Revised on: April 13, 2018

Water. Earth. Fire. Air.

Long ago, the four nations coexisted in harmony. Together, they stood against the forces of Grimm, creatures of nightmare hailing from another world.

Only the Avatar could master all four elements. Only he could banish the Grimm. But when the world needed him most… he vanished.

Remnant learned to truly fear the Grimm. And just as it seemed like things couldn't get any worse… The Fire Nation attacked.

Fifteen years have passed since chaos descended upon Remnant, but now a new Avatar awakens: my daughter, a young airbender named Ruby. And although her airbending skills are great, she still has a lot to learn before she's able to save anyone.

But I believe that Ruby can save the world.

Book One: Water

Chapter Ten: The Cat Burglar

Night had fallen hours ago in the city of Atlas. The streets were layered in shadows that were broken only by the occasional torch or open window. Everyone had retired to their homes, tired after a day of hard work, except for one cheerful merchant…

"Hm-hmm, hm-hmm… Cabbages, cabbages, how I love my cabbages…"

For him, the day had proven particularly lucrative, as most of his wares had been sold at an incredulous, if not alarming, pace. He was a humble merchant, after all, whose only investment was cabbages, so it was understandable that something like that would overwhelm him.

He was so happy about his luck that he stayed at his stall until late, even after every other merchant had left. It didn't make much sense to do that – who ever went out at night to buy cabbages? – but he couldn't care less. He just wanted to spend time at his most beloved place in the world.

Unfortunately, that cheery mood of his was not fated to last. Faint footsteps sounded behind and above him, yet he didn't hear them over his little song.

"Cabbages, cabbages… Oh-oh-oh…"

A shadow skittered along his left and took one of his crates, then retreated before he could even notice it. As he turned to look and found the now empty space in his stall, his eyebrows shot up and his eyes grew wide with dismay.

"Huh?!"

The shadow appeared again, taking advantage of the turning of his back, and snatched another box. This time, he spun around just in time to catch a glimpse of two amber eyes and a pair of pale white hands.

"Hey!" he shouted. "Get back here! These are my cabbages!"

The shadow halted for a second. "Sorry," a feminine voice said. The merchant blinked, and the mysterious person was gone. For a while, he just stood there, staring at the darkness with a desolated expression on his face. Eventually, he took his hat off his head and fell to his knees, shaking from top to bottom.

"No!" He raised his arms above his head and cried. "Not. My. Cabbages!"

"Goood morning, friends!"

Jaune catapulted out of his bed, his eyes open wide in alarm, and fell on the floor with a loud bang. He looked up dizzily, only to find Ruby staring down at him with a big smile on her face. Somewhere near, Weiss groaned in dismay.

"What the heck, Ruby!" Jaune rubbed his eyes, frustrated. "I was sleeping. Why would you scream like that?"

"You just answered your own question," Ruby noted cheerfully, then skipped over him to the window of their room. She drew open the curtains, letting in sunlight, much to her friend's further discomfort. "Come on, it's a beautiful morning! We can't stay cooped up in here and let it go to waste!"

"There is a proper way to wake people up, Ruby," Weiss said through gritted teeth. "Your way is not the proper way."

"Hey, it worked, didn't it?" Ruby pointed out, only to receive a glare from the princess. "Okay, okay. I'll let you two wake up at your own pace, then. I'll be waiting downstairs."

"Thank you."

The redhead exited the room and walked through the hallway, then down the stairs to the main floor of the inn they were in. Only then did she realize that, maybe, just maybe, she had woken up a little too early, after all. There was no one there except for the receptionist, who was almost falling asleep in her post.

Ruby drew her cloak closer to her and sat down on a chair, feeling a bit guilty about her actions. Yes, she hadn't meant to upset her friends, but she should have realized how they would have reacted to being woken up by her screaming at the top of her lungs. At least it served as a lesson for future occasions.

A few minutes later, Weiss arrived, looking much calmer than before. She nodded to Ruby, who was too afraid of saying anything that might anger her again. Jaune followed shortly after, though he still appeared as tired as before.

"Sorry," Ruby mumbled.

"Eh," he rubbed the back of his neck and smiled to her. "Don't worry about it. I'm just not a morning person."

"Since you were so generous as to wake us up especially early, Ruby," Weiss spoke clearly, joining her hands behind her back. "I suppose you must have something planned, right?" She smiled knowingly, as if she already knew what the answer would be.

"Actually, I did plan something," Ruby took a moment to appreciate Weiss' dumbfounded expression before continuing. "Well, yesterday we looked at all the houses here, so I was thinking today we could visit the market. Isn't Atlas supposed to be a super-mega-rich city?"

"You could say that. It certainly draws a lot of commerce, but with the war being so intense around it…" Weiss shrugged. "But, yes, the market could prove to be an interesting visit. It's not like there's much else for us to see here anymore – unless you want to go to the temple again to be worshipped."

Ruby blinked, trying to determine if Weiss was being serious about that last suggestion. When the princess waved her hands at her and exited the inn, she decided to take it as a joke, just to be safe.

The trio walked into the city's main square, where the inn was located, and were immediately greeted by the sight of dozens upon dozens of stalls, with merchants shouting about their wares and ridiculous prices – both bad and good. Ruby almost fell on her face, so startled she was.

"Wow!" she exclaimed. "These were not here yesterday!"

"Obviously. It's the weekend. Since people aren't working, the merchants take the opportunity to display their wares to them," Weiss explained patiently.

"That's pretty smart," Ruby said. "Can I buy myself something cool? Pretty please?"

Weiss crossed her arms and twisted her nose, but Ruby only kept staring at her with big, pleading eyes. "Fine," she sighed. "But don't spend too much money. We have precious little of it."

"Yay! You're the best, Weiss!" Ruby gave her a quick hug, then ran off.

Weiss raised an eyebrow, fascinated by the redhead's behavior. Oftentimes, Ruby resembled more of a small child than a proper Avatar.

"Well, I'm gonna… buy some stuff, too." Jaune said awkwardly.

Weiss leered at him. "You mean you're going to hit on some hapless merchant girls?"

"I don't know what hapless means, but it doesn't sound that bad, so yep," Jaune nodded proudly.

"I would wish you luck, except I already know this will end badly for all. Mostly you," Weiss shrugged. "Just don't come crying back to me later."

"Weiss, you know I'm a perfect gentleman," Jaune made a short curtsy. "So, uh, have fun. Bye."

He walked away at a brisk pace, as if he had some very urgent task to accomplish. Weiss just shook her head in disapproval before setting off to find something interesting to do.

"Are you sure this is worth five coins?" Ruby asked, leaning against a vendor's counter. In her head, she wore a yellow and blue colored fur cap. "How about… three coins?!"

She spun around and opened her hand, showing the merchant three Earth Kingdom coins. He only stared impassively at her and crossed his arms.

"It's five coins," he spoke firmly. "No haggling."

"Whew. You're tough, I'll give you that. But can you say no to…" she spun again. "Four coins?!"

"No."

"…Four and a really shiny pebble I found on the road?"

"Five. Coins."

At that moment, Weiss appeared at her side. The princess examined the scene for a brief moment before sighing. "I don't know what I expected," she muttered under her breath, before tapping Ruby on her shoulder. "What exactly are you doing?"

"I wanna buy this cap, but it's kinda expensive, so I'm haggling. It's fun," Ruby leaned closer to her to whisper in her ear. "Just between the two of us, though, this guy is really stingy."

"Why do you even want to buy this cap? It's summer. It'll take months until it'll be cold enough to wear it," Weiss noted, then twisted her nose as she looked at the cap again. "And it looks horrendous. No wonder it's only five coins."

"Hey! I think it looks cute!" Ruby protested. "Plus, it's warm and fuzzy. I don't care if it's summer, I want it, and I want it now."

Though Weiss had quite a few opinions to impart upon Ruby regarding her terrible attitude, she decided to let matters go for once and make things easier for her – by resorting to her most used, and more effective, solution to all problems. "I'll buy the cap," she said. "If you promise to never wear it in public."

"What?!" Ruby exclaimed in disbelief, but Weiss just crossed her arms, not to be swayed. "Sheesh. You're tough too. Alright, I promise never to wear it in public."

Weiss hummed cheerfully and handed the merchant five coins. He seemed rather happy - whether because he was finally free of Ruby's incessant haggling or of the hideous cap, the princess couldn't tell.

Ruby took her new belonging from her head and hid it under her cloak, not wanting to anger Weiss so soon after the transaction was made. Maybe in a few weeks, once they were far, far away from the city, she could risk putting the cap on… for a few seconds, then promptly hide it again.

"Where's Jaune, by the way?" Ruby asked curiously as they moved away from the merchant's tent.

"He's embarrassing himself, as usual," Weiss replied succinctly.

"Ah. You're being kinda harsh on him, don't you think?"

"Harsh are the slaps he's probably receiving as we speak."

"What?"

"You'll understand soon enough."

They spent the next few minutes navigating through the crowd, inspecting some of the more interesting tents in the area. Weiss bought another waterskin, so she could carry more fuel, so to speak, in case of a fight. She also managed to successfully stop Ruby from buying three more fur caps. It was hard to believe, but those were somehow even more horrendous than the first one.

Just as Ruby started to eye another cap, a commotion started in the middle of the plaza, drawing her attention, as well as Weiss's. A small group of merchants had left their tents and were now surrounding a pair of soldiers, shouting angrily about something. Ruby's eyes lit up with curiosity, and she decided to walk closer, with Weiss following warily.

"It happened again!" one of the merchants yelled. "I was about done with storing my goods for the night, when one of my crates went missing! It was filled to the brim with food!"

"You can't allow this to keep happening every night anymore!" another added. "At this point, I would be better off selling stuff on the road than in the city!"

One of the soldiers raised his arms high, attempting to calm the crowd down. "We understand your concerns, but there's nothing more we can do at the moment," he said. "We've combed every corner of the city, and the captain's increased the number of patrols at night. But we just haven't yet been able to catch whoever is stealing your goods. This kind of thing takes time, so if you could please show some-"

"More like whatever is stealing our goods," a merchant interjected. "Thing looked like a living shadow. Never seen a thief like that, and I've been in the business for forty years. I'm telling all of you, this city's got a new Grimm problem," he shook his head knowingly. "I'm leaving for Vale at dawn tomorrow!"

"Me too! I don't want Grimm eating my stuff!"

The soldiers looked around helplessly, then shrugged at each other and ran away. Half of the merchants chased after them as an angry mob, while the rest returned to their tents as if nothing had happened. One in particular, though, was curled up on the ground, shedding tears for his cabbages.

Ruby turned to look at Weiss, and immediately the princess knew she was going to hear something she wasn't going to like.

"I'm gonna catch that Grimm!"

"And there she goes," Weiss pinched her own forehead and counted to ten. "Can't we spend one week without you wanting to resolve some ridiculous problem that doesn't even concern us?"

"Hey, it concerns me," Ruby frowned. "There's Grimm lurking about, and I'm the Avatar, the only one who can-"

"Yes, yes. That only makes it worse," Weiss groaned in annoyance. "Ruby, Grimm don't steal merchandise! They kill people and destroy their homes – that's it. Those merchants are probably blowing the situation out of proportion."

"Nope!" Ruby crossed her arms and planted herself firmly where she stood. "Not hearing you. Gonna catch that Grimm, with or without your help."

Weiss tossed her arms up. "Fine! Have it your way," she said. "I swear, one day, you will apologize for putting me through so much trouble."

"It's not trouble, it's very important-"

"Yes, yes, I am aware. Let's find Jaune."

When the sun came down and the merchants started to pack up for the day, the trio returned to the plaza, eager to capture the so-called Grimm thief – one in particular more eager than the others.

Quite surprisingly, Jaune was even more unhappy about the endeavor than Weiss was. He had had a bad day from the very start, after all. Being woken up by a screaming Avatar, getting played and slapped by various Atlas girls, having to endure Weiss' smug attitude afterwards…

And now he was handed what was easily the worst role in their plan. While Ruby and Weiss kept watch at a nearby rooftop, he was stuck behind a counter – borrowed from a very grateful merchant – to serve as bait for the Grimm.

Well, at least he had cabbages to munch on. They tasted old and crummy, sure, but they were a welcome distraction from the darkness surrounding him.

"I sure hope they know what they're doing," Jaune muttered under his breath as he swiped the counter with a cloth in an attempt to fit more into the role of a merchant. It was good that it was so dark, or else anyone would have been able to see how nervous he was. "I mean… it's not like I couldn't handle one Grimm. I have my sword."

He kicked his sword lovingly, it being hidden beneath the counter, just a second's reach away. He felt braver just knowing it was there. Of course, he was also blocking out the fact that he was whispering to himself in fright.

"Yes, sir," he swallowed dry and nodded. "You can come at me anytime you want, you e-evil, nasty Grimm. I'm not afraid!"

Something fell on the counter in front of him, making him jump so high his head hit the tent's ceiling. He landed and opened his mouth, preparing to scream at the top of his lungs for help… then realized there was a black cat sitting at the counter, staring at him quizzically.

He breathed out in relief. "Alright, false alarm," he reached to pet the cat's head. "Hey, buddy, you scared me big time. What's your name?" The cat slapped his hand away and laid down possessively on the counter. "Now that was just rude. I could kick you out, you know, so maybe you should think about acting a little more-"

A shadow blurred past him, leaping over the counter with a soft thud. Jaune blinked, and when he looked again, one of the cabbage-filled crates was gone. This time, he actually yelled.

Very, very loudly.

"Coming!" Ruby streaked through the air, leaving her hiding spot in a rush. Her red cloak was easy to see in contrast with the nighttime sky. "You okay, Jaune?!"

"Yeah!" he exclaimed when she landed in front of him. "The Grimm was just here! It took one of the crates!"

"Which way did it go?!"

"Uh… that way!" He ducked behind the counter. "Go, before it's too late! I'll protect the cat!"

Ruby ran at the direction he pointed to, raising a cloud of dust behind her because of her incredible speed. Unfortunately, catching the Grimm wouldn't be so easy. She couldn't hear any characteristic growls or roars, and the darkness was making it nearly impossible for her to see.

She narrowed her eyes, putting all her effort into scanning the space in front of her – and saw it, just turning the corner, a shadowy form not much bigger than herself.

"Got you!" Ruby skidded around the corner, drawing her weapon from her back, already in scythe-form. The blade cut through the air with a sharp noise as it made its deadly arc.

The Grimm let go of the crate and rolled on the ground, just in time to avoid having its head cut off. Ruby took one step closer, raising her scythe again. Remembering her past lessons, she closed her eyes and cleared her mind of all corrupt emotions, or else the Grimm would reform shortly.

"Please, don't!"

Ruby opened her eyes in shock and looked down. Lying on her back, where a Grimm should have been, was a girl with raven hair and amber eyes. A pair of cat ears stuck out at the top of her head, though they were almost folded flat against it, as if she were scared.

"What?!" Ruby gasped and stepped back, dropping her scythe. "You're – you're not a Grimm!"

The girl looked from her, to the fallen weapon, and then the crate she had forfeited beforehand. Finally, she jumped to her feet and kicked Ruby in the stomach, sending her skidding back, out of breath, and then turned and ran away, disappearing in the shadows.

Ruby sat down, trying to wrap her head around what had just happened. Her silver eyes were wide as she stared into the darkness. She had come too close to making a horrifying, irreparable mistake.

Footsteps sounded behind her. A cold hand fell on her shoulder. "Well," Weiss said. "Did you get your Grimm?"

"It… wasn't a Grimm…" Ruby muttered.

"What a surprise," Weiss seemed to notice something was wrong, as her smugness was cut short. "Ruby, what happened?"

Ruby just stared at her in silence. Weiss frowned and wrapped a hand around her right arm, helping her to her feet.

"Come on. Let's go back."

The two girls reunited with Jaune, who was still 'guarding' the stray cat dutifully, then went back to the inn. The first floor was almost empty, with only a few customers dining late. Weiss moved to a table and sat Ruby down, before taking a seat herself.

"Tell me what happened," the princess ordered. It was clear by her tone of voice that she wouldn't accept silence any longer.

"The thief… wasn't a Grimm," Ruby replied hesitantly. "It was a girl. I almost killed her."

"Oh. Well, I did warn you that it couldn't be a Grimm," Weiss crossed her arms, but she didn't actually look upset. "What did she look like? If you give a description, the guards might be able to track her down and catch her in daylight."

"Well, she looked a little older than me. Maybe your guys' age," Ruby said. "She had dark hair, and… Oh, yeah, she had cat ears too. That's all I remember."

"Cat ears?" Weiss frowned. "I see. Our thief is a faunus, then."

"A what?" Ruby frowned confusedly.

Weiss looked at her as if she had just asked what a bird was. Even Jaune looked stunned.

"Ruby, you… don't know what a faunus is?" Jaune asked slowly, making sure they were communicating clearly.

"I have no clue what that is," Ruby replied in earnest, looking from him to Weiss innocently. "Maybe if you explain, I'll remember something?"

"But that's…" Weiss cut herself short, once more being reminded that Ruby had had a very different upbringing that could hardly be compared to anyone else's. "A faunus is… a… different kind of person."

"Remember Velvet, from Coffee Island?" Jaune contributed. "She's a faunus. That's why she has rabbit ears."

"Oh! I thought that was normal," Ruby said. "I guess we mustn't have seen a lot of faunus during our travels, then, or else I would have asked. Man, this sounds neat," she smiled giddily. "So they're part animal or something? Are there wolf faunus? Bear? Frog?"

"Yes, Ruby, there are many different kinds of faunus," Weiss said, sounding very frustrated. "Honestly, how could you not know…"

Ruby sank a little in her seat, wishing Weiss would give her a break. It wasn't like it was her fault she hadn't had people to teach her about this stuff.

Or… well…

"So," Ruby said, shaking her head and focusing back on the issue at hand. "Why do you guys think that girl was stealing so much food? She didn't look that hungry."

"It's just natural," Weiss bit her lip, now looking guilt-stricken. "Forget I said that. Maybe she's stockpiling for the winter?"

"Stockpiling cabbages?" Jaune smiled. "Eh, I don't think so."

"There's gotta be a good reason. People don't steal just for the fun of it," Ruby declared, getting up with determination. "I'll get to the bottom of this!"

Weiss opened her mouth to object, but a moment later, she just shook her head and decided to let Ruby do as she wanted. "Knock yourself out. Just try not to get into trouble."

Ruby nodded seriously, then marched out of the inn.

"She's totally getting into trouble." Jaune said.

Weiss sighed. "Yes. Sincerely, I don't know why I bother."

Only once she walked to the center of the Atlas plaza did Ruby realize she had no idea how to find the thief. The guards had been searching for her for days, so what chance did Ruby stand? She was the Avatar, not a detective.

To make matters worse, it was nighttime and the sky was featureless, as if the clouds were conspiring to hide the light from the stars and the moon. Ruby crossed her arms and blew a strand of hair away from her eye, thinking about her problem.

Unfortunately, she couldn't very well concentrate on her search. Her mind was more occupied with thoughts of faunus – the cat thief in particular. She hadn't looked like an evil person, at least to Ruby's eyes. Maybe it was wishful thinking, but she even looked a little sorry for her actions.

It was unfair, Ruby decided. She couldn't think of a single legitimate reason why the girl had been forced into thievery, especially in a place like Atlas. It was such a nice city, with so many opportunities for everyone… And surely people there were willing to help others in need…

Or not. Not when it came to faunus.

The world seemed a lot greyer now, and Ruby couldn't help but feel resentful of it. Not for the first time, not really, but this time, it wasn't because she thought it was too big for her to protect by herself, or because of the things it had taken away from her.

Maybe, just maybe, Remnant did not deserve an Avatar.

"Avatar Ruby?" A voice woke her from her thoughts, and Ruby noticed she had stopped just before the entrance to the Avatar's temple. Standing in the doorway was Wu-Lon, the monk she had met previously. "Awake at such an hour?"

"Uh, yeah," Ruby rubbed the back of her neck self-consciously. "I'm looking for someone. No luck so far, I'm afraid."

"Oh? I'm sorry to hear that," Wu-Lon said. "Perhaps you could seek guidance from Avatar Ozpin? He was an expert on finding people. In fact, I believe all your incarnations were."

"Huh?"

Wu-Lon smiled patiently, turned around and walked back into the temple, gesturing for her to follow. Ruby did so anxiously, not wanting to waste any time, but also knowing whatever Wu-Lon had to say would probably be worthwhile.

"The Avatar is not only the master of the four elements and the banisher of all Grimm," the monk said, then stopped and gestured for her to sit. Ruby looked at him confusedly, but complied nonetheless. "She or he is also a link between Remnant and its people. As such, if you focus on that connection, gatherings thoughts of the person you seek in your mind, you might be able to find them."

"Really?!" Ruby asked excitedly. "That's so sweet! …And convenient."

"Well, you also need a spiritual place. Seeing as how you're in your own temple already, that shouldn't be a problem," Wu-Lon chuckled. "And, yes, it is very convenient."

Ruby crossed her legs and closed her eyes, concentrating on her memories of the faunus thief. Cat ears, dark hair, amber eyes… How nimbly she moved, how she melded into the shadows… Her voice when she called for mercy…

Suddenly, Ruby's eyes snapped open, glowing silver. She felt as if she was separated from her physical body, becoming a tendril of energy that raced through the earth, below the streets and buildings of Atlas, until she stopped and shot right back to the surface.

There she was, the cat faunus, carrying a plate of food in her hands. She looked at ease, a small smile gracing her face, as she deposited the plate on someone else's lap. Ruby couldn't make out the stranger's features, only a shadow, but they raised their arms and shook them with joy.

"Got her," Ruby blinked, her eyes returning to normal. She stood up and smiled widely. "Thanks, Wu-Lon!"

"I am always happy to help, Avatar," the monk said. "I've been doing it for decades, after all."

Ruby nodded and ran out of the temple, eager to find the faunus again.

The way came naturally to her, even though her vision had lasted but a few seconds. It was as if her very soul was guiding her. In a matter of minutes, she was standing before an old building at the edge of town, almost touching the walls, where most people would probably never come across it.

Ruby took a deep breath and opened the door, stepping inside carefully. The light of a torch showered her face, making her eyes sting for a moment. Then, she heard gasps and soft cries.

The next thing she knew, she was rolling on the ground, her left cheek hurting from an unexpected hit. Ruby kneeled and looked up in surprise, only to find the tip of a blade hovering in front of her nose.

"Why are you here?" the cat faunus asked, her voice like a hiss. She was holding her sword so tightly, the knuckles on her hand had turned white. "How did you find us?"

"I-I'm the Avatar! Master of four elements, Grimm slayer? You know, the Avatar!" Ruby squealed in fright. "Could you maybe not point your sword at me?"

"No," the girl's eyes narrowed. "I know you're the Avatar. Everybody knows what you look like. It doesn't answer why you're here."

"I… well…" Ruby gulped. "I just wanted to know why you're stealing from people."

The thief continued to stare at her, as if she were deciding if Ruby was being serious or not. Finally, she took a step back and sheathed her sword, then gestured around the room.

Ruby's lips parted as she realized for the first time that there were other people in the house, sitting on the ground with plates of food on their laps. They all looked younger than her by a significant margin.

"They're why," the thief said bitterly. "Can you leave now?"

"I don't understand," Ruby frowned. "You're feeding them?"

"Evidently. Why else would I steal so much food? Do I look that hungry to you?"

Ruby's shoulders fell, and she stared at her feet silently. The thief shifted her weight from one leg to the other, then shook her head, as if she regretted her words.

"Sorry. You don't look like you have bad intentions. I'm just… not very fond of people intruding on my business," she said. "My name's Blake."

"That's cool," Ruby muttered. "Mine's Ruby."

"Yeah. I knew that too," Blake smiled slightly. "Can we move this outside?"

Ruby nodded, walking out of the building. Blake followed her and closed the door behind her.

"Look, I know why you're here, and I understand. Stealing's wrong," Blake sighed. "But I didn't have any other choice."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't usually steal from people. I travel from place to place, and I know how to get food for myself. But when I came to Atlas, I met these children…" Blake clenched her fists and pressed them to her sides. "They barely had anything to eat. No one cared to help them, just because they're faunus. I couldn't just leave them to starve."

"No one helped?" Ruby asked, incredulous.

"No one."

Ruby gritted her teeth. She just couldn't believe what she was hearing, and that she had been so clueless about something that serious for so long. She didn't like war, but at least she understood it, somewhat. This blatant prejudice against faunus, though? She couldn't begin to comprehend it.

"I'm used to it," Blake muttered. "But they're just kids, hungry and scared and alone. A little stealing is justified, right? So they won't suffer."

"Absolutely not," Ruby said immediately. "I'm going to do something about it!"

Blake's eyes widened, and she turned to Ruby, her hand flying to the hilt of her sword. Before she could draw it, however, Ruby held her by the shoulders, a determined glint in her eyes.

"Have you ever asked for help at the temple?"

"What?" Blake muttered. "No. Why would I? They wouldn't care to help faunus."

"Aren't you being prejudiced now?" Ruby noted. "The monks will be more than happy to help. I just need to ask them."

"Well… I'm not holding my breath," Blake said. "But if you're so confident…"

Ruby smiled. "I'll go over there right now, then come back with news!"

The redhead waved cheerfully, then sprinted away, parting the air before her. Blake watched in silent awe, before going back inside, a little smile appearing on her face.

For the first time in years, she was feeling hopeful about something.

"Monkey-bats bite me," Weiss said admiringly. "You actually did it."

Ruby joined her hands humbly behind her back, though the effect was a bit ruined by the smug smile on her face.

It was just before midday, and Blake had arrived with her protégés at the temple. The kids looked anxious, their eyes darting around constantly, as if they expected to be jumped at any moment, but Blake encouraged them to keep moving.

Wu-Lon and his colleagues were surprised by Ruby's request, but not any more than they were anguished about the misery that had been going on just under their noses. It had taken no argument from the Avatar to get them to agree to house and feed the children.

"Still, I have to say," Weiss cleared her throat. "I told you from the very beginning. It's not a Grimm, Ruby. Grimm don't steal. But no, you just had to insist."

"Hey!" Ruby protested. "You had no idea it was a faunus either!"

"You didn't ask for theories," Weiss said haughtily. "But whatever makes you feel better."

Ruby huffed with frustration, preparing an angry rebuttal, but before she could finish it, Weiss smiled and hit her playfully on her shoulder.

"It was just a joke," Weiss said. "Good job, Ruby."

Ruby's face blended in with her cloak. A playful Weiss was something she was not used to. "T-thanks!" Much to her discomfort, Weiss continued to stare at her, and her face did not get any less red. In fact, she could feel it getting even more so. "U-uh uuuh…"

"Hey, guys!"

Ruby let out a sigh of relief as Jaune appeared suddenly at their side, sporting a wide smile.

"Man, it's so bright!" he exclaimed, looking at the sky. "Why didn't you wake me up sooner?"

"I put you through a lot yesterday," Ruby said. "You deserved a little more sleep than usual."

Weiss rolled her eyes. "And by a little more, she means three hours."

"I think you're just jealous Ruby cares so much about me," Jaune said, puffing his chest.

"Right. Or maybe I know she simply didn't want you whining for the rest of the day again."

Ruby shook her head and walked away from the two, leaving them to their bickering. She approached the faunus, who were settling in, the monks explaining their sleeping and eating arrangements.

Blake was standing outside, and though she was smiling, Ruby still noticed how on edge she appeared. In the light of day, her cat ears were more noticeable than ever, and most people that passed by stared at them. Ruby definitely understood how Blake felt about that.

"Hey," the Avatar greeted. "Aren't you going to join them?"

"The children? No," Blake said. "Like I said, I can manage for myself. And, no offense, I'm not exactly eager to be cared for by a bunch of monks."

"They're nice monks," Ruby argued. "Avatar monks!"

"Good point," Blake chuckled. "The answer is still no."

"Hmm. Maybe you can come along with us, then?" the redhead said. "We're going to the North Pole so I can learn waterbending from a true master. I think Weiss and Jaune would enjoy your company. I know I would."

Blake looked over Ruby's shoulder, to where Weiss and Jaune were still bickering. "Thank you for the offer, but… I'm more comfortable on my own."

"So where will you go?"

"South, maybe. I have a… friend, I'd like to reunite with. But I'm not sure. All I know is that I'm done with Atlas," Blake turned around and started to walk away. "Goodbye, Ruby. It was… nice, meeting you."

"Don't say that!" Ruby exclaimed. "We'll meet again. I'm sure of it!"

Blake paused, then turned to look at her one last time.

"I hope you're right," she smiled. "See you around, Ruby."

Yay! It's Blake! ...Now we wait until Book 2 to see more of her. Sorryyyyy...

In the earlier drafts of the plot, I was planning on only introducing Blake in Book 2. But I think this turns out better. It wasn't necessary to introduce her now, but I think it will make her role work much more smoothly later in the story. Also, faunus are a big deal and she's a great character to bring them to the forefront with.

Oh, and I needed a breather chapter, because the next three... Well, lemme put it this way... They might take you BY STORM!

(omg so clever i wonder if they got the reference)

-Zeroan