Beta read by whitey9h-lavish this person with your love because hopefully they'll help me improve and they make this so much understandable by pointing out a problem. Love you, lots and lots.

Hee, looking closer at the guidelines for stories...I realize I'm not supposed to respond to you here. Would you guys like me to make a forum for my stories to talk to me and ask questions?

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It took quite a bit to wake Usagi up, but then after Zoisite and Urawa-sensei managed it they had to fight to keep her awake as she constantly fell into a doze. Urawa-sensei half gave up trying to wake her up but Zoisite insisted, saying he needed to ask her some questions.

"Tsukino-san, wake up," Zoisite urged. "Come on, answer a few questions and you can sleep all you want later."

She groaned as she fought to keep her eyes open. "...'kay...'m wake."

"Alright, close enough," he agreed with a shrug and held her arms to keep her upright. "Tsukino-san, Urawa-sensei said you been having weird dreams. Can you tell me about these dreams?"

For a long moment, she was silent and he thought she had fallen back asleep but she mumbled an answer. "You were there."

Zoisite blinked and pulled out a small notebook and a pen and began to jot down notes, one hand firmly holding her upright. "Okay, can you go on, Tsukino-san? Who else was there?"

"Nephlite...Mamoru..." she recalled their names vaguely. Zoisite continued to jot notes. "...and...the doll..."

Zoisite lifted his pen up for a moment and fixed his stare at her. He paused and licked his lips nervously before he went on. "Usagi, tell me about the doll."

"The little white doll..." she answered and Zoisite's eyes widened and he began to write at a furious pace. She thought hard to remember its name-the doll never got the chance to say its name but she knew this somehow... "...Moon doll." she gasped finally. Zoisite stopped mid-word and looked carefully at her, mouth agape.

"Tsukino-san...did the doll tell you its name?" he gasped finally.

"No..." she answered, feeling sleep drift over her.

"Then how...?"

"I...just...know," she answered and with that, she fell asleep and flopped onto the examination table. Zoisite sat there a moment before capping his pen and replacing it and the notebook back into the breast pocket of his leather coat. He sat there a moment before he began to fish around in his pockets searching for something as he turned to Kenji.

"Tsukino-san, I would like to take your daughter in and do a few tests," he told him as he finally retrieved his cell phone from his left pocket. Kenji looked at the man warily.

"What kind of tests?"

"Tests will determine whether or not she is..." he stopped and blinked realizing Urawa-sensei was still there. "Excuse me, Sensei, but may I have a moment alone with Tsukino-san?" Urawa-sensei turned bright red, angered that he was being forced out of his own examination room but left without a fuss. As soon as he shut the door, Zoisite turned to Kenji. "I'm sorry, I forget no one quite knows about us yet." he took off his reading glasses and pulled out a business card from his breast pocket, presenting it to Kenji, who accepted it warily. On it, it read:

Midorino Kanaye,

Technological Expert and Government employee of the SENSHI Projection

"Uh, heh, I don't usually do this-it's really Keisuke's job-so bare with me, okay?" he said as he settled down to explain. "Your daughter's dreams are signs-nothing like the end of the world signs. The people in the dreams she's been talking about-that's us. Me, and my co-workers. We've been searching for her." He stopped and his face became pinched. "That sounded horrible-I'll never underestimate Nephlite's job again. Okay, forget that-you ask questions, I'll answer them."

Kenji sat there a moment, staring at Zoisite like he had two heads. "...what is happening to my daughter?"

"Ah, alright, good question." Zoisite remarked, rubbing his hands together. "You're daughter has been chosen as a candidate of the MOON SENSHI."

Kenji stared at him before asking his next question. "...well, what's the MOON SENSHI?"

"The MOON SENSHI is a..." Zoisite stopped and scrunched his face. "No, no, I'm only going to screw this up-hold on. I'll get Keisuke on the phone and he'll straighten you out," he declared, flipping his phone open and dialing rapidly. Kenji stared in him in muted shock as he began to talk with someone on the phone. "Yeah, get me Keisuke-don't give me lip Emerald, I want to speak with him now. I don't care, interrupt the damn meeting-good. ...Keisuke, we've found her. Yes, in Azabu. I'm talking to her father-stop laughing, you have to talk to him. ...well, I love you too." he handed the phone to Kenji. "Here you go."

Kenji stared at the phone a moment before reaching over and putting it to his ear. "Hello? ...My name is Tsukino Kenji...yes, my daughter...Usagi. ...ah, yes... She's been having strange dreams...um," he checked Zoisite card quickly. "Zoisite said she had been seeing you all in the dream...yes, that it's it. You can help! Yes, yes-of course, we'd like to settle this as soon as possible! Ah...I believe my wife and I can make room to meet you at our house anytime. ...tomorrow night? Yes, if this will help Usagi. I'll give the address right now- ...uh, let me find my pen—" Zoisite, who had been sitting, examining his nails, offered up his pen to him. Kenji nodded warily, took it, and began to write on the back of the card. "Thank you...thank you. Yes, I'll give you the address..."

Zoisite tuned out the rest of the conversation as soon as Kenji turned over his pen to him. He slipped it back into his pocket and let his eyes wander over to the face of the young girl beside him. She had large purple bags beneath her eyes and she was rather pale-she must have been experiencing the dreams for a while now to do this much to such a young woman. He shook his head and turned back to Kenji just to hear the end of the conversation.

"Yes, yes, thank you so much-yes, thank you. Good bye." He paused for a moment until he found the "END" button and pressed it then returned it to Zoisite.

"So, Keisuke has made an appointment to get this all settled out then?" Zoisite asked cheerfully. "Good, I never was good at explaining this. Alright, Urawa-sensei mentioned a prescription for sedatives?"

"Yes, he-"

"Good. Double it." he said, bouncing up to his feet ignoring Kenji's face paling in shock.

"But-"

"Don't worry—this has happened before and she'll be able to handle it. If you're worried just have her take three of those pills," he said, moving his stool away from the bed. "Do you want me to get help to get her out to the car, 'cause I'm doubting she's going to be waking up soon."

Kenji stared at him and nodded. For a moment, Zoisite tapped his chin thinking before shrugging.

"How about we each grab an arm and hoist her out till we get to the car at least?" he thought aloud. Kenji nodded slowly before helping him get his daughter upright—this man was more than strange but his colleague had mentioned that his friend had always been a little eccentric but it was nothing to worry over. He and Zoisite managed to get Usagi out to the car and get her in with only slight difficulty. Zoisite turned to him and grinned. "Ah, well, Keisuke will be talking to you later about this. Well, if you need to get in touch with us, and can't reach Keisuke, my number is also on the card." He bowed quickly and turned about heading to his own car.

Kenji shook his head at the bizarre man. However, if it helped his daughter...well, he'd do it. He got into his car and began to make his way home.

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"I never felt more stupid in my life!" Zoisite shouted, flinging himself into a chair. Nephlite rolled his eyes at him. He sat down into the chair next to him and handed him an orange soda.

"You felt stupid? Good lord, Zoisite, you interrupted me in the middle of a meeting with the General. To talk with a very concerned parent. I had to reassure him you weren't a loon in front of our boss. Chiba-sama was turning weird colors." he shook his head at his younger friend. "Just be glad Chiba-sama has a father with so much political power, otherwise we'd be out of a job."

Zoisite snorted through a flush and took a deep swig of the soda. "Mamoru's going to be just rosy if he's going to have to speak with his father again. Do you remember last time?"

"How could I forget—the computer still glitches at times and his chair can't roll anywhere," Nephlite snorted as he sipped his grape soda. "So now I have to go to these people's house and explain to them that their daughter may just be a warrior destined to fight monsters in another plane of existence and possible die there. You like to make things difficult for me, don't you, Zoisite?"

Zoisite turned and stuck his tongue out at him. "Shut up! It's not even my job as technical director to go meet the parents-that's why you're the communications director. Why can't we get one of the secretaries to go meet the folks, anyway?" he grumbled, sulking further.

Nephlite raised a brow at his friend. "Do you imagine someone like Emerald, going and talking to the family?" Zoisite shuddered at the thought. "Exactly—I couldn't go today because Chiba-sama needed me here during the base inspection."

Zoisite blinked and turned to him. "Why do you call Mamoru Chiba-sama? It's not like he was ahead of us in the academy," he snorted.

"Force of habit," Nephlite answered. "Now, tell me about the girl."

"Hmm...5'2'', 5'3'' at most. Blonde, blue eyes. She's just like some girl you meet on the street-pert nose, big eyes, the works. Funny hairstyle-got pigtails and these balls on her head."

"Sounds like odangos." Nephlite and Zoisite turned their heads to see Mamoru walk in with an unpleased expression on his face. "So Zoisite, who is this odango atama and was it so important to interrupt the meeting this morning with the General?"

Zoisite flinched. "Had to suck up to your dad again, didn't you?"

Mamoru glared at him. "You know very well I hate asking my father for favors-"

"-since he's the one who got you stuck here in the first place.-" Zoisite added.

"-and I find it very annoying to have to call him on one of his days off just for one of those favors."

Zoisite flinched again and Nephlite took a deep swig of his soda. "He's making you go to family dinner again, isn't he?"

"Well, you did ask him for a favor," Nephlite added.

"That's beside the point!" Mamoru groaned, flopping into a chair, kneading his temples. "I'm going to have a head full of grey hair by thirty like my father, I know I will." he muttered.

"I thought you get grey hair from your mother?" Nephlite asked to Zoisite.

Zoisite shook his head. "Nah, you go bald because of your mother."

"Sure?"

"Pretty sure." Zoisite replied calmly. Mamoru tossed his hands up into the air. After a moment or so, he rooted his hand through his pocket and handed some change to Nephlite at his side.

"Get me a soda?" he asked tiredly.

"What flavor?" Nephlite asked as he sat up.

"Anything not diet-root beer."

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Nephlite looked a his piece of paper once more, checking to make sure he had the right address one last time before ringing the doorbell. Mamoru at his side straightened his tie with a professional eye for detail. Neither had to wait long as a moment later a woman appeared at the door, smiling at both of them. "Ah, are you the gentlemen here about my daughter's condition?"

Mamoru blinked and looked at Nephlite who shrugged. Mamoru turned back to the mother of the girl and nodded. "Yes, ma'am, we can to talk to you about that."

"Well, come in, come in! You don't have to stand out there all night." she ushered them in, gesturing them forward with a wave of her hand. They stepped into the house and removed their shoes before she showed them to the living room. Sitting in front of the TV were a young boy and a teenaged girl playing a video game together. The young boy had dirty blonde hair and looked over his shoulder to stare at them a moment before elbowing the girl in the side. She turned and Mamoru and Nephlite recognized her instantly from Zoisite's description.

I had just been joking about the odango atama thing, but it looks like I was right after all, Mamoru thought as he caught sight of her hairdo. For having very little sleep until recently, she looked partially recovered—Zoisite had been right about the dosage he'd prescribed apparently as the bags beneath her eyes weren't very large and her face had revived some of its color.

"Please sit down while I go get you some tea," her mother told them gesturing to the couch. "Shingo," she called to the boy. "Will you go get your father? Usagi, why don't you come sit down with these men?" she said as she left the room. Shingo turned off the game and went out to go get his father. Mamoru stared at Usagi who was staring at both of them with wide, disbelieving eyes.

"Hello, Tsukino-san," Nephlite greeted her.

"Nice to meet you, Tsukino-san," Mamoru added.

Usagi stared at them a moment before speaking. "You're really here, right? I'm not dreaming again?" She had been sitting on her knees before and she now rose up a little higher still kneeling on the floor. "You've come...you'll really tell me what's going on?"

Mamoru blinked before walking over to her. She stared up at him with wide, hopeful eyes. Quietly he offered his hand to her to help her off the floor. "Yes, Tsukino-san, we have come to explain to you what's been happening and what will happen." She stared at him a moment before she let him pull her up off the floor. She nodded and stumbled over to a chair.

The three of them sat in silence for a moment before she spoke again. "You're Nephlite and Mamoru, right?"

They blinked and Nephlite nodded. "Yes, Tsukino-san-"

"Usagi. Tsukino-san makes me feel like your talking to my parents," she said quickly.

"-Usagi-san. My name is actually Yamazaki Keisuke, but my code name is Nephlite. This, at my side, is my boss, Chiba Mamoru-sama."

"Chiba-sama..." she echoed. Mamoru lifted a brow. "You call him Chiba-sama but Zoisite calls him Mamoru!" Mamoru sat back, a little perturbed the girl knew that—the other candidates they had found had shown no sign of knowing their names but each of the MOON candidates had recognized them. "My father said that his card says Midorino Kanaye on it—is Zoisite his code name too?"

"...yes, it is." Mamoru answered.

"But...what's your code name?" she asked him curiously.

"Endymion." he answered. She blinked as if she was confused but they were saved for any more questions when her parents walked in, her mother carrying at tray of teacups. Usagi's mother, Ikuko Mamoru finally remembered, placed cups for each of them in front of them and then sat down with her husband in the love seat on the other side of the coffee table. "Good evening, Tsukino-san."

"Good evening." Kenji returned, taking his teacup in hand. "Excuse me, but I didn't quite catch your names..."

"Chiba Mamoru," Mamoru answered, and then he gestured to Nephlite. "This is my subordinate, Yamazaki Keisuke. I believe you two talked on the phone."

For a moment, Kenji simply stared them. "...sub-subordinate? …Ah, yes, we did speak already." Mamoru fought not to roll his eyes—yet another person who thought he was too young to be Base Director. Usagi had also caught the stutter while her mother reached over and patted her husband's hand thoughtfully as he fought not to gape.

"Then you already understand quite a bit of what's been happening." Nephlite spoke. "I believe my colleague mentioned something about the MOON SENSHI to you?"

"...MOON SENSHI..." Usagi echoed as if caught up in a reverie. Usagi's parents stared at her a moment before answering.

"Yes, Midorino-san mentioned something about a senshi," Kenji answered.

"So I take it as he didn't bother to explain himself?" Nephlite asked and Kenji nodded. "Figures. ...Tsukino-san, you wouldn't happen to be a science fiction fan, would you?"

Kenji blinked, taken aback by the question. "...ah, yes, I read and watch it every now and then..."

"Then try and bear with me a moment. I suppose that in your shows and books, the writers make mention of there being more than one universe-or perhaps better worded as another dimension." he said. "Keep that idea in mind as I tell you this next part. What if I were to tell you that those writers weren't so far off in the idea? I'm not saying there's little green men running around us or that there's multiple yous running about, but the idea that there is this plane of existence and others."(1)

"You mean," Ikuko started, "like a heaven?"

"Actually that's not far off." Mamoru answered. "But think of it as a more spiritual plane—a world of spirits and monsters."

"Are you saying-" Kenji started, flabbergasted. "Are you insinuating that my daughter has being entering another realm of existence?"

"Yes-but you can ask Usagi-san herself if you don't believe us." he answered turning to Usagi. Her parents gaped and turned to their daughter. She sat completely still, eyes glazed over. "You know it's true then, Usagi-san?"

Usagi sat there a moment before coming to herself. "BETA! That's it! I know it is! Is that where I've been going to each night-the ...BETA-verse?"

"Beta?" Kenji asked, confused.

"Beta is the second letter in the Greek alphabet. We us the term ALPHA-verse to describe this dimension and BETA-verse to described the one where Usagi's been visiting." Nephlite answered. "The BETA-verse is like another dimension, parallel to our own."

"How are we supposed to know that this is the truth?" Kenji asked warily.

"Your daughter is proof enough. She's been entering the BETA-verse for the last...two months but if you desire more proof I suggest taking a look at our base's facilities," Nephlite answered.

Ikuko turned and shared a worried look with her husband. "And...what will happen to Usagi?"

Mamoru took a moment before answering. "We'd like to run some tests. You see there have been thirteen more cases like Usagi in Asia. About two hundred total world wide. What Usagi has is not an illness. Usagi is a candidate for the MOON SENSHI. We would like to determine whether or not she IS the MOON SENSHI or just another candidate."

"And...what is the MOON SENSHI?" Ikuko asked. Mamoru sighed and reached into the briefcase at his feet. He withdrew several papers with a similar drawing on each on as he laid them out in front of them. Usagi gasped as she recognized the doll scrawled and scribbled on each of the papers.

"This is the MOON SENSHI doll, the LUNA doll. Each candidate identifies this doll easily. This doll will determine who will be the next MOON SENSHI." he said sitting back, allowing Nephlite to pick up where he left off.

"The MOON SENSHI is exactly what it sounds like—a warrior. The MOON SENSHI is a warrior who enters the BETA-verse to battle these monsters. There are already eight more of these SENSHI but the MOON SENSHI is the only one left unfilled." Nephlite answered.

"But ...the EARTH and SUN dolls?" Usagi asked.

Nephlite and Mamoru were silent for a moment. Mamoru was the one who answered her. "The EARTH and SUN SENSHI died shortly after becoming the SENSHI. In Siberia, the EARTH SENSHI died two years ago, shortly after the beginning of the program. The SUN SENSHI was from Kenya. She died three months after the EARTH SENSHI."

"No!" Ikuko gasped, gathering up Usagi in her arms.

"Forget it!" Kenji snapped. "NO! I won't allow my daughter to enter such a dangerous a thing-"

"The SUN SENSHI..." Usagi began. "LUNA doll said she lived on in the SUN doll."

"The HELIOS doll." Mamoru answered gasping. He turned to Nephlite with wide eyes. Nephlite nodded. "Usagi, the LUNA doll told you this?"

"Yes, she said that its master lived on in it. The EARTH doll was broken." she said quietly. She stood up quickly, rising from her mother's embrace. "When do I leave?"

"Usagi!" Ikuko gasped.

"USAGI!" Kenji shouted in shock. "No! You'll only get hurt-"

"She's waiting for me, papa!" she snapped back.

"Usagi?" Ikuko asked.

"Usagi-san..." Mamoru began. "Who's waiting for you?"

"LUNA! She's waiting for me and I know she's in trouble! I can't turn my back and leave her there!" she answered in fervor. "I have to go, I can't let her go, she's counting on me!"

There was a silence after that, punctuated by Ikuko's sobs. Mamoru turned to Nephlite and nodded. He got up and turned to Usagi. "Usagi-san, this will be dangerous. You must consider what will happen if-"

"I don't care! I need to get to LUNA and I won't let anyone stop me!" she thundered, stomping her foot to prove her point.

Nephlite chuckled and sighed at her enthusiasm, reaching into his coat to extract his cell phone. Mamoru smirked and nodded. "Spoken like a true SENSHI. Usagi-san, you understand nothing will be the same?"

Usagi faltered for a moment looking to her parents. Ikuko went and sat by her husband's side but smiled and nodded to her. Usagi nodded in return and turned back to Mamoru. "You got it! I'm coming whether you like it or not, Chiba-san!"

Mamoru nodded and grinned. "Good to hear." He stuck his hand out to her. "Welcome aboard, MOON candidate Usagi."

She smiled at him a moment and shook his hand firmly. "Thank you, Chiba-san!"

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(1) "Multiple yous"-whitey9h mentioned this sounded confusing. It's an idea of multiple universe having different but similar people and places. For some of us, think of Sliders. Perhaps a more recent example would be The One, were there multiple versions of everyone in different dimensions. The BETA-verse is another, but parallel dimension to ours.