Reconciliation of the Valar

Fragment from the story The Royal Game, describing the last war, in which everything happens slight different way, and what comes afterwards. This piece is about dealing with the evil without using brutal power. (Although there can be better examples found)

Saruman believes, that it is only great power that can hold evil checked. But that is not what I found. I found that it is the small things, everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keeps darkness at bay. Simple acts of kindness and love. --Gandalf

Manwe was in no mode for various things and the least of them this one. Valar had a lot to do, but Námo was impatient and Manwe agreed with him. This had to be done. Because their judging ring and Manwes palace were destroyed, Valar met in Aules halls in the caverns. They were burgled out, bur cleaned up already and the fires were burning. Lot of staff was returned already and the bigger part of unrepairable things were replaced by new made by the Maiar. It was pleasant here and because they had no home, Manwe and Varda were living here now.

They were sitting on the chairs and the tables, Aule was leaning towards very hot furnace and his blod, liquid metal, was red-hot and glowing. He was in bad mode and was stroking his chin.

I hope that this meeting is necessary.”

“It truly is.” Námo was still sure about it. “In fact, vital.” Manwe waved his hand for him to continue. Námo noded. “The dark Valar, that is something we have to solve without delay. What they lived, is now within us, darkness within us, that must be solved, we have to…” For few seconds he stopped to find correct words. Then, he sighted. “We have to accept it somehow and at least I believe, that we should purify ourselves somehow from all that cruelty. I do not feel that renewal of this world is enough, we would do that anyway. I feel that we need to do more.”

Nienna removed tear from her face. She noded. “You’re right.”

Then there was silence. This situation was very new for the Valar.

“Does father have some advice for us?” Vána said suddenly.

Manwe closed his eyes and silenced his mind, but he couldn’t sense nothing, except burning wood and breathing of various intensity and sound. “No, either he says nothing or I’m unable to hear it.”

“There is no point in seeking in father, what we have to find within us.” Orome said.

“And that is?” Tulkas asked.

“Forgiveness.” Varda said.

Námo looked at her with look very rare for him. He had hope on face and allowed himself to smile.

Melkor, also present, he grouched and caught his belly again. He felt like being fool among intellectuals, or simply like stranger. He couldn’t choose, which description fits better to this situation. He choose to be rather silent, he… that was something different, then them.

“Are you allright?” Nessa asked him, she was sitting with him on the table.

Melkor nodded. “Yeah… just that hole in my belly…”

Námo played with his fingers and then supported his head by hands. “Do we have right to forgive each other, what had happened?”

Again there was silence.

“If Manwe can forgive us, Than I believe that we can do that.” Tulkas said.

“I wasn’t angry…” Manwe said immediately. “Just…”

“Oh, don’t tell me, that you didn’t suffer, I know well, what state I found you in and I do remember everything before that as well.” Melkor said.

Manwe noded, when Melkor was speaking about it, he remembered it, terrible fear, when he was buried alive, separated from the air. And also before it, dropping of the blood on the floor, cry and screaming, in his mind memories were very vivid, and there was also dark Manwe, he remembered it, violence, flogging of whip, contempt and derision, even leading the armies against the Valar. He lowered his head and was looking at his hands on his knees. Others were silent. Do they feel pity? He surely does, and he felt sorry for them as well, whatever all they had done, although they would never do it themselves. He had no idea, what he has to do, when he lifted his head again. Others were looking at him… only Melkor didn’t, he was looking at the floor. Manwe looked at him with interest. He wasn’t able yet to feel the minds of others, but he felt that he understands.

“Melkor, come to me.” He said gently.

The dark Vala has no idea, what he wants, but he willingly came to him. Manwe stood up. They looked to each other’s eyes and Manwe smiled, for now he knew perfectly, what to do. Ha made a step to reach Melkor, he got his hands under those of Melkor and hugged him. By hand end eyes he called others, who were in his sight.

So in a moment Melkor realized, that he is in the centre of huddle of hugging Valar and no matter he was fighting, he soon had tear on face. These all were his family and he couldn’t ignore, that they love him, he couldn’t ignore that now, being hugged by them all. Because he hugged no one yet, he placed his hands on Manwe and… Irmo? He had no idea. And it didn’t matter, He felt in heart, that he loves them all anyway and he loved them so much that it hurt and he cried. Not loudly, but he did. And when he felt tear on his hand, he realized that probably all of them feel the same and the feeling of love grew bigger in him…

Melkor cried until he was tired, but he found out, that a lot of weight felt of his heart. He was tired, but he was fine. And he found out that those who lifted their heads and he was able to see them, had also tears on face, no one was crying loudly, and they all were smiling. He couldn’t believe what he saw. He was looking at Orome and Nienna, both were smiling, but he was more fascinated more by change he noticed, in fact physically they appeared the same, but he felt different about them, relief and joy were shining in their eyes, they seemed like children to him. That reminded him of very old memory, when they all were children in presence of Eru and everything they did, was singing, how much they enjoyed it back then and how it was enriching them, back then there was only love… as well as here and now. All their worries were for this moment laid aside and covered by shadow of forgetting and all of them were children, enjoying presence of each other.

As Melkor was looking at them, they were releasing each other from hug and were looking at each other with fascination and gladness. He began to laugh, for no reason, just from pure joy. He never felt so much being one of them, even he looked the same as them, a child among children.

When after a while feeling of satisfaction and innocence faded, all of them felt ready to return to work. In untold speed they took up the tasks, that were necessary to be done and immediately they went to begin with it…