First of Three

"She... Wanted to study... Magic?"

Celestia nodded.

"But... She was an earth pony!" Trixie exclaimed.

"Like I said... She was quite persistent." said the elder princess, a small smile flashing trough her face "In many ways, she was like you..."

"M-Me?" the blue pony stuttered.

"Not just you... All of you." the white equine whispered, her eyes glazed with memories "She had Sunset Shimmers' industriousness and strength, Twilight's talent and power, and your persistence and skills, Trixie. She all had it in herself, and more..."

The two pony's eyes widened.

Discord looked on with interest - a pony more... Simply more than all three of the royal apprentices put together?

He'll have to find this pony.

"So, what did she study?" Twilight asked, excitedly.

"Well... Everything, basically." the Sun Goddess replied "Her main goal was, of course, as she put it: to harness, possess, understand and utilize magic like any other wizard, witch, warlock, enchanter, enchantress, sorcerer, sorceress, mage, priest, priestess, shaman and such."

"...Quite a dream..." was Discord's response in the name of all three of them, after a short pause.

"This, of course, meant that we had to keep track of any new discovery made, in both herbology..."

"Herbo-what?" Trixie asked.

"The predecessor of botany, and - along with potion brewing or philtering - biochemistry." Twilight replied "So, herbology..."

"Yes, herbology, biology, both "plain" and magi-biology, the ever-expanding sciences..." Celestia paused for a moment, before adding "But she didn't turn away from the arts, either, especially visual arts, such as paintings, and sculptures, but sketching and posters were her favorites."

The others seemed rather stumped at that.

"Posters?" Twilight asked "Why posters?"

"...Initially, I had no idea, either." her mentor replied "And I don't think she knew it, either... After all, it was where her symbol of allotment was guiding her - what her cutie mark was telling her, if you wish."

***

Kranaya was quickly accepted by the staff. Cold as she was, she never forgot mutter a courtesy 'Доброе утро!' or 'Добрый вечер!', or, at the very least, a 'Добрый день!'.

If she was in a particularly good mood, she would even speak clearly and with punctuation, and if her day has been a bliss, she would even resort to saying 'Здравствуйте!' or 'Привет!'. She was known to be a polite, but earnest foal, always trotting soldierlike with a serious or contemplative expression on her face, her mane and tail wavering or even undulating in the slight breeze caused by her pace.

She was nicknamed "Notribuna" after the meaning of the sentence of her cutie mark was revealed by a talkative and rather careless Celestia. This resulted in her being locked up in her room for three days straight, and not answering the increasingly fervent knocking on her door.

After the Princess got word of the issue, she switched into total panic mode - she rushed across the whole castle, forgetting that she could "hop" from place to place (teleport), and burst trough the great oak door of the library with a spurt of flammable magic... Only to find the little filly sleeping safe and sound, her cheeks tear-streaked and her face carrying the same scowl she always wore when she couldn't find the answer to a seemingly simple question.

A healthy meal, a new door, a stern talking-to, and an incredibly fierce telling-off of the staff later, Krasnya resumed her studies. The event's subsequent result was her new nickname: "Tribune".

She liked (or, at least tolerated) that one.

Visitors to the Canterlot Palace would often notice a brow-tinted filly roaming the halls, eyes looking straight forward with a solemn expression, with a small pile of books balanced on her back. Many believed that she was a ghost until they met her in person, usually during dines or when they got lost in the hallways (usually, because they were searching for the loo).

"Your student is no ghost - she's a guardian angel!"

She sometimes used these events to demonstrate her knowledge and progress.

Artists, geologists, chemists, theologians, philosophers and other renowned ponies from all walks of life, and all fields of science found it most interesting to have conversations with this bright-eyed foreign student.

The only group she neglected (and stayed as far away from as possible) were the politicians and economists, who, to be honest, didn't care much about her. Sure, one or two did grew curious about the filly's knowledge, and many were puzzled by her cutie mark, but they didn't see her that significant - the Princess was known to be a kind and caring pony, so taking a supposedly orphaned filly under her wings didn't seemed like much surprise.

That, of course, didn't stopped them from causing grief to her.

Even when meeting casually, they were pushing their own ideas or shamelessly lobbying, trying to secure higher positions to their relatives and friends.

It may not seem like a big surprise then that Celestia retired early on from such events, along with her student.

After a particularly crowded meeting complete with a dinner, the two of them trotted across the dark hallways like lost souls - loss for words beside the occasional groan, and with an otherworldly tiredness in their bodies.

The Princess seemed especially bereft, and this didn't go unnoticed by the little pony.

"Princess? Ar you alright?" she asked.

The alicorn sighed.

"No..."

"No?"

"I'm just... Tired, that's all."

Silence fell among them.

"Iz it because of those pole... Polot... Politis... UGH!" with a groan, she gave up "Iz it because of the аппаратчики in the ball room?"

Celestia gave a wry smile.

"Yes... They've been bothering me quite profusely recently."

"Почему?" the filly asked, before repeating it in Equestrian: "Vhy? Don't they see that you don't like it?"

"I don't think they care?"

"Then vhy do they care if you agree vith them or not? After all, you veren't going up to them and picking on them!"

Celestia suddenly stopped and embraced her, much to her surprise.

"Princess?"

"You're a very kind filly."

"Thank you." she replied, hugging her mentor back.

She understood.

They stood like that for a moment.

"Tomorrow, we'll test your capabilities in the practical utilization of your knowledge."

"In magik?"

"In everything."

The filly groaned again.