//------------------------------// // Chapter 25; The Gift Of Gab-by // Story: Working Towards The Future // by Dasponi //------------------------------// Rainbow Dash returned to the manor and entered the same way she had left, the living room window. Part of her was considering what the point in the front door was at this point. She saw Star Shine and Scootaloo looking down at something on the table and when they didn’t look up as she arrived she moved across the room to see what it was. It must be something important if it had kept them so distracted they didn’t even notice her. Rainbow Dash dropped the brace on the table, making Scootaloo and Star Shine jump and alerting them to her presence. “Oh, it’s just you Dash. Done already?” Star Shine asked, breathing a sigh of relief that it was only Rainbow Dash. “Yeah, Twilight’s pretty good. She said that it should last for a week.” Rainbow Dash replied. She looked past Star Shine and noticed Scootaloo trying to hide the newspaper. “A week? That’s odd. It’s supposed to last longer than that...” Star Shine mused. “It does. She wants you to go back and ask her personally to recharge it in a week.” Rainbow Dash explained, trying to see what Scootaloo was doing. Star Shine noticed where Rainbow Dash was looking and tried to move to stop her from looking as Scootaloo scooped the paper onto the floor and hid it under the table. “Great, I knew she was going to kill me for asking her to do that. Why didn’t you tell me she was THE Twilight Sparkle?” Star Shine asked. “Nah she just wants to talk to you about something I think. Never mind that, what’s Scoots up to? What’s she hiding there?” Rainbow Dash asked, sweeping Star Shine to the side and trying to see what Scootaloo was hiding. It was too late as the paper was already securely hidden and Scootaloo sat next to the table, looking up at Rainbow Dash with the most innocent face she could manage. “Welcome back Rainbow. I was just...doing a little cleaning up.” Scootaloo said. It was clear from the tone of her voice she was hiding something, and not just the paper. “By putting it under the table?” Rainbow Dash asked. It seemed absurd to her, as it would to most ponies, that you would clean something up by making more of a mess. Scootaloo nodded, still not breaking her shaky smile. Rainbow Dash sighed and swept a hoof under the table, dragging the newspaper out. Star Shine protested but she didn’t listen. Rainbow Dash placed the paper on the table and skimmed through it, looking for anything they would want to hide from her. Then she saw it, about halfway through the paper. There was a large picture of herself, Scootaloo, and Star Shine at the restaurant they had eaten in together. “Well news certainly seems to travel fast in this town.” Rainbow Dash commented before having a look at the article. “Or should I say gossip.” she added as she saw who it was written by; Gabby Gums. “I thought you and your friends were Gabby Gums?” Rainbow Dash asked Scootaloo. While Rainbow Dash wasn’t looking Star Shine tried to swipe the paper but Rainbow Dash firmly planted a hoof on it when she felt it slipping from under her. She was more determined to read it than before with how much they had tried to hide it from her. She also hated other ponies talking about her personal life and assuming things. “We were, but I know none of us wrote that. They weren’t there at the restaurant and I certainly didn’t write it. It doesn’t even look like something we’d write.” Scootaloo said. Rainbow Dash knew Scootaloo wouldn’t lie to her and she didn’t see either Sweetie Belle or Apple Bloom at the restaurant. She sighed and began to read the article. “Just Who Is This Mysterious Colt?” The headline read. Rainbow Dash breathed a sigh of relief when it seemed the article was about a mysterious new visitor to Ponyville in Star Shine and nothing to do with Scootaloo or herself. Then she continued reading. Her face fell as she read the article. Hello there everypony. It’s Gabby Gums here with you once more. Don’t call this a comeback though, as I’m only here with some of the juiciest gossip I’ve come across in a long time. It was so good I knew I just had to share it with you. I know the last time I was here I told you I was three little fillies but Gabby Gums is so much more than any pony, or even three ponies. Gabby Gums is an idea. Gabby Gums is gossip, and when there is gossip there will always be Gabby Gums. Although please, don’t send the Elements of Harmony after me, I’m not some kind of entity who controls ponies and brings about eternal darkness like that Nightmare creature. Anyway that’s more than enough about me. I’m not here to tell you about me, I’m here to tell you about the colt seen here with Ponyville’s own Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash. We all know Rainbow Dash; she’s the Element of Loyalty and is seen alongside Twilight Sparkle a lot, but we don’t know much about Scootaloo. We know even less about this colt right here in the picture with them. All we know about him is his name; Star Shine. Scootaloo herself was absent from school for a whole week a few weeks ago and when asked about it her friends said she was just on holiday, and had come back early. She also came back with something new; Rainbow Dash. Just what happened between Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash? How does this colt fit in? He was heard at the restaurant by other visitors referring to Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo as his family and he was even heard saying that Rainbow Dash is Scootaloo’s mother. Now we all know that Rainbow Dash is far too young to have a secret love child hidden away, but this colt certainly seems older. Is it possible that he could be Scootaloo’s father? According to her friends Scootaloo said she was on holiday with her parents but came back early when she was sick, and that Rainbow Dash was taking care of her until her parents came back. A week later and who shows up at Scootaloo’s school to pick her up with Rainbow Dash but this colt called Star Shine. Is it actually possible for this colt to be Scootaloo’s father? If so then where is her mother? I asked Rainbow Dash’s friends but only one of them has even met this colt. She said his name is Star Shine and that he referred himself as Scootaloo’s flight instructor, but he also said he was Rainbow Dash’s ‘specialist friend’. If we are to believe this colt could be Scootaloo’s father, and Rainbow Dash’s ‘specialist friend’ then we can assume that he would lie about his relationship with Scootaloo to help hide what is undoubtedly an affair. Perhaps he is simply waiting for the right time to come out about the nature of his relationship with both girls. We can only speculate but if you look closely, all the pieces are there and they all fit. This is Gabby Gums, signing out. “Who wrote this?” Rainbow Dash asked. Her voice was calm but it was obvious she was angry. “We don’t know. It seems like it was someone who was with us in the restaurant.” Star Shine said. “And I did tell my friends I was just ill on holiday and that you came to fetch me. So they must have asked them about it.” Scootaloo added. “It sounds like they talked to your friend Rarity too.” Star Shine said. Rainbow Dash started shaking in anger and Scootaloo took a few steps away from her. Star Shine walked up to Rainbow Dash and whispered something in her ear. Rainbow Dash gasped and stopped shaking. Star Shine took a few steps back while Rainbow Dash sighed and took a few deep breaths to calm herself down. “Let them talk. I’m going to go have a shower. I’ve been flying around a lot and I could do with one.” Rainbow Dash said before heading up the stairs. Star Shine and Scootaloo watched her go in silence and eventually heard the sound of running water. “What did you say to her? I thought she was going to explode or something.” Scootaloo asked Star Shine. “I simply told her the truth. That she was scaring you, and that if she took off in anger now, it would just make it worse for you.” Star Shine replied with a smile. Scootaloo walked up to him and nuzzled into his legs. “I was so scared. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her that angry.” Scootaloo said quietly. Star Shine felt his legs get wet as Scootaloo’s wiped her tears on him. Star Shine bent down and nuzzled her. “She really doesn’t like ponies invading her privacy and making things up about her. But she would never do anything to scare or hurt you.” Star Shine reassured Scootaloo. “I know, but what about my friends? I thought I could trust them but then they go and talk to who was pretending to be Gabby Gums. What about her friends? Why would Rarity do that?” Scootaloo asked. “You’re back at school tomorrow aren’t you?” Star Shine asked. Scootaloo nodded. “So you can ask them what happened then. Maybe you can even find out who it was.” Star Shine suggested. “I don’t think I could do it. I’m not as strong as you or Rainbow Dash.” Scootaloo replied. “Don’t you worry about that. I’ve always got a plan or two. Sometimes even three.” Star Shine said. Scootaloo giggled a little but she was still nervous about what the new day might bring. She wanted to trust her friends, she really did, but there in fine print were the words that she had told them in confidence. In that newspaper was clear proof that they had betrayed her trust in them. In the silence that passed between Scootaloo and Star Shine another sound could be heard over the running water of the shower. It sounded like screaming. “What’s that?” Scootaloo asked. She was a little worried if Rainbow Dash was screaming about something. Star Shine pricked up his ears to hear better and winced when he made out several screams and curse words he felt Scootaloo was too young to hear. “It’s uhh...it’s nothing to worry about. I think she just hit her hoof on something or the water was too hot.” Star Shine replied sheepishly. “I’ll go and check on her.” he added. He made his way up the stairs and walked to outside the, thankfully closed, bathroom door. “Hey Rainbow, you okay in there? Scootaloo thinks you hurt yourself or something. We heard you screaming from downstairs.” Star Shine called out. The water stopped and Rainbow Dash opened the door a little, poking her head through the gap. Her hair and face were soaking wet and her hair was falling down over her face. “What did you hear?” she asked him. Her voice was already starting to go a little. “Scootaloo couldn’t make anything out but I did. Where’d you learn words like that?” Star Shine asked in a teasing manner to try and lighten the mood and calm Rainbow Dash down. Given how she blew her hair out of her face and glared at him, he guessed it didn’t work. “Never mind that. I’ll be quieter now.” Rainbow Dash replied, shutting the door in Star Shine’s face. The shower started up again not long after. Star Shine sighed in resignation and headed back downstairs to reassure Scootaloo that Rainbow Dash really was fine, and could be some time in the shower.