The Private Scrapbook

by Cadabra

Chapter 4: Get The Heck Outta Dodge

Chapter 4: Get The Heck Outta Dodge

Feeling bad after her brash display earlier, Applejack nuzzled her hurting grandmother. “So that’s how ya know 'em, huh?” she asked tenderly, making sure to smile at her old granny. “Sure don’t explain why yer owin’ ‘em now. Or why yer givin’ ‘em such a big helpin’ of our jam.”

Holding up the photo of the zebras, Apple Bloom had questions of her own. “Or where these here zebras came from,” she added, bouncing up and down so that she could be seen and heard.

Big Macintosh added an enthusiastic ‘eeyup’ to the mixture as he looked over his grandmother’s shoulder.

Granny Smith nudged her grandchildren playfully as she turned to the next page in her scrapbook. “I’m gettin’ to that, mah impatient lil’ ponies,” she joked as she turned to an old yellowed wanted poster with a picture of Pokey Oaks on it.

The sight of it made her grandchildren gasp in unison. “That’s right, mah lil’ ponies,” Granny Smith explained. “Mah daddy was in a might bit of trouble with that banker, Mighty Rich. It weren't even a year later and the seed sales ain’t made so much as a dent in his debts. Daddy couldn’t afford to make payments anymore, so he just stopped tryin’. And he didn't take that banker up on that job, even if mama really wanted him to. By that point he was a broken man, and it sure didn’t help him that mama lost another baby too."

Granny Smith sighed heavily as she remembered how her father's stubbornness had effected her family's welfare. "Mighty Rich was comin’ over all the time and tried to talk some sense into mah daddy," she explained. "He tried helpin' him hunt fer more jobs, and even tried to refinance them loans of his so he could make smaller payments. It all started out nice enough, but daddy was just too darned stubborn to work with him. He weren’t keepin’ to his word on makin’ payments, and weren't even tryin' to find another job. Mighty Rich tried and tried over and over to talk sense into daddy, but one day daddy just flew off the handle and started throwin’ punches at that old banker. Even gave him a black eye! After that Mighty Rich went after him legally, lookin’ to put him in debtor’s prison.”

Pawing at the old paper, Granny Smith remembered the day he was served legal papers. Pokey Oaks was a proud pony, so seeing him break down like he did was terrifying to the young members of the Seed Family…

---------------

Smithy walked outside with her brothers and grandmother, leaving her parents in private with their troubles. She felt a shiver go up her spine as Prairie Tune strummed a tune to drown out their father’s sobs. “What are we gonna do now?” she said in a meek, innocent voice.

Even optimistic Happy Trails stared long faced at the front window, turning away with his eyes closed in disappointment as the lamp by the front door was blown out. “I just don’t know,” he sighed as he listened to his father cry. “I ain’t ever seen daddy like this before. I wish I had some answers fer ya lil’ sis, but I’m just as lost as y’all are.”

Seeing the terror on her grandchildren’s faces, Grammy Gillyflower gathered them together in a tight huddle. “Now here’s what y’all should be doin’,” she whispered, making sure she wasn’t within earshot of anypony. “Y’all are gonna make a run fer it. Head on up north and just keep on runnin’. Find all kinds of seeds and find yerself a town that’ll have a market fer ‘em, one that don’t know yer daddy. Y’all can make yerselves a fresh start!”

The idea seemed so simple that the children couldn’t help getting excited with the possibility of an answer. All children that is, accept Prairie Tune. “Aw come on, Grammy!” he exclaimed as he stopped strumming his guitar. “It just can’t be that easy. Not when money’s involved! Sooner or later we’ll get caught up on, and when they do catch us we’ll be in a whole heap more trouble. And besides, yer a might bit slow fer wantin’ to run away, so they’ll catch up with us all the more quick.”

Grammy Gillyflower tussled the negative pony’s mane lovingly. “Now who said I’m a comin’,” she said with a mischievous smile in spite of the concerned reactions on her grandchildren’s faces. “Now come on y’all. I’m too old and slow fer pickin’ up mah life. And besides, somepony aught to be here fer when the boys in blue come along with their patty wagon. May as well be me!”

Prairie Tune shook his head in disbelief. “Ya can’t be serious!” he bellowed, his siblings hurriedly trying to hush him. “They won’t take ya in daddy’s place! If anythin’, they’ll just take ya in fer helpin’ us escape.”

Granny Gillyflower grabbed her grandson squarely by the shoulders. “Ya expect me to sit back and watch y’all go down without a fight?” she asked seriously. “I’d rather go to the gallows knowin’ mah family’s far away from here than sit and watch y’all suffer, knowin’ I didn’t lift a hoof to help. Ya understand me boy?”

It was the bravest thing Prairie Tune had ever seen, though the thought of losing his dear old Grammy to such a risky, ridiculous plan made the gesture all the more bittersweet. He knew he could argue with her (heck, that’s what he was good at!), but arguing just wasn’t going to get him anywhere with this stubborn old mare. Gritting his teeth to keep in his rebuttals, he let her fling her front legs around him and squeeze him in a desperate hug. “Yer a wrinkled up old fool,” he whispered softly, swallowing back his emotions as he hugged her back.

---------------

Apple Bloom smiled with relief, having heard all about the family’s travels to Canterlot in her class on Family Appreciation Day. “It worked!” she said, clapping her little hooves in celebration. “Yer daddy escaped from Dodge City and he was safe in Canterlot, thanks to Princess Celestia!”

Granny Smith shook her head in disappointment. “If only it were that easy,” she said, turning the page to reveal Pokey Oaks’s mug shot photos from Foalsom Prison in Canterlot. “Prairie Tune was right ya know. A wanted poster goes far and wide, ‘specially when there’s money’s involved. We weren’t in Canterlot fer a whole day before a guard found daddy and hauled him off to Foalsom Prison.”

Apple Bloom stared at the mug shots in disbelief. “So why didn’t ya say this in class?” she asked, looking at the sad expression on Pokey Oak’s mug shot.

All Granny Smith could do is laugh. “Ya think I’d go and tell everypony that ya came from jail stock?” she snortled. “Come on now, honey bun! Do ya really think I’d do anythin’ to embarrass ya in front of all yer friends at school?”

Apple Bloom blushed at the notion. “Oh, ‘course not,” she lied, remembering how much she had tried to prevent her grandmother from coming to class.

Comments

[Tiaa OwO]

Not to be negative but, I would've slapped the crap out of Prairie Tune if he kept on being negative and left him right there. I am a very optomistic person and I hate it when negative people try to bring me down. tehee

[Lovinlife]

Things I Like:
1. There is not a single boring MAIN character in this story so far. Every single one that I’ve seen has been full of motivation, actions, and personality which make the story seem alive, and this helps us with the transitioning into the past.

Comments:
1.

“And he didn't take that banker up on that job, even if mama really wanted him to. By that point he was a broken man, and it sure didn’t help him that mama lost another baby too…"Mighty Rich was comin’ over all the time and tried to talk some sense into mah daddy,"

I know this may sound a bit wrong, but i don’t feel sorry for Pokey at all right now. The fact that he’s refusing help from someone who is going out of their way to try and help them, I got little respect for them on a personal level. Then he attacks Mighty out of anger and pride. Nada for me there.

ALL_IN_ALL:
Things are going and going, and I’m seeing more story come together. I’m not gonna say that I like every single character, but that doesn’t mean that they are bad characters. There is a difference between a horrible character and a horribly written one. From what I’ve seen, this chapter really brings this to light, and not much else in the technical aspect. I’ll see what happens in the next chapter.

Score:
10/10

[Ice Star]

My only real nitpicks for this chapter are just nitpicks: 'man' should be 'stallion' and 'boys in blue' as a reference to cops would work better if it was referencing the royal guard.