//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 Sacrifice // Story: Friendship is Infectious // by Brony-327 //------------------------------// Rainbow Dash hadn’t slept all night. She was far too excited. Tomorrow morning, her fillyhood dreams were being realized. All those bruises, those endless hours of training. All of it had finally paid off. Rainbow rolled over and smiled. Hanging in the nearby closet was the blue uniform and flying goggles that Spitfire had given her when she had told Rainbow that she was the newest member of her favorite flying team. Rainbow sat up in bed, and whispered across the room. “Hey Gilda. You awake?” “Yes Dash. I’m still awake, same as I was two hours ago. Same as I was thirty minutes ago. Do you have any idea what time it is? I’ll tell you what time it is. It’s five AM, that’s what time it is! You know I have to be up early. I am taking your old job after all.” Rainbow switched on a light and grinned and the disheveled griffon. “I know, and I’m sorry. I’m just so excited! This is a big day for both of us after all! Your first day on the job, my first day with the Wonderbolts. I’m really glad Mayor Mare was able to convince you to be chief weather officer. It’ll be totally awesome to have you around again. Just like old times.” Though the griffon was clearly cranky for not being able to get any sleep, she still gave Rainbow a small smile. “Yeah, it’s cool or whatever.” Gilda face grew sober. “I’m just glad she and everypony actually want me here. I mean, I did kinda blow up that one time...” Her voiced trailed off. They both remembered the incident at Sugarcube Corner. After being the victim of numerous pranks, Gilda had lost her temper at the assumed prankster Pinkie Pie, only to find out that Rainbow Dash had been the coordinator of most of the pranks. Gilda and Dash had something of a falling out that day, and hadn’t spoke to each other for several months afterwards. “Dash, I wanted to say thanks. Thanks for helping me get this job, for being willing to forgive me, putting up with my temper and giving me a place to stay. I don’t have many friends willing to stand by me lately. They all think I’m some sort of angry angst-y filly-fooler...” Dash was surprised. She had never seen the big tough griffon this emotional. She had always been the confident, cocky, sometimes arrogant loudmouth, even in flight school. Seeing her this open was rather unnerving for the pegasus pony. “Gilda.” said Dash “That’s the good thing about the ponies here. Sure, they can be a pain sometimes. But they’re always there for you. No matter what. And they are also totally willing to forgive and resolve any stuff that happens. and more importantly, I’m always here for you. Sure, we have fights. What friends don’t? The key thing is that we stick together, and-” “Dude, keep it up with the sappy stuff and I’m gonna be sick.” The confident griffon was back, and any hint of vulnerability had been locked away. Dash giggled. “You started it.” “Did not!” “Did...wait. Did you hear that?” They both stopped talking and listened. the sound had been growing the whole time they had been talking, but only now did they realize what sound they actually heard. It was the sound of screams. Rainbow and Gilda rushed to the window and peered through the blinds, just in time to see the colt Hoops, one of the three ponies that had bullied Dash in flight school, go galloping by, a small green filly sinking her teeth deep into Hoops’ wings. Similar acts of violence were everywhere. Across the street, two colts attacked a small screaming filly, tearing at her small frail body until she grew still. “Oh my gosh.” Whispered a horrified Dash. “They...they killed her. They just...” The filly outside twitched, wrenching her neck around at an impossible angle. Her look of terror had been replaced by a terrifying hungry grin, that stretched from ear to ear. With an ungainly bound, the filly leapt at another nearby pony, and the grisly scene was repeated. “Whatever’s goin’ on,” said Gilda, “It looks like ponies go crazy when they get bitten. It must be some sort of illness.” “We gotta get to Canterlot!” Said Rainbow, almost hysterical. “We gotta tell somepony! We gotta!...” She was practically screaming now. “HUSH.” snapped Gilda. “Look.” They both looked through the blinds. The scene outside had grown quiet, but it was obvious that something was very wrong. They realized that every one of those things, their once friends and neighbors, were staring at Dash’s house, every one of them wore the same wide grin. Cursing, Gilda quickly turned off the light and shoved a dresser in front of the door. But the damage was done. Those things knew they were there. A wave of groans, shrieks, and primal growls hit Rainbow and Gilda’s ears. At almost exactly the same moment the door shook as the first wave of creatures hit against it. “There’s too many of them!” Yelled Gilda. “You gotta go out the back door, fly to Canterlot, let somepony know what’s happened here!” Dash didn’t move. “Dash! You gotta go!” “What about you?” Dash spoke barely above a whisper. “I’m not leaving you.” “Dash!” screamed Gilda “We don’t have time for this! One of us has to hold ‘em off! You’re the fastest flier in Equestria. You can get there way faster than I can. Besides, I’m stronger anyways. I stand a better chance against these things. GO!” Rainbow Dash was shocked out of her stupor. Running to the back door, she flung it open. Turning back, she made one final plea. “Last chance Gilda. We can make it together!” At that moment, the front door burst open, and a horde of creatures poured into the room. Gilda looked at Dash one last time. She looked resigned and almost peaceful. “Don’t forget me.” With a roar, Gilda charged into the seething mass. Clawing, tearing and doing everything she could to take out as many of the things as possible. But she was horribly outnumbered. Rainbow caught one last glimpse of the griffon being attacked by at least twenty of the beasts before she pulled the back door shut, throwing the bolts home. As she sped away from the now-destroyed Cloudsdale, she had no tears. All she had now was a burning determination. “I won’t forget you Gilda. I promise. I’ll tell the princess what happened here. I’ll come back for you. I’ll come back for you.”