An even Maud-er couple

by Nightspawn

Rating: everyone
Tags: King Sombra, Random, Maud Pie, Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Alternate Universe
Length: 3508

The Story of an amnesiac King Sombra, and his Marefriend, Maud Pie.

Often when others forgive, we find it hard to forget what we've done, but if we forget, and don't want to remember, does that mean we shouldn't be forgiven. This is the story of King SombraCrystal Step, and his new life, with the love of his life, Maud Pie.

Published 2019-08-13 23:10:02 UTC
Last updated 2019-11-15 00:25:02 UTC

Sedimentary Sentiments

Previously on My Little Pony Crystal:

Bleh Bleh Bleh, I'm Grogar, I've gathered you all here to get our revenge, Bleh Bleh Bleh

Forget this, I don't need you, I'm Sombra, I do what I want

Oh Noes, Its King Sombra, what ever will we do, we Surrender, but please tell us what are you going to do next

I don't know, I honestly never thought I'd get this far

Stop Right There King Sombra, I Fight for Friendship and Harmony, I'm Twilight Sparkle, and In the name of Harmony, I'll Punish you

Oww, my Cape, unfortunately for you, You should have aimed for the Head

SNAP

Oh I'm the Tree of Harmony...Miss Sparkle, I don't feel so good

No, You Manic, you blew It up

Uh, Can't we do what we did in episode 2 against Nightmare Moon

oh, yeah

TASTE THE RAINBOW-

SMILE YOU SON OF A-

THAT IS MAHOGANY

But, It was So Artistically Done...

His head hurt horribly, and he had No memory of anything, (besides ~~Fine Dining~~ breathing, walking and other things you need to live), He didn't know where he was, or even who he was.

Was he Alive? Was he Dead?

Was he in Pony Heaven, or Pony Hell?

Was he even existing? Was he Floating in the voids of non-being, that oh so strange place that socks seemed to go to when you lose them in the dryer?

Did he ever Exist?

Was anything real?

Had he Escaped from the Illusion of Reality, or gone Deeper into the Matrix? Had He Taken the Red Pill, or the Blue Pill? Was The Universe a Hologram? Should He Buy Gold?

His being Lost in thoughts, all alone, was interrupted by a bored sounding voice "There are Better places to take a nap than on the ground, you know".

He Opened his eyes, he was in a cave of some sort, he heard a waterfall flowing in the background, he looked around, he saw Stairs, leading to a sort of covered living area. He didn't know why, but he felt an urge to climb the stairs, He found out something else about himself as he looked around, he saw crystals on the cave ceiling, not only did he like stairs, he liked Crystals as well.

"Oh, you're awake, how nice of you to drop in. Ha. Ha." she said, still in that dry DMV employee monotone. He directly looked up, and saw a large hole pony-shaped hole in the cave ceiling. She was a ~~gray~~ ~~grey~~ ~~colored~~ ~~coloured~~ pigmentation-that-was-in-between-White-and-Black (there, now is everyone happy) Earth Pony, who had a purple-ish mane combed flatly. She was Wearing a turquoise sweater.

It was at this he remembered another thing, a knowledge of Social Etiquette, "A thousand Pardons, Miss..."

"Pie, Maud Pie. And you are?"

At this point he panicked. His name, what was his name.

In his head it felt like a bunch of little him's were running around in a panic as their office burned around them.
"Search harder, asked the him in charge "Hey, you why aren't you looking harder, what do I even pay you for?" he demanded from another little whoever he was, "you don't pay me, We Don't even Exist. We're just a clever visual metaphor used to personify the abstract concept of thought.."

"One More Crack like that and you're out."

"Please no, I have a wi-Oh wait, I think I found it."

"Crystal Step, At your Service, Milady" She extended her hoof, he reached out for it and kissed it. Maud blushed and Crystal could have sworn he saw for the briefest moment a smile on her face, before returning to her usual stoic countenance.

"Swoon" Maud replied.

Crystal went over to look at his reflection, he was a light black unicorn, his jet black mane was singed and burned in places, the eyes looking back at him had a light green tinge to them and had clearly seen unspeakable destruction, and bore witness to that famous observation made by General Shermane during the Equestrian Civil War, "War is Hell". His Horn was curved, he didn't have a cutie mark.

"If you are done admiring yourself, could you leave, Through the Door this time"

"..."

At his silence she was able to infer his entire life story, "you don't remember who you are, or where you live, do you/'
He Nodded sheepishly, she then took out a smooth rock. "What do you think Bolder.. Uh-huh, uh-Huh, Uh-huh (read in different tones, like in Sanford and Son), Bolder is okay with you staying.."

"Thank you"

Sleeping in the guest bedroom, one blanket draped across him like a cape (he didn't know why but he liked capes) Crystal Step tossed and turned in the night.

Crystal Step was running through the snow covered forest, he didn't know why but he just knew, he couldn't let that thing get him, he had to warn Maud, he couldn't let her die, certainly not without him telling her, he had felt this before, at some point. The feeling of Love parted by death's icy grip. Distracted by yet another question to add to his growing list, he didn't realize it caught up to him, That Shadowy figure, with those cruel Green Eyes, he laughed a cruel laugh that would plague his nightmares for the coming months

Crystal Step's life in Ponyvile was becoming routine; Wake up in the morning, stumble out of bed, he stretches and yawns, he's got another day ahead. Work from 9 to 5 at The SOMBRERO KING (Ponyvile's Premire Sombrero shop, why he chose to work there he didn't know, It just felt right), talk to Maud, (he wanted to tell her how he felt about her, but if she didn't like him back, it could ruin their Friendship, he might have had to move out), watch BARNEIGH MILLER every night at 9:00.

The Nightmares didn't stop. He learned who that shadowy figure was. King Sombra, the cruel and malevolent dictator of the Crystal Empire, it was believed that he was gone for good (of course this was the third time, he was 'gone for good') but even still many ponies of the Crystal Empire feared his brutality so much they sealed away their memories. Crystal Step accepted that as who he was.

But tonight there was something new to the usual madness. A white tree, King Sombra laughing as it was choked by Black Crystals. Crystal Step had enough of the tyrant who tortured him nightly. Reaching with his magic he grabbed a sword made of violet energy, he charged at Sombra, who at the last second ignited his own energy sword, red. Although King Sombra was clearly more skilled in the use of the energy-blade, his heavy armor slowed him down, and so, Crystal Step was able to dodge his attacks. Sombra attacked relentlessly, but Crystal dodged them all. Sombra gave one last attempt at attack, but he was tired, Crystal then parried, slicing Sombra's light-rapier in half. Crystal slashed at the head of the tyrant. Sombra crumpled to the ground, his helmet broke open to reveal what the true face of Evil.

He Saw his own face.

NO..NOOO

He refused to accept it, there was no way..he couldn't be King Sombra, but he was, he realized with horror as memories of his crimes flooded back to him. He was a Danger, not only to himself, but to everypony, he had to run, far away. He wanted to run. "No" he told himself, "if I run, I'll just be seen as a villain once more" he took out a quill and wrote a letter to Maud, thanking her for all she'd done for him, that although she'd never see him again, Remember her to his Dying days, days that would soon be upon him, he signed it Crystal Step, then underneath that wrote KING SOMBRA.

In what was what everypony was calling the trial of the century, Sombra kept quiet, he said nothing in his defense, yet in admitting his crimes, he spoke with remorse, yet without wanting mercy, Maud Pie went to the court daily and watched him, he had the look of one driven nearly mad with guilt, he was no longer that charming if somewhat old-fashioned stallion she knew (and she realized may have loved).

"Does the Defendant have any last words before the verdict?" asked the judge.

"Yes, Your Honor, But I ask that they be ascribed to Crystal Step, not King Sombra."

"It is an Unusual request, but I'll allow it"

"Thank you, Your Honor. In my time as Crystal Step, I was Happy. I believe Lethe let me forget, not to silence my conscious, but to give me another chance. Your Honor, may I ask Maud Pie, to come forward?"

"Once again, an unusual request, but I'll Allow it"

"Maud, my Time with you, was and will be the highlight to my waning life, I would rather be convicted, and spend my last days with you, than be found innocent and forced to live without you. Although Death will soon Do us Part, I have found my destiny, and it is me by your side."

"Maud Pie, Will You Marry Me?"

"Swoon"

As they Kissed, Crystal Step got his Cutie Mark, a Heart, with one half made of Violet Crystal,Amythist. The Other half made of Granite.

"We The Princesses of Equestria, Rule Crystal Step/ King Sombra; REDEEMED on Probation. We will put a tracking device on your horn, will be required to notify us if you travel, and attend therapy with Dr. Cainius Lupus Wolfe every month until he decides it isn't needed anymore, The Probation will last til the end of the year, if the terms of probation are violated, you will be sentenced to Tarturus for 384,912 years with a possibility of parole after 125,000 years"

Crystal Step, understood why they were so cautious, but he felt that the worst punishment was having to live with what he, no he couldn't think of himself as that Monster, had Done.

They say you must Forgive and Forget, however often we do not forget. However, Crystal Step had forgotten, now he had to forgive. That however is a story for another day. For now we close the curtain on a redemption set in stone, more specifically set in Sedimentary Sentiments.

Prisoner 24601

Once upon a time, There was a chapter called Sedimentary Sentiments, and it was very successful, and Like anything successful, the faceless Corporations decided to make a part two, but despite all its weirdness, this is a Family Film, and like every good family film, It starts out with a Grizzly Murder; Lion King, Bambi, Saw VII, Nemo, (Really anything from Disney), and by now you've realized I'm just copying the intro to Deadpool 2...

So, after Crystal Step's Trial, and Love Confession; He got Fired from his job at the Sombrero King, (They wanted to open a shop in the Crystal Empire, and after it was revealed one of their employees was, LITERALLY SOMBRA, the well-meaning yet overreacting, Society of Judgement with Well-Intentions (SJWs), from The Union of Meaning-well, But Leading to Ruin (TUMBLR), wouldn't stand for it, so the pressure forced them to fire him). He was getting with the times as well, he updated his vinyl collection (to cassette) and even got A cell Phone. Now he was working on planning his Wedding.

At the Moment He was Snuggled up with his Bride-to-be, as FETLOCK played on the TV, His mind was elsewhere, however... it was in MARIS, 1833

The Stench of sewers, combined with the scorcher of the Marisian summer, filled the air with Noxious odor, The rats squealing out warnings to the Stallion who dared to intrude on their Subterranean Kingdom, however, Crystal Step, wasn't running to get out of the sewers, it was to escape the stallion who had pursued him since his redemption, Inspector Armor. Inspector Armor was following him in hot pursuit, Step wished he didn't have to run, but in this case, if he let Armor catch Him, he'd be put to death, Nor could he Keep hiding in the sewers, The rivers of sludge had been rising drastically, it was now a wave of sludge.

Inspector Armor had chased the escaped convict all through Prance, and now, he had him, He would catch Prisoner 24601, (That was all he was in Armor's mind, he lost all rights to a name, when he escaped from his second prison sentence)
He had evaded him time and time again, but not today, he wouldn't fail, he couldn't fail...for Cadence's sake he couldn't fail... Unfortunately Inspector Armor was lost in his monologue, and he didn't notice the rock in his path (Somewhere Across the vast Multiverse, a Ylissian Knight coughed), he knew this was the end, he couldn't get up, his forehoof was sprained, The waters were getting closer and closer, he closed his eyes and he could feel somepony lifting him up to his back, this was it, he had died, but when he opened his eyes to see his angelic Valkyrie, he was instead greeted by the sight of him...Prisoner 24601

After carrying Inspector Armor out of the Sewers, to the doorstep of a doctor, knocking on the door, and then dashing to an alley, Crystal Step nearly fell over from exhaustion.

Out of nowhere a orange glowing Portal cut through the empty air, as a navy blue Alicorn stepped out. It wasn't Princess Luna, he knew this for two reasons, not-Luna was a Stallion, and he had a Brown Mane that Followed normal Physics. Not-Luna was wearing a pair of Purple Glasses, Blue Robes that were only Slightly darker than his coat, and a red cape that made Crystal Step Respect him as a Cape-Friend, around his neck was a strange looking necklace.

"What.. but Who..Where's Princess Luna?" Crystal Step stammered out.

"Well, I'm Doodle-Doo Faust Everfree...as for Why I'm here instead of Mom, well she decided I was going to be taking on the whole dream thing, because it has to be a blood relative. Well That and She's probably mad I used Her Credit Card at HumanCon in Baltimare, which In my defense, She said I could use, if I paid Her Back, and I didn't realize I was paying for that Movie, I thought it was Just a Preview... Of course I can't actually use magic, so that's why I got the Necklace... and I decided, if I'm going to do this, I'm going to do it my way...Care For Tea? I've Got Darjeeling, Rosehip, Orange Pekoe, and Assam..." he babbled quickly, though not at Pinkie Speed.

Crystal Step stared at him, eyebrow slightly raised. Ever the Gentle-colt though, he quickly regained his composure,
"No, thank you, good sir, but please why are you in such a rush?" he asked politely.

"Sorry, It's Examination Week in Cloudsdale, and as CEO of Alicorn Standard Weather, and new owner of the Rainbow Factory after the..um incident...I feel That it's my personal duty to deal with those nightmare's especially... Even though we are now going for a completely different image, and we have a new safer method.. I mean who could guess this whole time we could use Crayons, ... Its my duty and our new motto to make sure that 'Rainbows Will Make You Smile'... Man I gotta thank Lightning, down in Marketing for coming up with that... Anyway, Look Just Talk to Auntie Glim-Glam, you know, Maud's Friend Starlight, She's a lot better at this whole Guidance Counselor thing, and the whole Past Sins thing... In fact, I'm Pretty Sure I heard some famous author Pen something or other, is writing a Biography about her called just that, Past Sins... See Ya"

And Just as suddenly, and Strangely as he arrived, Doodle-Doo left...and Crystal Step was Left also...

Left Extremely Confused

I love weddings

Crystal Step was checking over the guest List one last time before mailing it out, checking it against the Equestrian Yellow Pages. to make sure no-pony (or Creature, even as Sombra, he treated different races equally... (Of course then it was a case of, to quote a certain Drill Sergeant " You are all equally worthless") was left off the list.

The Following Segment was added to comply with Equestrian Communication Commission standards on educational content SPARKLE SAYS: Before Cell Phone's and the Internet, people used phone books, to easily get Phone numbers, but now that we have E-mail and Phone's that can save numbers, we no longer use those big thick books... :twilightsmile:

He was very tired, because he had to write out each invitation by hoof (well technically by horn) as the Item Duplication Spell was not on the list of spells permitted for use on Probation.At first he only had to invite Maud's Parents and sisters, along with maybe a few friends (Starlight, Trixie, His Guy's Night buddies (He got roped into that after he went out for a "Redeemed Villains, Reformed Antagonists, and Returned-to-Good Pub-crawl...) but then multiple other weddings took place, and he now had to invite the following ponies (And a Draconiquis, 2 dragons, a griffin, 2 changelings, but we'll get to them): Firstly it turned out that the scatterbrained Alicorn named Doodle-Doo was apparently a (very distant) Relative of the Pie clan, on his father's side, he was bringing along his adopted brother (a colt named Pipsqueak). Limestone Pie, then went and married Zephr Breeze, (Though how long it would be before they would start fighting it out on Discord's TV Show (The Discord Show, which according to Discord was " Basically Jerry Springer", Of course neither Crystal Step nor anycreature else knew who or what Jerry Springer was) was up for debate, But it would mean that he was to invite Zephr's sister Fluttershy, and Discord (Zephr's Brother in law). Marble Pie then married Braeburn, so now he had to invite all 251 members of the Apple family (including Big-Mac's wife Sugar Belle). Starlight, brought Sunburst (her husband), Pinkie and Cheese Sandwich along with Cheese's parents (Tuna and Ham Sandwich) were also going as well. Spike was bringing Gabby, and then Spike Invited Ember, who brought Thorax, and Thorax brought his Brother. oh and Trixie was there too. He was Going to Invite Rarity, but she and Fancy Pants were on a Three Hour Cruise with Twilight, (they'd come back though, it was only a Three Hour Cruise)
He also invited someone who he assumed was Maud's cousin, by the Name of Jasper.

The Wedding was going great, until, an out of breath red Unicorn with a fez burst in carrying a stack of pizzas.
"*pant* You *pant* Didn't *pant* say *pant* how *pant* many *pant* pizzas *pant* you wanted so I brought five" he wheezed out.

"Ah you must be Maud's cousin Jasper" said Crystal Step.

"I don't have a cousin Jasper" Maud replied.
"Oh you thought... Because my last name is... That I was... well this is awkward" the not-cousin Jasper said before passing out from exaustion.

Because he was so focused on the guest list, Crystal Step forgot to rent a carriage.
"Oh, Don't worry about that, I borrowed something even better, plus now you can re-enact one of my favorite films" offered the Hyperactive Alicorn. He led Crystal step and Maud to a Green Shermane Tank (Firefly class) on the sides of the tank was a strange symbol, a Lightning bolt, inside a star, inside a Shield.
"um Thanks I guess, But neither of us know how to drive a tank" Crystal said, trying to politely decline
"oh Don't worry, I can drive this...I think, anyway Climb on top of the tank"
A song began blaring as they crawled off into the sunset

Post-Credits scene

THE TWISTED TWIG
The Twisted Twig was one of the few places in Equestria that was disreputable.

Though not anywhere nearly as bad when compared to, say, Kludgetown or Griffinstone, it was said "You'll never find a more wretched hive of scum and villany, in all of Equestria" .

In the dimly lit bar, while 'Iron-Mare' by Black Saddle blared in the background, a grey earth-pony Stallion with a bowl-cut, with a twig (technically, it's a stick) sat with a mare with a ratty teal mane and a log.
The two, who were strangers to each-other mere hours before

"So you want revenge on King Sombra...Because he stole your Marefriend?" asked the mare

"Technically, I want revenge on Crystal Step " corrected the Stalion

"either way, I've a group of individuals who all have a similar goal of revenge on those we feel have wronged us...Somb-Crystal Step, is, coincedentally on that list of those who've wrong us...We're meeting at the Swamp-Cave tomorrow"

"And just whom should I say, invited me..."

just tell them Crissy sent you

King Sombra Crystal Step will Return in...Ebony-Stallion