Big Mac marched towards Twilight's castle, his head full of thoughts along the way. What if he didn't know a powerful unicorn wizard? What if there was no magical solution to his thoughts? Well... "Um..." Such heavy thoughts didn't have a quick answer. But it did distract him thoroughly until it almost ran into her door. "Oops." He came to a smooth stop and clopped lightly on the door. "Twilight? Barb? Um, Star?"

"Got it on the third." Starlight opened the door with smirk. "Hey, Big. What brings you by?"

Big Mac tensed, just to relax a moment later. Starlight lived with Barb. The idea of... that... couldn't be entirely new... "Hey, Starlight. Um, is Twilight busy?"

"Always is." She tossed her head towards the inside. "What's up?"

"She... said she could help me with a little magic."

Starlight perked at that. "Well, you have another magical expert right here. What was she going to help with? Maybe I can lend a hoof! Or a horn."

Big Mac took an unsure step back. "Well, ya see... It's a bit complicated."

"My favorite kind of magic." She advanced with him. "Is it a mane spell?" She inspected his mane. "No, that looks fine. What's on your mind?"

Big Mac sagged with defeat. "Ya know Barb, right?"

"Sure?" She inclined her head. "Little dragon, adorable. Hard to miss her. What about her?"

"Me an' Twi were talkin' bout doin' that, to me."

Starlight hiked a brow high. "You aren't a dragon... or..." It took a moment for it to click. "Oh! Wow, look at me, being slow." she clopped a hoof to her own forehead. "Color me surprised. Really?" She circled around him, looking him over intensely. "Not trying to make this weirder than it already is, but you're already a well-assembled pony from where I'm standing. Why would you want to change that?"

"Ah swear..." Where were all those complimenting mares when he was single and looking?! "It ain't 'bout that! Ah got a special somepony..."

"Right... what's her name...? The baker, right?" Starlight dredged the memory free. "She's nice. Well, if you wanna--"

He held up a hoof. "Wait! Afore you go gallopin' in, ah don't want it permanent. Jus' a try."

Starlight nodded with an ah. "Shoulda started with that. That's way easier. You should have seen some of the things Twilight has turned herself into. Never a stallion though." She leaned in, brows wagging. "Coward."

Big Mac darkened at the thought. "Um... have you?"

Starlight recoiled. "Oh, um... no, now that you brought it up." She tapped at her chin. "Not because I'm scared, just never really thought about it? Shoot... Now you're tempting me." She waved it off with a hoof. "Nevermind that. You're here for you, not me." She circled behind him and got to nudging him towards the castle. "Come on in."

Big Mac took the guidance, walking up the steps into the castle. "No, um, offense... but ah came to talk to Twilight."

"There's a meteor shower tonight." Starlight closed the door. "You can come back tomorrow after that's done, storm in on her and mess up her big night, or let me take care of it."

What choices... "Um... Don't wanna be a pain." He turned towards Starlight, glancing around as he did. "You sure you can do that spell proper?"

"Please." She grabbed a pillow and brought it over. "Have a seat."

Big Mac stepped up and sank onto his haunches on the cushion. It was soft and supported him nicely. "Um, alright?"

"Big changes like these can make a pony dizzy. We don't want you to fall over, do we?" Her horn glowed with the promise of powerful magic. "Now, you wait a moment." She vanished with a bright flash.

"I thought I heard you." Barb was bouncing down the steps with a smile. "What're you doing here?"

"Hey." Big Mac nodded at his draconic buddy. "Um, actually... Yer not a bad creature to talk to right now."

"Yeah?" She hopped down the last step. "I like to think I'm a good creature to talk to all the time, but what's up?" She skipped closer at a light jog. "And why are you sitting in the middle of the foyer like that?"

"Starlight left me here." He shuffled awkwardly. "Look..." Was there a subtle way to approach it? He couldn't think of one. "Ah wanna try what you did."

"O-oh, um, warning." She raised a finger. "It..." she trailed off awkwardly. "Wait, you've been a mare before. I know you've split the two, but you still know that. You've been there. You don't need me explaining the thousand little differences in your day when you're a ladycreature instead of a guycreature."

"Yeah..." He pawed at the cushion he was on. "Ain't the same. Still a pony, but plenty of differences too."

"Exactly." Barb stopped a foot or two away, rocking on her feet. "But here's the thing... You've already put a hoof in both. What's left to try? Pick the one that's you. I'll be your friend, either way. Not like you are going away. I'd be pretty awful to get upset at somecreature doing what I just did."

"Ain't the same." He reached out, hoof to Barb's chest. "Ah ain't been a mare. Not one that works the farm. Not one that sells apples. Not one that has a ladyfriend... Big Mac's not been a mare. Orchard Blossom has been. Ah know what it's like to be Blossom, but not what it is to be a mare Big Mac. Ain't the same."

"Huh..." Barb danced from foot to foot, thinking about that. "I guess... I want you to be happy, big guy!" She hopped forward with a smile. "Can I help?"

Big Mac offered an arm and soon had a Barb to hug lightly with it. "Yer already doin' yer part. Starlight went off to do... somethin'... Um, she said Twi was busy with some fallin' stars?"

"Oh, yeah, thanks for the reminder." Barb hopped back. "I said I'd get some tea and got distracted."

Big Mac didn't stop her from hurrying off to the kitchen to do their thing.

With a loud pop, Starlight returned to the place she left. "Still here, good." She set a book aside. "I just wanted to brush up on the spell."

Big Mac flipped an ear back. "Um... you don't know it?"

Starlight barked out a laugh at that. "What? No. Do you think I make stallions into mares everyday?" She paused a moment. "That took too long for you to answer." She swatted at Big Mac. "I do not! But I know how to read a spell. I can cast it, I just don't use this often enough to memorize it."

"Alright..." Big Mac tapped his hooves. "Um, never really learned much magic, um, as Blossom. She jus' uses what comes natural. Sorry, weren't tryin' to imply nothin'."

"No?" Starlight inclined an ear towards Big Mac. "Getting off topic here, but magic isn't an every-corn thing. I do suggest at least learning to read the basics, though. Even Rarity can do some basic magic, if you shove a book under her nose."

"Huh..." He pointed to the book Starlight had placed there. "But we ain't here for that. Ah'll still be an earth pony."

"And they don't cast spells like that, right." Starlight set boundaries for herself with a sigh. "By the way... There is a chance you'll just be Orchard Blossom, minus wings and horn. Would that be good, or a let down?"

"Huh, good question." And one he hadn't actually really thought about. "She ain't a bad pony. Could think ah worse ways it could end up."

"Or you may look like a red Applejack..." Starlight rolled a hoof in the air. "Or a young Granny Smith, or something else entirely! We won't know until we do it, I suppose... Would those be good?"

"Ain't no way ta know." Big Mac pointed at the book. "'Less you get to castin'! It'll just be fer a little while... If ah don't like it, then ah won't do it 'gain. Please..."

"Alright, alright." She drew the book into view, reviewing the spell quickly with a soft muttering as she worked through the steps. "This isn't... too bad. Alright. Ready. Ready?"

"Been ready." He sat up as firmly as he could. "Do it."

"Doing it!" she sang, horn glowing as she weaved the intricate magic around Big Mac, covering him in a field of her power. "This may tickle." It did not tickle. It was more of a pinching squeeze. Extra bits of himself flowed into voids he never knew he had. His body reconfigured under her power as he squirmed and fidgeted uncomfortably.

"Almost done?" He... she? asked, voice lifting even as she asked, breaking in a hicupping jump. "Woah..." She hoofed at her throat as things adjusted in there. "Ah..." She quieted herself, allowing the magic to complete, lest she mess the whole thing up.

"Won't be needing that." Starlight banished the last of Big Mac's maleness away, at least for the time being. "And... Hello." She inclined her head at the result. "... Nice, if you don't mind my saying. This is not Orchard Blossom." She floated out a mirror to hover in front of Big Mac so they could see themself.

"Wow." There weren't better words ready for her lips. Sitting there, gaping, was a startled mare. She wasn't the big heavy shape of Big Mac or Blossom Orchard. Well, she was still big, tall. Closer to Fleur de Lis, but not quite that skinny. She still had muscle on those legs. She was a farmer!

She turned her head left and right, puffing up her slightly curly mane. "This got longer... That normal?"

Starlight shrugged with a smile. "Some mares wear them long, some don't. That's between you and the salon ponies. Ask Rarity, she will die of joy, but not before dragging you over there."

Big Mac sat. "Is this why?"

"Why what?"

Big Mac pointed at her reflection. "That don't look like a Big Mac. Is this what Barb felt? Why she changed her name like she did?"

"I.. don't know." Starlight pointed at herself. "Never turned into anything that I wasn't comfortable still calling Starlight, but I'm no big transformation expert. Oh, that should last a few days, then you'll be back to normal, just so you know. The permanent version's harder and more complicated."

"She could have just asked me." Discord casually leaned against the new female Big Mac. "Temporary changes are my specialty, don't you know?"

Starlight snorted at the sudden Discord. "Hey."

"Hey." He nudged against Big Mac. "So, how's it feel?"

"Different." She rose to all fours, forcing Discord to float on his own power. "In a lot of little kinda ways." She turned in place, looking herself over. "Different than even Blossom. She was a heavy mare. Ah'm... not."

"Heavy is not the word I'd use." He looked the new Big Mac over. "You better watch out. If ponies don't know better, and they don't, no few stallions will approach you." He hiked a thumb at Starlight. "That wasn't a bad idea, talking to Rarity. Bet she knows how to take care of that."

"Reckon they don't... Um, so..." She did one more twirl. "Gotta good name?"

"You asked me? How flattering... Well..." He looked to Starlight and back to Big Mac. "Jerseymac," he said with a thick Jersey accent. "Macoun! A fine Mac... Or, how about, Joanamac?"

Starlight wobbled an indecisive hoof. "All fine apple macs. You don't have to have an apple name."

Big Mac hiked a brow at her.

Starlight held up her hooves. "Alright, alright, bad idea... Well, I don't know what a 'Jersey' is, or a macoun... Joanamac wins for me, for what that's worth."

Big Mac juggled the names with a motion of her hooves as if she were actually juggling them as physical choices. "Hmm... Thanks fer the ideas... A good place to start from. Jus'... Mmmm..." She had to actually pick one, was all.

Author's Note

But what name should she go with? They're all fine mac names, but she can only call dibs on one of them. To be extra clear, this is not exactly how a lot of people deal with their transitions. They do not live in a world of magic, and getting a trial run isn't quite as smooth a process. By the time you get to that point, you've already well made up your mind, often years ahead of time. This is not me suggesting this is... like... normal. These are magical ponies dealing with things in a magically pony way. Let's enjoy their travels.

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