Honesty.

Starry laid her heart out on the floor between them, tears slipping from her eyes at points and at times, she had to stop to breathe. Hiccuping gasps followed by urges to drink her cup of tea from the Bat Pony stallion, scalding sips of tea that left her mouth hot and her teeth too cold.

The story of how Hover came into her life spilled from her lips, how she was the daughter of Lunacorn hierarchy, and how she had found herself pregnant at seventeen. She explained how her father had been delighted at the idea of a proper heir, but was disgraced by his oldest daughter. Starry explained to Stone about her arranged partner that she would have married when she was twenty-one and how her father soon promised her little sister to the same stallion.

Starry explained how she wanted to keep the child of her and Hover, but Hoverstep had not liked that idea. The story of the hospital and the surgery came next, waking up to her parents' faces rather than the coltfriend she loved so dearly. Explaining the week and a half to her birthday was the hardest.

She sobbed as she told him about her father, Orion's rage at losing a proper heir, and the disgrace she'd brought her family. Telling him that, when her 18th birthday came, she was told to leave. How she packed her things and what little money her parents had permitted her to have to get a ticket to Ponyville because it was the only place she could afford.

Starry even told him about staying the night in Jester's pub for the evening, the spirit that had spoken to her, and the kindness shown to her by the earth pony.

To his credit, Stone River listened without saying a word, passing her tissues when she started to tear up or cry. The stallion nodded slightly, cocking his head to the side when she mentioned Jester's pub.

"So that's where I recognized yah from-" He snorted, then shook his head ever so slightly ", Jester is a good stallion. Big heart."

Starry nodded, wiping her tears with the last tissue he had given her ", I'm grateful for his kindness. I didn't expect ponies to be so kind... Ponies in Canterlot are-"

"Stuck up feather-brained morons who cain't tell their heads from their tails-" Stone River grumbled, "No offense to you- You seem... Out of place."

"I feel out of place, everywhere," Starry said with a sigh, letting her head fall onto the blanket wrapped around her ", It's like I'm a puzzle piece in the wrong box."

"We all get that-" Stone snorted, rolling his eyes ", We all feel like that and we get over it, the sooner the better-"

Starry turned her head to him, frowning ", Just because you're jaded doesn't mean you have to press that onto others."

Stone River glanced at her, raising his brow ", You're just as jaded as I am. Ponies like us go on with their lives wondering what we could have done to make ponies love us more or treat us right."

"No-" Starry shook her head ", I was loved and I was good all my life- And this is just a hard patch. I'm not you- I'm young and life will get better for me-"

"How old are you?" Stone cut her off, almost glaring at her ", How young are you that you think it can only go up from here."

Starry stuttered, shocked by being cut off by the stallion ", Eighteen."

"I'm twenty-three-" Stone River growled ", And unlike you, I didn't get life handed to me on a silver platter. I fought a war, I was disbanded and I was dishonorably discharged to live a life alone."

Starry started, but stopped herself, looking down at her hooves and turning her attention to her cup of tea. Somehow, she thought the stallion was older than he actually was, his pain had aged him in ways that she was starting to learn. Starry pursed her lips, glancing at Stone. 

He looked angry like he was a raging fire devouring everything around him.

Starry untangled himself from the blanket, reaching out a hoof to the stallion and resting it on his shoulder. Stone River tipped his head to her, a look between glaring and shame. They sat like that for some time, despite the contact and the quiet, Starry couldn't hear her mind let alone his. She had never felt like that before except with Hoverstep, but Hoverstep was always hard to read.

"Sorry-" Stone River finally whispered ", I'm not good with emotions. And I am not good with ponies."

Starry smiled slightly, wiping her tears with her free hoof and shaking her head ", I guess we have a lot more in common than I expected"

She chuckled slightly, glancing down and withdrawing her hoof from his shoulder ", I- I don't know what to do next... I don't know how I'm supposed to move forward next."

Stone River raised his brow at her, smirking and standing ", You give that idiot something to look at. You live the best possible life you can so that dumbass of a colt can only see his mistakes."

"And how do I do that?" She asked, watching as he swept the empty tea cup into his wing. Stone River moved to his kitchen and set the cup in the sink. Starry started to stand, igniting her horn to fold the blanket, and setting it back on the couch.

"You live-" Stone smirked, fluttering his bat wing ", You go out and make friends. I've seen you talking with Plaket. So do that. Make more friends, do new things, damn it mare, go on dates."

"I- I don't think-" Starry started but the stallion held up a wing to silence her.

"Look-" He stated simply ", You're not ready right now. That's easy to see- But I'll make you a deal. You make friends and have fun for two- Maybe three months. And then at the end of all of the living with friends and showboating yourself as moving on? I'll be the one to take you on that first date."

Starry's jaw dropped ", You? W-why you?"

Stone River shot her a look that was almost charming, almost flirtatious.

"I've been in this town for four years and never taken a mare home, never been with a mare, and never wanted to marry-" He smirked tipping his head toward her with a smile that shook her in a way that she couldn't describe ", Ponies will talk, and he won't have the chance to not hear about it."

Starry gulped, glancing at the floor. 

If Hoverstep heard about how much better her wife had gotten without him, it would drive him insane. Hoverstep had always been the kind of colt to get jealous of other colts, he had always disliked when Starry hung out with other colts. It would drive him insane.

And it would be worth it.

A little humiliation would be worth the disgrace he had given her.

Starry's head snapped up, a determined smile twisting her face into the slightest of laughs.

"Let's do it."