Hope,Determination and Kindness

The station in front of them was definitely one that Sans was supposed to be at, with the sauces from earlier making an appearance. Or were they different ones? Probably different ones. In fact... One of them was even knocked over! How weird...

Scootaloo brushed her hoof against the soft but worn fabric of the scarf around her neck. As if by impulse she had put it on earlier and yet she still didn't know why. It lingered above her heart where the scrunched up letter was hidden. The letter was important, proof of innocence and a object of secrets. Words. Words written 9 years ago on paper. Paper from a tree, scented with the blossom born from the tree that made the paper in the first place.

She was the keeper, having had discovered it. She could say something, show the world the secrets that were written, that hurt the the reader, the ORIGINAL reader more than words could describe. She held these secrets in her mind, in her heart. She could say something. She SHOULD but... the words wouldn't be enough, the shock not enough, the time was not right.

Her choice of secrecy rung in every thought as she raised her head a fraction. The station had snow on the top. How did that even work? When had it acquired snow? In a place like this, where water could be heard rushing around ahead. Then, in the corner of her eye, she spotted something interesting. Something she should have noticed before.

A handle. A DOOR handle, two to be exact. She cocked her head to the side as she jumped over the counter. "Hey, have you seen this?" This caught everyone's attention, even attracting Kid and Apple Bloom who had been talking and looking at a bluey-green flower. Everyone approached and stared, blinking or even shaking their heads. Kid spoke up first.

"Yo! I've never seen this before! I've walked through here countless as well!" She turned to him, an eyebrow raised and asking 'really?'. He just shrugged in reply. Shrugged... with no shoulders or upper limbs. How did he even do things? This place defied logic and reason!

"Are ya going to open it?" Apple Bloom asked, her voice calm. A calm that didn't reach her eyes. Moments like these made her mind think. Think, think and re-think. Her hoof jumped to the scarf, tugging at the seams. "Well? Are you? Or maybe you'd rather somepony else-?"

"No. No, I'll do it." She turned from them and approached the double doors. She heard movement behind her. Sweetie brushed against her side, waiting in anticipation. "I wonder..." She brought her hoof up, the tip barely making contact with the cold dark wood when she felt Sweetie flinch. Spinning around, expecting an attack but instead watching as her friends head dropped.

Sweetie's head was looking down as she whispered to herself. The words not understandable. Whether because of the volume or the words themselves as they did not sound like letter and words at all. She formed words, sentences even in a tongue that was unknown to any of them.

They listened in silence as she spoke to the floor. Glancing at each other nervously, edging each other on to interrupt her... and yet they didn't.

Her head shot up and Bloom made a sound of relief before it faltered as Sweetie spoke still. She looked with HOPE at a point in the distance. She spoke, her head tilting before she made a sound that Scootaloo recognised. The same sound that she had heard at the Inn when Sweetie was panicking. What was she saying? Was she saying anything? Why wasn't she doing ANYTHING?! Why was she standing idly by?! WHY?! Sweetie's sentence ended as if she was asking a question. Her eyes were distant and grey.

There was silence. Slowly but surely, the colour in her eyes returned and with a blink of an eye she turned and looked at them. They were staring, too shocked for words.

"What?" Sweetie asked before she turned towards the exit. "Come on! I thought we were going to see the most awesome person in the world?!" This made Kid smile as the both of them skipped (HOW! DO! YOU! SKIP?!) towards the next place.

"Tell her?" Apple Bloom broke the silence.

"Not in a million years..."

She had been right about the rushing water as the the next place housed a waterfall. From the waterfall fell rocks that had chipped away from the celing or wherever the water came from.

"Where does the water come from?" Sweetie voiced the question.

"Ice."

"Huh?"

"Yo! It comes from ice! Don't ask more 'cause I don't know!"

"Okaaaaaay?"

Scootaloo took a tentative step into the water. It was cold and probably helped support what Kid had said. Scootaloo shivered and stepped forward again. Step after step before she walked normaly, forgetting about the rocks.

"Look out!" The call came and Scoots could only jump from it's sudden volume before something came in contact with her skin. It pushed her, causing her to slip from the ledge the water fell from. Acting on instinct, she spread her underdeveloped wings. Barely, she managed to float to safety, landing in front another one of the bluey-green flowers. What were these things?

She stood up, checking for injures. None. That was good. As she prepared to climb back to her distressed friends,she heard a whisper in the dark...

"I swear I saw something behind that water..." Behind the water? Who said that anyway? Not able to shake the feeling of being watched, she started the ascent.

"What are those weird blue flowers?"

"Those? They're echo flowers because they echo the last thing they heard. Kid told me about them. Why?"

"Gotta check somethin" She stepped again into the waters, remembering and dodging the rocks this time. She pushed against the current until she found herself facing the strongest part. She held her breath and jumped forward, ignoring the cries of shock from her friends.

To her surprise, the water didn't touch her by some magical way. Inside, on the floor, lay a worn purple tutu. She sighed and rolled her eyes but picking it up anyway. What did she expect? She felt the slightly rougher fabric between her hooves, examining it carefully. A single tag was attached. She flipped it so the writing was visible...

Owned by Sour Note (and Sweet Note but she doesn't use it as much as me)

The part in brackets was written in tiny neat writing while the other was a bit rougher and bigger. Both, however, sent a pain through her head as a distant memory stirred.

"Look at that, Scoots! Look at Sour dance!"

Scootaloo shook her head as the memory faded away slightly. She shrugged and, though ballet was not her thing, took the tutu with her in the saddle bag. She jumped back through the water, disorientated as she searched for her friends.

They were on the other side, having crossed. Kid was drenched as apparently he had tripped. She teased him with good nature before a thump echoed through the cave. They were in trouble...