"It tore him apart, watching it tear her apart. Losing someone you love will do that to you. Destroying everything you were and then putting you back together in an unfeeling, messed up mockery of who you used to be, will do that to you.
"She knew the consequences when she fell in love with him. Knew that stylists and tributes were not supposed to fall in love. He knew that they couldn't have helped it, though. Their love was that strong.
"When they dragged him off, never to be heard from again, he steeled his resolve to make them answer what they'd done. He became a stylist, working, waiting, quietly hoping that his chance to get back at the Capitol would come.
"And it did. In the form of the District 12 tribute Katniss Everdeen. She had spirit; she had heart; she had the determination to be more than just another pawn in the hands of the Capitol emShe was the Girl on Fire./em
"Cinna made sure she burned. At first it was just a small rebellion- a refusal to put them in the typical coal miner outfits that District 12 tributes had been wearing for the past seventy-three years. It set them ablaze in the minds of the people. It mad them memorable.
"When they announced the plans for the Quarter Quell, he knew that her outfit needed to be something that would make her burn in people's hearts, not just their heads. Their outfits were genius. It showed the Capitol that they were a hundred times brighter and hotter than they were a year ago, but this time they were infinitely more untouchable. The President, the Capitol, and its citizens got the message.
"They stylist worked nonstop designing outfits for the Mockingjay. He knew that he would never get to see her in them, not after his next design, but Cinna knew in his heart that she would wear them.
"The wedding dress was selected by President Snow himself, but Cinna had reworked it into a message. A banner of hope to the districts. Katniss twirled in a cloud of smoke and flame. The Girl on Fire was truly on fire this time.
"As she was transformed from a blushing bride to the Mockingjay, Cinna couldn't help but hope that he had renewed some part of the dream. The dream to overthrow the Capitol. The dream of freedom. To the people in the Capitol it was merely a fashion statement- a brilliant design, one of Cinna's masterpieces- but to everyone else, it was open rebellion against the President.
When Cinna was dragged away before the start of the games, he said to the President and his pawns what he could not say to her. What she was not here to hear: "This is for you, Mother."
And so it was.