fourteen. nothing ever lasts forever
JUNIPER REFUSED TO LEAVE THE IKRAN'S SIDE, HEARING JAKE'S VOICE RING THROUGH THE COMMS SHE WORE. Juniper's sobs had dried out, and she felt anger beginning to replace the sadness she felt for losing her best friend. The heavy footsteps of the sky people were nearing the Vespera girl, yet she didn't care. On top of that, Juniper continued to hear Jake through her comms, "Juniper, do you read me? June!"
Finally, she got her head out of Zuzip's neck, and a heavy glare settled on her face, reaching for the comm button to reply to Jake. She reached for her neck, "I hear you," Juniper paused, "they shot us down ... Zuzip, she—" From the other side, Jake could hear the emotions penetrating her voice. A hint of anger underneath a whole load of sorrow, "she's gone, Jake. They killed her."
It was like the whole world went silent suddenly, but the need to say something. Like a word about to be spoken but was stuck on your tongue. The air between Juniper was tense, clasping her bow in her grasp tightly. Jake's voice made her flinch out of her daze, "Juniper, are they near you?" The Vespera girl was hesitant but replied within a couple seconds to answer 'yes', "get out of there, you hear me? Fall back, now!"
Juniper breathed heavily against Zuzip, the hand that was free and not clutching her bow caressed the fallen ikran's head. She sighed, reaching a hand to her neck, "I'm sorry, Jake," She heard the protests coming from the other side, along with Neytiri's voice speaking up, yet Juniper tuned it out. Her eyes solemnly gazed at Zuzip, "it's okay ... I'm sorry."
Juniper reluctantly stood up near Zuzip's side, her bow being held in front of her as she warily saw the distant figures of the sky people advancing towards her. Putting an arrow on the string of the bow, she pulled it back, ready to release. As her breathing hitched and got stuck in her throat at the sight of how many sky people there were, Neytiri yelled out something that Juniper heard clearly, "Eywa has heard you," The woman said. Juniper frowned, her bow lowering as she heard the sound of squawks filling the air.
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.
Jake stepped out from where he was hiding and yelled out to the Colonel, "give it up, Quaritch!" Juniper waited for the man to move so she could get to Neytiri, a glare plastering her face as she watched the interaction between Jake and Quaritch, "it's all over."
Quaritch flipped the knife he held so that the sharp blade was pointed towards Jake's direction, his tone being rough and scruffy as he spoke, "nothing's over while I'm breathing," Juniper wanted to yell out for Jake as he replied, "I kind of hope you'd say that," And ran forward, meeting Quaritch halfway.
As soon as the Colonel had stepped away from Neytiri's side, the girl rushed forward from her hiding spot. She raised her brows at the woman, a smug smile on her face as she bent to her level, "need some help?" Neytiri sighed in relief at the sight of Juniper, watching as the teenager helped with pulling the creature off of her, whilst she asked in a playful tone, "who's the mighty warrior, huh?"
Neytiri cursed her out, rolling her eyes as they continued to pull the creature off of Neytiri's body. Juniper snuck glances over to Jake and Quaritch, watching as the Colonel's window of his suit comes flying off, a mask placed on his face. Jake unravelled the blade from his chest holster as Quaritch spoke, "hey, Sully, how's it feel to betray your own race?" Jake didn't say anything, but hissed at the man harshly, "you think you're one of them? Time to wake up."
Taking Juniper by surprise, she watched Quaritch walk up to the shack and break the windows, reaching inside. Juniper knew her theory was right about Jake's sky person body being in there as the Na'vi jumped on the back of the metal suit, throwing Quaritch away. Juniper cursed under her breath lightly, becoming desperate as she attempted to push the creature off Neytiri.
But the teenage girl halted when she saw Jake getting thrown off by his queue, landing on the ground and gasping for air. Quaritch waltzed to the man as he began to lose consciousness. Juniper spared a final glance at Neytiri, looking at her with an apologetic expression, which made the woman frown until Juniper abandoned the Na'vi's side and hovered over Jake's lifeless body.
Juniper didn't have the time to attack or move out of the way before she was grabbed by her queue, and lifted into the air. From the pain of having her braid pulled, she yelled as it pulsed through her whole body. Quaritch grabbed the knife that Jake left by his head, placing it against the Vespera girl's throat. The Colonel chuckled, "Juniper Vespera. Well, isn't this a nice surprise. Last time I saw you, you were locked away by the lab coats," The girl seemingly froze at the man's words, "you really risking it all for this traitor?"
Juniper didn't reply but copied Jake of hissing in the man's face, her canines on full display. She felt the skin of her neck being nicked by the blade held and groaned as she felt the trickle of blood. She seethed, using the English she remembered from when she was a sky person, "go to hell, bitch."
Quaritch smirked devilishly, "I'll meet you there," Juniper couldn't process his words before she gasped, feeling the metal of the blade that was held once against her neck and entering her stomach. The teenager wanted to scream at the pain that pulsed through her body but couldn't find her voice. Her mouth was agape, her breathing shaky as she gasped for air.
Before the Colonel twisted the blade inside her stomach, an arrow met with his chest. The suddenness of the action caused the man to drop Juniper and collapse to the floor. Quaritch glanced at the arrow and switched his vision to the culprit—Neytiri. The woman yelled out a cry as she released another arrow, watching it penetrate through the man's chest like the other arrow had done.
Neytiri was crouched over Jake, who was still unconscious as she hadn't realised Juniper laid not that far away from them, the knife of her mate being in the middle of her bleeding stomach. As soon as Quaritch fell to the ground and was officially dead, she cupped Jake's cheek, her gaze observing the grounds around her.
Neytiri felt her heart sink to her stomach at the sight of Juniper, blood beginning to taint her lips. Neytiri fell to her knees to the side of Juniper, yet the Vespera girl was quick to point to the shack and weakly say, "Jake," She choked, "he's—he's in there. Go," Neytiri felt defeated, not wanting to leave the girl's side. But as the girl pleaded and told Neytiri to go help Jake, she didn't waste another second.
Juniper was in and out of consciousness, the quick loss of blood catching up to her. For what were minutes felt like long, excruciating hours as she laid there, alone. Jake's Avatar woke up, gazing at the shack where Neytiri found him, but his eyes caught Juniper as her fingers played around the blade, beginning to pull it from her stomach and a yell left her throat. A yell full of such pain that made Jake physically sick.
The metal was cold, as well as the air that met with her wound. Jake rushed to her side, and so did Neytiri. Jake cupped the girl's cheek, slightly shaking her head as he saw her eyes groggily open. The Sully man tilted the girl to the side, checking the back of the injury Juniper sustained as her breathing was rushed. Her eyes gazed up at Neytiri and Jake, a sad smile present.
Even in the midst of death, her eyes shined bright as she smiled up at Jake, clutching to Neytiri's hand, "I couldn't—" It was hard for Juniper to speak as blood rushed to her throat from the stab, "I couldn't save my dad, Mateo," She said. Juniper stared into Jake's watery eyes, watching a tear fall as he knew there was no saving her, "but I saved you," She chuckled and Jake returned it, instantly dropping his smile as he nodded, "I saved Toruk Makto, but—but more importantly, I saved y—you, Jake."
Juniper struggled under his grip on her cheek, her airways tightening. Jake solemnly nodded, "yeah. Yeah, you did," His voice shook as he spoke, trying to comfort the dying teenage girl as Neytiri covered her mouth, sobs leaving her dry throat. Juniper sniffled, groaning in pain, and Jake sharply inhaled, "I know, baby girl. I know. You're ...—you're going to be okay, all right?"
The three of them knew that Jake's words weren't true, yet they still managed to bring Juniper comfort. Thinking back on the times the two shared as Juniper continued to stare into his saddened eyes, Juniper laughed at the irony of the situation. Jake continued to hold the girl's cheek as she came to the realisation that she went from wanting Jake dead to dying for him.
For Jake, upon first meeting Juniper, Jake saw her as this warrior, who was someone that didn't show emotions and was serious all the time. But getting to know her, he began to see how childish and soft she truly was. Yes, she was more mature for her age than other kids, but she was still a child who was bound to make mistakes and show vulnerability. A child who was at the hands of death, and there wasn't a single thing that he or Neytiri could do.
Juniper began to cry as the pain worsened, pleadingly glancing at Jake as he continued to whisper that she was going to be okay. The Vespera girl spoke through her rugged breathing, "Jake ...—Dad, I—"
Juniper's voice trailed off as the light in her eyes dimmed along with her life. Her head fell limp under Jake's hold, and the same went with Neytiri as she gripped Juniper's hand. Jake shook his head, closing his eyes in defeat as Neytiri called out for the girl, tears trailing along her cheeks. Jake tried to bite back the sobs that escaped his throat, but how could he? Juniper died calling Jake her dad.
A dad was supposed to protect. That's what gives him meaning. Though, Jake couldn't save Juniper as her body went cold. Jake sobbed, never feeling this kind of loss as he lifted the girl to his chest, begging for her to wake up. Neytiri silently cried next to Jake, a hand placed on his shoulder and grasping Juniper's hand.
They didn't know how long they stayed like this—gripping Juniper, pleading to Eywa to bring her back. Yet, Juniper's eyes never brightened with the same light she held. She would never have a mischievous smirk on her face when she was planning to do something funny in her eyes. Jake would never hear her sassy remarks targeted at him, and Neytiri would never feel the comfort Juniper gave.
Juniper was now a memory of the war against the sky people. And Jake vowed to tell her tale.
authors note.
just because my girl is gone doesn't mean her story is over !! jake will be sharing stories of him and juniper to his kids in act two which i'm so excited for y'all to read. but as of now, there is one more chpater till act one is done and i hoped you enjoyed it and loved juniper as much as i did. juniper my love is officially dead which i can not believe i did but makes a great story. though, there will be a new character in act two that hopefully you'll love just as much. and possible juniper's life isn't done ( hopefully ).
i also wanna just thank you guys for the ever-growing support being put into this story as it means a lot. 😘😘