In her chambers, Celestia was preparing for bed. She levitated an ivory comb in the golden aura of her magic and drew it through her long cascading waterfall of a mane, detangling it. Her wife was gone this evening, presiding over the hatching of another generation of changelings.

The white mare hummed to herself as she made quick work of her mane, smoothing out knots and tangles as she went. She was just about finished when she heard an abrupt knock at her door.

“Come in, it's unlocked.” she called in the general direction of the door. She had no concern about assassins or other potential threats.

She was quite shocked to see Twilight Sparkle, haggard and miserable looking, glowering in her door frame. The plump purple mare was even more ruffled looking than usual, her mane unwashed and her face haunted and shadowed.

“Oh Twilight, my dear, whatever has happened to you?” Asked the queen, placing the comb on her vanity and walking over to her student, raising a wing to envelop her in her embrace. “Did something happen in Ponyville? Is your family alright?”

Twilight took a firm step back, and met her mentor’s gaze. Celestia was shocked to see rage and grief reflected in her golden eyes. Celestia stared in shock. She had faced this look only a few times in her entire life. When Luna was about to become Nightmare Moon, when Sunset Shimmer turned on her, and when her son became an alicorn. It all clicked into place in an instant.

“How could you?” asked Twilight, raising her wings. “How could you have done this to me? To my child? To your own son?”

“Twilight you would never understand,” Said Celestia, still shocked by how enraged her usually mild student had become. “I had to do this, or else I would be alone for the rest of eternity.”

“Well now you have ensured that me and my child, and your own son, will understand one day!” yelled Twilight, now pressing forwards into Celestia’s room. “My children! My wives! They will all die before me. I will be all alone one day, just me and the other princesses, forever.”

Celestia backed up, flattening her ears. Guilt and shame bubbled up in her as she looked down at her beloved student. The once bright and cheerful mare was now a disheveled mess, her eyes puffy and red-rimmed from all the crying she had been doing.

“I’m sorry. Truly, I am.” Said Celestia. “If I had known that this is how you would react, I never would have done it.”

“You could have asked!” She screamed, her horn igniting with emotional magic, sparking like lightning in the dim bedroom. “Why didn't you ask!”

“I didn't know if it would work.” admitted the queen, staring at the floor. “The spell. If I failed, you would have died. I could never have asked you to let me do that, knowing that you could die. I figured it would be kinder for you to not know. Just in case.”

Twilight paled. “You killed me, not knowing if you could bring me back?” she asked, suddenly deflating.

Celestia nodded.

“Can this be undone?” asked Twilight, fresh tears forming at the corners of her eyes.

“I don't know.” She answered, defeat in her voice. “You were the first I successfully did the spell on.”

“There were others?” she asked, feeling sick.

“Yes,” answered the queen. “Many others.”