My Little Pony: Sora's Misadventures in Equestria

by Codex92

Brotherhooves Social

Inside the attic of the Apple family farmhouse, Sora opened up the hatch as he got a first look inside. He coughed as some dust got into his lungs before climbing up to let Big Macintosh and Granny Smith climb up the ladder.

"Wow. Dusty," Sora said. He looked around at the many boxes filled with what seemed like a couple generations worth of old stuff of the family, many possibly belonging to Granny Smith and her family when she was younger. "Ever think of having a garage sale and get rid of some of these things if you don't use them?"

"Ah ain't lettin' go of any of mah stuff!" Granny Smith said. "Besides, they go to Goldie Delicious's as part of our family's history."

"Oh, yeah. She's gonna need a bigger house in the next few generations, then." Sora and Big Mac looked in the several boxes, searching for something while the elder Apple looked through the ones without requiring any heavy lifting. Sora found some interesting stuff, though they weren't what he was looking for. "So, we're looking for a ribbon?"

"Not just any ribbon," Granny said. "It's the first ribbon we gave when we first started the Sisterhooves Social, and Ah plan on givin' it to the winners of the race this year. Now if only Ah could find the darn thing!" Granny grumbled as she looked in another box. "Wish Ah remembered to label these consarn boxes..."

While they continued searching, Big Macintosh heard Apple Bloom and Applejack outside. Looking out the window, he could see his sisters playing around and having a good time, getting themselves ready for the Sisterhooves Social as it was just around the corner. They had been practicing the events for weeks and planned on getting a blue ribbon together in the race. The red earth pony frowned, feeling left out as he wished he was down there playing with his baby sister. It felt like forever ago since he entertained Apple Bloom when she was little, and because his family legacy was on the line, he stepped up to keep the farm running after what happened to his parents and Granny Smith getting older and older.

While Big Mac sadly reminisced, Sora opened one of the many boxes and found what looked like a toy dragonfly with a smiley face, a small pole jutting out from underneath it. "Well, this is a weird toy," he said to himself as he pulled it out. "Who's was this?"

"Oh, that used to be Apple Bloom's favorite," Granny said. "When Big Mac used it, she thought he was magic when he made it fly." Sora hummed curiously, grabbing the pole with both hooves and twisted it around. Giving it a hard twist and letting it go, he got what she was talking about as the spinning dragonfly hovered in the air before falling to the wood floor in front of Big Macintosh, who had noticed what Sora found. "Ah! Enough reminiscin'! Need to find that ribbon!"

"Right. Ribbon. Gotta find." Sora lifted up a few boxes and continued searching, wondering where the elder Apple placed it. "Hey, Big Mac, you got any luck finding that ribbon?" Waiting for a response, none came from the stallion. He turned around to find him, only to surprisingly not find any sign of the large red earth pony, or even hear him leave, the dragonfly toy no longer on the ground as well. "Uhh, Mac? Where'd he go?"

He soon heard Granny Smith grunt as boxes fell on top of her. Worried for the old mare, Sora hovered over the fallen pile and lifted them off of her. Luckily, landing in front of the slightly dazed elder was the ribbon they were looking for.

"Found her!" Granny said. "Ah knew it was in that one."

"Ok, we're labeling these things this weekend," Sora said with a sigh. "And maybe sending some of these things off to Goldie Delicious's cluttered museum of Apple family heritage."

---

"S-I-S-T-E-R-S! Which two sisters are the best? We are! Apple Bloom and Applejack forever!" the two apple sisters cheered together, perfecting their chant for the Social as they were hyped up for tomorrow.

"We're gonna win every competition at the Sisterhooves Social tomorrow!" Apple Bloom exclaimed excitedly. "Those other fillies won't know what hit 'em!"

Big Mac stepped outside the house with the old dragonfly toy in his mouth, approaching his sisters with some hope in his heart. Applejack spotted him, along with Sora after he helped Granny down from the attic.

"Hey, Big Mac!" Applejack greeted. "Did ya want somethin'?"

"Eeyup," the stallion said.

"Hold that thought," Apple Bloom interrupted. "Applejack, you are the most awesome sister ever!"

Applejack chuckled, rubbing the back of her neck bashfully at her little sister's praise. "Well, Ah think that's sweet ya hold that opinion of me, but-"

"And Sora's the best big brother Ah ever had, too!" Apple Bloom interrupted, running up to the pegasus and hugging his leg. The gesture and praise toward both his sister and honorary brother was like being stabbed with a knife to the heart for Big Mac, almost as if Apple Bloom forgot he was standing right there. "The both of y'all saved Equestria a gazillion times, y'all are both funny and strong! Probably the best older siblin's in all of Equestria!"

"Well, thanks, Apple Bloom," Sora said. "But, I'm the honorary big brother, remember?"

"Yeah, but you're still mah brother!" Apple Bloom said. "And with Applejack by mah side, Ah'm guaranteed to taste sweet, sweet Sisterhooves Social victory! Go, Apples, go, go, go, Apples, go!"

While Apple Bloom cheered, she was completely oblivious to Big Mac's feelings as he stood right in front of her while praising the two heroes over him. "Uhh, Apple Bloom? I think Big Mac has something he wants to show you," Sora said, noticing the dejected look on the stallion.

Her attention was on him as Big Mac took the dragonfly toy out of his mouth. Twisting the rod with his hooves, he twirled it and sent it flying, hovering down to the ground in front of Apple Bloom.

"Hey, is that the old toy we used to play with when I was little?" Apple Bloom asked.

"Eeyup," Big Mac said.

"Huh. Neat." Ignoring her brother, Apple Bloom turned to Applejack. "Alright, let's get back to practicin'!" Big Mac's hopes were dashed as he turned away and headed toward the barn, letting out a depressed sigh. Applejack and Sora watched him leave while Apple Bloom continued being unintentional ignorance to her older brother's feelings. "We need one more run-through of our jugglin' routine, make sure our harmonies are tight in our song, and try to beat our best pie-eatin' time!"

"Uhh, Apple Bloom, can ya hang on a minute?" Applejack asked. "Sora and Ah need to talk with Big Mac for a moment."

"Mind if Ah start eatin' this pie without ya?" Apple Bloom asked as she pulled out a pie she had behind her.

Her honorary brother and sister didn't give a response as they made their way after Big Macintosh, so the filly took that as a confirmation and began eating the pie as fast as she could. Inside the barn, Sora and Applejack found Big Mac hammering something on an anvil.

"Hey, Big Mac?" Sora called out, the earth pony stallion turning his head to leer at his sibling and pseudo-sibling before going back to doing more chores. "You alright?"

"Eeyup," he grumbled.

"Ok, that's clearly a no," Sora said. "You're upset about something. And I have a bad feeling it's what Apple Bloom said."

"Nope," Big Mac scoffed, his tone wanting this conversation to end.

"Big Mac, ya can tell us anythin'," Applejack said. "Ya feelin' a bit left out?" He sighed heavily, his sad expression giving them the answer they needed. "Ah know Apple Bloom and Ah have been spendin' a lot of time together gettin' ready for the Social."

"And I'm usually the one getting tasked to watch her and the other two Crusaders so they don't get into too much trouble," Sora added. "But, you really don't want that responsibility on your head. It can be more exhausting than you think."

Just as Applejack wanted to discuss this more with her brother, she winced as her cutie mark began glowing, the map calling her for a mission. Apple Bloom walked into the barn after scarfing down her pie, gasping as she saw her older sister's cutie mark glowing.

"Your cutie mark! Applejack, you're bein' called by the map!" Apple Bloom cheered. "This is so cool!"

Big Mac let out a heavy sigh and grumbled. "Eeyup..."

"Ah wonder where you're bein' called to. What you're supposed to do. Obviously, it's somethin' awesome, but maybe not as awesome as Sora and him fightin' Heartless!" Apple Bloom had a sudden realization, what she expected her sister to do could end up taking a long while to accomplish. "But, if you're bein' summoned to solve a friendship problem, then that means you're gonna miss the Sisterhooves Social! And if you miss the Social, then I'm gonna miss the Social, which means Ah won't be able to taste sweet, sweet, victory!"

The filly began to panic and hyperventilate, having waited all year for this moment to take part in the Social with her big sister. Sora grabbed the filly, hugging her and petting her head to calm her down.

"Apple Bloom, breathe," he said. "It's not the end of the world if you miss the Social."

"But we never missed a single one when Ah was old enough to take part!" Apple Bloom said. "...Well, except last year, because Sweetie Belle had issues with Rarity, but that was more important back then!"

"Ah'll go and see what's goin' on at the castle," Applejack said. "Maybe it's just a false alarm."

Sora winced, knowing full well there's no way being called by the Cutie Map would mean a false alarm. Applejack left and came back a moment later to tell them the news, but for Apple Bloom, it was all terrible news.

"But ya said it was a false alarm!" she whined.

"Ah said 'maybe', sugarcube," Applejack corrected as she packed some of her things. "Unfortunately, it's not. Rarity, Aqua, Terra, and Ah have to go to Manehattan. No idea why Ah'm goin' there with two others who are just as lost as Ah would be while one of us knows her way around is a mystery to me."

"Can't ya just tell the map to wait a few more days?" Apple Bloom begged desperately.

"It doesn't work like that," Sora said. "When the map calls us, we go to where we're needed and come back when we figure out what the problem is. What kind of role models would we be if we just skipped out on something so important?"

"This can't be happenin'!" Apple Bloom whined, running up the stairs to her room. "Your extreme awesomeness is backfirin' on me!"

Apple Bloom slammed her bedroom door, making the trio wince. "Aw, shoot. Ah knew she would get upset. Can you two try to cheer her up? Ah'm not sure if Ah'll be able to make it back in time for the Sisterhooves Social tomorrow."

Sora and Big Mac nodded, though they weren't sure if there was any way to cheer Apple Bloom up while she was this devastated. Applejack left as she made her way to the train station to meet up with Rarity, Aqua, and Terra so they could accomplish their task. Knowing Rarity was also going to Manehattan, Sora wondered how well Sweetie Belle was taking this news. She wanted to take part in the Social with Rarity this year and heard Rainbow was going to take part with Scootaloo as a sister-figure, but that meant only Scootaloo was going to compete with her honorary sister.

"Well, this is going to be a crummy day," Sora said. "If only the Social was called the 'Sibling Social', that way it can allow any siblings of any gender to compete. I'm gonna see how Sweetie Belle's doing, and you can help cheer your sister up."

"Eeyup," Big Mac said, the two stallions splitting up to help their sisters.

Sora flew over to the boutique, spotting the four ponies at the station already boarding the train to Manehattan as he touched down outside the shop/house's front door. He knocked on the door, knowing Sweetie Belle was probably home, the filly opening the door for him.

"Hi, Sora," Sweetie Belle said. "If you're looking for Rarity, she's on her way to Manehattan to solve a friendship problem.

"Yeah, I know. Applejack told me the news," Sora said. "...How are you taking it considering what day tomorrow is?"

"Oh. The Sisterhooves Social...Well, I was a little disappointed when Rarity said she had important friendship business to solve, but I kind of expected it," Sweetie Belle said, acting a lot more mature about the situation than Apple Bloom. "She's always busy with her business and barely have the time to play with me or do anything fun. Would have been nice for us to do everything at the Social than just the race. Maybe next year we can go."

"Well, at least you're taking it well," Sora said. "Apple Bloom's upset that she won't 'taste sweet, sweet victory' and win all the events with Applejack."

"I know," Sweetie said with an annoyed roll of her eyes. "She wouldn't stop talking about it during our Crusaders meetings for the last few weeks. It got a little annoying. But, looks like Scootaloo's going to be the only one who will take part in it with Rainbow Dash. I wish you were able to join us."

"Same here. I mean, it's not like I can just pretend to be a mare and pretend I'm a distant relative of-" Sora paused as he managed to come up with an idea. Sadly, his brilliant plan made him grimace, which meant doing something he hoped no one else would see him do. "...Oh no...I just became brilliant."

"Uhh, what are you talking about?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"...You'll see," Sora said. "You going to be at the Social?"

"Yeah, to support Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash," she said. "But, why? You can't join because you're a stallion."

"I know...I'll see you tomorrow." Sora flapped his wings and flew off, leaving a confused Sweetie Belle behind. He then made his way down to the Everfree Forest, walking through the dirt path leading straight to a familiar zebra friend's hut. "I cannot believe I am going to do this...I don't even know if Apple Bloom will want me to take Applejack's place so she can have fun at the Social, but I'm gonna do it anyway because I'm a good older brother." He stood in front of Zecora's door, swallowing the lump of nervousness in his throat. "Guess I'm glad I grew up an only child, because this is going to be embarrassing..."

He knocked on the door, hearing Zecora's hoofsteps inside as she opened the door. "Sora. A friendly sight to see. What brings you to my home in the Everfree?"

"Uhh, a little visit...and a question about potions." Zecora offered Sora inside as she approached her cauldron, in the middle of mixing some kind of brew for a potion she was creating. "Aside from a little bit of chat, I was wondering if there might be a potion...where one can be affected by the random pranks given by Poison Joke."

"There actually is a way, being careful when using the flower in a brew. But, one question I must ask is who you will give it to." Sora groaned and shut his eyes, scrunching his muzzle as he pointed his hoof at himself. Zecora blinked in confusion, only to laugh a moment later as she recalled what the Poison Joke's prank did to him back then. "You mean to say you want to turn back into a mare? What is this about? Some sort of dare?"

"...No," Sora squeaked before giving up with a sigh. "Rarity and Applejack are off on a friendship mission from the Cutie Map back in the castle...You've heard about that, right?" The zebra nodded her head as she occasionally heard news of what goes on in Ponyville, especially with the new castle appearing after Tirek's defeat. "Ok. So, those two are going off to Manehattan, and we don't know when they're coming back. But they're going to miss the Sisterhooves Social, and Apple Bloom's taking it pretty hard if she misses the Social tomorrow. So, I want to use a potion with an essence of Poison Joke to turn myself into a mare and be a replacement sister for her, or Sweetie Belle if Apple Bloom doesn't want me replacing Applejack, and not leave them out of the Social."

After he explained his reasons for turning into a mare, Zecora tapped a hoof to her chin as she looked at her shelves of premade potions. "Always helpful, and pure gold that is your heart. Anypony you hold dear, you dread to part. You are quite a pony who's kindness knows no bounds, and even if the villains say it's weakness, it is not as weak as it sounds." Sora grinned, rubbing the back of his head bashfully. The zebra approached one of her shelves and grabbed a blue bottle filled with a darker blue liquid. "I have experimented with creating a potion using Poison Joke before. Though, I think selling this to the public can leave me a mental sore. The effects for any pony will be the same like the flower, its nectar and petals a main ingredient for its power."

"So, I just drink it. And are the effects immediate as soon as I down the entire bottle?" Zecora nodded her head, but before she spoke, Sora took the Poison Joke potion and hugged the zebra. "Thanks! What will we ever do without you, Zecora!? I only hope Riku doesn't see me as a mare, otherwise he'll constantly tease me when he really does see me with his own eyes...Or Kairi if she decides to style my hair or force me to model in a dress." The last thought left a blush on Sora's face, but it quickly faded away as he flew out of Zecora's hut. "Thanks again, Zecora!"

The alchemist ran out and saw the stallion disappear through the trees, letting out a sigh with a shake of her head. "If only he was patient for a moment more to hear me say he still needs to bathe in the cure."

---

Tomorrow couldn't come soon enough as Ponyville was all a bustle with the Sisterhooves Social today. Sweet Apple Acres was already set up with decorations for the event as sister siblings were all ready to have fun and compete with other sister teams in many different events. Apple Bloom was still miserable when she woke up this morning, barely eating breakfast with her older brother and Granny Smith, Sora unfortunately not there with them for some Apple family home cooking. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo arrived to see if she still want to go, reluctantly agreeing, though she was a bit worried when Big Mac had an idea when Granny wished any of their female relatives would have visited so Apple Bloom wouldn't feel left out. In fact, what her older brother had in mind made her cringe in embarrassment just from imagining what could possibly go wrong.

"Hey, Apple Bloom!" Scootaloo called out, catching the filly's attention as she and Sweetie Belle waved her over. "You ready to cheer me and Rainbow Dash on today? She's going over to sign us both up, even if we're not sisters, she's a big sister-figure to me like how Sora's an older brother-figure to us."

"...Well, Ah guess Ah won't, seein' as Ah'm gonna be participatin' after all," Apple Bloom said.

"Really?" Sweetie Belle asked, followed by a gasp as she pounced Apple Bloom. "Applejack and Rarity are back from Manehattan already!?"

"Uhh, no. They're still gone," Apple Bloom said. She gently pushed her unicorn friend off her and sat back up, looking really nervous. "Turns out mah long lost cousin...'Orchard Blossom' was able to make it last minute. Heheheh..."

"Cousin who?" Scootaloo asked.

"Exactly," the earth pony filly said.

"Ok..." Sweetie Belle began looking around the area, expecting to find Sora to show up and help cheer for Scootaloo and Rainbow, and now Apple Bloom with her long lost cousin. "Huh. That's weird. Apple Bloom, was Sora at your place this morning?"

"No. He wasn't there," Apple Bloom said. "Why?"

"He said he was going to show up, but he isn't here yet." As the fillies looked around for the stallion, a pegasus landed behind them and approached them.

"Hey there, fillies!" Startled by the pony talking to them, they turned to face the mare, though Apple Bloom's jaw dropped in shock at who she was staring at. Standing before them was a tan pegasus mare, long, spiky brown hair and tail to match, and she wore a wide grin that reminded Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo of a certain older brother of theirs. "Well, there you are, Sweetie Belle! I was looking all over for you!"

"Uhh, you were?" the unicorn filly asked in confusion. "Do I know you?"

"Oh, of course you wouldn't. You were just a baby since the last time I saw you!" The pegasus mare ruffled Sweetie's mane, Apple Bloom letting out an embarrassed groan as she covered her eyes. "I'm your long-lost cousin, Blaze Saber! I thought Rarity would mention me a lot more with all the letters I send her, but that mare's always so busy with that boutique of hers. She sent me a letter about a week ago about the Sisterhooves Social, and was sad to say that she might not be able to spend much time with you. So, she asked me if I could come by and take her place, and of course I couldn't say no and get to spend some time with you!"

"...Really?" Sweetie asked. "I don't know if I had any other relatives. At least any mom, dad, or even Rarity know of."

"Well, that's what 'long-lost' means, Sweetie Belle," the older mare said. "So, how about I get us signed up?"

Apple Bloom had enough, yelling in frustration as she ran up to the mare and tackled her to the ground. "Consarn it, Sora! Why are ya a mare again!?"

Sora winced and pressed her hoof against the earth pony filly's mouth, though the secret was already out, at least to the shocked Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. Thankfully, no one else heard Apple Bloom's outburst. He lifted the angry filly off him and sat up, chuckling nervously as he rubbed the back of his head. The other two fillies finally see the connection between Sora and this pegasus, from the hairstyle, blue eyes, similar gestures, and getting a good look at the Keyblade cutie mark definitely proved Apple Bloom's suspicion. The only thing he lacked were the clothes and red bag that's strapped around his hind leg.

"Oh my gosh, it is Sora," Sweetie Belle mumbled, while Scootaloo responded by laughing uproariously, falling over on her back as she clutched her stomach.

Sora sighed, knowing someone was eventually going to get laughed at, but thankfully it wasn't from Riku. "Yeah, yeah. Yuk it up, Scoots."

"Sora, did ya roll around in Poison Joke on purpose this time!?" Apple Bloom questioned angrily.

"No, I didn't even come near those flowers this time," Sora said. "I went to Zecora's yesterday to see if she had a potion that gave the same effects as Poison Joke, only making the transformation instantaneous without the frustrating and exhausting sequence while sleeping. Little known fact: Poison Joke kinda tastes like blueberries, though I think the disgusting tang of it came from the other ingredients in the potion."

"So ya turned yourself into a mare again? To replace Applejack for me?" Apple Bloom asked.

"...Well, I did at first...but, I don't think your family has any other relatives who weren't an earth pony, right?" Sora asked as he spread his wings. Apple Bloom shook her head, her family having no pegasus or unicorn relatives from the stories she's heard and pictures taken in the past. "That, and I didn't know if you were too upset to have me take Applejack's place so you didn't feel left out."

"Oh...Well, even if ya told me before, you're kinda too late for that," Apple Bloom said. "Mah long-lost cousin Orchard Blossom is here to...join me in the Sisterhooves Social."

"Who the heck is Orchard Blossom?" Sora asked. "I don't remember meeting a relative named Orchard Blossom."

"Oh, ya know her alright," the filly muttered to herself.

"Well, Ah do declare!" The group turned to the pony behind them, but upon seeing them, Apple Bloom winced, Sora's jaw dropped in surprised shock, and Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo just stared awkwardly. Before them was a "mare" wearing a light blue dress with darker blue apples scattered about, a pink ribbon tied in a bow on the front, and a pink sash around "her" barrel, blonde hair in a very sophisticated style with a blue flower in "her" mane, and a pair of dress shoes for "her" wide fetlocks, one of the front ones tied with a light blue bow. "She" was pretty bulky for a mare, which definitely showed in "her" muzzle covered in makeup to make "her" look pretty. "It's hotter today than the business end of a corncob pipe!"

Sora, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo knew exactly who it was, and she was definitely a he from the falsetto tone the stallion underneath the dress spoke in. "Orchard Blossom" finally noticed the Poison Joked stallion, where he actually looked like a mare compared to the earth pony, balking in surprise as he remembered the last time he encountered the pegasus like that.

"Agh! My eyes!" Sora shouted. "What am I looking at!?"

Apple Bloom sighed as she approached the "mare". "Guys, this is mah cousin, Orchard Blossom. Orchard Blossom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and...Blaze Saber."

"...W-Well, it was quite a pleasure to make your acquaintance," "Orchard Blossom" greeted.

"...That's Big Mac in a dress," Sweetie Belle said in a deadpanned tone, clearly obvious from how hard the stallion tried to make himself look like a mare.

Apple Bloom smacked her forehead, knowing full well her brother's disguise would fail the moment he stepped outside. Even Big Mac knew he was caught, but he still kept up his act despite that fact.

"Ok, I think I need to have a little chat with...'Orchard Blossom'," Sora said. "Have some older mare talk and get to know one another."

Sora guided the cross-dressed stallion over to one of the tents, making sure it wasn't occupied before stepping in. As soon as they were alone, both the pegasus and earth pony leered at each other.

"What are you doing!?" they both asked each other.

"Uhh, no, you answer that first!" Sora demanded. "Why are you in a dress, Mac!?"

"Ah think y'all should be tellin' me why y'all are a mare again!" Big Mac exclaimed, dropping his falsetto tone.

"Well, at least I actually LOOK like a mare! You're a stallion in drag!" Sora argued. "...Although, I will admit blue goes with your coat, this is all too much!"

"And ya messed around with Poison Joke to turn into a mare for what reason? To give me more nightmares!?" Big Mac argued back.

"I was trying to help Apple Bloom or Sweetie Belle so they wouldn't miss out on the Social today, but thankfully I'm pretending to be Sweetie Belle's long-lost cousin because I don't think anyone would believe a pegasus mare would be related to the Apple family," Sora explained.

"...Ah did this for Apple Bloom, too," Big Mac said, both ponies ceasing their arguing as they both had the same reason for pretending to be a mare. "She was just so miserable, and Ah wanted to spend more time with her. Ah never can all that much because Ah'm always workin' in the orchard, makin' sure it stays up an' runnin' for us so we don't lose our home...So, if it meant wearin' a dress and puttin' on makeup, Ah'd do anythin' to bring back the fun we used to share when she was still little."

"...Oh." Now Sora understood what was actually upsetting Big Macintosh. He had a feeling it had to do with Apple Bloom's praise between him and Applejack overshadowing the stallion's and ending up replacing Big Mac as her real older brother, but he was also jealous because he wanted to have fun with his little sister and couldn't with all the work he's done keeping his family's farm from falling under when Granny Smith got too old to do any of the chores on her own. "...So, that's why you were upset...How come you didn't say anything earlier?"

"What could Ah say?" Big Mac asked. "Ah don't really say much anymore, and every time Ah did open mah mouth, Ah never shut up. Believe me when Ah say Ah kept quiet from now on after almost getting mah leg amputated by Granny a few years back."

Sora raised a brow, both curious and wondering how Big Mac, who used to talk his mouth off before he was the silent stallion he knew him as, almost got his leg cut off by his own grandmother. "...I want to know, but I think that's a story for another day..." Brushing aside Big Mac supposedly being a chatterbox back before they met, Sora got back to the topic at hand: the two of them pretending to be mares so they don't let Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle feel left out in the Sisterhooves Social. "Well, one thing's for sure; we're really, really good older brothers."

"Eeyup," Big Mac agreed.

"...And we're going to embarrass ourselves for their happiness. Our pride and masculinity is on the line, but for their sakes, it'll be worth it. So, we stick with our mare personas and try to have fun with our sisters." The stallion in the dress nodded in agreement, both mare and stallion hoofbumping each other. They both walked out of the tent and back to the Crusaders. "Well, looks like Orchard Blossom and I have quite a lot of things in common! Instant best friend material!"

"Yes, quite," "Orchard Blossom" said, the stallion talking in falsetto to try and sound feminine again as he giggled. "We were even talking about mah cousin, Big Macintosh. How he's such a fine and noble product of the Apple clan."

Sora stepped down hard on one of Big Mac's back hooves with his own, the stallion in disguise wincing in pain. "Don't push it," he whispered. "Anyway, let's go and sign up before the events start and get some quality time with our younger cousins!"

"R-Right," "Orchard Blossom" agreed, hobbling slightly from the harsh stomp on his hoof, surprisingly powerful for being turned into a mare.

The Crusaders followed the duo as they approached the sign-up area. The judges looking over the ponies taking part in the Social spotted the pegasus and earth pony, staring awkwardly at the obvious stallion in a dress pretending to be a mare. Although, one particular judge, an elder gray-brown earth pony stallion had no clue as he bore a grin of interest toward Orchard Blossom.

"Hey, we're here to sign up," Sora said.

"Yes, our dearest cousins Applejack and Rarity regrettably could not be here, so I, Applejack's cousin Orchard Blossom, and Rarity's cousin Blaze Saber, shall accompany Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle in their stead," Big Mac explained, though Sora facehooved when he could have just simply said they're taking Rarity and Applejack's places as the sister-figures for the Social for them.

"'Cousin Orchard Blossom' and 'Blaze Saber'." Both ponies flinched as they looked behind them, Rainbow Dash overhearing them and noticing the two ponies. Sora completely forgot Rainbow Dash was here with Scootaloo, and she already knew what he looked like as a mare from the Poison Joke incident, and she could tell it was Big Macintosh in a dress if she was blindfolded and several miles away. "I know Applejack has a lot of relatives, but I think she would have mentioned you. And I don't think Rarity has any cousins, or at least any who look a lot like my friend Sora."

"Shut up, Rainbow," Sora pleaded.

"Why, you must be Rainbow Dash," "Orchard Blossom" said. "You're Scootaloo's...uhh, hmm...How are y'all related again?"

Big Mac's question actually managed to stump Rainbow and keep her quiet from her assumptions. "...Ok, you got me there. I'll just let you two finish signing up. But don't think I'll go easy on you two just because you're both stallions."

Sora gave Rainbow a blank stare as she left. "Yeah. Going easy on me. That should be the other way around."

Big Mac cleared his throat, bringing his attention back to the judges. "Now, where were we?" he asked, his leaned hoof accidentally snapping one of the legs as he put a bit too much weight down on the table, causing it to collapse.

Apple Bloom cringed at how awkward her brother was being, not knowing his own strength when he should be acting like a mare. She left with her friends as Big Mac and Sora signed up, already embarrassed and wishing Applejack was here.

"They're gonna find out mah brother's pretendin' to be a mare," Apple Bloom said. "Ah'm glad Diamond Tiara's an only foal, otherwise she'd be makin' fun of me until the day Ah die!"

"Hey, girls!" Sora called out. "Good news! They allowed our pairs into the Social!"

"...Ah can't believe they bought it," Apple Bloom said in disbelief.

"You know, it's really sweet how Sora and Big Mac did this for the two of us," Sweetie Belle said. "...Weird, but sweet."

"And hilarious," Scootaloo added with a snort. "Sora as a mare is too priceless."

---

Once the rest of the sister teams in the Social have signed in, they began the different events, starting off with the singing competition. Only a few of the groups of sisters had decided to compete in this event, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo with their respective "sister" unable to come up with a song in time. After one of the sister duos on stage finished their song, everyone applauded as they bowed and exited the stage.

"Bravo!" a stallion said as he hosted the event. "Weren't those sisters great!? Now, where's our next competitors?"

"Here we are!" "Orchard Blossom" said as "she" and Apple Bloom stepped up onto the stage. The stallion in his mare disguise pulled out a record from the breast of the dress, giving it to the gawking pony as he could even see that was no mare with the young Apple. "This one, please."

"Excellent choice...ma'am," the host said, playing along with Big Macintosh's "incredible" disguise.

Apple Bloom and "Orchard Blossom" stood on stage, the filly really nervous about not only her song she practiced with Applejack several times, but ending up getting disqualified from the Social entirely if anyone finds out her older brother was pretending to be a mare. "You sure you know the words? It took Applejack a while to get it down."

"Did it now?" "Orchard Blossom asked quietly, feeling confident as they would surely win this event.

The stallion soon began playing the music requested for the performing duo, a gentle tune playing on the phonograph. Apple Bloom swallowed the lump in her throat, hoping Big Mac knew the words as the duet began.

[Apple Bloom and Big Macintosh]
We all love our brothers
And our fathers and mothers
We honor them like every family should

But there's somethin' that's quite unique
When my sister's there with me
And we share that special bond of sisterhood

[Apple Bloom]
Sisterhood

[Big Macintosh]
Sisterhood

[Apple Bloom]
Is a special kind of friend
Sisterhood

[Big Macintosh]
Sisterhood

[Apple Bloom]
Is a bond that never ends

[Apple Bloom and Big Macintosh]
It's not always perfect
You might fight or be misunderstood
But together you'll always have sisterhood

[Big Macintosh]
Sisterhood

[Apple Bloom]
Sisterhood

[Big Macintosh]
Sisterhood

[Apple Bloom]
Sisterhood

[Big Macintosh]
Sisterhood

[Apple Bloom]
Sisterhood

[Big Macintosh]
(deep bass) Sisterhood!

[Apple Bloom]
(joining in)...ood

During the song, Big Mac had gotten a bit too into the song as he pranced and skipped around in the background. What turned out great ended up becoming awkward, and embarrassing for Apple Bloom, as the stallion ended the song with a very deep note no mare should actually hit. The crowd was stunned silent, unsure whether to applaud or not right at the end. Sora facehooved, feeling sorry for Apple Bloom as she must have been extremely embarrassed of her older brother's finishing note.

"Uhh, are you ok, cousin Orchard Blossom?" Apple Bloom asked nervously. "You sounded like y'all were catchin' a cold or somethin' else that made your voice sound totally different at the end of the song. Heheheh..."

Realizing his mistake, Big Mac cleared his throat and got back into his falsetto feminine voice. "Just a frog in my throat, dear. Probably just need a sip of water."

"And some surgery on that Adam's apple you must have gotten during puberty," Sora whispered, making Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Rainbow snicker quietly as they heard him.

Big Mac and Apple Bloom stepped off the stage, unfortunately not a shoo-in to win a ribbon in that competition. "Oh my. That didn't go quite as planned," he said. "But don't you worry. We'll get ya a blue ribbon yet, Apple Bloom."

"Are you sure about that?" the filly questioned, losing any hope she would ever win anything at this rate.

"As sure as mah name is cousin Orchard Blossom," Big Mac said.

"But that isn't your name," Apple Bloom grumbled under her breath.

---

As the rest of the events were held, it was a complete disaster for Apple Bloom and "Orchard Blossom". They tried to perform their chant, altering their lines a little bit, although they got a bit flustered when they got to the names. And Big Mac got a bit too exaggerated with the cheer, accidentally kicking Apple Bloom off-stage and into a bucket of apples. Their performance didn't win them a ribbon with that mishap, along with stumbling in the middle of their cheer.

Next was the jump rope competition, where the sister teams jumped together to see who lasted the longest, and show off a little for a few bonus points. Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash were perfectly in sync with each other, almost as if they had rehearsed their jumps and flips before the Social, easily catching everyone's attention. Sora and Sweetie Belle competed as well, doing some simple jumps while the pegasus added a few tricks in between, usually tossing Sweetie up as he jumped with only his forehooves while using his back legs to push the unicorn filly up as the rope came over him. Apple Bloom and Big Mac, unfortunately, didn't win this event either, the stallion barely able to make any of the jumps as the rope came down due to the annoying dress and shoes he wore.

Then came the Apple siblings' juggling trick, also ending in disaster as they juggled the pins toward each other, another wardrobe malfunction for Big Mac as his legs ended up getting tangled in the dress in the middle of their routine. Apple Bloom just gave up thinking she ever had a chance at winning a single event this year, taking break from competing as the stallion straightened out his disguise.

"Oh, Ah don't know why Ah didn't choose to wear somethin' more casual," he said. "Why, Ah knew that jugglin' routine like the back of mah hoof! But never ya mind. There's still the race!"

"Look, Ah really appreciate the effort Big Ma-Ah mean, cousin Orchard Blossom," Apple Bloom said, being mindful of calling her brother by his alias as a mare in case anyone else heard them. "But Ah think we should just skip the obstacle course and call it a day."

"Why, Apple Bloom! Ah wouldn't hear of it!" "Orchard Blossom" scolded. "Your cousin Orchard Blossom may be many things, but she is NOT a quitter!"

"I'm sure she's not, but there are other Sisterhooves Socials," the filly reasoned. "I'm sure she'll help me win a blue ribbon next year."

Big Mac began to panic, his only chance to do something great for her sister slipping away as he grew desperate. "B-But you wanted to win it THIS year's Sisterhooves Social! And no matter what, Ah am gonna get ya that win! Why, Ah simply have to..."

---

It was time for the obstacle course as the sister teams stood before the starting line. The track was still the same as it was the year before, starting with a mud pit, then a run across a zigzag of empty buckets, a leap over some stacked crates, then a pie eating race, a hay bale push over the line, grape squash, egg balancing as they each grab an egg from the chicken coop, a few hurdles to jump over, and ending with a sprint to the finish line. The contestants got themselves ready to run, stretching their legs and hoping they had enough room in their stomachs to eat a whole pie tin when the reach those apple pies.

"Alright, Scootaloo, remember the parts where teamwork really comes into play," Rainbow reminded her surrogate sister.

"How could I forget? We've been practicing all week for this!" Scootaloo said.

"Ok, then, hot stuff. What's our move on the grape squish?" Rainbow asked.

"The alley-oop," Scootaloo answered.

"Apple toss?" the mare asked again.

"Flip-flop," Scootaloo said.

"Egg carrying?" Rainbow asked.

"Flutter-bomb." The pegasus sister team cheered, all ready to win the race as they leapt up and hoofbumped.

Sora rolled his eyes, then looked down at Sweetie Belle. "Ready to race?"

"Yup!" Sweetie said. "And let's see if we can win! Rarity and I were really close last time, but I have a feeling we just might win this year!"

"Oh yeah." The duo bumped hooves and crouched low as they prepared for the race to begin.

Big Mac suddenly grew worried as he might not stand a chance winning a race against two of the most athletic ponies in Ponyville. And being in a dress, that'll end up slowing him down, but he didn't want to give up on Apple Bloom and lose another event. He was going to win her that blue ribbon no matter what, just like he promised. Granny Smith sat in her rocker with a megaphone in front of her as she was prepared to start the race.

"Competi-sis-tors! Take your positions!" she said, the other racers bending their legs, ready to spring off from the starting line. "And-a-ready, and-a-set, go!"

The sister teams shot off, Rainbow, Scootaloo, Sora, and Sweetie Belle getting a headstart as soon as it began as they raced over to the mud pit. The pegasi sisters managed to leap over the mud while Sora and Sweetie Belle bounced across, barely getting stuck as they kept their momentum and chased after Rainbow and Scootaloo as they lead the pack. Apple Bloom and Big Mac unfortunately took the rear, the dressed up stallion getting his shoes caught in the mud for a moment before discarding them in the mud as they held him back.

"On your tail, Rainbow!" Sora called out as he and Sweetie Belle caught up with them, making it past the buckets with ease.

When they reached the crates, the pegasi leapt over easily, but Sora gave Sweetie Belle a boost up and over while he vaulted after his sister partner. Behind them, the other racers managed to make it through, but with Big Mac, he ended up breaking the buckets with every step in them and charged through the crates to try to catch up.

The earth pony duo reached the pie station, having missed the two teams trying to take first as they scarfed their pies down within seconds. They were slowly catching up, but as Big Mac dug into his tin, the ribbon he wore on his dress got in the way. Forgetting about being the prim and proper mare he was pretending to be, he ripped off the ribbon and finished up his pie, letting out an un-ladylike belch upon eating up every single crumb. Apple Bloom finished her pie and caught up with her brother as they ran past the other racers, reaching the hay bale push with Rainbow and Scootaloo and Sora and Sweetie Belle. Sora easily pushed the hay bale with ease while Sweetie followed behind him, Big Mac doing the same as well as Apple Bloom as they both passed over the line.

While Sora and Sweetie Belle ran around after pushing the hay bale, Big Mac continued pushing it until he tossed it up in the air, sending it flying behind them. "Uh oh! Heads up!" he warned, thankfully alerting a sister team before they ended up getting crushed by the bale unintentionally aimed at them. "Ok, Big Mac's starting to get desperate. This isn't gonna be pretty."

"Don't slow down, 'Blaze Saber'!" Rainbow said as she and Scootaloo passed him and Sweetie Belle.

The pegasus and unicorn filly continued running, catching up to them as they spotted Big Mac and Apple Bloom already at the grape squishing section of the race. The earth pony filly was already in the tub and began squishing grapes. Rainbow tossed her grapes in theirs and then Scootaloo, jumping up and joining her little-sister figure, nothing in the rules about the race saying the older sibling can't assist the younger one with the grape squishing. Sora followed Rainbow's example after tossing in their pile of grapes into the tub they chose.

"Sister toss!" Sora shouted, giving Sweetie Belle a boost up into the tub before leaping up into it with her.

"Squish and squash!" Sweetie Belle added, both of them catching up to Rainbow and Scootaloo as both teams quickly squished more juice into the glass jars under the spigots.

Big Macintosh panicked, willing to do anything to win as he took a running start and jumped as high as he could. Apple Bloom looked up and squealed in fright as her brother landed down in the wooden vat, splattering juice all over, even nearly crushing his little sister as she wound up being squished in the glass jar by their tub.

"Yikes! Ya almost squished me!" the filly complained.

They at least filled up their jar, but they were getting farther behind as Rainbow, Scootaloo, Sora, and Sweetie Belle took their jars up to the stools and continued racing. The two teams ran up to the chicken coop and walked through, grabbing an egg and balancing them on their noses as they carefully made their way over to the baskets where they were meant to place them safely. Sora and Sweetie had an advantage over the pegasi sisters, the former highly skilled with balancing himself while in combat and the latter taking lessons from her older sister on having a sense of balance while being a proper young lady. Behind them, Big Mac had run into the coop, Apple Bloom lagging behind as he poked his head out from the entrance.

"Pick up those hooves, Apple Bloom!" he said. "Why, you're barely movin' at a mosey!" He pulled his head back inside the coop, rushing in grabbing an egg as his size wasn't meant to fit him through the entrances of the coop, breaking through the back and leaving a massive gap in the wall. "Come on, junebug, it's like ya never carried an egg before!"

Apple Bloom grunted in irritation as she walked out, trying to focus on balancing the egg on her muzzle while trying not to lash out at her brother rushing her. "Ah'm goin' as fast as Ah can!"

Already, other teams had managed to catch up and ran ahead of the earth pony duo, Big Mac placing his egg down as he danced around in anticipation for Apple Bloom. The filly finally reached the baskets and placed her egg in, yelping in surprise as the stallion grabbed her and made a break for the goal, smashing through the hurdles and barging past the other teams.

Up ahead, Sora and Sweetie Belle made it over the hurdles as they ran neck and neck with Rainbow and Scootaloo. "Come on, Sweetie Belle! We got this!"

"You two won't beat us!" Scootaloo said as both teams sprinted their hardest, the older pegasi making sure not to get too far ahead of their younger sisters.

The finish line was just several yards away as they pushed themselves. The soon heard Apple Bloom screaming, momentarily distracted as they turned their heads, only to be bowled over by the charging stallion in a dress, both teams sent scattered across the track with Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash skidding over the finish line after Big Mac had. He slowed down and looked back, winning first place as he did a victory dance, Apple Bloom holding onto his foreleg as she was paralyzed in shock by what had just happened.

"Whoo hooooo!" Big Mac cheered, completely forgetting to stay in character as he whooped in his usual tone. Noticing the odd looks everyone gave him, even looking like he was about to spike his little sister to the ground like a hoofball in triumph, he giggled nervously in a falsetto tone, placing the shocked filly down gently on the ground. "Ah mean, victory is ours, sweet Apple Bloom." His mare disguise suddenly tore away, revealing himself, though most of the crowd wasn't all that shocked to know it was him pretending to be Orchard Blossom. "Uh oh."

"'Uh oh' indeed," one of the mare judges said as she approached him and Apple Bloom.

"Ah should have known y'all would eventually get busted for bein' a stallion," Apple Bloom grumbled at her brother.

"Oh, no. We've known all along," the mare said. "The Sisterhooves Social always had a loose policy when it comes to what counts as a 'sister'."

"So, in other words, a stallion could have actually taken place as a 'sister' instead of dressing up in a disguise???" Sora questioned as he stood up. "Why couldn't you just call it the 'Sibling Social' instead!? You know there might also be brothers who want to take part with their little sisters, or even two brothers who wanted to compete and have fun!"

"We tried to have a meeting to change the event's theme and policies, but with all the random disasters we've been having in Ponyville and the devastation of losing the Golden Oak Library from Tirek's attack, we haven't had the time to change those policies so it would be equal to everypony," the mare explained. "Hopefully, by next year, we'll have this settled and changed without any interruptions. Why do you ask when you're a mare yourself?"

"...Duuhhhhh...I have a cousin who has several little sisters and couldn't compete last time because he was a stallion and wanted to take part so they didn't feel left out?" Sora responded with a nervous grin.

The judge stared at him, mulling over his answer. "Well, that is unfortunate for your cousin, and we'll hopefully rectify it in the future." She turned around to face Big Mac again, Sora breathing out a sigh of relief as he avoided being found out as a stallion himself. "But we do have a strict policy on sportsponyship. In your 'sister's' desperation to win, he used brute strength to physically take out the competitors." She waved a hoof at the obstacle course, showing the amount of damage he did to the obstacles and some of the other sister teams who got blindsided as he charged through the shattered hurdles. "That kind of behavior is not only unbecoming of a lady, but quite frankly, anypony! And for that, you two are hereby disqualified!"

Apple Bloom was disheartened by the fact she wasn't able to continue competing in the Sisterhooves Social, and Big Mac felt guilty, only trying to make his sister happy and win her a ribbon in something. But due to them being disqualified, the runner-ups who officially won were Rainbow and Scootaloo, both pegasi sprawled out on the ground as they crossed the finish line whereas Sora and Sweetie Belle barely missed the line by mere inches.

"Huh. Looks like we won, squirt," Rainbow said.

"Whoo hoo!" Scootaloo cheered.

The rest of the audience watching the race cheered for them as well, carrying the winning sister team off to celebrate. Apple Bloom was greatly upset as she turned to glare at Big Macintosh.

"Ah told ya Ah should have just waited until the next Social to win with Applejack," she said before storming off.

Big Macintosh's ears drooped in shame, his attempts to rekindle any kind of relationship with his little sister shredded. He hung his head and slowly trudged his way back home. Sora watched them split apart, letting out a sigh as he shook his head.

"Well, I guess we didn't win," Sweetie Belle said as she got up after recovering from being ran over, standing beside Sora. She saw what happened between the Apple siblings as well, getting a feeling of deja vu with what had happened with her and Rarity a while back. "Does Apple Bloom hate Big Mac after all that?"

"I really hope not," Sora said. "I need to talk to Apple Bloom. Big Mac was only trying to help make her feel better when Applejack had to unexpectedly leave. He's just trying to be a good brother, even after embarrassing her and himself by pretending to be a mare and being desperate enough to do anything just to make them happy. Kind of how you got mad at me for lying about that play you made and I begged your forgiveness."

"Oh...Right," Sweetie Belle muttered. She understood what Sora needed to do, hugging his foreleg before he left. "Well, you and Big Mac are really good big brothers, though you're more a big sister to me right now."

"Heheh. Yeah." Sora patted the filly's head, ruffling her mane a little. "But don't think I'm gonna turn into a mare whenever you ask. This is the last time I'm ever changing genders. I swear, I think I'm getting some looks from some of the stallions who were here watching the Social."

Sweetie Belle giggled, then pulled away and looked up at him. "At least it was a fun day today, even if we didn't win the race. Thanks, So-I mean, Blaze Saber."

"No problem, 'cousin'," Sora said with a wink before running off to find Apple Bloom.

The stallion-turned-mare made his way through the crowd, searching for the yellow and red earth pony filly while avoiding the looks some stallions gave him. At least he wasn't hunted by that one stallion judge who was too distracted by "Orchard Blossom", though it would be kind of sad to tell the poor stallion that they were attracted to a stallion in a wig and a dress and be disappointed. He finally found Apple Bloom as she sulked at a picnic table, sipping from a glass of apple juice through a straw as she leered at the empty space in front of her. Sora took the opposite end of the table, the filly lifting her gaze up at him.

"What is it, Sora?" she asked. "Or should Ah call ya Blaze Saber since y'all are a mare?"

"I think we should be more focused on your anger toward Big Macintosh," Sora said, the filly scoffing in annoyance as she looked away from the pegasus. "Apple Bloom, he was just trying to help you."

"He ruined the Social for me!" Apple Bloom argued. "Ah knew it was a stupid idea, and Ah should have just stayed in mah room instead of bein' embarrassed by everypony and then kicked out of the rest of the Sisterhooves Social!"

"So you could sulk and be miserable because you wanted your big sister here for the Sisterhooves Social?" Sora questioned. "You know, you aren't the only one upset here. Your older brother is just as upset as you are."

"How? 'Cause he wanted to win and nearly destroyed the whole obstacle course?" Apple Bloom asked.

"Because he wanted you to look up to him like you do for me and Applejack," he answered. The filly balked and stared at the pegasus in confusion. "I don't know what it's like to have siblings, being an only child, but Applejack and I saw the pained look on his face when you praised us and left him out with nothing about him you liked. And I have a feeling he's got a lot he wants to say to you, but he's too afraid to say it because he's already been neglected by you for too long."

"...But, Ah haven't..." Apple Bloom looked down at her hooves, realizing she probably was a bit too harsh on Big Macintosh, spending too much time with Applejack and Sora to even notice him or remember all the fun things he did with her when she was a baby.

"Come on," Sora said. "We're finding Big Mac, and he's going to tell us what's on his mind about all this."

Sora lead Apple Bloom back to the farm to find the depressed stallion, the sun already beginning to set as the Sisterhooves Social was coming to a close. They searched all over the farmhouse, but he wasn't in his room or any other part of the house. As they began to check the barn, they spotted Big Mac sitting under a lone tree at the top of a hill that looked down at the house. Sora nudged Apple Bloom forward, needing to amend these two siblings' relationship before it was too late to fix.

"Uhh, hey, Big Mac," Apple Bloom said, the earth pony stallion turning his head to look at her for a moment before looking back at the scenery. "...Y-You know Ah'm not mad, right?"

"Eeyup," Big Mac said.

Apple Bloom fidgeted nervously, but another gentle nudge from Sora made her keep the conversation going so Big Mac could finally tell her how he was really feeling. "Ah mean, you dressin' up as mah cousin Orchard Blossom was a pretty crazy idea in the first place...And it ain't like ya got me disqualified from the Social forever. Ah can participate with Applejack next time, so, no harm, no foul."

"Eeyup," the stallion said, going back to his one word responses.

"...Ah just don't understand why y'all were so crazy tryin' to win the race," Apple Bloom added. "Ah know ya like winnin', but...Sora says it was a lot more than just that. Is it?"

"Nope," he responded, making Sora facehoof and groan in frustration.

"For goodness sake," he grumbled. "Big Macintosh, quit hiding your feelings. Tell Apple Bloom. She's your little sister, and no matter what you say or do, your family's not going to think any less of you for expressing what's going through your mind and heart. You told me earlier, now tell her."

Big Mac looked down at Apple Bloom, feeling ridiculous as he was being scolded by his honorary brother while he was a mare. Sora was right though, but ever since that incident, he didn't want to go back to being the blabbermouth he used to be and cause any problems. He let out a heavy sigh, patting the ground beside him to Apple Bloom, the filly sitting beside her big brother as she listened to what he had to say.

"Apple Bloom, when you were little, ya always looked up to me," Big Mac said. "Ya thought I was the best thing since zap apple jam. But...things are different now; Applejack's the hero of the Apple family, always rushin' off to save Equestria, Sora bein' a part of our family now with him also savin' the world, lookin' out for ya better than Ah could, and Ah'm just here on the farm doin' chores, helpin' in any way Ah can. Nothin' special, nopony's hero, tryin' to keep everythin' in line so we don't lose our home. Ah just thought..." The stallion paused, letting out another sigh, looking away from Apple Bloom and Sora. "...Never mind...Ya probably don't want to hear me blabbin' about mah feelin's..."

"Yes, Ah do!" Apple Bloom said, never knowing just how hurt her brother felt saying he wasn't special to her like Sora or Applejack.

"The both of us do," Sora added.

Big Mac sighed again, steeling his nerves as he continued expressing his feelings to his siblings. "Well, Ah guess Ah thought if Ah could...fill in for Applejack at the Social and get ya that blue ribbon, Ah could be somepony ya looked up to again. Be your hero again. Even if it was just for one day..." He wore a sad smile on his face as he explained his hopes to his little sister, but it melted into a frown as he looked away from Apple Bloom. "But it was foolish, and Ah feel ashamed...Ah just want to be alone right now..."

Sora sighed, but he finally got Big Macintosh to tell Apple Bloom why he did what he did and what he had hoped to bring back. Apple Bloom felt horrible for neglecting her big brother like that, even ignoring him the other day when she was too excited for the Social before Applejack had to leave on a mission from the Cutie Map. That old dragonfly toy didn't have any sentimental value to her, but it was for him as they were the fondest of moments before he stepped up to help keep their family's farm from going under. She got mad at him for no reason, and he dressed up as a mare just to make her happy and not feel left out from everything she and Applejack had planned for today.

Even if he wanted to be alone, she was not going to neglect her older brother anymore. "Well, too bad, ya big goof!" she said, hugging the stallion's waist as he looked at her in surprise. "Ah'm not goin' anywhere. And Ah know you're always gonna be here when Ah need you."

"What about Sora?" Big Mac asked, knowing full well the stallion-turned-mare was standing there with them, watched the siblings with a grin.

"He's like a brother to me, but you're mah real brother," Apple Bloom said. "Ya helped look after me when Ah was a baby, and work so hard every day in the orchard when Applejack and Ah were too young to do much. Even if Sora had been here since the beginnin', Ah'd look up to you a whole lot more. Heck, you'd do a whole obstacle course in high heels if ya think it'll help me get somethin' Ah want." As much as Sora wanted to argue over how less wearing a dress was compared to physically turning into a mare meant to doing something for Apple Bloom's happiness, he kept his mouth shut as he let the Apple siblings have their moment. "You've always been a hero to me, Big Mac, and ya always will be." Big Mac grinned as he got misty-eyed, feeling relieved and glad to know Apple Bloom will always look up to him, even if he wasn't a great fighter like Sora or a hero of Equestria like Applejack. "Ah'm real sorry Ah haven't been lettin' ya know how Ah feel. Guess the both of us have been holdin' back when it comes to expressin' ourselves, huh?"

Big Mac nodded and pulled his little sister into a hug. While Sora watched the heartwarming conversation, his cheeks were matted with tears, unable to help himself whether it was due to how touching the moment was or it was his emotional female hormones that were getting to him. He quickly wiped his hoof across his face, drying away his tears as he struggled to pull himself together.

"Ugh, being a girl is still so weird," he said.

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean!?" Apple Bloom exclaimed, interrupting her bonding with Big Mac as she glared at him.

"I know I can be emotional, but I was close to breaking down into a bawling mess just from watching you two," Sora explained. "I hope this potion expires soon so I can finally be a boy again."

"When exactly did ya drink that potion?" Apple Bloom asked.

"About an hour before the Social began...I probably should have turned back to normal soon." Apple Bloom groaned, pressing her hoof against her forehead and shook her head. Knowing a few things about potions from Zecora and even practicing with some before, some of them unfortunately causing a bit of trouble for her and everyone in Ponyville, even she could tell Sora made a mistake when it involved a potion that had traces of Poison Joke that keeps the effects of their magical spores on their pranked victims. "...What?"

"Did Zecora not tell ya if ya needed to bathe in the cure?" she asked.

"...Well, no. And before I thanked her, she was about to tell me...some...thing......" Sora facehooved, groaning in annoyance at his own impatience when talking to a master of potion-crafting. "Aww, come on! I have to take a bath in the cure to turn back to normal, didn't I!? I'm so stupid!"

"And it's startin' to get late," Apple Bloom added. "Zecora might be asleep by now, or she might be busy lookin' for specific herbs she needs to find in the middle of the night for one of her potions."

"And it's too late for the spa to be opened, if they actually keep any of the ingredients for the cure in stock for patrons who use the hot tub..." Sora grimaced, falling to his stomach as his hooves mussed through his hair while he panicked. "I am so going to be found out. And if Riku sees me like this, he's going to mock me until the day I die!"

---

As soon as it got dark, Sora snuck into the castle through one of windows up on the higher floors, where no one else had bothered going into with all the large space that still remained. With no one thankfully around this area, he quickly made his way through the castle and down through the halls to reach his bedroom. Thinking it was still clear, he ran down the hall and readied to round the corner, only to end up bumping into someone and have a heavy weight fall on top of him.

"Ow!" he cried out, recognizing the spikier brown hair from the stallion who landed on him. "Terra, get off me!"

"What in the-?" Terra stood up and looked down at him, Sora making a mistake calling out his name as he was just caught by him. "...Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..."

"Who's wandering around in the-?" Aqua moved around to get a better look, gasping in shock, now caught by both Terra and Aqua. "Oh my gosh...Sora?"

"Uhh, hehehehe. Yeah, it's me," Sora said nervously.

"...Y-You're...a mare???" Aqua questioned while Terra just stared at the pegasus, jaw hanging open as he pointed at him.

"It's...a long story with what happened today," Sora said as he stood back up. "Just don't let Riku see me...Or Kairi. Maybe Kairi. To make it short, I drank a potion with something called Poison Joke, its effects turning me into a mare so I could take part in the Sisterhooves Social for Sweetie Belle. More on that tomorrow when I get the cure from Zecora tomorrow, which I completely forgot to ask for while I was there yesterday to get said potion."

"...Poison what?" Terra asked, finally finding his voice after processing the fact Sora had turned into a girl.

"Oh. I read about that 'poisonous' plant," Aqua said. "It plays a prank on anyone who touches them. It's random to whoever makes contact with them, a magical property imbued in the entire flower that can cause a hilarious outcome to someone."

"Yeah," Sora muttered. "And it turns me into a girl..." He ran past the couple and rounded the corner, quickly finding his bedroom and closing the door. After locking the door, he let out a sigh of relief as he leaned against the door. "Thank goodness. I hope they don't tell anyone else."

"Tell anyone what?" Sora let out a feminine shriek as he turned to face the pony in his room. Sitting on his bed was Kairi, staring at him with an amused grin, apparently waiting for him to walk in. And with the room lit up by his lamp, he wasn't able to hide his female body, his cheeks turning pink in embarrassment as his girlfriend got a look at him as a mare. "Well, what have you gotten yourself into, Sora?"

The pegasus sighed, blushing harder as he avoided eye contact with the unicorn. "...Sisterhooves Social. Poison Joke potion. Zecora. Don't have cure."

"Uh huh...And this wouldn't happen to be the ingredients for curing the effects of Poison Joke, would it?" Kairi asked as she levitated a mix of herbs in a glass jar with a note on the lid.

"Huh?" Curious, Sora approached the bed and looked at the jar. He recognized the types of plants that were used in the Poison Joke cure, wondering where they came from. He looked at the note and read it aloud, staring blankly at the words as it come from Zecora. "'You moved too fast to hear me out, you anxious dolt. Here is the cure so you can turn back into a colt.'...Thanks, Zecora, you and your clever rhyming, even in written form."

"She stopped by the castle and gave this to me," Kairi said. "I didn't have a clue why until I read the note myself, and I figured you got involved in some Poison Joke with your feminine problems." Sora growled and leered at her. "You're pretty cute as a mare."

"I'm not supposed to be cute! Or a mare!" Sora exclaimed. "Now I don't have to worry about getting caught by Riku and having him laugh in my face all day. I'm going to take a bath right now and be me again." Just as he was about to get up off the bed and head for his bathroom, the pegasus was forcefully sat back down, a white aura keeping his body still. "...Uhhhh, Kairi? What are you doing?"

"Nothing," she answered. She then tilted Sora's head toward her, pressing her muzzle against his. "I'm just a little bit curious."

"...A-About what?" Sora squeaked nervously.

"This." Kairi brought her lips to Sora's, kissing her transformed boyfriend deeply. He let out a startled squeak that was far too feminine for his liking, only deepening his blush as his body was completely paralyzed, Kairi's aura no longer holding him down. She pulled away after what felt like an hour, humming in thought as she evaluated the kiss. "Your lips are softer as a girl. But I'd miss your masculine muscles when you hold me if you ever were a girl." He was speechless, only letting out squeaks of shock and excitement, his whole face turning bright red and his wings fully extending from his sides. Before he could process what she was insinuating, he yelped as he was given a swift slap in the rear, sending him falling off the bed in a heap. "So get your flanks in that tub, turn back into a stallion, and make sure you're dry enough to jump into bed."

Confused, but obeying the unicorn, Sora quickly scrambled to his hooves, taking the jar of herbs with him as he ran into the bathroom. He shut the door, controlling his racing heart as he wrapped his head around what had just happened to him and why it happened.

"...Ok, I thought being a mare was going to be the highlight of weirdness today," he mumbled to himself. "And...was Kairi...?"

"Hurry up and change back, Sora!" Kairi called out. "I'm getting pretty lonely!"

Throwing all his questions in the back of his head, Sora turned the water on and filled up the tub, adding the mixture of herbs so he could obey his Princess of Light's demands. Once the tub was filled and the herbs were mixed around well enough, he climbed in, took a deep breath, and dove his head underwater. After a few seconds, he lifted his head up, back to being a stallion again as he patted his hooves around every part of him, just to make sure everything was back.

"Questions later. Kairi needs my attention, and I cannot deny a request like that." Grabbing a towel after climbing out and draining the water out, Sora quickly dried himself off and exited the bathroom, leaving behind his soaked towel. He froze when he spotted Kairi's discarded clothes laying at the foot of his bed, the mare already under the covers, as if waiting to pounce him when he got close. "Kairi, are you on something today?...Did Zecora give you something weird?"

"Nope," she answered, using her magic to pull the stallion onto the bed, dragging him under the covers with her and surprising him with a kiss. "I can't spend an evening alone with you?"

"...Uhhh, no...but, about earlier...Were you...bi-curious, or something?" Sora asked.

"A little, but I prefer you as a boy, anyway." Sora stared at Kairi for a moment, only to smirk with a light chuckle.

"And I'm supposed to be the weird one in this relationship," he said before giving her a serious gaze. "But I'm not turning back into a mare so you can see what it's like to make out with a girl."

Kairi giggled, pressing closer as she rubbed her nose against Sora's. "Ok. No more female Sora, even if she's adorable."

Sora growled and scrunched his muzzle in irritation, quickly distracted as their lips connected and they snuggled under the covers.

Comments

[zachary12]

nice work.

[Garuda IV]

Started smiling as soon as I saw this up and maintained it for most of the chapter, especially when Kairi found Sora out at the end. Well done.👍

[Petor]

That was unbelievable! I managed to watch the episode, and read this at the time, and made it out OK. What you added at the end was a surprising touch.

[KingJoltik]

Darn it Sora! Just make foals with her already!

[Heavens_Angel]

will Xion ever appear in the story?

[BenictheHedgehog]

Oh my. guess Terra and Aqua were not the only ones in heat. But I can see Kairi keeping this as her special secret that Riku will never get to see and from the sounds of it, seems Kairi wants to move in with Sora in his room for the evening and to sleep when their not with the others. hehehe clever girl.

[BenictheHedgehog]

With things now patched up between Apple Bloom and Big Mac as well as helping Sweetie Belle compete in the Sisterhooves Social, Sora now helped the siblings bond grow stronger as well as his brother bond with Sweetie Belle. But even though he is back to being a Stallion, Kairi was able to see Sora as a Mare and helped him change back after her own "Experiment" to try & to have a romantic sleep with Sora.

Will Kairi, Aqua, & Terra keep Sora turning into a Mare again a secret from Riku? What plans does Kairi have for her hero after seeing him as Mare? Will Twilight ever do her own Experiment of how the Poison Joke would effect Riku? & what adventures await our love struck couples? The excitement and Romance continues! Next time on My Little Pony Soras misadventures in Equestria!

[AetherToast]

Isn't anything wrong with being a little bi-curious Kairi. Though seeing female Sora in human form would have been interesting for them both.

[talontitanbane]

"Questions later. Kairi needs my attention, and I cannot deny a request like that." Grabbing a towel after climbing out and draining the water out, Sora quickly dried himself off and exited the bathroom, leaving behind his soaked towel. He froze when he spotted Kairi's discarded clothes laying at the foot of his bed, the mare already under the covers, as if waiting to pounce him when he got close. "Kairi, are you on something today?...Did Zecora give you something weird?"

Oh dear God. I think kairi's in heat.