Truth or Forgiveness

Naruko awoke the next morning feeling more refreshed than she had in years. After sleeping on cold hard rock for three years, a good night’s rest on a comfy mattress felt like heaven. Still, Twilight had told her they needed to get an early start today, so she awoke just as the sun was beginning to rise. Naruko still found it hard to believe that Celestia was the one who was bringing the star across the horizon, but Twilight seemed pretty adamant about it last night. After a nice hot shower, Naruko made her way down to the lobby of the library. There she could smell the wafting scent of… pancakes!! Naruko rushed into the dining room to see Spike piling on stack after stack of flapjacks on the table just ready to be consumed. Naruko was practically drooling from the sight. Twilight, who was sitting at the table eating her own portion of the breakfast, noticed her glazed look as well and giggled.

“Good morning, Naruko,” she greeted still holding back her fit. “Want some breakfast? Spike made plenty and we’ve already eaten, so did in!” Naruko practically jumped from her position to the seat that was opposite Twilight and began to chow down on the delicious breakfast confections. “I see you like pancakes,” Twilight commented.

Naruko didn’t even look up to answer. “Who in their right mind doesn’t? I haven’t been able to have pancakes in years and these are definitely up there with the best of them!”

“Thanks,” Spike said taking the compliment. “I learned from the royal chefs when Twilight and I lived in Canterlot. They taught me on how to cook a lot of things.”

“That so cool, Spike, but can we stop talking so I can fill my stomach? Thank you!” she said going back to her buffet. Twilight and her assistant watched in awe as Naruko ate cake after cake, never losing her pace. When Naruko finally considered herself full, there wasn’t even a crumb left on the plates. She ate everything!!

“Wow! I haven’t seen anypony eat like that, not even Pinkie Pie,” commented the dragon.

Naruko patted her stomach. “Family trait. Our stomachs are legendary in certain places for being almost bottomless. Definitely comes in handy at buffets. Mmm mm.” Naruko licked her lips for emphasis.

Twilight just stared at her for a moment, but shook it off. “Well, at least we know you have a healthy appetite. Now Naruko, let’s go over today’s agenda, shall we?” Twilight summoned a checklist to her side.

“Sure thing, Twilight. You’re the boss.”

“Great! Okay, first off is to see Mayor Mare. We should be able to get you a residence permit from her and she should be able to recommend a place of employment for you. And then we have to pick up a few things from Sugar Cube Corner. After that, it’s free time for the rest of the day.”

“Sounds like a plan,” said Naruko. Twilight got up from her seat and grabbed her saddlebags and headed for the door.

“Then let’s get to it!” replied Twilight. “Spike, keep an eye on the library for me while we’re out. Come on Naruko.”

“Coming!” Naruko said bounding after the mare. As the two young mares walked towards town hall, Naruko took in the sights of the town. She saw ponies going about their daily lives. One was opening his shop that appeared to sell quills and sofas (Naruko doubted there could ever be a weirder store), there was a young filly on her way to school, and then she saw a grey pegasus heading straight for her! Naruko was so enthralled by the town that she failed to notice the pony flying clumsily into her. “Woah!” she yelled as they crashed.

“Sorry,” the pegasus said picking herself off of Naruko. “I just don’t know went wrong.” Twilight helped Naruko up off the ground, chastising her friend’s assailant.

“You should be more careful! You could have hurt—“

“That’s enough Twilight!” Naruko said over her ranting. “She obviously didn’t meant it, you don’t need to be so harsh.” Then Naruko turned the pegasus, “I’m sorry about my friend, she’s a little overprotective, I guess.”

“No, it’s okay. This happens a lot actually,” the mare replied sullenly. “Everypony makes fun of me for it, too.” Naruko could have sworn there was a small tear falling from the mare’s eye.

“Well, it’s not okay for me. I can see that you have an ocular problem, so it can’t be completely your fault. My name is Naruko and I’m new in town. It’s nice to meet you…”

“Derpy,” she answered. “Derpy Hooves.”

“It’s nice to make your acquaintance Miss Hooves. Well, this has been fun, but Twilight and I have an appointment with the Mayor. It was good to meet you Derpy and I hope to see you again soon. Come on, Twi. Let’s get to our appointment.” Twilight complied, not completely understanding what happened, while Derpy waved them off, looking much happier than she was.

“That was very nice Naruko, but a little out of character for you,” said Twilight once they were walking again.

“I could tell that she was upset, and I really can’t stand by when others are bullied. I have had my fair share of experiences and I will not stand to have it happen to anypony else. Plus, Derpy seemed very nice. What does she do for a living?”

“Derpy is our local mailmare. She delivers everything from letters to packages. She may be a klutz, but her work is excellent. I shouldn’t have snapped at her,” Twilight said looking a little upset at her outburst.

“I’m sure Derpy forgives you. Why did you react like that anyway? You know that I can take care of myself.”

“I-I really don’t know, Naruko. I guess I really don’t like seeing my friends hurt, is all.”

Naruko smiled at her friend. “You don’t have to worry about me, Twilight. As you know, I have been through much worse. There is a saying in my family that has describes us quite well.”

“What saying is that?” Twilight asked with curiosity.

“You can’t kill me that easily,” Naruko replied with a bright smile. Twilight looked at her with wide eyes at the bluntness of the saying. “I think we’re here.” Twilight was brought out of her stupor and looked forward to see that Naruko was right.

“Oh, you’re right. Well, let’s head on in, the mayor will be expecting us.” Twilight and Naruko proceeded inside. The assistant waved them into Mayor Mare’s office and Twilight introduced the two of them. “Hello, Mayor Mare. This is Naruko, the pony I told you about. We’re here to help Naruko find a job.”

“It’s good to see you too, Twilight, and very nice to meet you Naruko. I believe that I can be of help with you predicament,” said the tan, grey-mane mare. She shuffled out some papers from her desk. As Twilight and Mayor Mare went through them, Naruko decided to look around the office. She noticed several pictures of Ponyville throughout the years, but what really caught her eye was a piece of parchment of the far table. Naruko picked it up and examined it. There was a picture of a large rock formation that appeared to have tunnels in dug into it.

“Hey, Madam Mayor?” Naruko asked over. The mayor looked up from the paperwork to address her.

“Yes Naruko? Something catch your interest?”

“Well, I was just wondering about this document here. What’s this a picture of that’s on it?”

Mayor Mare looked it over and smiled. “Oh this is the old quarry just to the south of town. It ran dry a couple of decades ago and has since been abandoned. Not something worth going into. Ponyville has actually been thinking about building over it and expanding its borders.”

“Oh, well that’s a shame. What a waste.” Naruko shook her head. Now Twilight and the Mayor were curious.

“Why’s that?” they asked in unison. Naruko took back the parchment to look at the picture.

“Whoever mined this quarry in the past really didn’t do a very good job. Look at this! See this dark line here in the rock?” she asked and pointed to a slightly darker brown rock line in the cliff. “This is pure cobblestone right there! And this shade here; it is limestone. And these specks along lower bottom? That’s an indication that there are still gems in the rock. There could be anything in this quarry. At this point, I wouldn’t be surprised if there was silver, platinum, or even gold!”

The mayor’s eyes were widening with every little bit Naruko described about the cliff face, but they bugged when she mentioned the existence of gold. “G-gold?? There’s gold in that quarry?”

“I see several signs that indicate as such,” Naruko said, still examining the photograph.

Twilight was also in shock. She remembered Naruko showcasing her examination abilities with a diamond, but didn’t know it extended to other rocks, too. “How did you know all that, Naruko?”

“Earth powers, remember? Over the years, I have learned how to distinguish certain signs that indicate certain rocks. It made it much easier when I was hunting for food.”

“Food?” asked the mayor.

“My magic allows me to ingest certain materials, madam mayor. Rocks of all kinds have their own unique tastes and textures. Mining these rocks has become a hobby of mine. My digging skills are matched by nopony, not even anypony in my own family can keep up with me.”

“So you would be considered a professional in this field?” asked the mayor

“In a sense,” Naruko replied.

“Well then, I think we can make a deal Miss Naruko,” the mayor said with a smile. Naruko looked at her curiously at urged her to continue. “If this quarry can still be profitable, then it would be a shame to destroy it. So, what would you say about mining it for the town of Ponyville, Naruko? You would get free range in its use and all we ask in return is fifteen percent of your finds. A salary will also be provided of course.”

Naruko stared at Mayor Mare in surprise. Not just because she was suggesting a stranger take over such a large operation, but also how much they wanted in return. “Fifteen percent?” she parroted.

Mayor Mare looked back her. “Oh, is that too much? I willing to go as low as ten.”

Naruko shook her head. “No. You will take forty percent, no less.”

Now the mayor was shocked, as was Twilight. “You want to give us a higher percentage?” she said back in honest surprise. “Why?”

“I am a mare who has no use for material possessions madam mayor. I am only looking for employment so that I may repay Twilight Sparkle for her kindness in letting me into her home. Other than food, and maybe a Rarity dress or two, I can’t think of any reason that I would need much money. I would rather it go to good use instead of piling up,” Naruko explained.

“Well, that is rather generous of you Naruko,” Mayor Mare said, still shocked. “But are you really sure?”

“Madam Mayor, let me assure you that the only reason I am doing this is so that I am not asking my family for money. I prefer to earn my keep and not depend on others to do things for me,” Naruko said with a look of determination.

“I thought that you didn’t talk with your family?” asked Twilight.

“Oh no. I contact them regularly through letters. I just don’t like asking for money. Not that it would do our fortune any harm.”

“Oh?” they asked in unison.

“Let’s just say that my family never has to worry about being low on funds,” she answers cryptically. They agree to drop the conversation there and got to work on hashing out the details of Naruko’s rental of the quarry. She refused additional salaries for workers as she would be the only one working the quarry. Her excuse being that anypony else there would be endangered as she uses her magic at high power levels to drill through the rock. Everything else was figured out relatively easy and it was decided that Naruko would start on Monday, five days from now.

With everything settled, Twilight and Naruko took their leave. Naruko wanted to go out and explore her new job site, but things were interrupted by a pink bundle crashed into Twilight. “OOF!” the unicorn let out as she hit the ground. Naruko was surprised, to say the least. I should have been able to sense her. Why didn’t I?

“HI TWILIGHT!” said Pinkie Pie in a smiling greeting. Pinkie was sitting right on top of Twilight’s stomach, with Twilight giving the pink mare a deadpan stare. Naruko was just watching from the side, slightly amused by the sight. “You and Naruko are coming over to the bakery soon, right?”

“Yes, Pinkie. We were just on our way.”

“Goodie!! See you then!” Pinkie practically disappeared from sight. Naruko’s eyebrow raised quite a bit.

“How did she do that?” she asked.

“No pony knows. It’s just Pinkie Pie being Pinkie Pie,” Twilight answered. “So, shall we go to the bakery?”

“Sure,” Naruko said with a shrug. The two mares then made their way to Sugar Cube Corner. Once at the door, Twilight ushered for Naruko to go first. She shrugged and went through the door to find the bakery pitch black. Naruko knew it was not empty though, so she took a deep breath and entered. With a loud boom, the room was lit and Naruko found herself surrounded by not only her new friends, but by a good amount of ponies, too. Above them all was a large banner that read, “Welcome to Ponyville, Naruko!” The sight made Naruko smile, and inwardly thank herself for making sure she didn’t freak out at the surprise.

“Were ya surprised? Were ya? Were ya?” asked Pinkie who was right in Naruko’s face.

The mare chuckled a little before answering. “Yes Pinkie, it was quite the surprise. This is very nice of you.” Naruko pulled Pinkie into a hug.

“Aw, not a problem. I do this for everypony new and you are no exception. SO! Are you ready to party?”

“Yes, yes I am,” Naruko said with a large smile. Might as well indulge in the local festivities and customs. Who knows how long I’ll be here?

The party wore on for hours, allowing Pinkie to introduce Naruko to nearly everypony in town who had decided to attend. There was a mint green unicorn named Lyra, a tan earth pony with a navy and pink mane called BonBon, an orange maned earth pony named Carrot Top, and so many more. Naruko was glad that Derpy had shown up and they talked for a while. Eventually, Naruko found herself in the company of her six friends.

“How are you enjoying your welcome party, darling?” asked Rarity in her usual fine voice.

“It’s great. Considering that I only have holiday parties to go on, that’s saying something. My sister really knows how to go all out for the holidays, so good job Pinkie. I think you could really give her a run for her money.”

“Don’t you have birthday parties?” asked Pinkie who was suddenly somber.

Naruko didn’t understand the sudden change in attitude, but still answered. “I don’t even know when my birthday is,” she said with a shrug. The girls gasped causing Naruko to become even more confused. “What? I know how old I am, so what does it matter if I don’t know when?”

“Because everypony deserves to have a birthday!” replied Pinkie.

“Not a pony like me,” Naruko mumbled.

“What was that sugar cube?” asked Applejack.

“Nothing! A-anyway,” Naruko said, trying to change the subject. “Did Twilight tell you that I got a job?”

“Oh that sounds wonderful,” said Fluttershy.

“Sure does. What’s the job?” asked AJ.

“I’ll be in charge of the old quarry to the south. My job is to mine the goods inside and sell ‘em at the market. The town gets a cut in exchange.”

“Why would you want a job like that?!” asked a hysterical Rarity. “So much dirt! Why would anypony want to do something so, ugh, dirty?”

“Must I remind you that I lived in a dirt chasm for three years? Or how about the fact that I am an earth dragon? I feel at home underground, Rarity. It’s where my power is at its strongest. Plus, I get all the rocks and gems I can eat! Mmm!” Naruko said with a dreamy look and licking her lips.

“You are one weird pony, Naruko. Ya know that?” quipped Rainbow.

“If you think I am weird, then you should meet my family. Some of the strangest things I have seen have been what those lunatics are capable of.” A shiver ran down the unicorn’s back. “And certain things that can’t ever be unseen.”

“Maybe another time, darling.”

“Hey wait a minute!” Applejack piped up. “Isn’t that old mine done run dry a long time ago?”

Naruko smiled slyly and retrieved the picture from her saddlebags (that Twilight had so graciously allowed her to borrow). “My guess is that nopony knew what they were doing when the mine was first running. See this long thin line running all across the rock?” She said pointing at the lightly colored line on the picture. The others nodded. “That, my friends, is pure marble! That stuff is worth a small fortune to the right buyer!” The wide eyes all around was enough of an explanation. Then, Naruko got an idea. “Hey, girls? Wanna see something cool?”

**********

About an hour later, the Mane Seven were at Naruko’s new quarry. The Pinkie Party had wrapped up sooner than expected after Naruko convinced them to come with her to the quarry. “So, were here. What now?” complained Rainbow Dash. Naruko ignored her and focused more on the rock face; studying every aspect of it, judging every little detail. “Hello? Anypony home?”

“Okay girls,” Naruko began, again ignoring Rainbow. “I promised to show you something cool, so now I will. Rainbow, Twilight, Fluttershy, Pinkie, Rarity, and Applejack. You six will be the first outside of my family to see what I am about to do. As such, I need all of you to swear you won’t say a word to anypony. Ever!”

The girls were very cautious about this. “Even the Princesses?” asked Twilight who sounded concerned.

Naruko picked up on this. “At this point, yes, even the Princesses must be kept in the dark. I will tell them at some point. Until then, they must never know what I can do.” The girls looked to each other, but each promised to keep the secret in their own way.

“Alrighty then! Ladies, prepare to be amazed at the power of dragon magic!” Naruko announced and Twilight’s eyes lit up. She immediately summoned a quill and parchment. Naruko noticed, but decided to give her friend this much. “First up, is what I like to call the Earth Dragon Iron Fist.”

Naruko leaped up into the air, much higher than any normal pony should, and twisted around so that she faced the rock and not her friends. From her height, Naruko picked out a single, large boulder and dove towards it. She outstretched her right foreleg and let the earth dragon magic flow. The draconic magic circle that indicated the activation, appeared in front of said hoof and Naruko roared as she hit the rock with all she had. “Hyaaaa!!!” As the magic-infused hoof struck the boulder, the power roared and Naruko flew right through it. As Naruko stood back up, she turned back to her friends who were staring in awe. Naruko looked at the results of her strike; the entire boulder was nothing, but a pile of dust.

“And that was one of my basic strikes,” Naruko announced proudly. The others were just staring at her that was until Rainbow spoke up.

“That. Was. AWESOME!!”

“Ah must admit, never saw that comin’,” commented Applejack.

“I never new magic could be so strong! Think of the possibilities,” said Twilight in thought.

“Well, if you thought that was cool. Then check this out!” Naruko raised her left foreleg and then slammed it to the ground. “Earth Dragon Pillar!” The magic once again flowed, but this time it flowed out of Naruko’s body and into the very earth at her hooves. Before her, a pillar of rock shot out the ground and rose at amazing speed. In front of that one, another stone tower appeared, and another after that. Naruko smirked at her handiwork and turned to her friends. “Now just imagine if another creature was below one of those.”

Pinkie was the only one still smiling as the others were just taken aback by the power of their friend. “Anything else?” Twilight asked, a slight terror in her voice.

“Well,” Naruko said putting her hoof to her chin. Doing so also broke the connection to the pillars, causing them to topple back into earth. “There is my Earth Dragon Planet Quake attack, but I think that would be too dangerous, since, you know, we’re in a bowl.”

“Does that do what I think it does?” Twilight asked.

“If you’re thinking that it causes an earthquake then you would be right. But, I would rather not cause a panic. Anything else I got is far too dangerous… oh! I have one more! It’s the most dangerous spell I have.”

“Are you sure you should do it then, darling?”

“Don’t worry Rarity. This may be my most powerful spell, but it is also my most subtle.” Naruko walked over to a random boulder and put a hoof on it. With a voice that was just above a whisper, Naruko proclaimed her strongest technique. “Earth Dragon Shatter.” A tiny magic circle appeared around her hoof and the magic flowed into the rock. A millisecond later, the entire rock shattered apart, leaving nothing, but dust in the wind. The others blinked.

“Did Ah miss somethin’?” asked AJ.

“All she did was touch the rock and it went ‘poof’; is it a new party trick she can teach me?” Pinkie Pie said.

“What did you do?” asked Twilight.

“That was Earth Dragon Shatter,” Naruko explained. “I focus my magic to a point on a body and then I release it. The overflow of dangerous magic causes the victim to crumble into nothingness. You just saw what happens to a rock, just imagine what would happen if I did that to a living being” Naruko lowered her head, while the others were aghast at her proclamation.

“Are-are you saying that you have used t-that on s-somepony?” asked a nervous Fluttershy.

Naruko nodded reluctantly. “They gave me no choice. I had to or they were going to hurt others. I don’t like admitting it, but someponies are beyond redemption.”

“Don’t worry, Naruko,” Twilight said as she embraced her roommate. “We won’t judge you for that. Just don’t do it here, ok?”

“I have no reason to use my powers here, Twi. You have nothing to worry about.”

After a few more hours of explanations and touring Naruko’s job site, everypony returned home for the night. Late at night, Naruko was once again at her desk. This letter would soon join its sibling from the previous night.

Dear brother,

I have met more of the natives today. They call themselves ponies and come in a range of colors and they are a quite peaceful. The Elements now call me a friend, too. I even got a job, if you can believe it. It’s perfect for me; I am now the lone worker of the large quarry that is to the south of the town. It is full to the brim with minerals. Whoever was in charge before had to have been a moron to overlook the simple signs of the goods that lay within. And, I know you won’t approve, but I showed the Elements a few of my powers. They know about shatter, roar, iron fist, planet quake, and pillar. I still don’t understand it brother, but I feel calm around them. As if I can trust them with anything, but I will stick to my mission. That much you can count on. I will write again soon.

With Love,

Naruko