Perception

The door was slammed shut with distaste.

"We made a new friend every pony!" Starlight proudly exclaimed, looking at Fluttershy.

The crowd cheered at the news, but Starlight did not exactly care. What she was concerned about was the lack of enthusiasm Fluttershy displayed when she decided to join her cause. She was smiling awkwardly in the corner over there, pretending not to glance into any of the cheering ponies' eyes.

Starlight felt something was off with Fluttershy and the group. Could this be a plot to enable them to escape in the cover of darkness? She needed a way to prove to herself that Fluttershy was a trustworthy individual, not a renegade member of the town. Fluttershy could spell trouble for her town if things did not go as planned.

"While I think about that, perhaps I could...escort her into my vacant room?" Starlight thought to herself. Although she prided herself to be somewhat of an intellect, she saw no way to challenge the her loyalty at the moment.

Before she knew it, the residents were warmly welcoming their new friend with wide, open smiles.

"Follow me, Fluttershy!" Starlight called out for her. "All new ponies will stay with me until their cottage has been built."

"You all are the nicest ponies I have ever met!" Fluttershy said, as loudly as she could to the crowd as they frantically said their good-byes before Fluttershy hurriedly trotted over to Starlight.

That remark from Fluttershy seemed authentic. Starlight relaxed for a moment; maybe she was too paranoid to expect any impending situation to occur. She gazed down and closed her eyes for a few seconds.

Not before too long, they arrived at Starlight's cottage.

"Let's get you settled here, so that you can enjoy the many things that our village has to offer!" Starlight exclaimed, swinging the door open with her magic while pointing at the jubilant crowd in the town.

Fluttershy turned to face the bustling street to see the many ponies that waved at her. She could not help but smile at the beaming crowd. However, her smile instinctively vanished into nothingness. When she turned to the door, Fluttershy stared straight down into the eyes of Starlight Glimmer. She tried to conceal her emotions, but that only led to an awkward facial expression that was a mixture of elation and regret. Breaking eye contact with Starlight, she trotted straight into the cottage.

This did not go unnoticed by Starlight.

She smiled back at the crowd outside and turned her back to the entrance of her cottage. Not only did her eyes exposed a hint of mischievousness and wickedness, but also the thin wry smile that emerged from her face.

The moon began to rise.

Starlight comfortably relaxed on her soft sofa, especially since it has been a long day of work. She graciously assisted Fluttershy fix up her living quarters so that she could enjoy her stay here. Most importantly, she gave Fluttershy possession of the room on the upper storey. Should she dare to escape now, Starlight would be more than aware of the situation.

In addition, Starlight took the six ponies' cutie marks from the vault and placed them serenely and uniformly under the wooden table.

Starlight's sofa faced her fireplace. Normally, the temperatures in the region would be freezing, so stocks of wood and coal were needed to keep the cottage warm. However, that night was unusually and uncomfortably hot. She walked over to the nearby window to open it so that the external, cool wind can circulate the dry, stale air within. When she walked back to the sofa, she noticed something was amiss.

She dashed up the stairs at a worrying speed.

The wooden board providing minimal privacy was busted down.

A frightened Fluttershy hid in the corner with fear.

"I'm...really sorry Fluttershy, I was...sleepwalking," Starlight said, trying to formulate some sort of response, before slowly seeing herself out of the room.

She could not believe that she exposed her distrust so readily.

Opening the door of her room, she glanced at the six, precious cutie marks in clear, glass jars displayed inconspicuously under her desk, away from prying eyes.

"Why did I have to doubt Fluttershy?" Starlight questioned herself. "Oh well, time to head for bed."

Although her anxiety was gone, her clumsiness was not. Being so deep in her thoughts, she forgot about the existence of the pail of drinking water placed at the side of her bed, in case she was thirsty. Accidentally knocking over the pail, the water erased the soluble black dye, revealing her true cutie mark.

Reacting quickly, she covered it over with another pink dye and stamped the black equal sign over it.

Tired, she threw herself onto the bed and slept.

"I have got a good feeling about today!" Starlight jovially called out to the crowd.

Twilight and the remaining four ponies walked out feebly, visibly exhausted and depleted of any energy, hope or emotion. They seemed to be at their breaking point.

"So...do any of you have anything you want to proclaim?" Starlight asked, grinning from ear to ear.

Despite the offer, the five resisted.

"Well, maybe we have better luck tomorrow," Starlight said.

Starlight was sorely disappointed. She shadowed the five to the house.

"Wait! I would like...to lock them in," Fluttershy proclaimed to all.

Stopping in her tracks, Starlight was astounded. How wrong was she in doubting the loyalty of Fluttershy? Her proactive and perfidious act would earn her praise from Starlight any day of the week.

Fluttershy clopped on to the entrance of the house, seeing sorrow faces as they each passed by.

Twilight was last in line to enter. Instead of entering the house, she turned to face Fluttershy, staring into her eyes, as if she could do that to her conscience. The two stood there, motionless for a good few seconds.

"I think...it's time I join you all," Twilight spoke hesitantly, walking slowly towards the crowd.

Starlight and the crowd were astounded by this. Never in Starlight's wildest dreams would Twilight agree with her philosophy so quickly. Starlight approached the situation with caution, slowly stepping forward to confront Twilight.

"Really?" Starlight questioned.

"I think so...if I agree to leave my cutie mark in the vault, would I be happier?" Twilight said, choosing her words carefully.

"Of course! Just look round!" Starlight instantly replied.

"You wouldn't let me live here with my original cutie mark?" Twilight readily asked.

"Of course not!" Starlight rejected Twilight's proposal.

"Then how do you explain THIS?" Fluttershy shouted from the air, throwing a basin of drinking water from the house onto Starlight. The five ponies were shocked at her sudden outburst; her tone was so unlike her original, serene self.

"I knew you couldn't be trusted!" Starlight declared, apoplectic with rage at her betrayal. Her formerly baseless accusations of Fluttershy's suspicious activity upstairs were now well justified.

Unfortunately, it was too late. A symbol of two interlocking crystals of contrasting colour and two waves emerged from the location where the two black, parallel lines disappeared.

The crowd gasped.