A/N

Hello and welcome to "Memories," an Emerald x Male Reader AU built around the idea of the Multiverse theory. If you've read one of my other stories, nice to see you again. If not, nice to meet you.

It's gonna be rather different from most things you read on here, but it might be interesting. Even though I have a general outline of the story, it's gonna be harder to write.

With the idea of past lives and memories of them, things might not make sense, especially at the beginning. If there are any questions, feel free to ask. I'll probably miss some simple logic things, but hopefully, you guys can look over them.

I have no idea what year RWBY is set in so I'm gonna say this story is set in the year 921. I'm gonna introduce the suffixes "AF" and "BF", each standing for "After Fall" and "Before Fall", referring to the fall of Beacon (kinda like CE, BCE). I'm making the Fall of Beacon a significant enough point in time to make it a transition in time. I'm also gonna refer to things that aren't canon in the RWBY timeline since this is the future in a way and it's also an AU.

There's gonna be a few references to parallel universes, which I will differentiate them through the suffix "AF*" or "BF*", where * is a number. This main timeline will be 1.

Also, my writing style will change. I won't be using the script-like dialogues since I just wanna try something different. It also kinda seems a little more formal I guess.

If none of this makes sense, I'm sorry.

I know I said I wanted to cut down on the amount I write in A/Ns but I think the first chapter requires a longer one to kinda set some things down.

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902 AF1 - Third Person POV

"C'mon (y/n)! Let's get going!" (y/n)'s father held his son's small hand as they walked down a narrow forest path. "This is the last stop for today! We're almost done!" While his father asked if he wanted to sit on his shoulders, (y/n) insisted on walking by his father's side instead. Though since he was so busy taking in the scenery, the pace of the two dropped significantly. But, (y/n)'s father didn't mind since spending time with his son was more important, especially when he knows they'll grow up way too fast.

(y/n) continued to walk at a snail's pace, eyes darting from tree to tree until a ray of the falling sun shone into the corner of his eye. He turned towards the source and was taken back by the wide landscape that was a beach.

The setting sun made the sand glow a lazy gold and the light bounced off the calm waters. Along the water's edge were families starting to pack up their belongings, not wanting to stay around until the temperature dropped and light dissipated.

Again, his eyes started to scan his surroundings. A family with a single son rolling up their towels. A father collapsing a small portable barbeque as his wife and children take their belongings to the car.

Going from family to family, his eyes finally locked onto one. He didn't understand why he chose them to stop on, but a sense of familiarity rose from the family of three.

"Wanna dip your toes in?" A voice rang from behind him, but he didn't care to turn around. A father, mother, and daughter. Details were hazy as the setting sun distorted his vision. The only detail that caught his attention was a head of green hair. It was a strange sensation, but he had a feeling they knew each other. More than that, actually; that they were friends.

"Emerald..." His voice was quiet. He didn't know what compelled him to say that, but his voice spoke without a thought. While he watched the family walk off in the distance, a light hum rung in his head. A soft pain started to grow in his head as his father took his hand.

"You OK, kiddo?" (y/n) turns to his father, who's looking down at him with a mild worry in his eye. (y/n) nods quickly and turns back to the direction of the strange family, but they had already left his sight.

The two start walking along the waters as the waves lightly splash onto their feet. The rest of the day as a blur, hazy and incomprehensible. There was a feeling that all of it was a dream, but one thing was for certain; something had come out of his that day. Distant memories had surfaced. Memories of a girl he never met.

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905 AF1 - Third Person POV

"This is Em. She's my best friend. She's super fast and strong. She has a dog named Neo. We'll be friends forever!" (y/n) stands in front of his class with a wide grin on his face. With a sloppy drawing he made last week, he proudly shows off his creation to his classmates.

While most of his classmates brought other things like toys and pets, (y/n) knew he brought something that would top everyone else's presentation.

"Em's really good at using guns and swords too! She can even kill a Death Stalker by herself!" With a gap showing a missing tooth, (y/n) sports a big smile as he watches his classmates, hoping everyone is in awe of Em as much as he is.

"You're lying!" A boy, same age as (y/n), blurts out. "Only trained huntsmen can kill Death Stalkers! My dad said so!"

"Well, Em can!" (y/n)'s mood suddenly turns sour as he goes on the defensive. "She's faster than any Grimm in existence!"

"Nothing's faster than a Nevermore!" The kid clearly wasn't accepting anything (y/n) threw at him.

"Em is! She's a police officer!" (y/n) holds up his drawing to emphasize his point. As the quarrel continues, the whole class starts to adopt expressions of confusion, including the teacher that sat to his left.

"Kids can't be police officers!"

"Sometimes she's not a kid! Sometimes she plays the violin or sings in a band!" His anger was starting to take over his need to restrain himself. His grip on the drawing tightened, crumpling the corner of the paper.

"You're lying!" The boy stands up and points a finger at (y/n). "I don't believe you!"

"Victor... sit down please..." The teacher motions the boy to sit back down and turns to (y/n), extending a hand as to say "please continue."

With a huff of annoyance, he raises up his drawing once again. "Em is my best friend because she's cool and her hair is nice! She has a really cool friend named Merc who can be a pain in the butt sometimes. One time, Em joined the army to get away from him when he-"

"I thought you said she was a police officer!" Victor blurted out, stand up once again. "I bet she's not even real!"

"She IS real!" (y/n) shouts back. His hands form into small fists as anger rushes through his frame.

"Well, I've never met her!"

"She doesn't go to school here!"

"Then where does she go!" Victor continues to barrage (y/n) with questions in an attempt to find cracks in his lies.

"I... I don't know..." (y/n)'s hands crush the drawing in his hands. The paper tears a little from the pressure.

"See, Mr. Vidal! He's making things up!"

"No!" (y/n) snaps. He tosses the drawing aside and lunges towards his classmate. The two hit the floor, kicking and screaming. Hands grabbing at each others hair, the kids get separated by Mr. Vidal, who picks them up by the back of their shirts.

The two kids glare at each other as their teacher keeps them from brawling once again.

He releases (y/n). "Wait in the hall."

"But I haven't finished my presentation!"

"You can finish it another time. I will not allow fighting in my classroom."

(y/n) reluctantly walks out of the classroom, angry about Victor and his antics. The words "I bet she's not even real" echo in his head as he waits for Mr. Vidal in the hallway. She is real. (y/n) was sure of it. Sure, they never met, but in his heart of hearts, he knows she's out there somewhere. He knows too much about her to not be real.

_____

907 AF1 - Third Person POV

"No!" The arm of a police officer picks the small child up. (y/n)'s hands pound against the man's chest as he cries out. "I don't wanna go!"

Ashes transfer from the child to the police officer as the man attempts to comfort the distressed (y/n). "I'm sorry, kid. You're gonna have to..."

The lights from the fire trucks and police cars light up the street as families stand on their porches, watching the raging fire eat through their neighbour's house.

"Dad said he's gonna be back!" The police officer holds the child's head to keep him from looking at the burning house. "He promised he'd come back!"

The officer continued to protect (y/n) from the horrid sight of his family home on fire, trying to think of anything to keep the young child's mind off of the house. "Wanna go for a walk? C'mon. Let's take a break."

"I don't wanna go for a walk!" (y/n) starts hitting the officer's chest again. "I want my dad!" (y/n) starts crying into the man's shoulder. His father went back into the house to grab important belongings. (y/n)'s hands clench onto the officer's uniform. "I need Em..."

"Who's Em?" The idea of another life inside the fire worried the police officer. "A pet?"

(y/n) continued to sob. "Is this 'Em' in the house?"

"No... she's my friend..." Even though no one mentioned his father, he knew, deep inside, the only person he had left was Emerald, wherever she was. "Please... I just want Em..."

_____

912 AF1 - Third Person POV

"We're... how should I put this... concerned about (y/n)." Filing through loose papers, (y/n)'s middle school principal looks over his personal notes. The man peeks over his papers, eyes landing on (y/n) and his matron. (y/n) distracted himself with a large sketchbook. Of course, drawing his "imaginary friend" once again.

"It's about her isn't it." (y/n)'s matron adds emphasis on the word "her" since she's been through this chat multiple times already. The principal nods slightly.

"According to studies, most kids outgrow these imaginary friends by the age of nine." He glances over to (y/n), who's still focused on his drawing. "He's almost thirteen. We're worried he won't be able to let go of this... fantasy."

The matron gives an understanding nod. Ever since (y/n) arrived at the orphanage, he's been going on and on about this "Emerald Sustrai" with the rest of the kids. He's been distancing himself from the rest of the children and chose drawing over interacting with everyone else. It started off as innocent antics, a creative child who was passionate about drawing. But over time, it's grown past passion. Caretakers at the orphanage soon realized it's more than just a fantasy to (y/n). It's clear that he takes this "imaginary friend" business very seriously.

"I'm no psychiatrist, but I think this is how he's coping with his father's death." The matron pitifully at the child next to her. "He's been like this since he came to us."

"What have you and the caretakers tried to help him with this issue."

"We tried to get him involved with the other kids. We hoped (y/n) would befriend the other children and stray away from these fantasies."

"And what were the results?"

"Nothing really changed. He kept drawing for hours and ignored the rest of the kids, except one."

"So there's some progress there." The principal jotted more notes down as the matron spoke.

"He's a brilliant and bright child, but we're afraid these habits will become destructive in the future."

The principal nods. "I do have a suggestion, but of course, we need your permission."

"I'm all ears for any way to help him. I just want what's best for his future."

The man hands the matron a folder labelled "Mrs. Laus". "We have a psychologist specialized in children cases from Vale. She's on-call, so when we get your permission, she can come in and work with (y/n)."

The woman looks over to (y/n), who was completely unaware of their conversation. He was completely absorbed by his drawing. The matron takes a pen and signs the forms. She had watched (y/n) isolate himself for too long. She knew the longer he distanced himself, the harder his future will be. She knew she had to try, for (y/n)'s sake.

_____

"(y/n)?"

He looks up from his current sketch.

"This is Mrs. Laus."

He responds with a "hm" and turns his attention back to the book in front of him, preferring to draw Emerald's right eye over conversing with a stranger.

"(y/n)?"

No reaction. The woman sighs in annoyance and yanks the book out of (y/n)'s hands.

"Hey! I wasn't finished that!" (y/n) quickly hops out of his chair and tries to retrieve his precious drawing. The woman simply holds it above her head, out of (y/n)'s reach.

"(y/n)! Mrs. Laus here came to talk to y-"

"I don't care! Give back my book! Give it back!" (y/n) starts jumping at his sketchbook, grabbing onto his matron's arm in an attempt to bring it into his reach.

Mrs. Laus stood back and observed for a moment before stepping in. "May I?" She motions to (y/n)'s sketchbook with an extended hand.

The matron hands the book over to the psychologist, who then sat down next to where (y/n) sat earlier. She carefully flipped through the pages to show (y/n) she didn't want to damage the book in any way. As she looked through the book, (y/n) takes the seat next to her, watching her every move.

Mrs. Laus opened up to the most recent drawing, the one he was just working on. While the drawing was incomplete, she saw a woman with minty green hair with an altered sickle in one hand. "This is really cool, (y/n). How long have you been drawing?"

(y/n) quickly calms down after seeing Mrs. Laus caring demeanour. Off to the side, (y/n)'s matron regains her composure after her minor exchange with (y/n) and exits the room, leaving him alone with the psychologist.

"It's only cool because Em is."

"Em?"

"That's her name."

"I see." The psychologist continues to analyze the drawing in front of her. "Do you mind if I look through more of this book?" Their eyes meet and (y/n) for the first time and he gains a smile on his face. He's finally found someone to share Emerald with.

Mrs. Laus turns to the first page on the book. (y/n) moved closer to the woman, leaning onto her arm. As she studied every drawing that filled the pages, Mrs. Laus studied each sketch. It wasn't long until she realized every sketch in the book was the same character. Occasionally, it included (y/n) himself. "You're very talented. You must've been drawing for a long time."

"I guess so." It was never (y/n)'s intention to become a great artist. His improved drawing skill only makes sharing Emerald to the world easier.

"So who is 'Em'?"

"She's my best friend. She's the coolest person in the whole world, and one day, we're gonna date and get married!"

"Married, huh? What's she like? When did you two meet?"

That last question rang in (y/n)'s head. "Well..." He scrambled to find an answer. "It's hard to explain." His face visibly scrunched up, showing the struggle in his head.

"Do you think you can try and explain?"

(y/n) thinks for a few seconds. "We haven't met yet in this time."

Mrs. Laus tilts her head in confusion.

"But we'll fall in love like we always do! She's really strong too! When she wants something, she tries really hard and is very... uh..."

"Persistent."

"Yeah! Persistent!"

The two continue to talk about (y/n)'s drawings. "She's also really pretty! Here, look!" (y/n) takes his sketchbook and starts flipping through the pages, eventually landing on a sketch of Emerald in a plain white sweater sitting on a window sill, looking out to a rainy landscape.

A soft smile formed on the psychologist's lips. "This is very pretty." She wasn't lying. The drawing was amazingly executed for a twelve-year-old. The neat lines and different line weights show (y/n)'s skill. She knew she couldn't do any better if she tried.

"So what do you mean when you say you haven't met Em 'in this time'?"

"I don't really know... It's kinda like I already know her... I have these memories of her... like..." (y/n) jumbled words in his head, trying to find the proper words. "Like we lived here before."

"Like a past life?"

"Yeah! Past lives! We're always together!"

"Always?"

"Yeah!"

Mrs. Laus silently smiles at the cheerful boy in front of her. "What can you tell me about these memories?"

Again, (y/n)'s expression turns to one of thinking. "Hmm... I don't know. There are a lot of them. They're all different. Sometimes she's my age. Sometimes she's younger. Sometimes we get married."

Mrs. Laus gives (y/n) a sympathetic smile. "Are you sure they're real memories?"

(y/n) rolls his eyes, slightly annoyed by the repetitive question. "I'm sure they're real. Ruby's in the memories too, and I've already met her."

The psychologist's head tilts to the side. "Who's Ruby?"

"My friend. She lives at the orphanage with me. She's kind of a crybaby, but she's my only friend there. She's always my friend in past lives too." (y/n) responds with a matter-of-factly tone.

"So Ruby's in all of your memories too?"

"Yeah. That's why I know Em's out there somewhere too. Ruby doesn't really believe me when I talk about past lives, but I'll make her understand one day.

Mrs. Laus juggled all of the information in her head. Taking in (y/n)'s situation, things got confusing. It's normal for kids to have imaginary friends, but if you ask any of them, they'll know their friends are imaginary. They knew they were just make-believe. (y/n) didn't fall under that category. He seems to truly believe Emerald is real.

"How did you try and convince Ruby?"

"I told her about her family. Her parents were Summer and Tai and she had a sister named Yang. I told her what they were like in past lives. I have memories of them, but she's too young to remember any of them. They all died when she was young. I'd try and tell her something about her from a past life, but she'd overlook it and say I knew it because we've known each other for a long time."

"What do you mean?"

"Well... If I say she likes the taste of strawberry and chocolate chip cookies, she just says 'Of course! You know I love sweet stuff.' Or if I say she'd be a great huntress, she'd think I was planting the idea in her head since she's really young instead of actually proving I had past memories." (y/n)'s face turns to a pout as he thinks about the multiple times he's tried to convince Ruby.

Mrs. Laus processes everything (y/n) had just said. "Do you play with Em?"

"How can I? I haven't met her yet..."

"Do you know where she is?"

"No... I wish I did..." (y/n)'s expression darkens.

The psychologist knew (y/n) needed a new focus to move past his imaginary friend. Thankfully, Ruby was a perfect option. "(y/n)," Mrs. Laus places a hand on his shoulder, making him look up from his book, "you know where Ruby is, right?"

"Yeah."

"Maybe you should spend more time with her. You two are friends, right?"

"But she doesn't understand..."

"It must be hard on her to see you focused on Em so much when she's always around you."

(y/n) remains silent for a bit.

"You don't want to lose her, do you?"

"No..."

"Can you do me a favour and spend more time with Ruby? I think she'd like that."

He gives a small nod to the woman. While he agreed to this request, he would ultimately fail to let go of Emerald.

_____

923 AF1 - (y/n)'s POV

Softcore Lemon + Adult Themes Ahead

I raise the bottle up to my lips again, the bitter liquid enters my mouth and burns my taste buds. The vodka runs into my brain, numbing my senses. I lower the bottle and look at the person in front of me.

The rear of a green haired woman lands on my lap, back turned towards me. I don't know her name, but I guess she's close enough.

With the alcohol messing with my senses, my imagination can make her look like Em. It shouldn't be too hard.

I tell myself this, but it's not enough. Her hair was too dark of a green and too long. The two long locks were also missing. Her skin was a shade too light. Her eyes were a reddish-brown, that looked like black in the dim light.

Not even close

Nothing is exact, but it doesn't need to be. She just has to be close enough. I'll let the alcohol do the rest. I don't care if she doesn't make me feel like I'm with Emerald, but I just need to feel something, even if the feeling isn't real.

"Having fun?"

The words distort in my head. Her voice isn't even close.

Too deep

"You still there?"

Shut up

I grab the back of her shirt and sloppily pull it over her head. I toss her shirt off to the side, revealing the clip of a bright pink bra.

She wouldn't wear something like this.

Too flashy

I grab the girl's waist and bring it down onto my lap, using force to grind it against me. She lets out a moan and whips her head back.

She looks over her shoulder to make eye contact with me.

Don't look at me

I pull on her hair to snap her head back and away from me. While she gets excited that things were getting underway, I just don't want to look at her face.

She looks nothing like her

It's better when I can't see their faces. It makes it easier to imagine they're the girl I really want.

With my other hand free, I undo her belt and yank her jeans down to her knees.

Let's get this over with.

My hand trails back up between her legs, fingers running against her entrance.

"Mmmmmm. C'mon, stop teas-"

Third Person POV (Softcore Lemon End)

The jingling of keys cut the mystery girl off. The front door swings open to reveal an annoyed Ruby.

"(y/n)!"

"Ugh..." (y/n) rests his head on the back of the couch. "I thought you were working late today..." Both (y/n) and Ruby can hear the obvious slur in his voice.

"I was! It's 1 AM!" Ruby frantically points at the clock on the wall.

"Just stay out a little longer..."

Ruby's silver eyes scan around the room. Initially landing on (y/n), but moving over to the mystery girl who was his substitute Emerald for the night. The girl quickly reacted by covering herself with her arms.

Ruby looked over the girl's features and immediately noted the green hair.

"Oh, Oum... (y/n)! This is the third time this week!" She flails her arms around in an attempt to show the drunk man her annoyance with the scene before her.

"Hey (y/n)... I think I'm just gonna go now... Um... Thanks for the drinks." She starts collecting the clothes (y/n) had trashed in the apartment.

"Wait, what? Nah, nah, nah, it's fine! Ruby was just about to leave!" (y/n) forces himself up, sitting a little straighter on the couch.

Ruby watches the girl scramble around the apartment. With her arms crossed, she gives (y/n) a disapproving stare. The mystery girl eventually collects her belongings and dashes past (y/n), making her way out the door. (y/n) just lets out a sigh of disappointment and slides back down on the couch.

"You really need to stop this."

(y/n) responds with a groan and brings the half-finished bottle of vodka to his lips.

"Are you listening?"

He attempts to take another swig of alcohol, but Ruby snatches it from his hand. "That girl isn't Em, alright! She doesn't exist, (y/n)! All this 'imaginary friend' stuff was cute when we were kids, but now it's just unhealthy!"

Ruby's words pass through his head, bored by every conversation that mentions Emerald.

"(y/n)!"

He ignores his friend once again. Instead, he rolls onto his side and lounges on the couch. Anger wells up inside Ruby's tiny frame and eventually bursts out. "(y/n)! Alcohol or Em! Give one of them up!"

A groan escapes (y/n)'s lips. "C'mon Rubes... Why does it matter to you?"

A single tear rolls along her cheek. She grits her teeth before responding. "You're my best friend and my only family! You're all I have left and you're slowly letting yourself die! Don't you see? I don't know what I'd do without you..." Her voice softens and trails off as she reached the last sentence. Her grip on the vodka bottle strengthens as she spots a pair of cardboard boxes in the corner of the room.

The cardboard boxes were a collection of (y/n)'s work. Papers stuck out of the top and the cardboard walls were warped due to all of the weight. Writings, drawings, sketches, journal entries. All of his work was stuffed into those boxes.

Ruby walks over to the boxes and holds the vodka bottle over (y/n)'s work. (y/n) quickly catches on, but freezes before taking action.

"Alcohol or Emerald."

He doesn't dare to move, scared any movement will cause an accident.

"Wait... Ruby, please... Don't do this... I'm begging you..."

Tears start forming in Ruby's eyes. The only way to get his attention was by threatening his collection of Emerald, the girl who doesn't exist. She keeps her hand from shaking to show (y/n) her resolve. "Make your choice, (y/n)." Her voice wavered but remained clear and full of intent.

"I'll stop, Rubes. Please... Just put the vodka away. Drain it in the sink, I don't care... Just don't spill it there..."

While she hoped her friend would choose to give up Emerald, the alcohol was a minor victory. There's one less way he could destroy himself. "You swear?"

"I swear, Rubes. Just not there..." (y/n) avoids eye contact, panicking over the current situation.

"(y/n), you need help."

_____

924 AF1 - (y/n)'s POV

I check my scroll for the time.

11: 45 PM

With a duffle bag hung over my shoulder, I walk over to a black car parked outside the apartment.

I open up my scroll and check the notes I wrote the night before. All of the information I have on Emerald in past lives and her tendencies through the many lives we spent together were jotted down there. Every day I was away from Emerald had taken a toll on me and it was clear. I've searched near and far all of the places she would usually gravitate towards. The last place I haven't checked was the underground community. It's become my last resort, but if this is what it's come down to, I'll do it.

I enter the shady black car through the rear seat. The man in the driver's seat sneaks a glance at me through the rear-view mirror.

"(y/n)?"

"Yeah."

The man pulls out a cigar, cuts the end, and lights it. As he brings the cigar to his mouth, he removes his bowler hat from his head, revealing his orange hair. I guess Torchwick is still the same as ever.

"How'd you find me, (y/n)?"

Well, I can't exactly tell him "I have memories of past lives and have a general idea of how to contact you," so I'm kinda stumped here.

"I have my ways."

"Keeping your secrets, eh?"

We remain silent for a while.

"Let's get going then."

I nod and Roman starts the car.

Third Person POV

As the black car drove through the night, (y/n) mind wandered. Hopefully Ruby will see the letter left on the kitchen counter, explaining the reason behind his disappearance and the hopes of finding Emerald in the crime network that ran in Atlas.

"Where are we headed?"

"I need to pick up some tech from a mechanic around here."

The car parks in front of a garage with the sign "Black's" displayed above the entrance.

"Let's go."

The two exit the car and make their way to the shop. Roman opens the door and saunters in, (y/n) follows.

"Welcome."

(y/n) scans the room and immediately locks onto the source of the voice. The man's grey hair was a dead giveaway.

"Merc?"

The man turns to (y/n) with a confused look. "Do I know you?"

"Mercury! It's me, (y/n)!" Mercury's expression remains confused. While this exchange takes place, Roman stands off to the side, almost as confused as Mercury. "Do you know where Emerald is? Emerald Sustrai?"

"Sorry man, I've got no idea who this 'Emerald' person is." His gives (y/n) a shrug.

"Emerald Sustrai! You have to know! You guys are like best friends!"

Roman steps in to defuse the situation. "The man says he doesn't know an 'Emerald,' so I'd recommend standing down, kid."

"But-"

"Just head back to the car. I'll pick up the stuff and meet you back there." (y/n) shoulders lower in defeat as he exits the shop.

"Sorry 'bout that." Roman turns to Mercury. "I called earlier for a few days ago for a shipment of spring motors."

"Oh yeah, we got that recently. Dad's got it somewhere. I'll be right back."

Mercury slips behind the counter, leaving Roman on his own in the store.

_____

"Hey, Em?" Mercury sits in the back of the store, scroll in hand.

"Why are you calling me at 12:30?" Her voice was obviously annoyed and groggy. She probably just woke up.

"Do you know a (y/n) by any chance?"

After a moment of silence, a response. "Nah."

"Alright. I'll probably be staying here with my dad overnight. It's getting kinda late and I know Cinder hates it when I get home late."

"Cool."

"Goodnight Em."

"Night."

_____

"You sure you're ready for this, kid?"

"Yeah." (y/n)'s hand visibly shakes as he holds a ballistic mask in one hand.

"After that outburst at the garage, I'm not so sure."

"Shut it, Roman. Let's get this over with."

Torchwick just lets out a sigh. "Alrighty." He brings up a rifle from concealment and pulls on the charging handle. "Let's go."

_____

A Week Later

The sound of the gavel hitting the striking board rings through the large room. Everyone quiets down and the judge flips through a folder placed before him.

"After the fitness assessment has been conducted on the accused, Mr. (y/n) (l/n), I find the accused unfit to stand trial."

Murmurs between the attendees start up, discussing the judge's call on the mental health of (y/n).

"He murdered over fifteen people during the shootout!"

"This is bullshit!"

"He's guilty!"

The voices rang through the courtroom.

I'm not crazy, I swear

"Unfit to stand trial, huh? Good enough for me." The woman, (y/n)'s lawyer, sighs in relief. "(y/n). Let's get going."

He raises his head and makes eye contact with the woman. "Sure."

_____

(y/n)'s POV

After a few knocks on the door, it creaks open. A head peeks out and immediately makes eye contact with me.

"Hey, Rubes."

I remain standing in front of the door maintaining eye contact with Ruby. The door then swings open and Ruby jumps at me. She lands near my feet and latches onto my waist.

"(y/n)!" Her voice cracks and tears start streaming down her cheeks, starting to wet her pyjama shirt. "Where were you?" For the past week, I've had no connection with Ruby or the outside world in general.

"Didn't you read the note?" Tears threaten to fall from my eyes as well. Ruby silently nods.

"I'm sorry, Rubes." The tears escape my eyelids and now freely fall down my face. "I never should've done this." My voice wavers as I hold Ruby close. I drop to my knees and Ruby hugs me even tighter, now sobbing into my shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Rubes..." I struggle to speak through my tears. "I shouldn't have... I..." My voice hiccups. "I need help..."

_____

Third Person POV

"It's gonna be alright, (y/n)." The two get escorted to the Atlas Psychiatric Hospital. The two spoke about the events that transpired from when he left the apartment that night.

"So you're being admitted to this hospital until they figure out what's going in your head?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"And once that's figured out?"

"I'm gonna go on trial." Their eyes divert down to their feet. Even without hearing all of the details, Ruby knows (y/n)'s fate if he goes back on trial.

"We're here." A voice calls out to them from the front of the car. Ruby and (y/n) exit the car and make their way to the hospital entrance.

"You're gonna be fine, (y/n)." While she tried to sound reassuring, her voice came out wavering and quiet. Ruby takes (y/n)'s hand and gives it a squeeze. "They're gonna take good care of you."

A sheet of paper gets handed to Ruby, who takes it and looks over the contents. She looks over to (y/n), who remains downcast. Tears threaten to spill again, but she holds back.

After 25 years, (y/n) accepts his situation. He accepts the fact that there is something wrong with him. It might not be the preferred choice, but it's better than prison. And if this puts Ruby's worries to rest, he'll do it. (y/n)'s done hurting her.

"Don't worry hun. We have some of the best psychiatrists from all of Remnant. He'll be in good hands." The woman at the front desk says as she tries to suppress Ruby's worries. She gives Ruby a soft, genuine smile before taking the filled out form from her. "Miss. Arc?"

A shorter woman, about Ruby's height, walks over to the group at the front desk. "Miss. Arc is a psychiatric tech that works here. She'll be showing you around and giving you a rundown on how everything works and what's to be expected of you." (y/n) silently nods. "If you could leave your bags here to get searched, we'll drop it off at your room later in the day. Oh, also, you'll need these."

From behind the counter, the woman brings out a folded stack of patient scrubs. (y/n) lifelessly reaches out and takes them.

(y/n) didn't say anything. He knew he had to be here. While a part of him wasn't ready to let go of Emerald, he knew he'd never be fully ready to commit to such a thing. Emerald had infested herself into (y/n)'s mind ever since he could form a thought and hold a crayon. He swore she was a real person, somewhere out in the world waiting for him. Yet, everyone else would oppose him, tell him that she was just an imaginary friend made by an overactive imagination. And honestly, he was starting to believe that.

"I'll be back tomorrow, alright?" Ruby peered under (y/n) lowered head to make eye contact. A small crack was audible in her voice. "Just take care of yourself."

Ruby gives (y/n) a quick hug before watching him walk off with Miss. Arc into the hospital.

_____

A/N

I want to get some things clear before we continue on. During my time writing this chapter, a few possible comments popped up in my head, and I want to address them here.

First, Ruby has no romantic feelings for (y/n), so don't worry about a painful heartbreak scenario.

Second, Roman does not know or has any relation with any of the RWBY characters in this story. This, of course, includes Mercury, Emerald, and Cinder.

Third, the quick timeskips during the 924 AF1 sequence jumps in settings quite a bit. The settings go in this order: In front of (y/n)'s apartment to "Black's", "Black's" after Roman and (y/n) leave, Roman and (y/n) getting ready for the crime they're about to commit, a week later in a courthouse (alluding to (y/n)'s capture), back to (y/n)'s apartment to get his belongings, the hospital. Sorry if that was confusing.

Fourth, I'm sure this scenario with the "unfit to stand trial" thing isn't accurate at all, but I'm not a law student and Google isn't helping me, so my limited knowledge led me to this conclusion. Yell at me all you want.

This was probably very confusing to many of you and probably made you not want to read any more of this jumbled story, and that's fine. If you don't think this story is going anywhere, I can't stop you from reading. I appreciate you gave this book a chance.

After this, I'm going to avoid A/Ns to keep the story flowing.

Love you guys.

(5609 words, not including A/Ns)