Ponysona 4, the Campaign.

Icing taps away the dirt on his horseshoes. He gives a flat look to the Tilt. "And if you were any more innocent, you would leave a trail of angels in your wake, dying from shame at being so out-naived. Apparently the shadows in this area were fighting each other, so there is another strong one leading the other pack. We can have a fun diatribe once we are in a safer location."

"Nothing wrong with having principles." rejoinders Tilt, her smile not shaken by Icing's flat look as she steps off him, "So, two rival shadows? That sounds about right. Let's take a quick break before we keep going, none of us are doing too well after Sugar's last hurrah."

The mare turns away and trots off towards Soul, the gears in her mind ticking away and hunting for a topic to distract as she pondered. "Hey Soul, what's a Legion, anyway? And nice blast, by the way - I'm jealous!"

So shadows can have a rivalry. That means that negotiations are possible. No, more than that - it must be possible to bring them to our cause. Alice and Daisoujou succeeded, that's proof enough - but I need something concrete to show to Soul. But how? I can ask them, but I think I know the answer already. Kuro's secret, to be stolen. To steal a secret...

"How can you not know what a Legion is don't they-oh wait. Right." Soul falls silent and looks down. "Well, now might not be the time for heartfelt declarations of truth, I don't wanna steal the scene. I'll answer your question anyway, Tilt. Legions are a sort of military-family structure kinda like a herd, but influenced more by who you need to survive a fight than who's your actual family. By, uh, inviting all of you to join mine I...I kinda mean I want to stay here with you ponies. I don't think I can go back to where I came from, anyway."

Spoiler:

"Well, then I hope someday you'll think me worth making part of your legion." Tilt presses her nose briefly to Soul, and steps away - she knew full well that Soul had said she considered everypony part of her legion, but it seems obvious that it was simply a measure of politeness; her own lack of enthusiasm in destroying shadows was rift enough, she could already tell -"But all the same, my home is your home, so long as you help out with the chores."

Tilt gives Soul a wan, if hurt, smile and turns, settling into a gentle canter around the room to unwind. Too much she couldn't say, not until she had more proof. And not until Soul understood. She couldn't. Not until she'd been through the same thing. It was still a war, a war between ponies and shadows to Soul. If she herself took until nearly killing two ponies to realise how wrong it was, how could she expect Soul, who lived her whole life in a world where ponies were beset by griffons and other monstrosities, to find agreement so soon?

"I only hope it's not too late by then." she murmurs to herself, with a sigh.

Soul looks toward the waning Tilt with a confused expression. "You're being silly," she says rather simply, trotting up to her, away from the others.

"I said everypony here. You don't like killing the Shadows, but you serve just as important a role as-oh, sorry, everygriffon too, George-uh, just an important a role as anypony in a real a real Legion! You didn't do much fighting, but you helped coordinate us all in the field. You stayed back to help Dai while we went ahead! You provide the booze for when it's time to cut loose! You might not be some big Centurion or magical Unicornian Canterlot Battlemage, but you're just as important as anypony here!" She closes the distance between them and crosses necks with Tilt. To the brooding mare, she continues more quietly, "And anyway, like I said, I'm not that big on that part of me. I learned to fight to survive, not because I liked it. I want you all in my Legion because I trust you, not because you kick hot flank."

Melody looked at Soul, nodding and smiling a bit...That was nice of her, but...Something didn't quite add up in her story...Zeela was from Equestria, but she hadn't mentioned a Legion at all, and it seemed like somepony would have said something if Equestria was effectively a military state...She chose not to press it though, she had her secrets too, after all. "Thanks, Soul...Means a lot, thanks...Eh, heh..."

Rolls!:

"Thanks, Soul, it means a lot to me. But there's something I'd like to talk to you about - tonight, ma-" Tilt pauses mid-breath, skidding to a halt, "Did you just volunteer me to buy the drinks?"

"Um... Soul... There hasn't been any Legions, Centurions, or Battlemages for... Like 1000 years or so..." Zeela comments just staring at the pegasus with shock at Soul's casual use of those terms.

Melody looked between the two, thinking for a moment. Wait, if that was true, then..."Wait...Hold on...Look, I think somepony would have mentioned Equestria being that militaristic...Plus her freakout with some griffon or another earlier...I guess George because of him being banged up before we entered the TV, maybe...? Then again, I don't know many griffons myself... Soul, you're hiding something from us...You don't need to keep a secret, huh...? You can tell us...Or I guess maybe we'll find out eventually anyhow, given the twisted nature of this place..." She looked down at that...That last part had come across almost as a threat...Something she hadn't intended, it had sounded a lot less mean-spirited in her head. "Er...Sorry, that might have crossed a line," she added hastily, a bit embarrased.

Zeela consoles Melody. "It's ok, I don't think you crossed any lines, Mel... I mean... I equally an wondering the same as you right now. Soul's from Equestria far as I understand. And I'm mostly just too confused to really form the questions that need to be asked right now."

Soul freezes in in a look that would never be called the "deer in headlight" look. Primarily because there was no such thing as headlights, and the saying would be terribly offensive to deer. Nevertheless, Soul Spinner locks herself into the look for a good ten seconds before she unfreezes and lets out a heavy sigh with the whole party facing her.

"I guess the jig is up. You're right, Melody, I've been keeping a pretty big secret from you ponies, and it's only fair that I tell you all. I said I would do so 'later' when we entered this...place, but I think I was just stalling. Tilt found out earlier today, and helped me with it, but it's your turn to know.

"The thing is, I'm from the past. Like, you-probably-read-about-me-in-ancient-history-class past. I never lied about Canterlot, or my name, or led you on to think something incorrect about me. I am who you see: Soul Spinner the writer. In fact, I can show you one of most famous works!" She begins digging around in her bag before an impatient noise from somepony jostles Soul from her enthusiastic search. "Um, sorry. Continuing. Yes. I was raised in Canterlot, but more recently I've been...on the road. For me it was just days ago, and it only started a few years before that, but you ponies know the era as the Reign of Discord. I'm out of place by over one thousand years, and I'm probably here to stay."

Letting that sink in, Soul takes a few breaths to clear her head. "I don't know what kind of stories you have from that time, but it was probably far worse than those. He tore apart any settlements with more than few dozen ponies, and anypony who stood up him was..." She trails off, clamming up until she switches gears. "We had to deal with otherworldly creatures," she glances at the newly-allied Shadow, "abominations," this time George, "ponies with strange powers, like any of us here, and the constant threat of running into him again, and not being as lucky as last time." She has to pause again, but starts up sooner.

"I was a part of a group of ponies who ferried weaker ponies about by airship, to safer places where they might not be attacked. I learned what it meant to do what you had to to survive and protect your friends at all costs. For several years, I don't know how long, exactly; day and night-time-were not always the same. I'm sure when he broke out recently you experience something like that recently? Well, that lasted several years before I ran into the demon again.

"The fight didn't last long. I proclaimed my everlasting hatred, he offered me smores. I attacked him, he sent me through a portal in space and time to your teevee room. I think that's it, any question?" She gives a weak smile, and every bone in her body aches to hug these ponies. They can tell, it's not like she's done anything else since arriving.

Zeela was the first give Soul her much needed hug.... Hoping the rest of the group would join in without needing to be asked.

It was far too late for Tilt to give Soul a hug - after all, their necks were already crossed, that it wasn't hug already was only a slight logistical matter of maintaining motion. Instead, she pulls back a little, facing the pegasus dead on, around the zebra wrapped around Soul. "I didn't accept earlier today, and I stole one a moment ago, but is that offer still open?" she asks, waiting for a sign of assent before closing her eyes and pressing her nose to Soul's, exhaling gently into the other mare's nostrils.

"You smell nice to me." she mumbles, after a moment.

At some point in the conversation, Shiro had wormed his way through the pile of ponies and emotional goodness to hug Soul directly, tight and obviously for the earth pony as well as the pegasus. His shaky voice mumbling out, "You need one, and I'd be happy to join..."

Daisoujo's eyes had widened slightly as he covered his mouth with a wing at Soul's story and Alice's jaw dropped about an inch in shock... Feigned shock that was plain from their rather calm responses. "I may not have known you long, but I do trust in you, and I do believe you'll be a good pony to have fighting by our side."

Melody did her best to join in on the group hug, smiling a bit and nodding. "That...Explains a lot, actually...It's alright, we're here for you...Not...Not sure what to say to that, but...Yeah...We're here for you, okay?" She didn't know where to start in responding to that, but she'd had a hard life...She needed some good in it...

"Come... Siren." Icing gives a head-shake towards deeper into the dungeon. "Our job is not yet--."

He stops after his first step to see everyone in group hugs and far-fetched explanations. Then again, maybe he owed some the benefit of the doubt after the stunt he pulled. "Forgive me my lack of surprise... I am rather exhausted right now both physically and mentally, not to mention emotionally. Her mind games were not the most fun, over quite a bit of time. While you have survived tragedy, there is yet more afoot. While we are lucky that such an entity as Discord is safely contained and his reign of suffering ceased, our clandestine opportunity is one to stop yet more suffering. Even the idealist cannot argue that Arachne went mad and caused significant danger and damage, similarly natured shadows must be at least confronted about their intents."

The Icee-blue pony shrugs his shoulders. "This said, you were freed from one conflict to engage in yet another. Though you welcome them in your antiquated fashion to your clan, after experiencing this, and this world, as a true pony, I would be remiss to not offer you a life of peace and safety that is so readily available. Your dues are paid, I... no, we can shoulder any burden you may have in regards to this odd incident."

Icing looks back to the way the way they came in, and back at Siren.

"From what I have learned, shadows take some time to gain strength, even when resonating with their matched pair. They are called Shadows, but they are something more in their own way than that name implies. The idealist is not wrong there, though in my opinion violent beings with plans and intents are far more dangerous than those without them, thus where we diverge. But they do plan, in their own somewhat discordant way. We would have time to escort you from this place, rest, and come back tomorrow or another day to resolve the remaining issue, should that be preferable."

He smiles to Siren. "Either way, time is of the essence. Luck is a far more fickle mistress than the one I intend to be betrothed to."

Zeela sighs and brakes the hug, wordlessly agreeing with the reality that they've gotta get a move on as she starts to head on ahead to the next room.

"Forget him." intercedes Tilt, not moving from her place in the group hug, even as Zeela peeled off to keep going. "Nopony can stay at 100% all the time, and we've all been cutting sleep hours rushing ahead. Slow down, and remember who we are. If we forget that, then we've all died in a way that the shadows never could."

"That, and after a run and a fight like that if we keep galloping like this we're going to start falling over without the help of shadows."

Then as if on cue Zeela's body gives out and she falls over before she even gets halfway to the door to the next room. "I'm ok!" She quickly states in a vain attempt to hold onto some sense of... Well something...

George moves over and helps Zeela up, leaning on her slightly to keep himself up.
"Don't worry, you can hold me up too."

"Th-thank's guys. I'm glad that you all...thank you." Blushing from the close contact with Tilt, Soul Spinner wrestles herself from the center of the group-hug. "And Icing is right. I came here from a war, and I'm right back in the middle of one. You can count on me to stick with you, though, I'm used to this."

Unsurprisingly, she has absentmindedly attached herself to another random pony-this time Melody-as she continues. "We are all a little off after all that, so tell me Icing, is there any danger if we take an extended rest before fighting the last Shadow down here? If you think it's safe, maybe we should go topside for a bit."

Tilt pulls away gently, opening her eyes and shaking her head sadly as Soul continued to follow the easy answer.

"We shouldn't let this go on forever, but we're going to do no good at all if we get into another fight like this, tired and hurt. Take fifteen, walk off that adrenaline, have a power nap, I've got a snack bar in my kit if anypony's hungry. Nopony go on ahead, not even for 'scouting'. Even the ponies that have galloped a thousand li made sure they were at their best, we don't need to kill ourselves by insisting on hurrying ahead without catching our breath."

She trots over and playfully jabs Soul in the side.

"Besides, you can't be in a war! I'm War!"

"I do not know how long we can stay in here. The reapers seem to fear, or at least avoid, the more sapient shadows, so it may be a bit before any try investigating this room, but I do not think we are in immediate danger if we leave off things for one day, or even two. Whitey may know more precisely how long it took his shadow to be malicious." Icing turns his attention to Shiro.

"We did have abductions, but they were fairly benign, yours was the only truly violent one, besides her, but I provoked her. You have the most experience of all of us. Do you think we should continue on?"

Shiro peeks out from the hug with Soul and makes a contemplative Hmmmm. "Well, we're really hurt from Sugar, and I'm not sure exactly how well we could fight Wraith with us all injured. Being completely and utterly honest... I'd say come back after a few days. Maybe a week so long as the rain doesn't come sooner."

Dai nods at that, shuffling on his hooves. "That might be a good idea. After all, haven't you gone to the TV world every couple of days? And been fighting for so long?"

Alice hops on her hooves. "But I'm ready to go! I feel like I could fight Wraith all by my-" She promptly collapses on the ground, snoring loudly.