The Great War wasn't just a conflict between two great powers. It involved every pony, zebra, changeling, dragon and every single creature whose ears heard the sounds of battle, saw the flashes on the horizon, and, ultimately, felt their strength drain as they were slowly reduced to nothing by the radiation of the bombs.

And among those affected was the Crystal Empire. Neutral as it was, it never had any true hope of remaining uninvolved. It accepted refugees and refused emoluments from both sides until, in the wake of his wife's assassination at the hands of rogue zebra soldiers, Shining Armor called upon his government to help end this war for good.

The city grew exponentially. Factories, labs, and military bases all sprung up like weeds in a garden. The Crystal Empire secretly gave Equestria their weapons and resources, hoping it would end the war sooner.

And end the war it did. When the zebras learned of the Crystal ponies' complicity, they targeted their city, too. Some were able to make it to the great underground Stable in the exact center of the city, Stable 83. Most others were not so lucky.

Welcome to the Crystal Wastes, my friends. Long time, no see...

Author's Note

Hello, and welcome to my story. I'm hoping to expand this to at least 52,000 words by the end of November, so chances are I'll be updating this pretty regularly.

Feel free to drop a rate or a comment. Every little bit of feedback helps. Enjoy!