Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters that fans should recognize from the Wheel of Time series. Lews Therin Telamon and Rand definitely, completely belong to Robert Jordan, the greatest author in the state of existence right now. All characters that I create (if I create any along the way of this fanfic.) do not exist in the series and are a figment of my imagination (duh). Please ask if you want to use my idea or characters. If someone else has used this idea before then...I did not know about it, so don't sue me. This is my first WoT fan fiction and I'm only making it up because I just had the "what if?" question enter my mind. Thank you for reading.
Warnings: All I'm going to say for a warning is don't get mad at me if you read this and you haven't read up to book #9 Winter's Heart and something is revealed to you. I have read all the way to Winter's Heart and I'm working on Crossroads of Twilight at the moment, which should give you an idea about where this story takes place. Again, thank you for reading.
Prologue:
The Dragon Takes Control
Rand paced the floor, rubbing his head, muttering under his breath. The wounds in his side still throbbed with evil pain; he ignored them; they were forgotten pains, just a nuisance now. But still they should have disappeared or been able to be healed when he had removed the taint from saidin. That's what he had hoped at least. He shrugged it off and continued to pace, forming a rescue plan in his head; nothing else save for starting a war between the Asha'man and the Aes Sedai came to mind, and that was not something the world could survive right before the Last Battle.
"You cannot save her, boy." He stopped and stared at Cadsuane, the one Aes Sedai Min said he could trust. Sitting in a chair against the wall, working on her embroidery, Cadsuane did not look like an Aes Sedai, but she was one that made the others tremble at her commands. What am I supposed to learn from and her, and how is it supposed to help me?
A slash of pain from Elayne's Warder bond made him flinch yet again, and he glared at Cadsuane as if it were her fault. "I have to go; she needs my help now." He wasn't the only one feeling Elayne's pain; the oddly dressed woman standing at the door was also Elayne's Warder—Rand had just been told that but five minutes ago—and she called herself Birgitte.
"She needs your help? They need our help, sheepherder." Standing in the corner, looking hard faced and calm, Lan hardly let the stress over Nynaeve show. Both Nynaeve and Elayne had been forced back to the White Tower against their will, and something wasn't right about the whole ordeal.
"You cannot save her." This time when Cadsuane spoke she was addressing the three of them—Rand, Birgitte, and Lan.
Rand couldn't help but cry out and grab the nearby table for support when the pain from the Warder bond attacked his old scars, which were now throbbing with newfound pain. Min was at his side in an instant, but he shook it off and stood back up, looking north where the bond pointed him. Now he knew for certain that something was wrong, something bad was happening at that bloody White Tower!
Min stood beside him in her normal coat and breeches, ready to give support if he needed it again. Lews Therin hummed in the back of his mind, but Rand suppressed it. He moved his gaze to Cadsuane, surprised to find her full concentration on him and her eyes full of worry. Since when did she care about me? Lews Therin abruptly turned and hid at the steady, scrutinizing look that Cadsuane sent him. Now that was the look of an Aes Sedai. Rand found that he had to force his own glare away from her, and his eyesight took in the worried, partly confused, partly angry questioning stare of Birgitte and Lan.
Min grabbed his arm and forced him to look at her. "Oh, Rand, what can they be doing to Elayne if you feel it that bad from here?"
Rand was already shaking his head at the mention of the Daughter Heir of Andor, but it was Birgitte who got the first word it. "It wasn't Elayne."
Lan got the next word before Rand could even open his mouth. "It's not Nynaeve."
My poor Ileyna! Light forgive me! Forgive me Ileyna! Rand suppressed Lews Therin's abrupt wailings about his long dead love, and finally opened his mouth to say whose pain he had felt that time. "It was Aviendha."
He felt Min's sudden distress even without the aid of the Warder bond. "That came from her?" He nodded, sad to see tears in her eyes, but he hardened himself against the pain of sadness. He was the Dragon Reborn; he had to be hard, and he had to save two of three women he loved. Lews Therin began humming again.
"Now I want an explanation from you, boy." Rand swerved around to face Cadsuane, causing Lews Therin to flee at her gaze once again. Rand wished he could flee, too, but it was either face Cadsuane or switch places with the madman in his head. "Everyone in this room knows something I don't, and the secret is going to stop right her, right now!" Rand shivered and rubbed his arms, which told him Cadsuane had actually embraced saidar; it was time to be wary of her no matter what Min told him. "The only explanation I can get from you swearing that Elayne's in trouble and that you feel pain from this Aviendha is that you've been bonded somehow. I thought Alanna had already bonded you, and she certainly hasn't been mentioned once! What is the meaning of this Al'Thor?"
Min clung to him suddenly crying out, and then Rand felt his own pain, his only warning being the shattered glass of one of Cairhein's palace windows. He fell and skidded along the floor, Min still right beside him. The old wound was on the edge of breaking, but he pushed the pain down as he pushed to his feet, holding Min close so as to keep her safe.
Looking around he saw Lan had his sword out and Birgitte had taken out a bow, ready to shoot a silver arrow. But what got him by surprise were Cadsuane, who had a shield around him and Min, and the woman who had challenged the Aes Sedai. Though he didn't recognize the strange woman by her looks, there was no mistaking the voice once she spoke.
Lews Therin reached for saidin, and Rand barely beat him in time. There was no longer the worry of the taint, but he still had to battle with the madman in his head. Lews Therin fought to control the One Power, but Rand managed to push him down every time.
It's mine, let me have it or she'll kill us both!
No! Rand shouted at Lews Therin, who only moaned and fought harder to gain control.
"Who's this wench with you, Lews Therin? You're mine; you belong to me. If you don't accept to come with me this last time I'll kill you like the Great Lord commands. Join me, Lews Therin. I give you one last chance to join me." She sounded just like Lanfear, but that wasn't what she looked like.
Who cares what she looks like; it's still her. Give it to me; I have to kill her!
Rand smirked, a new idea on how to win against Lews Therin finally entering his head. After all, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. You mean we have to kill her; let's work together, Lews Therin.
We? Together? Would that work?
Rand bit his lip so he wouldn't risk speaking aloud. This needed to be between him and Lews Therin; it wouldn't do for everyone to start thinking the Dragon Reborn had gone mad. Of course it'll work; we're the same person.
As he waited for Lews Therin's answer, Lanfear, or whoever she was, frowned. "Fine then, die if you must. I'll be named Nae'blis if I can bring you to Shayol Ghul, and Moridin would be a madman to resist me."
Moridin? Who?
Moridin means death! We're all going to die! Let me have control! Lews Therin was fighting against him in desperation, clawing for the non-reachable flame that was saidin like a madman. Rand stood his ground; he had to be hard.
"No!" Cadsuane's yell of defiance broke the humid air in the room. Rand watched as the determined Aes Sedai pushed against the woman that resembled Lanfear. He watched as they both toppled to the ground, clawing at each other's faces.
"Rand, watch out!" Min warned, just as she pulled him to the floor.
Something rushed by his hair and a second later the air was filled with a loud explosion. When Min finally allowed him to stand, Rand blinked in shock as well as new fear when he saw the hole in the palace wall. It might as well have never existed. Only one attack was powerful enough to do that, as far as he knew. Balefire.
Alarm pulsed through Lews Therin and then sweetened glee. Rand came to grips with himself once he realized he no longer held the Power. Lews Therin Telamon had won his battle, and Rand Al'Thor was now the one grappling to control saidin.
TO BE CONTINUED
