Tech support: Troubleshooting is Magic

by DrZed

Who's the Boss?

I move carefully and weave my way into the crowd, where it seems an argument is breaking out between two mares.

"The town hall has to be finished first! How will town business be handled if there are holes in the walls?!"

"Just as well as all other business is currently being handled... We haven't even started fixing the windmills and wells! How will Ponies get water?"

"Ponies need a place to gather, to look to and be proud of!"

"Mayor, you're being unreasonable, Ponies need basic utilities first! We cant just assign everypony to fix the Town Hall! With the numbers we have here they will be getting in each other's way! We already have two teams cutting boards and nailing them up as fast as they can!"

As I approach the center of the crowd which has backed off into a circle around two ponies, One a tan colored mature mare with white and grey mane, dark blue eyes and a scroll wrapped in a blue ribbon cutie mark. Making a WAG, that's Mayor Mare.

The other mare I recognize from Celestia's assignment paperwork as Twilight Sparkle, a purple unicorn with an indigo mane with a violet and pink streak, and a cutie mark of a six pointed star surrounded by 5 smaller ones. Celestia's prodigal student and bearer of the Element of magic

Currently the two were glaring daggers at each other, and nopony else seemed to be interested in getting involved.

I stepped forward and cleared my throat.

"WHAT?!" I got in stereo, blowing my mane back. I would have been intimidated, but after getting dressed down by some of the Royal Guard's best drill sergeants, many of whom were mares, I stood firm.

I pause momentarily to let the ringing in my ears subside, standing at attention, a slight frown on my face as I calmly look at the two. During this the two look at each other, cheeks pinkening as they realize how they've been behaving in front of everypony.

"Lieutenant Zed Gemfire, on special assignment to assist with the reconstruction efforts." I levitate a scroll in between the two. That seems to break them out of their shock of self-awareness.

Twilight's purple magic intercepts the missive and unrolls it, "Princess Celestia mentioned sending some help." Her eyes run down the page, going wide, "The Princess sent you?"

"Not just me. Materials and more equipment will be arriving tomorrow by cargo train. Also a little bird told me there will be a charity auction in Canterlot benefitting the town." A smile crosses my face, "In the mean time, I would be happy to assist in whatever way I can."

Twilight blinks, "Where do we start?" She indicates the map, "Nearly every building has been damaged, some have collapsed. Some ponies are without homes and are living in tents."

Mayor Mare shakes her head, "The City Hall can wait, I will arrange with the weather service to keep the town warm and dry at night for the next week. There should be enough time to get most of the homes repaired."

I nod soberly, "I can take a crack at the windmill and water pumps, I am a bit of an old hoof at machinery. For right now though a rain filled tank should be set up centrally till the pumps are repaired. I can start on that first if you'd like. That will let you focus on the housing situation."

Twilight nods, "Good thinking. There's one on a cart that's not too badly chewed up in the winter wrap up cart parking lot."

I grin and salute, "Yes ma'am. Requesting a good carpenter and a pegasus who can bring the rain."

Twilight grins, "I know just the two..."

Comments

[meerkat8472]

Interesting.