The Private Scrapbook

by Cadabra

Chapter 15: Ribbons and Lace

Chapter 15: Ribbons and Lace

Apple Bloom held her head in her hooves, rocking back and forth in disgust. “Oh my stars!” she cried out. “Ya didn’t end up marryin’ him, did ya?”

Applejack rolled her eyes at her little sister's obscene overreaction. “Don't be ridiculous, Apple Bloom," she said straight forwardly. “Granny Smith married our Granddad. That's where we come from, right Granny?"

Granny Smith pat her granddaughters on the back to calm them down. “Yer Granddad weren't mah first husband,” she admitted, watching the yellow coloration in Apple Bloom’s face turn white with disgust. “Eventually I did end up marryin' Stinkin' Rich."

Apple Bloom rolled around on the bed, hugging her stomach in melodramatic agony. “Ya mean to tell me I’m related to Diamond Tiara?!?” she whimpered, her hooves covering her mouth as if doing so would keep in the bad news.

Granny Smith couldn’t help laughing at the silly child, slapping her knee and guffawing as her granddaughter covered her eyes. “Oh, just a lil’,” she explained. “She’s just a part Rich and a part Seed, while yer a part Seed and a part Apple.”

Apple Bloom wailed on as she thought about the relation. “Say it ain’t so!” she sobbed at the realization of lineage.

Granny Smith shook her head at the dramatics. Fillies now a day are just so much more prone to fits of theatrics than they were in her day. “Now he weren’t mah first choice of men,” she explained as she turned to a page with a newspaper clipping of the Box Social…

Pokey Oaks and Sew n’ Sow were thrilled to see somepony paying attention to their youngest child, and even more thrilled to see her paying attention back. Smithy had always been picky with suitors around Ponyville, and they were afraid she would never settle down.

As Sew n’ Sow helped Smithy into a striking yellow gingham gown that complimented the yellow in her daughter’s hair, she couldn’t help crying for joy. “Y’ll be the belle of the box social!” she beamed as she helped Smithy with her hair. Tonight that golden mane which usually was kept in check by braids would be worn in a fancy up-do and embellished with flowers and ribbons.

As her mother sprayed Smithy with a perfume that made her sneeze, Sew n’ Sow looked proudly at the daughter she had raised. “Don’t ya look stunnin’,” she sighed, remembering the night she got all dressed up for the Box Social where she had met Pokey Oaks. “Tonight is gonna be a real night to remember fer ya. I can’t wait to see all them men folk biddin’ on yer fancied up boxed supper. I got it all ready to go downstairs. Boy, is yer daddy gonna be tickled pink to see ya all gussied up like this!”

Butterflies darted about in Smithy’s stomach as her mother rambled on. What if tonight really was a special night for her? What if tonight she would dance with the man who she would one day marry? What if he were to bid on her boxed meal? Then again, what if the night was a total disaster? What if she was left alone holding the box and all this effort was for nothing? And why all of the sudden was she hot and bothered for Stinking Rich? She couldn’t stand him as a filly, so why the sudden attraction? She’d kissed and flirted with boys in Ponyville before for fun with nothing serious coming of it, so why was this sensation suddenly so strong? And how could she still feel this way after seeing how he treated Bladire?

She was glad to see her mother rush out of the room to grab the hundredth ‘just one more thing’ for her outfit. Gulping back her rising nerves, she looked at her reflection in the mirror. She almost didn’t look like herself. How could a man ever expect to fall for her if she didn’t look like her?

All the thoughts rushing through her head were making her feel uneasy. Smithy grabbed a nearby handkerchief from her dresser top to dry her stubborn eyes, hoping her mother’s hard work on her make up wouldn’t become ruined. As she dabbed gently at her leaky eyes, she noticed the onyx necklace she had hidden earlier. Picking it up in her hoof, she examined it closely. She had treasured the trinket for years, and each time she took it out, it reminded her of her own core values. In her eyes everypony deserved to be treated with the decency and kindness they expected of others, and the simplicity of the onyx reminded her of how simple it could be. If only everypony thought the same way.

Feeling the overwhelming desire to put the necklace on, Smithy held it up to her neck. Oh, but it didn’t go with her outfit at all! It was almost an eyesore next to the ribbons and lace, making Smithy feel like less of herself than she already did.

Just then, she heard her father knock at the door. “Are ya decent?” he teased as Smithy tried to figure out what to do with the necklace. Running short on time, she decided to pin it to the inside of her dress using the broach on the front. She may not have looked like herself on the outside, but at least there would be a little piece of herself pinned on the inside.

Opening the door slowly, Pokey Oaks peeked his head inside to catch a glimpse of his daughter. “Well, look at ya!” he said, getting misty eyed at the sight of his daughter. “The apple of mah eye. Ya look purdy enough to give away tonight. It’s like yer nothin’ like the baby girl I bounced on mah knee. Ya look all grown up!”

Sew n’ Sow nuzzled her husband’s neck, both to comfort him and to hide her own joyful tears. “She’s bound to catch somepony’s eye tonight,” she said with a motherly smile as her husband blew his nose loudly on a handkerchief. “Now lemme just clip these here ear rings on yer ears, and should I grab mah mother’s old hair pins? Ya know, those would look nice with mah old horseshoes! Oh, and one more thing…”

Comments

[Lovinlife]

Comments:
1. “Eventually I did end up marryin' Stinkin' Rich."

ALL_IN_ALL:
Nothing. This was filler. But filler that showed a little bit more of Smithy. Nothing else really.

Score:
I’ll give this chapter a 8/10.

[StarzGecko]

4172921
Does this mean that Flithy Rich is the son of Smith? 🤔