"And that's a short version of the story," Luna finished with a sigh, shifting her gaze to the man. "I think you have a right to know."

The man answered nothing, gazing thoughtfully at the night sky.

They were sitting on a bench in the Royal Garden, surrounded by majestic trees and flowering plants. Luna was enjoying the coolness of the night, and her ethereal mane swayed in the light breeze. The sound of a fountain could be heard in the distance, creating an atmosphere of peace and tranquility.

"May I ask a question, Princess Luna?" the man finally spoke.

"Of course," the Princess of Night replied easily. "As long as we are in private - there is no need for titles and formalities. Just call me Luna."

"Okay, Luna," the man smiled, then looked at the princess seriously. "You and Nightmare Moon are the same being?"

Luna flinched as if his words had pierced her heart and looked the man in the eye.

The man looked into her eyes and felt the pressure of thousands of years.

Blood, death, resentment, anger, hatred, despair, hope, betrayal, triumph and happiness. All of these things were circling like sharks in Princess Luna's bottomless gaze.

Such concentrated feelings could drive a mortal to a nervous breakdown.

Alexei allowed it all to pass through him, but his gaze remained as calm as the ocean's smooth surface.

"Yes," Luna replied briefly, breaking her gaze and examining some random flower. "You're here because of my selfish desires. Do you hate me?"

"Why should I hate you, Luna?" the man asked with a smile.

"Your family, your friends, your lover. You will never see them again. There is no way to bring you back to your world," Luna continued in an increasingly somber voice. "So tell me, why don't you hate me!"

The man regarded the princess in silence, sinking into increasingly dark thoughts. Her very presence seemed to absorb the light, plunging everything around her into darkness. It was a mesmerizing sight, bearing a certain beauty.

The man stood up resolutely and approached the princess. She didn't even seem to notice the movement, buried in her thoughts. Given the height of the bench, their faces were on the same level.

Luna flinched when she felt a hug, pulling her out of her dark thoughts.

"I don't hate you," the man's whisper sounded, blowing hot breath against her ear. "And I forgive you, Luna."

Princess Luna's pupils dilated slightly in surprise, but she immediately picked herself up on her hooves.

After a few moments, the man broke the embrace and smilingly looked into her eyes.

"Of course, you'll have to compensate me for this," the man began in a serious voice, but there was amusement evident in it. "Have I told you yet that I have a sweet tooth?"

Luna snorted and laughed a tinkling, bell-like laugh.

"Who let you touch the princess anyway?" she began in a feignedly displeased tone. "I'll buy you all the cakes in Canterlot."

The man laughed and plopped back on the bench, the previously gloomy atmosphere completely obliterated.

"Actually, I was planning on bestowing a noble title on you," Luna murmured thoughtfully, looking at the man cheerfully. "Now I don't know what to think."

"I don't need a noble title," the man replied nonchalantly.

The playful expression on Luna's face disappeared as she looked at the man perplexed.

"Why? You can firmly establish yourself in society," the princess replied confidently. "Nobles have many privileges. You can live carefree and enjoy all that Canterlot has to offer."

"And yet, my answer is no," the man smiled, finding the princess' bewilderment amusing.

Perhaps she thought it was a good offer, but the man didn't think so.

By gaining a noble title, he would integrate into society and become a member of this "organization" called Equestria. By becoming part of the system he could gain a bunch of advantages, but the suppression would also become stronger. The man preferred to act without any restrictions.

"I don't understand, but I won't insist," Luna said with a sigh. "I can't bring you home, but I can give you a new home. I'll buy you a house in Canterlot anyway. You don't need the title. Gold then? I can provide for you for life."

"I don't need gold," the man replied with a chuckle.

"Then what do you wish? Just tell me!" the princess said, deciding not to beat around the bush.

The man thought for a moment, his eyes staring off into the distance as if searching for an answer in the vast expanse. Then he looked at the princess with sincerity in his eyes.

"I don't need anything," the man replied simply.

Princess Luna squinted her eyes as she considered the man. She wanted to compensate him for all the trouble he had caused, but he dared to refuse. What an impudent man!

"I won't accept such an answer," the princess flatly refused, staring resolutely at the man.

The man thought deeply, scratching his cheek.

"As you already know, there is no magic in my world," he began after some thought. "I would like to use magic. Is there a way?"

"I'll be honest with you," Luna sighed after some hesitation. "I know of several ways, but all of them are terrible. The chances of success are extremely slim, and in your case, close to zero. If you don't die right away - you'll be wishing you were dead. Not to mention the unethical nature of some of these methods. Trust me, you don't want to mess with dark magic."

The man listened silently, not reacting in any way.

He asked the question more for confirmation. He didn't expect the princess to have a convenient spell that could make him a mage. Her options were no different from the ritual Saada had suggested.

There was no point in even asking about eternal life. How many close friends and lovers had the princesses had during their lifetime? And where were they now?

"I understand," the man replied indifferently, shifting his gaze back to the sky.

"I'm sorry, but there's nothing that can be done," the princess said sadly, watching the man's reaction. "Maybe there's something else?"

The man fell silent, looking extremely pensive and immersed in his thoughts.

"Can you teach me how to dreamwalk?" he finally replied, smiling at the princess. "I'm very interested in dream magic."

Princess Luna thought for a moment. Dreamwalking was one of her specialties, and she knew it was inaccessible to someone without a soul. But in his eyes, she saw genuine desire and curiosity.

"You realize you'll never be able to use it, don't you?" the princess asked, looking at the man perplexed.

"I realize perfectly well. And yet it is my wish," the man replied firmly.

The princess's eyebrows raised slightly as a certain thought crossed her mind - she remembered her sister's apprentice.

"He wants to become my apprentice to... cheer me up?" Luna thought in surprise.

"Good," she replied briefly, some warmth flashing in her eyes. "I don't have much free time, so you'll have to learn from my journals and books. Of course, I'm always available to answer your questions."

"Sounds good," the man replied, smiling at the Princess of Night.

A week had passed since that momentous night, and now the human was enjoying his morning coffee in his new house.

They had nearly fought with the princess recently while they were choosing the right house for him. Luna had insisted on buying a giant mansion, but Alexei was more modestly inclined. He only wanted a simple house with a securely shielded basement where he could do his experiments in alchemy.

After much debate, he convinced Luna that a simple dwelling was enough for him. Although Luna looked slightly displeased, Alexei reassured her by promising that perhaps in the future he would need rare ingredients that she could acquire for him. This answer satisfied the princess. She was impressed by the passion and perseverance with which the man was learning the art of alchemy.

However, all these little things around the house and the ingredients did not bother Alexei. At the moment, his attention was completely focused on two things: dream magic and his relationship with Luna. As soon as the man heard the princess' story, he was immediately interested and wanted to learn all about dream magic. And who could be a better teacher than the Princess of Night herself?

Alexei was extremely cautious about bringing up the subject of learning, pretending that he was only mildly curious and just wanted to spend more time in Luna's company.

In fact, he was deeply intrigued.

Nightmares in particular caught his attention - creatures composed of dense mental energy, capable of using any form of magic, just like unicorns. Unlike the latter, nightmares possessed neither magical energy nor a soul. They used their extremely powerful mental energy as fuel for spells, and they simply didn't need a soul. In addition, they could take over other creatures by taking over their bodies. Nightmares resembled viruses with their behavior.

Alexei seriously considered the possibility of turning into one of them. To him, the human body was just a sack for a mind made of flesh and bones. If it would get him closer to his goal, he was willing to easily discard his humanity. Although Alexei did not possess the ability to use dream magic, he could partially mimic it through alchemy. He realized that he would have to create recipes from scratch, and so he needed all the information available about dream magic.

For the past week he had burrowed into the library in the princess's room, absorbing every book and entry on the subject. It was a good thing that she rarely had anyone in there, otherwise there would be rumors about a man who never left the princess's room.

But now his thoughts were not on the books, but on Luna herself.

He had previously believed her to be in complete isolation, according to information acquired from the griffins. His plans had been to slowly establish a relationship with the princess. All of those plans instantly collapsed - Luna was not in isolation.

Several clans of thestrals returned to Equestria and swore allegiance to Luna. Thestrals, a mix of ponies and bats, had a long connection to the princess. This turn of events did not suit Alexei, and he began to wonder how this might affect his plans.

What resources do thestrals have? What actions will thestrals take? Would they be able to negotiate with the nobles by stopping the bullying of Luna? Or will they use more extreme methods?

None of this suited the man - he wanted to be everything to Luna, and thestrals were pulling the blanket over him.

While Luna had agreed to share some information with him, she was clearly hiding the most interesting, and dangerous, aspects of dream magic. He and Luna were still far from being considered close. Which was why the man was trying to constantly improve his relationship with the princess.

Getting close to someone and creating a good relationship was both easy and difficult. The main thing was simply to lower one's status and satisfy the other party's desires.

"What do you desire, Luna?" he wondered, stepping out of his house and heading towards the palace. "Forgiveness. Even though you don't want to admit it. It's easy, but what else?"

"She's a warrior and a commander, values loyalty and sacrifice," the man continued to ponder. "She wants to be appreciated. She also cares about other people's opinions, even if she hides it. Otherwise, there wouldn't be the whole rebellion thing. There are many dark thoughts in the back of her mind. And she secretly enjoys them, even if she regrets crossing a certain line."

"Let's not forget the inferiority complex," the man thought as he bought some hot apple-filled pies. "She wants to outdo her sister in anything. If you put all her desires together, what would my plan be?

"There's another important point. Princesses aren't stupid at all. Sooner or later they will uncover my disguise and begin to suspect something. Perhaps they already suspect me.

"I need to take the initiative and reveal some things. Let them think they can see right through me and control everything.

"Hehe, those alicorns are pretty arrogant."

The man walked towards the palace and chewed apple pie, his mind buzzing with all sorts of plots and intrigues.

At the entrance, he ran into several nobles who cast dirty looks at him. Alexei, as usual, ignored it and continued on his way, but suddenly froze. His head slowly turned towards the nobles and his face spread into a smile.

"Nice day today, isn't it?" the man asked the unicorns and without waiting for an answer, he entered the palace.

He had just gotten a great idea.

"Are you serious now?" Luna asked in a tired voice, her eyes expressing disbelief and questioning the man's sanity.

She was exhausted after a sleepless night and was going to meet with the nobles in an hour. Returning to the political life of the country required her utmost concentration and energy. And now there stood before her a man with some crazy idea.

"I am always serious," he replied with a smile.

"I was wrong to tell you all this," Luna said in a doomed voice. "Now you come and say you want to go to the head conspirator among the nobles and convince him to back down. Am I understanding this correctly? I haven't missed anything?"

"Yes, all correct," the man replied with the same smile, despite her skeptical look.

"You're nuts," Luna summarized. "You must have overdone your studies and damaged your mind. Take a couple days off."

"I'm not kidding, Luna," the man replied seriously. "Is there anything I can do to make this already dire situation worse? No. So why don't you trust me and give me a chance?"

Luna gave him a certain look that showed her whole attitude toward his naivete.

Alexei responded with a determined look, glowing with hope.

"All right, all right. Just don't look at me like that," the princess sighed. "I'll arrange for you to meet the Marquis at noon. Now go away and let me wash in peace."

"You won't regret it," the man smiled. "Ah yes, may I borrow one of your maids?"

"I did assign you a personal maid, though," the princess said perplexed. "Moonlight has been hanging around idle for a week now."

"Hmm, right," the man frowned, actually remembering that he had a maid. "I'll see you later, then. Good luck with your meeting."

The man turned around and walked out of the princess' room to her heartbreaking sigh. He headed to his room in the castle and found the gray mare of thestrals who, by the looks of her, had just slept.

"Moonlight, eh?" he asked as he approached her. "I have two errands for you."

The mare nodded silently, she was glad to finally get down to business after a week of downtime.

"Do you have any day ponies outside of the Royal Palace in mind that you can trust?" the man asked, pulling a few costumes out of the closet.

"I think there are a couple of trustworthy ponies," Moonlight replied after some thought.

The man nodded satisfied, leaned over to her and began whispering something in her ear.

"Got it all memorized?" the man asked, finally completing his instructions. "And of course, the source wished to remain unknown."

"I will fulfill your assignment, Friend of the Night," Moonlight nodded confidently and quickly left the room. Her graceful footsteps resounded in the silence, reflecting the determination and ruthlessness she felt for those who stood in Princess Luna's way.

"You're not going to attack the Marquis, are you?" came the zebra's voice, interrupting the man busy with his costume. "I hope you realize there's a bunch of armed guards out there?"

"Attacking a nobleman?" Alexei asked shocked. "What scary things you say, Saada. We'll just talk."

His face expressed unwavering confidence, as if he was convinced of his ability to sway the marquis to his side. Zebra only rolled her eyes, but said nothing.

Taking his costume, the man returned home and began brewing the potions that were necessary to carry out his plan.

Time flew by quickly, and now it was time for the meeting. Alexei drank two potions, walked out of his house and headed towards the Marquis' mansion.

His name was Radiant Rose, and according to the Crown's information, he was the mastermind behind the campaign against the princess.

Quickly reaching the mansion, Alexei gave his name to the guards and after a thorough search, he entered the mansion accompanied by two impressive unicorns. Their gazes were filled with determination and vigilance, as if they were ready to protect their master at all costs.

The man really didn't have anything with him.

Although, the guards should have discovered the tattoo on his left leg, but it hadn't been there for a long time. Earlier, after obtaining the ingredients for the regeneration-giving tattoo, he destroyed the speed tattoo and chose another place to place them. He removed the skin from his back, carefully applied the tattoos on the inside and put the skin back in place. These tattoos were extremely important to him, and now discovering or damaging them was extremely problematic.

As they walked down the corridor, Alexei discreetly removed the flower from his chest, pinned with a needle, and tucked it into his pocket. He hid the needle between his fingers.

Knocking on the door of the Marquis' office, the guards waited for an answer and let Alexei in, closing the door from the outside.

The man took a quick glance around the room. To the right hung a painting of a majestic unicorn that seemed to come to life against the bright green of the forest. Cabinets filled with books took up an entire wall, and a large desk by the window was covered with stacks of papers and writing pens.

Two impressive unicorns stood to the sides of the door, watching intently.

"Good afternoon, Marquis Rose," the man said with a smile as he greeted the unicorn behind the desk.

"Good afternoon to you as well, Alexei," the marquis said, raising his gaze to the man. Curiosity flashed in his eyes. "I confess, I don't quite understand the purpose of your visit."

"It's just a friendly visit," the man smiled warmly at the unicorn. "I would like to talk about some disturbing things in Canterlot."

"Disturbing? Then you'd better contact the royal guard," the marquis replied perplexed. "I'm not sure I can help you."

The man did not answer, pacing around the room as if he were in his own home.

His gaze was drawn to a set of writing pens on a cabinet shelf and a knife for sharpening them lying nearby. The fine knife with a small silver handle decorated with gems was immediately eye-catching to anyone. The handle was rather decorative - unicorns didn't need them.
The man walked over to the shelf and began to examine it, then took it in his hands.

"A very beautiful piece, Marquis," the man said in satisfaction as he admired the knife. "You have good taste."

"Please don't touch anything," the unicorn said with a polite smile, telekinetically snatching the knife from the man's hands. He had to make some effort - the man clung to the knife like a tick.

"Oh, please forgive me. I seem to have gotten carried away," the man smiled guiltily and then immediately grew serious. "I came to talk about Princess Luna."

The unicorn frowned upon hearing the princess' name and put the knife back on the shelf.

"And what exactly do you wish to discuss?" the unicorn asked, scrutinizing the man.

The human didn't answer. Putting his hands behind his back he began pacing back and forth as if gathering his thoughts.

"Surely you must have heard all those unpleasant rumors about the princess that have been floating around Canterlot?" the man asked, finally stopping near a shelf of feathers.

"I think I've heard something vaguely," the unicorn replied indifferently. "But what does it have to do with me?"

The man turned to the picture of the unicorn hanging on the wall to the right and took a step back, closer to the shelf, as if trying to get a better look at the image.

"Who is this, Marquis?" the man suddenly changed the subject, nodding at the painting. "Your ancestor?"

"Yes, he is the founder of our family," the unicorn replied turning his head. There was a flicker of pride in his eyes.

Neither the unicorn nor the guards noticed the man's hand hidden behind his back grabbing the knife and stashing it in his pocket.

"There is an opinion that rumors are spread by some nobles," the man said thoughtfully, discreetly pricking his finger with the needle. "Do you think your ancestor would have approved of such actions?"

"Is it just me, or are you accusing me of something, Alexei?" Marquis Rose squinted, gazing into the face of the man who wandered into his office. The Marquis' gaze was perceptive, as if he was trying to read his guest's mind.

"No, no, not at all," the man replied calmly as he continued his slow steps across the room. Each step he took left a trail of blood drops on the luxurious carpet. "It just really hurts me to watch the princess suffer, and I want all these rumors to stop."

"I share your sentiments," the Marquis said with bitterness in his voice. "My family has always been loyal to the Crown. If I find out who is behind these slanderous rumors, I will immediately report it to the palace."

"You are truly a paragon of virtue, Marquis Rose," the man smiled, looking at the unicorn appreciatively. "Those are exactly the words I wanted to hear."

"You overpraise me," the Marquis replied, smiling again. "It is my duty as a noblepony."

"Then this visit was not in vain," the man continued to smile, taking a bow to the unicorn. "I dare not waste any more of your time, Marquis."

"If it concerns the Crown, you may come anytime," the Marquis replied politely, shifting his gaze to the guards standing at the door. "Please escort my guest out."

Bowing once more, the man left the office. The two unicorns serving as guards led him back to the entrance.

"The meeting ended somehow poorly," the zebra snorted in his head.

"What do you mean? The meeting hasn't even started yet," the human replied with a smile. "Quick, check the surroundings for magic and creatures."

"There's a room behind us, packed with guards. There are guards in front of the entrance as well. No one else," the zebra relayed after a moment. "There is no one watching us. Marquis seems to be trying to contact someone."

With a satisfied nod, the man raised his hands and struck the unicorns' heads with force, knocking them out. The soft carpet in the hallway muffled the sound of their bodies falling.

Raising an eyebrow, Saada watched as the man pulled a knife out of his pocket and began furiously cutting up his body. He didn't even spare his face, methodically making deep cuts. Blood slowly streamed down his body, falling to the carpet. Not even a minute later, it already felt like the man had survived an attack from a wild beast.

"Keep wounds open," the man mentally relayed to Saada, frowning slightly.

He had previously drunk a regeneration-suppressing potion, but it didn't seem to be enough - the blood was stopping too quickly. The tattoo was indeed of excellent quality.

The unicorns on the floor groaned, beginning to regain consciousness.

Stabbing the knife into his right shoulder, the man left a few bloody prints on the wall and rushed for the exit.

Meanwhile, in a neighboring street, very close to the Marquis' mansion, a squad of royal guards were fighting off pesky journalists.

"I say again, we have no idea what you're talking about," the squad leader said irritably, trying to keep the crowd of journalists at bay. "We're here for a routine check."

"Are you saying that..." the pegasus reporter began, but was interrupted by a shrill scream.

All eyes turned toward the source of the sound.

The pegasi among the reporters immediately leapt into the air and rushed in the direction of the shout.

A squad of royal guards, pushing the remaining reporters away, ran towards the scene. Quickly reaching the right place, the leader's pupils dilated with shock for a moment. Before him appeared a sight that could only be seen in nightmares.

A bipedal creature leaped out of the Marquis' mansion, torn to shreds and bleeding. The creature stumbled and fell, but immediately continued to crawl desperately on the ground, leaving a trail of blood. Its eyes were full of terror and despair.

The guards immediately recognized the creature as a human who had been frequenting the palace recently.

After a second of shock, the squad rushed toward the wounded man.

"Everypony back!" the squad leader roared, shoving away the omnipresent reporters and approaching the man.

Taking a quick look at the wounds, the unicorn used several first aid spells to stop the bleeding.

"Can you speak?" he asked worriedly, trying to catch the man's gaze. "What happened, sir?"

It had indeed been a crazy day for his squad. First they got news of an upcoming riot in a certain area. Next, reporters had appeared from somewhere accusing them of all sins. Now it's a bloody mess.

"Marquis Rose..." the man said in a trembling voice, looking back at the manor with horror. "He's a monster!"

"This is all rather disturbing, Marquis Rose," Celestia said thoughtfully, examining the unicorn across the room.

Sitting beside Celestia on the couch was Luna, and next to her, on a chair, sat a man. His entire body was wrapped in bloody bandages. Actually, his wounds had long since healed and even his scars were fading, but a certain image had to be maintained.

"I had nothing to do with this," the Marquis hissed through clenched teeth.

"There are traces of blood in your office. The corridor and the walls are drenched in blood. And it all belongs to a human," Celestia continued in a calm voice. "The weapon of crime has yours, and only yours, magical energy on it.

"Can you explain all of that?"

Marquis Rose remained silent, gritting his teeth and drilling his gaze to the floor. He knew the princesses wouldn't be able to imprison him for long. However, they could definitely ruin his life.

Taking a deep breath, the Marquis' face relaxed. It was time to let go. This time, they had fucked him.

"I'm listening," Marquis finally replied in a steady voice.

Celestia smiled and shifted her gaze to the man, waiting for his words. She was a little curious as to what he would say.

"As I said before Marquis, my heart aches from all the bullying directed at Princess Luna," the man said with a sigh. "That pain is probably what caused this whole misunderstanding.

"Maybe there's something you could do?"

The unicorn licked his lips and stared at the human. Oh, how he wanted to tear this insolent man apart.

"I'll do my best," the marquis squeezed out with a strained smile.

"You have a kind heart, Marquis Rose," the man smiled warmly. "I suffered an explosion when I broke your late father's precious artifact and said some unnecessary things. However, you are still concerned about my feelings.

"I will make a statement and clarify the situation."

Everyone in the room was well aware that all of this was utter nonsense, but no one even turned a deaf ear. Including the Marquis, who had just yesterday received a letter from his father, who was enjoying a vacation in retirement.

"I'm very glad we were able to clear up that misunderstanding," the unicorn replied with the same strained smile, shifting his gaze to Celestia.

"You may go, Marquis Rose," followed the princess' reply.

Bowing, the unicorn left the room, leaving the two alicorns and the human alone.

The two princesses immediately stared at the human. Celestia's face expressed nothing, though there was a flicker of some thoughtfulness in her eyes. Luna's gaze was complicated, but in it they could discern appreciation and a hint of... respect?

"So," Celestia began slowly, breaking the silence. "What was that?"

"Advanced diplomacy?" the man suggested, smiling innocently at the princess.

Author's Note

Luna snorted and laughed a tinkling, bell-like laugh.

"Who let you touch the princess anyway?" she began in a feignedly displeased tone. "I'll buy you all the cakes in Canterlot."

Man, I think I'm in love.