First of Three

"Twilight... You are, without doubt, my most successful student." Celestia declared "Your fate wasn't sealed by the Elements of Harmony..."

"Wasn't it, now?" Discord did not sound convinced. Trixie didn't look convinced.

"In fact, had Sunset Shimmer been a bit more open to others, and less interested in her own success, she would've been the Element of Magic." the Princess of the Sun continued, with a hint of sadness in her voice "But her magic, and her efforts were corrupted by an almost wanton greed for power and authority - the very same way your efforts were once corrupted by the impossible goal of perfection."

"M-My efforts... Corrupted?" Twilight stuttered. To this, even Trixie had to give an incredulous look.

"Look, Sparkle." Discord snapped "You're not perfect, we're not perfect, nopony's perfect!" he scoffed "This stupid chase after a nonexistent concept has to stop! Even from my stone imprisonment, I saw many ponies' lives ruined by this ridiculous goal! So STOP it!"

The young princess was taken aback by the aggression of the draconequus.

"What Discord forgot to mention..." Celestia added, sorrow dripping from her voice "That we were the ones, the first ones, both of us, who had fallen victim to the corrupting belief of perfection..."

She paused, shuddering, which made the chimera embrace her, and hold her tight.

"The... Things... The atrocities we have committed in our quest for perfection... Will forever mark this world..."

Out of nowhere, a story came to Twilight's mind... A story of a town, which's inhabitants committed a horrible crime... And were doomed for eternity...

She shook the thought out of her head, as her mentor continued:

"Sunset Shimmer was the first pony with enough magical potential to become the Element of Magic, and that was the position I intended her to have. She was definitely successful, and she became such with honest work and unfading determination. Where has this turned into a self-praising act and stubborn arrogance, I do not know. It didn't help her ego that I chose her to become my personal student, but I had no choice..."

"Why not?" Trixe asked.

"Because Sunset Shimmer became my student trough victory. Back in those days, the education system was in a dismal state, choked by bureaucracy and ridiculous demands, thanks to a new education minister, who - and I have to be fairly honest - had no place in politics or any sort of office! I really have no idea how she got her position, but with her termination began a wave of replacement in the Equestrian ministries. Her name was..."

"Rose Hoofmane" Twilight spat "She was a scourge to the education system. A hard-line conservative who constantly sucked up to the equally block-headed ministers at the time, and made sure that only the rich receive education!"

"She was fired, and fined for 10,000 bits for causing deliberate public harm - which, at the time, was quite a lot of money, and quite a glaring error. Her... "Superiors", I've lead to believe, followed her fate. All dishonorably dismissed, and some even had a large amount of their wealth confiscated as retribution. They were forbidden to ever actively participate in the fields of economy and politics. Most of them left the country, but instead of mending their ways, they got themselves arrested abroad for similar reasons they were kicked out of their jobs back here."

"Did you bail them out?"

"Like Tartarus I did!" the princess snapped, shocking the others "They've dug their own grave, and I was more than glad to push the earth over them!"

The others were flabbergasted.

"Hmmm..." Discord muttered "So the great Princess Celestia, the Goddess of the Sun and the protector of all living beings CAN be wrathful. This IS an incentive, if you ask me."

"Discord." the Princess said, softly.

"Yes?" the spirit asked, before being pulled down into an eye-to-eye level with his face right in front of hers, his eyes looking into her glaring ones.

"Shut up. I'm not telling you anymore. One more quip, and you're stoned! Capisce?!"

Discord merely nodded.

After letting go of him, Celestia took a few deep breaths, and then continued:

"You were also threatened by this impossible task, and I had to find a way to make you realize that there are things far more important than your studies. And I couldn't just give my word - I've learned from Sunset Shimmer's example."

"So you sent me to organize the Summer Sun Celebration in Ponyville." Twilight muttered "But Princess Opscura's... I mean, Nightmare Moon's return..."

"I was well aware that my sister, and the curse that had overcome her - the curse created by our parents' negligence - will be returning. But I wasn't sure about the date and location - the old scriptures have been wrong before..."

"And even if she knew exactly what was going to happen, do you really think she would've sent you with the knowledge that there would be, for example, a WAR going on?" Trixie asked, earnestly "Ponies would've panicked, and Equestria would've been thrown into Chaos!

"DISORDER, if you please!" Discord snapped "I do NOT like having my chaos associated with mayhem and havoc."

"ANYWAYS..." the Princess spoke up firmly "You've been sent to Ponyville for multiple reasons, and I have to admit, becoming the Element of Magic was not one of them. You weren't groomed, Twilight, you became who you are on the whim of chance, and so did your friends."

"You mean... Anypony could've become the leader of the Elements?" Trixie muttered.

"Not necessarily the "leader", per say, but yes, everypony had the potential to become an Element of Harmony. And it's not restricted to ponies, either."

"Everyone?!" Twilight spluttered, while Trixie stared at the floor in front of her.

"If it hadn't been Twilight, it could've been someone else. There are many powerful unicorns, pegasi, and earth ponies in Equestria, not to mention pegacorns, griffons, hippogriffs, donkeys, mules, dragons, zebras, and who knows, how many other nations and ethnicities. They all hold magical potential, of course, unicorns and pegacorns are the most adept users of it. The list was quite big." Discord pondered out loud.

"It could've been my nephew, but Blueblood's mock hubris show to the public and his secretive mischief made him discredibile and and inauthentic. Sunset Shimmer was too arrogant and too ambitious, and Trixie..."

The blue pony looked up.

"...You were unambitious."

Trixie's eyes widened, and Twilight fought, with all her might, to stop herself from smirking.

"You excelled in your studies, but once you arrived to a certain level, you decided that it was enough for you to make a living, which IS honest and humble, but you were wasting your potential. I don't know where you gained your conceit during your days as a travelling magician, but it only halted you from becoming truly great and powerful." Celestia added.

Trixie's eyes grew wider. At this point, she wasn't even looking at the princess anymore, just staring at an empty point in the air. Twilight's smile turned into a scowl.

"And to think, that you were still within the same system as Sunset Shimmer was - your prowess, which with you started living your own life so soon, and the talent you possess in magic competes with that of Twilight's, while your strength and perseverance is matching that of Sunset Shimmer's." Discord went on "All the alicorn amulet really did was open a few doors you already had the keys for. It's corrupting power, however, could feed off of your ire and envy you felt towards Twilight, and further set you back."

By now, Twilight was growing increasingly concerned about the former showmare. She didn't seemed to be breathing.

"You have missed your chance to become the Element of Magic, Trixie." Celestia spoke hastily, taking notice of the unicorn's worsening conditions "But the potential is still within you. However, we - me, my sister, Discord, Chrysalis and Opscura - felt that they could be harnessed better if you'd study under Luna, then, subsequently, Opscura. There's more to Equestrian magic than the Elements, and you're a living proof of that."

That seemed to make the blue pony finally ease her muscles, as the others let out a collective, relieved sigh.

"So, what about that story...?"

The elder princess looked up.

"Twilight Sparkle, you are my most successful student and my dearest friend..."

Twilight felt touched, yet worried...

"But... What about Luna, and Nightma--... I mean, Opscura... What about Discord?"

Celestia smiled.

"The bond I share with my sisters is more... Profound, if you will. And Discord..." she took one, sideways glance at the guileful draconequus before she started to smirk as well "He's more than just a friend..."

The two mares gulped.

"But that's not the point..." the Princess explained "Twilight is the best student that any teacher could've wanted, and even as friends, we stand very close to each other..." and with that, she bowed down, the two sharing a student-daughter-ish-teacher-second-mother-ish embrace (much to the envy of both Discord and Trixie), before resuming their original position "And Trixie, from what I've seen and heard, is THE apprentice that any teacher or professor could only wish for..."

It was Trixie's turn, to swell out her chest with pride.

Celestia kept on:

"Sunset Shimmer was the first student that I was training to be able to harness the Elements of Harmony. Twilight was the second one." she said, pausing briefly, before adding: "But they weren't my only students."

Twilight and Trixie exchanged looks very slowly, before staring back at the Princess.

"...watt?"

"I had more than two students... Well... One more..."

The others were, once again, flabbergasted...

"To this day... I do not know why I started to take care of her by myself..." she muttered, her thoughts drifting off "She was just a filly... With a cutie mark that lacked meaning, yet so full of potential."

"OK, pseudo-pedo ramblings aside, who was this filly or colt or whatever she was?" spoke up Trixie, causing the the deity to snap out of her daze.

"So... Who was she?"

"Красная Звезда..."