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// 5: Facts Deceptively Easy to Swallow 
// Story: The Tatzl 
// by Raging Mouse 
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A snug, comfortable feeling heralded Twilight's return to the waking world. It reminded her of childhood mornings, of waking up in the embrace of her parents. So welcome, so peaceful was the sensation that she lingered, refusing to move or open her eyes even as her senses sharpened. Even awake and alert, the moment was too precious, too perfect to disturb. No irritating light fell on her shut eyelids, letting her face remain relaxed. Her nose detected only a very slight damp smell, which was soothing on its own. No sharp sounds fell on her ears; only some distant and muted birdsong passed the whisper of her own breathing. She felt she was lying on her side, resting on a soft and comfortable surface. Her legs curled snug against her torso. A warm blanket enveloped her. The only detail marring this perfect moment was a slight itch on her back, below the wing joints, but a moment's scratching erased that slight irritant. Twilight rejoiced at not having to lose her comfortable warmth to deal with that.

There was, Twilight realized, something off with the last few moments. If her legs were curled up in front of her, immobilized by whatever was covering them, then how did she scratch that itch? She was still not bothered enough to consider ending her rest, so she filed the matter away for later. Only, now her nose was itching. Right at the tip, where it was bound to make her sneeze unless she— Ah, good, another saving scratch. Wait a moment. All four legs still immobile and snug under their covering? Check. So what..?

Opening her eyes did nothing, so she summoned some light to her horn. Seeing someone else's very snakelike tongue rubbing the tip of her nose ranked among Twilight's top ten most startling things to see in the morning. Her first thought after flinching was to remind herself which diary held that particular list, so she could update it. Once the shock abated, the morning’s events came to her, including where she'd fallen asleep. She surveyed her surroundings again and, yes, saw the by now familiar stomach of a tatzlpony.

"Tatzlight? Is that you? Could I get out?"

Gentle tongues grabbed Twilight and pushed her up and out. The space she emerged in was larger, but still filled to snug capacity. It appeared Tatzlight and Twilight weren't the only ones to spend the night in this cavernous belly. The tatzlpony analogues of Rarity, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie all cuddled together in their sleep. Twilight noted that all of them had distended, pony-shaped bellies. Tatzlpinkie's barrel pressed against Twilight's back, and Twilight felt not one, but two sources of breathing. Something shifted in Tatzlrarity's belly, pressing down on Twilight's head for a moment. She heard Rarity mumble, muffled through the stomach.

The tongues holding Twilight turned her around so she could look back at her own analogue. Tatzlight's eyes held amusement and curiosity in about equal measure.

"Oh, good morning Tatzlight! Um, it is morning, isn't it? Yes? Thank you."

Tatzlight chirped and tilted her head. Twilight nodded.

"Yes, I slept very well..." Then it was Twilight's turn to tilt her head, though in confusion. "...Wait. How do I understand you?"

This was answered with a giggly and a sprightly shake of Tatzlight’s manes and tongues. Twilight scrunched her muzzle.

“I’m not being silly! This is a serious question!”

Tatzlight sat down in front of Twilight and laid her tongues so their tips rested in a loose embrace on Twilight’s shoulders. Then she tweeted a short cadence of sparrow-like sounds. They somehow held overtones of the universal amused patience expressed when explaining something that should be obvious. To Twilight’s mounting confusion, the message was clear.

“During my sleep? How could I learn to understand you while I was sleeping?”

Tatzlight shrugged and, after a pause, chirped a question. To Twilight's ears, it sounded indistinguishable from any of the previous chirps. And yet...

"Um, yes, I'd like to get up and stretch my legs."

Before Twilight finished speaking, she found herself grasped by one of the bigger tongues. It lifted her towards the top of the large stomach. She tucked her legs in by reflex and marveled at the fact that she had that reflex already. A short moment later, she felt soft dirt under her hooves. In front of her was a curving wall of hard-packed dirt. Off to the left was a short tunnel, sealed by one of the leafy plugs. Narrow beams of sunlight and the sounds of birdsong managed to penetrate it.

To Twilight’s right was the biggest tatzlpony she had seen so far. A dark blue specimen with wings and horn, and of slender build despite its regal size. The tatzlpony’s eye markings were different from the ones Twilight had seen so far. This one had a pitch-black vertical streak from her forehead down to the tip of her muzzle. Two crescent moons were mirrored back-to-back in this blackness, slightly above the line of her eyes. Those eyes radiated slight aloofness, but also amused curiosity as they studied Twilight right back.

Taking in this majestic tatzlpony, Twilight became only slowly aware via a growing discomfort that she had gasped and then held her breath. She closed her eyes and exhaled in a great wheeze. Then she focused on her breathing until she managed to calm herself. Finally, she opened her eyes and looked back up at the tatzlpony likeness of Princess Luna.

The giant tatzlpony nodded regally at Twilight and spoke, clearly, using a perfect imitation of Princess Luna’s voice. “Good morning, Twilight Sparkle. I am Teacher Moon. You can call me Teacher.”

“Good morning, er, your majesty”, Twilight stuttered.

Teacher Moon shook her head. “No need for such honorifics. I am not royalty anymore. Once, I was a princess, but that title lost all meaning to me more than a thousand years ago.”

Twilight’s ears perked. “Moon… I have so, so many questions.”

"I am sure you do." Moon smiled. "I would be delighted to answer all your questions in time. However, for now I must ask for a favor."

"What can I do for you?"

"Two of my little ponies have disobeyed me and snuck off. Please don't misunderstand; I have no authority past that of respect. I do not seek to punish them or bring them back. What I would ask of you, is that you watch over them and keep them safe."

"Oh." Twilight blinked. "Where did they go?"

"They expressed curiosity about the village we passed through on our way here. They would have you believe they are suspicious of this new thing, but in truth they are only eager to explore."

"They went to explore Ponyville? Oh dear. Nopony else but us knows about you. They are going to scare somepony!"

Moon looked sad. "Ponies are still shy and skittish then? Our appearance must be startling."

"It takes some getting used to, yes. Now, if you will excuse me, I need to gather the girls..." Twilight trailed off as Moon shook her head.

"The ponies Pinkie Pie, Rarity and Fluttershy are still sleeping. The ponies Rainbow Dash and Applejack could be awake, though they are with my sister."

Twilight's eyes widened. "Your... sister... is here?"

"Yes." Moon smiled and nodded. "You are familiar with our counterparts in your world, then? I would like to introduce you, but I must instead beg you to go look for my two wayward ponies. Seek Applejack and Rainbow Dash, if you think they might be of assistance with their counterparts."

"I will!" Twilight gave a firm nod before turning and clambering out of the burrow. Birdsong and a mild breeze greeted her. The forest clearing was peaceful and empty, except for Applejack. The farm pony was standing at the entrance of another burrow, looking down into it with a frustrated glare. Twilight trotted over to her.

"Good morning, Applejack! Is something wrong?"

Applejack shook her head, hat magnifying her movements. "Nothing past the usual lazy sleepyhead that is our weather manager. Acting all tough while awake, but won't stop cuddling me when I need to get to the farm!"

"Ah." Twilight tried, and failed, to hold back the laughter. "Could I bother you before that? Your tatzl counterparts have decided to explore Ponyville. Unescorted."

Applejack turned to stare into Twilight's eyes. "Are you saying two ponies who look like Rainbow Dash and me, but with added tentacles, are loose in Ponyville? On market day?"

Twilight paled. "Oh no. I forgot about market day. We should... we should go. Now."

"I hear you, and raise you. We should run." Applejack was already running.