Fire and Deep Water by Nienna

Fire and Deep Water

Maglor felt dizzy inside. How long has it been since he last looked on his brother?

The years had passed, almost in a daze, years unnumbered. He had seen kingdoms of Men rise and fall...centuries after his own kingdom had crumbled into dust. And centuries after one by one, his brothers had fallen, until at last he stood alone.

Perhaps a few centuries ago he would have still been bitter, bitter for the fiery chasm that had left him alone in the world, bitter for his beloved brother who had left him, left him as yet another loss to add to the endless list of names. As the years went on, though his grief did not lessen, Maglor's anger receded into nothing, pulled off in the foaming waves. Maglor knew all too well what had driven Maedhros. As the years went on into eternity, Maglor lost even his sadness, and fell into the numbing depths of the sea.

He did not know how much time had passed since then, in Mandos's endless halls.   Time had long ago lost all meaning.

Finally Maglor spoke, jolted back into the present. He spoke the verse that came to him, though he knew not from where. It seemed the only suitable thing to say. "I have passed through fire and deep water, since we parted." At this Maedhros cracked a smile. "That we certainly have. Both the literal and the less so." Maglor smiled in return, feeling a little bit of the ever present weight on his heart lighten.

And Maglor knew that somehow, after all these years of emptiness, of recounting his history when he himself was lost, nothing but a faded shadow, he could begin living again.

He could begin living at last.