Nexus stood ridged in the middle of Canterlot Memorial Cemetery, his gaze fixed on the tombstone in front of him. “Lieutenant Burning Nexus: Loyal Soldier and Beloved Father.”

“He thought you would like it.” a mare’s voice said from behind him.

Nexus turned and saw a dark blue unicorn with a typewriter cutie mark and a long black mane. Nexus wasn’t sure how to feel about the mare standing behind him her eyes were raw from the oceans of tears she had shed.

“How long?” he asked looking back at his father’s grave.

“Lunarus-”

“How long Ma’!?” Nexus shouted not looking back at his mother.

“A month.”

“You knew he was dying, and you didn’t tell me. You’re only son?” tears of anger were starting to pool in his eyes.

“Lunarus, you had just been brought back to life, and then there was the whole “hunting down the evil shadow” business. Your father didn’t want you to worry.”

“It doesn’t matter!” he shouted turning to face his mother. “I don’t care if I was holding Equestria on my shoulders, I deserve to know what is happening in my family!”

“Lunarus!”

“No, you don’t keep something like that from family. I’m your Celestia Damned son!” Nexus started walking towards his mother with hate in his eyes. “He wasn’t just your husband ma’, he was my dad too. I wouldn’t care if he threatened you with death if you told me, I deserved to know!”

“Lunarus, you’re scaring me.” The old mare said started to get weak kneed.

“Who else did you tell!? Luna, Dust, Luna forbid, Storm Cloud. Who!”

“Lunarus.” Tears were starting to well in Nexus’s mother’s eyes again as her son shouted at her.

“You don’t keep secrets from family! You’re fucking dead to me!”

She couldn’t reply to what he had just said, she fell to her haunches as he spread his wings and took flight back towards the castle. He flew as fast as he could towards the Tower of Night with tears streaking down the sides of his face.

Nexus landed on his balcony and nearly knocked the doors off their hinges with his mechanical legs.

“Who does she think she is?” Nexus growls to himself. “Deciding what I should know about my family. I deserve more than anypony to know what’s happening with my family.”

Nexus used his horn to throw his sofa to the other side of the room. The large piece of furniture decimated a table sitting against the wall and knocked a picture of the last family portrait they had done. The glass in the frame shattered and the frame itself splintered.

“No pony can tell me what I can know about my family’s health, no pony!”

Nexus reared back and bucked the nearest column into oblivion. Rubble scattered and tore holes in the walls as Nexus’ piston powered hindlegs punched a beach ball sized hole in the side of the column.

“Lunarus!” a regal mare’s voice shouted in surprise.

Nexus wheeled around and saw Luna standing in his door way.

“You knew about it didn’t you?” Nexus said angrily. “Ma’ told you to keep me busy and not ask questions, didn’t she?”

“Lunarus, I am sure that this isn’t an easy time for you, but this display of rage is not befitting of you.”

“Don’t try telling me what to do! I’m tired of ponies trying to decide what is best for me, and you’re no different!”

“Lunarus, calm yourself. This isn’t how somepony of your stature should be acting.”

“You’re one to preach about how to act. ‘Oh, no pony likes my pretty night sky! I should rebel and kill hundreds of innocents to try and get somepony to appreciate me!’. Yeah, you’re such the model of emotional perfection.”

“Lunarus, that’s quite enough.”

“Awe, but I’m just getting started.”

“I understand how you feel Lunarus, but that is no excuse to-”

“How I feel? You haven’t even begun to understand how I feel! My own mother condoned leaving me in the dark! She practically threw me under the carriage! And on top of that, my father died. Not like the soldier he was, but as a sickly old man! I refuse to believe that you even understand what I feel right now.”

“You believe I do not understand loss, Lunarus!?”

“Any real friend would know that it would be the worst possible time to come anywhere near me.”

“You don’t think I am your friend Lunarus? I am here to try and help you.”

“You want to help me? Get the fuck away from me.” Nexus said getting in her face. “I don’t want to see you anywhere near me.”

“Is that how you feel?” she asked shoving him away from her.

“Does it look like I’m fucking around? Get out!”

“Fine then. My apologies Commander for intruding uninvited. I shall leave you to your own destruction.” Luna said finally leaving the room with her head hanging low.

The door shut silently behind her and Nexus turned towards his fireplace.

“Who does she think she is? Telling me how to act, thinking she knows even a fraction of what I’m going through. Nothing’s happened to her that would even come close to what I’m going through.”

Nexus looked up to the fireplace and saw a dark blue stallion with a black mane and metallic legs glaring down at him from the mantle. It took him a moment before he realized it was himself. But something was off, something he couldn’t put his hoof on until he looked a bit closer. His eyes, they had turned crimson red and his irises had elongated.

“What am I doing?” Nexus asked.

“L-Lunar?” another mare asked from the door way.

“Dust.” Nexus said seeing the sand colored Pegasus sent a shock to his sense. His eyes started returning to their normal color and shape.

The Pegasus hesitantly walked into the room and towards her fiancé. “Lunar, are you okay?”

“N…no.” tears started welling up in his eyes. “I…I don’t know what’s happening Dusty, I don’t know what I’m doing. I…I…”

Dust wrapped her forelegs around his neck and held him close. His muscles relaxed and his emotions flowed like the tears in his eyes. He wrapped his forelegs around her and started crying into her shoulder. “I’m sorry, I…I…”