//------------------------------//
// Chapter 6: Silent Lies and Earth Rise. 
// Story: An Epitaph 
// by TimeSolidMetal 
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"There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self."
-Ernest Hemingway


Chapter 6

Princess Luna stood on the lunar surface, there was total silence, not a sound in the infinite vacuum of space. The void was completely black, aside from the Earth rising off in the distance, taking the shape of a thick crescent against the black back drop. She looked left, then right, no sound traveled through space. She was alone in silence once again on the lunar surface. She began to panic, stepping forward shakily and looking over at the Earth. She opened her mouth and tried to scream, straining herself in an effort to make a sound. But no noise came out. She stood there, her four legs trembled with fear, with anger. She tried to scream again, shutting her eyes tight. But all was silent. She stood there shaking for a few moments before collapsing to the dusty lunar ground beneath her, sobbing silently into her fore hooves.
"Relax." 
Princess Luna looked up, her eyes shut with tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Please, open your eyes. Do not speak, think." 
Luna opened her eyes, but her vision was blurred with tears. What she could make out was a shining entity, bathed in light, standing before her. The voice she heard was not with her ears, but with her mind. Who are you? She thought to herself.
"That's not important." 
Luna wiped her tears away quickly with the back of her hoof, then shakily stood up, digging her hooves into the grey rock and dust. Why am I here? I DON'T want to be HERE!
"Your prison, Princess." The entity spoke with a very monotone female voice. The entire setting was very melancholy, a sense of dread washed over Luna.
Please, I don't want to be here. Am I... Dreaming? I'd know if I was dreaming! Luna snarled at the entity, her fear quickly replaced with anger. Stop bringing me back here!
"You know full well why you're here."
I don't know what you're talking about, bring me back! Luna shut her eyes tight, clenching her teeth, the tears began to roll down her cheeks yet again. She was unsure what this entity wanted with her, nor why the entity would not let her leave. If this was a dream, she'd be able to wake up due to her ability to control not only her dreams, but the dreams of others.
"Beyond this door is what you seek." As the entity spoke, a white painted door emerged upright from the lunar surface, completely wrapped in chains and locks. "You must open it."
W-what? How? I don't understand. The entity stood there silently, as if it was processing Lunas words for the first time.
"Then you're not ready..?"
I... don't know.

The sun began to hide behind the Earth once again, slowly casting the Moons surface in shadows. And as Princess Luna was swept up in the blackness of space, she awoke in her bed, bolting upright with sweat and tears running down her face along with a sporadic panting. 
"What's happening to me..?"