//------------------------------// // Chapter 6; The Results // Story: "When's the Wedding?" And Other Rumbaloo Tales // by Candy-Sweets_12 //------------------------------// Scootaloo jumped awake, nearly falling out of her bed from the sudden noise. A loud trumpet boomed around the room, startling all of the mares awake as they jumped out of their beds. They didn't need to be told to get ready for the day ahead. As quickly as possible, Scootaloo put on her uniform and fixed the bed she slept in. Within a few minutes, Spitfire came into the room, her sunglasses setting a darkening hue over her expectant eyes. She glanced around the room, looking for anything out of place. She smiled when she found everything as it should be. "Alright, outside! Now!" she screeched, blowing the whistle around her neck. The mares all jumped, before quickly filing out of the room, rushing out the doors. Once outside, they mixed in with the boys, standing in formation as they waited for Spitfire. Who seemed to be taking her sweet time with them. She looked over the checklist, making sure everyone was there, before she handed it off to someone to the side of her. "Today we're going to determine who your wing ponies will be for the week. But first," she turned to two stallions, who were pushing a machine in front of the line of ponies, draped with a long sheet. "we're going to set you up to this." She pulled off the sheet, revealing the legendary Dizzitron. Scootaloo couldn't help but break into a sweat, this machine was known for breaking a few bones every now and again. She was suddenly grateful that she hadn't eaten breakfast before. "Each one of you are going to be strapped onto to this bad boy," Spitfire smiled as she set a hoof on the contraption. "it will make you dizzy, I repeat, very dizzy. How quickly you recover will determine whether or not you become a wing pony." She turned to the cadets. "Do I make myself clear?!" she asked. "Yes ma'am!" they shouted. Spitfire cracked a smile, and took her checklist back from the stallion before. "Alright, Comet, you're up first." she said. The stallion smiled proudly, and walked over to the Dizzitron, setting himself in and slipping his goggles over his eyes. "Ready?" Spitfire called out to him. "I was born ready." he replied Spitfire narrowed her eyes, before she signaled for the machine to start. At first, it went by slowly, almost like a carnival ride, but soon the stallion became a navy and purple blur, and was moving at bone breaking speeds. Spitfire took a moment to finally say, "Release!" once she did, Comet went soaring into the sky, recovering at an impressive state before flying down as quickly as possible to his original spot, throwing Scootaloo a cocky smirk and a wink. Who prompted to rolling her eyes. "5.2 seconds, not bad." Spitfire admitted. "Now get back in line!" she demanded. Comet did so gladly, nearly prancing over to his original place. "Astra! You're up next!" Spitfire said. The rose colored mare gulped, as her sea green eyes shrunk. "Y-yes ma'am." she said quietly. Within the next twenty or so minutes, the recruits were sent flying off into the atmosphere, some taking longer to come back down than others. By the time Scootaloo was called up, many finished with flying colors, Rumble himself earning an impressive 4.73 seconds. Just as Spitfire called her up, Scootaloo immediately set herself in the machine, strapping her goggles into place. "Ready?" Spitfire asked. Scootaloo took a second to adjust the strap, before nodding. Spitfire gave the signal, and Scootaloo went spinning in the loop, as the speed increased, she grew dizzier until the whole world was taking violent turns. "Release!" she heard. In an instant, she felt herself flying into the air the world seeming to flip upside down one or two times, before she caught herself, she folded her wings and dropped down, ignoring her tilting vision. She opened her wings before she could hit the clouds and flew as fast as possible to where she originally started. "4.87 seconds." Spitfire said, "Impressive." Scootaloo smiled triumphantly, and despite how dizzy she still felt, went over to Rumble in line with everyone who had finished. Just as Sky Bound went up last, she sat next to Rumble, who gave her a supportive smile. "That was amazing." he said. "You weren't so bad yourself." Scootaloo grinned. "I can't wait for our results. They've got to put us together!" "Our times were pretty close." Rumble agreed. "You and I are going to be unstoppable." Scootaloo said. "As long as I don't get sucked into a wind machine, I'll be fine." Rumble shrugged. Scootaloo rolled her eyes and grinned. Sky Bound, by that point, came to a landing next to the two. "So, was I awesome or what?" she said, flashing the two a grin. "What was your time?" "4.6!" Sky Bound said, "If I do say so myself." "Wow, we came pretty close." Scootaloo said. "Guess it was destined." Sky Bound smirked, wrapping an arm around Scootaloo. "I guess it was." Scootaloo replied. Later on that day, everyone crowded into the lunchroom, several recruits pushing at each other to see their name and who would be a wing pony. Scootaloo and Rumble however, took their time. They knew that ponies with the closest time would be paired up. So rather than going straight over, they got in line for lunch first. Once the crowd died down, Rumble glanced over to it, before he saw the names. "Um...Scootaloo?" he said, poking at her. "Yeah?" she asked, turning to him. She followed his eyes to the sheet of paper, and nearly dropped her plate. "You've gotta be kidding me." she said. "Please tell me this is a joke of some sorts." Just then, Comet walked over, striding in a cocky pose towards her, a big dumb grin on his face. He smirked at Scootaloo, and Rumble gave him a bone-chilling glare. "Hey there, Sweet Lips." he said. Scootaloo scowled, avoiding his eyes. "Guess who your wing pony is." he hinted teasingly. "You mean the grabby player who walks around hitting on everyone he sees?" Scootaloo shot back. "Ouch." Comet said. "Is that any way to talk to your wing pony?" "If you were anyone else, I wouldn't. But you're not anyone else, are you? You're a cocky show-off." "If you ask me, I'd say it was destined. Perhaps it's fate." Comet said, walking up to Scootaloo and wrapping an arm around her, bumping Rumble out of the way. Rumble bit his cheek and resisted the urge to hit the guy, not wanting to make a scene. Scootaloo pushed herself away from him and walked out of the cafeteria, setting her tray down on a vacant table. "Mares," Comet said with a roll of his eyes, he turned to Rumble, "am I right?" Rumble ignored him and went over to the table Scootaloo set her tray. "What's his problem?" "Permission to enter, ma'am." Spitfire glanced up, glaring at Scootaloo over her glasses. "What is it, Scootaloo?" she asked. "Ma'am, I thought that I'd be on the same team as someone else, someone who had a pretty close time to mine." Spitfire took off her glasses. folding them and setting them to the side. "Your score was actually pretty close between two other recruits. However, you were slightly closer to Comet. Is there a problem with that?" Spitfire asked. Scootaloo swallowed the lump in her throat before continuing. "It's just that I've had a few complications with my wing pony in the past, ma'am. I don't think that we'd make the best team." Spitfire sighed. "I understand that, Scootaloo. But part of being a Wonderbolt is learning to cooperate with everyone, regardless of the situation and regardless of who they are. You have to make the best with what you have. I know, that can be difficult with some ponies, but unless some problems arise, you're going to have to work with what you have. So I'm sorry to say, but you have to work with Comet. " she said. Scootaloo held back a defeated sigh. "Unless there are some problems I should be aware about." Spitfire added, raising an eyebrow. "No ma'am, sorry for interrupting." Scootaloo said. "In that case, you're dismissed cadet." Spitfire said, putting her glasses back on. "What'd she say?" Sky Bound asked, waiting for an answer with Rumble. "She said that I'm going to have to cooperate with him. Even if I don't like him in the slightest way possible." Scootaloo sighed. She picked at her food, avoiding Rumble's gaze. "I'm sorry, Scoots. I know that this must be pretty hard for you." Rumble said. "But you know I'm willing to help you in whatever way I can." Rumble said. "I know." Scootaloo sighed. "I just wish it could've been a bit different. But I can't do anything to change it, so I guess I'll have to suck it up." Rumble grit his teeth. "I hate that guy, you won't believe how hard it is to not punch him." "I imagine it must be, the dude's hitting on your girlfriend, who wouldn't be mad?" Sky Bound agreed. Speak of the devil, Comet came their way with a tray, winking at Scootaloo, who scowled. "What do you want, now?" Scootaloo asked harshly. "I just want to eat lunch with my partner." "Well I don't. Last time I checked, we weren't required to. So leave me alone." Scootaloo shot back. "Oh come on Sweetheart," he said. "don't be like that." "I am not your 'Sweetheart'. I'm just a pony who was unlucky enough to have to work with you." "Come on, admit it, you like me don't you?" "No. I don't. I don't, and I never will. I don't like you in the slightest bit possible, and I don't even want to be your acquaintance, and I sure as hell never wanted to be your partner. But I am your partner, and you're my wing pony. Meaning that when I say something, you have to follow it. And right now, I say leave me the hell alone, and save it for the next exercise." Comet was taken back by this, and for the first time since he's been there, the sneer on his face disappeared for a moment, before it returned. "Fine, drama queen." he said. Scootaloo rolled her eyes and turned back to Rumble. "At least you two'll be able to work together." Scootaloo sighed. "I guess so. Rumble's an excellent flyer and all, but I think that you two would've been better off working together. I feel like I'm putting a wedge between you guys." "No, you're not, if anyone is, it's him." Rumble said. "Besides, you're not hitting on either of us like he is, so I wouldn't consider this putting a wedge between us." "I have a feeling that that Comet guy might be trying to." Scootaloo stated. "Knowing you though, I'm pretty sure he won't be able to. He just doesn't know you like I do." Rumble shrugged. "You got that right." Scootaloo said. "I can't wait to be as far away from him as possible." "Considering we're only two days in, I think it's safe to assume it's going to be a long week." Sky Bound added. Rumble and Scootaloo nodded. "Agreed."