eleven. crash and burn
JUNIPER PREPARED FOR WAR ALONGSIDE THE OMATICAYA. If the sky people wanted to bring destruction to their home, the Na'vi wouldn't stand by and watch it happen—but fight for Hometree. The Vespera girl held a tight grip on the bow she had made when welcomed into the people, taking a shaky breath to recollect herself.
She felt longing eyes stare at her from behind, not daring to turn and give in to the gaze of Jake Sully. Jake and Grace were bound with their arms at their heads, yelling for the Na'vi to leave. Juniper heard them call her name, telling her directly to leave, but the teenager kept her glare on the skies for incoming ships. Adrenaline filled her system.
From the sound of one of the people whipping, Juniper glanced to the side and hissed at the sight of the machinery flying in, "run to the forest! Run!" Jake yelled out, yet the Omaticaya stood their ground, hearing Tsu'tey telling them to have no fear. Juniper was surprised at how she didn't break her bow from how hard she gripped the weapon. The wind coming from the ships that hovered in front of them blew through Na'vi's hair.
Juniper bent down, being smaller in comparison to the rest of the warriors in front, to keep a firm stance. The Sully man's screams increased as Tsu'tey was ordered to take the ikran and attack from above, with the rest of the hunters following after him. Juniper had her bow and arrows ready, waiting for the signal from the Olo'teykan.
The Vespera girl lowered herself down at the sight of gas bombs hurdling towards them from the ship. She glanced back over to the columns of Homtree and watched as the place began to fill up with smoke quickly. Juniper groaned to herself and aimed her bow upwards towards the windows of the ships, letting her arrow go when Etuykan screamed out.
As many arrows they continued to shoot, every single one bounced off from the unbreakable glass. None of the Na'vi quit their fire, remaining to aim at the windows. Juniper squinted her eyes and took her shot—if it weren't for the glass, Juniper swore she would've hit the man seated in between the eyes. But before the teenager knew it, their home was being set aflame.
She gasped at the fires that broke out around them, explosions coming from any direction that Juniper gazed. To say Juniper was angry and wanted revenge would be an understatement. With rage filling her system, she lifted her bow and was about to take an attempt to shoot, not hearing the Olo'teykan ordering everyone to get to the forest. It wasn't until that Neytiri grasped her bow, lowering it and grabbing her by the forearm to pull her away, that she realized everyone took refuge in the forest.
Neytiri avoided Jake and Grace's eyes, but when Juniper was being pulled away, she couldn't help the eye contact she made with the Sully man. The Vespera girl tore her arm out of Neytiri's hold, causing the woman to swiftly spin around and face her, "what are you doing? Juniper?"
"I will be fine, Neytiri," She reassured, gripping the woman's shoulder with her free hand as she grasped her knife in the other. Juniper pointed behind Neytiri, "find your father and get out of here. I will meet you there."
Before Neytiri could register and protest against Juniper's words, the teenager ran off to where the ships stood. Within the smoke from the gas and fire, Jake and Grace watched as Juniper leisurely walked into their sight. Jake puckered his brows, more worried about the fact that Juniper wasn't in the forest with everyone else but instead amid the gunfire.
Jake was about to say something when Juniper was a few mere inches away from him but couldn't as the words were taken out of his mouth when the end of Juniper's blade pressed against his neck. Grace saw this and called out to the teenager, "No, Juniper, please!" The Vespera girl had a heavy glare when she glanced at Grace, switching her eyes back to Jake, who stared at her desperately.
He understood why she felt the need to do this, but he frowned when he saw her eyes automatically soften under his gaze, "if you are one of us ... if you meant anything you said to me, then help us," Juniper lifted her knife to cut the rope binding Jake's hands behind his head. Unwrapping himself from the binds, Juniper moved to untie Grace and was taken aback when Jake enveloped her in a quick embrace before she was guided to the forest, her hand in Jake's stern grip.
Jake occasionally glanced back to make sure Grace was still trailing behind them, followed by Mo'at, who they found collapsed on the floor. As the explosions were getting closer to them, the four were knocked back by the force. Juniper's hold on Jake's hand was freed as she was sent back, her head hitting one of the many branches of Hometree. Juniper didn't have the time to clear the ringing in her ears or place her fingers against her head before she was dragged behind the branch.
Jake helped Grace and Mo'at as well, flinching at the sounds around them. Juniper gripped her head in her hands, pulling her fingers away when she felt the rich substance of blood dripping down her forehead. She shut her eyes tightly, trying to relieve the pounding ringing she heard.
As the explosions worsened and the ground shook beneath them, Jake tightly gripped the teenager, allowing Juniper to lay all her body weight on him as he stood over her like a shield. Like she had down when the bulldozers attacked. Juniper couldn't help the slight yells leaving her raw throat when the fear inside began to build. All the teenager knew was that if she continued to hold on to Jake, she would be fine.
She repeated that to herself in her head, on top of the comforting whispers Jake directed at her. The explosions seemed to end, and Juniper felt Jake lift his head. She followed the action and watched the sight with pure horror of Hometree collapsing. Juniper felt numb, completely immobilised, as she watched her home begin to fall to the ground. Jake lifted her up, ordering her to move deeper into the forest.
She reluctantly followed, her feet barely moving underneath her whilst Jake dragged her. Juniper peered behind her every couple of seconds, seeing the tree advancing to the ground until it fell to the ground, the whole world shaking. When it was safe to stop, the four were crouched on the floor and Juniper bit back the sobs that tingled at the back of her throat. She heard the pain wailing coming from her side, seeing Mo'at scream at the sight of her home knocked to the ground.
The Vespera girl let herself out of Jake's hold, crawling to the woman and holding her in her arms, "Mo'at," The woman gripped one of the girl's arms that were wrapped around her, seemingly reaching for the sights in front of her. Juniper continued to rock back and forth, her ears perking down and her lip quivering, refusing to let the tears fall as her main concern was the Tsahik.
Juniper gazed at Jake, seeing him through her blurry vision. Juniper could make out the pure anger written on the man's face when he met the girl's eyes. The Vespera girl eye's enlarged with realisation, "Neytiri ..." She said, barely audible, "go find Neytiri, Jake."
The man was hesitant, not wanting to leave the teenage girl, but she raised her brows at him in an orderly fashion. She saw how his gaze alternated between the wound on her head to her eyes, "I'm fine. Now go. I—I got them," She said, and Jake knew she was meaning the people who all stared at the terrified sight of Hometree. He nodded solemnly, cupping the girl's cheek before he went off looking for his mate.
Juniper shakily inhaled, continuing to hold Mo'at for dear life as the Tsahik attempted to recollect herself. Grace saw the pain etched on the teenager's face when she let go of Mo'at, seeing the woman attend to her people. The scientist walked to the girl when she had gotten up, and Juniper remained sitting on her knees, placing a hand comfortingly on the teenager's shoulder.
The Vespera girl whisked around, seeing Grace crouch to the girl's level and threw herself in her arms. Grace was quick to return the favour, rubbing the girl's back in solace. Juniper didn't cry. She didn't do anything but stare straight ahead, her eyes empty like it was just her body there and not her consciousness.
It was the same thing she would do in the hospital. Staring at that spot in the wall with nothing but numbness eating inside of her like cancer.