A True Person

"So you planned this from the beginning?" the already calmed man asked.

"Of course," the zebra grinned, waiting for the ritual to activate. "You think fourteen years of your lifespan is enough to gain all my knowledge? Dream on."

The man nodded upon hearing this. There was no point in asking about the rest. He already understood how she'd pulled it all off.

Under the terms of the contract, she couldn't lie to him or hurt him. Zebra hadn't lied. The ritual worked exactly as she'd described it four years ago. He had personally verified it when he finished his training in rune inscription. On top of that, they had worked together to create the final version.

Then, while he was out of sight, she applied some additional runes modifying the ritual on top of the array. Zebra did not break any conditions, activating the runes after the contract was already complete.

The man could recall many recipes for rune inks that only manifested after an infusion of mental energy. She must have prepared the ink back in Canterlot while he was asleep.

The man sighed as he watched the flashing runes getting closer and closer to the center. The ritual would begin as soon as the runes touched the crystal.

"What do you feel?" the zebra asked suddenly. "Do you hate me? Despise me?"

The man looked at her and shook his head.

"No," he answered briefly. "I can understand why you did that."

Zebra scrutinized his face and finally nodded satisfied.

"That's exactly why I respect you," Saada said seriously.

Her attention turned to the runes flashing near the crystal. The ritual was about to begin.

"Farewell, Alexei," Saada smiled. "That was... really fun."

The man answered nothing, watching hopelessly as the last rune lit up. The crystal began to hum as the runes touched it.

Suddenly, a multitude of runes appeared on the surface of the crystal, and Saada was pulled inside the crystal.

The entire array flashed and went out. Then the runes began to light up again one by one, moving closer to the center. The countdown began anew. The ritual reset, and the additional runes left behind by the zebra disappeared.

The chains that had held Alexei down scattered into the air. Alexei stretched lazily, feeling a lightness in his body. He looked indifferently at the shocked Saada, trapped in the crystal like an insect in amber.

A slight smile slid across his lips, but he didn't say a word as he headed for the potion bags. He needed to prepare for the real ritual.

"Impossible!" Saada finally shouted. "I've been watching you the whole time! How did you do it?"

"Have you forgotten already?" the man shrugged. "Luna taught me that mind-splitting trick."

"Even if you hid your thoughts - I always kept an eye on surroundings," Saada didn't believe it. "Who helped you? Did you conspire with Luna?"

The man only smiled, continuing to rummage through his bags.

"Wait... something's wrong," the zebra muttered, quickly analyzing the last four years.

There had only been one brief period of time when she had been weakened by injuries and her attention had worsened - the battle with the nightmare in the surgery room.

The zebra's eyes widened with shock when a certain possibility crossed her mind.

"Motherfucker!" Saada roared, staring fiercely at the human. "You set yourself up for that attack on purpose!"

The human's grin grew even wider, confirming the zebra's suspicions.

The whole picture formed in Saada's mind. The human had set himself up for a nightmare attack and manipulated her, knowing she wouldn't want him to die until he paid everything on the contract. His desperate battle with the nightmare, his seeming weakness, it was all just part of the show the man had put on. Then, while she slumbered, he took advantage of her weakened vigilance and applied runes to the crystal.

The zebra could only stare fiercely at the human. She had already tried to break free - it didn't work. These crystals held nightmares easily, surely they would hold the ghost as well.

"How long have you been planning this?" Saada asked in a cold tone, thinking about the terms of the contract.

When they had made the contract - the man had fiercely defended the point that he would transfer the lifespan gradually. His demands had seemed reasonable then, but now she was growing suspicious.

"To kill you?" the man replied, drinking a few potions. "From the beginning. You know too much."

Saada frowned and was silent for a while, putting her mind in order. Now was not the time for anger. She needed to bargain for her life.

"We can make a contract for a hundred years," she finally suggested. "You'd get confidentiality and all the rest of my knowledge. I haven't told you about many secrets outside of alchemy. It's a good deal."

"A good deal indeed," Alexei smiled, looking at Saada. "But my plans have changed since I found out about the nightmares. I already have everything I need."

The zebra shuddered as the meaning of the man's words came to her.

Nightmares and ghosts were similar in essence - entities composed of mental energy. Zebra and the human had spent a lot of time together, and she fed off his lifespan - there was already a certain compatibility between them.

The human was going to use her as an ingredient to increase the chances of merging with the nightmare!

Saada wanted to say something several times, but stopped herself each time. She realized there was no point in bargaining, begging for mercy, or cursing. The man didn't care about any of that.

"How ironic," the zebra laughed sadly, finally giving up. "We are indeed alike. From the very beginning, we planned the betrayal."

"You're wrong," the human shook his head. "We were both loyal."

"What?" the zebra asked incomprehensibly, sometimes the human said strange things.

"Don't you know?" the human laughed, his laughter sounding shrill and cold, like a winter wind. "Loyalty to others is betrayal to oneself.

"Betraying others is loyalty to yourself."

Saada's pupils dilated with shock. What kind of logic is that? How could betrayal and loyalty be considered the same thing?

Looking at the man, her body began to tremble as she finally came to a realization. The scariest thing about the man was not his intelligence, cunning, or strength. The scariest thing about him was his mindset.

A demon. A true demon stood before her!

Looking at the shocked zebra, the man only grinned. He quickly threw off his clothes, then taking the knife in his hand, headed towards the center of the array.

Sitting down in a circle of runes in front of the crystal, the man began ruthlessly making cuts all over his body. Blood trickled down his skin, but he paid no attention to it. His non-magical nature was constantly getting him into trouble.

The runes began to approach the crystal and the man looked up, looking at the zebra.

Finally, the crystal rumbled. The black haze surrounding Saada released a multitude of tentacles that began to consume her. All this time, Saada did not utter a word, stubbornly looking into the man's eyes.

The entire array glowed and shook, and the cave was filled with a powerful overwhelming force. Columns of black smoke began to pour from the crystal, which, obeying the runes, moved towards the man. The smoke, finding the least resistance, penetrated the cuts on his body.

The man clenched his teeth, feeling a surging wave of pain tearing him from the inside out. The smoke seemed endless, relentless in its quest to fill all space.

With each passing second, the effect on the man's mind grew. He felt that his consciousness was on the verge of destruction. This smoke possessed a huge amount of mental energy, it was the energy that was causing this unbearable pressure.

But the man did not give up, he continued to endure. Soon, the smoke filled the entire cave and kept on coming. All this smoke, obeying the array of runes, was drawn into the man, as if trying to unite with his essence.

The man's head began dizzy as he approached his limit.

Finally, unable to bear it, he lost consciousness, sinking into a world of darkness and pain.

With his eyes wide open, Alexei gazed at the landscape that appeared before him.

He was standing on a plain, completely naked, surrounded by rolling hills, with huge mountains looming over him in the distance, and a lake not far away.

However, these views were strikingly different from the usual natural scenery. The entire land was covered in rotting flesh and organs, as if it was one large piece of decaying meat.

The hills protruding around it were a jelly of rotting meat and incomprehensible remains, creating a gloomy and disgusting sight. Huge bones stuck out of them, covered in mucus and rot. Their surface was covered with bumps and growths, as if they were afflicted with some disease.

Every movement, every step across these lands evoked a sense of abomination and the piercing odor of decay.

Not far away was a lake of blood and pus, gurgling with bubbles and emitting vile miasmas. Every wave that rolled onto its shores was like a cascade of rotting flesh. Bloody scraps and pieces of flesh floated on the surface, creating a gruesome sight.

The whole air, soaked with the disgusting odor of rot and decay, would make most people vomit from just one breath.

However, what struck Alexei was not the disgusting sight before him, but the amount of information coming at him with unexpected force.

He was sensing the world around him on a completely different level!

"This is... mental energy?" the man muttered. "So the ritual was successful? If I succeeded, where the fuck am I anyway? Are these the depths of the Dream World?

"Why am I here? Is it just my mind that got here, or did my physical body get here too?

"Could it be that I'm just hallucinating or have nightmares consumed me?

"Is all this real or not?"

Many thoughts went through his head as he tried to comprehend the new sensations. It was strange and unfamiliar. It was as if he had a sixth sense, opening up a world invisible to ordinary people.

Now he understood what the other creatures felt. He had been blind compared to them, but now everything was changed.

"All that's left is to figure out how to get out of here," Alexei chuckled, pushing the negative thoughts away.

He bent down to the ground and picked up something resembling intestines to look and listen to his new sensations.

"This isn't real flesh," he finally concluded, then shook his head. "No. It's real, but it's filled with mental energy instead of magical energy. What's even real and what isn't?"

He felt that his body was also filled with mental energy. Was this the result of the ritual or was it just his mind here? He couldn't figure it out.

Alexei concentrated and the dagger he used in nightmares appeared in his hand. The man looked at the dagger and it disappeared. All of this only added more questions.

Tossing the intestines away, the man rubbed his temples.

"There's no point in thinking about it," Alexei finally decided. "My past life could also have been an illusion, so what? All that matters is what I feel. Perhaps I don't have much time - I need to hurry."

He froze, immersed in his thoughts. Not knowing what to do next, he was left with only theories and guesses.

Suddenly, a loud slurping sound broke the surrounding silence. Alexei turned his head and his heart sank.

He had just had time to notice a semi-transparent thing crawling out from behind a mountain of flesh in the distance when his mind instantly collapsed.

He fell to his knees, laughing uncontrollably, and blood flowed from his eyes, nostrils, and ears. The next instant he vomited, but he could not close his eyes or take his sight away from this gigantic creature. The man couldn't even see it clearly - he could only see a translucent writhing mass.

The only thought left in his mind commanded his body and the man slapped himself violently across the face, breaking visual contact.

Falling to the ground, he immediately crawled away on all fours, hiding behind a pile of rotting innards.

"What the fuck is that?!" the man's mind screamed, filling his head with anxious thoughts.

Breathing heavily, Alexei was trying to get his mind in order when his gaze fell on the his hand. The man's pupils dilated as he examined his body and saw the signs of decay that covered his flesh.

"Calm down," the man ordered himself, biting his lip. "Perhaps this is all just a nightmare. I won't give them any food."

Every hair on his body perked up as a certain thought entered his mind.

Concentrating, Alexei began to listen to his senses. Finally, he breathed a sigh of relief - that thing paid no attention to him and was crawling away somewhere to the side.

Looking around carefully, the man calmed down a bit and began to think. He needed a plan that took into account all options. There was an urgent need to escape from this place.

"Mental energy," Alexei muttered, coming to a realization. "I need mental energy. Nightmare or reality, it doesn't matter. I can push myself out of here by getting enough of it.

"I can't really absorb mental energy like nightmares do, but I can force it into myself.

"It'll be enough to get me kicked out of here."

Looking at the rotting flesh around him, the man shook his head - it was clearly contaminated. He would go insane if he started eating it.

"Scavengers!" the man suddenly had an insight. "There definitely must be scavengers here."

Ducking low to the ground, Alexei began running from one hill of rotting meat to another, looking for scavengers.

Eventually, he spotted one strange creature with black tentacles digging through a pile of innards. He squinted, scrutinizing the tentacle and assessing its strength. He realized that he could handle this creature.

Creating a new dagger, Alexei lunged at the creature and severed the tentacle. Picking it up, he bounced back and began to eat it.

The owner of the tentacle hissed and jumped out. The creature was like a flattened jellyfish, about the size of a pony, with a shell and had many tentacles like an octopus.

Alexei continued chewing on the tentacle, looking at the strange creature with interest.

With a wave of its tentacles, the creature jumped at him.

Alexei snorted, ducked under it and slashed with his dagger, cutting the soft flesh in two. At this place, the only thing that matters was the amount of mental energy.

Without wasting a second, Alexei pounced on the creature, not giving it a chance to recover, and began gutting and greedily devouring it.

Soon he felt his body fill with energy. It didn't belong to him and was quickly leaving his body, but all he needed was an external push.

The world around him began to ripple as darkness enveloped his mind.

Alexei woke up and found himself lying on the cold stone floor. Listening to his senses, he felt a magical energy around him that filled the air. This was without a doubt the real world.

The man had no magical energy of his own - the ritual he had undertaken had only targeted mental energy. But now he could feel that energy just like all the other inhabitants of this strange world. From now on, the man could create potions and use a few spells on his own.

Rising from the floor and guided by his senses, Alexei walked over to one of the spare lamps and lit it. The bright light illuminated the cave, revealing the corroded walls and ceiling.

Alexei frowned at the sight and began to examine his body. There was nothing wrong with his body, he felt better than ever. Taking the knife, the man examined his face in the reflection of the blade.

All the wrinkles and gray hair were gone, he looked young and vigorous again, as if he was only twenty years old. By killing Saada and consuming her, he had regained seven years of life that she hadn't had time to digest. But that wasn't the point - the phoenix tears he used had rejuvenating properties, even if it was only a side effect of the ritual. Unfortunately, it could only be used once in a lifetime.

However, his musings were interrupted by a rumbling in his stomach and a sharp pain that made him crouch down. Suddenly, he was vomited out a mass of black tentacles that began wriggling on the floor of the cave. But in the next moment, they scattered in black smoke and disappeared.

Alexei quickly put a hand to his stomach, listening to his sensations. He breathed a sigh of relief - there were no more surprises in his body.

Glancing at the spot where the tentacles had just been, he shifted his gaze to the corroded walls of the cave. Alexei's eyes twitched, but he tried to remain calm.

"It's best not to think about it," he muttered in a tired voice. "Nothing surprises me anymore."

Alexei still had no idea what had actually happened to him. He assumed it was the depths of the Dream World, but whether he was there with just his mind or whether his physical body was also present, he didn't know.

Pushing aside all these pointless thoughts, Alexei concentrated and black smoke began to rise from his body, taking the shape of a man. It was his own nightmare. Alexei blinked at the new sensation - he was looking at himself through the eyes of a nightmare.

The man and the nightmare looked at each other and smiled in sync. After scrutinizing the nightmare once more, Alexei pulled the smoke back into his body. The nightmare was a part of himself, and he could easily manipulate it as if it were his own hand. The nightmare had no consciousness of its own, it was completely filled with the will of the man.

"Now for the final test," Alexei thought, looking around for a suitable object.

His gaze fell on a small stone lying on the floor of a cave in the distance. He reached out his hand as if trying to grab the stone.

The stone began to bounce on the ground and after a moment, threw straight into Alexei's hand.

A wide smile appeared on his face. Telekinesis was the primary ability of all beings based on mental energy, and now he too could utilize that power.

"I will find a good use for this ability," thought a happy Alexei. His mind was buzzing with the many possibilities that were now open to him.

However, the man shook his head, interrupting the flow of thoughts. First, he needed to leave this cave. The burst of energy he had created could attract unwanted attention. It was too dangerous to stay here.

Quickly dressing, gathering the necessities and destroying the evidence, Alexei left the cave.

He had barely taken three steps away from the cave when the air hit him in the face and two alicorns, Princesses Celestia and Luna, as well as all six Elements of Harmony, appeared in front of him with a flash of teleportation.

The man reacted instantly, reaching for his rune rib, but a golden light enveloped him and blocked his movements.

He tried to open his mouth, but the light squeezed it, preventing him from uttering a word.

"You don't have to," Celestia said in a cold tone. "We've had enough of you."

The looks cast at the human by the ponies were quite different. From Elements' puzzled looks to the anger glowing in Celestia's eyes. Luna's gaze was particularly complex - it reflected resentment, anger, concern, and understanding, all of these emotions intertwined with each other.

Celestia's horn flashed, and the man was stripped of his dagger, his rune rib, his potion bags, and all other items. Celestia snorted, examined the rib and soon it all burned in a flash of flame.

At that moment she teleported a furiously squeaking rat right in front of him.

"Is this abomination your work too?" Celestia asked, her voice sounding furious.

The man recognized her as Alice at a glance. She was supposed to stay in Canterlot, but apparently she had been discovered.

The rat was engulfed in fierce flames and instantly turned to ash. A startled squeak from a certain pegasus was heard behind.

All this time Luna looked at the human, but didn't utter a word.

"Stay here," Celestia ordered Elements while she and her sister headed into the cave.

All the while the man hovered in the golden light, trying to use his mental power. But all his efforts were in vain, it was as if he was struggling against an unstoppable wall. He couldn't even summon his nightmare.

After a few minutes, the alicorns returned and cast harsh glances at him.

"Use the Elements of Harmony," Celestia ordered without further ado.

The six ponies nodded, and light began to surround them.

The man's eyes widened with shock - he knew the power of the Elements. Was this really the end of him? He knew it was, but his mind remained calm.

"I tried my best," the man mentally sighed. "I have nothing to regret."

In the next moment, he was enveloped by a ray of light that penetrated the very depths of his being.

Consciousness floated in an empty space flooded with bright light. A multitude of questions tormented his mind.

"Who am I? Where am I?"

"I don't know."

"Does it matter?"

"I guess it doesn't? Otherwise I'd know, right?"

"Then what's important?"

The consciousness went into deep thought, trying to find some answers.

"Nothing is important."

"Then I'll invent what's important on my own."

"But what do I want?"

Consciousness looked around the empty space, which had nothing but light in it.

"I want to see interesting things."

"So I need to go on a path?"

"The path... Why do I feel it's important?"

The space around him began to fluctuate violently, but consciousness was immersed in its thoughts and didn't notice it.

"I think I was going somewhere... But where?"

"The path... I... I want to..."

There was a cracking sound as a rift appeared in the space in front of the consciousness. In that rift, it saw a small bipedal figure composed of black smoke that was being violently burned by the light.

The consciousness, without knowing why, rushed towards the figure and held it tightly against itself, protecting it from the light. Somehow this seemed important.

Everything around it began to crack and rip at the seams as the consciousness' thoughts cleared. Space collapsed in the same second.

"I want to live forever!" the burnt man roared, rising from the ground.

All the surrounding ponies were at a loss for words as they looked at the staggering man covered in burns. He was weak and barely on his feet, but his eyes were as blazing as ever.

Celestia squinted and imprisoned Alexei in the golden light again, holding him in place.

"Why didn't it work?" Twilight asked perplexed. "Why is he burned?"

"He's a creature from another world," Celestia replied, quickly realizing the situation. "The Elements of Harmony only bring things from our world into order. However, he is already tightly entwined with the energies of our world through his vile ritual. The Elements wanted to remove the nightmare, but they failed. Hence the burns."

Celestia frowned, scrutinizing the man staring steadily into her eyes.

Suddenly, Celestia felt a touch and turned, looking into Luna's eyes. It took Celestia a moment to realize that look, and she sighed. She understood what her sister was thinking. This man's path was very similar to Luna's. Luna saw him as herself and her redemption. If she could fix him, it would be good for her.

"Okay," Celestia thought, nodding to her sister. "If she wants to play with him so badly, let her play with him, but he stays in the dungeon."

"There is another option," Luna broke the silence. "The Tree of Harmony."

Celestia looked at her in surprise and thought for a moment. Indeed, that option could work. Finally, she nodded to Luna, agreeing with her decision.

"Then I'm off to the Tree," Luna said firmly. "We'll have to create a portal, a human cannot be teleported. Heal his wounds, sister."

Spreading her wings, Luna took off and began teleporting short distances time after time, heading in a certain direction with tremendous speed.

Celestia sighed as she looked her way. This was all getting too complicated.

Glancing disdainfully at the immobilized man, she was about to use a healing spell, but stopped when she noticed that he had already recovered on his own. With a snort, Celestia teleported shackles of shiny black metal covered in runes onto each of Alexei's limbs. A similar headband appeared on his head.

Taking the man out of sight, Celestia made herself comfortable, watching the arguing Elements.

After a while, Celestia felt a signal from Luna. She instantly stood up and lit her horn, emitting a bright light. In the air, she began to create intricate strokes that slowly morphed into a future portal. The small dot expanded until a full-fledged passage was formed. Beyond the portal, a picture opened up that Celestia had seen before - Luna was standing in front of a huge tree.

Celestia picked Alexei up and let the rest of the ponies pass ahead, then walked through the portal herself, which closed with a hiss, leaving them inside the cave.

It was a huge space filled with streams and waterfalls that made a melodious noise. In the center of the cave was a huge meadow covered in greenery, and above it towered the Tree of Harmony. Every branch and leaf was imbued with magic, radiating warmth and tranquility.

The eight ponies and Alexei, hovering in a telekinetic grip, quickly approached the Tree.

"What do we have to do?" asked Twilight. She still didn't fully understand what was going on, but she trusted her mentor.

"You already have a connection to the Tree of Harmony," Celestia said, addressing the Elements. "All you have to do is wish."

"Wish for it to help a human," Luna added, looking at the Tree thoughtfully.

The Elements looked amongst themselves and approached the Tree. Closing their eyes, they focused on their wishes. Suddenly, the tiara and the five amulets shone brightly and soared into the air, hanging on the branches like fruits.

However, nothing happened. The Elements looked at the princesses in bewilderment, waiting for an explanation. But suddenly there was a rumbling sound. Thin vines burst out of the ground and began to rapidly approach Alexei. They embraced his body and dragged him somewhere deep into the Tree.

Alexei fiercely resisted, but the shackles that still encompassed his limbs suppressed all his new abilities. He gritted his teeth, feeling something trying to invade his mind. Blood streamed from his nose as he struggled hard against the Tree.

But the forces were not equal. Everything began to blur in front of Alexei's eyes as he fell into darkness, enveloped by the giant roots of the Tree.

The man found himself standing barefoot on a path of stones in front of a huge tree in a small meadow. Aside from the meadow and the path, there was nothing but bare ground.

The man frowned at the Tree in front of him. For the first time since arriving in this world, he was actually angry at something. This was the second time this thing had messed with his head.

Closing his eyes, the man inhaled and exhaled, calming his mind. When he opened his eyes, his indifferent gaze settled on the Tree in front of him.

However, something had changed - there was a pale blue sphere floating in front of the Tree, with streams of energy bursting out of it. The man raised an eyebrow, feeling the Tree's mind connect with his own.

What surprised him even more was the Tree's offer - it was willing to provide him with a soul and magical power along with it. The Tree demanded nothing in return.

The man looked at the Tree with disdain. By accepting this soul, he would lose his freedom and become obedient to the rules of Harmony. He didn't even want to imagine what this Harmony would do to his personality if he merged with this soul.

Hearing a sound behind him, the man turned around and saw the ground swallowing up the path as if it had never existed.

"Strange," the man thought, not understanding the Tree's actions.

The land around him seemed endless. The presence or absence of the stone path made no difference.

The man examined the land around him and, finding nothing strange, stepped off the path.

Suddenly his foot fell through the mud and the man cried out in pain as his flesh was torn by the thorns hidden at the bottom. Not only did they cause physical pain, but they attacked the man's mind as if tearing it to pieces. Even for him, who was used to severe hardships, it was something unimaginable.

The path continued to disappear behind him, as if pushing him towards the Tree. The man felt the pressure building on his mind from this mysterious and powerful tree. He resisted this pressure with all his being, but it grew stronger and stronger.

"Forcing me?" the man said contemptuously, glaring at the Tree, and then he laughed.

Gritting his teeth, the man stepped off the path and began to walk through the mud, moving away from the Tree. Each step attacked his mind with waves of pain, but he endured and persevered, continuing forward.

All he saw in front of him was an endless swamp of mud with no end in sight. Such a scenery brought on hopelessness. There was nothing but despair and pain ahead.

The man only snorted at the thought of it. Tree was deeply mistaken if it thought it could surprise him with just that.

Ever since his arrival in this world, he had been in constant despair and pain. Nothing had changed even now. It was hard to go his own path.

Clearing his mind of unnecessary thoughts, the man concentrated on one thing - to keep going. And so he walked, leaving a trail of blood behind him.

Seconds. Minutes. Hours. The man began to lose track of time, but he kept going.

He had already realized that this was going to be a battle of endurance between him and the Tree. After moving a fair distance away from the Tree, he was already trying to stop and take a break. However, as soon as he stopped, the mud began to pull him down like a swamp, unwilling to let him go.

He couldn't stop. His mental abilities were blocked by the Tree. All he could do was keep going.

For a moment the man frowned, sensing the change. A mist was rapidly forming around him, soon swallowing him whole.

"Wake up, please wake up," some female voice wailed pitifully, bringing the man back to consciousness.

The pain in his head forced him to open his eyes and an incredible sight appeared before him - a purple unicorn.

The creature's eyes widened with joy and it jumped up, hugging the man who was lying on the bed.

The man froze in shock, contemplating the situation. The hug was certainly nice, but this was a freaking talking unicorn! What the hell was going on in this world?

"Wait. Where am I anyway?" the man thought confusedly. "What's my name?"

The man pulled the unicorn away from him and examined the creature closely. It didn't look like a costume. A real unicorn indeed. A talking one, also purple in color. How strange.

"Who are you?" the man muttered, looking perplexedly into the unicorn's face.

It seemed to be the wrong question. Tears came to the creature's eyes and it ran out of the room, nearly knocking the orange pony at the door.

Sighing, the pony walked over to the man and began her story. Her name was Applejack, and she told him the incredible news.

His name was Victor, and two years ago he had come to this world by pure accident. Twilight, the same one who had just run away, was his girlfriend. The man fell into a stupor, trying to comprehend all these events and his personal life.

Next, the orange pony gave out even stranger information. The man was one of the Elements of Harmony, the Element of Determination. According to Applejack, he was the strongest of all the Elements.

But the most shocking news was that a chaos god named Discord had broken free and taken over Equestria, the land where the ponies lived. It was in a past fight with him that the man had been injured and lost his memory.

Applejack continued to give him all the details until she finally left him to rest. Exhausted by all this information, the man fell asleep.

His body recovered from his injuries for three days, with Twilight by his side, caring for him.

As time passed, the man's memory really began to come back to him. He remembered everything Applejack had said.

He remembered his feelings for Twilight, their first kiss, and how sweetly embarrassed she was when he showed his feelings. The only thing that remained a blur was his past life before arriving in Equestria.

But did that matter now? Saving Equestria was his main goal, and he was determined to do it.

Once the man recovered, despite Twilight's protests, he began to train hard to regain his strength.

The Element of Determination really suited him. As long as he had enough determination, he could ignore even death and keep moving forward. His physical abilities surpassed his wildest fantasies. He felt like a superhero, and together with his friends, they were invincible. But their opponent, Discord, was also incredibly strong.

Responding to his determination, his friends also began to train with him.

After regaining their strength, they once again engaged in battle against the forces of Chaos. The battles went on for months, then years - the god of Chaos had many minions - but the man was not discouraged. Each difficulty only strengthened his determination. He grew stronger and stronger.

Finally, the Elements of Harmony faced the god of Chaos himself in Canterlot.

The entire city was shaking from this epic battle. If it wasn't for the man - the Elements would have lost long ago. He shared his endless determination with all his friends, increasing their strength.

The Lord of Chaos had infinite power, but the man's infinite determination was not inferior in the slightest!

The battle continued throughout the day, and finally, at sunset, the Elements of Harmony gained victory and destroyed the malevolent spirit of Chaos forever.

The entire city erupted in joy and admiration, singing of the heroes who had saved Equestria from Discord.

Princesses Celestia and Luna, realizing their overwhelming fatigue and desire to enjoy peace, decided to pass the crown to a new worthy ruler, Twilight.

They planned the wedding of Twilight and Victor, who was now to become the Prince of Equestria.

At this moment, the man stood on the balcony of the royal bedroom, his eyes fixed on the singing crowd gathered below. The man could hear the cheers and songs addressed to him, but in the back of his mind he felt a kind of dissatisfaction.

"We're getting married tomorrow, dear," Twilight said lovingly, hugging him from behind. "Are you happy? I'm definitely happy!"

"Yeah, I guess so," the man mumbled thoughtfully, his gaze still fixed intently on the crowd.

"Hey! What's with the uncertainty?" laughed Twilight, but turned serious when she saw the look in the man's eyes. "Is something wrong?"

"It's just all this..." the man frowned, mulling over his feelings. "No, nothing."

"You can tell me," Twilight replied, stroking his shoulder affectionately.

The man didn't answer, sinking into deep thought as Twilight waited patiently for her lover's words.

"I feel empty inside," he finally said.

"Emptiness? What do you mean?" Twilight wondered sincerely. "Look how much everyone loves you!"

"Love me?" the man laughed, but his gaze turned cold. "They love my power, status, and wealth. They love a convenient hero who will solve all their problems instead of them."

"Honey? Are you all right?" Twilight asked with a shudder. "Your words worry me a little."

The man turned his head and looked at her seriously.

Swallowing, Twilight started to stare back, his gaze worrying her.

But the man ignored it and continued to gaze into her face. He really did love her, but something was keeping him off balance.

The man remembered all the time he had spent in this world and his face frowned even more.

"What am I doing here?" the man asked, looking over his royal robes. "What have I even been doing all this time?"

He looked at the crowd, his gaze filled with despise.

"Was it all just for this?" the man asked perplexed, turning to a terrified Twilight.

In that moment, the whole world collapsed.

"Go on. Just go," Twilight said, unlocking the dungeon. "Leave Equestria and don't come back. Settle down somewhere, have a family, and live happily ever after. Don't try to get revenge. You're no match for her."

"You know I can't just move on," the man growled. "Not after everything she's done to me!"

Twilight sighed and held out a backpack to him.

"I kept all your things as you asked," she said in a calm voice. "There's only so much I can do. The choice is yours."

Alexei picked up the backpack and looked inside. His eyes sparkled when he saw the revolver. Checking the drum, he found three rounds in it.

The man's lips curled into a smirk. This revolver had been his faithful companion since the beginning of his adventures in this world, and no one still knew its secret.

He had been dragged into this world by the local Chaos god, Discord. He also fell at the hands of a man.

This revolver could kill a god. Wasn't it capable of killing some alicorn?

"Go," Twilight repeated tiredly. "There's a wagon waiting for you outside, they'll take you out of the city."

"Thank you," Alexei replied sincerely, looking at the unicorn in front of him.

Alexei followed Twilight's instructions and left Canterlot.

All the while, he was replaying the memories of the past five years in his head, fueling the hatred in his heart.

Upon arriving in this world, he encountered Discord, who decided to play with him. Alexei killed him.

After wandering through the forest, he finally stumbled upon Ponyville. He expected the worst, but he was warmly welcomed. He stayed with Twilight and told her that he was from another world. She promised to find a way to bring the man back to his family. Alexei felt hope, but everything changed when Princess Celestia learned of his existence.

Feeling threatened, she threw him into the dungeon. They were never able to get inside his mind, so they used more down-to-earth methods - torture.

Celestia firmly believed that Alexei was an alien spy and that his people would soon attack Equestria. With all her might she tried to get this information out of Alexei. She refused to admit that he didn't know anything. She only called him a liar and the torture continued.

He spent over four years in the dungeon until Twilight took the opportunity of the princess' absence and freed him.

He craved revenge on Celestia, and realized that to do so he would need not only a revolver, but allies and powerful artifacts.

And so his dangerous game began. Alexei gathered and united those disgruntled with Celestia, eliminating anyone who stood in his way. Mountains of corpses were left behind him, but he paid no attention to it, continuing his path forward.

He and his supporters went in search of ancient ruins where they hoped to find artifacts and weapons. It was there that he met a unicorn named Luminous Nova. Luminous was one of the archaeologists involved in the exploration of the temple they had entered.

It could have ended in bloodshed, but thanks to Luminous they were able to avoid that.

Was it love at first sight? Of course it wasn't.

They met at a few more excavations and gradually grew closer.

Luminous won his heart with her kindness and understanding. They spent more and more time together, even though Alexei had to hide his other life from her.

Sometimes doubts flashed through his mind, and he considered giving up on revenge and just being with Luminous.

But he chased those thoughts away - he couldn't forgive Celestia.

Why couldn't he have everything? He was going to kill Celestia and finally be happy with Luminous.

That's exactly how it was going to be!

Alexei continued to gather supporters, and finally he was ready. Of course, Luminous didn't know about his plans.

Having invaded Canterlot, Alexei and his companions infiltrated the palace, starting a real massacre on the way to the main hall. However, Alexei barely participated in this bloody battle, conserving his strength - he had the most important role.

He had spent one bullet in all these years, and now he only had two left. He only had the right to make one mistake.

Bursting into the throne room, a squad of guards appeared in front of them, holding up a powerful shield. Behind the guards stood Twilight, looking sadly at Alexei. And sitting on the throne was Celestia herself, eyeing him contemptuously.

"A futile attempt," Celestia said indifferently, rising from her throne and stepping forward.

Alexei smirked, the princess was arrogant and he had expected just such a reaction. From his pocket he pulled out a worn crystal sphere covered in patterns and smashed it on the floor.

Instantly, an invisible force enveloped the entire hall. The unicorns' shield collapsed, and no one in the palace could move or even turn their head.

Alexei, however, could move freely. He was not a magical being, and it was magic that this artifact attacked. He had a limited amount of time, but those five minutes were quite enough.

"Let's see if you can dodge it now," Alexei smiled coldly as he took out his revolver.

Celestia frowned upon seeing the revolver. This thing was giving her an unsettling feeling.

Suddenly her eyes widened as she noticed a familiar figure hidden under the hood.

"So you've dragged my daughter into your revenge as well," Celestia laughed sadly. "I admit, I didn't expect that."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Alexei asked perplexed, following her gaze.

As he approached the figure, he ripped off her hood and was stunned. Standing before him was his beloved, Luminous Nova.

"I wanted to find out what you were hiding, so I followed you," Luminous replied, averting her gaze. "Forgive me."

"Are you really Celestia's daughter?" the man asked calmly, his voice sounding tired but a storm of emotions raging inside him.

"Yes," Luminous replied briefly, looking up. "I just didn't know how to tell you this."

Disappointment and pain flashed in the man's eyes.

"So you've been toying with me all this time?" the man asked coldly. "Your feelings for me are just fake?"

"No!" Luminous screamed, and her eyes filled with tears. "I love you!

I knew nothing of the enmity between you and my mother!

"I was afraid to tell you who my mother was because I thought you would treat me differently!"

The man gazed intently into her eyes, trying to discern the truth of her words. He was experienced enough, able to recognize a lie, and there was sincerity in her voice.

Luminous really did love him.

"I was wrong about you," came Celestia's voice from behind him. "I admit my mistake and sincerely apologize.

"I will not harm my daughter's lover.

"Let's make a fresh start."

"Don't believe her!" his fellows shouted. "Kill that vile bitch!"

The man's face frowned at those words. He hadn't forgotten that they had all suffered at the hands of Celestia as well as himself. That was why they had followed him. Together they had become loyal companions, united by a common desire to avenge their pain and suffering.

Hearing a sob, the man turned and looked into the pleading eyes of Luminous.

If he killed her mother - it would be over between them. How could he kill her mother?

But how could he not kill her? It was Celestia who was the source of his pain and the suffering of his companions. He would never get that chance again.

"Kill her!" his fellows chanted, looking hopefully at the man.

Luminous was crying, and Twilight was looking at the man tensely.

The man felt dizzy.

Love and hate, selfishness and duty, all these feelings mixed in his mind, tearing him apart. He felt the pain in his heart as the opposites collided within him and tore him apart with contradictions.

"Please stop," Luminous pleaded.

"Kill Celestia!" the crowd chanted. "Why are you hesitating?"

Time was running out. The man had a decision to make. But which one? He was on the verge of madness.

Suddenly, all the struggle and indecision vanished from the man's face. He looked around at everyone and laughed.

"What's so funny?" frowned Celestia.

Had the man lost his mind under the pressure of the situation?

The man didn't answer. Pulling the trigger, he shot Twilight in the head, another shot and Luminous collapsed to the floor.

There was dead silence in the throne room.

"Love and hate, friendship and enmity," the man said, looking at Celestia mockingly. "It's all so boring, don't you think?"

The whole world has collapsed.

"What's on your mind, Andrei?" the mare asked affectionately, stroking the man's palm.

The man blinked as he looked at the mare in front of him, with whom they were sitting at a table in the cafe.

A smile slid across his lips as he reached out his hands and began to caress the mare's cheeks, which purred with pleasure.

"My name is Alexei," the man said coldly as he snapped her neck.

There was momentary silence in the café, and then the ponies leapt from their seats in horror and scattered with shrieks.

"What this time? A romantic comedy?" Alexei grinned, glancing around the holiday Canterlot. "I don't like that genre."

He concentrated and tensed, feeling the power surging through his body. Soon his familiar dagger appeared in his hand, flashing. Alexei laughed and dashed after the fleeing ponies, unleashing chaos and death in his path.

Every time the Tree touched his mind - the man touched the Tree's mind. Over time, his restraints loosened.

With a sweep of his dagger, Alexei grabbed and killed a unicorn that ran past. The man's eyes glittered with cruelty and indifference.

Soon there were only corpses around.

Alexei marched through the streets of Canterlot, destroying everything in his path. He killed everyone indiscriminately, ignoring their pleas for mercy.

At one point he found himself in the middle of a lake of blood in the main square of the city, littered with corpses. After finishing off the last survivor, he turned his gaze to the mountain of corpses, from which black smoke began to ooze.

A wide smile appeared on Alexei's face as he felt the familiar sensation of world collapse.

The next second, he stepped out of the fog, finding himself on a familiar plain of gray mud. The fog dissipated quickly, and soon disappeared.

Alexei rubbed his temples - all the memories from the illusions hit his mind at once. He had lived decades of false lives, but now he was free of them.

Turning back around, Alexei saw a trail of his blood begin to erode the mud.

A slight smile appeared on his face as he looked at the giant tree that had reappeared in front of him. The Tree was trying to change his personality, fix him and win him over to its side, throwing him into all these fake lives.

"No matter how many times you try, it won't work," Alexei said mockingly. "I have lived and will continue to live according to my true feelings.

"I am true to my nature.

"I am a true person."

Thunder rumbled in the sky and the tree branches swayed.

"Are you mad?" Alexei asked with a smile.

The eight shocked ponies looked at what was happening in front of them with horror and bewilderment.

Luna, skilled in dream magic, had created a powerful screen that gave them access to the inside of Tree's mind. They could see everything that was happening to the human inside.

Suddenly, the branches of the Tree trembled, a shrill screech was heard, and black smoke poured from beneath its roots. Several roots twisted and threw the man outward, as if spitting out something vile and disgusting.

Eight pairs of eyes turned, watching the rising man.

He staggered, but still managed to get to his feet. His eyes showed defiance as he took a few steps toward the alicorns. He felt no fear of them. What could they do to him? Kill him?

The alicorns flinched and spread their wings, their horns blazing with magical energy.

However, in the next moment, the man collapsed to the ground unconscious. He had already surpassed his limits several times today. It was truly a crazy day for him.

Celestia relaxed and looked at her sister. Seeing the expression on Luna's face, Celestia sighed. Even after seeing all of this - Luna still wanted to fix him.

"Just another headache I don't need," Celestia thought gloomily.

Meanwhile, deep beneath Canterlot, a small crack appeared on Discord's statue, from which a small copy of the Chaos spirit crawled out. The crack instantly closed.

"Well, at last," Discord grinned, looking in a certain direction.

He looked at his statue, covered in chains, and sighed. His main body was still sealed, but it wouldn't be for long.

With a wave of his claws, transparent symbols appeared in the air and swiftly flew towards the runes on the wall. Soon, a small passage between the protective runes appeared. With a flick of his claws, Discord turned into gray smoke and dove into this passage.

The passage slowly disappeared and the dungeon fell back into silence.