Notes: Episode 147, "The Fated Partner! Makoto's Innocence". Or, "The one with the dance and Mako's heart mirror."

Episode 147

It was Rei who had pulled Minako out into the rain.

"Hair! Wet hair!" Minako squealed, throwing her hands over her head in a futile effort to stave off the downpour.

Rolling her eyes, Rei grabbed Minako's hand and twirled her, much to the delight of their audience. "Senshi of love and VANITY."

"Hey, when you've got all this going for you?" Minako spun herself in, ending with her back to Rei's front. "It's not vanity, it's TRUTH."

Usagi clapped from the dry safety of the covered walkway. "You tell her, Minako-chan!"

"Our princess agrees with me," Minako told Rei, shrugging.

Rei pushed Minako away, turning her so that they were again facing each other. "Our princess is an idiot."

The clapping stopped. "Hey!" Ami patted Usagi's shoulder comfortingly.

They both ignored her. Minako seized Rei's other hand and began her particular flavour of "dance". The absence of music could only account for lack of rhythm so far, but wisely, no one mentioned anything about this detriment to aspiring pop idols.

"You're the one who said you'd never danced in the rain," Rei pointed out. She barely flinched when Minako deliberately hopped into a puddle, drenching them both "I hadn't either. Now we have. You're not as cute as who I'd like, but—"

Minako laughed and flapped her and Rei's joined hands around like their arms were wet noodles. "Oh please, you'll never do better than me."

"My turn!" Usagi exclaimed, popping up between them and causing both girls to yelp. She shook her head like a puppy, sending water in all directions.

In retaliation, Rei seized Usagi and dipped her low, barely inches off the ground, and grinned at the accompanying shrieks of laughter.

Ami smiled at her friend's antics – Usagi was cheering for Rei to do it again while Minako protested Usagi going twice in a row – and lowered herself to the ground next to Makoto.

The moon was full and it provided just enough light to see Mako's wistful smile, the same that she'd been wearing since Ami and the others had shown up about an hour ago.

"Having fun?" Ami asked.

Her voice drew Mako from her reverie, and she turned away from the spectacle in the rain. "Yeah. It's really sweet of you all to be here. I'm sorry I—"

Ami shook her head. "No apologizing. You promised."

"Sorry," Mako apologized again, immediately wincing, but Ami's giggle enticed a smile, and she let it go. "I'm glad you're here."

"Me too," agreed Ami, shivering slightly. Despite the warmth of the summer night, the cool rain was rapidly dropping the temperature, and the damp pavement was doing a superb job of leeching away the rest of the heat.

An arm slipped around Ami's shoulders and Mako pulled the smaller girl close. "You guys are the best, you know."

"That's factually true." Mako leaned back to look at Ami's face, which was completely serious as she explained, "I ran the data through my computer. The result confirmed that we are indeed the best."

Mako opened her mouth to say something, and then closed it. Her expression became one of the deepest thought as she puzzled over this new information. It was so like any time Mako needed help on a new math concept that Ami couldn't help but laugh.

That was the clue Mako was waiting for. "You're playing with me, aren't you?" she asked with a good-natured accusing glare.

"Maybe a little," Ami admitted between giggles.

As the moment stretched, they watched their friends. Usagi grasped one of Rei's hands and one of Minako's, and had somehow convinced them both to dance with her at the same time. It was mostly a mass of unmet expectations and flailing limbs.

"Do you think I'm being stupid?" Mako asked in a quiet voice.

"I think …" Ami paused, searching for the best words. "I think you're following your dream, and that you're very brave."

Makoto considered this for a long moment as she squeezed Ami's arm in a half-hug. Ami leaned into Mako's shoulder and closed her eyes. The rain was falling, her friends were laughing, her behind was frozen, and Mako was warm. She wasn't sure she'd ever felt more content.

"Hey," Mako said, and her voice rumbled pleasantly in Ami's ear. "Have you ever danced in the rain?"

"I haven't."

"Well then." Mako gently pulled away and stood, using the wall for leverage. She straightened her dress before offering her hand to Ami. "Can I ask you for a dance?"

Ami accepted and was easily hauled to her feet. She welcomed the raindrops that splashed on her head as Mako twirled her under her the moon.