Author's Note

Thank you so much for waiting a month for this next chapter lol-

I was preoccupied with stuff. Now hopefully I will be able to focus on this story whenever I can. It desperately needs an update, along with the others

The Main Arrivals

Starlight took out the blueprints that she had laid out on her wooden table. Although it was a blueprint for another cottage, Starlight was relieved that she didn't have to worry about building anymore. Since more and more ponies started joining her town, thanks to her manipulation skills and the backup of several ponies that joined, especially Double Diamond, she just decided to let the ponies build the buildings on their own. And so far, nothing went wrong, much to Starlight's relief.

However, the rooms were getting more and more crowded. And while Starlight could easily build these buildings herself, it took a lot of work, and she did not have time to deal with nails and hammering and all other construction. But she wanted it to be done right away. Those ponies needed to get to work anyway.

Then, a few weeks ago, she decided to make a song for the town, telling them about how equality and how cutie marks are always a key to strained friendships. While the villagers were just doing what they were told, only Starlight knew the true meaning of that moral.

Just a day after that, she thought about a town name for her village, since the lyrics she made included the words "Our Town". But after sleeping on it, she just shrugged and left the town unnamed. She didn't want her villagers to memorize the lyrics again, with "Our Town" being replaced with something else. Plus, Our Town sounded rather fitting.

Now Starlight was just sorting through papers and putting them in her wooden drawers. She levitated the book and was about to put it away, when she saw a tiny white corner from a photo. She levitated that too, and revealed to be a picture of her as a filly, and of her mother, Silverflower.

I hope you are proud of what I am doing. Starlight formed a tiny smile when she looked at the photo.

Suddenly she heard two knocks on her door.

"Starlight!" Double Diamond's voice can be heard once the door automatically opened. "We have some new visitors."

Not expecting any visitors that quickly, she brushed her mane quickly and once again put on her fake persona and faced the door.

"Be ready to fight." Starlight could hear the muffled voice of a female pony. "We don't know what's gonna come through that door."

Figuring the time was right, Starlight opened the door, and stepped out of the shadows with a grin.

"Welcome!" she greeted them warmly as she exited the room that she was in. "I'm so pleased to have you here."

Afterwards, a blue pegasus groaned, which Starlight was a little confused. What did she expect? Some dangerous monster?

"This is Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Twilight Sparkle." Double Diamond introduced them. But Starlight didn't care about the others, but once Starlight's eyes were on Twilight, she quickly assessed her, with a hoof on her chin.

An alicorn here? In my village? Starlight pondered. This could lead to an interesting turn of events...

She then noticed that Twilight fluffed her wings, and grinned at her nervously.

"Forgive my bluntness." Starlight flatly apologized. She didn't want the alicorn to be unnerved by her that quickly. "But I'm assuming its Princess Twilight Sparkle? We don't get many alicorns here."

"Yes, but Twilight is fine." She told her, still looking at her with a nervous grin.

Starlight then decided to change her tone. "So, how did you hear of our little village?" Starlight energetically asked, while grinning at her with a wide smile.

"It's a long story." Twilight informed her, her uneasiness starting to fade away a little bit. "Let's just say we found it on a map."

"Technically, it's a Tree-chest-castle-map!" Pinkie Pie butted in cheerfully, before giving Starlight a glare and peering away, while the group gave her weird looks, including Starlight. But she dismissed her antics.

"Well, however you found us, we're happy to have you!" Starlight told them happily. "We're happy to have anyone who wants to experience true friendship for the first time." she finished after narrowing her eyes while saying the word "true".

"Say what?" Applejack asked, clearly unconvinced.

"Oh, indeed. That's what's so unique about our village, you see." Starlight said while walking to a crooked picture frame on the wall. "Around here, we don't flaunt our special talents because we don't have any special talents to flaunt." she finished after tiling the picture back to its proper position.

"Is that why you all have those cutie marks?" Twilight asked as she pointed a hoof at her flank, to which Starlight looked at her equal sign with a frown. She never really liked looking at her flank in particular. Because whenever she did, she would be reminded of her own cutie mark that was hidden underneath the makeup. The one thing that destroyed her life forever...

But she looked at the six with a smile. "Perhaps it would be easier to understand if I gave you a tour of the village!"

In song form! Starlight thought while smiling once again at the six. She immediately headed over to the door. This was now the time where the song ritual would now take place, and she hoped that none of the residents would mess up.

Somewhere, the drums started playing, and Starlight opened her door.

"Banded by equality, by our cutie mark!" The ponies finished, while Starlight was at the end of the row, staring at the six with a menacing smile, and with a banner with an equal sign that flew over their heads.

Starlight's smile faded away slightly when she heard the blue pegasus laugh.

"You're kidding, right? Give up your cutie marks? No way!" she boasted amusingly.

"Rainbow Dash!" A yellow pegasus called her down. "Don't be so rude. I don't think we should judge them. They seem perfectly happy with their choice."

Starlight smirked. She was starting to like this pegasus already.

"Don't believe their smiles, Fluttershy." warned the pink pony from before. To which Starlight was starting to grow a dislike of.

"I'm sorry, I guess we're just a little confused by all of this." Twilight told her, genuinely confused by the song and the morals of the village.

"We have no judgements here in our village. Each of us was confused once as well, blinded by the false promise of our cutie marks." Starlight told them calmly. And it was a pain too. Starlight told herself. Most of them were quick to trust Starlight's words, while some of them took a while to consider her words.

"Woah, woah, woah, is she for real?" The same blue pegasus asked, then Twilight narrowed her eyes at her. The princess now walked up to Starlight.

"When we were sent to this village, we assumed it was to help in some way. But, well, it doesn't seem like you need any help." Twilight told her, while smiling just a little bit.

But Starlight was not about to let Twilight go so easily. "Have you considered perhaps that you might have been sent here so we could help you?" Starlight asked the alicorn. She looked satisfied that she looked in deep thought when she heard Starlight's words.

"After all, no one has ever come to our village, and wanted to leave." Starlight said as she walked away, then looked back at the group. "Why should you be any different?"

All of them looked at each other, confused, while Pinkie just glared at her still. Starlight looked at them with a satisfied smile. She had casted her hook; all she needed was for them to take the bait.

"But that is entirely your choice." Starlight finished, pretending that they were allowed to have a free choice.

"Please, enjoy our little corner of Equestria. We're all quite fond of it." Starlight told them as she walked past the group and headed towards her house.

"No doubt you will be as well." Starlight concluded with a neutral smile. "Double Diamond, please help out our guests with whatever they might need." she ordered the earth pony.

"Of course." Double Diamond said, then gave a big grin to the group. They all flinched by his smile.

"Well, this will certainly provide a boost to our little community." Starlight started talking to herself as she started to walk away, careful that they didn't hear what she was saying. "When the rest of Equestria sees that a princess gave up her cutie mark to join us, they'll finally understand what we're trying to accomplish."

She finished as she peeked behind her, and grinned evilly at Twilight. Then she entered her house and closed the door.