Trolls and dragons stalk the plain
Seek for mischief they may wreak
Hush now child, they seek in vain
We are gentle, but not weak

When the night seems cold and frightening
And you know not what to do
They will be there, fast as lightning
So no harm can come to you

Do not dread the sun descending
Know that they are always near
And their vigil never ending
And they face the things we fear

For they are our good protectors
They are strong, and kind, and brave
While the Lance does still protect us
Little children can sleep safe

- Crystal Empire nursery rhyme, author unknown

After a thousand years of absence, the Crystal Empire has been freed from Sombra's curse and returned to the world. The crystal ponies can finally live free from fear and slavery, but their once mighty nation has dwindled to a mere shadow of its former glory. Still, their tribe was never known for a lack of tenacity, and with their chains broken at long last, the crystal ponies are willing to face any challenges the world might throw at them.

I these difficult times, the young crystal pony Ruby Chip has risen to knighthood, and proven herself to be worthy of joining the legendary Order of the Crystal Lance. It seems like she has achieved everything she ever dreamed of, but then she starts being plagued by dark and frightening visions from the Empire's troubled past.
To make matters worse, Ruby fears that the Order might come into conflict with the Empire's new ruler. As a former officer of Equestria's military, Prince Shining Armor is not very fond of the way the Empire's armies are run and organized, and sees them in dire need of modernization. It remains to be seen if the traditional warrior caste of the Empire still has a place in the military force he seeks to create.

Very soon, Ruby and her brothers and sisters in arms will have to prove that they are more than a misplaced remnant of a long gone era, and show that the knights of the Empire can still fulfill their sworn duty as champions and protectors.

However, whether or not Ruby herself will be ready to be the pony others need her to be, that is another question altogether.

When the sky over the Crystal Empire is split open by a dark tear, Celestia, Cadance, Luna and Twilight must figure out a way to stop it. But in order to defeat darkness, sometimes you NEED darkness. And that leaves only one option; Sombra.

With his powers under lock down, and a growing connection to the strange darkness, can Sombra learn what it really takes to earn an empires respect, or will he abandon them to the darkness from another world?

UPDATED: Chapter one re-formatted, extra bits added, general tidying.

Edited by Dream Seeker!
Further helped into readableness by Hail King Sombra!

In the war against King Sombra, a young mare realizes who she is. Not a war hero. Not a savior. She won't go down in history. In the grand scheme of things, she will be remembered by a tally on the wall.

This is her story. Her reckoning. She won't be a memory. She will be a statistic.

Based on the 'King Sombra' future from S5 finale.

Pandinus Imperator (You can call him Pan, he won't mind) is knocked back in time during the Canterlot Invasion, and accidentally kills King Sombra on arrival. Instead of being executed, the changeling is surprised to find himself being hailed as a hero, and is promptly put on the throne as the new monarch, the Crystal Emperor. However, Pan now faces a great many problems, among them Celestia and Luna, who seem certain that the changeling is secretly up to no good, as well as several political factions secretly plotting to undermine his reign. There's also the tiny problem of the constant snowstorm that threatens to cut the city off from the outside world permanently.
The Crystal Ponies need a hero now more than ever before. Why did they get a changeling instead?

We Has A TvTropes.

While not truly a part of Bucking Nonsense's Changeling-Verse, the same rules regarding changeling abilities and society apply.

Cover image provided by gabapple, used with permission.

Sugar Crush has been working at the Crystal Empire's bakery ever since she had the chance to arrive at the ancient kingdom. Thanks to the crystal ponies and their accepting nature, the thestral found it very easy on fitting in. To compensate for their kindness, Sugar Crush made an active effort to give every customer she had a hug. And with every hug she gave a customer, a free small item came their way.

But one bright afternoon made everything she did change. One customer named Mineral Water refused her hug and free item, prompting Sugar to make the endeavor on giving the resistant crystal pony a simple sign of affection. Little did Sugar know her pursuit would lead into a much bigger picture than she realized.

11/2/17 Made the popular story list! Thanks for finding the story interesting! :D
11/6/17 Holy crap! My story is being featured?! So soon?! D:

Also, a special thank you to Crystal Wishes. You are a huge part of my inspiration when it comes to writing. Thank you.

It was supposed to be simple. Coco would head to the Crystal Empire, design some new uniforms, collect a paycheck and head back home. But a few wrong turns in a confusing castle led her to a place she’d never even imagined. And after a few chance encounters with some very attractive mares, she’s not so sure she wants to leave.

Cover art by Robin Daydream, proofreading and moral support by GaraTheAuthor. Inspired by Alex Zandra's light novels.

Sex tag for references and innuendo. Check the rating, folks, this isn't a clopfic.

Banded Agate and his family flee across the snow-swept wasteland to escape their life of slavery in the Crystal Empire under King Sombra.

One thousand years later, a group of ponies arrives in the Empire with a story to tell.

Written for Everfree Northwest's Scribblefest 2017 Contest. Winner of the coveted Fluttershy Award!

Celestia is far from an ordinary filly. The wings on her back and horn on her head have made that quite clear. In the corrupt, poverty-ridden world of steam and grime that she calls home, judgement against alicorns is swift and final by order of the Lord of Chaos that ponies have learned to worship.

The road to safety is far from welcoming, and fate has greater ambitions in mind than freedom for Equestria's last surviving alicorns.

(A steampunk-ish interpretation of Celestia's origin story and Equestria's historical past. Book One of a planned Three) Special thanks to Ice Star for prereading and editing help

Two ponies fall in love.

One will be conquered by Sombra and cast out of time.

The other will give everything to seal away the Pony of Shadows in Limbo.

Neither knows the other waits on the far side of a millennium.

Written for the M/M Shipping Contest III!

And with cover art by the esteemed daOtterGuy.

Featured 10/5/2023 - 10/9/2023!

Submitted as part of the 'Shining Armor is a Terrible Dad 2024' contest.

My first ever Featured Story!

Featured on 2-24-24 and 2-25-24, Thank you for your support!

Cadance wants Shining Armor to spend more time with their daughter, Flurry Heart. The results aren't what was expected.

Filly in a potentially dangerous situation