One Flesh, One Soul. Part 2 by FellFireFan  

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The New World

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An eternity has passed since the death of Aegnor. While his body remained in Beleriand long swallowed by the sea, his fëa went to the Halls of Mandos, to receive healing and judgement. Though a millennium has came and gone, the fëa of Aegnor resisted the gift of rebirth, honouring his vows to never commend his soul to return, choosing to remain there until the end of time.

 

Halls of Mandos

 

The lonely halls bathed in a grey mist. An otherworldly realm of silence and peace. Arched pillars seemed to reach upward to eternity, supporting a roof that seemed too far to exist. Spectral orbs of light floated at random intervals only to fade once more. These were the feäs of elves lost throughout the ages of Middle Earth, awaiting judgement by Mandos and rebirth. It had been a millennia since Aegnor had felt wind or grass. A particular orb that had sank to the low ground confined itself to the bottom of a hollowed, decadent alcove. It gave off a sightly blue aura, different to the rest but no less fading. It's light dim from a hope, long burned out.

It was at this moment that the orb was touched by another ethereal light that descended from the void above. Verily, the mysterious, brilliant light compelled the dimmed orb to follow. A summoning at last! Life burst into the orb, and it twinkled and danced upon the spot, grateful for the recognition and, subsequently, a chance to plead its case. Stilling with a trembling flicker, it gently floated upward into the vast expanse of the grey emptiness.

Following the guiding light, the grey void surrounding them got darker, becoming blackness. The light from the large spectre was their only torch. Soon, the blackness gave way to many floating lights that looked like stars as they shot past, propelled by an individual will of their own. The dim orb suddenly slowed to a stop and twinkled loudly, commanding attention from its guide. The orb twinkled and vibrated profusely, overcome by an intense sense of fear. Knowing that they had passed the court of Mandos, where the case for each feä was heard and judged accordingly.

"Follow me, and fear not," the guiding light replied, insistent that the orb not resist the pull. 

They continued their journey through the silent tunnel of swirling tails of light. Eventually, They came to a large, oval room. Around them, shooting stars arranged their light to form a platform of immense spectral glory. Swirling beneath an invisible circular plate that formed a floor, the glittering spectre of a being came into form, seated upon a throne formed of dazzling light, as if both sun and stars glistened in a spectral dance.

The guide had brought the orb to the centre of the plate and took its leave. Slowly gliding to join the whirlpool of shooting tails of light that surrounded them. As the form's features took shape, the orb trembled with terror and wonder as it beheld the sight before it. Erú Illuvatar, the creator of all life, stared serenely upon it.

"Pray speak! To whom doth this fëa rightfully belong?" Illuvatar spoke, his words a deep, thunderous rumble.

The orb faltered, for it had not spoken words in a very long time.

"A-Aegnor," a weakened voice whispered from its ghostly light.

"Aegnor, Aikanár, Aikanáro. These are the names given to thee. The progeny of Finarfin and Ëarwen," Erú replied, "You have spurned your rebirth. Why have you rejected my gift to the Eldar?" Illuvatar asked.

Trembling with great fear, the weakened voice responded,  "I stand by a covenant I tendered in my life, unto Andreth, the Beörean woman. She is my true love," it whispered. A still moment passed as Illuvatar paused, the shadow upon his face shifting and his spectral head inclined slightly.

"Not sworn together are eldar and mortals. Not permitted in love nor vow. Therefore I, Erú Illuvatar, absolve your solemn vow. Depart from the Halls of Mandos, where you have tarried within for far too long and return to your birth place. Your release is granted."

With resplendent brilliance, the orb erupted anew in a luminous cascade, yet now its movement appeared jagged and untamed, as though in vehement dissent.

"I shall not sever my vow to Andreth! I have sworn to tread never again amidst the valleys of fair Valinor without my love!" It proclaimed ardently, his voice resounding with building strength.

"Andreth's life... has long passed into the hallowed realm of the mortal dead. She has been ordained to depart this coil, nevermore to return unto the physical world! This is the order I have made," Ilúvatar uttered, his words firm but sad. "Where she is, you are not permitted to follow as eldar,"

The light of the orb dimmed to a fading ember yet, still flickering wildly. The twinkling from it seemed to repeat a pattern of loud ringing. Like the desperate sobbing of a breaking heart in great despair. Illuvatar watched from his thrown as the orb sank lower to the ground, its ghostly grey light almost dimming completely.

"It is true so...." Illuvatar remarked curiously, "your feä's have chosen one another! Verily, I declare unto you, you shall never again know peace alone. Fated your fëa's are as forever mates, but your hroä's still languish apart, unjoined in consumation. It is therefore incomplete. I, Erú, cannot endorse the sanctity of the vow you made unto her, for it exists not in truth." Illuvatar explained.

From the orbs sobbing, their echoes permeated the space. "I beseech you! I implore you! O my creator, show mercy! Do not force me to forsake her again! I would not endure it a second time!"

A gaze of sincere compassion eclipsed in Èru's white, sparking eyes, his thunderous voice, turning soft.

"My fair child, I am not able to legitimise a love that was never meant to exist."

As if by some unforeseen power, the orb blasted a light so powerful, it drowned out all others, Aegnor's own voice, strong and fierce, sprung loudly from its spiritual prison.

"You ARE able! You have demonstrated such power with Lúthien and Beren the mortal, Andreth's own kin; and again in Aragorn, son of Arathorn, and Arwen of Rivendell! If love between elves and men was never destined to be, why then, was there union and legitimacy for them but I and Andreth must languish apart forever?!"

He pleaded his case before Illuvatar, the almighty creator, fervently fighting for the love he discerned to be true. Gradually, his flame rekindled within him. Silence ensued, his passion subsided, and his light dimmed to a calm glow, seemingly regretting his impassioned tone.

Èru leaned forward from his thrown. His every movement followed by an eerie, ghostly blur.

"Offspring of Finwé, do thou willingly yield all thine estate for this fervent yearning? To secure but a transient span at Andreth's side, wherein love finds fulfilment in feä and hroä, only to be plagued once more by the cruel anguish of parting to the realm of death?"

"I do," Aegnor replied without hesitation. "Though I know the winds of my elven heritage do not change, I am fated to be alone regardless of what I choose," the orb confessed, his voice quivering with emotions of profound intensity. "I willingly surrender all that is gifted to me, O elven, and embrace a life with Andreth by my side,"

"So be it," Erù spoke, his voice resolute. "A new home I shall create for you and your love, I shall pass unto Andreth a new body, the boon of your rebirth, fashioning your form from the very bones of your former body. You shall bear the weight of agony, for your body has suffered severely in battle. It shall afflict you ceaselessly, day and night and serve as an eternal reminder to all you have forsaken... for the sake of your love, and for Andreth," Erù proclaimed, his words infused with a profound elegance befitting the ethereal realm.

With a sweeping grace, Illuvatar extended his arm. A spirited gust of wind seized the glowing orb, propelling it into a spiralling descent from the heights. Its journey, unfettered by earthly constraints, shot like a comet across the celestial space, leaving a resplendent trail of light in its wake. It flew over Middle-Earth and beyond, embarking upon an odyssey through uncharted skies where time and space could not hold it.

The shooting light pierced the heavens of its new world, illuminating the dawning sky in a magnificent blanket of fiery light. Guided towards a sandy expanse, where ocean waves crashed into a vast beach. The tiny radiant sphere slowed its descent, gradually halting just above the sandy shore and gently floated downward, sinking beneath the white grains. Underneath the shifting sand, began to stir a form, as if awakened from a shroud. From the falling granules, slowly lifted a hand. Its fingers stretched out and trembling as the wind brushed between the fingers. Then followed by a long forearm and robust bicep. It reached upward to the sky, as if grasping for a star. Suddenly, from the blanket of white sand, a torso rose up. Tendrils of sand rolled like waterfalls cascading from silky skin and a face, elven fair. He breathed, like it was the first time he ever drew air.

His whipping hair like liquid gold blew around his head and into the perfect angles of his beautiful face. Aegnor, his brilliant eyes blinked lingeringly, as if woken from an eternal sleep. He gazed down at his palms and placed the upon his muscular chest and abdomen, feeling warm flesh again, his body had been returned to him after so long apart. He raised his eyes to the heavens as dawn ascended and from his throat came a piercing cry or unadulterated joy. tears of gratitude and awe filled his eyes as he could not hold back his heartfelt sobs.

At last he could feel again. He could hear again. He had returned to the physical world where life could be lived again.

Summoning his strength, he gently eased himself out if his sandy grave. The granule  rolled from his long, athletic legs. He was completely nude, though, he did not care. A sudden jolt of agony seized his joints and he fell back down. He screamed. Every movement was like strikes of lightning to his bones. Though crippling, the sensation was comforting, proving to him that it was real. He lay there on the sand unable to move. Then, finding his courage, defied the violent surges pain and through gritted teeth, rose to his unsteady feet but fell at the first hurdle. He was like a babe walking for the first time, for he had long lost the memory of how to. Upon his hands and knees, he began crawling toward the lapping waves of the sea. He had not even the strength to lift his hands and slid them along the sand. Every languid motion was accompanied by a searing ache. His limbs shaking, Aegnor pushed himself on.

He felt the cold ocean water on his hands as its rolling swishes engulfed it with every ebb and flow. Then, it touched his knees as he waded deeper until the elf was completely submerged by the tide. The cold water enveloped his skin, the sensations washing away his agony. Beneath the surface of the sea, the elf surrendered to utter reverie in a weightless silence. He drifted motionless within its watery sanctuary for a long while, the pain in his body fading with its weightless embrace. Almost forgetting he needed air, Aegnor shot to the surface. He burst from its depths and took a deep exuberant breath. The waves lapped and retreated, washing over him, and he relished every moment. His vibrant life restored, he dived into the swells. Cries of joy and happiness burst from his lungs rekindling his fire and love for life. The memories of bygone sorrows faded. At last, he could feel again, his fëa reunited with his body, however fragile it was, it was his. All his own.

As the sun ascended in the sky, heralding a new and first beginning, Aegnor emerged from the waves. He walked onto the beach, his every graceful stride bearing the mark befitting a royal prince. The water drops trickled down his glistening wet skin, and trickling drops from his fingertips. A long curtain of wet hair clung around his body accentuating every sleek tone of his athletic frame.

His eyes suddenly took note of a small chest partially submerged in the sand. He stared at it curiously, why had he not noticed it before? He knelt before it and attempted to open it, only to be met with a sudden, unexpected resistance. It was locked. A soft, chuckle bubbled from his throat.

"Surely Illuvatar is playing devious tricks. What is the point in gifting me a chest I can not open?" He thought cleverly to himself.

He pulled it out of the sand and there, placed beneath it was the key. It unlocked with a clear clicketing of the mechanism, and he pried the lid open. A wide humorous grin crept onto his beautiful face.

Within its contents lay a few simple items. Clothing of a simple thin tunic and black leggings that laced at the front and silver capped boots. Inside also lay various items and tools for hunting and to make a shelter with.

"Well atar, you were wrong..." He smirked to himself, recalling a tale of a certain empty chest from his youth.

He took the folded garments and put them on. As he was yet lacing up at the front of his leggings. His eyes were drawn to a soft lavender blanket folded inside. He gasped softly and traced his finger over the beads, shimmering in the low sun expertly threaded into the design of a dove. A masterful craftmanship that could have only been made by the skilled hands of an elf. Carefully, he pulled out the precious artifact and brought its fabric to his nose. Her scent filled his nostrils, the sweet fragrance that surrendered all his defences. He stared down longingly at his creation. The same blanket he had sent to her as a babe still laying in her cradle. A lump caught in his throat. His heart sank as he thought of Andreth, his ancient memories of her flooding back to him.

In the depths of his thoughts, Aegnor sensed an inexplicable stir within. His very fëa suddenly burst, leaping with inexplicable joy, its motive shrouded in mystery, yet its ardour undeniable. He felt its whisper in his ear, an impassioned plea beseeching his hroä to obey its command.

Yielding to its demands, he turned his head around to witness a lone figure traversing along the distance, walking toward him.

Adorning her elegant neck, Aegnor's silver pendant necklace glimmered in the low sun. Long, unbound ebony tresses billowed gracefully behind her as she glided toward him, adorned in pure white. Andreth, his true love had returned to him. With a beautiful smile brimming with unbridled elation, she extended her arms toward him, an ethereal invitation to embrace the long-awaited reunion.

A tremor coursed through his entire being, expelling every ounce of breath from his body as she came closer. He stared silently, the low suns kiss illuminating his face and sparkling eyes, like two glittering jewels, watched her approach from afar. Slowly, almost cautiously, he walked toward her. Yet, as he approached, his body failed him, suddenly inflicting him with its curse as searing pain erupted within him again and he fell into the soft embrace of sand, he cried out in anger and agony, reminded of the heavy price love has cost him. As he collapsed, he accidently released the cherished blanket, a gust of wind snatching it easily from his weak hand. In that moment, an overwhelming wave of despair surged through him, as he realized the extent to which his body was broken, robbed of the strength he once possessed. Weakened and consumed by the anguish that tore at him, he surrendered to a torrent of weeping, sobbing loudly into the soft comfort of the sand.

Yet, before him, Andreth gracefully knelt. In one slender hand, she cradled the very blanket he had lost to the wind. With fingers as delicate as moonbeams, she unfolded her touch beneath his face, gently lifting his chin to meet her gaze, and in that sacred moment, she whispered words that was heard within the deepest recesses of his mighty fëa.

"Aegnor... my love, well met." she muttered

That voice... her voice. The voice he had not heard in eons of time. Tears of joy cascaded, washing away the remnants of despair. Raising his hand, he placed it tenderly almost disbelievingly upon her face. She smiled, allowing his fingers to explore her face. Slipping down her neck and lovingly tracing the necklace down to the pendant. He gasped softly, releasing with a trembling sigh, his watery eyes darted back to hers.

"Is this truly real?" He whispered.

Smiling still, she gently caressed his face, and he unravelled completely in her soft hand as the fragile tears poured silently from his eyes.

"You have returned to me, Aegnor. By the grace of Erú himself, we have been made anew, dawning of a new age. At last... you are mine," she placed both hands upon his tear stained face.

"Aegnor..." she murmured, "my Aegnor... I love you."

Once he heard those words, Aegnor's last reserve shattered, and his heart melted into unbridled happiness. He embraced Andreth. Her laughter bubbled into the air as he pushed her backwards, his body falling down upon her. They held one another close, their melodious laughing harmonising in the song of the distant crashing waves and their bodies entwined upon the sand rolling is blissful, elated happiness. Fëa's and hröa's together once again, never to be separated.

"Íre mel tye, tenna' ent' elea." he whispered.