Once upon a time, in the magical land of Equestria, there were two regal sisters who ruled together and created harmony for all the land. To do this, the eldest used her alicorn powers to raise the sun at dawn; the younger brought out the moon to begin the night.

Thus, the two sisters maintained balance for their kingdom and their subjects, all the different types of ponies. But as time went on, the younger sister became resentful. The ponies relished and played in the day her elder sister brought forth, but shunned and slept through her beautiful night.

One fateful day, the younger alicorn refused to lower the moon to make way for the dawn. The elder sister tried to reason with her, but the bitterness in the young one's heart had transformed her into a wicked mare of darkness: Nightmare Moon.

She vowed that she would shroud the land in eternal night. Reluctantly, the elder sister harnessed the most powerful magic known to ponydom: the Elements of Harmony. Unfortunately, Nightmare Moon was far too swift to be struck down by the elements, and so Equestria was soon blanketed by darkness.

It is only a day after the land was blanketed by the night where our tale begins.

***

The royal guards were all on high alert once Nightmare Moon struck out on her own. Many ponies were on the verge of panic because of this. Things were not helped by the many thestrals that had turned to Nightmare Moon’s side and against her sister’s loyal guards.

One guard, an earth pony private by the name of Verdant Range was rather surprised that he had received a personal summons to meet with Princess Celestia herself. He was certainly a serviceable archer, but he doubted he had the skills needed to best a twisted immortal.

Upon arriving outside the princess’s chamber, he spotted his captain, a charcoal unicorn by the name of Magic Barrier, standing beside the ornate door. Upon spotting the shamrock stallion, he silently beckoned him into the royal chamber. Moving quickly, Verdant followed close behind.

The young stallion swallowed at the sight of the large, well-decorated chamber the pair had stepped into. Before he could really take in any details however, a clearing of Princess Celestia’s throat drew Verdant’s eyes. He quickly fell into a bow.

“Rise, Private Range,” the alabaster alicorn spoke with a firm yet caring tone as she strode towards him. “We have an unorthodox request for thee that is of the utmost importance.”

“Before thou accepts, I suggest thou listen very carefully to what the princess has to say.” Barrier came to Verdant’s side as the grass-colored pony stood up.

“We have been attempting to cleanse our sister’s madness through the use of the Elements of Harmony. Unfortunately, Nightmare Moon’s skill with teleporting, turning to smoke and flight have allowed her to evade every attempt to strike her with the element’s magic.” Celestia said as she came to a halt in front of him. She towered over the green pony, over twice his size, even without her horn.

“I am uncertain how I could be of service to thee, Your Highness,” Verdant nervously said to the imposing alicorn. “I am merely an archer.”

“Tis not thy archery skills We require, but thy unique talent of surviving being swallowed whole and being trapped within another’s body.” Celestia’s words turned his green coat as white as her own. “Captain Barrier has informed Us of thy incidents that ended with thou being swallowed and passed. Thy skill in navigating a pony’s body is precisely what We need.”

“Oh dear Faust…” Verdant started to back up and sweat poured from his brow. “I know what thou art planning. Thou wishes for me to shrink down, enter through Nightmare Moon’s buttocks, and then cure myself to make myself grow and cause her to explode! Hatty was right!”

“NO!” Celestia exclaimed in the Royal Canterlot Voice. Barrier had to bite his tongue hard to keep from laughing while the princess looked both disgusted and horrified by Verdant’s words. “What We wish is for thou to shrink down and enter Our sister’s stomach whilst wearing a special saddlebag.”

“Ah. My apologies, Your Highness.” Verdant turned his eyes down towards his and the princess’s hooves as the color started to return to his coat. “Beg my pardon, Princess, but how will this defeat Nightmare Moon?”

“Simple,” Barrier interjected as his horn lit up. It was then a saddlebag was levitated from beside the princess’s bed before coming to a halt in front the young earth pony. “Tis what’s inside that shall best the Nightmare.”

Pulling back the flaps on the bags, Verdant was stunned by what was inside. The saddlebags held a set of six differently colored jewels. The one that stood out the most to him was the magenta gem that was shaped vastly different from the rest. While five of them look like little more than impressively large gemstones, the final one was cut into the shape of a six pointed star.

“Behold, Verdant Range,” Celestia said as she leaned her neck down towards him. “The Elements of Harmony.”

“Faust and Zacherle above…” Verdant hoarsely whispered as the bag was suddenly placed upon his back. “I do not understand. What is going on?”

“Our plan is most simple,” Celestia firmly said. “We can activate the elements remotely, so the current place is to activate them whilst thou art in Nightmare Moon’s stomach. Thus, she will be purified and Our sister shall be freed from the corruption plaguing her mind.”

“I see…” Verdant gave his neck a nervous rub. “But how will thou get me inside her stomach in the first place?”

“First, We shall shrink thee down and place thee in Our mouth. Thou shalt leave the rest to Us,” The princess said as Barrier came up to Verdant’s side.

“Were our options not severely limited, we would not call upon thee.” The charcoal stallion placed a hoof on Verdant’s shoulder.

“I… I understand, sir.” Verdant swallowed heavily before turning his attention towards the tall alabaster mare. “I am ready, Princess.”

“Very good, Private Range,” Celestia said as her horn began to glow with a golden radiance. “Rest assured, thou shall be well rewarded once our sister is freed.”

The golden aura soon encompassed the earth pony and the already towering mare quickly became the size of a mountain. It was then he felt himself being shot into the sky like a cannonball until he found himself suspended in the air in front of Princess Celestia’s plump lips.

“Thou hast Our deepest gratitude,” the Princess carefully whispered, though her words still felt like a rather intense wind to the shrunken stallion.

It was then the princess opened her massive maw wide and raised her dragon-sized tongue. Verdant was cautiously placed inside her mouth behind her bottom teeth. It was then the gigantic tongue started to fall as her lips sealed shut.

To the miniscule mammal’s great relief, despite the massive size, the tongue was placed gently over his tiny form. It was as if he’d been covered from head to hoof in multiple thick blankets… that were damp, in a hot and humid chamber that had the distinct, overpowering smell of bananas all about.

“Well, at least I can say I was inside a princess.” Verdant sighed as he tried to get as comfortable as his new surroundings would allow.

***

When Celestia closed her mouth, Barrier gave her a firm nod. The time to fight the nightmare had come.

Taking a steadying breath, Celestia’s horn ignited once more before the pair vanished from her bedchamber.

The pair soon found themselves in a dark and rocky part of the Everfree Forest, with many thestrals taking a defensive stance and hissing at their sudden appearance.

“We have come to seek an audience with Nightmare Moon!” Barrier called out loudly. The thestrals held their positions, though some now looked at the pair with curious looks on their faces. “Princess Celestia seeks to either end this non-violently, or, should this fail, challenge her in single combat for the title of ruler of Equestria.”

“Well, well, well,” a silky dark voice began, drawing Barrier and Celestia’s eyes upward to a natural spire of rock, where Nightmare Moon stood with a vicious smile on her face. “We were hoping thou wouldst have the mettle to face us in battle.”

“Do you accept her challenge, Nightmare Moon?” Barrier barked the question at the dark alicorn as the moon hung behind her in the sky.

“Verily!” She exclaimed before she glided down towards them. “Stand back, my loyal subjects. We do not wish thee harm as we crush our dear sister under hoof.”

The thestrals all started to back away, along with Barrier, forming a large ring around what was certain to be their last battlefield.

The two towering alicorns took their places at opposite sides of the makeshift ring. Nightmare Moon scraped at the ground while Celestia fell into a stance, ready to charge.

The two dashed towards each other with a speed that astounded Barrier before the pair grappled in the center.

“Thou shall fall, Sister! I shall-” the midnight black alicorn was silenced by her opponent suddenly locking her lips with hers. She was both stunned and horrified as she felt Celestia forcing her tongue into her mouth, as if trying to shove it down her throat. She felt ill as she tasted bananas and peas.

When Nightmare Moon managed to pull away, she reflexively swallowed a glob of her sister’s pea and banana-flavored spit.

“Gaugh!” Nightmare spat and gagged in disgust. “Sister, why didst thou do that?!” She bellowed, knocking several thestrals over with her booming voice.

“Because I love you, Sister,” Celestia replied, causing the dark alicorn to be even more stunned.

“Celestia, thou art my sister! Not my cousin!” Nightmare Moon’s right eye twitched rapidly. “That was sickening!”

***

Within Celestia’s mouth, Verdant nervously swallowed. He knew that Princess Celestia would get him inside Nightmare Moon soon, but he had no idea how she’d do it.

Suddenly, he felt the mare he was in charging forward as the tip of the tongue rose up above him before sliding under and lifting him upwards. He gripped the tongue tightly, knowing the worst was yet to come.

In an instant, he felt the tongue being launched forward. He saw two sets of lips blur past as he found the tongue he was gripping now being quickly pushed into a mouth that was filled with some rather sharp teeth.

Go! Go! Go! Verdant frantically thought as he let go of Celestia’s tongue and quickly slid off, landing on Nightmare Moon’s. Thankfully, the movements of Celestia’s tongue seemed to be distracting the nightmare long enough for Verdant to take a charging leap down into her throat. Just as he entered her throat, Nightmare Moon swallowed, sending him hurtling down into the dark chamber that was her nearly full stomach.

“Urgh… once again, I’m in a stomach,” Verdant said as he tried to shake off what he assumed were once truffles from his coat.

“Well, hopefully Princess Celestia won’t be too long with this…” Verdant said just before he saw that the bag was starting to glow with rainbow-colored light.

***

Princess Celestia let out a sigh as Nightmare Moon prepared to charge again. “Forgive me, Sister,” she said as her horn started to glow.

“Thou will need much more than ‘sorry’ to forgive all thy sins against me, especially thy latest one!” Nightmare Moon growled, but then noticed a strange rumbling that came from within her belly. “What… WHAT HAST THOU DONE?!”

The churning within her grew more and more fierce and she felt something rapidly rushing up her throat. She tried to cover her mouth with a hoof, but she could only hold it back for a matter of seconds before a burst of rainbow light spewed forth from her fanged maw.

The rainbow eruption from her mouth soared upward before coming back down and swirling around her. Shortly after the light engulfed her, the rainbow of light soon shot upwards into the sky.

A few moments later, to Celestia’s horror, the image of Nightmare Moon soon appeared upon the surface of the moon. This could only mean one thing. Her sister had been locked away for Faust knows how long.

“No… no…” Celestia tremblingly whispered before she collapsed to her knees. “NOOOOOOO!!! Tears streamed down her face as she screamed. Some say this scream of anguish was heard all throughout Equestria.

“Well,” Barrier quietly whispered to the thestral beside him. “At least the light came out her mouth and not the other end… You’re also all under arrest for high treason.”

***

Verdant groaned as he started to awaken. He found himself still tiny and within Nightmare Moon’s stomach, still filled with digesting bits of truffles.

"What happened?” He asked as he tried to stretch his sore limbs. “The last I recall, there was a tornado of rainbow light and then… what has happened?”

To him, everything in sight turned into a blue, starry mist. He was shocked as he saw his body turn into this before he felt himself zip away somewhere. He was incredibly disoriented until the mist soon reformed.

“Dear Zacherle, what was that?!” Verdant asked as he looked about in a daze of confusion. “Is that what it’s like when Nightmare Moon turns to mist?”

It was then the voice of Verdant’s unwitting capture boomed like a thunderous stampede all around him.

“OH, MY BELOVED SUBJECTS. IT’S BEEN SO LONG SINCE I’VE SEEN YOUR PRECIOUS SUN-LOVING FACES.”

“Oh boy, this will likely be a while.” Verdant groaned as he tried to get comfortable. A rather hard task when within a churning flesh sack of boiling acids and digesting truffles.

***

Even from within the dark alicorn, the night seemed to go on forever for Verdant. The most annoying of times were when she would turn herself back into mist before flying off. Even when his stomach ceased to be during those moments, it grew greatly upset.

The strangest moment of the night was when Verdant found himself somehow divided in three with each part in a different stomach, only to be rejoined together with three sets of memories moments later.

He felt himself starting to grow tired as the solidified Nightmare Moon charged towards something, but felt himself more awakened as she began cackling madly and rearing onto her hind legs, sending him hurtling into a wall on the far side of the stomach.

“Oh great, what’s going on now?” Verdant asked he rubbed his sore neck, To his surprise, an orange light started to come from within his saddlebags.

“Is the princess trying to use the elements again?” His whisper to himself was drowned out by the stomach gurgling as a pink light joined the first. This was shortly followed by blue, purple and red.

“YOU STILL DON'T HAVE THE SIXTH ELEMENT! THE SPARK DIDN'T WORK!” The nightmare’s voice thundered all around him before finally, a magenta light joined the five.

Once more, an explosion of rainbow light burst from Verdant’s saddlebags and swirled all around the stomach before shooting upwards.

The light soon turned a blinding white as Verdant found himself once more being swallowed up.

***

In the ruins that was once the Castle of the Two Sisters, a collection of six battle weary mares started to awaken.

“Urgh… my head,” the rainbow maned pegasus groaned as she rubbed her aching form.

“Everypony okay?” the orange coated mare in the stetson across from Rainbow Dash asked.

“Oh, thank goodness!” the alabaster unicorn said as she examined her tail, now restored to its full length and lustrous glory.

“Why Rarity, it’s so lovely!” the creamy yellow pegasus said as she noticed the golden necklace around her friend’s neck.

“I know!” Rarity said as she gave her tail a long wave. “I’ll never part with it again.”

“No. Your necklace,” Fluttershy pointed, drawing Rarity’s attention to the item in question. “It looks just like your cutie mark.”

“What?” Rarity was stunned by the appearance of the magnificent piece of jewelry clasped around her throat. It was then she saw the one around her cream-coated companion’s. “Ooh! So does yours!”

Fluttershy gasped at the sight of hers while an extremely pink pony was speaking to Applejack. “Look at mine! Look at mine!”

“Aw yeah!” Rainbow Dash said as she proudly looked down at the necklace with the red lightning bolt shaped jewel she wore.

“Gee, Twilight! I thought you were just spoutin' a lot of hooey, but I reckon we really do represent the elements of friendship.” Applejack said as she trotted toward the lavender coated mare who briefly cast a glance to the crown with a star-shaped jewel she now wore.

“Indeed you do,” a majestic voice said as daylight started to seep into the room. In a bright flash of white light, Princess Celestia appeared; standing tall above the six.

Twilight gasped at the sudden appearance of her mentor and calling out her name as her friends all bowed to her. She rushed towards the princess and the two shared an affectionate nuzzle.

“Twilight Sparkle, my faithful student. I knew you could do it.” Celestia gave her a warm smile as she spoke.

“But... you told me it was all an old pony tale,” Twilight said with clear confusion as she looked up at the white coated alicorn.

“I told you that you needed to make some friends, nothing more. I saw the signs of Nightmare Moon's return, and I knew it was you who had the magic inside to defeat her, but you could not unleash it until you let true friendship into your heart.” Princess Celestia then turned her attention to the sight of her unconscious sister across the room.

Her coat was much paler than before and her mane was material instead of the flowing starry mist it normally was and she was possibly smaller than when she last saw her. It seemed the elements had drained her of what magic she had within.

“Now if only another will as well.” She cautiously moved towards her little sister. It was then noticed that her belly seemed larger than normal. Perhaps a side-effect of her shrinking down after a large meal?

“Princess Luna.” Celestia’s call of her name awoke the smaller alicorn with a gasp. Looking up to Celestia, she had an expression of deep-shame upon her face. “It has been a thousand years since I have seen you like this.”

Celestia sat down in front of Luna, so they could both look each other in the eye. “Time to put our differences behind us. We were meant to rule together, little sister.”

A series of surprised mutterings came from element bearers at the princess referring to the former nightmare as ‘sister’.

“Will you accept my friendship?” Celestia asked as she rose back up. The element bearers leaned closer to see what would happen, with Pinkie Pie falling on her face.

Luna sniffled before she leapt into her sister, tears freely flowing from her eyes. “I'm so sorry! I missed you so much, big sister!”

Joyful tears from Celestia quickly joined Luna’s as she pulled her into a nuzzle. “I've missed you, too.”

“Um… not to spoil the touching reunion,” a stallion’s voice said, making both princess’s look to Luna’s distended belly. “But could you please get me out of here?!”

***

After many hours filled with laxatives, pain, sweat and tears, Verdant was finally freed from Princess Luna’s innards. It would take many more hours in the royal baths before he felt he was clean.

For many days after this incident, Princess Luna’s coat was tinted by a faint blush, making her appear purple to those unfamiliar. This included a pair of griffin toymakers known as the Hassenfeld Brothers, who made a line of toys based on the princesses, the element bearers and many other well known ponies in Equestria.

Sometime after he’d finished bathing, Princess Celestia had sent a summons to Verdant. He arrived outside her bedchamber that night. With a nervous swallow, Verdant gave a light rapping on the door.

“Come in, Verdant,” the princess’s voice came from the other side as a golden glow encompassed the doorknobs and made the doors open for him.

Slipping inside, he found Celestia laying on her bed, reading a book. To his surprise, she wasn’t wearing any of the jewelry he was accustomed to seeing her wear.

“Good evening, Verdant Range,” Celestia said as her magic placed a bookmark in the book before setting it aside. “I’ve called you here to discuss the reward you were promised so very long ago.”

“What didst thou have in mind, your highness?” Verdant asked without taking a step. He let out a surprised yelp as he heard the towering doors closing behind him.

“First of all, as thanks for the important role you had in freeing my sister, I will be providing you with a house in the city or town of your choosing.” Celestia said as she rose up from the bed and drew closer to him.

“The second part will be specialized classes to help you gain modern linguistics and job skills. The third will be a fair amount of bits to act as back pay for a thousand years on guard duty.” It was then Verdant noticed an odd grin on the princess’s face. “Now, if you wish, there is a fourth reward.”

“And what would that be?” Verdant asked as the princess drew closer and her wings started to rise.

“Well, you’ve had two rather unpleasant times within the bodies of my sister and I…” She then motioned her neck towards her large bed, “Perhaps I could offer you a much more pleasant time within me?”

Verdant’s face swiftly turned crimson at her words. “Princess, art thou serious?”

“I most certainly am,” she said as she turned towards the bed, making sure to wiggle her flank before walking over to it. “It’s been far too long since I’ve had a stallion to keep me company at night and I have heard that earth ponies tend to be more well-endowed than the unicorns I have mostly stuck to in the past.”

When she came to rest upon the bad, she shifted her tail to the side, giving the shamrock stallion a good glimpse of her ample flank. “So, do you accept?”

Verdant silently nodded before he approached the bed and leapt to Celestia’s side. She then draped a wing over him and pulled him into a deep kiss.

Verdant greatly enjoyed his night with the princess… though he would regret the damage done to his hips from eventually requesting the princess to be on top.

Still, even as he was in pain, recovering in his hospital room, he thought it was well worth it.

Author's Note

Happy Canada Day, folks!

Yeah, it's been a while, but I was able to get this chapter done. Will be able to get another chapter ready for August 8th? ... Eh, probably not, but here's hoping.

Well, for the first time in a long time, it's time to vote for the next chapter.

1. Swift Snort (AP): Verdant is training with his fellow soldiers on Butterfly Island and we see one of the misadventures there.
2. Lovely Nights and New Beginnings (Alternate Ending): Verdant was called upon to impregnate Cadance with Shining Armor's sperm. Well over a year after his successful mission, Princess Cadance calls him back to the empire. What could she want this time?
3. Dating Delights: Verdant goes out on a date with a fancy mare he met during a dating service and things seem to go swimmingly... until he learns she's a cannibalistic serial killer with a shrinking fetish.
4. Betty: The Last Cutesaur: Verdant is recruited by Daring Do to explore an island full of long lost flora and fauna, only to encounter a creature that supposedly went extinct eons ago.
5. Bibinba's Inside Story: While playing Marinara Party with some friends of his, Verdant accidentally lands on the wrong space and finds himself staring down an imposing longma.
6. Double Trouble in the Fire: A teleportation accident ends up sending Verdant to another universe where he meets Dr. Overdrive and a green mare with a white muzzle named Shamrock Meadow. When the two try to get him back home, things go awry and the emerald pony pair end up in the kitchen of Spitfire.
7. Strawberry Sweetness: Another teleportation test brings him to Strawberry Sundae. Not the restaurant, but it's owner who's about to have some private time with her lovely wife.
8. Dog Day Afternoon: On a day out, Verdant finds himself stumbling upon a patch of Shrinking Violets... and a rather hungry Diamond Dog.
9. Tales from the Mirrorverse - Antacid's Creed: In a world where everypony's evil, Verdant wants to get himself a high ranking position in Celestia's forces. What better way to prove he can sneak into anywhere than sneaking into the princess herself?
10. Not a Snack-Sized Stallion, But a Micro-Sized Man: Verdant's enjoying his little job of mowing his history teacher's lawn when suddenly, a pot with a blue flower in it appears from the sky and smacks him in the face. Now the teenage Verdant is just a speck when Barrier's niece, Twilight Sparkle, comes to visit.
11. Death to Daybreaker: In a dark world ruled by Daybreaker and Nightmare Moon, two vicious tyrants who plot and scheme against each other, the Mare of the Moon decides to put an end to her sister once and for all. For this, she's going to need a rather skilled assassin.
12. Tales from the Mirrorverse - Digestions & Dragons: Set after the events of "Antacid's Creed", Verdant is assigned to Celestia's elite privateer, Magic Barrier. His first assignment: recover the treasure from a hibernating dragon's stomach.
13. Kicking it into High Gear: With Dr. High Gear sick but tests still needing to be done, it falls to Pixel Flash to operate the teleport machine. At least Verdant still ends up in Vanhoover.
14. Verdant vs. Verdant: Battle of the Bug (AP): A distress message from the Mirror Universe reaches Princess Celestia and Verdant is tasked by King Sombra to save the life of Queen Chrysalis from one of the most evil and dangerous assassins on the mirror world; Verdant Range.
15. I Cooked Him Up and Ate Him: After a teleport drops Verdant in Ponyville yet again, he's found by Bon Bon, who drops him off at her house before she can contact those who could help him. Unfortunately, while she's out, Lyra shows up with a hunger for bean burritos.
16. Sailing into the Blue: In the war with the griffins, Captain Barrier comes up with a plan to allow them to infiltrate the Griffin Kingdom and turn the tide of the war. All they need is a boat, Verdant's knowledge of anatomy and a lot of Shrinking Violet potion

Remember, only one vote per person. Also, from now on, vote that only have a number will no longer counted and even deleted. I'm sorry if this seems harsh, but I did this since it makes tallying the votes easier for me.

Hopefully I'll see you all again soon with a trip down to Sweet Apple Acres with Apple Nut Brother.