Prologue: Horns of Mass Destruction
Twilight opened her eyes. She found herself lying on a slightly dirty bedspread, groggy and disoriented.
"What... happened?" Twilight muttered, squinting at her hooves through the throbbing pain in her head.
Twilight shook her head to clear her vision. It seemed as if she had been asleep for a long time, possibly months, or even years.
The persistent headache served as a constant reminder of a vague memory, of something dreadful that had occurred before Equestria became a vast ocean.
"This pain is unbearable," Twilight moaned, placing one hoof against her pounding forehead.
"I'M NOT LETTING YOU CONQUER EQUESTRIA, DID YOU HEAR?" she heard her own voice echoing in her memory, shouting those last words before the earth trembled under the tremendous surge of alicorn magic that manifested as a colossal energy sphere. It caused the sea level to rise, creating a devastating tsunami that engulfed Equestria.
The tsunami had reached Twilight's location, slamming into her before she could react. The last memory she had was of nearly drowning, struggling to escape the colossal wave.
Twilight snapped back to reality, gasping for breath, her eyes wide with shock.
"I'm sure my mind is playing tricks on me... that couldn't have happened. We defeated Tirek, but I don't understand where that tsunami came from," Twilight muttered, her brow furrowed in confusion as she tried to piece together the fragments of her memory.
"I can't... trying to remember is futile. Every time I try, my head starts pounding, and I can't make sense of it. How did I even end up in this apartment? It looks dismal and damp," Twilight said, her gaze shifting around the cramped living space.
The apartment was in a state of disrepair. Peeling paint hung from the walls, and water leaked from various points in the kitchen and living room. In a corner near the window, there was a sizable stack of empty apple cider bottles, though Twilight had no recollection of how they got there, nor did she care.
Rusty kitchen utensils and chipped tea cups were strewn about, further evidence of neglect. It appeared that all the other apartments in the building were likely in a similar state of disrepair, gradually succumbing to the ravages of time.
Twilight sighed heavily, a mix of emotions welling up within her. "Will I be the only pony left? I can't believe it... Could it be that somepony brought me here? It would be too much of a coincidence. Since I woke up, I haven't seen a single soul. Equestria, why did you have to become this lifeless, desolate place, submerged in water? What did I do wrong? Did I fail in my mission to spread friendship throughout the world? Is this the price I have to pay?" Twilight's voice wavered with sadness and regret.
"I wish everything could return to the way it was," she added in a subdued tone, her reflection in the window mirroring her despondency.
Just as Twilight's reflection seemed to meld with her thoughts, it abruptly changed to that of Princess Cadance.
Twilight, taken aback, blinked in surprise. "Cadance?" she uttered, her saucer-like eyes widening.
"Twilight, you're finally awake! And it seems you've been talking to yourself, huh? Don't tell Luna about this, but sometimes I catch her having conversations with her crops, especially the strawberries. She's become utterly obsessed with them. Luna has essentially turned into a gardener. Did you ever imagine she'd be so into gardening?" Cadance remarked, chuckling softly.
"Putting that aside, Cadance, please tell me what happened. How did I end up here? Why is Equestria submerged? And how can I see your reflection? What kind of magic is this?" Twilight's questions tumbled out in rapid succession, her curiosity getting the better of her.
Cadance, maintaining a patient demeanor, responded, "Whoa, slow down, Twilight. I'll answer your questions one by one. First, when we were fighting Tirek, he had absorbed nearly all of Equestria's magic. Things were looking bleak. In a desperate move, Celestia suggested we combine all our powers into one massive energy sphere. The magic became dangerously unstable, and when we hurled it at Tirek, it struck the ground, causing a massive tremor and triggering a colossal tsunami heading straight for us. You were in shock, so I, along with Celestia and Luna, managed to get you to safety. We narrowly escaped the oncoming wave, but the cost was high. We lost many ponies, mostly earth and unicorn ponies. Unfortunately, they began to view us as reckless and blamed us for the disaster. They never even offered a word of thanks. I can understand why to some extent, but it was never our intention for any of this to happen," Cadance explained with a hint of sadness in her voice.
Twilight listened intently, her memories slowly crystallizing as Cadance's words filled in the gaps.
Twilight finally exhaled and said with a mix of relief and remorse, "I remember now. I was so terrified when I saw that tsunami heading right for us. I'm sorry I was such a burden, Cadance. Thank you for helping me."
"No need to thank me, Twilight. We're family, after all," Cadance replied warmly. She then added with a teasing grin, "By the way, don't you ever drink that much apple cider again. I had no idea it could make you lose your memory and sleep for years."
Twilight's eyes widened with confusion as she asked, "What do you mean?"
Cadance chuckled, "I'm referring to the time, six years ago, when we moved to Aquilonia. You started drinking an excessive amount of apple cider. You eventually passed out, and I had to find a dry apartment for you to rest."
"I'm so sorry about that. It was my way of coping, I couldn't bear it when ponies despised us, calling us 'Freak Angels.' It was my fault that all this happened," Twilight confessed, her gaze falling to the floor in guilt.
Cadance reassured her, "Don't blame yourself entirely, Twilight. It's been six years, and it's not productive to dwell on it now."
"You're right. I should focus on returning to my castle. Would you like to come with me, Cadance? Staying in these dismal apartments doesn't seem ideal. Maybe we can find Celestia and Luna as well, wherever they are,"
"I'd love to go with you, Twilight, but there are a couple of things to consider," Cadance explained. "First, we made a promise to protect Aquilonia with our lives in the days following the apocalypse. It's only fair, given that we played a role in destroying our homeland. Second, your castle was swept away by the current when Equestria was submerged. It's probably drifting far away on the horizon as we speak."
Twilight nodded in understanding but couldn't help but feel worried about Celestia. "What about Celestia? You haven't mentioned much about her. Is she all right?"
Cadance's expression darkened, and she sighed. "I haven't seen Celestia in years. Shortly after the catastrophe, she and Luna had a falling out. They couldn't stop using that Canterlot voice thing on each other, and they refused to reconcile. You and I tried to mediate, but they wouldn't listen. I've seen Celestia acting strangely at times. She'd swim and frolic as if this situation were a minor inconvenience. While optimism is good, considering that many ponies are against us and we're now living in the middle of the ocean, her carefree attitude troubled me."
Determination filled Twilight's eyes as she resolved to find her former mentor. "I'll go look for her. I don't think she would have left Aquilonia. Talking to her might help us understand why she's acting this way."
Just as Twilight prepared to leave the apartment to search for Celestia, Cadance suddenly interrupted her.
"Wait, Twilight! There's something you need to know," Cadance said urgently.
Confused, Twilight turned back to face Cadance, her brow furrowed. "What is it?"
Before she could respond, Twilight's reflection in the window shifted back to its normal appearance, leaving her with a perplexed expression.
"Cadance must be in trouble," Twilight thought aloud. "I need to help her."
With determination, Twilight opened the window and leaped out, initially appearing as though she was about to dive. However, just before hitting the ground, she took flight, soaring toward Cadance's apartment.
"I'm coming, Cadance! Whatever that pony is planning, I hope it's not something reckless," Twilight declared as she flew toward the building where Cadance resided.
And with that, Twilight's quest to find answers and reunite with her friends continued in the unforgiving, submerged world they now called home.
END
