//------------------------------// // The Enemy of my Enemy // Story: Secondo: Shores of Zebrica // by Lil Penpusher //------------------------------// "What is it now, Moonfeather? I have other things to be doing, you know." Adagio sat in her gold-coloured throne atop Mount Aris and looked down at the comparatively small hippogriff before her. Moonfeather had been a necessary asset during the rise of the resistance in Hippogriffia, but ironically he was requiring more attention now than ever before. "Well, your majes-" Moonfeather created an artificial cough to stop himself mid-sentence. He saw Adagio glare as she usually did when he said something that was even mildly irritating or upsetting, and he passed a claw through his grey mane. "Well, Adagio," he began again, "the issue is not with my own dealings this time, as it happens. Though there certainly are things to remark which... I doubt you are much interested in." "Your point?" "Right. As you know, Aria predicted weeks ago that our attack on Zumidia would provoke a reaction from Colthage or Chiropterra?" "Of course I do. Why? Have they come out of hiding?" Adagio asked back. "Not precisely. Colthage remains an open question, but Chiropterra has invaded the Republic of Tobuck to their east, seemingly without declaration of war or anything of the sorts." The siren delayed her answer as she inspected the hippogriff. She noted he was looking a little worse for wear than days ago, and was even shaking a little. "You seem nervous." "I... err, I'm fine." He gulped. "Really, I-" "You know what I said when we hired you?" "Hire isn't really the right word, is it..." Moonfeather murmured. Adagio raised her voice. "Well?" "That you rule in my- I mean, our name. That means your total obedience and loyalty to us." The businessgriff was a sly fellow himself, and yet even so he was always caught off guard by how quickly Adagio turned about and changed the mood of an entire room in an instant. He wanted to instinctively take a step back but knew better. He lowered his head slightly as a sign of respect. "Of course. I never meant any offense." He raised his head but put his right claw over his chest. "I would never betray the trust you've invested in me, and the responsibilities I-" "Okay, okay, cut the act," Adagio interjected, rolling her eyes. "We both know you aren't an upstanding individual so let's not pretend as much. You work for us because your methods are ruthless and maximise efficiency and productivity, and because those same methods coincidentally help spur negativity among the population. In other words, you exist to rule in the most ruthlessly efficient matter possible and to make everycreature in Hippogriffia hate your guts." "Wait, Sonata told me you renamed this place to Sirenalia? Was that just a fluke or?" Adagio looked as though she'd almost lunged forward out of her seat at such an obviously stupid question in response. She clung on at last second. "Don't try your luck with me, fool." Moonfeather smirked and put his claw back down. "Trying to release some tension in the air, my apologies." He watched as the siren refused to budge, obviously not impressed by his stunt. "But yes, I am aware of my duties and methods. It's what has brought me this far in life." "And it's what has brought you to be one of the only hippogriffs to not be brought under our spell. Don't take this perceived privilege for granted." The siren grumbled under her breath, frustrated that she knew she had to hold back against this insolence. "As you say," Moonfeather quickly replied, "however, there is yet more to what I meant to say. Regarding Tobuck and Chiropterra, that is." The yellow sea monster raises an eyebrow but otherwise looked as though she would have rather been anywhere else but there, listening to him. "Well?" "I don't need to tell you that Chiropterra has the means and will to completely overpower the struggling, ailing Republic. A defeat for Tobuck is only a matter of time. What I am more interested in, however, is their... leaders." "Ugh," Adagio exerted, "you aren't seriously keeping me held up with this because of some filthy pony official." The businessgriff chuckled and waved a talon back and forth. "No, no. That's the funny part, actually! This republic is not a republic at all - never has been, as far as I can remember. I used to know the pony in charge of the place, actually. Definitely had his wits about him-" "Plumage. The point. Get to it." The comparatively tiny hippogriff regained his wits and momentarily blacked out as Adagio stared right into his eyes from where she sat. She was already more than twice his size, and from sitting as high above the ground as she did, it really only added to her imposing presence. He cleared his throat and began anew. "Anywho, ahem. The Republic is not just led by some weak-hoofed politician but rather a trio of gangsters. Criminals. More specifically, warlords of a sort." "Warlords?" the yellow-scaled singer repeated, leaning forward in her throne just a tiny bit. "So they are already effectively in turmoil then?" "Yes and no," was Plumage's answer. "Without a common threat, the three of them would proooobably be trying to kill each other right about now. Alas, Chiropterra exists, and so they seem to have called a ceasefire to resist the thestrals and lunarists." "Yet as you yourself said a minute ago they won't stand a chance even then," Adagio muttered in a complaining voice. "True, though that's not what I'm getting at. Tobuck as a nation is lost but... these warlords are not. Possibly." The brown-feathered hippogriff held his breath as the siren held a hoof to her snout. She glared at him once more but this time it appeared as a less threatening one. "Continue," the siren ordered. "A war with the lunarists is hardly avoidable, even less so if we want to realise your ambitions of moving south into Maregypt and beyond," Moonfeather continued. Adagio had no complaints so far, which was a relief. "But Aria and our forces are still tied up in Zumidia, and I believe it's fair to imagine we will be tied up in Colthage soon enough for one reason or another. Chiropterra may pounce on us while we are stretched too thin." "And how does this relate to Tobuck and these criminals?" Surprisingly, Adagio sounded genuinely curious rather than mocking as usual. "We could do well with a coordinated strike behind enemy lines. Something to draw their attention. A rebellion, or partisan attacks or maybe both. Who am I to say." He shrugged and smiled at his own proposal, and watched as Adagio pushed herself up from her throne. "You want us to enlist the aid of literal criminal scum? Of rogue military leaders who lead these sort of... warbands, as it were, around to fight whoever they don't like?" "Precisely that." Moonfeather was unusually confident. Greedy bastards that got others killed just to get whatever they wanted? That sounded a lot like him, in a most depraving sort of way, and if it did then it meant they were a possible good choice for leadership under the sirens also. "After all," he continued, "this is not just for our fight against Chiropterra either. I recall Aria complaining about the state of the officer corps? I suppose thralls don't make good leaders when they're most often too occupied with bickering to create a valid strategy in the field. Assuming we can get these creatures on board... we may have some capable hooves available to us." Adagio was suspiciously quiet, Plumage found. She stood - or hovered rather - in front of her throne and began pondering quite visibly. He straightened out subconsciously when the siren began to swim towards him through the air, a bolt of tension rushing from head to claws. "For somecreature that wastes my time on such a regularly scheduled basis, you do make some good ideas heard, time and again." The siren passed by him. He didn't dare turn to face her at the time, though he did wonder whether her words had been meant as a compliment or insult. Probably both if he knew Adagio well. "I have things to do, so come. We'll talk on the way." Finally the governor turned about face and witnessed the siren waiting for him in the large doorway which led back out of the throne room and into a long-winding corridor. He gulped, and moved up to her to tag along. "Now," began the singer as she led the way, moving slowly as she hovered above the red carpet on the floor, while her hippogriff associate kept up the pace, "tell me more about these supposedly useful warlords." He only nodded simply before beginning. "There are three in total, as I said, or at least three which are notable enough to be relevant. Wallnut Drive, Zamal Baragzen and finally Alesia Snezhnaya." Moonfeather eyed his 'superior' closely, and noted a hint of disdain at even just the odd names of some of these folks. "Wallnut is a thestral and was himself born and raised in Chiropterra. He fled the country sometime ago by deserting their legions, and is now making the rounds as a partygoer, with said parties being funded largely through his mercenary gigs." "A thestral deserter? Hah." The siren waved a hoof to dismiss the idea. "Disregard him. He is of no relevance to us." "How come?" "Aria made sure to emphasize just how fanatic some lunatics are." "...That much is true, yes," confirmed Plumage. "Whenever they do capture Tobuck, they will be looking for this Wallnut individual, and they will probably not hesitate to take some weight off his shoulders, so to speak." They continued on, rounding a corner into another hallway, this one barely lit due to the absence of windows. It was all so empty around here, besides the guards and occasional servants anyway. He wondered, for brief moments like these where they both seemed to pause, whether the siren felt lonely now that Aria and Sonata were both abroad dealing with their own things. Could sirens even feel lonely as creatures that literally eat negative emotion? Hm. "Ah well," he finally gave out, "I suppose you make a fair point. He is a loose cannon anywho. Probably not a good fit for us." Adagio remained quiet, and so the hippogriff continued. "Second on our list is Baragzen, a zebra noble from Warzena who insists that he rightfully owns the throne of the same and then some. He is ambitious and proud but likewise paranoid to no end." "So far I'm losing interest in this plan of yours, Moonfeather. The first candidate is on his deathbed effectively, and the second sounds more annoying than Aria and Sonata combined. Are any of these actually going to be bearable?" "Well... the last one, I suppose, might be best fitting. Alesia Snezhnaya, an earth pony born in the then-equestrian province of Severyana, today's Stalliongrad." "I believe I read something about a revolution against the pony princess there?" Adagio remarked with marked interest. "Yes. Communists fought Princess Celestia in a revolution, and eventually succeeded in overthrowing the monarchy in the province. Alesia herself fled to Zebrica, as she herself is a noble and distant royal." "Did you just say royal?" The two stopped for a moment as Adagio paused at the mention of such a thing. "A royal... there? As a-" "-Warlord. Yes. I suppose times are rough when your home is so deeply uprooted. Nowhere else to go." "Well if it's pity she seeks, I have none to give. I have my own vendetta to fulfill and don't need to pile on somepony else's. Certainly no mortal's." They resumed their previous pace, and Plumage continued. "I don't think she's exactly out for that. From what I know - which is to say, what Violent Facade knows - Alesia is a very direct, dogged and determined lady. She is loyal to her word so long as she is treated 'honourably' as she calls it." Adagio chuckled. "Honour among thieves, smugglers and bandits. What a bother." "You aren't interested?" Moonfeather simply returned. The siren remained quiet for close to five seconds. "I will compose a letter soon enough when I have the time. I find their motives petty and their personalities exhausting but I would find the concept of delaying my vengeance even more grotesque." She sighed. "I will just have to make that sacrifice." "Assuming they want anything to do with us." Adagio turned her head towards her governor, who remained steadfast even then. "They've united to fight a common enemy with Chiropterra. Who knows if they won't see you as yet another foreign aggressor." "If they do then that's their loss. If they don't, all the better for both of us." "Well I mean, you are sea monsters that hypnotise people against their will..." "Which is why they will learn to show respect and gratitude for my offer. They should always know there are alternatives to cooperating as a free but loyal servant, such as you." "Thank you... I think." "You are dismissed for this afternoon. I will need you to bring me a copy of Violet's written files about those three if possible." They stopped, and Plumage turned to face the yellow creature face-to-face. "Shall I have Violet bring it instead or-" "You will. Request it from her, tell her I sent you," Adagio insisted. "I expect the files to be delivered to my room by nightfall. Am I clear?" "Certainly. Of course." The hippogriff nodded a few times over to reiterate his acknowledgement. "Then go. You're making my head hurt, at this point." Adagio closed her eyes and placed a hoof up against her head. By the time she opened her eyes again, Plumage was already moving on further down the hallway ahead of her, leaving her alone once more. There was a lot of trash that griff said whenever they met, and to a degree she felt as though he was outliving his usefulness. And yet, at times like this, he showed his uses. She would never think as Sonata did - that mortals were worthy of some form of respect - but she was beginning to see more ways of exploiting and using them now, even without wasting her magic on them. Still, what an odd scenario this would turn out to be. Three sirens, banished for more than the last one thousand years, seeking to get their revenge on Equestria and the pillars, who were now seeking the assistance of some stuck-up noble zebra and a bold but presumably bitter pony exile. Adagio got a move on and wandered down the same hallway as Moonfeather, though a fair distance behind him. When she and the others had broken out from banishment and taken over here, things had really seemed so easy at a glance. Yet now things were getting more twisted and complicated by the minute. She certainly had not anticipated to be collaborating, let alone asking for help from puny ponies and friends back then. Oh well. She was willing to bite her tongue and swallow her pride just this once, and the fact that neither Aria nor Sonata were here to witness and influence these talks with Moonfeather was helping a lot in that. The ideal outcome? A new ally to stab the thestrals in the back at the worst possible moment. The worst outcome? Hmm. She could have a chuckle at their insolence and incompetence.