The Dragon's Den

Argos let out a deep sigh as he returned to his throneroom, passing by his rather flustered offspring as Curls happened upon the mess Argos had left behind. Curls had gotten used to it by now, and he was too ashamed to admit that he greatly enjoyed the show to protest his father's advances on Cosmo. The dragon quietly sat back down upon his throne, sighing once more as he looked over the various treasures and paintings that dotted the walls of his throneroom. Most were gifts, though the occasional war trophy could be found. His gaze eventually settled on an old necklace, a deep violet gem set in the center, shining as beautifully as the night sky he'd first held it under. He stood from his throne and strided towards the object of his attention. It was a gift indeed, but not one meant for him. He tentatively took the old piece of jewelry from the case, and beneath it rested a faded beige feather.

The memory attached to the old necklace flooded back, an unforgettable night under an Equestrian sky. He had hidden amongst the citizens while disguised as a pony for some time. The enchantment originated within the amulet, and while it took some getting used to he did eventually adjust. Even falling in love with one of the locals, a healer that took him in and accepted the quirky green stallion that had stumbled upon her porch in the middle of the night. He'd suffered a rather serious setback after stumbling over the ledge of a cliff and landing in a bramble of Everfree vines. It was a painful experience that left him looking more like a hound with mange than a pony.

Argos smiled as he gently stroked a claw along the faded feather. It had long lost it's color but the memory of the gentle, patient mare never faded from the sentimental dragon's mind. He closed his eyes, letting his mind drift back to a distant memory of spread wings, soft fur, and the bittersweet smell of perfume.

It had been an accident of course, though that hardly mattered as he had knocked the bottle over in the midst of robbing the house. He had dragged himself more than a mile to get there, a sizable gash in his chest and dozens of barbs embedded in his hide. The disguise worked a little too well, and he had found himself tumbling over and down a cliff in the Everfree. Unfamiliar with how a Pegasus flew, he'd managed to glide a short distance but the smaller wingspan was built for hovering, not flying long distance across mountains and valleys. The end result left him heavily injured and slightly delirious as he made his way to the first unlocked house he could find. He climbed through the window, knocking over a bottle and waking the home's occupant. He was left covered in a strong smelling perfume that overwhelmed his senses and made his wounds sting. When she had stumbled upon his injured form the look in her lavender eyes bore concern with his state of well-being and not the fact he had broken in and was currently trying to climb back out the window. He was in no shape to resist as she dragged his bedraggled form out of the bathroom and onto a bed where she proceeded to dress and clean his wounds. He had recovered remarkably quickly over the proceeding weeks, and she worked to get him back into shape, even teaching him how to fly properly.

And sighed, shaking his head and setting the feather and necklace back in its rightful place. He had promised to replace the bottle of perfume he'd broken. She found his concern rather humorous than endearing. He had yet to find a bottle. 'Antiseptic' she had called it; an odd name but he always presumed it to be foreign in origin.

"Daddy?" A feminine voice pulled him from his thoughts as he turned to face the origin.