Perception

"Starlight, we have new visitors!" a voice cheerily exclaimed.

Starlight, with her attention attracted, grew obviously happy. The more visitors that flocked to the town, the more people she could get to know. Eventually, she could influence the characteristics of the whole realm to her perceived ideal of true friendship. She beamed, revealing her molars to the mirror that stood in front of her.

Her chain of thought stopped for a moment. She rushed to the window, looking down onto the road that connected the town's housing. However, before she could do so, a creaking sound came from her main door. Who could she expect?

She trotted as calmly as she could to the door of her room and pushed it open.

"What!" she thought, without a split second of hesitation.

Before further excitement overcame her, she customarily and happily said to the group, "Welcome! We are so pleased to have you here!"

She glanced around at the group before her, trying to take notes of each individual pony. But her eyes could not stop staring at this purple unicorn. This unicorn was different, unlike anypony that came to her settlement. She had wings.

She failed to believe her eyes.

Double Diamond stepped forth and introduced them to Starlight. He was one of the first to put his faith to Starlight's philosophy. He was an excellent administrator in her town. He was, essentially, a loyal pony to her beliefs that held her absolute trust. Starlight smiled; the pro-activeness displayed by Double Diamond would surely be a great first impression when the group first arrived to her settlement.

Starlight's eye took in every detail they could from this magnificent purple pony. She placed her hoof onto her chin, thinking deeply about this riveting situation. Noting that Double Diamond called this purple pony by name, she intervened at that subject first and foremost.

"Sorry, but I believe it is Princess Twilight Sparkle?" Starlight casually corrected Double Diamond. "We do not get many alicorns around here!"

"Erm, Twilight is fine," Twilight replied with hesitation, smiling nervously. She tried to avoid the huge amount of attention that Starlight gave her, to no avail.

"So, how did you know about our village?" Starlight wondered with genuine curiosity. Many of the town's inhabitant ponies have already shared with Starlight how this village seemingly popped out of nowhere and were in no doubt surprised by its existence.

"Well, it's a long story," Twilight said, crossing her hooves. "Let's just say we found it on a map!"

Starlight could only feel joy upon hearing this from a princess. Surely, if a princess knew the existence of her town prior to her visit here, does that mean that her town was already charted?

Before Starlight could continue her chain of thought, a brightly pink pony by the name of Pinkie Pie interjected with an acutely sharp and high pitched voice, "Technically, it was a tree castle map!"

Pinkie Pie's voice seemed to stop incredibly abruptly. Her initial enthusiasm evaporated with a look of obvious distrust and fear. Her sudden outburst forced Starlight's attention away from Twilight to the rest of the group.

Pinkie Pie appeared to be an eccentric pony, with her mane clumsily maintained.

Next to her, an orange pony that goes by the name of Applejack with an observably used hat looked at Starlight with no obvious feelings. Her facial expression reminded Starlight of that pony that deciphered the location of that iridescent mineral, used for her cutie mark magic, many moons ago.

A beautiful and well-groomed white unicorn, introduced to be Rarity by Double Diamond, was next to Applejack. Her brows were twitching slightly at the current situation.

Above, two Pegasus ponies looked down onto the circumstance. One, known as Rainbow Dash, was the first to capture the attention of Starlight. She looked decidedly bored with all this customary chat.

The other was Fluttershy. She was the only pony that appeared calm and composed, smiling warmly and naturally at Starlight.

Composing herself, Starlight exclaimed, "Regardless of how you found us, we are happy for anypony who comes along to experience true friendship with us for the first time!" Her pupils widened as she jovially informed the group of six.

"What?" Applejack questioned, with a tone approaching disbelief.

"Oh yes, that is what our town is about," Starlight replied, trying to push her ideals to the group of six. "Here, we don't show off our special talents because we don't have any." As Starlight spoke, she headed for a tilted picture of an equal sign hung on the wall and readjusted it.

"Wait. Is that the reason why you have those cutie marks?" Twilight asked instinctively.

"Ah, yes. There is no way for us to show off any special characteristics anypony would have," Starlight answered contentedly.

The group of six stared at Starlight, aghast.

"But, isn't cutie marks a symbol of a pony's uniqueness and personality?" Twilight said, frowning.

"You know, allow me to show you around the town to prove to you that a life without cutie marks is a better one indeed," Starlight replied.

Twilight and her companions followed the founder of the town out of her residence, trying to hide their facial expressions that could potentially give away what they truly felt, for the purpose of being polite.

"When we came to this place, we thought that we could help you," Twilight said, her vision focusing on Starlight. "However, it appears that you ponies don't need any help."

"Actually, perhaps you all came to our town because we could help you?" Starlight countered.

A moment of silence enveloped the town. Twilight was keen to avoid the gaze of Starlight at the proposal. Pinkie Pie was certainly displeased by her suggestion. In fact, other than Fluttershy, the rest of the six were visibly not too comfortable with the reasoning placed forth by Starlight explained with a tour of the village.

"Well, we shan't force you," Starlight remarked, shattering the silence that previously filled the atmosphere.

Starlight turned her back and walked back to her residence. She could not help but smile with glee, thinking that the six would eventually be convinced someday. This would go very well in her plans indeed; with the influence of a princess, she could easily convey her message to the rest of this region of space.

"Perfection," she thought to herself, with a sinister plot hatched.

Starlight rejoiced at the news that the six would want to visit the cave storing the cutie marks. Knowledge of the cave must have been made known to them in their free time interacting with the locals. Despite the favourable situation at hand, Starlight wondered whether the six were actively ready to buy into her philosophy and surrender their cutie marks. Starlight remembered the looks on their faces, their apprehension and insecurity. A plan must be drawn up so that Starlight can enforce it.

"There is no going back now, I must get to work quick before Twilight and her companions find that something is amiss," Starlight thought, throwing herself onto her couch before scheming.

Twilight and her friends closely matched the pace of Starlight as they headed up the elevation.

"I would be delighted to show you all our cutie mark vault ahead," Starlight declared, trotting along a circuitous, dirt-paved path.

Behind Starlight, the six were naturally looking around and looking out for each other. They were glancing in all directions for an imminent threat. The town was all but a small smudge in their vision. This would be the perfect place to pounce on them, with no hope of communication beyond the valley, or sign of assistance anywhere.

The six could only hide their faces of regret and fear.

A sparkling and enchanting atmosphere greeted the six visiting ponies.

Twilight simply gaped at the construction.

Cutie marks were displayed neatly in organised, bright crystal lockers that sealed them individually. The colossal assortment of cutie marks was mind-bogging for the six to comprehend; they have not seen such a collection of cutie marks in one place. The entire structure was towering. Next to the structure, there was a stone platform that the six could only describe as a wooden stick that resembled some kind of staff.

Starlight tilted her head slightly to the right and winked.

Seemingly out of nowhere, the town's ponies appeared. They trotted uniformly, following a guided plan, no doubt confidently.

"Oh no!" Rarity gasped in horror. The six looked around for any potential means of evasion but they only saw the numerous ponies that stealthily and systematically blocked their ways of escape.

Twilight sprang into action.

"I knew we couldn't trust Starlight and this town!" Twilight remarked. Her fear and insecurity was concentrated and funneled into her horn. Magical aura gleaned and she vanished in an instantaneous flash of bright white light.

She reappeared in the air, behind the line of ponies blocking their escape.

But Starlight did not hesitate. She struck, pointing the tip of the Staff of Sameness at the alicorn.

Twilight narrowly dodged the beam of magical energy emanating from the staff thanks to her wings.

"NO! She is getting away!" Starlight exclaimed in frustration.

Starlight aimed carefully at Twilight, who was flying in a unidirectional fashion.

The remaining five visiting ponies could only look on with fear as Twilight's bond to her cutie mark was pulverised.