This chapter contains one of the most important rewritten plot changes, so please read even if you have already! Please enjoy and review, thanks

xxMazzy

Musa awoke tired and groggy the next day, but was comforted at the sight of Riven asleep beside her. She closed her eyes again, smiled and snuggled into him. Then she remembered.

She sat up. Her head was spinning and she could see dancing grey dots in her eyes. She rubbed her face with one hand and ran the other through her long, midnight blue hair. What was supposed to be the best night of her life had turned into the worst. Her 'loving father' had arranged her marriage to Prince Jared of The Symphonic Nebula and she'd discovered that she could have been marrying her boyfriend, Riven, but now wouldn't be able to. She felt her eyes water and tears trickle down her face, and then she knew that she had to do something. There would be a way out of this, and she knew exactly where she could find it.

Tossing her duvet off, she she tied her hair up and slipped her feet into her red, fluffy slippers. It was still early, so hopefully nobody would be awake and she'd be able to sneak into the library in peace.

The route was surprisingly familiar, seen as she hadn't been here for a good few years. The library was a room that she had hardly visited, but she knew that what she was looking for was there- The Code of The Harmonic Nebula. This book contained all of the written traditions and customs of her realm, and equally, the rules surrounding them. Arranged marriages were pretty traditional, but Musa was entirely aware that there were ways out of them. Those ways would be written down in that book, and if Musa could pull one off, she could say bye-bye to Jared and hello again to Riven. She crossed her fingers and prayed to her mother for good luck.

The library was one of the biggest rooms in the house. It had two large oak doors that lead into it, and no windows. It was lit dimly with rose scented candles that cast bewitching shadows on the magical walls. The walls were a deep red from one angle, but if you tilted your head slightly they would appear a strange shade of purple. The wooden floor was very reflective, and made from the wood of a magical tree that demanded wisdom and quietness. The book shelves were made from the same oak as the doors and shelved thousands upon thousands of books, about all different things and both ancient and modern stories.

When she entered the room, it didn't take her long at all to find the book; it was on display on a pedestal next to what would have been the librarian's desk. It was a very big book, with yellowing pages and a red leather cover. The title of it was engraved in gold on the front. When Musa touched it, red sparks emitted from her fingertips and the book opened itself, and onto the page which Musa was seeking. Musa read:

'When marriage is arranged, it has to be fulfilled, as long as there are no underlying circumstances. If the bride to be is not eligible to marry the chosen groom, then the marriage cannot fall through. A princess would be ineligible if:

. The marriage arranger was to pass away before the wedding.

. The bride was already engaged to be married to someone else.

. The bride was bearing the child of another man, before the marriage was announced.'

Musa sighed. Riven had wanted to propose, but he hadn't got there quick enough and now it was too late. She couldn't bear to think about her Dad dying so young. He was only in his fifties. That meant that the only option left was the last, and in a way, the hardest to pull off. Musa exhaled heavily. Could she do something like that? The plan was already forming inside her head, but would it work? And was she brave enough? She had little self belief.

By breakfast she had already made up her mind. It was the sight of Jared that convinced her. No way did she want to be stuck with him for the rest of her life, and she shuddered at the thought.

Nobody except Ho-Boe and Jared spoke over breakfast, but Bloom kept giving Musa awkward glances and Flora was miming 'are you okay?' across the table to her.

After breakfast, Musa dashed upstairs and pulled on some black skinny jeans and an old black band shirt. She put on her red Vans and left her hair in the messy up-do she had pulled it into earlier. She didn't tell anyone she was going; she didn't want anyone to know. In her mind it was going to be a very quick trip, and nobody should have noticed that she was gone by the time she got back.

Nobody saw her as she left the mansion and ran as fast as she could down the steps and away from the place. It didn't take long for her to get into the town streets, which were surprisingly empty. It was quite a dull day and some of the many neon lights were still on. Normally the dance club lights shining would have tempted Musa, but not today. She knew exactly where she was headed.

The health clinic was on the outskirts of town not far from the proper hospital. Musa was pretty friendly with one of the nurses there, who had attended the same first school as Musa. She walked through the door and the girl looked up from the counter. A huge smile spread across her face. "Musa!" the girl exclaimed. She rushed out from behind the counter towards Musa to hug her. It was a good thing they were the only people there, otherwise they might have gotten some funny looks.

"Selena," Musa beamed. "It's been a while."

"Woah, I know!" Selena replied, and paused. "How was Alfea?"

"Oh, Selena it was amazing! It such a beautiful place and all of the teachers are..." Musa stopped. She didn't have time to tell Selena all about Alfea, at least not today.

"Selena, I'll tell you all that later, but right now I have a problem, and I need your help."

Selena looked confused. "My help?"

Musa nodded. "Please don't think bad of me Selena, but I'm sure a lot of people would feel the same. I take it you heard the news from my princess ball?"

"Oh. The news about your... arrangement?"

"Yes. And well... well, I really, really don't want to marry Jared. I was kind of... already in a relationship with someone."

Selena was still looking confused, and Musa sighed. "Well I don't want to marry Jared and this morning I looked in that book The Code of The Harmonic Nebula and now there's only one way for me to stop it and I need your help to pull it off."

Selena still wasn't getting it. "But Musa, what are you going to do?"

Musa sighed again, and could feel herself blushing slightly, as she usually did, when the topic of conversation lead to Riven. "I'm going to get myself pregnant. With Riven, my boyfriend."

Selena was taken aback. "And why do you need my help?!"

"Because it will only work if I was pregnant before I knew about the arranged marriage. I need you to fake test results. Say I got pregnant the last night at Alfea."

"But how is that gonna work? Aren't people going to know that you were there with them the whole time?"

"No Selena, because you see, I wasn't. That night I showed Riven my room, because I wanted him to see where I had lived for three years. We were up there for a good half hour, which could of mean enough time to... you know. And that could be my excuse. I've thought it all through carefully."

"Yeah... but Musa, I mean. Are you sure you're ready for this? To go through it all? It's hard work you know. And do you not think it's a bit selfish to bring a child into this world, for nobody's sake but your own?"

"Not really... because it will be worth it for the kid. I think that the kid'll think that too, seeing as if I didn't, they wouldn't have ever existed. No, the only thing I'm worried about is Riven."

"Why in the realms is that the only thing you worry about?!"

"Because I don't know if he'll be up for it. The kid thing I mean. It's kind of a lot to ask... I think I might put a spell on him..."

"No way! I'm not helping you Musa!"

"What? Why not?"

"I am not going to let you trick your boyfriend into having a kid with you, then letting you bring a child into a world of such darkness and then lie about it to your father!"

"But Selena! Hey... what do you mean darkness?"

"Well, what do you think? All the wars and stuff? Baltor returning... duh."

"Oh, that stuff. But it's all over now anyway."

"There's still a lot of evil around," Selena said. "And I'm still not helping you."

"Selena! If it was a girl, I could name it after my mother."

"Gee, I don't know Musa..."

"Selena! All you have to do is change a date on some papers! I'm doing this either way, I just need you to help me. Please."

Selena looked as if she was considering something that was really difficult to decide on. She was. She pondered for about two minutes, and then said: "Oh alright. I'll help you trick your boyfriend and fake..."

The door swung open, and a woman carrying a little boy walked into the clinic. The boy coughed loudly. Musa turned back around to look at Selena. "I'll see you later then," she said. "I'll be back in a few weeks. Probably."

Selena nodded and went back behind the counter to greet the new arrivals, and Musa left the health clinic, smirking.

Musa whistled the notes to one of her favourite songs as she climbed up the big stone steps to her home, her hands were in the pockets of her skinny jeans. She found her friends in the huge sitting room of the mansion. They were all there- Layla, Bloom, Tecna, Flora, Stella, Brandon, Sky, Timmy, Helia, Nabu and Riven- watching some movie on the cinema-sized screen. Tecna seemed fascinated by it.

"Have you seen the size of it? Imagine the magic energy that you could get if you broke it down?"

"I'm surprised you haven't got one yourself, Tec," Musa said and everyone turned to stare at her. Obviously, they hadn't heard her come in, and they probably wanted to talk to her and get her to answer questions.

"Musa!" Stella exclaimed. "Where have you been?! We've been waiting all morning for you, you just disappeared after breakfast!"

"I was... getting ready." She glanced at Riven, who, today of all days, was looking even grumpier than usual.

"Oh come on, Musa!" Stella whined. "I'm not stupid you know! I know it doesn't take that long to get 'ready'."

Musa then remembered that her hair wasn't brushed and was tied up in a ponytail, a style which she never wore. She had no makeup on and was wearing an over-sized band tee and old skinny jeans, with an old pair of Vans that were still coated in the mud from a music festival years ago. Compared to Stella, who was wearing denim shorts , a neon orange vest, and sky-scraper Gladiator heels, she wan't really 'ready' at all. Stella also had her face covered in foundation, mascara and glittery eyeshadow, with her lips shiny enough to see your reflection in. Her hair was down and tumbling all the way to her waist, but with some of her layers curled.

"Well maybe our definitions of 'ready' might be a bit different..." Musa suggested awkwardly.

"Never mind," Stella went on. "Tell us everything!"

Musa plonked herself on the squishy red couch and Stella dived to sit next to her. Layla sat on her other side, with Tecna next to her, and Flora and Bloom knelt beside the couch in front of Stella. The boys shuffled in next to their girlfriends, all except for Riven, who sat on the arm of the couch looking grumpy.

"So what do you want to know?" Musa asked.

Stella groaned. "Everything! Like how you feel, if you plan to wriggle out of it, blah, blah, blah."

"Okayyyyyyy. Well I think it's pretty obvious that I don't want to marry Jared. To be honest, I can't believe that my Dad has actually done something like this. I mean for God's sake, he's met Riven!"

"Maybe Riven gave a bad first impression," Sky said. "It wouldn't be the first time!" He laughed, and Brandon joined in.

"And it won't be the last!" Brandon jokingly punched Riven in the arm, but Riven didn't even flinch. He didn't even attempt to hit Brandon back and he didn't say anything. Brandon and Sky looked at each other and shrugged.

Musa, who was the only one who knew why Riven was really upset, quickly continued to draw peoples' attention away from him. "And at the minute I have no idea how to get out of this crap, so I was kind of hoping that you guys might have some ideas?"

"You could always run away," Layla suggested. "I used to think about running away to get out of my arranged marriage."

Nabu looked offended. "Only before I realised I wanted to marry Nabu!" she added and kissed him on the cheek.

"And you could come and live with me!" Stella burst out, "And we could play makeovers all day!"

"Actually that would be completely illogical," Timmy explained.

"As soon as he realised you were gone, your Dad would come after you," pointed out Tecna. "And your friends' realms would be the first places he'd look."

"Maybe there is no way out," Helia said calmly.

"There's always a way," Bloom said, and patted Musa's hand. "You just need to believe in it. Look at me. I got my enchantix in a way that people didn't even think possible!"

What Bloom didn't know was that Musa already had a way out, and was planning to take it into action that night.

"This conversation is a bit miserable," sighed Flora. "Why don't we talk about something more cheerful? Like Stella and Brandon's wedding?"

"Oh yes!" Stella exclaimed happily. "We've already decided we're going to have the biggest cake in Solarian history, with baby pink icing and decorated with edible yellow roses! And it's going to have raspberry jam and the interior is going to be the softest, fluffiest and tastiest available!"

"And the plates are going to be real pure gold, and the cutlery pure silver," Brandon smiled.

"And there's going to be balloons and streamers and live music and the whole ballroom's going to be redecorated just how I want it!"

"What about your wedding dress, Stella?" Layla questioned.

"Of course I haven't got that yet, girls! I'm going to go out and buy it with you! It's going to be the most perfect and pretty one that I can find!"

"You don't need an amazing dress for you to look beautiful," Brandon said and kissed Stella. Stella giggled, but stopped and her expression became grave.

"Oh Musa. If you can't get out of this mess then we're going to have to plan your wedding. I think maybe it should still be gorgeous, even if it is to Jared." Surprisingly she said his name with disgust, since she was the reason that Jared ever met Musa, but then again, Musa's father had been unaware of that incident, and really it could have been coincidence that their marriage was arranged.

"Oh Musa! I'm so sorry!" she confessed and started crying, head in hands. Brandon put his arms around her and said "Shhhh, shhhh. It's not your fault honey."

"No it's not Stella," Musa promised. "Dad didn't even know that I knew Jared, and Jared liked me before you set us up. I think he wangled his way into it by coming to see my Dad. Really it's my fault. I never told Dad properly about Riven."

"It doesn't matter," Layla admitted, and everbody stared at her. Even Riven.

"It doesn't matter, because we are going to get Musa out of this."

Musa was in her room. It was five to ten at night, and she had told Riven to meet her in her room at ten. Her heart was beating quickly and she had butterflies in her stomach. It was the feeling she got when she was on a rollercoaster and it crept upwards towards the massive vertical drops.

There was a knock on her door. She glanced at the clock on the wall- it was ten o'clock.

"Come i-in," she tried to say with dignity.

Riven walked into her room and shut the door. "What is it Musa?" He seemed concerned.

How could she explain? Of course she had to lie, Riven would never agree to having a kid, but what could she say?

"Well. Riven. You know that... that I don't want to marry Jared?"

"Yeah," he scowled.

"It's because I love you."

"Right?"

Musa was upset that he hadn't said 'I love you too', but she continued. "Well if I do have to marry him, well, I want to love you while I still have the chance... If you know what I mean."

Riven said "Oh," and chuckled. "And so you want me to..."

"Uh-huh" Musa replied and nodded at the same time.

He chuckled again and said "Well I don't see why not... but Musa, aren't there things we're supposed to do beforehand?"

"It's fine, I'm on the spell," she lied.

"Oh, well that's good then," he laughed and sat down beside her, somewhat awkwardly. Musa leaned over and starting kissing him. The kisses became more and more passionate and she initiated the tongue slip. She stroked his muscular chest and he put his hands up her shirt and rested them on her waist. Eventually she found herself lying underneath him, still kissing, and despite all the times she'd fought the witches and nightmarish monsters, she'd never felt so small, so weak or so afraid. He was so much bigger than her, she was powerless when it came to something like this, yet she couldn't resist now.

"Here goes nothing," she said, and reached to pull off his shirt.

"I can't believe I'm helping you with this, Musa," Selena told the blue-haired musical princess as she watched her lay down on the blue bed.

"Oh come on Selena," Musa said. "It's not like I forced you into it or anything." She winked at her.

"Well I didn't really have much of a choice, did I?" Selena fought back, but calmed down as she rolled up Musa's black t-shirt.

"Anyway," Musa went on, "My Dad's super rich and famous and I plan on following in his footsteps, and I never forget those who help me."

"Oh really?" Selena raised her eyebrows.

"Uh-huh," Musa nodded. "I could give you enough money so that you would never have to work again."

"Maybe I want to work."

"Maybe, but I didn't say just because you have a super massive house and a super fast and expensive car that you're not allowed to work if you want to."

"Hmph," was all Selena could reply.

"Alright. Are you ready?" Selena asked, and Musa nodded. Selena put the stethoscope in her ears and proceeded to place the diaphragm on Musa's stomach. Musa flinched as the cold metal met her skin.

"I thought those things were to listen to your heart," Musa pointed out, puzzled.

"You listened too hard in Earth studies," Selena said. "This is a special, magical kind. It can detect a second heart beat; a baby's heart beat. Assuming that you do happen to have a baby inside of you. Doesn't matter if you've been pregnant a few hours or a few months. This'll pick it up."

"Oh," Musa replied.

"Yeah, we really owe the Binary Galaxy for this kind of equipment," Selena went on. Musa smiled. The Binary Galaxy was where Tecna was from.

It had been three weeks since Musa had last visited Selena, and let's just say her nights had been very busy. She was very tired, but if she managed to pull this off it would all be worth it. She wouldn't have to marry Jared, and she could marry Riven.

"Well, that's it." Selena said and took the stethoscope out of her ears.

"What? It's done already? So am I pregnant?"

"Well, yes. Three weeks, actually. You got pregnant the night after you visited me."

Musa thought about all the pointless sex she had had with Riven the past few weeks, and then decided that it hadn't really been that worthless despite the fact it wasn't for a kid. The thing that was scaring her now was the fact that she was carrying a child, and had been for a while now.

"Do you want to know if it's a boy or a girl?"

Musa was tempted, but decided against it.

"It'll take me about half an hour to get the results and change them, Musa. But you may want to keep it in mind that your kid may be two weeks or so 'late'."

"I gathered that," Musa said. "I'll just sit in the waiting room, if that's okay?"

"Sure," Selena said.

Musa went to sit in the waiting room. In the silent and empty room, her mind began to wander and she began to worry. Had she really done the right thing? Had Selena been right after all? It was too late now. She wasn't going to have an abortion. She thought about how her Dad was going to react when she told him. And what about Riven? When should she tell him? It was all so awfully confusing. She had only just thought about how embarrassing it would be to tell her friends, and how disgraceful it would be regarded by everyone. She felt tears in her eyes, and head in her hands, she cried. All she had ever wanted was to do her father well, and it seemed that she always failed to do so. Musa was blaming herself, and even though she knew deep down that she shouldn't, she just couldn't help it. She wanted to hear her mother's voice. To hug her and to be comforted by her. Luckily, the thought of her mother triggered her to look on the bright side of the situation. She wasn't going to have to marry Jared. She could be with Riven, so long as he didn't have a heart attack when she told him that she was pregnant. And hopefully she would have a little daughter, and she knew that she would name her after her mother; Matlin. But she wouldn't even mind if she had a son. "It's going to be okay..." she promised herself. "Everything is going to be just fine."

"Do you know that talking to yourself is the first sign of madness?" Selena was standing in the doorway from her office into the waiting room. She was leaning against the frame with her arms crossed; a piece of paper clutched in one hand.

"You did it?" Musa asked.

"As you requested," Selena said, and handed the paper to Musa.

Musa scanned her eyes over the page. The date of the conception read 'June 29th'. The last night at Alfea.

"Thank you, Selena." Musa stood up and gave her old friend an awkward hug. When they parted, Selena was biting her lip.

"Well... good luck," she grimaced.

"Thanks. I sure will need it," chuckled Musa.

"And I would appreciate it if you didn't mention me either," Selena confessed.

"Don't worry, I won't have a reason to. And why would I even if I did? I'm not out to get you, ya know."

"Well, your Dad might be... very angry."

"Probably... oh well, he has to be told. Now there is nothing he can do about it. But I should be getting back... see you."

With a smile, Musa waved goodbye to Selena and left. She was in a good mood. Everything was going to be just fine. Now all she had to worry about was telling Riven.