Flurry and the Dragon

As the forest gave way to plains, Flurry sighed. This whole trip had been so slow and boring. If she'd taken the train like a normal pony, she'd have already arrived in Canterlot with time to spare, and there would be other ponies to interact with. She knew it was necessary to take a carriage this time, but why did that carriage have to be so slow and rickety?

She groaned out in frustration, and the guard pulling her called back. "Everything alright in there, Princess?"

"I'm fine," she groaned. "Just bored. This is boring. When can something exciting happen?"

"I'm sure something fun will happen soon," the guard assured her. "After all, you're on your way to Canterlot. There's plenty for you to do there. Shops, parties, and fundraisers are always available in some form or another. Plus, your great aunts are waiting for your arrival, so I'm sure they'll have something for you to do."

"Yeah, but there's nothing to do now. I didn't bring a book or someone to play Battleship with or anything!"

"That's not my call," sighed the guard. "If you're really that bored, I can lend you my manual of light armour repair?"

"No, that's fine," huffed Flurry.

A low rumble rang out across the plains, rippling the grass.

"What do you think that was?" asked the guard.

"Sounded like a dragon," said Flurry. "A big one."

The guard shrugged. "They're allowed to be here, now. I suppose it could be. He probably won't bother us, though. Their reputation is shaky with most Equestrians, already."

"Are you sure about that?" asked Flurry. "I know there hasn't been word of a dragon kidnapping a damsel such as myself in eons, but who's to say that's not about to change? He could swoop down on us at any second and carry me off to Celestia-knows-where. What would you do, then?"

"I have my trusty spear," assured the guard. "My name isn't Crimson Lance for nothing, you know. I'm a well-respected trainer of squad-level tactics in the use of most polearms."

"Most?" teased Flurry. "Not all?"

The guard blushed. "Swordstaffs and bardiches are my weaknesses."

Again, the dull roar resounded across the plains.

"It sounds like he's coming closer," noted Flurry. "If he offers me a ride, do you mind if I hop on his shoulders and ride him all the way to Canterlot? No offense, but this conversation's not the most exciting thing, and it's going to be hours before we reach our destination at this point."

The guard laughed. "I wouldn't, no. It's your mother that would throw a fit. If I told her that you'd been taken away by a dragon when she specifically told me to drive you there in this carriage, I'd never hear the end of it. I could say goodbye to my retirement fund, and my job that would give me something to retire from. I've never lost any charges yet, and I don't plan to change that today."

"What if I ordered it? I am a princess, after all."

"You don't sign my paychecks yet."

"True..."

The roar was much louder this time, ringing out right behind them. Flurry had just enough time to turn around and look up as a colossal dragon landed atop her carriage, ripped off the yoke, and took flight once more. The single guard that had been escorting her was left on the road with half of the wobbly carriage as the dragon flew off over the trees.

Flurry was pinned to the seat, held in place between the firm cushion and the fleshy scales of the dragon's claw. Spreading her wings made her feel like she was falling, rather than flying, as the wind rushing past her was at an unfamiliar angle.

She looked up at the dragon. Despite having front claws, his wings were in the style of a wyvern, with three little fingers extending from his wrist joint, and two long ones with webbing trailing behind. The webbing ran all the way down his tail, the tip of which flopped and swayed in the high winds. Other than his yellow underbelly, his scales were a deep, dark blue. His teeth jutted out of his mouth on both his upper and lower jaw, his eyes were sunken into his skull, and a single forward-facing horn jutted out between his big, floppy ears.

She didn't know where he was taking her, and with the aerodynamics of the ruined carriage, the wailing wind would drown out any question she could ask. She just had to hope that it was somewhere close.

It was a few minutes before the carriage touched the ground again. She didn't manage to see exactly where she was, as the swinging of the carriage around the time of her landing had been somewhat disorienting.

"Where are we?" she demanded.

"My lair," answered the dragon, grabbing her in his left front claw and tucking her under his wing. Before he closed it, she took note of the colour of the stone, and instantly knew that she was back in the Crystal Empire, up in the mountains. She wasn't sure where, exactly, but she could narrow it down to about two dozen possible mountains.
He kicked the carriage out of the cave and Flurry heard it crash and shatter below.

She could see vague shapes through the wing membrane. Most of what she could see were rocks of all colours and sizes, most notably stalactites and stalagmites. She was able to see that the light grew dimmer and dimmer until it was all black.

Soon, she was dropped to the ground on a pile of coins. The room was still dark, but after a few clicks and a loud boom, the pile she was dropped on lit up as the chandelier hanging over her and a few dozen wall sconces all caught fire at once, lighting the whole place up. She was lying atop more than just gold, but jewels, as well.

The dragon plodded over to her, curled around her, and pressed his nose against hers. "What do you think? Is it all you ever wanted?"

Flurry shook her head. "What is this?"

The dragon let out a laugh. "This is your new home. Welcome to my very own personal lair, Princess"