I know it took forever to get up, but I hope you enjoy it. When the idea for the next chapter finally hit me, I had fun writing it. I hope you have as much fun reading it!
Chapter Three:
The Dragon Speaks
Rand felt the sweat run down his face. Yes, it was his face, his! The link to saidin was his! It was his own: the Dragon Reborn's link to the One Power, yet Lews Therin had control of it. Lews Therin, the annoying voice in his head had control over saidin. This was the moment Rand had feared since that first time Lews Therin reached for the flame; he had never expected Lews Therin to actually grab the flame, thought, no matter how many times he reached for it!
Now Rand stood in shock as Lews Therin laughed gleefully inside his head. It's mine again! It's mine again! It's mine again! The voice incessantly reminded Rand of a little kid jumping around and bragging about winning a game. That was the image in his head, at least. Lews Therin finally stopped gloating at holding saidin while Rand stood helplessly in the dark. The voice took on a thoughtful sound. Hmm…what should I do to celebrate? I know! Fireworks were always a lovely site!
Rand blinked and knew alarm pulsed on the features of his face. Lews Therin was mad! He tried to take saidin in his own hands again, but Lews Therin would not let go.
Mine! The voice demanded, suddenly hard and commanding. It belongs to me!
Rand fought back; he had to fight back; there was no choice in that matter. Since he no longer held control over saidin he had to fight back with everything he had. He would not allow Lews Therin to use his link to saidin to destroy Elayne's palace with celebrating fireworks! Lews Therin really was the mad one!
Awe…you don't like fireworks? What madman raised you? Rand felt his eyebrows lower considerably when Lews Therin cracked up in mad laughter; the crazy madman was even more curious than Aiel when it came to humor. Usually, Rand let the mad voice laugh itself to silence, but not this time.
My father is not mad!
Lews Therin's laughter cut off sharply and when the voice spoke next there was slyness there that only appeared on rare occasions. How do you know?
The question hit Rand into his own thoughts. He had forgotten about that. Tam was not his true blood-related father, even though Rand considered him so. Tam had raised him, not the Aiel, and Tam was most certainly not mad like Lews Therin. Of course, he didn't have much of a guarantee that his Aiel father was sane. But how did Lews Therin know that?
The voice in his head chuckled. I know more about you than you do.
Rand drew back and scowled. And I you.
"Rand?" Min's hand was on his arm, and she was trembling.
He wanted to comfort her; he wanted to say everything was going to be all right, that they would live happily ever after like everyone else in this world. He wanted to do all that and more, but it would all be just a lie. With Lews Therin in control of saidin the world would soon collapse. Rand had failed them, failed them before the Last Battle even had begun to commence.
I'm not as mad as everyone thinks I am. Lews Therin's voice was defiant and hard; Rand found it easy to picture the man scowling. Besides, some of that madness has leaked into you, so we're safe.
Rand felt his face crinkle up with anger and then worry. That would explain why Lews Therin sounded saner than he used to. That would explain a lot of things. But he couldn't go mad. Not yet! Not now! Not after he had just cleansed the taint on the male half of the One Power! The Dragon Reborn couldn't go mad before the Last Battle.
I'm not mad!
Lews Therin chuckled. But you will be.
Rand shook his head, trying to force Lews Therin out. He did not want to talk with a madman in his head, especially not if they were actually going to talk about insanity. He looked around, seeing two huge holes in the Caemlyn Palace walls. Cadsuane and Lanfear were on the ground, staring at him with mouths wide open.
He must have said or done something insane if they were staring at him like that. He started to chew on his lip, and a bead of sweat ran down his face when he suddenly felt the weaving of saidin begin. Lews Therin was ready to shoot fireworks now. Light, have pity on me.
Rand just stood there as Lews Therin formed the semi-complicated weave. He didn't know what else he could do. He couldn't make a gateway and escape the stares of the others because Lews Therin had complete control of saidin. He couldn't do anything with the One Power. After having it for so long, being able to accomplish so many wonders—and horrors—losing the control in itself could make him go insane because he couldn't touch it.
Oh would you calm down already. You're spoiling all the fun. The taint has been cleansed; my mistake has been erased, so stop worrying about insanity. You're giving me a headache!
As soon as Rand realized he had his hand on his temple he quickly brought his arm to his side, scowling lightly. Leave my body alone!
Why? We share saidin; we share the same mind space; why not share the body?
Because you're just a madman's voice in my head! Why don't you just get out and leave me be?
No! Like you said before, we're the same person so we should work together.
Rand froze before he could think another word. The weave was complete.
Ha! It's time to celebrate our unity.
Rand's arm rose up toward the ceiling completely against his will, and he winced as a mixture of fire and lightning exploded above the room. He was afraid to look at the others now, afraid to see the fear of his insanity in their eyes. He was most especially afraid to turn to Cadsuane; afraid of her for a reason he did not understand.
Min gripped the sleeve of his coat, bringing his arm down harshly, though the fireworks continued to go off and Lews Therin continued to laugh joyfully. Her voice trembled with newfound worry. "What are the fireworks for? Rand, are you feeling okay?"
He wanted to tell her that everything was just perfectly fine, but he ended up turning his head to look straight at Lanfear. Lews Therin insisted on calling this new stranger Lanfear, though Rand could not see any physical resemblance and no reason for Lanfear to change her outer appearance if she had returned from the dead. But to Lews Therin, who most certainly knew all the Forsaken better than anyone else alive, this was still Lanfear.
Oddly, he began to hum and he fingered his ear lobe, while staring at "Lanfear." Those were Lews Therin's habits, not his! As if the fireworks ordeal was not bad enough, Lews Therin decided to make it worse, using Rand's mouth and voice to speak aloud, making everyone take a step backwards.
"Lanfear, you haven't aged a day."
Surprisingly, the strange woman grinned. "Well that was a nice compliment, Lews Therin. It's nice to see you've finally escaped from that foolish boy's mind."
Rand wanted to send her screaming back to where she came from with a blast of balefire, but instead he blushed as if pleased. Lews Therin really was taking control, and of more than just saidin. Rand wanted to weep.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~TO BE CONTINUED~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
