The Legend of Sol, Titan, and Morgan: And Meanwhile...

Titan loved his siblings. He adored his older sister, Sol, even if she could be cruel and ruthless and pushed everyone around her far too hard; even when she was at her worst, he saw her best qualities, always shining in her. And he saw that she was only ever so harsh because she was still suffering terribly.

He loved his sisters; his younger sibling, Morgan, tried so hard, poured so much of her heart into taking care of others and looking out for the world, even though it seemed so often like the world wanted nothing to do with her. Her dark powers, after all, struck fear into the hearts of many ponies, and Titan knew that Morgan herself sometimes wondered if one day she would be sealed away or executed, like so many other dark entities they had fought and defeated over the years.

Titan did everything he could for his siblings. He was always there, to make them laugh, or smile, or to do anything else that he could for them. He thought that all they both needed, in their own way, was compassion and understanding: he knew that the world was moved by such things, even if Morgan only ever smiled at him like he was saying something she direly wanted to believe, but couldn't, and Sol simply rolled her eyes and told him that war was won with words and swords, not hugs.

Titan continued to persevere in his beliefs, however: he thought that the entire world could be won over, if only it could be shown a little more love and understanding. And that was why he was good, and gracious, to everypony he met: because of his purehearted want for the entire world to be one big place of friendship and happiness. Because he believed that even beasts could be tamed by love and understanding better than they could by whips and chains.

There was nothing that Titan wouldn't do for his sisters, and even a stranger, Titan would give the world to. Should an enemy cry for mercy, Titan would give it to them, freely and without any strings attached; should an enemy ask for help, Titan would help them, with kindness and love in his heart. For all his strength, and his grand title of the Horse of Stone, Titan's heart was anything but hard: there was no purer hero, nor any more worthy of adulation and respect for the mercy and the compassion that Titan always worked to show.

And that, perhaps, was why Titan was selected as a go-between by Sol: he would travel happily to Veliuona's camp, making conversation with the living dead as readily as he did with any normal pony. He also worked to keep the peace between the armies of the living and the dead, saying that they had a much greater foe to fight, and that as of now, they were all friends, and allies.

Yet Titan also was no fool: he saw the living dead, and studied Veliuona's armies. He read the runes scrawled upon their bones and noted the formations that her soldiers took in combat. He memorized what he saw of their training, and took note of who the commanders were, and how they bedecked themselves. He knew that one day, perhaps, they would be enemies, and they would be forced to do battle.

And all the same, Titan did not merely watch, but sometimes assisted: he corrected training errors, even knowing such skills could be used against him in the future. He helped repair their weapons and their armor, and taught the smith skills they could use to better edge their blades, and strengthen their shields. And he showed them how unity, and teamwork, could bring down even the strongest of aggressors... and reminded the living dead that their numbers would always be their greatest strength, so the better they learned to harness their hordes, the stronger they would be.

Titan taught, and aided, even as he watched and kept the peace, because Titan did not merely see monsters who could one day be enemies. Titan saw only what he had always seen, when he placed his eyes upon another: his fellow pony.

The Legend of Sol, Titan, and Morgan: Shade And Shadow

Sol had taught Morgan that all darkness was darkness. That evil powers, even if used for good, were nonetheless evil. That the magic of corruption and shadow, even when used for the brightest purpose, was all the same still the stuff of terror and destruction, and it could not be excused. That even if evil was used or tricked into serving a good purpose, it all the same was still evil, and still deserved to be pushed out or punished or sealed away, once its purpose was complete.

Morgan was aware that many of her powers were of darkness and shadow. And she knew that she excelled most in arts that were considered to be that of cowards and the wicked. That her powers stemmed from the night, and from evil. Sol had taught her that she could bind these powers, and use these abilities for the greater good... but also that one day, she would have to learn to contain all this evil inside herself.

Darkness could serve a purpose, though: that was what Morgan truly believed. And sometimes, when she looked past the blind love and devotion she had to Sol, and when she listened to Titan, who gave her love and encouragement and spoke of balance in all things, and that evil and shadow had their own purpose in the world... she thought that her darkness was something different. That perhaps there was not evil, and evil alone, but darkness came in different shades, and shadows.

As she studied under Veliuona, she found herself feeling a strange amiability with her. An almost eerie understanding of the goddess, as a matter of fact: there was honesty in the words of the Goddess of Cursed Shades when she spoke of her empire, of wanting to protect her countless servants and minions. Except she spoke more of them than simply as her minions as well, and somehow that resonated with Morgan: the way she spoke about her Velites was not merely as some great goddess who was amused by her cult of fanatics, but with an almost maternal pride.

Veliuona said they were not so different, and Morgan did not like that she was forced to agree. They were both creatures of darkness... and yet Veliuona showed more compassion for her deathless servants than Morgan had seen the forces of the light show for their own citizens, be they foal or fierce warrior. Perhaps the darkness could be more than suffocating... it could embrace, as well. It was capable of love, a love that the light would either never understand.

Shade, and shadow: different aspects, different depths of darkness. Just as order could kill and suffocate, just as she had learned that the laws of the land were sometimes not used to pursue justice, but instead to aid prejudice and blind hatred... couldn't the darkness be used for good? Couldn't this deepest, most terrible of sins and evils, this black magic she was learning... be used to protect, and maybe even help those who were suffering, to protect others?

Morgan wanted to believe that she was right. And it made her all too willing a student to a goddess all too eager to teach her new disciple how best to harness her powers of the night.

The Legend of Sol, Titan, and Morgan: Night Magic

Morgan followed Veliuona into her encampment on the second night of the Goddess' visit. She shivered as her paladin strode nervously behind her... but it was not fear of either Veliouna or her countless thralls. It was discomfort at the strangest sense of familiarity she felt as she walked into this conclave of the dead.
The young paladin, of course, was far less comfortable. He was terrified of the undead abominations, fearful of what they would do, revolted by how they looked and acted. And at the same time, there was a bitterness in him, a jealousy of his beloved as she walked with her head high in the wake of the great and terrible creature striding ahead of them, who seemed to know no fear of the dead world around her or the things that lurked within it.
Veliuona took Morgan to her tent, then halted here: she invited the mare inside, but told the stallion to wait, or to leave. Morgan smiled, and tried to encourage him, reassuring him that the dead would not harm him and he could leave if he so desired.
The words had not even left her mouth when the stallion fled, to the laughter of Veliuona... and to the frustration of Morgan. Certainly, she did not hold his fear against him... but all the same, she had expected at least a goodbye, or for him to leave with as much boldness as he had first entered the camp... not that he had been very bold at all, she reflected.
Morgan turned towards Veliuona, and the goddess seemed to see her unhappiness on her face, as she mocked that her thralls knew no such fear. She bragged of their loyalty, and their superiority, but was cut short by Morgan's angry interjection that they were also soulless, mindless, worthless abominations.
But Veliuona was not angered: no, as a matter of fact, she was pleased. For while Morgan spoke the Sun Warrior's words, it was only parroting. In her eyes, and upon her heart, she saw written very different things. And likewise, Veliuona tasted something further, too: interest, however unwilling Morgan was to admit it. For were the undead not fascinating in their own way? Was not there something romantic in creatures who had not just died for you, but now continued to serve, to love, to fight in your name after the warriors of every other nation had long given in to the eternal slumber?
Veliuona smiled at Morgan, then asked her what she would prefer to learn: to banish the dead, or to summon them to her aid.
Morgan opened her mouth to answer... and yet couldn't form the words. She knew what Sol would want her to say, what Sol would want her to do... and yet, as Veliuona smiled at her, she also knew what she wanted to truly learn. What truly compelled her, and called to her.
And before she knew it, she had spoken her answer... and it was a lesson Veliuona would be all too happy to teach.

The Legend of Sol, Titan, and Morgan: Death And The Warrior

It was strange, how much Sol found she had in common with Veliuona. They both were direct, cunning, and favored many of the same methods. The largest divide in their thinking came from their thoughts on the undead: to Sol, they were merely abominations and horrors, while Veliuona thought of them all as 'her children,' and treated those she had converted into Velites and servants of darkness as if she had saved them.
In spite of their attempts to remain peaceful, soon Veliuona and Sol began to debate this point. Sol said they were nothing but drones, constantly in pain and sorrow. Veliuona countered that she left the free will intact in her loyal servants, and that they no longer felt pain, or hunger, or tiredness. She made them stronger and took away their need to rely on the kindness of the world: Sol responded that she had also taken away their ability to give birth, to find meaning in life, to experience the joys and pleasures that only the living could.
Veliuona snapped that the living most often regretted living. Sol retorted that the dead were left regretting the life they didn't live and their eternal undeath.
Then Titan interrupted them by declaring that he would happily see if Veliuona was more alive or more dead, because she was as pretty as a flower.
This short interruption halted the arguing between the Goddess of Cursed Shades and Sol, at least for the moment. Instead, they turned their attention to other things, as Titan happily trotted along behind them, and Morgan and her paladin followed last. The paladin hid behind his love, while Morgan began to feel less fear, and more fascination with Veliuona. She exuded a dark magic... but it was not entirely evil, she thought. Veliuona herself, she was undecided on, but her presence was not as terrible as Morgan had expected.
When they sat together with the Baron and several of his mages and advisers, Veliuona was quick to take charge of the conversation, laying out a plan for a direct assault on a Wyrm nearest to her territory. Her plan was crude, but would be effective... yet all the same, Sol countered that Veliuona's armies of the dead could hold back the Wyrms there for now. Instead, they should focus on securing several important trade routes that at least two Wyrms appeared to be heading towards, likely drawn by the easy prey that merchant and transport caravans would provide.
Veliuona eventually relented... but Sol thought it was too easy to convince her. She suspected, in fact, that Veliuona had only opened with her initial plan of attack in order to test them. A popular negotiation tactic: open with a demand, allow the other party to argue it down, and then later, when the other party felt confident and comfortable, like it was controlling the table, slip your real demands forwards.
And as she had expected, it wasn't long before Veliuona made her real request, and one that Sol had not expected.
Veliuona smiled at Morgan, and asked her to accompany her back to her camp, so she could teach her the true magic of the night. And even though Morgan looked afraid, and Titan looked uneasy, Sol's mind leapt at the opportunities it would provide... even if in her heart of hearts, she feared what places agreeing to this request might lead to in the future.