Fanfic / Quizzical

Quiz is not good with parties.

Quizzical is a My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic fan fiction written by JMac.

Quizzical Greystone is Twilight Sparkle's new research assistant. She may also be the most introverted pony ever. Can researching the magic of friendship help Quizzical break out of her shell?

It has three sequels:

• Thweet Geniuth (complete)
• Adventures In Cake Sitting (complete)(the author's personal favorite)
• Wonderful (The Hearth's Warming story).
• Quizzical Greystone And The Basements Of Doom.

There are also 6 one shots:

• "They're Not Touching You!"
• A Little Fixer-Upper (the entire story is a tribute to training montages)
• Pen And Paper Hearts (it's a tribute to tabletop gaming)
• The Poetry of the Layers (in which the fannish Quiz meets her canon counterpart, Maud Pie).
• "I'll Take That One." (How Quiz was chosen to be Luna's student.)
• The Quality of Mercy (Quiz babysitting the Cake twins again, in winter.)

And this crossover with Equestrian Fanfiction:

• When Jenny met Molly

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This fic provides examples of:

• Alliterative List: From The Quality of Mercy, when Quiz talks to Spike's:
  “Awful, appalling, atrocious, abominable… do I really never use any of these words? Dreadful, frightful, ghastly…”
  “Hi, Quiz,” called Spike. Quiz stopped just in time to avoid stumbling over him. “Whatcha doing?”
  “Oh, hello, Spike. I was just... um… looking up some worlds I rarely use.”
  [...]
  “Your cooking is disgusting. Your pancakes in particular are frightfully bad. They are horrific, horrendous, and horrible. Um, do I need to go on?”
• Alpha Bitch: Diamond Tiara
• Backing Away Slowly: From Thweet Geniuth's "And The Winner Is..." Reprise:
  Bon Bon turned to the nearest camerapony, held up her frying pan, and smiled. "The secret is to turn it on edge. You don't want to hit them with the flat; you want to chop like it's a cleaver. Puts 'em down every time."
• Bread, Eggs, Breaded Eggs: From A Little Fixer-Upper, during a summary of Quizzical's training:
  She balanced stacks of books on her head. She balanced on stacks of books. She did both at the same time.
• Book on the Head: A Little Fixer-Upper:
  "Show me you can walk around the room with poise."
  Quiz had no difficulty completing a lap of the library's front room, so Scootaloo added a book.
  “This would be more stable if the smallest book was on the top,” Quiz pointed out.
  “I know,” said Scootaloo, adding a third, even larger book. “Walk around again. And this time explain the difference between a noun, a proper noun, and a pronoun.”
• Call-Back: The Quality of Mercy, when Quiz and the Cake Twins meet a Wendigo, Quiz references Adventures In Cake Sitting where Wendigos were responsible for a enormous blizzard that dangerously snowed in Ponyville.
  “I would have thought you had enough of windigos after the last time.”
  The twins shuddered. Then Pumpkin shook her head and smiled. “Wispy not like that. He’s not scary, he’s cute!”
• Character Action Title: The chapter, "Diamond Tiara Strikes Back".
• Crowd Song: Justified since "The Heart Carol" is known by most of the ponies in Equestria.
• Disciplines of Magic: There are different types of magic, for instance, Quizzical is really good at illusions, but not teleportation.
• Drama Panes: Adventures in Cake Sitting: Quizzical looks out at the weather at the end of the first chapter:
  Quiz watched the heavy snow flakes flying almost horizontally past the window. This was clearly not the work of the Weather Patrol. To Quiz it looked neither natural nor good. Admittedly, Quiz was a natural born pessimist. The sight filled her with a sense of dread.
  "I hope the [First Snow] Festival is the most we have to worry about, Miss Pinkie."
• 11th-Hour Superpower: Sweetie Belle's experiments with gems and music leads to this by increasing her magical ability.
• Embarrassing Nickname: Stone the Drone.
• Extreme Doormat: This is what Quiz starts as, growing out of it (somewhat) is the point of the story.
• Eyelash Fluttering: In Thweet Geniuth: "The Hard Part":
  Quiz needs back up, thought Dinky, time to bring the cute! Dinky stepped forward, cocked her head and fluttered her eye lashes. "Please, Rarity!"
  Applebloom and Scootaloo knew this trick, and they were quite good at it. They fell in line next to Dinky and repeated her performance. "Please, Rarity!"
  Then Quiz glimpsed out of the corner of her eye what the other fillies were doing. She decided to give it a try herself.
  "Yes... well... um... please, Miss Rarity."
  What happened next might partially be explained by the sudden release of the tremendous tension of the moment.
  But really, it was because of Quiz's attempt at an eyelash flutter.
  Rarity fought bravely. But eventually a little snort of laughter escaped, and once that was out she was lost. Soon Rarity was on the ground at her door step, laughing uncontrollably.
• Family Theme Naming: The Greystone family has names related to stones, usually, like the Chisel line of males, and Quizzical's mother, Beryl Greystone.
• Flagpole Challenge: Lampshaded. "All the books agree on this," said Scootaloo. "When you begin training you should have what looks like an impossible goal. When you figure out how to achieve your goal you've completed your training." Quizzical manages to retrieve the arrow by kicking the flagpole until the arrow falls out.
• Fooled by the Sound: In Thweet Geniuth: "Caught In The Act": Bird sound imitation is suggested by Scootaloo as signalling the presence of guards, for her friends who want to stay undetected, but Scootaloo is really bad at being a crow, while Sweetie Belle and Dinky Doo are good enough to be mistaken for birds.
• A Friend in Need: Indy for Quizzical.
• Friendless Background: Quiz had no friends until she came to Ponyville.
• Hates Small Talk: Quizzical
• Heroic Sacrifice: Subverted as Indy is clearly mortally wounded saving Quiz from the cave in, but Princess Luna arrives in time to heal his injuries.
• Heroic Self-Deprecation: Quizzical is both smart and skilled at magic. She is completely unable to recognize this about herself.
• Intangibility: Sweetie Belle's "I Want To Walk Through This Wall" spell makes patches of walls intangible, and if something is inside the intangible portion when the spell is ended, it is cut, as seen when Bon Bon "lost the tip of her tail".
• I'm Taking Her Home with Me!: In Thweet Geniuth: "...Then Get Out Of The Kitchen.":
  Chef Twist is so cute! I want to take her home with me.
• Impeded Communication: Quizzical's Notes communication spell is sometimes interrupted by large amounts of magical interference.
• In-Series Nickname: Most people call Quizzical, "Quiz", except for some, like Pinkie Pie, who likes her full name, and uses it always.
• It's a Wonderful Plot: Wonderful, as said in its long description:
  During a very bad week Quizzical Greystone comes to believe her whole life has been a failure. Three strange mares travel a long way, just to show her that she's wrong.
• Large Ham: Princess Luna, with her use of the Royal Canterlot Voice.
• Literal Metaphor: From The Quality of Mercy, where "literally screaming bloody murder" means screams of descriptions of bloody murder, from an enraged Diamond Tiara, boosted by Wendigo magic of negativity.
• Meaningful Name: Multiple:
  • The Protagonist Title's Quizzical Greystone is a very intelligent pony.
  • From Thweet Geniuth, Bitter Almond is a Queen of Mean for a show.
• The Mentor: Twilight Sparkle and Princess Luna, and of course Celestia for Twilight.
• Mesodiplosis: Apple Bloom's instructions on painting involve talking about how to breathe with "through your" Mesodiplosis:
  "Remember to sweep the brush up and down," said Apple Bloom. "And breath[e], in through your mouth, out through your nose."
• Middle Child Syndrome: In Quizzical's first chapter as noted by Cheerilee. Quiz's older brother and younger sister are both more attractive and successful than her. As Quiz is quick to point out to Princess Celestia.
  “My older brother, Chisel, will be taking over our family business. He has a very good head, and the quarries will be in good hands with my brother,” said Quiz.
  The stallion could also pose for the cover of a romance novel, thought Cheerilee. She had to admit that she would buy that book.
  “My baby sister, Delight, is still very young, but she has the potential to accomplish anything. We expect she will marry well, but I strongly doubt that will be all she does,” said Quiz.
  And she is the prettiest foal I have ever seen, and this isn’t even a very good photo, thought Cheerilee.
  “You sound very proud of them, Quiz,” she said.
  “Oh, yes, I am very proud,” said Quiz. “My siblings are extraordinary ponies, Miss Cheerilee.”
  And you are the middle child between these two extraordinary ponies, thought Cheerilee.
• Mood Whiplash: the first two-thirds of the story are about Quiz learning about friendship, then she gets kidnapped by Diamond Dogs.
• Mythology Gag:
  • From Quizzical:
    • The Diamond Dogs make a return appearance. And they're still terrified of Rarity.
    • Quizzical and Sweetie Belle sing the The Heart Carol.
    • Twilight still can't dance.
  • From Basements of Doom:
    • Chapter 13, references Pinkie Pie's loud bell ringing that was shown in My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic S4 E3 "Castle Mane-ia":
      Quizzical: I feel much as the clapper must feel when Miss Pinkie is the bellringer.”
• Nerd Glasses: Quiz, a bookish pony, wears a pair of glasses.
• No Sense of Humor: Quizzical starts out this way, she's trying to improve. The results have been... mixed.
• Once More, with Clarity: Sunflower and Quizzical have a meeting first in "I'll Take That One.", and published later, is Sunflower's titular chapter of Wonderful, which expands on that meeting.
• One-Word Title: A few, some are:
  • The first story's Protagonist Title, which is her first name.
  • Thweet Geniuth's for chapters:
    • Conspiracy!
    • Disaster!
  • Wonderful, which has It's a Wonderful Plot.
• Our Sphinxes Are Different: In Quizzical Greystone and the Basements of Doom, the characters encounter a sphinx named Alexander with a lion body, the head and torso of an unidentified creature (implied to be human, with which the characters aren't familiar) and floor-length beard and hair among the creatures captured by the diamond dogs. Sphinxes are compelled to ask riddles before they give out information, and if their riddle is answered incorrectly they're magically bound to throw the answerer off the nearest cliff. However, they can choose how hard or easy to make a given riddle. There are also rumors of a potion that boosts intelligence but requires a sphinx's brain. However, it doesn't work.
• Out of Character Is Serious Business: In Quality of Mercy, when Quizzical is trying to irritate people, everyone she meets that doesn't understand what's going on is worried about her seemingly out-of-nowhere antagonism.

Spike hurried home to the library to find a parchment and a quill. He had to send a letter.

• Painting the Medium: People's inner thoughts are noted with italics.
• Plain Palate: Quizzical is described as a "drab little pony" and claims her favourite ice cream flavour is vanilla, which is often seen as boring.
• The Power of Friendship: It plays a major role in saving Quiz from the Diamond Dogs, helping her escape through the help of her captor, whom she befriended.
• Prefers Proper Names:
  • When Princess Luna first meets Quizzical in I'll take that one:
  Let us give it a try anyway. You no longer need call Us "Princess". You shall call Us "Luna."
  If that is your wish, Princess Luna.
  You just now called Us "Princess Luna".
  Did I, Princess Luna?
  • Pinkie Pie always calls Quizzical by that name, because she likes the sound of it, instead of the In-Series Nickname of "Quiz".
• Questioning Title?: Thweet Geniuth: What The Hay Was That?!.
• Repetitive Name:
  • Ponyville's candy-maker, Bon Bon.
  • Grand Chef Blitzen ‘Lightning’ Éclair, as explained in Chapter 14 of Thweet Geniuth:
  “Perhaps it would help if you thought of how ridiculous it really is,” said Quiz. “Consider – ‘Blitzen’ is Paarderdamen for ‘lightning.’ ‘Éclair’ is Fancy for ‘lightning.’”
  “And his nickname’s ‘Lightning’?” exclaimed Scootaloo. “So the Grand Chef wants to be called ‘Lightning, air-quotes Lightning, Lightning’? What a doofus!”
• Shout-Out:
  • To The Empire Strikes Back: Never tell Scootaloo the angles.
  • Chapter 10 of Basements of Doom: “Here come the dogs! Strong and brave, Woof!!!”
  • A Little Fixer-Upper:
    • To Mystery Men, which is apparently a comic book in this universe, possibly relating to the movie was based off the Flaming Carrot comics: Sphinx's line: "When you can balance a tack hammer on your head, you will head off your foes with a balanced attack.":
      “Just feel the beat, Quiz,” said Sweetie Belle, handing her something. “And balance this on your head.”
      “A tack hammer?”
      “‘If you can balance a tack hammer you will have a balanced attack,’” recited Sweetie Belle.
    • "the rain in Spain stays mainly on the plain."
• Shrinking Violet: when she wants to be Quiz is practically invisible.
• Smart People Wear Glasses: Quizzical, who is really good at math and magic.
• The Spock: Quiz likes numbers and rocks.
• Spock Speak: Quizzical knows what contractions are, she just can't use them.
• Stealth Hi/Bye: Pinkie Pie pops up behind Quiz while she's standing quietly in an shadowed alcove watching the room.
• The Stoic: Quiz displays very few emotions:
  Somepony should have advised you, thought Celestia, that when you use words such as ‘delightful’ you should try to sound as if you are delighted.
• Surprise Party: Pinkie Pie + new pony in town? Yeah this was inevitable.
• Tears of Joy: Thweet Geniuth: "And The Winner Is..." Reprise:
  “Princess, why are you sad?” asked Ray. “Please don’t cry.”
  “These are tears of Joy, little Ray,” answered the Princess. “I am reminded of how very happy I am to be here.”
• Tele-Frag: When Bon Bon "lost the tip of her tail" when it intersected a bit of wall going tangible again, after being made intangible by Sweetie Belle's "I Want To Walk Through This Wall" spell.
• Through the Ceiling, Stealthily: In the first story, Quizzical, Sweetie Belle teleports into a rock chamber from right above it, bypassing the ceiling. Then Princess Luna follows yelling at her when she reappears.
• Title Drop: For My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic. Done by Princess Luna:
  “I prefer the simple explanation,” said Luna.
  “And what is that, Sister?” asked Celestia.
  Luna shrugged, “Friendship is magic.”
• Torches and Pitchforks: Ponyville's "local militia" is armed with gardening tools.
• Training Montage: As said in the long description of A Little Fixer-Upper:
  To prepare a friend to face her greatest challenge, the Cutie Mark Crusaders put her through a training montage stew that might just kill her.
• Unspoken Retort: Thweet Geniuth: From "The Trial of Quizzical Greystone": Twilight's snarking to an irritated mob at her door, in Think in Text italics:
  "We insist,Twilight, Dear," said Rarity, with a smile that looked like the prelude to somepony getting bitten.
  Well, at least you left your torches and pitchforks at home, thought Twilight.
• Verbed Title:
  • Thweet Geniuth: Busted.
  • Basements of Doom:
    • Chapter 2: Pony-napped.
    • Chapter 7: Zapped!.

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