//------------------------------// // Judgement Day // Story: A New Generation // by QuiteNiceDynamite //------------------------------// Rainbow leaned forward in her chair. This was the one report that she wanted to hear. She just hoped that it would be a good report, she didn't want to have to tell Scootaloo that she wasn't good enough. Gilda had a neutral expression on her face. Rainbow Dash broke the silence, "So how did she do on the Dizzatron?" Gilda opened a small notebook she'd kept on Scootaloo, "Erm, where is it? Oh yes, seven seconds to land." Rainbow's ears pricked up, pleasantly surprised. Scootaloo had never been a good flyer, but seven seconds was much better than she had expected. "Seven seconds? That's not bad." Rainbow replied. "That isn't all." Gilda cut in. "It was not a clean landing. She almost took out the rest of the group on the runway." Rainbow sighed sadly. So the seven seconds meant nothing, if she had a poor landing, her time was obsolete. "Fine. What about the speed run?" Rainbow asked. After her seven second 'landing', she expected a quick time. "Over one hundred in her group, she was the fastest. Six seconds." Rainbow smiled, she'd expected a quick one, but Scootaloo had blown the others out of the water. "Any problems with it?" Gilda shook her head, "No, her start and stop were perfect as well. Flawless." "Excellent. Right, what about the synchronisation?" Rainbow asked, desperately hoping for a good grade. If Scootaloo had a good grade in this, Rainbow could definitely pass her. But if not, it would be an issue. Gilda sighed sadly. Oh no. She's done badly. Rainbow thought to herself. Gilda inhaled deeply, ready to inform her friend. "It wasn't great, to say the least. Obviously, she didn't know her partner, but hers was the worst display of the group. Her partner performed the maneuver perfectly, but she was awful at it, in all honesty. I know you don't want to hear this, but she got an F, she took out her partner." Gilda said, looking and sounding very depressed. This was an issue for Rainbow, how could she make the decision? What should she do? Gilda wished Rainbow Dash luck and got up to leave. "Good luck, Dash." "Wait! G, what would you do?" Rainbow asked desperately. Gilda looked very puzzled. Rainbow could see her brain working, should she pass her to please her friend? Or should she fail her because she doesn't deserve it? "I...I really don't know, Dash. I don't know. It depends on what you think, do you think she deserves it?" Gilda asked her friend. Rainbow placed her hoofs together and leaned on them, in deep thought. Gilda opened the door and started to walk out, but she turned in the door to talk to her friend. It hurt her to see Rainbow Dash in this way. "I'm sorry, Dashie. I really am." Rainbow Dash barely heard her friend, she was thinking too hard. "It's okay, G. Send her in." She muttered. Gilda walked outside and spotted Scootaloo. She made eye contact with her and nodded towards the door. Scootaloo trotted past her, eagerly awaiting the verdict. "Good luck, kid." Gilda mumbled as she went past her. Scootaloo knocked on the door. "Enter." Came her friend's voice from within. Scootaloo opened the door and trotted in. "Take a seat." Rainbow ordered. Still acting professionally despite her friends' presence. Scootaloo sat on the chair facing Rainbow Dash. Rainbow still wore her sunglasses to hide her eyes from her friend. She didn't want to make eye contact with her if she could avoid it. "Scootaloo, I've looked through your record and how you did today. I've took into account how much potential you have. You didn't have a great synchronisation test or a good drill on the Dizzatron. I know you did seven seconds, but it wasn't a clean landing. Despite that, you had an excellent speed run. Actually, you were the quickest in all three groups." Rainbow admitted. Rainbow looked over her glasses at Scootaloo for a split-second, and they made brief eye contact. Rainbow's heart stopped for a moment, this decision was going to be much harder than she had thought it would have been. "So like I said, I've took into account all of these things, and I've made my decision. I made it as the Wonderbolt Captain, not your friend." Rainbow admitted. Rainbow actually hadn't made her decision, she was still considering all of her possible outcomes. She could pass her, but would she be doing it as her friend? She could avoid it as much as she wanted to, but would she have a bias towards Scootaloo? She wanted Scootaloo to succeed, but she couldn't pass her just because she wanted to please her friend. But she'd had a bad trial today. She'd failed two of the three drills. She'd had an amazing speed run, the best trialist in that drill, but the two failures worried Rainbow Dash. Her failures overwhelmed her successes, so what should she decide? Rainbow Dash peered past Scootaloo to see Soarin and the rest of the Wonderbolts stood outside. Was Scootaloo up to their level? Would she ever be? Should Rainbow Dash fail her friend? Or should she pass her? It was time to decide. She was unsure until one question made her make a snap decision, Could she be a Wonderbolt? She laid the file and notebook on the desk. She took off her sunglasses. Rainbow Dash looked up at Scootaloo. Scootaloo returned her gaze. Rainbow looked her straight in the eyes and groaned mournfully to her, "I'm sorry, Scoot."