Ruby Rose started wake up and was trying to see what was going on around her as she got up from the comfortable bed. Once her eyes started to clear up she noticed that the bed she slept at was much bigger than her dorm bed, so she decided to sat up the bed to look around the room.
Once Ruby took a look around she noticed that the room appeared to be different than her dorm room that she slept with her teammates; the room looked to be vanilla white in color, there were two twin dark brown clothing drawer with a mirror on the left side of the room, a closet on the opposite side of the bed, there were two windows on the right side of the room with blinds that were slightly opened to reveal some light coming from outside, and a door that was a couple feet awar from the closet. She also noticed that her red cloak was neatly folded on top of the drawers along with her weapon called Crescent Rose on top of it, but next to it was a navy blue trenchcoat that was folded also and on top of it was a katana-like sword with a black sheath on it, a wakizashi in a similiar sheath, and a black modified semi-automatic pistol. On the bottom of the drawers appeared to be her combat boots but next to them are black shoes that looked like loafers but looked more for combat. But what Ruby noticed is a guy next to her in the bed that was out of the bed looking at what appeared to be an analog clock that was standing on top a dress drawer to her left side before turning around to see her awake and lie down on top of the sheets next to her.
Ruby observed the person who was looking at her and noticed that the person appeared to be a guy that is a few years older than her with fair skin, had an average build, had somewhat messy black hair that was sidebrushed to one side, medium blue eyes, and he appeared to wore a black longsleeve shirt underneath a dark blue shortsleeve shirt with black pants, black socks, and black combat gloves that fully covered his hands. But the most surprising thing is that he looked somewhat tired and annoyed about something as he rubbed his head.
"Hey Ruby, glad you're awake," the guy noted plainly in a somewhat concerned voice. "At least I'm grateful you're still okay, I guess."
"Edge Kuroha?" Ruby asked, a sense of familarity to this guy.
"Yeah, that's me," Edge Kuroha replied.
What Ruby recalled about Edge is that he was a team leader in his own team that, except when doing training exams or missions, rarely interacted with her or her friends.
"Where are we, Edge?" Ruby asked as she rubbed her eyes.
"We're inside one of the houses that wasn't trashed after the battle for Beacon," Edge explained, "Although nobody was around when I had to take you in to recover after you were knocked out, I have to make sure it was clear to enter without getting ambushed. Once I know it was safe, I have to drag you to the bedroom and we rested from exhaustion, until now."
Ruby started to remembered all the events that happened during the battle for Beacon, until she started to realize something that was missing.
Knowing about this and became worried, Ruby asked, "Edge, after I what appeared to be knocked out, what happened to the survivors, what happened to our classmates . . . what happened to our friends and teammates . . . what happened to Jaune and Pyrrha?"
The only response thing Ruby noticed was Edge sighed bitterly as he tried to calm himself from something personal that was going on in his head.
It took Edge a while to cool down, but despite Ruby wanting to know what happened to their friends and their teams, she knew that Edge needed to calm down before making an answer.
Once Edge calmed himself down, he made a response.
"They're gone, Ruby . . . they're all gone."
"What?" Ruby asked nervously, trying to calm herself down while finding a reason to this. "You're joking about this, right? They wouldn't be gone, not like this. Not after all this."
"I'm not joking, Ruby; they're all gone." Edge replied bitterly, tears starting to come out of his eyes as he told her the whole tale after she blacked out.
Once Edge told her the rest of the story, including the fact that despite the Grimm Dragon being turned into stone and the people responsible for starting the disaster went missing, the next series of horrific events that goes next started to infuriate him, "And we're not going to see them again, after what those terrorists, no, those . . . those . . . those monsters had done to them! Including our own friends! And after all the hard work we all did, after the Grimm had to retreat, those Grimmless monsters have to show up to get rid all the survivors just to avoid witnesses, including our friends!"
After Edge responsed with fury on these attackers that done actual harm to their friends and the people they were suppose to protect, he gripped his hands tightly into fists in rage . . . until he just relaxed his fists in utter defeat and grieved, "I'm sorry, Ruby. I'm so sorry."
Once Edge made that answer, tears started to well up into Ruby's eyes until with no other option left for her began to cry uncontrollably while Edge wrapped his arms around her slender body and gave her a tight hug to his body, not caring if she stains his clothes as he let her cry it out while comforting her by patting and rubbing her back as soft as possible as they lie down on the bed in each others' arms. But despite all this, Edge himself also was personally upset about losing his own teammates from the aftermath of the battle.
Despite being grateful that Grimm no longer occupy the area, the scars they both now possessed was too much for them to bear as they comforted each other on their bitter conclusion of the battle that was ultimately lost.
Time seemed to pass by for the two of them as they comforted each other, until after a while, Ruby stopped crying. After Ruby had managed to stop crying, she now starting to calm down slowly.
Things grew quiet until Ruby asked, "Edge, why did you have to risked your own life to save me?"
Edge replied solemnly, "Because I have to do it, regardless of what's going to happen to either one of us."
"Would you do the same thing if I didn't experience some sort of white flash that knocked me out?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because . . . out of all the times we have interacted with each other, good and bad, you actually started to remind me of two of my younger sisters," Edge recalled as he looked at Ruby. "Despite the fact that they were being silly and annoying at times, they do care about my wellbeing and we had often helped each other out . . . including times when life starts to grow rough for us."
Ruby started to recall all the moments they had with each other throughout the months in Beacon Academy and the misadventures along with it, including times when they have to work together to solve problems that they have to face despite the limited time they had together.
"You actually reminded me of Uncle Qrow at times," Ruby finally noted.
"Huh," puzzled Edge, "Your uncle?"
"Uh . . . yeah," Ruby answered calmly as she started to snuggle Edge with her head, "Uncle Qrow was my mentor on using the scythe as a weapon and despite him being sarcastic at times, he does care about me, Yang, and dad, despite all the bitter events that we all had to go through. Because right now, somehow I'm starting to feel like you remind me about him."
Curious about those connections, Edge asked Ruby about her family, until she answered everything she and Yang know so far about their family.
As she told Edge all this, he felt that there could be comparisons to the events his parents had gone through, but noting that the way Ruby explained all this felt more traumatic for her and remaining family, making Edge felt pity for her past.
After hearing all this, Edge replied, "I'm sorry about what's happened to you and your family, Ruby. Nobody should deserve this type of fate."
"I know," Ruby nodded as she pulled her head as she looked at Edge with a gentle smile on her face despite the dried tears on her face, "But we always have move forward, regardless on what happens to us."
"I think that would be a neccesity, Ruby," Edge noted as he nodded as he told Ruby about his own family and the events they experienced.
"Although my family ddn't have to endure the same events your family gone through, both my parents had to overcome their personal problems that they have to face, including those from the past that want to harm them, myself, and my sisters."
"I guess that maybe we're not so different as we thought we were," Ruby commented after Edge finished his tale, but somehow her original personality was starting to come back to her.
"I guess you do have a point right there, Ruby," Edge sighed in acknowledgement as his original personality was coming back to him too as he rubbed Ruby's back.
They looked at each other for a moment until Ruby asked, "Edge . . . do you want to become friends? Because it would feel weird if we didn't do this."
Edge chuckled and replied, "Sure, Ruby. I do need someone to talk to after all this had to occur. And 'Edge' is actually a nickname I made for myself."
Ruby became curious and asked, "What is you're real name?"
"Call me 'Aoi'," the newly named 'Aoi' answered with a geniune smile, "It's my actual name, although I wanted 'Edge' to be a nickname that can take people more seriously than my birth name, but I can let you call me that, if you want."
"Thanks Edge, I mean Aoi," Ruby nodded softly, "I think we'll become best friends together."
"I guess so too," Aoi nodded, before adding, "But we need to get ourselves ready to leave now Beacon is in ruins, gather as much supplies as we can for our journey, and perhaps going back to your hometown to find answers about this strange ability that you have gained last night."
Ruby was processing what Edge had to say until she responsed, "Sure Edge. But why go to my hometown?"
"We need answers on why you gained you ability," Aoi noted, "Obliviously that ability is not related to your semblance and it somehow frightened the Grimm, so maybe your folks might have answers regarding to that. I might let my family know what was going on once we come to your hometown."
"Alright then," Ruby nodded, until she added, "Can we chat for a little while longer before doing this? And look for more survivors in the process that maybe are still okay . . . if they won't attack us? This idea won't hurt us in anyway."
"Alright," Aoi nodded, "And we definitely need to wash our faces before going out also, okay?"
"Yep," Ruby chirped quietly.
They spent the rest of the time chatting with each other about topics other than what they had to experience last night, knowing that once they are ready, they will have to go to Ruby's hometown to find answers after gathering supplies and find any survivors that might still be okay in the proces despite the brutal events Ruby and Edge had now experienced in the aftermath of the Battle for Beacon.