Secrets and Lies (phase two)

by keithsterling

chapter 17

February 5, 2026, 1630 hrs Equestria standard time, main workroom Carousel Boutique, Carousel Boutique, Capital City of Ponyville, Friendship Kingdom

Moving about in the main workroom of the Carousel Boutique straightening out several misplaced objects with her telekinesis ability was the most beautiful 5ft 7in light gray unicorn mare anthro with moderate indigo blue mane and tail. Her slender and elegant equine figure was encased in a rose-colored skirt suit.

Why on her light gray bare feet were white strap sandals. This unicorn mare was Miss Rarity Radiance the proprietress of the Carousel Boutique in Ponyville. For four days straight she was on the holo-phone with an Equestria news network producer trying to set-up an interview for herself after getting winded of camera crew coming to Ponyville.

At first, the Equestria news network producer has no idea what Miss Radiance was talking about from her records there was no camera crew assigned to cover Ponyville at any time she mentioned.

Till her head producer gave her a last-minute assignment card stating that a new camera crew was being sent to cover Ponyville and the reporter requested to set-up an interview with other members of the Friendship Assembly for impact story. Upon getting the interview for herself, she closed the Carousel Boutique for an hour and head today spa for a beauty treatment so she can look good on the broadcast.

"This will never do, the lighting in this room is atrocious. I must change the light setting to something more, dramatic! Don’t want to look like I just got up." Rarity comments to herself as she walks toward the wall next to the door and begins to play with the light setting in the main workroom.

(Ding the tiny bell above the door rings)

"Welcome! Welcome to Carousel Boutique, where every dress is unique and designed for individuality. I am proprietress Rarity Radiance your humble designer and sale pony." Rarity said friendly as her face pales upon seeing the face of a long-dead friend walk into her boutique.

"G-G-g-g-gghost!" Rarity screams diving behind the counter with her cash register in the main workroom.

"Aurora!" Justice calls as his daughter walk in behind him into the boutique carrying a microphone in her hand.

"Yes, father," Aurora said as Justice set the portable holo-camera on the floor beside his feet.

"Behind the counter, see what you can do to get Rarity to come out," Justice explains as he leans against a wall in the room.

Aurora walks behind the counter attired in olive white stripe camp shirt, relaxed-fit jeans and slip-on flats. For the next few minutes, Justice waited patiently for his daughter to convince Rarity to come out of hiding. So they can talk to her about the attack on the Crystal Empire.

An hour later Aurora walks out from behind the counter with scared to death Rarity Radiance. Rarity stays close to Aurora as her heart pounds in her chest, the closer and closer she gets to Justice. She reaches out and touches him with her hand, went she feels muscle tears come to her eyes. After a cry of happiness, Rarity invites Justice and Aurora to join her in the small sitting area of the boutique to talk.

"So why did you come to see me, your imperial majesty and highness?" Rarity asks as she reaches down and unbuckling her sandals, remove them from her feet and set them down beside the chair she was sitting on.

"First off Rarity I and Aurora are undercover as father and daughter camera crew, so no need to call us your imperial majesty and highness. I am cameraman Ash Whitelighter and this my daughter Reporter Dawn Whitelighter." Justice explains as Rarity chuckled under her breath.

"Please forgive me but it been some time since I was able to address you like this. Beside why you are in my home, I am going to call you Justice and Aurora." Rarity said pouring herself a cup of tea, before serving the tea to Justice and Aurora.

"It ok with me father, Rarity could be a very valuable contact for us in ponyville if something goes wrong with this undercover mission. She has known our family for a long time." Aurora's comment as Justice Sign softly knowing his daughter is right and Rarity would be a very valuable contact to have.

"Miss Rarity Radiance would you assist us in this undercover mission?" Justice inquiries.

"Of course I will Justice, your family has help me many times and it’s time for this mare to repay the favors." Rarity answers as she took a sip of tea from her cup.

"Now what is the real reason you come to see me?" Rarity asked taking another sip of tea from her cup.

"The attack of the Crystal Empire," Justice said as Rarity face glazes with shock before she spits out the tea in her mouth.

"I see you already spoke to Twilight about it." Rarity comment drying her mouth with the napkin she had with her on her lap.

"Father tells me you have memories of being aboard the dreadnought at the moment that the shell was fired at the crystal city, is this true Rarity?" Aurora asks as Rarity shook her head a few times.

"Very much so, Aurora. I can see myself at the broadcast center on the bridge of 'FKS Harmony'. Getting everything ready for Twilight's message broadcast. Before she pressed the launch button and I can hear the sonic boom as shell fly through the air toward the Crystal city. Much like Twilight, I am unable to sleep everytime I try to sleep the memory of the sonic boom wakes me up (Tears begin running down Rarity's cheeks) Justice? I must know how many were killed went the shell impacted?" Rarity asked her eyes are bloodshot from crying. Justice refuses to answer Rarity's question and gets up to leave.

"Does it really matter, Rarity for you to know how many were killed? Theirs no way to bring them back. As your friend I can't allow you to suffer any longer then you are doing. So I can't tell you." Justice comments as he's pick-up the portable holo-camera from off the ground and walks out of the Carousel Boutique, follow closely by Aurora.

"Father? How many were killed?" Aurora asked walking beside her father on their way back to the borrowed hover news van.

"230 Crystal Ponies most were fillies and colts. It was free day from school for them went the shell impacted. Your little sister Blueberry was heartbroken went she was told that most of the crystal ponies were fillies and colts. Some of those fillies and colts were from a school she visited a day earlier, she ate lunch with all them as part of her visits to the school." Justice explains sadden as Aurora's beautiful features fell.

"That just horrible so many innocent lives taken. We three very much enjoy visiting schools and talking to all the young ponies there. It shows them we are ponies like them." Aurora explains as she climbs into the passenger seat of the news van.

February 9, 2026, 1630 hrs Equestria Standard Time, Sweet Apple Acres, East Apple orchard, Friendship Kingdom territory, Friendship Kingdom.

Sitting under an Apple tree in the eastern apple orchard with a cowboy hat over her eyes resting was 5ft 10in lovely looking brilliant yellow-orange earth pony mare with pale, light golden blond mane and tail tied in a ponytail. Her physically fit figure was encased in a navy pink plaid long-sleeve button-front shirt and black bootcut jeans. Her yellow-orange bare feet were painted with red nail polish.

Sitting next to the tree was pair of dark brown cowboy boots and stick out of them was socks. This earth pony mare is Miss Applejack Apple one of the owners of the Sweet Apple Acres. Walking down the path toward her was Aurora and Justice; she slowly lifted the brim of her hat up with her finger and slowly gets to her feet.

"Yawl looks good for a dead pony, Mr. Justice." Applejack comment in a southern accent as she walks over to Justice, Aurora jaw drops upon Applejack hugging her father in a friendly manner.

"Father!? How many of the friendship assembly members do you know?" Aurora exclaims shocked as Applejack blink with surprise.

"Wait an apple-picking' minute! This mare with you Mr. Justice is your daughter?" Applejack asked as she looks over Aurora a few times.

"Oh that right, I completely forgot, you don't keep up with what is going on around here. Like Rarity does. Yes, she is my oldest Aurora." Justice explains as Applejack continues looking over Aurora.

"How many foals do you have Mr. Justice. If this is your oldest?" Applejack inquiry trying to figure out why she looks so familiar.

"I have one son and another younger daughter." Justice answers as a look of recognition appears on Applejacks face.

"Do think me impolite Mr. Justice, who is her mother? I kin recognize a familiar pony in her?" Applejack with a puzzled look on her face.

"The mother of my foals is Celestia," Justice explains as Applejack jaw drops to the ground.

"The ex-Princess of the Sun is their mother. No wonder they look so familiar to me. They gain that Alicorn princess look. But still she a unicorn. Has her mother not changed her into an Alicorn Just like she did with Twilight?" Applejack inquiry as Justice shook his head. Slowly Aurora charged up her magic in her horn and released it soon after, breaking the spell revealing the wings on her back.

"Tarnation, she is Alicorn. What about you’re other foals, Mr. Justice?" Applejack asks studying Aurora over a few more times.

"My son and my other daughter are incredible powerful unicorns from their mother's power. I and Celestia have decided to allow them to decide if they want to be Alicorn. So far they like being a plain unicorn." Justice explains as Applejack begins to chew on her lip, knowing the real reason for the visited with her.

"Y'all please follow me. Their couple hay bale over yonder to sit on. I know why you have come, Mr. Justice." Applejack comments knowing as she turns on her bare heels and walks down the path. She only pauses to pick-up her removed boots from the ground and weaves her way down the path leaving her footprints in the soft soil of the orchard.

In a small clearing, some way down the path sits three large hay bales, once in the clearing Applejack toss her boots onto the third hay bales and sits down on top the bale. She is soon joined by Aurora and Justice who each sit on the other two bales. Applejack's eyes widening innocently as she awaits Justice to start questioning her.

"You say you know why we came, Miss Applejack. Is that right." Justice comment as Applejack shook her head.

"You came to talk to me about the attack on the Crystal Empire and my role in it. I knows you are a very honest pony, Mr. Justice, that why I am willing tail what I know to yawl." Applejack said as her ears begin to droop on top of her head.

"Very well Applejack, let hear it." Justice said sympathetically as Applejack took a deep breath before she begins.

"Like the rest of my friends I too can't sleep after a hard day of work. I lay my head down on my pillow and try to close my eyes. But my sleep is soon interrupted by that dream I kin see myself loading the shell with the help of other earth ponies into the gauss cannon and quickly retreating into the reinforced bunker on the deck of the dreadnought. In the cramped bunker, we watch the messages broadcast from Twilight. Follow by the shockwave unleashed from the gauss cannon went it is fired." Applejack explains as Justice whispers something into his daughter's ear at which time she's head back to the news van to see if they got the interview with the next member of the Friendship Assembly.

"You have not told your family what you did Miss Applejack, have you?" Justice said walking up to Applejack and standing in front of her.

"Huh, so you figure it out, Mr. Justice. Why I ask you to see me here in the orchard and not at the main house of Sweet Apple Acres." Applejack said relieved nervously laughing under her breath.

"May I ask why?" Justice inquiry.

"How I kin I tell my family what I did. It will stain the Apple family reputation as honest folks. I can't do that to my family, Mr. Justice." Applejack said a bit worried as Justice Sigh.

"It's better for an honest mare like yourself Miss Applejack. To tell your family the truth. Better to hear from you then from gossip." Justice said as Applejack's ears pep up on top of her head.

"Yee-haw, yawl right Mr. Justice. It better for me to tell them what I did. A family reputation kin always can be fixed. But lies can't ,Thank you, Mr. Justice." Applejack exclaims as she kisses him on his cheek. She leaps to her feet to head back to the main house to talk to her family.

February 9, 2026, 0000 hrs Equestria standard time, Rented Ponyville Cottage, Capital City of Ponyville, Friendship Kingdom.

In the front room of the rented Ponyville cottage sitting at a table was Emperor Justice Silverlight in front of him sat a Holographic satellite communicator array. This holographic satellite communicator array has a direct connection to Old Grand Royal Palace in the Solar Empire vie undetectable comm link.

After array warms up the holographic head of Empress Celestia Silverlight springs to life in front of Justice. This evening she is without her imperial regalia.

"Good evening my beloved, it nice to hear from you." Celestia said as a single tear ran down her snout.

"Good evening my love. Did I wake you up?" Justice asked caring as Celestia shook her head.

"No, not at all, I have been waiting for the communications from you after I finish my duties of being Empress of the Solar Empire, I sorta figured you would use the same protocol to communicate with me went you were in the field as Royal army soldier commander and at the time my boyfriend." Celestia explains as she adjusts her position in her chair.

"But anyway what of your investigation, Justice?" Celestia inquiry.

"It not going well, Celestia. We have spoken to Rarity and Applejack. As Twilight had told me they too have been seeing themselves doing something on the Dreadnought prior to the shell being launched Rarity has seen herself setting up the broadcast and Applejack has seen herself loading the shell into the gauss cannon." Justice explains as Celestia's eyes widen with alarm.

"That is dire news, my love. But please continues your investigation. I have taken precaution if worst comes to worst the precaution I have taking will ensure my safety." Celestia explains as Justice Gawk in disbelief.

"Like what?" Justice inquiry wondering.

"I wanted to save it until you returned. But to put your mind at ease, I'll tell you now. I am now a citizen of the Principality of Dream Valley. I hold the rank of Marquise of Dream Valley. I am willing to relinquish my royal titles for our family, my love." Celestia explains as the blood drains from Justice's face upon hearing his wife words.