216 BF4 - Third Person POV

"(y/n)... stop..."

(y/n) groans as he pushed his head into the soft green hair that belonged to his girlfriend. "Stop what?" His voice, due to just waking up, came out a little raspy.

"Wrapping your legs around mine..." Emerald's voice also struggled to escape her sleepy lips. A barely audible whisper was all that made it out of her. Her chest tightened a bit when (y/n) decided to hug Emerald tighter around the waist, bringing the two closer together.

"But it's so comfy... mmmm..." The man continued to run his legs along his girlfriend's. Emerald grabbed (y/n)'s arms and lightly pull on them, forcing him slightly closer to her.

"...You do it because you're comfy?"

(y/n) rubbed his head farther into Emerald's hair while taking in her scent. A small "Mmm" was all the confirmation he would give his mint haired girlfriend. Emerald let out a small sigh before releasing (y/n)'s arms and resting her hands on top of his. 

"Does it bother you?" (y/n)'s muffled voice asked.

After a few silent seconds, Emerald changed her mind on the physical contact of their legs. "No..."

_____

924 AF1 - Third Person POV

(y/n)'s dream faded away and his eyes slowly opened. His head felt groggy. It reminded him of the last time he spent a whole night doing body shots of an unnamed woman. His temples pounded deep into his skull and the cloudiness that spread in his mind felt all too familiar, but it had been a while since he experienced it. He hadn't woken up like this since Ruby had forced an abrupt stop to his hazardous drinking habits.

(y/n) shut his eyes, reacting to the horrible feeling in his head. It felt like his brain was drowned in paralyzers and impaled by steel rods. His hand rose to his head to press a palm against his temple. (y/n) rolled onto his side and slowly opened his eyes to take in his surroundings. At first, he was confused by a metal box attached to the wall, but quickly realized it was his cabinet. He was back in his assigned room.

He peeked out of his window from the bed and narrowed his eyes at the small amount of light that shone between the room's exterior and the brick wall that stood just across the window. From the yellow tinge of the sun, he recognized it was starting to set. 

(y/n)'s hand continued to softly rub at his temple, slowly recollecting what had occurred not too long ago. Every motion felt sluggish and even a small act such as rubbing his temples caused extreme exhaustion in his arm. Letting his arm take a rest, he let it fall and hang off the edge of the bed. (y/n)'s eyes blankly stared at the wall across from him in confusion.

(y/n) slowly recalled past events. He was with Dr. Arc doing an assessment. Something about drugs and schizophrenia. A disagreement broke out. The office window. Green hair an-

His eyes shot open and his body jolted a bit from the bed.

"Em!"

_____

(y/n)'s POV

I forced himself into an upright position on the bed as the realization struck. Though the effort to straighten myself up failed as the pain in my head brought me back down. I slowly rolled out of bed and placed my feet on the ground, but immediately fell onto my knees. I pressed a hand against my head to try to lighten the pounding sensation. My mind was completely fogged over, but little images of that event popped up every so often. Even with a clouded memory, I knew it had to be Emerald in the hallway. I could never forget that face. She even looked right at me, but something in her eyes was off.

"She doesn't recognize me, does she?" Our eyes met, but she kept walking down the hall. She left me in Arc's office as if nothing happened. I shake my head in confusion. "How can she not recognize me?"

I prop myself up against the metal frame of the cot. I lean my head back onto the slightly rough material of the bed in hopes of lessening the throbbing pain banging against the interior of my skull. I turn my head to look at the beam of light extending from the single window. Since I arrived here in the morning and met with Dr. Arc just before lunch, the setting sun means I've been down for at least seven hours. While everything was a blur, Dr. Arc's voice remained clear in my head.

"The mind is a powerful thing. Everything we experience comes from our brain. Every word you hear, everything you see, the entire world as we perceive it, it's all formed in your brain. When the brain isn't functioning normally, it can create its own experiences. It can act independently from outside stimuli. It's so easy for the mind to believe these experiences are real. It can trick itself into believing what it's experiencing is coming from somewhere else."

While that aren't the words I'm wanting to hear right now, those words are the only thing clearly resonating in my head. The voice of Dr. Arc echoed constantly in my mind. Doubt starting pricking at my mind again. What the doctor said made perfect sense, even if I didn't want to admit it. What if every memory of Emerald was fake? What if every time I wake up in a cold sweat because Emerald wasn't beside me in bed was just my mind playing tricks on me? What if Emerald really didn't walk past that office window? Was my brain really making everything up? Was I too afraid to accept the truth?

My mouth dried and I lowered my head into my knees. The doubt inside me slowly eating away at my mental. I'm certain I watched Emerald walk past the window. Her beautiful minty hair and striking crimson eyes. Her features were so clear in my mind, it has to be real. It couldn't be a delusion. Our eyes met. She turned and saw me. It had to have been real.

I don't know what to believe anymore. I don't know if I can trust my own perceptions.

"Maybe I do belong here..." I let out a sigh and lean back against the bed.

_____

Third Person POV

(y/n) remained sitting on the floor of his hollow, quiet room, head fallen back into his knees. Occasional clicking of staff walk past his room was the only sound that resonated around (y/n). He sat and thought about his current predicament, deciding this is all because of Oum. With his mind boggled with all these thoughts, he raised his head. (y/n) eyes landed on the golden rays radiating from the small window. His eyes widened at a sudden overwhelming clarity.

It's Oum, he thought to himself. "You did this to me on purpose, didn't you!" (y/n) let out a small chuckle and leaned back. He ran his hand through his hair. "Oum, you sly-" He let out a sigh. "You couldn't have done it any other way, could you? Just had to bring me into a damn nut house."

If Oum really was behind (y/n)'s visions and everything isn't a delusion, maybe Oum really is bringing him to Emerald. A psychiatric hospital is definitely on a list of places he wouldn't have expected to find Emerald. (y/n) lightly laughed to himself. "Can't decide if you love me or hate me, huh?" He remained seated, staring at the golden enlightening light for a while longer. In every life, while Oum does mess with (y/n) and Emerald, he always brings the two together. Maybe this was Oum plan this time. (y/n) lightly shook his head. It was hope.

(y/n)'s thoughts get cut off by a light tapping on the metal door, echoing and amplifying itself in the small room. He turns his head as the small door slit slides open. Miss. Arc (the tech, not to be confused with the doctor) peeks into the room. Her eyes meet with (y/n)'s as a soft smile appears on her face. The sliding cover of the slit then closes. Moments later, with a metallic creaking sound, the large door opens up. Miss. Arc enters the room and the metal door closes behind her.

"Not the best way to start your stay here, is it?" Miss. Arc let out an amused puff of air. She took a seat on the floor next to (y/n). 

"Heard about that, huh?"

Arc gave him a smug look and a shrug, indicating the fact that is wasn't exactly hard to hear of something like that in the workplace. "How do you feel? Those sedatives can hit pretty hard the first time."

(y/n) rubbed his temple and gave the tech a strained nod. "You aren't kidding. Feels like I got hit by a truck."

"Need something for the headache?"

"Nah..." (y/n) ran his hand through his hair. "I'll be fine... but thanks..."

Then, a small creaking sound catches (y/n)'s ear. He turns to the door, where the peephole slid open. A guard stood on the other side, peering into the room.

"Guess you're gonna be keeping a closer eye on me now?"

"Afraid so." Miss. Arc slides her sleeve up and checks her watch.

"Have somewhere to be?"

Arc gave him a little chuckle. "I finished my shift about an hour ago. Just wanted to be around when you woke up."

(y/n) responded with a tilt of his head. A questioning one.

"The first day can be rough. Just wanted to make sure you're feeling alright." The tech gave (y/n) a soft smile, causing him to slightly smile back.

"You're too good for me, you know that?" (y/n) let out a little laugh. "By the way..." His voice became slight shaky. "Is Em still here?"

"Em?" Miss. Arc cocked her head to the side.

(y/n) panicked a little on the inside before realizing his mistake. "Sorry. Is Dr. Sustrai still here?" Even after correcting his mistake, his panic didn't settle, still scared he really was delusional.

"Mmm, right." Miss. Arc nodded understandingly, remembering what her sister, Dr. Arc, told her. "She got off a few hours ago, actually."

All of (y/n)'s worries were washed away. After hearing the validation from Miss. Arc that Emerald actually existed and was here brought him massive relief. Though, of course, he could still be delusional and what he's hearing is a lie. That thought still nagged at the back of his mind. But, at least for now, he's happy to say he's not crazy. Not completely, at least.

(y/n) remained silent, a small smile growing on his face. He thought about what Emerald was doing right now. Maybe she's at home right now. Maybe she lives with Cinder since they're always put together in other lives, possibly roommates in this life. He imagined Cinder casually reading a book on a sofa while Emerald tells her about her day. Maybe they're eating dinner right now. Cinder did make a pretty good steak in past lives. All of these possibilities ran around in (y/n)'s head.

"By the way," Miss. Read checked her watch again, "you've missed lunch and dinner. You must be hungry."

(y/n) placed a hand over his stomach. An empty feeling, indeed. "I could really go for a killer steak. Ooh, fillet mignon maybe." He gave the tech a toothy grin.

"I'm afraid you won't be finding fillet mignon here. Let alone, steak." Arc laughed. "Let's go over to the cafeteria. They'll have something for you, I'm sure." She stopped and looked a little hesitant for a moment. "I've also been told you've been prescribed Thorazine for the time being."

(y/n) raised an eyebrow. "Is that an antipsychotic?"

Miss. Arc nodded.

(y/n) went silent as he thought through everything that passed by his head not too long ago. All of the fear returned. He didn't want to lose Emerald, that's for sure. But of course, if she is real, she wouldn't go anywhere. He weighed his options in his head. "How long does it take until it starts working?"

"Usually a week before you start noticing its effects. Some side effects also exist. Restlessness, dizziness, lightheadedness. Nothing harmless, though. They'll all go away after a few weeks." Miss. Arc taps on her chin. "What else... Oh right, I've also been told you won't need to take it tonight. You'll finish your assessment tomorrow. My si- I mean Dr. Arc will go over everything during that time as well."

(y/n) nodded, but he really didn't care about the possible side effects. Only one thing was on his mind. "If... if, and only if I really am delusional... and these delusions go away... will they come back if I stop taking it?"

Arc nodded. "Afraid so. You'll probably be taking it for the rest of your life."

(y/n) let out a sigh of relief. If Emerald does disappear after taking the antipsychotics, he could just stop and live in ignorance. Not exactly a happy thought, but it's a possibility. He reminded himself he didn't have to commit to taking the drug yet. He still has time to think about it.

Miss. Arc watched (y/n) as his thoughts tumbled around before catching his attention. "Let's get you some food."

"Sure."

As he started to stand, his legs shook as his head throbbed. After a few failed attempts, Miss. Arc helped him get up. She continued to support him as the two walked to the cafeteria.

Arc pushed the door open to reveal an empty cafeteria. (y/n) glanced at the large clock on the far wall and knew why.

"Staying till 10 for me? Maybe you need your own nut uniform and rent a room across from me." He laughed.

The tech laughed along and shook her head. She then pointed at the blackboard menu. "What would you like? Looks like chicken and corn is the special soup today. I've heard it isn't terrible."

At the mention of food, (y/n)'s stomach growled. He walked up to the counter and looked at the blackboard Arc was looking at. "Didn't even know we had a choice."

"Well, after your little stunt today, you're lucky you're still getting some food."

(y/n) looked over to the woman and gave her a shrug. "I wasn't gonna hurt anyone."

Arc smiled. "Don't worry, I believe you." She then motioned to the woman standing behind the counter.

_____

(y/n)'s POV

"What'll it be." An older woman asked. Her voice was raspy like she's been smoking her whole life.

"Can I have..." I glanced over to the blackboard. "A ham sandwich... Actually, make that two."

"Two?" The cafeteria lady silently judged me.

"I uh... missed lunch." I scratched the back of his neck. "And the soup of the day." A few silent seconds pass. "With crackers."

The woman stood there unmoving. "Anything else?"

"Do you guys have fries?"

The woman nods. 

"Then I'll take fries as well."

"Anything else?"

I awkwardly stood in front of the counter thinking to myself while trying to ignore Miss. Arc snickering behind me. "Maybe some sort of juice? Something sweet. Maybe like strawberry?"

The woman remained silent for a few seconds, expecting more orders from me. When she received none, she turned around and disappeared into the kitchen to prepare my meal.

I scratched his nape again. "I don't think she likes me."

"Don't take it personally. Lynn doesn't like anyone."

I placed both of my hands on top of my head and put on a confident smile. "Nah. The grumpy ones just need a little more time to come around."

Miss. Arc smiled and shook her head. "Kinda like Dr. Sustrai?"

My heart skipped a beat at the mention of Emerald. Was she grumpy, I thought to himself. She does put on quite a facade around people she doesn't know. I guess she's a little more open about her usual mannerisms in this life. "Yeah. Just like Dr. Sustrai."

"So what's the deal with that?"

I look over to Arc, who's staring at me, head resting on her hand. I let out a little chuckle. "Did you stay behind so you could ask me this? Did Dr. Arc ask you to do this?"

She gave a guilty half smile. "Dr. Arc said you knew Dr. Sustrai's name without being told."

I let out a strained sigh. "I don't know if I can explain it in a way that doesn't make me sound like a raving lunatic."

"Do you know her?"

"I mean, sorta." I give her a half-assed answer. While it bothers me that the only reason why Miss. Arc is staying behind is to ask me these questions, it feels better to talk to "Arc, the tech" instead of "Arc, the doctor". I guess this Arc makes me feel calmer. I'm not saying Dr. Arc is a bad person, I just feel more comfortable talking with her hospital tech counterpart. All these Arc's are starting to get confusing.

A clanging from the counter catches my attention. Arc motions behind me. I turn to see Lynn placing a tray of food down, filled with sad looking contents. I immediately notice the flimsy pieces of bread that resemble sandwiches and a pile of approximately twelve fries. Next to that, a cup of water that contained a single strawberry floating in it.

"Thanks..." I grimace a little while scanning over the tray. "Got any salt?"

Lynn grabbed underneath the counter and tossed a few packets of salt onto the tray. She gave a grunt, presumably a way of saying "enjoy" in her own language of lunch ladies. Lynn then turned around and disappeared into the kitchen.

"Alright then." I pick up the tray and walk over to the table where Miss. Arc sat, waiting for me.

The first thing I pick up from the pile of food was a sandwich. I peel back the first layer of bread to see an actual slice of ham, and not just one, but two slices. Mildly surprised, my mood turns slightly positive. "Well, it's definitely something. Want some of my ten fries?" I point at the small hill of fries that took up a corner of the tray.

Miss. Arc shook her head before looking up at me. "Could you try and explain more?"

"Well, I'm pretty sure six fries means she really hates me."

Arc let out a light laugh. "You know what I meant."

I slightly laugh at my poor attempt at a joke, but I falter a little when addressing the real question. "It's pretty complicated..."

"If it means anything, I do want to help you." Her voice was soft and genuine. I really felt like placing my trust in her was truly worth it.

"She... She means a lot to me..."

"How do you know her?"

I grit my teeth a little. The last time I opened my mouth about this, I was told I was schizophrenic. I'd rather not go through that again.

"Dr. Arc told me you claimed to have experienced past lives."

I let out a deep sigh, one that's been sitting inside for a while. "If you already knew, why are you asking?"

"Well, she thinks it might be more than that."

"What do you mean?" I tilt my head in confusion.

"Well... the board thinks you've been... following her..."

I roll my eyes. "You mean stalking, right?"

"That's another way to say it, yes."

I let out another sigh and run a hand through my hair.

"That's why they don't want to put you on Thorazine just yet. Their main focus is to find out how you know her."

I lean back in my seat and take a bite out of one of the ham sandwiches. "And what do you think?"

Miss. Arc leaned back as well and crossed her arms. "Honestly, I don't know." She then scratches her chin. "Well, for starters, Dr. Sustrai says she doesn't recognize you. There's a possibility you knew her from somewhere and incorporated her into your delusions. Subconsciously, maybe. Then again, this is all assuming you are schizophrenic."

"Maybe..." I sort through a few hazy memories of Emerald before giving up and shrugging. Of course, I couldn't exactly deny anything from being a possibility. If I really am schizophrenic and delusional, I wouldn't be able to tell fact from fiction. Maybe all of these memories are just my mind forcing me to make sense of my current situation. But wait, there's always that box of drawings and musings at home. "No. I don't think so."

"Why's that?"

"Because I knew of her has a child... I've written stories and journals around our adventures. I've sketched and painted her face a thousand times." I defeatedly drop my head into my hands. "I know more about her than Lynn about skipping on fries." I point at the sad pile of fries. "You sure you don't want one? There are literally five whole fries here."

Miss. Arc sighed. I bet she could feel the irritation seeping from my voice. "The board's going to talk about your situation tomorrow morning. Is there anything you want me to tell them?"

"I... I just want to talk to her..." I stirred a plastic spoon in the thin soup idly. "I mean, I guess it really doesn't matter. If they think I'm lying they're just gonna end up discharging me, right? Then I'll just wait at the front doors until she leaves."

"I doubt they'll let you near the property if they think you're a threat to Dr. Sustrai's health and wellbeing. You're probably gonna have a restraining order from the doctor and the property. They might even transfer Dr. Sustrai to a different hospital. Happened once when one of the patients got too attached to one of our doctors. Had them moved from here to Menagerie."

With pretty much all hope lost, I lightly push the tray away from me, my appetite lost. "Then... what am I supposed to do?"

"Be on your best behaviour. I'm here to help you, (y/n). Dr. Sustrai is young, but still one of the best we have. If she really is as important to you as you say she is, perhaps she'd be the best-suited doctor to get you to open up."

With that last line, my eyebrow raised. "You want her to be my doctor?"

Miss. Arc flashed me a smile before quickly snatching a fry from the tray and taking a bite out of it. "I'll put in a good word for you." She then pointed the remaining portion of the fry at me. "But you have to promise me you'll be on your best behaviour."

"Yeah... um... what are you gonna tell them?"

"That I believe you'll respond best to Dr. Sustrai. You'll be a lot more open and honest with her compared to the other doctors here." Arc finishes the fry. "And that you aren't faking your delusions."

I couldn't help but smile at the tech. The fact that she said "delusion" instead of "memories" kinda bothers me, but I guess those are small details compared to the fact that Miss. Arc was willing to help me. "You think they'll believe you?"

"Worth a shot, isn't' it? Dr. Sustrai said she's willing to be your doctor if they let her. I think she's curious. All we have to do is convince the board."

My eyes lit up. Arc must've caught it because a grin started appearing at the corner of her lips. "She's curious about me?"

"I think we're all curious about you, (y/n). You've made quite a first impression." 

A smug grin crept onto my face. I couldn't help but feel slightly proud of it. "In that case, I promise I'll be on my best behaviour."

"Good." Arc placed her hands on the table as she stood up from her seat. "Eat, bus the tray, and get back to your room."

"Headed home?"

She nods. "Another tech is going to be checking up on you periodically. Don't do anything stupid between tonight and tomorrow, alright?"

"Of course, Arc." Just the thought of seeing Emerald tomorrow was enough motivation for me.

"Arc, eh?"

"Too soon?" I scratch the back of my neck.

She shakes her head. "Call me whatever you like."

I smile at her friendliness. "Oh. Um... any chance I can get a crayon?" The thought of needing to ask for a crayon hurt a little inside. A memory from earlier was still fresh on the mind and it was one I haven't seen yet. "Had a dream earlier. I wanna write it down."

Miss. Arc gave me a smile back. "I'll get someone to drop a pack off in your room."

"Thanks."

_____

Third Person POV

(y/n) pushed open the metal door to his room. With his stomach full after a solid lunch-dinner meal, and thanking Lynn for the food, hopefully getting onto her better side so he could get more than three fries next time, he fell onto his bed. He landed onto a hard object, which after closer inspection, turned out to be a box of crayons. Next to it sat a small black notebook. A smile crept onto his face as he thought back to the countless hours he spent documenting all of his memories. He had been doing this since he could hold a pencil and he had no plans of stopping now.

(y/n) glanced at the floor, where his bag and belongings sat. While he knew all of his writing utensils were confiscated, the bag had another use. In combination with his pillow, he propped it up against the bed's metal headrest and leaned back onto it. 

(y/n) pops the top off of the small eight pack of crayons and pulls out a dark one. He then starts writing down his thoughts. Of course, he didn't skip over any details. 

He started off with the beginning of the day: being dropped off at the hospital, parting with Ruby, meeting Arc, the tour of the facilities. 

Every fifteen minutes, a tech would peek into (y/n)'s room, only to be met with him scribbling down his thoughts. He wrote about his meeting with Dr. Arc, his fears, doubts, the idea of having schizophrenia, the chance sighting of Emerald through the office window. No detail was looked over when writing about that chance meeting with the mint-haired woman. The way her eyes locked with his, how time stopped in his eyes, the way his legs felt like they were about to give in.

He even wrote about the possibility of Oum's part in the chance meeting between the star-crossed lovers. The devious and playful mind of a being who stood above everything else in this world, playing with the fates of (y/n) and Emerald. At this point, he felt a sense of catharsis. The flow of his thoughts felt more fluid than ever before. His memories were starting to feel validated. The mere existence of Emerald cleared his head and made everything easier. If his past memories taught him anything, it meant that the two would come together. They were bound together by an unknown force outside of this world. Even if it was brief, the two would always end up together, one way or another. Of course, this is all true if he really hasn't gone completely mad.

Finally, he finished off the day's journal entry with the dream. Another memory had surfaced. A simple one, yes, but one he thoroughly enjoyed. It was simple, homey, familiar, comfortable. Maybe a little redundant among the many other similar memories, but still one he'll keep in his many writings. Like many other drawings, paintings, and writings, it'll eventually find its way to the mountain of documents he kept stored at home.

Of course, with Emerald now here, hopefully, he could make new memories to treasure during this life and many more to come.

_____

A/N

A slower chapter, but it was fun to write. Also, first use of the multiverse thing mentioned at the beginning (216 BF4 as to the main 924 AF1). Pretty much the dream/memory was set 216 years before the fall of Beacon in multiverse #4 (hence 216 BF4) in comparison to the main storyline which is set 924 years after the fall of Beacon in multiverse #1 (924 AF1). idk maybe I'm just bad at explaining.

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