Nowhere To Go But Up

Empty Chambers of Sparks and Foliage

Magolor glanced around at the monitors and saw a few Dream Land residents looking up at the Lor Starcutter as he descended. He'd love to take time to enjoy being back, but he had a job to do. He took some of the materials he'd gotten out of the Lor, and carried them to Dedede's castle. He greeted Dedede himself, then Bandee, then popped in to check on Taranza. The latter seemed happier than usual to see him, and that gave Magolor an impression that maybe, just maybe, his feelings were mutual. There was no way to know for sure, though, so he didn't get his hopes up. He scoped out the perimeter of the castle, making sure to take note of anything that might be a problem. There was nothing.

After taking a good look around, he got back in the Lor and flew out to the misty forest. The mist seemed to be less dense than usual. When he found the cave he'd stumbled into earlier, he started exploring. He was wearing an earring which allowed the Lor to observe his surroundings and provide input when necessary. It was his first time wearing it, and it worked pretty well. Each of the caves branching off from the main tunnel led to rooms that were similar to the one Taranza found him in. The bottom was still covered in water, but now he was in a clear enough headspace to understand why. Earlier, there was water here from the storm that was going on, but it was still wet a whole month later. The few inches of water were flowing down the tunnel from under the entrance. It was difficult to tell what was beyond the crack it flowed from, so Magolor instead chose to follow the current.

The tunnel curved downwards, and the small stream turned into a small cascade. There were more side passages on the way down, with nothing of major importance within. At the bottom of the cascade, the water pooled into a circle around a lush area. The little rise of rock in the center, as well as everything on the outside of the water circle was packed with plants Magolor had never seen before. Moss that glowed, Flowers that changed colours, a huge white-spotted stalk in the center that stretched up to the roof of the cavern. The circle was running on empty, probably being drank by the plants.

"Any idea what all this is, Lor?"

"No. Although, it looks like the large one in the middle can explain a few things."

"Huh?"

"Look up."

Magolor looked up, to where only the plant could be seen. The top extended through a hole in the ceiling, where a faint light came down from what was presumably outside. He flew up to the hole and looked around at the inside. Most of the flowers that extended off of the stalk went up to the surface, obscuring the light from the surface. There was one flower that hung down, though. It stayed in this small part of the cavern, looking a little sad. Magolor grabbed it and lifted it towards the surface. There was a bit of mist in the shaft, but it began to dissipate after he moved the flower out of this hole in the ground. "This seems like the appropriate thing to do here."

"Captain, the density of the mist up here just increased by two percent."

"What? The flower..."

"It's the source, naturally. The lower density we noted on the way here must be because of the decreased water level flowing from the main passage."

"So the mist is coming from this flower, and it's going away because of the lack of water?"

"That is what I said, Captain." She said that with a tone that made it abundantly clear she thought Magolor was being a fool.

"Thanks for the sass, Lor. I don't know who I'd take after without you."

"You say that as if I was one of your parents."

"In all ways but biological, you are."

"...That is highly illogical."

Magolor smirked, even though there was no way for the Lor to see it. "You think I didn't hear you almost call me your son?"