The following morning at breakfast both Sketch and Applejack acted as if nothing had transpired the previous evening. Sketch wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing; he was just glad that Applejack was still speaking to him. After breakfast he headed out to the barn to practice his applebucking on the sandbag. He had gotten exceptionally better since the previous season, but he wanted to keep his muscles in good shape. After a rigorous workout and a quick freshening-up, he wandered into town to see Twilight Sparkle.
"So you don't know why they're here specifically?" she asked after Sketch had told her about his encounter with his parents.
"No. Just that they had a meeting with the mayor this morning."
"Must be something pretty big," Twilight said, rubbing her chin with a hoof.
"That's what I'm afraid of." He received a questioning glance, so he added, "They're big city ponies. They think big and act big. And Ponyville is… Ponyville. Whatever they're planning, this town isn't ready for it."
"Can it really be that bad?"
Sketch nodded. "I just wish Applejack could understand that."
"Applejack is very trusting of people, Sketch, you know that. That's why she took you in without even really knowing you at first."
"Then why can't she trust me when I tell her that my parents are bad news?" he asked, his words heavy with frustration.
"Because she also has a very strong sense of family. Her family is the most important thing in her life. I'm sure her attitude isn't based on distrust for you, just her close ties to family."
"Something I definitely don't understand," Sketch muttered. But he did understand Twilight's point. He had been so quick to push his view of the situation onto Applejack that he hadn't considered her view of it. He would have to have a talk with her later on. "I have to get going," he said, realizing what time it as. "I want to grab a bite to eat and think about my lesson plan before heading to the schoolhouse. Thanks for listening to me."
"Hey, what are friends for?" Twilight said, giving Sketch a hug. They said their goodbyes and Sketch stepped out into the warm sunlight. The breeze was a bit cooler that day, and he smiled at the thought of being able to wear his treasured gray overcoat once again. Whistling, he trotted towards the little café not far from the library, nodding at the ponies who said hello to him.
He stopped in mid-whistle as bumped into his parents at the café. "Hello again, Waldorf," Astor said, looking up at his son through the circular frames of his negotiation spectacles. The stallion always wore them in his dealings, regardless of the facts that the lenses were clear glass and that his vision was perfect. Sketch always figured that his father wore them for effect, to appear more businesslike. In his opinion, they just made his father look more pretentious. "I don't suspect you can kick us out of here," Astor added and returned his attention to the menu.
"Unfortunately, no," Sketch muttered, annoyed.
"Why don't you join us, Waldorf?" his mother said in a tone that was surprisingly inviting. Caught off guard, Sketch just nodded and sat himself at the little table. "How are you?"
"I'm… good," he answered, still a bit unnerved at his mother's sudden warmth. "I just wanted to get some food before heading to the school."
"The school?" Astor looked up from his menu. "Don't tell me you're studying to change professions again."
"No, dad, the elementary school. I'm teaching there."
"Well, a proper job at last."
"I'm just teaching art to the students."
"Ah. Well, I had hope for a moment there." He looked back down at the menu and missed Sketch shaking his head.
"I think it's wonderful," Ginger Snap said, smiling at Sketch. He wanted rather badly to just outright ask his mother why she was being nice, but he was afraid that if he did, she would stop.
Perhaps spurred by his mother's new attitude, but mostly motivated by his encounter with Applejack the previous night, Sketch cleared his throat and said, "Look, I'm… I'm sorry I kicked you guys out last night. It was a bit of a shock to see you, first of all, and second of all, you insulted the pony I love."
"The pony you love?" Astor's attention snapped back to his son. "That apple farmer? Why?"
Before Sketch could retort, Ginger Snap said, "It's not important why, Astor. I'm happy our son has found someone."
"He should have continued searching. Falling in love with an apple-harvesting hick? My son?"
Sketch slammed his hooves down on the table and stood up, startling a few ponies at nearby tables. "Did you really wonder why I never wrote to you, dad? This is why. Because nothing is ever good enough for you, unless it's the way you want it to be. I will never be you and I will never be the pony you want me to be. I've made my own way here and I've got my own life. Do me a favor and stay out of it." With that he stormed off, his appetite completely gone.
***
Teaching the children that day was not the easiest thing that Sketch had ever done. His mind was still on his parents and his emotions were far from calm. That, coupled with his usual fear of public speaking, caused him to stumble over his words, to forget things, and to generally look like a fool. It didn't help that with every mistake he made, Diamond Tiara and her friend, Silver Spoon, snickered loudly.
After his lesson, he wandered out of the schoolhouse in a funk, sighing heavily. "Hey, big bro!" Apple Bloom's voice called him out of his dark cloud. She and her friends came trotting up to see him.
"Hey, little sis. Sorry about bombing in there today."
"Nah, ya did great," she said, lightly punching his foreleg.
"Yeah, you did amazing, Waldorf," Diamond Tiara said snidely as she walked by.
"How in Equestria do you know my real name?" Sketch asked in a tone a bit more angry than he should have allowed himself to be with a filly.
"Your father is doing business with my father. You should have heard the things he said about you."
"Believe me, I've heard them all before," Sketch said with a frown. "What kind of business are they doing?"
"Wouldn't you like to know?" she said and laughed, walking away haughtily with Silver Spoon.
"Ooo, ah can't stand her!" Apple Bloom said and stomped a hoof.
"One of these days," Scootaloo growled and slammed one hoof into another.
With a sigh, Sketch said, "It's not her fault, girls. I'm sure her parents brought her up that way. It's the only way she knows how to be. The best you can do is to keep trying to be a good influence."
"Does that work?" Sweetie Belle asked with an incredulous look.
Sketch didn't say anything. Instead, he became distracted by a tan pony in the distance, watching the school. It was his mother. When she noticed that he had spotted her, she smiled and then turned around and left. Again, she was acting so out of character. What was going on?
"Sketch? Hey Sketch!"
"Hm? Oh, sorry, little sis. Got distracted. I'll, uh, I'll see you at home, 'kay? Bye, girls."
The fillies said goodbye and Sketch wandered in the direction that he had seen his mother. He knew she'd be long gone, but he thought, maybe, he might catch her. It wasn't meant to be, though, so he headed in the direction of Sweet Apple Acres, pondering his mother's strange new turn and wondering what his father was up to.
***
That night it was Big Mac's and Apple Bloom's turns to clean up after dinner, so Sketch caught Applejack on her way out to the barn. "Hey, can we, uh, talk?" he asked.
"Sure, sugar cube, what's on yer mind?"
"I'm… well, I'm sorry about last night. With my parents. You were right; this is your house and I had no right to kick them out."
"Apology accepted." She gave him a peck on the cheek.
"Thanks. But I want you to know that I still don't trust them. Whatever they're here for can't be good."
"And do ya know that fer a fact?"
"I know it based on previous experience."
"So ya don't know if fer a fact."
"Well, no, not really, but-"
"So why don't ya find out first before you go makin' accusations?"
"And how do you propose I do that?" Sketch asked, a tad more brusquely than he intended.
Applejack seemed not to notice, or was ignoring his tone. "Talk to them, ya ninny."
"I've tried. Twice."
"Seems t' me ya kicked 'em out before you could try the first time. Did ya get any farther the second time?" The challenge hung in the air as they entered the stifling warmth of the barn.
"Well, I… no, actually. I got angry with my father for… I got angry and left."
Surprising Sketch, Applejack cut him off by stepping in front of him and facing him. Her green eyes met his and held him in place. "Ah understand you had a rough childhood, sugar cube. Ah understand that you and yer parents didn't see eye t' eye. Ah'm not tryin' t' act like ah don't care. What ah've been tryin' to get you t' see is that yer not a young'n anymore. You moved out and went t' live on yer own. You did things without 'em, saw things without 'em. You grew up, Sketch. Now start actin' like it."
The words were spoken in a gentle way, yet they rocked Sketch on his hooves. Applejack was right – he had been acting like a rebellious colt ever since his parents had appeared. He wasn't being himself. Not the pony that he had become, that is.
"I don't understand how you can make me feel like a complete fool and somehow that makes me love you even more," Sketch said, kissing the orange pony. "You're right. I need to make peace with them. Thank you."
"Yer welcome, sugar cube. And ah must've made you feel like one powerful fool t' make ya fall in love with me in the first place."
Sketch laughed. "I do seem to remember feeling rather foolish."
"Ah can't wait to see how much more foolish ah can make ya feel," she said with a wicked grin and that underlying, hinting tone.