"Of COURSE they don't have an arcade here."

It was a day and a half after Craft had spoken with Swift and sent the letter to Luna. As she had hoped Luna sent her reply immediately and it got to Craft first thing the next day.

To my friend Art Craft,

You have nothing to be sorry for. Unfounded newspaper articles are the worst that came of your escapades, and I assure you that both me and my sister have had more than our fair share of experience with dealing with those. In fact, your grand appearance at the night court was by far the most fun I've had hosting one since the smooze cultist of 3038. But moving on, I will try to clear up some time so that we may meet. Busy or not you are my friend, which I have a small pool to pull from, and if there is something important you wish to discuss then I can only feel honored that you have chosen me to confine in. I will send to you again when I can find the time.

Sincerely,

Princess Luna

Craft let this fuel her need to have herself ready and spent a good chunk of that day locked away in her room constantly re-working her questions, only leaving to acquisition castle staff for food. She was out of money in her account by dinner. She was eating her late dinner of assorted fruits, which she was growing to really enjoy, when a knock came at her door.

"Mail for a Miss Craft."

And thus an envelope was slipped under her door frame. Walking over and picking it up she saw that it was marked with a familiar star cutie mark. She sat on her bed where she had been eating and opened the envelope, thinking briefly of how shes getting the hang of doing stuff with hooves more or less.

Dear Art Craft,

Me and my friends are really thankful you're not mad at us. After what we had done I thought you wouldn't forgive us. It sounds like you're settling in pretty well to have already have thought of changing your name-

Craft felt a stab in her chest at that last remark.

-and I for one think it's a lovely name, though Rarity seems to think it's a bit on the "tomboyish" side. Either way it's great to know your getting along so well. We're really excited to have a proper chance to meet you. There's so much we want to know about you! This time however we'll be sure to actually let you talk. We just wanted to let you know that we're eager for you to visit and can't wait to talk.

Your friend,

Twilight Sparkle

P.S.

Hey, Pinkie again! I wanted to tell you that I've got the absolutely BEST "I'm really sorry about chasing you through Canterlot Castle" party planned for you. I just can't wait! But Twilight said I do have to wait until you come visit us here in Ponyville, and at first I was all like "Awww" but then I was like "WAIT, if I wait I can throw her TWO parties." First is the "I'm really sorry about chasing you through Canterlot Castle" party like I said before and the other ones a "Welcome to Equestria/Ponyville" party! So I'll wait for now, but please please PLEASE hurry and get here. I might just burst if I have to wait too long!

With lots of extra hugs,

Pinkie Pie

Craft let a smile break through despite the turmoil within her thoughts. Even with her doubts she couldn't deny that it seemed like the were willing to make more of an effort in this world to be nice then back home.

The rest of the day was quiet, nothing but the sounds of scribbling and walking being made within her room. She dreaded waking up tomorrow. Tomorrow she would have to head to the dining hall if she wanted to eat, has she had spent the last of her bits. She took a shower and went to sleep with some hesitation. She awoke that morning bright and early, just as when breakfast would be starting. Still not looking forward to dealing with other ponies she got out of bed, used the bathroom, wrestled with her hair, and walked out her room promptly at seven-twenty-three. Once she was outside of the living quarters she began the ever more familiar task of looking for somepony that knew their way around. This time her guide took the form of a rather thin unicorn butler wearing a black and white vest, as he worked on cleaning some of the decorations that lined the halls. He had a dark blue coat with dark reds and bright oranges coming together to give his mane and tail the effect of looking to be on fire. His cutie mark was interestingly enough a running fox with a duster in it's mouth.

Craft walked right up to the butler.

"Excuse me, I'm fairly new here and could use some help."

Peeking from over top a set of armor he had been wiping down, which Craft found surprisingly fierce for something meant to fit a pony, the butler looked around a bit before spotting her.

"Oh, hello ma'am. I didn't notice you there. Just give me a moment."

The butler disappeared back behind the armor before walking out and over to her, giving a bow of the head and smiling.

"What can I do for you miss?"

"I want to get breakfast, but I don't know where the dining hall is."

"Oh that's simple enough, just head down that hallway and take a right, and then from there it's going to be just like this: Left, right, left, left. You got that?"

"Um..Right at the end of this hallway, then left right left left?"

"That's it!"

"Okay then, I think I have it. Thanks."

The butler nodded and Craft went on with her day.

("Left right left left, left right left left, left right left left-")

She chanted the directions in her head trying her best to remember them while also trying her best to ignore the stares she had gotten. She honestly couldn't tell if she was getting more or less than before, especially since as she got closer to the dining hall. The closer she got the more traffic there was in the halls. It got to the point that she was having trouble chanting as she had to focus on not bumping into anypony.

("This is ridiculous. It's like being back in high school!")

Funnily enough she seemed to get less stares as the crowds got bigger.

("I guess I still have that knack for blending in.")

After some more crowd surfing she got to where she was going. She could she the huge doors leading into the absolutely humongous dining hall from the end of the hallway. Working her way through various ponies leaving and entering the dining hall she squeezed her way through the doors and was able to take in a sight that seemed more holy than anything else she had seen.

Stretched from one end to another were rows upon rows of long benches, many filled with those in different states of eating or conversation, but all packed with food. While she expected there to be no meat, which meant no sausage (Because bacon is overrated) there was plenty more treats that made her mouth water. Each one held a mix of breakfast sweets, many types of juice, flora and fauna of all sorts and likely tastes, and beautifully many, many variations of cooked eggs.

Craft had immediately looked for a secluded table, finding one that held only one other occupant, a sleeping earth pony mare. Taking a seat Craft took a moment to gaze at all the food, wondering where to begin. She eventually decided to start with some scrambled eggs and a tall glass of apple juice. Adding a bit of salt and pepper she dug in and was instantly in heaven. It was as if somehow they had gotten workers straight from Waffle House to make them. After eating a "healthy" portion of eggs she took a swig of her juice. While she had never come across bad apple juice she still knew that this was exceptionally high quality. She continued to take her fill, savoring the bounty and pondered eagerly on what might wait for her come lunch. Slowing down after her third butter and syrup smothered waffle she pried her eyes away from the mountains of food still laid out before her to take a proper look at her surroundings.

First thing to catch her eye was the napping mare across from her. Her coloring brought about thoughts of chocolate, her coat a light brown and her mane and tail a darker one. Currently she had her head laid down in a small puddle of her own drool, snoring softly, her ears twitching. Making a mental note to wake her later just to make sure she doesn't miss breakfast Craft looked elsewhere. She note that a copy of the Canterlot Collective was sitting on the table. It seemed like a few copies were left on each table. While she decided to take it with her after she was done eating she did look and was happy to see that Swift had been true to her word. Plastered nice big and bold for the headline was "Revelations of a Mysterious Mare". She nodded a little nod to herself before looking around.

She had to do a double take when she looked at a table a few rows ahead of her.

("Mythology don't fail me now, I think that's a griffon.")

And so it was. Sitting there chatting away happily with some ponies was indeed a griffon. Most surprisingly it was plainly FISH of all things.

("I would have thought they would have made him go vegetarian.")

Looking around some more she noticed that dotted here and there were a few more griffons, and if she strained hard enough she thought she saw a zebra too. They all were few and far between but most certainly there.

("Wow, I guess that could also mean there could a lot of other sentient things out there too.")

After covertly examining them a bit more she turned her attention elsewhere. The room itself was more or less just a bigger version of the castles hall ways. Though the windows were more interesting to look at. Each one held stained glass art that depicted different ponies doing things of, assumingly, historical worth. They all seemed to be times of when ponies have made peace with other beings. One showed a white bearded pony sitting with a zebra tribe leader and having a meal. Another showed a pony that looked like a pinked haired Celestia trading gold and other treasures for what looked to be glowing jewels and ancient books with dragons.

("Dining hall, different species, just kinda makes sense I suppose to have the historical moments of them coming together decorated everywhere. But it also makes me want to meet a dragon.")

Speaking of dragons, as she looked down to the end of the hall she noticed a familiar looking princess, minus the pink hair. Sitting by herself at a long white table was none other than Princess Celestia. She seemed to be just relaxing at the moment as she sipped some tea and occasionally took a bite out of a dainty looking piece of carrot cake, sitting on a small pile of pillows. Or at least that's what it looked like from where Craft sat. Even with her slightly better eyesight it was still a good distance between her and the princess.

("Maybe its velvet cake....")

Again after looking at the princess and trying to discern what sweet she was consuming Craft just let it drop. While she wasn't really hungry anymore she decided to stay there a bit longer. There was nothing else she needed to do and the idea that she might be hungry again in a bit kept her seated at the bench. She just let her thoughts wander as she lazily played with a grape.

("I hope Luna can get a date for when we can talk soon. It's going to eat me alive if I have to wait too much longer. Then again I'm still not to sure how to break the question to her. "Hey Luna, I was thinking, Just how is it that you managed to pick someone that wouldn't be freaked out about a world of talking rainbow ponies and other assorted talking creatures, because I'm kinda freaked out by the fact that there seemed to be too many coincidences going on. Plus it seems no ones even tried talking to me about possibly turning back and sending me home. It's like you all just assumed that I would be totally fine with living here, like you already knew that I was a lune that would accept it all. Except now I've had some time to think and I think it's pretty freaking weird. So could you tell me about that?")

Craft sighed and laid her chin down on the table.

("I don't know if I'm more scared of finding out it was all a conspiracy or offending her because I was jumping at shadows. Admittedly big shadows though.")

She tilted her head on the table watching the grape as it rolled around under her hoof.

("...I wish I could talk to Boa. He's better at getting answers out of people. I remember the time he managed to get Mark to spill the beans about His and Hanna's break-up.")

She felt a smile tug at her face.

("Three sentences. Three. That's all Boa said and Mark was telling us everything about, even why he went with Hannah's sister!")

She kept her mouth clamped shut as she felt the urge to giggle.

("Course he had to watch himself whenever he came over to my place. Mum could detect bullshit from a hundred yards away. It was like watching Hannibal Lecter versus Doctor Xavier every time, with me having to keep the two from sitting down and having a game of chess to try and prove who's smarter. And of course Andy would always take the chance to try and get Boa to give him some dirt on me. Thankfully Boa's my boy, never let anything slip.")

Her smile thinned out to a line.

("Anny was always trying something. If wasn't something to do about getting at me then is was some cash grab scheme or other. I can't remember how many times I tried telling him no or at least tried to help and yet he never listened, getting himself, and in many cases the both of us, in trouble. And every time it would end in a fight.")

Sighing she closed eyes while subconsciously pressing on the grape a bit harder.

("Mom would get under control most of the time, but we just couldn't handle our self. I still don't know why, but he somehow always knew exactly how to get under my skin. Begs the question why he needed dirt on me in the first place. I can't remember if he started more of the fights or if I did.")

She let her hoof drop from where it had been close to squishing the grape, laying limp at her side. She could feel an discomfort in her chest, that even slightly distorted in her new body was more familiar then she liked.

("Even now it still makes me want to hit him. When we fought it was both our faults, I can admit that. But all I ever tried to do was help him otherwise, but every time he just would refuse to even try and let me explain. He would just wait until he heard what he wanted to hear and run off, leaving me to yell after him.")

She could compare the tightness in her chest to when she had gone through her transformation. She propped her head up on her hooves and closed her eyes as she let her thoughts carry her.

("...But that still didn't give me any right. It was still terrible to do it. That I even could still think of doing it, that I never really stopped...")

She started to press her face right into her hooves as her thoughts turned into a fight.

("But it was happening less and less-But that it happened at ALL-No ones perfect, and I'm working on making myself better.")

She began to bury her head in her forelegs. Her thoughts went from fighting to battling.

("Then why didn't you stop all together?-Because he wouldn't stop provoking me!-He's a kid!-He's old enough to know when to stop.-So are you!")

She had her head back on the table, muzzle on the table and legs over top. Her thoughts had grown into a full blow war.

("And he wasn't going to be the only one was he?-I haven't done it to-But you've thought about doing it, anyone that's pissed you off you've thought about doing it to.-And yet I never have.-Except with Anny.-I KNOW!-THEN STOP DOING IT!-I'M TRYING GOD DAMN IT!...When I get home-If you get home.")

Craft nearly slammed the table with her hooves. It could have very well splinted the wood had she done so. She was breathing deeply, trying to calm herself down. Her eyes locked on to a random point in the wood in front of her, her hooves hovering right above it. She let that dot of wood become her entire world as she felt her heart beat go down and her body un-tense. She was nearly back to to normal when a voice scared out of her pseudo meditation.

"Miss, are you okay?"

Blinking her eyes a bit Craft looked up to see the once sleeping mare from before was now looking at her with concern.

"Ghaa..Um, yeah, yeah I'm fine. Just spaced out there for a minute."

The chocolate mare was not convinced.

"Are you sure, you looked like you had just seen Nightmare Moon herself."

Craft forced a smile to her face as she tried to get this pony to leave her alone.

"Really it's fine, just some bad memories, I just to get some fresh air and I'll be fine."

While still hesitant the other mare nodded.

"Right, well, I just wanted to let you know that breakfast is over. I didn't want to just leave you here."

This made Craft realize that everypony was now shuffling out of the dining hall.

"Oh. Th-thanks for that. I really was spaced out then."

"Don't worry about it. Like you probably noticed I'm not exactly the most together pony myself."

"Heh, yeah, but you were asleep, I was wide awake and still let the time slip me by."

The chocolate pony just smiled at her and with a short nod got up to join the crowd. Craft was left to herself again. Not really sure where to go from there she took one last look at the food, finding now that she wasn't hungry like she thought she would have been, picked up the newspaper, and got up as well. She shuffled on out, letting the throng of ponies carry her until they hit the first four way and she was left to figure out what to do.

("......Maybe they have an arcade around here. I could probably find some tokens under the machines if arcades here are anything like the ones back home.")

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*SLAM* "FUCK!!!"

Craft had just gotten back to her room from a very aggravating search for an arcade.

"Of COURSE they don't have an arcade here."

She threw her newspaper at her bad. It landed but slid a little, going over the edge.

"And of COURSE it's just right after I nearly have a mental breakdown that I get surrounded by ponies trying to give me sympathy or ask me a bagillion questions."

She stomped to her bed and flopped onto it.

"And OF FUCKING COURSE now every fucking pony I didn't manage to fucking beat off of me now knows where I fucking live, one of the few fucking things I still had secret left!"

She grabbed one of her incredibly soft pillows and began to pound it into an even softer pulp.

"I'm sorry -Pomf- Swift, but -Pomf- I'm going to -Pomf- go up to -Pomf- the Canterlot Collective and -Pomf- BURN IT TO THE FUCKING GROUND!!!" *Pomf pomf pomf*

Not gaining any satisfaction with beating inanimate softness she slammed her face into it instead and continued her enraged rant.

"Fucking fuck fuck mc fuckity buck fuck BUCK!

And then all was silent.

She laid there, just breathing. When she felt her face get too hot she lifted it to rest her chin on the pillow instead. Again she laid still as her eyes remained unfocused, not catching on to anything particular.

("...I just don't even know anymore. These place is too good to be true, I don't even know if I want to stay here or not, and I can't even figure out what to do with myself. No matter what answer Luna gives me I'm up shit creek. What would I even tell everyone if I did get home?")

...

("The only friend I have is in another universe all together, I'm the talk of the town, I'm a terrible person, back home I'm a terrible insane person that should be locked up and here I'm a magical talking pony girl with a fake past. Who's still insane.")

"If my life had a face I would punch it."

Craft was disturbed from her pity party by a knock at her door. Just as she was going to get up a voice came through the wood barrier.

"I have mail for a Miss Art Craft."

Has had been done yesterday a single letter was slipped under the door. Craft, with very little energy, went over and picked up the letter and went back to her bed. She saw that it was from Luna, the dark blue paper and wax cutie mark becoming more and more familiar. Craft opened it up quickly and immediately began to read.

Dear Art Craft,

I have good news to share with you! It seems that preparations for the upcoming Nightmare Night celebration is going to leave our staff rather in short supply, meaning that both me and my sister will need to temporarily stop holding court for the next three days. We will be able to meet this in tomorrow after the sun lowers. I will need to help Celestia with planning and other such things all day has this time of year commonly doubles her work and so I have offered to help, but once night has fallen I will be free to do as I please. I do hope that it does not bother you that I have set our meeting time for so late, but no matter what day I scheduled it for it would need to be at night, so I wanted it to be as soon as possible seeing as you wanted to speak with me over something of importance. I will have a guard sent to your room when tomorrows moon rises. Do not fret with appearances, I will understand that if at the middle of the night after being just awoken you are not at your finest.

Your friend,

Princess Luna

The letter fell to the floor, Craft Not even realizing she had dropped it. Her pupils were pinpricks and her ears practically glued to her head.

"I'm not ready."

She had thought she would at least another day or two to get herself together for her talk with the Princess. She never thought that she would have hate Halloween or any equivalent as much as she did now. Springing up from the bed she ran right for her desk and grabbed a quill, looking over frantically what she had already written.

1-Can I be human again and go home?

2-Was this all preplanned?

3-...

That's all she had.

The papers still sat in the trash bin with the same two questions and countless others that had all been crossed out before ultimately being tossed aside. She sat there desperately trying to find the words for the questions she wanted to ask. She wasn't even entirely sure how she was going to ask Luna the first two. The quill hovered right above the paper as she just couldn't think of anything worth putting down. It grew to the point that her thoughts became a mad tornado of questions, words, doubts, worry, and more.

("AM I HERE FOR A REASON?DO I DESERVE TO BE HERE?AM I A BAD PERSON?WHY DID NO ONE SAY ANYTHING ABOUT POSSIBLY SENDING ME HOME?DO I WANT TO BE HERE?DO I LIKE BEING A GIRL?AM I STRAIGHT OR NOT? WHAT DO I DO?")

The chair screeched horribly as Craft pushed away from the desk violent. She jumped off the chair, turned around, and bit down hard onto the back of the chair before twisting her head sharply and throwing the chair against a wall. It exploded into chunks and splinters upon contact, but Craft paid no mind as she stomped to the balcony. She shoved the doors apart hard enough to break out a few panes of glass. She reached the edge and got up on her back legs before shouting out, using a word she knew well to sum up all the pain of her past, the confusion of the now, and her own strangeness and inability to understand.

"FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!!!"

She punctuated this with slamming her hooves into the railing. She managed to make small cracks in the marble. She slid onto the floor, turning to rest her back up against the railing. Her eyes were moist with tears that dripped down on to her hooves and the floor. Her throat hurt. She knew someone had heard her. But she didn't care. Today had been one big push to throw her over the edge that she had been slowly pushed to. She just stayed there, letting misery wash over her for a time. When she saw that the sun was beginning to set she got up on shaky hooves and dragged her way to the bed, leaving the balcony doors ajar. She climbed on top laid where she was, not bothering to try and get more comfortable. She was tired and slipped into slumber easily, but not before letting one last sentence escape her.

"I'm screwed."

Author's Note

So yeah, starting to really get into the stress now. I'm gotta say I'm just amazed how much different a character Craft has become from what I originally imagined. I can't wait to get out what happens with her and Luna, and I hope you all do to. As always be sure to rate freely & fairly and thanks for reading!