Magic. The twisted, tangled threads tying this world to the next, to the previous; the strands of what could be, what has been, and what never was looping in intricate knots. Beautiful in its abject terror. Paths uncharted to gifts unknown... and dangers unthinkable.

In the end, the adventurer had to admit - that's what brought him there. A love of the bizarre and impossible, and not a small thirst for risk. The study of magic interested him no more than the study of macroeconomics, databases, or biology at his university. And yet, the promise of adventure lured him into performing a small ritual.

A small ritual, with the goal of traveling between dimensions. He participated in it almost half-heartedly - his mind more in the future of where he'd go, rather than the proper execution. As he finished mumbling the magic words, flames seemed to engulf him on every end, like ravenous hellfire swallowing him.

And with a puff of magic smoke, he was out. Out of the fire, and into the frying pan.

"Wh...what? Huh, where the heck have I gotten myself...?"

A giant frying pan bordered him on every end, like black walls with slight dents. His legs were deep into something crisp, creamy... the shell of an apple pie.

Thankfully, the heat was off. The pie had been cooked, and was ready for serving.

Unfortunately, the pie was ready for serving, and someone was holding the pan.

The man's minuscule eyes followed the manicured fingers gripping the handle; up the purple, embroidered sleeve dressing its arm; and around the other hand as it danced through seemingly endless blonde locks, toying and twisting in excitement.

"Just one bite... it won't be too bad if I have a taste, right? I'm making this for him, but I'm ALSO making it for ME, so..."

Rapunzel's mouth went in fast motion, looking down at the pie resting in her grasp. The adventurer completely passed her notice, going under her button nose and green eyes. He was just under a quarter of an inch. She grabbed a fork, and it impaled the pie... taking a chunk right next to him, and lifting it up.

*Smack, smack...*

The oppressive noise from the giantess Rapunzel's chewing surrounded him from every direction. Before her, he could feel the slight, misty winds of her breath - which tasted like sweet honey. Such beautiful, plush lips lay before him, with each of the minuscule folds on display. Truly the face of a princess, innocent and spotless from her sheltered life... And yet, that same woman was absolutely decimating the meal before her. Chunks of fruit larger than the shrunken man's body were ground to a mushy pulp, before hurdling down the expanse of her throat.

And it didn't look like she was about to stop eating anytime soon.

"One more bite... Can't hurt..."

Rapunzel's fork reached down to the minuscule crumb the shrunken man clung on, the steely utensil lifting him upwards. His breath was taken out of him as she flung him upwards. Past her purple dress, with the castle's intricate decorations around, up to her awaiting lips...

Her long, pink tongue emerged, dripping saliva across it, before sucking the morsel in.

"Mm!" She took another bite, this time taking in a forkful with practically an entire slice - sweet apple juices dripping down. The mouthful fell into her gullet without any resistance.

The man gripped to the soft muscle for support. Each bite sent him hurtling from left to right in between the cheeks. The fruity remnants of the meal pelted and assaulted his body over and over, rolling him in the wet, sticky substance. Rapunzel, evidently, chewed with her mouth open; thus, massive rays of light shot into his cavernous enclosure between her clean, even teeth.

"Tastes sooo good..." Her cheeks went warm as she sunk into the food.

No matter how much he moved, it seemed like this giant woman didn't notice the man who'd made it into her mouth. And he was hurdling right towards that black hole of a gullet. The uvula dangled above, swaying, like a funeral bell - signaling his descent. He looked back at her, seeing the white shapes grinning. With one final, pleading stare, the shrunken man was swallowed, sent to Rapunzel's insides.

His last thought before entering the stomach: "Who would've guessed I'd actually end up inside a giantess?"

The gooey aperture of her esophagus pulsed, depositing load of foodstuff directly on his head as he descended into the stomach. His tiny arms pounded at the internal walls, wailing. It was soaked with intestinal acids - which tickled his flesh.

"I'm trapped..." He mused. "Is there any way out...?"

Massive booms sounded out. Rapunzel was patting her stomach. The floor shook beneath his feet, causing the smaller man to roll over in between bits of pie crust.

"Hm..." He glanced up at the meaty surroundings as they swayed and shook with her voice. "You're DEFINITELY going to have some company later."

He couldn't believe it. He'd been shrunken and eaten by this long-haired woman - who was now resting. And she was going to eat more later?! It seemed as if her gut was an endless chasm. With only dim light, he could see the sloshing acids around him, to the rhythm of her slow snores and murmurs.

"Goodnight, my lady..."

This wasn't what he had envisioned at all. He had not expected to shrink when he traveled to another world; he hadn't expected to be a princess' desert... and this was not how he pictured the inside of a body.

It was... refreshing.

Rapunzel's internal waters were warm, and felt clean, swiftly dissolving the mush around him; while keeping him fully intact. They had an almost golden hue to them. Under normal circumstances, it wouldn't be light enough for the intestinal adventurer to even see his own hand before him. But the churning internal acids let off a comforting, dim light, like lanterns floating around. If anything, bathing in the sea of enzymes made it feel as if his skin was smoothing, rough patches softening, small shaving cuts closing. Almost naturally, he lay on his back, and allowed himself to bob up and down inside, like a buoy in calm waters.

He would have loved to stay here forever. It was like being reborn into another life. His joints were no longer stiff from disuse; his eyes were no longer puffy and red from lack of sleep with the ritual; and even his worldly worries seemed to trouble him very little. In this moment, the world he came from was just a bad memory, swallowed up with everything else. All that mattered was that he was inside someone soft and caring, part of something bigger...

And he barely noticed as his body plunged into the acids, flushing him down into the enchanted body. Smells of sweet baking and floral arrangements danced around him as he entered the small intestine. From there, he joined with the great system of cells lining the intestines - a passageway 15 feet in total for a normal person, and nearly half a mile for him.

Here, he could feel the subtle movements of a digestive system working in perfect harmony. The villi, pink and active, seemed to massage him on his path. Every small bit of food remaining didn't just get processed; but seemed to dance through Rapunzel's internal tunnels, joining into her workings. Bits of baking, fruit skins, the smallest sediment swayed and swam in formations of flowers and stars to the sound of her voice. Every breath made them glow, and lifted iridescent bubbles around them. Such air bubbles allowed the tiny traveler to breathe, as he was naturally beaconed along by the siren song.

"Woah..." He had no choice but to travel deeper, the experience practically transformative. Even the shaking on the walls outside barely reached him.

Outside, Rapunzel was looking out the window, and singing to herself. Her lengthy hair glowed with the notes. She held her hands to her chest, summoning the power in her lungs; and noticing a curious feeling within her. Her fingers traced the place where her pie might be right now. "Ah, it's still so warm... It might sound kinda weird, but I can feel something really lighting up there!"

She suddenly looked back at her tummy. There was a strange sensation. Like... a tiny hand, holding it. "What?"

The adventurer tried to speak, but felt too much pressure in his stomach to get anything out. He managed to choke out a single word.

"Bliss..."

He hugged the walls inside Rapunzel, feeling completely at ease. By now, he'd reached the large intestine; no more liquids pushing him ahead, but simple unconscious flexes from muscles many times larger than his below-bite-sized form.

It may have been the bowels of a woman; but if one told him this was a peaceful garden, he would've believed them. There was no trace of dirt anywhere in the tunnels, and they, too, welcomed him with their bioluminescent shining. Everything smelled of roses, and daisies, and tulips... He supposed Rapunzel's body had made full use of everything in her snack, and produced no waste, making it all join her wonderful form.

All of it, including him. The air here was heavy and humid, yet fresher than the purest breezes outside. The melodic voice was omnipresent, yet like a soothing silence that made him want to sleep there. Every small movement made him touch a new region of soft, soothing internal muscle, like pillows and mattresses in a seven-star hotel.

"Oh, wow! He's, he's actually there. I'm so glad you're safe!" she cooed, her voice echoing throughout the passage. "You don't need to worry anymore."

A touch of fear filled the adventurer. "Are you... She knows I'm here?"

He saw the end of her internal tunnels. Liquid splashed behind him, like a waterfall. She moved forward, her steps jostling him - and hastening his departure from the system. But he didn't mind, for he had found his bliss.

Outside, Rapunzel tensed her rear muscles. She noticed there was something strange inside her - and was determined to get him out, back to safety. "Don't worry. You're coming out. Of all people, I'd be the LAST one to cram someone in some kinda dark, claustrophobic space!"

He practically clawed back against the ass' pushing winds, which threatened to send him out of the sphincter. But they were too strong. Alone, caught in a sweet-smelling spring breeze, he was send flying out. The soft panties cushioned his exit as he departed; and the chrysanthemum-shaped opening behind him shut.

For just a moment in time, everything seemed frozen - the panic of moving from the world inside to the world outside froze the traveler. As the panty waistband behind him pulled back, and the dress lifted, he could see more of the rump from whence he came. It was spectacularly round and healthy; somewhat relaxed, even. The faintest hint of the golden hue from inside reflected on the colouration of the flesh, from within the deep crevice of the crack. In a somewhat literal sense, the sun shone out of Rapunzel's ass.

She lifted her dress. The soft fabric panty canopy gave him a view of the butt's skin as sunlight shone upon it. It had even more of an ethereal radiance, as if the stars had kissed it. Her soft hands made the slight amount of built-up meat jiggle gently, rocking him like he was in a cradle.

Rapunzel plucked him out, waving a hand before her nose. "Hope that wasn't too harsh. No idea how that happened... unless you were playing around with magic."

Everything seemed too bright. He panted, unfamiliar with the castle air. "I... please, let me back in... It was so warm..."

She frowned, the same giant lips that once consumed him now speaking in a quiet, reassuring voice. "Don't be like that. You can't spend all your time stuck inside with someone. There's a whole other world out there to explore, and other people to find out about!"

"Other people... to explore... yeah." The adventurer nodded. "Thank you, Rapunzel."

The two briefly shared a crumb of the apple pie; before he cast the spell once again. He didn't belong here.

There was more to see.

Traveling across the worlds, he shut his eyes, letting the cosmos decide his direction...

...And when he opened them, it felt...

...cold.