An upbeat overture flowed from the orchestra pit and danced around the sold-out auditorium as the red curtain lifted, revealing a painted set resembling 1920s St. Petersburg, Russia. After months of metaphorical blood and real sweat and tears, opening night of Anastasia had finally arrived.

The ensemble ran onto stage, singing about a rumor flying all around the town about a lost princess possibly still alive, nailing their choreography.

Aura watched from the wings, dressed in a raggedy dress and leggings smiling as Carolyn nailed a perfect grand jete, her legs doing the splits as she leaped into the air. She clapped with the audience when the number ended, but not before a wave of anxiety crashed over her at the realization that her first scene was next.

Her new lines repeated over and over again in her head as she mentally went over her blocking. While the rest of the cast didn't seem to blink an eye at the new, happy ending to the play, as if it was part of the script the entire production, Aura and Carolyn had to practice day in and day out to catch up while Bailey had to learn an entire new sound and lighting design in the booth for the finale while pretending she knew it all along.

Carolyn ran offstage into the wings and wrapped Aura in a hug. She placed her hands on her sister's shoulders, noticing her fingers wrapped around her earlobe. "If you can save an entire world from our power-obsessed sister, then you can do this. Break a leg, you'll do great."

Aura smiled at her, before walking onstage to her entrance music, the set now depicting a rundown orphanage in the country in the dead of winter. Her lines of dialogue came like second nature, as did her first big number. She danced to the song Journey to the Past with her castmates who were dressed in flowing white dresses to resemble snowflakes. When the song came to its final note, Aura ran to the edge of the stage and extended her arm out into the darkened house. She took a deep breath, belting and sustaining the last note, ending with the final drumbeat.

"Has anyone seen my shawl?" a girl in the ensemble whispered to her castmates as the scene transitioned to the abandoned Catherine's Palace.

Aura walked alone on the stage, softly singing the opening verse of the song Once Upon a December.

"Figures dancing gracefully, across my memory," Aura sang before the music swelled and the stage became alive. The spotlight on her spread to the entire stage as ensemble members dressed in flowing ballgowns and dashing suits leaped onto the stage, dancing around Aura before running into the house and continuing the routine in the aisles.

Aura's eyes fluttered closed as she lost herself in the music. She knew she would have to run offstage to do a quick change, yet she couldn't stop dancing where she was as if something was telling her to stay. She spun around and around but abruptly stopped and opened her eyes when gasps came from the audience, fearing that something had gone awry. She was just as taken aback as they were.

The white cinderblock walls of the auditorium were replaced with golden walls with windows that looked out to a snowy night. The faded green carpet of the house had transformed into polished wood floors.

Aura tried to keep her surprise out of her voice as she continued to sing, but a small gasp left her mouth when she looked down and saw that her costume had transformed into a flowing, yellow ballgown with loose, white tulle sleeves and a baby blue sash around the waist. On her head sat a tall, golden tiara laced with pearls.

Carolyn twirled in front of her sister and shot her a questioning look, mouthing, "Are you seeing this?"

Aura nodded as the song came to its slow conclusion. The dancers left the stage as she got into position where her costume dress was supposed to clip off with a crew member waiting behind a painted wall of the set, although she wasn't sure how well the quick change will work with the new, inarguably better, outfit.

"...Once upon a December..." Aura sang sweetly as she slowly kneeled to the ground, the gown fanning all around her. She bowed her head at the timpani's last, deep beat.

The audience let out another round of gasps as Aura's dress transformed back into her rags in a shower of sparkles, and the auditorium returning to what it once was before the audience erupted into a deafening sea of applause.

The hidden crew member behind Aura whispered an astonished "What the fuck just happened?" as the scene continued. Jake rushed onto stage, molding into the character of Dimitri as he and Aura quipped their scripted insults and jabs back to one another, causing laughs from the audience.

The rest of the musical went by without a hitch, aside from one of the ensemble members running onto stage in full flapper garb with bright red Converse on her feet.

Once it ended and the cast had taken their final bows, Aura and Carolyn navigated the crowded foyer outside of the auditorium flashing small smiles at audience members who complimented their performances.

Silvia waved them down when she saw them, immediately wrapping them in a hug when they were close enough. "You two did so well!"

"Thank you, Gran," Aura said before giving Felicity, Anthony, and Robin hugs. She couldn't help but giggle at her parents and Robin dressed in simple attire, with the men in button up shirts and dress slacks while Felicity wore a sunflower yellow sundress. It was suck a stark contrast to their formal, Fabula getup, but a nice contrast nonetheless.

Robin leaned down and pecked Carolyn on the lips, placing a hand on her back as they chatted.

Carolyn let out a soft groan as she saw Mrs. Brown, their history teacher, make her way towards them, her hair as frizzy as ever. "Alright everyone smile and act normal."

"Carolyn, Aura, just the two I was looking for," Mrs. Brown said with a toothy grin. "You both were such a joy to watch, on and off the stage—I thoroughly enjoyed your ancestry that you presented earlier this week. It was almost as magical as the show!" She leaned in closer. "How did you guys do that ballroom scene, might I ask?"

Aura and Carolyn laughed uncomfortably.

"We're not too sure ourselves..." Carolyn said through a forced smile.

Mrs. Brown nodded as she turned to Silvia. "Your granddaughters are such gems, Mrs. Addams." She turned her gaze to Felicity and Anthony, her eyes narrowing as she studied their faces. "I swear I saw your faces somewhere in the girls' project, but I just can't pinpoint where."

The twins looked at one another with wide eyes.

"Um, well...They're our long-lost aunt and uncle—really complicated family stuff, ya'know?" Carolyn spat out at a rapid speed.

Aura clapped her hands. "Well, we gotta go change now. You can keep talking to our grandmother, I'm sure she'd love to explain it all to you. Thanks so much for coming, okay bye!" She grabbed Carolyn's wrist and pulled her back into the auditorium towards the dressing rooms, despite their grandmother's audible objections, their dresses flowing behind them as they ran.

When they reached the boys and girls rooms, they finally cracked and exploded into a fit of laughter.

Jake walked out of the boys dressing room, dressed in a crewneck and khakis with his eyebrow raised. "Do I even wanna ask?"

Carolyn shook her head before waving her finger between him and Aura. "I'll leave you two to yourselves."

When the girls room closed, Jake said, "You did great tonight."

Aura stepped closer to him, wrapping her arms around his neck as his hands found their way to her waist. "You didn't do too bad yourself."

"Not to be pushy, but I think an all-access tour of a certain magical world is in order now that its tyrannical overlords have been defeated."

Aura smirked. "Oh? I was unaware."

Jake craned his neck down and placed a quick kiss on her lips. "That's what I'm for, always here to remind you."

Aura let out a laugh. "Would a party invitation do for now?"

Jake raised an eyebrow quizzically. "For what exactly?"

Aura jumped to her toes and kissed him deeply, an exhilarating warmth spreading through her body. "I'll text you about it later." She stuck her tongue between her teeth before she dropped her arms around his neck. She turned on her heel to go into the dressing room, but Jake grabbed her wrist and spun her back into his arms.

"No, no, come back here. I need a little more info than that."

Aura shrugged nonchalantly. "It's nothing too serious." A large smile spread across her face. "Just me and Cora's coronation."