Tatiana heard the alarm go off once again.

She pulled her sheets off and jumped out of bed with enthusiasm. Today was the day she and Lana were going to make cupcakes with dad.

Or at least that would of been the plan, had Tatiana not found herself back in her normal bedroom in her adult body.

Her cell phone rang. Sally was coming over in Roberts limo to go over the new accounts on the way to work.

Things had gotten complicated since Tatianas plan to retake control of her company had worked. She was technically in charge but legally she had taken a lower position as Vice President. Which meant for the first time in a long time, she now had a boss to answer too.

Tatiana listened to Sally as best she could but for some reasons she really didn't feel like going to work today.

Work was so boring and mundane.

She had been really looking forward to making to those cupcakes.

As the Limo cruised down the highway, Tatiana looked out the window. Was she nuts or was every happy family in the world walking down the street today? Seriously, look at all these kids with their parents.

She sighed.

"Tanya? Are you listening?"

"Yes Sally. Keep talking......don't let me stop you from talking."

"Beg your pardon?"

"I said the new car design will get the board talking."

Sally continued. What did it matter? The car design wasn't even Tatianas anymore. Lola had designed 80 per cent of it. Which was crazy. But Tatiana found herself not caring all that much. Actually she couldn't remember why she wanted her company back so bad to begin with. Whats the big deal with companies? They're just dull boring dead end jobs, where you work day in and day out for years until you get old and die with nothing to show for it but a big empty house and no friends or toys-

"Stop the car!!!" Tatiana yelled

Robert hit the breaks and Tatiana leapt out. Sally called after her and nearly choked with surprise as Tatiana ran into a children's toy store.

A minute later, a stupidly large stuffed bear was taken out of the shop window.

"No way. Not possible." Sally muttered to herself.

Tatiana came out carrying the bear in her arms. A big goofy grin on her face.

"Its not what it looks like. Its for charity. She did this for charity." Sally said to herself.

Tatiana put her face in the bears belly and snuggled him affectionately.

"I'm high." Sally shook her head. "I'm completely high. I didn't just see that."

Tatiana stuffed the massive thing (seriously, it was half the size of Tatianas body) into the limos trunk and climbed back in.

"We'll just pretend we didn't see that." Tatiana said.

"You buying a stuffed bear? Nope. Never happened."

"Hes not a bear, he's a Pokemon. His name is Snorlax."

"Okay."

"But I'm going to call him something else. Blueberry, I think."

"Good name."

"He was too comfy to resist."

"That is a thing you just said." Sally signaled Robert to drive.

.......................................

"Hey sis!" dad got the cupcake trays out are you-"

Lana stopped in the doorway. Her twin was sitting at her little plastic tea party table. But instead of a tablecloth, fancy china and a crew of stuffed toys, the only thing covering the table was a big black book.

But that wasn't what was shocking.

The thing that Made Lana's mouth drop open was that Lola Loud wasn't wearing a single article of pink clothing.

She was wearing blue jeans and a plain white T-shirt.

After a moment, Lola gazed upward and noticed her twins shocked expression. "good morning." She said nonchalantly.

"Lola?"

"What?"

"....Dad's got the cupcake trays ready."

"............"

"We're making cupcakes today."

Lola groaned and put her head in her hands. "That woman. Why isn't she keeping me up to date with this stuff......Look Lana, I'm kind of busy today."

"Are you doing homework?" Lana came over and looked at the book. It wasn't homework. It was a bunch of spreadsheets and figures and graphs. "What is this?"

"Nothing than concerns you." Lola got up and began escorting Lana to the door. "Now, I'll be out in about thirty minutes, I just have to go over some things."

"But what about-"

"There will still be plenty of time to eat cake batter when I come down."

And with that, Lola shut the bedroom door.

...................................................

The next day, Lola woke up in Tatianas body.

And she stayed there for almost a week.

But she didn't care.

........................................................

"-and the guy says, "Don't pretend like you don't understand me! Your watching CNN in English!"

Lola broke into a great laugh. This was her seventh date with Micheal Gardner. He had taken her to a refined nightclub called the flamingo and spent a good two hours dancing to jazz music. After that they sat down and ate a sumptuous meal of beef tenderloin in a honey glaze sauce.

Micheal had a wonderful sense of humour. He was charming and likeable and had a smile that was infectious. his blue eyes seemed to glisten in the overhead lights. It was three hours past Lola's bedtime and she didn't feel tired in the slightest.

A waiter came over and asked the two if they wanted a complimentary glass of wine. Lola declined. She would never touch alcohol again after the incident in her fathers....

"Tatiana? Something the matter?" Micheal asked

"No Mike. I just remembered something."

"Work related?"

"Oh no." Lola laughed, "Just a little personal thing."

Lola had been enjoying herself so much she had forgotten her family completely. And it wasn't the only thing she was forgetting. The names of her friends from school were getting harder to recall.

Lola had been noticing this over the week, but she had been so busy running her company.

HER company. God that felt great to say.

Lola had never known power like this before. She thought being royalty was the ultimate dream but this? Having your own business that you built yourself? Creating something out of nothing and watching as the whole world buys your creation and drives it? Knowing you could get knocked down but still climb your way back up again and again because capitalism is so fluid? So full of bad rules and greedy idiots who are begging to be exploited?

Of course, Lola would never actually hurt anyone maliciously to get ahead. Nor would she actively break the law like so many other members of wealth would. It was....dishournable. Lola was too refined for such tactics.

Seriously, why be queen of a country, when you can be the woman the queen invests her money with?

And then there was Micheal. God Lola loved him. She actually, truly loved him. This was the kind of guy she dreamed of marrying one day.

But then Lola would think about her parents and siblings and her stomach would turn to ice. She didn't miss being a kid, but she did miss Lana.

If only there were some way she could go to Michigan and say "hey! this is who I am now and I'm okay with it. What are you guys up too?"

And then Lola would get a restraining order from her own family. Fun.

Micheal took Lola back to her house (or Tatianas house if your having trouble following) and after some kind words they kissed.

"I'm wonder if I'm ready to.....no. If I can't even say it in my head, then I'm not ready. That's okay. Theres no rush."

"I'll see you tomorrow Micheal." Lola said out loud.

She opened up her door and the giant Snorlax doll fell on top of Lola. Tatiana had perched the massive thing on a chair next to the door for some weird reason.

"Whoa! Who's this?" Micheal laughed.

Lola's face went red, but she maintained her poise. "This....is something I bought yesterday. His name is Blueberry. And he's....you know."

"A present?" Micheal finished

"That's right. Old Blueberry's going to make someone very happy in a few days." Lola said, and in her mind she added "When I sell the stupid thing on E-bay."

"Well congrats to the birthday girl, whoever she is. See you Thursday Tanya."

"I'll talk to you sooner than that." Lola added with a VERY mature smirk.

And then the door shut.

And Lola dropped everything in the hallway.

Her mouth hung open like a dead fish.

"OH MY GOD THATS IT!!!!"

...............................

The next night.

"THE FLOOR IS LAVA!" Tatiana shrieked as she jumped from the couch to the lamp desk.

Lana was on the other side of the room using an upturned bucket and a broom to slide her way across the floor and Lynn loud grabbed the ceiling fan and swung across to the cabinet like a monkey.

This went on for several minutes until Lynn Sr stepped in and told them it was time for bed.

"Its not bedtime until you catch me!" Tatiana yelled, despite making an incredible leap, Mr loud caught her in mid air, picked up Lana and spun the two around in a circle playfully.

He then carried them up to get changed for bed. Tatiana hugged him tightly all the way up.

Tatiana and Lana brushed their teeth together and talked about all the cool things they were going to do tomorrow with Genny and Roxy.

Then Tatianna climbed into bed and hugged mr sprinkles while her daddy read her a bed time story and kissed her goodnight.

She had never known this. This was true peace.

And then her phone rang. "Whoever's interrupting my beauty sleep had better be sick or dead." Tatiana grumbled. She needed the full eight hours or she couldn't function.

She picked it up.

"Hello?" asked Tatiana

"Your an idiot." came the reply

Not the rudest telephone call Tatiana had ever received but pretty high up there. "Well, EXCUSE me miss ATTITUDE! You are YOU to talk to ME like-"

"I'm an idiot too. We both are."

"Who is this?"

"Tanya its me! Or are you really that far gone?"

Tatianas blood ran cold. She got right out of bed and headed for the door.

"Lola? Where are you going?" asked Lana

"Bathroom." Tatiana shut the door and raced to the toilet. Once she was sure she was alone she turned to the phone. "What are you doing Lola? Do you know what time it is?"

"It's approximately one week since we've talked. Tanya, whats going on?"

"Nothing. I've just been really busy. You know. Maintaining your reputation. Being Lola loud is a big responsibility after all."

"Lord, is that what I sound like when I lie? I hope not. That was terrible."

"I'm hanging up."

"No don't. I figured it out. Half of it anyway. I need you for the other half."

Tatianna froze as she processed these words. "You know what's causing this?"

"Yes."

"Balony."

"Tanya....my birthday presents."

"....What?"

"My presents. Mom put them up in the attic after I wrecked my birthday party. Their still there. They've been there this whole time. We never bothered to check them."

"..........No way. Lola......no. It can't be that simple. That's....."

"You know its true. Remember when I said I was playing pretend in the back yard? Pretending that I would a rich adult woman one day? I had taken all my presents with me when I did that. It's the only thing we haven't checked yet.......It should have been the first thing we did. We're morons. We don't deserve to call ourselves smart."

"Well what about me? It couldn't just be a birthday wish. You never knew who I was!"

"Tatiana. Go to the attic. Now."

The phone went dead. Tatiana went to the attic.

.................................................

Lola waited by the phone and wondered. She had been trying to call Tatiana all day but gotten no answer. A small knot of dread was creeping into the back of her skull but she hoped it was nothing.

The phone rang.

"Tanya?"

"I found it."

"It? What do you mean it?"

"Do you remember an old necklace covered in jewels? A strange ornament in the centre of it?"

"Yes!" Lola cried out. "I remember that. Weird looking thing. Who gave me that one now? I can't remember. I wore it all afternoon that day. THAT'S it?"

"That's it."

........................................................................

Tatiana stared at the necklace in her hands. The ornament in the centre glistened in the moonlight. Mocking her almost.

"There's two of these necklaces." Tatiana said to Lola. The childish glee that Tatiana had a few hours ago was gone. she was once more the cold blooded adult she had always been. Just in a seven year olds body.

"They're called the Bunda Twins. After the Native Bundajalong culture in Australia. One necklace is called Talia, the other Iluka. Both mean "by the sea" in the native dialect. Both necklaces were crafted back in the 1500's by a legendary wood jewelry maker. Passed from village to village until being purchased by colonials and taken over to the states to be sold."

"Whoa.......How did I get one of theses for my birthday?" Lola asked.

"Oh. The usual way. Someone got it from their rich relative and then sold it to a pawn shop for cheap, not realizing its true value. Pawnshops traded it around, thinking it was just some First Nations bauble. Eventually getting purchased by some little kid who thought it would make a nice birthday present for that classmate they barely know."

"And there's two of them."

"Yes." Tatiana nodded her head slowly. "There's two of them. The one you own is Talia. The brother Iluka is sitting in the San Francisco museum as we speak."

"OH my god!!!!" Lola screamed. "You wore it didn't you?!"

"Briefly. For about ten seconds. Not my idea. We were opening a brand new wing at the museum and the paparazzi thought it would be cute if I wore one of the artifacts for a picture. After all, I was the one who paid for the new wing. And as I was wearing it......"

"On the same day as my birthday."

"Yes."

"...Go on."

Tatianna swallowed as the memory came flooding back. "Behind all of the flashing lights. There was a family. A father. Mother. Two children. They weren't even looking at me. Or any of the exhibits. they were going to the gift shop to buy some trinkets. and the father....put his son on his shoulders. The way my dad.....used to. And I turned back toward the crowd and in that brief ten seconds, I found myself wondering how I got here. How a simple car accident could just....end my childhood and lead me to becoming an American billionaire.......I guess you could say I had a citizen Kane moment. Wishing I could go back to a simpler time. When I was....innocent."

"Tatiana. Is it really that simple? We just happened to have something the other one wanted?"

"A one in a million coincidence but yes. I remember the curator of the museum telling me a story about these necklaces. The legendary jewel maker made these for a man who had a friend in a village far away. Both men had something the other one lacked. The necklaces "brought their spirits together" and they both wound up getting what they wanted in the end."

"Thats a dumb story."

"I skipped a lot of it but thats the sum of it."

"You stink at storytelling."

"I know."

Tatiana and Lola laughed. "So now we know." Lola said

"Yes. Now we know."

"so theres a way to break this right?"

"If there is, we know where to look now."

"well we better hurry. At this rate, we're both going to "get what we want" any day now."

"Aw. you don't like being grown up?"

Lola laughed. "Don't get me wrong, I've enjoyed the last few days but....Not if it means saying goodbye to my siblings forever. I'm only seven. I've got plenty of time to get where you are."

"You'll need a lot longer than that to catch up to me." Tatianna laughed back. "Okay. First thing tommorrow, lets go online and look up the legend. The Bunda twins. Talia and Iluka. Got it?"

"Got it. Talk to you tomorrow Tanya."

Tatianna hung up.

And blocked the number for good.

.......................................

Lola went to sleep and thought about her family.

She wondered what Lana was doing right now. What kind of crazy things her siblings had been doing while she was gone.

Little tears started to well up and she tucked in the massive Snorlax doll. Blueberry was no Mr Sprinkles, but Lola wasn't a little girl right now. She needed an adult sized friend for this level of emotional support.

............................................

Tatianna put on her coat and walked out into the night.

She approached the nearby storm drain and dropped the necklace down it.

Tomorrow she and Lana had a playdate with Genny and Roxy. They were gonna go explore the park and have adventures.

Then in the afternoon she and Leni were going to have a fashion show. They had tricked Lynn Jr into being their model for the clothes Leni made.

Then she'd drive around in her little pink car and buy some snacks from the food and fuel.

She could rock out with Luna.

Help Luan with magic tricks.

Trick Lincoln into letting her paint his nails.

"Lola? What are you still doing up?"

"Nothing mom. I found a half eaten sandwich under my bed. I took it to the trash."

"Well back in bed sweetie."

"Goodnight mom."

No more crooked business men.

No more meetings.

No more fakes.

No more early mornings.

No more stupid people making stupid decisions and blaming her for them.

No more drinking problems.

No more being an orphan.

Tatianna had her whole life ahead of her now.

To be continued......................

Well, here it is. The big reveal. I hope it was what everyone expected.

Snorlax is of course owned by Nintendo and GameFreak

The third act has officially begun.

Will Lola get her life back before its too late?