Rise Again From Ashes by Independence1776

Beautifully played! And now it's time to face the music.

I've been crap at reviewing lately, for which I apologize, but I just wanted to say that I've really been enjoying this story. Condemned to live really does seem to express the Valar's attitude toward Maglor - it's nice to see him actually earning the trust of a few people, and I look forward to his meeting with Earendil.

And I love that your Earendil is blond. Given that Tuor is described as blond and Idril is as well, it makes perfect sense to me that he'd be blond, too. :)

Phew, that went well! I really liked Eärendil in this one - even though it was kind of cruel to dangle the Silmaril in front of Maglor like that. He's right though, that was a rather efficient test. And I'm glad that for all his grievances, he also had the grace to remember that Maglor was kind to his sons, and that some good came out of it. (That's the advantage of his mortal leanings, I suppose - the Eldar keep obsessing with the past, while as a semi-mortal Eärendil can as well look forward...) And I hope things are going to get at least a little easier for Maglor, once the course of this conversation is known. *pats him*
I also continue to like your Glorfindel. As usual, looking forward to the next instalments! :)

I was astonished that Elwing would show that level of "tolerance" (in fact, approaching "kindness") towards Maglor, but then I remembered that Elrond was "her" son too... and also that his gentle but firm way of dealing with people, even difficult ones like a "reformed Fëanorian", might well have been inherited from her.

I hope that Maglor will realize that this much acceptance is as much (and more!) than he can hope for right now, and will begin to relax his guard at least a little.

I feel for Maglor, having to confront all his "ghosts" in the flesh, one after the other. But, on the other hand, I am glad he is beginning to belong. It also seems to be getting easier for him to accept what he once did and what the reactions of others will be as a result. I just hope he gets some peace at last. He killed his best friend in Alqualonde - could it have been any worse?

Playing Vivaldi's Four Seasons is a brilliant touch to make us remember where he has been all that time!

I am fascinated by this story, I love the way he is slowly learning to embrace redemption.

This is the first time that I think I've been impatient with Maglor's self-absorption in his own reactions to what happens here.  It's not always about you, Maglor: you need to reach out to Telepevola and grasp the forgiveness he is offering, regardless of whether you get hurt this time. You owe it to him, after what he has done for you, both alive and dead.

I've been tempted many times through this wonderful story to grab Maglor (who's been my favourite Elf since ..., well, since a long time ago) and shake him: the Valar have forgiven you, Elrond loves you, your wife seems willing to give you a second chance, you've got a new friend in Glorfindel, and a old one who's forgiven you and a dog! And a Stradivarius! Stop punishing yourself! Well, now he's stood up to his uncle! Finally!

You also deal very convincingly with something that few stories tackle and it's how life in Valinor evolved across all the ages. Very well done!

Great chapter, when will he get to meet his wife.

Interesting. Finarfin, in his insecurity and paranoia here, though probably quite a good and intelligent king in his way, reminds me of the late Richard Nixon, while Maglor is Kennedy-esque in his charisma (despite all his flaws and fears). I think I am reminded of this because of Celebrimor's mentioni of opening of the Straight Road to bi-directional travel!

I like the idea of him making friends (again) with Celebrimbor!

I'm fascinated by Finarfin's notion of Maglor being an "unwilling thrall of Morgoth": how would one prove or disprove that? Does Finarfin have a list? (Though I'm guessing that there are really only two names on it: Maglor and Celebrimor, lol!) Maglor's reaction was surprising: I would have expected the Maglor we'd seen earlier to have been devastated by his own uncle's condemnation, but the "new" Maglor simply decides to stay away from Tirion in future, which seems eminently reasonable. Having a dog seems to have done him a world of good...

Or is it because there is clearly no reason to punish Narmincë as well for Maglor's early transgressions? The Valar are being even more opaque than usual here!

I think Silver Trails has a point--they never seem to learn. It's not exactly like the Valar themselves have been infallible; a little humility would not be out of place IMHO when dealing with the returned Noldor. Whatever purpose they may have in constantly "testing" Maglor, they do not have the moral authority to go about it in such a high-handed manner. It does fit with their previous behavior, although one might expect they would have learned something.

Enjoying the story very much, however.

Well, I'm not sure whether this is the last chapter, but it seems that Maglor is finally in a good place, having lost much, but learned much as well. Expanding on the original Noldolantë to include his new "mortality-based" music is certainly going to make him a musical celebrity again, I think, little though he may want that.  Rising from the ashes, indeed.

Well, I guess it's certainly not over! (And once I saw the monument to The Slain, and his reaction, I thought it surely couldn't be.) But, yikes: what a cliffhanger!

Oooh, a message from the Elder King is never good. On the other hand, Maglor was not specifically ordered to stay out of Alqualondë, didn't know what the Memorial was until he saw it, and even didn't fight back when he was severely beaten by four armed attackers who deliberately inflicted what they felt would be the most harmful injuries (a musician's hands!) short of killing him. So I think he has been keeping to "the rules." I'm also impressed by his attitude during his recovery afterward: this is not the depressed, defeated, fearful Maglor we saw in the beginning, but someone who is learning to live with his past but still has hope for the future. But once a Kinslayer, always a Kinslayer, at least in the eyes of officialdom, I suppose, so anything can happen now. Another cliff-hanger!

First, let me say that you have done a fantastic job of editing this!  It reads so well. Your writing has evolved in a big way.  I'm lovin' it! :^)

I stopped at the edge of the stone paving. I closed my eyes, ignoring the empty thrones, taking deep, measured breaths to calm myself. I could not afford to panic. When I opened them, I was looking directly at the Elder King. I stepped into the center of the now-occupied ring, bowed only as deeply as protocol demanded, and stood in silence, refusing to squirm under the harsh stares of the Valar.

The above paragraph is excellent.  Pretty chilling, really, and I have to say, I am quite taken with your portrayal of the Valar (well-intentioned but weird and scary, too) through Maglor's eyes.

Looking forward to the epilogue.  The entirety of RAFA will then go onto my new Sony Reader for reading start to finish.  I'm really looking forward to it!

Well, that wasn't as bad as it could have been. I had had a sinking feeling that Vola might somehow have been liable for punishment as a Reborn for befriending Maglor, and bringing him to Alqualondë. And that would have been truly unfair, and probably much more painful to Maglor than any punishment to himself would be. Maglor, on the other hand, can be considered as being permanently on parole and the Valar are within their rights to restrict his movements accordingly. He seems to be getting along pretty well, though, so I think he'll continue to be okay. I only wish he'd be able to be reunited with his brothers someday, though that's probably too much to ask!!

I have enjoyed following RAFA, although I know I didn't comment much. I am looking forward to those prequels!

I really enjoyed this, and I thought the narrative arc was much better than I'd realized at the beginning, when I was expecting high-octane emotion and immediate resolution (Maglor doing penance in Valinor!) Maglor's recovery was more like that of a war veteran who had to come to terms with his memories and those of others of things that he did in combat and afterwards, in new worlds in which he was never on the winning side. So for him to face up to his past and try to build a future among people who didn't necessarily like or trust him seemed very realistic, as well as the fact that it took such a long time. My favorite line is at the end, when Maglor refers to his "sons": I thought for an instant that you had forgotten that he had only the one child with his wife (which in itself was an unexpected but quite credible surprise!),  but then I realized that he meant both his birth son and his foster son, Elrond, and that this meant that he was looking at his life as a whole, and accepting all of it. Which is no doubt what the Valar (as well as the reader!) hoped would happen.

Well done, and thank you!

And I look forward to the prequels!

A very satisfying decision by the Valar. I imagine, though, that this won't be as easy as it might sound, particularly not from Maglor's point of view. I suppose one can't leave millenia of guilt and regret behind easily, if at all. 

It's so nice to see how Elrond cares for Maglor and vouchs for him, and is resolved to do what is necessary for his foster father. I can't think of anybody else making such a difficult situation as placed on them by the Valar bearable, for both of them.

The song and Maglor singing it is a very fitting tribute.

I like that he sometimes thinks in terms of Lord Elrond and sometimes just Elrond, it's a subtle way to hint at Maglor's internally juxtaposed world views.

The last part about Elrond and the differences between the peredhel and full-blooded elves I particularly liked; it's a minor topic of fascination for me.

Aww at the happiness of the tree-climbing moment :o

And then ouch.