The future of harmony

by Storm Rival

Chapter 5 and the hilarious element of laughter.

With Twilight done in the time machine, Pinkie felt her usual 'sense' kicking up again. She could feel the horrible future encroaching on her when suddenly, she heard Twilight speak about the horrific future at hand

"That's uberifically bad," she said. Feeling a dark aura or something flowing about the lab. Soon after, she couldn't help but jump about wondering who was going to be next in the machine. Dashie and Twilight already went, now it was, she looked about the room then looked at herself as Rarity said "Though, knowing things I'm willing to bet Pinkie will go next."

Somehow peering into the future itself, Pinkie said, "you betcha!"

"Alright, Miss Pie, if there is indeed an oreder, what is it?"

Pinkie said the order as stated in the previous chapter...

Applejack questioned the order and asked how Pinkie knew it.

"I dunno, fate I guess." she replied

Dr. Whooves then dismissed them all.

Pinkie skipped out as per her usual and now needed to do something to pass the time for an hour.

-----

Skipping about, she couldn't help but notice all the high class ponies of Canterlot just go about in a dressy casual way. Pinkie usually was an odd one always skipping about, not totally caring about problems but how much fun there would be rather solving them. As she continued to skip through she noticed that somepony wasn't smiling, she skipped over then felt a small tingle as though she's possibly met this pony before, though how was totally a mystery.

The pony Pinkie approached was in tears.

"Hey, what's going on?" Pinkie asked as friendly as can be.

"Oh, great, not just any authority to apprehend me but Pinkie pie herself; this day has just been the worst of my life." The mare said.

"Hold on, I'll be back in a flash!" Pinkie said disappearing then reappearing with a cupcake in her hoof. "Here's to lighten up your day," she said with an enormous grin on her face.

The mare simply slapped the cupcake out of Pinkie's hoof. "Look, Pinkie Pie, I know what you're trying to do and no matter how much you try, its quite honestly not going to work." she said.

"Why's that huh?" Pinkie asked as though she were challenged.

"Come closer to the corner." she said.

"Okie dokie." Pinkie replied

Once the mare and Pinkie were in the corner, the mare started glowing a green hue as the fur evaporated by the magic. Slowly Pinkie's smile let down a little as she saw one of her old adversaries.

"Somepony come qu-!" Pinkie shouted out but was blocked by the hoof of the changeling

Pinkie then somehow managed to fit her muzzle through one of the changeling's leg holes.

"Some-!" Pinkie's shouts were quickly blocked by the changeling's other front hoof.

"See why I'm having a bad day already?" she said just letting Pinkie go. she walked close to the edge of the mountain and tucked in her insect-like wings. "they make it hard enough for changelings like me with the immigration laws and such."

"No, wait," Pinkie said.

"Why, going to spread your laughter?" she said with a look that said, 'I'm serious about this.

"No," Pinkie said. "I just want to know what's been bothering you and why?"

"The fact that changelings are just so..." she paused and contemplated the next words. "different, unaccepted." she said.

Pinkie thought about what she did just recently, then, "I'm sorry." she said simply

the changeling feigned a laugh.

"Well, for starters, I thought I knew you and I think I know from where now." Pinkie said, "with that how about we start from the beginning. What's your name?"

"What does it matter, I'm just a changeling."

"No, you're part pony weather you accept it or not," Pinkie said. "So, what's your name?

The changeling looked at pinkie for a bit, then after thinking for a moment she then said; "The name's shifty," she said.

"Well, you already know me, so, how about you tell me about your day."

"Where to begin," shifty pondered. "Oh, That's where. I was trying to find a job today and well there was a place hireing and that place, even though I really wanted to work there just didn't accept changelings."

"What was the place?" Pinkie said

"A bouncy house place," shifty said sighing, "I suppose you can say I like bringing a smile to ponies just like you."

Pinkie was flattered somewhat the same way with Cheese Sandwich with that last comment.

"Well, one thing that'll help is keeping a good attitude no matter what."

"How can I do that when all I get are stares from other mares and colts just thinking I'll attack Canterlot again?"

Pinkie was silent then said "at some point you'll find somepony who'll be glad they met you, thought to make that happen you've got to keep staying positive."

"How?" shifty asked with a slight hiss.

"Don't worry about what others think of you, because at the end of the day you are the only pony you have to live with," Pinkie said.somehow not even knowing the words she said. "Besides, who'd want to meet an angry changeling over a very happy one?"

"You do have a point Pinkie, though, what should I do?"

"Just keep your goal in mind and try to cheer up everypony you meet," Pinkie said "Its what I've done and its worked so far."

"I'll try that too, though what would you do though if no pony wanted to be near you?"

That question hit Pinkie in a hard place, after her pupils went to each side of her head as she remembered her party of one she then replied "If those ponies shrug you off, shrug them off til they have a chance to cool off."

"But what if they don't or I rush things?"

"You are you and you're special no matter what anypony else thinks of you." Pinkie said disappearing once more. "would you like a cupcake now?" she asked shifty.

Shifty laughed, "yeah, I suppose I would."

-----

Pinkie bounded back and fourth happy that she was able to make somepony, even if it was a changeling, laugh. That was a good hour she had, Pinkie had even learned a few things about the hive that she otherwise would have never known before; especially considering Queen Chrysalis has it out for Twilight. Suddenly, her pinkie sense tingled. It was time to head back, Though along the way, she saw yet another sad foal…

It took Pinkie a while to get back considering she had uplifted two fillies on the way. as she headed back, she noticed that nopony was at the lab, spooky as it kind of is there was a job that needed to be done and she was going to do it. Bounding closer she could hear some banging and clanging coming from within the lab.

Hearing Pinkie Pie's distinct bounding, Dr. Whooves looked up "Oh, Pinkie Pie, its good to see you, Though I've got to say this time machine has a lot of bugs with it."

"Oh hey, I have something that will help," Pinkie said

"Oh, what is that?"

Pinkie fluffs her main a bit and out pops a book with an illustration of a Deloren. "Time travel repair, it'll come in handy given, you know." she said letting the book fall into the doctor's hooves.

"Wait what?" Dr. whooves asked.

"Don't question it." Pinkie said.

Doctor whooves looked at the book and after a couple of minutes then said, "Pinkie, I don't think this time machine falls under the category of a 'conventional time machine'."

"Oh, right, you've been using the Ancestral type, not very many companies or anybody I know even uses them. Except you doc and those other assassin guys."

"What?" he asked dumbfounded by what Pinkie said. "Look Pinkie all I need to know is what's wrong with it."

"That's the thing doc, these Ancestral machines are so finicky that it could be anything."

"Well, think you could lend me a hoof, being that you know this sort of thing?"

"you got it buster, on one condition."

"That is?"

"You must Pinkie promise me that you won't tell anypony."

"Um how does it go again?" Dr. Whooves asks feeling as though he is a hostage.

"Cross my heart hope to fly," Pinkie started.

"Cross my heart hope to fly," the Doctor repeated

"Stick a cupcake in my eye," Pinkie finished sticking her hoof very close to her eye.

"S-stick a cupcake in my eye." Dr. Whooves said with the feeling of his hostage crisis being averted.

"Good," Pinkie said feeling satisfied; she then got up and looked around at the machine.

"Try flipping the switch doc."

"Which one?"

"The one that's the on switch." Pinkie said.

As Dr. Whooves did, there were sparks flying all about the room. "So, discover what the problem is Pinkie?"

"Yepey I did." she replied bouncing in place.

"Well, what do I need to do?"

Pinkie bounced like a ball all about practically doing all the work Dr.Whooves should have saying, "you put this here that there jiggle this switch and twirl around in a circle." as she said the last part she twirled Dr. Whooves.

"I have no Idea what just happened." Dr. Whooves said somewhat dizzy.

"I just fixed your time machine buddy." Pinkie said brushing off her hooves.

Dr. Whooves flipped the power switch again and the machine whirred and purred to life.

"By golly, you really did do it, but how? its not like you're a-" Pinkie put a hoof to Dr. Whooves's mouth.

"They must never know, just like Celestia's secret, got it."

"Mmhmm." he said with his mouth closed by a hoof.

"Now say the promise chant."

"Cross my heart hope to fly, Stick a cupcake in my eye." he said somewhat frightened by Pinkie.

"Good," she said bounding to her seat. "Now Crank this sucker to the future cos I'm ready to go!"

Dr. whooves hit the future button.

-----

As Pinkie quite literally fell unconscious, she dived off the board of the present and cannonballed into the future. It was an instant transition, considering that she's done this before. The pool of the future to Pinkie seemed as though it was like an un-chlorinated unsalted pool. Even though it was dirty, she did her best to get to the bottom and swim up to somepony's subconscious.

"Hey there!" she said.

"Wow who's this?" they asked.

"Its Pinkie Pie!"

"P-Pinkie Pie?" they said astonished.

"Yep indeedy do." she said

I can't believe I'm meeting Pinkie, the top party pony was the pony's only thought.

"Well, you can't just get there by doing nothing." she said as though she read thoughts.

"How did you-"

"Don't question it." Pinkie simply said cutting the colt off. "That said, who are you? Its just so that the audience knows"

"My name is Spirited winds, though most call me, Up Spirits."

"Well, alright then." Pinkie said waiting for the acknowledgment of the audience.

"I would still like to know though, how did you get everypony presents when they thought you bucked the hay?" Spirits asked

"Its my secret and a secret I'll keep til' I know that you're the element of laughter for sure."

"Why would you say that?"

"the type of machine I'm in can be kinda…" Pinkie tried to think of a word. "Glitchy." she said.

"Oh, I see, time traveler."

"Who said that?" Pinkie asked rhetorically. "Oh would you please keep that quiet?"

"Maybe."

"I need your Pinkie Promise before I go," she said.

"How's that go?" he asked.

Pinkie starts and Spirits says what Pinkie does right after: "Cross my heart hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye."

"Done," Pinkie said to Spirits.

"Alright, what now?"

"If you break your Pinkie Promise, I'll make sure the next time we meet will be…" she paused "A painfully, sugary one."

Spirits shuddered to think that Pinkie would actually put a cupcake in their eye.

"Alright, I absolutely won't."

"Good." Pinkie said. suddenly she felt the effects of the time jump pulling her back.

"Hey, Spirits"

"Yes Pinkie," he said.

"What do you know about current events and such?"

"Well, I know that Sombra and some Tirek fellow have control of my present crystal empire though, after the things you six did there the crystal ponies are somewhat accepting of Sombra but a hateful air surrounds Tirek, and none of the crystal ponies trust him; even though he says he's 'turning over a new leaf'."

"Very suspicious." Pinkie said. "I'll be in contact with you sometime in your future."

"Alright, I just hope you don't stick a cupcake in my eye."

"Its only if you break my pinkie promise."

"deal," Spirits said slightly scared of Pinkie Pie yet also hoping he'd get her power of 'ultimate party pony!'

Pinkie was slowly being pulled by the ebbing hooves of time. "I gotta go "

"Okie Dokie Pinkie." Spirits said.

-----

Swimming through the pool of time Pinkie slowly returned to her 'sanitized' part of it. as soon as she was on her side of things she hopped up.

"Man oh man is the future bad." Pinkie said said.

beside her, were Fluttershy, Applejack and Rarity.

"What happened?" Applejack said

"The-crystal-Ponies-are-in-danger-Tirek-is-there-and-he's-not-really-causing-danger-"

"Wow slow down darling." Rarity said.

Pinkie took a deep breath, and released it. "Tirek is at the crystal empire and he's scaring all the folks in the crystal Empire."

"O-Oh my." Fluttershy said. "That wouldn't be too good being that the crystal heart feeds off love."

"And Tirek is slowly draining that love." Applejack said.

"We have to do something!" Rarity said. "And I know exactly what to do!"

"After the time machine recharges and all." Applejack said.

Rarity chuckled a bit "Right."

"Welp I'm outta here til another chapter." pinkie said bounding off just as carefree as before.

Author's Note:

Pinkie pie is the fourth wall breaker, physics don't apply to Pinkie pie. Lastly as for how she transitions easily to and from future and past, my good friend Nightlock suggested that Pinkie pie herself is a bit of a time traveler, as she has planned her parrent's 50th and even 100th anniversary in advance in the episode with the Yaks.
I also wish to point out that this chapter may have a few grammatical errors. this is due to new time constraints that have come up,
As for the Ancestral time machine, I was thinking on a different type of time machine (more like dreaming about it). As I slowly connected the dots, I came up with this story. The characters were defiantly different, however, with some time to think this series over, I finally got the main cast for this.
Pinkie's original future character for this was going to be the best, I suppose, school teacher, Though this was changed to what it is now. I hope you've enjoyed the story as it is so far and I plan to finish this. (Unlike the other things I've made on this site. ) Sorry This chapter took a while to get out, I've been busy as well as just debating on weather or not my own oc should be in this. I've already put him in considering its been months since the last update and I'm wondering what your thoughts are to this.
No matter what though, I wish you all a good day.
Storm Rival.