REMEMBRANCE ━━ 𝒂𝒗𝒂𝒕𝒂𝒓

𝒙𝒊𝒗. nothing ever lasts forever

The Vespera girl stared at the sky in amusement, seeing it being full of banshees. Neytiri repeated her words with contentment leaking through her voice. Juniper briefly smiled before gazing at her best friend, dropping to her knees once more. Juniper didn't know what to say or do as she stared at the ikran. The ikran that was once driven by passion and love, to now becoming a memory.

Taking the Vespera girl aback, Juniper gasped when she looked up from Zuzip at the sudden presence entering. An ikran that was much like Zuzip except for a couple of the colours being a different shade, bowing its head in front of the girl. Juniper frowned, reaching forward as she leisurely stood from her knees. To Juniper's surprise, the ikran leaned into the girl's touch.

The ikran had chosen Juniper without the need to put up a fight.

Juniper gazed back at Zuzip with a certain hesitance. Like she was frozen with fear. A fear that she was quick to replace her best friend, but Juniper knew that no matter how many ikran she would fly, none would ever be like Zuzip. Though, at a time of war, desperate times called for desperate measures. Without the need for a fight, Juniper glanced back at Zuzip, grasped the queue that hung behind her back, and connected it with the antenna of the ikran standing in front of her.

It didn't feel the same as it did when she first bonded with Zuzip. Like they became one. Instead, it felt more distant. Although, a smile plastered on the Vespera girl's face as she dragged her hand across the snout of the unnamed ikran, mounted the creature and took off to the sky.

Taking in her surroundings, Juniper was careful to avoid any gunfire or ships that came towards the girl. This time, Juniper made sure she had eyes on every direction they were—she already lost Zuzip, and she wasn't losing another ikran. Juniper's eyes widened when she took in the sight of Jake dangling from one of the largest gunships.

Immediately, Juniper patted the ikran on the back and told the creature to speed up through their bond. Juniper shouted for Jake as she watched him fall when an explosion went off, knocking him back, and Juniper moved faster than before. As soon as Juniper and her banshee reached Jake, the ikran opened its talons and caught the man.

The Vespera girl glanced down swiftly, asking, "did you get him?" When she met the wandering eyes of Jake, a smile replacing his frown at the sight of Juniper, her own small beam lit up her expression. Safely placing Jake on the floor, Juniper unmounted her ikran, disconnecting their bond, "are you okay?" She questioned, inspecting his figure.

Jake lightly snickered breathlessly from what happened prior. He nodded his head, "yeah," Jake gazed at the ikran that screeched at the man, its wings expanding, "looks like you made a new friend ..." He saw the sadness replace her brief happiness, "I'm sorry about Zuzip."

Juniper nodded her head and shrugged, "yeah, so am I," She peered to the ikran that was intently looking at its rider and gestured towards the creature, "he's amazing, but Zuzip's irreplaceable. She was my best friend," Juniper allowed Jake to press a comforting hand on her shoulder, sensing the grief coming from the teenager. Juniper's face contorted with realisation, "we have to find Neytiri."

Jake nodded his head, leading the girl through the forest as he had an idea of where she would be. They came into a clearing, and Juniper frowned at the metal shack placed in the middle. Her eye's widened at the thought of Jake's human body being linked up in there until her thoughts were cut off when Jake told her to go around, pointing to Neytiri, who was struggling under a limp palulukan. Juniper's blood was boiling when she saw Quaritch in a suit, hovering over the woman as she bared her teeth, hissing.