More references and more deviations from the source. And, as always, things get weird.
The dream here is a bit different from the source, but not because of plot reasons. It's just condensed to avoid inserting the whole short story.
Voices...
I hear many voices, all different and yet they all carry the same tone. I don't recognize any of them. I try to move or at least open my eyes, but my body doesn't respond and to make matters worse, it's pretty damn cold here and it's really noisy here too.
"The readings have stabilised." - a female voice says. It sounds like it's coming from afar and yet it's too loud.
"Right, that's good. Increase seithr levels by 500... inject it in!" - a much older male voice orders...Seithr?
"Roger. Injecting an additional 500 amount of seithr." - the woman says in response and the background noise gets lou-
Searing pain assaults my right eye. I try to break out of whatever is holding me to stop it and this time I manage to move a little, but it's not enough. Whatever the hell is going on, it seems to please those assholes and they start cheering, however subdued it is. Do they even know what they're doing?!
No matter how much I struggle, I can't free myself and the pain doesn't stop. Those bastard keep talking about something and I don't pay much attention to it...until I hear something familiar.
"Yes, it's scheduled to be delivered to the Thirteenth Hierarchical City Kagutsuchi tomorrow at 10 o'clock." - one of the voices says. What are they talking about?
"Nevertheless, this thirteenth subject that we confiscated from Ikaruga... it seems it's level of completion is different than from what was declared." - the old fart says...Ikaruga? Thirteenth subject?
"Yeah, it's something that Sector Seven made that was designed by Doctor Relius" - a younger man...Wait...Thirteenth subject...My right eye...designed by Relius...
Something finally clicks in my head and I realize that they are talking about Nu...Where is she? I can't hear her and trying to call her doesn't work either...Was I captured again? No, that doesn't make any sense.
"Ah, sorry, am I interrupting anything? Pardon me..."
Something about that new voice immediately pisses me off and it seems to alarm the others as well. An argument breaks out, mostly one-sided from what I manage to catch, but all I'm worried about right now is getting the hell outta here. Whatever happened, it certainly doesn't matter now. I feel like if I don't leave as soon as possible, something bad is going to happen, but I don't know wha-
I stop when someone's finger starts tracing something on my chest.
"Yo, doll. It's about time to wake up from your dream. There'll be plenty of time to continue the rest in reality... no?"
I open my eye.
The first thing I notice when I wake up is that I'm lying on something soft...or at least my head is. It's not soft the same way as, say, the grass is soft, but it is comfortable. I almost want to go back to sleep...That wasn't just a dream, was it? That pain felt as real as it gets, but...Were those Nu's memories? That's the first thing that comes to my mind and it seems likely...Back when I got caught by Tager, were those her memories as well? This is all so confus...Wait...These red tiles...
I immediately sit up and back away from the purple-haired girl sitting on the cold floor. Instead of her royal attire, she's wearing a white robe long enough to almost reach the floor with long sleeves and some sort of bindings underneath it that cover the girl up to her neck? It's kinda hard to tell and there's something more important here.
"B-But I...I...How is this..." - I babble, too overcome with confusion to speak coherently.
"Were you having a bad dream?" - Saya asks almost as if nothing is wrong at all. At least now she's back to using her own voice, but I'm still not willing to drop my guard.
"Bad dream?" - Lambda repe- She is here too?...Well, I'd be more worried if she wasn't, but considering that Saya wanted her dead...This is relieving.
"A bad dream?! No, that's not...I thought you were..."
"Dead?...You've completely forgotten about it, didn't you? I've already told you that I'm dead. I guess you want an explanation, but I think there's something you'd like to hear more than that...I'm...I'm sorry...I was acting like a total b- I mean I was being unreasonable back then. In hindsight, there was no reason for me to doubt you, but...Being with you after all this time was just so...intoxicating. I wanted to be with you for longer and when you told me that you were going to leave, I got desperate and...I-I'm really sorry, I really am...I shouldn't force you to stay here. You can even pretend that none of this happened and I'm still in my grave if you want to, I don't mind it...I'm s-"
"Quit wasting your breath...I forgive you, alright? Nobody got hurt...well, not permanently and you could have taken my soul while I was...uh...resting, but you didn't and that alone tells me enough. Just don't make yourself even more miserable than you already are. This is exactly what got you into this mess." - I interrupt my sister's attempt to apologize.
"This is all nice, but aren't you forgetting something? Metaphorically speaking, I still have my finger hovering over the big red button, so, you'd better get moving." - Nu reminds me...Right. That. I really need to do something about it...and I think I know what can work.
"Um, Saya? Can we, uh, have some privacy for a bit? We'll be back soon. I just need to...discuss something with...uh, Lambda." - I ask and receive a hesitant nod.
As I walk away from my sister, I notice that all the damage done to this place just...vanished as if that battle didn't take place here. The table and the chairs are gone too along with everything else that Saya had prepared for me, but honestly, there was no need for that...and it also means that I won't have to eat her meals. Those looked nasty and I'm not sure if this body is immune to that sort of shit.
"What are your intentions? If you're trying to defy fate, then let me tell you ahead of time how pointless t-"
"I don't know whatever the hell you're trying to say here, but no. Actually, I wanted to propose a deal...Are ya willing to hear me out here?" - I quietly interrupt the annoying girl to save me a headache...This might be the worst idea I have ever thought of, but I'm backed into a corner here. If I don't do anything to keep her in check, I'll end up with a lot of blood on my hands.
"You do know that you've got no bargaining power here, don't you?...But you probably knew that before you came up with whatever is on your mind, so, it's gotta be something good...Alright, I'm all ears!" - she cheerily replies...Here we go...
"I know that you really want to get the Azure Grimoire and, admittedly, I want to obtain that thing just as badly, but...How about this: we go about this whole thing as I see fit, taking a break whenever needed and dealing with whatever comes up without resorting to violence, but for every day spent on this journey, I'll...I'll plea...I'll make you feel good? But I'll say it right now: everything aside from arms and legs is off-limits and once I'm done, you must fix it as quickly as possible." - I suggest. Hopefully she understands what I'm trying to offer here. I'm not sure if I should be glad that she's not into anything that would make me feel dirty or not. Butchering myself doesn't sound good even if it won't leave any marks, but I don't think I would be able to do this if...I'd rather not think about it.
"Hm...That doesn't sound too bad...although you should have been doing that without any need for a deal like this...and I can simply force you to show me how much you love Nu without having to do anything in exchange...What stops me from doing that, Ra-g-na?" - that bitch asks and I can almost see that smug smile on her face, never mind the fact that it's currently mine.
"If you force me, then it won't be the same as if I would have done it by my own will, won't it? When you're...uh...making love, it should be genuine, right?" - I retort and almost puke my guts out in the process. Judging by the thoughtful humming noise coming from inside my head, she's actually considering my proposal.
"...Okay, I'm sold! We are destined to get the Azure either way, so, I guess waiting for a bit longer won't hurt...especially if that time is spent with someone I love...Ah, I couldn't have asked for a better man! You're much too kind, Ragna! I shouldn't have doubted you even for a second!" - that goddamn girl shouts and I can already feel a headache coming. Well, at least I no longer have to worry about her bitching about this whole thing...But there is something that needs to be discussed now.
"Hey, Lambda, thanks for saving my ass twice back there, but there's something I've gotta ask. How did you survive that? Saya claims that she's dead...whatever that means, but...Was that wound not fatal for you?" - I ask the replica, who tilts her head with her eyebrow raised before her eyes widen.
"Negative. Damage inflicted...Error...Conflicting data detected...Termination log found...I...don't understand..." - the blonde replies, apparently just as confused as I am.
"I think I know what's going on here. You remember how this...extraneous object was made, don't you?" - the voice in my head asks. Kinda hypocritical
"Yeah, but what does it have to do with...Go on." - I urge the girl to continue. I think I know what she's trying to say here, but I'd rather hear it from her.
"I'm not sure how much you know about that sort of thing, but...Let's put it this way: if you cut my arm off, it would still be my arm, right? And Lambda was made from my arm. Even if the rest of her body is somewhat different, she's still technically my arm. Unless I die, she will keep living. However, the reverse shouldn't apply to her and there's a possibility that, should I somehow die, she will follow soon afterward." - Nu explains. I guess it makes sense.
"Heh, you're not as stupid as you might sound at times." - I half-heartedly compliment the girl and, just as I expected, she squeals in delight and I'm not sure whether I should be glad that she can't make me go deaf with that shit or wish for the sweet release of death since that means she can scream her head off as much as she wants to.
"Why, thank you, Ragna! But this is just a theory. I'm no scientist, you know? Anyway, I'd suggest we get going, but since we've made a deal, I'll leave that up to you." - the bane of my existence suggests.
While I'd rather get this done and over with as soon as possible, I can't leave my sister so soon. Besides, there are still things I want to know. Hopefully we didn't wander too far away from Saya. I don't wanna get lost here and navigating in this place is probably a real pain in the ass.