Fluttershy's Nature Show

The camera clicks on, with Fluttershy holding it at arm's length from her body. She quickly flips it around, then returns it to her face.

"My cameramare, Twilight, is out today. Princess Celestia called her up to Canterlot on an urgent matter that I wasn't privy to, and I didn't want to pry. Instead of cancelling today's recording, I'm going to be doing the raw footage myself. Today's an easy one, anyway. We're just going to see a big, fluffy kitty cat."

She turns the camera around to show her path. "This species lives in a lot of different places, but the one we're going to see today lives in a cave in the Everfree forest. I've met him before, as has Twilight. That was the weekend when all three of us met for the first time, along with a bunch of our other friends. The rest of you might recall that as the summer sun celebration where Nightmare Moon's return caused the dawn to come late. However, that's a story for another time, and not important right now."

It's dark, being late into the evening, and her handheld lantern only provides so much light, causing the trees to be kind of spooky. Still, Fluttershy continues on, seemingly sure in her pathing. It's a fair few minutes before she seems to find what she's looking for.

"Now, before I go in there, there's something I should say. Just because I can face down a manticore with no repercussions does not mean you should try this on your own. It's not safe for everypony, and those of us who can tame the souls of wild manticores have gone through extensive training. I don't want to hear about any of you going out and being bitten or worse because you tried to copy something you saw on television. Always operate with your own safety, and the safety of your colleagues, in mind."

She walks into the cave, as it's lit by her lantern. She rounds a few bends, and finds the manticore curled up in the main chamber. "Hello?"

The manticore raises his head, his eyes locked on Fluttershy. As she sets down her lantern, his legs shift position, but his eyes don't shift from her. As she's still holding the camera, the recording gives the impression that he's staring directly into her soul, as well as the souls of anypony watching the recording back.

In the next moment, he pounces, knocking the camera out of her hands and onto the ground. After it stops rolling, it's on its side, looking on as Fluttershy is pinned to the cave floor. The manticore drools over her from its razor-sharp teeth, growling at her.

And then it starts licking her. She chuckles as his keratinous tongue brushes out her mane, causing it to flop over. "It's nice to see you, too," she laughs. "Let me up, would you?"

As the manticore retracts, she sits up, flips the camera upright, makes sure it's still recording, and places it in an area where it can see everything. She then reaches into her bag and pulls out a beef bone with a bit of dried meat still on it.

"Manticores, like most cats, are carnivorous. That means they eat meat. They are capable of digesting plant matter, but they are incapable of tasting it. That means that the only way they can have a satisfying meal is to eat meat."

The manticore takes the bone from her hand and begins gnawing on it, sometimes licking its paws as bits come off the bone and land on its fur.

Fluttershy approaches and begins petting his mane. "They're very fluffy and warm, and if you ever have the opportunity to snuggle with one safely, I cannot recommend it enough. Manticore manes make magnificent blankets, and their paws can be super soft and snuggly. They tend to be a bit playful, even more so when they're young. This one's an adult.

"The manticore has a strange social structure. The females tend to stay in one place in large groups called prides. When the males come of age, they are either removed from their families or pitted against their father in combat for the right to take his place. The latter almost always results in the death of the younger male, whether by the claws of his father or by the females rejecting him as their patriarch.

"Those that leave often join up with other disenfranchised males in groups known as coalitions. This grants them safe passage over the plains, as traveling in a group makes you less prone to attack. It also means that the weak ones that don't know how to hunt are still fed.

"This one didn't join a coalition, but went off on his own. It's not as safe, but he's no pushover. He can take care of himself, and if any female manticore wants him, they would be very lucky to have him." She leans in and gives him a hug. He is audibly purring, his bright red scorpion tail flicking lightly behind him.

"Now, I want to again stress just how dangerous it is to approach a manticore without training. Even with training, it can be a lethal affair. This is not true of all manticores, but in this case, the tail is capable of full-body muscular paralysis. That means that a sting from him could stop your heart if you're not careful. That said, I carry with me an antivenom that can stop the effects if an accident occurs. Let that be a lesson in safety: Even though I'm one hundred percent sure that he won't harm me in the slightest, I still have an antivenom. He could have a sudden panic attack and sting me accidentally. Not his fault, but having a safety net around will save your life.

"Now, it's too dark to do anything outside, so I'm going to leave off here for now. In the morning, I'll show you how good they are at flying, how fast they can run, and how to milk their venom, which is a critical component of the antivenom. While I have been warning you of how dangerous they can be, It is important that you understand just how helpful they can be, as well."

She rubs her hands over his furry chest, gives him a soft kiss on his hairy cheek, and walks over to the camera. A loud click is heard as she presses a button and the screen goes dark.