Board Thread:Character Discussion/@comment-29195016-20160724182401/@comment-25491743-20170611220836

Rumple implied that the ability was learnt, but The Dragon implies that it is an innate ability (his 'real' form) - Maybe there are were-dragons, but Maleficent just learnt to be one, or Rumple was simply mistaken. Or, when Rumle says its "showy", maybe he just means its overtop and unimpressive to him.

As for Lily, there could be a number of reasons why it was natural for her; because it was innate for her father and she inherited that trait, because she was conceived in dragon-form, because she was reacting to be surrounded by magic after many years of living in LWM...etc