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?"

"I am vexed by your way of knowing things and waiting too long to reveal them."

"I learned a new word today! That's fun." He descended to the bit of rock that came out of the water with the huge plant on it.

"Anyway, Lor, what should I do here?"

"It should be clear by now. The mist has been nothing but trouble. Why do anything?"

"Is this a test? Of course I'm going to do something! I'm not going to let all of these plants just die."

"Admirable. Do you have a plan?"

"No."

"Just the way it usually is with you.

"Excuse you! I'm prepared at least ninety percent of the time!"

"No comment."

"Anyway, if I can just get more water down here, I should be able to help out the plants."

"Then…?"

"What do you mean, 'then?' You make no sense." Magolor floated up the waterfall.

"Captain, wait."

Magolor paused. "What?"

"Do you see that opening behind the waterfall? It seems different in some way."

Magolor approached the opening she was indicating. "Huh. There's some kind of… home? Odd." There was a well-furnished, albeit dusty room inside. The floor was polished marble, and the walls were white. Something about the place made him feel unsafe. Due to being behind a waterfall, whoever lived here obviously didn't keep much in this front room. Outside of a wooden door, the only things in this room were dust and water. Magolor opened the door. A kitchen with two more doors. He opened one. A bedroom. It had a bed, a nightstand, a lamp, a bookshelf, nothing out of the ordinary about any of it. Despite how empty the place was, Magolor felt a wave of inexplicable, nauseating dread wash over him. He opened the top drawer of the nightstand. It was empty. He opened the bottom drawer. There was a small piece of paper in it.

Restoration #2

LS captain

Photo taken 12 minutes after creation

Designation: Magolor

For convenience purposes, he will be referred to as R2-M.

Magolor's hands started shaking. "W-what?" There was no response from the Lor. "What?" He asked again, still no response. "WHAT THE FUCK?" He turned the paper over. Sure enough, it was a picture of him. A little smaller, and fluffier, but it was him, clothes and all. His eyes were open, and he was smiling cheerfully. It was as if he was talking to Kirby.

"You looked like that at twelve minutes old?"

"I don't know. I don't know. I've never seen this before. I don't understand. What is this?"

"..."

"I don't get it, I don't get it, I don't get it I don't get it Idon'tgetitIdon'tgetitIDON'TGETITIDON'TGETIT!" The air around Magolor was distorting and crackling. Wavy lines of purple energy permeated his surroundings. His eyes were flat and hollow.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"...LS?"

"It does say that, but what of it?"

"Captain?"

"Yes…"

"When you spoke to me for the first time, you called me captain. You still do. Why?"

"Well, you've been 'behind the wheel,' as it were, for several years. It's only natural."

"Natural, huh." The chaotic sparks hadn't subsided at all. "Natural? NATURAL? YOU THINK THIS IS NATURAL?"

"No, that's not what I was saying at all. If you're implying I knew about whatever this was somehow, I will not stand for being falsely accused."

The sparks subsided very slightly. "Fine. But whoever made this-whoever made ME, clearly knew about you. 'LS' must stand for Lor Starcutter."

"That would make sense."

Magolor dashed out of the room, back into the kitchen. He checked the door he hadn't entered before. All that was behind it was a stone room with a staircase leading up. At the top, there was a door. Behind it was one of those nondescript rooms that were in the side paths from earlier.

"Capt-Magolor. Please, do not let this be a relapse of before."

He took a candelabra out of the room and propped the door open. Once he was sure it wouldn't close on its own, he went to the source of the water in the main passage.

"Magolor, please, respond. You almost wiped your own memory last time this happened. I really don't want you to fall apart again."

"I'm not going to do anything stupid. I'm just going to see if there's anything clogging this. I want to get water down there." He was hauling rocks out of the gap. More and more water came pouring out of the gap.

"Look, I know you're upset about what you found, but-"

"No, I'm not. Why would I be upset? I'm not upset. I'm fine. Nothing happened."

"It is okay to talk about it if you need to."

"All that's down here is plants, water, and candelabras. Nothing worth talking about."

"...The mist density has increased by forty two percent."