Years later, the Crystal Empire reappears in Equestria's Arctic North, bringing the evil King Sombra with it. According to the Applejack of this timeline, Sombra then retakes control of the Empire and wages war on the rest of Equestria, using mind control helmets to force the Crystal Ponies into his army of soldiers. Over the course of the next several months, the Crystal Empire's borders expand across Equestria, including the San Palomino Desert, the Badlands, and portions of Griffonstone.