Alternate ending to the alternate ending
Twilight passed them on her way back, and stepped inside the library only moments after they had left. She saw the lavender-colored book still lying on the table. She picked it up, wondering what story Big Mac had decided to read to the fillies.
She realized she had no idea what sort of stories he liked. It was just one more mystery about the silent stallion.
It really wasn't fair that Twilight should be the one struck with—well, curiosity—about the big stallion, when any of her friends would be better at drawing him out. Pinkie could make him laugh. Rainbow could compete with him physically. Fluttershy could be adorable, and helpless if necessary. Rarity could just flutter her eyelashes at him. But what could she say? "Oh, Big Mac, do you think you could stay a moment and help me recalibrate my astrolabe?" "Big Mac, I'm going to City Hall to hear the Mayor's budget proposal—doesn't that sound exciting?"
Right.
She turned the book over to look at the title, and did a double-take: Theoretical Research in Neurponynomic Decision-Making. Big Mac certainly wasn't reading that to the girls. And for Rarity to have been reading it—well, that was even less likely.
"Hello?" she called out. "Is anypony else here?"
She went to the door and looked out to see if she'd missed anypony on their way out of the library. No; the streets were empty. But she noticed a canvas sack she had overlooked on her way in, hidden behind a bush. Had somepony left it there for her? Then why hide it?
She took the sack inside, and debated whether to open it. It wasn't hers. This wasn't just her home, after all; it was also a public library. Anypony might have left something outside the door momentarily. But if she opened it, she might be able to figure out whose it was.
She loosened the drawstring—it was the simple kind favored by pegasi and earth ponies—and drew the contents out. A box of nails, two iron brackets of some kind—and Miss Smarty Pants.
She shook her head, and blinked. Miss Smarty Pants was still there, staring up at her from the table with her one good button eye.
She'd never found her after that awful business with the tardy friendship report. Was somepony secretly returning her? But why the nails and the brackets?
Just then the door burst open, and Big Mac's head poked in. He was snorting and sweating, as if he'd run all the way there from the farm. "Miss Twilight! Have you seen—"
Then he saw the doll and the book on the table before her, and his eyes grew big, and his mouth clamped shut.
"Big MacIntosh. Did you ... have my doll, all this time?"
The big stallion cringed at the question, and looked down at the floor, shamefaced. After a few moments, he nodded.
"Why?"
He looked behind him, at the light streaming in through the door, as though contemplating escape. But he didn't escape; he just stood there, not meeting Twilight's eyes.
"Because it was yours," he said miserably.
Now it was Twilight's eyes that widened. Maybe, she thought, he meant he was holding onto it to return it to her.
She nodded towards the book. "And is that what you read to the girls?"
He pawed at the floor. "Sorta."
"Oh, Big Mac. I'm sorry. You can't read, can you?"
Big Macintosh looked up, and Twilight saw a tear in his eye, and another thing that she'd never seen there—anger. "Please, Miss Twilight," he said. "If'n you don't mind, just give me my sack, an' I'll leave."
She looked down at the sack, her cheeks burning. She shouldn't have said anything. She should just not talk, ever, like Big Mac.
She put the box of nails back into the sack, and then the brackets. Then she pulled the drawstring tight and hoisted the sack into the air. She was pushing it slowly toward him, wondering if he'd ever speak to her again, when an idea struck her.
"Would you like to learn?" she asked.
He lifted his head and looked into her eyes, ignoring the sack suspended in the air between them. He nodded once.
"Come over here," she said. "Let me find something a little easier for us to start with." She shut the door behind him as he came inside.
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I'm not going soft. This ending is Frizzy's fault.
840079
Don't worry. This is way too adorable -and kinda make sense- for anyone to be upset.
D'AWWWWWW
Dawww
It was so painful, how
misunderstood 
saying: Because it was yours. I could feel it through the virtual pages 
840541
So that's why he made me write it that way! That sneaky Big Mac.
Wish I could say I'd thought of that while I was writing it.
Er, I mean - I totally thought of that when I was writing it.
oh man these endings become better and better huh ?
Actually, the doll is called Miss Smarty Pants.
Don't blame me! I never recommended it, I just had an idea.
840915
The next ending has Nicholas Cage in it!
I like the constant alternate endings they are are alright
841447
Whoops! Thanks much.
A good story you have here. But it's a bit of a leap, going from "He had my doll" to "He can't read", isn't it? It might go a bit better if we could hear Twilight's thought processes that allowed her to reach that conclusion.
846204
She's supposed to infer that from her belief that the book on the table is the book Big Mac was "reading" to them. But, since I already worried a lot before publishing that chapter about whether that was sufficient, I'll start worrying about it again. Possibly even enough to change it. (LATER:) Changed!
I hate to say it but you inspired me to write a twimac fic. lol.
As for your's D'AWWWWWWWWWW!
There we go. If you're going to do a TwiMac ship you need to do it just like that. Besides, why does everyone assume he's dumb? Someone has to manage the finances and Applejack certainly isn't doing it, Granny Smith is too old, and Applebloom is too young. So it falls onto Mac to handle the farm and such.
Best. Alternate Ending. EVER!!!
Well, except the alternate ending to Rocket to Insanity, which was the alternate ending to Cupcakes, where Rainbow got help for her dreams without killing Pinkie. That will always be the number one.
But, this is a VERY close second.
Hello, and thank you for submitting to Equestria Daily.
Unfortunately, your fic does not meet the minimum word count. While it is over 2500 words, 1100 of those are part of alternate endings. Also, the writing seems very flat, where character does this, character does that, character said, etc. Please revise your fic before resubmitting.
Sincerely,
The Equestria Daily Team
i enjoyed each ending, this one the most however because i'm a sucker for a happy ending.
D'aww.
More please!
This story was so cute. I loved it!
Funny the first ending made me feel sorry for Big Mac, though I couldn't help but respect him.
The second seemed a cruel twist of fate that they would be seperate, if a little unrealistic for Twilight's insecurities.
Yet it is the happy ending that made me teary, I hope you don't mind if I prefer this ending.
It also helped that unlike in the 2nd ending Twilight's insecurities are less around herself, seeing as she already realised her worth in 'Boast Busters', and more about herself and Big Mac.
Having her so harshly crippling herself with low self-esteem, when the show is largely about her development just doesn't add up. Whereas in the 3rd ending you have a believable basis for Twilight's distance from Big Mac and a lovely closing note which hints at things to come.
I'm a sucker for a happy ending though.
You evil, evil man! You made me feel!
Now, up to the blackboard and write "I shan't make my readers go DAWWW!" fifty times."!
The only thing about the third alternative that seems a little off is how fast Twilight realizes that Big Mac is analphabetic.
Am I a bad person for liking the second ending? It has that bitter-sweet taste of unrequited love that I like even better than the third "and they lived happily ever after"-ending.
It's nice to read something lighthearted once in a while.
859304
Buck 'em! I liked this little slice of life, short though it was, and rushed though the alternate alternate may have been. Shipping with canon ponies outside the Mane6 is too rarely done, and rarer still done well.
Thanks!
splendid way to end
I was looking for this ending...this one is sweet and just how I like it with an extra dash of D'aww!
859304
lol sounds kinda contrived as a rejection but eh i think it's good.
I just found out the LivingLibraryPlayers did an audio reading of it. Thanks!
My only annoyance is the idea that Mac can't read. Otherwise nicely done.
Second ending is my favorite.
I loved this. It's powerful, and gets to the point quickly, while leaving the right amount to the reader's imagination.
It's entirely plausible that there are a large-ish number of illiterate ponies in Ponyville, since every shop seems to have a sign with a picture of what service they offer (yes, it's probably an animation convenience, but hey, good authors can build on that).
Have a Big Mac.
I really like the this ending it was a good happy ending.
3rd time is a charm
By the end of the third ending I was smiling, so I'd count it as a success.
D'awwwww!
Nope, shoulda stuck with the original ending. :| It was perfect.
2232338 Mine too. I guess I just have a soft spot for the whole 'mutually unrequited love' thing.
I read the "sequel" first and had to go back. This was just as good, and perhaps even a little sweeter... and thus a little sadder.
I really needed that 2nd alternate ending; a little hope in the midst of all that pain.
And I salute the pain you have granted me today, Bad Horse. Well done, and were I not already following you, I would be now.
Light and laughter,
SongCoyote
I loved the final alternate ending =3
Decided to remove this from Short Stories--it's just a little too long.
Edit: For some reason, it refuses to leave. I guess it's meant to be!
3758729 It was only one chapter when I added it.
Question, though? Which ending are you assuming to be your fanon?
I wouldn't call the first version dark. Just slightly sad. Nothing very terrible happens to the two main characters -- they are lonely when the story begins, and they are still lonely when it ends. It's not even impossible that they might get together at some future time.
Though I would consider it unlikely.
3852242 I don't think of any of them as "what really happened". If I had to write a story with just one of them, I'd use the first, but I think adding the others improved the reader experience.
That was sweet. Great job.
Wanna corrupt some minds in that library? Tell Big Mac to read the Crusaders, "50 Shades of Hay."
D'aww! The poor thing... I don't know if I could consider TwiMac a thing, but this story was wonderful.
Awesome story. Funny, sweet, and a little sad. A good read all around.
I reviewed this story in Recommended Story Reviews #5. You can read my review here.
The whole "Big Mac can't read" thing tends to irritate me, which is why this "only" gets a like rather than a fave. What really made it worth my time, though, was the really nice way you wrote the CMC. I could happily have read a much longer story featuring your Crusaders.