//------------------------------// // Chapter 16 - House Calls // Story: The Equestrian Odyssey - A Tale of Two Worlds // by Kamahido //------------------------------// The group finishes their meal and leans back from the table. King Malevolence sighs contentedly as Auriel smiles and leans against him. “I must say, you put on quite a spread, Hero of Light!” Arc nods. “We eat pretty well around here. If my job wasn’t so stressful, I’d probably be the size of a house!” Auriel smiles at him. “Thank you for breakfast, Arc! It was delicious!” “Glad you enjoyed it, Auriel.” Natalya sighs contentedly. “Yes. It certainly beats breakfast back in the Griffon Kingdom!” The king chuckles. “Ah yes! I can still remember the food of the griffons! They were the ones who first introduced us demons to pancakes!” He turns to Natalya and frowns. “Is there something wrong with the food now?” “It… isn’t very good.” Arc nods. “Unless you’re someone important, that is.” Natalya sighs. “The rest of us get soup and bread.” “And I can testify that it is certainly not good soup!” King Malevolence frowns “That is surprising! Their food was always the high point of my visits to their domain! It appeared everyone had enough to eat and was very happy!” Ember rolls her eyes. “Well, apparently things have change while you were gone.” He growls at Ember. “It would appear so.” Auriel looks to him, hopeful. “Arc? I know I’ve no right to ask you for anything more, but would it be all right if I took my father for a walk? It’s been quite a long time since he saw trees and the color green!” Arc nods and stands up. “Very well. However, I’m coming with you two.” Ember rises quickly. “As am I!” King Malevolence sighs. “Fair enough.” Natalya stands. “Might I come as well?” “Why don’t you and Sereb stay here? Ember and I will be okay.” Sereb looks to the king and growls, but obeys. Arc leads father and daughter out of his quarters via his back door. “Follow me.” The king steps outside as Auriel takes his arm, happily. “Winter is coming?” Ember nods. “That it is.” Arc sighs. “Sorry it isn’t a bit greener around here.” “When you’ve been in Tartarus as long as I have, any signs of life from the ground are a sight to behold!” “I understand. Say Auriel, couldn’t some seeds be brought to Tartarus?” “Yes. However, they wouldn’t last long. Tartarus lacks true sunlight, after all.” Ember looks confused. “The light there is different?!” Auriel nods. “Yes. While I’m not sure where it comes from, it most certainly couldn’t sustain any plant life. Whether it is this way by design or coincidence is beyond me.” Ember frowns. “Say Arc, where are we going anyways?” “I figured we could head on over to Sweet Apple Acres. They have the most trees around here. Other than the Everfree Forest, that is.” Auriel looks up suddenly. “Maybe the Apple family can tell us how to grow plants without sunlight!” Ember shakes her head. “That may be a bit of a tall order.” Arc nods. “In any case, it couldn’t hurt to ask.” A short time later the apple orchards come into view. The king’s eyes light up! “Apple trees!” Arc nods. “Yes. They provide a significant source of food for Ponyville!” Ember furrows her brow. “Yeah! So don’t mess with em!” Auriel turns to Arc. “You think there are any apples left up there?” “Probably. But the cold will have gotten to them by now.” The king walks up to a tree. He reaches up into the lower branches and picks an apple. Taking a bite and smiling! “Just as good as I remember them!” Ember scoffs! “How can you have any appetite left?! You ate nearly every pancake in the base!” Auriel giggles! “Imagine him at full size!” Arc raises an eyebrow. “That’s… kinda scary.” “Why?! You’ve taken him before, Arc!” “Yes. But I’m talking about feeding him!” They make their way slowly through the rows of apple trees. King Malevolence plucks apples from the trees as they continue on their way. Staring at one intently. “I wonder if we could grow apples in Tartarus.” Auriel sighs. “I think not, father. But let’s ask anyways.” They make their way toward the farm house. A large carriage is parked in front of the door with two stallions pawing at the ground in an attempt to stay warm. Ember frowns. “I guess they have company.” Auriel nods as she turns to her father. “Perhaps this isn’t the best time to…” The front door suddenly flies open as Applejack and Filthy Rich storm out! “My patience is wearing thin, Miss Apple! Start making payments regularly or I’ll be forced to levy MORE penalties on your orchard!” Applejack glares at the stallion before her! “You keep doing that so we can’t get ahead!” Filthy Rich looks down his nose at Applejack. “It’s not MY fault your family isn’t very good with money!” Applejack spits on the ground, angrily! “Says the richest pony in town!” “I got where I am today by being smart! You could learn a thing or two from…” He and Applejack go back and forth. The king looks to Arc. “Friend of yours?” “The mare, yes. That stallion… not even close!” Ember frowns. “He’d sell his own mother if someone offered to buy her!” The king smiles! “He’s got moxy! I like that! Who is he?” Arc sighs. “Filthy Rich. He owns Barnyard Bargains here in town, the Bank in Baltimare and a slew of other businesses.” “So, he’s a merchant?” Ember nods angrily! “Yes. But the worst kind!” Arc nods. “Had he been in Grover’s position back then, he would have charged you extra!” Auriel sighs. “He won’t even let me in his store.” The king’s smile vanishes! “WHAT?! WHY NOT?!” Auriel looks suddenly nervous. “He… uh… said they don’t serve my kind in there.” Without warning, King Malevolence charges toward Filthy Rich! “HEY IMP HOOVES! GET OVER HERE!” Filthy Rich turns to see the king angrily storming over to him! Raising an eyebrow in confusion as he takes a step back. “What IS that?!” Arc raises a hand toward King Malevolence’s back as Ember looks to him. “Arc? What are you doing?!” “Teaching Filthy Rich a lesson.” Arc quickly casts the Matter Compacting counter spell on King Malevolence. In a few moments he returns to his normal size. The demon towers over the now stunned ponies. “What in tarnation?!” King Malevolence roars! The ground shaking as he stomps toward them! “I’LL TEACH YOU TO MESS WITH MY DAUGHTER, YOU LITTLE MAGGOT!” Filthy Rich jumps into his carriage and looks to the stallions. “GET US OUT OF HERE YOU IDIOTS!” They waste no time fleeing for their lives! Auriel’s father looks after them! “YOU BETTER RUN, YOU GUTLESS LITTLE COWARD! I’VE EATEN THINGS BIGGER THAN YOU! WHOLE!!!” The carriage makes quite a dust cloud as it almost flies back toward Ponyville! Applejack walks over to the king. “Thank you kindly, whoever you are!” “IT WAS NOTHING, SMALL ONE! HE CHOSE HIS WORDS POORLY WHEN ADDRESSING MY DAUGHTER THE OTHER DAY!” Arc joins Applejack and casts the Matter Compacting spell on the king again. “Hi Applejack. Sorry for our timing.” King Malevolence nods as he returns to around six feet tall. “On the contrary! It appears we got here just in time to teach a fool a lesson in manners!” Applejack nods and looks at the king before turning to Arc. “Friend of yours, sugarcube?” Auriel nods. “Applejack! I’d like you to meet my father, King Malevolence.” Her pupils shrink. “This… this is the demon king?!” Arc nods. “Don’t worry, Applejack! He’s with me!” Ember mutters under her breath. “Don’t worry?! It’s a demon!” Applejack looks up at the king, nervously. “Uh… hi?” He kneels down to look her in the eye. “Good day! Are you the one who grows these magnificent apples?” “Y-yeah!” Auriel looks at her. “You don’t have to worry, Applejack. My father won’t hurt you.” “My daughter speaks true, miss.” Arc snaps his fingers. “I have an idea.” He casts the Matter compacting spell to shrink the demon king to about half his current size. Applejack appears more relaxed as she can now looks the king in the eye. “Better, Applejack?” Applejack nods. “Much! But what is he doing here?” “It’s for Auriel’s sake. Wouldn’t you like to see your parents again?” Applejack sighs. “I guess you’re right, Arc. Well, come on inside and warm yourselves by the fire. Even you… your majesty.” Auriel smiles. “Thank you, Applejack!” They walk inside. Granny Smith is sitting in her rocking chair dozing. Applejack gently nudges her. “Granny? We’ve got company.” The elder Apple opens her eyes. “What? Who’s here?” “Arc and his… uh… new friend.” The matriarch squints at King Malevolence. “A filly?” The king frowns. “Not exactly.” “Sorry to bother you, Granny Smith. But we were just having a discussion about apple trees, and were hoping you could answer a question.” “About what?” King Malevolence leans over to his daughter, whispering. “Is she… all there?” Auriel whispers back. “Kinda. She’s very old for a pony.” Arc nods. “We were wondering if there was any way at all to grow apples, or anything else for that matter, WITHOUT sunlight.” Auriel nods. “And very little water.” Granny Smith rubs her chin with a gnarled hoof. “Hmmm… that’s a good question!” She is silent for a time. “Nope! I don’t think you could! All plants need light of SOME kind to photosynthesize! Natural or otherwise!” Applejack thinks for a moment. “What about grow lamps? They could get some seedlings started that way.” Granny Smith nods. “Started, yes. But they would need an awfully big grow light for a tree!” Auriel suddenly comes up with an idea. “What if the tree was sustained with magic? Could that possibly replace sunlight?” “I suppose it’s possible. But the amount of magic required to sustain a large plant would be significant. Nopony’s ever tried to do that with a full-grown TREE! Interesting idea though! Let me know how it turns out!” Auriel looks confused. “Me?” Her father chuckles. “Well it was your idea, Auriel.” Ember turns to her. “I don’t recall any especially powerful magic sources in Tartarus.” Applejack’s eyes grow wide! “Tartarus?!” Arc nods. “Auriel’s father wants to grow an apple tree there. But there isn’t any real sunlight.” The king sighs. “Oh well. I suppose it was a nice idea, but what can’t be, can’t be.” Auriel shakes her head, with determination in her voice! “I’m going to find a way!” Arc nods! “That’s the spirit! How?” “I have no idea.” The kings looks up at his daughter, happily. “If I know you, Auriel, you’ll think of something.” Granny Smith looks up. “I think I might just have an idea where to start! But it’s a long shot!” Ember sighs. “Even a small lead is better than nothing, ma’am.” “That’s right! Now listen! Years ago when we were trying to get Sweet Apple Acres off the ground, we were having a bit of trouble getting things to grow!” Arc points out a window toward the orchard. “Well, it looks like you found the solution.” Auriel nods. “What was it?!” “Back then, things were so bad we were having trouble feeding ourselves! So one night I took my saddlebags and set off to the nearby forest! I knew it was dangerous, but I figured the beasts in there must have something to eat!” Arc raises an eyebrow. “Uh… that wouldn’t have been the Everfree Forest, now would it?” “That is was! How did you know?!” “Lucky guess.” Applejack frowns. “But how did you avoid getting eaten by something! You’re not the fastest mare around, granny.” “I was a heap younger in those days! That and desperation is the best motivation! I grabbed what I could and got the hay back here!” Auriel nods! “What did you find?” “Some strange rainbow-colored apples! I grabbed some before the denizens of the forest could eat me, and ran home!” Arc stares out the window. “Is that what you used to plant your orchards?” “Shucks no! Those trees out yonder are just regular apple trees! But there is a special grove of trees on the east side of the orchards! Those are the trees that grew from the seeds I brought back!” Ember nods. “I’ve seen them before. Aren’t those trees all dead though?” “No! They’re just dormant! Once a year they sprout very special fruit we know as Zap Apples!” Auriel looks hopeful. “Are they magical?” Granny Smith nods. “Very much so! If anything could grow without sunlight, they just might!” The king grins. “Would you happen to have any seeds?” “We do!” Auriel looks to Granny Smith pleadingly. “Might I have some please?” “I don’t know. We’re awful careful about letting our seeds get around!” Arc nods. “I know they’re proprietary and all but…” Granny Smith interrupts him. “It’s more than that! These trees can be dangerous!” Applejack nods. “It’s true. We have to keep everypony away from the Zap Apple trees when they’re going through their stages. You wouldn’t want to get zapped by one!” The king raises an eyebrow. “Zapped?” Granny Smith chuckles. “Literally! I’ve been struck before, and I gotta tell you, it smarts!” “Well, what if I planted them somewhere far away from any towns?” “I suppose that would be okay. Applejack, go get some of the spare seeds we have!” “Yes, granny.” She trots off, returning a few minutes later with a small bag in her mouth. Putting the bag in Arc’s hand, she smiles up at him. “These are all the seeds we have.” Arc nods. “Thank you. I’ll see to it these are put to good use. How much do I owe you?” Granny Smith shakes her head. “Nothing! You’ve done so much for everypony already! It’s about time you got something in return!” She yawns as Applejack approaches her. “Granny, it’s about time for your mid-morning nap.” She helps the elderly mare to her hooves and leads her upstairs. Applejack returns shortly. “Sorry about that.” Auriel nods. “We understand. The parents take care of the children. Eventually the children take care of the parents.” King Malevolence frowns. “I’m not sure if I should disagree, or tell you how smart you are, Auriel.” “Thank you father… I think.” Arc nods. “Well, we should probably get moving. Thank you for the seeds, Applejack.” Applejack looks at Arc as she shifts uneasily on her hooves. “Um… could I talk to you in private, Arc?” Arc glances at King Malevolence. “Now isn’t really the best time. I need to keep a watchful eye on this guy.” “Oh… well, I understand.” “Sorry about this, Applejack. I’ll come by later this evening, okay?” “That would be just fine. Don’t forget now, you hear!” Ember chuckles. “I’ll remind him.” They make their way out the door as Applejack closes it behind them. She shakes her head as she looks at the clock and mutters to herself. “Tonight can’t come soon enough. There’re things I just need to get off my chest!” Meanwhile, Arc and company make their way down the street together. Ember looks at the bag of seeds in his hand. “Do you have some place in mind to plant those, Arc?” “I do.” Auriel looks up. “Where?” “How about the old Vile Tribe hideout? What goes on in there will be concealed from the prying eyes of Tartarus’ inhabitants. That is, if the king here wants us to try.” “Yes, of course!” Ember frowns. “Shouldn’t we test these things out somewhere a bit… I don’t know… safer, first?” Arc shrugs. “Sounds reasonable. But where?” Auriel looks over at the bag. “I can set up a habitat back at the lab. With all the experience I have with the various schemes my father has come up with over the years, I should be able to replicate the conditions of Tartarus without actually having to go there.” Arc nods. “Good. We should proceed with caution on this matter.” Ember looks confused. “Why?” “Because the only other option is for someone to actually GO to Tartarus and try planting these.” The king frowns. “I don’t like that idea.” Auriel nods. “Neither do I. Not until we’re sure it will work, that is.” Arc gives the bag of seeds to her. “Anything we can do to help?” “Not at this time, no. For now, it’s all up to me.” “Yes, well… I know you’ll do your best, Auriel. Don’t work too hard on this, my dear.” “I’ll do my best, father!" “You’ve always been a hard worker, Auriel. Just like your mother.” Auriel looks confused. “My… mother? What…?” They continue down the road. The demon king turns to Arc. “I… I wonder if I might impose on you for another favor.” “What is it?” “The mare that now houses my daughter. I would like to apologize to her for what happened long ago.” Ember frowns. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea, Arc. Twilight’s not the bravest unicorn I’ve met. She’d probably have a heart attack.” “I disagree, Ember. She was brave enough to enter Tartarus in the first place to look for me.” He turns to the king. “Very well. But whether or not she agrees to see you is up to her. Just… try not to scare her too badly.” “No promises. But I will try.” The group makes their way to the Golden Oaks Library. Auriel opens the door and turns to the others. “I’ll go see Twilight.” Arc nods. “We’ll wait here.” She nods and enters the library. “She’s a good child.” Ember frowns. “Better than her father is.” “For once, little dragon, I agree with you.” A short time later Auriel returns. “She says it’s okay to come in now. But only if Arc stays by her side while my father is here.” Arc nods. “Fine with me.” “Agreed.” They all walk inside together. Twilight is sitting on her haunches behind a table with a frightened look on her face! Arc walks over to her and kneels down to give her a hug. “Don’t be afraid. I’m right here, okay?” Twilight wraps her trembling hooves around his neck. “Th-thank you.” Arc whispers in her ear. “Thanks for doing this.” She nods silently as they break the embrace. The king walks over slowly. “Sorry for the intrusion, but I wanted to say how sorry I am for what happened… back then.” Twilight steps behind Arc and says nothing. “I also wanted to thank you for taking in my little girl. I’ve been most worried about her ever since I was forced to banish her to Equestria.” Her knees knocking in fear. “I… um… it was no trouble. She’s… a really remarkable young mare!” Ember nods. “That she is.” “The two of us do experiments here all day. It’s the best time I’ve ever had, father.” “I’m glad you’re happy here, Auriel. I… wish I could have done more to make you happy in the past.” “You did what you did for a reason, father. For our entire nation!” “I understand. But your feelings should have come first! You never did like designing the weapons I ordered.” Auriel sighs. “No. But I still made them.” “Why then?” “Because you wanted what was best for everyone. In the grand scheme of things, that is.” “I still do. That is why I’m so happy to find you living in such a nice home with a good… friend.” He turns to Twilight. “Miss? Please take good care of my daughter. She deserves more than I can offer her.” “I… I will! Promise!” “Can I show my father the lab, Twilight?” “S-sure!” Ember frowns. “I’ll go with them.” Arc nods. “Good.” Ember, Auriel and King Malevolence head for the lab. Arc and Twilight are left alone in the library. “Thanks for letting him come in. I know it couldn’t have been easy for you.” Twilight breathes a sigh of relief. “It’s okay. But should you really be releasing prisoners from Tartarus?! And the king, no less!” “It was for Auriel’s sake, not his. I mean… being separated from her parents… I know how that feels.” “I… but what would the princesses say?!” “They’ve said on numerous occasions that they trust my judgment. He hasn’t been out of my sight since he got here.” Twilight suddenly looks fearful. “What about now?!” “Ember is with them. Besides… he wouldn’t do anything to make life had for Auriel now.” Twilight nods. “Not to sound rude, but he IS going back, right?” “Yes. Before nightfall.” “Good! I’m sorry, but he just gives me the creeps!” “Understandable. He is a demon, after all!” A short time later the sound of Auriel and her father coming up the basement steps can be heard. The king smiles at his daughter as the door opens. “Quite the setup you have down there, Auriel! You should have no trouble finding a solution with facilities like this!” Auriel nods happily. “I’ll certainly try, father. But please don’t tell our citizens. No reason to get their hopes up just yet.” “I understand. You just do your best.” “I will, father.” King Malevolence turns back to Twilight as she cowers behind Arc. “Please take good care of my daughter. She’s all I have left in this or any other world.” “I-I-I will!” Ember turns to Arc. “We should probably get a move on. I’m sure Twilight has a million other things to do today.” “Right. Thanks for having us, Twilight. You take care.” Twilight follows them to the door. “Y-you too, Arc.” She closes the door behind them as they leave before collapsing to the floor. Twilight breathes a sigh of relief, still trembling. “Sorry Auriel. I don’t think I’ll ever like your dad!” A small puddle snakes its way across the floor from her flank. She looks at her backside and frowns. “I’m glad I was able to keep myself from doing THAT while Arc was here!” She sighs and lays her head on the floor. “Why would Arc want to be with a cowardly pony like me? I’m pathetic!” Twilight lies there for a time before standing up slowly and heading to the bathroom for a towel. “I guess I had better get that mess cleaned up. Then I need to get back to work! If I can’t make Arc happy MYSELF, I’m sure this next project will bring a smile to his face!” Meanwhile, Auriel and her father spend the day walking around town with Arc and Ember following closely behind. As the sun begins to set, Ember leans over to Arc. “Can we please get rid of him now?!” “He makes Auriel so happy. Are you sure you want to take that away from her?” “No, But I don’t trust him!” Arc sighs. “Neither do I. But if I had a chance to see my dad again, I’d want to. Wouldn’t you?” Ember frowns. “Argh… I hate it when you’re right!” “Sometimes I do as well.” Arc, Ember, Auriel and her father make their way back toward Light’s Hope. They sit on the patio together and watch as the sun goes down. “Thank you for giving me this time with my daughter, Arc! It has been the high point of my life since… well, as long as I can remember!” “Yes, well…” Auriel suddenly interrupts. “Father? I wanted to ask you something.” “What is it?” “Earlier you mentioned my mother. What… exactly happened to her?” The king suddenly looks very sad. “She… I’m not actually sure, my dear.” “I know you don’t like to talk about her, but… well, I just assumed she was… you know… gone.” He sighs. “That she is. But whether or not she is dead is uncertain.” Auriel looks confused. “What do you mean? She couldn’t have left Tartarus! Could she?!” “I guess it’s time you and I had a talk. You’re old enough to know the truth about your heritage.” The king pauses before continuing. “Where to begin…” Auriel smiles at him. “Why not start at the beginning? How did you two meet?” “She was a new arrival. Not a demon. But also not a pony.” “A dragon?” King Malevolence shakes his head. “Not quite, my dear. You see, she was as intelligent as she was beautiful. Given enough time, I’m sure she would have found a way to bring down the Gates of Tartarus. The down side was, physically at least, she was very small and frail.” Arc smiles. “I guess it’s a good thing you found her first then.” “Actually, she sought ME out!” Auriel looks surprised. “That is quite peculiar. Most of our citizens wouldn’t dare come before you without good reason, father.” “She had one. In the short time she had been in our realm, she had figured out that there were no exits, save for the Gates. She presented herself to me as a servant in order to gain the resources needed to meet her goals.” Ember frowns. “Which were…?” “Ultimately, escape. She claimed to desperately want to return to her homeland, wherever that was.” Arc nods. “So she wanted you to sponsor her in some kind of research?” “Yes. She proved to be quite capable. So I gave her access to my library.” Auriel’s eyes grow wide. “But no one is allowed in there other than you and I!” “A necessary risk to gain freedom. She stayed in there for weeks.” “Reading?” “Reading, taking notes and learning what had already been tried and failed. I checked on her many times. While the other demons would have been lazing around wasting time, not her! She was always busy!” Arc looks to his friend. “Sounds like you, Auriel.” Ember smiles slightly. “Like mother, like daughter.” “Her research intrigued me! When requested, I built her a lab and gave her whatever materials she needed.” Auriel gasps! “The lab I worked in! It was hers?!” “Yes. After she disappeared I maintained it, as I had little to remember her by. You see, I fell in love with your mother for her beautiful mind. Sadly, there aren’t really any other… intelligent beings in Tartarus.” Auriel looks up at her father sheepishly. “Was she… pretty?” Her father shakes his head. “Physically, no. At least not by demon standards. Auriel… haven’t you ever noticed that physically you are rather… unique looking?” “I guess I just never really had time to think about it before. Father… am I… ugly?!” “No. You’re my daughter, and I think you are perfect just the way you are!” “Father… I have to know! If my mother wasn’t a demon, what was she? What am I?!” “She wasn’t much for talking about herself, or her origins for that matter. I’m afraid I know very little in that regard. Some of the things she talked about made little sense to me.” King Malevolence looks over at Arc then back at Auriel. I don’t know what your mother was, Auriel. But one thing I know for certain.” He points a claw at Arc. “She was the same species Arc is.” Arc looks to him surprised! “Wait! Auriel’s mother was a HUMAN?!” The king nods. “If that is what you are, then that is what she was.” Ember rolls her eyes. “How did a human get to Tartarus?” Arc nods. “Or Equestria for that matter!” “Do you have ANY idea what happened to her, father?! Any clues?!” The king shakes his head. “Nothing, my dear. She was there one day, and gone the next. I personally scoured the entirety of Tartarus looking for any sign of her. But sadly to no avail. She had all but vanished without a trace.” “Was she working on a new kind of weapon at the time?! Maybe… there was an accident!” “No. It happened shortly after you were born. Your mother lay in her bed holding you. I stood by her side and marveled at your appearance. Both demon and her traits in one. You were the most wondrous thing I had ever laid eyes on.” The king suddenly has a faraway look in his eyes. “At that time your mother had changed her research from escaping Tartarus to alteration. She didn’t say it, but I think she was trying to change herself into a demon.” Auriel looks confused. “What?! But… but why?!” “She confided in me that she wouldn’t be able to properly raise you as she was. In her mind, becoming one of us was necessary! While pregnant, she performed endless hours of research and study.” Auriel thinks for a moment. “All those books! She read them all?!” “Yes. She even wrote a few while she was at it. In fact, roughly a quarter of the books in the library were personally authored by her.” The king smiles with evident pride. “She was definitely the most well-read of all our citizens! But… in the end… it wasn’t enough to save her from whatever cruel fate found her. For all intents and purposes… she simply vanished, never to be seen again. I’m sorry I don’t have any other clues for you, my dear.” Auriel looks down sadly. “Thank you for telling me, father. I wish I could have met her.” “I wish that as well, my dear. Believe me when I say she only wanted what was best for you.” The king reaches into his armor and removes a very worn and heavily damaged scrap. He gives it to Auriel. “Other than the clothes on her back, this is all your mother had when she arrived in Tartarus.” Auriel takes it in her claws and looks it over carefully. “What is it?” King Malevolence shrugs. “She called it a ‘keycard’. What that means, I don’t know.” Ember frowns. “Strange looking key.” Arc looks at it. “Might I see that a moment, Auriel?” “Yes, of course!” She gives the card to Arc. He turns it over and examines it carefully. The king looks to him, hopeful. “Have you ever seen anything like this before?” “Not here in Equestria, no. But on my home world…” Arc looks at the back of the card and points to a black line on the back “This is a magnetic strip. It holds data that can be read by a card reader.” Auriel looks confused. “For what purpose?” “This appears to be a military security badge of some kind. A security clearance can be programmed onto the card to allow access to different parts of a facility or base.” “So… my mother was a soldier?” Arc shakes his head. “I don’t think so. There’s no rank listed on here. My guess is that she worked FOR the military, but wasn’t actually part of it.” The kind smiles. “Can you tell us anything else?” Arc shakes his head as he returns the card to Auriel. “That’s about it. Sorry.” Auriel turns to her father with the card. “Thank you for telling me. You should have this back though.” Her father shakes his head. “No, Auriel. You should keep it.” “What? But what about you?!” The king closes his eyes and smiles. “I have my memories. They are enough for me.” Auriel looks again at the ruined card in her claws. “What… was her name?” The king does not open his eyes, but speaks in a wistful tone. “Maria.”