the borderlands [Lore] "Starlight's Sanctuary"

[Bellosh]

Starlight's Sanctuary - "Always Filled With Cheer"

 

 

On the far western edge of the Painted Pinto Desert, away from any civilization, lies a village previously unknown to nearly everypony in Equestria. Up until now, whispered rumors of a hidden commune where ponies live without cutie marks were regarded as nothing more than urban legends. Yet only now is the truth being learned about the mysterious community’s founder, a unicorn named Starlight Glimmer, and the so-called “Sanctuary” where her former followers live.
 
A number of years ago, Starlight Glimmer discovered a magic spell enabling her to take away a pony’s cutie mark, replacing it with the mark of a black equal sign. Noting that this process stripped ponies of their unique gifts and traits, Starlight decided to use her ability to form a movement based around establishing true equality for all ponykind. According to Starlight’s ideology, if ponies broke the shackles of individuality and gave up their cutie marks, they would never again feel miserable by being outshined by the special talents of others, allowing all of Equestria to bond together in friendship.
 
To that end, the ambitious mare established a new utopia for her believers out in the most desolate corner of Equestria she could find. Their town was quite a dreary place; two rows of bleak indistinguishable buildings faced each other to form an equal sign, with Starlight Glimmer’s domicile residing at the end of the village’s main street. Over in a nearby cave, the town’s leader stashed a Vault containing the cutie marks of all those who converted to her ideology. At the western edge of the town were the Tarpans, the snow-capped and cave-infested mountain range separating Equestria from Aquellia. There in “Starlight’s Sanctuary”, ponies who were previously down on their luck or lacking friends in their lives could find a new beginning by escaping the apparent tyranny of cutie marks.
 
Yet this town was built on nothing but lies. Starlight Glimmer hid the fact that she never gave up her special talents; she instead mischaracterized an ordinary stick as the enchanted “Staff of Sameness” to disguise her own magic at work. Additionally, Starlight’s followers weren’t allowed to express any sign of dissatisfaction. Everypony had to smile, think happy thoughts, and say happy things at all times to prevent discord from destroying the collective. Each resident was encouraged to watch for potential dissent; those who seemed to be losing their way were forcibly imprisoned and bombarded with non-stop propaganda until they publicly repented. In this fashion, Starlight brainwashed an entire group sufficiently to prevent anyone from ever considering leaving her Sanctuary.
 
So when Starlight Glimmer’s deception was finally exposed, the unicorn’s followers turned on her and recovered their cutie marks from the Vault. While Starlight escaped into the caves of the Tarpans, most of the Sanctuary’s residents remained in their isolated village rather than abandoning it. For those who’ve stayed behind, their first order of business is livening up their community and undoing the legacy of rigid conformity. Starlight’s treachery has given these ponies a new higher purpose in life: to prove that friendship blooms strong when everyone’s uniqueness is celebrated.
 
While they are at it, maybe the townsponies can vote on an official name for their village too.....

~Mane's Aetherology Review