And now something else I have to get out of my mind. Hope you enjoy it!
"Hang on there… please… I can´t do this without you… I cannot do anything without you" the voice of the chained figure in the Void repeated as he held the naked and damaged fëa of his lieutenant and lover, keeping it barely alive as it seemed to fade more and more into nothingness. "Please, please… for me… stay with me, flame. Stay with me." He kept pushing waves of heating energy into the soul, trying to keep him from fading. Screaming in frustration, Melkor directed his voice to the darkness. "Is this my punishment? Is it?!" a string of curses to Ilúvatar followed his words. "Punish me, not him… you hear me?! PUNISH ME!"
"It was never my intention to punish you in such a painful way, my child" a voice he could recognize everywhere answered him, making him lift his head despite being so concentrate in keeping his Mairon alive. He glared at the luminous being approaching him in the endless darkness, the ones that had the fault of everything that was happening to him. "Poor little flame. If only you could have changed one another…"
"I changed him, so you don't have to…"
"You don´t change him as much as you believe. Of course, the sadism and other little things you indeed added, but more than that…" he shook his head, not wanting to admit that he created imperfect Ainurs. "The hubris was already there."
"And you let us continue…"
"I wished he had changed you and he indeed did, but you also changed him" Ilúvatar approached even more. "Now it´s time to do it again."
"What are you talking about?"
"A deal, between you and me. I can restore your love to full health, but you will have to accept a few conditions" Melkor stared at him with interest, keeping the string of magic strong to support Mairon while the deal was stroke. He would accept, of course, everything for Mairon´s sake. "You will wear chains all the time containing your powers, all of them save immortality, and will be banished to live among humans like another one of them." Then he looked at the dying maia. "As for him, you will have to accept whatever decision he takes. If to go with you or return to Aman with a new identity to start over again. So… you accept?"
"Will I see him ever again if he chooses so?" he asked a few seconds before answering. "What the hell, I accept" the Vala lifted his hands. "Restore him now"
"It´s done" with a word from the creator, Sauron´s form was returned to it´s original state, with his fana looking exactly as it did in Angband, with the flame red long hair Melkor loved passing his fingers through. It was going to be so hard to say goodbye now… but it was for the best that Mairon returned to Aman and Aulë´s care. "Are you awake, Mairon?"
"Hummmmmm, what is…" he stared around looking for some explanation. His eyes landed on Melkor for a few more seconds than anything else. He knew his master´s powers were great, but… not that much. Besides, his powers were most likely addled by his time in the Void. And to be able to repair his broken and fading soul after he bound his life-force to the ring… no, that was impossible.
"Greetings, Mairon, Sauron Gortahur, the Red Eye" Ilúvatar said, startling the Maia. He bowed his head deeply, now knowing his answer. "Welcome to the Void were my son was chained. Has the reunion between you gone as you imagine?"
"In… in reality… no… my lord" the redhead said, not knowing what else to answer. This was not how he envisioned his reunion with Melkor, but… he really didn´t care. Even were Ilúvatar to chain and abandon him in that horrible place, he wouldn´t have cared so long he had his master by his side. "But I thought…"
"You thought you were going to vanish into nothingness, but that is not the plan destiny has in place for you, child" the supreme being said. "A plan that couldn´t continue without a choice you will have to make without coercion and in your own volition."
"Atar, you should…"
"Shush, my son, I already told you, you will have to accept whatever choice he makes" he continued to stare at Sauron with his uncomfortably bright eyes. "Mairon, maia of fire, son of the Everlasting Flame. I demand you to make a choice right now: to continue with your life tied to my son in the mortal world, as an edain except in mortality, or return to Aman with your powers diminished, a new identity and tied again to my son Aulë. Make your choice now."
"Sir… I want to…"
"Before you say anything, I think you should go back to Aman" Melkor said. A hurt expression appeared on his lieutenant's face, who was thinking that he didn´t want him anymore. The dark Vala just shook his head. "It´s not that, just… I don´t have anything to offer anymore, not even my power. I will have to begin again in the human world with just my immortality, without a coin on my name. That is no life for you."
"And you think that matters to me? I joined you not just because of power, also for love. That´s the part which really mattered to me this last ages without you. I… I wouldn´t have done this" he held out his hand, the one that lacked a finger due to having the ring along with it chopped off. "for anyone else."
"Mairon…"
"I already made my decision. I will accompany my master to the human world"
"Mairon…"
"He never said that we won´t be allowed to come back some day in the future. Or that we will stay without our powers" Sauron shrugged his shoulders. "And… I´m inclined to believe that among the edain is going to be more fun than with the eldar. I bet they even forgot who we are by now! After all, edain had very selective and bad memory" the redhead smiled. "Imagine it, a new beginning."
"I still think that you…"
"Then keep your opinion to yourself, because I´m sticking by your side" Melkor raised an eyebrow. Out of all the people in Arda, only his lieutenant could talk to him like that. The other people would already be six feet under at the first word. But he didn´t care, because someone actually chose to stay by his side, even without having nothing to offer. It was true, the feeling between them was true. Mairon turned to Eru, who had stayed there in silence. "I already made my choice."
"Off to the human world you go, then" a door opened, letting them step out of the Void. Their fanas now felt horribly uncomfortable… and weak. But they didn´t really care, as they entwined hands. "Remember, only immortality. Nothing else is left for you."
"I will remember, atar. And if not, Mairon will remind me. He always does" a hit to the head from the maia landed on the vala in that moment, making him yelp. The divine spirit smiled once more at the lovebirds before leaving, sure that they were both in good hands… at least in heart matters. "What was that for?!"
"For leaving me" answered the redhead, who had been waiting a lot of time to do that. He looked around himself in interest. Where had Eru Ilúvatar taken them? It looked so different to the ones they were used to walk on, all illuminated with gas lamps and building with tiny homes on each floor… a city then. A new kind of city with many things to exploit. They continued walking until they reached the richer parts and a surprisingly big palace.
"Do you like it?" asked Melkor, evaluating the place. He knew that he had no means to take it by force or magic, but… someday…
"I don´t know, it´s too lively for us, don´t you think?" Sauron also stared at it, comparing the place to his beloved Angband. He didn´t know what to think of it, the place was pretty, but… it lacked a forge and no place could be home without his master and forge. "Add my very own forge and I could be a nice place."
"I will get you one then, but it might take some time" the dark Vala threw his hair behind. It was still long, just… not as long as much as when he was the Dark Lord. "Maybe even some wargs, if there are still some out there…"
"What are you doing in front of the Buckingham Palace?!" a policeman screamed, seeing them practically pressed to the bars of the place, analysing it. The two strangers looked at him interested, getting away from the door. He started to get uneasy in their presence the more he looked at them. To see two males holding hands was strange to say the least, but two long haired men doing so?
"Buckingham palace? Tell me, it´s what this place is called?"
"Yes… the Buckingham Palace, where Queen Victoria of England lives… don´t you know?" now he was wondering if he came across mental patients. If they were not so normally dressed, he would think so. Even with those long tresses so red and black. Unnatural.
"Hummmm, no? but don´t worry, we were already leaving. Good night" the two walked away, digesting the new information. England. They were in England. Where in Eru´s creation that place was located was beyond them, but that was a start. "Mairon, my dear, what do you think about using this" Melkor dangled a coin purse in front of his lover´s eyes. "to buy the most acceptable house in our reach?"
"Where the hell did you get it?"
"My father gave it to me" the redhead stared at him as if he had grown a second head. "Hey, I might not be the favourite son, but he couldn´t really leave me on the streets without something to support myself. That is not him."
"Thank him" he stared at the purse for a second. "If you give me one of them I will make it triple by the end of the week."
"You are joking!"
"Wanna bet?"
"Against you? Never"
-Some years later-
"Things are getting somewhat chaotic out there" said the redhead without a care in the world, entering a nearly torn down building in the middle of Berlin, near the bunker Hitler was using as a last lair. The russian were approaching fast, contained only by a few fanatics who refuse to lay down the weapons. And civilians, of course. Civilians who were brainwashed to believe that they could still win. "You know, when you suggested me Germany was going to be a fun place to live after the First War, I thought you were crazy, but… I believe you made it interesting" Sauron stared over his shoulder. "Won´t this cause us trouble with your father?"
"I don´t believe so. I didn´t do anything out of the ordinary, just… whisper a few words in the right ears. I didn´t even use persuasion on this children" Melkor answered, staring through the window, finding the spectacle of Russians killing civilians very fun. Just like in their old times in Angband. "But… I guess the fun has to end now. We already stayed enough time in Europe, people will start asking questions soon. Besides, if they find us now, they are going to find out really soon that we can´t die."
"So?"
"How about we follow the rat´s way just for fun and get ourselves to America?"
"It would be more interesting if you have to find me" the maia sat down on his lap. "I´m from the scientific division, sure the Allied forces would want my services in their own rocket programs." He rolled his eyes. "With me already stablished it will be easier for us to settle down in another country."
"So, you are going to hand yourself over to the Russians?"
"To the Americans, silly" answered the other, putting his arms around his neck. "Moscow is too cold for my taste. And I know there are too many megalomaniacs in power positions there to lay low" he stared seriously at Melkor. "I mean it, my love. Your father probably will know you have something to do with the chaos of the war and he won´t like it. And let´s not talk about your brother and his merry friends in Valinor. It´s time to behave for one or two centuries."
"So I´m going through that horrible rat hole all on my own?" the Vala continued the game. A chase sounds fine right now, after all the effort he had to make would be worth the pleasure he would get from finding his little flame. "What if I don´t want to go to America?"
"You think we have any options with all of Europe looking for blood? You will end up in one of those prisoner´s camps and, while working yourself up breaking rocks with a hammer and cause chaos between the guards might sound fun for you, I know you don´t want to lower yourself that much. So… South America for you and North for me?"
"Only if we find each other again"
"Oh, of course" they kissed before Sauron got up and went for the nearest way outside. He made a stop to change clothes in one of the nearby houses, going out with his uniform on would be a suicide after all, and made a mad dash for the outskirts of the city. He continued advanced with stealth learned from all those years of war, dodging Russian and german troops on equal.
"Hey, you!" someone called, the redhead pressed himself even more to the wall, trying to make himself invisible. Fortunately, the soldiers that were calling were not looking for him, but for a child that was moving ammunition around for them. He shook his head. Putting children on the front… why hasn´t he thought of that before? Brilliant! "Have you seen more deserters on your way here?"
"No" the child answered, almost as if he didn´t have a soul. "After the hanging last night…"
"Enough" the soldiers took the boy away, leaving Mairon to himself. He walked away, shivering a bit in the cold air. Next time he will choose a good warm place to live in, perhaps Miami or California, if Melkor didn´t mind. The Vala always had some kind of wariness of Arien´s presence and choose for them places without much sun to live in. Well, now was his turn. And he wanted a hot place.
The redhead managed to get out of Berlin and to the closest American forces. These ones arrested him under the suspicion of espionage, but he was able to get rid of the charges pretty easily. Then he was identified and shipped to the Unites States, along with other rocket scientists. During that travel, he managed to get reacquainted with some known humans. And, even if this was not what he first thought when he left his comfortable forge to meddle with space engineering, he decided to take a look at his equations.
"Professor von Braun" he greeted, making the man lift his head.
"Oh, Herr Gorthaur, you are also here" the man answered. Sauron bit his tongue to avoid answering in his same tone. Hasn´t this pathetic human realised that his rockets were only capable of working because of his knowledge of metals? "I was expecting you to be in Moscow by now, as you were in Berlin last time I saw you."
"What can I say? I despise cold. And Moscow is too much cold for me" the Man continued scribing on his notebook without giving the maia a piece of his mind. "Then… where are we going to be put? Miami, California…"
"El Paso, Delaware… a military base somewhere around there"
"What?" Sauron was dumbfounded. When he pictured the treatment the United States would give to their priced scientific prisoners, he thought about a nice beach house where he could reunite with Melkor under the sun. Not some horrible place in the middle of nowhere, being watched all the time.
"Look on the bright side, Herr Gorthaur, you are not freezing to death in a gulag in Siberia" Mairon rolled his eyes, replanting his strategies. He needed to escape before someone finds out he was immortal, less not talk about not even human. Besides, he was the Second Dark Lord of Arda, lover of the First and Mightiest of Valar, and he was not going to be confined by simple edain. Not now, not ever.
"And what is your bright side, Herr von Braun? Because I doubt you wanted to end your days on an enemy country."
"I only want to reach the space, to make it by the American´s side or the German one doesn´t matter to me" the man explained, continuing with his equations. "And you, Herr? I was never able to read you, no matter how hard I tried. Your dreams, ambitions… nothing."
"Me? Before, I wanted power. Now, I only want a little bit of fun."
-Years later-
"Finally together again, my flame" Melkor said, sitting down besides Mairon in the field. The two kissed again, savouring each other after so many years apart, covering their tracks. They were among some couples, waiting for the rocket to shot to the space. He passed a hand through the redhead´s bangs. "Did you collaborate with this one too?"
"Not personally anymore… but I managed to send an edain to the space, you know? And remain in the space program" he put on a pair of sunglasses, extending others towards his lover. "I have actually prepared something to celebrate our reunion. While we wait for it, why don´t you charm me with histories about your life in South America? Surely you weren´t bored and good all the time you stayed there to lay the past to rest."
"Me? Of course not… but it was boring indeed, not much to do" he sighed. "Went to a few reunions, whisper a bit, stir some nationalism between the refugees in Argentina… had to stop and relocate to Brazil when they found that fool Eichmann. No way in hell was I going to allow some edains to bring me in chains before their judges. I had enough with my own kin´s judgement."
"Same here, but I actually had to work a bit for them in the Space Program" he shook his head. "Then I conveniently got Hermann Gorthaur killed by Russian agents, his last action to bring his only son to America to receive his inheritance… or so they thought." He crossed his arms. "Now I´m Mairon Gorthaur, that son´s child."
"Great minds have to work the same, because I used the Mossad as an excuse to disappear. August Bauglir was killed when he came back to Argentina for a nazi funeral, the only witness being his attendant Melkor Morgoth… coincidentally his cousin, hence the likeness." He laughed. "You should have seen the scene I pulled to sell the lie. I haven´t lied like that in centuries!"
"Yes? We lied plenty of times before" the other laughed, then turned towards the rocket. It must be about to start the engine, any moment now if his hearing was not betraying him. What was the name again? Oh, yes, Apollo 13. "Let´s see the fireworks now."
"Fire…" the explosion caused screams of terror from the people seeing it, the two immortals observing it like it was the greatest spectacle in Arda. "You did it?!"
"Of course not! That would be a suicide with Eru watching us! But I indeed found the critical failure that would led to this and conveniently forgot to say something" he put his arms around his lover´s neck. "Tell me… do you like it?"
"I love it" the dark Vala answered, placing his hand on his bottom. "So much I want to fuck you right now."
"Not here, too many eyes" he got out of his grasp. "My place?"
"Anywhere you like, my flame."
Well, hope you enjoy it. Review!