BIRTHDAY: Meeting Irmo

SUMMARY: Nienna and Námo receive a surpirse gift from Atar. A Tale of the Timeless Halls when the Valar were young... real young.

WARNING: Pure fluff.

Note: The characters use the second person familiar form of address in this story, a form that we have lost in modern English.

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"Námo, Nienna, come here, My Children."

Námo looked up from his contemplation of the flowers, roses, he thought Atar had called them when He had shown them to Námo for the first time, and smiled. Atar was calling him and he felt very pleased at that. He looked about for his sister. Nienna was older than he and he never wandered too far from her, feeling safe in her presence. There were many strange and wondrous things in the Timeless Halls and Námo was not sure about some of them. He spied his older sister some distance away and without thinking about it, thought himself practically on top of her.

"Námo!" Nienna said in exasperation, pushing him off her. "Watch where you are going."

"Sorry, Nienna," Námo said though he didn’t sound too sorry at the moment. "Atar called me."

"Called us, you mean," Nienna said, her normal indigo aura shifting slightly towards blue with amusement at the excitement she sensed in her little brother. She had been in the Timeless Halls for some time before Atar had presented her with her brother.

"He is very young," Atar had told her as He introduced Námo to her. "Dost thou think thou couldst take care of him for Me?"

Nienna had felt very grown up at that, almost as old as her friend Yavanna, who was much older than she in their Atar’s Thought. "Yes, Atar," she had said fervently. "I thank thee."

"Nay, Child," Atar had said gently with a smile. "It is I who thank thee."

She had watched over her little brother, mindful of her Atar’s trust in her, and Námo had returned her attention with much love. She had been somewhat serious in her youth but Námo had a rather strange sense of humor that kept her just off-balanced enough that she found herself becoming less grave and was even known to laugh now and then at her brother’s antics. She was not to know that every time she laughed Atar smiled and nodded His head, well pleased with both His Children.

"Come," she said to Námo, "we must not keep Atar waiting." With that she took hold of her brother and together they thought themselves in Atar’s Presence, immediately finding themselves surrounded by Love. Nienna sighed with pleasure while Námo squirmed and nearly squealed with delight at the sight of their Atar.

"Atar, Atar," he exclaimed with excitement, "I like the roses, Atar. They are pretty."

Atar smiled warmly at this little one, so new to the Timeless Halls and gathered him and his older (but not that much older, whatever she might think) sister into His embrace. "I am so glad thou dost, my best beloved," He murmured. "I created them just for thee."

"Thou didst?" Námo responded in awe, stunned that Atar would create something so beautiful just for him. "Ju-just for me?"

"Just for thee," Atar reiterated. "Now which is thy favorite color?"

Námo thought about it for a moment. "I like them all, Atar," he said quietly. "Do... do I have to pick a favorite?" he asked, fearful that he might displease his Atar and he didn’t want to do that.

Atar smiled at Námo and hugged him closer, sending thoughts of Love and Well-being to this little one. "Nay, best beloved," He said, "thou dost not have to choose. I am well pleased that thou likest my little gift and that all the colors please thee."

Námo smiled and settled further into Atar’s embrace, content. Atar turned His attention to His so serious daughter. "And thou, Daughter," He asked with a hint of amusement in His voice, "hast thou also enjoyed my gift to thee?"

"Gift, Atar?" Nienna asked in puzzlement. "Wh-what gift?"

"Why, thy little brother, of course," Atar replied.

"He is a gift?" Nienna asked, feeling a little confused.

"Yes, Child," Atar responded gently, "he is. Hath he not proved a wondrous surprise to thee, Daughter? Hath his laughter and sense of play not lightened thine own spirit and taught thee to laugh more?"

"Th-that is a gift?" Nienna wasn’t sure she really understood her Atar and suddenly she felt terribly young, almost as young as Námo.

"The ability to lighten another’s spirit is indeed a gift," Atar said gravely. "I gave Námo to thee for that very purpose, for I sensed thou wert becoming too serious and I feared thou wouldst lose the joy I gave thee at thy birthing."

Nienna started weeping then and Atar could sense the shock of it running through Námo, for the little one had never seen anyone weep before. "I am so-sorry, Atar," Nienna said dejectedly. "I did not mean to...."

"Hush now, Daughter," Atar crooned, gathering Nienna further into His embrace. "I am not angry with thee. Thou hast been a most obedient daughter in thy care of thy little brother and I am well pleased with thee."

Nienna stilled her weeping, comforted by her Atar’s words. Atar, meantime, turned His attention to Námo. "Be not upset, Child," He said soothingly. "Thy sister is well, as art thou."

Námo felt a wave of ecstasy gently engulf him, sending him into a paroxysm of joy that knew no bounds. For an eternal moment he floated in his Atar’s embrace content simply to Be with no thought of anything except how much his Atar loved him. Slowly, he came back to himself and smiled at Atar, Who smiled back.

"Now, I have a surprise for both of ye," Atar said.

"What, Atar?" Námo asked excitedly, wondering if it would be as interesting as the roses.

"Look ye, My Children," Atar commanded them, gesturing.

They looked and slowly, almost hesitantly, someone emerged out of the Void. Námo watched with interest, never having seen an Emergence before. The one coming forth emitted an aura that was a somewhat warmer blue than Nienna’s indigo. It was, in fact, a blue that shaded into green and Námo liked the interplay of the hues. His own aura was a pure steady violet, he knew, and didn’t think it was half as interesting. He sighed a little and Atar smiled down at him.

"Thou'rt quite beautiful, Child," He murmured, "and I think thy color is most interesting, else I would never have created it. It is a very soothing shade and I think thou'lt appreciate it more when thou'st grown into it somewhat."

"Who is it, Atar?" Nienna asked then, studying the Newborn.

"This is your new brother," Atar said with a smile.

"New brother?" Námo asked hesitantly, not sure if he liked the idea of no longer being the littlest.

"An-another gift, Atar?" Nienna asked almost at the same time, wondering if she was being punished or something.

Atar smiled at both his Children, though for different reasons. He decided to address Nienna’s concerns first. "Yes, Child. He is another gift, but not for thee alone. This is a gift thou shalt share with Námo." He then turned to Námo. "Yes, best beloved, this is thy new brother, and thou and thy sister must care for him and love him just as I care for and love ye both. Dost thou think thou canst do this for Me, Námo? Canst thou be a big brother even as Nienna has been thy big sister, teaching thee what thou must know?"

Námo thought about it for a moment, staring at his new brother, who was gazing about somewhat hesitantly, not quite sure what was happening or where he was. He exhibited the same confusion that Námo remembered feeling himself when he first Emerged. He remembered how grateful he had felt when Nienna had approached him and told him she was his big sister and would take care of him. With that thought he made his decision. Glancing at Atar for approval and receiving a nod of encouragement, he slid out of Atar’s embrace and went to stand before his little brother, whose bright aura had dimmed somewhat with uncertainty.

"Hello, what is thy name?" Námo asked, remembering how Nienna had done this with him not too long ago.

"Ir...irmo," the newest member of Atar’s family whispered.

Námo smiled. "That is a good name. I am thine older brother, Námo."

"Br-brother?" Irmo asked.

Námo awkwardly took this littlest one in his embrace. "Yes. Atar hath made me thine older brother to love and care for thee. Art thou not glad Atar gave thee to me?"

Irmo’s aura brightened at the feeling of belonging and he smiled. "Yes. I... I thank thee," he whispered.

"Thou'rt welcome," Námo replied. "Wouldst thou like to meet our older sister, too?"

"I... I have an older sister?" Irmo was amazed that Atar would be so generous to him and he almost started to weep, but Nienna came then and took him into her embrace.

"Hello, Irmo," she said gently. "I am thy sister, Nienna, and I love thee very much."

"As do I," Námo chimed.

"As do I," Atar echoed with a smile and gestured for all three of them to come to him. He took Irmo into his embrace first. "Welcome, best beloved," he said, giving His newest Child a kiss. "Welcome to thy new family."

Irmo started to weep indeed, overcome with joy and some deeper emotion he did not yet understand. Atar then welcomed the two older siblings into His embrace. At the sense of love and belonging that engulfed them, Námo and Nienna also began to weep. Atar softly sang a lullaby then and soon all three of His Children were asleep in His embrace, the youngest snuggled between the two older ones. That is how Melkor, Manwë, Varda, Aulë, Yavanna, Ulmo and Oromë found them when Atar summoned them from their play to meet their newest brother and they all rejoiced that their family had grown once again.