//------------------------------//
// The Fall of the Crystal Empire 
// Story: Anno Equestria: A Brief History of the Pony Nation 
// by Insert Pen Name 
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Anno Equestria
A Brief History of the Pony Nation
A FiM fic by (Insert Pen Name)

The Fall of the Crystal Empire
AE989-1000


The story of the Crystal Empire is easily the most overlooked aspect of pony history. Public knowledge of the Empire is virtually non-existent, and few academic publications acknowledge that it even existed. This lack of knowledge is understandable; Equestria's first contact with the Crystal Empire occurred just over a decade before it fell, and during that time there were few opportunities to document it. Nonetheless, the story of the Empire’s end marks an important turning point in the history of Equestria and its royalty.

The Crystal Empire, initially known as the Crystal Kingdom, was located in the northern reaches of the Crystal Mountains, where the ponies took advantage of natural crystalline formations to form their exotic structures and implements. While the origins of the Kingdom are unclear, the most likely hypothesis is that it was founded during the Lost Years as an enclave against Discord’s rule of chaos. To this end, the Crystal Ponies developed a unique means of projecting a powerful energy field that protected the Kingdom from both the harsh arctic conditions, and from external threats. Unfortunately, this impressive defense did little to protect the Kingdom from within.

Equestria first learned of the Crystal Empire when a delegation from the Empire arrived unexpectedly in Canterlot in AE989. This delegation in fact consisted of several exiled youths of the Empire’s former royal family, accompanied by a small escort of servants and intimates. The eldest of the Crystal princes, whose name is lost to history, met with Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, and told them of the solitary kingdom from which they had fled. According to his account, the Crystal Kingdom had recently been beset by popular unrest and strife. Some historians believe that the Kingdom’s population had outstripped its ability to expand, resulting in shortages. Whatever the case, the captain of the Kingdom’s royal guard, a ruthless unicorn stallion named Sombra, took advantage of this groundswell of unrest to launch a coup d’etat and seize the throne. The newly crowned King Sombra quickly set about transforming the Crystal Kingdom into a military dictatorship, which he promptly renamed the Crystal Empire, using his own personal honour guard to eliminate any who might oppose him. The royal family were the first to be targeted. The younger princes and princesses were sent into exile, lest they incur the sympathy of the Empire’s subjects. The fate of the king and queen is not known.

Almost straight away, the prince asked the Princesses for Equestria’s aid in retaking the Crystal Empire, offering vassalage in exchange for his throne. While the Princesses were sympathetic, neither was willing to risk lives or resources for the sake of one deposed prince, certainly not without further investigation into the matter. Indignant, the prince left the palace in disgust to seek his fortune elsewhere. The younger princes and princesses, however, were welcomed into the palace as long-term guests. In time, these colts and fillies came to be almost as a family to the ruling Princesses, who for their part regarded them with open affection. However, the issue of the Crystal Empire remained, and the Princesses discreetly dispatched a diplomatic mission to King Sombra, in the hopes of gaining a better understanding the situation. No report was ever received, and the envoy was never heard from again.

Equestria’s next contact with the Crystal Empire did not come until AE997, when large numbers of refugees began appearing in the northern villages of Equestria, the vast majority of whom were unicorns and pegasi. The Princesses immediately dispatched agents to question these refugees, and it was soon learned that King Sombra had begun a series of purges to rid the Empire of potential threats to his rule. Scholars, mages, and dissenting guards were the chief targets, though it was clear that any non-earth-pony was viewed as a threat by the bigoted king. Appalled, the Princesses again sent envoys to the Crystal Empire to demand a response from Sombra. Months passed before the battered delegation limped back into Canterlot, bearing a letter from the king. While the contents of the letter are not known, Princess Celestia is said to have incinerated it with a stare after reading it.

The next year saw more and more refugees arriving from the Crystal Empire, each bearing horror stories more terrible than those that came before. Finally, in the autumn of AE998, Princess Celestia announced that a military expedition would be sent north to liberate the Crystal Empire, and bring the tyrant Sombra to justice. For the first time since the Princesses ascended the throne, Equestria would be marching to war.

In the early spring of AE999, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna departed Canterlot with an expeditionary force 6,000 strong. The vast majority of this Crystal Expedition were militias recruited over the winter, since the Princesses had not yet restored Equestria’s standing army. In addition to the militia were an elite unit of 200 of the Princesses’ finest Royal Guards. While the size of the expeditionary force may seem relatively small to most observers, one must bear in mind that the army would be marching into one of the most inhospitable regions of Equestria, where it would be exceedingly difficult to sustain a larger force, even on survival rations. The trek north was slow, as the army made frequent stops to conduct training exercises and to build a roadway in their wake for their supply convoys to use. The Crystal Expedition did not arrive at the Crystal Mountains until early autumn, at which point the order was given to make camp for the winter. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna remained with the expeditionary force throughout, using magical correspondence to continue governing over the winter.

After the spring thaw of AE1000, the army continued on its march, finally reaching the Crystal Empire in under three weeks. Upon entering the Empire’s protective shield, the army stood aghast at the sight of the kingdom they had been sent to save. Sombra’s tyranny had reduced the Empire to a slave state, held together by the brutality of his fanatical honour guard, and his own considerable magics. The mad king was not unprepared for the arrival of the Crystal Expedition; a large force of conscripted slaves had been amassed at the edge of the Crystal City, driven by the whips of Sombra’s honour guard. Princess Celestia’s calls for a parlay were met with jeers and insults on behalf of the wicked king. Seeing no alternative, Princess Celestia gave the order to advance.

What followed next was promptly dubbed the Battle of the Crystal Plains, though it would be more fair to call it a righteous massacre. Sensing that their liberation was at hoof, the desperate slaves either broke ranks and fled, or hurried forth to join forces with their liberators. Now horribly outnumbered, Sombra’s honour guard made one last desperate stand, but their fight was short-lived. Despite their ferocity, Sombra’s troops had little experience beyond bullying hapless civilians, while the Equestrian militia were well-trained and hardened by their march north. While the battle raged, the Princesses flew ahead to confront Sombra directly. What followed then is not known, but it is clear that the Princesses ultimately resorted to using the Elements of Harmony to neutralise Sombra. Unfortunately, the consequences of this act were dire.

In a matter of seconds, the entire Crystal Empire, including its ponies, vanished suddenly without a trace. The very confused expeditionary force was left in the middle of a barren plain, now open to the freezing winds. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna returned to their army in solemn spirits and immediately gave the order to make for home. The Crystal Expedition trudged back into Canterlot two months later. Their account was met with much confusion by the general populace, and indeed it would seem that many chose to forget the Crystal Empire out of simple convenience. To this day, the disappearance of the Crystal Empire remains a mystery, though several theories have been advanced. Some claim that Sombra must have cursed the Empire prior to his defeat; others suggest that he had corrupted the Empire to the point where it too was purged by the Elements. Whatever the case, it must be made clear that the Crystal Empire did not vanish entirely. The many refugees who came south to Equestria remained, and in time their descendants also forgot their old kingdom.

The aftermath of the Crystal Expedition did lead to a massive revival of Equestria’s military forces. Though the Princesses have always maintained a vocal anti-war stance, the events in the Crystal Empire had nonetheless convinced them of the need for a loyal and capable military. The Equestrian Forces were officially reformed in AE1002. Oddly enough, the new army’s first duty was to maintain the roadway leading to the Crystal Empire's former location. Even today, this mandate still stands, with a modern railway now replacing the ancient stone path.

Perhaps the greatest legacy of the Empire, however, lies within the royal court. In AE1001, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna officially adopted the exiled princes and princesses of the Empire as their official “nephews and nieces”. While many other ponies of all ranks have held the honour of joining the Royal Family over the centuries, rumour abounds that at least one of the Princesses’ adopted kin may yet trace their ancestry back to the lost throne of the Crystal Empire.