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.