The city bustles with activity as you move through the crowded streets. You spy a small convenience store on the corner, and you step inside, glancing sideways over your shoulder. It's not like you to be paranoid. Maybe it's just the stress of your situation beginning to settle deeper within your throat.

Your fingers fidget with the small bag of bits in your pocket as you walk through the aisles of basic essentials. To your luck, the fruit looks fresh, and cheap. Go figure that in a world of processed foods, the healthy food is not only ripe, but untouched. You grab a few red delicious apples, a couple bananas, then make your way to a different aisle. There's a whole five different kinds of boxes of cereal, most of which are designed for children due to their high sugar content.

'I wonder which of these Red would like,' you wonder, assessing your choices. You blink, looking up to the cashier, who gives you an impatient glare from behind the counter. 'What the fuck is the matter with him? Never seen a Human before?'

Then you blink, and look back down to the cereal.

"Oh, right," you mutter. You grab a box of Sweetie O's, which is basically a cheerios knock off, because everypony likes cheerios. Or at least tolerates them. You grab a carton of milk, and discover that the cartons at the back are actually dated OLDER than the ones up front. Maybe it's just your lucky day or something. You snag some plastic cutlery, plates, bowls, and cups, then head to the front counter.

"Find everything?" The stallion grunts. I take a moment to look him up and down, his cutiemark has a paintprush and a color palatte as his special talent. That's rough man. I'm sure when there are hundreds of artists in a large city, it can be hard to make how special you are stand out against a sea of other people who are also special.

"Yeah. Thanks," you say politely.

"What sorta creature are ya?" he asks, ringing out each item in turn.

"A human. It's sort of a new thing."

"Never seen a human before," he says, ringing plates and utencils. "They from a new country?"

"You could say that. It's pretty hard to get to. We-"

"Nine bits," he says, cutting me off.

You give him the bits, he bags the items, then puts the recipt in the bag.

"Have a good day," he says dully.

"You too," you respond, before taking the bag and walking out.

Well, he was a pleasure to talk to. You grab one of the free newspapers with the words "Help Wanted" proudly on the front and exit the small store. You drag your feet slightly as you head back to the new apartment. In someways, you already miss the bright, cheery mornings that were in Ponyville. While some days, you'd just be a total asshole for the sake of being an asshole, sometimes their genuine happy-go-lucky attitude was what you needed to find a reason to smile. The whole atmosphere was simply... wholesome.

Yet now, you have nothing of the sort. You head into your apartment building, where the lady who handed the keys off to you last night is sweeping the entryway rug.

"Good Morning," you say to her.

She smiles patiently back at you and continues to work away, only answering with a simple nod. She must be busy. Figures. Such is life in the city. People are closed off to their own lives, their own bubbles, and their own agendas. At least it allows you and Red some privacy.

You ascend the stairs, and your mind can only wander to what Fluttershy could possibly do next? If you're honest with yourself, hope isn't really high right now. You'd hardly call the conditions you live in right now... great. Heck, you guys are going to have to wash and clean plastic utensils and be gentle with them in order to have something to eat with or drink with. God forbid that a knife or fork breaks...

But for now, that's a matter of working a step at a time. The focus is to get out of the country. And this is a good place to do it. Equestria may be somewhat landlocked, but Baltimare is on the Eastern edge of Equestria, right beside the Celestial Sea. All the two of you need to do is board a boat with proper paperwork, and the two of you could go anywhere in the world. Anywhere. Who knows what you could find past the griffons or even further?

That's all one step at a time though.

For now, you step off of the stairs onto your floor and head down the hallway. You fish out your key and put it into the lock and turn.

There's zero resistance.

The door is unlocked. Or rather, was already unlocked.