The light of the explosion was visible from every nearby city and many farther than that, only hidden properly to those where mountains or some other natural formation obstructed a clear line of sight towards Manehattan. Even from the ones at the farthest edges of the country, a tiny glowing spec on the horizon was still visible, though few spotted it and none understood its significance.
Those however who saw it more clearly had few questions over its nature, and none over its source. There was not a creature in Equestria who didn't know what was happening, though few had any idea of where, many few ideas of how, none many ideas on the possible results. The event still came as quite a shock to those who saw it, the sheer size of it not comparable to anything they'd ever seen.
Most of all it came as a shock to those ponies who had been in Manehattan. Those who until a couple of days earlier had called the city their home, and who before the bubble around it had appeared had never even considered something terrible could happen to it. They had survived the Behemoth's arrival, what more could they possibly go through?
Those farther away could only dread the situation, without clear confirmations, without certainty as much as things looked their worst. Those closest, close enough to see the city and the area around it and what was left as the light faded, had no doubts. Manehattan was no more. The buildings, even the land, all evaporated. The once city was a crater the sea began to fill, soon a rounded curve in the coast, and there would be no homes for all its inhabitants where to return later.