Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction, I do not claim any rights to any of the characters or concepts created or owned by Viz Video or Rumiko Takahashi. This is just the work of one fan to the others. The only characters or concepts that I claim are the ones I created or introduced. That said, I bring you:

Chapter 1, bloody beginnings to a war.

Ranma was clowning around with his son when he heard the sound from the door. In his line of work, unexpected visitors were rarely a good thing. Luckily, Nabiki was one of the most capable women on the face of the earth, so he knew that he didn't have to worry about her getting herself and their son stuck into a situation that she couldn't handle.

As his wife sought shelter, he moved with a quiet grace to check the door. He peered out, and not seeing anyone, quickly opened it. The last thing he had expected to see was his daughter, Qiang Pu, laying in a bloody heap on his doorstep. A cry of anguish ripped from his throat as he pulled her inside as carefully as he could, and started to check her over. He turned his head just enough to yell out. "Nabiki! Bring me the emergency kit, now!" Before he once again placed his full attention on the bleeding young girl before him.

He heard Nabiki's sharp intake of breath as she placed the emergency medical kit at his side, and he started to grab what he would need from inside of it as Nabiki said. "I'm calling Tofu." Ranma just nodded in response as he started to cut the bloody, tattered scraps from his daughter. He didn't really pay any attention to what Nabiki had said during her brief call to Tofu, all of his attention was on his daughter. He knew that something had to have gone drastically wrong, or Xian Pu would never have sent her on her own, much less without contacting him first. As was part of the deal they had made years ago, if anything were to happen, then his home in Japan would be the safe haven that both of them could flee to.

The fact that Qiang Pu showed up alone and half dead told a tale that he knew he would have to find an answer to, and sooner rather than later.

Nabiki hurried over, staying nearby if Ranma needed her assistance as he moved quickly, tending to the worst of her injuries. "Who is she, Ranma? You seem to know her." She asked as she handed him another roll of gauze.

He nodded with a grim expression on his face. "Her name is Qiang Pu, her mother is Xian Pu. I'm her father." He said as he lifted her, and started to head towards the spare bedroom. "Get some hot water going, 'Biki. We need to get her wounds cleaned up as best as we can before Tofu gets here."

The pair exchanged a grim nod as Nabiki rushed towards the kitchen where as always there was hot water on the heat plate. Ranma carried Qiang Pu as gently as he could into the spare bedroom, where he set to work tending to her injuries as best as he could. He had patched up the major bleeds as best as he could before he moved her, but there were a lot of wounds, and only so much that they could do before Tofu and Michi arrived. He knew his wife well enough that she would have any and all resources they might need already enroute, so he could just focus on getting her as stable as possible so that she would have a better chance.

Nabiki settled Chiko into his crib, giving him a bottle as she moved to help Ranma with his daughter. The poor thing had been cut, stabbed, and it looked like a shot with at least one arrow. She shuddered, never imagining how she made it this far. "Did...She come here from China, like this?" Nabiki asked in horrified wonder as she helped Ranma clean the girl up.

Ranma nodded, his expression growing more and more dire by the moment. "They hurt her, 'Biki. Someone hurt my daughter. Once Tofu gets here, I need to call them, see if I can find out what happened, what is going on. Then, I might have to leave for a while…" He said in a hesitant voice. He didn't want to leave his wife and son alone, not with possible enemies out and hunting. Some of those wounds looked fairly recent.

"Ranma, if you didn't go, I would be very unhappy with you. We need to find out what is happening, and take care of it. You know how this works, Ranma. We are partners in everything." Nabiki stated matter of factly as they bundled the girl up and waited.

Tofu arrived in a short period of time, without Kasumi in tow. "Kasumi is home, taking care of the kids." He stated as he walked back into the room with Ranma, asking them both to leave while he tended to the girl.

Ranma nodded to Nabiki as he pulled the satellite phone from where it was hidden, and started to dial the code for the phone that had been left with Xian Pu. Almost immediately he received the notice that the phone was not available and the call could not be connected. He swore under his breath as he called the other line, the one that was left with the young warrior who had been assigned as Khu Lon's attendant. His expression became even more grim as it also reported that the call could not be connected. Ranma took a long, slow breath before he walked back out and looked at Nabiki. He knew his face had to be grim from how Nabiki paled even more as she looked at him. "No answer, not on either of the lines. I have to go, Nabiki." He stated in that flat, dangerous voice.

"I understand. You start to get things ready, and we will see how Qiang Pu is doing, then we will go from there." Nabiki said as she opened her phone, to start making arrangements for travel.

"Nabiki, dear… You need to stay here. You have to take care of Chiko, and Qiang Pu. Plus, if something happened to them, it is going to be way too dangerous for you to be there. I need you here, where it is relatively safe. Maybe stay at the Teahouse for a few days, or see if they can spare you some company. I need you all safe so I can go and deal with...Whatever this is." Ranma said as he walked over and rested his head on hers.

Nabiki sighed, and wrapped her arms around him. "Okay, okay. You win. You just better come back in one piece, or I will be very...Vexed. Got it?" She said as she looked up into his eyes, and they matched their gazes for what seemed like an eternity.

"Yeah, I got it 'Biki." Ranma said as they found some small comfort in the presence of the other.

They were pulled back to the present when Tofu exited the room, looking unhappy. "She is going to be fine, she needs rest, food, and more treatment. I would say a hospital, but I know that is probably not an option. It never is with you two. So, I imagine you will be contacting someone you know to see to her?"

Nabiki nodded as Ranma finished gathering one of his go bags, then hesitated as he looked back at Nabiki. "I'm sorry about this, Nabiki. I.. I don't know how long I will be gone." Ranma said, as he found himself unable to meet her gaze.

Nabiki stepped up to him, pulling him in for one more hug. "I know. You will be fine, we will be fine. All of us. I will call Konatsu and the girls, arrange transport back to the Teahouse for us. You know we will be fine. Tofu will wait til they get here, right?" She asked as she looked over to her brother in law, who just nodded.

Ranma gripped the bag tighter, then nodded. He walked over and kissed his son on the forehead before giving Nabiki one last kiss before he headed out the door. He knew if he wavered, if he paused that he might not go. That no matter how dire things might be in China, that he would choose family over duty. Over obligation. Over trust.

As he walked down to his bike, he scanned the rooftops of the nearby buildings, and noted the blood trail that Qiang Pu had left as she had made her way to their door. He grimaced, as he knew that there was nothing further he could do here. He wasn't going to let it end like last time. He would get there, and take care of whatever problem had caused his daughter to suffer such injuries, and to have to flee to Japan.

And if it was too late to prevent further trouble or harm, then he would make sure that those responsible would pay, and that they would serve as a reminder why no one crossed those that were near and dear to Ranma Tendo.

He flipped out his phone, and called a number that he knew well, even if he did not like to use his services. But, when you got down to it there was no one better at sneaking cargo into or out of any country than that scoundrel Douglas. No one knew his first name, or even if Douglas was his real name. Almost everyone in the Underworld used his particular services, there were even stories that the government had taken advantage of his rather unique skill set at times. On the third ring, Ranma heard the phone pick up.

"Douglas Transportation Services, how can we help you?" He heard the familiar old man's voice on the other end of the line.

"This is Ranma, and I need to book a nice, quiet trip to China. I need a rush on the flight, it's a bit of a family emergency." Ranma said as he started up his motorcycle.

"I see… And how soon should my team expect you?" Douglas said.

"I will be there in thirty minutes. Make sure that they are ready for me." Ranma said as he slid onto his bike and hung up, not waiting for a response. He knew that he would be charged heavily for this, but right now he didn't care.

He had someplace to be, and he needed to be there now. Getting to the village would take long enough already, he couldn't spare an extra minute if it could be saved.

He would gather what he needed in China before he made his way into the mountains. The less that he had to carry with him, the better.

It was time to head off to war.