((Prompt: Tall tales/Tall tails.))
“C'mon, Fluttershy! We're gonna be late!”
“Ow!”
“What's a matter?”
“Oh, it's nothing, Rainbow. My tail just got snagged on the door.”
“Here, lemme help you get it free.”
“Ow, ow, ow! Um, maybe you can fly ahead and tell Rarity I'll be a little bit late? I can handle this.”
“Sure, okay. I'll see you at the lake!”
“See you! Angel, sweetie, could you fetch me the scissors, please?”
*
“Why hello, Rainbow darling! Where's Fluttershy? I thought she was coming with you.”
“She'll catch up. She got her tail caught in the doorway. It was stuck real good.”
“Oh my goodness! Is she all right?”
“Yeah, she's just fine. She sent me ahead to let you know.”
“Such a thoughtful dear. We shall have to save the best spot of shade for her when she gets here.”
“Uh huh. Now, if you'll excuse me, I think that rope swing's calling my name. Cannonball!”
*
“Dreadful, Pinkie dear, just such a positively dreadful thing to happen to poor Fluttershy!”
“Oh no!”
“That's not the worst part, either. When she finally did arrive, the end of her tail was missing!”
“Gasp!”
“Of course, she put on a brave face for Rainbow and me, acted like there was nothing wrong, but that's exactly how I knew how much pain she was hiding. You can't just be missing half your tail and pretend everything's fine!”
“Poor Fluttershy!”
“Indeed, darling. That is why I am working on these tail extensions for her. It's the least I can do.”
“Good idea, Rarity! With all that's happened to her, we should all be extra nice to Fluttershy!”
“I'm glad you think so... Pinkie? Huh. Where did she go?”
*
“Applejack! You need to drop everything you're doing right now and help me bake a cake!”
“Pinkie, I can't jus' quit in the middle of a job whenever you need a bakin' buddy. I gotta get this field tilled.”
“This is important! Fluttershy is dying!”
“She... what?”
“I talked to Rarity, and apparently it took Fluttershy a whole hour to get to the lake from her house, and she's in pain, and she's losing hair from her tail, and omigosh, what if it's some kind of incurable disease?”
“Back up, Pinkie. You really bein' serious? Is she really that sick?”
“Uh huh! Rarity's making her a new tail to cover up the fact that it's all falling out, but we need to put together the bestest get-well party in the history of parties for Fluttershy, and to do that, I need you to drop what you're doing and help me bake a cake!”
“Yeah... you're right, Pinkie. You head into the kitchen an' get started, I'm gonna go see if there's anything Twi can do.”
“Hurry, Applejack! Before it's... before it's too late!”
*
“What?”
“Coughin' things up, hair fallin' out, the whole nine yards!”
“But she was just fine when I talked to her yesterday.”
“What could hit a pony that fast, you reckon?”
“Nothing good, Applejack. There's only a few things that could do this, and none of them are the sort of thing that goes away with a bowl of warm soup and a good night's sleep.”
“That's what I was afraid of.”
“You said Rainbow and Rarity had direct contact with her?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay. I need you to tell them to stay inside, and then keep an eye on them. If they start showing any symptoms, tell me immediately.”
“Gotcha, Twi. I—C-Celestia, what's that mask for? An' where are ya goin?”
“To the source of the infection, Applejack.”
*
“Oh, Twilight, I didn't expect you—eeek!”
“Stay calm, Fluttershy. Everything will be all right. We'll find you a cure.”
“W-what's that on your face?”
“Just a necessary precaution. I... wait a minute, you don't look sick at all!”
“Um, thank you?”