The Lords that Fell by Taylor17387

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Appendix 2: The Twins in the Heart of Crystal

After a very long hiatus, here's the second appendix. In this one, Manwë pays a visit to Melkor in the Void, Melkor spoils his children, and Sauron and Gothmof suffer the consequences... specially Gothmog, of course. At parts poignant, at parts cracky, as usual. There's some Melkor/Manwë fluff as well. Read and enjoy :)

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Say to your brother: beyond the shadows we may meet again!

-Aragorn (The Lord of the Rings: "The Passing of the Grey Company")

Manwë didn't know what he would find at the end of that journey to nowhere, and his heartbeat echoed deafeningly in his ears amid the silence of the Void. He had never felt so nervous before. Was it fear, was it joy? At last he was going to meet again with his brother. After all those millennia of grief and anguish, he had received the call that he expected so much. The Voice of Eru had granted him the grace to cross the Door of Night and had assured him that Melkor would receive him. Though he hadn't said how or under what conditions this would be, as was usual for Eru; if it wasn't to communicate some cryptic or ambiguous message, he didn't communicate at all. Sometimes Manwë feared that Eru had forgotten him after one of those long periods of silence. Darkness suddenly broke over the horizon, and a white crystalline plain appeared before him. As he approached the surface, Manwë perceived how some fundamental law of physics or geometry tore around him. Now he was in the kingdom of Melkor, the place agreed for the meeting, and Manwë's blood started to freeze in his veins. What if he didn't like what he was going to see? What if the one who received him was a Melkor horribly mutilated and disfigured by the Void? Or a miserable naked spirit unable to cover with flesh anymore? What if he had gone mad because of loneliness? The Vala pressed his temples in pain; he couldn't bear the burden of guilt if this was so.

A vibration that began to spread across the entire plain brought him out of his musings. The waves had its epicenter just a few steps ahead of him, and at that time, the translucent crystal melted at that point as if it was made of water and turned into a black swirl. Manwë stepped back terrified by the wonder, and then, a figure slowly emerged from that vortex: as black as the matter from which it had arisen, as pale and translucent as the crystal around them. Melkor shot an icy stare at his brother from the depths of his sunken eyes. The legs of the other Vala faltered and he had to swallow. Why did Melkor appear to him in such a sinister way, so gaunt and dark if, as was evident, he had regained the ability to change his shape? Did he come perchance with hostile intentions? However, the initial fear quickly gave way to a much stronger feeling in the heart of Manwë: love, the brotherly love that not even the Dark Lord with all his evildoings in Arda had managed to destroy ever.

-Brother ... -he stammered, with tears in his eyes, and stretched his arms towards the rebellious Vala, in an attempt to embrace him.

But Melkor's mouth twisted scornfully and he turned away in disgust.

-You have very little shame, showing up here and expecting me to forgive you after what ye did to me. What have you come for!?

-Why do you ask that? –muttered Manwë, lowering his arms in sorrow.- Eru told me that you had given me permission to come and visit you.

-Yes, well, maybe I changed my mind...

-Melkor, I cannot leave like this! Do you know how much I've waited for this moment, how broken and empty and deserted has been my life since the walls of night separated us? I needed to see you again!

The rebellious Vala turned around abruptly, and the fire encapsulated inside the false Silmarils of his crown fluttered furious, in reflection of the flame inside the eyes of their owner.

-And what is what you wanted to see, huh!? Perhaps the pathetic and mutilated prisoner, without feet, without dignity, covered in wounds, that you saw the last time? Was that what you desired to see in your sadism? Well look at me now, brother! Behold that whom ye covered with chains and opprobrium, whom ye humiliated and condemned, whose body was desecrated and whose spirit was banished! Tell me, what do you see? -and what Manwë saw was how shreds of darkness solidified around him, while the figure in front began to grow and grow, each time higher, each time more terrifying, and it cast an eerie shadow over his head.

The Lord of Valinor realized he was trembling, and now Melkor's voice blared like thunder on each fragment of rock and star and black hole.

-You didn't expect to find me thus, did you? Ruling the unnamed spaces of Eä, moving through the black cosmos that oppresses the hearts of men when they lift their eyes to heaven. But listen to this, Manwë: I have arisen from the ruins of my life, I have passed through solitude, through death and pain without limit, and I could reach the other side, more beautiful and powerful and wise than ye ever will be. I burned at both ends, but the fire did not consume me, it made me shine like a star upon dying. But it will indeed consume you, yes it will, brother... - a perverse smile gleamed amid the column of smoke and fire into which had transformed the Vala, and Manwë had the feeling that he should flee.- Burn, then!

Too late. A wall of flames exploded around him, and the thousand fire tongues of his brother enveloped him among laughter, licking and searing him voraciously. Manwë tried to escape, but discovered at that same moment that his powers had been limited upon entering the kingdom of Melkor, as if the evil Vala had placed a barrier on him. The fire was devouring him, it consumed his robe and flesh. But Manwë couldn't end like that; he had a duty towards Arda, he had to resolve the conflict with his brother. With a supreme effort he managed to disembody himself before vanishing into the flames, and rose there where they couldn't reach him. Melkor cried out in frustration, and melting into a beam of light, he tore the firmament, getting away from his hated brother. Manwë pursued him obstinately; even if Melkor didn't want to hear again from him, he would keep on insisting until he achieved a reconciliation, or at least was able to speak to him. A ray of blue light collided with the red beam that had become Melkor, and both Ainur plunged again towards the plain, entangled and confused with each other. Manwë didn't wish to harm his brother in any way, but the latter's intentions were very different. Their physical bodies recovered, they both rolled upon the surface: Melkor metamorphosed into a thousand different and horrible shapes, full of tentacles and teeth, while Manwë did his best to avoid being strangled or devoured through bites. Finally, the Lord of Valinor managed to place himself over his brother, and pressing him against the ground, forced him to return to his usual shape.

-Now you'll have to listen to me, Melkor. -he admonished, but to his surprise, the rebellious Vala burst into laughter with malice.

And then a very strange thing happened. The plane on which they were lying changed its perspective, the space was undone and redone again, ignoring every natural law, even though they both remained totally immobile. Manwë had barely blinked in astonishment, when he discovered that it was he who was now below and Melkor above.

-Don't you understand yet, dear brother, that all this plain is my body, that I can bend it to my will? -Melkor licked his lips wickedly.

The ground against which was pressed the back of Manwë became soft, fluid, it separated into a deep cavity. And the Lord of Valinor fell inside. Before he could get out of there, the opening was closed with solid bars, and between them sparkled the eyes of his brother.

-Don't take the effort to break those bars. The power I put into them won't crack under your pathetic blows. In the Void I am everything, and you are nothing. Where are your winds now, Manwë, where are your eagles? -he scoffed, standing up.

Despite the warning, Manwë still struggled against the barrier for a while, but all in vain. Defeated, he sat on the floor of the prison and buried his face in his arms.

-What do you want to do with me, brother? -he said, rather tired than frightened.

-Well, leave you there locked and left to your fate forever, what else?

-And haven't you thought that the other Valar will miss me sooner or later? That you might provoke the wrath of Eru with this act and he'll let the host of Valinor come through the Void to rescue me? Haven't you thought about all you could lose?

For a moment Melkor was speechless. Certainly, he hadn't considered any of this, but anyway, the idea of leaving Manwë in the hole had just occured to him now. No one could demand from him that he had analyzed and weighed each of the consequences from his actions. The rebellious Vala shrugged:

-I don't know. I think I'll assume the risk.

Manwë let out a deep sigh, but didn't move from the spot where he had sat. Faced with this indifference, Melkor began to get nervous. He rubbed his arms, ran the hand through his hair and changed his weight from one foot to another, but Manwë was still not reacting.

-Aren't you going to do anything about it, not even getting angry and cursing me!? I have just sentenced you to an eternity of captivity, away from your loved ones and Arda ! Won't you at least say something!?

Manwë shook his head, apathetic.

-Why, Melkor, why should I struggle anymore with you? A thousand times I have offered my help and forgiveness, a thousand times I have left a door open to reconciliation, and a thousand times you have rejected the path of repentance and have relapsed into your evil works with more obstinacy still. For once, I haven't reunited with you to exhort you to change, not even to reach an agreement, but only for the desire to see you, to talk to you. It was all I asked, but not even that you're able to grant me. Therefore, I'll assume my defeat, I'll assume the fact that you never cared about me just the thousandth part of what I cared about you. And I will sit here, until Eru decrees it or until the end of days arrives. Perhaps, over the centuries, you might deign to approach this pit and converse sensibly with me. It will be a great achievement for me.

And thus saying, Manwë rested his head in his arms again, wistfully. Melkor bit his lip. The truth was that, after the initial moment of fury, he didn't feel a special desire to torment Manwë any longer. He had burned him, he had bitten and beaten him, he had imprisoned him in the womb of his own kingdom. And now what? Only boredom. What was the sense of abandoning him there if he was going to accept his fate so serenely? And what did he gain from all that, besides irritating the Valar? He couldn't even enjoy the pleasure of seeing them irritated. It was true that seeing the Vala in that state was already a great pleasure. After forcing him to disembody and regain his physical shape so hastily and with most of his power blocked, Manwë had lost his usual splendour. He shone no longer with the light of Valinor, his blue robe appeared charred here and there, his pale hair fell limp and lifeless over his shoulders. Even his venerable beard was gone, consumed by fire. Manwë looked now like a miserable Maia, rather than the sovereign of Taniquetil. But the glorious vision of his defeated enemy was a novelty that Melkor could only enjoy once. After seeing it, the scene lost its interest. By contrast, manipulating his brother and playing with his feelings would entertain him much more, and it could be even useful. Why not soften his attitude, why not unleash his brotherly love? It was no longer possible to pretend that he had reformed himself, to roam freely through Arda, as he had done before destroying the Two Trees. Melkor knew one thing for sure about his brother: that he was good and confident. And another thing he knew about good and confident persons: that they're stupid. But all stupidity has its limits. No, he must not apologize and beg him to open the doors of Arda. He must simply become beloved for him, naturally, as if it wasn't his intention. And his brother's heart would soften so much, he would love him so much, that the day in which he would stand before the Door of Night with his army, ready to recover his kingdom, Manwë would have to let him pass. Not because he believed he came in peace, but only because of love, because of the remembrance that this visit would leave in his heart. Concealing a grin, Melkor dissolved the bars and offered a hand to the other Vala.

-Let's make a truce. Today we will be brothers. Just for a day.

Manwë took the hand with a gleam of emotion in his blue eyes, and came out the hole. For a moment he hesitated between embracing Melkor or not, but the other didn't seem willing to do so yet, so he was content with what he had achieved, which wasn't little. Melkor coughed and looked away, quite uncomfortable. Manwë didn't know what to say either, and remained there standing and waiting.

-Umm ... I better show you my realm, don't you think? -said the rebellious Vala at last.

His brother nodded happily. But Melkor's domains in the Void soon caused him a serious headache. Those planes overlapping in impossible ways, those obscene and palpitating shapes emerging from the crystal, and the veins of fire, and the stars rotating vertiginously until implosion. He didn't want to even imagine what would have happened with Arda if his brother had prevailed over the other Valar; no living being could exist in such conditions.

-Do you think so, Manwë? -whispered the other Vala with a wry smile. He had been reading his thoughts.- Nonetheless, life is very adaptable. It blooms where you least expect it, inexorable, stubbornly.

-Life perhaps, but mortals need a physical body to live, and that body needs natural laws to remain intact. -replied his brother.

-Oh, but my realm has laws! They're just different from yours. Here two parallel lines can unite in the end, here time and space don't go always hand in hand. Arda is the world that is obtained when two and two make four. My world, on the other hand, is what arises when a number is divided by zero. As for life, I'll show you something that will change your ideas.

The two Valar now descended a sheer wall to the bottom of a ravine, and once down there, Manwë could see a large arch that rose before them like an open mouth. Upon crossing it, he had the impression of having entered a mysterious realm inside the throat of a monster. Crystal arteries intersected above his head forming a dome, and fanciful structures sprouted from the floor, the ceiling and walls, animated by internal fluorescences. At one point, he thought he heard the fluttering of wings in the dark. The ground ended abruptly at the edge of some steep stairs carved into the rock, and Melkor guided him through them to a large circular space that opened below. There the structures twisted in even more impossible ways, resembling a tangled jungle, and from some of them hung strange crystal receptacles, oval and polished, as if they were the cocoons of some colossal insect. Manwë also discovered something else: huge and fragrant flowers of the most diverse colours sprouted here and there, and there weren't two alike, as if each had its own spirit. In terms of beauty, these flowers had nothing to envy to the best creations of Yavanna. But even more amazed was the Vala when he realized that these flowers were not the only beings who lived there. Crouched on the petals of one of them, a small creature was sipping its nectar, and the liquid gleamed through its skin while it traversed its veins. The creature resembled a kind of demon with membranous wings, and upon noticing the presence of Melkor, it yelped with joy and glided towards him to land on his shoulder. Manwë closed his eyes at such an act of temerity; certainly his brother would strike down at once that wretch who had dared to touch him. And even though the demon had a rather evil appearance, he didn't want it to die so cruelly. However, Melkor's voice sounded affectionate when addressing the creature, and Manwë reopened his eyes. The scene that he found in front, left him stunned. Melkor was smiling and stroking the head of the creature, while it kissed his cheek warmly. And both talked in the language of the Valar.

-Look, Manwë, here you have one of your nephews. –smiled Melkor, turning around to bask in the stupefaction of his brother.

Words entangled in the throat of the latter:

-Me ... Melkor ... but you ... it's not poss... You have created life!

-Indeed, they are my children. I call them "gwelrog", demons of the air. Sauron wanted to name them "glob-hai" in that stupid language he invented in Middle-earth, but... I suspect that it's a derogatory name. -he groaned through clenched teeth, twisting his mouth with suspicion.

-I'm so happy for you! -exclaimed Manwë, moved by the sight (somewhat disturbing) of Melkor caressing that eyesore.

He wanted to touch the creature as well. But when he moved his hand closer to the lock of bristly hair that grew on its head, the demon hissed aggressively, and a thousand spikes sprang from its body suddenly.

-They're not very friendly with strangers, are they?

-They only love me, their master and creator. -replied Melkor, and whispered a few words into the ear of the creature, which calmed and hid the spikes inside its skin.

They seemed dangerous and aggressive beings, and Manwë could imagine the havoc that a horde of them could cause, with those sharp teeth and claws, if they were allowed to roam through Arda. However, if Eru in his wisdom had thought fit for Melkor to create life, he wasn't one to question his decision.

-How can they survive in this inhospitable land? Do they only feed on the nectar of those flowers?

-Exactly. But the most ingenious thing is the origin of the flowers themselves. You see, Manwë, the flowers are them. -Melkor's eyes sparkled with complicity.- When my children reach a certain age, they weave around their bodies those cocoons of oval crystal that you have seen hanging from the constructions. They enter then a phase of deep hibernation, and emerge transformed into those flowers, to serve as nourishment for their own race. It is a kind of death, and at the same time, a rebirth. They can live for centuries as flowers, oblivious to all pain and worry, and each is transformed with a shape and colour in accordance to their personality in the previous life. But there always comes a day when the flower closes forever, and second death comes to them. Then Eru claims their souls, and I know nothing more. Such is the cycle of life for my children: they are animals, and minerals and plants, depending on the moment. And that has been allowed to me because I am the greatest of the Valar and I encompass all their powers in myself. Admit it, Manwë: I am the most magnificent of all the Ainur. Say it.

Manwë lowered his head. He didn't like to contribute to the pride of his brother, but he couldn't deny the obvious:

-Yes, Melkor, you are the most magnificent of all the Ainur.

And upon hearing this, from the mouth of a Manwë humbled and defeated by his splendour, Melkor felt a pleasure even greater than that which he experienced in bed with his lieutenant. He licked his lips; it had been a long time since he was thus aroused. As if he could perceive that aura of lust emanating from the body of the other Vala, Manwë coughed nervously and turned his attention to the gwelrog. Its appearance reminded him of the demons which he had seen drawn and carved by the men of Middle-earth, from the top of Taniquetil. And Varda, who heard everything, had explained to him that men blamed these imaginary demons for all evils that happened to them. Could it be that their image was a reminiscence of the power of Melkor in Arda, as a seed planted in the unconscious of those men? Another detail troubled the mind of Manwe:

-I see, brother, that your children are naked, but I cannot guess of which sex they are.

-They are of no sex. –replied Melkor, scratching the pleased creature behind the ear.- I mean, they have indeed a member like you and me, but usually it's hidden. Nevertheless…

-Do you want me to show it to you? -interrupted the demon, with a mischievous smile, but Manwë declined the generous offer.

- ... Nonetheless, as I was saying, all of them can impregnate and be impregnated at the same time. Then they lay eggs and hatch from them. Thus they reproduce twice as fast. Very clever, don't you think?

-Yes, very clever ... –murmured Manwë, worried. If his brother had so much interest in that those monsters multiplied so fast, it could only be with the evil purpose of creating an army or something. Perhaps Eru wasn't thinking clearly when he allowed Melkor to create life, after all.- Does that mean they are of both sexes simultaneously?

-No, they are of no sex! How hard is that to understand for you? – replied Melkor, indignantly.

Of course, it wasn't easy to understand for Manwë: all rational beings, even incorporeal spirits as the Ainur, had a sex assigned to them since the beginning. This anomaly cast a doubt over Eru's consent in the creation of the gwelrog; perhaps his brother had done everything behind the back of Ilúvatar, through some mysterious means. Yes, that would explain a lot.

-Oh, so you doubt the legitimacy of my creations, don't you!? –snapped Melkor, as he let the demon free, which went away soaring.- Well, in that case you better ask Eru yourself!

And wrapping his brother in a flash of blood red, he transported him at breakneck speed to the lake of crystal where Eru used to manifest himself. Only this time, Eru decided to not manifest at all, no matter how much Melkor called him or how many stones he threw to the imperturbable surface of the lake.

-As always, very timely. –groaned the Vala, annoyed. And upon looking sideways at his brother, he sensed in him a certain incredulity.- I assure you I don't lie, damn it! Eru gave me permission to create my children, and he talks to me often!

Manwë winced at the outbreak of rage, and hurried to appease him, but deep inside he was glad to be right: if Eru barely communicated with him, who was his favourite, much less would he do it with Melkor, and of course, he had nothing to do with the creation of those evil gwelrog. Fortunately for him, Melkor had already turned his attention to another subject, and didn't read his mind.

-Let's take a bath, what do you think? I bet you've never bathed in a lake of liquid crystal. -and without notice, the Vala took off his robe before him and plunged into the lake.

Manwë blushed slightly; he didn't know why, Melkor's nakedness had always caused him a special prudery, even now that he wasn't confined to that body anymore. Seeing that he wavered on the shore, Melkor splashed him in challenge:

-Come on, you coward! Do not tell me that the lord of Taniquetil is afraid of the cold.

Manwë had no choice but to undress as well and dive into the lake, if he wanted his brother to stop mocking him. Melkor used the occasion to steal a glance at the body that uncovered for the first time before his eyes. Tanned skin, perfectly defined muscles, silver and manly hair covering his chest, and running down his stomach in a thin line, and sprouting with more strenght between his leg... Suddenly, Melkor felt pretty hot, despite the iciness of the lake.

-How can you bathe in here? It's like getting inside a block of ice. –protested Manwë, among shivers.

It was curious how that liquid crystal was wet like water.

-You are weak, brother! –and Melkor disappeared again under the surface, with a laugh. Manwë saw a white figure snaking towards him, and the other Vala emerged close to him... too close to him.- ... Although I must admit that this chill can be difficult to bear, even for the body of an Ainu. Look at this! -and Melkor pointed at his nipples, obscenely red and hardened by the cold.

Licking his lips with pleasure, he stroked then those of Manwë, to make sure they were just as hard. His poor brother felt incredibly uncomfortable and went away swimming to the other shore. Melkor used the distraction to grab the robe of Manwë, neatly folded on the ground, and throw it into the lake.

"Let's see what you'll wear now upon coming out, dear brother." -he laughed to himself.

Moments later, the face of Manwë while he wrung out his soaked clothes, told it all.

-I don't know what happened... They must have slid into the lake; this crystal is very slippery. -apologized Melkor, lying voluptuously along the shore, and still naked.- Lie here beside me while your robe dries. The warmth of that blue star is very nice upon the wet skin.

Manwë sighed; it wasn't as if he had much choice. Under normal conditions, it would have been as simple as disembodying and incarnating again in a body with a robe even more radiant than the previous one, but unfortunately that wasn't possible now. Thus, he accepted Melkor's offer and lay at a safe distance from him. However, his brother soon turned on the side and stared at him without much modesty.

-You are beautiful. -whispered the rebellious Vala- Thus naked, under the blue light that refracts in the wet drops on your body. And how couldn't you be beautiful if you're my brother? Some of my beauty must have reflected on you when you were created. And sometimes I think ... Sometimes I think that you were created for me, not for Varda. Maybe that's why she hated me so much from the beginning, because I was her rival in your heart. And I wonder, sometimes I wonder what would happen if she didn't stand in our way, if we could merge... into one.

Manwë glanced sideways at his brother, and upon seeing the flame of perverse passion dancing in his eyes, fear gripped him. He tried to say something, to react in some way, but all too late. The next second, he had Melkor above him, kissing his neck among sighs, running his hands across his body, and rubbing an increasingly swollen member against his own. Horrified, Manwë pushed his brother aside and ran to his clothes, not caring how wet they were still. Melkor laughed mischievously, seeing him dressing in such embarrassment:

-Oh, Manwë, don't tell me that you don't feel curiosity! You could also enjoy the pleasures of the flesh if you surrendered unto them. I would teach you how. Don't you want to know what it feels like to enter the body of another? Or how it feels when another enters yours and submits you to that delicious, indescribable humiliation? I could make you see stars that your frigid wife has not even heard about.

And saying this, Melkor spread his legs in such a way that his opening was left exposed, while his member began to show its purple, moist end. Outraged, Manwë grabbed his brother's black robe and threw it at his face.

-Cover yourself, for all that is sacred in Eä! I don't want to see your privates on the outside, let alone on the inside. And I thought that everything would be fine, that you would honour the truce and give me a break! But instead, you were just seeking an opportunity to attack me.

-Attack you? -replied Melkor, perplexed.- I only wanted to make love to you! What's wrong with that?

-Between two Ainur, two spirits that should be pure and that moreover are brothers? The question is what's not wrong with that horrible abomination!

-Psst! Again you get carried away by the ridiculous morality of Elves and Men. -snapped the other Vala, putting on his robe reluctantly.- There is no law that prevents us from getting together. After all, Mandos and Lórien are also brothers and fornicate all the time with each other. And not just with their usual bodies, but also in the most monstrous and unnatural shapes that you can imagine. Seriously, even for me it seems obscene the way they merge, with those tentacles and viscous orifices and...

-What are you talking about, Melkor!? Mandos and Lórien have never done anything like that.

-Of course they have, I've seen them doing it in my dreams!

Manwë shook his head disapprovingly.

-The fact that you have disturbing dreams about the Fëanturi, does not mean they have given themselves over to those perversions in reality.

-Oh, doesn't it? And who do you think that sends me those dreams, huh?

Manwë took it with resignation. Maybe it was time to return to the Undying Lands. At least he had managed to talk a little with his brother, make sure he was all right, and even move him to some occasional friendly gesture. It was true that in the end all that tolerance on the part of Melkor had been nothing more than a ruse to approach him with the worst intentions, and this left a bitter taste in his mouth. Still, Manwë should feel grateful for all that he had achieved. Better go now before things became nasty. Also, if he was too delayed, Varda and the others would start to worry. However, Melkor perceived his brother's intentions and hurried to stop him:

-Do not go yet. I promised that we would be brothers for one day, and look, that red star hasn't yet eclipsed the pale star. When it does, a whole day will have passed; thus we measure time here. Stay a little longer, and forget what happened in the lake. It was just a minor slip. You know that I'm lustful, and it's been too long since I contemplated a body other than mine and that of my lieutenant. I could not resist, and thought that you would enjoy it as well. Stay.

And the rebellious Vala put a hand on his shoulder, and looked at him so sincere, so honestly, that Manwë's heart could not help but soften and consent to his request.

-Besides, there's one last thing I want to show you. –added Melkor.

But this time, he allowed his brother to disembody and accompany him by his own means on the journey through the Void. Manwë had just spent a few hours locked inside his physical body, and yet it was enough to make him feel unbearably vulnerable. He would never fathom the pain and shame of his brother, who had suffered such a fate not for some hours, but for whole ages.

Floating a few meters above the plain, and silhouetted against the black mantle of the sky, a huge red crystal rose before them. It had the vague shape of a heart, and its light grew and waned in a sort of cosmic palpitations. As they approached the structure, Manwë started feeling all kinds of emotions, intense, inexplicable, confusing... As a strange mixture of fear, sadness, bliss, loneliness and warmth. And this effect was even more pronounced when the two Valar entered into the crystal and were wrapped in a light red and fluid as blood.

-Welcome to my heart. Now listen carefully. –announced Melkor.

And among the throbbings and rare flashes, a music started to filter and spread through each cavity of the crystal, and it reverberated and repeated itself, each time with a different nuance, with a different tone. It was a music that Manwë knew very well, although he had only heard it once, and wouldn't hear it again.

-The Music of the Ainur ... How is it that we can hear it?

-The Music still continues to spread through the empty spaces of Eä, as a background vibration. In the absolute silence you can hear it if you pay attention; not so in the bustling Arda. I discovered this, and discovered how to encapsulate and magnify it inside this crystal. What do you think, Manwë? Don't you believe that my part is the best of all?

The Music of the Ainur had never seemed so beautiful for Manwë. And strangely, now that he could listen to it more carefully, he no longer perceived any disharmony in it. The theme of Melkor merged with that of the other Valar perfectly, not opposing, but completing the whole. Why hadn't he realized this back then? Why had it seemed then such a hostile theme? Why had he felt the need to fight against it? In that moment, Manwë understood many things, and began to sob.

-Oh! But what are you crying for, brother?

-For everything, Melkor, for everything. For you, for me, for what could have been but never was. For the lost time, for the history of Arda. For the long defeat... Perchance are our fates sealed, can't free will change our doom?

And then, to his infinite astonishment, the pale arms of his brother surrounded him gently. Melkor was embracing him.

-Free will is the most beautiful of lies, Manwë. Nothing else. -he whispered, caressing his hair.- The two of us were a unit at first, but we were hopelessly separated, as one who breaks an egg and separates the yolk from the white. And there are two things in this world that once broken can never be mended: eggs... and hearts.

Manwë raised his head and fixed his blue stare on the eyes of his brother; there was no more fire or evil in them, only the faint red glow of the crystal.

-But you said that rules were different here, that in your realm two parallel lines could unite in the end. What if it was united, what was always opposed?

Melkor felt a strong tremor through his whole being. And when he looked down, he saw that their spirits had disembodied in part and started fusing with each other.

-Oh, Manwë, but what are you doing to me! The incident in the lake seemed inappropriate to you, and this doesn't?

-No, this is different. It's more intimate, but more pure.

-And are you sure you want it? You will see my soul, you will see my heart and meet darkness. I've seen the light, but you know nothing of darkness. It will terrify you.

-About that, dear brother, I care little.

And with a final thrust of the will, both spirits disappeared in a mutual embrace.

Far away from there, Sauron and Gothmog dried the sweat from their foreheads while they faced the tedious task of leading the gwelrog in the building of a fortress. Melkor had insisted on rising it with huge blocks of diamond, there on the border of his kingdom, fearing an attack of the Ainur who had never entered Arda and lived in the farthest regions of Eä. Those Ainur had always been very peaceful, entirely preoccupied with the care of some star or nebula. But lately Melkor had been bothering them more than necessary, crossing their borders without permission, obscuring the light of their stars, or stealing certain materials and strange metals which he lacked in his kingdom. Therefore, paranoia had seized him and now he wanted a fortress around every corner. The problem wasn't only that it was very complicated to cut those blocks of hard diamond, but the gwelrog were anything but diligent workers. Not even the collaboration of the other Balrog helped much. For the umpteenth time, the fire whip of Gothmog snapped under the nose of a gwelrog, who slept hidden behind a block.

-Accursed flying pest! The next one I catch slacking off during work hours, I turn it into another block of the structure! -roared the Balrog, and turned to his impassive partner.- Gorthaur, how do you put up with this?

-With stoicism. -he said, shrugging.- I assure you that sometimes I also feel like skinning them with the whip. But I try to restrain myself and reserve such punishments for special occasions. They fear and respect you more when they are unsure about when the blow will come, than when you constantly yell at them.

-Buf! Seriously, I never thought the day would come when I would miss the Orcs. Sometimes I wish that Melkor hadn't returned me my body, and had left me wandering around with nothing to do.

Sauron rolled his eyes.

-Don't complain so much, Gothmog. Yes, I know they're somewhat unsufferable, but they are the creatures of Melkor, and he loves them and doesn't like them to be mistreated. We must be patient. Furthermore, even though you don't like them, they like you indeed... -and the Maia made an eloquent gesture for him to look behind, with a fang sticking out in half a sly smile.

Gothmog reacted too late, and a cloud of gwelrog swirled around, landing on him, or embracing him.

-Gothmog, Gothmog! How's it going on, Gothmog? –shouted one of them in his ear, as if the Balrog was deaf.

-Come to play, Gothmog! Don't make us build that fortress, come on. –took part another, pulling his arm.

-Yes, at the end of the day, the father Melkor can finish it in a second if he wants. He just makes us work to keep us busy! -groaned a third, circling over the head of its victim.

-Give me a kiss, Gothmog! -proposed yet another, bringing its slimy mouth near the Balrog's cheek, before he scared it away with a slap.

-Hey, show us your huge member. We want to see it! -laughed the most daring of all, messing with his belt buckle.

Gothmog, his patience already exhausted, let out a roar that shook the towers of diamond to the pinnacle, and exploded in an enormous ball of fire and curses against the creatures. The gwelrog then fled in disarray, some of them slightly charred, and they were left in peace. The Balrog's chest rose and fell among rapid breathing, and he turned his face, inflamed with anger, toward Sauron. The lieutenant looked at him between amused and ironic.

-What!? What happens with you, Gorthaur!?

-So, "huge member", huh? -smiled the Maia, with malice.

-Oh, get lost, curse you!

At that time, a colossal explosion shook the whole plain and interrupted their discussion. On the horizon, roughly over the heart of crystal, rose a column of blue and scarlet brilliance, ominous as a manifestation of Dagor Dagorath. The two Maiar blinked astonished at the whirlwind, so immense that its top disappeared into the blackness of the sky.

-Perfect, now they're fighting! I knew this would happen sooner or later. I told the lord Melkor that it wasn't a good idea to reunite with Manwë. -hissed Sauron between his teeth- We better go over there. Melkor might need us.

Within a second, the Maia metamorphosed into a giant bat and flew to the place of the incident. But the angry shouts of the Balrog stopped him.

-Wait for me, Gorthaur, you stupid winged rat! I cannot fly!

-Perhaps it is high time for you to learn to disembody and change shape, don't you think, dear Gothmog? You've been in the world, for how long? Since the beginning of time? You could have developed a pair of wings over all these years.

-Let's not start again that discussion of whether Balrogs should have wings or not! I swear, if I hear another word about it, I will fry you with a flare and will serve you as rancid meat for the gwelrog.

Sauron snorted in resignation and descended to the ground, spreading his wings before the demon.

-Ride on me, you idiot Balrog. I'll bring you flying.

-I'm not going to ride you, Gorthaur!

-Worse for you, because I would give you the ride of your life. -scoffed Sauron, knowing that his partner wouldn't get the double entendre behind his words.- But in that case, you leave me no choice but to do this...

And before Gothmog had a chance to defend himself, the bat dug his claws into his shoulders and raised him in the air, ignoring the thousand curses that reached him from below. However, when they finally reached the heart of crystal, the spectacle they found was very different from what they had expected. The pillar of fire wasn't the result of any cataclysmic battle between the two Valar. Under the night sky, the disembodied spirits of Manwë and Melkor revolved in harmonious revolutions, absorbed in some primordial and incomprehensible dance. Melkor made iridescent flares to spring up, and his brother shaped them with hurricane winds and elevated them as the column they had seen from afar. They left blue and red tails in their path.

-But what are they doing!? -exclaimed Gothmog, not believing his eyes, and still recovering from his dizzy ride through the air.

-Nothing. Valar things. Things we will never understand. –murmured Sauron.

And then, an old sorrow struck his heart and his face turned somber. The Balrog, though not much observant, noticed the change in his partner.

-Are you feeling alright? Lately you get these sudden strokes of melancholy, what is it about?

-About what I said before, that there are things which we will never understand... When I lived still in Arda I believed to be in control of everything, I believed to have a rational explanation for each and every one of the phenomena of the world, even for the irrational ones. But now ... I'm not so sure anymore. And I don't know if light will be only shed upon my understanding after the end, or on the contrary, there will be just more darkness.

Gothmog snorted impatiently.

-Gorthaur, tell me what really happens to you and don't beat about the bush.

Sauron smiled sadly.

-Alright, you got me. It is because of that man, my old servant. I think I found him in dreams. I closed my eyes, and suddenly I was in a meadow in front of a hill. There were many humans around me, resting on the grass, conversing peacefully, playing... And even though all of them were naked, they didn't seem to give it any importance. I climbed the hill, and on its top I found a large oak tree and a man sitting under its shadow; he was beautiful and had gray eyes. He greeted me saying: "I have been waiting for thee, master". I replied that I didn't know him at all. Then he made a pass with his hand before his face: "Perhaps thou rememberst me rather like this." And for a moment, I saw him as he had been back then, when he was my servant; he didn't seem less beautiful for me thus. At that time, a young woman approached, also naked, with blond hair so long that it covered her breasts. She knelt beside the man, kissed him on the cheek and placed a wreath of braided flowers on his head. "She is my sister," he explained. The girl smiled, lowering her eyes with some shyness, and then left us alone. Thereafter I sat next to my servant, surrounded him with my arms, and carried by an irresistible impulse, I kissed him. We made love under the oak, and although some men approached the hill, all went away calmly when they realized we needed privacy, no one protested, no one stole malicious or lecherous glances at us. The same would have been if we were only talking. I embraced that frail body that had gone through all the vicissitudes of the earth for me, and when I penetrated him, he sighed. The scent of flowers filled my nose. Was this one last call from the being who had sacrificed everything for loyalty? Another example of unwavering love that must endure even after death? Or just the phantom of guilt and longing? I wish I knew if it was real or not. There are so few things I know, I, who got pride in knowing it all... I guess I'm just a foolish Maia who can't fathom the recesses of hearts. But upon waking, the smell of those flowers still floated in the air.

A pale gleam crossed the glass eye of Sauron, and Gothmog nodded in silence. The Balrog turned back toward the ecstatic dance in the sky of Melkor and his brother. Before such spectacle, one could only shrug:

-Well, sometimes the Valar are also foolish, don't you think?

The cycle of the twin stars was reaching its end, and Melkor began to feel weariness and desire to return to his palace. Besides, that would be the ideal place to conclude the visit and bid farewell to his brother. Once on the platform that opened under both stars, Melkor threw himself on his bed and pointed to an empty space next to him for Manwë to lie down as well. The other Vala rolled his eyes.

-Melkor! How many times should I repeat to you that I won't do any of those dirty things with you?

-It's not about that, you idiot! I just want you to stay here besides me and tell me things until I fall asleep. You lost your chance to do dirty things with me, and I won't give you another.

Manwë had no choice but to agree to the wishes of Melkor, and lay on the bed. Moreover, he also needed a rest and a more relaxed atmosphere after the extraordinary events within the crystal heart. That experience had exhausted him spiritually, and it would take him some time to assimilate it.

-Well, anything to please my little brother...

Melkor frowned furious:

-How is it "little brother"!? We were created at the same time, so we are coeval, twins! In any case, I would be the older brother, since I'm the most powerful.

-Come on, Melkor, you have always tried to draw the attention of the whole world, compete with me before the eyes of our father Eru and take away what was mine. You're egocentric, capricious and impatient. You're the eternal little brother!

Manwë let out a laugh and Melkor opened his mouth to reply, but in the end he could only clench and grind his teeth with irritation.

-Stop the nonsense or I will lock you again inside a hole in the ground! Now tell me: how's it going in Arda? Eru tells me some things, but I suspect that he hides many others, and always speaks with too much ambiguity. I showed you my kingdom in exile, now it's your turn to inform me about my other kingdom.

The beaming face of Manwë turned serious in a moment, and he looked down.

-Arda... It's not that it's going bad but... Well, Middle-earth belongs entirely to Men now, and Elves no longer have any contact with them. It is a pity that the children of Eru have ended up thus, divided. However, recently something unheard of happened: a man managed to cross the Straight Path in his ship and reached the shores of Tol Eressëa. Aelfwine he was called, and I suspect that he had some of Eärendil's blood in his veins. It was a happy event, that one of the Secondborn came in contact with the Eldar, learned the stories of ancient times, and could transmit them to his fellow men upon his return. It causes me great sorrow to see how Men of today have forgotten us, the Valar, and some even persecute and burn at the stake the few who still worship us. What will become of them if they depart from the gods? -Manwë shook his head, worried.

-They will invent new gods. After all, real or imagined, for them they're all the same. Your concern therefore is not for what might happen to Men, but for what might happen to you, isn't it? What you feel, dear brother, is not altruism, but something much more basic: the pain of being relegated, the shattered pride.

Melkor smiled eloquently and Manwë blushed a little. He had a point.

-Yes, but... It's not just that. Oh, you should see the terrible things they do there in Middle-earth! Wars, death, cruelty... I thought all that would end with the expulsion of the Dark Lords, of your lieutenant and... well, of you.

-Ah, and now you understand that reality is more ugly and cruel than you thought at first! Well, I see that you're getting older, "little brother".

Manwë bit his lip, ashamed. Apparently, his joke about who was the older and who was the younger had reverted on his head.

The interspersed light that bathed them acquired then a crimson tinge. The red star had almost finished to hide the pale star. A heavy drowsiness came over Melkor, and he stretched his arms, yawning. Then he turned to his brother and whispered:

-The day is over and with it your visit. Cherish this moment; the next time we meet it will be as rivals.

And he stroked his cheek with melancholy. Manwë's eyes opened wide in amazement:

-Do you know that? I believed that only Mandos and myself were aware of... you know, the end after the end. Then Eru told you about it too?

-No, no, he didn't tell me anything about it. But one day he fixed his gaze into my eyes, and I understood some things in that moment. It would be hard to explain.

Manwë rubbed his temples, afflicted.

-I understand... Well, it's bound to happen. We will meet as rivals, yes, but as far as I'm concerned, not as enemies.

Melkor's lips outlined an enigmatic smile, and closing his eyes, he fell into a deep slumber. Manwë observed him in silence for a few minutes, with grief, with love. He brushed a strand of hair that had fallen over his eyelids, and kissed him on the forehead. Then an icy gust enveloped him, and when he looked up, he found Melkor's lieutenant, Sauron the Abhorred, slowly descending upon the bedhead and crouching on it. The black cloak floated around him like the wings of a huge raven.

-Well, well! Here I have my lord and his dear brother, together in the same bed. Am I interrupting something? -he said, showing a pair of beastly fangs.

Manwë stirred nervously and in a sudden state of alert. He didn't like that Maia in the slightest, he had never liked him: his cruel coldness, his soulless paleness, his eyes...

-It's not what you're thinking. –muttered the Vala.

Sauron let out a wry laugh:

-I already know it's not like that. What binds me to my lord is something that nothing and nobody can compete with.

Manwë frowned, but he only managed to make the Maia's grin even more evident.

-What have you come for, Sauron?

-Oh! That is a question that befits me more than thee.

-I came because Eru gave me permission, and Melkor was fully aware of it. I thought you knew it as well.

-And so it is. My lord keeps me informed... of almost everything, at least. But I haven't asked thee about the fact that thou hast come here, which is obvious, but about the reason. What are thy motivations? Didst thou want to check if Melkor still posed a threat to Arda, if he suffered, if he was finished, dead? Didst thou want to gloat over thy triumph?

Two blue flashes crossed Manwë's eyes, indignant at such insinuations.

-For whom do you take me!? Do you really think I'm so mean? Only someone like you could take delight in the suffering of others, Gorthaur the Cruel!

-Indeed, I find great delight in seeing thee like that, with thy robes tattered, without thy beard, without thy splendour. -scoffed the Maia, squinting with feline malice.

-You are a sadist! And I suspect it was you who corrupted my brother. He was always ambitious and chaotic, it's true. But the appetite for torture, for cruelty, for blood, that he must have learned from you! They're passions too debased for a Vala.

Sauron raised his eyebrows in mocking surprise.

-Really! So thou thinkest it was me who corrupted Melkor, the Mighty Arising... Thou flatterst me too much, Manwë. Usually people believe that it was exactly the other way around. Anyway, I think there is other, much more mundane reason for thou finding me so unsympathetic. It's because I sleep with thy brother, isn't it? It's because I, a simple Maia, have the privilege of possessing the greatest of the Valar. Because I can enter him, and thrust hard to make him scream my name, and defile the last recess of his flesh, and see him thus, desperate, pleading, surrendered to me. Thou hatest me for the things I do to him, and above all, thou hatest me because thou knowest that he likes those things, right? -Sauron licked his fangs and stretched voluptuously on the bedhead, like a satisfied cat.

Manwë closed his eyes tightly, disgusted by the obscenities he had to listen. Why wouldn't that evil Maia just leave, why wouldn't he let him alone with his brother and their pure brotherly love? Everything was perfect until he arrived.

-Looks like I struck a nerve. -continued the lieutenant.- Does this subject upset thee so much? However, thou mustest have seen it all from the top of Taniquetil, am I right? When night falls upon Valinor, when Varda goes away to look after her stars, hast thou not climbed to the snowy summit alone, to spy on our bedchamber affairs? Hast thou not contemplated us in our most secret intimacy? With curiosity, with fear, with envy... perhaps with desire?

-Stop it, not a single word more! –burst Manwë, and sitting up in bed, he turned his back to Sauron and buried his face in his hands.- You just want to torment me.

-Of course. I'm a sadist, dost thou remember? But thou mustest know something else. I haven't just given pleasure to thy brother, I have also given him something much more important: I have given him my heart, I have given him all the love and devotion that I could find in this cold heart of glass. -the Vala turned to his interlocutor, surprised. The wicked grin had been replaced by a serious expression on the face of Sauron.- Thanks to me, Melkor has become aware of the existence of the "other." Because at first, for Melkor there was only Melkor, and the extensions of the power of Melkor. Only by uniting with me, he realized that there were others in this world, other individuals who could complement him. I pulled him out from his solipsism, out from the spiral of destruction in which he had fallen, and that would have led him to destroy everything that was alien to Melkor, and finally, Melkor himself. I showed to him that one only exists fully when he is reflected and magnified in another. I saved him from himself.

-Because love conquers all?

-It doesn't sound very original, but it is so.

Manwë let out a long sigh, and looked thoughtfully at his brother.

-I see what you mean. Sorry, it's just that... well, I always wanted Melkor to find a spouse but...

-But thou hadst something else in mind, right? A sweet, patient and beautiful Valië, not a renegade Maia who made his living whipping Orcs. But does it matter so much who I am? At the end of the day, this dark Maia has brought a light to Melkor that thy anodyne Valië could have never brought.

Manwë nodded in silence, adrift among his thoughts. The light that fell upon them acquired then a deep red tone, and looking up, the Vala found out that the conjunction of the two stars was complete at last.

-I have to depart.

-Yes.

Manwë reached for the sleeping figure of Melkor, but Sauron stopped him.

-It's better that thou dost not awaken him. The departure will be easier that way.

The Vala agreed. And throwing one last wistful glance at his brother, he turned away and began his long journey to Valinor. Sauron followed with his eyes the blue clarity of Manwë while he disappeared in the horizon, and then went on to occupy the empty space he had left on the bed besides his lord. After a while he heard him stretching, and Melkor looked at him surprised, upon opening his eyes and finding him there.

-Sauron! What are you doing in my bed?

-Thou speakest as if I hadn't been in thy bed a hundred times.

-Alright, I'll say it another way: What are you doing in my bed with those dirty boots?

The Maia looked down. Indeed, the black leather had turned gray due to the dust raised by the gwelrog while building the fortress.

-It's part of the job. And in any case, I should be the one to ask thee what was doing Manwë, thy sworn enemy, lying here next to thee.

Melkor narrowed his eyes, grinning, and approaching the Maia, he run his hand under the shirt and stroked his stomach gently. Sauron tensed when he felt those sensual fingers coursing his skin.

-Oh! But what is that? Are you jealous, mmm? Quite on the contrary, it should be me who feels jealousy. After all, I know you haven't been entirely faithful lately, at least in your thoughts. -and the mouth of the Vala closed on the rigid lips of Sauron, provocative, threatening.

Now to the previous tension of the Maia, joined a cold sweat that began to form on his forehead. "So he knew it!" Melkor chuckled and pulled back a little to let him breathe. Seeing that troubled expression on his lieutenant was a pleasure that he could rarely enjoy.

-Don't worry, Sauron. There are corners of the soul that one keeps to himself and does not share with anyone, not even with his lord. You are mine, but that corner keep it for you, for whatever you want, for whomever you want. I must also keep mine.

With that said, the Vala stood up as if it was nothing and straightened his robe. He examined the horizon for the last trail left by Manwë in his departure, but there was no longer any trace of him. A heartfelt sigh escaped from his chest, and then he felt the hand of his lieutenant on his shoulder.

-Tell me, my lord, this whole affair with Manwë, all this supposed kindness and affection for him, it was nothing but a farce right? An elaborate plan to seduce him and achieve thy purposes, am I right?

Melkor turned to him with a shy smile.

-Well, it was so... at first.

The asymmetrical eyes of Sauron opened wide, and Melkor directed again his attention to the plain. The lieutenant watched him in silence for a few seconds until he recovered the ability to speak:

-My lord, promise me one thing.

-What?

-That thou wilt never stop to surprise me.

And the devilish spark that danced in the eyes of the Vala, was all the confirmation he needed.

 

---

Chapter End Notes

The derogatory name that Sauron wanted to use for the gwelrog, "glob-hai", is Black Speech for "fool-folk", more or less. Yes, he likes them so much.

Aelfwine: The English sailor who arrived in Tol Eressëa and recorded the legends of the First Age. He was present in the legendarium since the Book of Lost Tales. However, Cristopher Tolkien removed his figure from the published Silmarillion to simplify the narrative, and because we had already Bilbo's "Translations from the Elvish" to explain the transmission of the legends. I decided to keep him anyway, because Tolkien never erased him explicitly from the legendarium and his story is not necessarily contradictory with that of Bilbo.