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Background[]
According to the Blacksmith herself, she can be interpreted as the personification of the Great Tree, though she admits that interpretation is still a simplistic version which does not fully explain what she is or what she does. The Blacksmith dwells within a special dimension within the Great Tree that manifests sometimes as a forge or workshop. Entry into this special space seems to be granted to those who have ascended or by invitation from the Blacksmith.
In the past the Blacksmith is presumed to have conversed with Alyx just as she, Lewis and the Curious Cat approached the doorway leading to Remnant. Through their conversation, Alyx made the decision to remain in the Ever After to repair the damage she'd done to its inhabitants. Unfortunately this caused the Curious Cat to attack Alyx in anger, resulting in her death.
RWBY[]
Meeting Ruby Rose[]
While wondering alone in the Garden, Ruby Rose along with a sleeping Little finds herself surrounded by an ominous darkness. The sound of the hammering of an anvil draws Ruby to a tent which is the only source of illumination. There she see several hanging weapons in a workshop. Among them is one of the swords of Floating Array that was previously thrown away the Red Prince. Ruby quickly moves forward to hold it shocked about its presence.
The Blacksmith suggesting to Ruby about choosing a new weapon
The Blacksmith soon reveal themselves, whilst manning a blazing forge asks if the young girl is interested in the weapon. Ruby then enters the tent, explaining she thought the weapon lost forever and asks the Blacksmith how she has it. The Blacksmith replies that, "no one is ever truly lost". The Blacksmith whilst removing a hot-red butterfly wing from the forge asks if Ruby is lost. When Ruby states that she is not lost and that her friends are elsewhere, the Blacksmith is concerned that Ruby is doing this all alone while hammering the butterfly wing on an anvil.
Little soon awakens from Ruby's scarf and upon seeing their surroundings expresses worry to the Huntress that they may not be supposed to be there. The Blacksmith seeing the mouse asks Little if they are Ruby's guide. After being answered that Little intends to help Ruby get home, despite not knowing how, this leaves the Blacksmith to consider the mouse's words as she resumes her work. The Blacksmith notices that Ruby is carrying a heavy burden, but is told by Ruby that she is fine and can handle it. Still the Blacksmith offers Ruby the option of selecting any of the weapons in their workshop and setting her burden down.
Ruby seeing that Penny's blade had turned into a dagger, declines as she already has a weapon, but the Blacksmith points out that Ruby is in her workshop seemingly searching for something else. The Huntress sets aside the dagger on a table, and sees a axe hanging nearby, in the metal's reflection she sees the image of another woman, whilst the hammering of the Blacksmith resumes. When the Curious Cat calls out to Ruby, the girl finds herself back in the bustling crowd of the marketplace with the Blacksmith and her tent nowhere to be found.
Episodes Covering These Events
Ruby's Ascension[]
The Blacksmith helping and guiding Ruby’s decision on her new identity and form.
Inside the Tree, the Blacksmith is forging a mask at their anvil. She sees Ruby and states their surprise that she was not expecting her so soon. The Blacksmith puts down their tools to console Ruby and help her explain her fate within the Tree, assuring the huntress that what happens next is up to her choice. But seeing the uncertainty in the human's face, the Blacksmith understands that Ruby doesn't know what she wants.
The Blacksmith then has Ruby follow her through the surreal landscape of the world within the Tree. Ruby noticing the passing glowing lights inquires about them and is told by her guide that they are souls moving on. When Ruby asks the Blacksmith if the souls get to choose what their next life will be like, the Blacksmith asks if this concern is for the souls or for herself.
She listens to Ruby and their woes of their failures as a being a hero and only being met with failure. After she expressed her inability of knowing who to be and yet wanting to be someone else, the Blacksmith suggests the possibility of being anyone and summons hundreds of glass cases containing weapons.
As Ruby studies the weapons in the cases, she asks who they belonged to, only for the Blacksmith to correct her stating that the weapons in the cases represent who she could be. She then offers the girl the choice of casting her old self and becoming someone new. When Ruby expresses her frustration of never being enough, the Blacksmith kindly asks how she would measure what would be enough.
After touching her mother's weapon and seeing her memories, and learning how she lied about the mission she was going on, Ruby becomes frustrated and confused. However, the Blacksmith replies that everyone has secrets and that she might not be the only one who feels the weight of others expectations. Ruby pushes the glass case of her mothers weapon, breaking it, she asks the Blacksmith if she’s telling her to give up and become someone else, causing the Blacksmith to reply if that's what she's telling her.
As the Blacksmith warns Ruby that her time is running out and must choose, she sees her own weapon Crescent Rose. When she asks what happens if she chooses herself, the Blacksmith replies that maybe she is already enough, causing Ruby to smile and finish her ascension.
Episodes Covering These Events
The Ever After's Origin[]
Ruby renters the Great Tree along with her friends, with the Blacksmith welcoming them at her workshop while carving figurines of different Afterans. When she sees Jaune, she states that she was waiting for a long time and is glad that he made it. Jaune then asks if it was true what the Curious Cat said about Lewis returning to Remnant, with the Blacksmith saying that Lewis did indeed return to Remnant and was the one who wrote "The Girl Who fell through The World" as how he wished it had happened.
The Blacksmith showing figurines of The Gods to the group
When Ruby and Weiss Schnee notice figurines of The Gods, the Blacksmith explains their origins, stating that they were the Tree's first blossoms and that they emerged in order to tame the wilderness of the Ever After. Using their powers of destruction and creation, they cleared out the wildlife, created the Afterans, as well as the different acres and assigned them roles to play. Eventually, the Brothers, outgrowing their role and wanting to do more, created two Afterans in secret who could fulfill their job for them: the Curious Cat and the Jabberwalker. However, when the Jabberwalker became too brutal in fulfilling its role, the Brothers came into conflict, as one believed that they had disrupted the balance, while the other refused to condemn their creation for their mistake. The Blacksmith then explains that balance is not two forces locked in battle, but rather an ecosystem, and cannot be restored by force, but naturally, requiring love and the patience to see it through to the end.
Yang Xiao Long then asks how the Gods got to Remnant, with the Blacksmith answering by stating that the Ever After could no longer handle the Brothers' experiments. As such, the Great Tree created a doorway to a "greater beyond", where they could create worlds of their own, with it remaining open for their return alongside any of their creations. The Blacksmith then explains that Team RWBY and Jaune have had a greater impact than they realize, like others had before them and others will after them. She summons a figurine of Somewhat and hands it to Ruby, stating that Ruby’s small act of kindness towards Little lead to an amazing transformation. She then expresses sorrow that Alyx’s one act of dishonesty caused the Cat’s heart to break, and that there was no one to send them to the Tree for repair.
Ruby asks what will happen to Neo, to which the Blacksmith responds that she will have a chance to repair her broken heart and become something new. The Blacksmith summons a dagger, which Jaune recognizes as Alyx's, and wonders how she has it. She explains that it was Alyx's wish to fix what she had broken and gives it to Jaune, causing him to age back to a young adult while retaining his white streaks on his hair. The Blacksmith then creates a portal back to Remnant. When Ruby asks where this will take them, the Blacksmith simply tells them not where, but "when they are needed most". As the rest of Team RWBY and Jaune enter the portal, Ruby thanks the Blacksmith, who waves goodbye to her and resumes her work.
Episodes Covering These Events