You've Come To The Right Neighborhood

"You really want to live with us in Ponyville!?" Pinkie bounced, looking at Spike excitedly after he'd made his residential choice.

"Yeah. I mean, it's where I know the most people...er, ponies. And in all honesty, I was never really one for urban life." He responded, looking around the city a little. "Always feel a little cramped."

Applejack gave him a friendly thump on the back. "Ah can second that, sugarcube! Gimmie an open field--"

*RRRLLLRURRR*

"Uh...hehe" Spike looked around sheepishly as his stomach made itself known. "Guess I should've gotten something to eat before we got on the train."

"What!?" Applejack and Pinkie blurted out, glaring at him. "Yer comin' with me right now, mister!" The farmpony's tone brooked no argument as she grabbed his hand and started pulling him to the closest place to eat, with Pinkie pushing him from behind. "Ah told ya Ah intend to make sure ya eat." She showed a surprising amount of strength for her size.

"A-applejack, calm down!" He yelped, trying to keep up. 'How can these ponies be so little and this quick!?' "It's not the first time..." The look she gave him told him that probably wasn't the best thing to say.

"Oh, you are DEFINITELY living in Ponyville!" Came the response as she and Pinkie bustled him into the donut shop. Next thing he knew, he was on a stool at the counter, a plate of sandwiches and a couple bottles of what looked like sparkling cider in front of him. The rest of the group filing in shortly after.

"Going that long without even a snack isn't good for you, Spikey!" Pinkie spoke up, sitting on one side of him with Applejack on the other. "I'm no dietnation...diet tactic...diet tech..."

"Dietitian?" He offered.

"Yeah, what you said. I'm not one, but if I learned anything working at Sugar Cube Corner, it's that!"

"An' doin' it more than once is plumb crazy!" Applejack added. "Now, yer gonna finish that even if Ah gotta tie ya to that seat, got it?"

Part of him wanted to protest a little...but, they did have their hearts in the right place, though going to this extent for someone they'd just met surprised him. Granted he was hungry, and those sandwiches looked pretty good. Finally, he shunted the 'protest' bit off to do something else and took a bite. 'Huh, not bad, this a club? Tastes like there's french fried onions in it.'

While Spike ate, the girls had scooted off to the side and were having a discussion of their own.

"Ok, he's decided to live in Ponyville." Twilight said. "That leaves one question; where's he's going to stay?"

Trixie snorted. "Then it's settled. He will stay with me..."

"So you can jump him the moment you're alone?" Fluttershy retorted. "He's been perfectly safe at my house these last few days."

"That's rich, Miss 'pry him from my cold dead fingers'! I'm sure the fact you only have one bed as well doesn't enter..."

"Which means we'll be finding him a DIFFERENT place to say." Twilight spoke back up, giving the two mares a look until they relented. "There are a couple unoccupied houses in town, but he's got nothing but the clothes on his back."

"Something I intend to rectify posthaste." Rarity added. "We have a guest room at the boutique, but I've been using it more for storage recently. It would take us a couple of day to get everything out and clean it up even with magic."

"Aj, ain't we still got that makeshift room up in the attic?" Apple Bloom asked. "Just gotta let Granny know ahead of time."

"I thought Granny Smith made your attic off-limits after Sweetie's attempt at making an apple fritter ran up there." Starlight said.

"Still haven't caught that darn thing." Applejack muttered, punching her fist. "Ah still owe it fer tryin' to eat my ear."

"I'd offer, but he can't fly." Rainbow shrugged.

"Why not just let him stay at the palace." Barb said. "I mean, we have enough rooms to house more than half of the town."

"She's got a point." Tempest: added. "Besides, we all have access to the place so we can help him get used to life here, plus he's got protection from stallion poachers there."

Those two words quickly caused darkened looks to cross the face of every mare there. Poachers, considered the lowest of the low among mares. Thieves that used any means, no mater how manipulative or dishonest, to take males from a town. Ponyville was fairly protective of her boys, but still...

"Ok, we'll offer him a place at the palace once we get our stuff here done....Moondancer? You ok?" Twilight asked, seeing her friend fidgeting some.

"W-well...there's something I've wanting to ask you girls since we got here, but didn't know..." She asked, blushing furiously.

"What?"

Moondancer sighed, then clamped her hands together in a pleading gesture, "Pleasepleasepleae! Let me have the first time with him!?"

"Say what!?" The group near-yelped in unison.

"Buck that noise! Trixie's already called dibs!"

"Dammit, Trixie!" Twilight glared at the stage performer. "This is a sentient, sapient being, not a sex toy! And a virgin to boot, so how about a little self-control!? If he wants to sleep with you, fine, but let HIM make the choice!"

Trixie tried to stand defiantly, but it quickly turned into a pout. "Fine..."

Barb stepped closer. "Moondancer...we all just met him. Why...?"

"I know...! But...if he's living in Ponyville, you'll all access to him twenty-four-seven, and the best I can do is make weekly visits! Plus...I...I can't put my finger on it, but there's something about him...I feel safe...and..." She looked out the shop's front window nervously. "There...there's also a stallion here in Canterlot, named Chaser. H-he has a...a taste for virgins and sees 'no' as just a temporary answer. If..." She let out a quavering exhale. "If they don't want him right off the bat, he works on wearing them down until they finally accept." She grimaced. "I don't like him at all; he's an arrogant creep who brags about how many 'cherries he's popped'. Because there's only about seven males here, though, he gets away with it. And, I-I'm worried that he's set his sights on me."

"What a dickwad!" Rainbow and Tempest growled in unison.

"Oh, Moon..." Twilight and Barb hugged her. "Why didn't you say anything before?"

"I managed to steer clear of him normally, except lately I've seen him looking my way with this leer that makes my skin crawl. I try to ignore him, but I'm worried he'll start his tactics soon."

"Ok...I can't guarantee how things'll go, but maybe if you talk to him first." Twilight glanced back at Spike. "Just go slow until we're sure he's comfortable with this."

"I...I can work with that." Fluttershy nodded.

"Very well...I can wait, but not long." Trixie crossed her arms.

"Ah...I needed that." Spike called up, turning around to see them all looking his way. "So...what next?"