A/N: All characters belong to their respective owners.
This chapter does have a little bit of a recap in it, but hopefully the way I did it made things interesting. I hope you enjoy the chapter and have a fantastic day!

Chapter 12: Past and Forge Work

Soon enough, everything was unpacked, Bookshelves and wardrobes were full, the bathroom was full of labeled hygiene products, paintings and posters were hung up on the wall, and the beds were now personalized. Everyone was currently gathered around the central room.

"Alright, It's time for us to tell each other a bit about ourselves, like our dreams, What inspired us to come here, our favorite things, and whatever else you want to include." Ruby explained, sitting on top of the left bunk bed, her feet dangling off the edge.

"I'll go first!" Ruby volunteered, everyone had their undivided attention.

"As you know I am Ruby Rose. My favorite things are weapons and hunting Grimm. What initially inspired me to become a huntress were the stories of brave heroes I was told as a kid, and my dream is to become a huntress and protect people." Ruby said heroically.

"Initially? What happened to change what inspires you? And what is your new inspiration?" Weiss and Blake thought to themselves.

"I'll go next!" Yang volunteered, who was standing next to the Bunkbed Ruby was sitting on.

"As you know, I am Yang Xiao Long. My favorite things are Strawberry Sunrises and Puns, and My goal in life is to see the world and take on any challenge I can find! My inspiration to become a huntress came from my baby sister, Ruby!" Yang said energetically.

"I guess I'll go next." Weiss volunteered with a sigh. Weiss and Blake were standing in between the bunk bed and the central bed.

"I'm Weiss Schnee, heiress of the Schnee dust Company. I like decorating and organization, My inspiration for becoming a huntress was seeing the wrongs my family were committing to their own workers. My dream is to leave behind a legacy of heroism, selflessness and bravery!" Weiss proclaimed passionately, earning some awe from the group.

"I guess that makes sense. Her family must have made this a tough road for her to walk." Blake thought.

"I'll go next." Blake volunteered.

"I am Blake Belladonna, I like fish and reading. My inspiration for becoming a huntress was to right the wrongs I have committed in the past that I regret. My dream is to make this a world where humans and Faunus can live together in harmony, where people can be who they are without being wrongly persecuted for it!"

"I guess I'm next. I might as well tell you guys everything, since you're my teammates you deserve the full story. Maple said, from her spot on the central bed, steeling herself for what she was about to make herself relive.

.

Weiss and Blake looked intrigued at the prospect about learning about maple's mysterious past, from what Yang had said she had been rather reserved about her past lately. Meanwhile Ruby was having some mixed feelings. On one hand this was something she had intended to help Maple to break out of her shell and be herself again, on the other hand she was worried that revealing everything at once might be too much for her. She was about to tell Maple that a simple introduction would be fine, but Yang tapped her leg. When Ruby looked over to Yang she shook her head and gave Ruby a look that said "Let her do this."

"I'll start off by saying that I'm not originally from this world, and this body isn't my original. Seven months ago I was playing a full dive VRMMO called New World Online, I had everything I could ever hope for: a nice family, good grades at school, friends I enjoyed spending time with. I was even the leader of a top guild. A new area had just been released and I decided to explore it alone, little did I know that this would be the worst mistake that I have ever made." Maple began, reminiscing over the happy times with a small smile, before a pained expression crept onto her face as she remembered where things started to go so wrong. Meanwhile Weiss and Blake listened intensely, their minds whirring as Maple told her story.

"While I explored I remember suddenly getting grabbed by black tendrils and getting pulled through a portal. Once I was on the other side I felt everything that was left behind in the real world. Thirst, Hunger, pain, temperature, and more. I don't remember much but when I awoke in a hospital bed I was told I was summoned to this world by a cult and then rescued by my adoptive mother. I opened my menu to see if I could logout or contact anyone, but I could not, I was trapped here. I might as well have been killed.

I was also told I have two curses. One I already mentioned to you before. It increased my base body temperature to where I can only survive in sub zero temperatures, these ice dust runes on my armor are the only thing keeping me from being cooked alive here. The other is one that forces me to drink blood or else I'll go insane. It's rare for people to actually get treatment for it because they either become a tool for whoever cursed them, or they hide away in shame until it's too late. I have a flask with me that I have to fill with blood, the healthcare system of Grimm Rock and Vale provide me with donated blood. You know those blood drawings you see infomercials for? Some of that blood goes to help people like me. And this curse is my greatest shame." Maple admitted with shame and sorrow. Everyone was surprised by this, Maple had never mentioned the Blood drinking curse to Ruby.

"What kind of sick freak would put a curse like that on someone?" Everyone shared the same thought on this.

"Two months later I woke up early and noticed my adoptive mom was missing. I went out to find her, only to watch helplessly as a woman stabbed her in the gut with her blades. I was too late to save her. In her last moments she told me about the cult I was having an encounter with then, along with a request for me to go to Beacon, I carry her sword and pendant to remember her by. As the snow was stained with her blood and the light in her eyes dimmed I swore that I'd get revenge on those responsible for her death, along with those who tore me from my home. I heard the three who had participated in the murder talking, one voice mocked Cinder, the person who delt the final blow, that her plan had failed. They tried fruitlessly to kill me, I sent them death from on high and lasers in my machine god form, though two of them escaped, a silver haired man sacrificed himself for Cinder, who in retaliation formed a cyclone of fire at me which overloaded my ice dust runes, allowing her and Emerald get away." Maple continued, anger and sadness filling her voice, Blake and Weiss's blood ran cold, Ruby and Yang heard this part of the story from Sapphire before, but the fact that they were so close to being in a world where Maple embraced the role of "Living apocalypse" sent chills through them.

"After that I decided to hunt for cults, hoping to find the remaining two on my list, however instead of finding vengeance I witnessed the murder of another person who was summoned here from NWO. The realization that these cults were summoning people from My world just to kill them brought me sorrow first, then rage. I tossed their leader into a lava cauldron, and killed the rest with toxic gas from one of my abilities and cold from another. I was horrified with myself for this, but I felt it was necessary to prevent them from hurting more innocent people. I traveled to Vale and met Ruby. Together we fought some petty thugs, but as we chased Roman Torchwick onto the rooftops I saw her. Cinder was in the bullhead that served as Romans escape vehicle. I was so close to shooting her down, but thankfully Ruby talked me down before I let my need for revenge result in the loss of innocent lives.

After this Glynda Goodwitch had brought Ruby and I to Professor Ozpin, where we were accepted into Beacon. The next day I met Yang and together we went to hunt another cult that had made itself comfy in an old tomb in the graveyard. There I witnessed a friend of mine from NWO start transforming into a grimm, begging for death. I fulfilled his wish, but I wish there was something I could have done to save him. Soon after I was pulled into a machine built by Sapphire and I fell asleep confined inside. When I awoke I heard a pompous jerk bragging about having summoned me here, and that he was going to use the machine Sapphire built to control me to do the same, calling me his property. I transformed into my atrocity form and killed him. When I returned to Grimm Rock, I found out that a fiend of mine, Crimm, was murdered. He was the only person at the time I had told everything to." Maple finished in tears, Ruby had hopped down and sat next to Maple to try and help keep her calm as she told her story.

Wiess, Blake and Yang were stunned in silence. What Maple had gone through horrified them, no one should ever have to suffer the same tragedy that she had. They both have gained a newfound respect for the three, but mainly for Maple, and Weiss now knew why Ozpin had wanted Ruby to be the leader instead of her.

"I'm deeply sorry for your losses, You have suffered so much…" Blake said, giving her condolences, her voice was shaky and her head was spinning at all the information that was just dumped on her. She'd never thought that the red and black armored girl she had met on the bullhead would turn out to have gone through so much. Meanwhile Weiss had made a silent vow to herself to not allow any more harm come to Maple, she has suffered too much.

"I realize it's late and we should probably go to bed, but who's up for chocolate chip pancakes? I figured it'd help brighten the mood." Yang offered.

"That sounds good to me, but where would we get the stuff?" Maple asked, calming down.

"I'll go down and check the school store to see what they have, I'll also get some maple syrup." Weiss stated, heading for the door.

"I'm coming with!" Yang announced following the Ice Queen. While they went on their shopping trip Ruby and Blake started preparing dishes for cooking the pancakes, finding clean cooking supplies like spatulas, bowls, pans, ect in the various cupboards and drawers.

"So how do you think Sapphire got a job here in the first place?" Weiss asked Yang, who was carrying a paper bag of four boxes of pancake batter, two things of maple syrup and some bags of chocolate chips.

"I'm honestly not sure. Then again I don't really recall any of us reporting her to the Hunters Association. It was a pretty rough day for all of us so we might have forgotten to." Yang thought out loud.

Weiss simply shook her head. "Well if she dares try any of that crap she did with Maple in that tomb you three went to I'll give her a nice friendly introduction to the floor." Weiss growled.

"Well thankfully I don't think that'll be necessary, Ice Queen. Ruby did manage to talk her out of that crazy plan. I'm more worried about her trying to hurt someone else in her worship for Maple." Yang said seriously.

"That's a good point, but either way we should keep a close eye on her, and make sure she doesn't get any followers for that cult of hers." Weiss huffed, crossing her arms, and Yang nodded in agreement. Soon enough the two were back at their dorm, Weiss held the door open for Yang and closed it behind her. Yang put the pancake stuff in the kitchen.

They all had a great time, eating pancakes, playing games and even shared their favorite stories. However, outside their notice a small spider-like machine watched them, Maple in particular, from a dark ceiling corner.

After a few hours everyone drifted off to sleep, Maple was snuggled in her bed cuddling a stuffed beowolf that Ruby had gotten her.

Within Maple's Dreamscape

A creature with a white bone mask, a single red eye, and thorny black tendrils wandered a very odd landscape. The ground was a black and white checkerboard, and enormous stuffed animals piled on top of each other, Large metal blades and spires jutted out from some of the toys, forming canyons, mountains and caverns. Large bottles of maple syrup loomed overhead, spilling their contents on the land, forming large rivers of syrup. The sky was ruby red, with black clouds floating overhead and featureless dolls dangled overhead like puppets on strings that went no-where.

The creature that explored these twisted lands was not native to here, but something had altered it, and gave it something it lacked before its intrusion: a mind.

"Why did I ever follow orders for that old fool? Her petty war will lead the Grimm to extinction, I mean really, she had one of her little cults drag this girl here because her war was at a stalemate, such recklessness! And soon enough we are going to pay the price for it." The creature muttered to itself bitterly. But then a realization seemed to hit it.

"This girl… she has a lot of magic and aura and she's incredibly powerful. Maybe I can salvage things with this. I will continue to lead her on the path of revenge and let her burn away the old rotting foundation. In the meantime I could utilize her magic, aura and copy her power to bring forth a new age for the Grimm! Yes, that sounds like a wonderful idea!" The creature schemed out loud, though little to its notice, a figure gazed down at the creature with disapproval, one of its eyes was crimson, and the other was black.

"People have tried to use this girl for their own means for long enough, I regret that I cannot crush you beneath my boot, foul creature, but I feel your intrusion will be noticed, and acted upon swiftly." the figure thought agitatedly. As it watched the corrupted nightmare begin its fowl work, wishing it could do more to protect its mistress.

Back in the real world, a strange mark peaked from the collar of her armor, the mark appeared to look like a thorny vine.

The next day team RWMBY decided to explore Beacon so they could get an idea of where everything was before classes started. On the lower levels of Beacon they came across a forge room, the heat of it made Maple's ice dust runes glow bright. The room was very large, large enough to fit several forge setups, which is something that pleased Ruby very much, ideas filling her head until something particularly inspiring came to her mind.

"Hey Maple, you know how if your armor breaks it can regenerate?" Ruby asked, this fact surprising Weiss, Blake and Yang.

"Wait, it can do that!?" They asked in shocked unison.

"Indeed it can. How did you learn about that, Ruby?" Maple asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, while I was upgrading it I accidentally used too much force and broke a piece off, I still have that piece in my forge at home. Would it be okay if I took another sample of your armor? I have an experiment I want to try, and if it works I have some gift ideas for all of you." Ruby explained excitedly, everyone was curious as to what Ruby had planned, Blake and Weiss were stunned, they were not expecting that Ruby would think about making a gift for them, nor did they know that she was skilled in forging in the first place!

"Sure! I'd be happy to lend you a piece of my armor to work with!" Maple said eagerly. She grabbed a piece of he armor and focused her aura into it, before long a sizable piece came off accompanied by magenta cubes. Soon after the piece left her armor it was replaced by new material, meanwhile the broken piece lost its color, but Ruby and Weiss could still sense that it was producing energy.

"This'll be perfect! Now then, before I get to work, Yang, I'll need to borrow Ember Celica for a bit." Ruby said approaching her sister.

"Sure, here you go!" Yang said, taking off the wrist mounted weapons.

"Thank you. Next, Maple, Weiss and Blake, is it alright if I do some measurements?" Ruby asked, they all nodded in response. Ruby quickly took some measurements and recorded them in her scroll.

"All right, if all goes well this should take me a few hours, why don't you all do some more exploration while you wait?" Ruby suggested

"A-are you sure that's a good idea?" Maple asked nervously.

"Yes, I'm sure, It'd be a bad idea for someone to sneak up on me, I always have my sweetheart Crescent Rose on me Remember?" Said Ruby calmly, but this barely calmed Maple down.

"B-but-" Maple began before Yang grabbed her arm and started pulling her away.

"Come on, Puppy. We've got places to be! Besides, even if something's too tough for her to defeat, nothing can outpace Ruby." Yang confidently boasted for her sister. Ruby waved goodbye to her team and headed inside the forge room. She looked around for an empty forge, soon enough she found her target and got to work. Ruby hovered her hand over the fragment and focused some of her aura into it and grinned widely as the fragment grew in the direction of her aura.

"Yes! It worked! The possibilities for this are endless! I'll have to keep close tabs on where I keep this stuff though, I would not want it to wind up in the wrong hands." Ruby thought to herself as she worked another thought came to her. She'd have to test to make sure that it could bind to a new user.