Chapters The sun rose above Sweet Apple Acres, an orange glow sliding between the trees before setting on the large red barn. In Applejack's room lay a tan-colored pony with long, light-yellow mane and tail, curled up in a ball. Her cutie mark- an apple with the sun shining around it- lay bare for the sun to sparkle on. The pony's name was Morning Glory, cousin of Applejack. And speaking of that pony…
"Hey, Mornin'!" Applejack called while trotting into the room. Morning Glory mumbled but didn't move. "C'mon you. Get yer flank up," she said as she pounced on her cousin.
A loud squeak came from Morning Glory before she bolted out from underneath the laughing AJ. "Dang it AJ!" She cried, a southern twang in her voice as well. "Can't a filly enjoy some sleep? Geesh, I've been here one day and I haven't been able to sleep yet."
As Morning Glory trotted with her cousin and best friend, she remembered her youth. She lived on the outskirts of Phillydelphia. The Apple family was pretty large. But Morning Glory and AJ had always been together and always had gotten along. That was why Morning chose to live with them. Apple Bloom was excited to have her big cousin there, and Big Mac was just as pleased.
"Mornin' Mornin'!" Apple Bloom cried happily as she trotted over to the girls.
The rest of the Apple family greeted her cheerfully as she settled down to eat. Today, AJ was going to take her around Equestria and introduce her to the ponies Twilight, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie and AJ's girlfriend, Rainbow Dash. She felt nervous at meeting new fillies. But it would be worth it, right?
"You're gonna love them Mornin'," AJ said as they trotted along after breakfast. Morning still couldn't believe they had eaten as much as they had. And to believe that AJ was able to move without being sluggish! "'Specially Dashie. Stubborn one, but she's alright," AJ soothed her.
"Oh. Alright then." Morning felt nervous again. "Uhm, AJ?"
"Yeah?"
"What if… Well, what if they aren't so… nice… to me?"
"Aw, Mornin'!" AJ shook her head, her mane swaying side to side. "I ain't gonna let them be mean to you. They wouldn't be anyway. They ain't that sort. The only two you ought to worry about is Pinkie Pie and Rarity. Pinkie because… well, she's Pinkie. And Rarity is a fashion filly." Morning cringed. "Exactly."
It was no secret that AJ was as fashionable as a rock. And Morning was no different. When she saw photos of AJ in her dress at the Grand Galloping Gala, she about died laughing. So to imagine herself in the same position… well, it was terrifying.
While the pair trotted along, talking animatedly of Granny Smith falling asleep mid-meal this morning, a pink pony with equally pink mane and tail trotted- rather bounced- over to them. "Hi AJ!" She greeted happily as she hopped up and down. Morning had a hard time following the obviously excited pony. "Who's this? Huh, huh, huh?"
"Pinkie Pie, this is my cousin Mornin' Glory. Mornin', this here's Pinkie Pie," AJ said with a smile.
Before Morning could even greet her, Pinkie let out a long and loud gasp. Fearing she had done something wrong, she took a step back. But Pinkie recovered fast. "Ohmygosh! Are you new to Ponyville? Well, of course you're new! I know every pony here! Oh! You know what this means? We need to throw a party! I'll go start the cake and send out the invitations and blow up the balloons and-"
"Whoa there Pinkie!" AJ said, holding up a hoof to stop the rambling. "Don't overwhelm the poor filly."
"No, no, it's okay AJ," Morning said with a grin. She liked this pink pony. She was hyper but so cheerful. "I think a party would be a good idea. I mean, what other way would other pony folk get together and meet new ponies?"
This seemed to make Pinkie Pie bounce higher as she began to ramble on again about things she needed to gather for the party. AJ nudged Morning on the flank and edged her around the still-rambling pony.
"I dunno where she gets her energy," AJ said with mild annoyance. "But I'd love some around applebuckin' season."
Morning giggled as she trotted beside her cousin. Maybe she was wrong about these ponies. They seemed to be right up her alley.
Before long, they reached the home of Rarity. Just the home made Morning nervous. It was a two story home with a boutique- Carrousel Boutique to be exact- as the main floor. And it was very, very girly. A groan escaped her, causing AJ to giggle. "Don't let this frilly frou-frou house getcha. Rarity's a great filly."
They walked inside the boutique and Morning saw a white unicorn with beautiful purple hair. So this was Rarity? Dang…
"Applejack darling!" Rarity sang as she trotted gracefully over to the fillies. "Marvelous to see you! I was sure you'd be w- Oh!" She seemed to finally spot Morning. "And who's this?"
"Howdy. I'm Morning Glory. I'm AJ's cousin," she said with a grin.
"Oh darling! Your mane is gorgeous! I know the perfect outfit to-" Rarity rushed off in a gallop in mid-sentence.
"Uh oh. I guess her sense o' fashion ain't out of style after all," AJ remarked with a grin. She cleared her throat and shouted loudly to Rarity. "We ain't gonna be here for long. I just wanted to introduce you to Mornin'. Pinkie's gonna have a party for her later. Hope you'll be there!"
"Of course I will be! What would a party be without the lovely Rarity?"
AJ motioned for Morning to leave. "See you there Rarity! It was nice meeting you!"
With that, the two fillies fled before Rarity could play dress up.
"Well, she sure has one lovely house," Morning remarked with honesty. So far, all the ponies she met were outstanding.
"Ah, it's not somethin' I would live in," AJ responded with a shake of her head. "Dashie and I agree- too-"
"What did I agree too?" A voice sounded from the sky.
Morning jumped and dived as a blue blur followed by a streak of rainbow ran over her head, a loud squeak escaping her in shock.
Rainbow Dash landed gracefully beside AJ, giving her a little nuzzle before giggling at Morning. "Who's this Apples?"
"Dashie, this is Mornin' Glory. My cousin. I toldja yesterday she was going to be living with us now," AJ said with a grin, seeming to glow just having Dash there.
Morning felt a twinge of jealousy and mild irritation towards Dash. Jealous for two reasons really. First of all- her cousin had a girlfriend, which means yet again Morning was alone. And two- it was a Pegasus. She always had a jealousy for them since she ached to feel the sky.
AJ seemed to notice her cousin's train of thought, for she cleared her throat. "Mornin'? You awake over there?"
"Huh? Oh! Yeah, I'm here. Sorry. Guess I'm still tired. So you're the infamous Rainbow Dash?" Dash struck a pose. "AJ told me a lot about you. Hope you're treating her right."
"Of course. I'm too cool not to treat my girl right," Dash responded in a voice that made Morning cringe and sigh at the same time.
"Dashie, Pinkie's gonna have a party for her tonight at Sugarcube Corner. You gonna be there?" AJ tilted her head.
"Of course. Like I'd miss my best friend's party," Dash said, rolling her eyes.
"Well, I'd like to hang out with you some more Dash," Morning said with an earnestly honest tone. If AJ saw something in this blue filly with the insanely messed up hair- which honestly drove Morning nuts- then maybe there was something to this Pegasus.
"Well… You didn't tell me she was a Pegasus," Morning said calmly.
AJ ran her hoof on the ground nervously. "Sorry Mornin'. I-I forgot. I hope it don't-"
Morning shook her head with a smile. "It's fine. I love you like a sister AJ. As long as she makes you happy and treats you well, I don't care if she has three heads or crossed eyes."
The two giggled at the idea of a three headed pony as they trotted off to the library. Despite the run in with Dash- who she had to admit didn't seem so bad- Morning was pretty sure her new life in Ponyville would be amazing.
"Oh Twilight!" AJ called as they walked into the library.
"She's upstairs," chided a male voice. The owner of the voice- a small purple dragon with green scales- peeked out from behind a pile of books. Morning was marveling at all of them and almost didn't notice him.
"Spike, this here's my cousin Mornin'. Mornin', this is Spike, Twilight Sparkle's assistant," AJ said.
"Wow! A new pony!" Spike said with a wide grin as he walked over.
"Hi there," Morning said with a wide grin. "It's nice to meet you Spike. I'm Morning Glory."
"Spike, where's that book? I need it fo-" A purple unicorn trotted down the circling stairs, purple and pink mane and tail swaying with each step. "Oh! Applejack! Who's this?"
"That's Morning Glory, her cousin," Spike chimed in. Oh Morning was starting to like him already. He was adorable.
"Oh! Applejack told me about you the other day," the pony said with a wide smile. "I'm Twilight Sparkle."
"Wow, the famous Twilight Sparkle. Very nice to meet you. AJ told me all about you," Morning said with a wide grin while Twilight blushed.
"I got an invite from Pinkie Pie today," Twilight said as she lead them over to a sitting area, using her magic to pour them each some tea. "I should have known she would have a party in your honor since you're new here."
AJ chuckled and nodded. "You shouldn't be so surprised Twi. That pony loves her parties. Speaking of ponies… Mornin' met all but Fluttershy. Where is that silly filly?"
"Oh, uhm, yes, Twi?" The soft voice that came from the filly soothed Morning. She liked this pony a lot, despite being a Pegasus.
"Why don't you come over here and meet Morning Glory?"
The filly flew lowly to the ground, head lowered as she landed between Twilight and Morning. "Oh, uhm, hello."
"Howdy," Morning said in a soft, comforting tone. "So you're the sweet Fluttershy? It's a pleasure to meet you. You really are a lovely pony," she complimented. There was a soft elegance to her.
Fluttershy shuffled her hooves on the ground, mumbling a soft 'thank you'.
"I really hope you'll come to my party later tonight. I've heard you've got a lovely singing voice from Apple Blossom," Morning said with a wide grin. AJ and Twi watched the two talk, nervously awaiting Fluttershy to hide away.
To their delight, she didn't. "Oh, of course I will," the shy pony whispered. "I don't know about the singing though. I'm… kinda… shy…"
"Oh, please. I would love to hear you sing. I haven't slept well since getting here so it would help me sleep," the filly confessed with a sheepish grin.
Fluttershy seemed to perk up to that. "Oh! Then I have a lovely lullaby I can sing to you. My mom used to sing it to me all the time."
"That sounds wonderful," Morning said with a wide smile.
Fluttershy returned it before going quiet.
"Well, I guess I ought to get Mornin' back to the farm. Got a big day tomorrow." AJ arose and gave her friends a hug each. To Morning's surprise, she got a hug from Spike and Twilight as well.
As they trotted off to the setting sun that was behind the distant farm, AJ looked to Morning. "So, what do you think about 'em?"
"I like them. Especially that Pinkie and Fluttershy," Morning said with a grin.
"Well, you'll like 'em even more tonight. Or even less," AJ said with a laugh.
Morning somehow had the feeling that AJ was going to be wrong. Day one in Ponyville and Morning Glory was already feeling like she was at home.
"Surprise!" What seemed like a thousand ponies shouted as Morning and AJ stepped into the large library. Morning's eyes widened as she took in the venue of color.
It looked like Rarity and Pinkie Pie collaborated together to decorate. Beautiful ribbons flowed over the railings to the stairs and along the ceiling. Balloons dotted the floor while a whole cloud of them floated above all the ponies in the room. A table with drinks and snacks stood off to the corner. Unsurprisingly, Spike and Rainbow Dash were chowing down.
An excited and bouncing Pinkie hopped over to Morning. "Whatcha think?"
"Wow, Pinkie! I've never had a party like this thrown for me before. It's amazing!" Morning gushed as AJ chuckled, obviously used to the pony's parties.
"Every pony is here for you, Morning! See, over there is Mr. and Mrs. Cake. And that's Mayor Marelyn. Oh! And that's Berry Punch..." Pinkie went on and on, pointing out every pony that she could.
Soon, a zebra- Morning only could guess by the coloration and the mane- approached them.
"Mornin', this here's Zecora. Zecora, this is my cousin Mornin' Glory," AJ said, a friendly air between them.
"Oh, the new pony I presume. I was told of you by our dear Apple Bloom," Zecora said with a brilliant smile.
Morning liked the way that Zecora spoke in rhyme. It made her feel mystical. "She told me a lot about you, Zecora. It's nice to finally meet you."
They chatted happily for a while longer and the party filtered through. Morning couldn't help but be in awe of this place. All the ponies seemed to welcome her happily. Lyra and Bon-Bon had even spoken to her and offered her to join them at their home. Morning was flattered and promised the couple a supper with them.
After a few hours, the party began to die down and AJ had taken off with Dash- most likely to fly in the sky as they usually do. Morning decided to sneak outside and look up at the moon. Princess Luna seemed to be working efficiently tonight. The moon seemed to glow in her honor. She couldn't help but smile as she saw a faint shadow fly and knew it was the princess.
"Whatcha doin' out here, Morning? The party's inside," said a voice that was usually alight with energy.
She turned around to spy Pinkie with an obviously concerned face. "Oh! Pinkie! Sorry. I guess I'm just stunned that all of y'all showed up just to welcome me."
Pinkie trotted over to Morning's side, sitting beside her, head tilted to the side. "Why's that?"
"Well, I'm just one pony. One of millions. I never thought I'd be one in a million," she confided with a half-grin.
"Oh Morning," the pink pony shook her head, her mane bobbing with pent-up energy. "You're a one-of-a-kind pony! I'm sure somepony out there will see that."
"Yeah. I mean, AJ found that pony," Morning said with a sigh.
"Are you jealous?" Pinkie seemed to grow serious now.
"Of AJ? Maybe. Not just because she has Dash either," Morning confessed.
"Well, what does Applejack have that you feel like you don't?"
"I dunno. That's the thing. I just feel like somethin' is missing."
"Well, you'll find that piece. Oh! I know!" Pinkie seemed to snap back into her usual bright self. "Let's get a piece of cake! That'll help!"
Morning couldn't help but smile. Pinkie Pie could listen earnestly to any problem but would instantly work her hardest to help the pony in distress smile. She began to feel a strong connection to Pinkie. She felt like this pony might be that one best friend she hoped to make. "That sounds great! Race ya!"
In a tan and pink blur, the giggling fillies took off towards the snack bar, skidding to a halt, Morning just barely beating the other.
"Hah! I win!" She laughed breathlessly.
"Oh no you don't!" Pinkie then tackled her to the ground, tickling her. Morning let out a squeal and tried to wiggle away. She bucked Pinkie off before bolting off.
"Oof!" Morning ran straight into a solid form, falling back and rolling a few times before she looked up between her yellow hair. Rainbow Dash stood there, looking stunned.
"Oh! Dash! I'm so sorry!"
"Nah, it's cool. You're pretty fast for an earth pony," Dash said with a smirk.
Blushing, Morning grinned. "Thanks Dash. I hear you're a pretty fast flyer yourself."
"Yeah, but I'm pretty evenly matched with your cousin on the ground," Dash admitted.
"You should see her flying," a shy voice spoke up.
Morning turned to see the quiet Fluttershy standing beside her. "I've heard that she's wicked fast. Saved a Wonderbolt once, too."
"She saved Rarity, too," Fluttershy said with a soft smile.
Dash couldn't hold back and began to delve into the exciting story. Morning began to feel uncomfortable and slipped out while all eyes were on Dash.
Fluttershy noticed Morning walk off and quietly fluttered over to the seemingly upset pony. "Morning?"
"Huh?" Morning turned and smiled a little. "Oh. Hey, Fluttershy."
"I don't mean to intrude but, uhm, is everything okay?"
Morning hesitated for a minute. "Well... Will you promise not to let any of the others know?"
"Oh, of course not. I mean... Not unless it's going to hurt them," Fluttershy promised with a nod.
"Well... I'm jealous."
"Jealous?" The yellow pony tilted her head.
"Yes. Y'see... I've always wanted to fly in the sky. I had always hoped by some magical miracle that I would sprout wings and be able to fly. I've had dreams since I was a little filly to fly in the sky with an unknown pony. I had never been happier. And every night I've had the same dream over and over."
Fluttershy nodded, listening intently. "Why haven't you said anything?"
"Well, AJ and Dash are together. AJ knows. And it's taken somewhat of a toll on her. She's afraid to be around Dash around me, knowing it hurts me," Morning confessed.
"Well, you know, maybe things will change for you. I mean, I don't know if you'll ever get wings but... maybe that's for a good reason. Look at me- I have wings but I hardly use them," Fluttershy said with a small smile.
Morning nodded and smiled sheepishly. "I guess I sound selfish, huh?"
"Oh no. Not selfish at all," Fluttershy said quickly. "Nothing is selfish about having dreams. You've just gotta be positive," she said reassuringly.
"Thanks Fluttershy. It feels good to have someone other than AJ to talk to," Morning confessed.
Fluttershy blushed and pulled Morning into a hug. The two ponies then waltzed back inside, Dash zooming about, reenacting the moves she pulled while saving Rarity.
Rarity huffed in embarrassment before crying out to Dash that it hadn't happened the way she was saying it.
All the ponies laughed, and Morning's previous feeling of being outcast melted away. Maybe here in Ponyville, she thought, all her dreams could come true. She pushed all those thoughts away for later and instead joined Pinkie for the rest of the party, every now and then catching Fluttershy's eye and sharing a knowing smile with her.
The morning after the welcoming celebration, Morning Glory set off towards Ponyville from Sweet Apple Acres, a slight skip in her trot. The evening had gone better than she had expected. She had gained a strong bond with that hyper pink pony and gained a new respect for the blue pegasus that her cousin was clearly in love with.
A giggle escaped her as she thought of the party last night. She had felt more at home in Ponyville than she ever had. She couldn't wait to get her life started in Ponyville. Pinkie Pie had offered her a job at Sugarcube Corner as well, which stirred her heart joyfully. As much as she loved living with her family, she was eager to live on her own and expand her life.
Lyra and Bon-Bon, the couple from last night, greeted her warmly and Morning flashed them a warm smile, content that she was welcomed.
Her eyes moved to the lovely sun above her and her smile grew. "Princess Celestia sure does a good job with makin' the sky so beautiful," she said in awe.
"Thank you, Morning Glory," a glorious and musical voice sounded behind her, causing the pony to jump and spin around, eyes wide in surprise.
Before her stood the princess herself, smiling sweetly down at the little pony. A gasp escaped Morning. "Pr-Princess!"
"Twilight Sparkle wrote to me yesterday of your arrival to Ponyville. I hope all of the girls made you feel welcome here," Celestia said.
"Of course they did! I've never felt more welcome before," Morning replied with an awed smile.
Celestia chuckled and nodded to her. "I was just on my way to speak to Twilight. Have a wonderful day, Morning," she said as she appeared to float past the still-awed pony.
It took a few moments before Morning could move. The Princess had spoke to her! She knew that AJ was relatively close to the Princess through Twilight, but to be known by the Princess was just a strange thing that made her heart flutter.
With even more of a skip in her trot, Morning made her way to Sugarcube Corner.
She heard a ruckus inside and hesitated before she heard a mare's voice. "Pinkie Pie! We're leaving!"
The door opened and a couple with two little foals on their backs appeared in front of her. The mare's eyes widened. "Oh! Hello there, dear. You must be Morning Glory that Pinkie was telling us about."
The stallion nudged his wife. "Dear, we really must go or your mother will wring our necks for being late."
"Of course, dear. Go ahead and go inside, Morning. Pinkie's inside waiting for you," the mare said as they quickly trotted off.
Morning vaguely felt that the family was always rushing, but thought nothing of it as she trotted inside. "Pinkie! You in here?"
Suddenly, a pink blur rushed out of the kitchen to meet her. "Morning! I was hoping you'd come! Well, I knew you'd come, but I still was hoping you'd come sooner. Not that I was in a hurry or anything, I was just excited to see you again. The Cakes are going to be out of town for a week so I'm taking care of business for them because Mrs. Cake's mom wants to see the little babies. They're so adorable! I mean, who wouldn't want to see them-"
"Pinkie, breathe, girl," Morning said with a laugh, giggling even more when Pinkie inhaled deeply and held it. "C'mon. We gotta get to work here."
Pinkie lead her into the kitchen, hopping around. "We gotta make a big ol' cake for Shining Armor and Princess Cadence's wedding anniversary next week. I think we need balloons made out of frosting on it, and streamer candles!"
Morning giggled, remembering reading about the day in jealousy. "I think Princess Cadence would like that, Pinkie. C'mon. Let's get this done."
After a few hours- and a cake batter fight later, the two ponies lay on the floor, giggling as the cakes baked in the oven. Morning had batter in her mane, frosting on her tail and dye in her fur. Pinkie had about the same damage as they leaned on each other, standing up, still giggling.
"If working like this is what I could look forward to every day, count me in," Morning said as they began to clean everything up.
Pinkie hopped around as she cleaned the floors. "Oh, it's not always this fun! Only when I'm workin' here. Mr. and Mrs. Cake don't like me to get so messy in here cause they think I won't clean it up. Which is silly, cause of course I would! I watch their babies AND cook all the time!"
As Pinkie continued her rant, Morning giggled and happily listened, throwing in responses as quickly as she could before the two of them began chatting about other things, the kitchen becoming clean faster than Pinkie could talk- which Morning had no doubt believing could be incredibly fast.
As they began decorating the cake, Morning glanced at Pinkie. "Hey, Pinkie?"
"Yesh Mornin'?" Pinkie replied, a spatula in her mouth.
"Thanks for everything. For the talk last night, for talking the Cakes into letting me work here... Just... Thanks."
Pinkie had dropped the spatula and wrapped her forelegs around Morning in a hug before she could even register what was going on. "Aw, Morning! You're welcome. You're an awesome pony. You're always welcome here!"
Morning smiled and wrapped her forelegs around her back. "Aww... Thanks Pinkie Pie."
"Mornin'!" A familiar voice called.
"I'm in the kitchen AJ!" Morning shouted back.
Applejack and Rainbow Dash trotted in. "Wow. The kitchen is actually in one piece," Rainbow said in playful awe.
Morning stuck her tongue out at her, causing AJ to giggle. "Aww, Dashie. Give 'em some slack. Mornin' is good at cleanin' things when she has to."
Rainbow shook her head. "Smells good in here, though."
"Thanks, Rainbow," Morning said with a beam.
"We wanted to see if y'all wanted to join Twilight, Fluttershy, Rarity and us to a picnic with Princess Celestia," AJ said with a nod.
"Oh! Is that what Princess Celestia wanted?" Morning asked, tilting her head.
The three fillies looked at her in surprise. "Uh, yeah, I reckon so. How did you-?"
"Oh! I ran into Princess Celestia on the way over here. She welcomed me to Ponyville," Morning said nonchalantly.
Pinkie began to hop up and down. "C'mon! Enough chat! I'm hungry!"
Morning giggled. "Yeah, it was tough work making that cake. Let's get this cake to the train and we'll meet you by the library."
The couple nodded before walking off, a chattering Pinkie Pie pleasantly instructing Morning on the best kind of sandwich to make out of pickles, tomatoes and sunflowers that stacked a mile high.
As the four ponies walked towards the park- three walking and the hyper-happy pink pony bouncing all over the place- Morning felt an oddly warming sensation in her heart. Something just felt right for once in her life. Between her family taking her in without question and her cousin's friends accepting her as a part of them happily, she felt- perhaps- the happiest she'd ever been.
Out of the blue, Morning turned to AJ. "Hey, AJ?"
"Yeah Mornin'?" The orange pony looked at her, Dash's cyan wing laying over her back casually as though showing the world that she was Dash's girl.
"Didn't you say there's a new house in Ponyville for sale?"
"I reckon it's still for sale, yeah. Why you askin'?" Her face contorted in confusion.
"Cause if I'm gonna be workin' with Pinkie, don't it make sense for me to have my own place so I don't keep Granny up from her naps?" Morning smiled, recalling a time in her youth when she and AJ were just fillies and were up all night playing and it kept Granny from sleeping and she had fallen asleep in their oatmeal in the morning. Mac had to stop helping Applebloom eat and had to save Granny from the oatmeal.
AJ seemed to recall that memory as well and began to chuckle. "I reckon you've got a point."
The other two ponies looked at one another as though they had missed out on a joke but shrugged anyway. Sometimes, it was best if they just didn't ask.
As they trotted along- Pinkie falling into a random rant about how to perfectly decorate raspberry cupcakes and compiling them into a ten-layer tier- Morning felt the fur on the back of her neck rise. she turned to look behind her but saw no one. She could have sworn she felt as though she was being watched. She shrugged it off, assuming it was nothing.
Eventually, they came upon the park where Twilight, Rarity, Fluttershy and Princess Celestia sat, chatting casually. It awed Morning how relaxed the Princess appeared to be.
"Howdy y'all!" The two southern ponies chimed at the same time, causing everyone to stop talking and start giggling. If they hadn't known already, they would have sworn the two ponies were sisters.
They all sat down and Twilight smiled at Morning. "Princess Celestia told me that she met you earlier today."
"That she did," Morning replied with a smile to the Princess. "I wasn't paying attention to where I was walkin' and darn near ran into her. That wouldn't have been the best way to start life in Ponyville, I reckon."
"No need to concern yourself, Morning. You are most welcome here. I've also heard that you're going to be working at Sugarcube Corner with our Pinkie Pie," Princess Celestia said with a soft, graceful smile.
Morning nodded, but before she could respond, Pinkie had hopped into the conversation. "Yes she is! Ohmygosh, we made an ah-mazing cake for Shining Armor and Cadence's wedding cake! It's so big and full of pretty colors like orange, fuchia, red, blue, green, lavender- but not the flowers cause that wouldn't taste good on a cake- and we have buttercream frosting made by hoof and it was so yummy I had to take a little taste-" Pinkie then took a quick breath.
Before she could speak any more, Morning put a hoof over her mouth, smiling apologetically at the Princess. "Sorry, Princess. She had a bit more sugar than normal today."
The Princess chuckled and nodded in understanding. "She's always quite the bundle of energy, isn't she?"
"Well, ladies, I do believe it's time to eat," Rarity piped up before Pinkie could speak again.
That silenced the hyper pink pony as everyone began to dive into the food.
Fluttershy looked at Morning and softly spoke. "I, uhm, saw a pony watching you today Morning. Do you know anypony yet other than us?"
Morning shook her head before swallowing the bite of her hayseed sandwich. "Not aside from y'all, Zecora, Lyra, Bon-Bon an' the like. maybe they thought I was somepony else?"
Fluttershy shook her head, pink mane swaying. "I don't think so. He kind of disappeared after you turned to glance around- I think it was earlier today- and he ran right into me. I hope he wasn't hurt."
"Sounds like somepony has their eye on you, my dear," Rarity said with a glint in her eye.
Morning shifted uneasily, blushing. "I ain't even been here a week and I got an admirer? You sure it ain't just that he thought I was somepony else?"
At another shake of the head from Fluttershy, Morning decided to let it go. As she chewed and listened to the casual conversation, she began to think. Who would be watching her ? She was nopony special. At least, that's what she believed. With a shrug, she began to resume eating, subconsciously wondering if she would meet this mystery stallion any time in the near future.
After the picnic, AJ and Morning trotted back to the farm together, chatting casually together. Eventually, AJ nudged her cousin. "So who's eye did you catch?"
Morning blushed furiously. "I don't know. I haven't met anypony other than the ponies at the party. Which I reckon was most of the town. I doubt it's a secret admirer. Probably somepony who wants to be my friend but is as shy as Fluttershy about approaching. I mean, she did admit that he about ran her over when I almost caught him eying me," she recalled with a nod.
AJ shrugged a bit. "I still reckon someone's got their heart set on you."
"But I haven't done a thing to get 'em interested in me. They don't even know me," Morning protested.
"There's such a thing as love at first sight. I never knew I loved Dash until I really thought about it at the weddin'. And vice versa. We were both just too stubborn to see it," AJ said soothingly.
Morning stubbornly shook her head. "No such thing between mom and daddy, AJ. Daddy and mom were fillyhood friends. They had known each other their whole lives before marryin'. It just made sense. Love grows with time."
"You silly filly," AJ said, nuzzling her cousin. "You don't know nothin' bout love cause you've never been in love."
That halted any argument Morning would have had. Applejack was right. Morning Glory had never been in love, let alone had feelings for a stallion. She never let them get close enough. She sighed and lowered her head, signalling that Applejack had won this argument. "You're right, AJ. I guess I'm just as stubborn as you are."
"We're Apples! We're always stubborn," AJ said with pride.
Morning then smirked up at her. "Race yah home!"
Without even two seconds to spare, the two mares were bolting towards Sweet Apple Acres, laughing and chiding one another all the way, the mystery stallion and talk of love forgotten for the moment.
It was the start of Morning Glory's third day within Ponyville and she was already thrilled for the end of the week. Not only were she and Pinkie Pie concocting the food for the royal couple's anniversary, but she was also going to be spending some time with Fluttershy. At the current moment, Morning was baking with Pinkie and Fluttershy was in the market, gathering food for Angel Bunny and the other animals at her cottage.
As the shy yellow pony trotted through the market, she was absently humming, mumbling 'sorry' whenever she almost bumped into somepony else. Eventually she paused at a carrot stand for Angel Bunny and bought a few juicy carrots, sure that her furry friend would be delighted in the treats that Fluttershy was thoughtful enough to get him. As she turned around and replaced her bits into her bag, she bumped into a very solid stallion. She squeaked and shrank back and looked up apologetically at the stallion. He was large, towering the mare and his large pegasi wings were folded on his back though slightly ruffled from the sudden collision. His coat was black with almost a highlighting of silver that gave him a rigid outline against the colorful marketplace. His sky-blue eyes were looking at her curiously. "Oh... Oh my... I'm s-sorry. I didn't mean to..." She trailed off her apology.
The stallion nodded though he looked as though he were about to crack a smile. "No harm done. Have a good day, Fluttershy," he said before trotting off and seeming to disappear into the shadows, but not before his eyes flickered to something behind her.
Bewildered, the confused yellow pony turned around to see a familiar tan mare trotting forward with a bright smile. "Mornin' Fluttershy," Morning greeted warmly, then stopped at the look on her friend's face. "What's wrong, Shy?"
"Oh, uh, nothing. I had just bumped into a stallion and he didn't even give me proper time to apologize. I really should pay more attention," the quiet mare admitted, looking almost sheepish.
Morning shook her head and frowned. "I think I saw that stallion. He looked like he wasn't payin' much mind to anything else either. I'm bettin' it was fifty-fifty so don't you go feelin' guilty," she gently scolded, a smile on her face.
Fluttershy nodded, but couldn't shake the confusion that fell over her. I've never seen that stallion before in my life. And he said my name before he looked at Morning and disappeared. Was he the one that has been looking at her? He seemed to be going towards her... Shaking the unnerving thoughts away, she listened intently as Morning began to talk about the mayhem that happened at Sugar Cube Corner. Soon, the mysterious stallion was forgotten and Fluttershy was giggling as Morning demonstrated the antics the mares performed while baking.
***
That afternoon, Morning found herself back at Sugar Cube Corner with AJ, Pinkie and Twilight. The mares were smiling fondly at the three-layer crazy cake that the tan and the pink earth pony had thrown so much work into. There were colors that Morning didn't even know existed as well as a beautiful top of the Prince and Princess' picture on their wedding day, Cadence smiling up at Shining and the stallion smiling dumbly as though he had won the jackpot.
"Girls, this is amazing," Twilight said in sheer awe. She could only imagine how thrilled her brother would be to see the delightful cake her friends made in honor of the one year anniversary of their exciting wedding.
"Amazing?" Pinkie Pie snorted. "You mean splendiferous, amaz-tastic, yummy-delicious goodness!"
Morning shook her head, certain the words were made up for the most part. Despite that, however, they seemed to perfectly describe the cake. She smiled and nodded. "It is lookin' pretty good," she admitted.
Applejack threw her forehoof around Morning's neck and hugged her cousin. "Mornin', it looks right dandy if you ask me. You're pretty talented at bakin'."
The mare flushed. "Me? Naw. Mom 'n' Granny taught me at reunions and I just added my own twists as I got older."
Twilight smiled at Morning before shaking her head. "Your cutie mark should have been a cake, Morning. Though I had been meaning to ask you about that. What is your special talent, exactly?"
Morning smiled sheepishly as she glanced at the symbol on her thigh. "Well... Actually, it kinda does have somethin' to do with bakin'. I mean, obviously cause of the apple it involves my family but... I got it at the family reunion while I was helping to bake the pies. My momma said I was the sunniest Apple she ever saw in the kitchen. Before I knew it, Mac came in from playin' and pointed at my rear and there it was, shinin' like a bright, red apple hangin' on a tree." She shrugged slightly, smiling more. "I realized that my place was cookin' and carin' for my family."
The others nodded solemnly while AJ nuzzled the mare. "I told ya that yer place was with the family, just like mine."
Morning then frowned and shook her head. "No, I think it means I'm supposed to be a momma one day." She snorted and rolled her eyes. "Lotta good when I don't even have a coltfriend."
The sarcasm dripped and it caused the other two mares to snort while the farmpony playfully shoved her cousin, the smiles on their faces wide, though Morning's didn't quite reach her eye.
The rest of the day seemed to just drag onward, and Morning began to think about the stallion that Fluttershy had met that morning. He was a handsome stallion. For a pegasus, anyway. He looked very muscular and his cutie mark was very distinct. A grey cloud with one single lightning bolt ripping through it and two silver drops of rain falling from both edges of the cloud. It was a unique mark and she found herself wondering about her own. The stallion certainly would know what his destiny meant. Applejack knew hers, as did the rest of the Elements of Harmony. And just about everypony else, it seemed.
But just what, in Celestia's great world, was the single mare's destiny? And why was it so unclear, even now when she was an adult?
Author's Note
I'm baaaaaack!
Sorry about the long hiatus. Weddings take a lot out of you and then my niece was born and... Yeah.
So, this particular story, since it's only an intro, will end in chapter 7 and start on a whole new adventure after the completion of the Morning Glory installment. Sorry it will be short but I had to give some sort of background into Morning's life before my large project springs forth.
"Mor-ning!" A sing-song voice called from downstairs. Applejack frowned as she continued to hear silence, signifying her cousin was still asleep. "C'mon you lazy filly," she grumbled under her breath as she trotted up the stairs.
Much to Applejack's surprise, Morning Glory was awake and simply watching the sunrise. She didn't even stir when the other mare walked in and sat beside her. A nudge from the orange pony stirred Morning from her thoughts and she smiled slightly. "Oh. AJ. Hi. Guess I didn't hear you."
"I reckon you didn't," Applejack said in agreement, nodding once. She had seen the look on her cousin's face before and it was often a hint for a heart-to-heart before the day progressed. She hesitated, then went on. "Mornin', honey... What's the matter? I ain't seen you look so blue since Pappy Smith passed away."
Morning slumped a little before turning her eyes back to the sunrise. "I miss them," she said softly. "Momma and dad, I mean. I wonder how they're doin', how the farm is comin'. But at the same time, I never wanna go back. I've been here a few days and I'm already feeling like I found my place, my calling."
Applejack nodded solemnly. She could relate to the confusing feelings that were swarming over Morning Glory. "Well, I reckon that means you're happy here but you just love your folks so much you miss 'em. There's nothin' wrong with that, sugar cube. Even Granny Smith would tell you that," she said soothingly.
"Yeah. I suppose you're right," Morning agreed, trying to smile and finding it came easier as time drifted along. "Well, we better get to breakfast before Mac gets a hankering for our portions."
The two mares giggled and began to meander down to the kitchen, the familiar voice of Apple Bloom telling a tale of her adventures with the Crusaders leading them the entire way. Morning began to wonder if she would ever have the heart-warming feeling her mom and Granny Smith had when watching their offspring grow, laugh, play and just generally be of good health. It was a comfortable idea and it helped her chores for the day fly by.
The remainder of Morning's day passed by uneventfully, and before long she found herself wandering the streets of Ponyville with a purple dragon by her side, chattering with her casually. Spike had become aware of Morning's cooking and was currently placing an order for his birthday cake, even though his birthday wasn't for a few months at best.
"...And then you gotta get some gorgeous white pearls and some purple gems. Don't ask why, but they gotta shine like the sun and be flawless," he explained sternly, causing a giggle from the mare.
"Shoot, Spike," she said. "You got several months before I gotta worry about your cake. My memory's good but it ain't that good! Why don't you write it down when you get home and give it to me next time you see me? That way it's written down exactly how you want it and I'll have proof of what you want so I make sure your dream cake is flawless."
The adolescent dragon seemed to enjoy that idea. His green eyes grew in delight and he quickly hugged the laughing mare around the neck. "You rock, Morning!" With that, the dragon took off home to write out his dream cake.
"Well shoot," Morning said with a laugh. "I didn't mean you had to go and do it right now." Shaking her head, she continued along her way. She was meeting Zecora and Pinkie at her new home today to begin cleaning and moving in furniture the kind stallion at the furniture store gave her free of charge as a 'welcome to Ponyville' gift.
The hairs on the back of her neck rose, a familiar feeling of eyes on her causing the mare to stop dead in her tracks. She inhaled, held it, then exhaled and walked on. Alright, you sneaky rascal, she thought. If you wanna follow me all the way to Timbucktoo and back, then you better be willin' to meet me face to face. Morning then began to pick up the pace and almost broke out in a full gallop, trotting as though she were slightly in a hurry.
Soon, however, the eyes disappeared off her. Almost disappointed, she slowed her walk. No pony she passed seemed to give the hint that someone was behind her. Perplexed, she turned the corner and saw the familiar Zebra and excited pink pony waiting at her new home, a modest tan color home with a navy blue roof and shutters.
It was different but she was in love with the house. With a hug from the hyper-happy pony and a poetic but sincere greeting from Zecora, the three girls set in to cleaning and prepping the house. Somehow, along the way, Pinkie Pie burst into song- unsurprising, the amused Morning noted- about cleaning with every detail from their trials, right down to getting lint from the carpets.
After several hours and well after the sun went down, the girls sat tiredly in the living room, giggling and laughing as they relaxed. Zecora was telling some tales from her homeland and igniting lots of 'oohs', 'ahhs' other reactions from the others, perhaps from Pinkie Pie moreso. They all began to tell stories and share their life's adventures, growing more and more comfortable all the while.
"So, there Applejack and I were, wrestlin' in the mud when my mom comes up..."
"The shaman of my villiage was a stallion of mystery, for he seemed to recall perfectly our history..."
"So I called him crazy because, like, everypony knows that raspberries are the most super-duper-bestest berries..."
Morning found her concern for the mystery stallion who seemed to be eying her was disappearing quickly the more time she spent with friends. And if this was frequent in Ponyville, then she felt that she had found the place she belongs.
Author's Note
And that's a wrap for this story. If you wanna follow Morning Glory's further adventures, check out my new story "Elements of Destiny", coming out on Sept. 29th
-MG
