Thweet Geniuth (the sequel to Quizzical)

THWEET GENIUTH

A Story About Quizzical

Chapter One – Fair’s Fair

                The fillies flew through the night sky, screaming and hanging on for dear life.

                But eventually the ride came to an end.  The roller-coaster came to a stop, and the girls all jumped out.  Four of them were excited, though one was pretending to be disappointed.  As for the last filly, she staggered over to a tree and slumped to the ground.

                “Awe, Quiz, you didn’t like it?” asked Sweetie Belle.  “I was really hoping you’d think this was fun.”

                “Thank you, Sweetie Belle,” moaned Quiz, from where she lay.  “I do hope you know that I am very grateful that you wish to include me.  However, at this moment I am even more grateful for the fact that I have not recently eaten anything.”

                Quizzical Greystone was a new arrival in Ponyville; she’d come to join Twilight Sparkle in friendship research, as an assistant.  A job in friendship research normally goes to a pony who very badly needs to learn how to make friends, and this was certainly the case with Quiz.  She was a quiet, painfully shy, bookish little nerd, and she had never had any friends before.  Luckily, the Cutie Mark Crusaders had befriended Quiz within a day of her coming to town.  Quiz had grown a great deal with her friends’ help.  It could not, however, be said that Quiz was a normal pony.

                “I am coming to dread the phrase ‘Come on, Quiz, it will be fun!’ almost as much as I fear the cry ‘Quiz, hang on!’” moaned Quiz.  “I knew I was in trouble when I discovered that the ride operator was a friend of Scootaloo’s.”

                Off to the side, Scootaloo was chatting with her friend.  “Thanks, Sporky.  That was pretty good.”

                “Yeah, it’s not bad,” replied Sporky.  “I tweaked the throttle a little for you, Scoot, but there’s really only so much you can get out of her.  I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

                The ride they were speaking of in such blasé terms was the Tail Twister, the most exciting thrill ride at the Manehattan Fair, and thus probably the most exciting thrill ride in all of Equestria.

                “Oh, and here’s your friend’s glasses,” said Sporky.  “She lost them on the first loop.”

                “Thanks, Sporky,” said Scootaloo.  “I doubt Quiz knows she lost them.  She hasn’t opened her eyes yet.  Well, see you at the next scooter race.”

                “You’ll see my tail,” answered Sporky.  “And that’s all you’ll see until you see me cross the finish line first!”

                “You wish!” Scootaloo trotted over to join her friends.  “So, are you going to be OK, Quiz?”

                “I am already recovering,” answered Quiz, though she did not stir from her prone position.

                “I’ve been wondering, Quiz,” said Scootaloo, “Is it the motion that gets to you?  Or is it the excitement?”

                “Yes,” said Quiz.

                “If you didn’t want to go on the Twister with us, that would have been alright, Quiz,” said Sweetie Belle.  Actually, Sweetie Belle was more disappointed than she wanted to admit.  She had wanted to find something besides school and magic studies to share with her friend.  But it was difficult to find something in common with Quiz.

                “It’s just nice to all be together here at the Fair,” said Dinky Doo, the newest member of the gang.  “We don’t have to do everything together.”

                “And you could have spent more time at the Natural History exhibit, Quiz,” said Sweetie Belle.  “You didn’t have to leave when we wanted to.”

                “An’ you were real nice an’ understandin’ about not expecting us to stay with you at the World of Commerce Pavilion,” said Applebloom.  “

                Scootaloo rolled her eyes.  “You were at the Pie sisters’ rock farm booth for hours!  When we came back for you after lunch we had to drag you away.”

                In truth it was only an hour, but that’s rather a long time for a pony to enthuse over rock production.  The Pie sisters were happy for the attention; and there booth enjoyed record traffic, as many ponies stopped just to find out what the odd little filly was so interested in.  The Pie’s gave out all of their samples.

                “I know better than to expect any of you to share my enthusiasm for perfectly weathered rocks,” said Quiz.  “But I just could not resist.  It is wonderful how they rotate the rocks to get the wreathing even.  Did you know the Pies contract with the weather pegasi to keep the farm gloomy to prevent sunlight fading?   And they have ponyvillite; it is a type of metamorphic magnesium iron silicate hydroxide that can be found nowhere else in Equestria…oh, dear…I am boring you.”

                The other fillies laughed, but it was more reassuring than mocking.

                “No, Quiz,” said Applebloom.  “You’re just being Quiz.”

                Quiz seemed to accept this.

                “If you are feeling better, Quiz, we should move on to the Culinary Center,” suggested Dinky.  Normally, Dinky was so grateful just to be included that she would gladly do anything with the other fillies (including look at weathered rocks).  But tonight was something special.

                They were at the Manehattan Fair for a candy tasting.

                The Manehattan  Fair was the host of the All-Equestria Candy Making Contest.  Ponies who had won first prize at fairs all over Equestria were here to compete for the national grand prize.  And representing Ponyville was the fillies’ dear friend, Twist.

                “You are quite right, Dinky,” said Quiz, rising to her feet.  When, after a tentative step, she did not immediately fall over she decided to proceed.  “We have promised to try to judge Twist’s candy.”

                Quiz did not have to mention candy twice before the fillies were in motion.

                On their way to the Culinary Center they came across what appeared to be a pink cloud, ambling about on 4 legs.

                “Hi, girls!” said the cloud, cheerfully.  There was a slurping sound, and Pinkie Pie’s face was revealed.  “Don’t you just love the Fair?  You can’t get candy floss like this at home.”

                “What’d you do, Pinkie?  Have two big stallions hold you by your feet and spin you around inside the cotton candy machine?” asked Scootaloo.  She thought this was a rhetorical question.

                “Why, yes,” said Pinkie.  “I do this at the Fair every year.”

                “Miss Pinkie, do you think it wise to eat so much sugar at this time?” asked Quiz.

                “What do you mean, Quizzical?”  Pinkie was one of the few ponies who always called Quiz ‘Quizzical.’  Pinkie thought the name was fun to say.

                “The candy tasting is about to begin, Miss Pinkie,” said Quiz.  “Perhaps you should not fill up on sweets before you arrive.”

                “Fill..up?” said Pinkie, totally perplexed.  She wandered off absent mindedly, muttering to herself, as she pondered this alien concept.  “Fill up?   Hmmmm, fill up…?”

                Quiz thoughtfully observed Pinkie Pie leave.  “My friends, do I look like that when you confuse me?”

                The girls laughed.  “You mean like when we talk about sports?” asked Scootaloo.

                “Or games or having any kind of fun?” added Dinky.

                “Or fashion?” said Sweetie Belle, “Or anything all the other ponies think is popular?”

                “Yes…well…those are all good examples,” said Quiz.  “But in all fairness, I am becoming more well versed in all these subjects as I continue to associate with you.”

                “Or when somepony pays you a compliment?” Sweetie Belle added, pointedly.

                “Yes,” admitted Quiz.  “Compliments continue to confuse me.”

                “Hush,” Applebloom whispered in Sweetie Belle’s ear.  “Just don’t start that now.”

                Quiz’s self-esteem issues were what they all liked the least about her; and Sweetie Belle in particular was constantly campaigning to improve her friend’s image of herself.  But they were all enjoying the day, so Sweetie Belle agreed to let it go this time.

                “Well, we’re here,” said Dinky.  And they entered.

                Or at least they tried to enter.  Dinky, the first in line, suddenly stopped dead at the entrance.

                “Dinky, what is it?” asked Sweetie Belle.  “What do you see?”

                Dinky answered quietly, in an awed gasp, “Wonderful things.”

                The colossal hall that was the Culinary Center had been transformed into the world’s largest candy store.  And everything was free.

                “Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh…!” cried Scootaloo, running in circles.  “Where do I begin?  Where do I BEGIN?!”

                “Settle down, Girl,” said Applebloom, though she was having trouble containing herself.  “We need to focus.  Now, how do we find Twist’s candy?”

                Every pony at the fair was invited to sample and rate the contestant’s wares.  Their voting selected the “Fair Favorite” prize, and counted for one fifth of the Grand Champion’s score.  But the sweets were only labeled  by their contents and flavors.  The identity of just which pony made which candy was a carefully guarded secret. 

                The fillies had no way of knowing which candy was Twist’s.

                “I don’t know, maybe we should try to find the dullest looking candy here,” suggested Sweetie Belle.  “Twist’s a genius with flavors, but her candy never looks very pretty.”

                “That is not entirely fair,” said Quiz.  “Twist has been working very hard on her presentation skills.  Also, her candy canes have always been stunning.”

                “Yeah, but these fancy gourmet types expect fancy gourmet candy,” said Applebloom.  “They’d just turn their noses up at candy canes.”

                “I’m with Sweetie Belle,” said Scootaloo.  “We should be looking for a plate of little grey stones.”

                “We agreed never to speak of that,” said Quiz, in as close to a stern voice as she was capable.

                “We agreed never to talk about it around Twist,” corrected Scootaloo.  “Twist isn’t here.  Seriously, Quiz, you should be madder than any of us.  Twist made the world’s blandest candy, and wanted to name it after you.”

                “No one had ever made anything in my honor before, I was touched that Twist even tried,” insisted Quiz.  “I was quite willing to overlook the fact that they were terrible.  And I simply do not find it insulting to be compared to something bland.”

                The other fillies rolled their eyes at this, and Sweetie Belle actually had to bite her tongue.

                “Well,” said Dinky, “We could just start sampling everything.”

                “Hay, I like that plan!” exclaimed Scootaloo, smacking her lips.

                Applebloom looked up and down the hall at what seemed to be miles and mile of candy samples.  She shook her head.  “Ok.  But we aren’t going to find Twist’s entry that way.  That’s just impossible.  It would take a miracle.”

                Across the hall Pinkie Pie (now sans candy floss) began gesture wildly at them. 

                “Girls!” called Pinkie.  “I found it!”