Continuing off dragons being fallen angels, dragons in real world folklore were once synonymous with mermaids (mermaids from tales of the 14th–16th century described them as the sisters of dragons).
Here’s my take:
- Demons = Fallen angels who hit Hell (Fire)
- Dragons = Fallen angels who hit land (Earth)
- Mermaids = Fallen angels who hit the sea (Water)
- Angels = (Air)
Mistaken for falling stars, fallen angels entering Earth’s atmosphere would be set ablaze.
- Fallen angels transforming into demons would continue burning until most of their halo would break apart into ash or horns; the searing heat from their fall piercing past water and land to the Earth’s core, trapping the fallen angel in a realm called Hell.
- Fallen angels transforming into dragons would gradually stop burning once hitting land, retaining most of their halos as large horns whilst keeping their angelic light in the form of inner fire (which they can breathe out). Due to their rough fall, some of these fallen angels would have been heavily injured to the point of being crippled, resulting in the common perception of dragons having four legs and only staying in caves for their own safety/recovery.
- Fallen angels transforming into mermaids would cease burning when hitting water. Their remaining feathers and wings freezing into shining fins, and their ashen halos melting into their signature lustrous hair. Like dragons, instead of a mermaid’s angelic light taking the form of inner fire, it instead becomes captivating song.
- Demons are angels who openly rebelled against Heaven, hence most demons having flesh in place of scales (like mermaids and dragons) to symbolize God “stripping” them of their heavenly right.
- Mermaids and dragons are angels who fell to Earth by accident or on purpose. They either didn’t rebel, or didn’t rebel hard enough to warrant the same harsh punishment granted to demons.
Notes:
It’s no coincidence both dragons and mermaids hoard treasure, speak or sing with charismatic poise just as an angel would, and have scales in place of feathers. I figure both creatures hoard treasure to recreate heaven’s radiance due to homesickness.
As a side note for dragons, their fall would have been strong enough to pressurize the earth around them in a crater, turning rock into gemstones like diamonds, and revealing precious ore such as gold. These crystallized craters, caverns, and caves would serve as the dragon’s new home.
Finally, due to not being bound by Heaven’s laws or Hell’s chaos, dragons and mermaids are free to do as they wish – they’re morally neutral and it explains why cases regarding mermaids and dragons differ between “human eating monsters” or “curious guardians”.
Extras:
Mermaids and dragons would differ based on what angels they used to be.
For example, friendly mermaids and dragons were once Guardian Angels. Mermaids and dragons with multiple appendages (tentacles/fins) and wings were once the six-winged Seraphim.