Yakko couldn't help but feel relieved as he and his siblings approached the weathered signpost that he knew marked the near end of their trek. Even if going into one of their kingdom's largest cities meant inviting a lot of bigger dangers, he couldn't deny that it would be so nice to not have to sleep on the ground tonight. Sleeping somewhere warmer, even better.

Still, he couldn't squash out the tension, and he could tell that Wakko and Dot couldn't either. He also knew that, like him, their tension was a mishmash of some fear for themselves and far more for each other. In honesty, the three of them had been living with that for a long time, but this was different. Before, their lives had been about hiding, living under the radar, doing everything they could to not attract attention.

But what they were setting out to do now? There was no way it wouldn't attract attention… and most of it not the kind they'd want. Even so, Yakko couldn't make himself want to stop, at least not seriously. He'd always known that they would have to step up at some point, and the weird seer Pip had made it clear that it was more necessary than ever. They wouldn't let Salazar keep hurting their people or destroy their home. Not a chance.

But still, the idea of putting his little sibs in danger, of failing to protect them, of losing them? The thought alone made Yakko go cold. He knew it wouldn't do any good to protest their involvement, though. They'd do this together or not at all… his siblings wouldn't let him go into this alone any more than he would them.

"Okay," he said, careful to keep his tone as light and cheery as possible. "Now soon as we get there, we do what Pip said."

Dot let out a sigh.

"I don't like this," she muttered. "I mean, I don't think the guy's bad, but I still don't like it."

Yakko felt a slight smile tug at his face; he knew his sister well enough to know that the unease wasn't based as much on mistrust as the fact that the guy was just too weird for her. He brushed a hand over her head, grinning when she looked at him.

"Relax, sis. You've got us, 'member?"

She lifted her chin, a look of pretend indignation on her face.

"I can take care of myself, thank you."

But the eldest Warner could see the gratitude in her eyes, and knew she'd needed to hear those words. Wakko's quiet voice chimed in too.

"We all can, though."

Yakko looked at his younger brother, his grin widening as he ruffled his cap.

"Got that right, baby bro. We're all in this," he said.

Wakko smiled up at him, and even despite the clear tiredness in it Yakko couldn't help but feel glad that his brother's spirits seemed to have picked up. He'd been more down than usual lately, though neither of his siblings could really blame him for that. They were all dealing with what they'd gone through in their own ways, and Yakko was aware of his brother's tendency to withdraw and go quiet when he was dealing with things.

By now the siblings had reached the signpost, and Yakko's eyes moved over the words carved in the top board, declaring Burbank a mere five miles away. He couldn't ignore the knot of tension that formed in his stomach at the thought; they went any further, and there was no going back. There was no avoiding the danger, and more importantly, no keeping his little siblings from it.

"Well, siblings, shall we?" he asked. Without hesitation, both Wakko and Dot slipped their hands into his.

"We're ready," the middle sibling said softly. Dot nodded, her expression as firm and determined as his.

"Let's go."

Yakko smiled, feeling a swell of pride, but a twinge of disappointment too. He hadn't been able to suppress the slight hope that they would want to turn back, just so he could keep them a little safer. But he'd known they wouldn't… and he wouldn't either.

"All right then," he said. "Onward!"

Together, the three moved past the sign, heading toward the thinning stand of trees and the sounds of city life growing less and less faint.

"Now then," Yakko said, keeping his voice easy and business-like. "We all remember the plan?"

Both his siblings let out quiet, slightly irritated sighs, but proceeded to recite the whole thing. Pip had told them that even though all the main gates were guarded, the locals had found other ways of getting in. The soldiers apparently didn't think they were smart enough for that… or they were just too stupid to figure it out themselves. Personally, Yakko leaned more toward the latter. The most subtle way in was an old sewage grate… of course, Dot hadn't been happy at all about that, but managed to keep her grumbling to a minimum after the initial outraged rant.

Pip had explained that the grate led into an underground system which was one of the main resistance bases in the city, as well as Warnerstock as a whole. Scratchansniff, the other man who'd found them that night in the forest, would be there and had alerted other members to the siblings' arrival. And the seer hadn't failed to mention the tide of excitement that this news had brought.

Yakko had to admit, the idea made him feel distinctly uneasy. Being the firstborn and heir, he was well used to being fixed with high expectations, as much as their parents tried to ease the pressure where they could. But that was before Salazar, when Warnerstock was peaceful, and he and his sibs had everything needed to learn about their future roles. He'd always been a natural leader, taking charge and making decisions with a clear head, but still. This was something on a whole new level, that none of them ever could have imagined. And they could imagine some crazy things.

Even if his siblings hadn't been holding his hands, Yakko would have sensed their tension when they passed the last stand of trees, and their destination came into view. From a distance, the city looked so normal that anyone with no idea of what happened in Acme Falls would think everything was perfectly fine. The thought made Yakko want to laugh… if not at all in a funny way.

But things wouldn't stay like this, not a chance. They wouldn't let that happen. Which brought them back to the matter at hand.

"Okay, sibs," the eldest Warner said. "We know our way in, so let's get goin'."

A huff from Dot made him raise a brow as he gave her a pointed look.

"Thought you weren't gonna complain about anymore either, Dot."

His sister gave him a scathing glare that would have any lesser man trembling.

"Do you hear me complaining?" she snapped.

He only met her glare with one of those smooth smiles that he knew drove her crazy.

"Nope… but still anticipating it for the recent future."

Wakko snickered at that, and Yakko saw their sister's fur bristle. But she only let out a growl and started marching toward the city. There was a good chance he'd be answering for this later, but she was apparently willing to let it go for now. Of course, Dot might give Yakko a free pass for this, if only because it got a laugh out of Wakko. And he knew she was as glad as him to see that.