Chapter 4: The Pattern Breaks

Rand looked up at the black sky and the dead sun. Then down into the great abyss that was the Ocean of Madness. His fourth visit, once more and he'll be completely mad. For now he just stood on the water that was not really water. At least not any water he knew. This water was completely black and he didn't sink into it, merely stood atop it.

He thought back to what had happened before he had come here. His palace was under attack by shadowspawn which he had bravely killed. There was even a shadowspawn that looked like Min. And before that one that looked like Elayne and the one who looked like Aviendha! Light! Where did these new shadowspawn come from? The Dark One had probably sent them to kill and impersonate his friends so that they could kill him, but he had shown them. Then a dark thought entered his mind, what if Mat and Perrin had been impersonated as well? It made perfect sense. All of his wives had been killed and impersonated what about his friends?

The world around him blurred and he woke up in his bedchambers lying on the floor. He got up and walked out he had to find Mat and Perrin and see if they were impersonated or not.

"Of course they are already impersonated. The Dark One doesn't wait."

"There is always a chance! Rand yelled at Lews Therin."

But Lews Therin wasn't listening. He just ran away into Rand's mind singing of madness. 'I'm not mad yet!' thought Rand stubbornly, stepping over the body of a butchered guard.

"What will we do? He's completely mad now!"

"We kill him. That's the obvious answer."

"We had that chance, its gone now! He'll kill us before we even get near him! Half the castle's guards and servants are dead. He murdered his own wife. We'll stand no chance. We should run before its too late—"

"No! I have a plan just leave it to me. All you have to do is sit back and watch."

Rand now stood in the camp of the Band of the Red Hand. His mission was simple kill the impostor Mat and any other shadowspawn he finds.

Rand wove balefire and destroyed the tent closest to him, to ensure no shadowspawn could surprise him. Then he channeled to make his voice project.

"Matrim Cuathon! The Dragon Reborn requests your presence immediately!" Rand said in a manner that would suggest that this was no request.

Men started to pour out of the tents and approach Rand, none of them Mat. Rand prepared to channel Deathgates. Then a soldier stepped forward, obviously the man in charge.

"Lord Mat is away my Lord Dragon."

"Well, where is he?"

'Dead, just like everyone else who is friend to me.'

'Mat isn't you're friend! Now leave!'

'No! This is just as much my mind as it is yours.'

"Get out!"

"Excuse me?"

Rand looked around and saw that everyone was looking at him funny. One soldier had his hand on his sword. So they were shadowspawn! Rand channeled the Deathgates and killed the soldier touching his sword along with about three dozen others.

"What in the name of-" started the soldier in charge, but he was unable to finish when Rand incinerated him with Blossoms of Fire. In a matter of minutes the entire army was destroyed. The shadowspawn were dead, but Rand still wasn't satisfied. Obviously there was a shadowspawn Mat somewhere, and Rand was going to find him! The colors in Rand's head started to swirl, and he saw Mat, Rand held the colors this time and located Mat's exact location. When the colors stopped and Mat faded, Rand was smiling. Now he knew exactly where Mat was. Rand opened a gateway and was off, to kill his best friend.

Mat starred out into the sky. The gohlam he defeated had escaped and was probably hunting him right now! He needed to leave, but how? With the Seanchan guarding every way out. Maybe the river? If he could get a boat he could escape. He had Egeanin, and she knew how to pilot these ships, but he also wanted to save the captured Aes Sedai.

They could be useful to him in the future. Blood and ashes! The dice in his head were going crazy, it almost hurt to have them bouncing in his head like this. And, of course, that meant something bad was about to happen. Something bad always happened to him.

"Mat!"

Mat turned taking out the black spear and holding it up defensively, but it was only Rand, who for some reason had his sword drawn. Mat was about to say hello, but at that moment, the dice stopped.

Mat had tried to attack him, him! That obviously meant he was a shadowspawn. But shadowspawn Mat didn't know Rand knew what he was, it was talking to him, just like the old Mat would.

Rand grip on his sword tightened, and shadow Mat stopped talking. He had noticed. Then the fight was on! Rand struck an arc toward Mat's head, but it was blocked. Suddenly Rand felt a tear within himself, something that hurt him badly. Mat also went down and for that Rand was grateful, at least it wasn't going to get a free shot in. The pain passed and both Rand and Mat stood again ready for the next attack.