The Devil You Know

Screams of terror filled the air as Daybreaker began her onslaught in the wee hours of the morning. Her arrival had been nothing short of mythical, the fiery aura around her body as she'd hovered in the air like an angel glowing as though she was the embodiment of the sun. The ponies within Canterlot had been completely unprepared for Daybreaker to emit a scream as though she was one of the legendary Valkyries, swoop down like a falcon, and begin killing those who were closest to her.

Her blade sang as it moved through the air, the death-song apparent as blood flew hither and yon with every stroke. The grin on Daybreaker's face was deeply terrifying as everypony ran for their lives, and those who were felled beneath her sword seemed to meet their end within moments while Daybreaker stepped on their corpses to move down the streets. It didn't seem like there was any rhyme or reason for this, no preference to those cut down by the broadsword to litter the cobblestones with their blood and guts.

There was only the battle, one-sided as it was while the fiery mare gleefully ended the lives of innocent ponies left and right.

While Daybreaker carried out her merry executions, Twilight Sparkle awoke suddenly within the castle itself. The thickness of the windowpanes had turned the cacophony outside to the faintest shrieks, but nonetheless the lavender alicorn panted while her pulse raced through her veins. Leaping out of bed, she landed and skidded a bit on the floor. Rushing to the doors leading out, there wasn't any hesitation as she bolted down the halls. Guards scurried back and forth as she passed them, but her focus wasn't on what the Royal Guard was doing. Right now she needed to find out just what was happening, and that meant heading for Princess Luna's chambers.

It took some time, but the frantic pony maneuvered the maze-like corridors with practiced ease. She'd just made it to the Great Hall when her hurried hoof-steps came to a complete stop. With the floor-to-ceiling windows, Twilight Sparkle could see outside to the city below. The absolute carnage that greeted her visage froze her to the spot, shock and horror stilling her breath and making her heart rate kick up several more notches.

Canterlot burned, smoke roiling like a midnight flood past the castle itself while Twilight Sparkle tried to process what she was seeing. Guards shouted orders, but she was deaf to it all while her violet irises absorbed the scene before her. She couldn't see an immediate source to this, but after what seemed like an age her body could finally move again. Twilight all but fled the Hall, galloping through the next set of hallways in search of Princess Luna's personal chambers.

Left, right, left again, straight, round the curve, dodge this, dodge that, spin around this guard, and--Twilight Sparkle splayed all four legs trying to brake her momentum to avoid colliding into her goal. Her muzzle stopped just shy of the door, and she actually needed to back up to raise a hoof and knock. Once, twice, thrice, Twilight tried to avoid sounding too desperate though the speed at which she'd all but hammered the wood probably gave that away.

"Enter," came a faint voice from within, and Twilight Sparkle burst inside.

Daybreaker was grinning wildly as she turned with the careless grace of somepony who didn't expect any resistance. Three more felled beneath her sword, their lifeblood splashing against her armor while she twisted away. The scent of offal filled her nostrils, no doubt due to the meat fouled by the waste spilling forth from the intestines pooling in crimson puddles to stain the stone beneath.

The screams and groans were a symphony to her snowy ears, the shrieks of terror a counterpoint to the overall music of violence and death Daybreaker was orchestrating this night. Satisfied with the chaos she'd caused, Daybreaker took to casually walking about the streets, occasionally swatting with her blade at those who tried running past her. Word was already spreading of The Devil in Canterlot, which pleased the fiery alicorn immensely. Such a befitting title, she mused while cutting down a filly that was in her way.

Her squeal of fear was interrupted when her throat was cut, and she was reduced to foamy gurgles as she sank to the ground, dead before her skull touched the street. The filly was already forgotten in Daybreaker's mind as she moved her way down to the plaza while buildings burned around her. The wails of grief behind her went unnoticed, though with a flick of her flaming tail she set a nearby cart ablaze that drowned out the noise.

Once Daybreaker reached the plaza, she settled herself against the fountain while admiring the way the buildings seemed to spread the fires in a way far more quickly than she'd initially imagined. Nopony dared to approach her now, not with the heap of corpses that served as a reminder to stay out of range of her sword. Draping her limbs in a way to lie against the cool stone comfortably, Daybreaker's brilliant orange and gold eyes surveyed the landscape before her.

Yes, this is a fine way to begin my rule here, she thought to herself. Everypony knows of my might, and I'm only just getting started. The interlude against the fountain was mostly for show since Daybreaker was barely out of breath, but it also meant she could rinse the blood and guts from her fur and armor to be presentable once the enemy came. In fact she began to do just that, lazily dipping a hoof into the water and sliding it across her body to wash the crimson blemishes off.

There was care in these motions, deliberately slow and careful to ensure that she gleamed snowy white within her golden armor. An earth pony tried to sneak up on Daybreaker to see if he could get the drop on her, but with a flick of her tail, the flaming fibers set the young stallion alight before she'd turned her head to assess the situation. He screamed, lunging towards the water to try and put himself out.

Daybreaker's horn glowed amber as she lifted her sword with her magic, then plunged it through the earth pony's spine and impaled him. He died quietly, and once she was sure the corpse was simply a natural torch, used her magic to lift the blade free of the fur; then swung it rapidly in a few circles to flick the gore from it. Once that was done, Daybreaker floated the sword back to rest at her side, tipping her face up to grin at the castle. This was going to be fun.