Rand : What about our recon on the Blight?
Nynaeve : They can’t be accurate.
Rand : They may be.
Nynaeve : I tell you that it’s not possible.
Cadsuane : Why not? Two hundred and fifty million Trollocs. That’s one for every man, woman and child. That sounds exactly like the thinking of the Forsaken to me.
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Elaida : I’ve spoken to the other Sitters, and I’ve decided to give you the opportunity to explain yourself.
Moiraine : I wasn’t aware that my actions required an explanation.
Elaida : You were given a direct order to return to the Tower.
Moiraine : I did.
Elaida : … but you ordered five other Sisters to remain behind in your place to accompany al’Thor.
Moiraine : I would have stayed myself, but I needed to bring some urgent news back to the Head of my ajah.
Elaida : So you admit to a direct violation of an order by the Amyrlin Seat?
Moiraine : Mother, we need a presence around the Dragon Reborn to ensure his survival until Tarmon Gai’don.
Elaida : I don’t want to hear about oracles, prophecies or any of that other rubbish! I care about one thing, and that’s stopping the Blight from overrunning the world.
Moiraine : With all due respect, Mother. There is only one way to save the world.
Elaida : How?
Moiraine : Rand al’Thor.
Elaida : God dammit, Moiraine. Not everyone believes what you believe!
Moiraine : My beliefs do not require them to do so.
Elaida : I’m going to recommend to the Hall that you receive a severe penance.
Moiraine : That is your prerogative, Mother.
Elaida : If it was up to me, Moiraine, I would have you stilled and exiled for this.
Moiraine : Then I am grateful that it is not up to you, Mother.
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Lews Therin : My friends, hear me! It is true what you have heard. Sammael and Demandred have gathered a massive force and as we speak, they are preparing for the final assault on the Light.
Companions : *mumble* *gasp*
Lews Therin : Believe me when I tell you that a difficult time lies ahead of us. I stand here before you, truthfully unafraid. Why am I not afraid? Because I believe in something you do not? No! I stand here not because of the path that lies before me, but because of the path that stands behind me. I remember that for ten years we have fought these Shadowspawn. I remember that for ten years the Forsaken have sent their armies upon us. I remember what matters most. After a decade of war… we are still here!
Companions : Yeah!!!
Lews Therin : Tonight let us send a message to the Shadow. Let us shake the foundations of the Blight. Let our wrath be heard from red tar to black sky. Tonight, let us make them remember. We are the Hundred Companions… and we are not afraid!!
Companions : Yeah!!!!!!!!
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Rand : Oh god.
Ishamael : Great Lord will suffice.
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Elaida : I just heard that you allowed Moiraine to leave, just minutes before the Blight initiates its attack.
Cadsuane : That is correct, Mother.
Elaida : Am I still in charge of the Tower?
Romanda : Of course you are, Mother.
Elaida : Then why did you allow her to leave?!
Cadsuane : … because we believe that our survival depends on more than how many Aes Sedai we have.
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Rand : You’re not human, are you?
Moiraine : That’s a bit harsh.
Rand : If I had to guess, I’d say that you’ve been affected by the One Power.
Moiraine : Bah!
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Fain : Surprised to see me?
Moridin : No.
Fain : Then you’re aware of our connection? I’m not sure how it happened. Maybe a piece of you imprinted onto me, or the reverse. It is at this point irrelevant. What matters is that whatever happened, happened for a reason. After our encounter, I knew the rules. I was supposed to follow them, but I didn’t. I couldn’t. I was compelled to stay, to disobey. And now here I stand because of you. A new man, apparently like you… free.
Moridin : Congratulations.
Fain : but as you know, appearances can be deceiving. We’re not here because we’re free, we’re here because we’re not. There’s no escaping the Pattern. Because we both know that without purpose, neither of us would exist. It is purposed that drives us, created us, defies us. I am here because you stole something from me. Purpose.
Moridin : *cries* Gah!!
Fain : That’s it… it will be over soon.
Moridin : Grr…..
Fain : *gulp*
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Asmodean : You!
Graendal : Yes. Me. Me. Me.
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Moridin : It is inevitable
Alivia : Get out of that mountain, Rand.
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Hall : We suggest an Aes Sedai be dispatched to infiltrate the Tower and rescue Egwene.
Lelaine : I wish that were possible, but we cannot suffer the loss of another Sister.
Hall : We shall if we must.
Lelaine : It could take a single Sister days to find Egwene in the Tower.
Hall : Then send two.
Lelaine : This is madness.
Hall : Careful, Lelaine.
Lelaine : Forgive me for my frustration, Sisters. I wish that I could comprehend your decision.
Hall : Comprehension is not a requisite for obedience. The Hall requests that two Sisters volunteer to enter the Tower and rescue Egwene al’Vere.
*silence*
Hall : Will no one answer our call to help the Mother?
Lelaine : It’s hard for another Sister to want to risk her life, especially if she doesn’t understand the reason.
Hall : Bah… we do that all the time. You two in the corner, thanks for volunteering.
Victims : What?! We didn’t…
Hall : Thank you. May the Light be with you on this difficult mission.
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Lanfear : There is only one real truth in the Pattern. Causality. Cause and effect, action and reaction.
Rand : Everything begins with choice.
Lanfear : No. Wrong. Choice is an illusion created by those without power compared to those with it.
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Rand : You told me to stay out of the Blight.
Cadsuane : Yes, I did.
Rand : You said it was suicide.
Cadsuane : Then let us hope that I was wrong.
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Rand : What do you want, Ba’alzamon?
Ishamael : You haven’t figured that out yet? Still using all the muscles except the one that matters? I want exactly what you want. I want everything.
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Rand : Why am I here?
Ishamael : Your life is the sum of the irregularities in the Pattern, which despite my sincerest efforts, I have not been able to eliminate. While not wanted, it is not unexpected and thus not beyond some measure of control. It has therefore brought you… here.
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Aginor : The first Shadowspawn I designed were quite naturally perfect. Flawless, sublime. A triumph equalled only by their monumental failure. The offspring known as Myrddraal are apparent to me now as consequence of the using the True Power in their production. Therefore I redesigned them to reflect the varying grotesqueries of human nature. Alas, I was greeted by failure again. I have since come to realize that a less perfect mind was required, or perhaps a mind less bound by the conformities of biological physics. Thus another Forsaken came upon a use for the Fades. If I am the father of the Shadowspawn, she would undoubtedly be their mother.
Rand : Semirhage.
Aginor : Please. As I said, she stumbled onto a solution whereby nearly 99% of all Aes Sedai could be turned using these undesirable offspring. The answer lay in the removal of choice, even at a subconscious level. Of course, even though this helped, some Aes Sedai could not be turned and the Pattern used these threads to form a link to potentially perfect channeler who would be reborn every Age or so.
Rand : This is about Tarmon Gai’don.
Ishamael : You are here because the Blight is about to be released onto the world. It’s every living creature and inhabitant killed.
Rand : bullshit.
Graendal : Denial is the most predictable of all human traits.
Moridin : … but rest assured this is the sixth time the Great Lord will break the Wheel, and he is becoming exceedingly efficient at it.
Lanfear : The function of the Dragon is not to challenge the Dark One, but to rule in his name.
Rand : You won’t let that happen. You can’t. You rely on my death to rule.
Semirhage : There are levels of survival we are willing to accept. However, the pertinent question is whether you are willing to accept responsibility for the death of every human being on earth, despite having a peaceful solution. Look… *points*
Rand : Egwene!
Semirhage : Apropos… she entered the Blight with a small army to try and save your life. Thus we come to the moment of truth. To the left is a passage which will lead out of Shayol Ghul and to intercept Egwene and her army before our Trollocs reach them. To the right is a great fiery pit where you can kneel to the Great Lord and obtain dominion over all mankind. But we already know what he’s going to do, don’t we?
Graendal : Already I can sense the chemical changes in his body, the precursors of an emotion which override logic and judgment. The cold hard truth that she is going to die and there is nothing you can do to stop it.
Moridin : Hmph… hope. It is your quintessential delusion, al’Thor and possibly your only strength.
Rand : If I were you, I’d hope we don’t meet again.
Semirhage : We won’t.
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… coming soon… the Wheel’s Revolutions.