Chapter 16 – Break of Dawn

Sasha dragged herself to work. During spring break she'd put in extra hours to fill her pockets—though she held no ill-will toward Anna for cracking her phone (and then having it disappear) she wasn't looking forward to having to spend all her "surplus" toward a new device. She figured she'd downsize to something cheaper.

"Sash? This was in the back room…"

Amber handed over a rough-hewn package, burlap by the looks of it. She untied it, and a note fell out.

Sasha,

I can't replace your phone. I don't even know what's in it other than sorcery and magic. But this may help.

Anna

Curious, Sasha discreetly smell-checked it—it was identical to the garment Anna was wearing when the pair first met. Nothing but natural fabric scent.

"Did you see her leave this here?" She held up the dress.

"Whoa. No, I didn't, but… Forget it."

"Forget what, Amber?"

"Well, you know that big shipment of 'Frozen' toys we're supposed to have come in next week? I was going to try to hire a princess, but you know how hard that is out here."

Sasha disappeared briefly before returning, fully decked-out as an Anna lookalike.

"I'll need a wig of some sort though…"

Through narrowed eyes, Amber Gordon studied her employee. Shaking her head to clear it, she said "I'm pretty sure we can order one."

"Good, 'cause I can look the part except the hair, I guess."

Amber sat on the counter. There was just no way around it. Sasha Jamison sounded exactly like Anna.

"You realize you sound like Anna, right?"

Now she got the same look back, until the older woman pulled out her iPhone. "Here, say something."

"Uhh… Mic check? Hello?"

Far away at university, Liz Jamison rustled through her dorm closet. Never one for dresses, a sparkle caught her eye. Neatly hung on a large wooden hanger bearing some kind of burned-in coat-of-arms: a blue dress exactly like that which Elsa had worn.

Her phone buzzed—text from "Kid Sister." Taking the few steps to her desk, Liz dug around in her desk drawer for a charger since her phone was probably running low, it being after dinner. Her hand met something cold and metallic while the other reached for her phone. The text had an attached photo. Her prized Android clattered to the floor before she could plug it in. Thankfully, luck was on her side and Liz bent down to pick up the device. "Okay Google, call Mom…"

Many hundreds of miles later, Liz stepped out of her shocked mother's Prius.

"This is a new one."

"Not much different than having Disney characters come to life…"

The two sisters eyed each other, unsure what to think of sudden vocal shifts.

"Well, I guess we can earn a bunch of money this weekend. Amber had to rush-order the wigs, but they'll get here in time. Thank you Amazon Prime!"

Hearing Anna's voice praise Amazon Prime sent Liz into a small giggle fit. Shifting uncomfortably, the elder Jamison pulled parchment out of an inside pocket—A dress with pockets? How very practical. Much more so than this train…

Liz,

Thank you for believing and trusting me. And taking care of my sister.

Elsa

"Come on, 'Anna,' we have some practicing to do!"

Orlando suffered no lasting impact from the "Elsa Incident" aside from memories (that would live forever online). A disappointed Chelsea, having not been selected to attend the massive send-off, unzipped her Elsa/Anna backpack to pull out her dreaded math homework, only to find a cylindrical something wrapped atop her math book.

Unrolling a single carrot from cloth, a piece of paper fell into small hands.

"Tell me what it's like in summer next winter." No name was provided. "PS: Keep away from reindeer."

No effort was made to try to keep "secrets" that the whole world over knew anyway, or could confirm with a quick internet search. Scant evidence beyond videos and anecdotes would ever confirm the existence of what was functionally magic, but to try to deny it happened would be foolish. Without anything else tangible to study, scientific inquiries dried up, as did darker programs seeking to weaponize either cryokinetic powers or more generally the ability to appear out of thin air.

Cheeky commentators had one thing to say to any other filmmakers: no cute monsters. Especially no adorable Borg, hurting Dark Jedi, plush Flood, repentant Orcs, non-lethal Jokers, or anything else that could, "in the Sense of this Congress, cause possible direct or indirect harm through means which escape the current understanding of Science." That the only bipartisan bill to pass with huge majorities in 2014 dealt with magic without naming it led to its status as The Word several times and the round bit of ranting that implied.

"But seriously, Abrams, be careful" warned Disney executives. "We don't need a Death Star for a moon…"

Fin