With a hiss and clack, the door shut behind them. The two were now standing in a grey room. A lone window with bars sat on the far end, glass covering them with what appeared to be a painted blue sky on the other side. A single covered light spread a yellow hue above. A bed was bolted to the steal floor. A sink and bucket sat next to each other. At the far end was another door, a sliding door just like the one they went through with a pad lock painted on the door. It was connected to a small glass panel that covered a keypad, a small silver padlock holding the panel closed. A voice came on from somewhere on the other side of the door.

"This room is going to test your resolve and perception skills. You need to find a key and the number combination somewhere in this room. You have five minutes before things start to get harder for you. Goodluck." The voice seemed monotone but the pitch was familiar. Like the sound of a friend but whose voice had somehow become distorted slightly. Almost like a recording of a recording.

Button turned to his friend and shrugged. "Guess we better start looking." He began to examine the bed, running his hands over the foam mat. No sign of lumps, not even in the pillow case.

Meanwhile, Sweetie examined the sink, trying to pear down into the drain, something seemed to glint back as she tried to get a better look. "I think I see the key, but I am not sure how to get to it."

The stallion quickly rushed over next to her and examined the drain before bending down and looking at the pipe connected from the wall to the sink. "Looks like we can't unscrew the pipe, so we will have to find some way to fish it out."

The two turned and began scouring the room. Sweetie checked the bucket, finding it empty while her friend began to check for loose sections of wall. No luck.

Sweetie then scooted underneath the bed to look and while looking up, saw a string of numbers printed onto the back of the bed, along one of the posts holding up the padding. "Found the code. Its..." She squinted, noticing that the writing had clearly been erased then redrawn several times. The numbers were hard to make out but with enough time staring at it, she was able to make out a single letter and some numbers. "Y105." She said out loud. The number sent shivers down her spine but was unsure why.

Button ran over and saw that the keypad had numbers 1-9 and Y was printed over the enter button. "Odd. But whatever, we got one half of this at least, now to get figure out how to get the..." Words died in his throat a roar began make its way around them. The sink turned itself on and began pour vast amounts of water into the sink. Suddenly, water began to pool from behind the bed, their feet soon getting wet as sound of water rushing could be heard. The mare scooted her way out, hair now drenched in water as she stood up, watching a larger puddle begin to pool at her feet. She felt her partner begin to rush around.

"Damn, why is it always water?" Button cried out, now frantically looking around for anything, even the string to try and fish out the key. He could try ripping up the pillow case. Perhaps fashion and loop at the end of it? He grabbed the pillow case, only to find that the material was very hard to tear.

Sweetie meanwhile checked on the key, seeing that it was thankfully still down there, it hadn't been pushed by the rushing water. However, the water was quickly filling up. It was now up to their knees. Another minute of searching and it was quickly up to their waists. They had a few minutes at best. "Think, think. Come on, we got this. There has got to be something we are missing."

Button tore the padding off the bed and tried to tear that up but also to no avail. He checked the window, tried the bars, no give and nothing hidden around them. Nothing was found near either door and nothing was found were the floor meets the wall. The water was now up to their necks. The sink was now submerged. Sweetie began to half swim and half frantically search for something, any way to get the key out. The two locked eyes, it seemed that they were running out of time with no closer to their desires. The two began to rise up to the top, the ceiling wasn't far away now.

Sweetie took in a deep breath and swam back down to try and examine the sink one last time. To her surprise. she could see the water was now slowly pushing the key upwards as there seemed to be a force of some kind coming from the drain now.

She swam back up. "Button, I don't know why but the key is slowly getting pushed up. If we wait a few seconds, maybe I can reach it."

Button felt his head bump the ceiling. "Hope you can hold your breath long enough. I'm not sure we have more than a few seconds." He said with a shrug, soon dipping beneath the water as it quickly reached the ceiling. The two swam back down and held onto the sink, watching as the key slowly began to get pushed upwards.

Unfortunately, it was a slow process, with it getting pushed up, then sinking back down. Each time it got pushed up, it was would get pushed up just a bit farther every time. But their lungs was starting to ache and the key was less than a hairs width away from their fingers before Sweetie began to feel her vision swim as she struggled for air. Button leaned over, trying to blow what little air he had into her.

But it wasn't enough. The two shared one last apologetic look as they opened their mouths, coughing in water as their bodies tried to swim upwards in one last attempt; their vision went dark.

***

Button suddenly shot upwards, air filling his lungs as he sat up, warm liquid falling from his face. "Bah..." He coughed. "Ok... Drowning really freaking sucks." He said while gripping the side of the pool.

Sweetie Belle was already climbing out. "Agreed. We need to find some way of keeping ourselves from drowning before that key comes up."

The Earth pony climbed out too, already thinking it over. "I don't have any familiar thoughts or feelings like we tend to get in these things... But I have an idea."

The unicorn nodded. "Tell me on the way over. I want to get this room done then..." She looked him up and down. "I need some serious almost died sex."

***

The two stood in the room, water already up to their chests as they waited, Button holding the large bucket in his hands. It was a five gallon bucket, plenty big and more than enough for what he had in mind for it. As the water began to lift them up off the ground, Sweetie held onto the sink, watching as Button carefully treaded water. Once he reached the top, he turned the bucket over and swam back down, the unicorn holding out her hand and helping him down as the air in the bucket was forcing him back up again. He managed to pull the bucket down and loop the handle onto the bed, finding a good enough spot on the corner were a bolt was sticking out.

Like a small underwater diving bell, they now had a place to swim over and get some air. The two then traded off, swimming back and forth, dunking their heads in to get some air before quickly swimming back over to the sink. The two watched carefully and soon, the key was finally in reach. Sweetie swiped it and swam over to the key pad, unlocking it and punching in the numbers. The door opened allowing the two to quickly swim out.

They came out to a small pool with stairs leading up. As they emerged, the room was mostly bare, save for another sliding door and a camera watching them. The two took in a some much needed real air as a robot voice came on. "Congratulations on solving this puzzle. This one probably took a few tries though I am sure you two probably think you got it on your first try. Either way, well done. The next room will supply you with a nice rest stop. Enjoy your reward."

"I honestly liked the notes better. This voice makes me think our checkpoint system is a newer feature and I'd rather not think about that possibility." Button said softly, rubbing the water out of his eyes.

Sweetie Belle clamped onto him, hugging him from behind. "I couldn't care less about that, I am just glad I have someone around like you to think up crazy ideas like that. I may never have thought of that."

She let him go and the two stood awkwardly for a second. "Um, sorry was that too forward?"

He laughed and pointed downwards. "No more forward than we have been." He placed a hand on her shoulder and locked eyes with her. "I really appreciate that. Despite how crazy this all is, being forced to do all these crazy tests, I am glad I got someone to face them with. I think I would have also gone crazy by now if it weren't for you, so no, hugs and appreciative moments are treasured I can assure you."

She blushed slightly before turning back to the sliding door. "A-alright. Lets see what they have in store for us now."

Sweetie began to walk out of the water, carefully shaking some the water off before extending a hand out. Button took it with a smile as the two quickly made their way out and over to the door, watching it slide open. A fan suddenly blasted them, warm air pushing against their bodies as they were nearly thrown off balance in surprise.

Button staggered and barely managed to catch Sweetie from falling over, luckily still clutching her hand. Once the warm air stopped, the two were able to step in and get their bearings. The sight caught the two off guard to say the least.

The room was painted to look like a blue sky and was circular. The sounds of waves could be heard as water splashed onto a sandy area. Soft tropical sounding music was playing. A hut made out of what looked like bamboo and large leaves sat near the back of the room, a single door and window on it. Two small lawn chairs were set out with a table and a note set between them. Cold drinks were set out.

If you closed your eyes, you could almost picture yourself at a beach, despite opening them to find the place felt so very fake. The attempt though was nice if a bit off putting. But what really threw Sweetie for a loop was the fact that not only did this place feel familiar, she actually had a memory tied to it.

The two took a few cautious steps forward before Sweetie ran over and checked inside the hut, she gasped upon looking in. There was a nice double bed, nightstand, bathtub and sink. Everything she recognized. Even the lamp with the dolphin curving around the base.

"It can't be..." She whispered, running her finger over the lamp then running back out in shock. "Button... I know this place."

He stared back, wide eye in shock. "How? Like how we feel familiar towards some things?"

"No... I have memories of this place. I vacationed here with my friends. Its an exact replica, even down to the double bed we had to awkwardly share." Her eyes danced as the funny memory played in her mind of her friends clambering over each other in attempts to stay on, eventually her having to sleep in the bathtub.

"This was the last big vacation I went with them before..." She clutched her head. "Before..." She winced, pain shooting through her skull. "Before..." She fell to her knees. "I left..."

Button rushed up to her, placing his hands on her shoulders. "Hey, are you alright? What is going on?"

"Re-remembering." She groaned. Her head hurt but she was starting to grasp something. "I was planning to leave on a big trip and this was going to be our last big time spent together. What was a leaving for though?" She clutched her head. Her brain was on fire.

She reached out, a single word within her mind. It was distant and it hurt the more she tried to claim it.

"Expedition." The word had to be pulled kicking and screaming from her mind.

"I was leaving for a big expedition but what kind? There was a big ship..." She gasped, her head suddenly going light as she nearly passed out. Button held her, keeping her from falling over as her eyes became heavy. "Can't... Remember. More..." She groaned, her head swam as she tried one last time to pull on the chain connecting to her past. A few more memories of her time with her friends spilled in but only one memory stuck in her head as her vision went black. "No turning back... This will be our last vacation together."

***

She gasped, feeling two strong arms around her. She stared up, seeing her close friend looking down at her with concern. "What happened? You just sort of passed out there for a few minutes."

Sweetie clutched her head, finding it a bit warm but the pain was gone. "I saw some memories and when I tried to remember stuff connected to... Expedition." She felt her mind swim with that word again. "I just felt really light headed."

"Expedition... That word rings a bell for me too... But I can't remember why."

She glanced up. "Well... We know we ended up here somehow and judging by what we got so far, my guess is whoever put us here, didn't want us remembering how."

Button helped her over to the bed, carefully carrying her and setting her down bridal style. "Well, maybe instead focus on what doesn't hurt to remember, what do you remember about this place in general?"

Sweetie smiled. "Now that I can do. I remember margaritas on the beach, renting out this nice hut with a beach all to ourselves, stargazing, looking up and wondering what was out there. For some reason, there was just something out there that felt so exciting, the idea of so many worlds and things to see beyond what we had back home. I think that lust for adventure was something that just begged me to go out and explore more. I just wish I could remember what it was about and where we were originally going."

She glanced out the window thinking back on a much funnier memory. "But enough about that. I remember when I woke up to find AB dancing like she had never danced before on the beach. A few too many margaritas caught up with her and Scoots and I got one heck of a show. We laughed, she laughed, then we settled down and just... Enjoyed each others company."

Her face flushed as more memories flooded back in. "Oh... Very much enjoyed each other's company."

Button laughed out loud. "No way, you three actually..." He brought his palms together.

She covered her eyes. "It was going to be our last chance to be together, I think we just got lost in the moment is all."

"Hope it was at least longer than a moment." Button said with a grin, earning a light shove.

She sat up. "So anyways... Back to our current situation."

Button produced a note. "Yeah, saw this and went to pick it up before you started having flashbacks." He held it up and read it out loud. "I know this place must feel good in some ways. To me it means a lot. So much so that I asked it to be made very similarly to a place I vacationed in once. The time spent there is something I will always treasure. So sit back, relax. But if you want something to do, the next place over should help keep you busy for awhile. Unlike before, you may return here to rest when you are done."

"Signed by S just like before." Button finished, handing over the note. "So our mysterious helper vacationed here too once, interesting coincidence. But not much to go on right now."

Sweetie Belle sighed. "I want to relax, maybe enjoy some fun times while we are here... But it feels too nostalgic. Like if I stay here too long, I may not want to leave. So if it is alright with you, can we go see what the next room over has for us?"

Button glanced back out at the beach, wanting nothing more than to catch a nap in. But that spark of curiosity was nagging at him too. "Sure, but after we are done, I want to request we do something fun, that that was chosen by us, not designated or part of some crazy test. Deal?"

"Deal." She nodded and got up, the two making their way out of the hut and heading towards the door. With a hatch and another less intense draft, the two stepped out into the next room.
***

Log Entry 2029
I may have to check my notes on this one. Their progress is the best we have recorded so far. I hate to say something like this so soon, but it really seems like we have perfected the memory formula well. Though these old memories slowly working their way out is an odd side effect. They shouldn't have these memories at all by most accounts. But considering their progress, a minor setback such as this is trivial in the grand scheme of things. I still think that beach room should be sectioned off or changed personally, I don't know what [Redacted] sees in having such a place. And what is with these strange notes? I don't recall some of these. Could the past participants simply gone behind my back? I guess if so, it is not like anything could be done at this point. I am well aware I cannot intervene unless protocol 1 is activated. Though perhaps I may have to bend some rules should they stray from the experiment again. I shall continue to monitor like I always do.

Author's Note

The story continues. Working through some stuff but hope to start updating regularly again soon. Currently dealing with some health issues. But this acts as a good distraction so I will continue to work on this but may not be responding much.