Silence.
Silence and darkness.
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"H-h-help! S-someone, please, help!"

"Is someone there? Keep talking, we need to hear you! Where are you?"

"I don't know *cough* I can't... I can't see!"

"Sit tight. We're on our way."

Suddenly, the blanket of darkness lifted. A stallion, middle-aged and wearing a heavy leather siut and oxygen mask. His face was hidden. All of him was hidden.

The filly didn't resist the oxygen mask strapped onto her muzzle. She took a long, deep breath, the pressure on her chest not yet subsided. The air was thick with smoke and dust. Small fires burned where candles had tipped over or lamps had broken. A team of ponies flew water from the pond, slowly putting them out.

This place... where was it? She couldn't remember ever seeing anything like it. All dusty and broken. Wait.

A giant cupcake.

THE giant cupcake.

Sugarcube Corner? Than this was...

Ponyville? Her Ponyville?

Her rescuer, the stallion was still standing behind her.

"My friends! My friends were here too! Have you found them?"

"We have four confirmed. Near the forest. They've been waiting for you."

A dirty blue Pegasus was collasped on the ground, rainbow mane in knots and good chunks missing. She was breathing.

A black mare, wings extended slightly in sleep. Also breathing.

Herself, dirtied but alive, pink mane in some state and pale yellow fur coated in mud.

A dragon, snoring almost peacefully, his bulk covering most of the clear ground. Also breathing.

Fluttershy sobbed to herself. The fourth found...

The stallion galloped up. He kicked off his potective jacket, keeping the mask on for safety. The dark red coat was met with a golden mane and a green apple cutiemark. Without a word, Big Macintosh let Fluttershy aside, past rubble and dirt and mud and fire, over to a small group of ponies.

As they approached, the group moved aside. There was a matress, hauled out from the destruction. A blacket, thick and white and embroidered with small blue clouds. That was his blanket. or at least, it used to be...

Fluttershy spread her wings to hide the matress. Gently pulling back the blanket's edge, she saw a rounded muzzle, eyes closed in peace, young ears short and round.

She gently licked her son's head, eyes closed as tears ran down her cheeks and onto the scales below.

A heartbeat.

"...Momma?"