Rainbow smiled, her chest heaving as she inhaled through thin plastic tubes. "Those were good times, Pinkie." Rainbow rasped. Pinkie nodded slowly, giving a weak smile. It was hard to feel happy when you were forced to watch your best friend slowly weaken, slowly slip away, right through your hooves. And you could do nothing to stop it.
"Hey, where's *cough* Gilda?" Rainbow asked, noticing a sudden absence of her flight buddy. Pinkie shrugged.
"I didn't hear her leave. Maybe she is outside." with that, Pinkie rose from her seat and trotted over to the large metal hospital door. She turned the doorknob with her teeth, opening the door and slipping past before the sheer weight of the opening forced it to close once more. "Gilda?"
Huddled in a plastic chair was the familiar face of a Griffon, tears streaked down her face, snaking between her white feathers. "What do you want, loser?" she snarled. Pinkie was taken aback, she hesitated, but continued to trot towards Gilda. Lying a hoof tentatively on her shoulder.
"Hey, what's wrong, Gilda?" Pinkie said sympathetically.
"Nothing! I don't need you!" she snapped, brushing Pinkie's hoof off with a flick of her talons. "Why don't you go visit with your best pal, Rainbow Dash? Huh? Why should she care about me anyways? She never liked me like she liked you."
"So just leave me alone, okay?" Gilda murmured, burying her head in her hands. Pinkie frowned, and now she realised why all this time Gilda had been such a jerk. She had been jealous of Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash ever since the start. "Rainbow is supposed to be my friend." Gilda sobbed.
Pinkie sighed, seating herself in the chair beside Gilda. "You know, Rainbow really missed you."
Gilda paused and peered up, her eyes glistening with tears. "R-really?"
"Mhmm, ever since that fight you guys had, she felt really bad. She told me all about you two and your adventures at Flight Camp, and how much she wished she could go back to the good old' days of racing and hanging out. The truth is, Gilda. I was jealous of you. You two were best buds, still are best buds. She cares about you, Gilda." Pinkie said with a reassuring smile.
"She missed you."
Gilda smiled. "Thanks, Pinkie. You're a great friend. You deserve her, but I don't."
"Don't say that! Now, go. Go talk to Rainbow. She's waiting for you. You two have a lot of catching up to do." Pinkie grinned, helping Gilda to her talons. She gave her a light push. "Go on."
The griffon nodded her thanks and stepped into the room, shutting the door quietly behind her.
* * *
"What do you mean you "have to leave"?" Pinkie whined. Rainbow Dash flapped her tiny wings above her.
"I am going to Flight Camp, Pinkie." Rainbow said apologetically. "If I ever want to join the Wonderbolts, I HAVE to train. You understand, don't you?"
Pinkie folded her ears, her hair drooping. "Yeah, I guess." she sighed. Rainbow nodded and smiled.
"Good. And don't worry! It'll only be a year apart and then we can go back to the way things were, okay? No one will ever replace you, Pinkie. We are best foal friends forever, remember?" Dashie grinned, ruffling Pinkie's frizzy hair playfully.
"Promise me, Dashie?"
"I promise."
* * *
It pained Gilda to watch Dash struggle for life like this. Imprisoned behind invisible bars that held her to this bed, the very one she was doomed to die in. How sad it was that she would never fly again, nor ever taste the sweet apple cider she had always craved. It disturbed her to see her energetic friend lying still, so still. The tiny scribbles of lines on the screen were the only signs that she still clung to life.
"Hey Dash."
Rainbow turned her head. "Gilda." she smiled. "You still remember the Junior Speedsters Chant?"
Gilda sighed, rolling her eyes. "Only for you, Dash." The two friends sang in unison, Rainbow still with more vigor than Gilda. The harmony was only broken by the pained coughs and wheezes from Rainbow Dash.
"Junior Speedsters are our lives." tears stung Rainbow's eyes as a wave of pain surged through her entire body, numbing her thoughts. "Sky-bound soars and daring dives."
"Junior Speedsters, it's our quest." Gilda continued for her, holding her friend's hoof in her wings soothingly.
"To one day be the very ... best." Rainbow finished, a tear escaping her eye.
* * *
"Cloudsdale." Rainbow gasped as she watched the passing images of the great Pegasus city from the back of a taxi. The stallion Pegasus drawing the carriage came to a stop atop a fluffy cloud.
"Here you are, Ms. Dash. The bus to Junior Speedsters camp should arrive any minute now." he explained, pointing his hoof to a line-up of foals like herself, all chatting excitedly.
"Thanks mister." she said, flying from the taxi with suitcases in hoof. Rainbow stepped behind two pegasi in the line, blushing as she realised she was the smallest filly present. One of the pegasi cast her a disdainful look.
"And you are?"
"Rainbow. Rainbow Dash." Rainbow beamed, striking a pose. "The awesomest filly in all of-"
"Never heard of you." the Pegasus spat, returning her attention to her friend. Rainbow frowned, her ears flattening. She took a seat, sighing. She thought she would make so many friends at Flight Camp, but now she found herself longing for the company of her best foal friend, a little pink earth pony stuck on the ground.
"Ouch!" Rainbow wailed as someone from behind her stepped on her hoof. Her head spun around to face the ....pony? What Rainbow saw was definitely NOT a pony, in fact, she had never seen it before. It was about her size, perhaps a bit bigger. She had the head of an eagle, but the body of some sort of cat? Perhaps a lion?
"W-who are you?" Rainbow whimpered. The creature smiled.
"The name's Gilda. I'm a Griffon." she said, offering a talon to shake.
"My name is Rainbow. Rainbow Dash." she said, taking her talon and shaking.
"You're new here, aren't you?" Gilda said, looking the filly up and down. "Don't worry. Stick with me and you'll be the coolest pony in no time."
* * *