Tower of the Moon by Nath

Originally written in 2007

The pale walls that would be the city's defence had almost reached their full
height, and as the great fortress slowly took shape under the skilled hands of
its builders, Isildur was pleased. Yes, this would be a good place to dwell, and
a great bastion of the Númenoreans in Middle-earth.
"Your creation is both fair and strong," he told the architect. "You have done
well."
He had climbed up as high above the city as he could go, looking for a rare
moment of solitude. The soft beauty of Minas Ithil, its walls shining with a
pale glow by the light of the Moon, nearly took his breath away as he looked
down.
Though it was a mighty fortress, and a grand construction, he knew it was
not equal to what they had left behind in Númenor. Yet, Isildur thought, this
place was untainted by the Shadow that had lain so heavy on Armenelos,
beautiful as that city had been. Still, Armenelos too had once been free of
the Shadow.
Then he looked east, to the high pass that led to the empty wasteland that
had been the Enemy's secret stronghold for much of the Age. A cloud passed
over the Moon and he shivered briefly, touched by a flash of foreboding.
Not daring to come closer, he looked upon the valley and the ghostly flowers
that grew on the banks of the black stream that flowed down its center. He
raised his eyes towards the pale light of decay that came from the walls of
Minas Morgul and shivered as he looked upon what must have once been a
sight to awe, rather than to sicken.
This had been his ancestor's city, but he doubted that it could ever be
cleansed and reclaimed, even if he were to gain the throne of Gondor and
the Enemy be brought down – a chance that seemed very small now, the
man who had lately been known as Thorongil thought, as he turned away
from that deathly vale and headed north.
The King had not come to watch the work on the destruction of the city, but
now that the task was done, he rode into Morgul Vale to look upon the ruin of
Minas Morgul. Elessar wondered what its builders would have made of the
ultimate fate of the fair city they had created; and he wondered what would
remain of the great works he himself had ordered, and what those who
looked upon them would think of them in Ages to come.