Fluttershy and the Misplaced Manticore

by CapNTilfy

In Search of a Manticore

Fluttershy channeled her geode and called forth several animals. They all stood before her, confused. "I know you all just left," she said, "but Silence has gone missing!" The animals gave their respective equivalents of a gasp as their eyes widened in shock. "I'm going to need eyes and ears all over the neighborhood," she continued. "Who knows what could happen if people saw a manticore? They might try to capture it, sell it to the highest bidder..." She gasped. "Or even worse. What if Silence got hungry? People could be killed!"

The animals all chittered. Fluttershy calmed down just a tad. "You're right," she said to the animals. "I need to take a deep breath." She took a deep breath, then exhaled. She smiled. "Okay. Birds, to the sky. If you see anything suspicious, have at least one in the air while another reports to me." The birds nodded. "Raccoons," She called out. "Did you all get a good enough scent of Silence," she asked. The raccoons nodded. "Good," she said, clapping her hands together. "Follow the scent as best you can. I'll be behind you all the way."

"Dogs," Fluttershy called out. "If you smell Silence, follow the scent as well. If you see it, don't howl, bark or make too much noise. Just whimper, and my geode should react and lead me to you." The dogs barked in understanding. "All other animals, stand by just in case you're needed." She cracked her neck with a confident smile. "All right, then. Every creature, disperse!" The birds took to the sky, the dogs ran off, the raccoons skittered away, and she followed.

Fluttershy kept a close eye on the raccoons as they kept their noses to the ground. All I know about manticores is from what Sunset Shimmer told me, and she doesn't seem to know much about their behavior either, she thought. From the looks of things, though, Silence is staying on the ground. For now. She shook her head rapidly. Focus, Fluttershy, focus, she scolded herself. This is no time to get lost in thought! She snapped out of her thoughts when she heard a scream. She gasped, then turned her attention to one of the raccoons. "Smokey, investigate that noise. It might be a lead." Smokey nodded, then ran off in the direction the scream came from.

Smokey ran as fast as he could to the source of the scream, then stopped when he saw two vaguely familiar faces. He listened in on the conversation intently.

"What was that all about, Pinkie?" asked the familiar blue girl. "I know you tend to overreact sometimes..."

"Crush?! Who said anything about a crush," the one apparently named Pinkie exclaimed, then immediately covered her mouth.

The familiar blue girl's eyes widened. "Wait...you have a crush on him?!"

"Rainbow Dash, I can't possibly have a crush on him! He's an OC!" said the one apparently named Pinkie. The one apparently named Rainbow Dash blinked and opened her mouth, but decided to stay silent.

"I mean, he's a nice guy and all, but no. I don't have a crush on him." the one apparently named Pinkie said. Smokey decided that he'd heard enough, and he went back to report to Fluttershy. He caused the bush to rustle, startling the one apparently named Pinkie. Smokey returned to his fellow raccoons and Fluttershy, then chittered, telling her all that he saw.

Fluttershy heaved a sigh of relief. "Well, at least she's okay," she said. "But no manticore sighting," she asked. Smokey shook his head. She frowned in slight disappointment. "Thank you for trying your best," she said reassuringly. She turned her gaze to the sky momentarily, checking for any incoming reports from the birds. Nothing. She turned her attention back to the ground as she continued to follow the other raccoons.

Fluttershy nearly took out her phone to text one of her friends, but decided against it. No, she thought. Silence is my responsibility. I should take care of this myself. The raccoons stopped, then looked in different directions. "What's wrong," Fluttershy asked, concerned. The raccoons chittered at her, and her eyes widened. "What," she asked, shocked. "How can the scent possibly go in multiple directions?" The raccoons shrugged. Fluttershy pinched the bridge of her nose. Silence must be smarter than I thought. That's the only logical explanation I can think of right now.

"Okay," Fluttershy said. "Split up and follow the scent individually. Report back to me if it merges again, and we can go from there." The raccoons nodded, and she stayed behind as she cupped her chin in thought. She closed her eyes, then clenched her hands into fists and held them against her chest. She focused on all the animal noises around her in hopes of receiving a much-needed update. She kept her breathing slow and steady, concentrating hard. Her eyes widened and she gasped when she heard a noise.

"W-Who's there," Fluttershy asked as she felt a chill down her spine. She turned to the direction of the noise and saw the raccoons return. She sighed in relief. "Any luck," she asked with a hopeful expression. The raccoons shook their heads. Fluttershy sagged in disappointment and leaned against a tree. "This is getting ridiculous," she said. "You'd think something as legendary as a manticore would be easy to spot outside of Equestria..."

Fluttershy slid down the tree. "I can't communicate with it. I can't even find it," she said, then sniffled as she covered her face with her hands. "I...I'm supposed to be good with animals." The raccoons chittered at her, then hugged her. "You know what," she said, lifting her head off of her hands. "You're right. I'm giving up far too soon." She smiled, then pet all of the raccoons. "Thank you," she said. "I really needed to hear that."

Fluttershy heard tweeting from the sky, and she looked up. "Constance," she said excitedly. "Did you find Silence?" Constance nodded. "Where," she asked eagerly. The bird tweeted, and her eyes widened. "Wait. That's near Sunset's apartment!" She channeled her geode to call upon a bear. It arrived, and she rode off toward her friend's apartment.

Comments

[shallow15]

She channeled her geode to call upon a bear. It arrived, and she rode off toward her friend's apartment.

OH MY GOD! BEAR IS DRIVING! HOW CAN THIS BE?!

[Yami Vizzini]

Wow, Fluttershy can organize when she has to!

[CapNTilfy]

9277487
Is that a reference to that weird video game where a bear is driving a car?

[shallow15]

9277807

[CapNTilfy]

9277977
Every time I think of Clerks, I think of this:

[ScisetShimmerEvan]

"I mean, he's a nice guy and all, but no. I don't have a crush on him." the one apparently named Pinkie said. Smokey decided that he'd heard enough, and he went back to report to Fluttershy. He caused the bush to rustle, startling the one apparently named Pinkie. Smokey returned to his fellow raccoons and Fluttershy, then chittered, telling her all that he saw.

https://m.

Fluttershy nearly took out her phone to text one of her friends, but decided against it. No, she thought. Silence is my responsibility. I should take care of this myself. The raccoons stopped, then looked in different directions. "What's wrong," Fluttershy asked, concerned. The raccoons chittered at her, and her eyes widened. "What," she asked, shocked. "How can the scent possibly go in multiple directions?" The raccoons shrugged. Fluttershy pinched the bridge of her nose. Silence must be smarter than I thought. That's the only logical explanation I can think of right now.

How is that even possible!?

Fluttershy heard tweeting from the sky, and she looked up. "Constance," she said excitedly. "Did you find Silence?" Constance nodded. "Where," she asked eagerly. The bird tweeted, and her eyes widened. "Wait. That's near Sunset's apartment!" She channeled her geode to call upon a bear. It arrived, and she rode off toward her friend's apartment.

Wait what!?