*Chapter 2*

In the name of the Moon

...

Celestia was flying. Actually, the better word for it would be falling. She was hurtling through space; stars and moon dust whipping past her in a blur her senses didn't bother attempting to keep track of. Strait ahead of her was the planet earth. This was where she was falling to, and it was growing larger by the second. But even amongst all of this, Celestia could notice another detail.

There was someone falling with her.

Just off to her left, another shape was flying alongside her. Celestia turned her full attention to this figure and saw a young alicorn filly. She was half Celestia's size, and presumably half her age. Her coat was dark midnight purple and her eyes, (much the same color) were wide, terrified and locked directly on Celestia. Celestia's heart instantly went out to her. She did not know who this alicorn filly was, but they apparently were taking this trip together. Celestia reached out a hoof and the filly reached out her own to meet it. There was jut the ghost of a smile on her tiny face, and then-

Celestia woke up. Her body was upright and alert before her mind could catch up. She magically cast aside her bright-yellow quilts that covered her body and sat thoughtfully on her haunches.

She had been having this recurring dream for a little over a week now. It was always the same, not a single detail ever changed. But the fact that she had been having this dream so consistently lead her to believe that it was more than just a simple dream. But that was absurd...it couldn't be a... Celestia was told on more than one occasion that divine prophetic ability ran in their family in small amounts. Her aunt Beryl was apparently imbued with such powers; she was often lost in her crystal ball, gazing into it's paraselene depths as she muttered silent, informative tidbits to herself. However, Celestia had no idea if anything that Aunt Beryl divined had ever come true. Seeing as she never really talked to anypony, she didn't exactly trumpet any doomsday predictions for the whole castle to hear. But still...if Celestia had indeed inherited a trace of this power, then could what she be seeing really come true on one day?

Celestia gave her body a vigorous shake that started from her head and traveled the entire length of her body, loosening all her muscles in the process. Such a thing was ridiculous, she told herself. But her doubts immediately overran her sensibilities. The image of that alicorn filly swam clearly in her mind's eye. Who was she? Where did she come from? And what importance did she hold to her? These questions chased viscous circles around Celestia's head with no answers in sight. In the end, she simply decided start her day with her well-rehearsed ritual.

Celestia waddled to the very foot of her bed; having to lift her hooves about a mile high for each step as they sank so easily into her super plush bedding, and took her position. Just a few feet from her perch was her vanity, even from here her face was reflected clearly in it's mirror's surface. She spread her tiny wings, and with the buzz of a lunar humming bird, flapped them with all her might. She could generate just enough lift to hover a few inches over her bed, which was actually a few feet above the floor. She angled her body forward by extending her forelegs and allowing the counterbalance they created to weigh her in her desired direction. And a short aerodynamic exertion later, her flank was perfectly aligned over her fluffy tuffet. She folded her wings closed at once, and plopped neatly onto her target. She sighed with triumphant content as she set about her next task, fixing her hair.

Celestia stared into her own blue eyes reflected in the mirror before casting her horn aglow. She focused a portion of the magical flow just upwards and into her hair. Instantly it took on an ethereal and mesmerizing flowing motion, as though her hair had suddenly become made of water. She marveled at the effect in the mirror. She had long admired the flow of her father's water-like hair and had been secretly working on perfecting the spell he told her to make it so. However, the effect was completely cosmetic, serving absolutely no utilitarian purpose whatsoever. Not only that, it was extremely taxing on one's magic reserves to maintain said spell, as it had to be kept up at all times with a perpetual focus. Galactica never bothered with it as she herself once stated that her mind was on too many other things at once to be bothered with such a thing. She was also on record saying that her hair was beautiful enough as it was, and there wasn't a single pony on the moon that would disagree with that either.

Celestia's head was already beginning to swim with the effort of maintaining the spell. She let the magic flow out of her hair as it deflated to it's original shape and used her magic to perform the much more achievable task of pulling a brush through it. Her mane now neat and presentable, she hopped off the stool and set about fluffing her tail, the hairs of which were now clumped and flattened seeing as she had been sitting them for the past ten minutes. After the magically guided soft-bristled brush had adequately tamed her tail, it was now time for the most important task of the day. It was the one thing that Celestia could never start her morning without; the one thing she knew she needed and could not live without; the absolute most prodigiously important and direly necessary thing in the entirety of all of Alkor Zephyr's very existence.

Breakfast.

Celestia's stomach rumbled almost happily at the thought. If there was one thing Celestia liked , it was food. Most of her daydreams were about food. Apples, carrots, and celery would often float about her thoughts when she was bored. And while she loved her fruits and vegetables just fine, there was one food in which she held a particularly high regard. And that was cake. Celestia absolutely adored cake; cake of all flavors. The chefs of the castle always prepared the most delectable of cakes, special occasions or no.

One one very well-marked occasion, Celestia had eaten an entire half of a rather decorative chocolate layer cake all by herself. Unfortunately, said cake made quite a messy re-appearance about an hour later. It was after this that Celestia decided that her most favorite of all desserts should be enjoyed but one slice at a time.

Upon exiting her bedroom and her entry into the corridor, she was met by two of her personal pegasus guards. While Celestia knew they were of course hired for her protection, she always wondered exactly what they were protecting her from. The most danger she had ever been in was Wonderlocke popping from around the corner and shouting "BOO!" But seeing as that has only ever happened once, she hardly ever saw the need to be guarded so closely. So Celestia formulated a plan to ditch her guards.

"Hey," she said out loud. This of course caused the pegasus guards in question to stop and turn towards her. "Do you guys wanna see something really cool?"

The first pegasus stallion looked toward his guard partner, who rolled his eyes affectionately and said, "Sure thing, princess. What exactly do you have in mind?" He said this clearly to humor her, but none the less, she had their attention.

"As it so happens, I've been working a super-duper secret skill," Celestia said proudly. She paced back and forth between the two stallions, as they swiveled their heads this way and that to keep track of her progress. "It's taken me weeks to perfect this technique; and it's not something for the faint of heart either." Celestia stopped her circuit about the corridor and took a deep breath of concentration. "And now, if you're ready, I'm going to show you just how...HOLY MOONROCKS WHAT IS THAT!?" Celestia pointed a distressed hoof at the end of the corridor as she shouted. The pegasus guards immediately took up arms a they turned in the direction of the apparent disturbance. While their attention was directed one way, Celestia took off full tilt down the corridor in the opposite direction, laughing the whole way.

She slowed her gallop to a trot as she approached the double doors leading to the dining hall. She took just enough time to get her rapid breathing in check before she magicked the doors open and stepped inside. The early morning scene that greeted her eyes was as familiar as her own reflection in the mirror. A single long table had been placed in the center of the hall; said table's length was more than adequate for it's smattering of occupants at this time. Jedite and Wonderlocke had their heads together over a book that lay between them; Captain Nightwing and the morning shift of guards took up their own section of table space, digging into the hearty spread that had been put before the stallions; and just near the head of the table, sat Celestia's dear friend, Moon Petal.

She trotted up to her designated seat at the long table and settled next to her. "Mooney!" Celestia chirped in her ritualistic greeting of her friend.

Moon Petal turned and joyously greeted Celestia, "Sunny!" The two wrapped their forelegs around one another in an affectionate hug. Moon Petal was a moon mare (having no horn or wings) who was only a few months older than Celestia herself. Her coat was as white as moon stone and her mane and tail were a light, rosy-red. Her cutie mark was a blooming moon lotus that she was named for. As captain Nightwing was her uncle (the daughter of Nightwing's brother, Night Steel) she had spent alot of her time amongst the higher-ups of Iraklia, and had gotten quite acquainted with the members of the royal family. Which is exactly how she met and befriended Celestia.

"Sunny, look what daddy got for me yesterday!" Moon Petal gave a slight pull of a string that was tied around her right fore hoof , and from it's perch on the empty throne that usually sat Queen Galactica, fluttered a delicate and beautiful bird that landed on Moon Petal's outstretched hoof.

Celestia sucked in a breath of longing appraisal. "A Moonjay..." she sighed. "Those are really rare here..."

"Normally only found in the eastern mounds of Cydonia," Moon petal said knowingly. "Daddy was stationed there for the past week and brought me this back as a present. And of course I absolutely adore her."

Celestia watched as the Moonjay preened her blue and white plumage. "What's her name?" She asked.

"Her name is Philomena." Moon Petal said back.

"If I get a pet I'll name her Philomena, too." Celestia said. "It's such a beautiful name, where did you get it?"

"Well, mommy is pregnant again, and she said that if the new baby is a mare, that's the name she will give her." Moon Petal stared wistfully into space for a moment. "Oh how wonderful it would be to have a sister..."

"A sister?" Celestia said. Celestia never did tell her friend of her desire for a brother.

"Yeah," Moon Petal said. "Then we can paint our hooves, and try on clothes, and talk about cute colts like tall, blonde, and scraggly over there."

She pointed a hoof towards Jedite, who looked up long enough from the book he was perusing to say, "I'm a natural blonde you know."

Moon petal blushed a bit as a funny smile crept across her face. Celestia had always been sure that Moon Petal fancied him.

It was then that Celestia's stomach gave a rumble; a gentle reminder that she had not yet filled it. She looked over the spread that had been set out over the table. It was the usual fare of fruits, vegetables, and grains; nothing exotic, but certainly tasty. Celestia magicked over two particularly plump red apples and then used her magic to expertly cut them both into eights, which was how she liked to eat them, slice by slice. She was just about to dig in when the doubled doors to the dining hall burst open and the two pegasus guards that Celestia had evaded earlier fluttered into the hall, panting for breath.

"Oooh, somepony's in trouble!" Moon Petal said this right to Celestia, knowing that they were tasked with guarding her and were probably furious that she had given them the slip. Celestia heaved a sigh and resigned herself to a good talking to not just from them, but probably Wonderlocke as well. But the words that escaped their mouths were far from what she expected.

"It's the Queen! She is giving birth!"

The apple slice Celestia had been levitating stopped halfway to her mouth. Did he just say...? Could it really be? Before she could answer her own questions, she and the entirety of the hall were up and galloping for the doors. It just so happened the birthing chamber was but a short trip down the main staircase and three doors down from there. Nightwing reached the doors to the chamber first and flung them open. He stood aside and let the ensemble of ponies head inside, chattering with excitement. All except for Moon Petal that was. Nightwing held a hoof up in her path and said gently "I'm sorry little one, family and staff only."

Moon Petal's ears fell as she took the news. "Oh c'mon, Nighty, can't you make an exception just one time?" Celestia moaned.

"I'm afraid not, princess," Nightwing said. "It is doctrine."

Celestia sighed and turned to her friend. "Don't worry, Mooney, I promise you'll be first in line to see the new baby."

Moon Petal smiled and nodded her head. Celestia then noticed her aunt Beryl. She was standing in what had come to be known as her "perch" just outside the birthing chamber, looking through the enormous ground-level window and onto the earth below. Celestia approached her somewhat cautiously, seeing as the rabble coming from the chamber and the noise of it's new entrants hadn't seemed to peek her curiosity at all. "Auntie Beryl..." Celestia said timidly. "Don't you want to come inside and see the new baby born?"

Beryl was motionless for a few moments as she continued her stare out the window. And then she said slowly, "I need not witness such a thing, dear niece, I have already seen it before..."

Celestia could only guess that Beryl was alluding to her own birth seven years ago. "Well, yeah but-"

"You have much better things to be attending to right now, dear niece..." Beryl said. "Go on and behold the birth of your sister..."

Celestia cocked her head in confusion. How could she know that the baby was a filly? Even the doctors couldn't know the gender before they were born. And then Nightwing's voice brought her back to reality, "Hurry princess, the moment is upon us!" Celestia scurried back into the doors, but cast one lat look at her odd aunt, who had never broken her stare at the earth through her window.

The birthing chamber was a controlled riot of ponies scurrying this way and that, shouting orders and fetching things from across the room. Celestia managed to locate Wonderlocke in the relative chaos of it all. He was just at the edge of the bed where Queen Galactica was formally laying. Given Celestia's tiny seven-year-old stature, she could barely see anything of her mother or father through the crowd of adult pony legs and bodies. "Here," Wonderlocke said as he squatted down, inviting Celestia to climb onto his back. She did so, and her new elevation afforded her a clear view of the scene in the very center of the room.

Galactica was standing on her own four legs, her head buried in the supportive crook of Aquario's shoulder as he stroked her back and spoke soothing words into her ear. Celestia was just a small bit worried as it seemed like her mother was in great physical pain. Her mane was plastered to her head from the sweat that covered her entire body, and her breath was coming in short, raggedly controlled bursts. "Is mommy okay...?" Celestia asked in concern to Wonderlocke.

He only chuckled in response. "She could not be better, princess," he said back. "Foal birth is indeed painful for the mare, but that is part of the miracle."

There was a small team of pony doctors just at Galactica's flank. The head unicorn doctor was staring intently at a stopwatch that he held in one hoof as he strategically massaged Galactica's belly with the other. "Contractions are very close together now," he mused. He positioned himself just behind Galactica's flank, (a position, certainly now, and in any other scenario that could be seen as highly desirable) and said, "Alright, your highness, give a big push on three. One, two, three!"

Galactica clenched her teeth as she grunted in exertion of the labor. "Ah yes, here comes the foal."

The team of doctors readied a soft bed of blankets and pillows just below Galactica's hind quarters. "Now for the best part," Wonderlocke said. He moved amongst the crowd of ponies jostling for a view of the scene to a prime position right over the shoulder of the doctors. From here Celestia could see, well, she didn't quite know what to make of what she was seeing.

Galactica's hind legs were spread wide as what was no doubt the baby in question dangling halfway from her...well...Celestia knew what it was called, but had never said the word out loud.

"One more big push, highness," the doctor instructed.

Galactica loosed an exhausted scream as the baby was finally extricated from the womb. It plopped down gently onto the bed of pillows and was followed by a flood of various liquids that caused Celestia to purse her lips and cringe a little.

It was at this point she was thankful she hadn't eaten anything that morning.

The foal was whisked away where the doctors went to work on it, patting it dry with towels and blankets. Galactica had collapsed onto her puffy bed in exhaustion where Aquario comforted her with kisses and whispers. Celestia's attention was torn between her parents and her new sibling, not that she could see much of either with the crush of ponies now more excited than ever. She was however, able to pick up on the hushed conversation the doctors were having over the foal. "Look there, on the flank, is that a cutie mark?"

"No pony is born with a cutie mark."

"It is a birth mark."

"Does Onega Beryl not bear that same mark?"

Celestia was lost to the rest of the conversation as Wonderlocke drew her attention. "Well now, that wasn't so bad now was it?"

"It's alot messier than the books make it out to be..." was her response.

Just then a hush came over the room as the head pony doctor moved in front of the crowd. He carried the new foal in a bundle of white blankets crooked in one leg as he balanced himself on the other three. Every eye in the room was on him as he paused for a dramatic effect just before the announcement. "It's a filly!" He declared. The ponies in the room stomped their hooves in elation.

"Well young princess, you have a sister!" Wonderlocke shouted above the ruckus.

"A sister..." Celestia was just the smallest bit disappointed, but she quickly cast the feeling aside. The doctor presented the baby to her waiting parents who were overjoyed at the moment. Wonderlocke knelt down to allow Celestia to climb off his back. "Go on and meet your new sister, princess," he said.

Celestia slowly made her way to the bed where her mother lay with the foal cradled in her front legs. Galactica caught sight of her approach and beamed. "Celestia, come see your new sister! She's absolutely anxious to meet you!"

Celestia propped her front hooves on the edge of the bed and raised herself just to her mothers legs where the baby was being held. Galactica gently peeled back the bundle of blankets over the baby's head to reveal a tuft of pale midnight-blue hair over the tiny stub of a horn. The baby stretched her tiny legs to reveal a dark purple coat.

And then Celestia was falling again.

She was plummeting towards the earth with a speed she could not fathom. And beside her, was that alicorn filly again; this alicorn filly. Celestia reached out her hoof and the small filly met it with her own as the planet before then loomed larger and larger. The filly then spoke words that Celestia could not hear over the rush of starwind in her ears. "I said, isn't she beautiful?" Galactica spoke again.

Celestia was brought back to reality by the question. "Oh, yes...she is wonderful!" Celestia once again retreated to her thoughts as she mulled over the what she had just seen in her mind's eye. What did that vision mean, and why was she having it so often?

Her train of thought was broken once again by her father. "And now of course, we need a name for our new princess."

Galactica lapsed into a thoughtful silence. "Zephyr," she said. "Onega Zephyr." They both looked to the baby, as though seeking a sign of her approval, but it looked for all the world that she had fallen asleep. "No go, huh..."

Then Celestia had a thought. She suddenly remembered Wonderlocke's teaching her the oldest and first known name of their world. "Luna," Celestia said. "In the name of the moon."

The tiny alicorn filly yawned adorably and beat her miniscule wings under the blankets. Both Galactica and Aquario broke out into matching smiles. "That settles it," Aquario said. He turned as he addressed the room, "Everypony behold, Princess Luna!"

Cheers erupted throughout the room at the declaration of their new princess. "However did you think of that, sugarpop?" Galactica asked her first daughter.

Celestia shrugged. "I don't know. It just seemed...right."

And so it was.

...

The day was nearly done. Celestia sat just in front of the new crib that had been built for Luna. She lay fast asleep, flat on her belly among a soft bedding of blankets. Celestia smiled to herself. She had been this small once, having her parents and the entirety of the castle's inhabitants swooning over her. But then the memory of her reoccurring vision came back to her mind. It would surely drive her mad if she kept dwelling on it as she was, but she could not shake the suspicion that it was all too important to decipher.

She did not get to think long as her father exited the master bedroom next door and joined her in the small side bedroom that one belonged to Celestia. He sat down next to her as together they admired his newest daughter. "Wonderful, isn't she?" He said. Celestia nodded her agreement. "It felt like only yesterday that you were born, Celestia, and all the same feelings are coming back, only twofold."

"Where's mommy?" Celestia asked.

"She is sleeping," was Aquario's response. "She has poured so much energy into giving us this miracle, and so she must rest." Aquario adopted a very stoic silence then. At length he said, "Celestia, do you remember what I told you about sleep?"

"Of course, daddy."

"Well then, go to it, whether you are ready to meet it or not." Celestia knew enough to realize when she was being dismissed, she supposed it was something that she would have to get used to; her parents' attention constantly on the new baby instead of her.

"Good night, daddy..."

"Good night, Celestia," Aquario said. Celestia slowly exited the room and clicked the door closed softly behind her. Aquario then turned his attention to his newborn daughter, resting so divinely in her infantile sleep. Aquario took in a breath through his nostrils as he ignited his horn. Using his magic, he gently pulled the covers back from Luna's tiny body as the source of his worry was revealed.

Right there on her flank, was a mark he would recognize anywhere and on anypony. It was a path of pitch-black clouds. There were many ponies who thought this to be a cutie mark. But Aquario knew better. He had seen the mark before. It was the same mark that Galactica's abnormal half sister, Onega Beryl bore. And he knew in his heart of hearts that there was something twisted and monstrously wrong with that pony, but nopony else seemed to share his concern. And to see that same mark on his sweet baby girl, Luna...

He refused to believe it could be true. That there was some sort of dark and evil seed that was lying within his precious daughter; something that was waiting to turn her into some kind of...nightmare. He rested his head in the bars of the crib. And he remained there for the rest of the night.

Silent, inert, and in deepest, deepest turmoil.

...

*End of Chapter 2*

A/N:

Back with an update, hurray for me! I know I am all too slow with these chapters, but please bear with me. I'd like to thank all of those who faved, followed, and reviewed my story so far, you guys seem to be liking it!

On some unrelated notes; currently watching RWBY season 2, Sailor Moon crystal (the inspiration for this fic) and playing...well, I'm really playing anything because every game I play just makes me think of Destiny, and how much I want to play Destiny, and how long I've been waiting for Destiny, and how much I'm looking forward to Destiny. In case you haven't noticed...

I REALLY WANT DESTINY!

Sorry bout the yelling there...this is just drivin' me nuts. Anywho, let me sign off before I drive you guys crazy too. Thanks for reading, and I'll post again as soon as I can.

-B.D. Skunkworks

P.S.

DESTINYYYYYYYYYY!