After Twilight delivers a batch of books to Sweet Apple Acres as a gesture of goodwill, she finds that one member of the Apple Family is not interested in her offerings. Through her efforts to discover why, she inadvertently discovers Big Macintosh's most shameful secret.
Thanks to JBL for the story idea.
Thanks to Holo, Midnight Legend, ajvasquezbrony28, Sir Rustbucket, ValorlordV5, and Sage Runner for editing.
Now with a YouTube reading by Thornquill!
Rated Teen for some thematic elements.
Chapters (1)
Noooo! I want to see more of this!
I love this!
4580743
You read it already?
It wasn't that hard to guess Mac's shameful secret, or even its origins, but what makes this work, I think, is the way Twilight goes after it: sometimes subtly, sometimes the exact antithesis of subtle. This keeps the pace exactly where it needs to be. I am delighted with the results.
4580753 When I'm interested in a story sooo much I read it faster than usual. You should write a scene where Twilight teaches Big Mac how to read and the room is set up like a classroom with Spike sitting beside Big Mac, please?
4580757
Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed Twilight's way of going about it.
4580766
Ahh, gotcha. Well I'm glad you enjoyed this!
Not sure if I have plans for a sequel though. 
Wow. I figured out early on what the issue was (right about the time Applejack started acting fishy as well), but I hadn't ever considered the backstory to it. This was great. Also, happy end.
I dunno why, but for some reason, I really liked this line.
4580818
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it.
That was one of my fave lines too.
4580766 Thanks for ruining the story.
Spoiler alert, my friend. Use it!
Great job, Babs, 20 likes within less that an hour. Not that unexspetld, but still, great job, and I love the final cut. So, what's next?
Yet again, another gem from a favorite author.
I'm not usually into Slice of Life, but this one is a nice one. It's obvious what his secret is - It was either that, or he's dyslexic. But, despite it being predictable, there was a lot to balance it out.
The characters were all perfect. Twilight was her overly-obsessive self/concerned self, AJ was easy going with brutal honesty, but still caring. Granny Smith was a new side to see, but it was a fitting side. And Big Mac, amazing. Quiet and shy for all the right reasons.
The pacing, amazing. All fitting for this, although a biiiit convenient. Really, Big Mac shows up THAT many times in Twi's life? xD But I know the struggles of convenience. It's hard for it NOT to be convenient.
My only qualm: I feel as though this would've come up sooner in Big Mac's life. He's been alive for awhile, and I feel as though he would've eaten out a few times. The scene where he accidentally orders chickpeas confuses me, because I would figure he would have been there before. He could simply order his usual, maybe something with apples. However, that's just a minor thing. There's ways to explain that off.
Overall, 9/10, because no one gets a 10/10! Nothing is perfect and you can always improve - So keep writing these amazing fics~
I'm a little confused, but still was good.
You shall receive one like!
4580839 There.
4580848
Thanks! I really appreciate your help with this, my friend.
Some new stories coming your way hopefully soon!
4580850
Thanks for the feedback, I really appreciate it! Glad you enjoyed the story.
4580856
Thanks!
4580876 and what about WHTD? Did I a abbreviate that right?
4580887
*WHJT
Next Sunday, and it'll either be two new chapters or a big, fat one.
4580893 well then, feel free to send me over you planed 'chapter(s)' and I'll see if I can help you make up your mind.
I
Love
This
Story!!!
The entire time I thought Mac had dyslexia but you proved me wrong and I loved it! Amazing story! You get some Big Mac's! There is only one thing that would have made this better, but you know what it is, but I love this story all the same! Great job!
4580910
Already got two editors so... sorry.
But I hope to have at least a one-shot ready in a few days.
4580911
Thanks! It warms my heart to know Mac's #1 fan enjoyed this story!
Also, loving your new avatar!
4580916 Thank you! I cannot wait to see what you do with this! And Big Mac is the Chuck Norris of Ponies, everypony should love him...or die...
4580924
You're welcome!
And hell yeah!
more please
This... This was everything I had hoped it would be and more. Made me tear up a few times too. Going to read it again now.
Thank you for this, Bad.
4580994
You're welcome.
My sister was obsessed with that series back in the day.
Hmm... okay, this is your usual level of quality, no doubt, but... it's just a tired premise, you know? I saw it coming a mile away. As soon as Mac looked at the book, I knew. To be honest, it almost irritated me a bit. Yet another story of an Apple being dumb in some way, "the rednecks that don't see education as important as family." I know, I know, that's tangential to the point of the story. It's about loss, coping, and responsibility. I just really wish you could have found a way to do it without using a tired trope. The emotions were real, but I had a hard time buying that Mac was so... well, butthurt about the whole thing. He reacted to violently to Twilight's offer that it made me derp a bit. I get that it's tied to a traumatic even tof his childhood,but... bah, whatever.
So, it had feels, but they felt artificial, like you took the easy road. Still a good story, but several things about it made me go into skimming mode right after he turned down the book. I knew where it was going, and if I'm being honest, I knew exactly why it was going there. Anytime an Apple is struggling with something a skill they should have learned in childhood, it's always about their parents. Yes, that is a major life event, but it's old hat by now. The only reason I stayed put was because I know you're a good author, and I thought you might surprise me. Sadly, you didn't, but it's not a total loss. Still a decent fic.
So...
i.imgur.com/FFrZo5e.gif
4580916 awsome, oh, and you an Avatar fan?
4581033
Fair enough. Thanks for the feedback.
4581050
Nope!
Really enjoyed this awesome story
4581063
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it.
4581081 It would be hard for me not to enjoy it
4581054 I don't mean the blue those blue p**** cats, I mean last airbender (I forget I have to do that, dam James Cameron) anyways, if you are, the new season of Korra is next Frday!
4581184
I know what you meant. Still not a fan, sorry.
That had been a few weeks ago. Papa got very sad after the funeral. Very, very sad.
Then, one day, Applejack found him in the barn. He had gone to be with Momma.
And... and... Applejack found him!? That's so horrifying. Maybe that's the real reason she left for Manehatten? But then how could she ever find the courage to come back? I mean... uhh... I should stop thinking about it. That's a story about Applejack's past I'd rather not know the details of.
That was a very excellently written story. Great job!
4581214
Where do you think her Stetson comes from? (The joke in "Somepony To Watch Over Me" aside.)
This story is good in so many ways. It's just the right amount of sad and feel good and I feel better for having read it.
4581259
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it.
4581229 by the way, how do you do that black out thing? Meant to do that with P****, but I could find the right buttons
4581296
[ spoiler] text [/ spoiler]
Just remove the spaces in the bbcode tags.
I haven't even finished reading this very nice story yet, but as soon as I got to that Frozen reference, I just need to say this. I friggin' love you.
4581423
saracleto.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Anna.gif
Yessssssssssss someone got it!
Thank you!
I friggin' love you too!
really nice story
4581440
Thank you!
I have to say, I prefer Big Mac Reads Something Purple, but this was okay. I think the biggest problem I had with this was that it was awfully long for what it was.
4581309 lol, will do, oh, and my own stories added a ch. on my own story. If you haven't even started yet, then I'd spilt the first ch. in two to make it more readable, and I made a shout-out to you in the ch. 3 for approving of Babs accent
This was an... Interesting read.
As much as the story has great potential, it really doesn't feel like it is utilized properly. (oh, man, this is going to be spoilerific). Here is a thing: The description really spoils the story. Combining that and the first mention of the books, I know what the 'shameful secret' is all about.
Now, for the flow; it's well done, and characters are well written, even though Twilight takes a huge amount of time to figure out what's 'wrong' with Big Mac. Okay, granted, Twilight acted like a dummy on at least one episode, because she was convinced that all of the answers lie in a book.
Now, the second thing that struct me as odd: Why was Big Mac grocery shopping and later reading from the menu, if he couldn't read?
And this is how it feels like having an OCD.
Still a great story, though, even if maybe it was a little too long for what it wanted to say. But these were just minor nitpicks. Still deserved a thumb up and a fav from me c:
~Twi
4581484
That fic looks cute.
I cute almost 3K from this so.... I don't know anything else I can cut.
4581553
Thanks for the thumb and fave!
Regarding the description and the premise... I wanted it to be one of those sort of stories where the reader figures it out before the characters do. Though, the other possibilities Twilight considers are plausible, as well as dyslexia (which wasn't mentioned, but it could have been). Oh, and he wasn't reading the menu, nor the newspaper. It was one of those "keeping up appearances" things.
At first:
i6.photobucket.com/albums/y234/inuchan01/GIFs/MLP-twilight_reading_by_lemonlimeman.gif
Then:
i.pinger.pl/pgr345/f4e2c75e002562f8514da274
Done:
derpicdn.net/img/view/2014/1/4/515044__safe_pinkie+pie_rarity_animated_crying_sad_hub+logo_hubble_spoiler-colon-s04e08_rarity+takes+manehattan.gif
So sad but so good.
4581627
Thanks! That's what I was going for.
4581619
Though, the other possibilities Twilight considers are plausible, as well as dyslexia (which wasn't mentioned, but it could have been)
Still quite plausible scenario. But even with that in mind, it struck me as odd why didn't she just flat out asked AJ about it... If there was anything else, she would tell her instantly. Or in this case, AJ might deflect a little and then still tell Twi.
~Twi
4581666
Hmm, well Applejack did tell her to not worry about it and let it go... so there's that. All comes down to a difference in interpretation, I suppose. :) I see Twilight as the type who would try and find out on her own terms if she wasn't given a direct answer.