training and beatings I took over the years made it hard for the blade to cut me.' As this thought crossed Ranma's mine his battle senses flared awake with him. Someone was in the room with him and that person had their hand on his shoulder. It was this way most mornings and that hand seemed to be all it took to calm him down.

"Hi Kasumi." Never turning to look to the eldest Tendo beside him, he lowered his head and let the cobwebs finish clearing their way out of his head.

"Good morning Ranma." Kasumi knew he had the nightmare again. It was the one thing that held him to his course of action, but it was the one thing that also wouldn't let him get past the events of three years ago. "I need to go start breakfast, Ryoga and Ukyo are on surveillance duty. Would you mind getting them for breakfast."

"Sure." He turned and gave Kasumi a weak smile.

She stood up and walked from the room. At the door she stopped and gave a warm smile to Ranma. "Also four new recruits showed up last night while you where asleep." Kasumi studied the worried expression on Ranma's face. 'What I would give to see one of his old smiles back. While he may finally be getting over Akane's death, he still lets no one inside the shell he has created around himself.

"Ok I will go so to them after I get Ryoga and Ukyo."

Without any further words Kasumi left the room.

Ranma stood from the futon he had slept on and made his way to the door. 'Four new recruits hey. I hope Nabiki did a full check up on them.' Laughing to himself Ranma realizes the mistake of his comment. 'She always make sure everyone is put through the wringer before they are brought here.'

The Nerima Wrecking Crew had grown with some exceptional new recruits. They received training at the mountain dojo Ranma and Ryoga had built in the side of the cliff. Nabiki still had her network of underlings hiding in the now Amazon controlled Japan. While for the most part people lived life like normal in the cities, the hunt for Ranma and company had not stopped, yet the Amazons had kept failing and losing people. While every time they faced off, Ranma seemed to have more people with him. 'I sometimes wonder how Nabiki does it.'

(Flashback – a few months after the escape)

"Look Ranma I know you want to fight them, Kami knows I want them dead also, but even if the numbers where in our favor, and I remind you they are not, they are better organized." Nabiki finishes her statement with a sigh.

Ryoga, Mousse and Shampoo where doing all they could to hold Ranma from taking off to fight till he died.

'Since recovering from his wound he has wanted nothing more then to kill all the Amazons and I so wish he could but we need his skills here.' Turning once more to Ranma, Nabiki goes to her only trump card left.

"What would Akane want you to do? You know we need you here till we have all the intelligence I can gather from people still living in Tokyo." The comment about Akane was enough to settle him down, but it would just be a day or so till he would snap again. Nabiki sent her mind into overdrive to solve this problem. To give Ranma a new purpose was what she needed.

Over the next few weeks Nabiki put her plans into action. If everything worked properly Ranma would still get his revenge and a purpose to keep from throwing his life away for no reason.

The plan was simple. They needed reinforcements and they had possibly the best martial artist and instructors alive here. So she set forth her plans of recruitment and training.

(Flashback – end)

Attack

'Man if I didn't know any better I would say this spring air was colder then most winter nights.' Ryoga was shivering a little as he looked over the cliff edge. The Amazons he had been tracking since before sun up, where camping a couple hundred feet below at the cliffs bottom.

Ukyo watch her companion and knew that the recruits that had arrived the night before had been followed. This had always been a concern that someone might find them. Yet they had gotten lucky and got the new recruits away before the Amazons had found their headquarters.

"So the group following us has about fifteen Amazon warriors, also at least one elder. I guess they are getting concerned with our recent actives." Ukyo's comments seemed to bother Ryoga as the young man turned to her.

"I guess we need to contact base and start making plans then."

"Already did."

A startled expression clearly etched itself across both of the companions face. Turning quickly Ryoga found his-self facing Ranma.

"You and that damn Umi-senken are going to give someone a heart attack one day." Ukyo just stared at her best friend. The fire of vengeance grew in his eyes as he looked over the edge of the cliff. Every time they had found themselves against the Amazons Ranma's attitude seemed to get this glint in his eye. He had long since stopped calling his-self a martial artist, as Cologne had put it, he was now a blooded warrior, and for all his worth he seemed willing to live up to that title.

"Ryoga we will make them regret coming up the mountain. Bakusai Tenketsu at the edge should start a nice landslide. I don't want them all dead just yet, just seriously weakened forces will be good. Some of the new recruits need some practical experience." Ranma had made it a simple order and the plan was solid.

Ryoga wouldn't lose any sleep over a few less Amazons, but even he had problems killing so maliciously. Yet he understood Ranma was not a cold blooded murder, but when it came to the Amazons he had lost any and all compassion he once held for opponents.

The attack on the Amazon war party began with an explosion of gravel. With the smaller rocks jostled loose the bigger boulders quickly followed suit and began to rain down. In moments 6 Amazon warriors were dead and many more were injured.

"Ok breakfast should be ready. Lets head back and plan for the assault on the remaining forces." Ranma turned from the carnage they had caused below and led his friends back home.

The trip was held in silent contemplation of what they had been forced to become over the last several years. None liked what they had to, not even Ranma enjoyed the daily blood bath his life had become, but they would continue to fight as long as there was life in them. The return of Japan to its people and a chance at a normal life meant to much to them all to do anything less.