dC/dt ≠ 0

There were two problems that led to the fiasco that followed.

The first is that most ponies think that pegasi are simply born with sharper senses to allow them to fly at higher speeds, but this actually isn’t the case. The truth is one of the most fundamental aspects of pegasi magic is the ability to commune with the air much like earth ponies commune with nature. The pegasi wind sense – or the warrior’s instinct as ancient pegasopilans called it – is the reason pegasi are able to have the reaction time necessary for activities such as high speed flight. The wind doesn’t simply whip through their mane. It whispers sweet nothings into their ears. A sense of freedom, excitement, mischief, and confidence are all things it encourages. It is kind enough to alert the common pegasus of incoming dangers most of the time – although the wind is a fickle thing, and it enjoys a good prank as much as any pegasus.

It is normally – for pegasai – an unconscious process because of the sheer quantity of information being recieved, so our surprise is understandable.

Ve had honestly not been prepared for the highly unlikely circumstances of a pegasus being able to perceive what ve had done there. In hindsight, however, Rainbow Dash was probably at the top of the list of ponies who might have been able to.

Second, the Elements have done a surprisingly good job covering up what they call the Night of Broken Baths, and they continue to guard its mysteries even to this day. All that ve have managed to uncover on the subject is that it involved a town wide water shortage, an oddly suggestive rubber ducky, and a blue ribbon winning cheese stick as thick and long as a redwood tree.

The result – which ve have repeatedly failed to recreate in our musings despite multiple attempts from a full team of analysts – was fifteen ponies entering new intimate relationships. Five couples, one herd of five, only one of which lasted longer than three months.

That last couple was the rather odd pairing of Applejack and Rainbow Dash. Ve had assumed them to merely be friends with benefits, but, as I would soon find, such was not the case. It would have been nice to know that going in, but, alas, ve did not have the luxury of doing so, and I payed the price for it.

Rainbow snorted. “Well? I’m waiting.”

The impatient tapping of Rainbow’s hooves pounded slowly in our ears like a death knell. Our thoughts spiderwebbed in hundreds of directions at once, surging forth far faster than was healthy. Ve could barely grasp any of the individual threads of possibility as ve frantically tried to predict what answer wouldn’t garner any more suspicion from the ball of hot and bitter emotions in front of us, but ve were pretty sure ve were already past the point of no return with this disguise being ruined.

But Rainbow loved adventure. Ve couldn’t tell ve were a changeling yet. Twilight had ordered us not to, and a tingle of magic ran through our spine as ve even thought about disobeying. Ve could tell more than simple half-truths, however.

Ve glanced around the stalls. Most ponies had returned to their business, although there were a few that would occasionally glance our way. Applejack had seen we were both safe and was checking on the Anomaly – who was living up to her codename and was buried in her statically charged mane. Each spark and shock seemed to make it twitch and grow.

I dipped into the shallowest reaches of my pegasi magic. I felt the tingle return. That was the warning that I was approaching the Contracts limits, but it was enough for a single breeze.

I made a simple current connecting the air directly in front of our faces to each other. It could barely cover the several trots between us, but it was enough.

Now it was time for the hook. “Don’t move, and I’ll tell you as much as I can.” Our mouth barely moved as ve whispered.

The wind carried our message right to Rainbow’s ear, and it returned with the beat of a heart racing on adrenaline.

As Rainbow tensed and opened her mouth I realized she was so into the flight or fight response that she hadn’t realized what I’d done.

Ve interrupted her before she could begin. “Don’t shout. Whisper. The more of a scene you make the more you risk disrupting Twilight’s plan. It’s bad enough I already blew my cover like this.”

That got her attention. Her eyes narrowed. She gritted her teeth – drawing several stares – but she did whisper. “Twilight? What’s she got to do with this? And what do you mean by cover? Are you a spy?”

Ve grinned as she took the bait. The burning ball of rage and suspicion began to dim, and I was able to lower my filter. I could taste a hint of the tangy citrus punch that was curiosity.

Before I could follow through, however, her overactive imagination took a turn for the worst. Bitter green flames burst from the ground as her emotions surged again.

It was too sudden for us, and ve couldn’t rebuild the filter as Rainbow’s emotions burned the back of our mind.

Ve knew the flames weren’t real, but emotions don’t care for logic or reason.

“Are you a changeling?”

The last word was hissed out, but it was still too low for any of the surrounding ponies to hear.

Rainbow had just jumped into the uncanny valley of truth and deception. Anything ve said was just as likely to confirm her worst nightmares as it was to make her feel like an idiot for jumping to conclusions.

Our thoughts crashed to a halt as they fixated on her question over and over.

Ve couldn’t process anything else.

Ve couldn’t find a solution.

Ve couldn’t get past the instincts screaming to bolt before our cover was fully blown.

Our vision went azure.

And I knew I needed to say something before the stress caused me to completely shut down.

“Is everything alright, partners?” Applejack had finally noticed how tense the confrontation was and was heading over.

Pinkie was stuck watching us from the confines of her out of control mane – trapped like a fly in a giant static-charged web. She seemed to be twitching every now and then.

I felt a drop of honey amidst the sea of fire and brimstone and acrid smoke that was Rainbow’s emotions. There was love in the air, but it had no context. I couldn’t find the source. I couldn’t label the kind. If I was thinking rationally I wouldn’t have touched it with a ten foot pole.

But my mind sprang at it like a feral dog.

Lapping at it soothed the burning. My vision cleared, and ve erected our strongest filter. No emotions were getting in, and no emotions were getting out.

As the flames flickered and died, ve almost collapsed, but ve kept standing through sheer force of will. There was no more panic to feed our adrenaline.

“I may be less of a pegasus than you are.” Ve went with the technical truth. Ve did, in fact, have several pegasai organs inside us right now.

“But I can assure you being a spy does not instantly make you a changeling.” Ve could barely whisper, and the breeze ve had made was gone, but ve felt our words being snatched by the hasty clutches of a wind that wasn’t our own.

That merited a concern all on its own, but ve were still beyond fear. Instead, ve turned and walked away. It was better for us not to say anything more. A façade of being too insulted to continue was the only option.

Ve almost turned back at the unintelligible shouts of an argument between Applejack and Rainbow Dash, but that would have ruined the façade. The fact that they weren’t following us was good.

The fact that the snippits I could hear suggested a lovers quarrel – in public no less – was rather worrisome for me.

But I wasn’t exactly me at the moment.