Well, here it is! Chapter 3! And this one is pretty long, so be prepared. However, this chapter introduces new characters and maybe, just maybe, our protagonist may be soon falling for someone ;)

I was alone in Earth, in human form. I was walking around San Fransisco, with only a pistol. The entire city has been leveled. The skyscrapers that dotted the city are now mere memories, with only ruins in their place. The once-beautiful Californian skyline is now covered with fog, and the sky is deep red. I ran towards the laboratory, but what I saw horrified me. The building is gone. Literally. The only thing in it's place is a large crater. As I looked around, I saw no allies, no friends, no family. The entire city was devoid of life. And I was the sole survivor. I collapsed and weeped, not wanting to be part of this world anymore. I grabbed my pistol and threw it into the river, not wanting to fight. Suddenly, I heard an aircraft fly over. I looked up hopefully, but the sound it made left an empty feeling in my gut. IT came to bomb the city. IT was going to remove the state from the map. IT had no mercy. That sound was in fact a nuclear bomb whistling as it fell towards the ground. I looked around and said "I fought for a reason. I tried my best. In the end, it didn't matter. Everything has fallen around me. And now, my life will end." That was all I could say before the bomb hit, turning everything white and an intense heat swept over, burning me alive. And everything turned black...

"Arrggh!" I screamed, waking up from my sleep. I was panting and sweaty all over. I looked at the clock. 9:30 AM. I stumbled out of bed and parted the curtains. A blast of sunlight hit my face. I turned around and sat on the bed, thinking what I just saw.

This can't be good. It's an omen. But it can't happen. The laboratory is in an underground bunker. The professor would definitely live. I smiled at that thought and finally dismissed that as a nightmare. I got up and opened the door. I walked up the stairs and saw no one there. All I saw was a note on the table. I walked over to it and read it:

Dear Storm,

I have left for Canterlot to deliver an important message to the Princess. I won't be back until 2 PM. Until then, there is food in the kitchen. Feel free to make yourself something to eat, and maybe explore Ponyville a bit or two.

Yours Sincerely,

Twilight Sparkle

P.S. Rainbow Dash arrived last night while you were sleeping. She wants you to meet you at the field around the border of Ponyville. Don't keep her waiting!

So RD wants me to visit her? Well, I guess I'll go. Just then, my stomach started growling. I went into the kitchen and looked in the cabinets. I found some jelly, a loaf of bread, a box of Hay Flakes, and a carton of milk. I decided to make myself some cereal. After eating the somewhat delicious Hay Flakes, I left the library and went outside. I was thinking of visiting RD, but it's 10:45, so I decided to go to Carousel Boutique to get some clothes. Speaking of clothes, I found out the reason why everyone was staring at me was because I had my army uniform. They were burned and singed, but I wanted to replace them with something nice. So I walked towards the store and climbed up the steps. I knocked at the door and somepony said "Coming!". A few minutes later, the door opened and a white pony with a dark purple mane stepped out.

"Hello there, and welcome to the Carousel Boutique. I am Rarity, and how can I help you, sir?" asked Rarity. I said hi and introduced myself, but she was too focused on my clothes to listen to what I was saying.

"Oh dear! What are these-forgive me for saying so-rags you are wearing! You need a new outfit right now!" and with that she pushed me into her store. She pushed me to a small platform and started measuring me right away. I was scared about the new clothes because I didn't have any money to pay her for it. I asked her this.

"Oh..um Rarity? I don't have any bits to pay you for the clothes. Sorry for wasting your time" I mumbled.

She looked at me in surprise. "Didn't you see the sign at the front of the door? It said newcomers get free outfits the first time they visit my store! You don't have to pay a thing." she said, smiling.

I calmed down and relaxed, not worrying about being a freeloader.

"Alright dear, I got your measurements. What type of clothes do you want?" asked Rarity.

I thought for a while and said "Can you make a black shirt with gray pants?"

"But of course! I will have it ready in 1 and a half hour. You should come back at that time so you can pick up your new clothes. Until then, farewell!" and she ushered me out of her store.

I looked at my watch. 2:23. Fuck me! I'm supposed to meet Rainbow Dash! I ran to a nearby mare and asked her which way is the field. She looked at me strangely and pointed west. Running is too slow, so I braced myself and launched off the ground with a blast of thunder and lightning. I flew for about 10 minutes until I saw a rainbowish figure sitting on a bench far below the ground. I swerved and made a nosedive until I landed with an almighty BOOM.

Rainbow Dash yelped and fell over. I ran over to her and asked if she was ok.

"Yeah, I'm fine! What was that all about?" she asked, irritated.

"Oh, it's maybe some pegasus ponies moving the clouds for a thunderstorm" I lied.

"Hmmm..but we're not supposed to have a thunderstorm until next week-nevermind that! I want to show you some of these tricks I learned." She blasted off, and I watched her perform spectacular feats. When she began to do a familiar nosedive, I smiled and thought Here comes the famous Sonic Rainboom. Sure enough, it happened, and a large blast could be heard throughout the land as a rainbow streak came towards me and stopped. She was hovering above me and smirking.

"Ha! Bet you can't pull off the Rainboom! Let's see if you got the skills, newbie." she said, relaxing on the ground.

"Challenge Accepted" I simply said. Then I flew off and did some tricks that would rival hers. I did some loops and played around with electricity in the air for a while. After that, I flew all the way up until I could only see specs of Ponyville and the field. Then, I nosedived and started gaining speed and velocity, gradually forming electricity around me. The wind was howling by my ears, trying to tear my face open. I quickly looked back and saw a straight line of blue electricity. I smiled and thought Here it goes!

A blast of thunder occurred behind me, and a stream of electricity was following me. I went so fast, I felt like I was being stripped of my skin. A second blast shortly followed, and the electricity suddenly turned silver. I wondered what was that all about when I found out the ground was horrifyingly close to me! I had to brake, so I stopped flapping and tried to hold myself. But it was too late. I stuck my hooves out and a ball of electricity formed, small at first, but then gaining size and eventually encased me around it. I closed my eyes and waited for the worst to happen. All I heard was an explosion. When I opened my eye, I was lying in a crater. I tried to stand up, but I fell over. I was too exhausted. I felt like my energy was leaving me as I stumbled around. I saw somepony come down into the crater, along with 5 other ponies I swear who looked like the Mane 6.

"THAT WAS AMAZING! He did a double rainboom! Wait, why is he walking around like that?"

"He fell over! Somepony, grab him!" shrieked a voice. I felt somepony grab me, but it was too much. I fainted.

Meanwhile, at the laboratory...

The professor was finishing the clean up when the door suddenly opened. He looked around and saw 5 soldiers walking in, each with a pistol and a assault rifle.

"Professor Rogers, sir!" saluted the tallest one. The others followed suit. The tall one had black eyes and brown hair, the shortest one had orange hair and hazel eyes, the fat one had brown eyes and dark red hair, with a silly smile in his eyes, the muscular one had blond hair and green eyes and finally, the skinny one had black hair and gray eyes. The professor glanced at them and hoped they were fit for the task.

"Soldiers, you know your task. You are going to go into the unknown and retrieve a fellow comrade. If you die in there, you will be forever lost in that realm. Remember that you will be equipped with a Trans-Light Receiver that will immediately pull you back should you wish to leave. Also, leave your weapons here as they will dissolve right away once you enter. Any other questions before you leave?" said Rogers.

"No sir! We will try our best!" said the skinny one.

"Before you leave, would you care to introduce yourselves?" asked Rogers.

"I'm Gary Hammerton, Corporal and a sniper" said the tall one.

"I'm Zach Sinterton, Private First Class and a field medic" said the fat one, smiling.

"Greg Zamvich at your service. Captain and a pilot" said the short one.

"Jack McMoralo, Lieutenant and heavy weapons specialist" said the muscular one.

"Robert deSotrio, Sergeant and a hacker" said the skinny one.

"Very well, you all seem suited for the job. Jump in!" said the professor, starting up the machine. The 5 soldiers watched in awe as the blue energy started to whirl around it. Looking at each other, they nodded and walked in, to face the unknown and to retrieve a lost friend...

Whew! That was a long one! I hope you enjoyed it. I love cliffhangers :P

Sorry for posting this late. I love RTS games so I was playing Halo Wars and Starcraft :D

Please R&R, and any feedback and suggestions will be welcome. Thanks!