It wasn't hard to feel awful in the circumstances. As I looked out of that window, I felt a strong sense of fear for the unknown. We appeared to be staring down the gullet of a horror too great to comprehend, a threat built solely on spite and hatred.

Chris didn't want our resources, nor was he acting to protect himself or his own lands or people. He was acting purely out of spite. He was doing this entirely because we existed and our existance offended him.

And therein lay the problem. Most normal people would just have ignored media they don't like and just got on with their lives. I know I do. But Chris, oh no, he seems to think every little thing that he doesn't like is a slight against him personally, proof of a grand conspirary to ruin his life and make him unhappy. Good grief. He never really grew out of having the mind of a small child, did he?

I was so stuck in my own thoughts I didn't hear mom approaching from behind, and I nearly jumped when she spoke. "Zipp?"

I turned around quickly. "Oh, err, hey mom!"

Mom looked at me calmly, and with a look that conveyed motherly affection (well, she was my mom, so of course she'd know how to do that). "I can tell something's wrong."

I sighed, figuring it would just be easier to spill the beans than have to have my thoughts pried out of me. "What a mess this is... and I can't help but feel responsible somehow."

"Dear, you couldn't possibly have known about this Chris fellow. I shall see to it this ruffian is brought to justice, not to mention taught to speak proper English."

I sighed again. "I know. But if I'd never launched the raid on the crystal in your crown Gulfstream would never have risen to power, and we wouldn't be in this mess!"

Mom pulled me into a hug. "Zipp, you shouldn't be too hard on yourself," she said. "I failed to spot the red flags myself, and my time here has taught me something important- even if you make mistakes, you still have a chance to learn from them and earn your happy ending. Keep moving forward, and ensure that the world can still be a better place."

I nodded. "Thanks, mom."

"I'll always be here if you need support, dear," mom said, before turning around. "My fellow ponies, it appears that we are on a war footing. As such, things need to change around here. Our first act must be to ensure we all stand together- after all, in the face of enemies many foes become friends."

As we were discussing what to do next, I suddenly noticed something else out of the window and up in the sky. Chris' craft had flown off, and were travelling across the planet. But I spotted one of them had something interesting written on the side.

TWILIGHT SPARKLE IS A TRAITOR TO PONYKIND. FUTURE EPISODE IS FUTURE TENSE PREMATURE.

That's some terrible English, I thought to myself. But before I could comment on it further, I was suddenly pulled into a bright light so intense I had to shield my eyes.

When the light subsided, I was able to lower my foreleg and look around. I suddenly realised that I was back in the dreamscape I had visited once or twice before, with the familiar clouds and stars stretching away into infinity. My jaw dropped at seeing the beauty of it all once more.

"Hello, Zipp."

I turned upon hearing the voice. The voice I had heard in the dreamscape and back in Nottingham all those moons ago. It was comforting, and yet somehow familiar. And I don't mean familiar in the sense that I'd heard it in the dreamscape. Instead, I knew it from somewhere before all of this had happened.

"Who are you?" I asked.

A bright light appeared before me, the same light that had previously heralded this voice. "Look forth, and all shall be revealed," said the voice once more, before the light began to shift.

As it did so, a figure began to emerge from the light, and my jaw dropped.

The figure standing before me was one that any brony would recognise. She was an alicorn who towered over me, and had a lavender coat and enormous purple wings. Her chest had a golden piece of armour on it, and she wore four golden horseshoes. She also had an enormous flowing dark blue mane and tail, both interspersed with purple and pink strands. Her purple eyes were filled with warmth and gentleness, and she smiled at me.

"Hello, Zipp," she said. "I imagine you weren't expecting to see me here."

"Princess Twilight?!" I said, in shock, and as quickly as I could bowed. "I- I am not worthy to be in-"

"Rise, Zipp," Twilight said. "There is no need for such formality here. And you are more than worthy to be here. You have courage and the skills to stand up for your friends, not to mention the bravery you have shown in the face of overwhelming odds. You have more than earned the title of princess, Zipp- and that's partly why I chose you."

I blinked. "Twilight, you're not making a whole lot of sense," I said. "Could you explain?"

Twilight sighed, as a screen came up in front of her. "This was a series of events I anticipated when observing the multiverse," she said sadly. "Every world deserves the fundamental right to exist, but sadly some people don't appreciate that. And one of them was the Chris person you have been running into. He claims to be a brony, but knows little of the ways of Harmony and regards himself as the most important being in existence, considering the G5 World to be a personal slight against him."

"Given he claims to be a deity," I noted. "But how does this connect to us?"

"Chris found a way to travel to the G5 world, and intended to destroy it. But there was a prophecy that when the darkness seemed greatest, eight heroes would rise up and restore the light. Given that ponykind was already divided thanks to their lack of empathy, Chris thought his work would be easy, so he set about eliminating those who posed the greatest threat to him. Including the original Zipp."

The screen then changed again to show a place I hadn't been in a very long time, and in all likelihood will never see again- Wollaton Park, where my adventures began.

Just then, I saw a familiar figure suddenly get dropped into the scene- a Zipp Storm, no less. "Hello? Hello? Is anypony there?" she called. She seemed lost, scared, confused, lost in an alien environment never meant for her.

"You're where nobody can save you," said a voice, which I recognised immediately as Chris. "This is for replacing the greatest TV show of all time, you stupid cow."

Before Zipp could react, Chris charged at her and slammed her into the floor. She flailed and tried to get him off her, but he simply seemed to be too powerful.

"SOMEPONY HELP ME! PLEASE!"

"Nobody is here to save you, Zipp," Chris smiled evilly. "As far as they're concerned, you're a character in a kid's cartoon."

He then drew what appeared to be a knife, and you don't exactly need to guess what he did with it. It was very bloody and messy, and a carcass was left afterwards. Thank Faust no kids could see down there- I could imagine seeing the bloodied remains of a beloved character would be very traumatic.

Chris then picked the body up and dragged it away with him. "Let's dump you in the lake," he said, smiling cruelly. "That way, nobody will ever find you. One down, seven to go."

However, as Chris would walk away, gloating about his victory, something began to happen with the feathers left behind. They started to glow, and were surrounded by an enchanted energy before falling to the floor.

Twilight looked to me. "The original Zipp was gone... but I knew that somebody equally pure of heart was coming. One who loved the G5 World, and as such would be able to fit in with no difficulty. So I enchanted the feathers, and I believe you know the rest."

I stood there, thinking this over as I did so. Twilight had not only been watching us, this was part of a grand plan to save the world? Talk about intense.

And it wasn't random chance that I found those feathers either. I had somehow been fated to become Zipp, it seemed, and I was seemingly the only one left.

"Yeah," I said. "Talk about a big destiny. But what are we going to do? How can we take on Chris?"

"The exact same way we solved problems," Twilight said. "Through friendship and teamwork. Now go, My Little Pony. Adventure awaits!"

Author's Note

Well, that was quite a reveal, wasn't it! Now you know who the voice was in all of those transformations- none other than Princess Twilight herself. Given that a popular plot hook of G4 TF stories was Celestia somehow being involved in the protagonist's journey, I thought it only fitting to reference that convention albeit with Twilight (Celestia being implied to be long dead in G5).

And so, our heroes know their purpose. Onwards to the next chapter!