(y/n) POV
We all just stood there in total silence. We have no idea what to do now after the big reveal and I wouldn't blame them. Who in their right minds would like to be friends with a killer.
???: You are not a killer
(y/n): I said shut up!
General Ironwood arrives at the scene with the five of us still frozen in place, not knowing the next best course of action.
Yang: "(y-y/n)-"
Ironwood: "What happened here?!"
(y/n): "Someone infiltrated the CCT, I don't know what they did. These four know what happened, they'll fill you in"
I moved away, I just wanted to get out of there. I just want to be alone right now.
(y/n): "Goodnight everyone..."
Blake POV
The four of us are inside Professor Ozpin's office. The aroma of his coffee wafted through the air and softly tickled our noses. Professor Glynda is nowhere to be found for some reason. I guess this is serious. At first we started giving out information of our latest findings to Professor Ozpin, seeing as General Ironwood and Professor Glynda aren't here, we trusted Professor Ozpin and told him what we know.
Ozpin: "I see... is that everything new you found out?"
Blake: "That's all we know about the case sir"
Ozpin: "I'm not just talking about the case..."
I guess he knew that we now know about (y/n)'s case.
Ozpin: "Did he tell you?"
We couldn't answer him. A whole semester we got the chance to bond with him only to find out he's not exactly who we thought he was. We could only nod as a reply.
Ozpin: "Please, don't misunderstand him. He's changed. I don't think he explained to you, what happened that night"
Yang: "That night? You mean the experiment where..."
Ozpin: "Yes, that incident. It all started there. I may not have been there but I know what happened to (y/n). Would you like to hear it from me?"
Again, the weight of the atmosphere weighed down the words in our throats, preventing them from going out. Finally, we mustered up the strength to answer.
Ruby: "I-I'd like to know...I want to help him, and I don't think asking him would help him at all..."
Weiss: "I'll stick with Ruby here"
Blake: "..."
Yang: "I'll ask (y/n) myself"
Ruby: "Yang! DO you think reminding him of that night will help him?"
Yang: "NO! I need to know! I want to look at him straight in the eyes and know what he really feels. I want to know if he really is the criminal or the victim. I need to know if... if he's a cold blooded killer or not..."
Blake: "... I'll go with you. I want to know as well..."
Ozpin: "If so, then you may go to him. But before you go, I'll give you your mission. Go to Mt. Glenn and investigate under the false mission of clearing out grimm"
RWBY: "Yes sir"
Ozpin: "You should find (y/n) in this location" he gave us a small piece of folded paper "He goes there every sunset..."
Blake: "Thank you sir..."
As me and Yang got out, Yang seemed to hesitate just a bit.
Yang: "Blake, we need to talk..."
Blake: "This is about (y/n) isn't it?"
Yang: "It's about (y/n) and us..."
Blake: "What about it?"
Yang: "Come on. It's obvious we both have feelings for him"
Blake: "Really? Cause the way I see it, it's just your casual flirting..."
Yang: "Well... yeah; or at first at least. When we first met him, the first thought that came to my head was how cool he was. He's strong and he knows that but he never let that get over his head. So I decided to just flirt around with him, have some fun. Then every now and then he'd do something I wouldn't expect. Like, there was this one time when I acted like my leg hurt for the sake of a joke-"
Blake: "And what's the joke?"
Yang: "Umm... it's a bad one even for me so let's just not talk about it! Anyway... where was I? Oh yeah. I was expecting him to just help me up and walk me to the dorm but he actually picked me up then carried me to his room. He made food, made sure I was comfortable and took care of me all because he was worried..."
Blake: "Wait... is this that time when you weren't in our training sessions?!"
Yang: "Alright yes! But, that's not the point here! All I'm saying is that sure, maybe I didn't feel anything at the start but over the days when we would fool around together, I eventually developed real ones for him. I started wanting to be always near him... I'm sure you can say the same thing right?"
Blake: "... I like him because I see myself in him. That night when I saw his eyes, it was like looking into a mirror. I thought that maybe I should help him. But everytime I tried it seems like he was the one who's helping me... I guess he really is quite unpredictable"
Yang: "Alright, now that that's out of the way. I want to let you know, I'm serious. Whatever he chooses, I'll respect it. So if he finally chooses between us, don't be too sad he chose me"
Blake: "Don't get your hopes up, he's choosing me of course"
And just like that, we were laughing and smiling, talking about (y/n) as we searched for him.
(y/n) POV
The sun began to set as I looked on the orange painted skies. They should be here any minute now.
Vern: "You should just come clean to them. If they are who you say they are, it won't matter... I know you're a good man..."
(y/n): "Why are you even still here? I don't think you can appreciate the view of the sunset..."
Vern: "Ohh... so it's sunset already. You're right, I was just walking around, you know, sightseeing"
(y/n): "Of course. Why wouldn't a blind man do that?"
Vern: "Fine, I get it, you want to face them alone! I'll just see you around then"
(y/n): "Ha ha..."
As quickly as he appeared, he disappeared as well. I was on the back side of Beacon where no one usually goes since it is just the back side of Beacon, nothing special, just tall trees and untouched nature. Slowly, the cold began creeping in to every leaf and faint moisture. The crickets and birds stopped their music and the warm air died against the cold.
Blake: "(y/n)..."
(y/n): "Hey there, I've been expecting you... both of you..."
Yang: "I see you're just chillin..."
(y/n): "Always the funny firecracker aren't ya... and you Blake, always fighting for what's right. Have you come to pass judgement on this poor cold hearted sinner?"
Blake: "No... We came here to listen"
(y/n): "Didn't Ozpin tell you the story already?"
Yang: "He is telling them to Ruby and Weiss but..."
Blake: "...We want to hear it from you. We want you tell us who you really are, what really happened..."
Yang: "Then, we'll 'Pass Judgement' like you said"
(y/n): "Didn't you hear from that girl last night? I killed them, simple as that"
Blake: "NO! I KNOW! There's more to it than just that!"
Yang: "Please, let us help you (y/n)..."
There was a short moment of silence between the three of us. Only the whistle of the wind would come to our ears. The cold was still there, slowly embracing us.
(y/n): "Fine then, let me tell you the story... of a boy who tried to play god..."
FLASHBACK
It was the last night, finally, the project all of us poured our heart and soul in had been finished... or at least, finished its prototype. The project was to create the first ever artificial soul, in other words, create life. Obviously unethical, this project was top secret, the public only new this to be a project concerning clean energy.
Right now, we're in the lab, a lot of computers and mechanisms surrounded a huge double coffin-like machine at the middle. One coffin contained a robotic girl while the other was empty.
Dad: "Are we really going to do this?"
(y/n): "Well, we've already gone this far, I don't see why not push this all the way"
Dad: "Son, this is just wrong..."
(y/n): "We're helping the world here! What's so wrong about that?"
Mom: "Your dad's right (y/n), this is... we don't even know why they had us build this..."
Dad: "Everyone here in this lab have their own reasons as to why they agreed to work here. Us? We believed what Ozpin said that this will save Remnant, not just one of the kingdoms, but Remnant itself"
(y/n): "See! I don't see how helping the world could be evil..."
Mom: "It's how you do it... The soul, it's such a pure thing, a creation of a higher power. It'd be like mocking him if we were to do something like this"
Our research had lead up to the breakthrough of how the Soul could infinitely produce Aura. It regenerates its own energy over time in a rate depending on the Soul. So, let's say you cut off a part of that soul, it should theoretically regrow, like how a starfish creates its offspring. Cutting of a part of it then allowing it to grow, creating a new being...
(y/n): "Well, it's too late to back down now!"
Dad: "It's not just that (y/n). You need to take note that we'll be trying to cut the soul. The soul could be bludgeoned or tortured but never broken..."
(y/n): "Until now"
Mom: "Don't try it... it might cause a recoil..."
(y/n): "And the recoil is???"
Mom: "We don't know just yet... BUT WE'RE NOT DOING IT. End of discussion..."
I know they were too scared to do it. So, if you want something done right, you'll have to do it yourself. I had one of the lab assistants keep them busy first then, I talked to the whole crew...
(y/n): "Alright everyone! Let's get this show on the road! Mommy and Daddy's busy so, I'll take over for now... Start up the machine!"
Slowly, the machine came to life, sparks of light and the whining of wires began to be audible.
(y/n): "Since no one would volunteer... I'll be the first test subject. Hook me up"
I entered the empty coffin. It had a small glass to allow me to see what's happening inside.
(y/n): I'll do it, I'll make life out of my own image...
Then, when I heard them say that it has begun, there was no turning back now. When my parents went inside, it was already too late...
Mom: "(Y/N)!!! GET OUT OF THERE THIS INSTANT!"
Dad: "LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER YOUNG MAN! GET OUT OF THERE! IT'S TOO DANGEROUS!"
Mom: "GET HIM OUT OF THERE! STOP THE OPERATION!"
LabAssistant: "We can't! It's begun! If we stop now, who knows what damage it'll cause?"
Slowly, the pain began to escalate. It was like each muscle and bone in your body was being torn apart. Like someone is just tearing you from the inside out. And it didn't stop there, every second felt like an eternity of pain.
(y/n): "STOOOPP!!!! IT HURTS!!! STOOOPP! I DON'T WANT THIS ANYMORE!"
I clutched my whole body as I felt the energy swelling up from inside me ready to explode. It was like my consciousness was being ripped to shreds then put back again only to be torn over and over again. The energy just kept on rising, it felt like I was about to explode.
Mom: "(y/n) PLEASE STOP! GET OUT OF THERE!"
The last thing I saw was the crying faces of my parents as the energy was released into a giant explosion. A big white explosion spread through the isolated area and I lost consciousness. When I woke up, everything was destroyed from the computers to the coffin I was in. Around me was the result of my semblance, but this one is put on a whole new level. The scene before me could only be described as hell.
The ice around me was dripping red from the blood of everyone around me. Bodies were impaled, some weren't even recognizable. There were two which were holding hands, in the other hand of the male was a small box, upon opening, a small ring shimmered through the darkness; they were supposed to get married. But what truly broke my heart was the sight of my parent's bodies torn apart in many pieces.
I looked at the other coffin to see what I've created... but the price I've paid...
END OF FLASHBACK
(y/n): "At first, I thought that was it. I got what I asked for. Penny was normal other than the obvious things... I thought that nightmare was over... turns out, the joke I played wasn't funny. Truly, my punishment is cruel"
Yang: "What?"
Slowly, out of the cold field, faint glows appeared around us. They took their respective human forms and surrounded us. We weren't alone... I was never alone...
(y/n): "I get to have a constant reminder of what I've done..."
???: "Hey there, son... glad to see you've finally let them know..."
Blake and Yang looked around in panic as more and more spirits started to gather around me, each one wearing a lab coat.
Blake: "These are..."
(y/n): "Their souls became tied to mine... now, all of them are within me..."
No better words could describe my soul than how Vern told it.
Vern: "Your soul... it's all broken and I'm sorry but, it's very hard to look at... It's an abomination now really... several souls all patched up into one... this is just horrifying to look at..."
The souls formed a circle around us. They looked on to see what will happen next. Blake and Yang seemed to have gotten over this.
Dad: "Please, don't think badly of him... he only did what he thought was right"
Blake: "(y/n)... even though you know about who I was before, you didn't run away from me. You didn't cast me out... so if you can do that to me, I can do that to you..."
Yang: "She's right... heh, you're an idiot really... Everything you said, it's in the past now. You're trying to pay the debt by being good, that's not bad... that's self-acknowledgement. For now, I'll trust you. You'll always have someone to lean on"
(y/n): "YOU DON'T GET IT DO YOU! IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU! IT'S ABOUT THEM!"
I pointed each and every single soul that surrounded us.
(y/n): "I KILLED THEM! BECAUSE OF MY OWN DESIRES! THEY COULD BE ALIVE RIGHT NOW! THEY COULD BE WITH THEIR FAMILIES BUT I TOOK THAT AWAY FROM THEM!!!"
Mom: "(y/n)... it's true... after we realized what happened, all of us were angry at you. We wanted to tear your soul apart..."
Dad: "But then we realized something as you hugged that robot daughter of yours even when it wasn't alive yet..."
Mom: "You were young... you were a young soul trapped in the body of a 17 year old with the mind of a genius. You were ambitious and egotistical but now..."
Dad: "The way we see it, the childish (y/n) we knew died in that experiment with us. When you walked out of that coffin, you were a new man..."
Mom: "We'll always love you (y/n), as your parents..."
Dad: "These lovely ladies love you as well in case you don't know"
There were faint blushes on their cheeks now as they looked awkwardly away from me.
Mom: "We'll always be here with you (y/n)..."
Dad: "Yeah... and it's not like we have a choice... if this is how we can help Remnant, then we will do it. With you, in your body..."
One by one the souls disappeared and returned to me. Unlike before, when they came back to me it felt so heavy. Now, it felt like I could fly.
(y/n): "Thanks... I guess I really needed that..."
Yang: "Aww... are you crying?"
(y/n): "Shut up okay... don't you guys have a mission to go to?"
Blake: "It can wait..."
(y/n): "Just go! Heh, when you comeback, Penny's gonna have a mother..."
Both their eyes widen and look at me immediately.
Yang: "HUH!? Y-You mean..."
Blake: "You've chosen someone already?!"
(y/n): "Yeah... after what happened just now... I'm sure... So you guys better get back here safe and quick!"
Yang: "BLAKE! QUICK! LET'S FINISH THE MISSION!"
Blake: "Agreed!"
(y/n): "Rush B! Rush B!"
And with that, as the sun set, I felt like a new man. Thanks to those two, I was able to face my inner demons. Thanks to them, I felt like a new person...