Chapter Text
The night was stark in the Aeil Waste, a vast, desolate expanse of moonlit sand that stretched to infinity. Moiraine Damodred, Aes Sedai of the Blue Ajah, sat cross-legged before the flickering embers of a dwindling fire. Her thoughts danced as wildly as the shadows cast by the flaming torches that staked the camp perimeter, reaching for the stars that pierced the indigo sky above. Her eyes, a deep shade of blue that mirrored the sapphires on her ring, held a distant gaze, lost in the tangles of a dream that was not quite a dream.
Siuan Sanche’s words echoed through her mind like a haunting melody, a tune of "what ifs" that she hadn’t allowed herself to hear in years. The flutes of the Aiels played a mournful tune somewhere in the distance, a serenade to the night that seemed to underscore her contemplation. What would her life have been if she had chosen to follow the whispered path of love and freedom? Would she have found joy in the arms of a different destiny, or would she have stumbled into a prison of regret and doubt?
With a sigh that seemed to carry the weight of a thousand unspoken truths, Moiraine reached into the folds of her blue-and-white-fringed shawl and produced a small, gleaming object. The Ter’angreal was a rare find, a relic of the Age of Legends that she had acquired with much difficulty and caution. It was a crystal sphere, the size of a fist. It hummed faintly with the power of the One Power, a silent promise of the secrets it could reveal, the realms it could touch. Her heart raced as she thought of the possibilities.
The Aes Sedai’s hand hovered over the crystal, indecision etched into the lines of her face. The coolness of the crystal beckoned to her, whispering of the paths not taken, the lives not lived. Her mind raced with the consequences of meddling with the fabric of reality, of reaching out to a mirror of the past that could never truly be changed. Would it bring her peace, or would it only serve to deepen the chasm of doubt that had formed in the wake of the revelation?
Taking a deep breath, Moiraine closed her eyes and wove the first delicate strands of saidar around the Ter’angreal. The crystal grew warm to the touch as she focused her will, the power within it resonating with her own. The air around her began to shiver, the fabric of the world bending to her command. The flutes grew louder, the notes now sharp with anticipation. When she opened her eyes again, she found herself in a chamber she had never really seen before, though it was eerily familiar. The stone walls, the high arches, the scent of dust and old knowledge – it was the library of Tar Valon.
In the flickering light of a hundred candles, she saw them: the reflections of her younger self and Siuan. Two young Aes Sedai, their heads bent over ancient tomes, their eyes alight with curiosity and something else. They had not yet been fully shackled by the responsibilities of the Ajahs, nor had they borne witness to the horrors of the world outside the Tower’s embrace. They were free, as free as the wind that whispered through the pages of forgotten lore.
Moiraine’s heart clenched. Should she dare to speak to them? Would her presence shatter this fragile moment, a memory preserved in the amber of time? Or could she offer them the wisdom that could change their fate, steer them away from the treacherous paths they were destined to walk? Her hand hovered above the crystal, the warmth pulsing through her fingertips, a tangible connection to her world.
The younger Moiraine looked up, her eyes widening in shock as she saw her older self standing there, an apparition in the dusty gloom. Her mouth fell open, the words she had been reading forgotten, the book slipping from her grasp. Siuan followed her gaze, her eyes narrowing in confusion as she took in the scene before her. "Moiraine?" she whispered, the name barely a breath, as if afraid to disturb the vision before her.
The older Moiraine’s voice caught in her throat, the weight of the years and the decisions she had made pressing down on her like a heavy mantle. "Siuan," she finally managed, her voice a soft echo of what it had once been, rich with warmth and the promise of love. The two of them stared at each other for a long moment, the unspoken question hanging in the air between them.
The younger Moiraine was the first to break the silence. "What are you doing here?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly. The flame of the candles cast a flickering light over her features, highlighting the curiosity and fear that danced in her eyes. Siuan looked to her Moiraine, her expression a mirror of the other young woman’s, a blend of astonishment and wariness.
"I’ve come to speak with you both," the older Moiraine replied, her voice firm and steady. She stepped closer, the air thick with the tension of a thousand unspoken truths.
The younger Moiraine swallowed hard, nodding in understanding. She glanced at Siuan, whose eyes were still wide with astonishment. "We should find somewhere more private," she suggested, her voice a mere thread of sound.
The three of them made their way through the library’s labyrinthine corridors, the older Moiraine placing her shawl over her face to avoid detection. The hood cast her features into shadow, but the younger women could feel the intensity of her gaze, the weight of her presence. They climbed the spiraling stairs to the upper levels, where the air was thick with the scent of dust and ink, the whispers of the past echoing off the stone walls.
Finally, they reached Moiraine’s chambers, a small, sparsely furnished room that held the essence of the Aes Sedai who would one day leave it all behind. The door creaked open, revealing a simple bed with a thick fur coverlet, a desk laden with parchments, and a single chair by the window. The moon’s silvery glow spilled through the glass, painting the floor with a pattern of light and shadow.
With a gentle push of saidar, the older Moiraine sealed the room from any prying eyes and ears. The younger Moiraine and Siuan stared at her, their eyes wide with a mix of awe.
"What is this?" the younger Siuan breathed, her eyes darting between the two woman before her. "How is it that you're... here?"
The older Moiraine took a seat on the edge of the bed, her expression a blend of sorrow and determination. "It's a long story, one that I'm not entirely certain I have the right to tell." She paused, her eyes searching the faces of her younger counterparts. "But I believe you both know of the prophecies of the Dragon Reborn, of the quest that lies before you."
The younger Moiraine's gaze hardened. "We are Aes Sedai," she said firmly. "Our duty is clear."
The older Moiraine's eyes grew distant, a hint of pain flickering within them. "Duty is a prison," she murmured. "And prophecy, a cage from which there is no escape."
The two younger women exchanged a look, their expressions a blend of confusion and apprehension. "What do you mean?" Siuan ventured, her voice a hushed whisper.
The older Moiraine took a deep breath, her gaze intense. "I mean that you should leave," she said firmly. "Both of you. Leave the Tower. Run to Tear. Forget the prophecy, the Aes Sedai, the Dragon Reborn. Take a ship across the sea, live your lives in peace and love."
The younger Moiraine’s eyes widened further, her hand unconsciously moving to her mouth. "But the Last Battle... the Dark One... we have a duty to fulfil!"
The older Moiraine nodded solemnly. "Duty," she repeated, her voice heavy with the burden of experience. "Duty has almost taken everything from me, and it will keep taking until there’s nothing left." Her eyes searched the room, lingering on the untouched parchments and quills, the trappings of a life dedicated to the Tower. “There is a cost to such a life, a price paid in moments lost, in choices never made."
Siuan took a step closer, her eyes searching the older woman's face. "What happened to you, to us, Moiraine?" she asked, her voice a mix of confusion and concern. "What could make you say such a thing?"
The older Moiraine’s eyes grew misty with the weight of unshed tears. "You will face hardships, betrayals, and loss," she said softly. "You will both become leaders in your own right, bound by duty and destiny. But the path you are on is fraught with pain, a path that may leave you with nothing but ashes to hold onto."
The younger Moiraine stood firm, her jaw set. "We are Aes Sedai," she said again, her voice stronger this time. "We are bound by our oaths. We cannot abandon the world to its fate."
"But what of your own fates?" the older Moiraine countered, her voice laced with desperation. "What of the happiness that could have been yours? It was the destiny that you want to embrace which ultimately drove us apart. “ She looked at Siuan, whose eyes searched hers.
Silence creeped into the room, a stark contrast to the flurry of thoughts that swirled around like a storm within each of them. The younger Moiraine felt the weight of the unspoken words, the paths she had never dared to consider. Siuan, ever the pragmatist, searched for an explanation, a logical reason behind this bizarre encounter. "If we leave, if we turn our backs on the Tower and the prophecy, what happens then?" she asked, her voice measured.
The older Moiraine's gaze softened, a sad smile playing on her lips. "I cannot tell you that," she said gently. "The future is a river that flows through a thousand different channels, each choice a new stream that diverges from the last. If you leave, the world may find peace without you. Or it may fall into shadow."
The younger Moiraine's jaw tightened, resolve setting in her eyes. "We cannot risk it," she said firmly. "The prophecies speak of a time when the Dark One will rise again, and we must be there to face him."
The older Moiraine sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly. "Stubborn as ever," she murmured, a hint of affection in her voice. "I see the Tower has not yet crushed the spirit from either of you."
"What do you mean?" Siuan demanded, taking a step forward, her eyes searching the other Moiraine's face. "You speak as if you truly regret the path you have chosen."
The older Moiraine's gaze grew distant, a single tear slipping down her cheek to land on the fur coverlet of the bed. "Some part of me does," she admitted. "Some part of me wishes we could have had the life we dreamed of, that we could have loved freely without the shackles of duty and prophecy." She took a deep, shuddering breath. "But the wheel weaves as the wheel wills.”
The younger Moiraine stepped closer, her hand reaching out tentatively to touch the older woman's shoulder. "What happened to make you feel this way?" she asked, her voice filled with concern.
The older Moiraine took a moment to compose herself before speaking, her words coming out with the solemnity of a funeral dirge. "I have seen a thousand futures." she said, her voice trembling with the weight of her revelation. "Futures where the Dark One is defeated, but at a cost so great that victory feels like ash in our mouths. And in all of these futures, there is one constant, one price that must be paid." She took a deep, shuddering breath, her eyes never leaving her younger counterpart's. "I must die."
The younger Moiraine recoiled, her hand dropping to her side. "No," she murmured, the word a prayer on her lips.
The older Moiraine nodded, the sadness in her eyes unmistakable. "I made a promise to you, Siuan," she continued, turning her gaze to the younger woman who had once been her lover. "A promise that in another life, we would find peace. "
Siuan stepped closer, her own eyes brimming with tears. "I remember," she whispered, her hand reaching out to clasp her Moiraine's. "We swore it under the light of the full moon, that we would always find our way back to each other."
The older Moiraine's smile grew sadder as she looked into the eyes of her younger self, so full of hope and love. "And so we have," she said softly, her voice thick with emotion. "But in this world, in this time, our paths are set on a different course."
The younger Moiraine’s gaze remained firm. "It might be so in your world," she said, her voice unwavering, "but that does not mean it will be the same in ours." Her hand tightened around Siuan’s. "We are Aes Sedai. We serve the light, and we will not turn from our duty."
The older Moiraine looked at their entwined hands and felt a pang of loss so sharp it was like a knife to the heart. She knew she could not change their minds, could not save them from the fate she had seen. But if she couldn’t change their destinies, she could at least offer them guidance, a glimmer of hope in the dark times to come. "I understand," she said, her voice a whisper. "But if you will not turn from this path, I will not stand in your way."
With trembling hands, she reached into her shawl once more, this time drawing out a rolled parchment. "The Dragon Reborn is in the Two Rivers," she revealed, her voice a mix of resignation and urgency. "His name is Rand al'Thor. He is the hope of the world, but also its greatest threat. The Dark One will seek him out, and he must be protected at all costs."
The younger Moiraine and Siuan shared a look, their expressions a whirlwind of emotions. "We will find him," the younger Moiraine declared, her voice filled with a determination that seemed to resonate through the very stones of the Tower.
The older Moiraine nodded solemnly. "Siuan," she began, her voice thick with emotion as she turned to the younger woman. "In my world, you were not prepared. The Tower was fractured, torn apart by politics and fear. The White Tower stood tall, but within, it was as fragile as glass. When the Dragon Reborn came, you were unready, and it cost us dearly."
Siuan’s eyes searched the older Moiraine’s, understanding dawning in her gaze. "We will be ready," she vowed. "We will stand firm, and we will not fail."
The older Moiraine handed over the parchment with trembling hands. "This map will lead you to him," she said, her voice cracking with the weight of her words. "But remember, the future is not set in stone. It is a river that can be redirected."
The younger Moiraine took the map, her eyes never leaving the older woman's. "We will not fail," she said firmly, her grip on the parchment tightening. "We will find him, and we will save the world."
The older Moiraine nodded, her gaze lingering on their joined hands for a moment longer before she pulled away, the warmth of their contact replaced by the coldness of the room. "You must be careful," she warned. "The Dark One will have his agents everywhere, and they will seek to use you, to manipulate you. Trust no one, no one but Lan, Alanna and Leane."
The younger Moiraine's eyes searched hers, the gravity of the situation weighing on her young shoulders. "We will be careful," she promised, her voice a steel thread of resolve. Siuan nodded solemnly, her own thoughts racing.
The silence grew heavy as the older Moiraine stood, her form shimmering like a mirage in the candlelight. "I must go," she said, her voice barely audible. "I cannot stay here. But remember my words, and may the Light guide you both."
With a final, lingering look, she reached out and touched each of them gently on the forehead, her power leaving a cool imprint on their skin, a silent blessing. And with that, she was gone, leaving the younger Moiraine and Siuan standing in the cold embrace of the moonlit chamber. The room felt emptier somehow, the shadows deeper without her presence.
The silence was a living entity, wrapping around them like a shroud. The candles flickered, casting erratic shadows that danced over the walls, as if echoing the tumultuous emotions within the two young Aes Sedai. The air was thick with the scent of dust and ancient secrets, the weight of their shared destiny pressing down upon them.