Maze of Logs, Seaweeds, and The Adventurers

In MONTHLY PROMPT ・ By meiniann

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The day light filtered gently through the thick canopy of the cave, scattering soft rays onto the cave floor below. In a small clearing where moss carpeted the ground and the air smelled faintly of dewdrops, Poppo and Pun Hmorg stood, staring at Zona.

"Well?" Pun Hmorg grinned, nudging Zona slightly with his wingtip, "You’re the smallest out of three of us. I'm sure you can fit in there nice and easy!"

Before them was a tangled pile of fallen logs, stacked awkwardly like some forgotten monument of nature. In between them, wedged somewhere far and far in the middle, bloomed a single flower. The very one the butterfly constellation had asked for them to retrieve earlier.

The butterfly constellation fluttered around them excitedly, his wings casting shimmering glows as he chirped, "Yes! Yes! Send the little one! He’s the perfect size! The perfect hero for this noble mission!"

Zona stared at the logs. Then back at Pun. Then at the butterfly. His pink hair bobbed as he shook his head furiously, "Absolutely not! Have you not seen those logs?! What if one of them falls and hit my head? What if I accidently tripped on a root and knock the whole pile over? Boom! Instant log-splosion! I’ll be flatter than a starfish!"

Poppo gasped, horrified at the image, "Zona is right, Pun! That sounds dangerous! He shouldn’t go then. He's too small and it’s too risky for someone his size,"

Pun Hmorg groaned, flopping onto his back dramatically. "Then who’s gonna to go? ‘Cause I’m definitely not squeezing into that timber trap. My wings would snap like crackers,"

They sat in silence, three mismatched adventurers and one anxious butterfly constellation circling above them. The butterfly muttered something about how he could wait, but his girlfriend couldn’t, and how he only had so much time to impress her before the next perfect flower blooms.

Poppo blinked. Her pink eyes brightened with determination. "You know what? I’ll go."

Pun Hmorg bolted upright, "You?! Are you serious?! Poppo, no offense, but your wings are huge! They’ll catch on everything."

Poppo tilted her head sweetly, "Oh, that does makes sense. Would you like to go instead, Pun?"

Pun Hmorg immediately shook his head aggresively, "Nope, nope, nope! I think I'll stay here just fine,"

She offered a soft, kind smile. "Don't worry. I’ll be careful. My body’s slim and I can fold my wings in close. I’ll be okay. Well, hopefully,"

The butterfly constellation wiped an imaginary tear from his eyes, "Oh, brave warrior of the pink fur...I bestow upon you my blessing for a safe passage through this maze of logs,"

With gentle steps, Poppo approached the log pile. Her wings folded tightly against her back, her body low as she slipped between the first narrow gap. Zona and Pun Hmorg watched from the clearing, both holding their breath.

Inside the log maze, it was darker, smells of bark and earth growing stronger. Poppo moved carefully, weaving past protruding branches and crisscrossing trunks. Her heart thumped softly in her chest. A left turn. A right. A short crawl. A careful squeeze. And then...she's there!

The flower shimmered up close, nestled in a mossy cradle. With gentle paws, she picked it and tucked it safely into her satchel.

"Got it. Now we just need to go back," she whispered to herself, smiling.

She turned to head back, carefully retracing her path. But just as she reached the midpoint, a low creak echoed from above. The logs shuddered.

Poppo froze. Her eyes widened.

The ground vibrated — just a little.

Then another creak. Louder this time. Something was shifting.

She ran.

Quick, careful steps. A slide under one log. A squeeze between two more. The exit came into view, and just as she lunged forward — CRASH! Logs slammed down behind her, shaking the ground.

Poppo tumbled out of the log pile, covered in dusts.

"Poppo!" Zona cried, dashing to her side.

"Are you okay?!" Pun Hmorg flapped over, checking her wings and fur.

Poppo coughed once, brushing off a clump of bark from her head. She opened her satchel and held up the flower, "Is this the flower you're looking for?"

The butterfly constellation zipped forward, spinning in delight, "Yes! It is it! That’s the one! My beloved will adore this! You’ve saved my romance, thank you so much!"

Poppo smiled bashfully, "I’m glad I could help, then."

The butterfly did a dramatic fly in the air, "As promised, the secret to underwater breathing is yours! Come, come! Follow me!"

Excited and still a bit shaken, the trio followed the butterfly towards the glimmering blue pond.

"We’re here!" the butterfly announced proudly. He hovered just above a suspicious pile of seaweed at the edge of the water.

Zona peered at it, "Uh…this is...?"

"This," the butterfly declared, puffing his chest out, "Is what you all need to breathe underwater! Simply eat it, and you’ll be able to breathe underwater for, say...an entire day!"

The trio blinked.

Poppo sniffed it delicately. Her nose wrinkled.

Pun Hmorg leaned down, poked it with his paw, and made a face, "Wait wait...So you’re telling me, that Poppo nearly got pancaked by those logs just so we could…eat this? This slimy, not-even-edible, stinky seaweed?"

"It’s magic seaweed!" the butterfly chirped defensively. "Quite rare but effective! You won't find them anywhere else but here,"

Zona climbed up to Pun’s head and buried his face on his forehead, "I think all of us, especially Poppo, deserves a better way to breathe underwater rather than eating this...odd-looking seaweed,"

The butterfly flitted up, grinning. "Unfortunately, this is the only way so, nope! No other way, as far as I know. Now eat up!"

The trio exchanged glances as they took one seaweed for each.

And despite the seaweed's smell and Poppo's near-death adventure through logs, they couldn’t help but laugh together.