It was her alright. She looked to be at least fifty feet tall if not more, but she was alive at least. Those golden yellow eyes of hers swiveled this way and that like they were searching for something. I had to get her attention.
"Derpy! Hey Derpy! Down here!" I shouted, jumping up and down and waving my arms. The grey pegasus just kept looking around. "Down here, ya great, blonde, googly-eyed..... Ah crap." She stretched her wings and started flapping. Usually, when a normal sized pegasus takes flight there might be some dust displaced if (and I mean IF) they put some effort behind it. Our friend Derpy was roughly twelve times that. She lifted off and set me on my backside. She rose into the sky and circled around and bellowed as she flew towards the city.
"HUNGRY! MUFFINS!"
"Well, shit." I said to a small hermit crab as it scuttled by my foot and my friend flew away. I needed to warn everyone what was happening but there was no way I could reach shore before she did. What I didn't notice was a set of eyes watching from the water's edge.
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"OOOOH, this is gonna be awesome. Best thing I've had all day. Even though I had to catch it myself." Andy said to no one in particular, as he put the large fish on a spit. The grey griffon had built a small cooking fire on the beach and was eagerly watching his meal cook. A shape shot by in a blur overhead. He looked up and heard a faint whistling noise. "What the f-WHOOOOOOM!-....rak?" The wake blew his spit over and dropped his fish into the fire. "It's not fair. It's just not fair" He said as he poked his ruined fish.
"WAAAAAHOOOOOOOOO!"
"Now what?" The hungry griffon wondered aloud. He looked to the new sound and saw...human Anthony surfing on the back of a....a, uh..seapony? "What the heck kind of wood was that I was using? I'm starting to see things." The seapony slowed itself down and Anthony hopped off into the water a little ways off shore, swimming the few yards in until he could walk. I turned around and waved (heh) to his ride as the strange creature swam off.
"Thanks, Shelia! I'll return the favor someday if I can!" I said.
"DAFUQ!?" I turned to see my friend glaring at me with murder in his eyes. Staring at a griffon in my human form was vastly different than when I was a pony. I immediately understood why they were so feared. So, I said the only logical thing.
"S'up?" An oddly human expression crept over his face before he facetaloned.
"Why aren't you with Derpy and WHY are you naked?" Andy asked, trying in vain to regain his composure. "Waitaminute. How are you normal?" He asked as he finally noticed the obvious. I started smelling smoke.
"Uh, hoss? Your fish is burning." He shook his feathered head.
"It ain't the fish. That whatever-it-was earlier saw to that. Again, HOW. ARE. YOU. NORMAL?" He asked getting in my face with each syllable. I cleared my throat.
"Well normal is a relative term, but I reckon it had something to do with that explosion earlier." I said with a shrug. His eyes got huge.
"That big boom earlier was you? Well then, that thing earlier was..." He trailed off following Derpy's path and putting two and two together. He stopped and pointed.
"Derpy. Exactly! So, what are you pointing at?" I asked and looked to where his talon was pointing. Thick, black smoke was rising from the direction of the city.
"oh shit.... Dude, we gotta get over there now!" I yelled and tried to jump on his back. The shocked griffon stepped away and I landed on my face. "ow....."
"Ah hail naw! Not with your twig and berries waving all over." he said, "Besides, I have another idea." He flew up and grabbed my shoulders with his talons and off we went.
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A scroll materialized in a burst of blue fire and landed at the hooves of the Solar Princess. Her sister, and Captain Thundermane both looked up from their bags of popcorn in surprise.
"What is it, dear sister? A letter from your student perhaps?" Luna asked. The yellow unicorn spoke up.
"I'm afraid not. I recognize that flame. It's an emergency message from Neighpan. What's wrong, your highness?" he asked as her eyes scanned the scroll. She nearly dropped it when she was done.
"I had to read it twice to make sure I saw properly, but it said that Tokhayo was under attack by a fifty foot pegasus." The captain and the other princess stared in shock for a few seconds. Luna spoke first.
"Art thou serious sister?" The older sibling nodded her head. Thundermane stood to attention.
"What orders should I send, your highness?" The millenniums old leader thought for a moment and bowed her head.
"None." The captain was shocked.
"Ma'am?" Celestia flared her wings out and rose into the sky.
"I said none. As much as I hate to do this to any of my subjects, there is only one thing I can think to do. I will handle this myself." With that, the co-ruler of Equestria took off like an equine comet. Captain Falchion looked at the remaining alicorn.
"What did she mean, 'only one thing'? Do you know what she means?" The younger sister nodded.
"I do. I wouldn't even wish it on the changelings."
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"Hey! Featherbrain! Put me down already! Those claws of yours are digging in deep!" I shouted at my friend as we neared the edge of the city. The trail of hopefully unintentional destruction left by the giant pegasus was mind-blowing. Shops, carts, restaurants and other random buildings were in pieces everywhere. He put me down next to what looked like a clothing store that was mostly intact. "Convenient." I thought to myself as I stepped inside. "Hey, Andy! Start looking for survivors. While we need to help Derpy, saving them is more important. I need to find some pants or something, I'll be out in a second. It looks like they had stuff for diamond dogs in here." The grey griffon grunted his agreement and tool off. I quickly found what appeared to be a pair of basic jeans and a plain brown vest with a few pockets. As I donned my clothes, I noticed a distinct lack of sounds in the building. I called out a few times and checked around. Nothing so much as a hoof-print. I made my way out of the shop and found Andy, I saw a brown leg poking out from under a slab of concrete. The expression on his face said he had seen more of the same.
"Did they evacuate?" he asked.
"Some of them must have. They moved quick though." I pointed at the top of a blonde mane moving over the top of a nearby building. "Now, let's go get her before they send out the army. Godzilla might take them out like toys, but I'm not so sure about her."
"Right. Get on." Andy leaned down so that I could get on. "I'm warning you now though, if you get a boner, I'm throwing you off." I smirked.
"Don't flatter yourself. Hey, What's that glowey thing next to her?" I asked pointing at the incoming ball of light. "Whatever it is, it can't be good news. Hurry!" I jumped on and off we went.
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Princess Celestia began gathering energy as soon as she passed over the border to Neighpan. By the time she reached the city, she was shining like a second sun. Quickly, she spotted the enormous equine. She flew in low and behind the pony's head. Tears started to flow from her eyes as she prepared for what she had to do.
"My subject, I am sorry. I have not the skill necessary to return you to normal. I know that you do not mean to do these things. I can place you somewhere that you will not harm another living soul." She openly wept now. "I. AM. SORRY." With that, she unleashed the spell and they giant grey mare vanished in a fiery orange flash with a last bellowing word.
"PRINCESS?"
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As the glow faded, we could see who it was. She landed. I looked at Andy and he nodded. Before she could even fold her wings, my fist stopped an inch from her royal nose.
"Before I do something you'll regret. Tell me. What did you do to Derpy? Where is she!?" I asked in the calmest voice I could. I was seething in rage and trying to hold back tears. To her credit, Celestia didn't flinch. I saw her face, wet from her own tears. My rage lessened slightly as she sank to her haunches.
"I....sent her....away."
"Where?"
"Somewhere where nopony will be hurt."
"WHERE?"
"I didn't want to." I felt my rage and grief boil over. I grabbed her horn and pulled her face next to mine.
"I ask once more. Where?"
".....Tartarus."