//------------------------------//
// A Falling Out 
// Story: Out of Time 
// by Lunarus Solaris Nexus 
//------------------------------//

	Nexus squirmed in bed and stretched with a groan. Something was off, the space in bed next to him was completely empty. His cobalt eyes opened a crack and his suspicions were right. Through his blurry vision he noticed an utter lack of brown and black either against his body or on the pillows next to him. He took a breath and sat up. He could feel his mane stuck to the back of his head. The early sun leaked through the balcony doors, the orange streaks were nearly blinding if the window wasn't frosted. He rolled over and felt his wings still connected to his back.
He focused his magic to his back and began to vibrate the contact plates that connected the wings to him. There was a click and they were freed from him. He never really liked those wings; he had them out of necessity mostly. Luna did always insist on him wearing them in them in public to maintain some kind of image, but he felt like they just gave off the wrong message. Nexus lay his Iron Icarus on the bed as he sat up. 
He quickly cracked his neck on both sides and finally got out of the bed. He sighed and felt the base of his neck crack. He rolled his shoulders before he started walking to the stairs. He could smell coffee already in the room. Either Dust called for room service or Luna gave them permission to skip breakfast. He was hoping the latter. Meant he could spend the morning alone. Or as alone as you can be when you're catering to your pregnant wife. And he wouldn't want to have it any other way.
He trotted down the stairs and found Dust bidding good bye to one of her friends from the maid service of the castle. Nexus couldn't quite remember her name but he knew who she was, kind of girl that REALY hated monogamy on her part but was more than happy for those that practiced it. She left the room before Nexus could get down there and Dust reached over to the tray on the coffee table where her favorite mug steamed with hot coffee and Nexus noticed something where the milk was suppose to be. 
From the stairs, he could see the inside of the small, silver jug didn't hold the white liquid, it instead held very thick, dark brown substance in it. Dust reached for the jug and poured the liquid into the mug with one hoof and then stirred it in with a spoon with the other. She sniffed the dark blue mug before pouring more in. As Nexus approached, he did so as silent as he could. She seemed to not notice him as he got closer. She stirred in the substance again and took a sip. Satisfied she reclined into the sofa with a sigh.
Nexus was only a few feet behind her now. Nexus' front right foreleg creaked and Dust peered over her shoulder. "Morning sleepy head." She said with a very calm tone.
Nexus didn't bother being quiet anymore, he closed the distance and put his hoofs around her from behind. He nuzzled her left cheek with his right. He levitated the jug to his muzzle and sniffed the brown liquid. It smelled very sweet and had a strange tinge of maple.
"You know you're sweetening your coffee  with syrup right?" Nexus ask still not letting his wife go.
"I know."
"Craving sugar?"
"Um hm. It's only going to get worse." Dust said getting up, forcing Nexus to let her go.
Nexus set the syrup down and met Dust half way around the sofa. They shared a gentle hug. Nexus gave her a quick kiss on the lips then quickly left Dust wanting.
"Prick! That's not a good morning kiss." She protested.
"Educate me then." Nexus said with a sly grin. "Astral's upstairs."
Dust didn't need to be told twice, they leaned in and pressed one another into a deep kiss. As Nexus sighed, he felt a quick jab of pain shoot through his brain. He broke the kiss and reeled back holding his temple. He groaned as his eyes remained screwed shut.
"What the hell!?" Dust said shaken.
"I'm fine Dusty. Gah… I'll have to see the doctor about this."
"Who the hell are you!?"
The pain started to subside and his eyes slowly opened to see a horrified Dust fearfully holding her coffee mug. Nexus waited for the next piece of the sentence, the "And what did you do with my husband?" But it never came. Nexus straightened up and felt his brow knit. Something wasn't right.
"Dusty? You alright?" He asked.
"How do you know my name? Who the fuck are you? WHY WERE WE JUST KISSING!?"
Now he knew something wasn't right. Not that she was acting like she didn't know him, but that she cursed. He hadn't heard her swear at him like that since they met.
"Dust, it's me, Lunar." He was getting scared now.
"How do you know my name!?" She backed away from him a few steps.
"Dust, we're married. We have a son, you're pregnant with our next baby!" Nexus was getting desperate.
"Don't you dare bring up my son! Wait, how do you know I'm pregnant!?"
"Because it's ours! Astral's ours too! What's wrong with you?"
"Stay back! Whoever you are, however you know these things, but I've never seen you in my life! Get out of my house you metal freak!" 
"Dust please!" Nexus took a step forward and was greeted by searing hot coffee being thrown into his face.
He shouted in pain and stumbled back trying to wipe the coffee off his face before he went blind. "Guards! Guards help! Rape rape rape!" Dust shrieked in terror.
Nexus cleared his eyes just in time to see two white pegasus guards burst in through their front door. Dust curled up into the corner as the two pegasi rushed Nexus. He didn't think, he countered the first pegasus that charged him. He was going for a tackle. Nexus ducked down and dug his shoulder into the soldier's stomach. He then put an elbow on his groin and threw him over his head. In his current position, Nexus had his back to the second guard. He felt the soldier get closer but met him with a buck to the jaw.
Nexus quickly jumped back towards the staircase. "Guards! Stand down!" Nexus ordered. "That's an order!"
The first guard came at him a second time and Nexus delivered a spin kick to his chest. With the added force of the piston in his hindleg, he kicked him as his friend tried recovering from the kick.
"What are you doing!? I am your superior officer here and I order you to stand down! You don't stand down, Firebrand's going to be the least of your problems!"
"Who do you think you are?" the first one said angry.
"Colonel Lunarus Solaris Nexus."
"Colonel of what?"
"The Equestrian Defense Force!"
"I don't know where you been, but Colonel Firebrand is our only head and there is no such force! Now get your hoofs in the air before I kick your ass out that balcony."
"What are you doing!? I helped train you!"
"You didn't do shit!"
"Obviously." Nexus could feel his signature spell trying to hit the still standing soldier. He glanced at the soldier who's jaw he just dislocated and saw him getting up. "Cause if I trained you you'd have had the upper hand already."
"What are you talking about?"
"You'd've gone for the horn if I trained you." Then Nexus vanished in a flash of light.
Nexus reappeared the stairs and back inside his room with the door in his hoof. He slammed it shut as fast as he could. "A.L.I.S. lock the door!" There was no response from his electronic assistant. "A.L.I.S.!" Still no response.
Nexus locked the door on his own and ran straight to what was once a small closet but had been converted into the housing of A.L.I.S.' main CPU. He threw it open and saw it wasn't full of shelves of wires and circuit boards, but instead full of junk. Old tennis rackets, spare linins, winter coats, and useless Hearths Warming presents like ice cream makers. Used once and hated. This wasn't making any sense! He didn't wait for them to break down the door. He went ahead and ran straight for the balcony so he could- wings. He turned around, ready to double back to the bed where he left his wings when, if at all possible, his heart dropped even further. His wings weren't there!
Well, he had no way of getting out his bedroom door cleanly. He looked overhead and found Luna's balcony in reach. For him anyways. He leaned back into his hindlegs and using the pistons in the lower halves, launched himself towards the bottom of her balcony. He was smart enough not use so much pressure to brain himself on the bottom of the balcony. He only got high enough to put his forelegs on the lip and began forcing his way up.
He drew himself up to the railing and hauled all three hundred pounds of half pony over the edge. As he did, he heard a mare gasp and a few things drop. Nexus shook his head and saw Luna on her bed with Astral laying next to her. A thin children's book and a small plate of what looked to have once had cake on it lay on the floor in front of them
"Wow!" Astral said getting up from the bed. Wait… Was it Astral?
His face looked the same but… His mane! His mane wasn't silver with a white strip it was dirty blonde. His coat looked to be a tad lighter too. His mind raced with questions but only one came out his mouth.
"Astral?"
"That was so cool!" He almost ran up to him but Luna put her foreleg out in front of him.
"How dose thou know his name?"Luna asked as she rose from her laying position. 
"Not you too… Luna yo-"
"Who are thou? Tell us your name."
"Luna, you've known me for years! I'm Lunarus! And that's my son!"
"What?" Astral's happy grin turned to concern.
"Thou is not Astral's father. We do not know the name you speak of. Now we shall ask you once more to indentify you-"
"Luna you've got to believe me! Colonel Lunarus Solaris Nexus! I'm your friend!"
"Do not speak such things! We will allow thou to leave and be dealt with by the Royal Guards. Unless thou would prefer to face us." This couldn't be happening.
"Luna, I'm your friend. I'm your Senator in-"
"Ha! Tis a lie! There is no Senate in Equestria. You have one last chance to persway me from-"
"Goldenchord!" Nexus wasn't one hundred percent sure why he brought it up be he had a feeling he knew where his mouth was going with it. "You loved him, only four ponies in all of Equestria even know his name and what he meant to you. I wouldn't know it if I wasn't your friend." Luna stammered for a second before lowering her horn. "YOUHAVETOBELIEVEME!"
He had a split second to react. He had no idea how powerful the spell was but he knew for certain that it could reduce him to ash if he didn't act. He summoned the strongest ward he could as the massive blue beam flew at him. A faint white circle appeared in front of him. The ward resembled a spiragraph with hundreds of interlocking circles leaving a small circle in very center. In the center, his cutie mark appeared glowing as bright as the beam she fired. Level seven ward, made by the Evening Armada a thousand years ago. He'd never had to use it before but now he was hoping he'd never have to use it again.
The beam hit him like a she'd just dropped all of Canterlot on top of him. The impact was strong enough to actually knock him back against the railing. All of the energy was stopped by the ward thankfully but it was swiftly fading as it washed over the edges of the circle. He had to do something. Nexus quickly threw up a level four ward just to strengthen the seven and he planted his hoofs firmly into the stone behind him. Sweat began pouring out of him like bullets and drenching the front of his mane. He started groaning louder and louder as the pressure on his power grew. Just as the second ward broke the beam faded and he ended up kneeling.
"Impressive." Luna said. Nexus looked up to see Astral was hiding behind her completely now.
What could he possibly do now!? His heart pounded in his head, he had nowhere near enough finite magic left to teleport even an inch away. And this was Luna, one of the all powerful ponies of Equestria, about to blow him away. There was absolutely no time to regenerate his energy from the ether so he was left with two options, hitting Luna in front of Astral, or out running her before she could turn him to a pile of dust.
"But it will take more than that to stop us." Luna continued. 
Everything slowed down again for him, he began taking stock on his opponent, just the thought made him feel wrong. She was still on her hoofs, but he could see her chest rise and lower heavily. She must've been out of practice with her stronger magic. No doubt if he tried to jump past her she'd obliterate him. Or at the least bash him against the walls a few times. She wasn't going to kill him now, he hoped, but there was no way he could just run. There had to be some kind of distraction he could cause.
Glancing over Astral's shoulder, he saw that old mirror pool that put him on the path to everything he seemed to be losing. The stone top and base were massive, even by mirror pool standards… It was worth a shot. His horn flashed and caused Luna to pick him up with her magic. He had to be quick, she wouldn't hold him there for long. He could feel what little magic he had spread across his body, basically making him one of two things, a walking bomb or a a big horn.
He channeled his magic to his right hoof and focused on the top of the mirror pool. He felt the stone connect to his hoof and just as Luna looked to see what it was, he moved his hoof like he was throwing something over his left shoulder. The mirror pool suddenly leapt from its place on the pedestal and started flying towards them. Astral screamed as Luna dropped Nexus. He took his opportunity instantly, he knew this was his only shot.
Nexus shot to Luna's right in full stride as she used her telekinesis to catch the top of the pool. All of the water in the heavy stone basin splashed across her and Astral. She spun her head around to see Nexus just at the door. She didn't have any reason to doubt he was hostile now. She fired a bolt of magic in his direction and saw a shower of sparks coming from where it hit him. He shouted in pain as the bolt passed straight through the bottom half of his hind legs. He tumbled to a stop at the bridge to Luna's room and the main part of the castle. He had no time to assess the damage but he could feel that his piston was at the very least damaged. Nexus stood up and started running as best he could
The shaft of the piston would lollop out of the rest of the leg as he went, making movement very difficult. His hoof would drag on the floor if he didn't time his stride right. As he left he could still hear Astral crying in fear. Luna wasn't comforting him, she was too busy shouting at him.
"GUARDS! INTRUDER! FIND AND CAPTURE HIM!"
That was all she needed to say to have every guard from every corner of the coming in both escape routes. Nowhere to go but forward. Nexus could feel his magic starting to come back to him, he lit his horn and used his magic to hold his leg in place as he ran. It was still an awkward stride but it was much faster than before. He was out of the glass capped bridge to the main caste and was greeted on both sides by guards. His body was on auto pilot, he stood ridged against them just as the first two shot towards him. He gave a quick side step before teleporting. 
He reappeared behind the left line of troops and was off again. The rest of the castle was loaded to the brim with soldiers ready to bring him down so he had to work fast. Ways out ran past his mind but he knew they were heavily guarded. So conventional ways out were out of the question. Before he could start forming a new plan, another group of guards stood in his way. he leapt off his good hind leg to the right and nearly implanted his face into the wall. He may not have been able to spring off as hard as he wanted but it was enough to get him over top of them before falling to the ground. 
They split open for him to avoid being crushed but were quick to try and grab him. Once again with his left hind leg, he swept a big circle around him knocking over the closest circle around him. As one more jumped over his friends, Nexus grabbed his right front hoof with his left, and had his right on the soldier's stomach. With his momentum, Nexus only acted as a fulcrum and threw him into the lot on his left. His opened a large enough space for him to escape. He ducked to the left and was bolting down the corridor as fast as his legs could carry him.
What about a window? He designed the legs to absorb a fall but with only one piston active that wasn't going to do much unless it was a very short fall. Though looking at the castle, he didn't have much of a choice. He'd have to jump from a low lying window and hope he wouldn't break a hip. With a quick glance over his shoulder he found a very large mass of white stallions in golden armor. Nexus hopped up on two hoofs and started to skid. His magic pulsed through his body again and he dropped his forelegs to his side with a great amount of force. He was slowly coming to a stop as he crossed a line of dust that puffed up right at his hoofs.
He could feel that the floor wasn't very thick but it'd have to do to slow them down. As he came to a stop he turned around just as they got to the line and pushed his hoofs up. The dark purple stone followed. Instantly jumping up to about three feet. An idea struck him just as the soldiers came to a stop. He cocked his elbows and another slit appeared in the slab. He raised his hoofs again and the side of the slab facing the soldiers and pushing it another three feet, leaving no space for them to follow. He didn't have time to admire his handy work, he needed to get to the stairs. Duel stairways that could be seen in the foyer lead almost all the way up the castle.
So they were his best bet. If he couldn't get to the lobby, he'd have to get as low as he could. With every corridor he passed, another mass of guards waiting for him. He'd up another wall and kept running if they stood in his way, he'd teleport past them then put up another wall behind him. He wasn't even down the first flight of stairs before he started to feel his base pool of magic starting to dwindle. He had to find a more permanent solution to his hind leg. He leaped down a full flight of stairs and pulled a one eighty before galloping down the next portion stairs. 
Before he hit the next half set of stairs, he noticed the drapes. He drew one of his hidden blades and quickly sliced off a large portion of the bright red drapes. Thankfully they felt like they were cotton rather than silk. He quickly slipped it through the hole and tied the ends. Nexus tapped his right hindleg to make sure the piston wouldn't just slide his hoof out again. With it somewhat in place now, he started sprinting once again as the sounds of oncoming guards began getting closer.
He was happy to have to use his magic to things other than run now. Now he could teleport past lines of guards and put up more stone walls to impede their pursuit. Despite now having a little more energy in him in general however, the constant running was taking its toll. He wondered for a moment where he was in the castle. He had to be low enough by now. After making it down his current flight of stairs he made a hard left and ran full pelt down the accompanying hallway.
Despite living here most the latter half of his life, he didn't have it all memories. At most he could find his way to most of the bathrooms, the library and main lobby where it became a lot easier to navigate. At most, he was on the fifth floor. It certainly felt like like it. His heart pounded in his chest and his lungs trying to escape his chest plate and find air on their own. His upper hindlegs were also starting ach. It'd been far too long since he'd had this kind of exercise. But the threat of death could do that to a stallion.
He rounded every corner with slight difficulty, as the curtain caused his rear to slid on the marble floors. There wasn't a shortage of guards either. The amount of walls he'd put up would probably make the castle's interior architect seem like an absolute idiot.
Nexus figured he'd run far enough to what he hopped was the front of the castle, he threw his weight against the closest door and tumbled into a casual sitting room. No time to admire the scenery though, there was a balcony window on the far side and that was his ticket out of here. He burst into the summer air and- 
"Shit." He said looking on the seven story drop. He wasn't sure if his organs could take the sudden stop.
Hell, he wasn't quite sure if he could from a five story drop. The thunderous sound of boots running down the hall confirmed he had no chance of getting out that door again. 
Nexus sighed. This was his only option now. Bellow, he could make out the castle's front courtyard, decorated with enough bushes and trees to put any forest to shame. Guess Celestia liked shade. There was enough room in front of the castle that he could hit the ground without going through a tree. But that also meant nothing to slow him down a bit. May as well commit. Nexus stepped up onto the railing of the balcony and took the step over the edge. He heard a guard behind him shout after him before the sound of rush of wind. He felt positioned himself with his hindlegs facing down, praying that the remaining piston could help make some kind of cushion to the drop.
He knew he had to roll forward but he wasn't sure if he'd have a spine to do it with. Too late to go back. He leaned forward a tad as he fell, passing the last couple of stories as fast as his hopes were going. The piston gained pressure and pushed its way out a few inches just before impact. He his left hindleg hit first. The shockwave that went up his body was painful. His whole skeleton shook from the impact and with nowhere else to go, the force took the easy way out and began pushing him forwards on his good hoof.
Not wanting to his face to permanently imprint itself on in the dirt, he pushed forward with his right shoulder first and started the roll. He wasn't sure how many rolls he'd have to do to avoid his brain coming out his eye sockets but he knew that he had to before it turned to a smoothie. The ground hit the back of his shoulder blade and allowed the force to continue pushing him forward, tossing him head over heels. He knew he was going too fast to just stand up and keep running, so he tumbled a few extra times before getting to his hoofs.
The world spun around him like a pinwheel for a moment. He could make out a tree nearby and was happy to prop himself up against it to regain his balance. As everything came into some minor focus, the sounds of his pounding heart beat started clearing out to make way for the surroundings to start coming in. There wasn't much he could do now other than hope everything would come back into focus before some pegasi would follow him. But he wasn't willing to take that risk. 
There was only two of everything now instead of four and that was good enough for him to keep going. He swayed every few steps as his equilibrium continued to try and right him. He found it got easier to move in what could be called a straight line and made his way to another tree. He couldn't get out of the castle this way. There had to be something he could do. They'd be checking all the bushes and trees for him. He sat back and caught his breath against another tree, the throbbing in his head started to fade as the light of the sun shone through the bush to his -what?
Looking over to his left the bush was glowing like the power of Faust was about to tell him to be the savior of the oppressed masses. Inside the glow, Nexus could see a few shapes hidden in the brush was the light started to fade. He had two options, he had to either bolt from that bush, more than likely giving away his position, or see what it was about. Well he couldn't concentrate enough to pull off a teleport over the wall so this was as good an option as any. 
He walked over to peak through the leaves and nearly fainted again from what was under the bushes. The silver curves and blue fibers of his Irion Icarus sat under the tree with some kind of object sitting on top of a sticky note. He pulled back on the bushes and caught the gentle glimmer of glass. Levitating it to his face, he saw his silver rimmed glasses. He haphazardly threw them on his snout and picked up the sticky note.

Thought you might need these. I need some time while M makes more popcorn. Have fun Lunie!

-L
Nexus wished he had time to wonder about all the ponies he knew with the first innitial of 'L' but that wasn't as important as getting out of there. As fast as he could, he threw his wings onto his back where they clicked into place, connecting the nerve endings and causing an electric shock to fly up his spine and all the way to his horn.  He wasn't expecting something like that but sadly, he'd have to question it later. He spread the artificial wings and shot up into the sky with a heavy leaning to the left; right back towards the castle.
He was able to correct his path with some difficulty and was over the wall in not time. From the sound of siren wailing in the castle, the pegasus patrols would be up any second. He turned tail and flew as fast as he could without losing control, straight to the south.