What if Queen Channary recovered from regolith poisoning? What if the fire happened but they arrested Levana and found Selene still alive? She was kept in a tank for several years until she was strong enough to have the surgery. Channary teaches her how to use her powers and starts hiding her cyborg parts. She learns of all Channary wants her to learn for when she is queen.

Hey ya'll. Sorry that it's late, AGAIN! It's been a hectic weekend with preparing for finals so never got around to finishing and editing the chapter even though I am supposed to be on a damn schedule. Of course, being on a schedule at the end of a school year never works out but I'll keep pretending until I get back on track. So, as a treat, I would post another chapter just to make up for being late, again, but I have to try and stick to my schedule with all of my other fanfiction works.

Oh, and I was supposed to start and post another TLC fanfic two weeks ago but I totally forgot about it so that is behind schedule as well. So I need to write two chapters of that and post as well as this chapter and chapter 4 in order to be caught up. Well, hopefully. . .

Oh, if you would comment about literally anything that would be great! Support or criticism is always good! :)

-Kath

Chapter Three: Cyborg for a Lunar Princess

I gently keep my hand on young Selene's shoulder as the guards carrying her, my partner and I rush to the medical wing. As we enter, the busy doctors stop to stare as we rush past before nervously going back to their work.

I'm deeply worried that the young girl won't survive considering the severity of her burns. I hope she makes it because she is the future of Luna after all. We absolutely cannot allow Her Highness, Princess Levana, to rule as well as Her Majesty, Queen Channary, to continue her careless reign.

We enter a lab with monitors lining the walls, several operating tables and a large suspension tank in the middle.

"Place her on that operating table!" I say to the guards as I walk towards some of the monitors. "Christine, grab the supplies!" I point in the direction of some of the cabinets where my partner starts rifling through them, looking for the right tools.

I hurriedly turn on the monitors and enter in my password as the guards gently situate the young princess on the operating table. They leave immediately soon after, hoping to get away from the deformed girl as soon as possible. The site is revolting and makes me want to lose the little food I ate this morning.

The monitor finally loads with my information and opens up a new file, uploading the current state of Selene before we start operation. My fingers fly across the screen as Christine finishes putting the supplies on a cart next to the operating table. Out of the corner of my eye, I see her glance nervously and cautiously at the form before turning away with a disgusted look on her face. Poor, sweet Selene. She doesn't deserve this.

I finish entering in the data and slide the screen across until it appears on all the portscreens in the room. I look up at the large one on the wall over Selene's body as I walk over to the table. Christine has supplies ready in her hands.

I put on a mask that she has in her hand then gently place an oxygen mask over the nose and mouth of young Selene. We hook her up to several monitors to make sure she is holding steady. Christine and I gently put a cold, wet rag over the burned body to clean it slightly before putting ointment on top. We wrap her gently in cool rags to help let the ointment sink in before leaning back to look at her for a minute.

I sigh. "She is badly damaged. These burns need time to heal."

"Should I prepare the suspension tank?" She asks, quietly, to not disturb unconscious Selene. I nod, never taking my eyes off of Selene as Christine walks past me and awakens the monitor controlling the tank.

I stare at Selene's heartbeat on the monitor before looking at the burns again. "How much longer until the suspension tank is ready, Christine?"

"Three minutes, sir."

I stare at the screen again before I notice some odd data on the monitor. That can't be right. Seconds later, Selene flat lines.

"Christine!"

We both scramble to the operating table, disconnecting the wires and taking off the mask. We hurry over to the suspension tank before walking up the small stairs on the left side. We gently lower her in for she is slippery from the ointment as the suspension tank is still setting up. It beeps, green goo quickly filling in before we finally let go of Selene. She moves down into the goo where she stops and floats.

I let out a breath of relief. Selene was so close to dying.

We walk down the steps, Christine making sure the tank finishes setting up and that Selene is stable. The tank does a full scan for her and when it appears on the screen in front of it, we can't believe the state of Selene. It's much worse than we originally thought.

Cyborg is the first thought that comes to mind as I stare at the skeleton of Selene. I look up at the body floating delicately in the tank and I frown.

This is absolutely horrible. She needs a whole new vertebrae to support the remainder of her spine, four new ribs, tissue around her heart, skin grafting for all the burned parts, eyes and a control panel in her head, splints along her right leg, a new left leg from mid thigh to foot, a new hand, and in order for the prosthetics to operate correctly, wires need to be placed throughout her body. Oh, poor thing.

I sigh, saddened by the thought that Selene must become a cyborg in order to survive. At least it will mean that she will truly be alive again.

"Start stimulating her brain. We need to let her grow and heal until puberty before we start the cyborg operations. Make sure she gets an education and check on her regularly every hour. I'm going to call for Her Majesty."

Christine nods and starts entering more data in the monitor, moving the skeleton image. I look up at the girl in the tank before walking out of the room to call for Her Majesty.

I finally leave the nursery when my guards enter saying Dr. Darnel wishes to speak to me. I must have been in the nursery for a long time because the sun has started to set. The shock of everything hasn't worn off yet.

I walk with my head held high even after the events of today. A queen must always present herself in a proper manner, no matter the situation.

I walk towards the medical wing even though a year ago, I vowed to never come back here. The medical wing smells the same as always, headache-inducing antiseptic and cucumber soap. The combination doesn't work. I should have the nurses clean out the smell and change it to a nice lavender.

I enter the room where Dr. Darnel asked to see me and I freeze in the doorway when I enter. The expression on his face makes me stall, resting my hand on the door handle and the other on the doorsill.

"Your Majesty,"

"Yes?" I raise my eyebrow. He will suffer greatly if he comes to me with bad news. He's a doctor and couldn't help the Princess survive? Unbelievable.

"I have some bad news," He says nervously, obviously sensing that something bad might happen to him. Honestly, it's disrespectful to expect such a thing. "Please follow me."

He walks towards me and waits patiently while I continue to stand in the doorframe. I raise my eyebrow but he stays silent. Does he expect me to move?

"Yes, Dr Darnel? Do you need something?" I know that I am challenging him. For as long as I have known him, he doesn't like to be challenged. He's been too pampered his whole life.

"The young Princess's room is down the hall, Your Majesty. I kindly -very kindly- ask that you move so I can lead you down to it." He stampers a few times, nervous. Honestly! Who the hell does he think he is?

I let out a breezy laugh, confusing the older doctor before stepping out of the way. I bow to him, mocking him for talking to me like that. His eyes fill with fear and I give him a mischievous smile. No one tells me to move out of the way.

"Please follow me, Your Majesty," He scurries off down the hall and I walk at a pace that's elegant and efficient. Fast enough but not unladylike.

We come to the end of the hall and he fumbles with his keys, still bamboozled from my display earlier. It really was an unladylike thing to do. I need to make sure no one says a word about it.

"Oh, honestly, doctor, it is not that hard to find the right key. I am queen. I do not have all day. I have duties to attend to and the whole Kingdom are at the edge of their seats waiting to hear about the young Princess."

He gives me a nod, still fiddling with the keys until he seems to find the correct one. He jabs it quite forcefully into the doorknob, unlocking it with a shaky hand. It's dark abyss except for the faint glow of a suspension tank. He turns on the light and I gasp, pushing the doctor out of the way and stepping into the room.

My baby. I stare in disbelief at the disfigured creature floating in the tank. Another doctor, one I recognize as the one who accompanied Dr. Darnel in the nursery, walks into the room with a clipboard. She looks up and freezes when she sees me staring at the tank and the doctor leaning against the door.

The creature in the tank has missing limbs and is completely covered in scabbing burns. "What have you done!" I shout at the doctor. She startles and behind me, Dr. Darnel closes the door gently.

"Your Majesty." He says, calmly and nervously. It infuriates me. This is not a calm situation. What have they done to my precious daughter, my savior? What has Levana done? That witch!

"Please tell me what in Luna you have done to your Princess?" I turn to look at the doctor as he nervously steps towards the tank.

"Your Majesty, we have saved her life. We were going to start operations but the Princess is too weak. She almost flatlined as a result. She has been placed in the tank in order to live. She needs to recover before we start the operations." He says, glancing at the young girl.

I clench my jaw. "What operations?"

This time it's the other doctor who speaks up. "She needs skin grafting and cyborg limbs including a new vertebrae, heart chamber and several other parts in order to live. This tank will keep her alive until then. She needs to be kept in there until she heals and grows until almost her full height."

My daughter will become a monster. "How long will this be?"

She nervously glances at Dr. Darnel. He nods in approval. "At least eight years, Your Majesty. She is almost to reach her full height at age eleven."

"Unbelievable! What am I to tell all of Luna?" What am I to do until then? My plan is in ruins. She was to be my pet starting at age six. Her training was to start at ten. This is outrageous. All of my plans, ruined by Levana. Well played, dear sister.

"Do whatever you have to do. Just make sure she lives. If she doesn't, it's both your heads." They wince, eyes growing wider in terror. I smirk, taking one last look at my precious savior before turning around. With my hand on the doorknob, I turn to look at the two doctors. "This is between the three of us. If I hear any rumors spreading of any sort, you two are dead. This can't get out, you hear me?" They nod and when I deem satisfied, I open the door and leave the room, my guards following behind me.

A lot is at stake. My plan as the figurehead and Selene as the pawn better play out in my favor by the time Selene wakes up. Until then, lies are to fill Luna and I have an execution to oversee.

Again, I am really sorry this is late. I hope you all can forgive me, lol. :)

-Kath