eight. becoming a man
JAKE WAS READY TO BECOME OMATICAYA. Juniper would never forget the ceremony that contributed to her becoming one of the people. And now it was Jake's turn. From the first time they two had met, the Vespera girl realised the growth Jake had achieved from knowing nothing about being Na'vi to now.
It brought Juniper content and a sense of pride to watch Jake come out into the open, where all of the Omaticaya clan stood, waiting for him. He locked eyes with the Vespera girl as he stood there, taking in his surroundings. Juniper had a smile on her face when Jake returned with Neytiri close behind him. The Sully man couldn't believe how far he had come—the whole reason he was introduced and the people he was about to become a part of was to study their ways and get them to leave hometree before the sky people would invade.
But now, as he took in the faces of the Na'vi, he was home. Pandora was his home. Neytiri was his home—a special person that he'd never thought he'd find. And Juniper, a girl that he felt protected over as if she were his own. As he walked into the centre, the white paint covering his body, he faced Etyukan.
It was said by the Na'vi that every man was born twice: the second time being when you earn your place amongst the people forever. First, Juniper had experienced it, and now it was Jake's turn as the Olo'teykan spoke the same words he had said when he brought Juniper into their clan, "you are now a son of the Omaticaya. You are a part of the people," The leader placed his hands against Jake's chest with his head raised high.
The action was quickly replicated by Neytiri standing by Jake's side, meeting his eye with a warm grin. Once Mo'at placed her hands on Jake, the rest of the Na'vi copied. Jake felt small hands being pressed against his back and peered behind his shoulder. He slightly caught sight of Juniper, who hadn't torn her gaze away from the man, a beam like none that Jake saw on the girl's face was plastered.
As all of the Na'vi linked hands, it was official. Jake was now one of them—he was Omaticaya. And there was no doubt in Juniper's mind like before that the Sully man didn't belong.
Juniper tossed and turned all night, to no avail was she able to get any sleep. Looking around the hometree, soundlessly quiet as everyone was asleep but her, the Vespera girl was quick to call Zuzip and fly away to a scared place of Pandora that the forest Na'vi cherished. Juniper usually came out here when she needed to take her mind off things—away from the nightmares and memories that plagued her sleep.
She sat along the grass, her knees tucked to her chest with her chin against her skin. Juniper breathed in the fresh air, her eyes darting along the beauty of the luminescent plants around that lit up the forest. The leaves on the trees hang down graciously.
Juniper perched up from the sound of rustling from behind her. She moved a hand on the blade the Vespera girl had strapped against her waist, her head tilting to where the sound was coming from. However, Juniper groaned when she saw Jake come out from the midst of trees, scoffing, "Jake, how many times do I have to tell you to stop sneaking up on me? What are you even doing here?"
The man didn't reply until he sat down next to Juniper, sensing her gaze as she intently watched his actions. He chose to remain to stare in front of him as he turned the question back on the girl, "I should be asking you that. What are you doing out here?"
Juniper sighed stubbornly, turning her line of sight away from the older man, "nothing. I just couldn't sleep," She shrugged. As she saw Jake fidget where he sat, a part of Juniper internally begged the man not to leave. She found comfort in his company. Side-eyeing Jake, Juniper felt relief when she saw he had fixed his sitting position to crossing his legs and realised that he was peering into her. Juniper buried her head in her arms when she felt an unwelcome rush of tears brought to her eyes.
She hoped that Jake didn't notice, but when she felt Jake place a comforting hand on her back and briefly rubbed in solace, Juniper's cries increased. The Sully man's hand stayed on her back as he asked, "what's wrong, baby girl?"
The Vespera girl untucked her head from her arms and crawled into Jake's chest. The man seemed to freeze at the sudden gesture but was fast to wrap his arms around the girl's smaller frame. They stayed like that until Juniper's sobs calmed down. She pulled away from his embrace, wiping at her face, "I'm sorry—"
Jake shook his head, tucking a braid that loosely hung on Juniper's face, "you don't have to be sorry, June. It's okay to cry and express how you feel. You're still a kid," The Vespera girl smiled at Jake thankfully. They sat in silence for a minute or two before Jake spoke up, "I get it if you don't wanna talk about it. But ... do you?"
Without giving a proper answer, Juniper stammered in her words, "I keep getting memories of when I was a sky person," She held her hand out, showcasing her four fingers. Jake wasn't stupid and realised the extra finger than regular Na'vi, but never said anything. Though, he was shocked about Juniper being a sky person before, "I died when I was one—from cancer, and, um, my dad looked everywhere for a solution. But he couldn't find one in time, and when I died, he found Tom. Your brother."
Jake furrowed his brows, his gaze glancing down to the floor he sat on before travelling back to Juniper, "that's why you asked about him."
The girl nodded, her eyes were filled with such emotion as she stared off into the distance, yet there was this emptiness in them that frightened Jake, "he brought me back as Na'vi. And ... I didn't remember this the first time I woke up, but," Juniper was cut off by her ragged breathing as she tried to control her sobs, "he killed my dad in front of me. He shot him, and he locked me away so I can be tested o–or something."
Jake was in disbelief at what he was hearing. If you were to look at Juniper, you wouldn't think that such a young girl like herself held so much baggage. But here Juniper was, crying over Jake's brother's actions that the man had no idea of. Jake couldn't believe his brother to what he did. Right then and there, Jake's whole perception of Tom changed.
"I know he was your brother, Jake. But—the things he did. I only remember small bits, but I remember your brother. I remember the pain he caused me ... to the point where I wish I just stayed dead," Juniper's voice broke off at the end, and she was hyperventilating. Jake didn't waste a second before pulling the girl into his arms, "I can't do it anymore, Jake. I can't—I don't want to. I don't want to live with the memories."
Jake tightened his grasp on Juniper, his own eyes burning with waterworks. Juniper clung to the man and felt the same feeling as before—she felt like a child being hugged by their father. It felt like hours before the two broke apart from each other, sitting in silence as they took in the environment around them. The Sully man honestly had no idea what to say to Juniper. I mean, what do you say after finding out your twin brother tortured a young girl? "Do you want to go back?"
"No," Juniper immediately answered. She realised her answer came out harsher than she intended and cleared her throat, repeating her reply more gently, "no, I—can we just stay here for tonight, please? Or, if you wanna go back, you can—"
Jake shook his head, cupping the girl's cheek as he softly smiled, "no, I'm not leaving you alone. I'm sorry for what Tom did to you. If I had any idea, I would've stopped it. I know I'm not him and that this doesn't change anything, but I am sorry."
The first smile since Jake's ceremony of becoming Omaticaya was invoked on Juniper's face. She chuckled nervously, ridding the tears that stained Juniper's cheeks. She sighed, "how about you?" Jake puckered his brows, his confused expression staring at Juniper, "becoming one of the people. You can make a bow from the wood of hometree now," She smirked, "you may choose a woman and mate with them."
Jake raised his brows knowingly, exhaling heavily. Juniper frowned at his reaction and squinted her eyes playfully at the man. He saw the look she threw at him from his peripheral vision, "Okay, okay. I might've chosen someone already—"
Juniper's eyes grew wide, a smile enveloping her features. Jake saw the way her face was lit up, "no way! Was it ... Neytiri?" Jake didn't have to nod his head for Juniper to know. Without trying, Juniper's grin grew wider. Growing from ear to ear, she stated, "well, I'm happy for you two. Really, I am. I'm proud of you, Jake."
A yawn slipped past Juniper's lips as she tiredly rubbed her eyes. The man shrugged an arm over Juniper's shoulder and directed her head to lie on his shoulder. As Juniper drifted off to sleep, Juniper's words replayed in Jake's head. He vowed to himself that he was going to protect this girl with everything he had in him. The two didn't have to say anything to know that they had a connection that none other could have.
It was the beginning of a father-daughter relationship that the two didn't know they needed.