View source for Passion, Endurance, Harmony (Makoto Kino)

{{Cutscene Header
|Date of Scene=2016/02/13
|Location=Makoto's Apartment
|Synopsis=The second piece of the key has been recovered from Jadeite's palace, unlocking memories of a life before.
|Cast of Characters=42
}}
The world spins.

Light and music shimmer in the air, glittering off of crystal. While the other lunar courtiers dance in pairs she leads her sisters in one of the circle dances of the court of her birth. She learned the pattern of the dance almost as soon as she could walk and knows the steps like she knows her own body, could move through them like a whirlwind; instead she measures her steps to match the others. They move together in a ring of brilliant color revolving in the center of the ballroom, green to blue to red to gold to silver shining the brightest of all, smiling and laughing joyously to one another as they follow each other through the dance.

The world spins.

She's lost her shoes somewhere and her hair has come unbound, spilling heavy and windblown and wet over her shoulders and sticking to her skin. She doesn't care.  When the dark sky above roars with thunder she throws back her head and raises her hands to feel the rain splashing against her face, running down the bare skin of her arms. She can feel the lightning even before it cuts its dazzling arc through the sky and lights the black clouds with silver and purple; its energy hums beneath her skin. Her whole body feels alive with it.

The wind swirls around her and she whirls with it, glorying in the freedom of movement.

The world spins.

He's not committed to the lunge, she can see it the moment he moves. She dances away before he can connect, brushing around and behind him with a flurry of quick light steps. ''Too slow!'' She wags a teasing finger in the air. ''That's what comes of sitting and thinking for too long.'' 

She sees the look of indignant challenge spark in his eyes and she laughs, sparkling with anticipation. His blood's up now and she knows he'll make her work for it, but she's never shied away from the thought of taking a blow; she relishes the rush of exertion, the shock of impact, testing strength against strength.

She holds out a hand, beckons. ''Let's dance.''

The world spins.

Beside her, she can feel her sister begin to flag and without hesitation she releases the hands holding hers to either side and breaks the pattern of the dance. Turning towards the smaller girl, she catches her around the waist and lifts her off her feet, the slim body light as gossamer in her arms despite the weight of the power and wisdom she carries within. They whirl around together in a flutter of green and blue silks.

The world spins.

The roses hang wet and heavy with rain, their fragrance mingling with the scent of ozone in the air into something intoxicatingly magical. Her clothes are soaked and chilly on her skin but she's glowing with warmth, too flushed with adrenaline to care. 

There is no music. They dance to the drumbeat of the rain, the song of the wind and the thunder that rumbles across the sky. As they turn about she lets the momentum of it carry her, leans out and back and for one dizzy moment hangs suspended, muscles trembling with the effort of holding her body straight and poised, anchored only by the contact of her toes against the ground and the assurance of the warm hand clasping hers. Then he pulls her in and her fingertips just barely ruffle the crushed petals scattering the ground before she swings back to meet him and is caught by his arm around her waist, by the arm she slides around his shoulders until the heavy wet fall of his dark hair spills over her fingers.

Her smile is bright and fierce and breathless, glorying in motion.

The world spins.

Alone in her apartment, Makoto sinks to her knees on the carpeted floor as the vision breaks and leaves her gasping. Her hand is pressed over her heart and she can feel it thudding against her breastbone, still feel the lingering warmth of the memory of that incandescent joy. The shock of it against the strain that's coiled up in her conflicted heart is more than she can stand.

Alone in her apartment, Makoto wraps her arms around herself and sobs.