Picking Up The Pieces by Grundy

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Fanwork Notes

When I first saw "Closer" as one of the song prompts, I thought 'that's not a love song...' Then I went over the lyrics and it hit me that while it's not exactly a love song, it is very much Maeglin post-Gondolin. At least, as I imagine him - and I may owe him an apology, because I think I did far worse to him than Tolkien did. (But I'm giving him a happier ending.) While it doesn't start out as a love story, I promise it will get there eventually!

Fanwork Information

Summary:

After the Fall of Gondolin, Maeglin's more than a little broken. Is there any hope for him?

Major Characters: Eärendil, Idril, Maeglin, Other Fictional Character(s), Sauron

Major Relationships:

Genre: Crossover

Challenges: Just an Old-Fashioned Love Song

Rating: Teens

Warnings: Torture
Chapters: 1 Word Count: 2, 747
Posted on 29 July 2017 Updated on 29 July 2017

This fanwork is a work in progress.

Table of Contents

Broken

The torture is more mental/mind games than physical/graphic, but you have been warned.

Comments

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This is a great story! Maintains a wonderful tension which is really hard to do when one is writing this kind of fanfic--we all think we know what is coming next--and yet you manage to surprise us over and over again.

One of my favorite segments (and there are a number to chose from!) is this:

Calaliltië was the last thing he would ever make, he had known that even as he had set the name on the blade and put what light and hope he still had to offer into the letters. She will find it someday. Bauglir may twist the Music, but he cannot unmake it entirely.  Even if the Dark One kills her as he has laughingly promised to do, that sword will still play its part in his downfall. The last tengwar on it are a prayer that it do Belegurth as much damage as his grandfather’s Ringil had and more.

Love how you manage to maintain the suspense throughout the piece and still surprise us at the end. I have read a lot of stories which intended to elicit sympathy for a sad, emo Maeglin. Hey, I was ready and willing when I picked them up--I have soft spot for ill-fated Silmarillion characters. But those Maeglin stories usually flew right by me without really piercing my heart. This one did the job.

Thank you! I'd been mulling over Maeglin for a while, meaning to do something along these lines.

I'm glad you liked that bit - I loved the idea that Maeglin managed to make that sword despite Sauron.

I don't think of him as sad, emo Maeglin so much as battered, broken Maeglin. Poor boy tried so hard, but it still wasn't enough - and it was never going to be, not when he was up against Sauron and Morgoth.