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.