Tenchi, Sasami and Ryo Ohki at last arrived at the tree where Dr. Clay's lab was hidden. However, they could no longer hear the sound of the stranger in black crying and were uncertain as to where to go next. At that moment, Mihoshi appeared from behind a tree pushing a wheelbarrow. "Oops, I did it again. I played with your heart," she sang softly. "Oh, hello there," she spotted the three travelers and smiled. "Are you looking for Dr. Clay? I can't tell you where he is though, because I'll get fired. He doesn't have a lab around here either. Oh by the way, I'm Mihoshi. I'd like to stay and talk, but I've got to get this wheelbarrow down to the lab. Oops! I wasn't supposed to say that." "Where is the stranger in black?" Tenchi asked. "Stranger in black? Let me think, have I seen a stranger in black. I haven't seen anyone strange. Um, nope. Sorry, I can't help you. I have to go now, but maybe you can come back later-" "Sasami, jog her memory," Tenchi ordered, lifting the little girl up onto his shoulders. Sasami pounded Mihoshi on the top of her head with a fist. Mihoshi looked at them a moment before toppling over dead. Tenchi set her down. "Oh Tenchi, I'm sorry!" Sasami wailed. "I jogged her too hard!" But Tenchi wasn't listening. He was kneeling, holding Tenchiken before him. "Grandfather," he said, "our misery can finally end. Somewhere there is a person who can help us. I cannot find him alone. I need your help. Please, Grandfather, guide my sword. Guide my sword." With his eyes closed, Tenchi stood up. The sword seemed to be pulling him first in one direction, then another, before it finally lodged itself in the bark of an old, gnarled tree. In despair, Tenchi buried his face in the crook of his arm against one of the knots of the tree. A door opened. The three went inside. They found a beautiful, young woman, dressed in black lying on a table. Sasami felt for a pulse. "She's dead," the little girl said softly. "Meow," Ryo Ohki cried. * "Grandpa!" the grandson interrupted. "What did Sasami mean, 'She's dead!' Ryoko's only faking, right?" "Ryoko never fakes it," the grandfather replied. "When does Ryoko kill Kagato?" the boy demanded. "I don't understand," the grandfather said. "When does Ryoko come back and kill Prince Kagato?" "She doesn't kill Kagato," the grandfather told him. "You mean that lousy butt-pirate wins! Dammit, Grandpa, what did you read me thins thing for?!" "You know, you've been very sick and you're taking this story a little too seriously. I'd better stop," the grandfather said standing up to leave. "No, I'm OK," the grandson insisted. His grandfather sat down and began reading again. * "The Masaki's have never taken defeat easily," Tenchi said. "I hope we have enough money to buy a miracle." They took Ryoko's body to the house of Miracle Washu, the greatest scientific genius in the galaxy. Tenchi banged on Washu's door. She opened a tiny window and looked at him suspiciously with a pair of green cat-like eyes. "Are you the Miracle Washu who worked for the king all those years ago?" Tenchi asked. "The king's pillow-biting son fired me! Go away!" she slammed the little door. Tenchi pounded on the door again. Washu opened the little window. "Get out of here or I'll call the brute squad!" she warned them. Sasami picked up a piece of iron that had been left outside the door and bent it in half. "I'm on the brute squad," she said. "You are the brute squad," Washu said. She looked at Tenchi, "Look, I might kill whoever it is you want me to cure." "Oh, she's already dead," Tenchi replied, scratching his head. "Oh? Well then, bring her in." Washu opened her door. Sasami placed Ryoko's body on a table in the middle of the room. Washu lifted Ryoko's head and peered intently at her face before dropping her head so that her skull slammed against the table. "I've seen worse," she said. "Can you help us?" Tenchi asked. "No," she said, "Not unless…" "Unless?" Sasami and Tenchi asked in unison. "Unless you call me Little Washuuuuu!" "Little Washu," Tenchi asked, "is there anything you can do for her?" "Well, it just so happens that your friend here is only mostly dead. There's a big difference between mostly dead and all dead. With all dead, there's only one thing you can do," she explained. "What's that?" Sasami asked. "Use her as a guinea pig for your experiments!" Washu sang. She then set about making a miracle pill that would bring Ryoko back. While she did this, Sasami, Tenchi and Ryo Ohki looked around her laboratory. Tenchi became fascinated with her almost invisible computer. He became even more fascinated when he realized she had internet access. He began looking up pictures and sweating profusely. Washu finished the pill and came up behind him. She chuckled, "Somebody must be being naughty on the internet! Yea!" Tenchi froze. His nose began to bleed. "Your pill's ready," Washu said, handing him a handkerchief. "I've coated it in chocolate to make it go down easier." She lifted Ryoko's head and forced the pill down her throat. Seconds later, Ryoko's golden eyes opened. She looked around suspiciously. "Where am I? Where's Aeka? Why do I have Celine Dion stuck in my head?" she demanded. Her eyes fell on Washu. She gasped. "What am I doing here with my mother?!" "Mother!" Tenchi repeated, surprised. "Meow!" Ryo Ohki chimed in. "That's right," Washu said. "Ryoko is my daughter. What did you do to get yourself killed, Little Ryoko? Having a foolish daughter is more work for mom," Washu sighed. "Let me out of here, Washu," Ryoko attempted to get up, but she was too weak. "Now calm down, Ryoko," Washu said. "It will take you a while to regain your strength so you won't be able to move on your own for some time." Then she asked, "While you're here, do you think you could call me 'Mom'?" Ryoko glared at her. "Why should I?" she growled. "Because I had to put up with this!" Washu produced a small photograph from her pocket and shoved it in Ryoko's face. "Mom!" Ryoko sang out. "Music to my ears!" Washu smiled. Sasami crept up behind them and peeked at the picture of Ryoko as a child, standing before a stained futon. "Ryoko used to wet her futon," she whispered to Tenchi. Ryoko turned to Tenchi and Sasami, "Who are you? What do you want with me? What's going on?" she asked. "Let me explain," Tenchi said, "Aeka will marry Kagato in a little less than half an hour. We have to sneak into the castle, break up the wedding and steal the princess. After I kill Dr. Clay. There's only one gate to the castle and its guarded by 60 men." "What are our assets?" Ryoko questioned. "My sword, Sasami's strength and your cleavage." Tenchi replied, glancing down Ryoko's shirt, which had fallen open as she lay on the table. "Impossible," Ryoko told him. "If I had a month to plan, maybe." She wiggled her finger thoughtfully. "Oh, Ryoko, you just wiggled your finger! Doesn't that make you happy?" Sasami congratulated her. "Meow!" cried Ryo Ohki. Ryoko swung her head around and glared at Sasami, "His sword, your strength and my cleavage and you think a little finger wiggle is going to make me happy? If we only had a holocaust cloak!" she said. "I can take care of that!" Washu declared. "I am, after all, the number one genius in the galaxy!" She approached her computer and started tapping on the keys. In a moment, a thick, black cloak materialized. "Here you go," she said as she handed the cloak to Sasami. "We will need a wheelbarrow," Ryoko thought out loud. "Where did you leave that wheelbarrow the blond, bimbo had?" Tenchi asked Sasami. "You guys better get going," Washu urged them. "Ryoko, you should bring your girlfriend home so I can meet her. I'll show her all your baby pictures!" Ryoko growled at her mother. Sasami and Tenchi helped her up. As they left the laboratory Washu called out, "Bye! Have fun storming the castle!" Inside his castle, Kagato helped Aeka fasten a necklace around her neck. "You don't seem excited, my dear," he said. "Should I be?" Aeka questioned. "I'm told that brides often are," Kagato replied. "I will not be marrying you tonight," Aeka said, "My Ryoko will save me." Kagato smiled sadistically to himself. Outside the castle, sixty men stood before the gate. Ryoko, Tenchi, Ryo Ohki and Sasami prepared for their attack. Sasami stood atop the wheelbarrow with the holocaust cloak around her. Ryo Ohki rested on her head beneath the hood of the cloak. Tenchi held the wheelbarrow's handles with Ryoko balanced on his back. >From inside the castle's chapel, beautiful organ music rang out. Kagato was not playing, but rather, stood beside Aeka at the alter. Seiryou, the impressive clergyman, turned to face them. His flaming, pink hair was pulled back from his face in a ponytail. While the organ was still playing he leaned forward and whispered to Aeka, "Oh my God, girl, I love your dress!" Aeka rolled her eyes. At last the organ music ended. Seiryou stood up straight and placed his hand on his hip. "Marriage," he said clearly, "is what brings us together today." Outside a commotion could be heard. "Stand your ground!" someone called out. The wedding guests looked at each other uncertain. Only Seiryou seemed unafraid as he happily admired his manicure. Tenchi had begun pushing the wheelbarrow toward the gate. The 60 men shifted uneasily, some ready to run at any moment. "I am the Dread Space Pirate Roberts!" Sasami declared. "There will be no survivors! All your worst nightmares are about to come true!" Ryo Ohki hissed menacingly. "Now?" Tenchi asked. "Light her," Ryoko said. Tenchi touched a torch to the fabric of the cloak and it exploded into flame. "The Dread Space Pirate Roberts is here for your souls!" Sasami, spreading her arms out as the flames danced around her. The men began to scatter in every direction, running for the lives. Only Nagi was unable to escape. She found herself with her back to the castle. She quickly pressed the button releasing the portcullis. Sasami threw off the cloak and quickly caught the portcullis and thrust it back up. Nagi stared in disbelief at the child. "Give us the gate key," Ryoko demanded. "I don't have any gate key," Nagi said unconvincingly. "Sasami, tear her arms off," Tenchi ordered. "Oh, you mean this gate key." Nagi produced the key from her pocket and handed it to Sasami. Inside the chapel, the ceremony continued. Seiryou babbled on. Aeka looked up at Kagato, "Here comes my Ryoko now," she said. "Your precious Ryoko is dead. I killed her myself," Kagato sneered. "Then why is there fear behind your eyes?" Aeka asked him. "And do you, Princess Aeka," Seiryou turned to Aeka, tossing his head so that his ponytail danced. "Man and wife! Say, 'Man and wife'!" Kagato commanded. Seiryou stopped short. "OK," he said, "there's no need to get your panties in a bunch." He shrugged, smoothing the folds clerical robes. "Man and wife." Aeka stared, as if in a void. Kagato seized her arm and ordered one of his servants to take her to the honeymoon suite. "I'll be there shortly," he told his servant. A despondent Aeka followed the man. "She didn't come," she whispered in despair.