Ruby's eyes opened, and a blinding bright light erupted from them. So bright and terrible it seemed to draw in the surrounding illumination, darkening the battlefield as surely as if the stars had gone out. Throwing back her head, Ruby let great jets of fire erupted from her hands and open mouth, spinning around her dainty form in a halo of flame. Another gesture, a clenching of fists, and a number of rocks on the ground shattered into tiny fragments, each no larger than a dagger. These too were set to encircle her figure in an ever-rotating halo. Finally, a splash of water from the far off river was drawn through the air, wrapped around Ruby, like a third ring of power, completing the elemental set. The wind from her rising gale force drew tighter, into a ball of elemental fury. And at the center of it was Ruby Rose, eyes like tiny suns as she gazed dispassionately at her enemy.

There could no longer be any doubt.

"The Avatar..."

Cinder recoiled, stepping back momentarily before rallying her courage. It was one little girl. Avatar or no, she wasn't a God. She could be beaten. Cinder had done it before. With help, admittedly, but she had done it. And she wasn't alone this time either. Mercury dropped out of the sky to land beside her in a crouch, while Emerald slid along an icy slide to her side.

"Well... we found her..." Mercury said, his voice deadpan, but with an undercurrent of fear. Clearly he was waiting for directions. "What the heck was step two?"

The three-eyed Combustionbender glared over at her subordinate out of the corner of her eyes, but couldn't entirely fault him for feeling afraid. Her own hands were shaking. Worse, he had a point. The original plan was definitely in ruins. They'd succeeded in finding the Avatar, but it seemed they were too late in their attempt to take them unawares. Ruby Rose was far too willful and stubborn to submit to Cinder's rightful rule. To give her power willingly. So they did indeed have to exercise Plan B. To take it by force.

"DESTROY HER!"

All three of them attacked at once. Wind, water, and of course fire were flung at the awakened Avatar with great ferocity. Indeed, so fierce was the attack that for a second the dust kicked up by it obscured any view of the young girl. Cinder threw up an arm to shield her eyes, even as Mercury ascended into the air for a better view. Emerald stumbled backwards, checking their rear for any potential other dangers. Had they succeeded? Surely no one could survive a barrage like that. But when the dust settled and the smoke cleared, Ruby stood in exactly the same spot she had occupied before, the sphere of four elements still spinning around her. If anything, their attacks had only added to it, making it even stronger.

She spoke not a word, but her dark expression spelled out her thoughts clear enough, even as her eyes blazed with greater intensity.

My turn.

Ruby's arms swung up as her fingers assumed the proper bending forms, her legs and feet assuming the appropriate stances, her arms and hands the correct positions. What she herself did not know, her former lives remembered. As intimately as breathing. Water. Earth. Fire. Air. The four elements had come together in opposition of evil once again.

The Avatar dropped to the ground and kicked low, and the earth shuddered, shaking underneath the feet of Cinder and Emerald and knocking them on their backsides. Neutralized, that left Mercury to contend with as Ruby wasted no time in tensing her legs and pushing off the ground, speeding through the air after him. The gray-robed airbender dodged her move, but the sheer force of it sent him careening out of control before he re-asserted his dominance of the skies. And only just in time, for she was speeding towards him again, hurling fire and lightning like they were going out of style.

Mercury gave a most undignified yelp and took off, trying to take a wide arc around to give his comrades time to hit the Avatar. He flew through the air with great speed and grace, but no matter what he did, she always seemed to be only a few seconds behind him, coming in dangerously close.

Desperate to gain some breathing room, he twisted and rolled in mid-air, throwing an airbending slice at her, then dove down low to the ground. Ruby didn't even counter the strike, but let it harmless dissipate against her elemental sphere. Pausing in mid-flight, she threw an arm out, and the circle of water followed her motion, snaking out like a tentacle. It grasped a hold of Mercury's leg and hardening into ice. With a swing, Ruby flung him over her head and through the air, heading right towards the ground. The gray-haired boy gave a cry of terror as his arms pinwheeled, desperate to stop his flight but unable to do so. He hit the ground so hard he bounced, rolling head over heels until he collapsed in a broken heap on the ground. His legs were twisted at unnatural angles. He wasn't dead, but he wouldn't be walking again anytime soon.

"Mercury!"

Emerald flung her arms up in a familiar movement, viciously striking with her digits, fingers trailing through the air as she tried to bloodbend the Avatar into submission. If it didn't kill her, it might hold her in place long enough for one of her comrades to finish the job. Alas, it was a completely useless gesture, the Avatar State shrugged off her bloodbending like it was nothing. Ruby did not even flinch. She threw down a trio of fireballs in retaliation almost casually, letting them erupt on the ground to either side of Emerald. The green-haired bloodbender dodged the first two, then a third that exploded right at her feet, knocking her through the air to come crashing down next to her teammate nearby. She struck her head hard as she landed, instantly unconscious.

That left only Cinder Fall to stand before the Avatar.

Breathing in deep and sending a blast of combustion energy up at Ruby, the eruption knocked the fledgling Avatar back through the air, finally giving Cinder some much needed breathing room. Tempted to use the time to prepare another attack, she decided manipulation was the better part of valor on her part. Not escape, not retreat, but a strategic fallback. She started for the schoolgrounds, pushing waves of fire behind her hands to propel herself forward faster as she made her move.

The Avatar instantly gave pursuit, raising up her arms and having huge rock stalagmites erupt out of the ground. Cinder zipped between them, smashing through any with fire blasting fists that she could not avoid. Within seconds, Cinder had reached her goal, and the Avatar hesitated, if only for a moment.

For the dark-haired firebender now stood on the ground beside the remainder of Ruby's teammates. Weiss and Blake were crouched side by side, the Schnee Princess protectively holding the Kyoshi Warrior at her side, while Yang lay on her side beside them. None of them were in any condition to fight, particularly against such a powerful foe. Cinder's open palm was pointed downwards at Yang's wavy blonde hair, threatening to roast her.

"Back off or they die!" she declared.

Ruby's glowing eyes narrowed dangerously at the threat to her precious teammates. Her friends. Her family.

With an angry, almost contemptuous flick of her hand, the earth swelled up behind Cinder in a great fist, punching her in the back and sending her flying through the air. She splashed down in the nearby fountain, and Ruby raised up her arms, palms skyward, creating a high rising geyser that brought the three-eyed woman nearly a dozen stories up into the air before letting gravity reclaim its hold on her. Cinder came crashing back down, scrambling backwards in fear. When she'd killed Ozpin, it had been in a moment of weakness, he'd been caught off guard and outnumbered, but Ruby was exercising the full power of the Avatar state at her command. And it was terrifying to behold. Cinder, for all her power and cunning, was helpless before its awful majesty. The Avatar was a force of nature, utterly unstoppable.

Ruby threw her arms upwards, fingers splayed as all the elements followed her command. A line of fire, a stream of water, and a string of rocks started climbing in the sky, swirling around in another in a powerful elemental drill, then came speeding down as Ruby threw her arms downwards.

The drill was heading directly for Cinder, who closed her eyes and tensed, waiting for the moment of impact...

... only for the elemental drill to stop...

... inches from her face.

For a moment, the near hit simply didn't register, and Cinder continued to flinch, convinced she was going to die. But when it failed to hit, cautiously she opened a single golden eye, peering up at the Avatar in stunned disbelief.

"No."

With that word, the elemental drill dissipated, the fire extinguished as the pebbles fell harmless around Cinder. The splash of water, however, soaked her as she gazed up in sheer disbelief. She was being... spared?

Spared but not forgiven, evidently. Ruby kicked her heel down towards the ground, and the rocks to either side of Cinder's arms and legs quickly engulfed her limbs, pinning her down. Angrily, Cinder drew in a breath, ready to send an explosion Ruby's way and blow her to smithereens when a wave of water washed over her and froze solid in seconds.

Glynda lowered her arms, having finally made it to the battlefield in time to be of use. Cinder wouldn't be going anywhere anytime soon. Nor was Glynda the only one who'd arrived. Port and Oobleck were fast on her heels, and other members of the staff and faculty with them. Several of them made quick work of any remaining Dai Li in the area, capturing them and trussing them up good. Other students of Beacon, citizens of Vale, soldiers of the Empire, benders and non-benders alike were converging on the spot where the Avatar stood, still wreathed in an aura of elemental power.

But their presence, while welcome, wasn't a sign of good times. Enemies were still tearing through the streets, and for every one person here, a dozen more were out fighting and dying to the forces of the Grimm, the Dark Spirits, or the Dai Li. The Avatar's task wasn't done yet.

Lifting up her head and ascending into the sky as graceful as a leaf on the wind, Ruby gazed down on Beacon as the elements continued to whirl around her body like a sphere of power, seeing beyond them the hordes of Grimm still tearing at the structures and threatening the lives of the people. Her people. The people of the world. Many were fighting back, but the death count was only going to climb higher unless she put an end to this.

So she did.

Gently lifting up her open hands, Ruby began to rotate them in a slow circle over her head. The winds picked up in turn, gradually at first, and then stronger and stronger. Overcast skies began to darken even further, as great clouds began to form as moisture in the air. Condensed into rain which soon began to fall, and lightning that crackled overhead as the Avatar called down the thunder. Such was the fury of the storm that it instantly drew all eyes within the vicinity of Vale, be they Human, Faunus, Spirit, or Grimm. Ruby stood at the epicenter of the chaos, a beacon of hallowed light amidst the darkness, and her presence inspired hope in the beleaguered defenders, while inspiring terror in the Grimm. Creatures born and bred of horror, now subjected to the same terrifying emotion. With howls of anger and growls of fear, the black beasts broke away from their onslaught and turned to flee instead. And so en masse they loped, galloped, scurried, or fluttered away in abject terror of the Avatar's incredible power.

Below, the rest could do little more than watch in awe. One lone bender stood against the tide of monsters and did not break. Instead, they broke against her, the hordes of Grimm retreating in outright terror. Light had conquered the Darkness. The last of the Grimm were soon fleeing back into the wilderness, and the battle had ended. But the elements continued to wind and whirl around the dainty form of Ruby, and her eyes glowed with an eldritch light. The power of the Avatar had not let her go. She descended down to the ground, but she did not seem to see anyone around her, her gaze unfocussed and on the horizon. Staring into eternity itself.

Hesitantly, a battered but still standing Weiss stepped closer to her, entering the invisible circle that surrounded the Avatar. "Ruby?" she said as softly as she could.

The girls head turned, and Weiss flinched back for a moment from the sheer power of that gaze. Like looking into the sun itself. But despite her fear, Weiss pressed on, hesitantly taking another step closer. "Ruby, it's me. It's Weiss."

The Avatar gazed at her dispassionately, seemingly unable to recognize her anymore.

"Remember? Ice Princess?" she tried again.

The words seemed to reach the fifteen year old girl within the Avatar, and a moment later the glow faded from her eyes, revealing their silver shine before they rolled upwards in her head, and Ruby started to faint. Weiss was at her side in an instant, Yang following not too far behind. Blake was there too, watching as the other girls gently caught Ruby's shoulders and eased her down to the ground. By now more were gathering around them, anxious to know what had happened. They'd all seen the Avatar drive away the Grimm and the enemy forces, but they'd seen from a distance, they'd mistaken it for the arrival of Ozpin to the battlefield. To find their Avatar such a tiny little girl had most of them confused and puzzled.

And it wasn't over yet.

Ruby had collapsed, and her breathing was shallow. She was unconscious as Weiss and Yang laid her down on her back. Blake leaned in, resting her head on Ruby's chest, listening with her cat-like ears. They twitched.

"She's fading fast," Blake said. "Her spirit's exhausted... her heart rate is slowing... and she'd cold as ice."

Her older sister took her hand, and Yang winced at just how cold Ruby's flesh was growing.

"Healer!" the blonde screamed, her voice cracking. "Someone find a healer NOW!"

Several people moved to find one, but most of the waterbenders with medical expertise were scattered throughout the far corners of the city, or else still trapped in the infirmary like the teaching staff had been. However, there was still one available, and Jaune didn't hesitate to step forward. He halted only when a hand came down on his shoulder, holding him back.

"I can heal her," Jaune said, not even bothering to turn around. He knew who was there.

Pyrrha's grip tightened. "Jaune, no, the strain..."

"I can heal her," Jaune repeated, more firmly. As gently as he could, he pushed away Pyrrha's hand. Now wasn't the time to hold on to her for support, now was the time to stand on his own. "I just need some water."

Weiss popped the top of her waterskin and drew out its contents, transferring the liquid into Jaune's reach. It flowed over his hands, coating his fingers, glowing with a sapphire shine as he knelt down beside Ruby, resting his hands over her head and her heart.

"Well, here goes nothing..." he said, shutting his eyes tightly.

Everyone watched with baited breath, unable or unwilling to speak, the entire moment seemed to stretch from a mere handful of minutes to an eternity and then some. Not a sound disturbed them, save for the occasional gust of wind it was more silent than a funeral, and much more somber. The water in Jaune's power continued to glow, even more brightly for a moment, then slowly fading away until it was dim again, evaporating in his grip as the refreshing power flowed into the young Avatar's body.

Then, Jaune slumped, his hands leaving Ruby, and her teammates clustered around her, concern stretched all across their features. But the waterbending boy had done his work well. Jaune sighed in relief as he saw his patients shallow breathing return to normal, and her eyes slowly start to open.

"H-hey... welcome back, Ruby," he said, his voice strained.

She blinked silver eyes, his face coming into focus. She knew without anyone saying a word that he'd been the one to save her. To heal her. The Avatar State had strained her frail body to the limit, but he'd restored her life and health.

"Thanks Jaune," she whispered.

He gave a tired smile, trying to non-chalantly rise to his feet, but he was far more drained than he realized, and stumbled. Fortunately Pyrrha was there to catch him and provide support. Steady as a rock. Stronger than steel. She and her teammates supported Jaune even as Ruby's teammates supported her, helping her to sit up.

Clap.

Clap. Clap. Clap.

Clapclapclapclapclapclapclapclap.

A slow clapping picked up, as somewhere out amongst the crowd, someone felt a need to applaud the bravery of Ruby and Jaune. And indeed, all of those who had fought and died today to protect the light and goodness in the world. Vale had been greatly damaged, but a good many of its people had survived. The clapping was quickly picked up by another, and then another, until almost everyone was part of it. There was no joyful cheers and hollaring, but no one could help but be swept up in the moment. A moment in history had been made, and they had all been witnesses. Even Glynda could deny it no longer.

"We've found her. That girl is the Avatar," she said in amazement.

Doctor Oobleck nodded. "And this is only the beginning," he surmised.

By his side, Port nodded sagely. "It most certainly is."

With the battle finally over, the wounded were taken to the medical ward. Despite being almost fully healed by Jaune, Ruby had been brought there as well. Her body had been repaired but her spirit was exhausted. Glynda had insisted the professional healers, including some of Beacon's spiritualists, had a chance to examine her and make sure there was no lasting damage. And when that hadn't held quite enough weight to persuaded her, Yang had insisted.

With fire.

And Ruby had thus dutifully complied with her big sisters wishes. She climbed into a bed in the medical wing and did not budge.

She ended up sharing a bed next to Jaune, who was equally trying to recover from the efforts of his healing. The technique had put incredible strain on his chi, and Jaune felt like he'd just run a marathon whilst carrying Nora on his back. He had a rare gift, but it evidently needed more practice so it wouldn't exhaust him so much. But his teammates were encouraging, and even Glynda was giving subtle praise to his newfound ability, and he felt confident in four years he just might have it down.

Ren was in a bed on the other side of the room. Despite his best efforts, he'd been beaten by the girl in pink, though thankfully not fatally. He'd be on his feet in no time, but the defeat still stung him, and he was even quieter than usual as the rest of Team JNPR praised his bravery.

Ruby smiled, grateful to be amongst her teammates as well. All of them really. Her friends. Her family. Even Penny. What a shock that had been, to discover she'd still been alive. But Penny had come by with some sunflowers on behalf of herself and Future Industries, thanking the Avatar for saving the city... and then spent half the day talking with her friend Ruby about the battle and their respective parts of it.

"And then when we ran out of targets Ciel and I grabbed one of the Paladins and made our way towards the school..." Penny narrated, her hands in motion as they displayed the battle non-verbally to accompany her words. "Boy did we ever have trouble convincing the others not to fight us... they thought we were Dai Li at first... can you believe that? ... but then...!"

Soft giggles slipped out of Ruby before she could catch herself. Penny was just so infectiously enthusiastic. "I knew you could be a hero too," she said.

Pausing midway through her next gesture, Penny looked up, startled, and remembered. Their very first meeting. A blush lit up her freckled cheeks. "... yeah... I guess you were right."

The two girls shared a smile, grateful for one another's presence, and then Ruby gently prompted her to continue, and Penny went on with her story, explaining how she'd nearly had her Mecha-Tank Paladin suplexed by a walking collection of moss, vines, and seaweed before she had to eject herself from the pilot's compartment. And there were lots of other interesting anecdotes from the battle to share, it seemed.

Eventually, however, the healers had been forced to usher everyone out of the medical wing and let Ruby and the other patients have some peace and quiet while they rested.

"How are you feeling?"

She hadn't really been all that tired, not enough to sleep, but she had started to doze off before the voice came and her silver eyes snapped right open. Sitting at the edge of her bed was one last visitor, it seemed. The familiar form of Avatar Ozpin, gray-haired and golden eyed, dressed once more in the comfortable green robes of a humble man. A teacher, not a warrior.

Now that she knew the truth, Ruby saw him in a wholly different light. Literally, in at least one respect, for his body was semi-translucent, and she could faintly make out the wall of medical supplies behind him. He looked ethereal and ghostly. In other words, a spirit.

"Ozpin," she greeted, lifting up her hand, unable to quite find the strength to sit up.

"Hello, Ruby," he replied. "You did a very good job today. I'm proud of you."

In the bed beside hers, Jaune stirred in his sleep, but did not awaken. Ruby pitched her voice lower, not wanting to disturb him, or any of the others sleeping. Ozpin didn't need to bother it seemed, but that's what happened when you carried on a conversation with a spirit.

"I don't really remember much of what happened," she said softly, resting her hand against her forehead. "I think I blacked out."

He shook his head. "The Avatar State... it can be very intense your first time, but don't worry, it becomes easier to do with practice."

"So I'm the Avatar..."

She hadn't phrased it as a question, but he nodded anyway. "Yes. The latest in a long legacy, stretching back further than any of us can remember. The Avatar State is a reflection of that. It allows your past lives to channel their power through you, raising your bending to incredible new heights."

"So I didn't really do anything," Ruby said, feeling a wave of morose feelings wash over her. "You did."

He shook his head, adjusting his glasses a moment later. "Untrue. Does your team... Team Ruby... does the accomplishments it acquires as a team diminish any effort of its individual members? I think not. Yes, I, and Amber, and Kuruk, and so many others before us... yes we helped. But you were the one who woke the part of yourself deep down within that allowed us to do so."

That brought a smile to her face, albeit a tired one. Ozpin could sense she needed her rest, and he reached out a hand, resting it over hers. Though only a spirit, his fingers felt warm against hers, she could feel his life force, truly there with her. And with growing realization, knew deep down that it would always be there. And he would always be there for her.

For he was part of her, and she was part of something grand.

Ruby was truly blessed... but she knew this was only the beginning.

She had a lot of training to do, now more than ever. In addition to airbending now she'd need to learn waterbending, earthbending, firebending, all from the most prestigious and hardened masters of the arts. Beacon Academy would be her home for quite a while it seemed. Probably longer than the standard four years. And even after that, she had a lot to do. There was many enemies in the world who wanted to see the peace and harmony fail, to see the Avatar destroyed. But Ruby wasn't worried. With her team by her side, Ruby was fully confident she could accomplish anything, Avatar or no.

Ozpin's time had come to an end, his era was over.

His associates, many of whom had been in the know about his passing for a long while now, would make a formal announcement in the near future. But they would have good news to share alongside the bad now. Like the turning of the seasons, the Avatar Cycle had begun again. A new Avatar had been found. The Next Avatar. As it had been for almost ten thousand years, one Avatar had departed the world but a new one had arisen in their place. To carry on their legacy of peace and harmony in a world at war. To be a shining light amongst the darkness. Theirs would be the stuff of legend.

And this time, it would be the Legend of Ruby.

Cold.

Wind howled across the void, like the screams of a thousand damned souls, stealing the warmth from the body and chilling the spirit down to the core. Overhead, the sky was a dull crimson, like blood, and it washed over everything, tinting it a reddish hue. Dark crystals erupted out of the ground at frightening angles, shaded from violet to purple, and made of a material that was harder than diamond. It was an inhospitable, desolate region of the Spirit Realm. Few spirits even bothered to venture this far into its murky reaches.

But some still did. Dark shadows flitted across the landscape, ascending up a mountain of violet crystals. The higher they went, the more the uneven, broken mounds of gemstones gave way to what seemed like a path of crushed crystal, so fine a powder it was like dust. And it lead all the way up to the peak, which was flat and somewhat narrow. It offered a perfect view of the surrounding landscape in all of its horrible, eerie sort of dark beauty.

Someone was waiting there, a soul darker than black. They did not move as the shadows dropped down in a supplicant position behind them.

"My lady," whispered the shadowy figure. "We have news. We've finally discovered the new Avatar."

That perked some interest, for the head of their mistress turned slightly, indicating they had attention focused on them. Without a word, they were signaled to continue with their report.

"We've discovered they're at Beacon, in the United Republic, nearly two full years ahead of schedule..." they said, rattling off the information acquired by their spy network. "It's a young girl, originally an airbender... has a sister and a team already, and only just recently learned she was the Avatar when she defeated Cinder Fall... uh... that's just about all we've uh... we've uh..."

A voice seemed to interrupt, at once soothingly calm and deathly quiet. "What is their... name?"

Stumbling over himself, his tongue glued to the roof of his mouth, the shadowy servant took a moment to recover, raking his brain for the name before he finally remembered. "Ah, she's named uh... uh, Ruby Rose... my lady."

"Ruby... Rose..." The name was whispered on the cold wind, as if testing it. Tasting it. Learning about it. There was something familiar about it, as well. Something...

Perhaps sensing their thoughts, the shadow paused to double-check his facts. Confirming they were right, he pressed on with his report. "Apparently she's the daughter of Taiyang Xiao Long and a... Summer Rose..."

That name got a reaction.

The shadowy servant trailed off as the dark figure fully turned to face them, and they dropped lower fearfully, unwilling to meet the gave of their dark lord. An instinctive feeling of dread washed over them as they gazed at their dread master, the Witch of the Dark Realm, the Mistress of Black Water, and the Bringer of Darkness.

Her garments looked like water tribe, but they were a dark purple in color, not wholly by design but also by age and wear. They looked waterlogged and soaked, the fur trimming was frayed, and they looked out of style by at least a century or two. Of the woman herself, very little looked natural. Her hair was white, not from age but naturally, seemingly drained of color, and dry and brittle by all appearances. She'd done it up in an elaborate hair-piece bun, sticking out at all manner of odd angles behind her head. Skin so pale it was positively bloodless stretched tightly across rigid features, like a porcelain doll rather than a person. Her veins were visible under the skin, so paper thin as it was. Even her lips were bloodless and pale. Eyes like dull rubies peered out from underneath a pair of white brows. Her gaze was not warm, but cold and lifeless. She may well have been cast from stone, or else been some animated corpse. Nothing about her looked natural, or even felt natural. She was like a blight of nature, unholy and dangerous.

Her name was Salem.

And for the longest time she was quiet, her expression unreadable, dead and frigid as a corpse left in the snow. But gradually, her pale lips curved upwards and her eyes seemed to light up with an inner fire. It had the effect of making her look even less human and more horrifying. Then and only then did she speak. And she spoke but a single word:

"... finally."

Authors Notes:
Originally, the story was meant to end here, just after the defeat of Cinder, but being further inspired by reader input, have decided to press on with more, including this teaser here. Book Two, ho! Featuring special new villain Salem.

Also going to take this opportunity to give a shout out to my friend 'Zeroan' and their 'The Legend of Remnant' crossover. We've had many parallel ideas, but equally we have quite a few differences, and some of my story elements is owed to theirs. If you enjoy a good RWBY and Avatar crossover, please check it out. You will not be disappointed.

Mercury's legs being broken in the final battle is quite naturally a reference to his canon counterpart having artificial ones. Whether or not he'll get some form of upgrade or future appearance is still very much up in the air at this point. Ditto Emerald and Cinder, and probably Torchwick and Adam too.

Neopolitan, on the other hand...