Raise Your Weapon

There you are...

Arctic flew high above the cloudless sky of the San Palomino Desert; the sun, endlessly beating down on her metal covered wings and back. Though the armor was incredibly uncomfortable in the dying heat, and sweat poured down from her soft blue forehead, she couldn't care less. She finally began to feel the wondrous hormone of adrenaline, starting to rush all throughout her body. She had finally spotted him. Glaize.

You traitor...

Arctic stared down her brother with malice from high above. He ran along the sand, covered in a brown cloak; No wonder she had trouble seeing him at first. She was also surprised to see that he had made it out this far; he being one of the newly most wanted criminals in Equestria, and surprised more, he just managing to escape Canterlot just after its destruction.

No more stalling... I can't let you escape to Appleloosa...

Arctic rotated onto her back and began to dive. She locked in her wings and shot towards the ground; right at her brother. She picked up an incredible amount of speed and continued to plummet towards him. The wind was to much for her and she had to shut her eyes. Without letting up, she crashed into Glaize, sending up a huge wave of sand into the air.

Finally, after the sand had settled to the ground, Arctic shot up from beneath it, gasping for air. She pulled herself up and out, rubbing the back of her neck as she did so.

"Probably wasn't the best idea I've had..." she said.

There was a low grunt and shuffle of sand. Arctic turned behind her and faced Glaize, now getting out from under the sand. His cloak was torn and his back bruised.

"Nice landing, dumbass..." he grumbled, as he coughed up sand from within his lungs.

"I meant to hit you." Arctic answered. She took a ready stance, fully puffing up her wings inside the armor; letting the metal conform to her feathers. It was new standard gear from the guard. Not only did it provide protection but also acted as a weapon. When the metal fully shifts, the feathers and wings become razor sharp. This was only available to the Pegasi who were issued the armor.

"Could've done better, I suppose then." Glaize managed to recover his balance, and coughed up the rest of the sand.

"Damn you, Glaize!" Arctic shouted. She began to seethe with anger and hate. She felt herself began to boil, regardless there being a sun beating down on her or not. "How could you?! How could you betray Equestria?!"

"Betray? Please..," he pulled off the remaining cloth that used to be his cloak and tossed it aside. He revealed his white fur and black hair glistened in the sunlight. He had sword in its sheathe, tied around his back. "We were only trying to get the ponies on our side." he finished with a devilish smile.

"By blowing them up?!!" Arctic screamed.

"Oh come now, sister, even you know thats not exactly what I meant....and please, sis, lower your wings. I'm in no mood for that 'intimidation' act you're trying to play..."

"It's no act, Glaize," Arctic stomped her hoof into the sand and continued to hold her stance.

"Ugh..." Glaize lowered his head in disgust.

"I know that it was your idea to bomb Canterlot!"

"Oh, please. It was a peaceful protest! Even your own disgrace of a 'Princess' can tell you that. We even asked her if it was okay to have our protest in Canterlot!"

"Don't feed me that!"

"It's the truth, sister. It was when the 'Royal Guard' began to push us around when we started. It was them that started the violence. They threw their bombs at us!"

"NO! That's not true! One of your 'comrades' gave you up!" Arctic raised her hoof and pointed at Glaize, who now had a concerned and angry look on his face. "It was YOUR idea to bomb Canterlot! You KNEW the guards would be present at the protest and you took advantage of it! I can see right through you, Glaize! And now, you're under arrest!"

Glaize merely yawned at his sister. He turned around, his back to her and started to trot off.

"I'd love to stay and chat, Arctic, but I've got a train to catch..." he called back to her.

Oh no you don't!

Arctic leaped forward and tackled her brother to ground. Before she could manage to do anything, he kicked her off of him. She landed on her back with a thud. The sand did little to nothing to cushion anything. Arctic picked herself up and faced her brother, already back on his hooves; an angry look upon his face.

"You're not going anywhere, Glaize!" Arctic spread out her wings once more.

"Fine, then..." Glaize unsheathed his sword and lined it up with Arctic.

The two stood facing each other for the longest time. The wind kicked up, blowing through Arctic's dark blue mane, and kissed the back of her neck. She began to breathe heavily while her brother, unblinking, continued to stare at her. Glaize then took a slow step to his left. Arctic did not move. She continued to keep her eyes on her enemy. Glaize took another step to his left. Arctic squinted at him; trying to decipher what he was trying to do. Glaize took another step; slow and cautious. He wasn't stupid. Arrogant, but not stupid. He knew his little sister was training to become a Royal Guard, so, just to be safe, he was to take his time with this one. Arctic took a few slow steps of her own to her left; copying what Glaize was doing.

There we go... Glaize thought.

The two began to circle each other; each mirroring the other. Taking it incredibly slow. Besides the occasional breeze blowing throughout the dunes, the two siblings remained silent, both eyeing each other's movements. They continued to circle each other; once, twice, five times... Arctic finally spoke up,

"I trusted you, Glaize. Everypony did. And we were fine with you joining Anonymous.... even so much as proud to see you lead it... but now..."

"You're happier than ever for me?" he asked, sarcastically. Arctic narrowed her eyesight.

"Of course not!" she shouted. She wrinkled her feathers in her armor, letting the metal clink together. Glaize swung his sword around his sides, cutting thin lines in the sand. "Sure, you were against the Republic when you were younger... I, being younger than you, saw it even. Maybe your hatred was also influenced by dad... he didn't trust the government either. But I didn't think you take it as far as you have, though...! It sickens me!" Glaize just laughed.

"Dad was right, though, sis! The Republic only wants to control us! They only want us for their own growth and expansion!"

"You're wrong!"

"Am I? What about Princess Luna? She was banished to the moon for interfering and standing up against your tyrant, Celestia! What does that tell you?"

"Luna was controlled by hate and jealousy! She wanted the entire kingdom to be engulfed in eternal darkness! You know that!"

"Oh, come on! That day, only 24 years ago, you were agreeing with both dad and me! Celestia was wrong for banishing her! That she had banished her for her own reasons!"

"That's no excuse! I was only four then! I didn't know what I was saying! Celestia was protecting us from the beast Luna had become! Celestia only wants what's best for us!"

"What a load of crap! They've got you all under their spell! You're too blind and stubborn to see what we're for!" Arctic clenched and bore her teeth at the last remark. "If you only knew what was truly going on right behind you, then you would understand what Anonymous is trying to do!"

"I know what Anonymous is trying to do! Their trying to overthrow a great ruler for their own satisfaction because their unhappy of how things have turned out! You're all just a bunch of whining foals, crying out because you're not getting what you asked for!" Glaize flared his nostrils.

The two stopped talking once more, and continued to circle each other. They're both now, frustrated with each other; each of their comments hurt the other more and more. Arctic suddenly stopped walking. Glaize stopped with her.

"I'm ending this now, Glaize. You're not getting away!" She flailed her wings once more.

"Then what are you waiting for?" Glaize swung his sword one last time.

Arctic lurched forward, flapped her wings then locked them horizontally, and swung at her brother. Glaize swung at her and the two both collided; Glaize digging his back hooves into the sand to brace himself against her sisters attack. Metal clashed against metal with a loud pitched clank. Arctic rebounded and swung again, turning herself all the way around. Glaize dodged and jumped into the air, and slashed as he fell. Arctic hopped backwards, Glaize coming at her swinging as she did. She held up her wings, letting the sharp shaft of metal hit her wings. Glaize kept swinging until he was forced back by Arctic releasing her wings. She took to the air and circled around her brother.

"C'mon!" he yelled. He adjusted the sword and readied himself.

Arctic swooped down and swung at him. He ducked and rolled past her, trying to swing at her as she past by. The both of them missed but, not by much. Arctic flipped around and came for another pass. Glaize jumped towards her and caught her by surprise and kicked her square in the face. She toppled sideways and crashed into the sand. She rolled over on her back and covered herself with her wings just as Glaize came down upon her. He was on top of her, pushing the sword against her wings. She was losing the struggle as her wings began to come closer to her. She pushed with all her might but, with no luck. Glaize was stronger than she was, despite her training in the Royal Guard. But, being a guard, she knew how to fight. She put her back legs on his belly and kicked him off of her. He landed, standing but soon fell to the ground as Arctic shot up and punched him in his snout. He rolled to his right as she stabbed at the sand. He swung at her feet, but without resolve as she jumped into the air and kicked him, again, in his face. He backed off and had a little time to compose himself. He wiped his snout, and spit the blood out from his mouth onto the sand. He was sweating heavily now.

She just keeps coming... he thought. A better fighter than I expected...

Arctic swung at him again with her wings, just managing to cut the hairs of his mane as he ducked and rolled. Glaize swung at Arctic as she came back around quickly. The clashed once again, sparks flew from their contact.

"Nice skills, sis... Think I'll let this drag a bit and see what you....you really can do!" Glaize said, struggling against his sisters pushing.

"Yeah, we'll see!" Arctic swung her free wing and hit the sword. Glaize jumped back again as she swung with her other wing. He stabbed her way; Arctic just managing to dodge. He swung quickly and brought his sword back to him. Arctic hesitated and felt a burning sensation on her face. He managed to cut her slightly across her right cheek.

"No makeup can cover that up, dear!" he laughed.

Arctic shot towards him and tackled him to the ground. She continuously tried to stab at her brother's face, but he managed to roll himself free. The look upon his face when one of her tries failed and just barely missing his face, was one of shock and horror. He was afraid. He was now afraid he might lose.

Glaize managed to push his sister off of him and quickly swing at her. His breathing elevated as sweat trickled down his face. Arctic took another stance away from her brother. She was also breathing fast. Her armor didn't help with the heat. Any longer of this and she'll suffer from heat stroke.

There's just no stopping him... she thought. He dodges every attack I throw at him...

"YAH!" Glaize leaped forward, despite the sand not giving him a lot of leverage, and shot towards Arctic. He clashed into her, kicking her in the snout, turned around and swung his sword. She screamed and fell to the sand. Glaize had caught her off guard and took advantage of it. The wound in Arctic's foreleg was deep and bleeding. She whimpered and clenched her teeth at the pain. Glaize just stood away from her, his sword pointed directly at her. She looked up at him, a horrific look on her face. "Get up." he said.

Arctic wiggled and tried getting up. She flapped her wings and balanced on her good foreleg. The pain was excruciating and she shut her eyes and tried to brace herself.

"Didn't think you had it in ya'. Thought you would just give in and lie there."

"Glad to be...be.. a disappointment." Arctic whispered, struggling to balance on one foreleg as she held up her injured one.

"Let's say we finish this... I've got things to do." Glaize raised his sword. Arctic raised her wings.

The two both lurched at one another once more. Arctic, remembering back to what the guard had taught her; learning to adapt to her enemy's moves and tactics, predicted his move. She swept under his potential swing and came up, punching him in the gut. He flinched in pain and was pushed backwards. Arctic swooped under and kicked his chin, stunning him. She, finally, stabbed upwards, digging into Glaize's chest, the sound of popping and cracking could be heard, and her wing broke through out of his back, and trickled with blood. Glaize coughed and inhaled heavily, blood starting to poor from his lips.

Gotcha'...

Glaize started to choke and sputter, barely managing to breathe as blood began to fill his lungs. Arctic looked up into his eyes, with sadness. His were full of shock and fear. She hadn't wanted it to come to this.

"I didn't want this to happen, Glaize... I wanted you just to come in with me..." she whispered. Glaize coughed again, spewing out more red.

"Bul...bullshit..." he said then started to chuckle softly. A tear streamed down Arctic's face as she lowered her head. She ripped her wing from his chest and he fell to the sand. He was no longer breathing as the blood continued to flow out of his body.

Arctic fell to the ground, holding her wounded leg. She started to bawl at her brother's side.

~~~~~

A few hours later, Arctic picked herself up off the hot sand and stood over her brother's body. She sighed slow and heavy. She had done her job. She had stopped her brother from escaping and possible doing anymore harm against Equestria.

She lifted her head and pondered for a moment.

Their leader is dead... What's in store for Anonymous now?

She hesitated at what she came to realize and grew with anger once again.

"They'll recover..."

And with that she flew off and back to Canterlot, seeing what she can do to help their own forces recover.

There's a rebellion to squash...