Welcome Wagon
By Lutro
https://aryion.com/g4/user/lutro
https://www.furaffinity.net/user/lutro
The wheels of the laden cart creaked and groaned under the weight of the cargo, echoing outward along the valley of the tall mountain overlooking Ponyville. The cart was burdened with bushel upon bushel of freshly-picked apples, most immobile, a couple on top shifting this way and that to the whim of the cart puller. Applejack let out a grunt and just kept putting one hoof in front of the next, towing her cargo up the gentle incline that spiraled up the mountain.

It wasn’t the first time she’d made this trek. Last time, she and her closest friends were tasked by Princess Celestia herself to convince a hibernating dragon to vacate his recently-acquired cave home. It wasn’t easy, but the ponies eventually succeeded in their little adventure: Basil the dragon left with his hoard, and Equestria was spared the nigh-eternal plague of smoke in the sky as a result. Applejack wiped her brow and smiled fondly at the memory. It wasn’t the most pleasant experience going up, but it was worth it in the end, with the mare having grown much closer to her friends.

She casually peeked over her burdens: Aside from the occasional apple spilling free and coming to an end as a splattered mess on the trail, her cargo was more-or-less secure. Her mission was much different this time around. Basil had once more taken residence up in the vacant cave atop the mountain, with permission from the resident princess Twilight Sparkle. With the recent venture into integrating more non-equines into pony culture, the Princess of Friendship saw this as a golden opportunity to further solidify relations between dragons and ponies. All the red dragon had to do was promise not to hibernate, and it was a done deal. And now Applejack, neighborly pony she is, volunteered to give the dragon a proper pony greeting to Ponyville and Equestria. Bunches of Sweet Apple Acres’ finest crop were designated to make Basil feel at home. It also gave Applejack the excuse to go on a pleasant hike and meet with a fully-grown friendly dragon!

Despite her heavy cargo, Applejack had a much easier time scaling the mountain than the previous venture up. She only had to worry about herself, and had already made the journey once before, making maps and questionable pathing unnecessary. She wasn’t even worried about the dangerous zone where an avalanche could start on a whim. The loudest noise made was the creak of the wagon wheels, and those weren’t nearly loud enough to disturb the area. Applejack weaved between the large boulders that had fallen all those moons ago, still drilled into the earth and standing proudly. She was clear of the avalanche spot soon enough, and continued her hike up the trail.

Hmm… Reckon I’ve got ‘bout an hour er so ‘fore I make it to the top. Wonder what that dragon’s been up to all this time? Applejack let her mind wander as she continued her trek up the mountain to the dragon’s cave.

*	*	*

Basil grumped. He was sprawled among his moderate hoard of glittering treasures, hungry and bored. The dragon rolled onto his back and scratched his belly fighting the urge to yawn. The first couple days in Equestria were great! He settled into the familiar cave, got his mounds of gold and gems settled just the way he liked it, and had an entire cave to himself. As the hours wore on, however, he never considered just how dull things got. Last time Basil had intended to sleep through it all. Settle down for a good 100 years or so. A nice sizable nap. He failed to consider how he’d occupy his time when he was awake!

The dragon’s boredom only overpowered by a gnawing hunger. Sure, he could snack on this and that from his personal hoard, but a dragon couldn’t survive forever on eating their own treasure away! He briefly posited going on a little hunt to pass the time, but dismissed the thought just as quickly. Basil rolled onto all fours and let a yawn escape, boredom and hunger being a dangerous combination. His instinct drove him to hunt, but the dragon knew that wouldn’t go over well, picking off animals about Equestria at his leisure. The princess and the other ponies wouldn’t like it, to say the least. And so, Basil stood there among his treasures and home, staring out his cave, pondering what he could do. He was all set to see just how high up he could throw fire to pass the time when the rhythmic sounds of wood creaking caught his attention.

“Hah… Made it!” Applejack cheered to herself, taking a moment to perch near the edge of the trail and peer over the vast expanse of land and surrounding hills, sweeping her hat off her head to fan herself gently. She was in awe at the sight before her, not having had the opportunity to take it all in on her previous trip. She took a deep, refreshing breath of the mountain air and sighed whimsically. The cool mountain air was more than enough to rejuvenate the farmpony from her trek, leaving her more than capable of exuding welcome and friendship to one of the newest residents of Equestria. Her cleared senses also let her notice a distinct stomping sound getting louder, from behind. Applejack peeked over her shoulder to see none other than Basil himself approaching! She smiled at the encroaching dragon and waved in a wide gesture. “Well howdy there, new neighbor! Long time no see!” Basil smiled in greeting and gave a courteous nod, eyeing over the pony and the wagon she tugged behind her.

“Same to you, little pony,” the mighty rumbling voice of Basil replied. Applejack pulled her wagon forward and parked it before Basil, removing herself from the reigns and stretching gratefully. The dragon lowered his head to take a whiff of the freshly-picked apples, and Applejack heard that satisfying response immediately: A loud groan from the big dragon’s gut roared in approval.

“Wanted to welcome ya’ to Equestria proper with a little somethin’ from Sweet Apple Acres! Hope ya’ like apples.”

“That is most generous of you, little pony. And most appreciated. I’ve not had a proper meal since my journey began.” Basil looked over the offered bushels of apples, then back to the smiling pony. Knowing that the inhabitants of this land preferred gratitude displayed in terms of physical contact, the dragon reached down with an awkward paw and roughly pet the mare. The claw was rough, the scales well-worn, but Applejack braced and stood her ground. She was actually surprised and happy to see Basil performing the closest thing he could to an actual hug without crushing the pony. Unfortunately, the rough stroking knocked her hat clean off, sending the headgear fumbling across the rocky ground towards the edge of the cliff.

“Whoa nelly!” Applejack slapped a hoof to her head, eyes rolling up before tracking the rolling hat. She snorted and scuttled after the fleeing thing as it reached the precipice. Basil watched with mild amusement, laying down with his front legs folded together, the lovely scent of fresh apples teasing his snout. Though the proffered fruit smelt delicious, his eyes were focused on something else: The thick farmpony with her back turned. His reptilian eyes focused on Applejack, just as the mare reached the edge of the cliff and dipped her head out of sight. Her blonde tail flicked to and fro, mostly for balance despite the pony being on her belly to more easily reach her fallen hat. “Gotcha!” Basil heard the muffled pony voice call out. The dragon couldn’t help but lick his lips as Applejack stood up, her front still lowered, tugging away at the hat that was caught on something, plush rear end hiked up and swaying. The flicking tail left nothing to the imagination for Basil, every tantalizing detail laid bare before him.

“C’mon, almost… Got it!” Applejack flicked her head up with the brim of her hat between her teeth. She popped tossed it up and caught her hat neatly between her ears. She turned on a dime with a satisfied tailswish, proudly marching right up to Basil and standing by the wagon. She tipped her hat respectfully. “Sorry ‘bout that Basil sir. Little varmint nearly got away from me!” Applejack glanced from the apples, almost tempted to take one for herself, before turning skyward to face Basil again. The mare was disciplined to leave the gift of apples for the dragon alone. Basil licked his lips a second time, not hiding his hunger at the succulent sight before him. Though for what, the pony wasn’t aware. “You wanna… chow down er… somethin’? Lookin’ mighty hungry there...” Applejack trailed off awkwardly, the dragon looking a little too eager at the moment. Basil plucked a single apple up and held it daintily between two claws, considering it, certain memories being reminisced.

“You know, little pony,” he started, “remember our previous encounter? I seem to recall a plan to kick these pesky things at me, to encourage my expedient departure.” Applejack tilted her head, then flinched when Basil casually flicked the apple out into space, down the cliff. She turned back just in time to see black smoke trilling from the dragon’s nostrils. “This was a most generous offering, but I’m afraid it just conjures up too many bad memories.” Applejack was about speak up in her defense when the dragon’s maw spread open, a bright glow glimmering at the back of the throat. On instinct the mare dove off to the side before a belch of flame roared across the cliff, reducing the wagon and every last apple to ash. Applejack felt the heatwave blow over her, the pony sticking a hoof atop her head to keep her hat from flying off again. She escaped the sudden gout of flame without so much as a singe, but was irate all the same. Basil smirked, and with a deep breath blew at the giant pile of ash, sending them scattering out and over the side of the mountain.

“What in the world did ya’ do that for?!” Applejack bellowed. “If ya’ didn’t want no apples ya’ coulda' just said so!” Size or not, the farmpony was all set to read Basil the riot act. That was until the dragon slithered his head around to tower over the mare. She did not particularly care for the way Basil leered over her, the dragon standing to make himself more imposing still. His tongue slowly slipped out to lick across his already-glistening scales once more. Applejack yelped as a hot drip of drool splatted right on her hoof. “Wh-why are ya’ lookin’ at me that way?” Applejack stuttered. Basil bared his fangs in a toothy smile.

“I told you, little pony. I haven’t had a proper meal since my journey began.” His nostrils flared, the scent of the perspiring panicked equine making him salivate further. “And it’s about time I correct that, and take advantage of your kind’s generous offer: You!” That last word sent a chill down Applejack’s spine. The pony’s eyes were wide, her teeth gritted, body frozen in place. With each passing instant Applejack looked more and more delectable to the hungry dragon, whose belly sang out in desire. Basil’s jaws squelched open before the mare’s very eyes, thick lines of drool strung between tooth, roof and tongue, wide gullet throbbing and more than capable of ingesting an entire pony alive…

“No, wait!” Applejack exclaimed, snapping out of her frozen state of fear and raising a hoof, just as Basil’s wide jaws lurched down at her. She knew she should run. Fight! Call for help… Anything was better than standing stock-still. But the sudden turn of the dragon, that gaping maw closing on her, left the mare with only one pleading demand: “Don’t eat me!” Basil’s tongue unfurled past his lower lip, seeming to drool more in response to the pony’s pleas. The maw was all-encompassing to Applejack’s vision as it crashed down all around her, the pony’s breath caught in her throat when the dragon’s jaws slipped over and under her. She found herself instantly laced in slimy drool as she sunk into the dragon’s mouth. Applejack finally managed a scream, but it was too late, cut off as Basil’s jaws slammed shut over the delectable pony.

The dragon’s belly roared in approval when the pony smushed against his tongue. Applejack found herself jammed three quarters of the way into the slobbering jaws. All four limbs were useless, fores splayed inside the maw, hinds bent inward and stuck between sharp fangs. Her tail flicked up and down, but even it was stuck, with the dock stuck between her rump and scaly lips. Her plump rear, which Basil was all-too-happy to get a visual feast of, stuck out naked to the world, one of the only remaining parts protruding. Basil’s tongue slathered all over Applejack’s underside, the delicate flavor of pony sending his taste buds alight in delight. He flicked his tongue tip up and around the pony’s flanks, squeezing and tasting her from as many angles as possible. Applejack’s muffled cries of horror were only heard by Basil, who couldn’t care less for his meal’s plight.

Basil’s tongue slid out further, Applejack grimacing as the slick appendage ran across her underside. The dragon tongue unceremoniously slapped up against the mare’s butt, cupping neatly up and over the entire rear and getting a good taste of every orifice the pony had to offer. Applejack blushed hot red, the tongue folding inwards between plush cheeks and tugging the pony deeper into the jaws. That didn’t stop her from cursing, yelling out in panic, and trying to kick and swing her hooves every which way. There was a lot of room in the moist cavern of the dragon’s maw, but the slippery tongue left Applejack with no friction to work with. Basil audibly purred when he scooped the rest of the pony into his jaws, clenching them shut when the last of the mare’s rear was consumed. Save a shock of blonde tail sticking from the sealed scaly lips there wasn’t a sign of Applejack. The mare squealed, her cries echoing all around her and down the gullet that constantly pulsated in the dark.

Basil congratulated himself on his quick thinking. The apples certainly would have sufficed in a technical sense, but there was nothing quite as satisfying to the fully-grown dragon than the supple taste of flesh. Especially a pony so well-endowed as the one he was eating this very moment! Having successfully scooped the equine completely into his jaws, the tongue now slithered to Applejack’s side. The pony groaned as she was coated in yet more viscous, slimy drool leaving no inch uncovered. The tongue suddenly thrust in from the side, scrunching the pony up against Basil’s left cheek. Basil smirked, peering down at the bulge that comprised of the tasty pony, humored as that last bit of tail flicked and flailed in a pathetic attempt to resist. The scrumptious flavor and long-time fast from pony left Basil swishing the doomed pony around in his maw for several moments, Applejack subjected to various grunts and grumbles of approval from the dragon. The mare already felt helpless, but when Basil slurped in the last bit of her tail, pure terror pierced her heart. The dragon’s jaws were clenched shut, guarded by a set of fierce jaws, barring any escape. The best Applejack had managed was running her panicked swishing tail across them, only serving to mess her tail up further.

A threatening rumble sounded up from the gullet before Applejack. To her horror, she felt gravity shift, Basil tilting his head up and back, to polish his pony meal off. The dragon closed his eyes and shoved with his tongue, swallowing Applejack whole in one thick, slimy GLURK! “Mmmmmmppphhh!!!” A distinct Applejack-shaped bulge distended out the dragon’s neck, scales stretching noisily outward to accommodate. The massive gulp rang in Applejack’s ears as she was sent swiftly down the dark, grim gullet, her bulge vanishing as it slipped down past the dragon’s forelegs. Basil peeked his eyes open, lowered his head, and let out a satisfied sigh and smacked his lips loudly and lewdly, specks of orange fur and blonde hair leaving remnants of the pony’s flavor dancing in his jaws. Applejack’s own eyes were clenched shut as she was quickly ushered further along, before being violently squeezed through a sphincter into the confining dragon stomach, her hat not even making it with her all the way down.

“BURRROORP!” Fur, hair, drool, and a saliva-soaked hat flew free from the dragon’s jaws as Applejack settled into his stomach, which garbled in delight. Applejack grimaced, the stomach walls confining and grumbling from every direction. She was stuck with her fores and hinds sticking forward, tail jammed against her side. She thrashed about all she could, but even a large, full-grown farmpony like Applejack wasn’t making so much as a dent in the large dragon’s scaly belly. Basil flicked his wings, only barely aware of his stomach’s actions, flicking his wide tail in delight as he licked his lips.

“Mmm… A most generous offer indeed.” Basil walked over to the edge of the mountain and stared down, just making out the town where the little pony now stewing in his gut hailed from. “I cannot wait for more.” With the location noted, Basil turned slowly and lumbered back into his cave, belly swaying to his gait. Applejack wailed to no-one in utter darkness, begging in vain to be released, as the belly seemed to be heating up more and more. Grumbles and gurgling groans sounded out, with stinging stomach fluids sloshing along her underside and splashing over her all the while. The dragon’s only reminder of Applejack was her aftertaste, still tingling ever-so-slightly on his lips. But now that he was fed, he didn’t particularly care. He settled among his hoard, laying down and resting his chin on his favorite little treasure pile. Any chance of Applejack’s cries reaching him were drowned out by loud, roiling gurgles from his stomach. The pony was soon awash in the stomach acids, only able to take it for so long. The dragon uttered out a longer, deeper belch, coins rattling and tumbling down various treasure piles, the seconds-long action robbing the mare of any remaining air. Between a now-lax supply of oxygen and the stomach fluids encompassing the entire belly, Applejack passed out. Basil did the same, though much more peacefully, drifting off into a nice little nap as the farmpony digested away in his powerful belly. For once a dragon fed, what else was there to do than to bask in one’s own hoard of wealth?