Life in the halls, if it could be called such for spirits, was full of patterns. A repetition of greetings and conversations about empty niceties. For some it was dull, for others, it was bliss. Nienna experienced this bliss and desired it would remain this way forever. There was nothing better then to be surrounded by those loved, which was everyone she had met, she knew no other feelings towards a person besides it. But even in the Timeless Halls, nothing was truly timeless. Change was coming. She could sense it. And the best person to speak about her feeling was Námo.
She found him coming away from the rose pink figure of Vairë, one of she had first known and harmonized with. Threads of Vairë's light leaked across the space Námo and Nienna shared, tangling about, even when she herself was moving out of sight. Námo pushed them away and greeted Nienna, "Hello."
"Hello dear brother," Nienna responded, embracing his Ëala. "It has been a short while but feels long. Or perhaps it's the other way. Not that it matters, it is a glad meeting! Though I feel change is stirring."
"Indeed," Námo chuckled, "Now sister, I have been told news relating to your suspicions. There could be more of us soon."
"More of us? May I meet them?!" Nienna could hardly believe it. It had been a while since the newest Ainu, Oromë, had come. It would be so lovely to get to know each Song and name.
"Yes. We all will. but I must warn you that they will be weaker, so we should not overwhelm them."
"Of course I will not. Do you know who they are?" Nienna asked. Námo was wise. If anyone of the Ainur knew it was him. She had many other questions but settled on this for now.
"No, it is just a rumor that they will come at all," Námo said far too little. If Námo could not answer this, she didn't wish to cause him frustration since he would likely not know any other answers to her other questions; what colors would decorate their selves? What notes would make up their Song? How many were there to be?
There was only one person who would know for certain and would be willing to talk forever to her about it, "We should ask Eru!"
"Nienna, he will tell us when he's ready. You must be patient," Námo said.
Nienna disagreed with this. Námo was not the only one with wisdom, Nienna had plenty and she had her own ideas, "We can prepare for them if he tells us earlier. It takes time for one to adjust. I do not wish for anyone to feel alone. It would do no harm to ask," An echo the ache she had felt when she had been endlessly searching for the two Ëalar of her brothers sounded through her. Since the new beings were weaker, then they would be even more scared and lonely.
"I suppose...Do not argue if he refuses," Námo said, "He is kind and he will understand your request. Even if I do not."
"I will not," Nienna agreed and floated off towards where Eru was.
But before she could get there, she felt little Irmo reaching out to her. Of course she had to come and embrace her little brother whenever he asked! It did not take long to find him. In among a few small Ainur, was his unmissable melody. All of them were flittering about, exploring the nicks and crannies. Irmo was on the floor as always as he could not float. A soft grey orb next to him caught her eye, this small one was nearly always along side him.
"Hello Irmo and everyone!" Nienna exclaimed.
"Ni!" Irmo chirped, flashing a sunny yellow. Nienna snatched him up from the floor and cuddled him close. The grey Ainu trailed behind. She was about the same size as Irmo. Nienna reached out to her, and in response she found herself knowing that she was called Estë.
"Are you two friends?" Nienna asked Estë and Irmo.
Irmo glowed even brighter. A yes for certain! Her little brother had found a friend!
"Splendid!" Nienna was about to suggest that they come with her to ask Eru her question, when another larger golden sphere brushed up against her, and pushed her in with the others.
"Come with us, we're playing," he told her.
Nienna felt something unnameable well up in her as she was accepted into their little circle without a second thought. Laughing, the golden Ainu took off and Nienna started after him, Irmo still snuggled up to her.
Soon it became like a dance as they all followed the golden one, who Nienna later learned was called Tulkas. Leaping and twirling until all of Nienna's and Irmo's troubles were forgotten. Tulkas and Estë, had few troubles and instead forgot their other joys and only wished to remain in this rhythm.
This lasted until Nienna remembered her purpose for travelling, and stopped with a start, "I forgot, I must leave to speak with Eru. I am sorry, but you may come if you wish."
"No," Tulkas pouted, "I wish you would stay and play."
"I will be back soon," Nienna promised as Estë floated over to her. She felt Irmo and Estë tugging her mind, telling her they wished to come. So she headed out, both of them resting in her grasp. Tulkas wandered away.
At last they came to Eru, all shining in every color, and unexpectedly Melkor and Manwë. Manwë was chattering to Melkor who was listening, actually pleased.
"Hi!" Melkor's attention turned from Manwë to Nienna almost instantly, "I took your advice and asked Eru about what he couldn't tell me, it turns out he was just giving Manwë a boring task to check in with some of the other Ainu and see if they wanted even more of us," Melkor informed Nienna, "He wanted to see if Manwë was good at it or not, of course he was," Nienna's hopes were confirmed. More companions were on their way!
"Why would you say it was boring? I liked spending time with everyone," Manwë asked Melkor.
"I knew you would enjoy it, Manwë, that is why I asked you to do that task," Eru explained to Manwë, "and gave the task of practicing singing in a lower pitch to Melkor."
"Thankfully," Melkor said, the notes of his Song hissed, "I do not know what I would do if I had to ask everyone the dullest questions only to get a bunch of yeses or high pitched squeals from the little ones."
"Nor would you be expected to," Eru told him.
"I know," Melkor agreed.
"Speaking of the new ones, I assume it is true there will be more of us?" interrupted Nienna. The tempo of the conversation had changed but she did not care, she had come this way and she must know.
"Yes, it is indeed true. They will be your friends for you to train and learn from. In fact I believe we have been waiting long enough, all of you, meet Langon," Eru said as a brilliant flash of lavender lit up the halls, throwing beams of light down to the furthest reaches where only Eru knew what lay there. Then a tingling and ringing and a pounding shook them all. Only Estë and Irmo seemed steady as the light compressed and folded in on itself and the noise grew shriller.
All was silent and dark.
And once again it was not. A perfect new Ëala brimming with power. Nienna reached out to this new Langon, but before she could connect with xe, Melkor clasped xyr tightly and their Songs became intertwined.
Nienna sensed a mournfulness come upon Eru as Melkor and Langon bonded. His radiance turned cold and dark. She wrapped herself around him to make him happy once again. But instead all of him from the flowing robes to his eyes which reflected everything they saw became black with further sorrow, "Oh Langon, Melkor, and Nienna, my children...I cannot tell you what path you will take, I can only tell you that I will love you."
Nienna remembered these words for long time. In the way of intrinsic knowing she possessed, she understood she ought not to forget them.
Author's note: Hey look who updated their fic eight months later! Success! Happy NaNovWriMo to me!
This was fun to do! Baby Ainur are so cute! (I know they probably aren't babies in canon, but baby Irmo and baby Maiar are just too precious to resist! Lil light blobbies)
Langon is an obscure character who was cut and only appears in the Lost Tales. He's the herald of Melkor and I headcanoned him as a Maia. Which I've seen other people do. (I need more Maiar okay?!) So yeah, I borrowed a deleted character, that will be happening a lot... I'm hoping to work in a lot of characters from adaptations and earlier versions of the Legendarium in this AU.
My Langon is a demiboy (as of writing this I'm a demigirl (I think...?) and I can confirm that we need more demigender rep!) Xe uses xe/he/they pronouns. Also since his name could mean bell, xe is getting a bell motif! (I imagine that they might wear a a cowbell around their neck sometimes, like this hqdefault
Langon, Eönwë, the Mouth of Sauron, Elrond, Thuringwethil, and Nornorë are all Herald Barbies I guess.