Fluttershy's Nature Show

The screen clicks on, and an image of Fluttershy's back comes into view as the tape player finds the audio track. "--solutely sure about this?" asks Fluttershy, slowly pushing her way through the foliage. She's not dressed for jungle exploration, opting for a white tee and a short green skirt. She does at least have sneakers with long crew-cut socks, and she carries a large backpack with edibles and equipment. "I mean, sure, I love animals, but I think that as soon as you turn the camera on, I'll freeze up. I'm not a performer by any sense"

"Just relax," comes Twilight's voice from off-camera. "You won't even notice the camera. That's the whole point of me wearing this ridiculous suit. I look like a bush or a lump of grass, to ensure that the animals don't see me, so it'll be harder for you to see me, too. The microphone is in your mane, and you won't even remember it's there at the end of the day. Just pretend you're talking to me."

Fluttershy shivers. "Remind me again why we're doing this?"

"We want everypony to know more about the creatures that live in their world so as to better live in harmony. What better way of telling them than to show them how important and wonderful they are? It also appeals to me because it's a great study into the field of zoology and cryptozoology. Think of the amazing discoveries we could make, and the massive help we can provide for these creatures with an army of young fans ready to aid you at every turn. We can make the world of Equestria better for everyone by simply spreading knowledge around."

Fluttershy sighs. "You're right, Twilight. I'm sorry for being so finnicky. I'm just really nervous."

"I know," answers Twilight. "That's why I put a swatch of electrical tape over the camera's light. You won't even know when I start the recording. That should add to your peace of mind."

"It... kind of does."

With one final push, Fluttershy and the cameramare, presumed Twilight, step out of the undergrowth and out into an open field. Lots of dry grasses spring out of the ground all over the place, and a few critters dart around the stalks, making big waves as they scurry around.

"This is the reason we're making the show," confirms Twilight. "It's for all of them. Isn't that worth the discomfort of being on camera, just to keep them safe?"

Fluttershy is tearing up at the sight. She nods and smiles. "It's all for them. Okay, let's do this."

A loud roar brings both of their attentions to the sky, where a very large dragon suddenly flies overhead, casting a dark shadow over the field. The camera zooms in and focuses on it, watching as is circles around three times, then lands somewhat nearby. If it turned, it would likely see them, if it hadn't already, but instead, it sits back on its haunches and begins picking at its front claws.

"Have you ever seen anything like that, Fluttershy?" asks Twilight. There is no response. "Fluttershy?" Again, no response. The camera pulls away from the dragon and starts scanning around for the little yellow mare, until it finally finds her clinging to a tree branch in the woods they'd come from. There's a bit of shaking as the whole scene turned sideways, implying that the camera had been laid down on its side. Twilight comes into view in a ghillie suit. If she weren't moving around and standing upright, you'd hardly be able to tell where she was. She moves over to the tree where Fluttershy is cowering. "Right, I forgot you were afraid of dragons."

Fluttershy nods, but doesn't try to move other than that. "I'm p-p-perfectly happy here until that d-dragon leaves," she mutters, being picked up by the mic in her hair.

"You know," lectures Twilight, "this presents a very interesting opportunity. Finding a dragon to report on for science is an amazingly rare instance. With very little information in books about them, we could be the world's foremost experts in the subfield of dragons. We mustn't let this opportunity go to waste."

"Thank you, but no thank you."

"I can't report on it; I know very little about dragons. You know way more than I do."

Fluttershy vehemently shakes her head.

"The reason most ponies are afraid of dragons, or any animal for that matter, is because they don't understand them, or know nothing about them. How you feel right now is how most ponies feel about lions and tigers and bears. Oh, my, just think of what our show could do to eliminate those fears! You'd be a hero to so many colts and fillies!"

"I don't want to be a hero to them! I want to be a hero to the chipmunks and squirrels and birds! Not to the dragons!"

"Oh, come on!" grumbles Twilight. "Can't you see that there is a clear parallel between your fear of dragons and other ponies' fears of other animals? We can break down that fear with understanding!"

After a few moments, Fluttershy climbs down from the tree, and reluctantly makes her way out into the field as Twilight retrieves her camera. "D-dragons are--"

She is immediately cut of as the dragon lets out another roar and takes off, kicking up a big cloud of dust and blowing a strong gust of wind their way. With a few powerful flaps, the beast is up in the air, and with one final roar to relay its dominance, it flies off into the distance.

"Well, that was a disappointment," groans Twilight. "If we could have collected that data, we could have had our first episode, no matter how poor, go absolutely viral just by having new information about how dragons work."

"Thank goodness. I was afraid that I'd really have to list off everything I knew about dragons."

"We could still do that," says Twilight, bringing a hurt grimace to Fluttershy's face, "But it's not as good without an example. We'd really want you to really be up close and personal wi--"

"No! I outright refuse!"

"But Fluttershy, we nee--"

"This is as close as I'm comfortable being to a dragon! If you want me to be close enough to touch our subject, pick something else!"

Twilight sighs from behind the camera. "Okay, fine. We'll pick another creature. It's not like we have nothing to choose from." As the camera pans across the plains, the screen goes dark and the sound cuts out. The recording has stopped.