The basement. Finally. The crown was so close, now all they had to do was -
"Wait," Ruff said, putting her hand out.
"What now?"
"Lasers," the other girl said, gesturing to the bars on the sides, "If we get caught in the light, the alarm will go off."
"But I can't see anything!" Heather said, biting her lip, then brightening. "Hey, Ruff, did you remember my blush?"
"Yeah," Ruffnut said, "But -"
"Give it to me."
"This is not a time to -"
"Give it to me!"
Ruffnut looked at Astrid, who shrugged, and then sighed. She bent down and gave the blush to Heather.
Astrid knew what she was gonna do a split second before she did it.
Heather blew, with all her breath, and suddenly, every single beam was visible to them.
She smiled triumphantly at Ruff, who rolled her eyes. "So, either of you good at gymnastics?"
"Pretty good," Astrid responded with a grin.
"I think I can do a cartwheel," Heather offered.
Astrid and Ruffnut exchanged glances, before both of them ducked under.
Stormfly and the raven haired girl could only gape as the two blondes jumped, ducked, swerved, and flipped around the lights. Although Ruff got to the end first, Astrid made a close second, and they both looked at Heather expectantly.
She gulped, took a deep breath, and went under the first light. Stormfly squealed, following her, and helping her whenever she needed it.
"No, not there!"
"Hamd down! Hand down!"
"Up, up, up, up!"
"Ah!"
"No!"
"Eeep!"
And finally, with a flop, Heather fell in front of them. The poor fairy almost fainted with relief.
They approached the vault slowly. There was a wheel that looked like it would open the door, so Astrid twisted it, but to no avail. Instead, a monotone voice began speaking. "Hello, Dame Gothel. Please enter your password."
"Password?" Ruff asked, then turned to them, "What would Dame Gothel choose?"
"Rapunzel's coronation date?" Heather suggested.
"Today's date!" It had passed midnight, and Astrid entered the date into the keypad above the wheel. There was a loud noise, like a warning bell.
"You seem to be having trouble. Would you like your password hint?"
"Yes!" all the girls shouted, and for a second Astrid worried there was voice recognition, but then the voice spoke again.
"Your hint is 'The day it all fell into place.' Ten seconds before you are locked out."
"The day it all fell into place!?" Ruffnut asked frantically, "What does that mean?"
"The day Gothel's plan started working! The day of the car crash!" Heather all but screamed.
Astrid's fingers flew to the keypad, and she entered the birthday she had grown up with (who knew what her real one was?) and the wheel spun.
The door opened.
After exchanging hasty congrats to each other, all three girls took out flashlights - it was dark in here, unlike the halls outside - and began looking.
Astrid whirled her flashlight to where an empty armour's head was rattling, and she let in a sharp intake of breath before she saw it was only Stormfly.
"Nothing in here."
She viewed a small dragon statue, which made her smile; Hiccup had said he enjoyed fantasizing about dragons, and to please not think he was weird. She shook her head. So not the time to think about dragon dorks.
Her light caught a glimmer, and sure enough, there was a jeweled crown sitting in a case at the top of an old drawer.
In ten seconds flat, Ruff had helped her up, and the case was taken down. The problem was: it was still in a case.
"How do we get it out?" Heather asked, sighing.
The lights flickered open.
"You can't. But I shouldn't have too much trouble with it."
Astrid's head snapped up fearfully. Gothel was smirking at her, with the ever loyal guard next to her, in such a way that made her blood boil and her fists clench. She quickly unclenched them, though, when Stabbington stepped forward, and clutched the case as though her life depended on it.
Not for nothing was Stabbington a big and burly man. He snatched it from here, and even ignored Stormfly's, ah, terrifying glare (the only thing that was terrifying was the fact that she had the guts to try).
He made his way out, and suddenly Astrid realized Gothel wasn't planning on arresting them.
Dun dun da da da dun dun dun.
She changed the passcode.
She was going to lock them in.
"No!" The girls ran for the door, but even Anna would've known that it was hopeless. The only thing Astrid heard before it shut in her face was, "Goodbye, Astrid. Enjoy Coronation Day."
Ah, great. Poor Asty.