Her door opened quietly, who would be rude enough to enter without knocking? "Sister, we have come to ask something of thee."
"Feel free, Luna. How are things going with the colt; he has reached the age of ten has he not?"
"Yes that is why I come, you had said he was not to leave the moon wing but I have decided to train him in the way of the sword but the guard barracks and training grounds aren't considered part of the moon wing. I have come to ask permission to train him there."
While Celestia wanted to refuse, as she'd been clear about where the edges of his cage lay, training him was not possible within the her sister's wing. She thought over restrictions she would need to be comfortable for it to be near her subjects. "I will allow it, dear sister. However, he must be watched constantly by two of my chosen guards and is to be sent back if he injures anyone. Are the terms understood?"
"Fully." Was all the moon princess said before turning to leave.
"Wait, little sister, I have seen little of you as of late would you like to join me for breakfast?"
The lunar princess paused considering her sister for a moment before agreeing.
A young colt ran through the halls in the direction of the barracks. When he reached a section he had yet to see. The never ending blue of the moon wing and lingering scent of lavender transformed the color pallette shifting to white and the smell of lily's taking over. In front of him stood two stallions both adorned in golden armor much different from the usual black wore by threstal guards. The moment Sombra neared the white corridors he was stopped. "You are the tainted child the moon princess claimed correct?" When he began nodding the stallion continued. "Her royal highness Celestia has assigned us to contain you whilst in the sun wing. You are not to step more than twenty hoofsteps from us and I would suggest watching your step in our side of the castle." With another nod of understanding the trio continued into the unfamiliar hallways.
When he arrived he was greeted by a familiar face. "You're late, Sombra. I told you to arrive an hour after sunrise." The colt hung his head rather than try to find an excuse. The princess shook her head. "Grab a practice sword and follow me." The soldiers followed behind silently. The field was wide with several parts occupied by groups of fledgling guards; may of whom took the chance to blatantly stare at Sombra and the princess. She walked over to a wooden stand and lifted various vests before choosing two. She gave the lightest one on Sombra before putting on her own. "This weighted vest will help you to increase muscle mass faster than without."
Sombra and Luna chose an unoccupied space before Luna began grabbing her own wooden sword "We begin with your stance, you must keep your knees bent and widen your stance." Luna demonstrated the posture herself for Sombra. Gently hitting part of his body she'd say "This hoof is too far out", "Your back hooves are too close together" before being satisfied and continuing. "Now raise your weapon" Both wooden swords pressed against one another in an 'x' formation. "Sword fighting is similar to dancing in many ways. You must read your partner and stay on tempo otherwise you risk losing your balance and leaving yourself exposed. For every step I take forward you must move back. For every step backwards move forward. Now begin!"
Sombra started out clumsy staring at his hooves in effort to keep the beat. Back, right; forward, left. "No, Sombra never let your eyes leave your opponent's." They two trained for hours everyday. Sombra making progress with his hoofsteps but still unable to read body language.
One day he was left to train by himself, while Luna was away. His escorts had left to talk to another group of solar guards while he swung his sword back and forth. After an hour of the repetitive motion he felt his blade strike a harder substance. When he looked to see what he'd hit he was roughly pushed to the ground. "How dare a tainted orphan-pony like you injure me." A mare stood above him he armor barely scratched by his swing. "Your coat is always filthy have you ever taken a bath? Glittering Blade, Fiery Heart maybe you should clean him up." The two guards flanking her agreed looking upon him with deep hatred.
He was pulled into the bathrooms; heading to the sink before turning the facet. The yellow guard roughly grabbed Sombra's hair in her magic before submerging his face in the water. The icy chill of the water hurt, the first dunk he held his breath before his body forced him to inhale the water. He launched his hair splashing the guards behind him as he struggled to breath. Then he was dunked a second and a third he hastily took a breath before he was plunged back into the icy water.
Then a different guard got over him plunging his head into the water a final time. But they kept him in place and his body fought their hold. He fought and fought before he felt himself weaken. Just before he stopped moving. Sombra fell to the floor the water he'd inhaled rushing out of his as he puked it up. His entire body shook from his terror and the cold biting into his soaked fur. Suddenly the mare was in his face. "You deserve this for living, every second you breath and every beat of your heart is a worthless action. Your existence causes pain to everypony around you." With that final statement she left, her lackeys trailing behind.
Sombra walked back in silence leaving a trail of wet hoofprints behind him. Instead of walking back to his own room he went to Luna's. Although the room was empty it was still comforting. Without drying his fur he crawled under her sheets and fell asleep.
Suddenly the silence was pierced by harsh laughter. His eyes opened to a cave of black crystal. Each surface was smooth and polished reflecting himself. Each reflection spewed insults at the colt. Sombra ran from the reflection but they followed after him, laughing when he tripped, cheering when he ran into walls all the while throwing hideous insults. The cave narrowed till he hit the end. There stood the largest crystal but instead of his reflection it was Lunas. She pressed her hooves to the crystal allowing them to pass through as if it had been water. Her form walked out from the crystal and she stood before him. Her walk was rigid as was her expression. On her face sat a smile akin to one painted on a mask, stiff and unmoving. But, the smile moved anyway. Each centimeter the smile grew the more her face began to crack. It left splinters, pieces fell like broken glass. Blood flowed from the cracks but her smile grew. Finally the smile went still before opening exposing rows of predatory teeth. They glistened in the darkness. Sombra legs quaked in terror as he felt tears fall. "Please?" Was the only word he spoke before the mare attacked. Her teeth sheared through his throat, blood fell from the hole pooling below his as he fell. The mare stood over him salivating as his eyes drifted shut.