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.
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