A med-droid is the android equivalent of a nurse. Unlike Iko, who's an escord-droid, they don't look like humans at all, but instead run on treads with prongs instead of hands and sensors instead of faces. Just some reference. Enjoy!

...

Ariella Eun-hye Song could safely say that, all in all, she was very impressed with Lunar design. The ship in which she resided was stylish and comfortable with its soft seats and elegant designs across the ceiling. It was somehow both eccentric and incredible.

Ariella sighed. As of now, she was entirely alone on her voyage. She didn't think it would be a long-lasting crisis, however, since the ship was big enough for at least two more passengers. Either way, she was bored.

Ariella looked down at her suitcase, which was an expensive and stylish brand. She didn't have anyone to talk to, so she'd have to find something that would fill her time. She pulled open her bag. Ariella had packed accordingly, although she might've overdone it just a little.

On top was her makeup brush and case. She prided herself in her skills with eyeliner, but she'd already done it this morning, and there weren't any mirrors nearby - typical. Lunars had a deathly fear of them, so she'd heard.

The next item in her bag was her port. She pulled it out, scrolling through her documents. Comics, net dramas and...

Her journal. The file was near fifty pages long now, since she used it a lot to keep track of notes and memories. Not because she was a journalist; she couldn't count the amount of times people had asked her if she wrote in a journal because of her career. Still, she hadn't used it in awhile. It couldn't hurt...

Ariella retrieved her stylus, scrolled to the bottom and leaned back against the seat. Time to do some catching up.

May 24, 15:00

Aboard a Lunar podship, en route for Artemisia

I didn't really want to be cruising through space with a stone wall for a pilot. My mom did, though. She would probably claim it to be a mere suggestion, made only because of love for her daughter. But it was definitely more manipulative then maternal.

It's not that I wouldn't like to see the grand city for myself, or be dolled up and cared for, or meet the prince (he's hot, what can I say?) It's more that I never want to have the same motives as my mother, or do anything that would bring her gain. That's harsh, I know. But she's... well, she's a lot of things.

Not anything I want to get into in case someone finds this, but suffice it to say that she'll do anything to keep the Song legacy intact. Which is fine. I can understand family honor. It's just that I have no interest in conforming to her standards.

I know I'm the family disappointment. I know that all those wealthy and well-connected women turn up their noses at me. I'm the girl that wastes her beauty, the disgrace. Too spirited, too inquisitive. Honestly, they find a new flaw every time they see me.

But I don't really care. I'm my own person, and so are they. They can pick out a stray bit of differentiality in anyone, so I guess I shouldn't take it too personally.

Still, I don't get why spontaneity and a zest for life are suddenly crimes. It's certainly not civil to put others down. I guess I'm putting them down right now, so I'm not following my own rule.

I should probably write about my day so far, since I'll be swarmed once I get to the palace. I guess it's not that interesting, but it's something to keep record of. My first trip into space. I'll want every little detail when I get back to Seoul - or when I become queen...

I woke up early, since the trip to Artemisia isn't short, and said goodbye to my family. My dad told me to work hard and do my best, I said I would. It breaks my heart, really. Ever since his first wife died, he's changed. I know he'll never feel the same about my mom, and I don't think he'll ever be fully himself again.

Mom came next. She kept telling me that it would bring our family all sorts of honor if I became queen, and 'think of the luxuries at your disposal, and oh, remember your manners!' I couldn't get away from her fast enough.

My brothers, on the other hand, were a welcome sight. All six of them came to see me off, telling me how proud they were of me and to say hi to the prince from them. The seven of us have always been close, and I can't help but feel a little protective of them. They're cyborg, and I can tell that people whisper about them. Funny, since every one of them are successful businessmen.

But that doesn't matter to anyone. All that matters is that they're different.

I took a hover to the Seoul square - I'd received an informative comm yesterday evening telling me to come there - and a guard was waiting for me. He said that by order of Her Majesty the queen, he had to do a security check to ensure it was actually me, and that I didn't have plans to sabotage the crown. His heart didn't seem at all in it as he asked me a series of questions, checked my pockets and even took a blood sample. In fact, he almost looked bored.

I feel for him. It must suck working for the queen, and besides that, he has to keep that same rigid stance all day. Not pleasant, but it probably pays well.

We got in the ship, made of some shimmery material I figured must be Lunar, and were off.

I was the first Selected on board. The ship was smaller, and I couldn't help but wonder why they didn't just have one cargo ship to take all the girls. But that would be too much of a hassle, all that travel. I can't imagine how hard it must be to round up eighteen insignificant young women from this vast melting pot that is the Earthen Union.

While I was waiting for the other Selected, I tried to hold a conversation with my companion. Being a journalist and a Socialite, I've picked up quite a lot in the area of small talk. It went something like this:

Me: So, you're from Luna. I've always wondered what the guards are like there.

Silence.

Me: What's your name, anyway?

Guard: Sir Jennings, Miss.

Me: Ahh.

Me: Not a lot of turbulence. You seem to have a lot of experience flying a ship.

Silence.

I didn't try anymore after that. Either he was very focused on the controls, he didn't like Earthens, or people just didn't have conversations on that big rock up there. Or maybe friendly interactions just weren't included in his regime.

I'm being too hard on him. It's not his fault he grew up among people who alter brain waves for fun. Who knows what living up there long-term can do to a person?

We were descending over the bustling metropolis of New Beijing, its many tourist sights and famed buildings seeming to beckon and taunt me. I'd been there on occasion, but I'd never really gotten the chance to be among the civilians, to see all that it had to offer. Just another item on my long list of places to travel. At least I'd be checking off Artemisia soon enough.

The city came into clearer focus as we neared, and I was able to pick out more and more details by the second. Sir Jennings glossed over the more impressive sights of the city and touched down in a smaller area; rural and deserted, so as not to take out an unsuspecting citizen. Even though we were not at the city center, the scenery was quaint and residential. A plume of dust rose up in the ship's wake. It wasn't that big, but it certainly weighed some pounds - er... tons.

Sir Jennings opened the door and bade me wait while he retrieved the next Selected. I didn't want to be idle and contained, I wanted to see New Beijing. But I figured it would be wise to obey his order if seeing the Capitol was still on my schedule. I can't help but think it wouldn't be beneath him to dump me in the marketplace and let me find my own way home.

Fortunately, I didn't have to wait long before the guard returned with his charge. I had to do a double take, to really drink her in and ensure my eyes weren't playing tricks on me. She was all angles, with almond eyes, sharp cheekbones... and part of her head comprised entirely of metal. Her short black hair was up in three buns, swept to the back of her head. But the other side was devoid of hair, instead replaced by sleek metal, silver with red embellishments.

And that wasn't it. Following behind her, one of the girl's hands laying gently on its head, was a Komodo dragon. She - he? It? - was almost four feet long, just trailing in after the girl, and the guard, though stone-faced, had a slight twitch in his eye. Stranger still, the lizard was wearing a blue kimono and, like the girl, walking as though it had all the bravado in the world.

She proclaimed, with every inch of matter-of-factness, that he was a Kimono dragon. I nodded, amused.

She was witty and bold. She displayed her cyborg parts openly, unafraid or uncaring of what the populace thought. And on top of that, she was coming to the palace with a lizard, as though it was the most common thing on Earth. I have a dog that I would've loved to take, but I knew it wouldn't settle well with Mom.

Never mind that. I liked her immediately. She slid in beside me, oozing confidence. I grinned, and she gave me a look that was hard to interpret. Distrust and wariness, certainly. But something else.

Her kimono dragon was quite an awkward fit. He had to be squeezed beneath the seat with the suitcases, and we both had to adjust accordingly for him to be comfortable.

But I didn't mind. He was interesting, just like the girl. I decided to strike up a conversation - with the Selected, not the lizard. Fortunately, she was a lot warmer than the guard, though still a little stiff and sharp around the edges.

She told me she was a boxer, defiance igniting in her gaze, like I might discount her immediately. But I didn't. If anything, I was incredibly impressed.

She was like me; lacking a care in what anyone thought of her and flaunting her skills. But she was different from me in a lot of ways, I could tell. Rugged and almost tired, eyes resemblent of onyxes, hard and almost sizzling, reflective of her past. Not that I knew a thing about her past, but I could tell she had one. There were sadness there, alongside the determination. Much like mine.

The guard actually spoke as we were flying out of the Commonwealth, to my utter surprise. He said that we had one more hopeful to collect, and then we would be off to Artemisia. This time, we didn't pass over New Beijing, but Denmark, in Europe. I didn't quite understand all these random locations, but knowing the Lunar way, there must've been some strategy behind it.

Just like with New Beijing, we landed in a slightly remote area. Unlike New Beijing, it wasn't charming, but rundown and almost desolate. Once again, the door slid open and Sir Jennings marched away, leaving me alone with the girl.

I suddenly realized that I didn't know her name. I inquired, and she supplied; Hua Lán, she said it was. Simple and elegant. I told her my name was Ariella Eun-hye Song, but that she could call me Ella or Eun-hye. A trace of a smile tickled at her lips, and she nodded.

Soon enough, Sir Jennings returned, but the girl accompanying him was a surprise - though it wasn't in the way that Lán was. In fact, she looked about as similar to Lán as a royal does a med-droid, except for her eyes. Though they were brown and downcast, they sparkled just as brightly as Lán's, if not more so.

She had light brown hair, porcelain fair skin and... she was dressed in rags. Worn black scarf around her shoulders and a tattered dress around her little body, blackened by scorch marks and dirt. She crept inside and took the last available space, seeming to melt into the lush cushioning. She certainly didn't have my confidence or lifestyle. She didn't seem to have much of anything but the clothes on her back.

I grinned, hoping to put her at ease, and introduced myself. I had to prompt her for a name, and she told me it was Fia, voice brittle as an autumn leaf. I winced.

She must be naturally shy... or maybe she was just brought up in a tough situation. I couldn't help but feel a little curious, but she didn't seem keen to talk, so I leaned back against the seat and peered out the window.

The ship was no longer gliding in a parabola over the Commonwealth and Federation, but instead ascending, nearing the glassy sky. My eyes were riveted to the landscape, watching it grow less and less prominent. A reverse effect from what I'd experienced with the Commonwealth, the city lights zooming out.

And up we went. The pull of magnetic streets and gravity relinquished its hold, and the ship was claimed by the endless void of air and stars and the universe. It was exhilarating, as the ship was no longer weighed down by Earth's pull. Now we weren't cruising. We were floating. We were flying.

We were all laughing as we rushed through the solar system - except the guard, of course. Our laughter was definitely tinged with a bit of delirium, as we were all still amazed that we'd even been Selected. It was laced with hysteria, since we'd barely recovered from the thrill of acceleration. But it was a laugh, nonetheless. And I didn't think it would stop for a very long time.

...

Stars. So many of them, like a mystical panorama or an array of sparkling candles across a very large cake. They were just balls of gas, Fia Gillian knew. But even if they weren't glorified souls or captured dreams, they still astounded her. Granted, she was astounded by a lot of things, so stars definitely did the trick.

They were like fire; warm and bright and always dancing.

Fia's exhalation of shock fogged the cool glass pressed against her cheek, but her brown eyes stayed doggedly pinned to the otherworldly scene. So this was space. She'd always wondered what it felt like to be soaring through this endless scape.

Fia's eyes finally left their object of fascination and drifted to the duo of Selected, also inside the ship. They were both so confident. So sure.

How did one keep that face all the time? If she had that skill, would she have fared better throughout the years? Would things be different now? Would there be people to see her off and a real bed to sleep in?

There was a thread of similarity between the three, though. Each pair of respective eyes were captivated by their surroundings. The guard at the controls, however, was a different story. He hadn't blinked an eye or shown a wisp of emotion the whole journey.

"That's something you don't see every day." Ariella's comment was played off nonchalantly as she closed her portscreen and stored it away, but Fia could discern a breathless undertone. She was amazed by it, and that made Fia feel much better about her own childlike fixation. At least she was not alone in her ignorance.

Fia examined Ariella more carefully. Like most everyone she'd come across, her clothes were in excellent shape and her body healthy, a subtle glow to her pale skin. She was well-fed, unaffected by the strain of poverty. What a happy life she must have.

No. Fia refused to think about that. She had a good life. She was grateful to be alive. This girl must have her own sorrows, like having to look perfect all the time, and... forgetting her mascara on a trip and having to use a cheaper brand? Fia was already feeling sympathetic for her.

She cast her gaze a few inches sideways, settling on Lán. She, too, had nice clothes - fitted cargo pants and a jacket - but there was something about her that Fia had seen before. She was rough around the edges, and certainly fierce. It was something she'd seen often with older children at the street, as though they'd never found love, or were hardening themselves to the trials.

She was probably wrong. Not many experienced the same thing she had, and she shouldn't just make assumptions like that. Still, she couldn't shake that feeling of togetherness, even if it was probably false. This girl wouldn't ever befriend someone like Fia; downcast and wavering, a feather in the wind.

"Never been to space before?" asked Lán. Her face was like an iceberg; rigid, cold and seemingly insurmountable.

Ariella raised her eyebrows. "Have you?"

Lán paused, eying her competitor, and shook her head. "Good point."

Fia felt as though she were melting, sinking away into the seat and being claimed by space. She often felt tiny and indistinct, but it was especially noticeable beside these two.

"What about you, Fia?" Fia jumped. She thought they'd forgotten her since her name had been asked, but now both their gazes had landed on her. "Have you been to space?"

"Oh, I... no, no, I haven't," she murmured. "it's very pretty, though."

Ariella nodded. "True. It'll be a long time until we arrive, so we might as well get acquainted." She bit her lip, pondering. "What's your favorite element? I know, it's random, but I happen to be great at icebreakers, and that's definitely what we need right now."

Lán was smirking beside her. "What are you, a Socialite?"

"That's correct. Favorite element?"

"Fire," said Fia immediately. Nothing to think about. Fire had been her savior, her companion.

Lán raised her eyebrows, inspecting her. "Really? Interesting."

Fia crawled deeper into the lush seat, gaze dropping to scrutinize her ragged dress. This was new to her; people trying to befriend her. No one ever showed the tiniest ounce of interest in her. But she welcomed it with open arms.

She smiled and nodded. "Yeah. What about yours?"

Lán looked surprised, almost confused to be acknowledged. "Well, I like the color red, and dragons," - she gestured helpfully to the Komodo beneath the seat - "so I guess it would be fire? But I've never really thought of it before."

Fia hummed. "Well, I guess I haven't thought of it in relation to the other three. But fire is... I don't know." She ducked her head, not bothering to explain.

It felt as though Lán was warming, like a rock under the sun, though it was hard to tell. But she just nodded. "Ah. What do you do for a living, anyway?"

Fia studied her hands carefully, as though, if she looked very hard, she might find something peculiar enough to change the subject. But her hands were as dull as usual.

"I... I don't have a real job. I just try to make money by selling and hope for the best. But I think I'll be able to get by, after the Selection, once I've been better-fed for a while." Anyone could catch the hint of hope and optimism in Fia's tone, but not many would see that it was her only option. The only thing to do. Smile through it and hope for survival through the night.

Spades, her brain was a goldmine of negativity today. Fia lifted her head, trying to keep the conversation up, and saw that Ariella looked to be thinking deeply. Her fists were clenched, as though she might yell at someone. Had Fia done something wrong?

"What about you, Ariella?" she asked softly.

The mysterious girl detached her eyes from the ceiling and idly fingered the hem of her shirt. "Oh, I'm at college right now. Aspiring investigative journalist. And I work at a coffee shop."

A journalist. How ironic. And a coffee shop! Fia would've expected something showier, like a model or a net drama star. Now she looked at this girl in a new light.

"Wow," she said. "That must be fun. Do you meet lots of people?"

Ariella smirked. "A whole bunch, yeah, but not because I work at Mooncash." She didn't elaborate, and Fia found herself utterly intrigued. She seemed to be good enough with people, and fairly wealthy. She was a journalist, so that sort of explained it.

But it wasn't really her place to pry. That was her life, and this was Fia's. They'd aligned for this short period of time, and Fia wasn't going to spend it speculating.

"That's interesting," she said truthfully. "I don't meet a lot of people myself, but I do see quite a few."

Lán's brows were drawing together, and she opened her mouth and closed it again, like she might've wanted to add something but had thought against it.

"Ah," said Ariella, and there was a temporary lull in the chatter. At least, Fia hoped it was temporary. She wasn't cut out for this sort of thing, but she hoped that someday, she'd be like Ariella, always knowing what to say. And... it would be nice to be nourished and well cared for like her, too.

Fia jumped as the stars were blocked from her view. Instead of dream-like wisps of light, she saw black rock and opaque glass domes and... The moon. Luna.

They were here.

She glanced at the guard, working feverishly at the ship's controls and occasionally stealing a look at the lizard sprawled on the ground. She was really going to Artemisia. The white city, full of beautiful architecture and even more beautiful glamours and... she was a Selected. She was meeting the prince. She was going to see the sights, taste the delicacies...

But did she deserve it? Her father had abandoned her. Her very birth was the reason her mother was dead. Was it right, for her to be experiencing the Capitol's fabled hospitality, even if it was for a few days?

A soft thud jarred her, and she banged her head against the window. She must've been deeper in thought then she'd realized; she'd been borderline daydreaming, if daydreams could be negative. Fia realized that the thudding sound had come from the ship, and that they had landed in... a port. Artemisia's port.

Unfortunately, she'd missed the journey to the Capitol, but that had already happened. At least she could take in her surroundings now.

The docks were filled with ships, all of them identical. White, shimmery, and stamped with the royal Lunar insignia; a crescent moon above Earth, almost like a protective shadow - or a guardian angel, perhaps? Fia didn't know how to feel about the alliance, the way that Earth and Luna were now hand-in-hand. The war that had arisen all those years ago was long-since extinguished, and for that, she was grateful. She just hoped it would last, and that all the drama would just evaporate, just float away on the wind.

The guard exited first, and Fia hopped down after him. Already her surroundings were luxurious; the walls were covered in glimmering lights. Near her, there was an ornate set of doors emblazened with the same royal crest.

The guard was their only welcoming committee. The platform encircling the port was vacant.

Suddenly, it hit Fia all at once. What if it had all been by mistake? There was no way a queen would choose her, a lowly street girl. There must have been some accident... She probably wasn't supposed to be here at all.

Everything was so big - the ships and the vaulting walls and even the kimono dragon - and she stared down at her tattered wardrobe and felt entirely singled out. Her feet stumbled on the pristine floor, and then there was a hand on her shoulder.

"Head up," said Lán firmly. But her hand was supportive and grounding.

"You want to look nice if the queen drops by, or... someone else," said Ariella, a slyness permeating her voice. Fia laughed weakly, but she did as she was told. These two were her only friends so far... or, at least, her companions.

Whichever they were, they were her sole hope, her single chance. She didn't want to lose that anytime soon.

...

Yo yo yo! I'm so sorry for the late update, I had a little trouble there for a few days. But this is the chapter! Woo! I just wanna thank you all for your kindness. Like I said, I won't name names, because we'd be here forever, but you know who you are. Virtual cookies coming your way :) And just a lil reminder, the form is due July 15th! I might've said this before, but I moved it back so y'all could take your sweet time. And if you have any questions whatsoever, on anything, don't hesitate to message me.

Thank you SO much to my betas. You're lifesavers, and this chapter wouldn't be here if it wasn't for your encouragement and constructive critisism. You two are wonderful.

One more thing: I'd really love to know how I'm doing with your girls. Y'all have been GREAT, don't even worry, but just to keep in mind for the future: I'd love it if you dropped me a message or review once in a while, just to let me know how I'm doing. And if you can't, that's totally fine, just let me know. I won't be mad at all, I just wanna know how I'm doing as a writer and with your characters. Thanks so much! I will see you soon, it may be a little later because of family things, but it will be soon. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, let me know how you liked the journal entry style and these two girls.

Okay, now I'm really done. Thanks so much for reading,

Your Resident Lunar-tic