It had only been a few days, but Yuki figured if she was going to be an apprentice under the Makoto Kino, she figured she should at least introduce herself in her untransformed state. If she was lucky, maybe she could even get some training in today. When she entered the building, Yuki walked up to the front desk.

”Um, excuse me. I uh…well I came to the beginner lesson with Kino-sensei a few days back and she mentioned an apprenticeship. Do you know where I could find her?” She hoped this would work.

The trainer manning the desk looks up at Yuki and sizes her up. The trainer was one of the buff male types, wearing only a black tank top and gym shorts in spite of the frigid temperatures outside. A few crazy people were known to do that sort of thing, whether a show of manliness or the discomfort of thermal clothes.

"Ah, yeah, sensei said there might be a...special...student asking about apprenticeship but not to ask questions. Whatever, prying in Sensei's business has never ended well for anyone." he says cryptically, gesturing to the training room Yuki might be familiar with from yesterday.

"She's currently finishing up the Black-Belt training class, head right in." he says, then turning back to his fitness magazine unless Yuki had more to ask. If and when Yuki inevitably enters the training room, she would find a much different scene than the beginner's class yesterday. All the students were, wearing black or brown belts, sparring with each other at a frenzied pace that seemed like real life and death combat. The complex punches, kicks, throws, blocks, and evasions would look overwhelming at first to an outsider. Makoto herself would be sparring with two males and a female black belt at the same time, handling the three on one with a strong sense of superiority, catching one and throwing him across the room to land hard on the mat about ten feet away from where Yuki would enter. Upon noticing Yuki come in, Makoto straightens up and rolls back to disengage, as if she knew what Yuki was here for.

'Okay! Everyone, that's it for today! It's a little early I know, but I'll make up for it next time. I have some important business that requires my immediate attention." she calls out, as the room begins to subside and die down, the various students breaking off, gathering their things, and gradually leaving the room until Makoto and Yuki would be alone. Makoto walked over to her water bottle and picked it up taking a deep drink, to allow Yuki to approach and make the first comment.

Yuki wasn’t sure how she should respond the man’s comments and instead just nodded when he told her where Sensei was.

”Ah alright. Thank you,” she answered before turning away towards the training room. Upon entering, Yuki could immediately sense a complete difference in the atmosphere of the room compared to the beginner’s class. Both the intensity and the skill of the students were on a whole other level. Just watching Yuki could feel her blood stirring. She definitely wanted to learn how to fight like this.

Yuki felt a little guilty when her apparent presence seemed to cause the class to end early. Even so, she simply waited quietly against one of the walls until the class filed out. Afterwards, Yuki approached Makoto.

”Um excuse me Sensei. I don’t think we’ve officially met, but my name is Yuki Takamora. I was a student in your beginner class the other day and….er afterwards…” Yuki glanced around briefly, ”…after the event in the parking lot, you offered me an apprenticeship. I wanted to let you know my identity and that I would like to accept your offer and become your student.” Yuki then bowed. Although acting and speaking in such a formal way wasn’t her typical style, even she was aware of the moments in which it was important.

Makoto turns and looks at Yuki once she begins to speak, quietly listening to her when she introduces herself and then admits to her identity as the fire wielding warrior, keeping her bottle drink on before three seconds after she finishes talking, then she stops drinking the water and then sizing Yuki.

"Excellent...then I will take you on as my charge. I shall teach you how to use your flames of passion to elegantly beat down your enemy!" she says, making a slightly cheesy pose more to set a lighthearted mood as Makoto was known to do, before she then rubs the back of her head with a small chuckle.

"Okay then...well just so you are aware, what you saw in here moments ago...will pale in comparison to what you're going to go through. I think I need to make a special arena for your...unique capabilities...but I think we will start out with physical conditioning and technique before we try to integrate that into your combat routine. What I have in mind is seeing if you can possible use that ability in your hands with less windup time. I get the feeling it will be less potent than your natural method, but it will give you added flexibility....or that might be totally impossible...forgive me, I'm not used to teaching girls with special gifts like that and I am only guessing at what you can do.." Makoto says, then beginning to approach the door and opening it, calling out to the service desk.

'No interruptions for the next two hour!" she commands, then closing the doors and locking them, then closing and sealing all the blinds to protect privacy, before heading back into the middle of the room.

"So...first things first...does that outfit give you increased physical ability? Ah, well, I guess even if that's the case, I think if we strengthen your core body parameters first, then your skirt mode might be improved as well. I want you to sprint full force across the room back and forth at peak capacity until you can't move. Then rest for three minutes, and repeat. I want to gauge where your upper limit is." Makoto says, walking to her bag and getting a notepad out along with a pen.

When Makoto responded by telling Yuki she would instruct her how to elegantly beat down her enemies with flames of passion, Yuki looked up at her new teacher with starry eyes.

”Really? That’s so awesome, Sensei!” clearly Yuki didn’t think it was cheesy at all, but then again she had always been a fan of this sort of stuff. When Makoto mentioned that the previous training that had gone on in this room would pale in comparison to Yuki’s training, the girl gave a hesitant look before nodding. As the other talked about using her fire abilities with her hands though, Yuki got excited.

”No that’s an awesome idea…flaming punches along with flaming kicks, how cool!” She started punching the air, trying to visualize such an attack. ”I’m sure I could try and figure out some way to do it.”

When Makoto mentioned ‘skirt mode’ though, Yuki’s tone sounded somewhat more dejected.

”Ah well I think it does…however I would agree in that it would likely augment any skills or abilities I develop in normal mode.” Yuki nodded when Makoto instructed her to do sprints, putting down her sport’s bag and removing her sweats. She was a trained athlete after all, so she was at least confident when it came to exercises such as these.

After doing a brief stretch, Yuki walked over to one side of the room. She braced herself by bending down and placing her hands on the floor, and after a sharp intake of breath, Yuki shot off sprinting towards the other side of the room as fast as she could. When she reached the other side thanks to her training in soccer, Yuki managed to make a sharp pivot with one hand on the floor before continuing in the opposite direction. She repeated this a fair number of times with decent speed before reaching her limit, forcing herself to make one last spring before falling over on her back when she reached the wall, panting for air.

"Well...I still need to find the 'How to Train Mystical Children in Martial Arts' handbook, but yeah, we'll hopefully figure something out. I wonder if you can apply the concept of Chi to your energy..." Makoto says, rubbing the back of her head with an unsure laugh. To Makoto this would be one of her greatest challenges to date, since training a magical child was unheard of. Yet Makoto felt it was the right thing to do, that Yuki could do something that few could.

When Yuki went through her sprinting, Makoto noted carefully that she had some stamina training, likely as a result of the Soccer training though Makoto didn't know much about her experience in Soccer. She had good reaction time on changing direction, and her overall stamina was well above average, though there was room for growth. When Yuki fell over and started panting, Makoto calmly walked over.

"Okay, now that your blood is pumping, let's begin. I want you to try to knock me off my feet. You can use sweeping techniques or other things as you see fit, but I want to see how you think on the fly in a combat situation. Everyone has a natural tendency to one style or another, and to figure out yours will help me guide your training.." Makoto says, taking a defensive pose.

"Naturally I will try to defend myself, which hopefully will be close to the monsters that you go up against." she says with a small chuckle, making light of the fact some people considered her a monster by comparison.

Yuki nodded when Makoto gave the instructions to try and knock her off the feet. She had a fair amount of doubt as to whether or not she could actually accomplish that, but just like in sports, when the coach gave the command an athlete followed through without question.

”Alright, here I come,” she answered as she stood up. She studied Makoto quickly, trying to determine what to do. She then took a step forward before lowering herself to do a quick sweeping kick to try and take Makoto down, yelling out as she did so.

As Yuki lunged out with her sweep, Makoto grabbed her ankle with one hand around her ankle and the other around her knee. Makoto looks at Yuki slightly evily as she leans in a little, holding the smaller girl firmly.

"Yuki, you need to approach your opponent in ways that challenge their thinking. To do the most basic attack only works on the most basic enemies, and the Covenant creatures that you go against will be far from that. If I wanted to, I could snap your ankle, or throw you full force into the wall. With the raw amount of strength I could also throw you in a 180 degree spin and into the ground behind me, landing erratically in the worst case scenario snapping your neck." she says, as she then releases the grip and then takes a step back to allow Yuki to have breathing room.

"So think of something non-conventional, and try it. When you have the basic thinking of how to think non-conventionally on the fly, then you will be able to apply practiced technique just as quickly. This is far more valuable than raw strength or skill in how to grapple, punch, or kick."

A look of panic swept through Yuki when Makoto managed to grab her ankle. Instantly she was trapped, for there was no way she could try and move to get out of this position without upsetting her own balance.

”Right…” she muttered. It was never exactly comfortable listening to all the ways somebody could break you while holding you in a compromising position. Yuki quickly took a few steps back after she was released.

”Something non-conventional…” Yuki scratched the back of her head trying to think. To be honest she really just thought she needed to learn some sort of proper fighting form…she had already done the whole making it up as you go thing. But then again Sensei probably knew what she was talking about, more so than Yuki anyway.

”Alright….here I come then.” Well even if she didn’t know much proper fighting technique, she might as well put her athleticism to good use. Yuki took a few steps back for charging forward towards Makoto. Before she reached the other however she leaped forward pressing her hands to the ground to preform a somewhat front hand spring flip, Yuki then used her strength and momentum to launched herself, body facing the ceiling and feet first, at her sensei who was now only 2 or 3 feet away.

Well she did say unconventional.

Makoto couldn't help but to be amazed at Yuki's sudden burst of energy and creativity in making her attack. It looked like something from a kung-fu movie, but the way Yuki executed the move was almost flawless. There were certainly some things that may be able to be improved from such a kick and move, but that would just be a matter of effort.

Of course...distraction leads to poor defense.

Yuki's rolling kick lands squarely on Makoto's lower chest. She is lifted and launched off the ground a couple of feet before she falls on her back, dazed for a moment. She blinks, then hops up and laughs nervously.

"I MEANT to do that! I totally wasn't distracted by the fact that I was thinking on the best way to train you while trainig you...."

Yuki would likely see through the boast.

She then rubs her neck and back before blinking.

"Okay, so that was good. It rewards a sudden burst of energy and movement when your opponent is underestimating you. Monsters I imagine won't see enough out of humans to consider them a threat, so that works to your favor." she says with a bit of a drawn out nervous laugh.

"...I also showed you why letting your mind wander is a bad idea when you are in a combat situation?' she says as she walks to one of the wall mats and pulls on a handle, showing a storage room built into the side. She enters and rummages through, if Yuki looks she would see a large, unorganized pile of supplies.

Makoto walks back out carrying a pair of cinder blocks, and sits them down on the mats flat, before going back in and rummaging again for a bit. The sound of rustling could be heard along with an uncharacteristic squeak that might have come from a stuffed animal, before she comes out with a pair of two by four boards, laying them on the cinder blocks flatly.

"Okay, so let's start with focusing all of your ability into a single strike. In order to win a match or defensive fight, you can't just toy around with your opponent. You need to be capable of while under stress finding a target, mentally preparing a technique, and executing it while handling whatever your opponent is trying to throw your way. Most people who try to hit a board like a martial arts movie end up hurting themselves...but if you focus all of your energy into the one quick strike." Makoto says, abruptly lunging and plunging her fist through the board which causes the material to shatter and break into two halves with a number of splinters littering the mat below.

"I've seen a few news reports of footage from battles in the United States and elsewhere, where bullets just bounce off their armored bodies and they can withstand things that would kill any one of us easily. Naturally, you need to be able to strike hard enough to get past those defenses and do real damage. Some call this ability of strengthening your attacks past what people consider normal 'chi'. It is a belief system, you certainly can't shoot beams of energy out from your body like anime might suggest..." she says, then rubbing her head nervously.

"...Well, I suppose I could believe it if that happened for you...since you can you know shoot fireballs out of your feet..." she admits with a slight laugh.

"But...the expression mind over matter holds true in a lot of cases. Many people operate at far below what their body is capable of. I was able to knock down that ogre looking thing not because my strength rivaled it's own, but because I knew how to use it and had the spirit and will to defend others. You can apply this technique yourself with enough practice, such as breaking a board." she says, then placing another plank on the cinder blocks.

"Of course...be sure you use a straight punch. If you angle it wrong, then it can cause more harm to you than the board." she says, then pausing and waiting for either Yuki's results or questions.

To be honest, Yuki wasn’t actually sure if her attack would work, so she hadn’t actually thought of a way to land back on her feet and instead tumbled to the ground after her attack landed. Regardless, her face broke out into a huge grin when she realized that she had managed to knock down the Makoto Kino.

”Thanks….I saw that move in a movie once,” Yuki responded as she stood back up. She watched as Makoto retrieved what appeared to be some cinderblocks and wooden boards, suddenly hesitant again on where this was going to go. Yuki was very impressed as she watched her sensei break through the board.

”Well it’s true that these covenant monsters can be pretty tough but….” Yuki trailed off when she noticed Makoto putting another board up…meaning it was going to be her turn.

”Right….straight punch.” It was pretty easy to tell she wasn’t too sure about this one. Yuki tried to reason in her head that it was just one board….she could do this. Slowly she walked up to where Makoto had stood, placing her right fist against the wood so as to make sure she would hit it at the right angle. Then a few seconds ticked by.

Eventually Yuki took a deep breath. She had to do this now otherwise she would psyche herself out. With a yell, Yuki pulled back her fist and brought it down on the 2 by 4. She managed to make it crack…but not break.

”Ouch….” Yuki spoke, rubbing the back of her hand. She wasn’t seriously injured, but it did still hurt. Looking at the cracked board, she frowned.

”That’s harder than it looks….”

As Makoto watched Yuki take her time to prepare and ready herself for her attack on the board, Makoto crossed her arms under her chest patiently watching her pupil prepare her attack. This wasn't any good, she was over thinking it and not letting her natural energy of the body guide her. As she struck and she only cracked the bored, Makoto shook her head.

"You thought about it too much, you have to channel your fighter's spirit and let your instinct guide you." Makoto says, as she removes the weakened bored and puts it to a side, as she goes back into her storage to get another board, a ball rolling out onto the floor in the process, and she puts another board on.

"Try again, and channel whatever feelings you have when you are in your...uh...other state?" she stammers a little bit nervously with a chuckle before she steps back.

Yuki would feel a sensation of heat beginning to grow within herself, as a latent energy begins to awaken. Vigor and vitality would begin to feel her essence, and Yuki might see a self-visualization of herself with a strange pair of gloves on emblazoned with a mars symbol upon them. It was as if she could call for them, but she needed a little more.

Yuki gave a defeated sigh as Makoto went to get another board.

”Channel what I’m feeling….?” The statement caused Yuki to think for a moment. She had actually never stopped to think about what transforming into Sailor Mars actually felt like, she was usually too caught up in the moment of defeating some monster to even be aware of it. Now however she tried to think back….and could remember the feeling of heat and flame….power and passion. Without out even realizing what she was doing, Yuki felt power surge….not just to her feet this time but to her hands as she envisioned white gloves on her hands. Moving almost instinctively, in one fluid movement, Yuki stepped forward as she raised her right fist, plunging it downward through the board without hesitation, causing the wood to break off with bits flying off as she did so.

Almost as if she was coming out of a trance, Yuki blinked a few times staring at the broken board. Slowly the confusion on her face turned into a proud grin.

”Sensei! I did it!” she exclaimed, clearly excited about the accomplishment.

"Good! Now you are able to feel what it means to tap into your inner energy at will. You will get used to it in time, and you'll be able to do things like punch through walls in no time." Makoto says with a warm, cheerful smile as she then approaches Yuki...

...the next several hours would be spent in intense training, with Yuki receiving an accelerated course on form, punching and kicking techniques, and endurance training. The intensity of the session might be equitable to whatever the harshest, more grueling day in Yuki's soccer practice ever was.

At the very end of it, when Yuki finally reaches her end of stamina, Makoto then breathes hard, and walks to a cooler, pulling out a pair of water bottles, putting the second down on the cooler while drinking the first herself. In spite of the intensity, Makoto barely has broken a sweat.