Fallout Equestria: Through the Crystal Glass

So you want to hear about the downfall of an empire; the last light of potential salvation extinguished before our very eyes and all we could do was watch and hope we'd wouldn't sink with it?

But before we begin, I thought I'd make a collaboration of rules, a survival guide of sorts to help anypony insane enough to want to live in the Crystal Empire:

Rule number one, The New Crystal Reformation (or NCR, as I will likely be calling them from now on) run the show. They prided themselves on our protection from the hostile tundra outside the city and patrolled the streets with a strenuous if not blind gaze. Most low end crime happened under their nose, until President Amethyst came to power. She as a efficient and patriotic governess cut crime and necks in half without any pause or prejudiced until only organized crime could flourish under her sun. Life as a peaceful NCR citizen was definitely an easier life than outside the empire, they provided protection, supplied jobs and set up an economy, in return the NCR citizens would pay hefty taxes.

Yet, ponies found themselves at an impasse...

On one hoof, they had a chance at a real life. Ponies could start up families, raise children untouched by the horror of the wasteland. Ponies could finally live in peace, just like before the great war; just as The Light Bringer would of wanted.

Yet, if they did, they would lose the freedom of the wasteland. For you see the wasteland grants a certain immunity to actions, you could kill anypony without physical consequence so long as you chose the right moment, a liberty not bestowed by the NCR and their faulty justice system.

In the end, all crystopians would have to make the choice, or have the choice made for them...

Rule number two, crystopians are a bizarre bunch. Unlike the rest of the wasteland, we were all closely intimate with each other, embracing and physical affections were common place among residences and to such a kindness to a strange was a sure sign of a prosperous friendship blossoming. Our herd-like nature was what made us stand out among the wasteland, it was the source of our strength and a great comfort when faced with the hardships which were commonplace in the wasteland.

Or as President Amethyst put it, "One crop can't feed a family, but one million can feed an empire."

Final rule three, outside the wall lies danger. Take note is that the Crystal Empire was largely unaffected by the megaspells, for it was a war zone long before the apocalypse struck. The zebras planed to knock the Crystal Empire out of the picture relatively early on during the war, in turn the ponies of Equestria rushed to support, in exchange for the Crystal Empire to loss it recent neutrality in the war.

As such, the boarder outside the empire are littered with post-war hazards, unexploded explosives, radiation hot spots and other dangerous are present outside the city walls, with the only safe way in or out being the highway that's patrolled heavily by the NCR. Once upon a time the NCR attempted to clear these hazards up, but ultimately it proved more beneficial to just leave them alone and hope somepony doesn't stumble upon them rather than risk soldiers to do it.

Since your still here I guess you'll want to hear the rest of what I've got to say, so grab a chair and listen, cus I'm going to tell you the story of a mare called Limelight, and how she became me. Not physically of course, but figuratively.