Chapter Text
There was Eru, the One, who in Arda is called Ilúvatar; and he made first the Ainur, the Holy Ones, that were the offspring of his thought, and they were with him before aught else was made. -The Silmarillion.
This is how everything begins, with Eru manifesting the Ainur from himself. You may have heard of some of them.
Mânawenûz, later called Manwë, who is the King of the Winds,
Barâdâz, later called Varda, who is the Star Queen, and the Queen of the Valar,
Ullubôz, later called Ulmo, who is the Sea King, and the Lord of Water,
A3ûlêz, later called Aulë, who is the Smith, and the Lord of Earth and all that's under it,
Aya-banâz, later called Yavanna, who is the Fruit-Giver, and the Lady of Earth,
Arômêz, later called Oromë, who is the Huntsman, the Lord of Forests, and the Great Rider,
Wânâz, later called Vána, who is the Ever-young, the Queen of Flowers,
Nâmâz, later called Námo, who is the Doomsman, and the Judge of the Dead, Lord of Mandos,
Wiyarêz, later called Vairë, who is the Weaver, and records every deed,
Irimôz, later called Irmo, who is the Lord and Master of Dreams, Visions, and Desires, and Creator of the Oloré Mallé, otherwise known as the Path of Dreams, and Lord of Lórien,
Ezedêz, later called Estë, who is the Gentle, Lady of Healing and Rest,
Tulukhaštâz, later called Tulkas, who is the Wrestler, the Champion of Valinor, and last of the Valar who will come to Arda,
Neššai, later called Nessa, who is the Swift, and the Dancer,
Niyennâz, later called Nienna, who is the Weeper, and the Lady of Mercy,
And Belekôrôz, later called Melkor, who is He who arises in might, Morgoth Bauglir, The First and Great Enemy, The Marrer, The Corrupter, The First Dark Lord, The Black Enemy of the World, Lord of the Dark, and all Dark things, Master of the Fates of Arda.
Or well, he is in most of the songs Eru has sung. But not all.
This is the story of one world where things go a bit differently.
One where the nature of Belekôrôz's song did not innately cause chaos to be twinned with evil. For is the idea of change and transformation by itself marred? Should the night be shunned for it’s darkness? But without darkness, would not the light be so painful to the eyes that as to be blinding. Is this not truth?
So when Belekôrôz was rebuked within the timeless halls, in this world he held not unto his anger, though the memory long burned him with shame, and stepped into Eä feeling... more lost than he had felt even in the furthest and darkest part of the void.
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Belekôrôz looked around Eä, swirling and shifting his energy as he explored the area where they had landed. A spike of energy from one of the other Ainur caught his attention before he got too far, his, he paused, his brother, (what is a brother, he asked himself), shifted himself in a new way, and he watched curiously as he wrapped himself within... What even was that? It looked like one of the children that Eru had shown them before, when he showed them what they had sung in the timeless halls.
“If we are to help take care of the children, then we will need to take forms that they will be able to recognize.” His brother calmly explained to the swirling masses of Ainur that had gathered around him. A large pair of white wings that seemed to glow in the light shifted as his brother tested out his new form, the purple matter that covered most of his dark brown form swooshed as it passed over the grass.
One by one, the Ainur shifted themselves, mimicking his brother, and taking a fana in the forms of the children, looking more closer to the coming firstborn than the second. Belekôrôz hid behind a tree by a lake and focused on crafting his own form. Peering down in the water, he examined himself. He was paler than his brother, much more so, soft black hair came down from his head in waves, two sharp horns emerged from his head with gold casings. His teeth were sharper and his eyes glowed blue. He frowned, shaking his head as new knowledge filtered through ‘stay out of my head Father.’ A feeling of warmth washed over him before leaving.
He brushed some of his hair out of his face and looked down at his hand. He felt odd wearing a fana, but it wasn’t a bad feeling, just very different, a bit heavy. He picked at the edge of his sleeve when a flash of color caught his attention. Pushing the sleeve back he stared at a strange image on his arm. A brush of orange in the background upon which settled a series of three broken gray circles, eight arrows sat on top of that with a curved indent towards the center of the circle with circles within. Four of the circles had eight pointed stars within them. Finally, a single red eye with rays extended from it. Belekôrôz poked at it before hiding it back under his sleeve.
He shook his hair out and turned to face the group. His brother had finished speaking to the others. His eyes lit up when he spotted Belekôrôz and his brother walking over to him smiling. “We are brothers,” he said with wonder.
Belekôrôz gave him a small smile, “yes we are, though I do not know what that is supposed to mean yet.”
His brother frowned thoughtfully, “I am not sure either yet, only that it means you are important to me. Perhaps one of the others will know?”
“Are there more sets like us then?” Belekôrôz looked around the room, examining the others.
“Yes. Arômêz and Neššai are brother and sister, Aya-banâz and Wânâz are sisters, Niyennâz, Irimôz, and Nâmâz are all siblings, and that is just amongst us Valar. Amongst the Maiar there is...” His brother kept talking as he dragged him around introducing him to everyone.
“... and there seems to be another form of bond that some are forming as well. We all seem to have these marks on our fana, no matter what form our fana takes, and they seem to match at least one other’s mark.” His brother grabbed at his arm and Belekôrôz stiffened and jerked his arm away.
“I do not feel like showing mine to others yet, it feels... wrong.” He shifted uncomfortably, but his brother only smiled understandingly.
“That’s fine brother mine.” Belekôrôz’s brother went back to talking about the marks and their match as he introduced him to everyone else.
During a break from his brother talking Belekôrôz spoke up, “Brother, you still have not given me your name, though you have given me the names of many others.”
His brother blinked his black on gold bird-like eyes at him, a flush of red spreading across his cheeks, “oh, my apologies, I am Mânawenûz.”
He smiled more honestly, giving an only halfway mocking bow, “Belekôrôz.”