//------------------------------// // Ageusia // Story: Pinkie Pie's Special Friends // by smirker //------------------------------// Pinkie Pie was in Sugarcube Corner and making many confectioneries for an upcoming festival, Carrot Cake, Cup Cake, and Sugar Belle were helping her but unable to keep up. They finished for the day and a few customers came in, Cup Cake tended to them and they closed for the day. Pinkie Pie cleaned the place while she heard someone enter the shop, "Pinkie?" a familiar male voice called out, Pinkie Pie's ears and mane stood up, "*gasp* Is that you, Weight Lifter?!" Pinkie Pie hollered as she turned around, she saw the teenage colt and it was him, he had a light green coat, short bright yellow mane and tail, light blue eyes, and his cutie mark was a black dumbbell with four gray weight plates on each side of it. Weight Lifter looked around and had a sad expression when viewing the confectioneries, "Still can't taste, can you?" Pinkie Pie lamented, "I can after what you tried, but it's still very weak." Weight Lifter answered, "Come on, I think I know somepony who can help." Pinkie Pie suggested, and he followed her. Pinkie Pie knocked on the Castle of Friendship's door and Twilight Sparkle opened it, "Oh, hi, Pinkie, what brings you here?" Twilight Sparkle asked, "I need your help, Twilight, I tried to help this colt here my own way when he was younger, but it didn't work completely." Pinkie Pie responded, "Come on in." Twilight Sparkle said, and they went into her castle. Twilight Sparkle led them to her library while Spike and Starlight Glimmer stood by her, "So, what's the problem?" Twilight Sparkle asked, and Pinkie Pie began to explain. Pinkie Pie was working as a street vendor one day and selling her sweets to foals and a few adults, word of her sweets being extremely delicious spread throughout Equestria and she got many customers who could not resist her confectioneries. She was working one day and Derpy crashed into her food stall, "Derpy! I just had everything cleaned and rearranged neatly!" Pinkie Pie reprimanded, "Sorry, but my eyesight's getting worse, I can't tell depth perception anymore either." Derpy responded, Pinkie Pie examined her eyes and noticed they were more misaligned than before, "Hmm, I'm not sure if I can help you with your condition or not, Derpy." Pinkie Pie said, "Anyway, I have a letter for you from a family, they said something about their son having a condition." Derpy stated, and she gave her the letter and flew away. Pinkie Pie tore the envelope's top open and took the paper out and read it, "Dear, Pinkie Pie, I don't know if you remember us, but we're husband and wife and have been your customers a few times, we haven't brought our son over because he has a condition, after seeing what you can do to make ponies taste your confectioneries and make them like your stuff, we have also seen signs that your sweets make their tastes stronger too, we want you to come to the address we put at the bottom, we're waiting for you. -Powerlifter and Callisthenics" Pinkie Pie looked below the letter and saw the address was close by, she closed her cart and ran to the address with a pink trail behind herself. Pinkie Pie arrived at the house and saw many gym equipment in the front and back yards, she knocked on the front door with her snout and a stallion and mare walked out, the stallion had a bright red coat, bright orange short mane and tail, light pink eyes, and his cutie mark was a gray barbell with five big red weight plates on each side, and the mare had a light pink coat, pale gray shoulder-length mane and a short tail, orange eyes, and her cutie mark was a black treadmill, both were muscular and very physically fit. They looked at Pinkie Pie and smiled, "Oh, I remember you two now, I never forget how my customers look." Pinkie Pie stated, "Good you remember us, I'm Powerlifter, and this is my wife, Callisthenics, we hope you can help our son with his problem, he has ageusia." the stallion explained, "Lead the way." Pinkie Pie said, and they did. They entered their home and went to the dining room, Pinkie Pie saw a colt sitting at the table, he was muscular for his age, "This is our son, Weight Lifter, we wish to take him to your shop, but his condition prevents us from doing so. Say, hi, Weight Lifter." Callisthenics remarked, "Uh, hello." Weight Lifter said weakly while sweating, "Weight LIfter's shy meeting new people, give him time, and he'll warm up to you." Powerlifter remarked, Pinkie Pie dashed to Weight Lifter and shook his hoof quickly, "Why, hello, my name's Pinkie Pie, and I am super, duper, hyper, mega, ultra, extremely excited to meet you! I came here from a rock farm and worked on rocks, it was so boring and miserable with nopony smiling, I then saw a rainbow and found my true calling by throwing a party, I then traveled through Equestria and got trained by a troupe of six elderly stallions who teached me the arts of performing and entertaining and..." Pinkie Pie said quickly, "Alright, that's enough, Pinkie Pie, you're making our son uncomfortable." Powerlifter reminded, and Pinkie Pie stopped talking, "Will you help our son now, Pinkie Pie?" Callisthenics requested, "Sure, but first, a welcome party!" Pinkie Pie declared while throwing her front legs up and her party cannon went off. She dashed into the kitchen and came back with a fully baked cake a second later, she dashed back and came back a second later with ice cream, she then brought chips, dipping sauce, cupcakes, cookies, doughnuts, and brownies all in that order. Powerlifter and Callisthenics tried samples while Weight Lifter did not, "Come on, Weight Lifter, you're only a kid once, try to have fun so you can look back on happy memories when you're older." Pinkie Pie requested, and Weight Lifter took one bite out of everything while having a disheartened expression, "What's wrong, Weight Lifter?" Pinkie Pie asked, "That's what we wanted your help on, we hope you can cure his ageusia." Powerlifter explained, "Which is...?" Pinkie Pie questioned, "He has no sense of taste." Callisthenics answered, Pinkie Pie remained silent for a few seconds and then screamed at the top of her lungs while her mane and tail exploded like nuclear bombs with mushroom clouds appearing while they deflated like balloons and became straight while her entire body turned gray, the family quickly held onto something since Pinkie Pie's scream and explosions triggered an earthquake, "No sense of taste? No sense of taste?!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed, Powerlifter and Callisthenics nodded, "I'm already using it to my advantage by eating and drinking healthy and nutritious stuff that taste bad, but I miss being able to actually taste and enjoy delicious stuff." Weight Lifter explained, Pinkie Pie's mane and tail poofed up and she returned to being pink again, "Don't you worry, Weight Lifter, I'll get your sense of taste back, no matter what it takes, I'm going to make you something that tastes so good, your taste buds will tingle and make you able to taste stuff again!" Pinkie Pie declared, the three ponies smiled, "Thank you, Pinkie Pie, you're the only pony we believe is up to this task." Callisthenics said, "I'll see what I can do, and you can just call me Pinkie for short." Pinkie Pie remarked, "Great, we wish you good luck." Powerlifter stated, "Thank you, come on, Weight Lifter, to the kitchen." Pinkie Pie stated and she dashed there while he trotted. They arrived into the kitchen and Pinkie Pie turned around, "Okay, Weight Lifter, say 'Ah'." Pinkie Pie instructed, "Ah." Weight Lifter said while opening his mouth, Pinkie Pie pulled his tongue forward and her eyes stretched out of their sockets. Her eyes slid on his tongue at fast speeds while she examined it in great detail, they went back into their sockets after a few seconds, "Hmm, it seems your taste buds are basically dead, don't you worry, I'm going to make something that is so sweet and so good, they're going to be up and jumping again." Pinkie Pie declared, "Thanks, all the cooking and baking utensils are behind you, and the ingredients are in the cabinet above the sink." Weight Lifter responded, and Pinkie Pie began. She worked in the kitchen with afterimages behind her while Weight Lifter's eyes widened, "What's this?" Pinkie Pie questioned while she held up two white medicine bottles, "That's my medicine for my problem, the doctors prescribed them to me, but my sense of taste hasn't come back." Weight Lifter answered, "How long has your sense of taste been gone?" Pinkie Pie asked, "A year." Weight Lifter replied, "Anything else you tried?" Pinkie Pie inquired, "I brush my teeth and floss daily, that's supposed to bring my sense of taste back, but it hasn't been working." Weight Lifter responded, "Mm-mm, hold on a bit, I'm going to make your favorite dessert and add my own special touch to it, I hope it'll be that simple." Pinkie Pie stated, and she continued. She made a melted peanut butter, chocolate, and marshmallow pudding and handed it to Weight Lifter, "How did you know this was my favorite?" Weight Lifter asked, "Just a hunch." Pinkie Pie responded while smiling. Weight Lifter took a bite out of the pudding and rolled it on his tongue slowly, "Well?" Pinkie Pie asked with an anticipation, Weight Lifter shook his head and she frowned, "Mom, dad, can you two come in here for a minute?" Weight Lifter called out, and they entered the room. They looked at the pudding and tried it, "Wow, this is good, it's better than whenever I've made it." Callisthenics commented, "It really is, what did you put in this, Pinkie?" Powerlifter asked, "Well, the stuff mentioned in the recipe book and some of my own secret ingredients." Pinkie Pie responded, "Which is?" Callisthenics questioned, "Love and passion." Pinkie Pie answered, "So it does taste better." Weight Lifter commented in a distraught tone, "Don't you worry, Weight Lifter, I'm going to try something else." Pinkie Pie stated and she went back to work. She dashed around and put extra sweeteners and sugar into the pudding, she also rubbed her front hooves together and added pink sprinkles into it, "Okay, go ahead and try it now." Pinkie Pie stated, and they did, "Wow! You made it taste even better, my taste buds are dancing!" Callisthenics exclaimed, "Whoa, I wanna eat more and never stop eating this." Powerlifter stated, Pinkie Pie looked at Weight Lifter and saw him chewing slowly, "Well, Weight Lifter?" Pinkie Pie asked, Weight Lifter shook his head, Pinkie Pie pulled his tongue out again and her eyes came out of their sockets. She examined his tongue again with her eyes sliding across it, she noticed his taste buds were moving up and down slightly and her eyes went back into their sockets, "Okay, we're on the right track, your taste buds are moving, so just a little more of my usual stuff, and your sense of taste should be back." Pinkie Pie said, "Thanks, Pinkie, I really hope I can taste things again soon." Weight Lifter replied, "I'll be back tomorrow, I probably got customers outside waiting for me." Pinkie Pie remarked, "Okay, go on then, Pinkie, see ya, and thanks for helping." Callisthenics responded, and Pinkie Pie dashed out of the house. She returned at night and looked through a window, she saw Weight Lifter brushing and flossing his teeth, he then took his medication and went to bed, she smiled and walked away. The next day came and Pinkie Pie tended to her customers with Powerlifter and Callisthenics being among them, she finished working for the afternoon and headed to their home. She arrived and saw the family exercising outside, she watched Weight Lifter lay down and lift a heavy barbell with three big plates on each side, Powerlifter stood behind him and acted as his spotter. He did 10 reps and finished, he and Callisthenics then did lunges together while holding dumbbells, Weight Lifter panted and sweated while his mother did not and smiled while doing the exercises easily, they finished and Weight Lifter panted while laying on the ground, his parents brought him a dish with hay, a bowl with a salad in it, and a water bottle. He ate and drank everything quickly and they saw Pinkie Pie, "Oh, good, right on time, Pinkie, we just finished our afternoon workout." Powerlifter said, "I saw." Pinkie Pie responded, "Oh, you did? You're free to join us." Callisthenics suggested, "I'm good, moving around while baking is a big exercise on its own." Pinkie Pie replied, "Well, I'm ready to try to get my sense of taste back." Weight Lifter commented, "Good, let's get started then." Pinkie Pie stated and they entered the house. They went to the kitchen and Pinkie Pie made the pudding again, she rubbed her front hooves again and pink sprinkles went into the mix, she then kissed the mix and it sparkled, she then proceeded to make the melted chocolate, peanut butter, and marshmallow pudding, "Now, for a little extra touch." Pinkie Pie announced, and she rubbed a chocolate and marshmallow spread on top of the pudding. The family tried it and Powerlifter's and Callisthenics' manes and tails stood up while their tongues exploded with flavor, "Oh, my Celestia, this is the best thing I've ever tasted!" Callisthenics chirped, "My tongue is filled with flavor, the aftertaste is even better!" Powerlifter added, Weight Lifter continued rolling the pudding on his tongue, "Well, Weight Lifter, do you taste anything?" Pinkie Pie asked, Weight Lifter shook his head, his parents looked at him with shock, "Hmm, I see this is going to take more than my usual amount of Pinkie magic." Pinkie Pie commented, "Pinkie magic?" Weight Lifter asked, "It's what I add to give my sweets their super duper yummy delicious flavors." Pinkie Pie responded, "Oh." Weight Lifter said, and Pinkie Pie tried again. She did the same process and then put peanut butter in the spread on top, the family tried it and Powerlifter and Callisthenics jumped around while Weight Lifter shook his head, "Oh, this taste stealing condition is being stubborn!" Pinkie Pie vented while clutching and shaking her head, "Does that mean you can't help?" Weight Lifter inquired, "No, I'm not done yet, I'll have to use some of my strongest flavor enhancers I have." Pinkie Pie replied, "I hope what you have in mind works." Weight Lifter said, "Me too, I'll be going now, I'll be back tomorrow." Pinkie Pie replied, and she left. Pinkie Pie tended to her customers for the rest of the day and the next morning, she went back to the house and saw Weight Lifter doing pull-ups while his parents watched him, he did five of them and jumped off of the pull-up bar while panting. His parents then gave him hay and a salad and he drank a protein shake that was made of blended fruits and milk, they saw Pinkie Pie coming and smiled, "You ready, Pinkie?" Powerlifter asked, "You bet your flanks I am." Pinkie Pie responded, the family chuckled, "Good, we'll let you work then." Callisthenics said, and Pinkie Pie entered the home while Weight Lifter followed her. Pinkie Pie made the same melted peanut butter, chocolate, and marshmallow pudding and spread it on its top while also putting extra sugar and adding very sweet milk chocolate chips into it, she also rubbed her front hooves to put sprinkles in it and kissed it, she then hugged the mix and rubbed her cheek on it, she let go and her tongue stretched out and she ate the mix on her body. She put it in the oven and baked it and the mix rose much higher than before, "Pinkie?" Weight Lifter called, "Hmm?" Pinkie Pie asked while she turned around, "How does that taste enhancing stuff of yours work?" Weight Lifter questioned, "Well, the sprinkles from rubbing my hooves is just a flavor enhancer, the other stuff is like a parent showing love and affection to their child, it helps my confectioneries taste better and grow bigger." Pinkie Pie explained, "Can I try it?" Weight Lifter requested, "Sorry, but it only seems to work when me or a member of my family does it." Pinkie Pie replied, "Huh, that's strange." Weight Lifter commented, the oven dinged and Pinkie Pie opened it. She gasped excitedly when she saw the pudding has grown much bigger than before and was shining with glitter on it, she took it out of the oven and put it on the counter while Weight Lifter's jaw dropped at its size, "Mom, dad, you two might wanna see this." Weight Lifter called out, and they entered the kitchen. They looked at the pudding and their jaws' dropped, "My Celestia, Pinkie, I have never seen pudding like that before." Callisthenics exclaimed, "I put in extra ingredients and love this time." Pinkie Pie responded, "Well, let's give it a try, dear." Powerlifter remarked, and they tasted a sample. Pinkie Pie and Weight Lifter watched them chew and swallow, they then smiled and began bouncing up and down, they then exploded and flew through the air while yelling out exclaims of excitement, they then flew out of the house's roof and through the sky, they landed back inside the house while smiling a minute later, "That. Was. Amazing!" Powerlifter hollered, "Best thing I've ever tasted!" Callisthenics chirped, "Come on, Weight Lifter, give it a try." Pinkie Pie requested, and he did. He rolled a sample of the pudding on his tongue and chewed slowly while he tried to taste anything, he stopped for a second with his mouth slightly opened, "My tongue is tingling." Weight Lifter stated with his mouth full, "Do you taste anything?" Pinkie Pie inquired, Weight Lifter moved his tongue around and it continued to tingle, his eyes widened and Pinkie Pie smiled with anticipation, "I can taste the pudding." Weight Lifter said, "YES!!" Pinkie Pie hollered as she jumped and threw her front legs up, "Wait, hold on." Weight Lifter stated, and Pinkie Pie stopped jumping and smiling, "My... taste buds are very weak, but I can still taste the pudding." Weight Lifter stated, "Come on, son, let's try other stuff." Powerlifter suggested, and he opened the refrigerator. He got celery, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce, pickles, and radishes out of the refrigerator and his son tried all of them, "I can taste them, but very weak." Weight Lifter reported, "Try the other things, dear." Callisthenics requested, and Powerlifter got apples, oranges, pears, avocados, bananas, grapes, plums, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, melons, watermelons, bread, spaghetti, brown rice, and cheese out of the refrigerator. Weight Lifter tried all of them and nodded, "I can taste all of them slightly." Weight Lifter said, his parents smiled and Powerlifter let him try samples of milk, water, energy drinks, and homemade protein shakes, "I can taste these, too." Weight Lifter chirped, and he opened the freezer and began eating the chocolate chips and ice cream, "Whoa there, Weight Lifter, careful, I know you're happy you can taste again for the first time in a year, but you still have to be careful on what you consume and how much you consume, it will undo your years of hard work to get your body in the physically fit shape it is now, so everything in moderation." Powerlifter warned, and Weight Lifter stopped eating the sweets, "Thanks, Pinkie, we'll take it from here." Callisthenics said, and Pinkie Pie left. She worked as a vendor for the rest of the day and went back the next day, she saw Weight Lifter was eating a little bit of junk food while his parents helped him moderate it, they saw her outside and walked to her, "It's not perfect, but thanks for your help, Pinkie." Callisthenics stated, "So, can you taste again?" Pinkie Pie questioned, "Yup, it's weak, but I can taste stuff again." Weight Lifter responded, "Sorry I couldn't cure his condition." Pinkie Pie lamented, "It's alright, Pinkie, a little help is better than no help." Powerlifter responded, Pinkie Pie smiled, "Thanks for helping, Pinkie, Weight Lifter is just happy that he can taste again, your help is much appreciated." Callisthenics said, and Pinkie Pie left while the family smiled and waved bye at her. Pinkie Pie and Weight Lifter were standing across from Twilight Sparkle while Spike stood to her right and Starlight Glimmer stood to her left, "And that's the basics, Weight Lifter's parents took care of him afterwards, but I don't know what they did." Pinkie Pie said, "Pinkie, ageusia is a fungal infection, I'm surprised your usual antics actually managed to partially cure him." Twilight Sparkle explained, "Can you help me, Princess Twilight?" Weight Lifter requested, "Of course. Spike, would you get my book on fungal infections?" Twilight Sparkle requested, "Right away, Twilight." Spike replied, and he flew away, "You need my help as well, Twilight?" Starlight Glimmer asked, "Yeah, we might be able to cast the healing spell faster and it might work better if we work together." Twilight Sparkle answered, she nodded and Spike came back with a big book, "Good work, Spike, I'll take it from here." Twilight Sparkle said, and she flipped through the pages with her magic. She found the page and she and Starlight Glimmer stood beside each other, "Okay, Weight Lifter, go ahead and stick your tongue out. Starlight, on my mark." Twilight Sparkle instructed, and he did. She and Starlight Glimmer looked at the spell and they cast it together, a light purple and light blue auras appeared on his tongue. Weight Lifter felt a lot of tingling on his tongue and it became numb, they stopped after a few seconds and Twilight Sparkle made an apple appear, "Okay, Weight Lifter, go ahead and taste." Twilight Sparkle instructed, and he did, "Hmm, I can taste more than before, but it's still not back to normal." Weight Lifter reported, "Should we try again?" Starlight Glimmer asked, Twilight Sparkle nodded and they did, they cast the spell and Weight Lifter ate a piece of the apple again, "No improvement." Weight Lifter commented, "Did you two cast the spell right?" Spike asked, "Of course we did, Spike, his tongue is still normal." Twilight Sparkle remarked, "So, does that mean even we can't cure it?" Starlight Glimmer questioned, "No, there's still a chance, come on, everypony, let's go see Zecora." Twilight Sparkle replied, and they left the castle. They walked through the Everfree Forest and Weight Lifter held onto Pinkie Pie, they arrived at Zecora's hut, "Zecora, we need your help, this colt here has lost his sense of taste and we haven't been able to heal his tongue completely with our magic." Twilight Sparkle explained, "While you were not able to completely bring back his sense of taste, your efforts did not go to waste." Zecora replied, "Can you help, Zecora?" Spike asked, "Indeed, while your magic has made yourselves busier, your efforts will make my job easier." Zecora answered, "Oh, good, I hope what you have in mind works." Weight Lifter commented, "Come now, young one, but if you wish, you can reconsider, since the potion I will administer will taste bitter." Zecora said, "I'm ready." Weight Lifter declared, "Very well, as for the rest of you, be ready with your magic, in case the potion does more than knock him out and make this tragic." Zecora warned, and Twilight Sparkle and Starlight Glimmer stood by. Zecora got dandelion, mugwort, yarrow, and wormwood, she began smashing them and made them into mush, she then poured them into water and it turned into a brown liquid, "There, it is ready, while its taste on your tongue will be bitter, it will help it get better." Zecora stated, and Weight Lifter drank the potion. Weight Lifter's eyes went into the back of his head and he began gagging from the very bitter taste, he grabbed his own neck and stuck his tongue out while enduring it, he wheezed afterwards and then passed out, "Weight Lifter!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed, he groaned and opened his eyes, "Are you okay?" Spike asked, "Quick, give me something to taste." Weight Lifter said, and Twilight Sparkle made an apple appear. He bit into it and rolled it on his tongue, "It's back. My sense of taste is back!" Weight Lifter announced, "YES!!" Pinkie Pie yelled as she jumped into the air and her party cannon went off, "Thanks, Zecora, I knew we could count on you." Twilight Sparkle stated, "Wait, what if I lose my sense of taste again?" Weight Lifter asked, "Do not worry, that potion is very strong, I highly doubt that your tongue will ever again become wrong." Zecora replied, "You wanna eat that pudding I always made you, Weight Lifter?" Pinkie Pie asked, "Sure!" Weight Lifter answered, and they left Zecora's hut. Pinkie Pie made the same melted peanut butter, chocolate, and marshmallow pudding, she also rubbed her front hooves to put sprinkles in it, kissed it to make it shiny, and hugged it and rubbed her cheek on it to make it grow bigger, she licked the food off of herself, it finished baking and she then put a spread of melted peanut butter, chocolate, and marshmallow on top of it. She gave Weight Lifter a spoonful and he jumped up and down, he shot up like a rocket and through the roof, he cheered very loudly and soon landed in back in Sugarcube Corner, "That was the best thing I've ever tasted!" Weight Lifter announced, "Go on then, the rest is yours." Pinkie Pie replied, and he gobbled up the pudding extremely quickly, he licked his front hooves and around his mouth and finished, "Thank you, my parents are going to be happy, so thank you, Pinkie, and tell Princess Twilight, Spike, Starlight, and Zecora I said thanks to them as well." Weight Lifter said, "You're very welcome, Weight Lifter, and tell your parents to come over, I think you three will like the other stuff I make, too." Pinkie Pie stated, Weight Lifter smiled and left. Pinkie Pie resumed making confectioneries for the upcoming festival and taste checked all of her sweets, she looked at Weight Lifter walking outside and smiled at the thought of having him and his parents as customers.