12/3: Late Night Training

Prompt: Strength

Setting: Post-Stars.

A/N: As always I use the name Sanjouin Masato, the same name Nephrite used when he was masquerading as a human in the 90s series as his human alias. I headcanon it was his real name before getting abducted by the Dark Kingdom in modern times.

O.O.O

The gym was empty save for one young woman. She wore boxing gloves and was working the heavy bag. Her punches made the bag swing wildly making it impossible to obtain a rhythm.

"Damn it!" Makoto roared as the bat again swung out of reach. "Stand still!"

"Need a hand?" A voice, asked from behind. Makoto turned to see Masato leaning against the gym entrance.

"What are you doing here?" Makoto spat, punching the heavy bag as it swung back into reach.

"Didn't you know? I enjoy going out ato 24 hour gyms at three in the morning hoping to find a hot warrior woman in training," Masato chuckled. He cleared his throat and straightened up when he noticed he hadn't made Makoto smile. "Mizuno-san mentioned you're been tired lately. You used to train at odd hours in the Silver Millenium when something was on your mind. So…here I am."

"Great," Makoto grunted before putting her fists up and turning back to the heavy bag. "Now leave."

"Here's an idea," Masato began as he moved towards the equipment rack. "Why don't I put on these boxing pads and give you a better target?"

Makoto froze, turned her head and gave Masato an expression reminiscent of 'Are you stupid?'

"Come on," Masato chided, holding the boxing pads. "If I don't block you well enough and you see an opening, you can take it."

Makoto glared at him before shrugging. "Fine," She lamented. "Get in the ring. Remember you asked for this."

Discarding his jacket and shirt, Masato fixed the boxing pads to his hands before entering the right. A second later, Makoto entered as well and took a guard stance.

"Fair warning," Makoto announced, a look of intensity in her eyes. "I don't hold back."

"You never do thunder girl," Masato managed to reply before Makoto attacked. He put his hands up in time to absorb two left tabs and a right while still staying on his feet. "Your form is good but you're putting anger behind each punch."

"Anger helps keep me focused," Makoto insisted, throwing an uppercut which Masato batted away with the boxing pads.

"Maybe but I think you've been using it too much," Masato replied, bobbing away to keep Makato on her feet. "It can blind you if you don't give in."

"I'm here to train not talk," Makoto roared, before launching a wild assault. Masato was barely able to protect his face in time.

"Look, if you are mad at me just tell me," Masato spelled out, finding it becoming increasingly difficult to keep up with Masato's punches. "Let me know you hate me and you don't want me around."

"I don't hate you!" Makoto shouted. "Not everything is about you!"

"Then where is this anger coming from," Masato asked as he pulled a fast one. He side stepped just in time as Makoto put her entire weight into a punch. It threw her off guard and caused her to tumble to the floor of the mat.

Getting to her knees, Makoto began pounding her glove fists on the boxing ring floor, roaring at the top of her lungs. After what seemed like an eternity, her voice died down, and she began panting in an attempt to regain proper breathing.

"Please," Masato began, bending down and giving Makoto a sad smile "Tell me what it is."

Makoto swallowed before admitting, "I'm supposed to be strong."

"You're one of the strongest people I know," Masato commented.

"Not strong enough to resist Galaxia's control," Makoto spelled out, slamming both fists on the floor again. "I attacked Usagi. I almost killed my best friend!

"I see," Masato sighed, realizing why Makoto had been pushing herself to the breaking point since the incident with the Galactic Cauldron. She had been wracked with guilt over the period where she was brainwashed and under the control of Sailor Galaxia. "Darkness has a way of bending others to its will. It plays on our desires and finds a way to twist us until we are shadows of our former selves."

"I looked down at you for so many years because I thought you just weren't strong enough to resist Beryl's controls," Makoto explained, turning towards Masato. Her tears were running down cheeks. "Now I know I shouldn't have…I'm so sorry."

"The rage you are feeling is normal," Masato reassured her, as he pulled off one of the boxing pads. He reached over and placed a hand on Makoto's shoulder. "All us guys felt it after we came back to this life. The rage and guilt can eat at you if you let it fester. But…I know you will do everything in your power to just show that a lone incident doesn't define you."

Touched by Masato's words, Makoto wrapped her arms around Masato's neck and the two tumbled together to the floor of the boxing ring. Masato held his crying strong girl as he finally let the tension festering in her heart from the guilt of being used by Sailor Galaxia. Once she had a good long cry, Makoto changed and allowed Masato to walk her home, holding hands along the way.

O.O.O

1 down and 6 to go. Makoto values strength and willpower and would be the one to carry a large amount of guilt for being used by Galaxia against Sailor Moon. Hopefully we will get an announcement of the North American release of Sailor Moon Cosmos sometime in early 2024 so we can all see it.

Reviews are love and they keep me going.