It had been one year since the incident with Tad.
Two years since Eli had taken over as the new Shane.
Two very long years of trying to make a name for himself. Of saving the world.
Of dealing with the pain of losing his father twice.
He shook those thoughts away as he focused on the path ahead, one which Pronto had said was a 'shortcut' home.
Said shortcut had lasted an hour and left many of them with bug bites, bruises and scratches all over.
But this shortcut was also taking them through an unknown cavern.
One they'd certainly never heard of.
And had never seen, as when Eli caught sight of the white mega flora fungi before him, he hit the breaks on L-KE and looked up at the sight in awe.
Once his awe faded, he gulped with worry.
Was this cavern... Dying?
He'd only seen white flora and fungi before once. That encounter hadn't been one of much joy at all.
It'd left him with scars that still ached.
He broke free from his thoughts when he heard slugs chirps and whistles.
Burpy returned the hellos from the native slugs with delight, making his slinger chuckle.
No, the cavern was very much alive it would appear... It just was different than most.
He'd certainly never heard of it.
And judging by Pronto's confusion of it being in the shortcut home... Even his team didn't know of such a cavern.
They were in awe as they rode further through this hidden world.
The flowers blooming were almost the size of houses. Their colors shone intensely besides the stark white of the fungi trees that almost reached the ceilings of the cavern.
There were slugs here that they'd never even seen before. Trixie made sure to document them for later research.
The river they spotted was almost crystal clear, the waters such a bright blue that it didn't look real.
This was a place untouched by humanity. One of the last that they'd ever seen in Slugterra.
It was like a haven, far from any industry, any greedy CEOs or someone who'd make a pretty penny tearing the place apart.
Curious slugs not so subtly followed them, their chirps like a song as the Shane, their film maker, wonderous mechanic and totally not egotistical tracker passed.
Eli wondered how long it may have been since they'd seen a human...
But that wonder was quickly short when he heard Pronto scream.