• Published 22nd Jun 2018
  • 5,801 Views, 210 Comments

Alternate Beginnings: Year Two - Doug Graves



The mares of Herd Apple celebrate the birth of Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo and adjust to their life as dams in a town that isn't happy with their choice of stallion - the lone human in Equestria.

  • ...
13
 210
 5,801

26 Epilogue: Five Years Later

June 30th, 1000 Domina Solaria

Doug plops down on the couch inside the farmhouse, already tired of watching the seven foals. At least Applejack has taken Apple Bloom, the mare showing her first born the ropes as everything gets prepared for the upcoming Summer Sun Celebration. The foals are starting to get hungry, and hopefully they would have a bit extra prepared, what with all the extra Apples that are in town today. Pretty much all of them are busy helping with the preparations, though fortunately none of them have tried to entrust their foals with him. Although, that might not be a good thing, it shows they still don't fully trust him. He sighs; one of these days, maybe it'll happen.

Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle drag over their favorite game, Junior Ponopoly. Doug smiles and moves over as the two pull the lid off from the box, starting to gather the other foals for a quick game. Something to draw their attention away from their stomachs, which he can hear a few start to grumble. A loud shriek startles him as Sweetie Belle levitates her favorite piece, the top hat. The filly shouts, "Meringue! What did you do!" as the piece clatters to the ground. Sweetie Belle charges her sister, the young foal quickly overpowered by her older sister. Doug looks at the fallen piece; somepony (he strongly suspects Meringue) has decorated it with colorful stripes and a tiny fancy feather. He laughs, placing the piece on the board with seven others as Lemon comes to her sister's defense. The wrestling comes to a standstill as Sweetie Belle realizes her difficulty wrestling with two of her sisters, even if they are two and four years younger than her.

The rest of the foals gather around the board, four year old Applebaum complaining that they are playing this silly game again, taking her spot as banker. Scootaloo helps Doug sort the money into piles for each foal before moving to the rest of her sisters. Sweetie Belle, Lemon, and Meringue take their places, each foal rolling to see who goes first. Doug helps them with counting their money and moving the pieces.

An hour into the game and things are neck and neck between Applebaum, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Meringue. Lemon sits off to the side, disappointed at her early elimination but still fascinated by the rest of the players. Pomarbo, the two year colt not disappointed at all at his elimination, is sitting next to Applebaum and helping her count money. Hedge, Fluttershy's three year old filly, is taking a nap off to the side.

Applejack's voice rings out from outside, "Soup's on, everypony!"

Doug starts to get to his feet, saying, "Alright, I think this is a good time for a break," but is loudly overruled by the four players still in the game. He sighs, settling back down and watching as they keep playing, a bit more haste in their rolls.

A while later the game comes to its conclusion: Applebaum and Scootaloo agreeing to a tie, having eliminated everypony else. Doug wakes Pomarbo, the rest of the fillies impatiently waiting at the door to go get food. Doug walks the crowd of fillies outside, heading to the tables of food, and waves at Applejack. As he gets closer he asks, "So, were you able to meet the organizer?"

Applejack laughs, "Oh, you just missed her. Apple Bloom here managed to convince her that she should stay, sample a couple of our more delicious treats. You did a great job, girl!"

Apple Bloom smiles shyly, "Oh, it weren't nothing. By the way, daddy, aren't you gonna stay for brunch, too?" She looks up at him, her sad eyes growing large, tears forming in the corners.

Doug laughs, "Oh, I could never say no to you. Any fritters left?"

The gathered ponies laugh, quickly piling all sorts of apple delicacies on the table in front of Doug, the human and his fillies quickly digging in to the offered treats.

Comments ( 38 )

A great follow up, loved the interactions with the foals and the surprise appearances by certain characters. I look forward to year 3.

Awesome.

9061295
i would still like to see some flaws

Shoothe just missed meeting Twilight. I wonder how he will take having all his wife's roped into saving the world?

I wonder, if somewhere along these years, Cadance came by to call for him again. Or will some canon remain, though considering that in this AU, that the alicorns are failing to conceive at all. Shining might not be a sire :twilightoops:

When I read the part about the day their parents will be arriving, I had to see what year you first did this. And wow, your a hard writer, congrats. I don't know if that's right or not?

9173677
Thanks! It's been fun researching / writing all the parts for the story. Keeps me busy.

I’d say this story shows significant improvement over your previous one. It flows much more naturally, tho there are still elements that occasionally break the harmony. Looking forward to see if your style also improves in the next story.

9336474
Thanks! Curious, which parts felt like they didn't work as well? Chapters that felt out of place, or more of a writing style / description?

9337503
It isn't about how chapters relate to each other, or things that happen between chapters. Sometimes a character will do or say something that is out of character for them. Events will happen that make very little sense or seem too unlikely. Things of that nature. The result is like hitting a bump on an otherwise smooth road. Again, not as much of an issue compared to the previous story.

9513701
Dun Dun Dun!!!
Anyway, yeah... At the time I was checking to see if I failed to remember their names or something and forgot to delete the comment, I guess it'll stay though.

9708194
That's true. If Doug can lift up an entire pony, how strong is he then? What's the weight equivalent?

9708371
So, Doug lifting up Fluttershy would be equivalent to him bench-pressing 175 lbs. Sounds realistic to me.

9710141
Not sure if that's works as people think it does. Yes, Fluttershy is 175 pounds, however, she is also negating her own mass by pushing herself with her own muscles. If she was just like a sack of potatoes then it would be an entirely different story.

9944370
Is the clop in The First Year just there because it has to be or some other reason?

9944423
It's integral to the story, and I keep it quick, so it doesn't drag as badly.

There's still more uniques, like the baron, advancing fortress, and kaom's heart, to name a few.

There's a shitload

10062844
I will likely rename the chapters after I do a heavy editing pass.

Pondering whether to start reading now or wait til after you do your editing pass. Are there going to be additions added?

10096707
The editing is more of a paragraph by paragraph thing - changing words and streamlining structure - rather than any major changes to the storyline, or major additions planned. Just smaller fluff like thoughts and feelings, if anything.

10096759
All right, thanks. Guess I don't need to be patient. :3

Spoiled Rich still being a basic bitch i see.

Also, Snape got reincarnated as a pony. :rainbowlaugh:

Most excellent.

Another yr down. On to Yr 3. :pinkiehappy:

10115696
I mean, I don't because that comment was made well over a year ago. But if I had to guess, I probably just backed out of the individual chapter to the main story page and then wrote that comment.

10256702
You're right. When I first saw Doug whistle I didn't stop and think about it much but it wasn't a big deal after a few times.

10818364
I realize that now. At the time it was a knee jerk reaction.

10819959
No big deal,some of us have just a bit more life experience than others.
Hell,I sometimes forget how much older I am than the average FIMfiction reader.

10850809
Except communism and socialism never been even in some wild concept what strawman nowadays it is portrayed as. It is totally imagined distopia that was deliberately constructed by propaganda in attempt to scare anyone who would even think about joining its movement. This makes it "Strawman boogeyman". It is associated with this boogeyman entirely mistakenly because there's even no simillirialities. In summ, it is "Strawman boogeyman born by western anti-soviet propaganda that is mistakenly called Stalinist Russia".
"Soviets" - it's form of democracy where deputies are elected from working collectives and so on up to state level. And even could be withdrawn by those collectives if they don't do their will/became corrupt, etc. That way you would be sure that your deputies have your wishes as course (and not have labor minister that didn't actually work even once in his life, who have immunity to be displaced, which we have right now). You're saying that wishing for this form of democracy is dangerous?

11188815
Marx had nothing to do with the corruption of Communism. His ideals might have actually worked if not for the likes of Stalin, and Mao. Marx and Engels had a great idea that was laid out beautifully in Das Kapital. It just never took the human ego into consideration. That's the problem with ideals, they look really amazing but most ideals are built on the premise of humanity will be ideal. Unfortunately that couldn't be further from reality, because humanity is not ideal in any way, shape, or form. And if you believe that humanity could be ideal if push comes to shove: Congratulations, you're just as insane as humanity itself is.

i also love this now onto year 3

11469991 Considering her reasoning is racism and hatred purely for its own sake? Brutalized. No true reform can occur for someone who hates just to hate for no reason other than to feel superior, and nothing good can ever come from someone like that. In real life anyway. If someone chooses to be evil then they should suffer the consequences. Now, if it were something that really was fear based, then punish them for their actions, but also educate them. Then they have no excuse if they do it again.

I have a bad feeling about the next four years (and subsequently stories). If Spoiled Rich is allowed to get away with all she did, then it's going to be a complete waste of my time reading this series of stories. I enjoyed the first year despite its... flaws, so seeing it take this direction makes me worried. I'd much rather not get cheated out of some catharsis.

Should I continue, or should I not continue... If Spoiled is dealt with in the next year, then sure, I'll continue on, but if not...

11688759
The hatchet gets buried more than it gets used. The relationship gradually improves; by Year 7 Spoiled makes a public apology for her faulty assumptions.

11742962
Yeah it's called Alternate Beginnings: The First Year (even though it apparently covers/rewrites more then just AB:Year One)

Login or register to comment