The Echo Hole could not be called a well traveled spot to even the most adventurous of fraggles.
In fact, save for the game they held once a year to pick a pretend ruler with The Finger Of Light, a thin magical beam of moonlight from the world above that would only chance to shine down on a chosen one, the cave was left to itself.
The gray, drab walls rimmed the bottomless pit, that was bridged only by the truck of a fallen tree, bowed with hundreds of years of age to look like a natural rock formation, swirled with thick mist.
The mist weaved here and there, in some small magic way absorbing the nearly rushing sound of the wind carried down the hole and amplifying it in a resounding chorus of emptiness.
The only true light in the nearly forgotten place was at the other side of the bridge where the finger of light would normally appear. But in the daylight, the sun from above merely shown down in tiny pools from stones many cracks.
This sunlight barley fell upon the tall lilac fraggles' face where she sat alone at the far side of bridge, hugging her legs to body as her toes were left to hang over the edge of the hole perilously.
Her eyes reflected the empty nothingingness of the cave, rarely blinking as she breathed shallowly, the slight movement disturbing a peddle and sending it tumbling downward with the loud beat of a single drum.
"Don't do it Mokey!" A desperate voice cried out, braking the silent with his wavering echos of speech.
"Think of the children! Poor Wembley would…"
Boober stopped at the top of the bridges slope, lost in thought.
"Hm, maybe that's not a the best incentive at the moment. Think of Poppeeii!"
He yelped, thumbing muzzle over tail down the slide like curve of the far side and bumping face first into the sitting Mokey.
"Boober?" Mokey spoke, her voice slow and soft as if she had just been awoken from a dream by the bump of the landing and his small grin. "What are you doing here?"
"The Trash Heap told me you would be here."
Mokey looped her tail around her hands thoughtful, still not looking up.
"You came all the way here from…?"
"I know a short cut." Boober began simply, sitting down as well to look out at the void with peaceful expression.
"This is one of my favorite brooding spots. The suggestion of plummeting to certain doom is particularly lovely. But not something I would recommend in your con…"
Mokey finally met his gaze, giving the red haired fraggle beside her the smallest of reassuring smiles.
"I'm not going to kill myself Boober."
"Oh, good then." He replied quietly, flicking a stone off into the unknown like a tiddlywink. "..Although, I would have written you a beautiful eulogy."
Mokey's laugh was a ragged strained sound that died halfway though as she reached out to squeeze Boober's hand.
"Thank you…"
Boober slowly, carefully, as if afraid the taller fraggle would break like fragile crystal, scooted nearer.
"I missed that.. you know..your laugh…You know, Mokey, it's okay to be sad, but being sad alone doesn't suit you. Because you're not."
Boober whispered, settling into his traditional spot hugging her shoulder.
"I know it's not much…but..you..have me…"
"Aw, Boober what a sweet thing to say."
Mokey said, a bit of her old enthusiasm awakening in her voice.
"You've always been such a good fri…"
"Y…You never…" The small sound of Boober's whisper cut in, muffled by the fabric of her sweater, and barely notable.
"Pardon?" Mokey asked, cocking her head to the side. Boober's voice, even at this nearer angle was strangely flat and drained sounding, as if he was holding up a heavy invisible load of boulders.
"You never did give me…an answer when you..left."
Mokey's brow wrinkled in thought.
"An answer to what, little Boober?"
Slowly, carefully, with a well paced manner that suggested months of practice, Boober rose he head from its cuddling spot.
"W..when I asked..i..if you would b...be my lifemate."