In the Secret Garden, four horses were in their houses. A husband, wife, son, and an adopted son. Brave Flower, the biological son of the married couple, Cross Heart and Rainy Sun, is a young ambassador in integrating the Tikbalang race with the Equestrians, the current dominant race of the world as they know it. Of course, being a minor, his mother or father...or both, had to be with him to help make decisions or do so on his behalf. His mother his preferred, as she is more tolerant than his father, who still holds a distaste to ponies in general. But they're working on that, slowly but surely. Brave Flower was looking at a scroll he obtained from Twilight Sparkle, a young princess of Equestria, which he heard of recently thanks to his most recent pony friends. The adopted brother, a Kapre with tufts of soft leaves and hard wooden body had stepped into the room and saw the young one doing something. There was no mouth that this other brother had; but spoke in a language that Tikbalang are capable of understanding.
"Hey?" called out the Kapre. "What are you doing today?"
"Hmmm?" Brave Flower would look up from the scroll. "Oh, hey Lam Ang, I just got a letter from one of the leaders of the ponies. She would love to hear more about us."
"But won't they want to hurt us if they want information from us?" Brave Flower sighed when hearing that. Lam Ang was named after a hero of the exact same name; and of the two, their father seemed to love the Kapre a bit more than the son, since he poured his ideals into him before their problem had been solved.
"No. They don't." pointed out the Tikbalang. "The princess of friendship wants to exchange information with us as means of friendship. Apparently she's an egghead, this Twilight Sparkle is." looking closer at the scroll. "Judging by a sudden shift in writing tone, this must be someone different. A hothead."
"The fast one?" asked Lam Ang.
"Yeah. I think her name was Rainbow Dash or something." said Brave Flower.
"Did she send you anything else?" said Lam Ang.
"Uh...nothing yet. I think she wants me to write first." taking a quill and ink and was just about to write the entire history of the Tikbalang, before he just realized that he, the ambassador, had no heart put into it. Certainly this Twilight was one of nonfictional preference, if she loves to learn. But he doubts that if he did it that way, he would never finish it. Plus, his memory wasn't all too clear on the entire history of his kind.
"Uh. Lamb Lamb?" the Tikbalang would ask of the Kapre. Lamb Lamb was nickname that he gave Lam Ang when he used to be younger. The Kapre didn't like it, but he still allowed his sibling to call him as such. "Do we have a history book in our library?"
"Which one?" Lam Ang wanted to specify what he wanted.
"The one for us Tikbalang. If you can, please go to the library and borrow the book." Brave Flower said aloud, before his ears wiggled on the sound of a door opening and closing.
Lam Ang was outside, the library was on top one of the oldest Kapre to date. Idiyanale was on the right, where the village library was located. It was a ways away, but nothing that Lam Ang can't handle. From a leisurely pace, the Kapre goes on full sprint as he weaves past other Tikbalang that were carrying items or just going through their daily business. During his sprint, he did notice a few ponies wandering around. Since the Secret Garden has been revealed to the Equestrians, it wasn't really so secret anymore. Of course, the ponies in comparison to Tikbalang were far and few in between. Thing is, he was so busy staring at one pony he just passed by that he accidentally bumped into another, tumbling and rolling on the floor as the pony fell over by his undeniable distraction. Just by a glance, Lam Ang could tell that the pony was most likely one of the unicorn mages from...whatever magic council they came from. He simply has no understanding of such subjects.
"Ow!" said the pony, her voice was a bit sharp.
"Oh! I am so sorry-" the Kapre realized that she was just staring at him as he helped the pony. He just remembered that ponies don't hear his language.
Fortunately same to his rescue. "He said that he is sorry, and asks if you are alright." one of the closest Tikbalang would say.
"Oh. Well, wait, why didn't I hear him?" asked the unicorn. Her soft alabaster mane ruffled by the Kapre's collision. She puts on her magus hat, a classical wizard hat with some kind of star symbols littered all over it.
"He speaks on a different frequency. I'm assuming that you are part of the Equestrian Magus Council, judging by your clothes, and you're here to study and understand this frequency that he speaks through." said the Tikbalang.
"How..how did you know all of that?" her brows furrowed.
"Just a guess. Most other ponies don't look like you. We don't have that many unicorns in the Fillyppines." he shrugged.
"Oh...well uh..." she bows respectfully towards the Kapre. "Farewell, I have studies and experiments to attend to." and soon trots off to her own business.
Thirty minutes passed, at least what Brave Flower had counted. Eventually Lam Ang did come back with a complete history of their own very race, all in a large textbook. It was certainly one that was a little outdated, seeing the recent changes that happened only months ago. Brave Flower thanked his brother for retrieving the book for him, which he replied with a simple "You're welcome." before heading out to photosynthesize. After all, his body is a tree shaped to his need. Left alone to tend to his task, the young ambassador opened the textbook and began reading...
And reading...
And reading...
And reading...
It was quick to note that Brave Flower was losing attention due to how boring this was getting. Even when he started writing down word for word on the history of his race. He felt as if it was missing something. By the looks of it, it was just a redistribution of what is mentioned in the textbook. And the thought of just sending the textbook to Twilight would be a good enough idea, though he wondered if she even had the time to even read it, being a princess and all, she might not have that time. Then like a spark, an idea, he had an idea. He might as well turn it into a little short story, both to keep his attention span locked onto his commission, and to satisfy his boredom. Inking his quill and crumpling up the paper, he simply takes out a new scroll and begins writing.
Dear Twilight Sparkle,
I would love to write the entirety of the history of my race. However, I will have to write it in a dramatic reading as to keep my attention span on the subject. The facts you will see are definitely true, and hope you enjoy it.
With best interest,
Brave Flower
When the world was young, and the monsters ruled the earth, there was a ruler, the maker of monsters that we see today. This ruler was one who sees all and wears bells that haunt the dreams of even the highest of monsters, for they tremble before their maker. These beings he made varied in all shapes in size, ability, and strength. He used these monsters to rule over the ponies, the only creatures not of his making, and precursors before himself. Wanting to strike the truest fear into the ponies, he makes a creature of the uncanny valley. One that looks like them, but just barely resembling them. He gave them a mischievous manner, always taunting and haunting those they stalk, and abilities to drift in their dreams and take them astray, leaving them all alone in the dark. One with the same magic potential as ponies, but with greater strength and power. These creatures, he named them Tikbalang, a name that is rumored to be of another language other than his own. In creation of these monsters, the ruler scattered them far and wide, both male and female. Through many unaccounted generations, they terrorize the ponies, the precursors of our own race steal and starve ponies of their resources, leaving them to be slaughtered by the fiercer and stronger monsters while the remnants of their corpses were fed on by the Tikbalang, like vultures.
The Tikbalang were not the first nor last creature the ruler had made. Just before them, they created a creature of great power and wisdom. The Kapre, forest golems that stand in the day, taking in the sun, and destroying entire mountains with the energy that they collect. However, they were built with a crippling weakness. They couldn't bear children naturally, for they are not creatures of natural flesh and blood. Their hearts and souls are made of stone, storing incredible magic capable of shaping reality. One by one, Kapre were being destroyed due to being in territory of monsters, while the stone hearts of their unborn children were thieved in the night by sneaking ponies that are desperate for miracles, the rumors of their wish granting power spreading to other ponies in close regions. The sapient Tikbalang made a pact with the Kapre, in exchange for controlling their trickery and protecting the unborn stone hearts, they offer protection from the larger creatures that are far greater than the Tikbalang, for the Tikbalang are one of the weaker monsters. For many generations, to this very day, Kapre and Tikbalang keep this pact close to their hearts, becoming the closest friends.
The Glacial Era was an era that is remembered fondly by the Kapre, for their kind suffered the greatest. From no account in time, a great blizzard coated the land. The sky was gray, killing the Kapre both young and old as their bodies had rot and decayed from the lack of sunlight. Their stone hearts shattered the earth, some so great in size that shards of Equestria had broke off the main land and drifted off towards the ocean, the stone hearts sinking into the ocean abyss, never to be seen again. These islands became the Fillyppines we know today. The Tikbalang took the stone hearts of the unborn Kapre, and ushered to these islands, as they noticed the new lands do not harbor the cold. From these islands both races would prosper, away from the coldness that harbored Equestria. However, the Tikbalang that most recently arrived had spread rumors and conversations that the ponies were the cause of the blizzard, kindling a distrust towards ponies. The Kapre, while hating the Equestrians for a while, had let go of their hatred and forgave them, seeing it was not their fault in realization that it was of a creature that was of wind and cold , feeding upon the ponies that once bore malice to one another.
Generations after the Glacial Era, the Era of Discord soon began. The world was in chaos, no one was able to rest easy for the realities would shift across the islands, wearing down the Tikbalang and Kapre alike as they struggled through the times. Some Tikbalang ventured from the islands, one named Grand Scale had lead a venture into finding the source of the chaos, and seeing if there was a way to end it. When coming back, they wrote down their records, recalling of two horned pegasi whose marks resembled the axis of day and night. With gems of power, they seal the tyrant, a creation of pure chaos, into
a statue of stone. By first person witness from a distance, the gems these horned pegasi had power to rewrite realities, and even greater magical power than even the strongest Kapre would muster. The Tikbalang feared this, while the Kapre would watch the actions of the ponies closely as they went through their daily lives, concerned for the future of their race. While the chaos did indeed end, the Tikbalang were fearing the ponies in belief that they would use these gems to obliterate the entirety of their race. This was known as the Great Inner Discord. For 10 years, the Tikbalang would banish any of their kind that would talk benevolently of the ponies, fearing that their sympathy toward them will lead them to their islands, and use their grand weapon to end them all in one swoop. During this time, the Kapre were silent on a council conversation using the roots of their beings to communicate, which they conversed on the judgement of the ponies. For 10 years they watched the actions of the ponies, especially the owners of these gems. The first year, both races witness a sudden pulse of spectral light that strewn the sky, the image of the moon changing to that beholding of a winged unicorn soon discovered to be younger sibling of the two. The remaining 9 years would the Kapre give witness to the evolution of the ponies, seeing their harmonious potential with one another, becoming great friends with one another and becoming a bane for all evil. Breaking the silence, the Kapre express their discovery of the ponies to the Tikbalang, telling of their evolution to becoming the most widespread race in Equestria. This settles the distrust the Tikbalang race, whom as of now, had only the island to themselves and remained isolated from the world.
The Equestrian ponies would expand their horizons, settling new towns and civilizations, some more unique than others. Venturous Tikbalang would learn to blend in with ponies with their illusions and learning their ways. Some came back with records of a falling of an empire entirely made of crystals, soon claimed by the ponies and blooming with harmony. The gems with new owners, and a pony with darkness that burst from his heart, becoming a threat to the land but soon sealed away with the owners, locked in a different dimension with an immeasurable scale of time. Both the Kapre and the Tikbalang would meet in a council, knowing they their islands would one day be occupied with ponies. With ponies building entire cities, they wished to integrate peacefully so they would not fall behind in the past. They waited for the ponies to arrive, which they did. Though, they were not the best representatives of Equestria. Wanting the islands for themselves, but not wanting to start a war with the tribes of Tikbalang, they planned to cast them from their home land through rumors. Initially, the Tikbalang were friendly and wanted the best bond with the visitors. However, the rumors corrupted the hearts of the Tikbalang race. Throughout their efforts, no pony lay a single hoof to the Tikbalang. But eventually, 500 years ago, the Tikbalang were the lash out, nearly reverting to their old ways as the ruler had once intended to before disappearing from the world. They starved the ponies, driving them to insanity and distrust to one another as they pulled the strings, forcing the ponies to fight one another, and sometimes doing so themselves as they waged a war gilded with a victory. The Tikbalang indeed won, but sealed their fate to become monsters once again. This was known as the Grandest Lie, believing that they forever soiled their chances in redeeming themselves, the Tikbalang and Kapre went into hiding, using their illusions to hide their villages and set curses to keep the ponies from invading them. Using the lies told by the ponies they driven away or slaughtered in the process, the Tikbalang were to mimic the lies as best as they could to become the monsters they were said to be, and forever remain in the shadows as the monsters as they always had been.
Brave Flower's vision, a sudden wet droplet drips onto a blank portion of the scroll. He laughed, and wiped away potential tears, and continued writing. This time, he became a little sentimental.
Until one day, a yellow pegasus and an orange earth pony came and solved their problem. Now the Tikbalang and Kapre don't have to be monsters anymore.
The End
Now finishing up the scroll, he casts some magic and the scroll burns and whisks away in green flames. He heard that Twilight had a little dragon that helps with scrolls with his fire breath that transports messages, so he used that method. Brave Flower went off to do his chores and not even two hours later, a burst of green flames would appear before the young ambassador, managing to catch two scrolls before they land in the sink. The first scroll was his dramatic reading of the textbook. The second one was a personal letter from the princess, seeing the cutie mark wax insignia.
This is what was written in the scroll:
Dear Brave Flower,
I loved your dramatic reading. It helped with the stress I am dealing with, and with a copy of the textbook from your village, the facts do line up very well. Since I never had time to read the textbook, your message simply did this task for me. I thank you very much.
P.S. I am going to visit the Secret Garden soon.
From,
Twilight Sparkle
His eyes shrank a little in realizing Twilight Sparkle was going to visit him within a few days time.
"Oh dear."
Though, it was nightfall, and Brave Flower tried to not stress out too much as he simply went to bed. Though, as he slept, Lam Ang was awake and reading his scroll, pondering on something.