//------------------------------// // Fluttershy – The Lionhearted Lamb By RoyalRainbow // Story: Tales of Apple Scratch: The Council of Harmony // by Mariacheat-Brony //------------------------------//                 At a balcony that was facing the majestic Royal Gardens of Canterlot stood a young woman, who was certainly showing little patience as she was frowningly crossing her arms while rapidly tapping her right foot on the hard, sturdy floor.  She was a well-toned athlete, who wore a tight, navy blue, matching pair of a tank top and exercise shorts, blue and yellow running sneakers, a light, sky blue jacket featuring a few designs of a rainbow, and a couple of fingerless gloves.  Of course, the most distinguished feature of this impatient sportsperson was her slightly messy, shoulder-length, rainbow-colored hair.  This was Rainbow Dash, the newly appointed member of the Council of Harmony, where she will serve as a representative of sports and ethics.                   On the balcony’s edge, the impatient tomboy continued to lean on the columned bench as she frustratingly contemplated on what’s happening right now.  Ugh!  What’s taking her so long?!  She should have gotten this in the bag by now!  What if… they don’t think she’s good enough?  No!  No, I can’t think like that!  I’ve gotta stay positively!  She’s always been there for me whenever I needed support!  Now it’s my turn to do the same for her!                   After renewing her determination, Rainbow was almost startled as she heard the heavy doors opening from within the castle.  From those massive doors, a tall, young woman with long, flowing, pink hair and a surprisingly busty, mature figure meekly stepped out of the room.  She was wearing a lovely, pastel green summer dress, a canary yellow, long-sleeved, unbuttoned, woolen sweater, and a pair of olive green sandals.   Stepping onto the balcony, the tall girl met up with her best friend, who greeted with an eager smile, “Fluttershy!  What happened in there?!  I’ve been waiting forever for you!”   “It’s been less than 10 minutes ago, Rainbow Dash,” Fluttershy stated in a very quiet voice.   “Like I said, ‘FOR-E-VER!’” Rainbow enunciated exaggeratedly.   “I’m… sorry for keeping you waiting like that.” Fluttershy apologized timidly.   Noticing how sensitive her friend was, Rainbow reassured her in friendlier tone, “Oh, that’s okay, Fluttershy!  It’s wasn’t that big of a deal!  Really!  Anyway, enough about me!  How did your meeting with the Princesses go?  Did you finally get your seat in the Council yet?” “Umm… well… I think… they said… they’ll notify me later… I think.” the meekly quiet woman answered with uncertainty.   Rainbow blinked a couple times before coming up with something positive to say, “Oh, well… that’s good!  That means you still have an opportunity to get your rightful place at the Council of Harmony, right?” “Rainbow Dash… I… really appreciate your support on this as well as your recommendation to the Princesses.” Fluttershy said with gentle gratitude as she sat next to Rainbow.  “But… I don’t think I’m qualified enough to deserve such a privileged honor as being a member of the Council.  At least, not as qualified as you are, of course.”   “What are you talking about?” the athlete puzzled at this.   “Rainbow, please don’t pretend that you don’t know already!” Fluttershy snapped in self-pity.  “You’re one of the coolest, most talented people I know!  You not only broke the record as the fastest Jupitarian flyer in Equestria's history with your Sonic Rainboom, but because of that, you’re now an esteemed member of the renowned Council of Harmony!  As for me, well… you should have seen me when the Princesses interviewed me!  I mean, they were very nice to me of course, but I couldn’t help myself from being so nervous in front of them!  Though I wish it for myself, I know that I’m not as cool and confident as you are!  I should count myself lucky to have someone like you as my friend when you could have chosen so many others instead of me!  I’m nothing special, Rainbow… I’m just… some shy girl who’s better at making friends with animals than with actual people.”   As Fluttershy softly wept to herself, Rainbow just blankly stared at her before expressing her opinion bluntly, “Wow…  That has got to be the biggest amount of bull I have ever heard from you!”   “Wh-What?” she stammered in surprise as she ceased her soft weeping.   “First off, you being nervous in front of the Princesses?” Rainbow Dash smiled with a cocked eyebrow.  “Who else isn’t?  It’s pretty much natural for everyone to tremble in fear before the almighty presences of the Alicorn Princesses!  Well… except for me of course ‘cause I don’t get scared so easily you know!”  Fluttershy started to smile a little after hearing her friend’s amusing display of boastfulness.   “Second of all, I would never pity like you that, Fluttershy!  Never!” Rainbow continued as she draped an arm over her friend’s shoulders.  “We’ve been best friends since we were kids, remember?  Sure, you can be incredibly shy for just about anything…”   “Sorry.” Fluttershy apologized downheartedly in an automatic response.   “…but you have a lot of nice characteristics to show off too!  You’re kind, caring, patient and a very bright person!  Heck, if it weren’t for you, I may have never passed some of those ridiculous classes without your help!”   “Well, I didn’t contribute that much.” The shy woman responded sheepishly.  “You already know much about the human anatomy that it’s no wonder the Princesses took an interest in you as their representative for sports.”   “Are you kidding me?” Rainbow chuckled mildly.  “If you weren’t the one who helped me out with my studies, I won’t have realized how important it was to know so much about the body when it comes to improving my own fitness and athletic abilities!  You, on the other hand, know hundreds of different animal anatomies out there!  Far more so than what the school have taught us!”   “Which brings us to my final contradiction!” Rainbow finished it up with a triumphant smile.  “You do have a special talent!  You are wonderful caretaker when it comes to animals!  That is what makes you special, Fluttershy!  And you should be proud of that no matter what anyone else has to say!”   After hearing all those kind, encouraging words from her very good friend, Fluttershy’s eyes started to get watery again as she whispered with a growing smile, “Dashie…”  Immediately, she hugged Rainbow Dash tightly as her newly happy tears began to soak into the athlete’s jacket.   “Hey, come on, now!” Rainbow soothed Fluttershy with a giggling grin as she gently patted her on the back.  “I’m trying to cheer you up, not making you cry some more!”                   Once they were finished with their hug, Fluttershy wiped her remaining tears as she responded with a nice smile, “You’re right… I’m sorry.”   “Hey, tell me this.” Rainbow began to ask with all-knowing grin.  “Who helped save that baby bird when it fell off from its nest the other day?” “Umm… I did?” Fluttershy answered hesitantly.   “Mm-hmm!” she nodded.  “And who was willing to take the time to help out every kind of pet in the neighborhood?”   “Well… I did.”   “Right!  And who’s the best volunteer veterinarian in your hometown right now?” “I guess… I am.”  Slowly but surely, her confidence began to build up from all of the good deeds Rainbow Dash was pointing out to her. “Exactly!  So with all of your accomplishments at this point… Who do you think is going be the best candidate as the Council’s representative in the study of flora and fauna?”   “I will!” Fluttershy announced as she stood up with pride.   “Damn right you will!” Rainbow agreed with an encouraging smile as she stood alongside her friend.  “Now let’s hear a big cheer from you!”   “Yay?”   “Louder.”   “Yay.” “Louder!”   “Yay!”   “LOUDER!” Rainbow screeched out loud.  At her command, Fluttershy took a big, air-sucking breath, and just as she was about to release it…   “RAAAAAAARR!!”   An unexpected roar shook the two friends to the bone as they nearly lost their balance on the balcony’s floor.   “Whoa!  Never thought you had it in you!”  Rainbow smiled in startling surprise. “Umm… that wasn’t me, Rainbow.” Fluttershy confirmed after gradually recovering from that sudden fright.   “Really?” Rainbow puzzled a bit.  “Then who was it--?” “RAAAAAAARR!!”   Another feral roar was heard before Fluttershy could pinpoint where it was coming from.  With her curiosity overcoming her usual fears, she looked down below from the balcony’s bench and spotted the source of the terrifying noise earlier.   “Look!  Down there!” she pointed out in an alarming gasp.   Rainbow turned around and followed where the finger was pointing.  Just like Fluttershy, she too was incredibly shocked to see on what was down there.  For in the middle of the Royal Gardens stood a rare and frightening beast, the Manticore!  This monstrous giant looked like a golden brown lion measuring about 16 feet in length from head to body.  Except this lion-like creature had a few distinctive features such as having the stinging tail of a scorpion and the large wings and ears of a bat. But a more unique feature about this Manticore was that it doesn’t have its own mane, which might indicate that it’s a female.  Surrounding the enormous lioness were several Royal Guards, each one armed to the teeth in their own way.  Some had long spears while others had woven nets just ready to be casted.   “A Manticore!” Rainbow declared out loud.  “What’s that doing here in Canterlot?!”   But Fluttershy wasn’t paying any attention to what her friend just said. She was too focused on the cornered Manticore herself. Since she was little, Fluttershy knew quite a lot about each individual animal such as their behaviors, dietaries, and their ways of communicating.  Carefully, she listened to the roars of the struggling lioness. With her sharp sense of hearing, Fluttershy verified that these roars weren’t filled with anger and bloodlust; they were filled with sadness, fear, and pain.   While Fluttershy was preoccupied with listening to the Manticore’s calls, Rainbow Dash was busy watching the guards in action.  In their circle, one winged guard, whose armor is more decorative than the others, stepped forward and prepared his hands to charge up a surge of electricity. This supposed leader must be a Jupitarian, since only they can manipulate the elements of the weather so easily.   “Well, at the very least, it looks like the guards got everything under--!” “She’s… crying.” Fluttershy muttered to herself softly   “Wha…?” said the baffled athlete.   “She’s crying, Rainbow!  We’ve got to help her!”  Without any hesitation, Fluttershy quickly conjured her pair of yellow, magical wings and swooped down to the Manticore’s aid.   “W-w-wait a minute, Fluttershy!  Come back!” Rainbow chased after her reluctantly with the use of her blue wings as she surprisingly tried to keep up with Fluttershy’s astonishing burst of speed.   -------------------------------------------------------   “Sergeant, we’ve just tightened up our perimeter around the target!” the guard saluted to his brown-bearded superior.  “Looks like it’s got nowhere to run now!”   “Good.  I’m going charge up my attack now.  Hopefully this would surely be enough to stun this beast momentarily.  Tell everyone to stand ready for anything!” “Yes, sir!  You heard him, men!  Standby!”   While the rest of the soldiers readied themselves with their spears and nets, the Jupitarian Sergeant prepared his hands as they magically formed a ball of intense, electrical energy.  With his spell ready, he eyed the roaring Manticore while ignoring the misunderstood calls.  And just as he was about to unleash his power…   “STOP!!” Fluttershy cried out loud as she immediately landed between the Sergeant and the Manticore.   However, she was too late to stop the spell as the lightning bolt flied out of the caster’s hands.  And just when the worse is expected, Fluttershy instinctively extended her right hand’s two fingers to redirect the path of the lightning away from the targeted Manticore. With her left hand stretched upward, the magical bolt left from the other hand’s two fingers as it was shot towards the sky.   As Rainbow Dash and the guards are completely stunned by the other girl’s unforeseen mastery, Fluttershy takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly before she stared menacingly at the suddenly petrified Sergeant.   “What do you think you’re doing to her?” she demanded with condensed fury.   “Please step aside, ma’am!” he tried to compose his authority.  “This is a dangerous monster we’re apprehending right now!  You don’t know what you are dealing with!”   “Oh really?” she inquired with a raised eyebrow.  “Did she cause any casualties in the midst of her escape?”   “Well… no.  She didn’t.” “And did she try to fight back when you and your men were pursuing her?”   “N-no.”   “Well then, from the way I see it, this Manticore isn’t the real monster after all! You are!” Fluttershy expressed her accusation in immense outrage as she hovered right towards the startled Sergeant.  “How dare you try to harm her like that!  Can’t you see just how scared she is right now?!  All she was doing was trying to get away from everything, and all of you have to done was threaten her with pointy spears and entangling nets, and now you even resorting to use lightning on her!  I should have the right mind to report you for such animal cruelty!”   After hearing that, the guards suddenly felt deep shame for their actions as Rainbow smirked to herself by Fluttershy’s sudden assertiveness.  Whoa.  Go, Fluttershy! “We… we were only doing our jobs.” the Sergeant explained himself pitifully.   “Don’t you make any excuses, mister!” Fluttershy scolded in a strict, motherly tone.  “Now you going to put those spears and nets away and step away from the Manticore this instant!”   “Y-you can’t tell us what to--!”   But before he could even finish that sentence, Fluttershy immediately went up to his face as her glare became more petrifying than ever. “I said: step away from her RIGHT NOW!" “I’d do as she’s said if I were you.” Rainbow Dash stepped in with sly smirk.  “You don’t want to deal with two, angry females, now would you?”   Giving it some thought, the Sergeant made a big gulp before stating in a defeated tone, “Sigh…  Stand down, men.”  Without any complaints, the troops put away their weapons as they slowly stepped away from the animal.   Satisfied, the young maiden smiled gratefully before turning around to face the bewildered Manticore.  Automatically, the enormous cat growled and bore her teeth to scare off the new stranger.  Surprisingly, her usual tactic didn’t work as the smiling human kept approaching her before laying a gentle hand on her head.   “It’s okay.  Don’t be afraid.  I’m here for you.”  Fluttershy reassured sweetly as she gently rubbed the lioness’ golden fur.  Soon enough, the Manticore started to relax as she gave in to the strangely soothing presence of this unforeseen savior.  Once she felt more at ease, the calmed Manticore laid on the ground as she nuzzled with her new friend like an affectionate kitten. “There there, sweetie.” Fluttershy cooed softly as she continued to gently stroke the purring lioness.  “No one’s going to hurt you now.  Everything’s going to be alright.”   Once Rainbow Dash saw that Fluttershy got everything under control, she turned her attention to the gaping Sergeant.  “So, what’s going on here?”   “Th-this doesn’t concern you, citizen!” he tried to reassume his authority again.  “Please take your friend and leave the area at once!”   “Hmph!  I’ve only been on the Council for only a short time, and this is the kind of welcoming treatment I get?” she grumped in response.   “Wait, aren’t you Rainbow Dash, the newest Councilor of Harmony?” one of the guards asked her.   “The one and only!” she answered with pride.   Surprised to not realize this, the embarrassed Sergeant readdressed himself in a humbler tone.  “R-R-Rainbow Dash!  I’m sorry, ma’am!  I-I didn’t recognized you!”   Astounded by this, Rainbow gave off a frowning, deadpan expression.  Really?  The rainbow-colored hair wasn’t a dead giveaway to you?  Ugh… whatever!  “Forgot about it!” she shrugged to herself.  “Now, tell me what’s going on!  Why are you and your men attacking this Manticore?”   “Well, you see… it got out of a zoo recently.” The Sergeant explained himself.  “We were only trying to capture it and bring it back alive.”   “The zoo, huh?” she pondered to herself.  “I don’t remember anyone announcing a new exhibit recently.”   “Actually, this one is under special treatment by its veterinary facility.  A while ago, someone found this Manticore lying on the outskirts of the city with an injured wing.  The veterinarians were only trying to fix it before it was release into the wild.”  In the midst of their conversation, he pointed towards the Manticore’s left wing where there is a small tear on the bottom of its wingspan.   “That explained why it couldn’t fly earlier.”   “Yes, exactly.  But suddenly, it became enraged and managed to escape before the vets could sustain it.  No one informed us on why it was so out of controlled earlier.”   “Well, if I was taken into some room without anyway to fly, I would be pretty ticked off too.”   Meanwhile, Fluttershy was busy comforting the lying Manticore, but then the animal caretaker noticed that something was wrong with her new friend.  Not only is the lioness panting heavily, but her feral eyes looked far more tiresome than usual.   “Oh, you poor thing!  You look awfully ill right now!  What’s happening to you?”   All Fluttershy got was a sickening groan from her furry friend.  Wanting to figure this out herself, Fluttershy listened to the Manticore’s breathing carefully before placing a hand on the lioness’s sweaty, scorching forehead.   “Heavy breathing.  Slight fever.” She diagnosed the symptoms herself.   Then, she fluttered to the side and noted how extremely large the cat’s stomach was.  Leaning her head on the exposed stomach, Fluttershy used her exceptional hearing to verify the rate of the lioness’s heart.   “Hmm…  Heartbeat is strong but beating rapidly.” She commented quietly as she kept listening in.  “Wait… there’s another set of beats--!  No, two more separate heartbeats!  They both sound very faint, but I can definitely hear them!  Then… that means…!  And such as she was about to confirm her diagnosis, Fluttershy felt something moving from the inside.   “GASP!  RAINBOW DASH!  THIS MANTICORE’S PREGNANT!”   Surprised by the sudden outburst, Rainbow simply responded in shock, “…What?!”   “AND SHE’S GOING INTO LABOR RIGHT NOW!”   “Sergeant, where’s the zoo at?” Rainbow asked him firmly.   “Umm…  On the other side of the city, ma’am.”   She groaned in disappointment as she said, “We’re never gonna have enough time to get a veterinarian over here!  What should we do now?”   Fluttershy gave this some deep thought before answering it with total conviction, “I’ll do it!”  This revelation shocked everyone around her as she takes off her yellow, long-sleeved sweater.  “I’ll help deliver the cubs myself!”   “Fluttershy, no!” Rainbow stepped forward with a horrified expression.  “You can’t do this!  It’s too risky!”   “I’ve delivered plenty of kitties before, Rainbow!  I have to do this!”  Then determined maiden pulled out a green hair ribbon from one of her pockets.   “This isn’t some household cat!” Rainbow snapped in a state of panic.  “This is an extremely dangerous beast we’re dealing with!  Do you have any idea on what this thing can do to you?!”   “Of course I do.” Fluttershy affirmed as she adjusted her long hair in a neat bun.  “The Manticore possesses many deadly qualities with its razor-sharp teeth, claws, and poisonous stinger.  It’s no wonder that it’s one the deadliest animals in Equestria.” After taking a deep sigh, she tightened the ribbon to keep her hair bun intact as her face expressed nothing but absolute resolve.  “But that doesn’t matter to me!  I’ve never turn my back on any animal before, and I’m not going to stop now!”                   Rainbow Dash took a moment to process on what her best friend just said.  She knew that there was no way for her to stop her when animals are in danger.  There was only one thing she can do now.   “I still can’t let you do that, Fluttershy.”   “Rainbow, please!” Fluttershy snapped at her friend.  “I need to do this--!”   “Not alone you won’t!” Rainbow smirked widely as she tossed aside her jacket in a very cool manner.   “You… you mean that?” Fluttershy stammered in surprise.   “Hey, what kind of best friend would I be if I wasn’t willing to lend a hand every now and then?” Rainbow grinned to her friend.   “Thank you, Dashie.” Fluttershy smiled while her eyes got watery again.   “Alright, save those tears for later!  We’ve got a job to do first!” Rainbow chuckled with a wink.   “Right, of course!” Fluttershy responded with a giggle after wiping her eyes.   “So, what’s first, Dr. Fluttershy?”   “Tell the Royal Guards to setup a very wide perimeter so that we can give our patient enough space as well as to keep anyone else away from here!” Fluttershy issued with such authority and professionalism.  “Also, have one of them inform the zookeepers about this!” “You heard her, men!” Rainbow announced to the troops.  “Get to it!”   “Are you sure you don’t want anyone to stay behind?” the Sergeant asked with concern. “Are you questioning my orders, Sergeant?” Rainbow cocked an eyebrow at the ranked soldier.  “If so, I would hate to see what would happen if we have to drag the Princesses into this mess.”   Not wanting to risk that, the Sergeant followed councilwoman’s orders.  “You heard Miss Rainbow Dash!  Form a wider perimeter!  Let no one else come near here!”   Once the Royal Guards were gone, Rainbow asked, “Okay, what’s next?”   “Well, I hate to ask you this…” Fluttershy briefly resorted back to her timid self.  “…but can you get my emergency vet kit for me please?  It’s in my room--!”   “--in a white bag marked with paw mark and a red cross!  Got it!”  And in a flash, Rainbow was gone.                   In ten seconds flat, Rainbow Dash came back expeditiously with a large carrying bag that Fluttershy described earlier.  After thanking her, the self-appointed veterinarian reached into her bag as her proud assistant waited for her next order.   “Anything else, doc?”   “Actually yes, I need you to take over for me and comfort her as much as possible during the procedure.” Fluttershy gestured towards the sickly Manticore.   “No prob--!  Waitaminute!  No!  Bad idea!  I can’t do that!” she refused hastily.   “Why not?” Fluttershy asked in surprised by Rainbow’s sudden dread.   “Because you’re the animal expert here, not me!  What if she tries to eat me?!” the usually boastful athlete gulped in fear of this possibility.   “She wouldn’t do that.” Fluttershy reassured her gently.  “I know she wouldn’t.  Will you, sweetie?”  The Manticore couldn’t reply in her condition, but it didn’t show any hostility towards the idea.  “Besides, she’s in no condition to attack anyone at this point, and I really need you help to hold her down for me.”   “But--!”   “Please, Dashie?” Fluttershy pouted in such an adorable expression with wide, puppy-dog eyes.   “…Dammit!  How can I say ‘no’ to you whenever you make a face like that?!  Alright fine, I’ll do it!” Rainbow sighed in a defeated tone.   “Don’t fret about, Rainbow.  Just pretend she’s a big, cuddly teddy bear.”   “Yeah… a big, cuddly teddy bear with razor-sharp teeth I might add.” she muttered to herself before reluctantly going over there to gently wrap her arms around the Manticore’s strong, thick neck.  With her shaky left hand, she slowly stroked the forehead of the surprisingly relaxed, big cat.   “There there kitty.  Nice kitty.  Good kitty.” Rainbow cooed in a trembling voice while she repeatedly stroked the Manticore’s fur.                   Satisfied by Rainbow’s comforting action, Fluttershy pulled out two items from her bag: a bottle of transparent medicine and a capped syringe.  Noticing the sharp-looking object, the Manticore panicked greatly as she roared constantly over her sudden fear.  Seeing how much the creature is struggling, Rainbow quickly put her wrestling moves to good use as she maintained to pin the frustrated lioness down.   “Fluttershy!  She’s getting restless again!” Rainbow cried out while pinning the frightened Manticore to the ground.                   Seeing what’s causing this, Fluttershy hid the needle away from the Manticore’s sight as she went up to ease her patient’s worries.   “Oh, I know you don’t want this, honey.  But this for your own good, I promise.”                   After feeling the veterinarian’s familiar, soothing touch, the Manticore finally calmed down before Fluttershy took her tools with her before flying to the big cat’s side.  Once she was out of the Manticore’s eyesight, Fluttershy punctured the needle into the sealed bottle and filled up with syringe with clear medicine.   “What’s that for anyway?” Rainbow questioned as she kept on patting the oversized cat.   “Well, not only will this medicine lower her fever, but it will also help her relax a bit when she gives birth to her cubs.” Fluttershy answered as she rubbed some alcohol on the chosen spot on the lioness’s inflated stomach.  “Now hold still for a minute, Mrs. Manticore.  This might hurt for just a second.” she said sweetly to her feline patient.  “Ready?  One… Two… Three…”  And in a pinch, Fluttershy injected the medicine into the feline stomach.  The Manticore groaned from this, but fortunately for the two girls, that was short lived.   “There you go!” Rainbow praised the lioness’s bravery by gently rubbing one of her ears.  “Yeah, you’re a very tough kitty, aren’t you?”  This earned Rainbow an adorable purr from the cooperative cat.   After a gentle rub on the Manticore’s tummy, Fluttershy goes around to face the cat’s posterior before pulling some towels out of her bag and setting some them on the ground.   Lastly, she put on rubber gloves before saying in a supportive tone, “Alright, Mrs. Manticore.  We’re ready whenever you are, so just do your best, and give it a big push.”   As if on cue, the soon-to-be-mother followed Fluttershy’s instructions and began to contract her first cub.  In the midst of all of the Manticore’s pushing, her entire body shivered excessively as she continued the birthing process.  Suddenly, something popped out of the birth canal as Fluttershy gasped in joy from seeing the first signs of new life.   “Rainbow, I can see it!  I can see the head of the first cub!”   “That’s awesome!  Don’t stop now, mommy Manticore!  Keep going!”                   With Fluttershy helping with the pulling as the Manticore kept on pushing, the first cub made it through and announced its arrival through its adorable, squeaking meows.   “It’s… it’s a girl!  Rainbow Dash!  The first cub is a girl!” Fluttershy squealed in overwhelming delight before she dried off the cub with one of the towels nearby.   “You hear that, tiger?  You’re halfway there!” Rainbow enthusiastically cheered for the mother cat.  “Now it’s time to bring your A-game, and finish it all off with just one more push!”                   Considering that she got the hard part out of the way, the Manticore concentrated with all of her might to push out her last cub.  Finally, it was all over as the last cub made its breakthrough from the mother’s womb.   “Here it is!  It’s another girl!”  Fluttershy stated with glee.   “Congratulations, missy!” Rainbow congratulated the exhausted Manticore.  “You’re the proud mother of twin cubs!”  As a way of saying thanks, the purring mother gave a couple of licks to the supportive athlete who smiled at this gratifying affection.   “Oh, you're such a good, little kitty, aren't you?” she cooed ecstatically as she continued to rub the affectionate Manticore’s fur. “Yes you are!  Yes you are!”   Too distracted by her own baby talk, Rainbow froze after hearing a brief giggle from her smirking friend, who was busy attending to the cubs. Caught by surprise, Rainbow glared at the smirking Fluttershy with a heavy blush. “You heard… nothing, ok?”   Shrugging that aside, Fluttershy then brought to cubs to the mother and announced in a sing-song voice, “Mrs. Manticore… your new cubs are here to meet you!”  Happily, the Manticore gratefully licks Fluttershy for all that she has done for such a misunderstood creature.  “Ooh, you are most certainly welcome, sweetheart!” Fluttershy beamed cheerfully as she gratefully received the happy Manticore’s affection.                   Eventually, the mother Manticore turned her attention to her new cubs as she gave each of them a proper lick.  Fluttershy and Rainbow sat beside the new feline family as watch them attentively.   “Can I hold one of them?” Rainbow asked softly. “Sure!” Fluttershy agreed before picking one up and handing it over to Rainbow.  In her arms, Rainbow stared at the tiny cub before an uncontrollable, awestricken smile crept on her face.   “You know… they’re kind of cute for a bunch of man-eating predators.” Rainbow chuckled to herself as she lightly tickled the newborn cub.  Suddenly, she felt an unusual poke on her arm, and to her horror, she found out it came from the cub’s dull stinger.   “AHH!  FLUTTERSHY!  SHE STUNG ME!  QUICK!  SAVE ME WITH YOUR MEDICINE!”   Fluttershy giggle softly as she explained with a smile, “Silly Dashie!  Their stingers aren’t fully developed until they’re a couple years older.  For now, their soft tails are nothing to worry about.”                   Realizing that the stinger wasn’t as painful as she originally thought it was, Rainbow Dash blushed immensely as she did her best to cover her tracks. “Oh!  Right, I knew it!  I was just… testing you!”   After having another giggle over Rainbow’s shenanigans, Fluttershy picked up the other cub and informed her embarrassed friend, “Now enough playtime.  It’s time for their nursing.”   Before following Fluttershy along, Rainbow glared back at the innocent-looking cub she was holding before saying, “Don’t think this is over between the two of us.”                   As the two small cubs suckled on the teats of their overly exhausted mother, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash sat on the grass as they continued to awe over this tender moment together.   “Hey Fluttershy?” Rainbow asked her.   “Yes?” “I’m proud of you.  You did an awesome job today.”   “Well… I certainly couldn’t have done it without you, Rainbow.”   “Hey, I was just the wingman here.  You’re the one who got us through all of this, and look how happy they are right now because of you.”                   Taking a brief moment, Fluttershy looked at what was in front of her: a beautifully rare creature who is happily nursed her own litter of cubs.  Realizing on what an accomplishment she has made for herself, she smiled warmly as she said with pride. “Yeah… I guess you’re right.”   “And you know something else?”  Rainbow Dash continued.  “If you’re not on the Council of Harmony by the end of this, then I’m going to quit right on the spot!” “What?!” Fluttershy gasped in surprise.  “No, you shouldn’t do that for me, Rainbow!”   “Hey, if no one else can see just how awesome and special you really are, then it isn’t worth my time to be on the Council in the first place!”  Then, Rainbow wraps a strong arm over the delicate Fluttershy before winking at her with a winning grin.  “Besides, we’re best friends.  We stick up for one and another, right?”   After blankly staring at her, Fluttershy smiled warmly over her best friend’s conviction before saying to her, “Thanks, Rainbow.  But you know what?  It doesn’t matter whether I am on the Council or not.  I don’t need to prove nor show anyone that I’m special.  As long as there are animals or friends in need, I will always be happy to lend a helping hand not matter what.”   Rainbow just shook her head before she chuckled, “You’re just too kind for your own good.  You know that, right?”  After Fluttershy shrugged it off, the two continue to watch over this touching scene together before the zookeepers would arrive to handle the situation from there.  Of course, not without Fluttershy’s aid at least.   “Heh, if only the Princesses could see you now.” Rainbow muttered with a smirk.   -------------------------------------------------------   Little did the Jupitarian friends know that on the same balcony they were once on before, three privileged women now stand over the edge as they’ve witnessed the turn of events regarding with the Manticore situation.  In the middle of the two taller women was a brightly gifted, Titanian student, Twilight Sparkle, the first initiated member to the Council of Harmony.  As for the ones behind Twilight, they were no other than the Alicorn Princesses themselves, Celestia and Luna.  After bearing witness to such a miraculous event, all three had their own expression of shocked and awe.   “Incredible!” Princess Celestia beamed to herself.   “Amazing!” Princess Luna commented with fascination. “This is unbelievable!” Lady Twilight Sparkle confirmed bewilderedly.  “There hasn’t been any record of somebody being able to tame a Manticore with sheer kindness alone!   “Yes!  And did you see that stare of hers?” Luna chimed in excitedly.  “Even I started to get the jitters from this far away!  No wonder Rainbow Dash was so confident in this one’s remarkable abilities!”   Celestia smiled all-knowingly before saying, “Well then, for Fluttershy’s case, I say her actions speak louder than her words.”   “Gasp!  Does that mean…?” Twilight faced the Sun Princess with anticipated delight.   “Yes, my faithful student.” Celestia continued with an endearing smile.  “I believe we have just found our fifth member to the Council of Harmony, Fluttershy!”