Secrets and Lies (phase one)

by keithsterling

Chapter 5

January 10, 2026, 16:00 hrs Equestria Standard time, Private sitting room of the White palace, Autocratic Republic of the Drifting sand, Capital City of Valiancy.

The Autocratic Republic of the Drifting Sand is largely a sand sea with numerous small towns spread throughout the arid landscape, mostly located over underground fresh water aquifers. The only large city in this arid landscape sitting above a huge reservoir of fresh water is the Capital City of Valiancy which is the seat of power for Drifting Sand territory.

After concluding her final court session for today, a very attractive 6ft 3in cocoa brown Alicorn mare with a jet black mane and tail made her way to her private sitting room in the White Palace to relax for the remainder of the day.

Her athletic figure was encased in a copper color; elbow sleeve lace fit and flare dress. On her bare feet were black heeled sandals. Resting against her back were her cocoa brown colored, feathered bird wings and on her head, behind her horn was a simple gold crown. This Alicorn mare is Pharaoh Jamila Nebula, the ruler of Drifting Sands territory.

After serving herself a glass of soft apple cider from off a nearby table, she walks over to an overstuffed chair in the room and plopped down on it. To make herself more comfortable, she sits sideways, allowing her legs to dangle freely over the armrest. She begins to hum a song to herself as she gently whirls the apple cider in the glass in front of her, taking a sip from the glass.

“Huh?” Jamila exclaims as she thought she heard the sound of boots walking into the room. She slowly scans the whole room with her normal vision. When that gained her nothing, she switches over to her thermo vision. Being a disguised Imperator Alicorn mare, her species has the natural ability to see in any light spectrum. It is handy to have as an Imperator Alicorn spends most of their life in the darkness of space with no visible illumination, other than the distant starlight and glows from their star ships.

Through her thermo vision, Jamila can see the glow of very recent warm boot prints that started from the door and continue along the floor towards the platform that her overstuffed chair rests on. She knows the prints don’t belong to her because her prints look just like her barefeet. She turns her head towards her feet and in front of them she can see a heat signature of a tall figure. She thinks it belongs to an Imperator Alicorn because on its back are two huge, cold spots from their cold metal wings.

“Tee-heeeeee.” Jamila chuckles as she switches back to her normal vision and watches with quite a bit of amusement how everything begins to unfolded. She watches as these unseen fingers unbuckle the strap of her sandal.

Soon the loosened sandal is removed from her foot and placed down on the ground. As the same unseen fingers begin working on her other buckle, she floats the empty glass back onto the nearby table. As her other sandal is removed from her foot, she winks out as the shoe falls to the ground with a light thud. She soon winks in behind the unseen figure and wraps her arms and wings around it in an affectionate embrace and places a kiss on invisible figures unseen cheek.

“Come out of hiding, nephew. I know it’s you. you are the only one crazy enough to attempt a stunt like that on another Imperator Alicorn that happens to be your aunt.” Jamila said in her powerful but velvety voice as Justice dispels his hide in plain sight ability.

“Hello Aunt Jamila.” Justice said fondly as he returns the affectionate embrace of his aunt and kissed her on her cheek.

With the family pleasantries finished, Jamila gestures Justice to join her back at her overstuff chair. Jamila gracefully sits back down on her overstuff chair. Justice takes a seat on the ground by his aunt’s feet. Using her telekinesis ability, she lifts a chilled fine bottle of soft apple cider out of the ice bucket and serves herself a drink. She then turns her attention toward her nephew sitting at her feet.

“So Justice, why have you come to see your Aunt Jamila?” Jamila inquiry as she takes a sip of soft apple cider from her glass.

“Aunt Jamila, did you hear about the explosion off the coast of the New Lunar Republic this far away?” Justice asks as Jamila gently whirl the apple cider in her glass a few times, before answering her nephew’s question.

“The New Lunar Republic, that’s the state run by your sister-in-law President Luna Silverlight, correct nephew. Plus from my states intelligence, your wife Empress Celestia Silverlight sent your only son Solar Prince Somnus Silverlight. To live with his Aunt Luna in Mare Serenitatis, to maintain a peace treaty between The New Lunar Republic and Solar Empire.” Jamila explains as Justice’s jaw drops with how accurate the information his aunt knew. A knowing smile forms on Jamila’s snout with the surprised look on her nephew’s face.

“You probably have forgotten nephew. I was ship security aboard the large science class vessel that crashed on this planet with us aboard. As Chief of ship Security, I need to know more than any member of the crew, other than mission commander who was your grandmother Ophelia.” Jamila explains as Justice slowly regains his composure.

“That I do remember, Aunt Jamila, plus, I remember as Imperator colt you took me under your wing and trained me as a Galactic Knight Special forces operator. That I am very grateful for Auntie.” Justice said as Jamila’s eyes brimmed with joy from the appreciation of her nephew.

“You don’t know how long I have been waiting for you to say that to me, nephew.” Jamila said overjoyed as she bent down and kissed Justice on his cheek again.

“But you didn’t come all the way out here to just visit me did you, nephew? You have something to ask me.” Jamila said knowing as Justice took a worried interest in the gold nail polish on his aunt’s toes.

“My son Somnus unknowingly thwarted the plot involving the missile battery; by a treacherous NLR Colonel, during the exchange, he mentioned to Somnus that he was part of a group, my sister-in-law and wife’s intelligence bureau have been unable to discover the possible name of the group. So I am hoping that you’re small intelligence bureau Aunt Jamila, might know something about the group.” Justice explains as Jamila gestured to him to follow her.

The two Alicorns flew through the wide hallways of the White Palace at great speed until they reached the palace motor pool and repair facilities. Jamila’s landed first followed, closely by Justice. He watches his Aunt Jamila move down the rows of hover jeeps parked in the motor pool till she picks one out. She once again gestured Justice to join her at the hover jeep. With a wave of her hand and her eternal magic ability, she creates a set of lightweight robes and hooded cloaks to protect themselves from the harsh sun of Drifting Sands.

Before climbing aboard the jeep, Jamila creates herself a pair of flip-flops to wear, so the hot sand doesn’t burn her feet. The Alicorns climb aboard the jeep and drive out of the motor pool. During the drive through the desert, Jamila explains to Justice that her intelligence bureau scouts discover an abandoned village with some very interesting graffiti inside some of the houses.

As the hover jeep crests the sand dune below, in a sand valley half buried by the very sand itself, was a one block long, small village that looks abandoned. She drives down the other side of the sand dune and right into the heart of the village. She parks the hover jeep on the shady side of the building in the village to keep it cool. She obtained a small metal flashlight from a steel box in the rear of the Jeep. They both disembark the jeep and walk down the sand choked path of the village.

“My scouts discovered this abandoned village about a year ago.” Jamila explains as Justice walked beside her. Her flip-flops slap against the soles of her feet, tossing sand onto her feet.

“Have a look at that Justice.” Jamila said pointing with the end of the flashlight toward a short stone wall choked with sand. Justice dug behind the wall to the depth of four feet when he encountered wet sand.

“The sand four feet down is wet, Aunt Jamila was that an artesian well?” Justice inquiry as his aunt Jamila walks up to the short stone wall and slips her flip-flop off her right foot. She begins scraping away the sand with the side of her foot from the center of the well, till it begins to bubble-up again.

“You are correct Justice, it is an artesian well. My scouts estimate that this source of water could last for a very long time for a village this size. but still this village was abandoned sometime ago. Please continue following me nephew, we are almost to the house I want you to see.” Jamila said as she slips her flip-flop back on her foot and continues down the path for a few more feet followed closely by Justice.

Before reaching the opposite end of the village, his Aunt Jamila stops in front of a red sandstone building with a solid wood door. She gestures for her nephew to break down the stuck door. Putting his unnatural Imperator Alicorn strength to use, he rams his shoulder into the door and breaks it down in one swift movement.

As the two Alicorns enter the empty building, they discover its half way filled with sand that has blown through the open windows from the numerous sandstorms that roll across the drifting sand region. In the darkened building, Jamila flips on the flashlight in her hand and shines it onto the walls. Like she told her nephew, the inner walls of the building is just covered with graffito.

“This graffiti is the one I want you to see, nephew.” Jamila comments shining the light on a picture of a stylized black shooting star and a black asteroid with a black star.

“Nephew, do you remember what stylized black shooting star and black asteroid with a black star means?” Jamila query as Justice thought for a little while as his face glazed with shock upon remembering what it means.

“The stylized black shooting star is the symbol for Dark Star Section of the Imperator Alicorn space. The black asteroid with a black star on it was the prison that held Daimyo Harmonia Strife after great grandmother banished her from Imperator Alicorn space.” Justice explains as Jamila moved the light down a bit and shines the light onto a picture of the same asteroid crashing into a mountain range on the planet.

“Auntie! Are you saying that Daimyo Harmonia Strife is on this planet somewhere?” Justice exclaims as Justice’s mind reels with the news that the evil Imperator Alicorn Harmonia Strife is on this planet.

“What ever that treacherous NLR Colonel group was, It’s most likely associated with Daimyo Harmonia Strife group which means the plot your son thwarted is not yet fulfilled. Your son stopping it is only a bump in Harmonia’s overall master plan for this planet.” Jamila explains as the two alicorn head back to White Palace.

January 10, 2026, 21:30 hrs Equestria Standard time, Private Royal Bed Chamber of the Solar Emperor and Empress, Old Grand Royal Palace, Capital City of Canterlot, Solar Empire.

The private royal bed chamber of the Solar Emperor and Empress is a fairly large room within the Old Grand Royal Palace. This room is the private sanctuary for the royal couple to hide from the general public and the reporter’s eyes. This fact allows the Solar Emperor Justice Silverlight to remain hidden from sight, while enjoying the company of his loyal and dedicated wife Empress Celestia Silverlight.

But this evening Emperor Justice’s eyes are haunted by some deep inner anxiety. After returning from the Drifting Sand region where he learned from his Aunt Jamila that Daimyo Harmonia Strife, an evil Imperator Alicorn that his great grandmother banished long ago from Imperator Alicorn space is on this planet, and that she might be behind the plot that his son stopped, has cause Justice to experience temporary insomnia.

The graceful soft pitter-patter of mare’s barefeet on the tile floor of the bed chamber is quickly picked-up by the more sensitive hearing of Imperator Alicorn Justice walking up behind him. Before he could turn around, two white arms are inserted under his arms and gently close around his chest in a loving embrace.

On the fourth finger of a slender left hand was the slight glint of a finely made gold wedding ring. Soon the snout and face of an alicorn mare appears over his shoulder. She rests her chin on his shoulder followed by a long spiral horn appearing.

“What’s wrong Justice? You are not in bed with me?” Celestia said a little bit wistful as she kisses him on his cheek.

“I am sorry, Celestia, I have so much on my mind, it caused me a bit of insomnia. If I am keeping you awake my beloved Sun Princess, I’ll leave the bed chamber to let you sleep in peace.” Justice suggests as the blood drains from Celestia’s face.

“No! I will never ever let you go again, when you died, it felt like my heart was torn out. Now that you are back, I will never let you go.” Celestia said her voice degenerates to a childish whimper as she tightens her hug on Justice. Slowly Justice reaches up and grabs hold of his wife’s arms, forcing them apart before she could crush his ribs with her earth pony strength.

“I know how you felt, Celestia, when I was reborn, all my memories were fractured. I couldn’t make sense of any of my fractured memories. I struggled so hard to fit together all my memories from the bits and pieces, out of all that, I was able to form one memory. It was that memory that kept me going.” Justice explains as Celestia brought her hand to her snout wondering what that memory was.

“What was it?” Celestia inquiry fearing that memory that kept Justice going was not her.

“The memory that kept me going was the face of a white mare with a blonde mane that I left behind on a planet, every time I would lose hope I would call up that memory and look into the magenta eyes of that mare. Her eyes would encourage me to push forward.” Justice explains as Celestia legs gave-out under her and she sank to the ground and began to sob.

“That memory was me, even with your fractured memories you want to return to me, when I buried you, I thought you were going to forget about me. So I never put flowers on your grave or visited it, it was too painful to face. But I now see I was a fool, I lost faith in what my heart told me about everlasting love. No matter the distance or time between us our hearts will always reunite.” Celestia said with reverence as she spread her wings and flew straight at Justice with manageable speed to knock him over without hurting him.

The mighty collision sends the two Alicorns flipping head over heels backward till they finally come to a rest and Justice finds himself on his back with his wife sitting on him with a coy smile on her snout. She presses her palms on the floor above his shoulders before bending down and plants a passionate kiss on his lips. When she finishes, Justice reaches around behind his wife’s back and runs his fingers down her exposed feet.

“Eek!” Celestia exclaims shooting straight into the air to get her very ticklish feet out of reach of who ever tickled her.

As Celestia flaps her wings in the air, she soon figures out the one that tickled her feet was her very own husband. He tries to get her off of him so he could stand back up. Back on his feet, he soon joins her in the air.

“I love you Ms Silverlight.” Justice said loving as he flies over to his wife and return her kiss.