A Brand New Day...?

[retconchicken]

There's an Usagi walking down the street, early in the morning. And we mean, early. It's nearly two hours before school is supposed to start and she is already walking there. It's quite obvious she is in high school, somehow. Another thing that is quite obvious is that she looks very tired and haggard, like she has barely slept for weeks at a time

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[buntails]

This Usagi, however, is late. She's running down the street, fast as she can, and hasn't noticed yet it's a different street- until she sees her black-haired self. She screeches to a halt and stares.

This is not going to be a good day, is it? If she's late once more...

[retconchicken]

And Usagi noticed her as well. The reaction is one of...complete and utter panic. She lets out a scream.

"No! NO! NOOOO!!" She wails, staggering back to grab a stick for defense (?). "Don't replace me!! You can't replace me!!"

[buntails]

Blink blink.

"Replace you?!" Usagi shakes her head, quickly. "I don't want to do anything like that! We're different!"

[retconchicken]

"No, no, that's what they want you to think!" Usagi shakes her head. "What they want me to think! Us to think! Why did they do that?! This violates the laws of our time-space rules!!"

[waterfell]

This Ami looks to be in her late teens, but has no school uniform on even though she's carrying a few thick-looking textbooks. Then again, it's Ami. She'd have something to study no matter what...right?

She realizes quickly that it has to be a different world, and looks up from the book her nose had been in. She regards Usagi quietly.

[retconchicken]

Checking. Checking. Everything's all right so far, no surprises...and then she sees Ami. Wait.

"Ami...chan!? What happened to you!?"

Most Usagis wouldn't notice the differences. This Usagi, on the other hand, seems to have some kind of radar because how did she pick up on it so quickly?

[waterfell]

This again? Ami, of course, assumes it's those little details - the more fashionable clothes, the freer hairstyle, all the things that changed when she did.

"Do you like it?" she asks pleasantly, with a too-large smile.

[retconchicken]

"Aaaaah!" Panic. She knows that grin and it is not possible. "What kind of twist is this!? How many acts did I sleep?!"

Teletia-S opens. Time is checked. Wait. Date. It makes sense because the day before-

"How could I miss the foreshadowing!?" She cries. "Where's the foreshadowing!?"

[aroyal_pain]

The princess! - no; Tsukino Usagi. The rapid-fire hope and disappointment leaves the prince feeling grim, but he summons a smile for Usagi's sake anyway.

"Where are you rushing off to?" he calls out. "You won't get there on time running like that."

[retconchicken]

"...E-Endymion!?" The look on her face is one of horror, not of relief. "What-wait-Mamoru-why are you...no, no, you'd only be like this if there was an enemy but...but usually there's a sign...isn't there?"

Have fun deciphering that, prince.

[aroyal_pain]

"Calm down, there's no enemy." As far as he knows, anyway. "It's me, Endymion." He assumes the trouble is his identity. If she's Usagi, she was probably expecting Chiba Mamoru.

[retconchicken]

"No enemy?" Huh? "Then...time travel?"

It could only mean one thing. Plut....o! Japanese, they were speaking Japanese.

[force_waves]

There's no need for any of that. The minute she sees her, Mercury takes a knee. "Princess," she greets, her speech polite, a reverent tone.

[retconchicken]

What. The senshi can't--wait. No. This is different, she...can't explain. But Usagi just knew. And the previous meetings only strengthened the notion.

"M-Mercury...please, there's no need for that! You can stand."

[force_waves]

Mercury did stand, smiling. "It's good to see you, Princess," she said. She had been pulled away to a galaxy far, far away, and had already been feeling homesick. She didn't know this was the work of the nexus, nor did she care. She was just happy to see the familiar face.