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// 163. Glimmer 
// Story: Short Shorts 
// by Coranth 
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When the human called David had arrived in Equestria, neither side had known what to do. The human couldn't speak the ponies' language of Earth horse-like sounds - their neighs, nickers, whinnies and other sounds - and the ponies couldn't speak his human words. Not even the ponies' magic could help, as translation spells worked upon a common thread that all languages held yet the human's did not. His speech and theirs were just too different. But Twilight Sparkle was determined to bridge the gap between their species and his and she eventually did. Twilight taught David the ponies' writing system, and he taught her human-English letters and numbers.

Then came customs and after that, social mores. Twilight and her kin went about furclad - except in the City of Canterlot, of course - but David wore clothing all the time. Ponies were a very tactile species - very 'touchy-feely' if you will - but David preferred his personal space, keeping her and her friends at arms' length. Ponies were a herd species - herds did practically everything together - but David was alone and yet he was okay with that? To Twilight Sparkle and her friends, this was an unthinkable concept, one over which he and she nearly came to blows! She'd attempted to examine his Mobile Phone and the Notebook Computer he'd arrived with - as he was staying with her in her castle, to her it was no longer his property, but 'their' property, herd property. David hadn't agreed.

That night - even though neither could speak the other's language - their raised voices had resounded throughout the Castle of Friendship as both shouted at the other, David yelling at Twilight in English, a blistering diatribe about respecting an individual's property, whilst Twilight neighed and whinnied furiously that it was now theirs! In the end, bursting into tears, Twilight retreated to her and Spike's room whilst David took his things and stowed them in his own, muttering darkly to himself. Through it all, one other pony in the Castle shook her head, a whicker-sigh escaping her as she beheld her mentor's foolishness. 

Once Twilight and David were gone, quietly and carefully, Starlight Glimmer ascended the steps to the Guest Room where David was staying. Here, thought she, was a being who hadn't learned of her past deeds at Our Town, nor of her abuse of Starswirl the Bearded's Time Travel Spell. Ponies knew of her past--but David did not, and with him she could have a clean slate; a thing she desired more than anything in the world. Determined to befriend him - with a zeal beyond even Twilight's own - Starlight had discreetly and carefully watched and noted David's every action and behavior and had learned much about him, including his desire for personal space--and that his property - even the room in which he now resided - was HIS and did not belong to the herd. 

Thus, unlike her mentor - who would have simply opened the door and entered - before she made to open the door, Starlight raised a hoof and softly knocked. A word spat in a half irritated, half-assenting tone met her ears - though she couldn't understand it Starlight knew David had given her permission to enter - and so, carefully, she opened the door. Therein, the purple-maned, heliotrope-coated unicorn espied David in bed, reading 'Daring Do and the Sapphire Stone'--but as soon as he saw her, the human marked his place, then carefully set down the book upon a crystal night-table and waved her over. A soft, breathless nicker escaping her, Starlight carefully walked over to him - making to sit by the bed, perhaps rest her head upon the duvet and just be with him - but David would have none of it; immediately he lifted the duvet back, petting the mattress with a hand.

With a soft, joyful whicker, Starlight hopped up and then David sighed gently, pulling the warm duvet back over them both. Starlight thought to respect his space - keeping to 'her' side of the frankly enormous bed - but David surprised her; gently wrapping an arm about her barrel he pulled her towards him and moved such that both human and unicorn 'met in the middle.' David pulled Starlight to him, and the unicorn sighed gustily through her nose, stretching out aside the length of his body, letting him spoon her. Unthinking, she blew at him, and - to her surprise - he returned the gesture; together, they shared breath. Then, bringing his hands from beneath the duvet, he made fists - hooves - and spoke to her in hoofsign, something she'd taught him in secret, without Twilight's knowledge.

~Out of all the ponies here~ he signed, ~you haven't been pushy, like Twilight and her friends. You've respected me as an individual and have allowed me my space. Why is that?~ Immediately Starlight answered, ~I... all I want is to be your friend; that's all, I swear by Celestia! If that means I have to let up on some of my own cultural norms, and adapt a few of yours, then so be it.~ For a moment, David smirked at her and Starlight feared she'd said the wrong thing--but then the human's smirk softened into a gentle smile and - to her surprise - he softly touched noses with her. ~You're getting there, GlimGlam~ he signed. ~You're getting there...~ Starlight giggled softly at the silly nickname he'd given her--but then said groan became a gasp as he softly scratched her behind the ears. Happy pony noises escaping her, she wriggled against him, nuzzling his face.