AN: Sorry about not updating this one for a while. Other shiny things caught my eyes for a long time. Oh, and I just realized something on my last re-read through the previous chapters. This story, in style at least, is comparable to the Sherlock Holmes stories. What I mean is, Ranma is the main character, like Sherlock was, and the story is told through another secondary character that is even more important to the story then the main character. I've made Setsuna into Watson! Eew, get that image out of my head. But seriously, that's how this story is written, for while Ranma is the star of the show and the story revolves around Ranma's exploits, Setsuna is telling the story, and is in all truth because of that and a few other things I will not go into now, vastly more important to the story. So a secondary character is more important then the main one, just like in Sherlock Holmes. Just thought I'd share that.

TIME'S MISTRESS, TIME'S SLAVE

CHAPTER THREE

NO HAPPY CAMPERS

I was right. I was so screwed it wasn't even funny. I had just told them that Ranma's death would have caused World War Three one way, then Usagi interrupted me with information that should not have been imparted, at least not at this time and I was hopping for never. And that was a even worse World War Three would have started if Ranma had avoided being locked and had taken the offered rulership of the Jusenkyo valley. I wanted to strangle the life out of her at that moment, but just had to visualize it, for she is someday going to be Neo Queen Serenity, the wisest, calmest and the most infallible beings to ever exist to my knowledge. Ahh, the metal strangulation of Usagi had made Neo Queen Serenity come out in my vision and all was right with the world. She could solve everything. Then I opened my eyes and admitted that as true. Then I told Ranma and Herb about Chaos coming, Ranma being his current chosen, which got a group yell of 'It figures!' from every non Senshi present, and then finally admitted that to beat him, we would need Ranma and Herb's held and they'd have to become Senshi to do it. I knew I could trust this group, even Nabiki, of keeping the identities of the two newest Senshi quiet. Then with that bomb dropped, I waited for the responses. And it was then that a utter felling of being totally and utterly screwed hit me and hit me hard.

For Ranma was fuming. Herb was fuming. Akane was very visibly angry. Nodoka visibly was in shock. Soun was crying. Genma had fallen unconscious. Kasumi was visibly worried. And Nabiki was just laughing her ass off. And that only covers the Tendo's and the Saotome's reactions to this news.

Cologne looked like she was planning something. So did Kiima who was holding on to the infant Saffron and looking at Cologne as well. They exchanged nods. Great something was up here. Shampoo was looking back and forth between everyone in visible shock Lime and Mint were staring a Herb's and Ranma's chests, and occasionally looking over at us, but for some reason preferred to just stare at Ranma and Herb, causing them to fume even more. And Kiima's advisers were huddled with the Amazon Elders and Herb's advisers planning something that would just screw me over. And that takes care of the visitors from Jusenkyo.

And then finally there was Ryoga and Ukyo. Ukyo was looking like her world had ended in a fiery blast of doom, and Ryoga, now Ryoga's reaction surprised me. He looked competitive and slightly sad. Like he had lost something great, yet had gained something even better, but was it worth the price paid? At least that's what it looked like to me. It turned out a little later that I was right.

At the moment, the conspiring group split to talk to both Kiima and Cologne. Kiima then announced "Ranma, while you still will become the new Empress of our people, we need to make sure that Beijing remembers that while we are located in China, even they have agreed that we govern ourselves as an island in their borders. While we may still be a part of China, we have been told to govern ourselves. The Chinese government long ago decided that they did not want to deal with us, and if we now choose to follow one leader, they must concede to it. We each, the Phoenix People, the Amazon's and the Musk have the documentation to prove this. And if they choose not to listen, we shall annex ourselves from them through the international community. While you are off saving the world Ranma and Herb, we shall be preparing for our conversation with Beijing."

I twitched at that. "You do realize that what you're doing could lead to a similar outcome of China feeling threatened by you?" I asked.

Cologne then said "They have always felt threatened by the tribes of Jusenkyo, for they do not understand and fear the strangeness that is prevalent there. But they did not want seem so weak as to free us from their supposed rule, so they made us an island in their own country. As we have documentation to that effect, even if after all this time Beijing has forgotten the fact, we have not. And if Beijing will not accept this, we will get international support for Ranma's new ruling of us. We will not allow anything even remotely like what could have happened happen. But as even we have to admit that we can not stand up to the full might of the Chinese army if they send it after us, we shall have to plan extensively for this. Ranma, if we have your permission, we will start the planning now."

Ranma sighed hard. "I know you said that when you were getting me to agree to being your ruler and all that you needed someone to keep you three from tearing each other's throats out all the time, and someone to unify you all, but you didn't say a damn thing about annexing yourself from China! Geez, what is with my life? I want full updates at all times on what the hell you guys are planning, and I make the final ok on any plan, got that? I ain't going to be no figure head leader. You wanted a leader, then I'm going to be one! Got that? You asked for this, so I'm going to do it. And I'm going to do it as I see fit." Ranma told the group with an ice cold glare.

"Yes, my Empress." Cologne said with a small smile. "Who do you want reporting to you, and should we plan this mostly in Japan where you will be needed?" she then asked.

"Yes to the second Question, and I want one representative from each tribe. You and Kiima I know, and you two pick a Musk that ain't Mint or Lime. No offence, but I don't think they're real planning guys." Ranma said about the two men still staring at her and Herb's chest. God I hope they come as a package deal with Herb. Then again they most likely do.

"As to you girls, what if I don't want to be a Senshi?" Ranma asked.

"Yes. I agree." Herb also told us.

"Ranma. It is very manly to save the world." Nodoka said evenly.

"Mom, I didn't say I wouldn't help. I just don't want to be a stupid magical girl! And I'd never live it down being seen in an outfit like that! For one thing it looks ridiculous, and for the other, I'd never get the old leech to leave me alone! And besides, how manly can I be right now? I'm stuck as a freaking girl!"

"Yes, Ranma is right. Those are horrible outfits." Herb agreed.

"Ranma, man or woman, you will always be very manly as long as you live your life as you have been, with honor. You do not need to worry about some outfit stopping you from being such. And I will talk to Genma's 'Master' about how he treats my son." Nodoka said fingering her katana's hilt.

"But Mom, I'd look ridiculous in it! And Herb even agrees! And think, how often do the two of us agree on anything but 'Fight now'?" Ranma whined to her Mother.

"Ranma's right. We don't agree on much, but this we do." Herb said flatly, looking disgusted.

"Let me get this straight," Ami started "You have no problems with fighting the force that is Chaos itself, being almost guaranteed to die doing so, but you do have a problem with the fact that to get the power you will need to even stand a chance, you'd have to wear something similar to this?" Ami asked while waving her hands over her Senshi uniform. "Are you listening to yourselves?"

"It ain't just the uniform, although that's bad enough." Ranma started. "It's the fact that I'll be getting what I like to call a power-up. I've seen everyone else get them at one point or another, for a short time that is, and it horribly stagnates their growth as a fighter. They rely on the new power they just got to beat me, and when I figure out the power's weakness, and then beat them with it, they either lose said power up or give it up. And then they have to work even harder to catch up to where they should have been if they had not relied on a power-up. I will not let myself stagnate and maybe even slip. I made myself the best I could through hard work, blood, sweat and lots of frustration. I ain't going to through it all away for some power-up that will make it easier to beat this Chaos guy."

"Ranma's right." Herb told us nodding. "I have been training my self very seriously since my first loss to him, er her, ah what ever. Same thing can be said about me now sadly." Herb said shaking her head "I do not want to throw all that work away for some magical power that I don't even understand or know how to use. I think you'll have a hard time selling me on this, and Ranma, good luck is all I can say." Herb told us.

I sighed. 'This would be hard. How to… that's it!' I thought to my self, smiling a smile that signified my victory, I said "You do not need to worry about this so called power-up causing your current skills to stagnate. Your skills will in all truth make this so called power-up even more powerful. All it does in reality is increases your current potential current level of power by a significant amount. It takes what it has to work with and makes it better while also giving you access to your power sources element for magical attacks. In fact I was thinking of suggesting having the two of you help us with our physical combat abilities while we teach you about your new magical abilities. For while we now have great skill in magical attacks, physical ones are not our strong suit. And as it is better to be balanced as a fighter, a teaching exchange would do us wonders if you would decide to join us. We would stand a much better chance against Chaos and whatever he sends at us first, if we were more balanced." I said thinking this would get them. I was right, but not how I thought. Even I don't know everything that will happen. I just pretend to.

Ranma and Herb did not look quite convinced yet. But then Nodoka said to them "Ranma. Stop being so stubborn. These lovely girls here need your help, and you are going to give it to them. And you," Nodoka said looking hard at Herb "They say you need to help them with my son. So you are going to help them, got me?"

Herb gulped, nodded and said "Yes mam." While Ranma just sighed a defeated sigh and said "Yes Mother."

Looking at us, Nodoka then said "Now while I thank you girls for saving Ranma, you now owe Ranma not for helping you, but for making it so a certain thing happened to make things easier on you." She said the last part staring at me like she could see through my soul and had found it wanting.

'How did she know I made sure Ranma and Herb stayed locked?' I asked my self.

"And to make sure that you stay true to your side of this bargain, I will be moving to Juban with Ranma and Herb so that I can make sure nothing else happens to my son and his friend." Nodoka said while still staring at me.

I gulped in some slight fear of the slightly angry Mother and said "I own a very large house that I share with a few of the other girls. You are welcome to stay as long as you want. We have plenty of room and privacy." I said nervously. If she told Ranma what I had done, not only would all trust go out the window in our working relationship, but I might not survive Ranma's and Herb's displeasure.

"That is very kind of you, we accept." She said giving me a glare that said 'You're not off the hook yet, and we will discuss this later.'

Then Ryoga made this day a day full of surprises. "Ranma, I'm sorry about this. You would have died protecting your Mother and Akane today, and I would have had a responsibility in that. To that end, even if I will be of no help in battle with you, which I sincerely hope is not the case, I will help you and Herb teach these girls martial arts and combat tactics. Well whenever I can anyway with my directional sense. So from now on whenever I pop in on you, I will help you teach as a guest teacher. And maybe see if I can't lend a small hand." Ryoga said seriously. Then he continued with what was probably the shock of the day for everyone who knew Ryoga.

"I had to think of what my life would be like with you dead. Forget the world and its supposed end, and just think of the impact your death would have on me. It would end me too. You are my eternal rival, yet you have always wanted to be my friend. And I just wanted to hurt you because blaming you was easier then blaming the right person or thing, or even finding out what that thing was. Without you to vent on, I think I'd kill myself. You are the reason my depression hasn't killed me yet. So I will now try to be what you wanted and I think I need, your friend. If you'll let me Ranma." Ryoga told Ranma.

"That's all I ever wanted from you Ryoga. Sure I want you as a real friend. And I'll be glad for the help teaching these girls. I've fought with you so much that I think we could easily choreograph a practice spar together to show these girls how to fight. And then we could wow them with a real one, no?" Ranma asked with a slight smirk.

"I hope you have not forgotten about me?" Herb asked sounding slightly insulted.

"Nah, you and I will have to teach them together most of the time. After we learn our lessons of course. But I've been fighting Ryoga here so long and so often that we can read each others moves like a book if we're not careful. You on the other hand I just get into way to epic a fight with every time. So you and I will have to work at working together, while Ryoga and I could do it in our sleep." Ranma said.

"I will grant you the truth in that. Well I must head back to my hotel to pack for going to this Juban. I take it you have to get ready to leave as well Ranma?" Herb asked.

Looking at her Mother, Ranma said "Yeah, looks that way."

Cologne then said to me, "If you can somehow drop off a copy of your address and phone number so I know where to find her so she can be updated like she wants, I would be most grateful." Then turning to Ranma, she said "We will be giving you bi-weekly update my Empress." Cologne said with a small grin and a very serious bow. "Come along now people, it's time to give Ranma time to pack." And then the Jusenkyo Valley Tribes left the house. And after some small goodbyes, we left as well, with the promises of a few of us coming back tomorrow to escort Ranma Herb and Nodoka to their new home. And making damn sure that Genma didn't join us. Surprisingly he didn't even want to. I don't think he wanted to be the only physically male being in a house. Good.

Though he and Soun harped on and on that the schools could now never be joined, and then were very vocal on how to get it back to being even in the realm of a possibility as we were leaving.

Nodoka stopped me before I left and said "We will be discussing certain things later. But you have some time before our discussion. Ranma and Herb need to get used to things, and you have much work to do before we discuss things. But mark my words Miss Pluto or whatever your real name is that I will find out tomorrow, I will discuss what you did to my son to make things easier for you."

I gulped and nodded while saying "I can't say I'll be looking forward to it. But it must happen I guess. I thank you for giving Ranma time to at least trust the others before you disrupt her trust in me." I told Nodoka who winced at the feminized form of address that I used for Ranma.

"Yes, I guess I should start referring to Ranma as my daughter, thanks to your efforts. One more thing to thank you for, and discuss with you. Now if you don't mind I have to help my daughter get read for tomorrow." Nodoka then turned around and walked stiffly back into the Tendo's house.

I left knowing I had been right. I was so screwed.

AN: I looked this up. When a country makes a small part of it a self governing area but it still stays a part of the country, they call it an 'Island' in the nation. I don't know why, I can guess, but I don't know for sure why it is referred to as such. Just letting you know I did not pull that term out of thin air. I really did research that.