Notes: Episode 123, "Shadows of Destruction! The Awakening of the Messiah of Silence". Or, "The one where Hotaru eats Chibi-Usa's heart crystal."

Episode 123

"You lied."

Artemis turned from the window. He thought he'd found a quiet corner of Mamoru's apartment to collect his thoughts. Apparently not quiet enough. Minako was standing behind him, but alone. There was that at least.

"You should be getting ready," he said.

She crossed her arms and shifted her weight to the other foot, and he knew he'd made her angry. He felt too tired, too stressed to care.

Except she and the other Senshi would be leaving soon, and Serenity only knew what they'd find in that school. This wasn't the parting he wanted.

"Sorry."

"You lied," Minako said again, clearly unconcerned about their potential last words to each other. Of course she was. Minako didn't believe in last words. Artemis had heard too many of them in his long life to pretend he might not be hearing them right now.

"Let it go, Mina. Focus on what's ahead of you, not behind."

"You couldn't have evacuated the students," Minako pressed. "You couldn't possibly have found them all. You couldn't have all revived the ones you DID find."

She was keeping her voice low, but Artemis could hear the others talking quietly in the next room. If they came in, if they overheard …

"Don't lie to me, Artemis."

Artemis' attention snapped back to Minako. He'd heard her with that eerie calm she got when she was really upset, he was expecting her to lose it into full-blown shouting any second now. What he wasn't expecting was how HURT she sounded.

"First Rei with her damned vision, now you. Did I miss the memo for 'Nobody Trust Minako Week'? I mean it's a week about me, I should've at LEAST been on the memo."

"Mina…"

She was staring at him again, just for a moment with eyes he hadn't seen in far too long, and he sighed. "I didn't lie … exactly. Mamoru and I found most of them just wandering in a group. We were able to get them out. Those that would move anyway. The ones who had already lost their heart crystal …" He trailed off, but judging by Minako's nod, he didn't need to say it.

"I figured. When Cyprine pulled us out I knew we'd be too late." Minako shook her head and hugged herself. "So many people."

Artemis took a step toward her, wanting to offer some comfort but not sure what to do. "I just didn't want any of you running back in there and getting killed for nothing."

"Well sure!" Minako said, flashing a bright smile like a switch had been flipped. "Not when there's a whole big SOMETHING to get killed for just waiting for us!"

"Mina!"

Minako laughed and waved her hand at Artemis. "I'm JOKING, come on! Like I'm going to let SCHOOL defeat me!"

She reached out and scratched Artemis between the ears. He leaned into it, knowing that this was the closest they ever came to a goodbye.

"Be safe, Mina."

"Don't know any other way to be!"

Artemis made a cat approximation of a snort. "Now who's lying?"

The flick to his ear was surprisingly gentle.