Proposal: Celebrimbor is secretly Feanor and 2 trenchcoats
As with literally everyone that died in the First Age, the circumstances of Feanor’s death are hella dubious.
“He ran off,” Maglor lies smoothly, “and then a balrog-”
“Twenty balrogs,” Curufin interjects.
“Twenty balrogs came out of nowhere and now he’s dead.”
“I shall wish to see his grave,” says Fingolfin suspiciously. “To mourn him, you see.”
“Grave? Er. No, there’s no grave. He- he…spontaneously combusted. Only ashes left.“
“Who’s that raven-haired fellow over there?” asks Fingolfin suspiciously. “The one wearing two trench coats, sniggering. He looks an awful lot like-”
“Haha that’s my son,” says Curufin. “Hence why he looks just like me. And by extension my father. Yes. This is a plausible explanation for what you are witnessing.”
Fingolfin kinda doubts that if you have to say something is a plausible explanation for what you are witnessing that it really is, but his son just died and his other son ran off to face near certain death so he’s gonna let it slide for now.
Why the charade? Did Feanor finally get a clue and realise if they were to have any chance at winning the war, avenging his father and reclaiming the silmarils it would be only be united under one ruler, and that he’d burnt all his ships bridges? Nah, it was a practical joke and he was enjoying getting one over on Fingolfin so much he couldn’t bring himself to reveal the deception, and then Fingolfin died and what was even the point?
