Shadows of Sins Past

"YOU DID WHAT?!" The voice of Westwood shouted more in surprise than in anger or total shock. The shouting made a small pain in his stomach where Luz had run him through the previous day.

"Somehow I knew you would react like that." Luna spoke. The two royals having taken the short walk to Luna's room in order to keep things in a more private environment, "As I said, I suggested to my sister that I be set as a way to ensure that our races will not come to another war." Luna spoke with a deadpan tone.

Westwood let out a growl, "Can't things just work on a han-" He looked and saw the hooves on Luna, "I mean hoof shake. That's how I made all my agreements back where I'm from." He spoke correcting himself. Even after spending a few days in this new world the idea of using pony related terms for every day talk was rather confusing, even more so when it was used in political delegations such as what he and Luna were having informally at this moment.

Luna let a small groan come from her throat, "That is not how things work here. I don't know what system you used in that other place, but we are not there any longer. This is Equestria and we are delegating a treaty and alliance between our races. A simple informal gesture would not solve any of our conditions." Luna spoke in a matter of fact sort of tone to emphasize that he was a royal now that he had taken Luz's place at the monarch.

Westwood twitched hearing that his old life was gone to the point that even his old way of thinking hat to be thrown out in order for his life to continue like this, "So that's it then. You're signing yourself away like some object. Just for the sake of an alliance?" He asked clenching his fist tightly, "You are not just some pawn that can be handed over. You are your own being, your own sentience." He spoke to Luna keeping firm in his mindset.

Luna was shocked that Westwood was so adamant to keep his mindset. She thought about what it must have been like for the drake in that other world and living a life without knowing what it was like to be the powerful being that he became, "The condition has more than likely already been written in the final treaty dear Westwood. It is unavoidable." She spoke to Westwood.

The drake glared at the princess, "You remember that dream you saw the other day? The one that had me become that creature?" Westwood started keeping his eyes locked into Luna's, "What you did not see, was what happened after that. Years I had spent locked away in the darkness, a prisoner of an act that I did not consciously commit. I could not live with myself if someone were to be set in the same position I had been in for all those years." He spoke, his yellow eyes seeming to pierce through Luna, "That is why I can't accept you being a condition for peace. I don't care what you say. There will be no war, there will be no violence. And there will be no exchange of life to do that." He spoke with passion seeming to explode from his voice.

Luna kept her eyes focused the shade's glowing yellow eyes. She took several steps towards the shade, the sound of her hooves tapping the floor seemed to echo through the room. Instead of trying to argue the point further, the princess instead pressed a kiss to Westwood's cheek, "You are different from other stallions or males." Luna started, "I selected myself to do this not just because I wanted to have a peaceful relation with your nation, but-" She broke herself off while red began to cover her face, "I wanted this so that I would not have to be away from my hero. The drake that had nearly given his life to protect me. The only real male that has made me feel the way that I do." Luna spoke keeping silent a moment to let what she had explained sink into Westwood's mind.

If Westwood's scales weren't as dark as they were, the deep blush would have been visible on his face after the princess had kissed his cheek. His throat cleared in an attempt to compose himself after what Luna had just explained, "Then. If we put it that way." He spoke scratching the back of his head, "Maybe it should be worded differently." He spoke keeping his wording shorter in his moment of embarrassment due to the alicorn's actions. How close Luna had gotten to him made Westwood feel somewhat uncomfortable even if it was not the kind that made him want to push the alicorn away.

Luna gave his statement a small bit of thought, "Then how about we make it so that I will be your queen."

That statement alone seemed to make Westwood's heart stop. The idea that he had gone from being the prisoner from another world to a king of a species then had a princess just about tell him that she wanted to marry him was beyond what he could comprehend, "I'll" He paused for a minute trying to get his head together, "I'll need to think about that. It's a big step to take." He spoke to her.

A minute of silence between the two of them eventually led to Luna speaking, "Then what would you suggest? You are a king and deserve to have some delegation for the sake of your species and subjects." Luna added in putting emphasis on the word species as though trying to remind him that he was the last of his kind.

Westwood scratched the back of his head, the feeling of his frills rubbing against his hand not doing much for how he was being talked to by the lunar diarch, "Just some time maybe. Sure there is something there, but let's just be sure that we're absolutely certain that we want to be that way." He spoke to Luna keeping his gaze away from her to avoid feeling like a heat was swelling up in his head from how Luna mentioned species.

Luna made a soft sigh hearing the way that Westwood was not rejecting her, "I must admit. Your willpower is astounding for a dragon." She spoke to Westwood. remembering that instance with spike and his rapid growth when he began acquiring as much as he had gotten, "But if you feel that time is necessary, then I will talk with my sister and see what I can do." Luna spoke.

Westwood let out a somewhat relieved sigh hearing that Luna was actually not going to throw herself into a treaty like a prize, "Alright. As long as we have that settled." The drake spoke to Luna.

Nox hovered over Westwood's shoulder, the voice of the shadow echoed in his ears, "You do realize that you gave up the chance to nail a princess right?" The shadow spoke looming over the dragon's shoulder invisible to Luna, "She's pretty much begging for it and you turn her away?" Nox paused letting this all sink in, "What the hell is wrong with you?!" Nox spoke passing a smokey hand through the back of Westwood's head.

Westwood sighed hearing Nox in his head one more time then he looked to Luna, "Excuse me for a second. I have to yell at my shadow." He spoke to Luna before fully turning around to face his other half, "Nox. Will you shut the hell up? If you remember right then you'll know that I am not supposed to be here. I may have been born here, but I grew up and matured in an entirely different place. This is normal for me." He spoke to the shadow. The princess was confused on why Westwood was having an argument with no one.

Nox groaned at Westwood, the voice inaudible to Luna's ears, "You do realize we're the last of our kind right? And an alicorn is offering herself. Can you look at the big picture here?" He asked holding his smokey hands to have his fingers in a square shape to look at Luna through that shape.

Westwood just scowled at the shadow, "Simple. I don't give a crap about me being the last of my kind. And I am not going to use anyone for anything like that." He spoke.

Luna, fed up with what was happening, interrupted Westwood's conversation with Nox, "Who are you talking to? And what the buck is happening to you?" Luna asked concerned for the drake.

Westwood looked back and sighed, "I thought that Celestia would have told you. I have another presence in my head. He goes by Nox and is pretty much the manifestation of my shadow. He's been talking off and on in my head, usually trying to convince me to be a killer, even if all that seemed to be just him being some kind of sadist. He shut up a bit after Luz's execution." He spoke to her.

Luna was dumbfounded by the fact that there was a second being inside of Westwood's head, and with how real it seemed to be for the drake despite no pony else being able to see such a being, "Do you think that this being you talk to is truly there?" Luna spoke. The affection that she displayed from before seemed to vanish at the notice that the dragon's king may have been unstable.

Westwood sighed hearing Luna then he rubbed the space between his eyes with a single finger, "He was the one that helped me to defeat the king that was about to force you into a place you did not want to be. He unleashed my ability to the point you saw. He rescued me after I repeatedly told you to leave. Nox saved me then, that makes him just as real as you my princess." He spoke with a hint of frustration that. To Westwood it seemed like Luna was starting to question his sanity, "I'm sure that your sister is finished with the treaty by now. I want this over with." He said to Luna, any serious emotion he had felt for the princess was now gone. Westwood's eyes showed that he was no longer letting emotions come to his mind.

As Westwood walked away from the princess and out the door, Nox seemed to hover in front of the drake, "What the hell was that Woody? Did you just turn her away for questioning about my existence?" The shadow spoke to the dragon in confusion.

Westwood glared at the smokey figure, "Yes. She questions me being sane, so until she understands that I am perfectly sane I will stay away. Hopefully it shouldn't take too long, I seriously do not want to have this be the end between us." He spoke to the shadow keeping his hands to his sides as the shade marched forward. After a minute he stopped in the hallway.

Nox looked at Westwood with a strange look to his eyes, "So what's on your mind now Woody? You want to go back to her?" He asked.

Westwood sighed, "No, I just realized I have no idea where I'm going." He said to Nox.

The shadow started to snicker at the fact that his other half was lost then it went to a full laugh as the shadow set itself on Westwood's shoulder as though keeping himself up using the solid form, "So you storm out of Luna's room to go take care of a treaty then you realize you're flying blind. Dear celestia you are priceless Woody."

An annoyed growl came from the shade, his irritation however was interrupted by a soft feeling brushing past his wing. He looked back to see that it was Luna, "Sorry about that display." Westwood spoke as he lowered his head, "Too many bad memories." He spoke to the princess, "But still, let's get this done. We can talk more after everything is set." He spoke to Luna letting her lead the way to the chambers they would be setting their meeting.

Everything seemed to be flying so quickly for Celestia, Luna and the newly anointed Westwood. In the time span of just a few days an extinct species of dragon had appeared in Equestria, war had been declared and ended, and the drake had even captured the heart of the lunar princess. It was quick enough that one's head would spin trying to keep up with all the events at once. Now the world seemed slow, the three royals seated in the chambers to sign and commit to a treaty for peace between the species.

"So that is a decision that you two have come to now?" Celestia asked as she reacted to the news that Westwood would not accept the term that Princess Luna would not be sent to live with Westwood in the wasteland kingdom the shade inherited by spilling Luz's blood.

"Yes. We had talked about the condition that was set and we both decided against it." Westwood spoke looking to Luna, "I come from a world where such an act is considered barbaric. I cannot allow myself to accept such a thing." Westwood spoke to Celestia keeping his hands folded in front of him.

Celestia then nodded and began striking the ink from her paper to remove the condition of her sister's fate of being 'forced' to remain beside the shade, "But aside from that, you are content with becoming an ally should Equestria be attacked or plunged into war?"

Westwood nodded his head, "Even if there was no treaty, we are allies. I fought for you when you requested it, I defended your land when your borders were attacked. There should be no question that I would remain a loyal ally until my reign ceases." He spoke to her in a deadpan tone, "From here my borders and yours shall remain allied ground." He spoke to Celestia though his eyes would gravitate to Luna periodically.

Celestia then gave a nod as Luna had given her sister an approving nod to the new treaty as well as what Westwood had stated, "Then I declare the nation of Dracous and Equestria are now allies." She spoke as the quill that had stricken the final condition of the treaty from the parchment now was dipped in ink and the solar royal began writing her signature of the page. The act was then followed by Luna's magic taking control of the quill to sign the revised parchment. Westwood was the last to pick up the quill. He had some difficulty writing with the quill and it took many dips into the ink pot before the words 'SSG Westwood' was written out in an elaborate design. With that final signature their alliance was sealed.

Westwood raised himself from his seat then lifted a hand to form a salute to the two princesses. Even if he was a king, he was a marine before anything else, "Should you decide to visit, I will have my borders open. In the mean time, I have a kingdom to fix." He spoke dropping his salute and walking away from the two princesses and to the door leading to the hall.

Part of the shade wanted to stay, wanted to renounce his position so he could stay as a warrior instead of a king. The other part of him knew that he had a responsibility to his position. Especially after Luz had seemed to turn his world into the disarray it became.

Nox's image stayed alongside Westwood, however he remained silent. The shadow picking up on the conflicting feelings the dragon felt even if his decision was the most mature of the options that he had.

Luna stayed beside Celestia even after Westwood had left the room to go outside. Her eyes focused on the parchment that was in front of her.  Celestia caught her sister staring at the parchment then her majestic voice had focused on her sister, "Luna. All that was struck from the treaty was the requirement for you to go to Dracous. There isn't a rule saying that you cannot voluntarily go to see him." Celestia spoke reminding her sister of the fact, "No pony is stopping you." Celestia added in.

The reminder of what was removed made Luna seem to spring up. Luna's face went to her sister who gave the dark coated princess a nod as though giving her permission to chase after the shade. Luna quickly jumped from her seat and rushed after Westwood. Her hooves quickly tapping the floor to signal out that she was running.

In a matter of a minute, the form of the shade came into view. Westwood turned to see the source of the sound. The image of the princess rushing to him made him turn his entire body to face Luna. The pain he had felt when Luna had flung herself into the dragon was numbed by the feel of her lips once more pressed into his. Even if they were in public view, Westwood and Luna just didn't seem to care any more. The two shared their moment together with a devil may care disposition.

It had nearly been a minute since the start of the kiss before they finally parted. Luna slowly set herself down to all fours when they were separated, "I guess there's no telling you no at this point." Westwood spoke looking to Luna.

Luna shook her head, "Not in the slightest." She spoke to her king still feeling the warmth of the kiss on her lips, "I'm not going because a piece of paper said I have to. I'm going because I want to." Luna added in while she was close to Westwood.

The dragon chuckle to the insistent  nature that he saw in her, "Then I guess that we should go home." He spoke to Luna. His gaze then looking outside into the afternoon sun, "After you my princess." Westwood spoke to Luna, "With me still in a bit of pain we will need to take that carriage." He mentioned to Luna before the two walked out into shining sun. Their forms being enveloped by the blinding light leading to their future.