Conveniently, Princess Celestia happened to be standing outside at the moment the confused dragon's head burst through the roof of her school. It took a few seconds for Celestia to realize where the dragon could possibly have come from. Could it be the egg used by the school to test students on how they deal with failure? Hatching the egg should have been impossible.

The alicorn launched herself into the air and quickly zoomed in through an open window. Magenta magic light shimmered and pulsed throughout the room, and in the middle of it all was Twilight Sparkle. The filly hovered in midair in the throes of a tremendous magical surge, mindlessly blasting magenta-colored transformation spells in all directions.

Princess Celestia already knew who Twilight Sparkle was. Her parents were reasonably well-known among the nobility. She knew her father, Night Light the Azure, and she'd spoken with him on several occasions.

She knew her mother Twilight Velvet, a practiced mage and socialite. She knew her brother Shining Armor, who was currently a member of the Junior Cadets. Unlike the father, they were both Gules, as was Twilight Sparkle herself. The children were cursed by their mother's aura. All three were Gules with wretched, filthy, magenta-colored souls. They were untrustworthy. They were tainted. They were repulsive.

The princess needed only touch Twilight to end the surge, but for just a moment, she paused. She could feel the revulsion crawling through her flesh. This foal was as far beneath the princess as any two ponies could possibly be.

And yet, the little one held so much raw power! Could a Gules possibly be the child of the prophecy, the one foretold to unite the Sun and Moon? This untouchable beast had been able to hatch a dragon! Celestia's last two students had both been Azures, which was easy enough to manage. Could she mentor a Gules without hating herself? Could she do it without hating the foal?

Princess Celestia fought the disgust within her barrel, and reached out and touched the filly. Twilight's surge ended, and her transformation magic subsided as a chain-reaction of counterspells took effect around the room. Acting against her instincts, Celestia continued to hold her hoof against the child's horn, feeling the warmth of her tiny brow. Twilight Sparkle was a foal just like any other, the princess told herself. She was a young pony in need of friendship and nurturing. She was not a mere color, even if that color was magenta. Princess Celestia knew this was true, even if she didn't feel that way.

Celestia took a deep breath and prepared to speak. Despite all her instincts to the contrary, she resolved to do it. She would take this this little one under her wing, and give her a chance. Princess Celestia never actually imagined that Twilight would grow to be a powerful mage, but nonetheless, in a small part of her heart, she hoped for the impossible.

Prove me wrong, my little pony.