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It was cold outside, the snow was deep enough to be up to Four’s thighs, and the guards were bound to take a break soon. Four and Wild had come up with a way to mess with the security cameras. They were just waiting for the latter to meet up with them so they could carry out the plan.
Time looked at the others, letting the car stall in the meantime. “And what's the one rule?”
“No matter what, don't get caught.” The response was parroted by everyone in the car, mimicking Thumper’s tone when he stated the rule of saying nice things to people.
Twilight leaned forward and gently nudged Sky, who was in the passenger seat, awake. Four slunk down in their seat to be as small as possible so Twilight could reach over them and they wouldn’t brush against the very touch-averse Legend. Legend knelt on his seat and leaned over the back of it to help Hyrule tug a heavy winter coat over faer head. Wind, not wanting to get smacked in the face by faer's flailing attempt to get in the jacket, leaned against Warriors, who kept trying to shove him away and complaining that he was too hot.
“Good lads.” Time said with a smile even if he was internally screaming at their lack of getting along because they were cooped up. A sleek motorcycle pulled up behind them and the rider, Wild, took off their helmet and grinned at them while shooting a thumbs up. Time didn’t question how they had managed to keep their motorcycle so neat while they drove so recklessly. He glanced down from the rearview window to the mess of limbs in the seats. “Everybody out.”
The doors were opened nearly simultaneously.
Sky skidded on the snow as he headed to the back and opened the trunk to grab their supplies. He slipped his gloves on and fastened them snugly. He rolled his wrists a couple times before he crouched on the side of the road and started to dig. Legend hopped out and secured the other set Sky had to his own hands before joining in and digging beside him.
With the tunnel underway, Wild reported that they had about four hours looping. So long as nobody noticed the same bird stare at the camera for about five minutes about a third of the way through or the very obvious car chase that happened about seven eighths of the way through, they’d be fine.
“You couldn’t have chosen more calm hours to loop?” Twilight asked as he started to put down the seat.
“Yes. Thank you. Let me out. Please.” Warriors said, still shoving Wind away. Hyrule gnashed a protest when Wind gave up trying to fight and simply allowed himself to be pushed into faer’s lap. Hyrule pushed back against him with an annoyed hiss.
Wind yelled, tears of frustration in his eyes, and flailed, hitting them both. “Stop touching me! I hate you!”
Wars was shoved out of the car and Wind quickly lunged past before Hyrule could shove him. The sailor sulked on the side of the road, Hyrule flopped face first into the snow, and Warriors went to check on how the digging was going and if he could help at all.
“Perhaps we should reconsider who sits next to whom on the way back.” Four told Time quietly. The two pointedly pretended they were not at all involved or responsible to get involved in the problem. They checked headlamp batteries and fire rod magic bars.
Wild waited a few minutes for Wind to calm down before he braided the snowquill headdress into Wind’s hair and then made him put on the set’s pants. The kid’s orange shorts were threadbare and not suited for the weather, even if they were comfortable for the car ride.
Legend spluttered against the snow that fell on his face and attempted to shake it and dirt off his head as he looked up from the tunnel. “Are you guys coming or what?”
“No firing this off in the tunnels.” Time told Hyrule as he handed fae a fire rod to carry for Legend.
Hyrule rolled his eyes. “I know. I’m not stupid. Just because I like arson doesn’t mean I’ll set someone’s pants on fire.” Time raised an eyebrow and Hyrule looked around wildly, gesturing helplessly. “Okay! That was one time and I was younger and more stupid. And I told you and Wild that I was sorry.”
Wild shrugged, crouched next to the tunnel, and tapped away on his tablet. “Don’t be. It was funny. Besides, that had been an accident. Now we know what not to mix together when cooking.” He looked up and turned on his headlamp before getting into the tunnel, “And now Flora will let us know if something about the feed goes unexpectedly. She can fix it from home, so I’m not too worried about that, but it will limit our time.”
Twilight crawled into the tunnel after Wild and Time took up the rear. He heaved the wooden board over the tunnel entrance so they didn’t get snowed in, and followed after them.
It was a nice tunnel. The size was decently big. Wind and Four could crawl side-by-side and touch neither each other nor the walls.
“Wait.” Time called softly to the front of the group. They halted and looked back at him. “The guards haven’t yet left their post.”
“Huh? How do you know that?”
“We’ve been timing them.”
“They seem to head in for about twenty five minutes and then stay out in the snow for approximately three hours. It’s been two hours, fifty minutes and thirty seconds.”
Everyone groaned and laid down on the ground, doing whatever they could to distract themselves for the next ten minutes.
“At least we’re past the fences.”
Wind made a face. “Definitely gives me Berlin Wall vibes.”
Four punched his arm lightly. “It’s nowhere near that bad.”
“Yeah, but still.” Wind threw his hands in the air. “We should be able to just go up to it without having to pass through fences.”
“We’re not passing through fences. We’re in a tunnel. We’re going under the fences.” Sky corrected matter-of-factly.
“There shouldn’t be fences.” Hyrule said with a pout.
Twilight gently ruffled faer hair. “If that happened, then it probably would have been burned down already and we wouldn’t be able to have fun.”
“Fire.” Hyrule said softly with a big grin.
“Besides,” Time said with a shrug, “it’s illegal. It makes sense that it has fences.”
Wars sat up and then immediately laid back down when he smacked his head against the ceiling of the tunnel. He raised himself to his forearms and looked at him in bewilderment. “It’s illegal?!”
“No, the guards and fences are just for show. Yes! Obviously, it’s illegal.” Legend said, tracing the patterns in his rod, which Hyrule had already given him.
“I. . . I guess. But why are we doing it then?”
Wild shrugged and sorted through the trinkets he’d found in his pockets. “It’s a tradition. We’re just doing our part this time.”
Silence settled and nervous energy spiked.
Twilight furrowed his brow. “Will it even burn with the snow being this heavy?”
Sky patted his trusty gust billows. “Thought about that. Planned for it. The snow won’t be a problem.”
There was another minute. Someone thumped their head against the ground.
“How about those who don’t want to sit still can take the mitts and dig a few tunnels. We’re only a few meters down, so don’t dig too far up.”
Hyrule snagged Legend’s, Wild took Sky’s, and Four took Wars’. Wind pouted at them for getting the gloves fastest but he stayed on his back, arms and legs spread starfish. The steady scrape and thump of mitts digging through dirt calmed Time’s nerves. He counted a little over the expected amount, wanting to give the guard’s enough time to head inside and not think about coming back outside immediately.
“Alright, we’re good to go.” Time said after a while.
“That was more than ten minutes.” Four said calmly before punching the mitts through the roof.
Dirt fell down on their heads and everyone scrambled to get out of the tunnel.
Wind twirled the magic rod with a mischievous grin and held out a hand to help Time up. He took it and soon everyone was up. Sky worked on blowing the snow away. It succeeded in dislodging some of the straw/hay, too.
“Hey,” Time said with a smile, “don’t get a head start.”
“Sorry. Wasn’t trying to.”
“On one.” Twilight suggested, noticing how everyone wanted to be the first. Everyone paused for a moment, fire rods, weapons, or magic at the ready. They nodded.
“Three,” Legend, Sky, and Time said.
“Two,” said Four, Twilight, and Wars.
“One!” Wind and Wild screeched.
“Happy birthday!” Hyrule cheered as fae chucked fire onto the Gävle goat.
“Merry Christmas!” Legend shot back.
“We could list a lot of holidays, guys, but let’s not.” Time said, happily sending another ball of fire into the goat.
There was a sharp whine and clicking and the goat blinded them for a moment. The air around Time was way too hot. Which, he mused when he registered the fact that he had been shoved out of the way of a laser, made a lot of sense. He put a hand to his pounding head and grimaced at the feeling of blood. He’d have to make someone else drive them home.
“Holy f—!” Legend screamed, slipping on the ice as he tried to run to Hyrule’s side to protect faer. He landed on his bottom and he scrambled backwards on all fours.
The goat was very much on fire now. So was Wild. He keened as he laid crumpled against the fence, where he had been tossed with the power behind the laser blast he had taken for Time. Time paled.
“What was that?”
From the new hole in the straw, metal and wire-y claws slid out. They grabbed the edges and started to pull straw away. Time scooted backward towards Wild. Sky beat him to them, untying his shawl and smothering the fire with it.
“Some guardian.” Four said in bewilderment. “We hadn’t been notified of this.”
“Don’t worry. Right now, get everyone out of here. Now!” Time said, picking Wild up. Well, he tried to. Sky ended up carrying Wild and Twilight helped Time get to his feet.
Wars nodded and reached for Four. Both of them dropped to the ground when another ticking and then blue hot beam burst from the goat– the guardian that was now clinging to the blazing goat. Then Wars grabbed Wind, who was standing still in shock, and dragged him with him as they ran through the hole in the fences the guardian’s stray laser had made.
“At least it’s burning.” Wild said with a weak smile. He closed his eyes and lightly tapped his fist against Sky’s chest. “We did it.”