Sketch didn't have the opportunity to speak to Applejack that evening about his father's plans. The orange pony had been in the fields with Big Mac until late into the night, fiddling with some kind of irrigation contraption that they had bought in Canterlot with the last of their savings. She was gone early the following morning, too, when Sketch went to find her. Knowing that he shouldn't bother her while she was doing her best to save the farm, he decided to try one last time to talk some sense into his father.
"Waldorf!" Ginger Snap said when Sketch showed up to the bed and breakfast. His mother was sitting outside on the patio drinking some morning tea.
"Good morning," Sketch said, managing a smile. "Where's dad?"
"He's off conducting business, where else?" Ginger Snap shrugged. "Wait!" she called as Sketch turned to leave. "I stayed here because I was hoping you'd show up. I'd… I'd like to talk with you."
"What is this new attitude, mom?" Sketch asked point blank. "I'm not saying I don't like it, I just… it's different."
Ginger Snap set down her tea and looked away from her son, silent for a moment. "I wasn't the best mother, Waldorf. I know that now. It took… it took me losing you to realize that." She breathed in and looked up with tears in her eyes. "When I found out about your artist friend dying in that horrible accident, I thought that maybe you were with him at the time. I was devastated. Believe it or not, so was your father." Sketch snorted. "Don't. He was, I promise you. When we found out that you were still alive, we hoped that you'd contact us to let us know personally. But we never heard from you. That was just as bad as thinking you were dead. I took a lot of time to think after that. I thought about you growing up and the way we raised you, and I began to understand why you left us in the first place. And why you never wrote to us. Your father… I think he understood, too, but he couldn't deal with it. He just sank deeper into his business deals, trying to block everything out. But I… I can't believe I… I'm so sorry, Waldorf."
Stunned into silence, Sketch watched his mother break down into sobs. He stepped forward and held her, tears stinging his own eyes. "I forgive you, mom," he whispered in a thick voice. "And I'm sorry. I'm sorry for shutting you out completely. I've changed, and I can see now that what I did was the wrong thing to do."
With a sniffle, Ginger Snap pulled away and smiled at her son. "I guess we've both grown up."
Sketch smiled, then became serious. "And what about dad?"
"I don't know. I know he's happy to see you, even if he doesn't show it, but-"
"Mom, we have to stop him. This business deal of his is going to destroy Ponyville."
"You don't know that for sure," Ginger Snap said, although she didn't sound convinced of her own words. "Besides, you know your father; once he starts in on business, it's impossible to stop him."
"Can't you talk to him? You're his wife, for Celestia's sake!"
She shook her head. "We made a promise early on to never mix personal and business matters. All he would do is to remind me of that."
"Then I'm all alone again," Sketch muttered, looking down at the dry grass.
Ginger Snap reached out and pulled her son close. "If anyone can stop your father, it's you, Waldorf. You're the creative one. You always were. I never understood it and I treated you badly because of that lack of understanding. But now I see it for what it is – it's a part of you, and it makes you unique. Use that creativity to think of something."
Sketch almost broke down into tears again. That was the first time his mother had ever said anything encouraging to him. "Thanks, mom," he whispered. "And I will."
***
It wasn't something he noticed right away, but gradually Sketch began to become aware of an excited hush sweeping through Ponyville. He started eavesdropping on conversations as he passed by.
"…a resort town! Ponyville! Isn't that exciting?"
"…really need the money…"
"…and the buildings will all be fixed, and…"
Word usually traveled fast in Ponyville, but Sketch guessed that word of his father's plans must have set a new record. Everypony was brimming with joy at the prospect of their town becoming something bigger. All Sketch could do was shake his head, knowing that the ponies of Horseshoe Crescent must have felt the same way at one point.
He spent the entire morning and early afternoon trying to track down his father. Astor had certainly been busy. He had managed to get a number of ponies on his side, shop owners and residents alike. He had even managed to lure the Cakes onto his side, although Sketch guessed it wouldn't have taken much, considering the damage that Sugarcube Corner had sustained in the fires.
The biggest shock came when he ran into his friends in the town square. Twilight Sparkle was there talking with Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie. Each one of them tried to talk over the other, and what Sketch was able to gather was that his father had promised each one of them something: Rainbow Dash would head up air show entertainment for resort guests; Fluttershy's animals would get a large parcel of well-tended land to be a beautiful garden, and a host of staff to help look after them; Pinkie Pie was to be the head of event planning for guests.
Sketch didn't bother arguing with them. The damage had been done, and their strength in numbers only heightened their excitement. He had to get to the root of the problem – his father. With every step he took his anger grew, the young colt inside breaking through the cracks. He was unable to release his anger, though, since Astor remained elusive, and eventually Sketch had to give up the search to teach his class for the day.
"Oh, Sketch!" Cheerilee said as he walked into the schoolhouse. The students, who were taking a test at that moment, raised their heads, pencils in their teeth. "I have wonderful news!"
"I could use some," Sketch said in a weary voice, approaching her desk.
"We'll be getting those art supplies soon!" the teacher beamed. "And more!"
Sketch couldn't do anything except stare into Cheerilee's excited blue-green eyes. "My father was here, wasn't he?"
"Yes! And he promised to loan us the money we need for the school! We… Sketch, where are you going?"
The anger was red-hot inside of him now. His father was infiltrating every part of his new life in Ponyville, and Sketch needed to find him before he could do any more damage. Galloping past surprised mares and stallions, Sketch swung his head back and forth, his eyes scanning for the gray pony, until he finally found him conversing with a shopkeeper near the heart of the town.
"Dad!" Sketch shouted as he approached. He had the brief pleasure of seeing a look of shock register on his father's face, before it returned to its usual stony façade. "We need to talk. Now."
"As you can see, Waldorf, I'm in the middle of discussing business, and I-"
"And I don't care!" Sketch growled, seething with rage at that point. "How dare you... you show up in this new life I've set up for myself and you squeeze your way into every corner of it. Well, I'm not going sit back and watch it be destroyed!"
"You'll have to excuse him," Astor said calmly to the shopkeeper. "He's an artist. Very emotional, you see. We'll continue this later."
"You'll continue, nothing, dad," Sketch said in a loud voice, louder than he intended. His volume was attracting the attention of ponies nearby, but he was too into the moment to care. "You'll leave this town. Now."
Astor lowered his head a bit and looked over his negotiation spectacles at his son. "I will do no such thing. I'm conducting business."
"You're ruining my life!"
"I'm sorry if you don't approve of the business I'm conducting. But I never mix business and-"
"Personal matters, yeah, I know. And that's the problem, dad. Maybe once, just once, you could take a look at your family first before you do business, and ask yourself what would be best for them."
"How dare you?" Astor said, rage glinting in his own eyes. "Every business deal, every bit I've earned, has been for the welfare of you and your mother."
The crowd had become thick, and there was a harsh murmur running though it, a sound that raised the hairs on Sketch's neck. Overhead a few pegasi glanced downwards at the two ponies. "You did it for yourself, dad," Sketch said in a low, but firm voice. "I would have been happy to have you as a father, even without the money. But it's always been about how much business you could do, how much money you could make. No matter whose life you had to destroy to do it. Including mine. Now," he growled, locking his applebucking-toned legs into a tight stance, "You can leave on your own, or I'll take it upon myself to buck you right out of here."
"Sketch!" He turned to the sound of Applejack's voice. She was at the forefront of the crowd, along with the rest of his friends, each one glaring at him, but none so heated as the orange pony's. "Ah can't believe you! Why are you actin' like this? Don't ya want Ponyville… don't ya want the farm t' survive?"
"Oh no…" Sketch breathed and turned back to his father. "No. You didn't… you got to her, too?"
"Exclusive deal to sell Sweet Apple Acres apples and associated products to the future resort, to be resold to visitors at a reasonable price," Astor said proudly. "As well as a loan to supply the farm with proper irrigation and up-to-date equipment to keep future harvests healthy and productive."
Sketch turned back to the orange pony. "Applejack, you can't… you… my father, he…" Complete sentences refused to form in his brain as he looked into the anger-filled eyes of the pony he loved. There was such contempt in them, something he had never before seen. It scared him.
As Sketch stood there staring, he became aware that the murmuring had reached a peak, and he could make out angry words. Rainbow Dash, hovering above the crowd with the other pegasi, said, "You know, Sketch, you used to be cool."
"Why do you want to see Ponyville suffer?" Mr. Cake said, stepping forward, an uncharacteristic look of absolute seriousness of his face.
"He's not even from here," a voice shouted from somewhere in the crowd. "Why would he care?"
"Sketch," Twilight said in a stern voice that he had never heard before, "I think you'd better go." The crowd seemed to agree, and the voices reached a frightening crescendo. With tears in his eyes, Sketch took one last look at Applejack, whose countenance had not changed one iota. How could his friends have turned against him like that? It was as if they were different ponies altogether.
He turned to his father. "Congratulations, dad," he said in a defeated voice. "You've managed to destroy my new life in just a few days. You certainly are efficient." His father opened his mouth to say something, but Sketch cut him off. "Save it. Just tell mom… tell mom I'm sorry… I wasn't creative enough."
With that he galloped away from Ponyville, unsure of his destination, blinded by emotions and tears.