It was a funny thing. She thought she understood what it was to walk down a road as a mare. She'd done it as Blossom no few times! And yet, there, in Ponyville, it was all different. She wasn't some new mare. She was Big Mac, and all those eyes belonged to ponies she knew.

There were friendly smiles, curious waves, and the occasional called greeting. There were jealous squints and wanting leers, most of either hidden, but, feeling especially sensitive, she felt like she could detect each and every one.

"Well, hello there." A mare had stopped in front of Big Mac, smiling at her. "I don't think I recognize you..." Her eyes fell to Big Mac's harness. "Are you related to Big Mac?"

Big Mac smiled at the middle-aged mare. "Howdy! It's me."

Even if her voice had changed, and her form quite a bit, her words were more than enough.

Missus Cake gasped with shock. "Oh!" She glanced left and back at the new mare. "Pardon my saying this... but is this some... kind of new sick going around? Am I going to end up a stallion, or my husband a mare? We have a family! That would be very awkward..."

Big Mac rubbed behind her head awkwardly. "It ain't a sick, promise... Nopony's gonna catch it." She shrank a little. "Jus' me makin' up mah mind. That's... a little hurtful, sayin' that."

Missus Cake flinched backwards. "I shoved that hoof right in there. Please forgive me. Big Mac is a dear friend, mare or stallion. I'm just... used to one. Give me a moment." Not that she was the first pony to need a bit to adjust to the idea. "Did you... change in any other ways?"

"Still Big Mac." She shook her body a little with a smile. "Big Joanamac. Nice to meetcha, 'gain."

"A pleasure. You know, I changed my name before too." She waggled her brows. "It was quite the big event. I tripped over that for weeks. I know how that can feel. Chifon Swirl... That feels like a long lost pony now. I suppose she is, in a way... Sorry, getting distracted. You know, Pinkie will want to throw a party for you and announce you to the town."

"Ain't changed mah name... and ah gotta make up mah mind first." She shuffled in place. "So don't go tellin' her just yet."

"I won't... But she has a way of knowing." She started past Big Mac. "So, be on the lookout. You know she is."

Big Mac waved as Missus Cake went on her way, recovering from the surprise. She turned to come face to face with a grinning pony. "Woah!" She scrambled back in surprise, having almost crashed into the new pony. "Pinkie! Watch where yer goin'."

"Hiya!" She pronked around Big Mac, looking her over curiously. "Love the new look. So when should I plan the announcement?"

"About that... Ain't decided if ah'm..." She grunted. Her plan to keep it a secret, ruined so quickly. "Still considerin'."

"Well, we can start with the name." She landed right in front of Big Mac, all smiles. "I gotta know what to call ya!"

"Still Big Mac." Big Mac considered a moment, wrinkling her nose. "Ah'll tell ya the moment ah'm sure."

"Oki doki!" She jumped right over Big Mac, landing behind them. "I'll hold you to that!" With the questions answered, for the moment, she bounced off to other activities.

Big Mac considered a moment, turning her attention to the ponies wandering past instead of being something to watch herself for a moment. "Ayup." She made up her mind, speeding to a particular candy shoppe. Inside was a specific candy maker.

Bon Bon waved gently. "I told you to come after I close, unless you're here for a treat? We have plenty of those."

"Temptin'." She kicked the door behind her closed. "Ah know ah'm early... but ah had a moment. Ah was powerful busy yesterday, and ah don't know fer sure how long this'll last... Ah wanted to ask, if ya had time."

Bon Bon waved Big Mac closer. "First, who did this? Twilight?" Big Mac shook her head. "Then who?"

"Starlight." She sat in front of the counter. "Does it make much a difference?"

"I suppose not... I was just curious." She leaned forward on her counter, watching Big Mac. "Now, let's be honest. Are you just a stallion curious about how mares work?"

"No! Ah mean... maybe? Kinda? No!" She rubbed at her burning cheek. "Ain't askin' jus' to ask. Ah really wanna know. Really got to know... Don't wanna let her down by havin' no clue. Um, sorry to ask, but did ya know, at first? When ya met Lyra that is."

"I will... assume you're being honest." She pointed past Big Mac. "Close that door and lock it."

Big Mac bounced up and sprinted for the door, shutting it with a dull thunk of its deadbolt. "There."

"Great." She folded her arms on that counter. "Now, you've been with a pony, possibly two if I'm counting properly."

Big Mac thought back to the two smiling mares that had caught her eyes at different times. "Ayup?"

"Did you know what to do with them, at first?"

"Um..." She shuffled in place, thinking about that. "Reckon... ah didn't."

"Many ponies don't." She leaned forward. "But when you're with somepony you care about a lot, things start to come natural... You want them to feel good. You hope they'll make you feel good. You start to... do things to make both of those things happen. It's not even a thought."

Big Mac squirmed, feeling warmer by the moment just thinking about it. "Y-yeah... ah get that... but ah can't do some of the things ah did afore. Mares don't have them parts!"

"They sure don't." Bon Bon reached out to tap Big Mac on the nose. "But we do have a lot of the same parts. We have a lot of the same needs. Top, bottom, sandwhiched... If you're making her feel good, she'll return the favor, and you can have a nice time. There's no greater secret than that." A thought came with a perking of her ears. "You good at kissing?"

Big Mac started at that. "Sure? Think so." She rubbed a hoof along a longer leg. "Ain't never had nopony complain about it afore."

"Kiss me."

Big Mac blinked numbly at Bon Bon.

"Kiss me," she firmly repeated. "Only way to know for sure. Go on. This isn't romantic. You asked for this kind of help. Kiss me."

Big Mac took a step forward. "Ah don't normally kiss ponies ah ain't attached ta, um... You know? The ones ah really like that way, or family."

"Good pony." She beckoned towards her face. "Go on. I'm giving you permission. Kiss me."

Joanamac considered the offering mare. "Is Lyra alright with this?"

"She'll be jealous she didn't get to see it." Bon Bon slid free of the counter. "But I told her this'd happen, so she knows. You're not helping me cheat. Besides, I told you, not attracted to ponies who aren't Lyra, which you're not. Let's get educational. Kiss me."

Enough talking. She decided to try it. "No cheatin' here either. My heart belongs to another mare." She went in and pressed her lips to Bon Bon, inclining her head as she did it for a better match. Bon Bon smelled... nice. Her lips were soft. The soft felt of her snout was gentle to the touch.

It was a kiss, and it was a good one. Joana lost track of time a moment before a gentle smack sounded as Bon Bon stepped back. "Um..."

"You can kiss." She nodded with confirmation. "You don't need my help with that. Kiss a mare like that and you've done half the work. After that, you have to learn what parts of her she likes you kissing the most. It isn't always the lips, free advice."

"Oh..." She felt... Joana felt warm, tingly, and.... "Oh..." She felt sensitive in places Big Mac didn't have, but Blossom did. "Ah think... ah get it... So two mares... They kiss, a lot... In a lotta places, they keep right on kissin' until the other pony knows fer sure they love 'em."

Bon Bon clapped slowly, pointedly. "You got it. There are other things two mares can do... We have hooves, they work. Some of us have horns." She paused, seeing Joana color so sharply. "Which you know about? How do you... Nevermind, cancel that question, none of my business." She muttered something about lecherous unicorns. "Be careful with those. They're very proud of those things, but they can be sharp! You don't want to get jabbed with that, especially in... delicate places. Just warning."

Joana could imagine, but her lady friend also had one of those... "What if she wants to try?"

"Why..." It seemed to register. "Right! You have a unicorn lady-friend, don't you? You know... They'll use it on you as a stallion if you let them, at least some of them. They love using that thing... Now, me? We're riding the same boat. Earth pony." She held up a hoof, waiting a moment without it being met. "No horns, no wings. If you trust them, and you want, let them, just be careful. Expect mistakes... If they care about you, it'll never happen more than once, but expect them. You don't learn by not making mistakes."

Joanamac shrank back, imagining what could go wrong. But she had done exactly that, given half a chance... "Yeah... Yeah, ah get that. Um... thanks."

"You're very welcome." Bon Bon sat behind her counter. "Now, do you have any other questions? I think you're ready to have a wonderful evening with your special somepony. Just to be clear, these lips were a one-time offer. They belong to Lyra, so take it up with her."

"Right. Um, ain't nice to do that... ya two are a thin', ain't ya?"

"We are." Bon Bon hiked a brow. "Which was a thing I thought you might have a problem with, since we're being honest. You always struck me as a straight laced sort of stallion. The sort that wouldn't get why two mares would find each other attractive that way. Probably hide Apple Bloom's eyes from seeing it if you could."

"Ah ain't like that!" She felt her defenses burst. "Shoot... Is that what I looked like to Granny?"

"What does Granny Smith have to do with this?" Bon Bon switched which brow was up.

Joanamac lifted a long arm to direct a hoof. "Ah thought fer sure she'd be... That she'd be real angry 'bout all this, but she's been nothin' but supportive. She don't understand it all, but she's still mah Granny... An' she loves me... an ah love her..." She sniffed with building emotions. "Ah was a dang fool fer thinkin' this little thing could change that."

Bon Bon came around to pat Joana gently on the shoulder. "That sounds like a real moment... I'm glad it turned out that way. It doesn't always, but I'm really glad it did... Apples, you're good ponies."

Joana chuckled at that. "Thanks kindly. Um... Fer everythin'." She stood up, shaking herself out. "Really. Ah learned somethin' powerful important. Whether ah... stay or go... Not sorry, not even fer a second... Thank you so much."

Bon Bon considered Joanamac carefully. "Huh... Today's a good day for surprises." A knock reached them from the door. "Coming!" She trotted past Joana and let the new pony in to buy sweets. "Welcome!"

Joanamac nodded at the pony, Peppermint Twist, on the way out. She left the business mare and the foal customer to discuss less sensitive things. "Not sorry a'tall..."

But, perhaps, she reasoned, that might be answer enough to the question that was bouncing around in her. She didn't regret it, not even a little. None of it, not even a little bit of it.

Author's Note

Joanamac feels like she may have an answer. Also she kissed a mare and she liked it.

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