Secondo: Shores of Zebrica

by Lil Penpusher

Helping Hooves

The days were a drag for Aria. That's something she would have said plenty as it were, but the war was something else entirely. Hours felt like days, day like weeks.

She was glad, in a way, that she wasn't like Sonata. She had the endurance to at least try and push through to the finish, even if she knew she was exhausted. The younger siren would have probably curled up and cried instead.

Yet another small stack of papers found itself in front of Aria as she shuffled through them. The letters were mostly a haze by this point, but with enough blinks and focus she could make out what any particular report was about. She kept insisting she was fine when asked by attendants and adjutants who entered her room, but she knew that as soon as they left the room they were calling her names, calling her unfit and broken.

Maybe she was. Probably, actually. But that didn't mean she could stop. Not yet.

Her eyes scanned another report. Something about the City of Colthage, which got her attention. She leaned in closer and rubbed her eyes to try and get a clear picture of what was written, but found a hard time doing so. Her head lowered itself a little further, with her eyes falling shut for a brief moment.

She snapped back to attention as she woke from her split-second slumber. Again she rubbed her eyes, and cursed herself under her breath. Paperwork was something she was admittedly competent at, but that didn't mean it was thrilling.

Just as she leaned forward to try her hoof at reading a second time, she flinched and leaned back again.

*Knock, knock, knock*

Ah great. Another visitor. Probably another batch of reports for her to fall asleep over.

"Come in," she voiced without looking towards the door, trying her best not to fall asleep for this presumably brief visit.

The voice creaked as it opened. In her sleep deprived state the purple siren did not even realise the lack of steps after the door was closed again.

"Well? What is it?" she asked, again not looking towards the guest as she did so. Her eyes flickered as her head bobbed up and down as if in a trance. Maybe she could just close her eyes for a brief mom-

"Surpriiiise!"

Aria intended to straighten out but was completely overwhelmed and restrained before she could even attempt such a thing. Teal hooves and a teal snout to boot restrained her from behind as one certain young siren clung to her.

"S-Sonata!" she resisted. "Get off of me!"

"Nnnnope!" resisted the teal one with a grin.

Just as she was about to utter a stern 'ugh', another figure entered her peripheral vision. The colour yellow immediately told Aria everything she needed to know.

"...Hey, Adagio," she greeted simply, pouting.

"Don't give me that attitude."

"Well sorry but one of us is being tackled by a taco-crazed lunatic as we speak." Her eyes darted towards where Sonata's snout poked over her right shoulder. Yep, that girl was still smiling at what she was doing. "Speaking of which: mind lending a hoof with this?"

"Hmmm..."

The lead siren's eyes flicked back and forth between Sonata and Aria multiple times.

"Not yet," she declared after a few seconds of consideration. The smile she wore on her face was poison for Aria.

"Ugh. Why are you here anywho? Both of you? Don't you have things to be doing?"

Sonata chuckled, much to her captive's demise.

"We're here to help, duh!"

The purple siren short-circuited for a brief moment.

"Wh- Hu- Help? What?"

"You are aware that everyone outside of this room is talking about how you never sleep or take breaks?" Adagio returned with crossed hooves, looking and sounding almost like a mother scolding her child.

"Or how awful you look, really!" Sonata added, earning a glare from the others. "What? Have you seen the bags under your eyes, Aria!?"

Aria remained quiet and inert for a few moments before moving a sole hoof towards her face. She touched the area just below her eyes gently. Sure enough... Sonata was right.

"Aria, do you mind telling me just what you think you're doing? With all this?" Adagio demanded, again sounding a little condescending and scolding.

"I don't mind - if you can get Sonata off of me, that is."

The teal siren perked up as Aria shot a renewed glare over her shoulder and right towards her.

"Fine. Sonata, sit," the eldest commanded.

"Hey! I'm not a dog, you know!"

The leader furrowed a brow and shot a frown towards Sonata, simply.

"Ok fiiine."

With a soft grumble the youngest of the three unhanded her friend, who then promptly used her new freedom of movement to swirl around to face Sonata down with a death-inducing glare and grumble. The young ditz could only smirk sheepishly at that.

"So?" Adagio spoke again, regaining Aria's attention. "Do tell why you've been trying your best to run yourself into the ground all on your own."

"That's not what- nevermind." The purple one sighed, turning towards her desk for a moment and placing the last paper on one of several stacks visible. "You might not know it, Adagio, but this whole 'war' business is a big deal. And I mean that in every sense of the word. It's way bigger than any feudal levy system we knew way back in the day in Equestria, not to mention the scale and complexity of it all."

"So your logical reaction to something being way more complicated than before is to, what, tackle it all on your own?"

"Of course not!" Aria returned immediately. "I've tried to delegate to generals and such... but that only goes so far."

"What do you mean?" Sonata asked whilst cocking her head.

"I have all of these ideas in my head, the exact way I want and need things to go. I know what has to be done, but not everyone here sees it my way, and even those that do I'm not always certain could actually live up to my expectations."

"Sooooo..." Sonata voiced, "you just try and do most of this by yourself because you don't trust others?"

Aria wanted to retort and push back but... found herself mute and speechless.

"I thought you'd rearranged the officer corps? Isn't everycreature here someone you do trust?" Adagio likewise commented.

"Well... yes, but-"

"But you still think that if something goes wrong it'd be your own fault."

Aria perked up and looked at Adagio.

"And because you can't stand losing you end up doing most of this yourself instead of entrusting others with this stuff."

"A-Adagio, how did you-"

"Oh please." The lead singer rolled her eyes and grinned. "We've known one another for millenia, Aria. Do you really think I wouldn't be able to decipher this in a heartbeat?"

Again Aria wanted to reply, but nothing came out. No, Adagio had a point. She and, yes, Sonata too, were her friends. Not just any friends, but millenia-old friends.

"Right..." she simply gave out.

"So then tell me why you didn't at least ask us for help?"

"What?"

"You heard me," Adagio voiced. "Why didn't you ask me or Sonata for help with any of this?"

"I... no, I couldn't. Adagio, you know I couldn't!" the purple siren declared with newly found vigour. "You yourself said this military stuff isn't for you, and that is bores you. And..." she looked towards Sonata again, who cocked her head at the motion, "you know letting Sonata anywhere near a frontline would result in an explosive disaster, and I'm not even sure which side would win in that case."

"Hey!" the teal one cried. "I haven't blown anything up in, like, ages now!"

"A month ago is 'ages' now?" Aria returned with a smug grin.

"Sure is!"

"Sure isn't."

As the two glared at one another, about to throw punches as per usual, they were - likewise as usual - interrupted by a sigh and groan from their leader. "Ugh." Adagio facehoofed and shook her head. "Look, Aria, I know that. Okay? I know that."

"But," she continued, "that doesn't mean you should, or could, do all this on your own in any case. You have to trust others to do things for you... as terrible as that prospect is." Aria knew from that voice that the concept of 'needing' others, for whatever reason, was biting Adagio in the gut, as well. "And if you don't think you can trust the mortals around, at least trust us."

"Sonata isn't any good for a commander, true."

"Stooop!" the youngest cried again, her hooves flailing wildly.

"But she's responsible for the occupation behind the frontlines. She should be close to where you are anywho, and I'm sure some company wouldn't do you any harm from time to time."

"Pretty sure I can forfeit time with Sonata to work more on-"

"No you cannot," Adagio interrupted, glaring at the military strategist with a hint of disappointment. "And if not Sonata, then me. I may not know half as much as you about this, but I can at least sign off less important documents which..."

She looked to Aria's left and at the desk of hers. The amount of paperwork stacked there was impressive and terrifying both.

"...which it seems you have plenty of." Adagio was beginning to regret offering her services this way already, seeing all of those papers.

"What I'm saying is that you turtling up in here is doing none of us any good. You need some rest first and foremost, and then you need some help, be it from us or others you think can fit the bill."

"I'd be glad to stop by twice a week and check in with you, Aria," Sonata offered with a warm smile.

The purple sea creature pondered. She wanted to simply smile and accept all of this advice and support.. but a part of her mind told her not to. She had to do this, all of this, because if she didn't then they would lose the war. And if they lost the war...

She shivered internally.

"I... I appreciate it, you two," she said in a unusually soft tone. "But I can't."

"Oh yes you can. And if I have to burn each and every bit of paper in this room for you to lay down and rest," Adagio insisted.

"Adagio, I know you only mean-"

"Aria."

The siren blinked as she was stopped dead in her tracks.

"I know you, Aria. I know who you are, and how you are. And I know you think this is all on you. That's what you thought when we faced the resistance in Hippogriffia, as well, and it's how you've always handled these types of problems. It's always up to you to do it, and only you."

Aria shrank a little, grumbling quietly only for a gentle hoof from Sonata to pat her on the back.

"But we're here. We're here together, Aria. There's a reason we've stuck together as a trio and aren't a one-siren show. We all can rely on the others in some way. Me and Sonata may not be able to do exactly what you can, but we can help somehow, in other ways."

"Yeah!" Sonata said in a much louder tone as she beamed a grin at Aria. "And you don't get to choose whether we're being nice to you!"

The tired sea monster rolled her eyes before letting out a sole chuckle. "Right. Fine. Just... stop with the sentimental stuff. I get it, alright?"

"You never do, Aria." Adagio grinned.

"Bite me."

"Not this time."

The two chuckled more earnestly this time, ending only when Aria held a hoof to her head.

"First off though, please get out. I... need some sleep. Badly."