Truth or Forgiveness

It was a lovely spring Saturday as Naruko was walking through town merrily. The birds were singing, the sun was shining brightly, and she was done with work for a while. Her last big haul had been sold off earlier today so she had enough bits for a while. This meant that Naruko finally had some free time to spend with her friends.

Twilight had come by her stand earlier to tell Naruko that all of them would be doing a project at the library and she could join them when she closed up the stand. Naruko couldn’t wait as the way Twilight made it sound, it must be fun! And if Pinkie was there, maybe she had a cupcake with her she could spare. Once again, Naruko drooled over the thought of more Pinkie Sweets. After snapping herself out of her food-induced dream, Naruko quickened her pace to the library.

She arrived just as the sun was beginning to set and hurried inside. What she saw before her was definitely different. The main floor of the library was littered with pink, red, and purple paper. There was glitter here and there and a few glue globs around as well. It looked like Twilight had been teaching a kindergarten class. There at the main table, Naruko saw her friends all doodling around on some scraps of paper. She was utterly confused.

“Um…” Naruko said getting their attention. “Am I missing something here?”

“Oh there you are Naruko!” Twilight greeted happily. “You’re still good on time. Come on over and join us.”

“Yeah!” Pinkie added. “You can help us work on our cards and we can you with your card!”

“Card?” Naruko asked incredulously.

“Yes, dearie. We are making cards for Mother’s Day tomorrow,” Rarity said as she slowly spread some glue over her paper. Her magic adjusting it ever so slightly. “I know you don’t see much of your mother, but it would still be good of you to make one for her.”

Naruko’s eyes were the size of pinpricks. Tomorrow was Mother’s Day!? This was not good for the young mare. “Um, thanks, but I think I’ll pass if you don’t mind. It’s been a long day and—“ *Yawn* Naruko faked a yawn. “I really could use some rest, so night!”

She rushed up the steps, but was stopped by Twilight’s magic. Twilight levitated Naruko back over to the table, glaring at the younger mare unamused. “Come on, Naruko. You need to make one, too.”

Naruko was panicking inside, but couldn’t let it show, not in front of them. “I really would rather get some sleep Twi.” Not the best excuse, but it would have to do.

“Oh just do it Naruko!” Rainbow said annoyed. “I don’t have the best relationship with my mother, either, but I’m still gonna make her a card.”

Naruko raised an eyebrow at this. “What do you mean? Don’t you and your mother get along?”

Rainbow just shrugged. “My mom has never been fond of my dream of becoming a Wonderbolt. We even fought about it a few times, but that doesn’t mean I hate her.”

Naruko’s question gave Twilight enough time to bring Naruko over to her side at the table. Surprisingly, only Applejack was the only one not grilling her about why she didn’t want to make a card. Naruko just sat at the table in front of some scrap paper, not sure what she was going to do. Mother’s Day cards were supposed to tell mothers how their children felt about them, but such thoughts eluded Naruko. The girls worked for another hour as Naruko just stared away into space. That was until Applejack trotted over to Naruko and put a hoof on her shoulder.

“It’s alright sugar cube. I know that it’s hard, but maybe it will make you feel better.” Naruko looked at her in shock. How did she know? The other girls turned to the pair as well.

“Uh, what are you talking about Applejack? What will make Naruko feel better?” Rainbow asked.

Applejack just continued looking at Naruko. “You don’t have parents anymore, do ya sugar?” The others gasped. Naruko’s open-mouthed expression of fear and shock were enough of an answer. “Just what I thought. Only somepony else who had been through this kind of pain would have said what they did when I told you about my own parents. It’s okay now sugar cube, we’re here for you. We’re the same.”

It was those three words that hit Naruko directly in the heart. Only it was comforting. No, it was infuriating. “No,” Naruko whispered.

“Pardon?” Applejack asked pulling her head back a little.

“No,” Naruko said louder. “No! We are not the same! Don’t you dare compare us! None of you know the hell I’ve been through! You can’t possibly know that pain!” Naruko was seething in anger at them. Her family was one subject best left untouched.

“Excuse me?” Applejack sounded both hurt and angry at Naruko’s outburst. “I had to sit back and watch as my mother and father died of an incurable sickness for years. What makes us so different!?”

“Because at least you knew them!!” Naruko screamed at her with tears in her eyes. Everypony just gawked at her, but none of them had a chance to say anything as Naruko rushed past them all and out the front door, tears still falling from her eyes.

“Naruko! Wait!” Twilight called out to the mare as she ran out into the night. Twilight turned back to her friends who were completely speechless.

“What just happened?” Rainbow asked, completely confused.

“Poor Naruko,” Fluttershy said meekly, with Rarity nodding in agreement. Pinkie didn’t quite seem as happy as she usually was and her hair seemed to be getting straighter. Applejack looked ashamed.

“What have I done? I just caused one of mah own friends to run off in tears. That is not what an Apple does to her friends. That’s not what any friend does to others.”

Twilight pulled Applejack into a reassuring hug. “It’s alright Applejack, you didn’t know. But we need to find Naruko. She’s all alone out in the dark. Who knows what trouble she could get into?” The others all nodded in agreement and set out in search of their friend.

It was several hours later and still no sign of Naruko. Celestia’s sun was just beginning to rise and they were all exhausted. Twilight, Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie, and Rarity had returned to the library being unable to find any hints as to where their friend disappeared. Then, Rainbow came bursting into the room.

“Guys! I found Naruko! She’s at the quarry; come on!” With that, she took off in flight once again. The girls took a moment to understand what just happened, but when they did, they took off in a gallop. About ten minutes later, the entire group was at the entrance of the quarry. “She’s this way,” Rainbow said leading ahead. It didn’t take long for them to spot the familiar tan mare sitting in front of the rock walls. They started to move, but Twilight held them back.

“Wait, listen!” Twilight pointed a hoof at Naruko and they all trained their ears in her direction. Naruko was talking with somepony. No, Naruko was singing.

…Dear Mom and Dad please send money,

I'm so broke that it ain't funny,

Well I don't need much just enough to get me through,

Please don't worry cause I'm alright,

See I'm playing here at the bar tonight

Well this time I'm gonna make our dreams come true.

Well I love you more than anything in the world,

Love your baby girl

I know that I'm on my way,

When I can tell every time I play,

And I know it's worth all the dues I paid when I can write to you and say:

Dear Mom and Dad I'll send money

I'm so rich that it ain't funny

Well it ought to be more than enough to get you through

Please don't worry casue I'm alright

See I'm staying here at the Ritz tonight

What do ya know we made our dreams come true

And there are fancy cars and diamond rings

But you know that they don't mean a thing

Well they all add up to nothing compared to you,

But remember me in ribbons and curls,

I still love you more than anything in the world,

Love your baby girl

Your baby girl

(Dear Mom and Dad please send money,

I'm so broke that it ain't funny,

Don't need much just enough to get me through)

Your baby girl

(please don't worry cause I'm alright,

Playing here at the bar tonight

-dreams come true.)

As Twilight and the others listened to her singing, they could faintly hear her stumbling over some of the words and noticed it was due to the tears that kept streaming from her eyes. Naruko was truly sobbing in front of them and she couldn’t stop. Twilight felt her heart ache seeing her friend like this and approached her as the song ended.

“Naruko?”

Naruko turned around, surprised that she was found. “Twilight.” Naruko looked behind her to see the others. “Girls. What-what are you doing here?” she asked trying to rub the tears out of her eyes.

“Looking for you Naruko,” Fluttershy said quietly. “If that’s okay?”

“Why did you run off Naruko? We’re friends dang it!” Twilight’s little curse seemed to surprise several of the mares, Naruko included. “Stop trying to do everything on your own! You have us now and you can rely on us for anything. Don’t you know that?” Twilight’s pleading voice broke through what little remained of Naruko’s barrier around her heart.

“No, Twilight. I don’t know that,” she admitted. “I don’t what friendship is, girls. How could somepony like me who has been alone all her life ever know what to do with friends?” Naruko couldn’t even look them in eyes and just stared down at the ground.

“Whatever do you mean, darling? Surely you haven’t been alone all that long. What about your parents, or your brothers and sisters?” Then Rarity looked at the wall behind Naruko and saw something etched into it. “And what is one that wall behind you?”

Naruko looked up from the ground at the wall and sighed. “I haven’t been completely honest with you girls. I guess better now than never. This is my wall of remembrance.” Naruko used a hoof to point to the wall and the girls read what was upon it.

DJ, Shizune, Ahsoka, Dannie

Dooku & Siri

Tahl & Sasuke

Qui-gon & Angel

Vestara

Cole & Mizure

Alex & Silver

“What are all these?” Pinkie asked in awe at the craftsponyship.

“These are my family,” Naruko said with a longing look. She pointed at two of the names. “Tahl and Sasuke. My mother and father. The top four are my grandparents and great aunt Dannie. The rest are my aunts and uncles.”

“Why are these names here?” Fluttershy asked nervously, fearing she already knew the answer.

“This is something my brothers, sisters, and I do whenever we find a home. We carve these names into something permanent so that we always remember them. So we never forget what happened. Today just so happens to be the anniversary of that day, too. Why it had to end up on Mother’s Day this year is beyond me.”

“What happened Naruko?” asked Applejack. “What happened to your parents?”

Naruko let out a sigh and looked away into space. “They were murdered. All of them save for the first generation were all murdered a long time ago.”

The girls were aghast at her revelation. How could anypony do this, but Naruko was ahead of them. “My grandfather made many enemies long ago, many who wanted revenge. It was two years after he passed away that they struck. It was supposed to be a peaceful family reunion, but it ended in the death of the entire second generation of our family. That was fifteen years ago.”

“Wait a second, but you’re fifteen,” Rainbow pointed out. Naruko nodded sagely.

“Precisely. I never knew my parents as I was only a few months old when they were taken from me. That is where we differ, AJ. You knew your parents, you had family to look out for you. Me? I had no one.”

“What about your brothers and sisters?” she asked fearfully.

“They are actually my cousins. I have no real brothers or sisters. We call each other that because we are all that we have left. Our family is small, so we must try to stay together. This is the best we can do. Even then, I’ve only known them for five years.”

“Huh!?” they all questioned.

“The very night that my parents were killed, I was taken. Foalnapped you could say. I don’t know by who, all I know is that the next morning I was found by a caring creature who to this day I still see as a mother. And I miss her every day. One day I will see Terras again.”

“But I thought you said Terras taught you while you lived in the Grand Chasm?” Twilight asked.

“That was a lie. Not many know about what happened to our family as most assumed the entire family was killed that day. We want to keep it that way for personal reasons. I lied about Terras because it was easier for you to believe that I had someone watching over me in there, when in fact I was all alone for several years. I’m always alone. Everything good that ever happens to me is always taken away.” Tears were once again pouring from Naruko’s eyes, she just couldn’t stop. “I don’t want to live like that anymore! I just want to find a home! Where there are others who actually care about me and can be there for me! I’m tired of always being alone and in pain! WHY CAN’T I BE HAPPY, TOO!!??” The rest of Naruko’s cries were muffled as she poured out her sorrow into her hooves.

Twilight and the others couldn’t stand seeing Naruko like this. It hurt them all so deep that Naruko was hurting like this and had been hurting for a very long time. They all gathered around the crying mare and embraced her tightly.

“Nopony is ever gonna hurt ya sugar cube, never again,” Applejack said fiercely.

“If they do, they’re gonna regret it! Nopony messes with my friends!” Rainbow added.

“Please don’t be sad anymore Naruko! You have us! We’re friends!” Pinkie pleaded.

“Shh. Shh. Everything’s going to be alright,” Fluttershy said calmly.

“You poor dear. Don’t worry, we’re gonna be right here for you,” Rarity said cooing.

“No matter what you think, Naruko, we will always be there for you. You are our friend and nothing will ever change that. You are not alone anymore Naruko. You will never be alone again.” Twilight continued repeating this over and over again until Naruko finally calmed down. A little while later, all seven mares began to walk back to Ponyville, each one feeling better about what had happened today. For once Naruko no longer felt alone.

As they walked away, a slip of paper could be seen leaning against the stone walls of the quarry. It was large red heart that sparkled with three words only: Happy Mother’s Day!

Dear Princess Celestia,

This mother's day has been an emotional rollercoaster for all of us. We learned a lot about our friend Naruko, all of which have been included separate from this letter (with Naruko's permission). I have learned through this that you must always stick close to your friends. They will be with you through the toughest of times and always there when you need them the most. There is something I feel I must ask, Princess. Have there been any reports about a mass killing within the last fifteen years?

Always your faithful student,

Twilight Sparkle

Luke,

Another year has past hasn't it, big brother? Another year that we must go on without them. Isn't it ironic that it falls on Mother's Day this year? I wonder if that is to mean something. I did something I probably shouldn't have, brother. I told my friends about some of my past. They know about the murder of our parents and my true relation to you all. I couldn't help it! I can't lie to them anymore, Luke! I keep feeling that one of these days I am gonna let it slip about what really happened to me. They don't deserve to hear about that. No one does. But, I feel so at home around them. I think... I think that they are true friends. I think I finally found a home. Give my regards to the others.

With love,

Naruko