This chapter was written by Portal82. I'd like to thank Captain Croissandwich for editing it.
Today I was lying on the grass as the wind blew over my face, causing the grass and leaves to sway gently in the breeze. I was near the Everfree Forest with Rainbow Dash; since Twilight had to run an errand in Canterlot, she apparently decided to make someone 'take care of me'. She figured that it would look bad if she just left me alone for the whole day, so she asked her friends for help.
Personally, I think it was to get back at me for the prank I pulled on her. Seriously, it wasn't that bad of a prank; all I did was press my foot down on the scale when she was weighing herself. She should have known that she wasn't actually three hundred pounds! I think that it's hardly my fault she overreacted.
The first pony she asked was Fluttershy, but the pegasus was too busy with her other animals to look after me; a bear had hurt his paw and needed her attention, and some baby bunnies needed tending to as well. Seeing as she had her hooves full, Twilight just thanked her and moved on to the next candidate.
Next on the list was Pinkie Pie, who was unfortunately out at some party. Mrs. Cake said that she could look after me, but neither I (nor Twilight) liked the look the mature mare was giving me. In fact, Twilight practically yanked me away from the store, and away from Mrs. Cake. As I was pulled along, I noticed that Mrs. Cake was pouting as she looked at me, before she turned around and, with a flick of her tail, trotted back inside the bakery. But not before flashing me her damp privates again; her swollen, milk-filled teats swayed underneath her as she went inside. I shuddered, knowing that I had dodged a bullet with that one. Why the hell can't her husband take care of her needs? She clearly needs him badly!
Turning my head back around, I saw Twilight looking at me, then back to the shop. She had a neutral look on her face, but her eyes glinted slightly, giving away her distaste. She just harrumphed and dragged me along, mumbling something that I couldn't quite hear.
We both agreed Rarity didn't need visiting, considering what she thought of humans. I didn't know why she was so afraid of humans, but I wondered if there was something I could do; I'm really bothered by her fear and disapproval of me.
When Twilight spoke with Applejack, at just the mention of my name she proceeded to blush, look away, and mumble something, before saying that it wasn't a good idea. Twilight looked a little determined not to hand me over to the farmer, which only made me wonder again what exactly Applejack had talked to her about at Sugarcube Corner. Considering how Twilight had been acting around me lately, I wasn't sure if I wanted to know.
But, surprisingly, when we had asked Rainbow Dash, she had agreed to take care of me for the day. The only issue she had was if I would be alright being left alone, and rest or something while she practiced her flying stunts. After Twilight confirmed that it would be alright, Rainbow Dash became my babysitter for the day.
...great.
So, here I am, resting in the grass while Rainbow Dash flies around through the sky, doing her daring stunts. I was watching her practice, and let me tell you; she's got some moves. The way she twisted and turned through the air, leaving behind a rainbow trail behind her, was a graceful dance that mesmerized me. It was hard not to see why she liked flying so much. I continued to lay there, watching the pegasus zip through the air.
For the next hour or so she continued to practice, but after a while she looked like she was getting tired. When she went to perform one of her stunts, she miscalculated her speed and—with a cry of panic—she flew off course. Trying to regain control of her wings, she tumbled down and flew straight into the Everfree Forest. I winced as the sounds of twigs and branches snapping, Rainbow's muffled curses, and a yelp of pain reached my ears.
Sitting up, I stared at the forest in concern. Twilight warned me of the forest—as well as the creatures that lived in it—and she had stressed that I should never, ever go into the forest alone. After hearing that there were manticores, hydras and other horrific creatures living in the trees, I couldn't have agreed more. However, Rainbow was currently in the forest alone, and probably hurt.
I waited a few minutes, hoping she would fly back out. When she failed to emerge, I sighed heavily and stood up. These ponies will be the death of me, I grumbled as I slowly entered the forest, determined to find the prismatic pegasus and get her out of there.
As I ventured through the trees, I couldn't help but notice that, despite Twilight's warnings, the forest didn't seem that dangerous to me. It felt more like a forest back on Earth, actually, and I half-expected to come across a paved road, or a lone hunter dressed in their orange hunting gear.
After several minutes of searching, my ears picked up some noise further down the path. Picking up the pace, I moved cautiously towards the noise and soon found a small clearing. Stopping at the edge of the trees, I peeked through the brush and saw Rainbow Dash. It was kind of hard to miss her, actually, with her colorful mane and tail. Unfortunately, it looked like she had managed to find some new 'friends'.
She was pressed against a small cliff, her back against the rock. Her 'friends' were some strange form of canine creature, but instead of fur and flesh, they seemed to be made out of wood. Wat? I blinked, staring at the sight before me in confusion.
As I watched, Rainbow tried to take to the air, but fell back to the ground with a cry of pain. It appeared that she had hurt one of her wings; the appendage was spread open, with a large bruise slowly spreading across its surface, and there were some feathers missing as well. She tried to open the wing, but winced in pain.
My eyes drifted to the canines, and I chewed on the inside of my cheek as I eyed them. Wooden wolves...? Could these be the 'timberwolves' Twilight was talking about?
Movement at the top of the small cliff caught my eye, and I looked up. One of the wolves had snuck up above Rainbow, and was eyeing her, the hunger clear in its gaze. With a snarl, it jumped down the cliff towards the trapped pegasus. Rainbow seemed to sense that something wasn't right, and looked up. Her eyes got bigger as fear flashed across her face. Before she had a chance to react, the timberwolf was on top of her back. She cried out in pain as the wolf's claws dug into her back, its weight and momentum roughing up her injured wing. Moving on instinct, Rainbow whipped her head up and rolled to the side, just barely missing the wolf's fangs as it attempted to bite into her neck.
Now trapped on her back beneath the wolf, she was looking up at the creature as it loomed above her, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. The wolf leaned down, opening its jaws as it prepared to take a chunk out of the pegasus. Not able to move or think due to fear, Rainbow just closed her eyes and prepared for the end.
I had seen enough. Pushing off of the ground, I rushed out of my hiding place and into the clearing, sprinting towards the wolves. Max, this has to be the stupidest thing you've done yet! As I drew nearer, the wolf on top of Rainbow stopped and looked up, turning its head towards me. I saw its fiery green eyes widen, but before it could react, I smashed into him, tackling it like a rugby player. The wolf and I fell off of Rainbow, our momentum carrying us backwards towards the cliff. One more burst of energy, and I slammed the wooden creature into the cliff face, the sound of wood breaking echoing around the clearing. The wolf howled in pain before he burst apart, bits of wood and plasma raining down onto the ground, where it gathered in a heap.
Pushing myself off of the rock face, I turned and looked around at the rest of the wolves, who were eyeing me warily. Holding up my arms and hands, I spread my legs, lowering my stance, trying to make myself look ready to pounce on the next attacker. I positioned myself above Rainbow Dash, trying to protect her from another surprise attack. Contorting my face into an angry snarl, I flashed my teeth at the wolves, trying to intimidate them.
It was all a ruse, however, as my heart was about ready to burst from my chest. Fear gripped me as the wolves slowly began to circle around me and the fallen pegasus. Didn't really think this through...
Rainbow had opened her eyes when I had ripped the wolf off of her, and she was currently looking up at me with surprise, hope, wonder, fear, and something else. As she looked up at me, her cheeks began to turn pink. Glancing off to the side, she shook her had before trying to stand.
"Ah, horseapples," she hissed, wincing in pain as she tried to get her hooves underneath her. Not taking my eyes off of the wolves, I bent down further, placed a hand on her shoulder, and pushed her down onto the ground. She gasped, glaring up at me with an angry pout on her face.
"Hey, what gives? I can fight," she growled, pushing against me. "This is nothing; I ain't no damsel in distress!" Ignoring her, I just pressed her back down gently. Tearing my eyes from the wolves, I glanced down at her, giving her a look that said 'stay still; I got this'. The last thing I needed right now was to be forced to keep watch on both the wolves and her. Rainbow's ears splayed back. I think she got the message, but I didn't have time to confirm it before one of the wolves decided to rush towards me, taking advantage of my distracted state. Fuck!
Snapping my head around, I grabbed the wolf as it leapt up, using its momentum to redirect it over my head and towards the cliff behind me. I winced as it hit the cliff, shattering on impact,and crumbling to the ground in a heap of wood. Another wolf jumped at me, this time from the side. Spinning quickly, I kicked out with my foot, connecting with the wolf's jaw. Much to my surprise (and horror) the wolf's head snapped back and flew clean off, the body landing with a thud in front of me, before it collapsed into a pile of wood. Not very strong, are they? I mused, kicking the pile of sticks away from me.
After watching their pack members fail, the other wolves were now slowly circling in front of me, more cautious of approaching. One of them inched forward, growling up at me. I growled back, baring my teeth and hoping that I looked more terrifying than I actually felt. Beneath me, I saw Rainbow watching everything with wide eyes, her jaw agape. She looked quickly from the defeated wolves, then back up at me. I didn't know what she was thinking, but whatever it was, it could wait until we were safe.
One of the wolves—a large beast with a scar across its muzzle—stepped forward suddenly, howling loudly. He was respectably bigger than the rest, and clearly the pack leader. He scratched at the earth, glaring at me. I took a step forward, snarling at the brute as I shifted my stance. The other wolves backed off, giving us room. Oh shit, I thought, as I glanced around quickly. Did I just accept a challenge?
The alpha and I began circling each other, but I kept close to Rainbow, just in case another wolf decided to run for her. He growled, lunging at me with his jaws open wide. I leapt to the side, narrowly avoiding his attack. As he passed by, I kicked out, hitting his underside. Pain flared through my leg as I yelped; the wolf seemed to be made out of stronger wood than the others. Wincing, I staggered back, rubbing at my shin as the wolf circled around again. He leapt forward again, and I leaned back, trying to avoid his gaping maw, which snapped shut just inches in front of my face. These ponies are going to be the death of me!
Stumbling back, I tried to put some distance between the two of us, all the while keeping myself between Rainbow and the wolves. There was no way I could beat this thing on my own; I needed some kind of weapon if I ever hoped to win. Looking around quickly, I didn't see anything that could be used as a makeshift weapon. Returning my attention back to my opponent, I balked as he leapt at me yet again. I barely had time to bring my arms up before he was upon me. Wood dug into my skin as I snaked a hand under his head, grabbing his throat to keep his jaws from biting into me. Unfortunately, the force of him landing on me caused me to fall backwards. This earned a gasp from Rainbow.
Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, I thought as I laid there on my back, struggling with the alpha on top of me, who was trying his hardest to tear me a new breathing hole in my throat. Freeing my right hand, I threw punch after punch at the wolf, all the while trying desperately to hold him off with my left. Wiggling my legs around, I managed to get my feet underneath the wolf. With a grunt and a push, I forced the large creature off of me.
Rolling myself over, I pushed myself up to my knees before forcing myself into a low stance. The wolf had already recovered, and was now making his way towards me again. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Rainbow still looking at me. Good, she's still relatively safe. Glancing down at myself, I saw that I had gotten some scrapes from the scuffle; the rough wood of the timberwolf marking my flesh. Nothing serious, however, for which I was lucky.
Something just on the edge of my vision caught my attention, and upon turning my head, I noticed a big, thick piece of wood lying nearby. Moving quickly, I scooped the log up and held it firmly in my hands, ready to use my new weapon with extreme prejudice. I had barely brought the 'weapon' up, when the alpha leapt at me again. With an angry snarl, I swung the log with all my might, connecting with the side of the alpha's head as he soared through the air. A resounding crack echoed through the clearing. Heheh, knock on wood, you bastard!
The wolf went down from the blow, but was back up a moment later, growling at me, his teeth bared. I growled back, feeling more confident now that I had something to defend myself with. The alpha leapt again, but I smacked him away with the log, driving him back. We traded blows, repeating the dance for a little while; the wolf tried to get a hold of me, and I used the log to fend him off. I also managed to attack him a couple of times, trying desperately to find a weak spot.
During our bouts I had gotten more scrapes, as well as a bruise or two, but I had also managed to get a couple of good hits on the wolf as well, his bark-like skin cracked in several places. One particularly nasty attack left me with several claw marks across my upper arm, with my blood slowly flowing down it. I was exhausted, but so was the wolf; his tongue hung from his mouth as he panted for air. It seemed we had reached a stalemate, and I had a feeling the wolf knew it. Give up already, you bastard.
The wolf had just staggered forward for another attack when it suddenly stopped, its ears perking up as it looked off to the side. It seemed to scan the forest, looking for something, before turning its attention back to me. It gave a low growl before turning its head and letting loose a howl. The entire pack, the alpha included, turned and sprinted back towards the edge of the clearing, disappearing into the forest. The alpha was the last to go, and it looked back at me, glaring with such hatred it made me shiver. The look was clear: we weren't finished with each other. One last growl, and it disappeared into the undergrowth.
I gazed nervously around at the surrounding forest, a feeling of trepidation rising up in me. I wasn't sure what was out there, but if it could make an entire pack of timberwolves run away, I didn't want to stick around. Turning towards Rainbow and walking quickly, I bent down and scooped her up in my arms, carrying her bridal style, being mindful of her wings. This didn't seem to go over well with the injured pegasus.
"Hey, I can walk just fine by myself," she complained, struggling weakly in my arms. "You don't need to carry me; put me down!" I just ignored her and walked hurriedly back into the forest, and hopefully back towards the safety of Ponyville. Rainbow continued to protest for several more minutes, wiggling around in my arms. I swear, it's like trying to hold onto an excited puppy! Finally, she stopped struggling and fell silent. Stepping over a root, I took a glance down and saw her looking to the side, a small pink blush on her cheeks. Her forelegs were bent over her chest as she pouted cutely. Why did nature make you ponies so damn cute and adorable?
I walked at a quick pace for a while through the forest, still carrying the pouting Rainbow, who was surprisingly lightweight. After several minutes I felt her shift slightly, snuggling deeper into my arms. Looking down, I saw that she had turned her head and was now resting it against my chest, her eyes closed and her cheeks a darker shade of pink. I could feel her good wing twitching slightly, almost as if it wanted to extend. She looked content, and (not wanting to wake her) I didn't do anything to disturb her and just walked a little faster.
Finally, I saw light peeking in through the edge of the forest, and with a few more steps, we were out. Blinking in the bright sunlight, I looked around and saw that I wasn't far from Fluttershy's cottage. Chewing on the inside of my cheek, I glanced down at Rainbow. It would probably be best if I brought her to Fluttershy; she's sure to have a medkit. Cracking my neck, I turned and started heading in the direction of Fluttershy's.
~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~
It took me a few minutes to walk to Fluttershy's cottage. I gazed at the small, homey building beside the small river, a small smile touching my face. Approaching the door, I used my foot to knock on the wood, trying not to disturb Dash in my arms. "I'm coming," I heard a quiet voice speak up from somewhere inside. Then came the sound of movement from the other side of the door, followed by the top half of door swinging open. Fluttershy peeked out, looking around shyly.
"H-hello?" When she saw me, her eyes lit up and her expression turned instantly from nervous to happy, her wings flaring and a smile spreading across her face. "Max! How have you been? Is Twilight still feeding you well? Oh, it's so good to see you!" I just blinked at her, nonplussed. I've heard of talking to your animals, but this is ridiculous! It's like she expects me to respond. Her expression slowly turned to concern when she saw how ragged and muddy I was. When she finally noticed Rainbow in my arms, she gasped.
"W-what happened? Is she okay? Oh Celestia, let her be okay," she murmured, quickly opening the bottom half of the door. Max, could you—if you don't mind, that is—put her on the sofa while I get the first aid kit?" she asked, motioning for me to enter and pointing at the couch. As she flew to get the first aid kit, I ducked inside and placed Rainbow gently down on the sofa. Once I had put her down, I stepped back, pulling a sleeve down over the claw marks on my arm. It hurt, but I'd take care of it when I got back to the library.
Rainbow seemed to have noticed the lack of warmth around her, as she woke up quickly and started looking around owlishly.
"What happened? Where am I?" she slurred, blinking stupidly. Upon seeing where she was, she let her head sink back onto the sofa and gave off a low moan. "Ah, ponyfeathers. Fluttershy is going to let me have it again." Turning her head, she glared up at me and pointed a hoof in my direction. "And as for you, buster, I'm not finished with you!" I just cocked my head to the side, giving her a confused look. Before she could say anything else, Fluttershy was there by her side, fussing over her.
"Rainbow, you have to take it easy when you practice. See what happens when you aren't careful?" Fluttershy said as she looked over Rainbow's wing. Nothing appeared to be broken, but the ugly bruise on it looked bad. Carefully cleaning the area, Fluttershy began to bandage the appendage. "You'll have to take it easy for a couple of days, Rainbow. It seems you sprained your wing, so that means no flying, okay?" Rainbow groaned in displeasure, hitting her head against the couch cushion.
"Awww, but..." she began, but one look from Fluttershy and she could only nod. Fluttershy then started to go over her minor injuries, and kept fussing over the injured pegasus. Sensing my chance, I took that moment of distraction to make my exit, leaving Rainbow in Fluttershy's capable hands... er, hooves.
~ ~ ~ ~ > > Third Person < < ~ ~ ~ ~
Rainbow's eyes were following the human as he snuck out, a small smile and blush touching her cheeks, and her uninjured wing twitching slightly. Against her will, it started to flare out, spreading to its full length.
"Rainbow..." Fluttershy said timidly, snapping Rainbow out of her fantasy. Turning her head quickly to look at Fluttershy, she noticed where the timid pegasus was looking, and her blush darkened. Looking at Rainbow's wing, Fluttershy couldn't help but blush as well, her cheeks taking on a pink hue. "Oh..." Fluttershy whispered, before continuing to take care of her injured friend.
Neither mare talked to each other during the rest of the treatment; Fluttershy was too timid to ask, and Rainbow too embarrassed to tell. Both were content to just sit there, each with their own thoughts.
~ ~ ~ ~ > > Max < < ~ ~ ~ ~
I walked down the path towards Ponyville, heading towards the market place and onwards to the library. I kept the sleeve on my shirt pulled down as far as I could, trying to hide my injury. For the most part, the ponies didn't react when I walked through the market. Some raised their eyebrows, seeing me without Twilight by my side. Unfortunately, some mares tried to get me to come near them by making cooing sounds and pet talk. I just shuddered, my eye twitching as I tried to ignore them.
I was closing in on the market stalls when I happened to spot the mare that was the queen of all mares that wanted to get inside my pants: Mrs. Cake. Inhaling sharply, I quickly jumped behind an empty stall, peeking out towards her position. She seemed to not have noticed me yet, for which I was grateful; she was too busy browsing the stalls and talking to another mare. This second mare had a light brown coat, with a tail and mane of darker brown. Squinting, I could just make out her cutie mark: a red heart with a baby bottle.
Mrs. Cake turned and started heading in my direction, all the while talking to this other mare. Oh, fuck. Fearing I would be spotted, I hide behind the wooden stall, a small hole in the wood allowing me to keep an eye on the approaching mares. Taking a peek, I could now hear what exactly Mrs. Cake was saying. Unfortunately for me, it was something I didn't want (or need) to hear.
"Three months! Can you believe that? Three months and no rutting. My no-good husband and I haven't had a good roll in the hay for three months. I'm starting to lose it!" Mrs. Cake whined, looking at her companion. "It tapered down when the twins were born, but I didn't think it would stop completely! Sure, we must be careful; we can't have any more foals at the moment, but that is a poor excuse. Ugh, I miss being filled!" She had an expression of longing, and the other mare gave a quiet nod. I shivered, not enjoying that particular image. "I was beginning to feel that my hubby wasn't finding me attractive anymore.
"But, then Twilight came by about a week ago with that human of hers, and I got such a positive reaction from him; I was so happy!" It wasn't a positive reaction! I was confused and scared as hell! Mrs. Cake just smiled from ear to ear, giving off a small squee as she smirked at the other mare.
"I felt beautiful again—young even—and more so when I saw the jealous look Carrot gave him. My hubby was giving me some attention again, but still no rutting!" Mrs. Cake huffed, her tail flicking side to side in irritation. Is that all this mare ever thinks of? I swear, she's got to be a nymphomaniac!
"That handsome looking human seemed to have no trouble getting in the mood," she muttered under her breath. She then sighed, her voice filled with so much passion and longing that I cringed, shivering violently. "If Twilight hadn't been there, and if I got a couple of hours alone with him, it would have been so great." Maybe for you, I thought, a blush spreading across my face despite my displeasure. The other mare was blushing as well. She was rather quiet, letting Mrs. Cake do all the talking.
"I wouldn't have cared if Carrot was there," Mrs. Cake continued, stopping in front of the stall I was hiding behind, causing me to break out in a cold sweat. "Maybe he could have learned a thing or two, and saw how to truly treat his wife." She leaned her head towards the other mare, whispering in her ear. Due to how close they were to me, I heard every word. "I have heard, from a reliable source, that humans can rut for hours, and they mount the mare and give it hard. No complaining, no fuss, just straight to the thrusting." The other mare's face exploded into a dark blush, her ears perking up. Mrs. Cake was also blushing now. I had to resist the urge to bang my head against the stall. I was almost to the library! Why did she have to be here at this exact moment?!
"Though they aren't typically much bigger than a stallion, that human Twilight has, from what little I could see at the time... Dear Celestia, he was big. More than Carrot, that's for sure." Mrs. Cake giggled. "I would gladly let him mount me and have his way with me any time! By the reaction I got from him, he seemed like he wouldn't mind." I shook my head, a manic smile on my face. Hahaha... NO! I would have to see if Twilight had anything that could be used as brain bleach.
In all fairness, my hormones could also be at fault here, and truth be told, Mrs. Cake wasn't that ugly, but still. No es bueno. As I lay there, crouched under the stall, my thoughts began to get conflicted. For some reason, they kept jumping to Twilight and her appearance, and even some of her friends, but mostly Twilight. What the fuck, brain? I thought we had an understanding! Especially after mom found our porn stash back in high school!
As I shook my head to clear it, I heard Mrs. Cake continue.
"I really need a good buck, and I can't cheat on my husband for just one night of fun. I can't risk getting pregnant again anyways, so I've been thinking about asking that source of mine if I can rent a human to use. What I really want, however, is to borrow that human Twilight has." Okay, her obsession is becoming a bit unhealthy. "I've heard such good things about what humans can do that no stallion can." Mrs. Cake paused, sighing heavily before continuing. "It's not technically cheating if you do it with a human; it may be illegal in some places, and frowned upon by some ponies, but..." she huffed, turning to look at the other mare, a serious expression on her face.
"As if those uptight ponies in Canterlot haven't used a human to satisfy their needs once in a while! I'm sure that I might get a light scolding, and maybe a small fee if the authorities found out, but still. Carrot might actually feel a little jealous and ashamed, but that would be his fault for not treating me properly!" I frowned slightly, my neck cramping up. It was rather uncomfortable under the stall, and I was starting to get tired of the soap opera taking place nearby. Hurry up and leave already!
Mrs. Cake gave the other mare a large smile, "The best part is that I haven't heard of any mare getting pregnant by rutting a human, so the human can fill the mare to his heart's content, and the mare doesn't have to worry about a foal." Jesus Christ, it's like listening to a zoophile, only in reverse!
The two mares stood there, blushing, as naughty thoughts (most likely) raced through their heads. Their tails were swishing from side to side, and I could tell that they were both excited. Thanks to their position, I had a perfectly good view of their... 'fun zones'. I shuddered, looking away as I cursed about my bad luck. As I grumbled silently to myself, Mrs. Cake started to talk again.
"I've heard that if you are lucky, and the human has been trained properly, they can even please a mare using only their tongues and hands."
"R-really?" I blinked, surprised. That was the first time I had heard the other mare speak. She had a warm tone of voice; almost motherly. It was also heavy with longing. I almost slammed my face against the wall, but thought better of it. I gritted my teeth, trying to take deep breaths. Go away, go away, go away, go away!
Mrs. Cake nodded again. Both mare's had stopped flicking their tails, and had started to raise them slightly. That gave me a better view of their privates before I tore my gaze away. Unfortunately, I had seen enough, and my body was already reacting in a less than favorable manner. Traitor, I thought, glancing down. Taking a deep breath to calm myself, I risked another glance out and saw to my relief that the mares were beginning to walk away: slowly, but at an even pace.
"My husband is always away," the other mare said. "I have something in my closet that I can use to make the situation a little better, but it isn't like the real thing." This caused Mrs. Cake to giggle, and she and the other mare turned and headed towards Sugarcube Corner.
After several minutes, I emerged from under the stall, shaking my head as I tried to not think about what I had just heard. I'm not sure which is worse: the fact that I just overheard all of that, or that fact that no ponies seemed bothered by it. Cracking my neck, I glanced down again, glaring at my 'friend'. We're gonna have to have a talk later, buddy, about what's okay and what's not okay. Looking behind me to make sure I was still safe, I quickly hurried through the market place and to the library. Opening the door, I slipped inside and shut the door behind me.
Spike glanced up as I entered, his eyes widening when he caught sight of my bloodied arm and scuffed up appearance.
"Dude, what happened to you?" he asked. I just gave him a tired look, my shoulders sagging slightly. "One of those days, huh?" he asked, giving me a knowing nod. I just nodded, before slowly making my way upstairs, to the bathroom. I'm going to need a nice, long, hot bath.