I'm so, so sorry about this really late update! College proved to be a major time sucker, as always. To make matters worse, this chapter absolutely would not be written the way I wanted it to be written. DX But I've finally done it!

Thanks to TooMuchSarcasm, WeirdWingedDaydreamingBookworm, Morrowyn, Anonymous, and Cassidy-Leah-Radford for your reviews, and ally0944, phoenixdragon78, tomboy101, and jordandragons for your favorites and/or story alerts/follows! They mean a lot to me!

Enjoy!

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The Seeds of Rebellion

Chapter 4: Dare to Defy Destiny?

The key rose from the hole and vanished, pages whipping as the Storybook of Legends snapped shut and returned to its hiding place. This was his destiny? Trying to take over the Atlantisan Kingdom and dying for it was one thing, but seducing Nerissa? Betraying Sean? Giving birth?

Seducing Nerissa…giving birth? Dylan's eyes widened. Was this the first time that the Sea Witch had to do this? Or had this happened before?

The sorcerer fell onto the headmaster's chair as it all came crashing down on him. It made perfect sense—he had never seen his father, and really, who would willingly mate with a sea witch? Sean and he…

Sean and I…are brothers.

Footsteps approached the room. The sea sorcerer's heart slammed into his throat as he leapt out of the seat, cursing when it pushed back with a GROAN. There was no way the headmaster was back from his rounds already. Dylan looked frantically for an escape. This was bad; this was very, very bad! This…

…sounds way too light to be the headmaster's footsteps…

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"Tell me again: why do I have to help you?" Anansi asked. He lay on the floor with his arms crossed, forcing Marionette to drag him by his kente cloth as they traveled down the hallway. The latter tried to ignore the stares.

The woodcarver had taken the same course of action as Dylan after the rehearsal. But unlike the sea sorcerer, Marionette was forced to carve a wooden key that would fit before she could consider breaking into the headmaster's office. That had been the easy part: it had taken the poor girl another week to find Anansi.

"Because there's enchantments on the door and rumor has it that you're good at breaking enchantments. Besides, you said you'd do anything to get me off your back."

"Fine," Anansi huffed, "But how do you know this'll work? Or that we won't get caught?"

"You'll act as lookout. If you see the headmaster coming, cough and I'll jump out of the window and onto one of the bouncing bushes. Easy."

"This is going to be a total fairy fail," the trickster sang.

"Not if you don't jinx it."

Unfortunately, Anansi had jinxed it. Just as Marionette reached the door, Headmaster Grimm emerged from his office.

"H-Headmaster Grimm!" The woodcarver jumped back just as Anansi shot upright. The two stumbled backwards for a moment before re-orienting themselves.

"Yes? Is there something the two of you need?"

"N-no, sir! Just passing through."

Marionette grabbed Anansi's hand and sped-walked away. Anansi turned slightly as they left, eyes narrowing as he glanced at the headmaster.

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Anansi slammed the door behind him. "What were you doing in the headmaster's office?"

Dylan looked up from his book. "What do you mean?"

"Don't play dumb with me," the trickster snapped as he approached the sorcerer's bed, "I'm a trickster. I can see through illusory spells. I know you were in there." He sat next to Dylan. "Now tell me why and how come you didn't invite me with you." Honestly, the trickster could have pulled so many pranks if he had had access to the headmaster's office!

The sea sorcerer eyed Anansi warily, then sighed. He closed his book and muttered something under his breath.

"What?"

Dylan mumbled again, slightly louder.

"I can't hear yo—"

"I opened the Storybook of Legends, okay?!"

"What?" Anansi cried, "Wait, y-y-you found it? And-and read it?" The dark-skinned boy thought that that thing only appeared on Legacy Day.

"Yes. I was hoping to find a loophole to my destiny, but…" Dylan swallowed.

Anansi's face fell. "You couldn't find one, could you?"

Dylan shook his head. "And it gets worse." The sorcerer explained everything to Anansi—how he was supposed to seduce Nerissa, how he was supposed to birth his own child, how Sean was most likely his brother.

"My godmother…" Anansi whispered, "Are you…are you going to tell Sean?"

"Absolutely not." The response was quick, decisive.

"Don't you think he should know?"

"Okay, Anansi, I tell Sean that he might be my brother, and then what? He-he feels even worse about having to kill me? O-or he doesn't fulfill his destiny and everyone disappears? I can't do that to him." Dylan's eyes fell on his book as he tried to fight back tears. "I just can't."

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Sean bit back a scowl as he marched towards the headmaster's office, knowing exactly what the man would say once he got there. The redhead hadn't exactly been bursting with joy about Legacy Day, and he was sure someone noticed. Upon reaching the tell-tale doors, the redhead knocked.

"Headmaster Grimm?"

"Come in, Mr. Oceanus."

Taking a deep breath, Sean opened the door, making his way to the headmaster's desk and taking a seat.

The man turned from the window to face him. "Mr. Oceanus, I've heard rumors that you have been…hesitant to follow your destiny."

Sean blinked, feigning confusion. "Hesitant, sir?"

"Don't try to play innocent. Some of your teachers have reported that your grades have started to slip, and several of your friends have mentioned that you've been associating with the Rebels."

Sean fought a snort. Some friends. "It's nothing, sir. I guess I'm just nervous about getting my story wrong."

The redhead was sure he sounded authentic—it wasn't a total lie—but the way the headmaster's eyes bore into his own told Sean that the older man didn't buy it.

"Tell me, Sean, has Dylan shown any signs of rebelling?"

Sean shook his head. "No, sir—at least, not any signs I've seen. We haven't talked in weeks." Well, that wasn't completely true; they exchanged greetings between classes, but other than that, the sea sorcerer avoided him and ignored his calls and hexes.

"And you haven't felt unusual at all? No tingling or confusion? No sudden…compulsions to act differently than you usually would?"

Sean flushed, clutching the sides of the chair as he tried to keep his voice level. "No, headmaster. Dylan hasn't put a spell on me."

Headmaster Grimm stroked his chin as he thought. "Very well. Let me reassure you that there is absolutely nothing you can do to get your story wrong—except, of course, choosing not to follow your story at all. You may return to class."

"Thank you, sir," Sean said as he rose from his seat, trying not to storm out of the room. But he didn't get far before the headmaster added, "Ah, Mr. Oceanus?"

Sean turned around a bit too quickly. "Yes, sir?"

"As you are concerned about your destiny, I would advise keeping an eye on Mr. Tempest. He may prove…troublesome."

Sean took a second too long to answer, and he knew it when the headmaster's eyes narrowed. "I will."

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"Dylan…Dylan…Dylan!"

The white-haired male flinched, nearly falling off of his stool. Alarmed, he scanned the room for any threats. Upon seeing mirrored stations where students were jotting down measurements, wrapping measuring tape around their peers, or being measured themselves, he relaxed. He was only getting fitted for his Legacy Day outfit…

Dylan turned to find Marionette eyeing him worriedly. "I'm sorry. You were saying?"

The woodcarver bit her lip. The sea sorcerer had been spacing out constantly for the past three weeks, and the bags under his eyes only grew as Legacy Day drew closer. She wished she could tell him that everything would be okay, but they would both know that that was a lie. "I want you to look at the designs I made and see which one you like."

Dylan nodded, a small smile gracing his features. "Okay."

Marionette took a seat on the stool next to his, digging into her backpack until she pulled out a dull, brown sketchbook. After flipping through a few pages, she turned the sketchbook towards him. "How about this?"

The first sketch was of Dylan decked in a purple jumpsuit with clear, fin-shaped sequins. The outfit was accompanied by a long black cape with tears at the end and a silver crown.

The sorcerer winced. "Uh…"

Marionette shifted uncomfortably. "Uh, well, how about this one?" She flipped to the next page, which had Dylan entirely in black, with scraps of fabric at the ends of his shirt made to look like tentacles and a silver crown.

The sea sorcerer grimaced.

Marionette blew a breath, scattering some of her hairs in the process. "Well, I guess the third time really is a charm…"

The last sketch had Dylan in a mauve, waist-length tunic with black tights, accompanied by a tattered cape. His hair was braided, partially concealed by the hood of the cape.

The sorcerer smiled. "Now, this I like."

"Aw, but there's no crown for this design!"

"Why do I need a crown?"

"Well, if you're going to try to take over two kingdoms, you might as well do it in style, right?" Marionette huffed, hands on her hips.

The white-haired male laughed, and Marionette found herself grinning. She couldn't change Dylan's destiny, but at least she could make him laugh—

The woodcarver froze, a shiver running through her body as she felt the familiar ripples of magic…her magic. Marionette didn't need to look up to know that the room had taken a bluish tint or that everyone except for her was now frozen in place.

"Still making those silly little sketches, Marionette?" The voice was clipped, feminine.

Summoning all the courage she could, the woodcarver turned around. "Shouldn't you be in class, Azure?"

The platinum blonde-haired daughter of the Blue-Haired Fairy dismissed her with a wave. "That excuse for a lecture? Please. I already knew what Professor la Fey was going to say before he even opened his mouth. Watching you play fashion designer is much more interesting."

"If that's the case, why don't you leave me to it, then?" The dark-skinned girl could barely keep the venom out of her voice. Azure never 'visited' her unless it was to mess with her head, get her into trouble, or both. Usually both.

Azure put her hands up, as if surrendering. "Hey, don't get angry with me. I'm not the one sabotaging Cedar."

Marionette's heart skipped a beat, but her expression remained blank. "What do you mean 'sabotaging'? I'm not the one freezing time so I can harass people."

The fairy put her hands on her hips. "Oh, come on: switching out of woodworking classes, participating in the Legacy Day Design Committee, hanging out with the Rebels? Anyone with half a brain can see that you have no intention of following your destiny!"

"What's wrong with mixing things up a little? Can't I be a woodcarver and a fashion designer?" The woodcarver snapped.

"No, absolutely not! That is not how things are supposed to go! Did you ever think that you 'mixing things up' might make us disappear?"

"I seriously doubt that—"

"And what about poor Cedar? Who knows how your changes will affect her destiny, her chances of becoming a real girl?"

Marionette sneered, "Shows how much you know. Cedar was the one who suggested that I join the Committee in the first place!" But a lump had formed in the woodcarver's throat, and the seed of doubt had already been planted. The tale of Pinocchio was the only way for Cedar to become an actual girl. Without it…

…she'll be a mannequin forever…

"Well, of course she did," Azure replied, "She's not selfish like you."

The woodcarver felt as though she'd been slapped. Spluttering, Marionette tried to retaliate, but the fairy vanished before she could respond.

"Marionette, why are you facing the door?"

The dark-skinned girl whirled around to face Dylan. "Hmm?" she inquired, trying not to let her irritation and worry show. "Oh, nothing. I thought I saw Cedar passing by."

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"I really hope those Rebels don't try anything next week," Nerissa said, jabbing her fork into her macaroni and cheese.

Sean twirled his spaghetti and meatballs with his fork, zoning out of the conversation amongst his friends and the din of the castleteria. In seven days, he would be on his way to exchanging his tailfins for feet—permanently—inheriting a kingdom he wasn't sure he could run…and killing his best friend forever after. The food in his mouth felt like gruel.

"Not that I agree with them," Kahlil said. The redhead found himself looking at the dark-haired, tan-skinned son of Aladdin, hopeful. "But you gotta think about what most of them will have to face. Not everyone gets a Happily Ever After or a slap on the wrist, y'know."

"I know…" Nerissa huffed, but the zeal in her voice was subdued, "But if they don't follow their destinies, everyone will disappear, and it isn't right to hurt innocent people just because of your own misfortune." She picked at her lunch.

Sean eyed the girl warily. There was that same melancholy he'd seen the morning of the first rehearsal—the only kind of melancholy that came with great loss. Just what was she hiding?

"Nerissa's right," Nikita, daughter of Santa Claus, added, "That wouldn't be the nice thing to do." The freckled brunette placed her chin onto her hands. "I just wish there was some way to help them, though…"

Sean nodded. Me too.

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The night of Legacy Day was accompanied by a mix of excitement and dread as the students who were to declare their destinies filed into the courtyard. White chairs stood before the large wooden stage, which was surrounded by mirrors that would display the students' expressions and whose verandah was decorated with white ribbons and bows. To the left and right were non-Legacy Year students, who chatted amongst themselves as they waited. Fireflies flew overhead, providing star-like light to the courtyard. Anansi would have found the whole thing kind of nice—if one of his friends wasn't about to sign a death sentence.

The trickster glanced at Dylan, whose expression was blank as they walked. Technically, Anansi was supposed to be with the other tales that started with 'A', but really, what kind of trickster would he be if he actually followed the rules?

Besides…Dylan's gonna need all the support he can get. Anansi tried to come up with things to talk about in order to get the sea sorcerer's mind off of the situation at hand, but the only thing he could think about was…

"Why'd they decide to do things in reverse order all of a sudden? All of our rehearsals were in normal alphabetical order."

Dylan sneered, "Isn't it obvious? Raven Queen is the one who started the rebellion by questioning her destiny, so what better way to squash that rebellion…"

"…than by forcing the person who started it into submission." That was dirty—and for once, not in a good way. Anansi was about to say so when microphone feedback echoed throughout the courtyard, forcing everyone to face the stage.

Headmaster Grimm stood at the podium, clearing his throat. "Good evening, students. We are gathered here tonight to continue a centuries long tradition and ensure the survival of our tales for many more to come. Welcome, everyone, to Legacy Day!"

And thus, one by one, tale by tale, students saw their futures in magical mirrors and signed the Storybook. When it was time for the characters of Snow White to come onstage, a heavy silence fell over the courtyard. All smiles, Apple White approached the stage and signed the book with a flourish, her actions accompanied by cheers, applause, and even confetti.

But it died down the minute Raven Queen approached the stage, replaced by an air so tight that even Anansi found it hard to breathe. All eyes watched as the future Evil Queen gazed upon her destiny. Once the magical mirror dispelled, Raven reluctantly grabbed the key that took its place.

"I, Raven Queen…daughter of the Evil Queen…pledge to…to…

"…reject my destiny!"

The mirrors surrounding the stage shattered as Raven closed the Storybook of Legends shut, the SLAM followed by gasps that tore through the crowd. Everyone frantically looked around, searching for any sign that they would disappear—explosions, blinding lights, cracked skin, anything. Once it became clear that no one was going to disappear, chaos erupted, a mess of cheers, boos, and screams. The trickster himself began whooping and hollering—until his eyes fell on Dylan.

The sea sorcerer had collapsed to his knees, clutching his face as tears streamed down, his body trembling with sobs and relief. The trickster was about to reach for him when the wave of dark magic hit them all.

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Author's Notes: Once again, so sorry for the wait! I hope that this makes up for it!

Some interesting tidbits about this chapter:

-When I first outlined this fan fic, I wasn't aware that Raven managed to look into the Storybook of Legends in the novel. DX

-Azure Fae was originally meant to be Marionette's godmother, because an evil fairy godmother would make for an interesting twist, wouldn't it? But then I thought that it would be weird for her to harass Marionette at school—especially since I couldn't come up with a good reason for her to do so as a godmother. And having Marionette's parents be dead (as that was originally how Azure came to be her godmother) didn't really fit with the story, especially since Cedar's dad could have adopted her had that been the case. So, Azure became an obnoxious classmate that harassed Marionette for shits and giggles.

-One problem I had with writing this chapter was coming up with Legacy Day designs for Dylan. You can't imagine just how hard it is to come up with a good sea-themed outfit for a male sea witch! XD In the end, I just threw out the sea theme.

-I decided to explore Sean's, Marionette's, and Anansi's perspectives in more detail this chapter, because I felt I was focusing a little too much on Dylan throughout the fic (He's very easy for me to write, for some strange reason…). Hopefully, I'll be able to capture Cedar's and Azure's in a bit more detail in the next chapter.

Names:
Azure Fae: Azure being a shade of blue, and fae being the old-fashioned name for 'fairy'.

Kahlil: means 'honorable comrade' in Arabic, and the Disney version of Aladdin was nothing but honorable and friendly. The original version not so much…

Nikita 'Nikki' Claus: 'Nikita' is Russian for 'unconquered, unconquerable', but honestly, that's not why I chose that name. I just wanted a name that was close to 'Nicholas'. –shot-

Professor la Fey: Reference to Morgana la Fey from Arthurian mythology.

The next chapter will be the exciting conclusion to this fic! Don't miss it!

Feel free to review!

japaneserockergirl

5/31/14

P.S. I have the link to the character sketch for Sean on my profile. Check it out!