"No..." Twilight said in her sleep, squirming in the bed. Her wings twitched subconsciously as she put her hooves to her head in agitation.
"No!" the frightened alicorn said before jolting straight up.
"NO!" Twilight yelled, opening her eyes in an instant, breathing rapidly at first, but she eventually calmed down.
At first, she thought it was all a dream, but then she began to look around. She saw that she was back at her parent's house, in her old room. At first, she was confused, but when she looked out the window, she realized that her nightmares were all too real. Canterlot, or what used to be Canterlot, looked different. The buildings were less colorful and made more of grey brick. The roofings were more liked those of Chineigh or Neighpon with red tiles. Where the roof meets the walls, black lines with white spikes on them lay, and there was a building or two that were in construction in the background. There weren't just ponies on the streets, but many other species took residence there, races she never saw before. And the real catcher was the new national flag, which bore a logo resembling Bowser's face on it.
"So it really was true..." Twilight said. She got up out of bed and let out a depressed sigh. This is no longer the Equestria she came to know and love. Now, this is Bowser's Equestria, and there's nothing she could do to change it. The princesses are gone and Bowser has bested and neutralized the Elements of Harmony in mere moments. But she recalled that Bowser did say something about the denizens of his kingdom and his world staying with their parents until they reach the age of 18.
"Twilight!" both of her parents yelled as they rushed into the room. Twilight couldn't help but to join their hug, wrapping her wings around them.
"We heard you screaming and went to see what was going on." Nightlight said as the purple alicorn folded her wings back and smiled sheepishly, giggling a bit.
"It's just the nightmare blues, I guess." Twilight said, her face as red as a tomato.
"Oh, silly Twily-Wily, is this about what happened back at the former castle?" Velvet asked as Twilight nodded. She wondered why her mother said "former" castle, but that can be asked later.
"Oh, don't be so sad, Twilight. It got to all of us." Nighlight said.
"When we heard about the news, at first we thought you were dead, but then, as we listened, we figured out that you're staying with us." Velvet said as Twilight looked at her. "Don't be so sad, it could be worse. We are both thankful Bowser left you unscathed." the white unicorn continued.
"I guess you are right." Twilight said as she and her family went downstairs. She was back to the old homestead, which looked pretty much the same even after the invasion happened. She was worried sick about Spike, though. She hatched him from his egg the same moment she got her cutie mark, and he was like a little brother to her. Hopefully, Bowser's troops did not kill him during the invasion.
When they got to downstairs, Twilight's worries were noticed by her parents. "Twily, what's wrong?" Nightlight asked.
"Oh, nothing. Just worried about Spike. I just hope he is okay. I'm afraid that Bowser has done something to him. At the very best, when I deliver a message, it will go straight to Bowser." the former Princess of Friendship replied as they entered the den. "What do we do now?" the purple alicorn asked her parents.
"Well, it's been a rough day for all of us, so how 'bout we go out eat for lunch." Nightlight replied.
Twilight and Velvet nodded back in response as they prepared to go outside to find a restaurant that was still open. With all that in play, they all agreed on going out. Hopefully, a good bite to eat would help them ease the tension a little and maybe forget the whole invasion fiasco, even if it is gonna be for a little while. Celestia and Luna were bested by this mighty beast, and they are most likely beyond her reach by now.
"Well, on the bright side, your brother, sister-in-law, and niece are still alive and in one piece. They're moving back here after the Crystal Empire was annexed, they're back her mainly to protect you and make sure you're unharmed." Nightlight added, lightening Twilight's mood a little. At least she'll have them around. It's a shame that Flurry Heart would never know the old Equestria except maybe from stories, but at least she can now babysit her regularly.
As they walked through the streets, Twilight began to look around the place. Canterlot, or whatever this place is now called, is quite busy, and very different. They came through a bustling new marketplace that was set where a plaza once was. Stands were set, selling food, rugs, and whatever else was there, making Twilight ask something.
"How long was I out?" Twilight asked.
"It was for about two and a half hours, give or take. Bowser's magic warped the outside area to be a little more... homely to him and his followers." the blue unicorn said. "Hopefully, that'll explain why everything's so different all of the sudden."
"So, where are we going?" Twilight asked.
"To this recently opened restaurant down the lane that we're gonna meet the rest of the family for lunch." Velvet said as they went to their destination. It was a medium-sized restaurant with the same style as the rest of the city, and had an outside patio for those who wanted to eat outside. The family went through the doors and went to their tables as some music played in the background.
They didn't pay much attention to it, though, as their attention was focused on something else. Three something elses, to be exact. Twilight squealed in happiness as she almost ran to her target, but kept enough self control not to make a scene in there. Shining Armor and Cadence, and Flurry Heart looked at her and they gave each other a big long hug. "I missed you guys..." the purple alicorn said as they let go of each other. Flurry just resumed sucking on her pacifier.
"We missed you two, Twilight." Shining said as he patted a hoof on Twilight's shoulder as they took their seats. It was so strange to see that the world around you has changed, and it was no exception to them, well, not permanently, at the very least. The entire family sat down and began to talk with one another, mostly exchanging their experiences with Bowser's troops and the invasion of Equestria. Pretty soon, their meals arrived.
Twilight was never into the girly princessy stuff anyway and order her usual hayburger and fries. Twilight's parents ordered salads, Shining Armor and Cadence had their meals while Flurry Heart just sipped on her bottle. Overall, this was a pretty good lunch. "So BBBFF, where are you staying?" Twilight asked.
"We decided to settle not far from you, just a few houses away to keep you safe." the former captain said as his sister giggled in response. "What's so funny?"
"I can live through it as long as my friends still have faith in me. Even if they don't, I at least still have you guys." Twilight said as they went out of the building. As they walked past the construction site, the purple alicorn began to wonder what it was and wanted to know what it was going to be for. What she can tell is that it was going to be big. "Um, mom..." she asked. "Is this going to be the new castle? You said, "former" castle, so is that gonna be the new one?"
"Not likely, dear. That's not gonna be the new castle, its gonna be on the other side of town, if that's what you wanted to know." Velvet said as they parted ways with the other four.
"So, where are we going?" Twilight asked.
"Well, your father's going to work, and I decided that we should go home. Bowser said that you and your friends will work in the gardens next week, and it's not every day that I get to spend time with you..."
"Mom!" Twilight said with a blush as Velvet giggled. She knew that if she wasn't careful, her own mother will put her in diapers and feed her milk for the rest of her life. But that thought was saved for later when she looked at the clouds. They were moving on their own accord, and there were no pegasi moving them. A flock of birds were flying by, a new species that she never saw before, and she estimated that they were likely from Bowser's home world.
She can already tell that this is gonna be a brand new age that has just begun.