Magic was indeed a useful tool for many things. But like Bending, becoming too reliant on it was a problem. One had to be able to stand and act on their own, without using such things as a crutch.
Her and now, she listened carefully to what everyone had to say, considering her own reply as she did so. "Honestly, Clef, both of them are right," she said. "When it comes to Shadow, you're seeing what you want to see, rather than what's really there. His choices- good and bad- are his own. You can't judge him by the same metric as you would Link, or any of the others you mentioned."
"Despite his name and origin, Shadow is no one's double. He's his own individual with his own motivations and desires. You can't just assign motivations to his actions that you feel are more fitting. Doing so- however well meant it is- is highly disrespectful to him. It belittles him, his feelings, and any effort he makes to better himself, because by doing so you're effectively saying that his own desires and motivations are irrelevant or not good enough. That to be considered a good person in your eyes, his motivations and desires must fit with your expectations."
"I know that's not at all what you intend to imply," she added, heading off the protest she could see coming, "and so do they. But the fact that the hurt was unintentional doesn't mean it's not real. Shadow's path to becoming a better person is hardly a traditional one. But it's his, and it's as valid as any other. And until you can see and accept that, I'm afraid we're going to be at a bit of an impasse."
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Her and now, she listened carefully to what everyone had to say, considering her own reply as she did so. "Honestly, Clef, both of them are right," she said. "When it comes to Shadow, you're seeing what you want to see, rather than what's really there. His choices- good and bad- are his own. You can't judge him by the same metric as you would Link, or any of the others you mentioned."
"Despite his name and origin, Shadow is no one's double. He's his own individual with his own motivations and desires. You can't just assign motivations to his actions that you feel are more fitting. Doing so- however well meant it is- is highly disrespectful to him. It belittles him, his feelings, and any effort he makes to better himself, because by doing so you're effectively saying that his own desires and motivations are irrelevant or not good enough. That to be considered a good person in your eyes, his motivations and desires must fit with your expectations."
"I know that's not at all what you intend to imply," she added, heading off the protest she could see coming, "and so do they. But the fact that the hurt was unintentional doesn't mean it's not real. Shadow's path to becoming a better person is hardly a traditional one. But it's his, and it's as valid as any other. And until you can see and accept that, I'm afraid we're going to be at a bit of an impasse."