How to Pamper Your Dragon

by CrypticGoose

Rating: everyone
Tags: Original Character, Princess Cadance, Crystal Ponies, Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Alternate Universe, Romance
Length: 4468

Princess Cadence takes her little dragon out for a day of pampering at the local spa in the Crystal Empire. But… do dragons even like to be pampered?

What is a dragon’s favorite activity? Eating gems? Taking a lava bath? Being lazy? Being pampered by your special somepony? Wait, what!?

After a seemingly innocent walk through the Crystal Empire with Princess Cadence, Scales finds himself in their famous spa with her. Thinking nothing of it, Scales unknowingly walks into a planned trap made by the Princess of Love.

Who knew that little dragons hated being pampered? Or maybe that’s just what he wants others to think… Either way, Princess Cadence is determined to pamper her little dragon, despite his protests.

And also to try and share a romantic moment with him as well…

Published 2024-12-12 05:30:00 UTC
Last updated 2024-12-12 05:30:00 UTC

How to Pamper Your Dragon

Princess Cadence was feeling very happy. Her pink coat glimmered in the sun, she was right on time, and all around her domain the Crystal Empire looked more beautiful than ever before.

She trotted through the crystalline streets of the place she called home, as happy as can be. An alicorn princess like Cadence really had no reason to be upset, and it would take a lot to upset somepony as sweet and loving as her.

However, that doesn’t mean her loved one might be slightly upset with her for what she had planned for him…

As Princess Cadence trotted with her beautiful and signature smile on her muzzle, she was not alone on this fine day. Sitting on her back was Scales the little yellow dragon. He was riding on her back similar to how Spike would sometimes ride on Twilight’s back whenever they went places, and Princess Cadence certainly didn’t mind. She saw it as a lovely way for her and her little dragon to bond and get even closer to each other. Which was sort of the purpose behind her plan today.

But she wouldn’t reveal said plan to Scales just yet.

“It’s a beautiful day today, isn’t it, love muffin?” Cadence spoke out, obviously referring to the little yellow dragon sitting on her back while she trotted.

“Love muffin? Where’d that come from?” The confused voice which belonged to Scales, said.

“From my heart! Silly~” The Princess of Love giggled.

“Oh, right, Princess of Love and all that… But why the pet name? I’m not a delicious pastry like a muffin.”

Cadence could only respond with another giggle. Sometimes, Scales was just too cute and innocent for his own good. But that was part of why she loved him, because he had that innocent charm. “But you are! You’re just an adorable little muffin that I want to smother in my love.”

The little yellow dragon huffed, crossing his forepaws over his chest. “I’m still not a muffin.”

“Fine, I’ll call you something else… Honey-pie, darling, sugar, sweetie, my sweet mango~” The alicorn mare knew her words would fluster Scales since he wasn’t used to being called pet names by a pony like her. He was still getting used to being romantically involved with her and it was just adorable to watch his reactions. “I could go on and on, really…”

“Sweet mango!?” Scales exclaimed, surprised and confused how she could think of so many pet names to call him on the spot. “For the record, there is no resemblance whatsoever between a dragon like me and a mere mango. We are not the same color in any way.”

“Yes there is,” Princess Cadence argued gently, her voice full of playfulness and love as she was slightly serious about her claim. “A mango’s official color is yellow, just like you, my little yellow heartthrob.”

“No way! It has a completely different tone of yellow compared to my yellow. I’m more like the yellow of the sun than the yellow of a mango. Besides, they are more orange than yellow. Two different shades of yellow entirely.” Scales said, trying to come up with a rebuttal to her statement.

“Now you’re just denying it, honey, but I’ll let you have this one.” She giggled once again, finding it cute and funny how Scales was so defensive about his scale color. That was her little dragon for her, always being prideful of his appearance.

The alicorn mare continued to trot along the street, smiling at the crystal ponies that she passed by. She had a light bounce in her steps, her hooves making soft clopping sounds against the paved streets. Most of the ponies that saw Princess Cadence out wondered what she was up to, as their alicorn princess didn’t go out too often. The only times she did was when she was on official business.

But today was different. As while this activity she had planned did include her, it was mostly for Scales.

She was taking him to the Spa…

…and he didn’t know that.

It didn’t take them long to arrive at said spa. This place was a famous location in the Crystal Empire, known for their highly regarded crystal mud baths that rejuvenated the coats of ponies. Plus, the ponies that worked there were truly amazing at their craft. Princess Cadence can confirm herself, having been there several times and making her a regular visitor to the spa.

Scales still sat on her back, looking at the building they had arrived at. His head tilted to the side in curiosity, not sure what this place was or why they were here. “Cadence? What is this place? Why are we here?”

“You’ll see, my little dragon. We have an errand to do here, so we’ll be here for a while.” The little yellow dragon could not protest as Princess Cadence trotted inside to the spa, still unknowing of her true intentions. She could only giggle in a slightly mischievous tone that went unnoticed by him.

When they entered, Princess Cadence was immediately greeted by the fancy sights of her favorite spa. The place had a relaxing and soothing aura, the perfect spot to unwind. It didn’t take long for Princess Cadence to be spotted by the spa staff, one of the mares that worked there trotting up to their princess.

“Princess Cadence! What a surprise, we weren’t expecting a visit from your highness today… What brings you the pleasure of being here today?”

Cadence could only smile at the courtesy of the mare, waving her hoof off to show that they were okay and she wasn’t here on business. “I’m here for more… personal reasons. I would like to simply freshen up my mane and tail today, but mainly…” She leaned in close to whisper to the mare, that way Scales couldn’t hear her, “I need the full deluxe package for my little dragon.”

The mare brought her forehoof ip to her face, gasping softly as her expression morphed into a knowing smile. She whispered back, “Of course, Princess Cadence! We will make sure the young dragon gets the full treatment. He will look stunning by the end of it.”

With that, the spa mare led Princess Cadence to the back where it opened up into the giant room where they pampered ponies. It was a bit empty today, as it was still morning and they weren’t too busy at the moment. But the ponies who worked there would always make time for their alicorn princess.

As Princess Cadence was led to a bench to relax on, Scales was still sitting on her back, looking around the spa. There was a little bit of wonder in his eyes as he looked around, taking in all the luxuries the place had to offer. However, he didn’t know what was going to become of him here…

“Wow, this place looks very fancy, Cadence. Why’d you bring us here?” Scales asked, hoping to get a real answer from the mare this time.

“Oh, Scales, can’t you tell? One doesn’t come to a spa and not get treated… We’re having a spa session today~” Princess Cadence knew it wouldn’t take long for Scales to catch the meaning behind her words. He was a perceptive little dragon when he wanted to be.

“Oh, that’s nice, a little spa session for yo- Wait, we!? What’s that supposed to mean?”

Before Scales could protest more, he was suddenly enveloped in a blue magical aura and lifted from Princess Cadence’ back and set on the bench in front of them. He tried to squirm but couldn’t as he was immobilized by the alicorn mare’s magic.

She could only giggle as she watched Scales’ little flailing form as her magic held him in place. “Now, now, my little dragon. You are going to get pampered by these fine mares, and you are going to like it. You have a whole session ahead of you, so might as well get comfortable.”

Scales grumbled and tried to squirm again but then Princess Cadence gave him a stern look, suggesting he stay in that spot or else. Her expression caused the little yellow dragon to relent and give in, sighing as he relaxed his body. Once he was relaxed, her grip over him with her magic suddenly disappeared and he was left in the hooves of the spa mares now.

“What exactly… are they going to do to me?” Scales eyed two of the spa mares cautiously, unsure about being pampered. He had never experienced what it was like to be at a spa, and it showed. Making the two spa mares giggle to themselves.

Cadence also joined in on their light giggling, stepping over to another bench before hopping onto it and settling down nearby that way she could still keep an eye on Scales. “Oh, nothing extravagant… Just grooming your tail, your wings, your spines, your claws. Basically your entire body.”

The poor little yellow dragon’s eyes widened when he realized how much pampering he was in for. “What!? Why so much? I don’t need that much pampering, my body is perfectly clean and healthy as is!”

“I know, but I’m having this done for you because Hearth’s Warming is around the corner and there is a special gala being hosted by Princess Celestia in Canterlot. We are attending and that’s final, my little dragon.” Cadence explained, relaxing her hooves as she let the spa mares get to work on her mane and tail.

Scales was incredibly nervous as the two spa mares next to him came close and gently began to groom his tail and wings. “I-I’m a dragon! I don’t need… pampering! Besides, I already take baths, aren’t those enough?”

The alicorn mare couldn’t help but giggle once again at his response. Oh, how her little dragon could be so cute and adorable sometimes. “No, darling. Not for this event. I need to make sure you are up to royal standards when attending since you will be seen with me.”

“Do I really have to?”

She narrowed her eyes at him, not saying anything as she wanted him to understand she was being serious about this. Princess Cadence wasn’t a super strict mare or ruler, she could be quite fun loving and mischievous at times. But when it came to certain formal events and her duties as an alicorn princess, she had to put her hoof down somewhere. And this was one of those moments with Scales.

He nodded rapidly and quickly shut his mouth, not complaining anymore since he didn’t want to upset his partner today. Scales knew that Cadence was being dead serious about this so he had to comply, whether he wanted to or not.

He sat there like a good little dragon, his face frowning though as he still wasn’t entirely on board with the idea of being pampered. Though he knew there was nothing he could do as Princess Cadence was watching him. The little yellow dragon grumbled a tiny bit while the two spa mares next to him each started grooming one of his wings, their hooves making sure to be delicate as they worked on the leathery material for the first time.

The spa mares made sure to brush and clean off any dust from his scales before using special ointments and shiners to make his scales pop out more. They were quite gentle in their process and it surprised Scales a little by how experienced they were. He normally didn’t let anypony else groom his body like this, with the exception of Princess Cadence. But he couldn’t deny that it did feel somewhat… relaxing to have his scales groomed like this. Though this was only the beginning.

Princess Cadence couldn’t help but giggle as she watched her little dragon have a cute pouty expression while he was being pampered. It was obvious Scales wasn’t used to such things, but he was her little prince consort now! He was going to learn how to be her little prince, and the thought of that made the mare swoon just a tiny bit. Oh how she couldn’t wait to do more royal things with him and see all the cute little expressions he’ll make when she does.

Scales still sat there, his ears perking at the sound of Princess Cadence’ soft giggling. He tried to ignore her but it was no use as a soft embarrassed blush rose on his cheeks. Said blush would continue when the spa mares finished grooming his scales and each went on to do a different part of his body now. One of them grabbed a nail file and got ready to file his claws, while the other mare began to style his black spines so they appeared extra… spiney looking.

“Woah! What!? No way! I’m not letting my claws be touched by others!” Scales said, feeling protective of his claws as he clutched his paws to his body like a little child not wanting to give up their favorite toy.

“Scales!” Princess Cadence called out to him from her seat where her mane was getting brushed and styled. “Let the mares do their work, sweetie. They won’t hurt you, I promise. So please behave for me, okay?~”

He had to admit, the way she phrased that last part was pretty enticing. Still, Scales was reluctant to let others touch his claws as they were very sensitive parts of his body. The little yellow dragon knew better than to argue with Princess Cadence however, trusting her wholeheartedly. So, after giving the spa mares a hesitant expression and seeing their kind and patient ones, Scales let them have access to his claws.

Literally all the mares there giggled in unison as they saw his hesitant and slightly flustered expression, his adamance about his claws being super adorable and cute to them.

As one of the spa mares used the nail file on his claws, the little yellow dragon gasped and twitched his little claws. He was not used to the sensation of being pampered like this, but he would rather have them do this than try and trim his claws. “C-Careful! They are super sensitive! Ah! W-Watch the nerve point…”

His words of concern only brought about more giggles from the mares. The crystal mare currently brushing and styling Princess Cadence’ mane leaned in and whispered to her in a playful tone. “My, the little dragon prince is quite adorable, isn’t he? Who knew a dragon could be so cute? You did a good job in finding him, your highness.”

“I know! My little prince is certainly a cutie. I’m so glad the Crystal Empire has taken a liking to him. I want to make sure he gets all the love and praise he deserves.” Princess Cadence whispered back, watching her little prince with loving eyes from her spot.

Meanwhile, Scales was still having his body be groomed. They had finished with his claws and were now almost done with his dorsal spines. He looked over at the pink alicorn mare sitting across from him, a desperate expression on his face.

“Cadence… When will it end?” He groaned.

She chuckled at his expression and responded with love in her voice, “Soon, my sweet mango. Once they are done we will then relax in the mud bath together.”

His emerald green eyes widened. “Mud bath!? Isn’t that counterintuitive to what they just did to me? Why would-

“Ah, ah, ah! The mud bath is completely different and is not counterintuitive, my little yellow heartthrob. It is meant to rejuvenate a pony’s coat so that it is nice and healthy looking.” The pink alicorn explained, cutting off his worries in a gentle tone. Sometimes he worried a little too much, though she still loved him all the same.

“But I don’t have a coat! I have scales. That’s literally my name for Celestia’s sake!”

Princess Cadence could see that Scales was in a rather hesitant mood about all of this. So she knew the best ploy to get him to settle down and agree with what she was saying.

Getting off of her bench, the pink alicorn mare trotted over to the chair he was sitting on. A slightly seductive smile on her muzzle as she strutted up to him, getting close to the side of his face as she leaned in close enough for her to whisper lovingly to him. “Honey… Do you really want to deny sharing an intimate moment with me? I don’t want to take a mud bath all alone without my sweet little dragon to accompany me…”

His expression immediately changed when she spoke in that tone of voice, his ears flicking as her words sounded like honey and silk mixed in one. Scales grew a little flustered, yet also guilty as he didn’t want his mare to be sad.

“W-Well I-I don’t want to m-make you sad or anything…” He stuttered, his words fumbling out of his mouth. “If that’s what my princess w-wants, then I will take a mud bath with her.”

She gasped softly, acting surprised when he agreed to get in the mud bath with her. Though, deep down, this was exactly what she wanted. “Oh, sweetie… that’s so kind of you~”

Scales barely had any time to react before Princess Cadence leaned in and pressed her soft and full loving lips against his cheek for a kiss. The contact of the mare’s lips immediately caused his face to light up a fiery red, not expecting her to be so… alluring. But she was making a good case as to why he should join her in the mud bath.

“My handsome little prince~” She continued, keeping her lips planted against his cheek. “Come join your princess in the mud bath now.”

With that, Princess Cadence pulled her muzzle away from his cheek and trotted over to where the mud bath was located. At this point, Scales didn’t need anymore convincing to get in the mud bath with her now. He nodded subconsciously, a small, dreamy smile forming on his muzzle. The spa mares had finished their pampering of the little dragon and now he was free to go take a mud bath with the Princess of Love. He hopped off his chair and stood on his hindlegs before walking over to the side of the large room where Princess Cadence was waiting for him.

The pink alicorn mare removed her princess regalia, setting it to the side so that way she didn’t take it into the mud bath. She slowly stepped in with her hooves down the steps leading into it and got to the deeper end where the mud was level with her chest. Princess Cadence then looked to her little dragon and fluttered her lashes at him in a somewhat seductive manner, silently enticing him to come join her.

As he stepped near the edge of the mud bath, his blush remained prominent on his face as he saw the seductive expression the pink alicorn mare was giving him. The little yellow dragon gulped slightly and then looked down at the mud bath. He got down on all four paws, studying it with a somewhat hesitant smile before stretching his hind paw to touch the surface of the mud. The little tips of his claws on his back paw made contact with the smooth surface, the feeling of the mud not being as bad as he thought.

Relaxing a little more now, Scales slowly dipped his whole leg into the mud, getting a feel for it against his scales before deciding to fully slip his whole body into the mud bath. Princess Cadence watched the whole thing and it nearly made her swoon at how cute and cautious he was being. Once he was fully submerged within the mud, she scooted closer to him, wrapping her forelegs around the little yellow dragon’s body.

“Ah~” She moaned softly, nuzzling her head against his neck as she took in the soothing feeling the mud brought to her pink coat. “Isn’t this relaxing, Scales?”

His emerald green eyes glanced between Cadence and the mud, taking in the feel of it for the first time himself. While she said it was meant for ponies to relax and rejuvenate their coats, Scales could also feel the soothing effects of the mud against his own body. Being in it was a lot better than he expected, like a warm bath but thicker as it surrounded his body. The mud surprisingly wasn’t sticky either, as it was smooth and slick, the perfect texture to feel against a pony’s coat… or a dragon’s scales.

He nodded his head in agreement, still surprised at how good the mud bath felt. “Yeah, it does feel relaxing… Especially with you, Princess Cadence.” He said her name a bit shyly, feeling bashful at how close they were to one another in the mud bath.

Cadence could sense his bashfulness and smiled tenderly at the little yellow dragon, pulling him close against her body with her forelegs. “Oh, my little dragon, how I love you so much. To be able to spend time with you like this… It’s like a dream come true.”

“It is…?”

The mare nodded and pressed his body against the soft fluff of her chest, nuzzling him tenderly with her head. “Yes, Scales. Being an alicorn princess and ruling an entire empire can be a lot some days. But being here with you reminds me to enjoy the small things in life. Moments like this that we spend together is what truly makes me happy to be the Princess of Love.”

Scales’ cheeks flushed more when Cadence nuzzled him tenderly. He returned the nuzzle with equal amounts of affection, his little snoot rubbing against her soft fur with loving affection for the mare. “You make me happy too, Princess Cadence. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“Me neither, my little Scales. You mean the world to me, and I don’t care what anypony says. I love you with all of my heart, little dragon or not. You’ve shown me the extent of your heart, and now I want to show you the extent of mine.”

When she finished her loving words, Cadence used her forehooves to cup the sides of his head and bring him in for a loving kiss. Her muzzle closed the gap and met his muzzle softly, their lips tenderly interlocking as they shared a kiss full of love and passion. The pink alicorn mare had felt so much love for this little yellow dragon, she wanted nothing more than for this moment to last forever between them. This was what she lived for… Sweet, tender, loving, and romantic moments like this with her special somedragon.

Their kiss lasted a full minute before they pulled away for air, leaving both pony and dragon flushed in the cheeks. Their muzzles were still so close they could feel each other’s soft breaths as they panted gently.

Scales then let out a small coo of affection as he rested his head against Cadence’ chest. “I love you.”

“I love you too, sweet Scales.”

The two stayed in the mud bath together for a considerable amount of time. The ponies inside the spa watched them as they basked in an intimate and romantic moment, aweing at the sight of their beloved princess with her little dragon prince. The two were just so adorable together, seeing such a regal mare be sweet and doting towards a young dragon.

Eventually, they finished up their mud bath and cleaned up before thanking the workers and heading out. Princess Cadence trotted out of the spa happily with Scales sitting on her back once more, the little yellow dragon also having a content smile on his face when they left.

“So…” She glanced back at him, her neck turning slightly so she could see her handsome little dragon from his perch on her back. “Did you enjoy your little pampering session?”

He sighed frantically, the smile on his muzzle growing bigger. “I guess it was okay… You being there helped though.”

Cadence giggled, turning her head forward so she could pay attention to where she was trotting. “I’m sure… Did you also learn anything important today as well?”

“Wait, I was supposed to learn something?” Scales titled his head at her question, bringing his index claw to his chin in a questioning gesture. “You’re not going to make me write a letter to Princess Celestia about friendship, are you?”

“Ha! No, my little dragon. That’s Twilight’s thing. You just focus on being my little sweetheart.”

“Oh! I know how to do that!”

Scales then leaned in from his position on Princess Cadence’ back and nuzzled his head against the back of her neck, his snout sifting through her mane in a loving manner. The sensation of him nuzzling her from back there causes the pink alicorn mare to giggle loudly, her heart swelling once again with love for him.

“Scales! You affectionate little dragon you! I’m trying to trot here!”

The little yellow dragon merely chuckled himself and cooed happily, continuing to nuzzle himself against her neck.

He didn’t want to admit it, but today’s little pampering session at the spa was not as bad as he thought it would be when she brought him there. They got to share a tender moment with each other in the mud bath and Scales wouldn’t take that away for anything. It made him happy that they were able to be intimate with each other like this, despite how seemingly new their relationship felt.

And despite his protests in the beginning, it would seem she knew just how to pamper him to his liking, or at least enough to the point where he was willing to go through with it.

But the most important rule that Princess Cadence would say on how to pamper your dragon…

Make sure they love you.

Author's Note

Here’s the second story of these two together!

Hopefully it’s okay, I know it’s a little different as Princess Cadence is typically with Shining Armor, but I’ve always found the idea of one of the other princesses having their own little dragon to be cute. I got nothing against the pairing, I just thought this little ‘what if’ idea was cute and wanted to write about it. So this is my take on it. I do plan on writing more stories of this little pairing I got going on, as I do feel like there could be a lot to explore with the concept alone.

At the very least, I hope this story was enjoyable.

Anyways, thanks for reading!