Description:
Oleander’s eyes lifted up from the Unicornomicon’s pages; displeasure passed over her face. She set the book down and turned to the room behind her.
“I may not have been given all of my clan’s gifts,” she said, projecting her voice throughout the space, “but I can certainly tell when somepony is skulking about. Show yourself.”
She didn’t have to wait long. A sparkling mass of blue, translucent mist emerged from behind the bookcase. It glided to the side of the room opposite Oleander, then began to coalesce and glow, forming the limbs and body of a pony.
The light faded, and Princess Luna stood before the unicorn, her countenance cold and dark. Her wings unfurled, reaching up in a wide display.
“Oleander of the Lost Woods. I would have words with thee.”
Oleander didn’t seem to react to the royal’s sudden appearance. “The Second Princess deigns to grace me with her presence? I assume I should be flattered.” She lifted her bag from off her shoulder, almost ignoring Luna as she emptied its content and began sorting its items on the shelf behind the counter. “To what do I owe this unexpected pleasure?”
Luna hardened at the insolent undercurrent in the younger mare’s voice. “I’m told you’ve recently taken up with Equestria’s heroes.”
“You mean Celestia’s new pet, her six tagalongs, and our two alien visitors? They were for a time confined to my local residence, after all. What of it?”
“And since that time, young Miss Sparkle has expressed an unsettling curiosity of the black arts.”
“Has she now?” Oleander said with mild interest. “Perhaps she’s finally learning to think for herself.”
“Do not play games, young mare!” Luna’s hoof struck the ground, her voice rising. “I am all too aware of you, and I will allow none of your machinations! You intend to poison another innocent mind with dreams of power?” She blatantly looked across Oleander’s form. “To stain another as you have yourself?”
Oleander’s gaze flicked back to the diarch. “What I intend, ‘your majesty,’ is as ever. To prepare for the threats that Equestria is sure to face.”
“By chasing a power that has so corrupted you? In the vain hope that it will win you back the acceptance you so discarded? You are to leave the Element Bearers out of your fool’s errand.”
Oleander didn’t respond at first, staring Luna down evenly.
“You say you know of me. You know nothing. I merely did what nopony else had the courage to do.” Her eyes shifted to the skull-adorned book. “And I never needed acceptance or approval. For the greater good, I forwent all of it.”
Luna scoffed. “Instead you drown yourself in forbidden arts and allow them to call you ‘The Dark Mare.’ Such an improvement.”
Oleander fixed her with a look. “I could imagine worse fates.”
For a long moment, the two faced each other in tense silence.
“You think dark magic to be some missing piece,” Luna said. “That seeking it will grant what you desire. You delude yourself. Its tentacles will only trap you and drag you down until—”
“Spare me your vapid lectures,” Oleander cut her off, turning her back to Luna, a sudden harshness in her voice. “I’ve heard it all before, and I’ll prove you wrong.” Her jaw subtly tightened. “I’ll prove you all wrong.”
For another moment, there was silence. Eventually, Oleander broke it.
“If you have a point, then come to it.”
Luna's hoof pawed the floor. “I warn you, young mare. Should you prove yourself an enemy of Equestria, I shall personally do whatever I must stop you.”
Oleander’s head gave a small tilt. She turned around and faced the princess. “Of the two of us, it’s not me who has endangered Equestria.”
Luna’s face went as cold as the Frozen North, but Oleander wasn’t done.
“Your feelings betray you, your highness. You think I will become what you once were.” She snorted derisively. “You and I are nothing alike. I guarded myself against the dark’s temptations and learned the true way to walk its path. I sacrificed everything I knew to learn what I need to protect Equestria. You? You let yourself be overcome by your own petty insecurities. You let yourself give in to jealousy and anger. I was strong where you were weak.
“Your need for ‘approval’ transformed you long before the shadows did. You wanted attention and praise for your duties. And how did you go about getting it? By holding the sun hostage. Tell me, are those the actions of a selfless and caring ruler? Or a selfish, petulant child who wants things her way? Even now your guilt from your past sins clouds your judgment.”
If looks could kill, Oleander would have died a thousand times over.
“You and I are not the same. Celestia’s newest experiment has nothing to fear from me. Nor does Equestria.” Oleander grabbed the Unicornomicon off the counter and stepped away.
“I’ve seen the coming darkness, and I’ll do what I must to defend us from it. Now, if there’s nothing else, kindly take your leave.”
Emotions swirled across Luna’s face as she stared at the unicorn. Just when it seemed the situation would escalate further, she turned on her heel and walked away.Before she reached the door, she looked back one last time towards Oleander.
“This path you walk. Is it truly worth the price?”
Oleander gripped the book tightly. “I pay it gladly.”
“I may not have been given all of my clan’s gifts,” she said, projecting her voice throughout the space, “but I can certainly tell when somepony is skulking about. Show yourself.”
She didn’t have to wait long. A sparkling mass of blue, translucent mist emerged from behind the bookcase. It glided to the side of the room opposite Oleander, then began to coalesce and glow, forming the limbs and body of a pony.
The light faded, and Princess Luna stood before the unicorn, her countenance cold and dark. Her wings unfurled, reaching up in a wide display.
“Oleander of the Lost Woods. I would have words with thee.”
Oleander didn’t seem to react to the royal’s sudden appearance. “The Second Princess deigns to grace me with her presence? I assume I should be flattered.” She lifted her bag from off her shoulder, almost ignoring Luna as she emptied its content and began sorting its items on the shelf behind the counter. “To what do I owe this unexpected pleasure?”
Luna hardened at the insolent undercurrent in the younger mare’s voice. “I’m told you’ve recently taken up with Equestria’s heroes.”
“You mean Celestia’s new pet, her six tagalongs, and our two alien visitors? They were for a time confined to my local residence, after all. What of it?”
“And since that time, young Miss Sparkle has expressed an unsettling curiosity of the black arts.”
“Has she now?” Oleander said with mild interest. “Perhaps she’s finally learning to think for herself.”
“Do not play games, young mare!” Luna’s hoof struck the ground, her voice rising. “I am all too aware of you, and I will allow none of your machinations! You intend to poison another innocent mind with dreams of power?” She blatantly looked across Oleander’s form. “To stain another as you have yourself?”
Oleander’s gaze flicked back to the diarch. “What I intend, ‘your majesty,’ is as ever. To prepare for the threats that Equestria is sure to face.”
“By chasing a power that has so corrupted you? In the vain hope that it will win you back the acceptance you so discarded? You are to leave the Element Bearers out of your fool’s errand.”
Oleander didn’t respond at first, staring Luna down evenly.
“You say you know of me. You know nothing. I merely did what nopony else had the courage to do.” Her eyes shifted to the skull-adorned book. “And I never needed acceptance or approval. For the greater good, I forwent all of it.”
Luna scoffed. “Instead you drown yourself in forbidden arts and allow them to call you ‘The Dark Mare.’ Such an improvement.”
Oleander fixed her with a look. “I could imagine worse fates.”
For a long moment, the two faced each other in tense silence.
“You think dark magic to be some missing piece,” Luna said. “That seeking it will grant what you desire. You delude yourself. Its tentacles will only trap you and drag you down until—”
“Spare me your vapid lectures,” Oleander cut her off, turning her back to Luna, a sudden harshness in her voice. “I’ve heard it all before, and I’ll prove you wrong.” Her jaw subtly tightened. “I’ll prove you all wrong.”
For another moment, there was silence. Eventually, Oleander broke it.
“If you have a point, then come to it.”
Luna's hoof pawed the floor. “I warn you, young mare. Should you prove yourself an enemy of Equestria, I shall personally do whatever I must stop you.”
Oleander’s head gave a small tilt. She turned around and faced the princess. “Of the two of us, it’s not me who has endangered Equestria.”
Luna’s face went as cold as the Frozen North, but Oleander wasn’t done.
“Your feelings betray you, your highness. You think I will become what you once were.” She snorted derisively. “You and I are nothing alike. I guarded myself against the dark’s temptations and learned the true way to walk its path. I sacrificed everything I knew to learn what I need to protect Equestria. You? You let yourself be overcome by your own petty insecurities. You let yourself give in to jealousy and anger. I was strong where you were weak.
“Your need for ‘approval’ transformed you long before the shadows did. You wanted attention and praise for your duties. And how did you go about getting it? By holding the sun hostage. Tell me, are those the actions of a selfless and caring ruler? Or a selfish, petulant child who wants things her way? Even now your guilt from your past sins clouds your judgment.”
If looks could kill, Oleander would have died a thousand times over.
“You and I are not the same. Celestia’s newest experiment has nothing to fear from me. Nor does Equestria.” Oleander grabbed the Unicornomicon off the counter and stepped away.
“I’ve seen the coming darkness, and I’ll do what I must to defend us from it. Now, if there’s nothing else, kindly take your leave.”
Emotions swirled across Luna’s face as she stared at the unicorn. Just when it seemed the situation would escalate further, she turned on her heel and walked away.Before she reached the door, she looked back one last time towards Oleander.
“This path you walk. Is it truly worth the price?”
Oleander gripped the book tightly. “I pay it gladly.”
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