>You wake up from where you passed out on the ground with a groan >You open your eyes and let out a yelp as you see that blue dragonness crouched over you >Her face looks torn between concern and irritation >Seeing you're awake she stands up, crossing her arms >"What the hell were you doing passed out on the ground?" she growls, baring her teeth a bit >You gulp and wrack your brain for what to even respond to her with >Do you lay low and pretend to be this 'Smolder' or do you just tell her that you're a human stuck in the body of a smol dragon? >The dragonness' eyes slowly narrow as you try to think. "Well?!" >...okay, probably not a good idea to try to explain yourself to an already annoyed lizard. >"Uh, I'm not feeling too good." >Wow, that is a terrible excuse. Damn it brain. >The dragonness rolls her eyes in exasperation >"I know you don't want to go, but you don't have a choice. You're too old to pretend to be sick to get out of this." She chides before shaking her head. "Just get ready, we're leaving in five." >With that she steps out of the bathroom, closing the door behind her >You sigh and get up from where you were laying on the floor >You stare at the toilet for a moment before looking down at your basically featureless crotch >RIP your D >Part of you hopes that you still count as a dude at least, but the rest of you knows that your voice sounds far too feminine for that. >"...well, this is going to be fun to figure out." *** >Five minutes later you head out, now fully awake thanks to doing your morning business and washing your face >The blue dragonness is leaning against the door to the bedroom, staring off at the window with a strange smile on her face >"Alright, ready to go to...wherever we're going." >At your grumbling the smile drops from her face but instead of scowling at you she apparently chose to just roll her eyes >That and she started to head walk out, motioning for you to follow her >Turns out that you were apparently staying in a hotel, based on all the other numbered doors in the hall. >At the front desk is a pony with a white coat, grey mane, and blue eyes >Oh, and a weirdly wide smile >He waves at the two of you as you pass. "Have a good day Ms. Ember and Smolder!" >Okay, if you're supposed to be this Smolder that must mean she is Ember. >What is she, your mom or something? >You head out and see the town properly. Mostly just small rustic buildings like you saw from your window, but something catches your eyes and makes you stop in your tracks. >In one corner of the town is a massive tacky crystal castle sitting on what looks like a crystal tree like something from a six-year-old's fevered imagination >Not too far from it is a massive pink, white, and purple edifice. Almost looked like one of those rich kid private schools on steroids >You shake your head and jog after Ember before she gets too far >Honestly, the main annoyance is that a lot of ponies are giving you curious looks. That and while they looked small from the window, they were apparently the same height as you. Or the same height minus the horns but eh. >You can't help but notice that you're being led toward that big private school-looking thing >"Ember, please tell me we're not going towards *that*." You point one of your weird four-finger claws at the building >Ember frowns down at you, letting out an impatient sigh "Did you fall on your head waking up or something? Yes, that's the school." >You frown at her tone but decide to be the bigger person (dragon?) and let it slide >That and your main focus is this 'school' she's talking about. You already passed school ages ago, so the thought of going again isn't a fun one. Even temporarily until you figure out how to get back. *** >At the entrance to the building is a large crowd of ponies, all milling about talking to each other. >You think you see a yak or buffalo or something at the edge of the crowd, looming over everyone else >You pause at the edge of the crowd, both your social anxiety and the fact that they're a bunch of colorful miniature horses making you not want to actually enter it >Unfortunately Ember just puts and hand on your back and pushes you into the crowd. >With a groan you force your way through to the front of the crowd to get away from the bulk of it >If you're going to have to go into the building, may as well get in first before it gets crowded after all >You cross your arms and sulk as you wait. >Once the door opens you grumpily make your way inside to the foyer, a massive area with marble columns and the like >Whoever built this stupid place really went all out with the decor >Ember must have seen you trying to slink off and simply grabs your wrist with one claw, dragging you towards the main part of the foyer where it raised up into some kind of dias >Your blood quickly rises at being manhandled like that, far faster than normal >"Hey! C'mon, what are we even doing here at this pony school? We aren't ponies, we're dragons!" >Ember scowls down at you, her tail whipping a little in irritation "You're going to this 'Friendship School' because I'm the Dragonlord and I'm telling you to!" >You pull your wrist out of her grip and cross your arms, fighting the urge to roll your eyes >"A school to make friends? That's lame." >Ember snorts and shakes her head. "Maybe but you'll behave, understand?" >Without waiting for an answer she turns her head and yells at some purple dragon on the dias, writing with a quill. "Spike, come over here and meet Smolder!" >The dragon runs over, giving Ember a hug in greeting before turning to you. "Nice to meet ya! I'm Spike!" >Part of you want to snap at him as your blood is oddly hotter than normal. Hopefully not some dragon thing. But he sounds like a little kid and even you aren't that mean. >"I'm Smolder." >Took all of your presence of mind to not accidentally give your real name >He smiles and opens his mouth to continue speaking, but is cut off by a very loud high pitched voice yelling across the room >A pink griffon-thing flies over the crowd and points down at something near you "WHAT IS THAT?!" >You whip your head around to see some kind of blue...bug pony thing standing a few feet from you, giving you a strange look >The griffon-thing flies down and starts being weirdly excited over the bug-pony, drawing enough attention with her loud voice that Ember and Spike are slightly distracted >Operation: Avoid Socializing Further is a go >You hold your hands up and back away successfully. >Operation: Avoid Socializing Further is a success.