Fluttershy's Nature Show, Season Two

"So, lemme see if Ah have this straight," says Applejack from behind the camera. "Y'all are goin' around takin' movin' pitchers of these here animals, an' y'all asked fer me; the least tech-savvy pony of the group, ta handle the technical shit?"

"Please don't swear," sighs Fluttershy. "Twilight's going to have to cut that out."

"Why did y'all pick me, though?"

Fluttershy lowers her head. "Can I be honest with you, Applejack?"

"A' course..."

"I actually wasn't going to ask you, because I was sure you'd say no."

"Really?"

"I was kind of hoping, actually. That way, we could reschedule, and I could take a bit of time to relax from all of this travelling..."

"Why didn't ya say so before we came all the way out here ta the savannah?"

"Because you already said you'd do it."

Applejack takes a long sigh. "Look, Ah'm sorry, alright? Ah didn't know ya was in need of a break. But here, look at it from mah point a' view: If ya finish up here real fast, y'all can take a break real soon. Y'all can relax when we're done."

"I know," sighs Fluttershy. "But at the same time, I don't want to slack on the details. I want to do a good job, I just... Need a break."

"Well, we'll just have to see to it that ya have the time ta take one, won't we?"

Fluttershy smiles back at Applejack. "Hopefully, it won't be that difficult to maintain that camera."

"Only one way ta' find out."

They round a corner and find a cave under a very large rock. It's a very large cave, but not very deep. It only goes a few metres in, but the opening is more than three times as wide. Inside the cave, as well as on top of the flat rock that makes up the top of it, and even scattered around in the dirt and grass under the shade of a few trees, are nearly two dozen lions. One of them is even in a jackalberry branch. Every single one turns to them as they come into view, and a few begin to pad closer.

"Uh... Fluttershy?"

"Yes, Applejack, we're here to talk about lions."

"Just checkin'. Ya know what yer doin', right?"

"I do. Is that camera on?"

"On and filming."

Fluttershy approaches them with her hand out, and one of the approaching lionesses sniffs it, then presses her head into Fluttershy's palm.

"I've just established a rapport with this pride, and we should be safe to film. Just make sure you don't step on any paws or tails with your boots, and we should be fine."

The camera moves slowly and deliberately, following Fluttershy toward the cave. There are a few growls by the lionesses, but it does not escalate to biting or scratching.

Inside the cave, there are a few more lionesses, mostly looking after cubs. In addition, a single male lion is lounging in the shade.

"Now, hold on..." says Applejack. "Ah've seen those fancy talkin' pictures. Ain't lions' manes s'pos'ta be red?"

"They can be, sometimes," nods Fluttershy. "Usually, that's an indicator of average males. The younger ones typically have yellow manes, as the hair grows out before it starts changing colour. Typically, the more powerful and virile males will have dark brown manes. It takes a very special kind of lion to have a black mane."

Fluttershy runs her hands through the lion's mane. It's very deep and fluffy. It's so big that her elbow almost disappears into it. "Look at that!" she chuckles. "Isn't that fun to see? Look how voluminous his mane is!"

"Ah'm more concerned about the voraciousness of his appetite," admits Applejack. "Don't lions hunt things like us?"

"Oh, don't be silly," smiles Fluttershy. "It's the lionesses that do most of the hunting. Big guy like this with his big black mane, he'd not make it as a hunter. But the girls are mostly slender and the same colour as the grass. The lionesses do most of the hunting."

"So... What does the lion actually do?"

"Mostly, he just fights off other males that try to encroach on his pride. He also raises his cubs and marks the area with his scent to make sure that every other creature in the area knows who this land belongs to."

"Scent marking? Really?"

Fluttershy nods enthusiastically. "It happens with more than just lions. Dogs are known to do it, as well. And other animals, too."

"Like the polecat."

Fluttershy furrows her brow. "Well, kind of. They have a different thing going. They just emit their musk through their scent glands."

"You sure? Bic Mac's been sprayed by one before; had ta take a bath in tamater juice and wasn't allowed in the house fer a week."

Fluttershy nods, her face now relaxing into realisation. "You're talking about a skunk."

"Yeah, a polecat."

"Well, actually, the polecat is more akin to a ferret, weasel or stoat. They're mustelids. Skunks are not, though they aren't that far off. They were previously thought to be of the same family, but they have different enough structure to justify separation."

"Thought y'all said they was close enough? The structure can't be that different if no one could tell the difference ages ago."

Fluttershy shrugs. "In the same way that a house and a barn are constructed the same way."

There's a pause, then Applejack shakes the camera a bit. "Ah see yer point. But what does this have to do with this here cat?"

Fluttershy blinks a few times, staring into the camera with no expression. "I honestly don't remember. I don't know what point I was trying to make, there."

"Ya lost the forest for the trees..."

"Yeah, I'm sorry. Here, I'm supposed to be teaching you about lions, and I just go off and start telling you about stoats and martens. I'm really sorry."

"It's alright. By me, anyways. Ah'm sure yer fans won't mind, either."

"They might," breathes Fluttershy. "We sold a lot of tapes. We're probably going to sell a lot more. And I really don't want to disappoint them by showing them lions while talking about completely unrelated animals."

"Well, Ah just so happen to have a solution."

"Oh? What's that?"

"How's about we talk about this here lion?"