Starry rose early the next morning, the scene from the night before, and started work without breakfast. "You're Father, your Mother, none of them are here for you, Starry, but you are the only one who can define your life. Don't waste it on self-pity." 

Starry couldn't get the thoughts out of her mind, not only that, but the thoughts Plaket placed in her mind swirled with the ones Stone River placed. "I think he's fully innocent, probably a government cover-up by the Canterlot elite and generals to trigger the dragons into attacking so we could destroy them in war."

Stone River didn't seem like the kind of stallion to desert his fellow soldiers, and she wondered what really happened when he went out for battle. As she worked on cleaning the pool, brushing the skimmer along the water, and dumping the contents into a trash bag, she couldn't help but wonder about Stone River's story. 

Was it true that he was a deserter? If that was true, was he innocent of treason like Plaket had claimed? Or was he truly a traitor that the elite was trying to cover up? But that didn't make sense in her mind. As she let her mind wander, she couldn't help but go back to the previous night.  The thoughts Stone River had planted about her own self-pity and wasted opportunities. 

Was he right?

Had she been wallowing in self-pity all this time?

Was she wasting her life by staying in the apartment complex and doing nothing with herself?

But she was doing something. Starry had found a friend in Plaket and she liked to think that she found a friend in Stone River as well. I have done something with myself, Starry reassured herself. She found Plaket and Stone, and that had to be something.

But Stone was... Different.

He felt different, even in the pits of her heart, something aligning with him like the stars at night. The bat pony stallion was a kindred spirit of sorts. Reminding herself that her life hadn't been at total waste, the doubt tried to creep in. Has she convinced herself that her actions were meaningful? Or was it true? 

She wanted it to be true.

As she finished up cleaning the pool, tying the bag, and tossing it in a can, she couldn't help but feel the doubt creep in again. 

"You did a damn good job-" Starry jumped with surprise at the familiar voice of Stone River, a voice that had begun to send shivers down her spine. She turned around to see him staring at her from the doorway, his face stoic and unreadable as he took in her stunned expression.

"I- I did?" She asked, her voice faint and shaky in her own ears ", Do you mean it?"

His face remained stoic, and for a second, Starry began to wonder if she was being teased or ridiculed.

"Yes- You did a damn good job," The deep grey stallion confirmed with a half-smile, "It looks much better than it had in a while. Not since Plaket's marefriend filled the damn thing with fish."

Starry stared at the pool, taking in Stone River's words and the realization that this was the first time he had praised her for her work. She couldn't help but feel a sense of pride wash over her, knowing that she had done a good job despite the hardship she had faced and how she came out of it.

With this realization came a sense of validation that she had never felt before, not from her father, not from her mother. She wasn't wasting her life away, even if her family couldn't see it, Stone River could. And somehow that was the only thing that mattered at this moment.

"Thanks-" Starry responded hesitantly and suddenly the words he had finished with hit her ", I'm sorry- Plaket's marefriend dumped fish... In the pool?"

"Yes-" Stone River sighed in exasperation ", Koi dumped a bunch of live fish.. Right in the pool"

Starry shook her head in a mix of confusion and shock, trying to figure out why anyone in the world would dump live fish in a pool.

"It was truly horrible-" Stone continued, his tone shifting to a combination of disdain and amusement ", The poor things were scared and confused. I had to get them out as quick as possible, but by the time I did was too late. The water was filthy and the fish were... Well, I'm sure you can guess the rest."

"What?!" Starry's eyes grew wide in shock as the words hit her. She couldn't believe that Plaket's marefriend had been so reckless. Speech left her for a moment as she tried to comprehend the audacity of the mare's actions.

"She dumped fish in the pool?" Unable to continue the dismay and disbelief in her voice, Starry continued ", How did she even get that many fish? Doesn't she know what that does to a pool? The chlorine-"

Starry had to stop herself before she ended up ranting all day. She watched as the stallion's face twisted into a smile at her reaction, chuckling at the confusion written across her face. Confusion swept over Starry like a wave. Was he mocking her? Making fun of her? Teasing her? Or was he amused by her reaction? 

She couldn't tell.

"Are you-" Starry started, glaring at the stallion ever so slightly ", Are you teasing me? There is no way that happened."

"I wouldn't lie to you, Starry-" Stone said with a shake of his head ", I have no reason to. So stop thinking that I do."

Starry felt heat rising in her cheeks and the feeling only increased as Stone's remark sank in. The stallion was right, she had no reason to believe that he would lie to her, all he had done was show her kindness and help her. So why was she so defensive? Was it the fact that someone understood her?

Starry closed her eyes and shook her head, trying to keep her voice level as she responded, "Sorry- I'm- I'm just not used to someone being able to see me so easily. I'll have to work on that."

"You better-" Stone River responded, turning and pulling the door open with his wing ", You're stuck with me, girl. I'm invested in your story."