Anon - What's Stopping You?

    >Ah, Canterlot.
    >It's been a while.
    >9 years, to be more exact.
    >You've been to college, got your degree, and have a steady, relatively high paying job doing something you love.
    >You're on vacation right now, and decided to visit your old stomping grounds.
    >As you pull up to your parent's house, you realize the just how much the city has changed.
    >Gentrification is a hell of way to revive a city.
    >Opening the door to the old house, you breathe the familiar scents of your childhood home for the first time in years.
    >You have the house to yourself, as your parents are having their own vacation in the Bahamas, and won't be back until you're gone.
    >You head up the stairs and to your old room.
    >It's just the same as you left it.
    >Your parents never enter here, except for the occasional cleaning.
    >You suspect you're time in this room will be short as well.
    >You don't plan on spending your vacation cooped up in your room playing video games all day.
    >As nostalgic as that might be, there's an entire city out there for you to see.
    >You leave your bags in your room head back outside.
    "Wonder how the Cakes are doing?"
    >You can't help but wonder out loud at the current state of your favorite local sweetshop.

    >There it is.
>The happy looking building still sits there, same as it ever was.
>You stroll into the building, pure nostalgia flowing through your veins.
>Memories come back to you, of a simpler time.
>You almost miss the voice calling out to you.
"Hmmwaa?"
>The young woman at the register simply gives you a smile and repeats.
>"I said you look really glad about something. Just received some good news, sir?"
>You shake your and smile back at her.
"No, just remembering something."
>You scoff, shaking your head.
"Look at me, going on like an old man."
>The girl just smiles, though it seems sincere.
>"Don't worry sir, I know what you're talking about."
>You pay for your order and take a seat at a booth next to the window.
>It's all but empty in here right now, but you like it that way.
>The girl brings you your order, and you go through it without much thought.
>Afterwards, you remain at your seat, looking out the window.
>It's started to rain, and the wet road reflects the lights on the numerous buildings on the street.
>A strange sense of peace and sadness begins to creep through you as you stare at the small disturbances in the reflections as raindrops disturb the pools gathering in the street.
>One reflection in particular catches your eye.
>A person, hunched over and wearing the most threadbare and thoroughly ratty looking coat you've ever seen trudges down the sidewalk.
>As you continue to watch their progress, you see them look up for a moment to watch for approaching cars before crossing the road.
>In that moment, you see the flash of peculiar multicolored hair.
>Hair that you know could only belong to once person.

>That couldn't possibly be Rainbow Dash, could it?
>Canterlot High's superstar athlete and amateur rockstar?
>The person you see now seems as far away from the image of the Rainbow of your high school years.
>But there's no mistaking it.
>That face and that hair could belong to no other person.
>You sit there, frozen like a deer in headlights, until she turns the corner.
>Having broke free of your temporary trance, you quickly leave Sugarcube Corner and follow the path Rainbow took.
>Turning onto the next street, you see her disappear down an alleyway.
>Please God, you think to yourself, don't make this into what I think it is.
>You continue your pursuit into the alley.
>You don't see her anymore, and at the pace she was going, she couldn't have possibly reached the other end before you got here.
>The sound of your boots and the rain landing in the dirty puddles are all you can hear as you continue to walk down the alley.
>Passing a dumpster, you nearly miss the makeshift shelter prepped against it.
>So this is where she lives now, huh? Good God...

>You crouch down to be able to peer into the shoddy little hut, and see her sitting inside, eyes closed.
>Yep, definitely her.
>You do quick onceover of her clothes.
>What you thought was a coat was actually just a ratty ass zip-up hoody, the faded letters "CHS" nearly blending in with the dull blue surrounding it.
>The jeans were just as bad.
>Torn, faded, and the wrong size.
>Somebody must have given it to her, because she wouldn't have bought something like that of her own free will.
>"Well?"
>The sudden words startle you.
>"Do you want something are you just gonna stand there and stare?"
>She hasn't opened her eyes, though her face now has a look of annoyance.
"I'm sorry, it's just that, you look like somebody I know."
>Her eyes open, and when they see you, they widen.
>"A..Anon?"
>You give her a small wave.
"It's been a while, hasn't it?"

>She opens and closes her mouth several times, searching for something to say.
>"But... why?"
>Why?
>"Why are you here?"
>You scratch the back of your head.
"I just saw you a while earlier, and..."
>"And what?"
>The sudden hostility in her voice takes you aback.
>"What could you possibly want from me? To talk to me? After years of silence? Or are you just here to laugh at me? Oh haha, look at Dash, she wanted to be a professional sports player, she wanted to be in a famous band and now look at her, sitting in a cardboard box in a dirty fucking alley!"
>She's practically shouting now.
>"Oh, I know, maybe you thought since I was poor and homeless that maybe I'd turn a trick for a meal and warm bed?! Well fuck you, Anonymous!"
"T-that's not what I-"
>She lunges at you with surprising speed, grabbing your collar
>"That's not what? Tell me, because I'm having real hard fucking time believing you're here just for a chat with an old friend. Friends don't just show up out of the blue after abandoning their friends! Friends don't leave friends alone! Friends don't... friends don't leave friends alone...
>She let's go of your coat, the fire having left her eyes.
>"Just go Anon. I don't want to see you."

>You lie in your bed, thinking over Rainbow's words.
>"Friends don't leave friends alone..."
>Where was everyone?
>What happened here?
>...
>The answer should be obvious.
>Life happened.
>Everyone just... drifted apart from each other.
>But you had no idea things were going to end up like this.
>Even if you did, what could you have done?
>You have your own life, you can't drop everything to fix someone else's problems, right?
>But Rainbow's your friend...
>She put herself into this position, she has no one to blame but herself.
>You don't know that...
>You heard what she said, she doesn't want to see you.
>The people who refuse aid are often the ones who need it the most...
>What could you even do to help, you aren't going to be here forever!
>Every little thing helps...
>What's stopping you?

You suppose you could start by finding the old gang, but who knows where they all are now.
>You never were one for social media, and you don't remember the password for your old accounts.
>You could try asking around, there's bound to be someone you recognize around, hell you just found Rainbow walking around.
>That's it!
>Applejack's family farm, she at least should still be around.
>Leaping out of bed, you scramble to write up a todo list.
>1. Find Applejack
>2. Find everyone else
>3. ???
>You'll make it up as you go, but at least you know where you're headed for now.
>That done, you lie back down.
>You're going to have a busy day tomorrow.