Of Men and Manes

The TV suddenly went quiet and made a loud, sequenced beeping noise. Shocked, Silken dropped me. An automated voice began playing from the TV.

"This is an Equestrian Weather Advisory. A class 1 severe thunderstorm warning has been issued. Weatherponies are advised to stay at home and not combat the storm. Pre-emptive safety measures dictate a mandatory warning for all territories listed: Ponyville. Cloudsdale. Hoofington. Manehatten. Cautionary warnings for: Canterlot.

Up to golf-ball-sized hail and hurricane-force winds predicted, with 150 mile per hour gusts. Thunder and lightning imminent. Possibility of EF1 or EF2 tornados. Advising to stay indoors, take shelter in cellars and basements. Turn off or disconnect all electrical devices. Do not leave your homes. Repeat.

A class 1 severe thunderstorm warning has been issued. Weatherponies are advised to stay home. Pre-emptive safety measures dictate a mandatory warning for all territories listed: Ponyville. Cloudsdale. Hoofington. Manehatten. Cautionary warnings for: Canterlot.

Up to golf-ball-sized hail and hurricane-force winds predicted, with 150 mile per hour gusts. Thunder and lightning imminent. Possibility of EF1 or EF2 tornados. Advising to stay indoors, take shelter in cellars and basements. Turn off or disconnect all electrical devices. Do not leave your homes. This has been an Equestrian Weather Advisory."

The annoying beeping returned, and Silken backed up a bit and put me on my feet. I hunt down a flashlight and electric lantern, and enter my basement.

"Might as well turn off everything electrical in my house" I mutter as I flip the master fuse in my fuse box. All lights and power outlets in my house went dead, and I turned on the lantern. I could hear the thunder in the distance already.

There was a muffled bang from upstairs and a clattering of about 24 hooves and two clawed feet.

"Hey Todd! Mind if Me, Spike, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie, and Rainbow stay here for the night? You're the only one with a safe house." Twilight shouted. Silken gave me a 'not amused' look at that.

Another bang sounded off, this one like a door being almost knocked off its hinges.

"And me too?" a muffled voice called from outside.

"They're my best friends. What are you gonna do?" I ask Silken jokingly. One of her hair tentacles cuffed my jaw jokingly.

I chuckle, shrugging, and walk back upstairs. "Yeah, that's fine. Just let me drag out my air mattresses. . . and no cloud beds, Rainbow. you remember what happened to my carpet last time." I could pretty much hear Rainbow rolling her eyes. "Fine, whatever." she said.

When Twilight got close enough I 'casually' asked if she lives in a tree. She gave me a look, and I chuckled.

The five twin-sized air mattresses were quickly set up and aired up with Twilight's assistance. "You guys decide your sleeping arrangements. I'm bunkin' with Silken."

When everypony decided who they were bunking with, I had to stifle a chuckle. Fluttershy and Rarity shared a mattress, as did Spike and Twilight, Applejack and Rainbow, and Pinkie and Ditzy.

'Two very popular ships, as well as a third, well-known ship.' I grin, my hand over my mouth. At least one of the duos was cuddling.

" . . . And no bucking each other." I add with a hearty chuckle.

I turn to cuddle with Silken, and am quickly wrapped snugly in her hair. I smile and cuddle her closer, quickly drifting off to sleep.

Lightning flashed and thunder crashed. I woke up with a start, and sighed. "Dammit, that was a good dream, too. . . whatever it was." The wind was nearly deafening.

Fluttershy squeaked, and quietly made her way to me. I wrapped her in a hug as soon as she was close enough. She was tensed up and shivering badly, but as soon as my arms wrapped around her, she quickly calmed down and began nuzzling my chest. I smiled warmly at her, and ran my fingers through her mane. I have that weird effect on ponies.

"Thank you" she whispered. I looked over at Rarity to see that she was on her side, snoring with her mouth wide open. I chuckled lightly. 'I may never let her live this down, but it's just too cute.'

Another flash went off, followed by a crash of thunder, and Spike and Twilight woke up with a start. Fluttershy cringed in my embrace, and relaxed a second later. Applejack and Rainbow Dash were both shivering and cuddling each other closely.

Thankfully, my house was the first of many designed to withstand up to an F3 tornado force wind and gusts of 180 miles per hour. I'll explain quickly.

Since the wedding invasion of Canterlot, I've been a part of the  rapidly improving peace talks between their queen and Princess Celestia. Not many ponies know, but changelings have been integrating into our society since the month after the invasion, a couple weeks after the peace talks began. In the last month, when peace talks were done and regular friendship meetings occurred, changelings have assisted in making safe living conditions for the homeless. When bricklayer's mortar was accidentally mixed with changeling 'bio-slime', as I like to call it, the resulting structure withstood all magical attacks, and wind speeds up to 200 miles per hour. And the Mortar mix was esentially the only thing left standing in the aftermath. But, I digress.

I was drawn out of my thoughts by another three ponies glomping me. Ditzy, Fluttershy, Twilight, and Pinkie now nuzzled me. Rarity snored on, and Spike slept peacefully. Applejack and Rainbow were shivering less, but were still cuddling.

I looked down to see Twilight smiling thankfully at me, Ditzy's eyes shut tight while she held me close, Fluttershy snoring softly, and Pinkie nuzzling her face into my chest.

'Jeez, I like it and all that jazz, but I'm not a teddy bear to nuzzle . . .' I think, letting them nuzzle and cuddle anyway. 'Where's Silken, though?'

i carefully try to pull the ponies off of me, but the two pegasi aren't having it. Twilight reluctantly relents, as well as Pinkie. Thankfully, pegasi are light enough to carry easily.

I wander upstairs, and haphazardly choose to check the balcony. Silken is standing on her rear hooves in the blustery wind, a few strands of her mane anchoring her to the house, and the rest of her mane blowing in the wind. It was strangely beautiful. Enticing, almost.

"Todd. . ." Silken started.

"Yes, silken?"

". . . Am I beautiful?"

I don't speak, choosing to opt for silence.

". . . even before the incident, nopony came to me and professed love. . . or even asked me on a date. . . were- were they scared of a business mare? Or was I just not beautiful to them? . . ."

Silence became my best friend. I was finally able to extricate myself from the two pegasi nuzzling me.

"My . . . downfall into what I am now actually began as a failed suicide attempt. I know the comic pictured my insane change as an accident. The vat was going to be what I would drown in when I shocked myself to render my body immobile. Instead of drowning, the contents of the vat reacted with the electricity and made me what I am now. With all the insanity from the hustle and bustle of Maretropolis gone, I've regained a slight sense of self, and some time to think on my past. It is just . . . so difficult to not regress into what I was less than a night ago. As my sanity returns, it also slips away, and i shall be left as an empty husk of what I was and what I had been. You understand, right?"

". . . I can't say I know your struggle on a personal level, but I do know that there is one person out there somewhere that loves you. . . most likely two. . ." I finally speak.

Silken turns to face me, tears staining her coat and a small smile gracing her lips.

" . . . And I also know that I will fight for your affections, for I am one of the two." I continue, stepping forward. Silken's smile starts to get bigger, happier.

A strand of her mane pulls me close, and our lips meet.