Terrarian

"So, do mean 'I go in and blow stuff up' or 'could be an actual problem'? From the look on the princesses face, he decided he should be concerned.

"Have you heard of the crystal empire?"

"No, but it seems like something I should have, I've spent a lot of time at the library."

"That's because there are no books about it, it was lost over a thousand years a—"

"Wait a minute I'm sensing a pattern. Almost all the villains that pop up are from a thousand years ago, Nightmare moon, Discord and now this crystal empire."

"The crystal empire is not the villain, it is who enslaved it that must be fought." The Princess looked back at him.

"So I'm guessing that was Twilight's test? Why am I needed here?"

"It was, but there is more you need to know."

"Doubt it, I know the drill, I go in, gun down the odd one out and we're done. But still, why don't you just make a list of all the ancient evils, so we can find them before the wreak havoc!"

Ignoring him, Celestia continued,"The emotions and feelings in the crystal empire are reflected across all of Equestria, if that love is not replenished at the festival—"

"Yeah yeah yeah, but what's the problem, why are you sending me in, who enslaved them!?"

"King sombre, a being with a heart as black as night, he enslaved the empire, and when Luna and I attempted to save the empire, he banished himself and the empire to below the ice of the arctic."

"Is that the more serious part?" Cortez was beginning to wonder if this was actually important or not,"I'm sure Twilight and her friends can handle that."

"But there is more, I recently discovered that King sombre is a creature call and umbra."

"Wait, isn't that the darkest part of the shadow— oh I get it."

Celestia continued,"He not only wishes to enslave the empire, but to release an army of those like him to ravage all of equestria!"

"Sounds like it's important, I just have to get something."

"There's no time for that, get there as soon as possible!"

"What progress have you made?" The queen demanded.

"While unable to rebuild this weapon, I have constructed several more using the same—"

"I don't care what it's made of, just that it works!" The changlings queen yelled, making the scientist stager back.

"They will give you a huge advantage over the ponies, but are not yet perfected."

"I don't care, Begen mass production!"

Cortez threw open the door to his house, he wanted his shroomite armour,"Hey drax, are the repairs finished?"

"Oh, sorry I completely forgot" he pointed to the staff,"I've been looking more at this, and I think that if we can push 20 000 Terathaums through it, it could open a portal and bring us back home!"

"Wait, how?"

"It had the thaumatic energy stored inside it when you discovered it, it only needed your mana to jump start it." The goblin said Excitedly.

"So we would just need a sort of thaumatic reactor?" Cortez asked uncertainly, having no idea what he was talking about.

"Exactly, if we can produce 20 000 Terathaums, it would be possible to power the device!" The goblin set the staff back down.

"But do you have the other thing ready?" Cortez thought it would be useful in this fight.

"Oh yes, although it's only a prototype, it is garenteed to flatten a small town!" The goblin smiled,"Don't kill yourself with it!"

"I'll try, thanks."

"Anytime"

After a much longer time than he expected, Cortez came to the place where the empire would be. Black smoke surrounded a transparent blue dome. Just as he deactivated his hover board, the shield began to shrink back,'Perfect timing.'

But then he noticed he black smoke advance upon the city, and just as he passed by it,'Guess they didn't mean to do that.' Using his lightning boots, he Landed on the balcony where cadence and shining armour stood, "There's something you need to know, there's an army of that thing, and we're sitting ontop of it! If this cloud gets through, we'll have a lot more to worry about than negative emotions. The princess called me in incase the army is unleashed!"

"Her magic won't last much longer, do you have any ideas?" The desperate captain asked.

"Yeah, I got one." Cortez answered,"It involves blasting that monster back to where he came from."

"I'll find the crystal heart, you fight King sombre." Twilight ran out of the room.

"Cadence, you just need to put up the shield for a little while longer, and I'll need some supplies." Cortez sped off in hopes of finding sufficient tools.

After a while of searching the castle, Cortez found what he needed. A long durable banner to be tied between two posts at the gates,'Just one more thing.'

"I need the fake crystal heart." Cortez descended to where applejack and rarity stood, trying to back ponies away.

"Even I can't keep this party going forever!" Pinkie pie protested,"Oh hey Cortez." The ball she had been bouncing on slipped, and flew up to where the crystal heart was perched.

"I'm going to need that." Cortez grabbed the rock, and flew up to the castle,"Just keep the shield up a little longer." He began to cut a hole inside the rock, and after doing so was able to place the device inside.

Cadence passed out and the magic barrier faced away,'Oh no' Cortez went faster than he beloved possible down to where he had tied the banner between two posts.

"My crystal slaves!" A face formed on the shadow as it advanced.

"Hey dumbass! You want this?" Cortez placed the rock inside the slingshot and pulled it back as the umbra's smile grew,"Then fetch!" He released the rock and immediately all the smoke retracted towards it.

"Ha, what a chump" Cortez gloated before detonating the bomb. A massive explosion erupted in the arctic, while all could hear the screams of the crystal monster,'Another job well done.' But again their was that small piece of him that said it was wrong.

"Another party, except this time there's thousands of ponies who want to shake my hand." Cortez mutters as another hundred or so crystal ponies came to thank him.

"I would like to officially..."

'Now the big one'

"...thank Cortez for defeating King sombre and freeing the crystal empire." The crowd cheered his name louder than he believed possible.

Queen Insectum watched as thousands of changelings mass produced the weapon called a 'Gun'.

"Hello queen, I would like to congratulate you on your a accession to the throne." A blue hooded figure materialized behind her.

"W-what are you!?" The queen demanded.

"Oh, that doesn't matter, what matters is I can help you in the goal we both share."

"I'm listening..."

"This is how you may destroy the Terrarian, and all of equestria. Instead of attacking him, make him come to you." A smile crept across his hooded face.

"I don't understand, how will he come to us?"

"Through fear, fear that the land he loves will be lost. Threaten him, and he will come running into your trap."

"Yes! Yes it will work!" The queen was almost jumping with excitement,"He will come here, and we will bring his head back, then rule forever!"

The blue figure vanished.

"It is done, the changelings are stupid, and think they will have a chance in battle with the Terrarian." The crowd below the tower he stood on cheered.

"Everything will go according to plan, and our lord will soon rise!"