Tenchi and the others mourned Yosho's death, but were distracted when Washu's lab exploded again. Tenchi ran downstairs, since he was sulking in his bedroom, wondering what exploded this time. Tenchi opened the closet door slowly, in case fire was going to reach out and burn him. Nothing happened, so he wrenched the door open and dashed inside. Apparently, only one machine exploded, since there was only one scorch mark on the floor. Debris was everywhere, and Washu was on top of a particularly large pile and yelling herself hoarse at the silhouette of a tall man. "That's it! Why don't you just leave us alone and die already?" She continued on this vein for some time while Tenchi walked forward, perplexed. "Washu, what're you-" Tenchi stopped when his eyes focused onto the man. It was- "-Kagato! What're you doing here?" Tenchi sputtered. Kagato smirked. "Yes, it is I. I see that you are, unfortunately, alive and well, Prince. You see, I didn't need the thing you humans have. I did not need a body to continue living in this world." He paused and noted the horror on Tenchi's face. "So, I manipulated one of Washu's machines and created for myself a NEW body. Yes, new, but the same as the old, yes?" He paused again and closed his eyes in delight. "I'll keep coming back. Sooner or later, I'll finally get you, Ten-" Kagato slithered to the floor as Ryoko removed an outrageously large mallet from the head of the space pirate. Washu grinned and dusted her hands off. "Thanks, Ryoko." Ryoko grinned and dropped the mallet on the ground. She went and hugged Tenchi, sputtering apologies. "Oh, Tenchi, I'm so sorry about last night!" "Ryoko, it's okay, Washu fixed me all-" "Tenchi, I'm so sorry, I could have killed you! Please forgive me!" "Ryoko, it's OKAY, really-" "Oh, please, I'm so sorry..." Ryoko was oblivious to Tenchi's reassurance that he was fine, and Tenchi finally just gave in and let Ryoko continue talking. He turned to Washu and shrugged, smiling. "Okay, then, Kagato. We'll have a bit of fun with you, won't we, Tenchi?" Washu said, grinning mischievously. Ryoko stopped apologizing and let go of Tenchi, blushing. She nodded, grinning, as Tenchi laughed cheerfully. "Here, attach this headband here, put the cable on his arm, yeah, like that..." Kagato opened his eyes, but found his vision obscured by something pure white. He lifted it off his face with some difficulty, as his arms seemed to have stiff gloves on them. Kagato breathed in relief when he found himself un-mutated or anything like that. But then he gasped. He was in a church, and odd music was playing. The pews where full of people in black and white, with many women sniffing and holding handkerchiefs. Puzzled, Kagato began thinking that maybe someone died. As he tried moving, he found that his legs were having difficulty moving. He looked down and shrieked. He was dressed in a beautiful lace dress with a long skirt that trailed about ten feet behind him. His arms had soft-white leather gloves and found his right arm being held by someone. When he looked, up, it was a fully-grown Washu dressed in a brand-new tuxedo, who was proudly leading Kagato up to Mihoshi, who was dressed in a priest's robe. He caught sight of Ryoko and Ayeka in beautiful violet dresses, holding each other's hands and crying tears of joy. It seemed as if he now had no control whatsoever of his body; he could only move his eyes to look around. Washu and Kagato arrived at the front. Mihoshi was holding a red book labeled "The Holy Bible," but was flipping through it frantically. Tenchi was waiting to the left of Mihoshi in a handsome tuxedo with a pink flower in the pocket. As Washu released Kagato, Tenchi took his hand and smiled nervously. "Now, you two," Mihoshi said, looking from Tenchi to Kagato. "Wait, what page was it on? Oh no!" Mihoshi panicked and began to sob in despair. Sasami, who was in a flowing blue dress, ran up from the side and handed Mihoshi an open book. "Thanks, Sasami!" Mihoshi called as Sasami took her seat. "Okay. Do you, Tenchi Masaki, take Kagato the space pirate as your lawfully wedded meow?" Kagato's head was spinning. Meow? he thought. He closed his eyes for a minute and found that the scenery had begun dissolving when he reopened his eyes. Even Tenchi dissolved, leaving his hand holding nothing. His dress faded away, leaving him in his customary robe. Kagato found himself in a place with all black everywhere, except for the swirling gray mist. It was as if he was standing on a spotlight, for there was a circle of light where he was standing. He began walking, apprehensive, but just found that he couldn't really get anywhere. The place seemed infinite. Suddenly, a large organ dropped down from above with a loud thud. A person walked from behind it. He couldn't make out who it was, since the person had a large sombrero and a robe that looked exactly like his. The person sat down on a bench and flexed its fingers. Kagato shook his head, unwilling to believe that this was happening. The person shook its head, causing the outrageously large sombrero to fall off, allowing her light blue hair fall down and bounce softly. It was Princess Sasami. She stretched her arms and began playing a song with vigor and expression. The song was familiar. Then it struck. It was what HE played when Ryoko was on her way to battle with him on the Soja. "Hey, you, stop playing MY song!" Kagato snapped angrily. Sasami didn't seem to hear him and continued playing. Kagato walked over to her, his hand twitching, and tried to push Sasami away. Only, before he touched her, she turned around. It was Ryoko. Kagato withdrew his hand abruptly. "You!" he yelled in anger. Ryoko grinned. "Would you like a carrot, Kagato-oh-ki?" Ryoko said, waving a carrot in Kagato's face. Kagato swelled with anger, but Ryoko seemed to be growing larger and taller until she was several feet taller that he. Very suddenly, everything dissolved and he found himself lying on his back in Washu's lab on the floor. He leapt up and began yelling at Washu, who was sitting and eating rice balls with Tenchi and Ryoko. "Okay, what did you do to me?" he bellowed, but that wasn't what escaped from his mouth. Instead, an explosion of frantic meows erupted from him. Ryoko laughed out loud. "Meow, meow, Kagato?" Ryoko laughed. Washu pointed at Kagato, giggling madly. "Look at yourself, Kagato," she managed to say as she partially choked on a piece of rice ball. Kagato slowly look downwards, dreading what he would see. Kagato topped backwards when he say his hands. They were white paws attached to short, fuzzy gray arms. His feet were long and he felt a short tail on his back. I carrot am carrot a carrot cabbit carrot, he thought. Why carrot can't carrot can't carrot I get carrot carrots out carrot of my carrot mind? he thought furiously. "You better listen to us, or Washu says she'll fuse you with Ryo-oh-ki," Tenchi said. Kagato-oh-ki looked as if he were thinking about running away. "Oh, no you don't. Here, Ryoko, maybe this'll help." Tenchi reached into his back pocket and pulled a large carrot out, then handed it to Ryoko. She grinned mischievously and took it. "Kagato-oh-ki, would you like a carrot?" Ryoko said, teasing Kagato and waving the carrot out of reach. Suddenly he felt a great longing for the orange vegetable. He had never seen one of those before, but he felt sure that it would taste good. He bounded to Ryoko and snatched the carrot out of her hand as he jumped. Kagato was already halfway finished when Sasami walked in with a tray of steaming food a moment later. "Washu, I brought you all some dinner since you haven't had any lunch. Hey-" She stopped as she caught sight of Kagato. "Aw, he's so cute!" She handed Tenchi her tray and stooped down to play with Kagato-oh-ki, who had finished his carrot and was now enjoying the attention from Sasami. Ryo-oh-ki gave a cheerful meow and hopped off Sasami's shoulder. "Who is this?" Sasami asked, stroking Kagato-oh- ki's gray fur and Ryo-oh-ki's brown fur at the same time. "Oh, that's just Kagato," Washu said as she picked up a bowl of steaming miso soup. "Aw, hi, Ka-" Sasami stopped abruptly as realization struck her. "What?" she exclaimed. "This is why you've been in here since this morning, Washu? It's been so lonely out there, with Mihoshi and Kiyone on duty today! You know, I'll call him Ka'to-oh-ki!" Washu nodded and grinned at Tenchi and Ryoko. Tenchi didn't look remotely amused. He looked worried. "If Mihoshi and Kiyone are on duty, who's watching your parents, Sasami?" Tenchi asked sharply. Sasami gasped as Tenchi pulled his Light Hawk sword out and bolted for the door. Nobody was in the living room. Tenchi dashed to the kitchen, frantically looking around and trying not to panic. He sighed in relief when he saw Azusa outside the back door, sitting under a cherry tree. "Wait a second. I doubt that kings like to SIT under trees," Tenchi muttered to himself. He slowly opened the door and walked over to the king. He bent down to touch Azusa, who appeared to be sleeping. Ryoko appeared at his side when he prodded Azusa's shoulder gingerly. The emperor slumped down sideways, revealing a dagger wedged between his ribs and his robes bloodstained. Tenchi backed away, his arm trembling. "Ryoko, this is bad," Tenchi whispered to Ryoko. She didn't answer. Ryoko grabbed Tenchi's arm and teleported. The prince found himself at the shrine with Ryoko. They had cleared all the dead Shadows away this morning when Funaho came to tell them what happened. "Come on, Tenchi," Ryoko said softly as she made her way to Yosho's office. She stopped at the door and beckoned Tenchi to come faster. "I saw Sasami's mom here last night and when Funaho showed us your grandpa. Do you think she's still in there?" Tenchi shrugged and slid the door open. He felt Ryoko jump when they saw what had happened. He tried to stifle his sob but failed. Ryoko placed a hand on his shoulder, attempting to comfort him. Tenchi gulped and gave Ryoko a grateful smile as they walked in. Misaki was spread-eagled a few feet away from Ayeka. There was a deep gash from her left shoulder to all the way across her belly. Funaho was lying next to Yosho, a thin cut across her throat. "Come, Ryoko," Tenchi said, turning his head away and heading for the door. Ryoko followed silently, her eyes glistening as she struggled to control her tears. Tenchi led Ryoko back to Washu's lab. He was surprised to find Kiyone down there, too. "Washu, can you access the confidential Galaxy Police's current Crisis files?" Tenchi heard Kiyone say. "Why do you always ask if I can? I can do ANYTHING," came the irate remark. "What are you two up to?" Tenchi asked as he walked out of the shadows to Washu and Kiyone. Washu smiled as she broke into the Galaxy Police data files. "Kiyone and I have a pretty good feeling that this problem isn't just around here. Yes, look," Washu pointed to a revolving image of a planet with the stats blinking up and down the screen. "It's affecting Ryuten and many of the planets that are loyal to the Family of Jurai. Look, they went after the planets that interact the most with Jurai." Washu paused and sighed as Ryoko stood beside her. "It seems that many angry planets in the Juraian Empire have banded together. Oh my. That's a whole lot of Shadows." Kiyone slapped her knee. "I knew it! How can we stop this?" Kiyone said, gritting her teeth. Ryoko answered suddenly. "Remember all that trouble with the fake Yosho we had on Jurai?" Everyone nodded. "Well, all we have to do is go to JURAI to solve this problem. If we get rid of the leader, it'd be like cutting the head off a snake!" Washu smiled. My daughter is getting smarter, she thought. "That is exactly correct. Good job, Ryoko." The scientist got off her floating pillow. "I know Kagato-oh-ki will run away, so I had to put that silly assistant of mine in a cage. Heh. Look." Washu tapped a button on her computer, making a glass cage appear from a hole in the air. Kagato-oh-ki was inside and trying to break the glass. He began meowing furiously as Ryo-oh-ki appeared, hopping up and down. "Okay, Ryo-oh-ki, I'm going to fuse you with Kagato, ok?" Ryo-oh-ki stopped hopping as Washu explained. "Since you're a pure cabbit, you'll have the dominant personality. But, just to make sure, I'm going to delete his personality. Do you think that's too harsh, Tenchi?" Tenchi gulped and shrugged. "He hasn't really done anything to us..." Washu shook her head. "Sure he hasn't. Before he could do anything, Ryoko gave him a bonk on the head. Rest assured, Tenchi, that he would've killed you and thought nothing of it. Right, Kagato?" Washu kicked the cage, causing Kagato to hit his head on the top. He nodded and seemed to grin. "See, Tenchi?" Tenchi nodded slowly. "Okay. Do what you have to do. Ryoko, what do you think?" It seemed as if Ryoko had momentarily lost her voice. She made an odd gulping noise and nodded. Suddenly, Tenchi felt as if a frying pan hit him on the forehead, making him go out cold. ~~~~~ Tenchi found himself in the dark dimension he had been to so many times. Tsunami was standing before him, a look of worry stamped across her face. Suddenly, Washu appeared next to him, looking just as confused as Tenchi did. "Hello, friends," Tsunami said, her voice echoing around them. "I did not want the others to notice that I am talking with you, so I had to do that. I am sorry if it hurt you." Washu and Tenchi shook their heads. "Right then. Do you know what you have to do?" she asked them, looking at both of them. Tenchi shook his head, but Washu smiled. "Yes, Tsunami. Of course I know what we've got to do." Tsunami smiled. "Yes, you must get rid of Jurai. I am not completely sure what good it will do, but it will help alleviate the Shadow problem until we arrange for another Juraian to take your places." Tenchi was taken aback. "How? Tsunami, I don't think a mass killing will solve anything." "You will know what is right and what is wrong when the time comes, Prince Tenchi." Tsunami paused. "But, it is imperative that you do not tell Ryoko or Kiyone. It may change their feelings about their task later on." Tenchi looked at Tsunami, confused. "Then why talk to us?" "I wanted to make certain that you knew the problem was with Jurai, and Jurai must be gone. Thank you for listening. I will see you later." There was a bright flash of light. Tenchi and Washu found themselves back in the lab on the cold floor. Kiyone and Ryoko were bent over them, worried. They breathed in relief when Tenchi and Washu opened their eyes. "Tenchi! Oh, Tenchi, Washu, I thought you two were de...de..." Ryoko decided not to finish her sentence and hugged Tenchi instead. She helped Tenchi and Washu up, then blushed and turned away. "Okay! Let's fuse Ryo-oh-ki!" Kagato-oh-ki gave a strangled meow and began clawing at the sides of the glass cage, causing everyone except Ryoko to cringe from the scratching sounds. The fusion was simpler than it sounded. Ryo-oh-ki was placed in a similar cage as Kagato's. A thick blue wire connected the two cages, but where the cage attached to Ryo-oh-ki's cage, there was a small metal box that the wire went into. Washu explained that it was a one-way cable, just in case the operation tried to backfire. A few beeps, some loud crackling, a bright flash of light, and Kagato was gone. Ryo-oh-ki was released from her cage, but seemed a bit dazed and just decided to sit down. Washu gave Ryo-oh-ki a carrot to eat when she regained her composure. Something horrible had happened the few hours they had been in Washu's lab. As they were exiting to go and talk with Sasami, the young princess was dragging herself from the kitchen, leaving a streak of blood in her wake. Tenchi gasped and ran to Sasami, cradling her head and trying his best not to sob. "Tenchi," Sasami whispered. Tenchi was listening intently and watched in helpless horror Sasami go pale. "Auntie...Funaho...said that brother Yosho...wanted to avenge Ayeka...Please...do it...for all...of...us..." Tenchi's eyes widened in terror. "Sasami, no, don't talk that way," he said, tears beginning to stream down his cheeks. "Washu..." He turned to Washu. She gave him a grief-stricken look and shook her head quietly. "There is nothing I can do now, Tenchi." Tenchi nodded, his eyes glistening. He quietly picked up Sasami and placed her on the table, then turned to the others. "Have any of you noticed that our friends have died again so soon? Do you think that the task the High Council was talking about has to do with this?" Tenchi gave them all a solemn look. "All of the Royal Family is gone. What is there to do, now?" "Tenchi, you're forgetting that you are also part of the Royal Family," Washu said softly, without looking up at Tenchi. Mihoshi and Ryoko both gave a loud sob and disappeared; Mihoshi ran outside, into the dark yard. Ryoko was about to start crying and was breathing shallowly. She passed out from lack of oxygen before Washu could calm her down. Washu turned to Kiyone and Tenchi. "As soon as Ryoko wakes up, we go to Jurai!" Okay! Still two more parts to go! DISCLAIMER: I am completely knowledgeable that these characters are NOT mine, they belong to Pioneer and AIC, and I don't want to own them, either. It'd take all the fun out of writing fan fictions!