An idea that came to me after seeing the movie. OC x OC between the daughter of the Plains chief and the son of Jake Sully and Neytiri.
It has recently been edited and proofed by my beta, Danny.
For three days they had ridden without sleep, without rest. The pa'li were tired and thirsty, but still they pressed on, the tsahaylu with their riders the only thing keeping them going. There was no time to waste, for a miracle had occurred. Awkey, leader of Hufwe, one of the Horse clans of the plains, lead his group of warriors towards the Tree of Souls. It was the temporary home of the Omaticaya clan after their Hometree's destruction. While it had been many years since the great tree's destruction, Jake Sully, the new leader of the Omaticaya clan, kept his clan there to protect the Tree of Souls should the Sky People ever return again. Alongside Awkey rode his three children. Yeyinde, the youngest and only female, followed closest to her father. Moktao, the eldest, rode directly behind his sister, and Toku the middle child followed behind his father. The two brothers were full blooded warriors, men of the clan, having proven themselves in the ways of their people and in the eyes of Eywa. Yeyinde was close to completing her warrior training. Her final test, becoming Ikran Makto, was highly anticipated. While the use of pa'li was favored to the use of ikrans in her clan, becoming Ikan Makto was a custom that all Na'vi followed.
"I think it best if we rested, father. The pa'li are tired, as are the warriors. Our message can wait and we must have the energy to return home as well," Moktao advised his father. The eldest son was tall and muscled like all his people, adorned with the clan's customary jewelry that was passed to the one who would become the next olo'eyktan. Bow slung across his chest, knife in the strap crossing the other way. Awkey couldn't help but feel proud of his eldest son—he had become a strong warrior, and he had trained diligently to become their next chief.
"You make a good point. What do you say about it, Toku?" he inquired, turning to face the second eldest of his children. He looked much like Moktao, though he was slightly shorter and thinner. Between the brothers, Toku was wisest—always thinking before speaking. Moktao followed his heart, though that sometimes meant leaping into situations without thinking them through.
"I agree with Moktao, father. It would be most unwise not to rest, and we would be incapable of assisting the Omaticaya once we arrive," Toku replied. His father nodded before finally asking Yeyinde the same question. While she had not technically earned the right to speak her mind in her clan, a reward earned when passing iknimaya, as the olo'eyktan's daughter she was occasionally allowed to voice her opinions.
"I too agree with Moktao, and Toku. We only waste more time by not resting. If we rest now, we can help once we arrive and deliver our message."
Awkey nodded, holding up a hand before shouting, "Stop!" to the warriors that followed.
"We will rest here, and continue our journey in three hours time."
With this, the warriors began to spread out, breaking tsahaylu to let the pa'li find water and food in the lush jungle. Yeyinde, followed their lead and watched the horse-like creature head straight to the small stream flowing nearby.
"Do you think that Jake Sully will believe us, father?" Yeyinde asked, watching the pa'li disappear. Turning to face his daughter, Awkey smiled lightly. He knew the true reason why she had asked to come. Her heart yearned to meet the tawtute that became one of them. She also voiced her want to become a warrior of the Omaticaya clan. Awkey's clan had little need to ride their ikrans as it was easier to use the pa'lis in the plains. And he knew she yearned to fly. He knew that the plains bored her. She was a natural explorer and he constantly heard her voice her desires to explore the jungles. His heart ached to part with her, but he wanted what was best for her. It was best for her to be in a clan that used their ikrans and lived in the jungle. Though she was born in the plains she was clearly a daughter of the jungle and skies.
Smiling lightly and touching her forehead, Awkey nodded, "Yes 'evi, he will believe us. He knows the power of Eywa, and he knows the wonders she works."
Doubt dispelled by the words of her father, Yeyinde nodded. Settling down beneath a large, leafy tree, she closed her eyes. Yeyinde was content for the moment to simply bask in the energy that pulsed and flowed about her. Never before had she been in such a magnificent place, and if the jungle was this promising, she could only imagine the clan that made their home there.
By nightfall, Yeyinde knew they were close. The great jungle, pulsing with life and energy, had swelled and now began to thin ever so slightly. The glorious plants had become daintier and more delicate as they approached the Tree of Souls. A few of the Omaticaya warriors, that had been tracking their progress through the jungle, joined their small party. They traveled together through the thinning jungle that surrounded the basin-like place the Tree of Souls was located in. Feeling his pa'lis exhaustion he decided that now was as good a time as any to take a rest.
"At dawn we will finish the journey and deliver our message." Awkey decreed. He knew Jake Sully had been informed of their presence, but because of their earlier rigorous riding the pa'li desperately needed more rest. The group of warriors began to break apart, heading off into smaller groups to rest or find food.
Breaking her link and letting her pa'li roam free, Yeyinde headed into the jungle. The ground lit as she stepped. The plants glowed and pulsed with energy and the soft hum of the bugs and animals that lived there filled the nighttime air. A large tree stood nearby, fruit in its higher branches. Smiling, Yeyinde leapt up to grab hold of a branch. Checking her grip she hoisted herself up into the complex network of branches and vines.
Slowly at first, Yeyinde navigated through the branches. Reaching the top of the tree, Yeyinde took a seat on the branch. Grabbing a bright pink fruit that hung near her arm she examined it. They didn't have such exotically colored fruits in the plains. The fruit was round, and predominantly hot pink. Here and there its shade varied to a darker or lighter shade, and an electric blue design ringed the interesting species of plant. The fruit smelled nice, and it looked harmless enough. Weighing the chances that it could be poisonous, Yeyinde brought it carefully to her lips and took a bite. Flavors exploded on her tongue, filling her mouth with rich juices and pieces of fruit flesh. It was, in a word, delicious. The round fruit was sweet, but had a slight tang to it, with a slightly sour aftertaste. All in all, it was one of the loveliest things she'd eaten in a while. She chewed carefully, absorbing all the flavors and textures the fruit had to offer. Finishing off the fruit and curling herself carefully in the junction of two branches, Yeyinde let her eyes close as she drifted off to sleep.
"'Ite, come. We must finish our journey now." Awkey called up the tree to the blue spot he knew to be his daughter. Waking quickly Yeyinde carefully uncurled her body from the tree branches. Leaping from the lowest branch, she landed at her father's side.
"Yes, and they will rejoice greatly at the news we bear," she declared with a smile, wiping the remnants of the fruit from her lips. Calling her pa'li to her, she mounted, then rode ahead to catch up with her two brothers.
"Maktao, Toku," she said with a light smile. They silently nodded to her, clearly still sleepy. Awkey joined them at the head of the group; they broke into a gallop, headed straight for the Tree of Souls.
The few warriors that had accompanied them through the densest parts of the jungle now awaited their presence. A few looked slightly suspicious as though the presence of the Hufwe clan meant something had gone amiss.
"Oel ngati kameie, Awkey," greeted the first warrior. He was tall, strong, with the body of a trained warrior and the adornments of the next chieftain—whoever this warrior was, he was important with his clan.
"Oel ngati kameie tsamsiyu," replied Awkey, touching his forehead in recognition of the male before him.
"We come bearing a message for Jake Sully. It is of great importance that we see him," declared the Hufwe chief. The Omaticaya warrior looked him over silently. Nodding, he motioned for the group to follow him saying simply, "I will take you to him myself."
Admiring the beauty around her silently, Yeyinde's face remained a calm mask. The plains warriors followed silently. They traveled onwards, getting closer to the Tree of Souls. Yeyinde could see two figures standing together far off in the distance. It could only be Jake Sully and his mate, Neytiri. Not only was the scenery breathtaking and a new experience, but she had heard many stories from her father of the leaders of the Omaticaya clan—she was quite ready to see whether or not they measured up.
"Oel ngati kameie, Awkey," greeted the male, touching his forehead lightly and nodding towards the plains Chief in the customary greeting. Yeyinde smiled mentally at this recalling the story of how Jake Sully hadn't quite understood the greeting of 'I see you'.
"Oel ngati kameie, Jakesully," replied Awkey. His pa'li slowed as they approached the leaders of the Omaticaya clan; Yeyinde, Maktao and Toku stopped behind their father. Holding a hand up, Awkey unlinked from the horse like creature beneath him.
"Your presence is a welcome surprise. I have not seen you since the Purging, what brings you here to the Tree of Souls?"
Yeyinde flinched in her mind. The Purging of their planet of humans had come at no small cost; hundreds of Na'vi people had died fighting for their homes. They had come together under the leadership of the once-human, Omaticaya clan Chief, and Toruk Moktao.
"I bear the news of a great and miraculous happening Toruk Makao," said Awkey. Even though he had let Toruk go, Jake still retained his title.
"We have seen it happen, and we come to bear the news to you. Eywa has seen the Omaticaya people and she has answered your prayers. Your Hometree has grown again."
Notes:
Tawtute: a Dream Walker, essentially a human operating their Avatar.
'Evi: affectionate term meaning 'child'.
'Ite: daughter.