Braedey and Anastasia

If I Can Do It, You Can Do It Too

On descending from the mountains, spring is in the air. The crocus' are peeking their heads thru patches of snow. Lightning is in a feverish excitement over meeting an old flame in Paris, as he, Braedey and Anya walked down the dirt road to Germany. The train journey had got them a little shaken up, but it was only the start of their png and arduous journey. Also, Anya thought Braedey was someone she had known before, but she couldn't put her finger on it.

"Are we going to walk to Paris?" Anya asked Braedey.

"We'll take a boat in Germany to get to Paris." Braedey replied.

"Oh. Then we're walking to Germany?"

"No, your grace. We will be taking a bus to Germany."

"A bus! That's nice."

~*~*~

The three stop by an old bridge along the road in a lush green field, near a small lake running by. Lightning was sitting up in one of the tree branches, looking up to the blue sky. Braedey and Anya were sitting on a picnic blanket under the tree, looking up to their friend in the tree.

"Sophie, my dear, Lightning's on his way! YEE-HAH!" Lightning shouted to the heavens, while standing on a tree branch above Braedey and Anya, while Pooka was asleep next to Anya.

"Who's Sophie?" Anya asked out of curiosity.

Lightning jumps out of the tree. "Who...is Sophie?" He asked her in surprise. "She's a tender morsel. The cup of hot chocolate after a long walk in the snow. She's a decadent pastry filled with whip cream and laughter..."

Anya giggled at Lightning's interpretation of this Sophie person. "Is this a person or a cream puff?"

"She is the Empress' ravishing first cousin. Ha-Ha-Ha-HA!" Lightning then jumped back into the tree, sitting down on the branch.

Anya was confused by this. "But, I thought we were going to see the Empress herself. Why are we going to see her cousin? Braedey!!" Anya turned to Braedey, not looking too happy.

"Well, nobody gets near the Dowager Empress without convincing Sophie first." Braedey explained, breaking the news.

Anya was annoyed. "Oh no, not me, no. Nobody ever told me I had to prove I was the Grand Duchess."

Braedey was lost for words. "Look, I . . ."

"Show up. Yes. Look nice. Fine. But lie?" Anya then looks down at her necklace nervously.

"You don't know it's a lie. What if it's true? OK, so there's one more stop on the road to finding out who you are. I just thought this was something you had to see through to the end no matter what." Braedey explained to her.

Anya then shows Braedey her torn dress. "But look at me, Braedey! I am not exactly Grand Duchess material here, Aah." Anya stormed off to the bridge, and Braedey sighed to himself. Lightning had seen everything and jumps down from the tree. He walks over to her, and he directs her attention to the water.

"Tell me, dear child, what do you see?" Lightning asked her.

Anya looks at her reflection, face smudged and wearing boy's clothes. "I see a skinny little nobody, with no past and no future." She sighed to herself.

"I see a engaging and fiery young woman ... who on occasions has shown a regal command equal to any royal. And I have known my share of royalty. You see my dear, I was a member of the imperial Court." Lightning explained, showing his past.