//------------------------------// // Illusive Exclusion // Story: A Theoretical Episode: Illusive Exclusion // by SeraFur //------------------------------// In the midst of a brand new day, three ponies were walking together inside the crystal shaped tree castle, also known as the "Castle of Friendship". These three individuals were known as Twilight, Applejack, and Fluttershy, whom all were conversing with one another as something is apparently needed right now. What would it be though? "I can't believe you two are going on a friendship quest! This is amazing!" said Twilight, her horn casting magic as the doors swing open. "What do you mean Twilight? We've been on one together before." the orange pony was clearly expressing some confusion on the subject. And Twilight begins here explanation. "Exactly! This is the first time the map has teamed up the same ponies for a second quest!" Applejack chuckled a quick chuckle. "Must be because we're extra good at solving friendship problems." she bumps the shy pegasus with the elbow of her hoof. "I hope so." Twilight turned to the map within the center of the castle. "Because it looks this one might be a little tricky." Looking over the map, the respective marks of both ponies can be seen hover over what appears to be a collective set of islands. "The Filyppines." "Oh. Ah believe that one of my ancestors settled there, though we have never heard from them since." Applejack added. "But, is there anything you can tell us about the Tikbalang?" Fluttershy asked of Twilight. The princess of friendship had pulled out a scroll, a star insignia set on the handle. "Starswirl had sent me a scroll in regards to that place. Back then, there was a tribe of horse people similar to us known as the Tikbalang, a loyal and animist tribe with powerful magics towards illusions." As she unravels the scroll, ancient text and a picture in regards to what they look like, along with they're own cultures. They looked similar to the average pony, but with digits and standing on two legs, their limbs are thin, and one was even seen sitting, their knees standing up right to their heads. They were definitely unsettling, their bodies made them look like they haven't even eaten for weeks. That, and some of them seem to part of the forest...literally! Some of them seemed to be part plant as well! This deeply disturbed the two ponies, they looked very creepy! "We're... supposed to solve a friendship problem with them?" Applejack seemed a bit hesitant on working with such a disturbing tribe. Twilight seemed offended. "Of course, that might be what the friendship quest is taking place in, their home." Fluttershy placed in some affirming reassurance. "Maybe...they won't be as bad as they look...no offense. I believe they can be nice ponies." Fluttershy and Applejack, had to get there by plane, as the train they take was not extended towards such collective islands. The flight would take a few days at best with the airport systems between major cities, but the destined location was all the same. At the time of arrival, it was already nightfall, and the ponies had nowhere to stay. So they rented a hotel room for a few days or so, before setting off again. When the morning came along, there was so much activity! People had their own makeshift shops scattered through each block of the cities and towns they had visited, making a beeline to their designation. The towns and cities are packed with short ponies, just an inch or two from their own height, and most of them looked similar to one another, but they can definitely tell which one had more money than the other, mainly because the Filyppines, when they read about it, was a mostly rural country. They were close, the earth pony and the pegasus were in another small town. The town blocks were all packed with makeshift shops as of before, though everyone was acting rather strange. How can they tell? Well, the ponies were all wearing their clothes inside-out! Both ponies scratched their heads. Was their something that was going on? "Um...excuse me?" Fluttershy would ask a random pony. This one in particular was a brown colored pony, with mint green hair. His eyes hold a deeper shade of green, and was wearing a full set of clothes, a pink shirt and a purple flank shorts (and apparently the only one not wearing them inside-out from the look of things), while a single gold earring on his right ear, along with a blue pearl necklace wrapped around his thin neck. "Oh! Yes?" "Is there some kind of holiday or somethin'?" Interjected Applejack. "Because everypony here is acting like it's opposite day. What's with the inside-out shirts?" He seemed to visibly wince. "Oh...well, apparently there has been sightings of a Tikbalang. The rumor spread rather quickly, and apparently everypony is trying to ward them away by wearing their shirts inside-out." Their eyes grew wide, this must be the friendship quest problem they might be here to solve! "Oh," said Fluttershy. "We're here on a friendship quest to solve a problem like that. Is there a way we could help?" "Not sure. Though, can you help me with something? It won't be much trouble, I promise." the male would ask politely. "Sure." says Applejack. The male pony points over to one of the local stands, apparently one of the ponies is selling plantains. "Would you mind me getting me some of the plantains? Not to be a bother, but with everyone wearing their shirts inside-out, it's kind of making me nervous." He even handed the cowgirl pony with some of his own bits for the purchase. "No problem." As Applejack would make her way, Fluttershy would be further conversing with this pony, seeing as to pass the time. "So...what do you know about the Tikbalang?" the first to ask was the male pony. "Well...they're a tribe of ponies that walk on two legs, and can use powerful illusion magic." He nodded in agreement. "That's true. I also heard they can be pretty noble too. That...and many other things. Like, if you manage to pluck a golden hair from their manes, they become your servant for life!" "Oh..." Fluttershy look rather sad upon hearing such information. "Oh...sorry." the pony apologized. "I probably shouldn't have said that. It's just...there are so many things about the Tikbalang, that it's kind of hard to figure out which one is real or not. You know?" "I understand." her calm smile had cheered up the young male pony. "What is your name by the way?" "Brave Flower. And you?" "Fluttershy." "What a nice name." Soon enough, Applejack can be seen with the plantains in her bag. "I got what ya needed. Now, I listened to you two talkin', you seem to know much about the Tikbalang thing, so is there anything related to the incident? It can help for our friendship quest right about now." "Yes, uh..." he tries to figure out where the commotion started from. "Apparently people have been appearing on sides of the roads, mumbling about the Tikbalang. Poor guys, I heard that witnessing one will do that to you." "Wait...yer sayin' that if we messed with that Tikbalang, we'll go insane?!" Applejack was gawking. Just how in the world are they supposed to solve a friendship problem if something like that can happen?! "Uh...yes?" he seemed nervous. "I don't think I want to meet one, but I just want the problem to get out of the way." "Ya sure do know a lot of Tikbalang stuff." The cowgirl pony pointed out. "Well, everypony does." Brave Flower gestured to the entire town. "Our parents told us stories about myths and legends in times before Celestia and Luna had visited these islands. They can be quite interesting if you care to look." "That sounds nice. I wish Twilight were here to study this." Fluttershy recommended. "But we have to solve the friendship problem first before we can tell her." The orange pony interjects. But now with everything said and done, it was time to take their leave. They had to do some talking to do. Heading back to their hotel, they head off to talk about what to do next. These Tikbalang were much more powerful than the little information Twilight had told of them. "So what are we supposed to do? How are we supposed to solve a friendship problem with a creature with that kind of power?" Babbled Applejack. Fluttershy responds, "Well-maybe it isn't as bad as other ponies say. Maybe it's nicer than what people would talk about them." "I hope ya right." the cowgirl sighed. Within the next day, the two ponies would meet up at a company store that centralized around moving products, because it seems these Tikbalang are targeting them for some reason. The company has also taken notice of this as well, and has pleaded for the employers to also wear their shirts inside out. Despite being, more or less modern, it seems the ponies in the Filyppines hold some kind of belief in the supernatural. "Ya'll are really superstitious aren't ya?" Applajack looks around to see multitudes of ponies wearing their shirts inside-out. "It's part of our culture." some pony came around and began talking to the two. "Before Celestia came along, we believed that all things of the earth had a soul, even then we still somewhat believe in it, but only as stories to scare our fillies at night." "Still, we're sent from the Castle of Friendship to solve a friendship problem that might be going around in these parts." said the earth pony of the pair. "Ya think you can hint on us what we can do to lend a hoof out?" "If...you are from the Castle of Friendship..." squinted the pony. "...we could use a bit of help. The Tikbalang thing is really getting out of hand, so it would be nice of you both to help out." "How are we going to do that?" Fluttershy added in. "Just keep track for one of our own trucks tonight. We still have to make some deliveries by nightfall, and it seems that the creatures tend to strike at nightfall when nopony is really awake to notice them." "Them?" Applejack had raised her ear when hearing such word. "Yeah, our company is aimed by them for some reason. Perhaps because we ship so much stuff that there are things that we have that they want. Even then, it's a group of them, we get multiple trucks that appear empty by the time they get back to us, with our employers just babbling like little fillies in the driver seats!" beads of sweat start forming on the face of the pony. "If this keeps up, we might go underemployed, and lose bits!" Applejack and Fluttershy noticed the stakes. If this keeps up, the company might be destroyed! They have to intervene, now or never. "Alright, we'll see what we can do." The frantic panicking eyes light up with delight. "Thank Celestia! Alright, here's a truck we can let you keep track of." Writing down a serial number, he hands it over to the pair. They look at the number, it was written as WK-44. "Oh, and the people you will be with during the drive." Walking over to an employer attendance board, the pony would point over to certain pictures. They looked average at best, their names being Bolt Beat and Terra Forma, both were earth ponies. Taking the photos with them, the pair heads off to keep themselves occupied until the time came. The hours would pass by, eventually Bolt Beat and Terra Forma have arrived for their night shift. They seem on edge, but have greeted the two ponies as their boss most likely informed who is going with them on their shift. With the full moon lighting the night, the four would set off onto the road, carrying a truck full of canned foods in tow. The night went on silently, Bolt Beat seemed very paranoid as he was in the passenger seat, while Terra Forma was calmly in the driver seat. While Applejack conversed with Fluttershy on some topics to pass the time, she would notice something. Terra Forma's eyes....the moon holds enough light to unveil that the color was...different. Taking the photos out, Applejack noticed that the photo holds a more solid brown color. His eyes were holding a small tint of green. Fortunately, Terra Forma seemed too focused on the road, and Bolt Beat was starting to get sleepy. Silently gesturing to her pegasus friend, Fluttershy got the idea, and Applejack played it cool as he spoke with the pony who is driving. "So...nice night isn't it?" started Applejack. "Yeah, it is." Fluttershy would notice some kind of familiarity within that voice. Bolt Beat would keep his eyes open for a little longer, sleepily pointing. "Your voice sounds...different." but his tired mind from all that paranoia was urging him to sleep. "Eh, all that paranoia is getting to you Bolt. You must be hearing things." Dismissed the driver. "By the way. How're things going?" Applejack noticed one other clue, a single golden earring on his ear. Wait...gold earring? She felt like she's seen that somewhere... "Since when did you wear that?" The country pony had pointed to the earring on his ear. Noticeable sweat starts forming on his head. "Uh...just a while ago. I thought it would be nice to change things up." Bolt Beat was asleep, unable to notice their conversation. But this left Terra Forma all alone as he had to focus on driving. But Terra Forma was breaking down, the two could easily notice that. But Fluttershy, quickly intervened before Applejack could say another word, as she believed that the pressure might cause an accident. "Terra? I know you're nervous now, but...can you please be honest with us?" she would ask kindly. Terra Forma would visibly gulp, before nodding slowly in agreement. Fluttershy would continue her gentle interrogation, "Can you tell me if you are really Terra Forma?" A long tense moment of silence, before Terra Forma shook his head. Both continue their silence as a way of breathing room for the now fake pony. "But...why would you lie?" "I..." He was...shedding tears? "Sssshhhh..." Fluttershy pressed her hoof gently on his shoulder. "I know you aren't comfortable with showing us now. But...you promise, right?" "...I promise." but he suddenly pressed his hoof against Bolt's head. He begins mumbling and cowering in his sleep. The two ponies could see some kind of magic circle emitting from his hoof. "But some things have to stay the same." "What in the hay you did to him?!" Applejack had quickly gone defensive. "I had only cast a nightmare spell. When he wakes up again he will fear what I am." Terra Forma explained. "Think of it as "keeping the tradition"." "Tradition?" This peaked their interest. "Of course. Bolt Beat showed a lot of it during the ride." "...it's fear isn't it?" Fluttershy guessed. "Yes. But I don't want to talk about that here." Terra Forma wiped his tears. "I'll come back for you two." But Terra Forma stops the truck in front of what appears to be a forest, where a beaten dirt path was dimly seen in the shadows of the trees. Apparently they had gone into the countryside of the Filyppines. "But you two MUST not talk about our conversation." and his expression softened from a pony breaking down but to...something, that was pleading for their cooperation. "Please...?" There was no needs that needed to be exchanged, after looking at one another, they nodded at the fake pony. "Thank you." he seemed so happy. "I'll be honest with you when I meet you again. You'll know who I am." his ear wiggles, the one with the gold earring. "But now you must sleep." and before the two could react, they fall to his sleep spell, lying in their seats. The two ponies would awaken once again, finding themselves...in their hotel room? Somehow, the creature knew where they live. If that's the case, then perhaps things can go smoother. But there is something that is noticeable, their nights hold no nightmares. And the memory replayed in their minds: "I had only cast a nightmare spell. When he wakes up again he will fear what I am. Think of it as "keeping the tradition"." "We...didn't have any nightmares." the orange pony would be the first to speak in their silence. "I don't think he wanted that for us. You saw how he reacted, right?" the pegasus turns to the earth pony. "Yeah, it's a little hard to forget." the sight of clear tears streaming down the fake pony had been etched into her memories. She somehow could feel the pain behind them, like he really wanted to do something but had to keep the tradition, whatever it might be. "We should meet up with 'em." started Applejack. "A promise is a promise." Nodding in agreement, the pair head out of their hotel room, though as they head to the ground floor, they noticed a certain mint maned pony...and a golden earring on the right ear. "Hi!" The sight of him caused their jaws to drop. "You're...!" But the brown pony covered Applejack's mouth. "Not here!" Brave Flower was sweating from their sudden surprise. To be continued...