On the outskirts of Our Town Starlight was eagerly leading the Mane Six towards a cave where the Cutie Vault was stored.

“I'm delighted you're interested in our cutie mark vault. We hope someday every pony in Equestria will make a pilgrimage here to our little village to have theirs removed too, and our message of perfectly equal friendship can finally spread across the land.” says Starlight with faux enthusiasm.

Twilight Sparkle whispers under her breath. “This must be the reason we're here.” Pinkie Pie leans over with a hushed tone. "Pilgrimaging"?

Twilight corrects her. “No, helping those ponies get their cutie marks back.”

“Oh, are you sure, Twilight? Maybe they miss them a little, but even they didn't seem all that unhappy.” whispers Fluttershy, trying to keep an open and optimistic mind.

“Then why did they want to meet us in secret? And why did they ask us not to tell Starlight who told us about the vault? Something's not right.” mutters Twilight, having a bad feeling brewing in her gut.

“Just through here! Behold! Our cutie mark vault!” Starlight leads the six inside and Twilight and her friends gasp when they lay their eyes on the cutie vault, which is a large rectangular shaped glass enclosure with the cutie marks of the ponies of Our Town encased inside. It glows bright enough to illuminate the cave.

“I've never seen anything like it!” exclaims Twilight with awe.

Starlight Glimmer walks over to a wooden two-pronged staff floating on a pedestal. “And here is the Staff of Sameness. It was one of the great Mage Meadowbrook's nine enchanted items. We are incredibly fortunate to have it here. This is the tool that allows us to free ourselves from our marks! I'm curious – how did the subject of the vault come up?”

Pinkie Pie then accidentally spills the beans. “Oh, some ponies were telling us how much they missed their cutie marks, and—”

“Pinkie!” scolds Twilight now that their cover is blown, to which the party pony say “Oops...”

Starlight gasps with mock shock. “Were they? Well, it seems you inspire all sorts of free thinking, don't you?”

Rarity laughs nervously. “Well, w-we certainly didn't intend to cause any disruptions to your charming little—”

“Good. Let's just make sure of that, shall we?” sinisterly says Starlight as out of the shadows emerges the ponies of Our Town, their creepy wide smiles making the atmosphere all the more chilling.

The Mane Six gasp as they are boxed in, and Twilight yells out. “It’s a trap!”

The Princess of Friendship teleports up in the air and attempts to use a spell, but Starlight Glimmer reacts quicker and fires a turquoise beam from the Staff of Sameness at Twilight, which hits her and strips her cutie mark from her flank and causes her colours to turn a shade greyer.

Twilight falls down to the floor, groaning and weakened. Starlight does the same action of stripping away the cutie marks of Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity and Fluttershy.

“Aw. I don't blame you for what you tried to do here today. You've spent your whole lives thinking those marks are a good thing.” mocks Starlight with false pity as she holds the Mane Six’s cutie marks in her magic grip like they are trophies.