Shadows of Sins Past

While Westwood was under the rubble, his shadow had covered his body providing a barrier for the drake. He however was unaware of the event. His mind was not present at this time, his mind had shifted into the void that he and Luna had spent hours in his dream. As Westwood slipped into the void, time outside slowed to a crawl. For every second that passed in the real world, the void counted as nearly an hour.

Westwood picked himself off of the transparent floor and noticed something was different near immediately, he had skin again and could feel how soft the flesh was. He touched his fingers together tapping the flesh in amazement that he actually had skin again. His concentration was broken again as a voice sprung up from the void around him, "Who's there?" Westwood asked looking around to find the source of the intelligible voice that floated around him.

The voice then made a sigh, "So you don't even understand your own native language. My god is that sad." The voice spoke. Now that it was speaking a language he could understand he found that the voice was much like his own, "But seeing as you were away from this world for over a century I can guess why you can't." The voice spoke. Soon after a swirl of black smoke began flowing up from the void. The smoke appeared in front of Westwood's now human body taking the vague shape of his dragon form.

Westwood didn't know what to make of the black smoke that stood in front of him. He was confused on what it could be even after it took the vague shape in front of him, "What exactly are you?" The human asked not seeing the smoke as a possible threat since it didn't attack him and all the smoke did was stand there.

The smoke laughed a bit as it began performing a movement that looked like it was walking closer to Westwood's human form, "Long story short, I am that beast that you turn into when you lose your mind. I wouldn't be doing that, but you keep putting yourself into spots that can get you killed. Oh, and not using your species' special talent makes me want to splurge a bit if you get my point." The smoke spoke showing human like movement as it shrugged what Westwood would guess were shoulders.

Westwood could get it a little more, but the subject was still strange none the less, "What do you mean by my species' talent?" He asked feeling gravity seem to pull on him as the smoke grew closer.

The smoke groaned in annoyance before it was mere inches from the human, both the smoke and Westwood were approximately the same size, "Simply put. You were never a human. You were born here." The smoke spoke pointing down, "Well, maybe not HERE here, but that place where the big red dragon was attacking. This world was your birthplace and you were cast out for a reason I have no clue." The smoke spoke to Westwood before using what looked like a hand to poke a finger into Westwood's chest, "That form you've got now is just what you are thinking you are. This is the void of your own mind after all."

Westwood attempted to grab the smoke to pull it away and passed through it just as smoke should behave, but started reforming once again, "Screw you. Why the hell should I believe you?" The human spoke now taking a step back and taking a boxing style stance in front of the smoke.

The smoke just laughed at Westwood, "Simple. You may never have seen your body when you slip into that dream, but you started turning into the drake that you are. Of course the limitations of that world kept me from transforming entirely so I healed you up and gave you some weapons." He spoke referring to the claws that formed on Westwood's hands during the dream, "The reason why you keep having that dream is that I'm trying to beat you over the head with the fact of what you really are. So stop being so hardheaded and let something penetrate it for once." The smoke added as he poked a finger into his head.

Westwood cringed at what the smoke had told him, "Will it get me back to the real world if I do? I have other things I have to do if you don't mind. Dealing with that big red lizard is one of them." Westwood spoke which made the smoke laugh, "So what the hell do I call you?" He asked the smoke figuring this wouldn't be the last time he would see it.

The smoke moved a hand to what would be its chin and looked like it was scratching the tip of his chin, "Well. I suppose that one thing you could call me is brother, but if you want a name you can call me Nox It's a simple name." He spoke to Westwood before touching the human.

Westwood could feel something heavy once again and saw the smoke begin flowing around him. Nox chuckle seeing the look on the human's face, "Now just relax. I'm just going to give you a sample of our species' power. It's so you can keep that cute looking pony from becoming dragon chow. After that you just need to follow my lead and I'll let you get it by yourself. You like learning like that anyway right?" Nox spoke before it began showing itself down Westwood's throat.

Back in the real world, crumbling could be heard from the rubble that Westwood had been thrown into. The fire dragon averted its eyes from Fluttershy then looked to see the cafe rubble seem to expand and separate. Underneath was what looked like a black half sphere that was somewhat see through pushing the rubble aside. When the debris was clear, the half sphere began to dissipate and in its place stood Westwood unharmed by the mass of stone.

The red dragon chuckled seeing the smaller, black scaled dragon was back and ready for more, "I should have figured there would be more fight in a creature like you." The red drake spoke turning to face Westwood.

Westwood's eyes seemed blank, but at the same time they didn't form the complete red that his previous times using his talent. The shadow at his feet and the black shades from the rubble around him started traveling to his hands forming two knives that reached to half way up his forearms. Westwood remained silent as the shadows covering his new weapons vanished and in their place were two black metallic blades. He rushed at the dragon in front of him. This time his speed was increased, the shadows at his feet boosting him further with each step that he took.

The fire dragon took a step forward attempting to swipe at the black scaled dragon. His swipe was met with Westwood's body deflecting the strike instead of holding it back then using one of the knives to stab the larger dragon's hand to the ground. The knife then seemed to melt and formed a black band that kept the dragon from moving that hand and arm no matter how much it struggled, "Why you little worm!" The enraged dragon shouted both in pain and anger. The red dragon's next action was to attempt the same action with his other claw which was met with the same reaction that kept the dragon frozen in place by the two knives that became bonds that kept the dragon down.

The fire dragon struggled to move again, but the bands had melded with the dragon's shadow keeping him from moving his arms, "What the hell? Why can't I move?" The dragon spoke pulling his arms away at both points no matter the pain that resulted from the action.

Westwood looked at the dragon in front of him and spoke, "I used my shadow to blend with yours. You can't move because you are sealed by an immaterial seal." He spoke showing he was in his right mind. Westwood spread his wings and jumped up to grab the red dragon's horns atop its head before sending a heavy knee directly in between the dragon's eyes. The impact was heard through the chaos of the red dragon's attack. The dragon's eyes rolling into the back of his head and dropped like a rock unconscious and still sealed onto the ground.

Westwood's eyes shifted back to their yellow color and let out a sigh seeing that instead of carving the drake like a Thanksgiving turkey it was just unconscious with the worst injury being a concussion from his knee plowing into the dragon's head.

Now that the fight was over and she was out of danger, Fluttershy rushed to Westwood and wrapped her forelegs around Westwood's solid frame. A sobbing could be heard from Fluttershy and a warm and moist feeling could be felt on Westwood's stomach, "I thought" She started between sobs, "I thought that you- and I" She continued not wanting to think of what would have happened between her and Westwood if he had not survived being crushed by the mass of mortar and stone that had fallen atop of the black dragon.

Westwood let a small smile come up and placed a soft hand on top of Fluttershy's mane and softly ran it through the soft hair atop of her head, "Don't worry. I'm here and he's down. No one's going to hurt you." He spoke to her as he comforted the pegasus that was still sobbing into his chest.

The princesses had flown into the scene and found the aftermath. The fire dragon was unconscious on the ground and Fluttershy was pushed into Westwood's chest. The scene had caused a pang in Luna's heart like she had been betrayed. Celestia however had stayed seeing the unconscious dragon with black bonds attached to his hands and ground, "What happened here?" The white alicorn asked looking at Westwood specifically.

Westwood separated from Fluttershy then stood straight when looking at the two princesses, "We were attacked. It seemed that I was the specific target and he had no issues with collateral damage." Westwood spoke in his military manner keeping eye contact with Celestia.

Celestia looked away then she shook her head, "It appears that they know about you and what you are." Celestia started looking at the destruction, "You and the ponies around you are not safe when you are here." Celestia spoke to Westwood looking directly into Westwood's eyes, "You will come with me and Luna to the castle. There we will discuss your terms and explain everything you need to know." Celestia spoke before turning her eyes to look at her darker counterpart

Luna knew what that look and nodded to Celestia, "And I will explain what you are and how you can help us." Luna spoke closing her eyes trying to get the image of Fluttershy in an embrace with Westwood showing the pegasus comfort in the events that had happened out of her head.

Westwood closed his eyes, the princesses had a point. He got the fact that he would be a target again if he was the intended target, "Understood your highnesses." He spoke giving a bow quickly picking himself up once again and seeing the look in Luna's face. He could tell that there was some jealousy in her eyes though he would explain the situation later, "I am ready to depart now if that is what you require. The dragon on the ground over there may need to be picked up as well" He spoke once he was upright. He walked to the dragon on the ground and the shadows binding it to the ground flowed back into the ground and shifted back to Westwood's shadow.

Westwood reached under the much larger fire dragon and began lifting the weight, his knees straining from the weight, "This is just getting pathetic Westwood." A familiar voice spoke as his shadow then moved to the dragon and formed a massive barrier around the red dragon to lift it off the ground. The voice was only audible to Westwood since Nox was in essence his other half. Nox's smokey face appeared in the barrier, but only for Westwood to see, "You know that I'm not gone. I know you like learning things for yourself, but if you break your back trying to lift something three times your weight then I suffer all the same." The smokey face spoke only for Westwood's ears before vanishing and lifting the barrier up from the ground

Princess Celestia watched the use of Westwood's shadow and could see the way Westwood was reacting. She could see Westwood had something on his mind when the barrier had appeared around the hostile dragon and now the dragon had lifted up, the shadow barrier still connected to Westwood if done indirectly, "Then we must leave now before more dragons appear to cause havoc." The regal tone of Celestia rang out.

Westwood looked away from the barrier then he spread his wings he had found to gain his control over, "Understood. If I am a target, then I don't want to anyone to get hurt because of me." He spoke waiting until the sisters had picked themselves from the ground. Once the alicorn princesses had flown, Westwood followed after, a quick push from his wings sending the black scaled dragon skyward with the barrier following close behind him. The ground under the three skyward beings quickly growing more distant, the ponies that had witnessed the fight between the much larger dragon and Westwood slowly fading to obscurity.