Here I go, my first fanfic that isn't a one-shot. I've got it all outlined and anticipate it to be rather long, so I'm really excited and a little nervous. There's a very big story to tell here.

So here's the lowdown: Set post-Sailor Stars. I'm exploring the origins of Crystal Tokyo and eventually the set-up for the premise of 'Sailor Moon R.' I enjoy exploring Mamoru's psyche, so on occasion the story will be a bit angst-y from his perspective. But since I have been a huge Usagi and Mamoru fan for years, it will ultimately be romantic and dramatic.

Standard disclaimers apply. The characters aren't mine, just some of the ideas. Reviews are always appreciated (and will maybe increase the speed of my updates!)

Slightly Revised 8/02/07

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Chapter One: Sweet Sacrifice

So this was it; the destruction of the earth. Was it the result of the Negaverse? Black Moon Family? Chaos? The ultimate battle between good and evil? No, something far worse.

It was the human race that had ultimately brought about the world's destruction. The effects of nuclear ambitions and the blatant disregard for the environment warped the climate and melted the polar ice caps. Cities were completely submerged; species that could not adapt were wiped out. The land was dying, and there was nothing Chiba Usagi could do about it.

She stood on the balcony of the fifteenth floor apartment she shared with Mamoru, staring listlessly out at the once-vibrant and bustling city of Tokyo. How many battles had they fought? How many friends had been lost? How many hearts had been broken?

Was it all for nothing? Were all of their efforts, labors, and struggles for naught?

Usagi's sky blue eyes filled with tears. It wasn't fair. She gripped the railing as her eyes spilled over and trickled down her arms. She had given up her one wish of being a normal, care-free girl to protect her friends, her family, her Mamo-chan.

Their future.

Is this what she had fought for? Tokyo was now a cold, dark wasteland. People couldn't stay outside for long because the climate had become so uninhabitable, the air barely breathable. Illness was rampant as hospitals and doctors scrambled to treat too many patients with too few supplies. Food shortages were wide-spread. Time was running out for the people of Earth.

The television hummed in the background, but Usagi barely heard the analysts and anchors. They weren't suggesting anything new, anything that would fix this crisis.

She laughed bitterly. It was a little late for talk. Every day since the initial catastrophe all those months ago, the 24-hour news channels focused solely on worldwide disasters and hypothetical solutions. Too much talk and too little action. It frustrated her to hear their arguments, but deep down she knew she shouldn't have been surprised. Even in times of crisis, politics and the bureaucracy continued to move at the speed on a snail.

The front door closed with a soft click, rousing her from her cynical thoughts. She whirled around and smiled, all traces of helplessness completely replaced with a mask of bubbly optimism. It was always her job to smile, even when she was feeling sad. Always.

Mamoru stumbled into the apartment and Usagi rushed over to greet him. "Mamo-chan!" She cried happily, enveloping him in a great bear hug.

As tired as the twenty-five-year-old doctor was, Mamoru smiled and returned the hug with as much strength as he could muster. "Usako," he murmured as Usagi helped him remove his jacket. Her abundant energy was usually contagious, but Mamoru was exhausted. He had been working around the clock at a local hospital, saving as many of the sick as he could. His fellow co-workers attributed his success to his quick-thinking and compassionate, perfectionist work ethic. What they did 'not' know was that he was frequently using his unique healing, psychokinetic gifts. It drained him much more than the sleepless nights; short naps in the break room just weren't cutting it. He wanted nothing more than to collapse into his own bed and rest for a moment in-between the grueling shifts.

"Are you hungry, Mamo-chan?" Usagi chirped, grabbing his hand and dragging him towards the kitchen. She sat him down at the table and hurried over to the stove, where a big pot of chicken curry sat bubbling on the burner. "Mako-chan brought this over, so you don't have to worry…" she trailed off as she turned back to Mamoru, who had fallen asleep in his chair.

"Mamo-chan!" Usagi started, startling Mamoru awake. He smiled guiltily.

"I'm sorry, Usako."

"Doushita no, Mamo-chan?" What's wrong, Mamo-chan?

"I'm not very hungry. Really, Usako," he insisted when Usagi put her hands on her hips in protest. "All I really want to do is take a nap before my next shift." When Usagi narrowed her eyes in disapproval, he stood up and gave her that crooked smile she had fallen in love with. "I'll make sure and eat a bowl before I leave. I won't let Makoto-chan's cooking go to waste," he promised as Usagi relented and bounded over to kiss him goodnight.

Once Mamoru had left the room, Usagi dropped the mask and her eyes filled with tears all over again. This had become the routine. Mamoru had spoken the same words to her the night before. And the night before that. And the night before that…she worried so much. He was getting so thin.

After a moment, she managed to collect herself and tiptoed into the bedroom to peak in on her husband. Dead to the world, he hadn't even bothered to pull down the sheets, let alone change into his pajamas. Sighing, she tucked him in and returned to her perch on the balcony to brood.

She felt so helpless. Everyone was working as tirelessly as Mamoru to help the remaining survivors. Ami, merely a first-year student in medical school, was also working at the hospital with Mamoru; Rei as a priestess was bombarded with parishioners begging her to pray or perform rites at the Hikawa Shrine; Makoto was busying herself as a cook at a breadline and soup kitchen; and Usagi and Minako spent most of their time caring and comforting children at one of the many rapidly-spreading orphanages. But even she, upbeat and optimistic Usagi, knew what everyone refused to say aloud: Their efforts were only prolonging the inevitable.

Was this what her mother, Queen Serenity, had sacrificed herself for? To send her daughter and her subjects to start over in another world, only to have this one destroyed as well?

She shook her head. Her dear friends and her dear Mamo-chan. They, more than anyone, deserved a time of peace. They had given their lives for her so many times. Was there nothing she could do for them?

What would you do to save them? A faint whisper shimmered through her mind. The same whisper that had flickered through her mother's mind those thousand years ago.

Anything! She answered herself firmly.

Would you give up 'anything'? The words floated across like gossamer wings.

Anything! She vowed again.

Would you give up 'everything'?

She needed no second thoughts. Everything. Nothing less. For years her friends and her Mamoru had given so much of themselves in hope that the people of earth could live in a time of peace. No one had ever thought of 'their' sacrifices. No more. Now it was 'their' turns to rest. 'Their' turns to live in peace.

Their turns to live a normal life. Usagi's greatest wish.

She unconsciously reached for the ginzuisho that hung around her neck as a fashionable necklace. Her mother, Queen Serenity, had given up everything for her daughter's future. And now it was Usagi's turn. She could give them that future. Give everyone that future. But only if she gave up everything…

As if in a trance, she stepped back into the apartment and walked to their bedroom. She gazed at Mamoru and tears spilled down her cheeks.

Everything.

She brushed her lips across his forehead. "Aishiteru, Mamo-chan," she whispered. Then Usagi stood and padded out of the room, refusing to give herself another glance back at the sleeping form of her husband. She was more than willing to give up everything for him; that was never an issue. But that didn't mean she wasn't afraid.

She squared her shoulders and walked slowly out the door. "Sayonara," she whispered softly, as the door closed with a soft, final click.

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Cultural note: We attribute 'sayonara' to be the English equivalent of 'good-bye'. However there is a much deeper connotation. 'Sayonara' is said only when people shall not meet again for a very long time.

First chapter's finished. If I'm lucky, I'll be able to squeeze a second one in by the time finals and papers are due. Reviews are always appreciated!