//------------------------------//
// MLAABQ Gaiden: Lingual Hindrances 
// Story: Short Flights And Failed Takeoffs 
// by Snakeskin Ducttape 
//------------------------------//

“Thanks for coming, Gabe,” Twilight Sparkle said, as the two of them walked down a hallway in The Castle of Friendship. “He’s speaking a language I’m not familiar with, but perhaps you know it.”

“Well, if I don’t understand it, I might still be able to identify it, which might help,” Gabrielle Desrochers said. “How is he? Is he scared or something?”

“No he seems very calm,” Twilight said, as they neared the door. “He might be getting a little restless from not knowing what’s going on though.”

“But can he understand you?” Gabe asked. “Did he try and say any words you understood?”

“No, he didn’t.”

“Alright,” Gabe said, taking that into consideration, as Twilight opened the door to the large guest room.

In it, on a bed, focusing on the door opening in front of him with a curious and slightly apprehensive expression was something Gabe didn’t realise how long it had been since she had been until she saw him: A human.

He looked calm enough for the situation, and not scared or angry at all, which Gabe found to be a relief. He mostly looked curious at the sight of the two ponies.

He slowly raised his hand in greeting, and simply said, “uhm, hello.”

Gabe stopped, and looked at Twilight.

“He said ‘hello’,” Gabe pointed out, confused, as she gestured towards the human.

“He did?” Twilight asked. “You understand him then?”

“Of course,” Gabe said, confused. “He’s speaking the same language as us.”

“He’s not… is that what you hear?” Twilight asked.

“Yes!” Gabe said, before pausing for a moment. “Don’t you?”

“No... interesting.”

Gabe walked closer to the human, and held up her flesh and keratin hoof. “Hey there,” she said. “My name’s Gabrielle Desrochers. What’s your’s?”

The human cocked his head at her. “I’m sorry,” he said, slowly shaking his head. “I don’t understand you. I mean, it’s clear that you’re speaking some form of language, but I can’t understand the horse sounds you make.”

“Oh, thank you,” Gabe said, rolling her eye. “I know I have a bit of an accent, but– wait a minute, what do you mean ‘the horse sounds you make’?”

The human looked a bit flustered, and then just shrugged.

“The sounds I make?”

A soft nicker came from behind her. “Gabe?”

“Wha-what?” Gabe neighed at Twilight shaking her out of her thoughts.

“Are you okay?” Twilight nickered. “You looked lost in thoughts.”

“I… did? Did? Did… Diiiid,” Gabe whickered, listening to her every word. “Oh… OH!”

“Gabe?” Twilight neighed. “What is it?”

“I’m… I’m,” Gabe nickered in a shaky voice, before looking up into the ceiling with a deranged expression and whinnying as loud as she could.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAH!”