Chapter Five: Rest & Confrontations
[Author's Note at End of Chapter]

Sapphira sat on a rock that was a makeshift seat as she did one half of her hair into a braid as Kiina finished up bandaging her wounds up.

The amount of wounds on the bluette's person made Kiina have to wrap her entire upper body in bandages which Sapphira had to take her tanktop and bra off for. Thankfully for the bluette, Kiina was more respectful of her privacy of that and had offered Sapphira a towel to cover her chest while she bandaged the wounds.

Sapphira had taken her bun down when Kiina went to grab the bandages after putting homemade ointments on the wounds and after waiting for her to get done she decided to put her hair into twin braids. Sapphira wasn't even halfway done with her braid before Kiina tapped her head.

"I'm done wrapping the bandages." She said as she got up to put away the medical supplies. Sapphira sighed in relief as she grabbed her bra and quickly put that back on then did the same with her tank top. As she adjusted her tank top she noticed Kiina grab her unfinished braid and continued it.

Sapphira raised a brow at that, "What are you doing?" She asked her. "Hey can't leave a braid unfinished." Kiina said, Sapphira began to braid the other half of her hair.

When the two had arrived to the temporary barracks room Kiina was residing in the said Glatorian gave Sapphira some time to relax before patching up her back to shed herself of her upper armor of her chest plate, gauntlets and helmet leaving the Glatorian in a black sleeveless crop top than the usual long sleeve to cope with the armor showing various tattoos on her skin and the metal joints on her elbows and the ones replacing her hands normal flesh.

The various tattoos all varied from each other, on her left shoulder was a blue circle with spikes at the 'corners' of it like the points a star would have (Kiina roughly explained it was a tattoo every Glatorian would get when they enter the arena as an official mark of their fighting to their village, each color depending on the village), on her right upper arm was an almost band design that went around her upper arm, on the left inner forearm was a lilac infinity symbol, Kiina also mentioned she had a tattoo by her knee of a green butterfly.

"I honestly didn't expect you to have sudden turn of anger at was Strakk said." Sapphira told her making Kiina raise a brow trying to think back of it before she realized. "Oh yeah, well I'm pretty sure you would be the same if someone called your partner a toy." "Ehhh not really considering I've never really seen myself for a relationship?" Kiina blinked in surprise at that, "Aromatic?" She asked the bluette. "Nah just never saw myself attractive enough for one." Sapphira explained eating a quiet almost drawn out 'oh' making Sapphira laugh a bit.

"So what's this Gresh like then?" She asked the Glatorian as the two continued the braid royal blue locks of hair. Kiina pursued her lips as she tried to think of a way to describe her boyfriend, "Well he's super caring, like almost to a fault, like I swear his heart is more pure gold than Mata Nui's armor entirely." Kiina began, focused on braiding the hair in her metal replacement hands.

"Despite the amount of times it's nearly got him killed he's still held high of a belief every life is important. He's also a Glatorian as well but for Tesara, a second Glatorian like me and he's good too. Like if he put more effort and time people think he could be good as Ackar," she explained. Sapphira raised a golden brow at her, "And you don't?" She asked the Glatorian who sighed.

"Gresh doesn't want that, if anything," Kiina paused at that, "If anything he wants to live life without having to fight all the time and I don't blame him." She explained, "There's gotta be more than to this miserable wasteland, so much more out there than a world where we all have to constantly have to fight to survive and struggle with resources." "Another reason why you want to leave this place and your family?" Sapphira asked her.

Kiina scoffed at that, "My grandparents could care less about my existence considering their unreasoned and bullshit hatred for Glatorian since day one and practically disowned my mother for marrying a Glatorian and me having more Glatorian genetics than Agori." She ranted in irration like it was an argument too familiar to the water Glatorian.

"And your parents?" Kiina paused at that making Sapphira internally panic a bit.

Sapphira immediately got worried, before she could apologize for the question though, "Bara Magna wasn't always like this..." Kiina began to explain as she continued to braid the locks of Sapphira's royal blue hair. "It used to be easier to live here, we didn't have to scrape by resources and have the Glatorian fights be the only thing holding us by." She explained as she finished the braid and tied it off with a blue ribbon she had brought back to hold it together.

"But then there was The War of the Core as the elders always called it, my dad had an old injury that prevented him from being in the fights but..." Kiina trailed off with a sigh. "I was either nine or ten when my old village was attacked, I was one of the few survivors. My parents weren't so lucky... I still remember when the Lord of Water had to dig me out of the rubble when he heard me still alive..." Kiina admitted making Sapphira's heart fall.

Both girls had finished the braids, which allowed Sapphira to hug the Glatorian making Kiina freeze in surprise. "If it helps to know, I lost my parents too when I was little." Sapphira admitted. She didn't know why she was being so open to Kiina, her more logical side of her brain wanted to wait to tell but another side of her brain was okay with it.

Kiina slowly hugged Sapphira back as she carefully buried her face in the bluette's shoulder with the bandages. Sapphira patted Kiina's back as the two just hugged in silence, it felt actually good to Kiina to talk about her parents for once, probably from the weight leaving her shoulders even if it was for a small bit of time.

Kiina broke the hug making Sapphira do the same. "We should get back to the boys, I do not trust Ackar with his cooking skills to not start a fire." Kiina said making Sapphira snort in laughter as she grabbed her hoodie and tied it around her hips while she stood up. "He's that bad of a cook?" She asked making Kiina roll her eyes. "Understatement of the year with that, guy's good at a lot of things, cooking is far being one of them." She said making Sapphira laugh as she followed Kiina back to Ackar's 'home'. The two talked of small topics as they walked, which wasn't a long walk either.

The two came back to see Mata Nui and Ackar talking. "Glad to see you know how bad your cooking is Ackar to even not try." Kiina said making the said fire Glatorian roll his eyes. "Haha very funny Kiina." He said sarcastically as Mata Nui chuckled a bit at them. Sapphira couldn't help but giggle herself at that. She could hear Click give small clicks in a similar pattern of laughter from Mata Nui's shoulder. Mata Nui just gave the Scarabax Beetle a small pet on his head at that as he smiled at the Scarabax Beetle.

"You know I'm right." Kiina said in a singsong tone making Ackar shake his head with a sigh while the two walked off to another room. Sapphira snorted as she sat down next to Mata Nui.

"How are you holding up?" The said golden bot asked her, "Eh I'll be fine, they weren't that bad injuries anyway." Sapphira told him, fiddling with a bandage on her arm. Her arms, shoulders and torso were separate, from her wrists to bellow her shoulders of her arm bandages, her shoulders on their own along with her arm pits a bit, and from her hips to her neck just before they reached her collarbone to allow more movement with the bandages. Mata Nui lowered his gaze that said 'you think they weren't that bad as they were' making Sapphira sigh at that.

"They didn't hurt." Mata Nui didn't budge at that remembering how Sapphira winced when Kiina touched a bruise. Sapphira sighed, "Okay I'll shut up on that now at least they got patched up." She caved making Mata Nui back off, "Indeed." He agreed with the bluette.

"May I ask," Mata began as Sapphira looked at him, "What did you do when you kicked Strakk?" He asked her, curious how a kick caused him to wince and cringe in pain as he did. "Oh you mean his Solar Plexus? Yeah it's a spot in the torso of a bundle of nerves." Sapphira explained to him as easily for him to understand as she could before she got an idea.

"Here I'll show ya'." She said as she leaned closer to Mata. "W-What-" Sapphira stayed in her actual seat as she let her eyes trail for what would be their equivalent of the area of the Solar Plexus before her eyes caught a glowing golden yellow flawless like glass stone in his chest where his heart would be that glowed dimmer than brighter with his heartbeat, though it would briefly swap between the golden yellow to a similar aqua blue like his eyes and back.

"What is that stone?" She asked him, curious as to what it was. Mata swallowed the lump in his throat before answering, "It is my Heartstone." He told her, a soft pink blush on his face that peeked through his mask a bit to his dismay. "If it's your version of your heart why is it so vulnerable to attacks and not shielded in some way with your armor?" Sapphira asked him, still staring at Heartstone as it beated faster with Mata's fluster.

"If I am honest, I have no idea myself." He admitted which in turn made Sapphira snort as she went back to looking for the area before she spotted it. "The Solar Plexus is basically this." Without a warning, Sapphira pressed her index and middle finger of her right hand into Mata's Solar Plexus of a pressure added on the bundle of nerves which made the golden bot shiver at the weird feeling.

"Feels weird huh?" Sapphira asked him amusedly as she sat back up and away from Mata's personal space who the said golden bot rubbed the area with his palm. "Wouldn't it be the same for you?" He asked her sarcastically making Sapphira snort as she replied with a 'true' before she held a hand to Click.

The Scarabax Beetle was a bit hesitant before he leaned into the woman's fingers who in return began to carefully pet him with her fingers.

"I really don't understand why the others don't like you." Sapphira wondered aloud. "I believe it's the Glatorian and Agori's version of a 'vermin animal' which I do not dislike." Mata Nui said, watching as Click soaked in the affection Sapphira gave him. Sapphira shrugged her shoulders at that, "Eh probably, but he looks cool though." She said as she kept petting Click.

The said Scarabax Beetle suddenly jumped onto Sapphira's arm and immediately went to her shoulder making the bluette laugh as she withdrew her hand from Mata Nui. "Easy buddy, I don't want you to get stuck in my hair." Sapphira said with a slight laugh as she tried to remove Click from her shoulder without letting him get caught in her hair of her braids.

The Scarabax Beetle finally allowed her to hold him in the palm of her left hand as she petted him with her right hands fingertips. Click suddenly leaned back too far with the touch and landed on back allowing Sapphira to pet his stomach area which caused the Scarabax Beetle to immediately 'nibble' his pinchers at her fingers.

Sapphira laughed as she stopped petting his belly, "Okay okay, you don't like anyone touching your belly got it." She said in amusement as Click got back upright and allowed Sapphira to pet him again.

Mata Nui couldn't help but watch the two with a small smile painting his lips. With his limited memories he remembered he loved all animals or by the name 'Rahi' he remembered, with all of his Heartstone and honestly didn't expect anyone else to be the same.

"GET OUT OF THE KITCHEN!" "IT'S MY HOUSE!" Immediately Sapphira and Mata looked as Ackar came running out of the room he and Kiina went in with his hands on his head soon followed by Kiina who had a wooden spoon in her hand holding it like a weapon.

"Do we wanna know?" Sapphira asked the two as Click went from her hand to her shoulder as she moved her braids back. Kiina crossed her arms over her chest, "Ask Ackar when he knows if he even TRIES to cook he'll start a fire." She said in a stressed tone.

"Just his presence can cause one I swear." She said before she walked back into the kitchen. The statement alone made Sapphira and Mata laugh quietly at that, while Ackar sighed as he lowered his hands from his head. He rose a brow as he noticed Click on Sapphira's shoulder, "Why is Click on your shoulder?" He asked her.

Sapphira gave the Scarabax Beetle a glance before looking back at the fire Glatorian. "Why, jealous that a Scarabax is getting more attention than you?" Mata Nui bit his lower lip as he stifled his laugh at that before he broke out into a roar of laughter while holding his stomach, while Ackar lowered his gaze with a slight pink blush peeking through from under his helmet as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Very funny." He said as he went to sit down.

Mata calmed down from his laughter with noticeable tears in the corners of his eyes which he immediately wiped away. Sapphira gave an unladylike snort as she petted Click a bit making the Scarabax Beetle lean into her touch once again. "I kinda hoped that it wasn't as many as it looked like honestly." Ackar said making Sapphira stop petting Click to look at him.

Sapphira sighed when she realized he meant the bandages, "Believe me, I thought the same. At least I can move my arms freely." She said as she moved her arms for emphasis then let Click go back to Mata Nui.

Ackar snorted quietly at that, "What fights had you been in to cause all that anyway?" Sapphira paused from fiddling her braids at that. She sighed, "I wish they were from fights honestly instead of what they really were." She admitted as she let go of her braids and rubbed her left arm.

Ackar rose a brow at that in confusion before his shoulders slumped as he realized. "Ohh..." He quietly said. Mata Nui couldn't help but stare at the bandages at that, who would hurt someone for their own entertainment of another's suffering, let alone find it enjoyable in any way?

Kiina poked her head in and noticed the uneasy feeling in the room. "Do I wanna know what's giving me this place bad vibes?" She asked making the three look at her. "I'm not sure myself." Sapphira shrugged as she then messed with her braids again. Kiina sighed as she muttered an 'okay then' before she spoke again normally. "Almost done cooking, just to let ya' know." She said as she then poked back into the kitchen.

Sapphira couldn't help but let a quiet snort out at that. Mata looked at her for that, "What is funny?" He asked her confused. Sapphira waved him off, "Nothing, I just got a broken sense of humor is all." Mata Nui wanted to ask more of it but quickly decided against it feeling it was better to not ask.

Sapphira got off her seat and entered the kitchen. "Do not hit me with a spoon Kiina, I'm just here to help, I actually know how to cook." Ackar chuckled a bit at that as he shook his head.

Ackar looked at Mata Nui who was staring at the doorway Sapphira went into. "What wanna help them?" He asked them making Mata Nui look at him as he blinked back to reality.

He shook his head, "No, it's not that," He said before he sighed while looking at his palms. "Something about Sapphira is so familiar to me, but I can't remember what it is even if my life depended on it." He admitted, still looking at his palms. Ackar raised a brow at that, "Why don't you ask her about it?" He asked the golden bot.

Mata sighed at that, "It seems she doesn't remember either, though she does have more memories than I do..." Mata Nui said, still looking at his palms. Any attempts he had to remember anything he didn't already know before he arrived was always met with the same results, nothing.

Ackar thought on his next words before he spoke again, "What do you remember then?" He asked, worried how bad the amnesia was. Mata Nui thought to himself for a moment before he answered. "All I remember is my name, my people are in danger and that someone sacrificed their life to save me." Mata admitted, his mind flashing an image in his head of a snow white warrior different looking that Strakk.

Ackar fell silent at that, Mata Nui must've been someone important in some way if someone had sacrificed their own life to save him.

Suddenly Sapphira poked her head back into the room. "Yo boys, dinner is ready." She said gaining the two's attentions to her as she spoke. "Great I'm starving." Ackar said as he stood up, Mata Nui hummed in agreement with him as he also stood up. Sapphira rolled her eyes with a snort as she said 'come on' while walking back into the kitchen with the two behind her.

Sapphira pulled her twin braids into a ponytail while they were still braided as she sat on a rock outside. A common theme she did before she even tried to sleep was stargaze to help ease her mind, though she did often have to sneak out of the house to get some decent amount of stars to see but it all took on Bara Magna was to step outside of a cave home to see the stars.

Even with the smoke from the volcanic crater of the village, you could see the endless abyss of space of countless galaxies, nebula clouds, other planets, the countless stars and the two moons of Bara Magna.

Sapphira couldn't help but admire the sky above her, even snapping some photos with her phone to easily capture it. Though despite the star gazing, Sapphira's thoughts were still heavily crowded that even attempting to sleep would be in vain.

The bluette let out a sigh as she closed her eyes as the wind blew a bit, which with the sudden sharp temperature drop from the high temperatures of the planet was surprising but a welcomed thing to Sapphira.

Sapphira heard someone clear their throat making her look behind her seeing Mata Nui. "Hey." She greeted him with a smile. Mata smiled softly himself, "Hello. May I sit with you?" He asked her. "Sure, I think I could use the company." Sapphira said, looking back at the sky as Mata Nui walked over and sat down next to Sapphira.

"May I ask, why are you out here?" He asked her, breaking the silence after a bit. "Eh I like watching the stars a bit before I attempt to sleep. Usually helps clear my head enough so I can sleep." Sapphira told him, smiling up at the starry sky. Mata Nui looked at Sapphira noticing how the stars were reflecting in her eyes. "But they aren't this time?" He asked her, making Sapphira sigh. "Is it that obvious?" She asked him, slightly joking to hopefully ease a slightly awkward mood.

Sapphira sighed, "There's way too much on my mind honestly. Guess the stars aren't pittying me this time." She said then joked at the end. Mata gave a short chuckle at that though so it was enough for Sapphira.

"Since, both you and Kiina are so familiar to me but I can't remember for the death of me." Sapphira said as she focused her attention back at the sky. "All I know about it is that it's something before I lost my parents." Sapphira admitted, suddenly shooting her head down to her lap as she thought back. She still remembered that day clearly to her dismay.

She woke up from a nap one afternoon to find the butchered bodies of her parents. After attempting to shake them awake she went outside and with the blood on her it was enough to gain the attention of some neighbors, saying how her 'mommy and daddy wouldn't wake up'. Every time she thought back to that she felt so dumb. Sure she was a child back then but she still hated how younger her had the small hope her parents were only sleeping. Hell her mother had her vocal cords cut out and in her hand and her father was missing an eye.

Sapphira jumped suddenly as she was brought back from her thoughts when Mata Nui placed a hand on her right shoulder.

The bluette caught her breath from the sudden startle. "I do apologize for the loss of your parents Sapphira." Mata Nui said to her, "Though I will admit, the mention of it, feels familiar in a sense with my, amnesia as Ackar says it called." He admitted, a little embarrassed at it. Sapphira patted his hand with a small smile.

"Thanks, it still hurts knowing they're gone. But unfortunately after their deaths a lot of my memories before they were killed just don't wanna show themselves to me." Sapphira said as she pulled her knees to her chest.

Mata Nui hummed in response, not wanting to push her further. "Hey," The golden bot immediately looked at Sapphira. "Doesn't mean I wanna stop talking, it's actually helping ease my thoughts if I'm honest." Sapphira admitted with a slight cheeky smile. Mata Nui chuckled at that. "Fair enough." He agreed with a small smile gracing his lips.

Sapphira sat in front of Ackar who looking over her bandages in case Kiina missed something. "Wow I thought you would have more hope in Kiina's skills." Sapphira joked making Ackar deadpan at that. "Haha, very funny kid." The Veteran Glatorian said sarcastically as he rolled his eyes.

Ackar had his chest plate and gauntlets off and in their place was a loose fitting shirt while his helmet was off showing deep ginger hair with streaks of golden blonde that was in a slight military shaved undercut with some locks from his bangs fell in his face. "And no, seeing all those injuries I wanted sooth my own nerves and make sure everything is patched up." Ackar told her as he brushed his bangs back.

"Lucky for me those normally happen on my upper body." Sapphira mused dryly as a joke making Ackar roll his eyes in amusement.

Sapphira thought a bit something she wanted to ask. "Hey Ackar?" The said Veteran Glatorian hummed as a yes. "I was curious from hearing it briefly from Kiina but, what was the War of the Core?" Ackar paused a bit from the question before sighing.

"The War of the Core was started by our old rulers, The Elemental Lords." Ackar began as he grabbed the cup of water he had on a table and sat down, Sapphira stayed sitting on the floor as she pulled her knees to her chest and rested her chin on her knees while listening carefully.

"Honestly they were real shit, The Great Beings, the ones who created the lords to watch us, could care less on what happened. Anyway, the village of ice discovered something super powerful, it was like a liquid like metal that could both change someone or something super powered wise or otherwise destroy them entirely." Ackar continued as he looked briefly at Sapphira noticing how sucked into his story making him crack a small smile.

"The Elemental Lords fought over it like it was the greatest prize and literally started wars over it. All the villages were at war over this stuff. The Great Beings noticed it and on closer inspection, they realized it came from the core of the planet itself. They tried to intervene on the fighting but the Elemental Lords refused to listen." Ackar said as he looked at the water inside his cup before closing his eyes.

"One day though, something happened. I remember that part of the war, when I took my father's place in it only a few days after he died in battle. There was so many tremors, and then after the last one, the entire planet with some lucky patch places spared, became a desert wasteland. The Great Beings were nowhere to be found and the Elemental Lords went into hiding when the villages rebelled against them for throwing us in this mess in the first place." Ackar finished, his shoulders shaking a bit at the memories.

"I hated it," Sapphira perked up at that. "How the Great Beings didn't even keep trying to step in to stop it, how the Elemental Lords literally fought so much the planet practically died due to how power hungry they were." Ackar ranted, his grip on his cup tightening as steam came from the liquid inside.

Immediately Sapphira sprung to her feet and was at his side, "Dude your water is boiling away." Ackar yelped and put the cup down immediately at that as he realized what happened. Sapphira had a cloud of frost around her right hand as she poked the steam cloud and it immediately cooled and turned into a blob of ice she caught in her hands.

Ackar was surprised by what Sapphira did but sighed soon enough. "I hate when that happens." He muttered under his breath while Sapphira shifted the ice blocks shape to fit in the cup. "How long you've been able to do that?" Sapphira asked him curiously. Ackar shrugged as the aura of heat slowly left his hands like his rage, "Eh about a week now. Came out of nowhere honestly and I've just been trying to keep it on the downlow while working on it." He admitted making Sapphira look at him at that.

"What progress on its control did you get so far?" The got Ackar's surprise at that but he quickly brushed it off. "Well this so far." Ackar raised his hand up a bit and immediately a ball of fire engulfed his hand. Sapphira watched with sparkles in her eyes at it, amazed by how Ackar could do it.

Soon Sapphira got the ice to a decent shape and put it in the cup where it cooled the hot water inside it to where it now steamed in the air with the temperature differences. "Guess yours have been around longer?" Ackar asked Sapphira as he made the fireball disappear into thin air.

Sapphira shrugged a bit at that, "The ice yeah, I've had it for as long as I can remember even with my iffy memories." Sapphira said before sighing. "The shadow stuff is new though, it feels familiar though but I never remember using it though. It's freaky yeah but at the same time..." Sapphira trailed off as she hugged herself.

"It makes you feel strong?" Ackar asked her making Sapphira's shoulders slump. "Yeah..." Sapphira admitted as her hands held her upper arms tighter.

Ackar sighed as he got out of his seat and placed his hand on Sapphira's head making her pause. "I'm sure you'll get it figured out." He reassured her making Sapphira smile a bit. "Thanks Ackar, I needed some reassurance honestly." She thanked him making him smile a bit as he pulled his hand back. "Not a problem kid."

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Chapter Five: Rest & Confrontations
End

[Author's Note: Yes as mentioned at the end of last chapter, this was a grace period in-between chapter

I mainly had the idea of these types of chapters as a way to not only make the books longer but also add more bonding time for the group

I think it's nice honestly

September 11th 2024 Updates: Finally finished this! I know I said I would finish the edits the day after the previous chapters edited date but procrastination got the better of me as always but it's finished!

As you can imagine Kiina and Gresh being a couple was probably random but I kinda like it (even if canon lore Kiina is apparently in her thirties of human age span and Gresh in his twenties even tho to me they definitely give off teenager energy) plus I feel like they balance each other out quite well (irony from me who's OTP is Mata Nui/Ackar love me the Old Man Yaoi)

Anyone else see the Minecraft movie trailer? To the people who said "the pig from Minecraft StoryMode died for this" RUEBEN DID NOT DIE FOR THAT SHIT PUT SOME RESPECT ON THAT PIGS NAME HE'S A HERO!

Proud fan of MCSM since day one baby!

Thankfully chapter six won't get much editing but seven and eight I can't say the same, apologies y'all but hopefully they won't take as long if procrastination doesn't snatch me again]

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