I was panting.

I was bleeding.

Stumbling through the hallway, I was about to faint. There was a strong feeling of vertigo stopping me from walking straight.

It hurt.

Well, no use in complaining since I never had a choice in the first place. Still, I was pushing with the extra adrenaline in my system.

With strength I didn't know I had left, I swung a blade forward, cleaving another one of those things in half.

Equestria has basically fallen. Nopony could predict that something like this would happen. It was too sudden, not a single creature was prepared for this. The heroes of Equestria, they were too old. Fluttershy, the element of kindness had already fallen to an illness by the time it happened. Without her, the old heroes fell one by one.

Princess Twilight Sparkle tried her hardest, yet, she too, fell in the end. I could still vividly remember her body falling from the sky.

The new elements, the younger six, or something like that. They tried too, but they were too young.

Princess Celestia, and Princess Luna, they came out of retirement to help us. We fought a valiant battle, but the enemy forces were too strong. We couldn't do anything.

The Crystal Empire, without aid from the rest of Equestria, they fled to Yakyakistan. Still, even the yaks weren't strong enough to beat their overwhelming numbers. Though, that's only rumors since all communications were cut off since then.

The dragons, miraculously, they helped us ponies, but, even with Lord Torch's incredible strength and Lord Ember's impeccable leadership, they couldn't fight against an army that didn't seem to have an end.

"Ugh." I groaned as I almost collapsed, a wave of blood rushing out of my mouth.

Having been forcefully stopped, I caught my breath for a second before continuing. I needed to deliver the package, even if I died for it.

That's what Cherry Twist did.

She was excellent baker. With the latest discoveries and ingredients, she made deserts and goods that arguably tasted better than the ones Pinkie Pie made. She said so herself after all.

Still, even she was forced to fight when it all fell. 'You keep going, I'll buy some time', she said.

When the invasion first happened, none of us expected them to be so aggressive. Those monsters, they didn't care about dying. Running head first into a cannon, just so it didn't fire anymore. That's an act that would get them a medal of valor. Yet, every one of those beings did it without a second thought. I still doubt they actually die, maybe they revive somewhere else. Who knows.

There were the griffins too. A lot of them came to seek refuge in Equestria, only to be met with war. I'm not sure if even a single one survived. If anything, I'm not even sure another creature except those creatures are alive. I just know that I have to send it to the next checkpoint.

The Wonderbolts. I remember going to every one of their shows. I was a hardcore fan of them, and their amazing ways of flying. If anything, you'd have a hard time finding anycreature that didn't like the Wonderbolts. Still, even with their amazing talents, none of them could outmaneuver hundreds of thousands of troops, nor could they put a dent in a number that was infinite.

*Cough, cough*

I fell to the ground. No, I need to get up. I only bought a few minutes with that TNT trick.

Oh yeah, that was another thing. When a war happened so fast, one needed weapons. Turns out, Equestria hasn't exactly been the wisest in that aspect. Go figure. Because weapons were rarely made, with the exception of the Royal Guards, they were a rare and precious resource. It was stupid, barbaric even, to place the values of ten ponies as equal to that of a single knife.

That's where gunpowder came in. When the Diamond Dogs realized they couldn't survive on their own, they finally offered a helping hoof to Equestria. With their exceptional skills in digging and mining, they dug up the materials needed to make gunpowder, as well as the iron that was needed to make use of those cursed things. Still, it was useful. Weapon production improved vastly. A weapon that could kill in one shot. An exploding arrow that dealt with multiple forces at once. If only we could've figured out how to make a giant explosion before the invaders came and blew up the facility.

I forced myself to the side as a knife went by. Grabbing the hoof, I pulled it in closer before punching the creature in the face. Not a second after, I swung my blade down and split its face in half.

These creatures, they resembled ponies. Although dangerously close to Changelings, they could never hide a few facts. They were always a pale gray color. No mane, or tail. And most obviously, they always had a single eye.

Speaking of Changelings, they struggled too. Most of them hid in the city, living off of stragglers or the ones who had fun. Despite becoming friends of the ponies, they hid themselves as soon as King Thorax fell. Pharynx was said to have held them off for quite a long time.

Then there's the Hippogriffs. No clue how they fought. Though, I'd say it lasted longer than Centerlot at least. They live in the sea after all.

As I walked, I found a medical cabinet. Almost breaking it in the process, I forced it open. No bandages. I guess I can't close up the wound on my side.

Still, morphine. Finally.

I laughed in my luck. With this, I should be able to make it before I faint. Taking the stick, I took off the red cap and jammed the purple end into my leg. After a few seconds, I felt relief as the pain subsided a bit.

With that, I barely stood up again as I walked forward.

Good thing. I was inside the Royal Guard barracks. I remember, when I was a foal. I used to dream of joining the Royal Guard. Highest honor a pony could receive, protecting the Princess herself. I didn't pass the test. Now that I'm older, I realized why. It was the highest honor a pony could receive, and only nobles were entitled to that honor.

I remember how fast the first line of defense fell. Well, more like how it was abandoned. Not a single pony was there, they all fled to the second line, broke through the defenses in their panic. It allowed the invaders to just waddle in through.

Ugh. I could really go for a hay burger about now. It's been about a full year since I last I ate an actual meal. Even snacks were a delicacy. I've seen three groups of ponies brutally murder each other over a chocolate bar, only for the invaders to finish them off.

*Grumble*

Ugh, gotta think about something else.

I remember the first time Equestria fought without a Princess. Surprisingly, it with Prince Blueblood, the illegitimate nephew of Princess Celestia. Although many thought that he would disappear when Princess Celestia retired, he, to the shock of many others, only retired in name. He shouldn't have lasted so long without the support from the Crown, but he was wise. Much wiser than we all thought.

Thirty percent of the Apple family shares, and seventy percent of the Carousel Boutique shares. It was more than enough for him to live just like he had done before. It's pretty impressive, he was too stubborn to receive help from Princess Twilight Sparkle, so he just decided to become the biggest shareholder of two businesses that were bound to achieve great success.

He threw the first attack from Equestria, leading the leftover military forces Equestria had left. Though he was valiant, his efforts were in vain when we couldn't even find where they were attacking from.

*Boom*

Butts.

They're starting to close in on me.

And finally, the package. The one thing that could save us. There are carriers, all seasoned warriors or somepony with either experience or talents. We don't know who sent the message, or how they reached us all, but it was a hope. I don't know what's in the package, neither does anypony else. I just know I have to send it to the next carrier.

It's probably not going to work, nor is it anything that's useful. But, it's something I still fight for. If we all convinced ourselves that it could solve all our problems, then all of us could fight. Yes, it's a hope. It may be false, but it's hope nonetheless. Even if it was all in vain, we'd die either way. In the choices that grant zero chance of winning or living, isn't it wise to choose one that has the slightest chance?

"Ah, there it is." I spoke out loud as I stared at the delivery point.

A cannon. The package has a certain protection around it, so it should be fine.

I stumbled on over and opened the back. There's ammo already inside of it.

I pulled my bandages off, the fried blood making it stiff. Using it, I tied it to the cannon ball and closed the lid. Taking my sword out, I placed it against the cannon. There should be, ah, there it is. I picked up a ball of flint and held it against the fuse.

*Tss*

With a strike of my sword, the fuse lit up.

"Alright, my job's done." I muttered as I stared at the cannon ball flying through the sky.

It should land somewhere in Fillydelphia, or was it Manehattan? I don't know, and I don't care. All I know is that it's going to the next carrier.

*Voom*

"AGH!" I yelled in pain as I fell down.

The stench of flesh burning filled my nose as I tried to stay conscious. Facing the ground, I tried to move, only to be shoved down.

"HAH! YOU'RE LATE!" I yelled.

*Voom*

With the sound of something whistling through the air, a ball of iron was coming in on a building. A few pale gray ponies were waiting.

*BAM*

A few of them died to the initial impact, only leaving a single survivor. It held no remorse as it instantly focused on the package stuck to the ball.

Taking it off, it turned around, only for its throat to be slit with a claw.

"Whew. Too close." A griffin mumbled as they took the package.

Author's Note

Yo!

This is just something small I thought I could write. I thought I could make it at least somewhat interesting. And, I'm not really sure if I could put this in the horror contest that's going on right now.

So, I guess it's just a small story.

Anyways, thanks for reading!

By the way, does this count as thriller? I never fully understood what that genre means.