//------------------------------//
// Turning The Tables 
// Story: Fortune Favors The Bold 
// by TheEquestrianWing 
//------------------------------//

SIG Sauer was no stranger to hurt. All throughout his career, he had suffered a multitude of injuries and damages. More than a few of them had been particularly life-threatening. He was very well-acquainted with terror, too. He had been involved in many situations where he had to put himself in danger. On occasion, he had gone in knowing there was a huge probability that he would not live through the event.

Although there were many perilous occupational hazards that came with his job, SIG Sauer did not let them bother him. He had been trained to resist interrogation, and he often voluntarily put himself at risk to protect others.

SIG could bring himself to tolerate the knife in his chest, and no matter how hopeless his current dilemma seemed, he was not going to panic. He was an expert at withstanding pain, and fear was practically a foreign concept to him.

However, SIG Sauer was not immune to shock. He was quite capable of being surprised. At present, he was completely astounded. One could hardly blame him. After all, he had just been led into a trap by a group of ponies who appeared to revere Nightmare Moon as an idol.

SIG Sauer grunted through strained breaths "How long have you been planning this?"

"Long enough to leave no margin for error," Dense Miasma responded bluntly.

"Well, I'm afraid your efforts are in vain," SIG Sauer remarked cheekily, "Do you honestly believe you'll get away with this? If so, you may as well declare war on Equestria. Every single pony in this country will be searching for Princess Celestia. It will only be a matter of time before this location is discovered, and once it is, your scheme will be terminated."

"I highly doubt that," Petal Picker observed, "This area is very well-hidden. By the time somepony else stumbles across it, it will be too late."

"Noble Edict knows about this place," SIG audaciously reminded them, "She might send out a search team if we fail to return to Ponyville soon."

"No matter," stated Soapstone, "If she or any of her staff comes along, we'll deal with them. You must realize that we will not hesitate to silence anypony who stands in the way of Nightmare Moon's return."

"Then why haven't you finished me off?" SIG Sauer inquired, raising an eyebrow in interest.

"Because we still need you, Mr. Sauer," answered a voice from off to the side.

SIG Sauer lifted his head a little more and gazed in the direction of the voice, as did Petal Picker, Soapstone, and Dense Miasma. They watched as two figures stepped out of a cluster of trees and into the clearing. One of them was a very large, musclebound stallion with a towering figure. The other was a mare dressed in a cloak with the hood drawn over her head. The latter had been the one who spoke.

These two new ponies gradually approached the four near the energy cloud. Soapstone and Petal Picker backed away to give them room to pass. The huge stallion stood between the two of them, and the hooded mare stopped next to Dense Miasma. She gazed down at SIG Sauer and briefly examined him with her eyes. SIG was not certain of this, but it actually appeared as though she was looking at him with a form of… admiration.

"Just who in the name of Tartarus are you?" he enquired crossly.

"My name is unimportant; think of me as Nightmare Moon's messenger," the hooded mare answered, "Also, try not to talk too much; it will put additional pressure on your stab wound and make you weaker. I would prefer to keep you alive and conscious for now."

After an extended period of silence, the shadowy mare continued with "I have heard of you, SIG Sauer. You are a war veteran, a patriot, and a legionnaire. Most of all, you are a pawn of Celestia. Therefore, you are exactly what we need."

"Need for what?" demanded SIG Sauer.

"Isn't it obvious?" the mare said somewhat mockingly, "Think of the last two lines of the riddle. 'The blood of a friend keeps one within,' and 'the blood of a fiend will set one free.' Those statements are meant to be taken literally."

"Okay, so you need actual blood," SIG Sauer presumed.

"Correct," the hooded mare confirmed, "But not just any type of blood. It must be the blood of either a certain individual's friend or fiend. In context, whose friend and whose fiend do you suppose the riddle is referring to?"

"I would have to guess Nightmare Moon's," SIG Sauer perceived, "After all, she's the one who planted the energy sphere."

"While that's certainly a logical assumption, you are incorrect," the mare disclosed, "'One' is not the person who created the energy sphere. Instead, it is the person being held prisoner inside of it."

"You mean Princess Celestia?" stated the pine green Unicorn.

"Yes," the hooded mare confirmed, "To reiterate, a friend's blood would 'keep her within,' and a fiend's blood could 'set her free.' As you have probably gathered, my colleagues and I have no love for your leader. We are determined to keep her inside of that sphere. In order for that to happen, we need to provide the sphere with a sample of blood from a living, breathing individual who has irrefutable allegiance to Celestia. Of the six ponies here, you're the only one who meets those criteria. Therefore, we can use your blood to permanently shut the sphere."

"You are badly mistaken if you think I'd ever let you use me against my ruler," SIG Sauer spat angrily.

"You make it sound as though you have a choice," the mare remarked sardonically. She peered over her shoulder and commanded "Tough Titan, get him up."

"As you wish, ma'am," the large stallion acknowledged. Up until now, he had not spoken a word.

Tough Titan slowly walked around her and Dense Miasma, and then he approached the wounded stallion. He reached down, gripped SIG Sauer by his sides, and lifted him into the air. Although the pine green Unicorn was not in much of a condition to put up a struggle, Tough Titan was not going to give him an opportunity to do so. When he was facing SIG Sauer, he spun him around, seized his front legs, and forced them over his head.

Once Tough Titan had SIG Sauer restrained, he turned to the hooded mare so that both of them were facing her. After that, she gradually neared SIG Sauer until she was directly in front of him. Then she reached forward, took ahold of the knife in SIG's chest by the hilt, and extracted it slowly. SIG Sauer moaned quietly, but he managed to endure the pain. Once the blade was out of him, the hooded mare held it in front of her eyes and examined it closely. She smugly declared "Looks as though Dense Miasma cut you pretty deep. This should more than suffice."

"Wonderful," SIG Sauer sarcastically remarked. After a moment, he smirked and questioned "Just how exactly do you plan on submitting the blood to the sphere, anyway? I don't see any openings in it. Not even a crack in the surface."

"All I have to do is hold this knife up to the tablet with the inscription, and a small vessel will appear below it," the hooded mare elucidated, "I will simply hold the knife up to the bowl and allow your blood to trickle in. Once it's received just a few drops, Celestia will be stuck inside forever. Then, of course, you will be disposed of."

SIG Sauer scoffed at this last remark. The mare in the hood raised an eyebrow and queried "Is there something you find amusing here?"

"Yes, you," the pine green stallion remarked cheekily, "You claim to know me. If that's true, then you'd know that I'm a soldier who is always ready to die for his country."

"Well, luckily for you, I can assure you that that will indeed be your fate," the hooded mare retorted.

"Maybe, but there is one small problem," SIG Sauer countered, "Since I'm a soldier, there is something else you should know about me. In tight situations, I can do something to gain the upper hoof on my adversaries."

"Just what might that be?" the mare asked dully.

"This," SIG Sauer replied softly. He tilted his head upwards at the sky and closed his eyes. Without warning, a huge burst of red energy shot out of his horn. It sailed a hundred feet into the air and exploded like firecrackers. The other five ponies hastily covered their eyes to avoid being blinded. SIG Sauer could feel Tough Titan's grip loosen on him. When it did, he thrust his head backwards and struck the huge stallion underneath the throat. This caused Tough Titan to release his hold altogether. Now that he was free, SIG Sauer opened his eyes and focused his attention on the mare in the hood. He stepped up to her, swiped the knife from her hoof, and punched her squarely in the face. His blow was so powerful that he knocked her out cold.

Once the hooded mare was on the ground, SIG Sauer turned to face her associates. Each of them had recovered from the disorienting effects of the burst of red energy. Petal Picker and Soapstone were pointing their knives menacingly at the pine green stallion. Dense Miasma and Tough Titan were unarmed, but they were more than capable of fighting with their hooves.

Although he was now unrestrained and equipped with a weapon, the odds did not look very high in SIG Sauer's favor. He was a middle-aged stallion with a stab wound, and he was up against four young adults who were in better physical condition than him. However, he had never been one to judge his chances of victory in a conflict by reflecting solely on his disadvantages. Besides, he had come out on top in tighter situations.

SIG Sauer grimaced angrily and muttered through gritted teeth "You are traitors. All of you. You will be charged with conspiracy to commit treason, and you will be summarily executed for it."

"That a fact?" Dense Miasma sneered, "You're the only witness to this affair. The only material the courts could use to convict us is your word. Once you're dead and Celestia is trapped in that sphere, there will be no evidence against us."

"Oh, trust me, I'm the least of your worries right now," SIG Sauer disclosed, "That burst of energy I fired was not just a diversionary tactic. It doubles as a distress beacon. In total darkness, it can be seen for up to twenty miles in any direction. So even if you manage to kill me, it won't be long before this place is swarming with the Royal Guard."

At this revelation, the other four ponies seemed to become somewhat tense and nervous. SIG Sauer noticed this and smirked in satisfaction. Then he announced "So now, you've got three options. One, retreat and hope we never find you. Two, surrender and throw yourselves to the mercy of the courts. Three, go ahead with your original plan and try to use me to seal the energy sphere. At least with the first two choices, you'll have a chance of survival. But if you take the third one, you may as well sign your death warrants. Because I have no qualms whatsoever about killing traitors."

…

Back at the fortress, Bronze Star, Bellerophon, and the six mares had arrived at the front of what appeared to be the throne room. The building was ancient, derelict, and covered with vines, but it did not appear to be in danger of caving in. So the group deemed it safe to enter.

After passing through the main entrance, they spotted a huge pedestal in the center of the throne room. There were six small platforms attached to the podium; five of them held a large stone orb. These orbs were made of solid granite, and each one of them had a three-dimensional octagon imbedded on one side. They were exactly what the group had come for.

As the ponies approached the platform, Applejack remarked in amazement "Whoa."

What she said pretty much summarized what everypony else was thinking. The farm pony turned to the magic student and told her invitingly "Come on, Twilight. Isn't this what you've been waitin' for?"

Twilight Sparkle was walking at the back of the group. She slowly passed between her companions and uttered in delight "The Elements of Harmony, we've found them!"

"Let's get a closer look at them," Bronze Star suggested.

Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Bellerophon flew up to the orbs and removed them from their resting spots on the pedestal. As the Pegasi transferred the stone balls to the ground, Twilight warily urged them "Careful, careful!"

Once all the orbs were gathered in front of the group, Pinkie Pie thought aloud "One, two, three, four… There's only five!"

"Where's the sixth?" Rainbow Dash inquired in concern.

In response, Twilight Sparkle announced "The book said: when the five are present, a spark will cause the sixth Element to be revealed."

The others found this answer quite ambiguous. Applejack queried in confusion "What in the hay is that supposed to mean?"

"I'm not sure, but I have an idea," Twilight replied. She stepped up to the five orbs and tilted her head towards the stone balls. Once her horn was aimed directly at them, she closed her eyes and instructed the others "Stand back. I don't know what will happen."

The other seven ponies moved several steps away to give the lavender Unicorn some room. However, they did not feel this would be enough to allow her to focus properly. Applejack trotted back over to the front entrance and proposed "Come on now, y'all. She needs to concentrate."

The rest of the group followed her outside in an orderly fashion. Twilight was left in solitude to somehow produce a "spark." Although her acquaintances were more than fifty feet away from her, they were ready to rush back in at a moment's notice.

"How long do you think this will take?" asked Fluttershy.

"As long as Twilight needs," Bronze Star surmised.

"Let's hope 'long' is not too long," Rarity mentioned, "Right now, time is a luxury we cannot afford."

"No need to worry, Rarity," Bellerophon pronounced, "Twilight Sparkle is well-versed on many types of magic. If anypony can figure out this predicament, it's her. However, we cannot expect her to find a solution straightaway. She will need a few minutes at least."

Bronze Star and the five mares agreed to be patient. They stood idly by the entrance, waiting for Twilight to produce some results. After a minute, Applejack proclaimed "Hey, take a gander over there."

Everypony turned to look in the direction she was pointing. In the distance, a huge red flash of light ascended high above the trees and exploded in the sky.

"Ooooo, pretty," Pinkie Pie commented giddily.

"Why are there fireworks going off?" Rainbow Dash enquired in bewilderment, "Isn't it a little early to celebrate?"

"Oh, it's never too early or too late to celebrate anything, Dashie!" Pinkie Pie claimed happily, "One time, I threw three parties for my sister to celebrate her birthday. But only one of them was on the actual day she was born. The others took place a week before and a week after. I wanted to throw a fourth party on the same day as the second one, but I thought that would be a little too-"

"Pinkie, I'm so sorry to interrupt you, but I don't think now is the time to talk about this," Fluttershy calmly interjected.

"Alright, I can wait," the bubbly pink mare concurred. She soon quieted down.

Although it had been more than thirty second since the explosion, the red light in the sky had not dissipated in the slightest. Bronze Star focused on it closely and declared "Those aren't fireworks. That's the Equestrian military's universal distress signal."

"You mean like an S.O.S.?" presumed Rainbow Dash.

"Yes, only much more exigent," Bronze Star affirmed, "The only reason anypony would cast it is if they are in mortal peril."

All five of the mares became somewhat unsettled upon hearing this news.

"Is it coming from Ponyville?" questioned Pinkie Pie.

"No, that's much too close to be Ponyville," Rarity observed.

"I think it's coming from somewhere else in the Forest," Applejack perceived.

"Oh no, this is horrible," Fluttershy muttered anxiously, "Somepony could be in serious trouble."

"Well, whoever he is, he must be Equestrian military," Bronze Star concluded, "If he's in need of aid, we should send him some."

The gold stallion then turned to the palomino Pegasus and stated "Bellerophon, I want you to go investigate."

The chief of staff was surprised to hear this command. He remarked in perplexity "With all due respect, sir, why must I go? I'm not a soldier or Royal Guard. I've never been in any branch of the Equestrian military. In fact, I have not even been in many combat situations, either."

"True, but you are the fastest flyer I know," Bronze Star explicated, "Plus, you're as large as an Alicorn of your age. Your speed and size might leave a deep impression on whoever is threatening our colleague over there. That may be enough to encourage the attacking party to back off. Even if it's not, at least our friend will be reassured that help is on the way."

"That is certainly a logical and practical viewpoint," Bellerophon admitted, "Truthfully, I'm not that unconfident in my physical abilities. However, I'm still quite hesitant about leaving you and the mares alone by this fortress. In a way, it would feel as though I was abandoning you all."

"Oh, if you're worried about us, you shouldn't be," Applejack assured the chief of staff.

"Yeah, we can totally watch our own flanks," Rainbow Dash validated.

"If you have to go stop somepony from getting hurt, we don't mind," Fluttershy insisted.

"Are you certain of that?" Bellerophon asked skeptically

"Well, six times Nightmare Moon tried to stop us, and six times she failed," Rarity recalled.

"We've already made it this far," Pinkie Pie mentioned, "We already have most of the Elements of Harmony. Before long, we may have all of them. We can go on by ourselves for a little longer."

"And in case you've forgoteen, I incapacitated an ogre a few minutes ago," Bronze Star wryly pointed out, "Trust me, Bellerophon; we can handle this."

After a few seconds of consideration, Bellerophon lightly shrugged his shoulders and asserted "Based on the events of the past few hours, I would be a complete fool to think that the six of you could not survive on your own out here. I'm convinced that you are more than capable of keeping yourselves and each other safe. Since none of you have any objections, I shall go and explore the area around that distress beacon. If one of our own is in trouble, I will provide whatever aid I can. Just promise me that you will deal with Nightmare Moon once you have all six of the Elements of Harmony."

"I give you my word," Bronze Star guaranteed him. The five mares gave the large stallion the same pledge. Once they did, Bellerophon extended his wings, rose up into the sky, and rapidly flapped to the north towards the red light. Soon he vanished from their sight.

Bronze Star was now alone with the five mares from Ponyville. They paced near the entrance of the fortress in uninterrupted silence for another minute.

Ultimately, Fluttershy broke the silence with "Twilight's been in there for a while now."

"Maybe she's encountered a hitch," Applejack theorized.

"I'm going to check up on her," Bronze Star decided, "Make sure she's alright and such."

None of the mares protested this idea. The gold stallion trotted back into the throne room and began to approach the lavender Unicorn. He was about to ask Twilight how her progress was going, but before he could open his mouth, he noticed that a cloud of dark blue smoke was rising up through the ground near her feet. It was quickly surrounding the stone orbs.

Bronze Star immediately realized what was going on. He sprinted towards the center of the room and yelled in urgency "Twilight, look out!"

Twilight opened her eyes and discovered the source of her friend's warning. She promptly screamed in shock and disarray.

"Twilight!" the mares edgily shouted in response.

The dark blue smoke gradually altered itself into a fast-spinning vortex. As it increased the speed of its rotations, it completely engulfed the stone orbs.

"The Elements!" Twilight cried in apprehension. In a desperate maneuver to save the stone orbs, Twilight dove forward to try intercepting them from the vortex. By now, Bronze Star had reached her, and he tried to help her retrieve the stones.

Suddenly, there was a flash of light, and the vortex disappeared, along with everything in its immediate area, including Bronze Star, Twilight Sparkle, and all five of the orbs.

The other five mares Ponyville had reentered the throne room, but found that they were alone.

"Twilight? Gold?" Fluttershy called out in worry.

"What?" Applejack yelled in perplexity

"Where did they go?" Rarity asked frantically.

"What happened?" Pinkie Pie shrieked.

"What's going on?" Rainbow Dash demanded.

Of course, these questions went unanswered. The only thing the mares could tell for certain was that Twilight Sparkle and Bronze Star were now missing, and so were the Elements of Harmony.