Spike tried his best not to cower as the foals ganged up on him at the playground. He didn't even make it to the swings. As soon as the other children noticed him they swarmed and began asking a billion embarrassing questions. Spike was trying to be polite and answer them.

Shining Armor's speech about public image had really hit home. The last thing Spike wanted to do was embarrass Twilight and since Spike was her ward, everything he did reflected on her. Shining Armor... he's the one that pointed out to Spike that he was Ponyville's unofficial Prince. Spike HAD to go to school and be an expert of Friendship or he'd bring shame to Twilight... Shining Armor hadn't phrased it like that but Spike had developed Twilight's habit of over analyzing everything. He wasn't as bad as her but he did tend to do it if he was honest with himself.

"Why don't you have wings?" one asked.

Spike blushed and explained, "It's a birth defect from being born from pony magic instead of dragon fire," his lack of wings was actually something he was pretty self conscious about, since the dragon migration. He learned a lot being with the other dragons during that time but sadly the biggest lesson he'd learned was how all dragons are jerks... well not ALL he should say.

There were more civilized Dragons in districts found in many of the big pony cities. Spike had been to one of those areas when a rogue fire snail was setting fires all over Manehattan. The cops automatically assumed it was the Dragons doing it and there had been a lot of... problems as a result. Princess Luna had gotten Spike to help as even the dragons living in pony cities were very tight lipped around ponies. She thought Spike would have better luck finding out what was going on...

None of that really matters now other then Spike did learn that he wasn't actually the only Dragon in the world who wore aprons or read comic books. City dragons were actually decent folks, even if they are very distrustful of ponies, but with how most ponies treat them he couldn't really blame them.

"You're not going to hulk out on us and destroy the town again are you?" Another asked, referring to the time Spike turned into a giant full sized dragon and attacked the town in a greed filled rage.

Spike blushed and shifted awkwardly from foot to foot, "N-no t-that was a one time thing... see dragons kind of lose control of themselves if they collect too much stuff too fast,"

The foals gaped, "So you can't own ANYTHING!?"

"No I can own stuff. I just can't get a lot of stuff at once. I have to collect things slowly. A few new items a week won't matter. So I don't get overwhelmed by my own greed,"

The city dragons from Manehattan had actually explained that to him. It was why city dragons were less jerky then nomadic ones. They were very conscious of collecting their hoard slowly over time, so as to not overwhelm themselves to their basic instincts.

Embarrassingly one of the dragons actually gave Spike a book on Dragon anatomy. Spike didn't really understand how he could read it, as it was in some strange hieroglyphs that literally looked like chicken scratches, but it all made perfect sense to him. The book explained that dragons instinctively understood the ancient language of Draconic and although few actually spoke it anymore nearly everything they wrote was in the language in order to preserve their secrets.

Spike actually practiced writing the Language himself and was a little shocked how easy and natural it was. He tried to actually teach Twilight but the subtle dips and curves were really tripping her up as even the slightest change could make the symbols have entirely different meaning. It was easy for Spike but Twilight couldn't even read the stuff.

The book also explained that Spike wasn't actually a boy but "Omni-sexual". He might have boy bits but he could also get pregnant to, like all dragons. Although the book didn't explain how somepony (or "some-dragon" rather) could get pregnant... Twilight wouldn't tell him either. She just said a mare's husband put "seeds" in the girl's belly but refused to say what kind of seeds or where you got them. She promised to explain when he was married but not before... and he wasn't allowed to get married until he was a hundred, she had added.

"While Dragons never, naturally, grow any bigger then 9 feet. We can also change size at will by tapping into our greed." Spike explained, "We can even use it to make ourselves as small as flees." At least theoretically. Spike still hadn't figured out how to do that as the book said size alteration was very dangerous and easy to lose control to your instincts. It didn't advise practicing outside of dragon school, or rather outside of an older dragons supervision.

"Is it true dragons eat defenseless animals for breakfast!?" one foal asked, pulling Spike from his thoughts. Before he could answer another quickly scoffed "Idiot they eat ponies, not critters,"

Spike shifted a bit, as he knew both were true... of nomadic dragons at least, "I'm on a strict pony diet,"

One of the foals screamed, "He DOES eat ponies!"

"No-no!" Spike quickly backtracked, "I mean I eat hay and flowers and fruits and pastries and all the normal stuff ponies eat," he assured, "The only really strange thing I eat is gems,"

"You eat rocks?" Another asked.

"No I eat gems," Spike corrected, "There magic is good for my scales and bones, plus they strengthen my own magical reserves," he flexed his muscles before flinching back when the foals actually reached out and TOUCHED him.

One of the foals giggled, "he feels like a snake," "I thought they'd be all hard and rough,"

That is when Button stepped in and literally shoved the ponies away, "What's the matter with you foals!?" the young colt demanded, "Just cuz Spike isn't a pony doesn't mean you have the right to treat him like a freak show! Spike totally sacrificed himself to Miss Cheerlee for me," he proclaimed as over dramatically as possible, "He's a good guy and it doesn't matter that he isn't a pony! So leave him alone! I bet the Princess would lock you in her dungeon for harassing him like this!"

The foals grumbled but reluctantly disbanded.

Spike couldn't help but sigh with relief, "Thanks,"

Button blushed, "Sorry I ran so far ahead, I thought you were right behind me,"

"I was until I was foal napped by the... well... foals," Spike shrugged.

Button nodded, "Just forget about them. Come on, the Swings are still calling us,"

Spike reluctantly nodded and followed closely after.