//------------------------------// // Chapter 21 // Story: Pandemic: Picking up the Pieces // by Halira //------------------------------// Devon walked into the schoolhouse with confidence. Within a few hours she would have a job, and hopefully late tonight she and Paul would have decided on a new house together. She had really been too hard on him when he first came back home yesterday. He was doing well with the foals, and being very helpful with everything. He had spent all night bonding with Robby, and was up watching the foals now. Paul had to be exhausted, and she hoped she wouldn't be here too long so she could relieve him for some much needed sleep. She still worried about Tonya though. They had been unable to find her after she took off yesterday. The conversation between Tonya and Paul hadn't gone well, and Devon hadn't expected it to, but Paul seemed to be mortified that he had caused Tonya that much distress that she felt the need to run away. He even started referring to Tonya as his sister, while sounding like he really meant it, and didn't trip over her name at all. Hopefully the two could really mend their relationship next time they spoke together. She wanted to forgive Paul for what happened before, she really did. If things kept going the way they were she might be able to. What he had done was wrong, extremely wrong, but he was doing everything he could to make right. Maybe she could open herself up to loving him again. She reached the doors of the library and took a tentative look in to see how many others were there already. It wasn't quite a packed house, but it wasn't far from it. Most of those waiting were ponies, of course, but there was a human or two. Almost everyone, whether pony or human, looked anxious as they waited. There was no way she was going to find a table to herself. She looked around the room hoping that Amanda was already here so she could join her, but there was no sign of her. There was still time left before the interviews were supposed to start, which meant Amanda still had time to get here. That still left finding a seat though, which meant engaging with a potential future coworker or two. After looking around the room for a moment she spotted a night pony mare sitting at a table by herself, looking even more anxious than most the rest of those waiting. She looked vaguely familiar, but Devon couldn't place where she had seen this particular mare before. Sitting by her there would still be room for Amanda, and this was almost certainly going to be a teacher for Robby. That made her the best person to sit next to. She walked over to where the night pony was sitting. "Hi, I'm Devon. Mind if I sit with you while we wait?" The mare smiled as Devon pulled out a chair. "Yeah, you can sit here. I think I recognize you, even though we haven't talked. You might remember my fiancèe, Phobia. I'm Rosetta Stone." Now Devon could place her. Rosetta had been there giving directions the day at the convention center beside Phobia. Phobia had said she was getting married and it just didn't register in all the stress of that day that Phobia was a lesbian. This was an opportunity to find out what had happened to Phobia and find out if she was okay. Devon took her seat and smiled in return. "I remember Phobia very well, she was the first pony to really try to help me out, and I'm really grateful to her for that. I heard something happened with her and was worried about her." Rosetta's ears fell and her posture slumped. "Yeah, an old boyfriend of mine came and hurt her pretty badly. She's mostly okay, at least physically, but we're still working on getting her to where she isn't afraid of everypony around her since then." "Oh," Devon looked down at the table. It was difficult coming up with a positive response to that. Rosetta looked up with the tips of her ears still sagging and a clearly forced smile on her face."If I remember right you have a night pony foal." Devon took the offer to change the subject and smiled. "Yes, Robby's just five, but he'll be turning six over the course of the summer. He's always eager to say how much he'll protect me and his little sister. I actually picked you to sit next to because I figured you would have to be a teacher for him since he needs a nocturnal teacher." The smile slipped from Rosetta's face again and Devon wondered what she had said wrong. Rosetta took a deep breath before responding. "I don't know. I've never actually taught before, my future mother-in-law pulled strings to get me this interview. I want to teach, but want to teach college. I'm not sure I'm qualified to teach foals. By the school year starts I'll be heavy with pregnancy too. Not sure if that's the best time to be doing a first year teaching." "So why are you here if you don't think this is a good idea?" Devon asked. "Pressure from family. When my future spouse, future father-in-law, and Sunset Blessing team up to pressure me I kind of have to give in. Plus, we do need something for income, we can't rely on my sister and Sunset Blessing to just keep providing for us." "Sunset Blessing is related to you?" Devon asked. Tonya was supposedly dating Sunset Blessing. Devon didn't know how serious they were, but if they were a serious item together that might make Rosetta and Phobia family in the future. "She's Phobia's mother," Rosetta said with a disgusted look on her face. "She makes me uneasy, always seems to be plotting something." Devon's eyes widened a little. She hadn't heard much about Sunset Blessing beyond she was the town's pony leader. Since Tonya was dating the mare she had expected someone a bit younger. Phobia couldn't be that much older than Tonya. That meant Tonya was dating someone old enough to be her mother. "Um, this might seem an inappropriate question, but I've got a good reason for asking. How serious a couple are Sunset Blessing and Tonya?" Devon asked. Rosetta shrugged. "I can tell you that Tonya ardently comes to Sunset's defense if Sunset's intentions are questioned. Sunset also seems to listen to Tonya when she won't listen to anypony else. I'm not sure they're getting married or anything soon, since Sunset is technically still married to Phobia's dad, but it wouldn't shock me if they did end up married eventually." Rosetta paused and gave Devon a long look. "Why do you ask?" "Tonya is my sister-in-law." Devon rubbed the back of a hand nervously. Rosetta didn't seem to like Sunset Blessing much, did that dislike extend to Tonya as well? "Well then." Rosetta chuckled. "If things do get to where they marry I guess that might eventually make you my aunt in a round-about way." "I'm not great with telling pony ages, but how old are you?" Devon asked. It was kind of weird thinking of Tonya being a grown adult's mother-in-law, or stepmother for that matter. "I'm twenty-two, you?" Rosetta responded as she looked Devon over carefully. "Twenty-seven," Devon answered. "I don't feel old enough to have a twenty-something year old niece." Rosetta smirked and batted her eyes at Devon. "Aww, but I could call you Auntie Devon." Devon gave a silent groan at the name. At least she had cheered Rosetta up a little. She gave a smirk back. "Well, my dear niece, you'll be gaining some cousins too, since I have two foals. Even if you don't get this job I'm sure Robby will be thrilled to learn about potential night pony family members." "I'm going to actually give this interview my best shot," Rosetta said as she glanced at the desk where it looked like staff was busy getting ready. "History is my subject, but wondering if it would be better for me to be a part time Spanish teacher. I'm bilingual Spanish and English, and studied a lot of German too since a lot of the archaeology papers are in German. Kind of interested in learning Equestrian since it seems a very pretty language, and I'm sure there will be demand for teachers who can teach foals languages." "That seems like it would be a good thing to do," Devon said, "The earlier children start learning a second language the better they can get a good grasp on it. It's kind of in your name too." "And it works well with adult education which happens more at night typically." Rosetta paused to think about it more before continuing. "I actually think that might be my best way of marketing myself today." At that moment Devon saw Amanda come hurrying through the door of the library, breathing heavily, like she had run all the way to the school. She looked rough and she had a huge patch of brown dirt on her flank. Devon blinked as she looked at Amanda's flank again. That wasn't dirt, it was a picture of dirt with several white circles in it. Amanda had gotten her cutie mark while farming today. Did that mean she was going to give up teaching? Devon had been looking forward to working with her. Amanda did a quick glance around the library and put on a relieved smile as she spotted Devon and trotted over to where Devon and Rosetta were sitting. "I was worried you weren't going to make it. It looks like you had a pretty big day," Devon said as she leaned back to take another look at the mark on Amanda's flanks. Amanda blushed. "It has been a big day. I was worried I was going to be late. I don't think I have ever run so fast in my life." Devon decided to make introductions before pressing her friend about the mark. "Rosetta, this is Amanda Wilson, my roommate. Amanda, this is Rosetta Stone, my possible future niece." Amanda gave Rosetta and Devon a skeptical eyebrow then extended a hoof over to Rosetta. "Nice to meet you. I'm guessing you're related to Paul and Tonya?" Rosetta touched hooves with Amanda. "Not right now, but for all I know Tonya might eventually become my stepmother-in-law." "I hadn't realized Sunset Blessing was that old, but we do age gracefully as ponies I guess. I'm thirty and it is hard to tell the difference in my age and a mare ten years older or younger," Amanda mused, then she glanced at Devon as Devon continued to examine the new cutie mark. "And I'm guessing you want to hear all about this patch of dirt on my flank, right?" Devon nodded. Amanda sighed as she glanced over at it, though the edges of her lips turned upward slightly. "I was working in the fields like I said I'd be today. What Wild Growth wanted us to do was pretty demanding. Not only were we to get all the weeds pulled and seeds planted, we needed to get all the seeds that didn't belong out, particularly seeds for any trees." "My sister's powers impact everything in the area when she uses them. If you don't get the seeds for trees out you will be dealing with a large patch of woods," Rosetta said. Devon and Amanda stared at her after she spoke and then Rosetta added in. "Wild Growth is my little sister. I had an unfortunate front row seat the first time she used her powers. Just to note, you do not want to be standing in the area things are going to be growing when she unleashes her magic if you value your life." "You've just got connections to everyone, don't you?" Devon asked the night pony. "More than you know. I'm not that special, but definitely am surrounded by notable ponies," Rosetta said with a shrug. Amanda continued after the interruption. "Anyway, it turns out most earth ponies were having a pretty hard time with this. I, on the other hoof, was not. I seem to get a better impression of what lies beneath the soil than most earth ponies do. I just delve my magic down and I can tell you with pinpoint accuracy where everything is under there. Once the other ponies figured out I could do it I became popular really fast, and I got my cutie mark." "So, are you going to give up teaching now to do that instead?" Devon asked cautiously. Amanda's eyes shot open and she looked outraged at the question. "No! Definitely not! I'm a teacher, and I love being a teacher. I might have a talent for finding things under the soil, but it isn't going to define me. I might use it to help ponies out from time to time, and I might find some way of working it into my teaching, but I'm not giving up my career for it." Devon let out a sigh of relief. She was glad to hear that. It also meant that her foals didn't need to be defined by their cutie marks either once they eventually earned them. "Have you thought of a pony name for yourself since you got your mark?" Rosetta asked politely. Amanda shook her head. "Not really interested in one. My name is perfectly fine, and I'm used to students calling me Mrs. Wilson. A few of the ponies started calling me Treasure Finder out in the fields, and if they want to call me that then I'm not upset at it. My name isn't really changing though, that's going to be a nickname some ponies call me, at most." "Amanda Wilson? Is there an Amanda Wilson here? If you're here please come up, you're our first interview on the day," a man who had been sitting at the library desk called out into the library. "I'm here!" Amanda called back as she stood high in her chair waving a hoof. She then hoped down from her seat and gave a quick glance back at Devon. "Looks like I made it just in time. Wish me luck!" "You've got this, you don't need luck," Devon said with a smile. "But good luck anyway." As Amanda trotted over to the person interviewing her Devon felt contentment again. Everything was going to be just fine here in Riverview. Megan wandered around the small house just examining the rooms. She'd done this a few times already, but didn't have much else to do. Alex was out getting some lunch for himself which left Megan sitting back at the house bored. It was good that the anxiety if the night before had passed, but now she wanted to be doing something. Feeling frustrated that she had nothing to do until Alex or Tattered returned back to the house she went to her purse and pulled out her cigarettes and lighter from the night before. Last night it was anxiety that made her turn to them, today it was boredom; she might not be addicted yet, but she might as well consider herself a smoker looking at that pattern. She stepped out onto the front porch and sat down on the steps as she lit up a cigarette. She took a drag off it and let off a plume of smoke. After taking another she felt that slight buzz again and she let herself enjoy it. If smoking was all she had to do for the moment she was going to take pleasure in it. As she sat and smoked she just people-watched, or pony-watched as the case may be. It was kind of surreal seeing this many ponies in one place and very few humans. She had seen places like this on television, but being right in the middle of it was a whole other experience. It made her feel like the outsider, the alien invading into their territory. After a little while of watching a van pulled up in front of the house and she felt a rush of anxiety again that her parents had sent someone to take her back home. Her fears were unfounded though, because the door to the van opened up and her sister hopped out of the van. Were those soldiers inside the van? What was her sister doing with human soldiers? Megan took one last draw off the cigarette to finish it off before snuffing it out against the ground as Tattered walked up to the house. Tattered raised a brow at her as she looked around for somewhere to discard the butt, and ultimately just left it sitting in the dirt. "We'll have to find you a pot or something to discard those in if you're going to keep that up. I don't want the front yard getting littered with cigarette butts," Tattered said as she walked up to the front porch. "Is Alex here?" Megan shook her head as Tattered came and sat down next to her. "He went off to get some lunch for himself, apparently he has a haystack he regularly goes to. I'm not really interested in just watching ponies eat hay." "We're not exactly thrilled with eating it, so don't feel like your offending anypony," Tattered said with a laugh. "I'm sorry I had to take off this morning after getting you settled in. I've been working sixteen to eighteen hour days most days since I left Charleston. Hopefully the other Broken Ones will be up and about again soon, and then I'll have some more personal time again." "Broken One is a title of some sort then?" Megan asked. She really knew very little about her sister's position in the community or what all she had done before in Charleston. "It refers to the original five of us from Charleston. We all got hurt, really badly, two of us died," Tattered said as her ears went low. "We're the founding members of the Enclave." "And all the other night ponies that came to Charleston?" Megan asked. She didn't want to dig too much into how Tattered got hurt. It was too uncomfortable a subject. "Recruited in," Tattered answered. "Though we are starting to branch out and take in other pony tribes. We got a pegasus recruit the other day, and we got a unicorn and five crystal ponies this morning. After tonight I might have a human as well. Night ponies will remain the core, because being protectors is what we are, but having day ponies and humans gives us much needed support in some areas we lack abilities in." If her sister was taking in humans that was a possibility of work. "Can I join? I was working on a degree in criminal justice after all." Tattered gave her another raised brow and then shook her head. "Why not?" Megan demanded. What? Did her sister think she wasn't good enough? "I won't show any nepotism. No family member of mine will work under me," Tattered explained calmly. "It makes me too suseptable to accusations of favoritism. I'm sure with how well studied you are that you understand. It isn't anything personal, I just don't want anypony making it something personal." That was actually a pretty reasonable explanation. It wasn't far off from the reasoning her dad had given her when he objected to her working for him when he was preparing his campaign. It was why she was being marketed as an aid to other politicians. It seemed odd thinking it of her sister, who never wanted anything to do with politics, but it was a very politically minded decision. Maybe her sister might help her with something politically motivated then. "I can understand that, you don't to be shown as showing favoritism by filling your ranks with family. Do you think you might help me get a job at some other town office though? I might be reduced to working in a small town, but I do want to pursue a career in politics still," she asked hopefully. "You want me to do what Dad was doing for you by getting your foot in the door," Tattered said flatly, it wasn't a question either. "I might actually be able to do that. I'm on good terms with the director of operations for South Carolina, and I could definitely get a good word in for you with the town council as well." Megan wanted to jump for joy. Her sister did have government connections. She had guessed as much already based on her position in town and the fact she had soldiers acting as taxi cab for her, but it was nice hearing confirmation. Maybe this was just a new opportunity rather than flushing her life down the drain. Tattered chuckled, which made Megan look at her curiously. Tattered smiled at her. "You're definitely our father's daughter. I can see those gears going in your head. Don't worry, I won't look down on you for it. I should learn a little more about politics myself, all things considered. You're better than him anyway, you don't turn you're back on family for political reasons. You know where to draw the lines that shouldn't be crossed for politics, he doesn't." "Thank you, it means a lot to me that you understand me," Megan said as she started feeling some of what she felt last night again. She brought a hand up to her eyes and wiped them. "I've actually already been at work making arrangements to help you get back on your feet," Tattered said as she flicked her tail. "Tomorrow you'll have an appointment with the bank. You're going to be getting a house of your own. I hope you'll let me and Alex live with you after you do, but that's your call on how much privacy you want. It'll be your house, your rules, not mine." Megan looked at her sister in shock. "Getting a house? I'm nineteen, I don't even have a job yet. Why would the bank help me get a house? How will I afford it if they do?" "You get a large grace period before you need to start making payments, you'll have work long before then," Tattered stated as she engaged in watching some pegasi fly overhead rather than look at Megan. "I'm willing to help out with bills too, since I do get paid, or at least will, starting at the end of the week." "But why would they do it at all?" Megan asked in disbelief. She felt the urge for another cigarette, but resisted it. What was her sister thinking by having her go to the bank requesting a mortgage? Tattered turned and looked at her. "Megan, the majority of humans here are out of work at the second. We're working hard to make sure all of them, along with the ponies, get jobs. In the meantime we can't keep everyone housed in shelters indefinitely like this is some refugee camp. We need to first get all the humans and then the ponies into permanent homes. Construction crews will be hiring on humans and ponies starting in two days so we can start building. In the meantime loans are being pushed through to finance all this, even to people with no jobs yet." "Kind of like an economic stimulus, with housing construction," Megan said thoughtfully. "That's going to lead to a lot more public debt, but it could get the economy moving again. I'm assuming they are doing the same with businesses?" Tattered nodded. "Yes, money is being spent, lots of it. It's loans, but it will hopefully help jump start things here. This town had maybe about a million dollars in its local economy before we got here, maybe not even that. There is more than a hundred times that moving through it now. This town is the blueprint for other pony towns in the south, and they are determined to see it succeed. If ponies are not engaged in the economy that spells big problems." "And you're involved with all this?" Megan asked with a raised brow. This seemed way outside what her sister ever learned how to deal with. Maybe she had just underestimated her older sister though. Tattered laughed. "Me? Oh no, I'm not. I just read reports sitting in my boring office all day. Sunset Blessing and her cronies are the ones involved. Town council has to officially sign off on things, but they don't really make many decisions. The federal government and Sunset Blessing are calling all the shots." That sounded like the pony she should be working with if she really wanted to pursue a political career still. "This Sunset Blessing is the real power in town then? Can you help me get a job with her?" Tattered bit her lip and seemed to consider her answer. "Sunset Blessing is bad news. She's into a lot of hush-hush stuff with the government and she is a fanatical preacher and Shimmerist. I know there are things she's done that are...unethical." Megan crossed her arms and gave her sister her best I'm smarter than you look. "Sounds like a politician to me. It also sounds like my best bet for pursuing my goals. The fact that she's into hush-hush things, as you put it, just means I have an even better chance of eventually getting involved with things beyond the local level. I don't have to agree with her on everything. I just need to get my foot in the door with the biggest fish in the pond. She sounds like the biggest fish in the pond." Tattered looked unhappy. Megan guessed that there was bad blood between the two for some reason. That Sunset Blessing was a Shimmerist was of no consequence. If the feds were willing to work with her she couldn't be that bad of one. It would actually encourage Sunset Blessing to put her in higher responsibility in order to show how much Sunset Blessing got along with humans. It was simple politics. Tattered finally seemed like she'd conceded. "If I recommend you to her I can't promise she'll take you on. Also, if you're working for her and she does something truly terrible that you find out about I expect you to blow the whistle on her." "You want me to spy on her?" Megan asked. She wasn't offended by the suggestion. She was honestly just curious. Blowing the whistle on a Shimmerist up to no good could earn her a positive reputation. "No," Tattered said with a shake of her head. "Just if she does something that will jeopardize lives or the well-being of this community I want you to take action. You can keep all her government secrets. I'd rather not know." Megan did get offended by that remark. "I have morals and convictions. I'm not going to stand by if I see something like that going on. Dad might, if saying something about it hurt his political standing. I'm not Dad, and I will never be Dad." Tattered just nodded, keeping her expression blank. "I'll talk to Sunset then. She and I really don't like one another, so don't expect much. I'll also talk to Director Baker and the town council. No matter what somepony will take you on for employment." Megan turned and hugged her sister, earning a smile from Tattered and a hug back. Megan broke her hug as she remembered the stuffed animal that she had brought for her sister. "I forgot until just a now, I brought you a gift," Megan said as she stood to her feet. Tattered looked up at her with curious flick of an ear. With Tattered sitting down and her standing the size difference between them was put on full display. If she did get a house she'd have to take her siblings' statures into account. Even this house, small as it was, seemed far too large in many ways for them. Finding a balance between what worked for her and what worked for them would be tricky. "What kind of present do you have for a pony? I don't have much for personal needs," Tattered asked. Megan grinned. "Just one second, let me go fetch it from my luggage." She hurried inside and to the room that Tattered had assigned her. This place only had two small bedrooms, a bathroom, a kitchen, and a small foyer area that barely counted as a living room. Tattered and Alex were doubled up in one bedroom and the other was given to her. After reaching her room she opened up her luggage and was relieved that none of the snow-globes had broken. They weren't cheaply made so she hadn't expected them to be, but there had been a little worry of that still. She grabbed up the stuffed rainbow unicorn and hurried back outside. She held the stuffed animal out to her sister as she got back out to the porch. "I know it isn't much, but I thought I'd contribute to restarting your collection. It's the silly little things that make a place feel like home." Tattered's eyes seemed to well up with tears as she reached up with her hooves and accepted the stuffed unicorn. Once it was in the night pony's grip Tattered pulled it close to her and gave it a tight hug. Megan then heard Tattered start crying and worried for a moment that she had done something wrong. "Thank...you, Megan. This actually means a lot to me," Tattered said as she looked back up at her, still openly weeping. "It's family that loves and cares about one another that makes a place a home though. Things like this are just a reminder of that." "Well, I'm glad it made you happy," Megan said as she looked at her sister. Her sister seemed almost childlike between her size and the way she gripped the stuffed animal. It made her grin at how cute her sister looked right now. Tattered tucked the stuffed unicorn under one wing as she stood back to her hooves. "Happy as I am to spend time with you, I need to get to bed. Tonight a friend of mine is undergoing a pretty serious medical procedure and I want to be there for her. Make sure Alex shows you around town and to the school where you can get something to eat. I'll try to find more time to talk when I can." "Alright, Tat," Megan said, sad that their bonding time was being brought to an end. She watched her sister go back into the house, leaving her to keep waiting for Alex. She sighed as she pulled out another cigarette and got back to pony watching.