Balance

In the dim light of the vast, cold room, there on the throne sat a dark, lonely figure of Melkor. His thoughts were scattered and discouraging, now that the War of Wrath had been raised against him. The forces of everything that stood for right, luminous, and beautiful now stood before his gates, in the siege long and tiring. Soon, that, too, would be broken and the beautiful fortress of Angband exposed to destruction. For many an hour he sat there, a formidable figure in fine robes of dark material, with broad shoulders and long, dark hair to complement his features and hide his scars.

A hand appeared from the darkness, from behind the throne. A big, white hand that had seen sorcery, craftsmanship, and battle, slowly reached until it gently rested on the Dark Lord's face. Into the dim light stepped Sauron, whose hand it was. His features were tender and beautiful, and behind it lingered malice and evil, yet still a tad of softness with unspoken worry for the well being of his master and their cause was also present.

Melkor placed his charred hand on top of Sauron's and they remained like this for a brief period. "I know what ails you, my Lord, and if you will allow me, I have a proposition for our little problem," said Sauron and gently took his hand out of Melkor's grasp, swiftly moving in front of him and kneeling before him.

"Sauron..." Melkor directed his look toward him and studied his kneeling figure. Sauron was tall and formidable, with broad shoulders and long, blond hair that deceived others into believing, for most part, that he was fair, noble, and benevolent. The Maia lifted his head to look at his master. "After all that has happened during these agonizing times, one would be fool if they did not think this all was something of Eru's concoction," he began. " After all, all of us were created from his own thought. And if I wanted to defect and be on my own and have things of my own, then that was solely because it was his intention to make me that way and make it natural for me to act upon it," he pondered out loud, while his servant listened with great attention.

"My guess would be that he wanted to create some sort of balance in the world, where all of us, the other Valar and myself, and other spirits, were essential for whatever purpose he had created us. Do you not think so? And yet, he who claims to be on the side of the 'good', was himself the creator of 'unfair', seeing as how he allowed Aule to create Dwarves and forbade me to create something of my own. True, I have gone much further in my ambition, but from the onset, I had not been treated equally. So, my point is, nothing is uncorrupted, even Eru himself, who can be cruel as well. And who knows; perhaps all this is his game; perhaps there is another world where beings of my kind are prevailing, and beings of the fairer, 'good' kind fewer and conflicting. And seeing it as such, perhaps you, Sauron, my greatest servant, are the proof of it. For from good you fell into evil and from evil again into good; for you had, from betrayal, my loyal subject, birthed loyalty unconditional, a quality that was meant for the others, and not us," he placed his hand gently on top of Sauron's head, and beheld him with the softness unheard of in his realms.

"Your words, as always, have merit in them and should be deeply admired and taken into account, my Lord," replied Sauron. " Shall I tell you now of the plan I have imagined?" This was met with a slight nod, so he proceeded, " In the greatest heights of Thangorodrim, on the day that you first bestowed upon me the kiss binding, out of my mouth came a grain of soil, and I have kept it to this day. Should the need come, this will be the seed I will plant in the lands I acquire, and build a new kingdom for you. A hundred times darker, a hundred times worthier of your presence and rule. It shall grow into a formidable force, all-conquering, ever present," he spoke softly, but with fervor. This all Melkor listened with utmost delight.