Summary:
Two brothers who are more similar to each other than everyone thought they are. One - to rule them all, second - to remain behind the Door of Night.
A/N:
This work was originally posted on AO3 - 2015-04-22 o0oo0oo0o
Melkor was kneeling, chained and wounded. Manwë was observing Estë wrapping bandages around his legs and Aulë adjusting the collar and the chains. Tulkas was standing tall and strong above him, one of his mighty hands on his shoulders. One couldn't tell - to hold him in place or to prevent him from collapsing. Varda, always so strict and eager to defeat her enemy, now was talking to Namo and Vairë, asking if she could make a small ball of light in the Void to bring warmth to the prisoner. The Judge was shaking his head, saying something silently.
The Ainur made their decision, judged and sentenced Melkor. All of them had agreed that Melkor should be punished this way. Yet at the time when they were about to leave Ilmarin pity awoke in their hearts. For the punishment was great - to be lonely and locked away from the world they all loved. Everyone was expecting Melkor to beg for mercy, but since the punishment was revealed to him he was silent. Manwë approached his brother, tall and majestic in his crown of feathers and sapphires. Melkor looked up at him and finally spoke.
"Manwë," he whispered.
"It is the time," the king said and Oromë and Tulkas lifted the Dark Ainu to carry him before the Door of Night. Varda and Ilmare were there already, fast as the light itself. With them stood Arien and Tilkon and all four of them spoke the words to open the black gate. Behind it there was the cold Void.
"I want to do that," Manwë turned to Oromë and Tulkas. "Let me carry him and say farwell to my brother."
He took Melkor in his arms and turned around to see starry eyes of Varda.
"Farwell, Melkor. I regret we always were enemies," she said, looking in pale face of the ruler of darkness. He wanted to say something, but Manwë turned to let the rest say their goodbye. And then he walked into the Void.
"My foolish brother," Manwë said silently. "See what you did to yourself. That is the price for opposing Eru and me. You could rule over Arda, yet you had no patience to wait..."
"Manwë... Brother, don't leave me alone," Malkor whimpered as Manwe laid him down.
"You were a perfet brother, Melkor, but now I don't need you. Eru gave me the ultimate power, the superior stregth of the Elder King. I earned everyone's trust and blind loyalty by fighting the Black Foe. The time of our game is over and I don't need you anymore."
With those words he turned away and crossed the border of Arda, lowering his head so no one could see his face. Tilion and Arien closed the gate and all the Ainur returned to their duties. Their king sat on his throne, looking at his domain.