UPDATE: there is now a "full" version of this called "Till approaching time, when the chamber will be broken." It's not a continuation of this and almost nothing described here happens there, but the general idea is the same.

Honestly, I have no idea how this idea came to me.

I'm really tempted to make something bigger out of this, but that comes with its own problems. Making it something more serious would be hard without everything going off the rails, bending the rules or making it an AU. I really hate it when I have some idea I want to work with, but at the same time it's hard to do something with it.

Urgh...my head...What the hell was I doing before? Let's see...

I remember going to Kagutsuchi to wreck another Cauldron, running into that stupid rabbit, entering a suspiciously empty Library branch, kicking Jin's ass, getting my ass kicked by that masked son of a bitch, the Cauld-

I look around in search of that...thing, but all I see is that annoying girl from before and WHAT THE HELL?! I-Is that...is that my dead body?! But if I'm here...and my body is over there...then am I a ghost?! That girl looks scared, so, I'm probably a ghost, but then what am I supposed to do? I can't just leave my work half-assed like this, a dead man or not. I've got to destroy this place. Where is that...thing anyway?

"Hey, y-"

That...wasn't my voice. I clear my throat and try again.

"You, over there!" - I shout and it still sounds wrong. Whatever, I'll deal with that later.

"M-Me?"

"Yeah, you! Where is it? Y'know, the thing with a red eye, an eyepatch and white hair?" - I ask, describing...it in case she doesn't know what I'm talking about.

"B-But...Um...You've just described yourself...?" - she replies. What kind of question is tha-Hold on a sec...This voice...My dead body...I look down a- You've gotta be shitting me! Is this what she meant by "becoming one"? I knew that it would be some weird shit, but this is just...

"Oh my..."

I look up to see Rachel descend upon the platform. She looks surprised, but so am I.

...Damn, this suit is uncomfortable.

"Hey, rabbit, what the hell is going on?" - I ask, doing my best do ignore the sound of my voice.

"I am loathe to admit it, but I have no idea. It seems that you've managed to claim a maiden's body in the most roundabout of ways. I'm not sure if I should praise you or be disgusted at such an act." - the bloodsucker says.

"Wh-Hey, that's enough! You're making it sound creepier than it already is, you idiot!" - I yell, but it sounds much more whiny than I'd like it to be.

"Nevertheless, the seal of fate is now broken, but that may not be such a good thing for you." - the damn rabbit says with an incredibly punchable face.

"What the hell is that even supposed to mean?!"

"That means there are no do-overs to be had, Raggy!"

That bastard...Why is he here?! He couldn't have picked worse timing.

"I always knew that you were into this kind of shit, but this is an all-time low! I'm sure you'd prefer if it was your real sister and not some doll that looks like her, but hey, gotta take the next best thing, huh?" - Terumi says with an shit-eating grin on his face.

"Why don't you come over here so I can beat the crap out of you? I guarantee that it's gonna hurt like a bitch." - I say. It doesn't sound very intimidating.

"Really now? Look, I'd be happy to beat you to a bloody pulp, but I'm not in the mood for that. You and that bitch completely fucked up everything I worked for so hard. Oh, and if you want a detailed explanation of why exactly I needed you to be alive in your own body, then go ask someone else." - the green-haired bastard says, clearly annoyed by whatever the hell is going on.

Before I can say anything else, someone else decides to show up. Now this is someone I don't know, but I can already tell that he's not someone I want to deal with.

"This is truly fascinating...To think that the Thirteenth Prime Field Device would be capable of this..." - the masked freak mumbles. I can't see his eyes, but I can feel his gaze and it's making me real uncomfortable.

"Brother..."

I turn to the source of the new voice to find a girl with long purple hair staring at me...Wait...Is she...No way...

"S-Saya? B-But...how?" - I stutter, trying to come up with an explanation for her presence, but she doesn't give me much time to think about it before she starts tearing up.

"How could you, brother? I-I thought that...You could have simply asked me and...and...I hate you, brother!" - Saya shouts before she starts crying her eyes out. It looks wrong with the weird outfit she's wearing.

"You're a truly despicable person, Ragna the Bloodedge. Look at what you have done!" - Rachel yells at me, pointing at my crying sister.

"You're saying it as if any of this is my fault!" - I retort.

"And people say I'm the bastard...Way to go, asshole! Why don't you just roll over and die?" - Terumi says and what the fuck? Is he actually trying to comfort Saya?

"For once, I can agree with you, Terumi." - the rabbit says with a nod.

Are they all just trying to make me uncomfortable?! It really feels like it.

"I think it's time for us to leave. Even I can't stand this. Phantom, you know what to do." - the masked freak says before he, Terumi and Saya vanish into thin air.

"Alright, I'm getting real sick of this shit, so, can you all just calm down and stop blaming me for something that was out of my control?" - I ask, looking around in search for any newcomers.

"I suppose I can forgive you. But do not think that I will let you go on unsupervised. I have already decided who should keep an eye on you. You there!" - the bloodsucker says, directing her gaze at the girl I've completely forgotten about.

"Y-Yes?"

"Take care of this fool lest he does the unthinkable with the body he borrowed. You are free to do whatever you please with him." - Rachel instructs before disappearing as well.

The girl says something, but I'm not paying any attention to her. I'm just looking at my dead body, thinking of what to do next. I guess I can take my sword and jacket and wreck this place as originally planned, but is there really any point now? I don't even care how this happened, but if my real body is dead, then that means I can't go back. Then again, maybe it won't be so ba-

A familiar squeal fills my head. I try to cover my ears, but it's coming from inside and so it does nothing.

"OH, RAGNA! I'm so happy! Can you hear me? We've finally become one! Now Nu will always be on your mind...literally!"

I wake up with a scream.

Oh, that was a dream. Thank God. With nothing to worry about, I heave a sigh of relief and move my hand to wipe sweat off my forehead.

...only to see a familiar slender arm with grey-ish skin and delicate fingers.

I wake up with a scream. Again.

To my relief, everything is as it should be.

Now that was one hell of a dream. I don't think I've ever had a dream this weird since that one where we were all dead and there was something about fish.