A Family Matter

by Bardsworth Brony

Chapter Five: In Which the Plan is Revealed

It wasn't hard for Sketch to find out where his parents were staying. There was only one place in Ponyville – the Ponyville Bed and Breakfast. It was run by an older pony named Morning Song whom Sketch didn't know well, but had met once or twice in passing.

"Oh, hello… er, is it Stretch?" the light blue pony asked when she answered the door, frowning in concentration and studying Sketch with her faded violet eyes.

"Sketch," he corrected the pony with a smile. "Sorry to bother you, ma'am, but you have a couple staying with you-"

"Oh yes, the couple from Whinnypeg!" she said with a bright smile. "I barely see them, apart from at the breakfast table… they're so busy! Do you know them?"

"Yes, they're, uh…" Sketch paused, finding the words physically difficult to say. "They're my parents."

"Well, I'll be! What a nice couple they are."

"I'm sure. Are they here?"

"You're in luck! They just returned from an outing this morning. I believe they're in the sitting room. Come in, come in!" The pony turned, her pale, yellow tail spinning behind her, and she led the way inside.

Astor was sitting at a small table going over some documents, and Ginger Snap was reading a book from the small bookshelf on the wall. She happened to look up as Morning Song and Sketch entered the room and her eyes grew wide. "Waldorf, what are…? This is a surprise!"

"Oh my, a family reunion!" Morning Song squeaked, an almost inappropriate sound from a pony her age. "I'll go put some tea on and bring in some cookies."

"To what do we owe the honor of your presence?" Astor asked without glancing up from his documents, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Doing his best to ignore the biting tone, Sketch answered, "I wanted to apologize. Again. And bring a peace offering." He opened his worn saddlebag and extracted a jar, placing it on the coffee table in front of his mother. "It's apple butter. I learned how to make it last year after applebucking for the first time."

"I'm sure it's delicious," Ginger Snap said, giving Sketch a warm smile. "You did, after all, inherit my culinary abilities."

"A shame he never put them to good use," Astor muttered, "opting instead to be a farm worker."

Sketch's first instinct was to jump on the defensive, but instead he chose to take the offensive. "I use the money from applebucking to invest into my art career, dad. That's something I think you can appreciate."

Astor paused and finally looked up. "You're right. Well done, Waldorf. And how is your art career going?"

The little bit of momentum Sketch was starting to feel ground to a halt. "It, uh… it's been better," he mumbled.

"Hmm. I guess at a time like this, economically speaking, something as frivolous as art doesn't seem like such a hot commodity."

The anger burned through Sketch, but he managed to keep it under control. He decided to change the subject. "So how was your meeting with the mayor?"

"Since when do you care about my business dealings?" his father replied.

"Since you came into the town that I've made my home, potentially affecting me and my friends."

"Fair enough. The meeting went very well, as I expected it to. The mayor seemed more than receptive to my idea."

"And that is?"

He opened his mouth to speak when Morning Song came trotting into the room, pushing a tea cart with hot tea and several varieties of cookies. "Here you are, some refreshment and snacks! Oh, is that Sweet Apple Acres apple butter? Delicious! Let me fetch some biscuits for you to spread that on!" She was gone again in an instant.

In the span of time that Morning Song had been a distraction, Astor had returned to his work. Sketch waited a moment and then cleared his throat. His father looked up at him. "Yes?"

"Your meeting with the mayor. You were going to tell me what it was about."

"Right. I have this idea to-"

"It seems I'm out of biscuits," Morning Song said, poking her head into the room. "Would crackers be all right?"

"That'll be fine, ma'am," Ginger Snap said, noting Sketch's frustration and answering before he could.

"As I was saying," Astor said, and they all turned to the doorway leading to the kitchen. When the blue pony didn't appear, the stallion continued. "I had this idea to turn Ponyville into a resort town."

"What?!" Sketch shouted as Morning Song returned.

"Oh dear, are the crackers not enough?" she asked, misinterpreting the shout.

"They're fine, ma'am," Ginger Snap said, rising from her spot. "But I was wondering if you could take me out back and show me that vegetable garden you were telling me about." She glanced at Sketch and gave him a wink. For the first time in his life, he wanted to hug his mother and not let go. When the two mares had left, he turned back to his father.

"A resort town? You're kidding, right?" Astor gave him a look. "Right, you don't kid. Ever. But Ponyville?"

"It's a prime location. It's not far from Canterlot, but it's far enough out that it can be considered a destination. It's right near the river, so it's waterfront property. And there are enough shops and cafes to keep ponies occupied while they visit, plus space to build more."

"And what if it becomes like Horseshoe Crescent, dad?" Sketch said in a low, hard voice. "Will you honestly let this town be destroyed like that one was?"

"'Destroyed' is the wrong word, Waldorf. It 'evolved'. It became something different. Something more lucrative. And yes, if that's the direction this heads, then all the better. Horseshoe Crescent did actually make me a substantial amount of money."

Sketch's resolve finally crumbled and he felt the irate younger pony inside rise to the surface. "And that's all you care about, isn't it? The next big deal that makes money. You can't just come in here and ruin the lives of the ponies that live here!"

Astor laughed. "I think you'll be surprised to hear that not everyone who lives here thinks it such a bad idea. The mayor certainly didn't. And I met a friend of yours today, a fashion designer named-"

"Rarity," Sketch breathed. "You talked to Rarity?"

"I was in the market for a new suit, and I happened to mention that there might be a lot more sales of her wares were I to bring visitors here with a resort."

Sketch didn't ask any more questions or say anything further. Without hesitation he had run out the front door, galloping in the direction of Rarity's boutique.