Version: 1

The largest earthquake in over 100 years had struck the region. Cities up and down the fault-line had been shaken to pieces. Rockslides were blocking many of the roads, greatly slowing the emergency response. The power-lines had fallen like dominoes. Countless breaks in the water main had created geysers in some locations and slow bubbling lakes in others. Fires were popping up like weeds in a fresh crop field.

And the urban skyline... any who saw it would be plagued with nightmares for the rest of their lives.

All the tallest structures were simply gone. Absent from the picture like an editor had just erased them. At least some of the mid-level buildings had survived, but even those that remained upright were often slouched. Like someone with poor posture. Far more of the shorter structures might have endured the quake if they hadn't been buried under the rubble of their larger neighbors.

So many were dead. Even more were missing. Countless hordes stumbled through the streets in shock, unable to process what had happened. There were voices too. Cries for help. Cries for family. Cries of sorrow.

Which is why the big guns had been called in.

The ponies were here.

Nurse Redheart perked her ears as she stalked down the dust covered street. Diligently she turned her head from side to side. Sweeping the area like a radar dish. Straining to detect even the slightest noise. For the tiniest hint of someone who needed help. It was a slow, tense procedure. She knew the dogs would be better at this, but there just weren't enough of them. They needed everyone searching right now.

Especially ponies like herself.

She was a humble earth mare back in Equestria. However, in the human world, she literally towered over her surroundings. And she didn't suffer this phenomenon alone. All ponies were huge once they stepped through the portal. Though the size difference rendered almost all her medical training useless, it also made it easy to perform rescues. With size came strength, enough to pull someone from a pile of rubble for example. The only problem was finding the survivors. Fortunately, she was equipped for that too.

"Is anyone alive out there?!" the pale mare called, voice booming over the distant echos of sirens.

She froze, not wanting to make any sound herself out of fear it might drown out a faint reply. Her ears swiveled furiously atop her head as she waited. Both hoping to hear something yet also dreading it. After all, if she heard someone that likely meant they were hurt.

Redheart's head jerked to the side. Her ears stood straight. Her jaw clenched. Even her breathing stopped. She had heard something.

"If someone is there, I'm here to help! Please tell me where you are!" she called. Then she listened.

A second passed. She was already sweating and her heart was pounding. Even if she heard nothing now that didn't mean the sound she'd caught was a false alarm.

Someone screamed, but their voice was so muffled it was only barely audible.

It was enough.

Nurse Redheart knew exactly where they were and sprang into action. At once the huge equine dove towards the third house on the left, not caring about the cracks in the asphalt she left in her wake. Even a parked car was casually kicked out of her way. A life was on the line. Nothing else mattered.

"I've got a live one!" she all but screamed over her shoulder.

The mare didn't have a second to spare. As soon as she reached the wreck that was once a suburban home she began digging. Starting with the crumpled roof she carefully sorted through the debris, dismissively tossing one piece at a time into the neighbor's yard. If only she had been a unicorn. The rescue could have been over with in a single flash. Alas she was a simple earth mare. The only tool she had to go through the pile of timber was her bare hooves. All the while the cries for help came from somewhere beneath her.

An ambulance pulled up behind her. Doors slammed. The paramedics were asking her questions. She didn't even acknowledge them. She was too focused. Too close. Just. One. More. Piece!

Mission accomplished. With practiced motions the huge equine scooped the now free but battered man up out of the rubble and brought him towards the ambulance. She had saved a life.

There were countless more rescues to come, but at least humanity had giant friendly ponies to help.

Author's Note

Every now and then I check the 4chan thread "My Massive Pony" to hunt for ideas. This is the fruit of my most recent harvest. So credit for this idea goes to an image posted there. Also kind of ended up being a spiritual continuation of another short of mine "Macro Training Camp".

derpibooru.org/images/1419839