Big Macy

by Foal Star

Rating: teen
Tags: Apple Bloom, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Alternate Universe, Comedy, Rarity, Big Macintosh, Slice of Life
Length: 27826

Big Mac decides to transform into a mare to be in the Sisterhooves Social for Apple Bloom

This story is an Alternate turn of events from the Episode Brotherhooves Social

Applejack was called away once more to go on another epic adventure with Twilight. However, Big Mac is once again left behind, except...this time, the Sisterhooves Social is coming up, and Apple Bloom is without a sister to compete with. That is until Big Mac decides to recruit Zecora into brewing a gender-swapping potion and Rarity to help him act like a mare. Big Mac is then transformed into Auntie Orchard Blossom, a plump, happy mare who visits Ponyville for three days to compete in the Sisterhooves Social. But during her short visit, she must keep her true identity hidden from the judges and also from Apple Bloom.

Published 2021-11-02 05:50:00 UTC
Last updated 2022-04-22 04:56:09 UTC

Chapter One: A Plan Bears Fruit

Author's Note

Happy Birthday Peter New and thank you for this episode. :eeyup:

Chapter One: A Plan Bears Fruit

Big Mac was lying in bed looking up at his ceiling when he was supposed to be up getting ready for the Sisterhooves Social, but something was eating at him. The stallion saw through his window that the sun was up and had been up for a while and saw it was best to get up for the day. He slowly trotted across his sparsely furnished room and over towards the open window. There he took a moment to look out among the grand Orchard Blossom that made up Sweet Apple Acres. He took a moment to take in a fresh breeze and gave the air a whiff smelling the sweet aroma of apples; the atmosphere did cheer the stallion up a bit out of his mood. As Big Mac looked out over the sea of apple trees, he took a moment to think as the Sisterhooves Social was happening in a week from today, and it weighed heavily on his mind. He was rather disgruntled at the prospect that it would likely be another year where Applejack will be Apple Bloom’s favorite sibling. Every year it just stung a bit more now with his sister having saved Equestria multiple times and has clearly become the favorite sibling of Apple Bloom. Big Mac grumbled irritably, thinking about how his younger sister seemed to barely notice him anymore; he was starting to feel just like any other background pony to the filly. The gentle stallion shook his head, trying to stop himself from mulling over these negative thoughts. He continued to look out of his window, taking a moment to collect himself before going to the nearby field to set things up where the Social would be hosted. He peered up at the sun again and saw it was getting late, and he should be getting a move on. He slammed back down on the ground on all fours then slowly trotted downstairs. As he made his way to the front door, he was shocked to see his sisters there with Applejack standing in the doorway with a packed saddlebag. While Apple Bloom was looking up at the older mare with tears flowing from her eyes as she wailed, “Applejack, do you have to go!?”

“Y...yeah, I gotta go take care of somthin’!? There’s something crazy going on with a pirate captain named um...Cal…Cal something or whatever,” The mare responded with a puzzled look.

Big Mac blinked, being utterly confused by these new developments? What could Applejack be possibly talking about? An adventure with pirates? Knowing his sister, she ain’t lying, but it sounded crazy!? Now curious and feeling a bit worried, Big Mac slowly trotted over, cleared his throat, and asked, “um...what’s going on here?”

Applejack looked up and shook her head with a disappointed expression. “It’s not good, Big Mac. I'm going on some adventure with pirates at the worst time. This captain Cal something needs help with a evil pirate named Captain Talon."

“Can I come!? please!” Apple Bloom whined.

The farm mare ruffled her sister’s mane and said, “sorry, but this is gonna be rather dangerous for little fillies like yourself. It’ll be better if ya stay put with Big Mac.”

“Awww,” Apple Bloom pouted; she kicked the ground and snapped, “But then who’s going to be with me for the Sisterhooves Social!? I only have a week to find a new sister!?”

Applejack looked down and shook her head. “I have no idea? But the rules don’t specify the mare to be your partner has to be your sister. I would suggest seeing if maybe Fluttershy or Pinkie is available?”

“Right, Scootaloo will team up with Rainbow Dash and Sweetie Belle with Rarity...Ugh!? Fluttershy doesn’t do sports!? And Pinkie!? She’ll probably just make me a laughingstock! What am I gonna do!?” Apple Bloom wailed; she then ran off with tears streaming down her face.

Applejack turned her attention to her brother with a disheartened look and continued. “You know that I don’t wana go!? As much as going on a swashbuckling adventure sounds like fun. I can’t stand just leaving Apple Bloom like this and after promising her to go to the Sisterhooves Social….” She bucked the door a little out of spite and growled, “ya know me, I hate breaking; promises.”

Big Mac saw how disappointed Applejack looked and wanted to give her some comforting words. He took a moment to think before saying, “you go every year with her, yeah she’s disappointed, but you two can compete next year.”

Applejack looked up at her brother with a smile and said, “you’re right, Big Mac, we got tons of years to do the Sisterhooves Social together.” The farm mare then took another pause; she then suddenly burst into a fit of laughter which eventually died down to a snicker, “I just had a thought, if you were a mare, I would ask you to go with her!”

Big Mac couldn’t help but chortle at his sister’s joke as well, just imaging himself dressing up in drag and trying to convince the judges he was a mare.

After a good round of laughter Applejack slowly trotted over and nuzzled him, “you just take care of Apple Bloom and Granny Smith while I’m gone, ya hear?”

“Yup...and um...you just be careful? Ok?” Big Mac responded in a concerned tone he knew his sister could take care of herself. Still, after the death of his parents, he always had this pang of worry whenever his sister left Ponyville.

Applejack looked up and said, “yeah, I will, I mean...I never sailed out in the open seas before; I’ll be extra careful, promise!” She then gave her brother a hug and the two held each other in a tight embrace. The farm mare broke off gave one last sigh before fixing her brown cowcolt hat and tightening the straps on her saddlebags. She then gave her brother one last wave and exclaimed, “See ya later, Big Mac, I’ll be sure to take a ton of pictures and bring some souvenirs!”

“Ey’yup,” Big Mac replied and waved back. As he watched his sister trot off, he couldn’t help but ponder the comment she made. If only he were a mare, he could be in the Sisterhooves Social…It was an absurd idea, but it was one that just seemed unable to leave his mind…. maybe…. just maybe...

Four days later...

Early one morning, Big Mac was walking down the busy streets of Manehattan. Pegasi, unicorn, and Earthpony alike were trotting around going about their business to and fro, some chatting, others just trotting along on the sidewalk. The stallion was somewhat taken aback by all the hustle and bustle. His sister has now visited the city a few times, but he himself had never seen the city. The splendor of the skyscrapers towering over made the stallion gape in awe and wonder. They were much taller than any building in Ponyville, and he wondered how such grand structures could even be built.
Big Mac continued to trot on the hard pavement alongside some of the fancier dressed ponies. These ponies, in particular, eyed the rustic stallion moving out of his way either out of disgust or an unwarranted sense of fear of his stature. The farm pony didn’t notice or care; his entire focus was on his thoughts about the Sisterhooves Social.

Applejack has yet to return from her adventure, and Apple Bloom hasn’t been able to find her a replacement. The Social was only three days away. A proud smile grew on the stallion’s face as he had found a way to be a part of the Sisterhooves Social! It took a lot of planning, but the idea seemed to resonate in his mind, and he was solely focused on competing with his sister. Big Mac felt as if this was an opportunity to heal the chasm that had stifled the relationship between him and his youngest sister, even if she’d never know it was him. But for that to happen, he needed to be a sister, and that was where his plan came in.

The stallion stopped suddenly, seeing he came upon the front of a hotel with its gleaming glass doors and giant crescent-shaped handles. The stallion then looked down at a slip of paper with an address written on it. Big Mac confirmed that this was indeed where he was to meet Rarity and Zecora. The zebra agreed to develop a potion to swap his gender. Then she went to Rarity, who in turn crafted an elaborate backstory for him, and she’ll also be his advisor on making him more...feminine. The stallion gulped at the thought and was starting to feel nervous, shaking all over, knowing that he could still leave at any time. He could just trot back to the train and just apologize to Rarity and Zecora later. Maybe he should just crossdress as a mare as he thought a few days ago?

Big Mac couldn’t help but chuckle to himself; that was such a silly and stupid idea? He would be identified as a stallion for sure with his broad chest, bulky frame, and not including his thick square jaw. If anything happened, they would disqualify him and Apple Bloom that would just make everything worse. The stallion took a moment to look around the skyline, and he remembered that his Aunt Orange lived here. Maybe instead, she could be Apple Bloom’s replacement?

He thought of the idea for a second, then shook his head and said, “ey’nope.” That fancy mare would never run through mud or get her mane dirty. Besides, they were family, but the Oranges never really cared for their simple rustic lifestyle, and they never really got together.

It’s too late now, Rarity and Zecora already put a lot of time and effort into this, and he was going to see this plan through. Big Mac gave one last deep breath before he then trotted into the hotel lobby. As Big Mac made his way to the receptionist’s desk, he came upon a rather bored-looking mare who gazed upward at him and asked rather bluntly. “Do you have a reservation?”

“Ey’yup, um...it’s under Rarity?” The stallion responded with a gulp. His nerves hadn’t settled yet; he could still feel his back legs shaking a little.

The mare took a moment to search through the forms on her desk and then spotted one, then gave a slight nod, “right, a room for three for one night...you’re Big Macintosh, correct?”

“Ey’yup,” Big Mac responded once more.

The mare gave another nod before she gave him a room key. “Your room is four sixty-three; take the stairs, please.”

“T...thank you….” Big Mac then looked to the elevator and trotted over to what appeared to him a metal box; he had never seen an elevator before and was somewhat worried about seeing how small the box was. He stood there scratching his chin and wondered for a second, thinking to himself how he’ll fit?

“Hey! I told you to take the stairs, not the elevator! You’ll break it!” the receptionist shouted at him.

Big Mac growled, “fine, I’ll just take the stairs.” He threw his mane, being a bit peeved at the rude receptionist but was too kind to hurl any insults back. He then headed to the giant marble staircase and saw the rows and rows of stairs leading up into the building. The stallion just gave a sigh, not looking forward to the long walk, and mumbled, “at least it’s only the fourth floor.” With a hint of optimism in his voice.

Big Mac then started his accent, slowly trotting up the stairs with a somewhat relieved feeling that he could at least take some more time to think as he made his way up the steps. But he was determined to see this plan through, and nothing would be able to stop him.

Big Mac eventually made his way into the hotel room he and the other mares were staying. The luxury hotel room was relatively roomy with two massive beds, a few tables, a bathroom, and furnished with some potted plants. Sitting at one of the desks, Zecora was watching the cauldrons bubbling, gauging them with a careful eye. One bubbling a bright blue liquid and the other with a rich pink. All the while, Rarity was nearby sorting out a few templates of various streams of fabric and threads; he didn’t know what purpose she had for them. But, he assumed that most likely they were there to make an outfit for him when he was transformed into a mare. As the stallion made his way to the bed to sit down for a moment, the two mares must’ve heard his hoofsteps and looked over at Big Macintosh. Zecora just waved a hoof and went back to her potions while Rarity gave him a lovely smile and was the first to speak up. “Hello, darling! I was worried you wouldn't show up?”

“Yeah, I’ve considered running off many times while coming here, but….” He trailed off, still being unsure of what to say. It was now or never; he could call it off and tell them to just pack their bags. But...he could see Zecora has worked hard to make those potions. Rarity also put in a lot of effort, creating a false backstory for Aunt Orchard, and she was also willing to teach him how to be a mare. So much work and toil were put into this, and not including his sister anticipated seeing her long-lost Auntie Orchard.

“Yes, darling? Are we going through with this?” Rarity asked with a flash of her eyelashes.

Big Mac looked up at her and said, “Before we continue...just...tell me why you’re helping me and be honest?”

Rarity waved a hoof and said, “this is for Sweetie Belle; of course, she also has been anticipating another Sisterhooves Social, and I will not deprive her of a rival!”

Zecora gave him a smile, “As the brother of my favorite foal, I already told you before? Apple Bloom is a lovely filly, and I will do anything to make her happy.”

Big Mac gave a slight nod; despite being determined to go through with this, he had to keep reminding himself all of this was for Apple Bloom and her friends. “Right, this is for Apple Bloom.”

“So, is that a yes?” Rarity asked with a worried look on her face.

Big Mac gave a slight nod and responded, “Ey’yup.”

Zecora then looked toward Rarity and asked, “can you measure his weight? I need to know if I have the proper dosage to make sure he doesn’t inflate.”

“Wait...what!?” Big Mac asked in surprise!? What was this about inflating!?

“Most certainly!” The fashionista chirped in response, with Big Mac’s question being left unanswered.

Rarity took the rustic stallion by the hoof and placed him on a bathroom scale. He looked down at the scale beneath his hooves and watched as the arrow slowly went up; At the same time, the fashionista worked the counterbalance, she chimed, “Now darling, I'm just going to remind you of the details, your fake name is Orchard Blossom, and you're an aunt that has been twice removed and has been living in Manehattan.”

“Ey’yup,”

Big Mac then looked down at his hooves, and his cheeks flushed pink seeing the small needlepoint had stopped at five hundred pounds.

“My goodness, you’re big!? He’s five hundred pounds, Zecora!” Rarity exclaimed. Big Mac couldn’t see, but he heard a liquid being poured into something made of glass behind him.

As she did so, Rarity turned to face Big Mac and continued, “now, the story is you wanted to come to visit for a few days. That's when you heard about the Sisterhooves Social happening you wished to join, as we explained in the letter sent to Apple Bloom.”

“Ey’yup.”

Rarity scowled then scolded, “also stop saying “ey’yup, and ey’nope you don’t want ponies being suspicious of you? Do we?”

“E...ok…” Big Mac stammered.

Rarity then herded the stallion back into the hotel room. Zecora looked over her book once more; she turned around and showed the vial of pink liquid to the stallion. “Now, you must understand this vial will turn you into a mare, you see, until you take the antidote, that is how you’ll be.”

Big Mac nodded and was about to respond, “Ey-”

“What did I say about saying that!? Do you want to ruin the Sisterhooves Social for Apple Bloom?” Rarity scolded him for the second time.

“Sorry!?” Big Mac squeaked out. He didn’t realize how demanding Rarity could be she reminded him of his sister.

Zecora gave a slight chuckle as she then hoofed the pink vial. “Now, take your time to think, and when you’re ready, you may drink.”

The mares were right; they spent almost a whole week getting prepared for this moment; he’ll most likely never get another chance to do something this special with Apple Bloom again. He gave one last deep breath before taking the vial and gulping down its contents. The potion was rather nice; it tasted like flowery tea and had this sweet aroma waft over him. He then started to feel his body change; his body bloated out a little, he felt hot red pain as his muscles started morphing all over his body. He groaned and whined as he felt his rump starting to grow out more, then he suddenly lost some height and shrank down a little. Feeling a burning pain in his face, Big Mac gnashed his teeth together as his appearance began to morph, with his skull reshaping along with the muscles in his face. He could hear his bones snapping, and his cheeks bloat outward; it was all rather painful and tingly. But Big Mac endured it all as the thoughts about his little sister and how happy she’ll be when they’re competing in the Sisterhooves Social together.

Big Mac then felt his organs and innards changing; it wasn’t painful, but he felt rather squeamish, having to rock back and forth and kick his legs in response. As Big Mac's reproductive system morphed around his nether regions, his throat started to burn, and he could hear his deep muscley voice beginning to have a higher pitch as he cried a little from the pain. The scariest thing was when he felt the girth of his member beneath him suddenly disappear. It was sudden as he eeped! In surprise. Then he could feel the final touches as he felt the hair of his mane and tail grow out. As his mane and tail finished growing Big Mac now stood there shaking his back legs, knowing that he couldn’t feel his member anymore. It was all he needed to confirm his suspicions that he was no longer a stallion.

He turned to face Zecora and Rarity, both gaping, and their eyes widened in disbelief. The zebra slowly trotted over and rubbed a hoof over Big Mac’s face. “I cannot believe it with my eyes? You actually transforming into a mare was quite a surprise!?”

“Yes, your b...beautiful!?” Rarity cried out, unable to hold in her emotions.

“J... just let me see what I look like, please!?” Big Mac exclaimed as he squeaked at his new voice; it sounded much like his Auntie Orange with a Manehattn accent. Rarity then showed him a mirror. He gaped in awe at his reflection seeing his plump round face with elongated lashes around his bright green eyes, his long golden mane curled around his head, his shortened chubby frame. Being somewhat curious of his new body Big Mac got off the bed and trotted around a little to see the reflection of his rump. He looked back with a blush on his cheeks, seeing his thick ass with his green apple cutie mark looking the same, except it was now in the shape of a heart. He looked like a plump little mare, and it gave him shivers down his spine, knowing he was indeed no longer a stallion. Feeling so embarrassed, he couldn’t help but slump back onto the bed with hooves over his face.

He just laid there feeling so embarrassed, nervous when he heard somepony trot over and whispered. “Darling, there’s nothing to be ashamed about.

“R..right…wh...what do we do now?” Big Mac whispered, still unable to believe his voice sounding so alien and feminine to him.

Rarity didn’t answer right away; she simply held out a hoof and waited patiently for him to take it. Big Mac was abit hesitant, but eventually, he took the mare's hoof, and she hoisted him onto his hooves. As Big Mac stood on all fours, he didn't feel much different; despite his gender now changed, he still felt that he weighed the same except that there was a bit more weight added to his rump and thighs.

Rarity then turned her attention to Big Mac once more and started to lecture him again, “Now darling, there’s a reason we’re here in Manehattan; you can’t waltz into Ponyville being a nervous wreck."

The fashionista placed her right hoof over her chest and threw the left one up as she proclaimed, "you need to sell that you're a confident mare! And that nopony can suspect your nothing but as such!"

“D...do we have to?” Big Mac asked; he was just starting to get used to this body. He was sure as hell not ready to walk around in public.

Zecora then chimed in, “yes, we do; all of our plans will be undone if ponies become suspicious of you.”

Big Mac frowned being abit suspicious of the zebra. Apple Bloom did ask Zecora to be Applejack's replacement, and of course, she said no for some reason. He wondered if she said no, knowing he would be desperate to use that experimental potion she was brewing. It was too late to accuse her of anything now, and he then just grumbled, “fine.”

Rarity turned to face the new mare and clapped her hooves together. “First, you need to make sure you don’t slip up when anypony asks for your name? You must be ready to respond with Orchard Blossom.” She then hoofed him a hand mirror and continued, “now you go on and practice that while I discuss some things with Zecora.”

“Sure…” Big Mac mumbled with a suspicious look; what were these mares up to? He could only hope they don’t make this any more embarrassing than it already is. The mares were whispering to each other, making it hard to hear what they were saying. Big Mac just rolled his eyes he’d know soon enough.

Big Mac plopped back down on the bed and looked at his supple face; it was rather pretty with the shape being rounder and more pleasant looking than his square-ish jaw. His lashes were well pronounced though...he blinked a few times, letting the long lashes flip up and down. Then there was the long bouncy golden brown mane that flowed around his head; he looked like a long-lost twin sister of his. Big Mac's cheeks turned bright pink as he thought of being a sister, and squeezed his legs together, unable to feel his member; just reaffirming what he already knew. He gave one more sigh before looking back at the mirror and whispered, “Orchard Blossom...my name is Orchard Blossom...”

Chapter Two: Auntie Orchard Blooms

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Chapter Three: Auntie Orchard Comes to Town

It was early one morning, and Apple Bloom was standing at the Ponyville train station waiting patiently for her mysterious aunt to arrive. She was standing with her other friends Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, who both looked rather tired, seeing that they must've been standing there for quite a while. But Apple Bloom had this expression of desperate hope printed on her face with unwavering hope that Auntie Orchard would be arriving soon.

Both Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle looked over at their friend with nervous expressions on their faces. The orange-coated filly was the first to speak up, "hey Apple Bloom, we've been waiting for hours, ya sure she's coming?"

"Of course, I'm sure! She'll be here any minute! She said she'll be coming today, and I'm not leaving this spot until the train from Manehattan comes in!"

Sweetie Belle turned to see the sun setting and sighed, "alright, we'll wait until nightfall after that; I say we give up, besides. Didn't your Granny say this Orchard Blossom sounds suspicious?"

"Sweetie Belle, there's tons of ponies in my family, and Granny's old; I doubt she'll remember everypony." The little farm filly explained.

Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo both looked at each other and silently agreed that nothing would sway Apple Bloom's resolve.

However, the little filly was unsure if this mysterious Aunt was actually going to show. All Apple Bloom could do was trot back and forth, wondering if maybe her mysterious aunt got cold hooves and decided not to come, or perhaps this was some elaborate prank. She never existed in the first place. But from the letters Applejack sent, she wouldn't be back for a few more days, and the Sisterhooves social is in two! Apple Bloom took a deep breath as she did her best to calm herself and continued to wait patiently until the sound of a train whistle was heard across the station. The fillies all started to get excited as they watched the train slowly pull into the station with loud chugs, which eventually stopped with a long grinding halt.

Apple Bloom held her breath as she felt her heart racing. She watched the train doors open with nervous anticipation hoping and praying that Auntie Orchard was on board. Then as the crowd of ponies started to pile out, she looked around, trying to see if any pony resembled a giant red-coated mare like how she described herself. She continued to look around the ponies as the group dissipated and then when Apple Bloom was about to give up. Out walked out a giant, red-coated mare with piercing green eyes and a bouncy straw-colored mane. She was sporting a cute white blouse with pink lining the shirt, paired with a light green skirt around her waist. Despite the skirt covering most of her rump, Apple Bloom could see that the mare had a giant green apple in the shape of a heart for a cutie mark. This struck her in awe as she did remember the letter she received that said her aunt would look similar to her brother Big Mac. Still, it was like if she was his missing identical twin. The filly snickered, wishing he was here and seeing he would be pretty embarrassed seeing how close this mare resembled him. Too bad he had to deliver a bunch of apples to Vanhoover.

Regardless the buildup of anticipation of seeing her suddenly came out like a torrent, and she couldn't hold back her excitement any longer. She didn't hesitate to run across the station and threw herself into the mare, shouting, "Auntie Orchard! You actually came!"

"Oh, Apple Bloom, it's so good to see you!" the mare exclaimed.

"I can't believe you're real! I was starting to think somepony was pranking me!" Apple Bloom cried out, still being in complete disbelief.

"Oh, I'm real alright," Auntie Orchard chimed as she flashed her eyelashes at the young filly. The older mare then turned to face her friends and asked, "and who are these two, if I may ask?"

"Oh, right, these are my friends Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle," Apple Bloom explained as she pointed to the fellow fillies beside her.

Sweetie Belle waved a hoof and chirped, "Hello Mrs. Orchard, it's nice to meet you."

"Yeah! It's great to see you came! We were getting worried you wouldn't show up!" Scootaloo exclaimed.

"Yes, I apologize, darlings. I'm the one to blame for the delay."

All three fillies immediately recognized the voice belonging to Rarity, and the cutie mark crusaders all turned their attention to see both now Rarity and Zecora trotting out of the train. Apple Bloom was also somewhat bewildered seeing the two mares climbing out of the train, wondering why they were on it in the first place.

Sweetie Belle was also rather surprised seeing eyes go wide as she exclaimed, "Rarity!? What are you doing here!"

"Oh, we went to pick up Mrs. Orchard Blossom, and if you must know, she's a model, and she's offered to try out some of my designs."

Apple Bloom couldn't believe what she was hearing; her aunt was a fashion model!? "Seriously!? You're a model!?"

"Ey...y…yes…though…um… you've probably never heard of me because I'm not that famous," The mare stammered rather nervously with bullets of sweat running down her brow.

Zecora chuckled as she explained, "Mrs. Orchard has motion sickness that makes her queasy, so I tagged along to make her something to help make her journey more easy."

Apple Bloom couldn't help but tear up seeing all of this support for her being quite overwhelming. Not only did her mysterious aunt come all the way here to help her compete in the Sisterhooves Social. But Rarity and Zecora also went out of their way to escort her here and made her journey comfortable. Apple Bloom choked back tears as she stammered, "Y…you didn't have to do all of this…."

"Oh, of course, we did! We can't have you not competing in the Sisterhooves social? Now, can we?" Auntie Orchard responded as she was also overwhelmed with emotion as she hugged her niece. Apple Bloom was taken aback by the sudden gesture, but she was overwhelmed by the warm embrace of her aunt. Being so close to her, she could smell hints of apple and cinnamon wafting from her mane and coat, seeing she must be wearing some perfume. It was unlike anything Apple Bloom had experienced before being hugged by her friends and family, but this was without a doubt the most comforting hug she's ever experienced. Everypony stood by, letting the two have their moment after the two broke off their embrace. Apple Bloom then turned towards her friends. "Hey, thanks for staying with me until my aunt came, but we're good from here."

"Right! From now on until the Sisterhooves Social, we're rivals!" Scootaloo proclaimed as she pointed a hoof at them. "So don't think I'm gonna go easy on you two; Rainbow Dash and I are gonna leave you in the dust."

Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes and scoffed, "As, if Rarity and I have been training a lot since last year, and you better believe we'll be taking first place."

It wasn't long until the fillies were bickering back and forth, and the fashionista nudged her sister, "now enough of the boasting darling." She then turned to Orchard Blossom and said, "I guess you can try on some more outfits tomorrow. After spending some time with your niece, of course."

"Ey-I mean that's fine," Orchard Blossom squeaked; she then quickly trotted off down the road with Apple Bloom skipping along. As much as she would love winning first place, she was just happy she was competing at all.

As the two trotted down the dirt road heading towards Sweet Apple, Acres Apple Bloom started to ask a ton of questions.

"So why haven’t we seen you at any apple family reunions!?"

"Oh, I don't get out of the city much. I'm rather busy with my modeling gigs."

Apple Bloom was a bit confused about what models did from her perspective; they just dressed up in fancy clothes. "Um, what do models do exactly?"

"Oh, um, we try on outfits and show them off to the public! That's why I'm also here to help Rarity show off her new fashion line."

Apple Bloom shrugged; she assumed as much, seeing how she and Rarity were hitting it off. Hopefully, that won't get too much in the way of their binding time. However, looking at her aunt's cutie mark started to make her curious, wondering why it seemed so similar to Big Mac's? With curiosity eating at her Apple, Bloom then asked, "so how did you get your cutie mark!?"

Orchard Blossom paused before she said, "I got my cutie mark as a young filly wandering the big city. I found myself at a fashion show and snuck on, and yes, the ponies there were quite astonished to see a young filly there on the catwalk. But they were captivated by my beauty, and that was when I received my cutie mark!"

"Ok, that's interesting," Apple Bloom mumbled as she eyed the older mare; she assumed she wasn't lying. Still, that story sounded way too similar to how Applejack got her cutie mark. But it could just be a coincidence. However, there was something off about her aunt. But for now, she'll make sure she's given her utmost hospitality seeing she was her ticket into being in the Sisterhooves Social this year.

As they came to their house and went through the front door, she heard her Granny shout, "See what did I tell ya! There's no auntie Orch-"

Apple Bloom had a smirk on her face as earlier this morning, Granny Smith bet that this Auntie Orchard was a fraud and that she was wasting her time waiting for her at the train station. The little filly couldn't help but savor seeing her Granny's mouth drop upon confronting the massive red-coated mare now standing in their doorway. Apple Bloom held up a hoof and exclaimed, "Granny Smith meet Auntie Orchard!" The mare in question seemed a bit shy as she bent her head towards the wooden planks beneath her and waved a hoof.

However, the older mare just glared at them and grumbled, "guess I'm doing your chores for a month as we agreed."

"Yup!" Apple Bloom squeaked as being chore-free for a month was just an added bonus to proving her granny wrong.

Orchard Blossom then looked up and said, "it's nice to meet you, Granny Smith; I've heard a lot about you."

"Funny ya say that because I never heard of you in my life!" Granny shouted back.

Auntie Orchard gulped, looking somewhat nervous again as she said, "I'm a cousin of Bright Mac's and was twice removed, plus I'm a model. So, of course, you never heard of me."

Granny Smith was still eyeing her and wanted to interrogate her more. Still, Apple Bloom could see that her aunt looked rather uncomfortable from all the questioning. This made her concerned and somewhat angry at Granny Smith; she then got into her grandma's face and snapped, "Granny, like it or not, Auntie Orchard is here to help me, and there's no reason for her to lie. So can you stop questioning her? it's not like she's a changeling."

Apple Bloom turned around to her aunt, seeing how despite being interrogated, she was remaining calm. However, Apple bloom noticed that she also looked exhausted with heavy bags under her eyes. Celestia knows how long the train trip was and how much sleep the poor mare has gotten then added. "Hey, granny, why don't we let Auntie Orchard take Big Mac's room? She looks like she's gonna pass out."

Granny Smith was still eyeing Auntie Orchard as she said, "that's fine, but though I gotta ask why do you look so much like my grandson Big Mac? You look almost exactly like him?"

Apple Bloom paused as this exact thought was nagging in the back of her mind since she laid eyes on her. The farm filly waited patiently to see what Auntie Orchard would say; she looked a bit squeamish. But eventually, the older mare said, "oh, I do get that from time to time, and I am from Bright Mac's side of the family."

"Uh-huh? And who exactly are your parents?" Granny Smith asked once more.

This time her aunt was taken aback, now being visibly uncomfortable with sweat dripping from her face as she nervously scratched the back of her mane. Apple Bloom was now becoming really angry with her granny. "Hey! That's enough. Can't you see you're making Auntie Orchard uncomfortable!?" She then took her aunt by the hoof and said, "come on, I'll take you to Big Mac's room."

She then led the older mare as they climbed up the stairs to her room. Despite Apple Bloom having her own suspicions of the mare, she felt that Granny Smith was extremely rude. On top of that, she could only hope that Granny didn't just scare off the only hope she had of competing in the Sisterhooves Social.

They were now in Big Mac's room where Apple Bloom was tidying up the room a bit, taking some O&O pieces scattered about and stacking up some comic books. As she finished, Apple Bloom turned to face her aunt, who was standing by patiently just looking around and said, "Sorry, my brother isn't the cleanest pony."

"That's quite alright," Auntie Orchard said as she trotted over to the bed and picked up an odd-looking ragdoll. Apple Bloom turned her head and groaned, seeing the infamous Smarty-pants doll that caused everypony to go crazy when Twilight put a "want it to need it" spell on it. Later, she remembered they even photographed him with the doll not long after under the guise of "Gabby gums." She didn't know why he had the doll even with the spell being removed for months now, but it was still rather embarrassing he kept it around. "Yeah, sorry about that. I don't know why he keeps that old thing. I keep telling him ta toss it."

Auntie Orchard just threw a hoof, placing the doll on the bed. "It's alright; I think it's cute; a big strong stallion has a soft spot."

Apple Bloom shrugged; she guessed it was nice seeing Big Mac is a bit softer than most stallions. "Yeah, I guess so; anyway, I hope ya enjoy your stay. I'll get Granny to make ya somthin' like apple cobbler or apple pie. Whatever you prefer."

"Oh, that does sound nice; some apple cobbler paired with some warm apple cider sounds wonderful," Auntie Orchard chimed.

Apple Bloom gave a nod writing the order in her mind. "Ok, I'll bring that up ASAP. Also, tomorrow we'll get ya signed up for the Sisterhooves Social, then after that, I can give you a tour of Ponyville!"

"Ey'yup," Orchard Blossom yawned as she stretched her hooves.

Apple Bloom saw that it was probably best to give her aunt some space and let her rest up, seeing they would have a busy day tomorrow. As the filly started to trot out of the room, she paused, seeing that she hadn't even said thank you. If Applejack were here, she would've already scolded her for being so rude. The little filly then turned around and said, "thanks for coming down, I hope ya enjoy your stay here."

"It's no problem," Auntie Orchard responded with a tired smile as she started to undress.

Apple Bloom then slowly closed the door and trotted downstairs with her mind filled with questions about her. But she didn't want to come off as rude as how Granny Smith was interrogating her. She was so lovely and calm, almost too much like her older brother Big Mac. With a creak of wood, Apple Bloom paused right before she came to the landing below. What if Auntie Orchard really was, in fact, a lost older sister? It wasn't just her looks that were similar to her brother? She had the same demeanor. Plus, didn't she hear her say her brother's favorite catchphrase, ey'yup? Apple Bloom's mind was now made up; she had to know if Orchard Blossom was, in fact, her sister!

Chapter Four: investigating a suspicious fruit

The following morning Apple Bloom was sitting with the rest of her friends in the treehouse where they hold their meetings for the cutie mark crusaders. Despite Apple Bloom being rather energetic despite being up at the break of dawn, both Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo looked rather tired. They peeved, having to be up relatively early in the morning. In the back of the quaint Treehouse, there were various pieces of yarn attached to a dozen or so pictures of various family members pinned across the wall, which looked like an overarching conspiracy map. Apple Bloom knew that her friends weren't thrilled to be up so early. Still, the filly was rather excited to explain to them her theory that Auntie Orchard is really her sister. She wanted to see if it made sense. Seeing her friends now sitting down and waiting for her to start, she cleared her throat then said, "Thank you for coming to an emergency meeting. I'm sorry I got ya two up so early, but it's just that I gotta explain all of this and see if it makes sense before school starts."

Sweetie Belle threw her hooves in the air and yawned, "can ya just get on with what ya got us up for?"

The little orange-coated filly in a somewhat irritated tone and said, "yeah, I have this training session with Rainbow Dash for the Sisterhooves Social soon."

The little farm filly turned around to face her friends with a triumphant smile being rather proud of herself she said, "so I spent all morning going over my family tree, and I have come to the conclusion that Orchard Blossom really isn't my aunt but is my long-lost twin sister."

Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle both scratched their heads as they looked at each other with unsure expressions. The little unicorn filly turned her head and asked, "um, Apple Bloom, are you sure?"

Apple Bloom nodded and said, "Yes, I'm absolutely sure there's no way I have an Aunt Orchard Blossom. But there are various things I've noticed about her; of course, she looks way too similar to Big Mac, plus she somehow lived in Manehattan all her life, and we never heard about her. On top of that, she has a similar cutie mark to my brother, and she even says his catchphrases!"

Scootaloo's cheeks flushed red as she scratched the ground with a hoof, then added, "um…do you think that maybe Big Mac was turned into a mare?"

The fillies all faced each other then suddenly burst into fits of laughter. Apple Bloom tapped a hoof to her chin and pondered the question for a moment. It could be plausible, seeing Zecora never did explain why she was with Rarity and Auntie Orchard; maybe she could've made a potion to change Big Mac's gender? The thought made Apple Bloom snicker and shake her head. She couldn't help but see that as absurd. The filly couldn't help but shake her head. Big Mac would never go that far then said, "There's no way. I mean he's worn drag before for losing a bet with Applejack, but him turning into a mare? Nah, that would never happen."

Sweetie Belle shrugged and said, "ok, so if this is your long-lost sister, how did she get separated at birth?"

Apple Bloom gave a triumphant laugh as she learned about the idea from a book as she explained. "Oh, that's easy! I read a book where two ponies were identical twins; they got separated at birth. But they each had a piece of a necklace to show they were related."

The other crusaders were again somewhat confused, and Scootaloo spoke up this time. "So…how does that pertain to your predicament?"

Apple Bloom rolled her eyes, thinking it should be obvious what she was trying to say, and continued, "We need to find something that both Orchard Blossom has and Big Mac have that's similar to prove Orchard Blossom is my sister."

Scootaloo then scratched her mane then asked, "um, ok? Does your brother have a necklace or something?"

Sweetie Belle just rolled her eyes then said, "Yeah, sorry, I'm not buying this. Again, why would they be separated from birth in the first place?

Apple Boom gritted her teeth, seeing that part didn't make sense, and said, "I don't know? In the story, it was done on purpose by the villain. Because the two pieces would fit to make a key, and it opened up a vault to a secret that saved Equestria."

Scootaloo was somewhat surprised at the response; she tapped a hoof to her chin and said, "wow!? I never even thought of that! Maybe you're onto something."

Sweetie Belle turned her attention to the pegasus filly and said, "I don't think so, but from the sounds of things, maybe the doctor gave her to the wrong mom or something? I'm not sure if some evil villain is trying to keep Big Mac and Orchard Blossom from meeting."

The other crusaders then began to discuss things with each other, with conversation becoming even more outrageous. Apple Bloom had to admit the idea that a villain trying to separate her family was way too crazy. But, the idea that the two were indeed her siblings and that Orchard Blossom was separated at birth seemed to make sense even to her friends. The farm filly then cleared her throat to get other crusaders' attention then said, "don't worry about the reason for their separation; we just need to find a way to prove they were. So today, that'll be our goal before she goes back to Manehattan."

She turned to Scootaloo then asked, "so I have to ask can you go to the hospital and see if you can dig up anything about my brother's birth?"

"Um…I guess so? Wonder how that could translate in getting my cutie mark?" Scootaloo responded with excitement.

Apple Bloom turned to face Sweetie Belle. "Ok, as for you, when Orchard Blossom visits Rarity later, can you spy on her? See if you can find anything or hear anything that can help confirm she's my sister."

"Ok, that should be easy enough," Sweetie Belle replied.

Apple Bloom beamed a smile at her friends then said, "thank you for all the help! I know this is a lot to ask but if we can prove she's my sister. Then maybe we can convince her to stay in Ponyville!"

"Right! That would be pretty cool! I would love to have two big sisters," Sweetie Belle chimed.

"Heck, I would love to have just one," Scootaloo grumbled.

Apple Bloom threw her hoof in the middle of the treehouse and chirped, "alright, place your hooves together!"

"Cutie Mark Crusaders go!" the fillies all chimed together.

Later that same morning, the sun rays woke her up. Orchard Blossom groaned, still feeling rather achy from the transformation. She slowly got up on her hooves and just sat admiring it as a mare in her room. Despite being in her new gender, the things that Orchard Blossom loved when she was a stallion, like comic books and O&O. For some reason, she felt somewhat relieved that she deep down she's the same pony as she sighed, "it looks like it's about time; to get up."

The mare threw her hooves in the air and yawned as she slowly rose up from her bed. She then began to trot over to her closet and started to dress herself in the outfit. The mare looked over at the mirror and went about admiring the blouse around her chest and the skirt hiding her embarrassing large teats. Despite still feeling awkward in her new body at the same time, she couldn't help but flash a smile at her reflection to admire herself as well. She then trotted off down the stairs leading to the landing to see Granny giving her a suspicious look. The old mare placed down a platter of apple cinnamon pancakes down on the table and asked, "you're finally up, huh?"

Orchard Blossom rolled her eyes and sat down at the table. "Thank you for the warm welcome!"

"Of course…Big Mac," the old mare chimed.

Orchard Blossom groaned, seeing that Granny Smith has clearly seen through his disguise, and there was no use in trying to hide the truth from her.

"Just don't go telling anypony," Orchard Blossom grumbled as she began to dig into her breakfast.

Granny Smith trotted around the table and sat down across from her grandson or maybe now her granddaughter. "Of course not; I know ya did this ta help Apple Bloom so she can compete in the Sisterhooves Social, so I ain't gonna say nothin'.

"Good," Orchard Blossom scoffed and nodded; she was trying to keep her voice down just in case if Apple Bloom was around. She continued to drink her coffee and eat her pancakes when suddenly Granny Smith said out loud.

"However ya should tell Apple Bloom the truth. It ain't right lying to her."

The chubby mare didn't say anything immediately as she chowed down on her food. When she finished, and wiped her face. Granny had a point; it was cruel stringing her little sister along and making her think that she was her aunt. But there was a reason for this as he looked up and explained, "Apple Bloom was never known to keep secrets, and if the judges at the Sisterhooves Social figure out I'm really a stallion, we'll be disqualified."

"Right, I get that, but still…I think ya should consider telling her right after," Granny replied as she gathered the dishes to clean them.

"I will, but until then, don't go slipping up yourself," The former stallion snapped as she got up and brushed some crumbs off her outfit and straightened it out abit. As if on cue Apple Bloom burst through the front door and ran across the room shouting, "Morning, Orchard Blossom!"

"Morning, Apple Bloom!" The mare quickly exclaimed as she turned around and threw her hooves open as the filly jumped right into her lap. Orchard Blossom wrapped her hooves around the filly and hugged her tightly to her chest. They held each other in their embrace, and they nuzzled each other. Regardless of it being a lie, it was nice being a motherly figure to Apple Bloom, even if it's only for a day. She then placed the filly on the ground and asked, "are you ready to sign up for the Sisterhooves Social?"

"Oh, buck yeah! That's why I got up so early!" Apple Bloom chirped as she bounced off, tugging on Orchard Blossom's hoof.

The mare snickered as she was led off out of the house and into the streets of Ponyville. Orchard Blossom could only hope that more ponies don't see through her disguise.

Orchard Blossom gulped, being rather anxious as she trotted through the streets and headed to get signed up for the Sisterhooves Social. Luckily for her, it was still relatively early, so there weren't many ponies out and about. But the few that were couldn't help but stare in awe at the rather gorgeous mare trotting along. Orchard Blossom bowed her head a little, knowing that Ponyville wasn't that big of a town, so her presence was rather noticeable. Also, despite not being that famous as Big Mac, he was well known enough to be identified. He can only hope that Orchard Blossom's characteristics wouldn't bring unwanted questions.

Apple Bloom looked over and eyed her then asked, "um Auntie Orchard, why ya actin;' so nervous for?"

The mare squealed as she threw her head to her younger sister, and with a smile, she had to act more confident, or her cover will be blown. She then ruffled the filly's mane and said, "oh n…no reason, just not being in a new town is all."

They then trotted together side by side until the two eventually came upon the obstacle course where they'd be doing the competition along with three older ponies sitting at a table. They were clearly the judges as they sat signing mares in with their younger sisters. This was the time to stop being nervous and show off she was indeed a mare from Manehattan. Orchard Blossom threw her mane back and strolled right up to them with more confidence in her step; for now, Big Mac is dead, and this is where Orchard Blossom will truly bloom. She couldn't help but blush, feeling rump shifting side to side as well.

As they came to the table, the old stallion judge eyed him and asked, "Who are you?"

The plump mare placed a hoof over her chest, flashed her eyelashes, then proclaimed, "I am Orchard Blossom from Manehattan! And I'm here to sign up for the Sisterhooves Social to compete with Apple Bloom!"

The older ponies were in complete awe at her beauty, with their eyes unable to believe the poy that was before them. Eventually, one of the older mares eyed her and whispered, "I swear I've seen you before?"

"Oh…um…you must be mistaken for Big Macintosh well I can say for sure I am not him though we are related," The mare responded rather confidently. But deep down she was starting to feel really tense. If there was any reason to doubt her being a mare, then everything she's done up to this point will be done for nothing.

The older mare continued to look her over with intense scrutiny; it was somewhat unnerving for Orchard Blossom, who had to stand there being observed. She wondered if they thought she was really just Big Mac in disguise and hoped that she didn't do anything to reveal the truth. But she did her best to remain calm and act as if nothing was suspicious about her. However, to Apple Orchard's relief, the old mare just nodded then said, "right, you do look similar, but it's clear you're not him."

"Of course I'm not; now let's get a move on. Apple Bloom does have school after all." Orchard Blossom chimed rather proudly, relieved that her disguise wasn't blown. Then the old mare placed a sign-up form on the table, "alright, you two both sign up here."

"Yay! Let's do it!" Apple Bloom chirped as she bounced over and eagerly signed her name. Seeing that cheerful smile on Apple Bloom's face as she signed her name was something that made her heart fill with joy. It was indeed a small sacrifice to make to ensure that Apple Bloom competed in the competition tomorrow. When Apple Bloom finished, the mare trotted over and bent down to sign her name as well. As she did, Orchard Blossom noticed that the old stallion was staring directly at her rump with a creepy smile on his face. The mare's face turned red, and steam came out of her nose as she started to feel that fierce anger when the stallion back in Manehattan slapped her rump! As she finished signing her name and with one swift motion, she slapped the old stallion in the face sending the old stallion reeling off his chair and into the dirt.

Apple Bloom gasped, as did the other judges, while the pervy old stallion sat there rubbing his reddened cheek and cried, "what did you do that for!?"

"You know exactly what you did; now, I hope I'm not disqualified? Or should I tell the other judges what you were gawking at?" The mare snarled, feeling a bit angry for losing her cool. But this unwanted sexual harassment wasn't something she would just allow. The other judges turned their attention to the pervy old stallion who just grumbled, "of course not, just don't do that again."

"Alright then, now come on! Let's go; there's so much I gotta show ya!" Apple Bloom squealed as she tugged on Orchard Blossom's hoof, and the mare was led off to Celestia knows where.

Orchard Blossom was now sitting down at a booth in Sugarcube Corner, sitting across from her sister. There the two were having a milkshake filled with vanilla and strawberry ice cream, whipped cream, and topped cherries. As the two started to enjoy their milkshake together, she looked around. She saw that many of the other patrons were eyeing her and gossiping amongst each other. Despite being more confident since signing up for the Sisterhooves Social, she was still nervous more ponies would try asking why she looked so similar to Big Macintosh. She then subconsciously bent her head down and continued to sip her milkshake in silence.

"Are you doing ok?"

Orchard Blossom looked over and saw that Apple Bloom asked, giving her those adorable puppy dog eyes. The pudgy mare flashed her a smile once more and said, "nope, nothing wrong, it's just in the city, most ponies would avoid me, so I'm not used to all of this attention."

Apple Bloom nodded as she turned around and commented, "but you're just so interesting? Also, it's just so weird seeing that you look almost exactly like my brother."

"As I said, it's just a coincidence," Orchard Blossom sighed, seeing that this question just keeps popping up. It was clear that her disguise did leave much to the imagination.

"You're my sister, aren't you!" Apple Bloom shouted with the pudgy mare clenching her teeth and seeing everypony was now staring at her, and some were now listening intently for her answer. Orchard Blossom gulped as she was now abit unsure of what to say. But she needed to say something. "No, of course not!"

"Well, who are your parents then!?" the little farm filly snapped back.

The mare paused as she thought things over and realized that she didn't come up with a good enough lie for this question!? She never thought it would come up! Orchard Blossom cursed Granny Smith under her breath as she stammered, "F…fine! You win; maybe I was adopted, but even so, does it matter?"

"Yeah, it does! If you're really my sister, we need to prove it!" Apple Bloom exclaimed. "Also, if you are my sister, then I want you to stay here in Ponyville!"

Orchard Blossom paused for a second, seeing that she had to now come up with a good excuse for not staying in Ponyville. "Of course, I would love to stay here, but I have to go back to Manehattan; I still have obligations as a model, ya know," the farm mare said rather bluntly, trying to do her best to come up with lies to keep up with Apple Bloom's questions.

The little farm filly slammed her hooves on the table and exclaimed, "come on, we have Rarity here, and she makes the best outfits in all of Equestria! Just be a model for her? Please!"

Orchard Blossom groaned; she didn't see this coming at all! Now that Apple Bloom thinks she is her long-lost older sister, it'll be that much harder to explain the truth. For now, he should play it up because if it's ever revealed he is Big Mac, then all of this will be for nothing. "Alright, I'll consider it, but I'm not promising anything."

"Fine," Apple Bloom snapped as she threw her hooves across her chest.

Mrs. Cupcake then slowly trotted over with a concerned look as she asked, "Is everything alright?"

"Yes, everything's fine thank you," Orchard Blossom replied as she turned to face the other pudgy mare and gasped to see two little foals on her back. They were the cake twins who were babbling and cooing.

There was something he always wanted to ask Mrs.Cake but was always too embarrassed to say it out loud as a stallion. But now, seeing he was a mare, it would be much more appropriate, and it would also put a stop to Apple Bloom's questions. She gulped then asked, "would it be ok if I held your foals for a moment?"

"Of course, I wouldn't mind just be gentle ok?" Mrs. Cake chirped as she hoofed the foals into Orchard Blossom's hooves. The two plump foals felt relatively soft and gentle in her hooves. They both seemed to relax abit as the twins nuzzled into her chest, making the stocky farm mare feel even more embarrassed.

"Oh wow, I had never seen them get so calm that quickly before," Mrs. Cake cooed.

Meanwhile, Apple Bloom's eyes lit up as she asked, "so do these adorable twin foals jog your memory?"

Orchard Blossom rolled her eyes, seeing that the questions just seemed to continue. She just shook her head and shrugged, "ey'nope." Making many ponies gasp along with Apple Bloom. All Orchard Blossom could do was groan, feeling so stupid for saying Big Mac's catchphrase. Seeing the attention she was bringing on herself, and it was best they moved along. The plump mare then gave the two foals a kiss on the head before hoofing them off as Mrs. Cake asked, "I have to ask do you have foals of your own?"

"Sadly no, but I would love to have some eventually," the former stallion admitted instead rather embarrassingly, seeing that he did indeed want foals one day.

Apple Bloom snickered and tugged at her hoof. "Now come on! I gotta show ya to my classmates!"

"Ok, ok," the mare squeaked, seeing that she knew her sister's classmates, having visited her school multiple times for family appreciation day, and will once again he'll hope her cover isn't blown.

Now Orchard Blossom was standing before all the school foals sitting down with their eyes all fixated on the mare just stood there feeling as anxious as she was when she was first turned into a mare. Apple Bloom held up a hoof and exclaimed, "Now I know it's not family appreciation day! But I just wanted to show you all my aunt who came all the way from Manehattan so that we can compete in the Sisterhooves Social tomorrow!"

Once again, the stout farm mare had to make sure nopony suspected who she really was. So with a bright smile, Orchard Blossom threw a hoof to her chest again then proclaimed, "Hello everypony! My name is Orchard Blossom, and I am indeed a model from Manehattan!"

The foals all oohed and awwed, seeming to be rather impressed by her beauty. However, Diamond Tiara just sat there with a smirk seeing that Cheerilee was glaring at her younger sister as she scolded her, "Apple Bloom, as much as I appreciate you showing your aunt to us, this isn't appropriate. On top of that, you're pretty late to class."

Apple Bloom lowered her head; seeing her sister saddened, Orchard Blossom couldn't help but feel to come to her defense. She turned her head towards Cheerilee, flashed her eyelashes, and said, "Don't be so harsh on her she just got excited I came to visit and that we'll be competing in the Sisterhooves Social together."

"Apple Bloom, just go take your seat," Cheerilee grumbled, pointing to a chair. The farm filly did as she asked, running to a chair and sitting down as she waved a hoof towards her.

The teacher then turned her attention to Orchard Blossom with a smirk then said, "Ok, since you here might as well tell the class what a model does?"

The former stallion eyed her, wondering if maybe Cheerilee saw through her disguise. Of course, trying to confront her here would be pretty stupid, so all Orchard Blossom could do was consent to Cheerilee's proposal. "Alright, darling."

She turned towards the classroom and paused for a second, figuring out what she had said. The most she knew about models was the dozens of fashion magazines Rarity tried having her read on the train ride back to Ponyville. She cleared her throat and said, "well, a model is somepony who tries on various outfits made by designers who wish to show off their outfits to the public."

The class was now filled with "awwws" and "ooohs" by the fillies while the colts mostly groaned; awwws were making "bleh" noises. Seeing how the colts reacted, Orchard Blossom decided to shatter their close-minded ideas about the fashion world as she cleared her throat and continued, "now that may seem like a job only mares perform, but stallions can also be models or even fashion designers like Hoity Toity."

This made the colts just groan, even more, making Apple Orchard scoff, "anyways, I myself have been a model for almost my entire life starting not much older than you. Now, I work quite close with Rarity, and it's how I learned about my family living here in Ponyville." She beamed a smile at Apple Bloom and chirped, "that's how I learned that Apple Bloom needed a partner for the Sisterhooves Social! And voila! That's how I decided to come to visit Ponyville!"

The pudgy mare gave a bow as everypony clapped and cheered (including some of the colts) as if she had just delivered a performance.

Cheerilee was trotting over and clopping her hooves on the ground and said, "well, thank you for you're expertise in the fashion world! I hope you come again when we actually hold Family Appreciation Day."

"Of course, I'll love to come by again; for now, I'm sure I'll be seeing many of you tomorrow on the obstacle course!" Orchard Blossom exclaimed as she threw a hoof in the air and strutted out of the school with the foals cheering and chanting her name. She threw her mane back and eventually strolled out the door and into the streets of Ponyville once more. But as she left the school behind, Orchard Blossom started to realize that she would've never gotten a reception like that as Big Mac. Heck, she never really bonded with Apple Bloom like this in years. Just then, a small alien thought invaded her mind. Would it be so bad if she stayed as a mare?

Chapter Five: Tasting the sweet fruits of Femininity

Big Mac wasn't really paying attention to where he was going as the stallion turned mare strolled off from Cheerilee's schoolhouse feeling somewhat relieved that his secret identity wasn't exposed. Not only that, but Big Mac was also feeling rather proud of the fact that his bond with Apple Bloom was becoming a lot stronger and that maybe when this is all over, she'll look up to him more. The red-coated mare continued to happily trot down the street, heading home, thinking about how he was planning to stay the rest of the day. First, he planned to sit down with a pint of apple cider and relax. Then when Apple Bloom comes home from school, they'll rehearse the Sisterhooves Social song and practice. The former stallion continued to walk down the road until he came upon the outskirts of his family's apple orchard. Still, just then, he suddenly heard somepony shout.

"Oh, Orchard Blossom, you didn't forget your promise, did you, darling?"

Big Mac groaned as he slammed a hoof into his face seeming to suddenly remember he promised to model some outfits for Rarity. He then turned around to face the fashionista and saw she was trotting over towards him with a smug grin on her face. She then threw a hoof in the air and asked, "So darling were you trying to avoid me?"

"N…no, of course not!" Big Mac grumbled in response in a somewhat nervous tone. It wasn't a lie; he just forgot about the promise despite the fact it still wasn't something he was looking forward to.

Rarity then trotted over and nudged him. "Now come along, I doubt I'll get another opportunity like this! Let's not waste it!"

Big Mac rolled his eyes and scoffed, wanting to say "Ey'Nope" then go back to Sweet Apple Acres. But the Apple curse of loyalty seemed to run through his veins, and he continued to follow the fashionista with the intent to fulfill his promise and trotted towards Carousel Boutique. As they went inside the boutique, Rarity quickly took her "Open" sign and flipped it to "Closed," then turned around with that playful smirk on her face. "Alright, darling, let's get you prepped!"

She pushed the big red mare behind a booth. She assisted with undressing Big Mac until he was standing in front of a mirror, being completely stunned seeing his new body again. The former stallion thought he should be used to this by now, but it was still something that surprised him. Also, he realized how plump he was and why some ponies would think he would be pregnant. Then a wave of sadness came over the big red-coated mare as he couldn't help but wonder if he was beautiful or maybe he was just lying to himself. What if he was indeed just pretending to feel attractive to make up for how he really felt? All these questions invaded his mind, and he couldn't but feel that this body may not be up for the task of competing in the Sisterhooves Social.

"Darling, stop being so down all the time."

Big Mac looked downwards towards Rarity, and he could tell from her sympathetic smile she must've noticed the depressed look on his face. The white-coated unicorn then threw up a hoof and said, "As my friend Pinkie Pie says, let's turn that frown upside down."

She then went about dressing Big Mac into another outfit, fitting him a pair of frilly white bloomers, slipping them almost effortlessly over his rump. She then went about fitting a light blue skirt around his waist with dark blue apples embroidered into the fabric, along with a simple white blouse being fitted over his chest. Rarity then added the finishing touches as she tied a pink scarf wrapped around his neck then placed dark-blue high-heeled shoes on each of his four hooves.

Rarity then took a step back as she tapped a hoof to her chin and hummed out loud. "Hmm, I feel this is more of your typical motherly outfit and looks good overall. But my opinion doesn't matter, what do you think?"

Big Mac gave his outfit a look overall; it wasn't too bad as he's seen many mares in his family wearing similar outfits at get-togethers. Big Mac then decided to see how it felt as he moved, trotting around the mirror, and he couldn't help but notice his outfit fit rather snug and comfortable around his body. Big Mac then shrugged and said, "not bad, it's not much different from the outfit you gave me before."

"I did my best trying my best to not sacrifice beauty for functionality. But maybe it's a bit too rustic?"

"Ey'nope, it's fine," Big Mac simply said as he felt that Rarity couldn't be more wrong; it was a lovely outfit, and she did a fantastic job.

"Well, as long as you like it, I'm satisfied!" The fashionista exclaimed as she went to get the next articles to try on Big Mac.

The chubby mare continued to look at his reflection, but then he couldn't help but ponder a question that was scratching at the back of his mind. He wondered why she would have him trying out all these new outfits? Turning towards Rarity with a glare, he asked, "did you turn me into a mare simply to try out new outfits on you?"

Rarity started to give out a burst of nervous laughter as she waved a hoof. "P…please, of course not!? I told you that I'm doing this to support my sister and yours. All of this is taking advantage of the situation."

Big Mac didn't buy what the unicorn just said, but he really wasn't in the mood to get in an argument over it. Rarity went about to continue with dressing him into the next outfit, which was a long emerald, green silk dress with apples embroidered with gold thread stitched into the fabric and with the added touch of lovely gold trim around his hooves. In addition, with the dress, Rarity snapped a golden bridle around his neck with an emerald in the shape of an apple engraved in the center. She then removed the shoes and put sparkly gold shoes on his hooves.

"There, perfect! You're looking simply beautiful, darling!"

Big Mac could only stand in front of the mirror and gawk at how lovely he looked. "Ra…Ra…"

"Don't mention it, darling; it's the least I can do, seeing how much you've done for me." Rarity chimed as she took out a makeup kit and went about applying some eyeliner.

"Hey! I thought we said no makeup!" Big Mac cried out, being somewhat stunned at the fashionista's sudden action, and backed up a bit.

"Oh, come now, you being a beautiful mare is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I'll be damned if I'm going to waste it."

"Fine," Big Mac snapped again as he wanted to just say no and stomp out of the Boutique, and there really wasn't anything that could stop him. But mentally, he paused, and because he was curious to see how he looked looking all prettied up, he allowed the fashionista to continue her work. Rarity then applied a light lipstick on his lips, and he could feel the chalky cream spread over them like a film of mud-caked over his lips. Then she finished her work by applying a light blush to both his cheeks. Big Mac once more looked up at the mirror and paused, seeing how his once masculine body was transformed into this gorgeous-looking mare. Big Mac stood there, taking in the moment as tears started to come to his eyes as he placed a hoof over his mouth, trying to stifle back his crying.

"I have to admit I always imagined if you were a mare, this is the gala dress I could see you going to the Grand Galloping Gala in…."

Big Mac bowed his head as his entire face turned bright pink. To be fair he always wanted to go to the gala too maybe find a cute unicorn mare to chat with. But he never would imagine going to the fancy party in a dress let alone as the opposite gender. Then there was a long pause; then, no word was spoken between the two as Big Mac stood there staring at his reflection while Rarity stood back, simply basking in her work.

"So, do you like it?"

That one question ringed through Big Mac's ears; he wanted to exclaim in the air it was the most beautiful outfit he's ever seen. But he kept his calm demeanor, and he simply wiped away his tears from his eyes then whispered, "ey'yup."

"Thank you, now; as much as I would love to have you in my crown jewel of these outfits all day, you're going to be out practicing out in the dirt, and I doubt you want it to get ruined."

"Ey'yup," Big Mac exclaimed as he went about removing the dress and shoes (but kept the gold bridle around his neck). Rarity then went about fitting the final outfit on him. It was a lovely yellow dress with flowers embroidered with a white thread all over her dress. Then Rarity fixed a massive yellow hat with what looked like a bouquet of flowers atop it and then finished the outfit off with a teal-colored bow that she tied around her hat to keep the flowers from falling off. Big Mac, of course, took a minute to trot around in front of the mirror, and overall, it did feel nice and soft around his body. He then suddenly had the urge to strike a pose and tip the hat slightly forward with a much more confident smile now on his face.

Rarity stood back once more as she explained, "This is a lovely summer outfit with the dress made of a light satin. It's paired with a wide-brimmed hat that will keep the sun out of your eyes."

"Yes, this is a lovely outfit…." Big Mac was now starting to feel a bit overwhelmed at the generosity that Rarity was showing him. But why? What was it all for? Sure, she and Applejack were friends, but they never really spoke or even got to really know each other. So why would she go through all this effort to make outfits for him, especially since he'll be back to being a stallion a few days from now? The question was burning in his mind, and he then had to just say it. "Rarity, I just have to ask why you are doing all of this for?"

The fashionista paused and then turned to face Big Mac and beamed a smile at him. "Darling, we may not talk a lot, but I've watched you take care of the farm while Applejack and I go off to save Equestria. You're always in the background keeping things going while we're gone. So, when I saw how desperate you were as to go as far as to turn yourself into a mare, I found that to be quite admirable. So I feel that making you a few outfits to compliment your new body was the least I can do."

"Well, I have to admit, it probably sounds like I was going crazy than me being admirable to me," Big Mac admitted with a chuckle despite not completely accepting everything she said. Still, he had to admit it was rather sweet of her. Rarity then started to lead him across the boutique as she continued, "even I have to admit if I were in your shoes and had to turn into a stallion for my sister, I'm not sure I would be able to do it."

Big Mac looked right at Rarity and imagined a giant, white-coated stallion standing in front of him instead. With that image in his head couldn't help but chuckle to himself as Rarity eyed him with a suspicious look on her face then asked, "what are you laughing at?"

"Oh nothing," Big Mac snickered as he trotted off after the fashionista who led him to her quaint little kitchen. There the plump red mare sat down as Rarity took out a small porcelain tea set and set it in the middle of the table. She then went about pouring herself and Big Mac a cup of tea and cooed, "now, enough about me, darling, why don't you tell me all about your day?"

Big Mac was a bit stunned that he was asked such a question as he was never asked that before. His days were rather dull for most of the time, with little to nothing interesting to speak of. He took a sip of his tea then asked, "why do you wish to know?"

Rarity picked up her teacup with her magic and said, "well, it's simple really, I just want to see your experiences as a mare? I think it could be rather interesting seeing your perspective on things being a former stallion.”

Big Mac couldn’t help but give another nervous having never once in his life ever thought he would be asked these sorts of questions. "Well, I guess you can say it all started with Granny Smith being a pain in my a-"

While Big Mac was going about his day, Sweetie Belle was trotting home from school, and she wasn't really thrilled to be spying on her sister or Apple Bloom's aunt. But at the very least, if she can just listen and see if there's nothing wrong with This Auntie Orchard Blossom, then nothing really happened. As Sweetie Belle opened the doors of the Boutique, she cleared her voice then squeaked, "Hey, I'm home!"

But as she trotted inside, no pony answered back; she then made her way to the back of the shop and made her way to Rarity's living quarters. Then that's when she heard to mares talking in hushed tones. She immediately recognized one as her sister's while the other was much more robust. She thought the only pony the voice could belong to had to be from the mysterious Auntie Orchard Blossom. The little filly then hid behind the doorway, trying her best not to be noticed; then she heard her sister ask, "so, you slapped him?"

Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes upon hearing her sister as she understood ponies can be rude. Still, her sister seemed to have a bad habit of slapping ponies. Curious about what she could be talking about, the little filly peeked around the corner and continued to watch and listen.

Orchard Blossom then threw a hoof in the air and said in response. "Of course, even as a stallion, ponies like those always pissed me off treating mares like objects."

Sweetie Belle, at this point, did her best to stifle her from laughing, imaging the big red mare slapping a little old stallion. But the little filly remained silent and continued to listen.

Rarity then placed her teacup down on her small platter and said, "Well, I would say you handled yourself well, but you should be careful; sometimes it's best to let your words do the talking more so than your hooves."

"Of course, I know that I just wanted to show him that I'm not a mare to be messed with." The big, red-coated mare scoffed; he then continued, "Anyways, after that, my sister dragged me off to the schoolhouse where I basically lied to all of Apple Bloom's classmates about being her aunt. My excuse for coming down to Ponyville was that I wanted to model outfits for you."

Sweetie Belle gasped upon what she just heard that meant Orchard Blossom wasn't Apple Bloom's aunt or even her sister. She was, in actuality Big Mac in disguise! "Scootaloo was right!"

"Huh, what was that?"

Sweetie Belle squeaked, realizing she said that a little too loud, and scurried into the shop and ducked into a rack of clothes. She peeked out to see that Rarity came out to see if any pony was there. The little filly took a deep breath and stayed still, hoping, and praying to Celestia she wasn't seen. But as Rarity seemed to think the store was empty, she shrugged and walked back into her kitchen. Sweetie Belle gave a few deep breaths and whispered, "ok, that was close."

Now that she knew the truth, she could report back to Apple Bloom, but…she was cautious as to why Big Mac would lie and create this entire ploy? She should stay and listen just a bit longer before telling Apple Bloom. The white-coated filly then slowly trotted over to the doorway once more.

"Was that your sister?" she saw Orchard Blossom ask as he was now standing up and looking rather frantic.

Rarity sat down at the table and shook her head. "No, I don't think so, probably a customer."

The red-coated mare gave a small sigh of relief and sat back down at the table to continue their conversation. She took the cup in her hooves and just looked down with this painful look in her eyes and whispered, "I mean, I know this is all for her so she can be in the Social…but I still feel terrible for lying."

"It's alright Darling, I'm not one hundred percent sure on the rules and if they would allow a stallion to compete. I mean, you don't want her to be disqualified from the Sisterhooves Social, right?"

"No, of course not, but now Apple Bloom thinks I'm her long-lost sister. I wanted to tell her so badly I'm just her brother…but like you said, if she finds out then tells everypony, then we could be disqualified."

"Oh yes, I can imagine that can be rather painful for you…but you will tell her the truth, right?"

Orchard Blossom took a long draught from his cup of tea and said, "Of course, right after the Sisterhooves social, I'll tell her the truth and explain everything."

Sweetie Belle then saw her sister slowly get up from her chair and trot over and placed a hoof on Orchard Blossom's shoulder and whispered, "Of course, and I have to say you did the right thing. I'm sure she'll understand you did all of this for her."

Sweetie Belle stood there stunned with her heart thumping in her chest. It was such a touching moment it took all her willpower not to dawww out loud. However, she couldn't soak in the moment seeing that they both had their backs turned it was the perfect opportunity to escape. As much as the filly wanted to keep the secret, she promised to tell Apple Bloom everything she learned. "Alright, well, I better get going."

Then, the filly tipped hoofed out of the kitchen and headed straight for the door. Sweetie Belle then slowly opened the door just enough so the little bell overhead wouldn't ring. She then slipped through the crack in the door and ran out into the streets of Ponyville.

Chapter Six: A Sweet Lie and Bitter Truths

Big Mac had a confidant smile on his face as he left Rarity's Boutique and started trotting towards the field near Sweet Apple Acres, where he planned to practice for the Sisterhooves Social with Apple Bloom. As he was walking through the streets of Ponyville, the stallion couldn't help but wonder if maybe telling Apple Bloom the truth was the right idea? That she had the right to know the truth. Big Mac kept mulling over this dilemma, not realizing he was coming closer to the field. He was somewhat surprised upon seeing Apple Bloom already standing by with a big smile on her face and waving a hoof as she chirped, "Hey Auntie Orchard! How ya doing!?"

Upon seeing his younger sister, Big Mac immediately switched his brain back to being Auntie Orchard and waving a hoof, then chirped, "hello, little Apple Bloom!" As she made her way over to the little filly.

"Auntie Orchard Blossom!" Apple Bloom cheered as she ran towards and jumped right into Orchard Blossom's hooves. The mare took ahold of the little filly and took her into a tight hug. They held each other for some time until the filly broke off, and then the mare asked, "ok, so what so what are we going to do first?"

"What about we practice the chant!" Apple Bloom exclaimed as she peered upwards with her adorable puppy dog eyes that simply filled Orchard Blossom's heart with a sensation of love and admiration. She just wanted to hold the filly and be enveloped in her puppy eye look for as long as she could.

"Hey, Auntie Orchard, are you doing alright?" The little filly asked with a concerned tone.

"R…right…yeah, we probably should do that," Orchard Blossom quickly stammered, seeing how long and awkward that pause was.

"It's fine, I don't expect ya ta know everything," the little farm filly chirped as she then went back on all fours. The filly then paused, and almost immediately, she jumped right into Orchard Blossom's hooves.

The red-coated mare was rather shocked by the young filly's actions as she had never seen this sudden loving behavior from her before. They held the embrace for a lot longer than Orchard Blossom intended. When they broke off, she looked down at the filly and said, "well, seeing that you know a lot more about this Social than me, I will follow your lead."

"Ok!" Apple Bloom squeaked as she bounced off with Orchard Blossom as they started practicing the chant together and despite making many mistakes through the practice. Orchard Blossom was filled with this need to do her best. She couldn't just be a part of the social she had to make sure Apple Bloom wins a blue ribbon at any cost and prove to her that the filly's trust was well warranted.

After what had to be a dozen hours of chanting, singing, and running around, Orchard Blossom was slowly trotting back to their home with Apple Bloom bouncing along. She herself was exhausted from all the exercise with her new body obviously not being used to all this strain. Looking over at Apple Bloom skipping alongside her; She couldn't help but admire the stamina the little farm filly had as she seemed unphased by any of the extraneous exercises.

"I think we're gonna be winning that blue ribbon tomorrow!" Apple Bloom exclaimed rather proudly.

"I hope so, and I do apologize for messing up a few times during practice. I fear I might be abit out of shape," Orchard Blossom said as she gave a tired, half-hearted look. She was feeling abit unsure, seeing she was still getting used to her new body finding it rather tricky maneuvering around the obstacles. Luckily things did get easier as they progressed. From the looks of it, Apple Bloom was almost entirely unaware of how much she wasn't used to being a mare.

"Ah, don't fret it; you did great! In fact, you're a lot stronger than you look."

"Thank you, Apple Bloom," Orchard Blossom did her best to hide the smirk growing on her face seeing that despite how awkward her new body was, it didn't hinder too much. In fact, she felt that she had to keep herself from causing too much havoc tomorrow.

They eventually made it back home, where Orchard Blossom wasn't entirely thrilled as she was sure Granny Smith would poke jabs at her. But as they entered the home Orchard Blossom slowly trotted into the house, looking around with a worried expression on her face thinking she was going to pop out from nowhere.

"Huh? I wonder where Granny went?" the little filly asked out loud as she scratched her head with a hoof.

"Oh, who knows, why don't you go take a bath while I whip us something to eat," Orchard Blossom replied with a smile being somewhat relieved she wasn't around to make things worse for her.

"Ok, but you should take a bath too!" Apple Bloom exclaimed as she ran upstairs. Orchard Blossom, of course, intended to take a bath smelling the sweat from her body; she decided to instead go and take a quick shower. After that, she headed towards the kitchen and pondered what she should make for herself and Apple Bloom? Then an idea suddenly came to her; the mare had heard spaghetti is an excellent meal to have before a heavy workout with a ton of carbs and protein. So she went about the kitchen grabbing boxes of spaghetti noodles, spices, some tomatoes, and a jar of mashed soybeans and tofu. She then threw the spaghetti noodles in a pot and set the dial on the stovetop to a boil. Orchard Blossom took the opportunity to roll the balls of tofu and soybeans slathered them in oil before placing them evenly onto a pan and sliding that into the oven. Orchard Blossom then went about and mashed up some fresh tomatoes and made a thick sauce as she then stirred them in with some seasoning of rosemary, parsley, and bay leaves. Once the sauce was prepped, Orchard Blossom poured it into a small saucepan and set it to a simmer on the stovetop. As the sauce was being heated, it began to give out a savory fragrance that wafted over the kitchen. The mare was so engrossed in her cooking she didn't notice that Apple Bloom returned sniffing the air and said, "Wow, that smells so good!"

"Yes, it does, I hope you enjoy," the mare chimed as she plopped the gooey grey balls made of tofu and soybeans onto their plates of pasta, and then she spread out the sauce over the meal with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese over each plate. The two then sat down across from each other as they began to eat their meal in silence as they were too engrossed in their meal to really say anything. Orchard Blossom moaned as she couldn't believe that the spaghetti was so good as it is with a savory tomato flavor with every bite. She then looked over to see that Apple Bloom was poking one of her balls with a fork. The filly obviously had something on her mind, and the mare felt compelled to see what was wrong and asked, "Hey, is there something going on?"

Apple Bloom seemed to be somewhat hesitant, but she eventually said, "I just want to say I know ya ain't my sister. I'm sorry about all that stuff and embarrassing ya in front of my classmates."

Orchard Blossom shook her head; she, of course, was abit embarrassed about being suddenly placed in the spotlight like that. But she didn't hold a grudge and wanted to reassure her it was alright. "No, it's fine; I understand your imagination just ran wild. I mean it's not every day you meet a family member you've never heard of before."

Apple Bloom perked up then asked, "so what do ya think of Ponyville?"

"Oh, it's lovely; I think the ponies here are rather nice here," Orchard Blossom replied back. She was starting to feel that Apple Bloom was inquiring if she would stay in Ponyville. The mare in question was unsure of how to answer, seeing that whatever she said was a lie.

"Do ya like it enough that'll you'll stay here?" Apple Bloom asked as she peered up from her meal.

"Look, let's… let's just get through the social, and I'll tell you my answer as soon as I can," Orchard Blossom responded rather promptly as she went back to her meal. She didn't want to lie to the little filly, but she had to stay strong and keep her identity a secret. They only had to endure one more night, and then she'd tell her the truth as intended. After that question, though, Apple Bloom went silent, and the mood became rather tense as both parties seemed to have a lot to say, but both were unsure of how to say what they felt.

After they finished their meal, Orchard Blossom looked out the window and saw that night had already come and the moon had risen overhead. She realized how late it was and that Apple Bloom needed a decent night's sleep if they wanted to do well tomorrow. "Hey, why don't you go to bed?" Orchard Blossom suggested as she picked up the dishes.

"Ya sure, you don't need help? I feel bad for not helpin' with the dishes," Apple Bloom responded with a worried look painted on her face.

Orchard Blossom, of course, was adamant in making sure her sister had a good night's sleep and said, "Nope, you go brush your teeth and head straight for bed. We have a big day tomorrow."

"Ok," Apple Bloom chirped with a smile as she jumped off from the table and headed upstairs. Orchard Blossom then turned her attention to do the dishes. As she scrubbed them down in the sink, she heard the door open and the clopping of hooves behind her. Orchard Blossom turned around and was somewhat surprised to see Granny Smith trotting alongside Zecora.

"Oh, there she is, so how was your day?" The old mare asked with a smug grin on her face.

"It was fine; Apple Bloom and I just were practicing all day in preparation for the social tomorrow," Orchard Blossom grumbled as she eyed the two with a suspicious look, wondering why they were together. She bet that Zecora had told Granny Smith everything, and so at this point, she had to wonder what they were doing here? To gloat and tease her? Or were they here to expose the truth to Apple Bloom?"

"Oh hey Orchard Blossom, thought ya could use some help from Zecora for tomorrow seeing ya two are friends and all," Granny Smith said as she nudged the zebra forward.

Zecora rolled her eyes, then slowly trotted over and held out a hoof as she explained, "well, you see, there's something that must be addressed…the potion for you had some side effects, as you have guessed."

"Like what?" Orchard Blossom asked with a snarl; she knew the risks involved with her gender transformation. But Zecora did a terrible job of explaining anything before she went through with taking her potion.

The zebra looked downward as she continued to explain, "your muscle turning into fat. I am sorry about that, you see the potion I used on you…was an experiment I had no idea what it would do."

Orchard Blossom assumed as much from the moment she was turned into a mare. Having her assumptions verified did feel good; seeing her mass wasn't any different from when she was a stallion. But she was still worried that all her toned muscle would be gone forever, so she had to ask, "I know, but it will turn back to muscle, right?"

Zecora let out a scowl then explained, "Of course, the potion that changed your gender was made out of the extract of Poison joke, so all I basiclly need to do is reverse the changes with an antidote."

Orchard Blossom's face started to turn a bright crimson that lit up her already red coat upon hearing what the potion she took was made out of. She was fuming in anger, wondering how in Equestria could she use something like a poison joke!? Was she insane! She then snapped, "poison joke!? Why would you use that of all things!?"

"Not really just the extract, you see, it's a controlled form of poison joke that only changes the gender, to be exact. I did experiment on animals, I assure you, when you drink the antidote, you will be back to being a dude."

Orchard Blossom eyed the zebra, still somewhat suspicious of her, seeing she didn't fully explain her potions before. But despite the risks, Orchard Blossom knew deep down that changing her gender to be in the Sisterhooves Social was something she was adamant about doing regardless of the consequences. She looked over at Zecora, and seeing that determined look in her eye, it seemed she hadn't steered her wrong yet. She didn't fully know what her gender transformation would do either, so she wasn't trying to actively harm or embarrass her. So for now, she'll trust Zecora, and with this in mind, she then said, "thank you, Zecora, I trust you."

The zebra flashed him a smile as she trotted over, then hoofed him a vial of some green liquid and said, "Before I take my leave, this I believe will give you the energy you need."

Despite her trust in Zecora, Orchard Blossom was abit unsure of taking another one of the zebra's potions. The mare peered at the vial filled with a weird lime green color a joke came to mind as she couldn't help but ask, "what did you put in this? Discord's piss?"

That got a chuckle from Granny Smith while Zecora snapped back. "Of course not; it's just a caffeine mixed with some taurine!" Then with a huff, she threw her rump up and trotted off rather angrily, making sure to slam the door on the way out.

"Uh-huh? maybe it's Timberwolf piss?" Orchard Blossom snickered as she then trotted upstairs. The mare wasn't sure she would take Zecora's energy drink or not, but for now, she was going to focus on checking on her sister. As the mare got to the top of the stairs, she turned to see Apple Bloom was standing there. Orchard Blossom suddenly started to wonder if she had heard everything downstairs. If she did, then the secret was out!

"What was that all about? Why was Zecora so angry?" the filly asked rather suddenly.

"Oh, it's nothing, just a bit of teasing is all," Orchard Blossom said as she gave a sigh of relief, seeing that Apple Bloom must've just seen Zecora stomp off. The mare then trotted over to the filly and ruffled her mane a little, then continued, "is there anything you want before we head off to bed?"

The little filly trailed a hoof down on the wooden panels and said, "c...c…can you tuck me in?"

Orchard Blossom was taken aback by Apple Bloom's question and placed a hoof over her chest. It's been years since Apple Bloom asked somepony to "tuck her in" since the death of their parents. This was something she always wanted but never wanted to force on Apple Bloom, and it was something she craved and wanted to do. To be a surrogate father or mother to her.

"Of course, come, let's get you to bed," Orchard Blossom chirped as she took out a hoof and escorted her sister towards her room.

In the rather quaint bedroom, Orchard Blossom took her time tucking her sister under the soft sheets in her bed. But it didn't take long to tuck the sheets tight around the filly's body, so she was well insulated. It didn't take long, and as she got up to leave, she looked down at Apple Bloom. The filly seemed to be still somewhat embarrassed as she stammered, "so, um…thanks for giving me a bath and ya know tucking me in…."

"No problem, sugarcube, and don't be embarrassed," Orchard Blossom whispered sweetly, trying to reassure Apple Bloom that there was no need to be embarrassed about. But seeing the filly was tucked in and that they both needed to get a goodnight's sleep she thought it was about time she took her leave. As the mare got up and made her way to the door she heard a shout.

"Wait!"

Orchard Blossom paused in her step then looked around then asked, "what is it?"

Apple Bloom pulled the sheets up to her face as she squeaked, "c…can ya read me a bedtime story?"

Orchard Blossom paused at the odd request; the tucking in was one thing but a bedtime story? She didn't mind, of course; in fact, Orchard Blossom was rather thrilled to bond. However, she wondered what was bringing all of this up? And why Apple Bloom was acting like this? Regardless, of how Apple Bloom was Orchard Blossom fully intended to fulfill the request. She then trotted over and sat down on a chair near her sister once more than asked, "Alright, what do you want to read?"

Apple Bloom took out a Daring Do novel and hoofed it over, then asked, "can ya read this? I mean, I've always planned on doing it, but…."

"Apple Bloom, you don't have to be embarrassed," Orchard Blossom explained once more as she then opened the book and started to read.

After a few hours of reading about Daring Do's adventures, Orchard Blossom turned her head to see that her sister was fast asleep. The little filly was resting her little head on her pillow with her pinkish red mane and bow flopped over her head. It was rather touching to see her sister looking so peaceful and she couldn’t help but beam a smile at her. She then turned her mindset back to being Big Mac as he bent down and kissed his sister on the forehead. "Goodnight, Apple Bloom, sweet dreams."

He slowly got up from the creaking chair, then slowly tiphoofed out of the room and gently closed the door behind him.

He did his best to make sure the door only gave a soft click but then he suddenly heard a cough. The former stallion squeaked and jumped around to face Granny Smith standing behind him, giving him a cold stone glare as she snapped, "So, ya still haven't told her yet, huh?"

"Of course not!" Big Mac growled, being rather peeved, seeing he's told her his reasons on why and continued, "I told you I'll tell her the truth as soon as the Sisterhooves Social is over."

"You better or I will," Granny grumbled as she then turned around and trotted back downstairs.

Big Mac stood there with his heart thumping in his chest as he calmed down from the surprise by Granny. He then trotted towards as the dilemma hovered over him as he wondered why he honestly hadn't told Apple Bloom the truth. Was it really because he was scared of them being disqualified? Or was he scared that being her mysterious aunt was the only way he could bond with her?

Chapter Seven: The Breath before the Plunge

Author's Note

Ok, the next chapter is long, it's already at 5,000 words and there's a lot more to it. So it'll be a while before the rest is out but I wanted to at least post this part as anticipation for the climax of the story.

Chapter Seven: The Breath before the Plunge

Big Mac was slowly trotting down the road with a somewhat nervous look on his face as today was the day of the Sisterhooves Social. Everything Big Mac has done in the past week has led up to this moment, and he was completely unsure of what was going to be the outcome of the race. The former stallion wanted to do his best and try to claim a blue ribbon for his sister at all costs, but at the same time, he wanted to make sure he didn’t get disqualified. Overall, he felt relatively confident in his acting skills as a mare and his physical ability to make it through the upcoming obstacle course. Big Mac was ready to compete in the Sisterhooves Social. As he made his way to where the Social was being held, he wondered how his sister was doing. He looked down and turned around and saw that was Apple Bloom trotting alongside him with a cheerful smile plastered on her face. The little filly looked rather excited as she skipped alongside her brother Big Mac bent his head down and nuzzled her, then asked, “are you ready for the Social?”

“Yeah, of course, now are you ready!?” The little farm filly chirped back with a suspicious note in her tone.

The way Apple Bloom asked made Orchard Blossom wonder if her little sister was asking if she was ready for the upcoming Social? Did the little filly think she wasn’t ready? She, of course, didn’t perform the best during their practice session yesterday, but she was more than prepared for what was to come, and she had to prove it today. So, the mare raised her head up and proclaimed rather proudly. “Of course, I am! Now come along, let’s go; we don’t want to be late.”

Apple Bloom trotted behind the Auntie Orchard to where they were going to do the Sisterhooves Social. The field was covered with families and the contestants; all of the fillies, young and old, were preparing for the race by stretching or simply trotting around the various tents set up and socializing. The atmosphere was rather jolly, and everypony seemed ready for the race that was about to begin. Still, there wasn’t a sense of tension as many fillies were running about and laughing, seeming to just be having fun. Despite the joyful atmosphere, Big Macy couldn’t help but feel Despite feeling more secure with his disguise. Big Mac was standing among the crowd with a worried look on his face as he looked over to see the judges (and the creepy old pony giving him a look); overall, the former stallion was feeling somewhat confident that no pony had seen through his disguise so far.

“Hey um, before we go do the chant and singing, I’m gonna go be with my friends, ok?” Apple Bloom said rather suddenly.

“Oh, ok…” Orchard Blossom whispered, stunned by her sister’s sudden gesture. It might be nerves seeing she has never competed in the Sisterhooves Social without Applejack. So, competing without her probably made her sister nervous about the outcome. Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted as Rarity trotted over with a smile on her face, and she called his name to get his attention.

“Oh, Orchard Blossom! It’s so good to see you!” the fashionista exclaimed as she trotted over and threw her hooves around him and pulled him into a hug.

Big Mac was surprised by the embrace, and he couldn’t help reciprocating the gesture and threw her into his bulky hooves. The fashionista then whispered, “let’s go talk somewhere private.”

The former stallion was taken aback by Rarity’s invitation. Was she just trying to give him some friendly advice? Or was there more to this? He then trotted off after the white-coated unicorn; they continued down the road a little away and stopped under a nearby tree. The two stood under a tree with Big Mac feeling somewhat awkward being with Rarity alone, staring at him with those big blue eyes. The white-coated unicorn said, “now, I need to say something quickly before the competition begins.”

“Yes, what is it?” Big Mac asked, eyeing her with a sense of curiosity as to why they were here in the first place.

Rarity then trotted over and whispered, “now, I know that you feel comfortable as a mare, but this is where you have to sell it.”

“Right, but I still have to win for Apple Bloom. Don’t think I’m going to go easy,” Big Mac said with glare being somewhat unsure of Rarity’s intentions, wondering if she was genuinely trying to give him good advice or was there more to this?

“I’m not trying to sabotage you, I want you to do your best, of course, but I also want to not get disqualified. All I’m saying is don’t be Big Mac out there.”

The former stallion got what the mare said, she wasn’t trying to have him throw the race. Instead, it was more like telling him to be Orchard Blossom. It made sense, so he had to be aware of his actions as they do the race. It was easier to do so when he was simply going about his day. Still, during the race, he could get carried away and forget about he was trying to remain disguised.

“T…thank you….” Big Mac stammered a little as he brushed a hoof over his mane, feeling stupid for not giving this more thought before.

Rarity then began to trot over rather slowly as she flashed her bedroom eyes. “Now, before you go, let me give you something for luck; now, close your eyes.”

Big Mac gulped, having a feeling as to what Rarity was going to give him. Was she going to kiss him!? If so, why? They barely know each other heck, he didn’t even know if she’s into him because he’s a mare? He was now becoming a nervous wreck as all these thoughts were going through his head.

“Oh, stop being so nervous, just close your eyes.”

Big Mac took a deep breath as he slowly did as Rarity instructed and slowly closed his eyes. He didn’t see it, but he could feel wet lips press into his right cheek, it was faint, and it wasn't too abrasive but he knew Rarity was kissing him. As Big Mac opened his eyes, he looked over at Rarity, who beamed him a smile and chimed, “Just…good luck.”

The fashionista then trotted off, leaving Big Mac rubbing his cheek. He thought over what she said and knew it was the truth. But the kiss was something he wasn’t expecting, and he wondered if she was into him. But was it really because she had feelings for him? Or was it just because he was a mare? Maybe before he turned back to a stallion, he could talk with her to see. But for now, he needed to get around the grounds and find Apple Bloom. But before that, he took out the vial full of green liquid that Zecora gave him. He eyed it, still somewhat suspicious of it, seeing she wasn’t candid with her gender-swapping potion. But the zebra never had any malice towards her, and it was true it would be rather challenging to find volunteers who would take an experimental gender-swapping potion. She sighed, seeing she wanted to ensure that blue ribbon for Apple Bloom. She then chugged the contents down and gagged a little as it tasted rather horrible, but she swallowed it down. Orchard Blossom then trotted off with a brisk trot feeling slightly more nervous before; if Rarity’s plan was to make him feel more on edge, it was working.

Chapter Eight: The Sisterhooves Social

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Chapter Nine: Orchard Blossom gets Exposed!

Orchard Blossom was in shock as Apple Bloom peered up at her with that serious look in her eye, and she was somewhat unsure of what she was supposed to say in return. The entire world felt somewhat distant from her as she took in the feeling of fear washing over her like a wave. She never felt so nervous and scared, something she's never felt her entire life. She just stood there gaping like a fish and wondering what she was supposed to do. Orchard Blossom didn't notice, but tons of ponies surrounded her, just looking over at her with odd looks seeing how the mares were just staring at each other. Orchard Blossom had a small gulp down her throat as she said, "well, I…I…."

"I know ya did it for me, but there's no reason ya gotta do this to yourself," Apple Bloom sighed. "I mean, I'm glad we had fun and all…b..b…, but ya don't have to hide anymore."

Orchard Blossom wasn't too worried now about the judges knowing about her true identity. Still, she was also nervous, with others in Ponyville looking over and gossiping about her. The mare gulped, seeing there was no way out, and for now, she'll just say what felt most appropriate to the situation. "I don't know what ya talking about? Why don't we go somewhere and talk?"

"Nah, I think we're fine right here; ya lied ta me all week; it's about time ya tell me the truth!" Apple Bloom snapped, seeming to get somewhat flustered.

Orchard Blossom lowered her gaze, now feeling more flustered as more ponies gathered around, and she was feeling much more nervous about their situation. The mare was starting to realize that Apple Bloom wanted to make a scene; this was all a form of punishment on her for lying to her. She gulped and said, "Well, there are many reasons I can't just say it here?"

"Why not? I know ya did this for me? But why didn't ya trust me ta let me know!? I wouldn't have said anything to anypony!" Apple Bloom shouted again.

This time this got the judges' attention as they came over with a look of concern. Orchard Blossom started to sweat even more profusely even though they had already competed; she was still nervous that ponies would find out her secret identity and expose her. She wouldn't even know how to explain to everypony why she went to such extremes to change her identity. The mare then turned her attention once again to her sister. "Please, can we discuss this somewhere else?"

"No! The Social is over anyways! Just tell me, why didn't ya tell me the truth!?"

Orchard Blossom saw that everypony around was circling them, and she was quivering like a leaf in the wind. The big mare didn't bother looking around. Still, she could feel the eyes from everypony staring at her burn into her back as they were all now interested in her and Apple Bloom's conversation. She had to end this fast she then looked her sister right in the eyes and explained, "because I didn't want us gettin' disqualified!? I know I can trust ya, but I just didn't want to take the risk?"

"Really, that's it?" Apple Bloom replied, looking somewhat surprised by the answer.

Big Macy flashed her a smile as she explained, "Hey, I'm sorry for lying to you, but I didn't do it because I didn't trust ya. I know how excited you get, and I was afraid the judges might hear…."

"Hear what?" the older mare with the purple eyeliner snapped as she trotted over with a rather snobbish look.

"We…Well…ya…ya see…." Orchard Blossom stammered as she saw the judges were now looking at him with stern glares; she could only imagine they were thinking she cheated somehow or broke the rules.

The big mare was now full of anxiety, with his face turning bright pink, realizing she didn't have a lie ready. The more she stood there gaping like a fish, the higher the chance one of the judges would figure out the truth. Orchard Blossom gulped then continued to stammer, "well…w…well… ya see..I…well…um…."

"My aunt means to say that she was scared yall wouldn't let her compete because of a potion Zecora gave her. But it's just an energy drink," Apple Bloom quickly chimed in.

Orchard Blossom blinked, being somewhat surprised by Apple Bloom butting in and keeping her identity a secret. But she couldn't help but feel relieved she did so as despite the social being over, she really didn't want anypony to know she was really Big Mac.

The inquisitive judge then shrugged and said, "well, I would say that drinking an energy drink isn't something we would disqualify your aunt for. I thought it was something regarding your aunt being Big Mac in disguise. Even if that was the case, the Sisterhooves Social always had a loose definition of what a sister is and doesn't prohibit brothers from competing if a sister can't be found."

There was a moment of silence after what the mare had just said. Apple Bloom then suddenly burst into a fit of laughter while Orchard Blossom just went dead-eyed as the judge finished what she said. Orchard Blossom was stunned with her mouth agape as she thought. All this time, all that work and effort she, Zecora, and Rarity went through, all that stress and hours of work, and all the lies! All of it was for nothing!? The mare just wanted to scream at the top of her lungs and stomp off. But Orchard Bloom didn't lose her composure; her mouth slowly curved into a smile and said, "well, that's good to hear, but I'm a mare, not a stallion."

"Of course," the old mare snickered as she gave Orchard Blossom a wink as she trotted off. Most ponies from there also started to trot away. Most looked somewhat disappointed as they were hoping to see more drama unfold. The big mare then waited patiently as she saw them leave with the most cheering on Rainbow Dash for winning. When the last of the crowd dissipated, she gave a relieved sigh as he turned to his sister once more and asked, "can we talk somewhere private now?"

"Yeah, sure," Apple Bloom chirped, being rather cheerful; they were finally going somewhere to talk. As the two walked off Orchard, Blossom couldn't help to feel relieved that Apple Bloom knew the truth and that they were able to finally speak without anypony prying. It would be great to finally be able to talk to her sister and bond a little before she turns back into Big Mac.

It was now late in the evening watching the sunset together with Apple Bloom plopped right in Big Mac's lap. The former stallion held the filly as they watched the orange sky bleeding over the sky. The sun seemed somewhat distant, with the rays pouring over the apple orchard and the lovely smell of the apples wafting over the field. Big Mac was utterly engrossed in the atmosphere and instead admired the sunset. Despite all the physical activity, learning that he changed his gender for nothing, and almost having his identity blown, this was a perfect ending to a rather fun but stressful day. However, the energy drink Zecora made for him was wearing off, and he could feel himself getting rather tired. Big Mac's eyes began to droop, and he was about to fall into a deep sleep, but he then heard his sister ask.

"Hey Big Mac, I…I gotta ask…a…are ya gonna stay a mare?" Apple Bloom whispered rather faintly as she turned her face down as if she was embarrassed to be even asking the question.

"Ey'nope," Big Mac responded rather bluntly as he shook his head. He did enjoy his time as a mare, but he felt way more comfortable in the gender he was born with.

Apple Bloom looked somewhat disappointed by the answer as she then asked, "so, what about Orchard Blossom? Is she just gonna leave forever, never to be seen again?"

The former stallion gave his chin a few taps as he pondered Apple Bloom's question; he may not be comfortable being a mare forever, but if he were to turn into Auntie Orchard Blossom now and again, it actually would be rather fun. He then looked down at his sister once more and responded with a smile, "well, not really. I think that Orchard Blossom will come to visit from time to time."

The little filly beamed a smile at him and then hugged him as he threw his hooves over her. It was rather touching to have this moment with his younger sister, and he knew it was because Orchard Blossom had become a mother figure to the little filly. He held Apple Bloom right into his chest then held her close. Big Mac couldn't help but feel like despite getting last place, and through all the lies, Apple Bloom loved her and that she couldn't do anything to make Apple Bloom stop loving her. It was enough to have her eyes start to tear up as she was overwhelmed with this emotion, and they stayed like that hugging each other for quite some time. As the sun lowered in the sky and the moon rose, he heard Apple Bloom whisper, "I think it's about time we get going dun wana make Granny worry."

"Ey'yup."

"I'm sorry for gettin' upset with ya earlier. Are ya mad at me?"

"Ey'nope."

The two then started to trot down the hill heading to their quaint little house in the valley, and that was when Apple Bloom flashed her "aunt" a smirk then asked, "So, what about Applejack? Ya gotta stay like this until she comes back from her trip."

"Ey'yup," Big Mac chirped back rather promptly as he had an idea to prank Applejack with his disguise for some time. He continued to explain, "In fact, I'm gonna need your help; to pull the perfect prank on her."

As the words left his lips, Apple Bloom then started to bounce up and down, shouting, "oh, what's the plan! Tell me! Tell me!"

Despite loving seeing his sister being all excited and cheerful, he needed her to calm down abit so he could explain. Big Mac took out a hoof and snickered, "I love your excitement, but ya gotta calm down."

Apple Bloom settled down and then jumped up onto his back and whispered, "ok, tell me the plan?"

Big Mac then continued to trot down towards the house as he continued outlying his plan to the young filly, and Apple Bloom started to laugh, then she chimed in her own ideas. The two discussed the plan the rest of the night, even upon reaching his bedroom. Eventually, the two curled up together in his big bed. Apple Bloom snuggled up into his chest as he curled his hooves around her tiny body. Big Mac looked downward at Apple Bloom, seeing how happy and peaceful she looked. He felt that his mission of making sure she had a wonderful Sisters Social was a success. The stallion-turned-mare laid his head on his pillow and slowly closed his eyes, thinking about how Applejack would react when she saw Orchard Blossom.

Chapter Ten: Applejack Returns

Three days later…

One morning, Applejack was looking over the side of a massive pirate ship, puking her guts out. The orange-coated farm mare looked somewhat exhausted and worn out, with her blonde straw mane and tail a ragged mess, her orange coat covered in dirt, along with several bruises and bits of seaweed clinging to her body. She also sported a rather interesting attire with a red skull cap on her head, a white bandage wrapped around her right eye, and a worn black leather jacket with a yellow-green sweater underneath. After a long and treacherous journey, she was finally returning home to Ponyville. But she couldn't tell with the cloud's coverage blocking her view, so all she could see were whisps of white clouds rolling through as they were lowering in altitude. Despite having a hangover, Applejack felt rather good this morning. She let the wind wisp through her mane, feeling rather proud of herself as they came home from a grand adventure. She then heard hoofsteps from behind her and turned her head to see that somepony else was coming towards her. It was none other than Captain Celaeno. The pirate captain was unlike any creature Applejack had seen before, being a bipedal parrot. The captain was covered from head to toe in white feathers, with a flowing light green mane from her head and a similar colored hair flowing from her backside. The parrot-like creature sported gold armor that covered her upper torso and a pair of brown trousers around her waist. Captain Celaeno stood tall and proud with her piercing violet eyes and a gold-colored beak. She was also dressed rather boldly, sporting a broad captain's hat placed squarely on her head, a cutlass strapped to her left side, and a jeweled peg leg being where her left leg used to be. The captain came right up to the railing and laid her head over as she also seemed to just want to take in the scenery after a rather wild party from the previous night. Still, Applejack was rather curious about why she came over and asked, "so uh…what's up?"

"Hey, just wanted to say thanks before ya go back to your pony friends," Captain Celaeno explained as she laid her head on one of her claws and then said rather solemnly. "You helped me make peace with my dad, and I can't thank you enough for that."

"No problem; I mean, I get it yall seem to not like each other at all. But he can't be lying to you about how things are run back in the Roost. Heck, if he never told ya the truth, there would always be a wall between you two."

Captain Celaeno turned her head towards the sky as she seemed to reflect on what Applejack said, "yeah, I get it; it doesn't mean I agree with him. But that's my burden to bear."

Applejack wanted to say more, but she knew it wasn't her place to intervene; this was a journey that Captain Celaeno needed to take on her own. But the mare's thoughts were interrupted as she had the urge to suddenly vomit again and hurled the contents of her stomach over the railing. Applejack felt embarrassed as Captain Celaeno couldn't help but laugh, "I'm assuming you ponies don't drink rum, eh?"

"Of course not, we drink ale and hard cider, but nothing as strong as that," The farm mare mumbled with a sheepish look. She was embarrassed and frustrated that she could not take on all the rum she had drunk the night previously.

"Well, I'm sending ya home with a cask of it anyway; just don't go drinking it all in one night," Captain Celaeno added as she slapped Applejack on the back.

The farm mare sighed, knowing why the Capitan was so charitable, seeing she rescued Captain Celaeno from being eaten by a Kraken the other day and said, "I already told yall that I don't need nothing for saving your life."

"Well, not just anyone would dive into a kraken's jaw either," Captain Celaeno replied as the ship finally broke through the cloud cover.

Applejack could now see her hometown from a bird's eye view. It was breathtaking to see Ponyville as she had never done before. She had ridden a hot air balloon a few times before, but she's never seen her town this high up in the clouds before. From her point of view, Ponyville looked like a foal's playset, with the buildings and houses looking like they were made for dolls. She could see the tiny colorful blobs milling about who obviously were her fellow townponies milling about their business. With Applejack being absorbed in the scene below, she didn’t initially respond to the captain taking in the moment before saying, "maybe, but I think Rainbow Dash should've tagged along; she would've been much more useful in that fight."

The farm mare chuckled to herself as she thought about how jealous Rainbow Dash would be after talking about the swashbuckling adventure she and Captain Celaeno had.

"Well, I would love to meet this Rainbow Dash and the rest of your friends," Captain Celaeno replied she then looked downward towards the ponies below and said, "If the Storm king keeps advancing, and with Talon still out there, we'll need all the help we can get."

Applejack lowered her gaze a little, remembering the storm king's devastation and his minions wrought on others. The devastating wrecks of ships that defied him and those enslaved by him. She knew his conquests were hundreds of miles away. The farm mare turned her gaze towards Ponyville and saw how small and vulnerable her hometown was. She knew that it wouldn't be long until he set his eyes on Equestria and that this problem wasn't just going to go away anytime soon. Applejack wanted to reassure her new friend that they’ll have her back when she needed them. She then turned to face the captain and said, "that's right; when yall are ready to take them on, let us know; my friends and I will back you up."

Captain Celaeno flashed a smile back at her and said, "thank you I feel quite relieved that we have you guys on our side."

As the ships descended onto the Townsquare, everypony with the shadow of the pirate ship fell over the crowd of ponies below. The ponies there were surprised to see a pirate ship coming down from the clouds and heading right towards them. The ponies then all looked upward in awe and disbelief; most of the ponies in the crowd started to freak out, shouting, "pirates!" as they began to run for their lives. As the ship landed right above the town, Captain Celaeno was concerned about what was happening. The bipedal parrot took a rope and landed on the ground as she started waving her arms and shouting, "wait! We're not here to pillage or anything! We're just dropping off your fellow ponies!"

But of course, nopony was listening as they all started shutting their doors, curtains were drawn, and the clicking of locks reverberated across the town. Applejack just shook her head, seeing that her fellow towns ponies still are too skittish.

"We're home already?" Somepony grumbled loudly, and both Applejack and Capitan Celaeno turned to a tired and worn violet alicorn, with her mane a mess and eyes bloodshot red. She stumbled out from the ship's hold and wobbled back and forth as she made her way across the deck, muttering to herself. "Why is the rum always gone?"

Applejack put a hoof to her mouth, trying to hold off from bursting out laughing, while Captain Celaeno leaned into her ear and whispered, "maybe she should stay off the rum."

"Yeah, I'll keep that in mind," the farm mare snickered, unable to shake the feeling of being amused seeing Twilight drunk. Applejack then took Twilight by the hoof, and the two jumped off the ship, landing on all fours on the ground below. The farm mare looked up and saw that all of Celaeno’s crew of bipedal birds came out waving their arms in the air as the captain exclaimed, "Well, take care! And thanks again!"

"Wait, don't yall want to see Rainbow Dash and my other friends!?" Applejack shouted seeing that Captain Celaeno wanted to meet her friend Rainbow Dash.

"Maybe some other time! We gotta get back; this ship is a loner from my dad," Captain Celaeno explained as she waved a claw back at her friend.

"Ok then! Just come by and visit any time! You know where to find us!" Applejack shouted back as she waved a hoof and then watched as it disappeared into the clouds above once more. The farm mare felt somber as she did enjoy the captain's company. But Applejack knew deep down they would see each other again, for now, she needed to get Twilight safely to her castle for now. The ship then rose in the air and flew off once more into the sky. The farm mare turned around and headed towards Twilight's castle to drop her off before making her way to her house (along with the cask of rum strapped to her back).

Applejack was making her way home as she was slowly trotting along the dirt road in Ponyville. She headed towards her house, carrying rum over her shoulders. The weight of the rum was heavy, making her trek much more rigorous than usual. The mare continued her way through town, with many ponies coming out (with most still being somewhat cautious), appearing to be stunned at Applejack's attire. The farm mare didn't concern herself with what the other ponies thought of her appearance. Instead, she turned her attention to her apple orchard stretching out before her she turned to admire the beauty of the apple orchard with the smell of apples wafting over her. She couldn't help but feel relief being home again after a long journey. Applejack continued to trot towards her home with the thought of a nice warm bed pushing her forward until she finally arrived at the door. The farm mare then gave the door a few knocks and then waited for a few grueling minutes, grumbling angrily, waiting for the door to open. As the door opened, the farm mare was stunned to see a giant, red-coated mare standing right in front of her. Before the farm mare couldn’t even react, she was suddenly scooped up in two massive, red-coated legs and slammed right into the plump breast of the mare standing before her.

"Oh, hello! You must be Applejack!" the mysterious mare exclaimed suddenly.

"What the ha-" Applejack cried out as she squirmed about in the strange mare's embrace. The farm mare was flustered and pissed as she couldn't be able to get out of the embrace. The giant mare's grasp was so tight that she had to wheeze. "Get off of me!"

"Oh, sorry, I got carried away," Orchard Blossom squeaked as she stepped back with a sheepish smile.

"So, you're the mysterious Auntie Orchard Blossom I've heard about?" Applejack mumbled as she was still trying to catch her breath. She then turned her head upward and was able to look the red-coated mare over. She had to take a moment to look up at the massive mare standing over her and really take in this odd aunt that had come to assist with being Apple Bloom's partner in the Sisterhooves Social. She was plump and had this "motherly appeal," but what made her suspicious was that Orchard Blossom looked way too similar to her brother Big Mac. To the point it was almost uncanny, with her hair looking identical in color to her brother's golden-blonde mane and tail, they both had the same round green eyes, and their cutie marks were similarly being half of a green apple with the only difference is that Orchard Blossom's cutie mark was the shape of a heart. If Applejack had to guess, this "Auntie Orchard Blossom" was her brother in disguise, but how he could look this good as a mare was a mystery to her unless he changed his gender through some magic mojo. One question that plagued Applejack’s mind was why this mysterious aunt came of nowhere to compete in the Sisterhooves Social with her sister and why she looked virtually identical to her brother.

"Yes, I am! Now come on, everypony's been waiting for you!" Orchard Blossom exclaimed. The chubby mare then waddled through the house as Applejack followed behind, snickering behind a hoof, getting a full face of Orchard Blossom's rump. Thinking that if this was her brother in disguise, she was definitely going to comment on his fine ass as a mare. Applejack kept her thoughts to herself as she continued to trot behind her aunt. After placing the cask of rum down, the farm mare went to the quaint little dining table already set up with breakfast. She then sat down on one of the chairs, and her eyes narrowed; here, they had a lovely breakfast of apple cinnamon pancakes and coffee. Everypony was buried in their food, but Apple Bloom instantly shouted, "so tell us all about your adventure, please! It just sounds so cool! I mean look at you you're a pirate!"

"Yeah, I'll get to that; let me just eat a little first," Applejack mumbled as she started to dig into her meal. Applejack didn't realize it, but she was rather hungry, having her diet mostly consisted of dry biscuits and some fruit for the past few weeks. After a few minutes of gorging on the delicious pancakes, she wiped her mouth with a hoof; then started to tell her tale.

It was a long tale, and it started with Applejack and Twilight heading far south into the badlands, where they found a pirate crew led by a pirate named Captain Celaeno. They sailed on her flying pirate ship at first, but it also sailed well in the sea, where they eventually landed at a place called the Roost. They find out that Captain Celaeno was being accused of attacking her fellow pirate captains and raiding their ships. Her father believed she did it out of spite as they all worked for her dad, a pirate named Black Gizzard. The two basically hated each other's guts, Twilight, and Applejack realized the only way to clear Captain Celaeno's name was by investigating the issue. They then had to steal one of Black Gizzard's ships and then snuck onto another ship that belonged to a fleet of pirates led by a pirate named captain Talon. We then learned by accident that her father has been keeping the secret of a treasure he buried a long time ago. Applejack and Twilight couldn't figure out what the treasure was. Still, they learned that Black Gizzard, alongside his First mate Talon his former second in command.

The two had a falling out as Talon became more violent and brutal in his pillaging, and Black Gizzard hid a treasure the two found and locked away the map. But while they were on that ship, they were caught, and then they had to break out of a jail cell and fight their way out. Then after they came back to the Roost, they cleared Captain Celaeno of the charges she was being accused of, and she and her dad sort of made up. Captain Talon, however, sent an envoy to discuss terms as he threatened to destroy his island if he didn't give him the map to this treasure. He refused, and then Talon sent a Kraken at them. That was where they had a giant battle with dozens of pirates fighting this massive creature, and they were eventually able to drive it away. Throughout the tale, there were many interruptions from her sister and "aunt," all asking questions and wanting to know more. Applejack did her best to answer them, and she seemed to be somewhat humble in her exploits. But she could tell that her family just looked at her in awe as she concluded her tale and realized it was indeed quite a story. But, knowing that Captain Talon was working for a tyrant named the Storm King she made it clear the story was far from over. At the end of telling her tale, Applejack finished her coffee. She turned her attention to Aunt Orchard Blossom and eyed her as she asked, "ok, now I've answered all of your questions; it's about time you answered some of mine."

Orchard Blossom sat back on her seat, crossed her hooves across her chest, and said, "ok, go ahead, ask anything you want?"

Applejack lowered her gaze as she decided it was time to unveil this "Aunt Orchard Blossom" and said, "who are you really? Because I know many family members from Manehattan, but I've never heard of an Auntie Orchard Blossom in my life."

Granny Smith rolled her eyes as Apple Bloom and "Orchard Blossom" exchanged smirks. The big red-coated mare then rose up and threw her mane back. She struck a pose while flashing her eyelashes and said, "Oh, come now, you don't recognize your brother Big Mac?"

Apple Bloom burst into laughter as Applejack's mouth just dropped; she assumed that she was indeed her brother, but the realization and shock that he swapped genders while gone was a bit overwhelming. "You dressed in drag before, but I never would imagine you would go this far!?"

Big Mac looked rather embarrassed as he sat back down and said, "it's a long story, but I did this for Apple Bloom so we can compete in the Sisterhooves Social." Then in a grumpier tone continued, "little did I know I could've gone as a stallion this whole time."

Granny Smith cackled as she slammed a hoof on the table, "damn straight! I told ya that a week ago, but nope ya didn't listen!"

Applejack couldn't help but join in the laughter, but she saw her brother looking pouty. Despite him going too far, he changed his gender for his sister and made sure she had an enjoyable time at the Sisterhooves Social, which made her proud of her older brother. The farm mare then rose, trotted over, gave her "sister" a hug, and said, "Well, it's touching. You would go this far for your family, but are you gonna change back?" Big Mac was a bit stunned but returned the embrace and wrapped his hooves around her. After they broke off, Big Mac gave Applejack's question some thought as he tapped a hoof to his chin and said, "Maybe? But I thought that "Auntie Orchard Blossom" could visit now and again.

"That would be so cool! Please, I would love to have Auntie Orchard Blossom visit!" Apple Bloom squealed as she started to jump up and down in excitement.

Applejack couldn’t help but daww, seeing how excited Apple Bloom was about having a mysterious aunt. But at the same time, she wanted to make sure Big Mac was ok with it. She didn't want to have him feel pressured to go through with being a mare again and said, "you do what you feel comfortable doing ok? Either way, I'm really proud of how well you two bonded."

Big Mac gave a nod and with his cheeks growing a shade of pink then gave a, "ey'yup."

“Yeah, the Sisterhooves Social was great! Now that you told your story let me tell you mine!” Apple Bloom cheered.

This time Orchard Blossom became quiet as Apple Bloom started telling all about the event and how Big Mac was treating her like a “little filly” throughout the race. The tale was silly and a bit overdramatized, but Applejack couldn’t help but laugh and smile throughout her sister’s telling of what happened at the social. But a wave of drowsiness came over the farm mare as she felt her eyelids growing heavy. As Apple Bloom concluded with how they got last place Applejack raised her hooves and gave a loud yawn. "Well, all that matters is you two had fun. I had a long week, so I'm going to hit the hay, ok? We can talk more about this after a nap."

“Ok, sure! Besides the rest is boring, Big Mac and I fought, made up, then we planned this big breakfast for ya!” Apple Bloom cheered as she seemed unable to contain her excitement.

Waiting to thank her sister Applejack rose from the table and gave her sister a hug. “Thank you sugarcube; I appreciate all of this.” The farm mare then began to trot upstairs but she was then suddenly hoisted onto her brother’s back.

"Hold on, let me help tuck you in!" Big Mac chirped as he trotted upstairs with his sister bouncing up and down on his back. Applejack wanted to protest, seeing she could make her way to her bed independently. But she was too tired and worn out to fight back and instead just grumbled, "fine, whatever."

Big Mac trotted upstairs to her quaint bedroom, exactly as she left it a few weeks ago. Her "sister" then laid the farm mare in her bed and had the sheets pulled over her. Applejack then snuggled under the covers, feeling content, warm, and comfortable. She then looked up into "Auntie Orchard Blossom's" eyes, and that warm fuzzy feeling that she missed from her mother hit her like a bull ramming its horns into her. Applejack choked back tears and she sort of wished that Big Mac could stay a mare judt for a little while longer. However, there was something else on her mind as she was also curious about how many ponies knew Auntie Orchard Blossom's secret identity and asked, "how many ponies know the truth?"

"Only you guys, and maybe one of the judges. But everypony else thinks I'm just an aunt visiting."

"Well, I assume that ya don't want the whole town knowing; I'm not one for lying or deceiving, but for your sake, I guess we gotta make it look convincing that you're really my aunt."

"Right, and that's why Apple Bloom and I came up with a plan, and we're gonna need your help."

Applejack wanted to know more, but she could feel her eyelids being heavy. She couldn’t help but yawn and then asked, "ok, let's talk about it after my nap, ok?"

"Alright, sugarcube sleep tight," Big Mac cooed as he turned off the lights and slowly closed the door behind him.

Applejack's cheeks flushed red, feeling like a school filly as Big Mac left the room. Again, that feeling of that void that her mother left when she died was filled a bit by "Orchard Blossom's" presence, and it was something that she wanted to keep for a bit longer. But she knew better than to pressure Big Mac to stay as a mare, so she snuggled deep under the covers and drifted off into a deep sleep dreaming of her mother and the open sea.

Author's Note

I don't know if I'll get to my "swashbuckling adventure of Captain Celaeno" but it's based on the T.V series Black Sails, the book Treasure Island, and the film series Pirates of the Caribbean.

Epilogue: Big Macy Blossoms

Big Mac was busy packing throughout the evening, putting away the dresses Rarity made for him in luggage and making sure to tidy things up a bit. It made him chuckle thinking about this elaborate plan to hide his identity. Still, in his opinion, it was something he rather enjoyed seeing; he wasn't comfortable having other ponies know about his gender swap. The former stallion then made sure to clap the luggage tight. After that, he slipped on the simple white blouse that he came walking into Ponyville with. He then slipped the black shoes over each of his hooves, and she then started admiring her reflection in the mirror nearby. He touched his curly mane once more and admired how bouncy it was. He looked over his rather "sexy" body and his thick rump. Despite looking forward to turning back into a stallion, Big Mac also felt like he would miss being in this body. The former stallion flashed his eyelashes with a smirk as he trotted out the door and started trotting down the stairs. Applejack stood by with a smirk, watching her brother slowly trot down the stairs. As Applejack said, he felt somewhat self-conscious about himself still looking so feminine. "I got everything prepped and ready to go."

Big Mac couldn't help but smile at his sister and said, "thanks, I know it was a lot of work getting all of this ready."

Applejack snickered as she embraced her brother and Big Mac held the farm mare in a hug for quite some time. It was one busy week for the two of them, and they both just wanted a moment to themselves.

Applejack was the one who broke off the embrace and said, "well, we gotta get going. Don't wana leave Granny Smith and Apple Bloom for too long."

"Ey'yup," Big Mac chirped as he nuzzled Applejack as they then both trotted out the door and out into the streets of Ponyville.

As Big Mac trotted down the road along with his sister, he couldn't help but notice she had a smirk on her face. There was something on her mind, and he wanted to know, but he seemed a bit nervous to ask. Was it his outfit? Maybe his mane wasn't done, right? Applejack seemed to notice him looking at her, taking a moment to clear her throat, then said, "so, I heard up the Apple Tree that you and Rarity….um…kissed?"

"Who told you!?" Big Mac exclaimed, went wide-eyed her wondering who could've told Rarity? Maybe Apple Bloom? But she was still at the Social when that happened. All of this was running through her mind as she cried out, "Seriously, who told you!?"

The farm mare bowed her head and then mumbled, "Um…well….I promised not to say….but…well, I think you have a right ta know?"

"Who is it?" Big Mac gulped, quivering as he waited for the answer…but then somepony who seemed to know everything came to his mind; he then suddenly shouted. "It was Pinkie Pie!"

As soon as her name left his mouth, he heard rumbling as the ground shook under his hooves. Both Apples then turned their heads as Pinkie Pie came running down the road with a cloud of dust following behind her. The pink-coated mare ran right up into Applejack's face, slammed her hoof into the ground, and shouted, "Applejack did you break another PINKIE PROMISE!?"

Applejack adjusted her hat and replied with a smirk, "I technically didn't break the pinkie promise this time, just like last."

Pinkie Pie paused for a moment rubbing a hoof over her chin. She opened her mouth and tried to say something but then closed her mouth again then said, "well, I'm still keeping an eye on you."

Pinkie Pie turned her attention to Big Mac, then said, "In any case, Big Mac, I'm sorry for telling Applejack your secret."

Big Mac was somewhat confused about the situation and then asked, "so…Pinkie Pie? How did you see me and…um…."

"Oh, you and Rarity kiss!? Well, let me tell you, I was just bouncing along my way to the Sisterhooves Social, and I saw a giant red pony in the middle of the woods!"

"Wait, wait, wait! Do you know that I-"

"Yeah, I know you're Big Mac. I thought it was rather obvious." Pinkie Pie then clasped her hooves over her mouth then suddenly gasped. "Sorry didn't mean to say that out loud!"

"Pinkie Pie!" Big Mac cried out instead, suddenly looking around and seeing if anypony was overheard. Pinkie Pie then continued on her rambling. "Anyways, as I was hopping along, I saw you and Rarity together. So I was like, huh? What are these two doing here alone? So I came bouncing over to say hi, but then I gasped as I saw you two kissing! Just like this!" She then clasped her face with her hooves again. "I watched Rarity not only kiss you but play with your mane a little, then gave your rump this look like how I get when I see some delicious cake! So I thought that maybe something not rated “TV-Y” was going to happen so I quickly hopped away!"

Applejack started snickering, having to place a hoof over her mouth to keep herself from bursting into laughter. All the while, Big Mac began to turn pink out of sheer embarrassment.

"I…I kept it a secret, knowing that you're Bi- Right, sorry! I did keep your secrets, but with all of those secrets boiling up inside I…I just had to tell somepony! And knowing your sister was here and she just got back from her awesome pirate adventure, it just sort of came out."

"Eh, let's drop it, shall we? If we make Big Mac any pinker, he might turn into you." Applejack teased as she gave her brother a nudge. The former stallion gave a sigh of relief hearing that nopony else knew, which made him relax.

Pinkie Pie shrugged and snickered, "Hey, that would be great! Seeing we could be related, you could be my long-lost aunt!" She then bounced right into Big Mac's hooves as he hugged her close to his chest. Despite telling her sister some of his secrets, Pinkie Pie didn't tell anypony else.

Big Mac then trotted off towards the station, trying to stay calm while waving a hoof at ponies passing by. He was hoping to get onto the train and turn back into a stallion as soon as possible before somepony other than Pinkie Pie started asking more questions.

After Big Mac got his train ticket and headed to the station, he gasped seeing the spread out for him. Confetti and streamers were everywhere with a cake present and a banner overhead reading, "We'll miss you, Auntie Orchard Blossom!" He then turned to see that his entire family was at the station, with Granny Smith and Apple Bloom standing by.

Big Mac slowly placed a hoof over his chest, somewhat overwhelmed at all the fanfare at his fake going away celebration. But it was rather touching and convincing that Auntie Orchard Blossom and Big Mac were two different ponies and that word would spread.

"Well, I'm sad to say goodbye; we'll miss you! Next time we need you to throw a party because I didn't know if I should do one since I already know you!" Pinkie Pie wailed as she hugged herself into Big Mac. The former stallion gave a sheepish smile patting her back, feeling awkward with Pinkie Pie's over-the-top acting and her also somewhat exposing him. After he finished hugging Pinkie, he continued to trot over to his other sister and Granny Smith. Apple Bloom then ran across the station and jumped right into his hooves as she squealed in delight. The filly then closed her eyes as she nuzzled into Big Mac and cried, "thank you for doing so much for me this week! I don't care if we lose; please come back to Ponyville!"

"Of course! I would love to come to visit, and next time I'm sure we'll get first place."

Apple Bloom then waved a hoof, trying to get Big Mac to come closer. He then slowly lowered his head as the filly gently whispered into his ear. "I'm sorry for yelling at you and almost blowing your cover."

Big Mac seeing almost forgetting the entire fight and decided to show that he wasn't holding a grudge. He gave the filly a gentle kiss on the cheek, then whispered, "It's alright; I should've had more faith in you and shouldn't have kept this a secret."

"Well, yeah, I wouldn't have told anypony, but I get it…also can you come over to Nightmare Night?"

Big Mac then paused as he was looking somewhat stunned, seeing Nightmare Night was not far around the corner. But it was also somewhat sudden seeing that he would turn back to Orchard Blossom so soon. He would say "no," but Apple Bloom was giving him that adorable puppy dog eye look, and maybe it was also because of his changed gender with his hormones being out of whack. He couldn't help but give in and cooed, "oh, that sounds like a lovely idea. I wouldn't mind at all coming down for Nightmare Night."

The former stallion then walked over to Granny, who just rolled her eyes at him and scoffed, "just hurry up and turn back into a stallion ya here?"

"What the hay does that supposed to mean?" Applejack asked with an eyebrow cocked.

"Please, I don't need three mares running about! I want my simple down to earth grandson back!" Granny Smith exclaimed as she trotted off, not even caring; she just said that aloud.

"Alright, keep it down before ya blow his cover," Applejack grumbled under her breath. Seeing that he's said goodbye to his family, Big Mac felt ready to leave. Big Mac then slowly trotted up the steps and headed into the train as whistled overhead and the conductor shouted, "all aboard!"

Without a word, he continued his trot into the train. He maneuvered himself through the narrow hallway with his rather chunky body. Eventually, he scooted his chubby rump onto his seat and looked out the window. Upon his family still standing there, he was suddenly overwhelmed with emotion. Despite knowing that he was coming back, Orchard Blossom sadly will be gone. So in a sense, this was a goodbye, and they weren't going to see Orchard Blossom for some time. He then stuck his head and a hoof out a window holding a handkerchief and waving it about as Big Mac cried, "I'll miss you! I'll be back for Nightmare Night!"

"Yay! I can't wait!" Apple Bloom exclaimed.

"Yeah, can't wait to see what kind of costume Rarity will make for ya," Applejack teased, causing Big Mac to roll his eyes.

"Wait!? But isn't Orchard Blossom technically a cos-" before Pinkie Pie could even finish her statement, Applejack slammed a hoof over her mouth. Big Mac then slid into his seat somewhat speechless, knowing that with Pinkie Pie, by the time he was back, everypony in Ponyville would know who Orchard Blossom really is. However, Big Mac laid back in his seat, seeing there wasn't much more he could do. He tried to relax abit, feeling somewhat relieved that this whole ordeal would be finally over. Then he heard somepony trot over, and he turned to see that Rarity was strutting around and sat across from him as she asked, "Hello, darling, miss me?"

The two mares rode on the train and talked for several hours about his experience as a mare. Which explained his enjoyment in being in the shoes of the opposite sex and seeing how much love and affection surrounded him from his sisters. Even long after the train came into Manehattan's station, they trotted together into a hotel. There they made their way into the same room where he first transformed into a mare while Big Mac started to remove his clothing. Slowly pulled off his blouse and kicked his shoes from his hooves. The former stallion took a moment to sit down on the bed, looking towards the same mirror where he first gazed upon his transformed body. Seeing how plump and adorable he was and despite similarities, there was no way to tell if he was indeed Big Mac. His little fiction of being a mysterious aunt from Manehattan should stick as long as Pinkie Pie keeps her mouth shut. He then turned to see Rarity slowly trot around the room as she out a vial filled with some bubbling blue liquid.

"You know, darling, I've been thinking a lot about this moment, and I'm rather conflicted? Did I enjoy being around you simply because you were a mare? Or maybe it was because I've always been interested in you, and I've just never opened up?"

Big Mac sat there going over what Rarity said and seemed to see that he was somewhat uncertain of what to say. He could agree that he was interested in her. Still, the conflict of his gender change seemed to be preventing them from going any further. So he decided that it was best to just admit that he was indeed interested in pursuing a relationship with her but not as a mare.

"Look, I'm not a mare despite being one now; I'm comfortable as a stallion and have no desire to stay like this. I think the issue is until I do turn back, we can't really see if this will even work?" Big Mac replied rather bluntly.

Rarity blinked, seeming taken back by Big Mac's response; she threw her mane back and, with a smile, nodded, "you're right, darling; I think it's about time Orchard Blossom leaves for a while."

"Ey'yup," Big Mac gave one last nod as he took hold of the vial. He held it up and swallowed the contents whole with one single gulp. Big Mac groaned and keeled over in pain as he felt his organs and innards starting to change again; it wasn't painful, but he felt rather squeamish, having to rock back and forth and kick his legs in response. He watched in the mirror across from him as his plump short body morphed into his broad form with a much more muscular look, with his chubby face bubbling around him. He could feel his skull click and clack with hit turning more squarish. He then squeaked as he threw his forehooves down to his nether regions. Big Mac once again felt his reproductive system morph around his nether regions (with a familiar sensation that he sorely missed around his groin returning once more); his throat started to burn, and he could hear his deep muscley voice beginning to come back as he moaned and cursed from the pain. Then like before, he could feel the final touches as he saw the length of hair of his mane and tail shrink down. Big Mac once more turned to face the mirror with a smile seeing that he was indeed looking like before. But he wasn't quite satisfied having to get up and trot around the room, feeling his muscle-bound form and getting used to it rather quickly. Then just to verify he was indeed a stallion, he sat down on the bed and looked downwards to confirm that his member was still there. Big Mac's cheeks felt flushed as he remembered Rarity was still in the room and looked up with a sheepish smile.

"Well, it looks like it worked to me?" Rarity commented with those lust-filled bedroom eyes, making him know well she saw his newly formed member.

Big Mac just stood up, trying not to draw attention to what he was thinking, and simply said, "ey'yup."

Rarity opened the door, flashed Big Mac a lovely smile, and said, "I assume you still want to try a date? We still have until tomorrow morning when we go back to Ponyville."

Big Mac was bristling with excitement, seeing that this would be a lovely first date and an excellent opportunity to see if they were indeed ready to become each other's "special somepony." Still, the shy and cautious stallion simply nodded and said, "ey'yup!"

He then began to trot alongside his date, but he was going to close the door behind him and saw his white blouse hung up in a closet near his bed. There was a pang in his gut as he felt that regardless of the fact that he was indeed a stallion being a cute chubby "auntie" was something that would remain with him. He wonder how long he would even be able to keep the charade up? And if maybe he should tell the whole town the truth?

"Darling, what are you doing? We don't have all day!"

"Sorry, I'm on my way!" Big Mac shouted; he quickly closed the door and trotted off after Rarity. Despite his feelings, he pushed his insecurities aside and decided to focus on his date. Besides now that Pinkie Pie knew deep down that by the time he returned to Ponyville, everypony would see the truth about "Auntie Orchard Blossom." If that were the case, maybe he wouldn't go by that name, seeing that it was just something made up for his act. By the time they made it to the end of the hall, he had looked over at Rarity and said, "if Pinkie Pie can't keep her mouth shut? Instead of Orchard Blossom, I thought that I would still be a mare now and again…but what should I be called?"

"Oh yes, Pinkie Pie knowing the truth is a problem, she'll most definitely tell just about everypo-wait how does she know the truth!?" Rarity asked, looking rather shocked.

Big Mac gulped, feeling sweat run down his face; he wasn't one for lying, but if Rarity knew that Pinkie Pie caught her kissing him, he feared for Pinkie's safety. Big Mac decided he would tell her but later, after a nice meal. "Well, we can talk about that later…I….um…was thinking that if the truth came out, I might as well just be like a big sister for my alter ego. Maybe Big Macy would work?"

"That's just so unoriginal; I think Orchard Blossom fits fine regardless," Rarity exclaimed.

Big Mac shrugged, seeing that despite the name "Big Macy," sort of just popped into his head. It fit who he was simple, hardworking, and not flashy or over the top. "You're right; that's why it fits perfectly."

As the two made their way to the hotel lobby, Rarity seemed to mull it over for abit, and she seemed to not entirely agree. Still, she wasn't arguing about it either. This just made Big Mac chuckle, seeing how similar Rarity was to his sister; they had many differences, but the two just seemed so stubborn when it came to admitting they were wrong. The two then went out into the city streets with the hustle and bustle of ponies going to and fro. But despite all the noise from street taxis rolling on by, the clopping of hooves, vendors shouting. Big Mac seemed to continue thinking about the name "Big Macy" yes if Pinkie does let it leak the truth that was the name, he'll go with…