"Hello!," said the blue-maned, green-eyed pegasus standing on the doorstep. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything!"
Rainbow peered out from the crowd of ponies. "Soarin?," she asked.
The pegasus's green eyes lit up. "Rainbow? I haven't seen you in years!"
He came inside, Fluttershy quickly stepping aside. The two embraced. "I mean, I couldn't contact you after you left the Wonderbolts!," cried Rainbow, pulling away. "What have you been doing?"
Soarin rubbed the back of his neck with a hoof. "Yeah, I left pretty quickly, after I became…upset we were getting involved in a war." He gave a wry smile. "After that, I found a position with a Bureau of the Royal Guard, which mostly works on investigations. They assign me to fly-bys, mostly." He coughed into a hoof. "I didn't think Spitfire would want me back in the Wonderbolts, after…I said some pretty nasty things on my way out."
Key Keeper coughed loudly. "As sweet as this reunion is," he announced, "Why is a member of the Royal Guard here?"
"And twenty minutes early," whispered Twilight.
Soarin blushed. "Well, I was flying to Canterlot, and I noticed a wagon in the rain. I just wanted to warn the owner the paint was washing off," he pointed to Pinkie's pink, glittery party wagon. Pinkie gasped and dashed out the door. The crowd of ponies was knocked onto the floor as the wagon somehow fit through the one door and slammed straight into them.
"Oh, wagon!," cried Pinkie, "Can you forgive me for leaving you out in that cold rain?" She tightly hugged a front wheel as everypony shakily got back onto their hooves. Key Keeper grumbled about the water and paint dripping on the tiles.
Once Soarin felt stable on his hooves, he asked, "I don't mean to intrude, but could I wait here until the storm passes? And perhaps use your phone, so I can call and say I'm going to be late?"
Fluttershy stepped forward, saying meekly, "Actually-"
"Of course you can, sir!," chirped Rarity.
She continued, "I saw one in the St- on wait." The ponies were silent, all glancing at Key Keeper, who was closing and locking the front door.
Pinkie pulled away from giving her wagon kisses, turning to the group to say, "Wasn't there one in the Lo-" she stopped as everypony shook their heads, and quickly shut her mouth.
Sugar Belle suddenly cried, "Oh! I think I saw one in the Library!"
"The Library!," cried the crowd in relief.
Soarin looked at the group, bewildered. He shook it off and turned to Sugar Belle. "Well thank you, Miss…" he gazed at her, "Do I know you from somewhere?" Sugar Belle shrugged.
Key Keeper stepped forward. "I'll show you to the Library, sir." With that, he turned and marched forward into the mansion. Soarin followed, giving the group nervous glances.
Everypony's head whirled when they heard a door slam. The door to the Lounge, with a hole still smoldering, was closed. Pinkie was attempting to lean casually on the doorframe, trying to inconspicuously hold the door shut. Everypony but Soarin and Key Keeper winced at how badly the attempt was failing.
Soarin's attention was brought away when he heard a soft click from behind him. The door to the Study was closed, with nopony near it. As he tried to remember whether it had been open in the first place, an exhausted Twilight leaned against Applejack for support.
Key Keeper coughed lightly. "Sir, if you please…" Soarin turned to follow Key Keeper, glancing at the oddly behaving group. They quickly came to the Library. Key Keeper held the door open for Soarin. "Please help yourself to soda and snacks while you wait." Soarin nodded and reached for a pastry.
His ears flicked at the sound of a lock clicking behind him. He froze, thinking of the odd behavior of the ponies, and set the pastry back down onto the plate.
Outside the door, Key Keeper turned to the others. "What now?" He whispered.
Fluttershy whimpered, "Oh, we should have told him."
Rarity gave her a consoling pat on the shoulder, whispering reassuringly, "Oh, darling, don't worry. We'll figure this out on our own."
Key Keeper rapped his hoof on the ground. "If nopony has any ideas, why don't we keep searching?"
Fluttershy whimpered, "Oh, please don't make us go back to the attic!"
Rainbow groaned, "There is nothing on the ground floor."
Rarity shuddered and lifted up her front hooves, her face blank.
Key Keeper sighed. "Does anypony have any better ideas, then?" Fluttershy frowned and tapped at the floor, Rainbow scowled, and Rarity continued to stare forward with a blank, horrified expression.
They all froze as a phone rang.
Inside the Library, Soarin had been holding his ear to the door to see if he could hear anything. He jumped into the air as the phone rang behind him.
He flew over and picked it the receiver. "Hello?," he greeted nervously.
"Hello!," greeted the male voice on the line. "Could I talk to the most important pony in the house, please?"
Soarin paused. "Um, would that be the homeowner?"
"Oh, no!," chirped the voice, "Just ask for the most important pony. I'll wait."
In the background, a female voice shouted, "What do you think you're doing?!"
"Why, I'm calling-"
Soarin heard them shriek, and then the sound of jostled movement. "Look, just get them on the phone, would you!?"
Soarin dropped the phone as shouting and screaming started. He rushed to the door, desperately shaking the door handles. "Let me out!," he cried, "You don't have a right to shut me in! Why's everypony acting so strange!? WHAT'S GOING ON HERE!?"
He almost fell on his face when Key Keeper opened the door. He quickly rushed out of the room. "Why'd you lock me in?," he demanded, "And why are you getting weird calls asking for 'the most important pony'?"
The group turned to mutter among themselves. Key Keeper stepped into the room. "I don't know about 'most important', but I can see what they want." He closed and locked the Library doors behind him. Soarin turned to the group of ponies.
"Okay, what is going on here?" The ponies laughed nervously. Pinkie bounced close to him, throwing a forehoof over his neck.
"We're having a PARTY!," she exclaimed. The others quickly nodded in agreement. Soarin shrugged the pink pony off.
"Alright, then. Mind if I look around?" The group exchanged glances.
Pinkie chirped, "Sure you can! Why doesn't, um…" she scanned the group. "Fluttershy give you the tour!"
Fluttershy squeaked, "Me!?"
"Sure!," replied Pinkie, "You're really nice, so you can tell him nice things about the Kitchen, and the Dining Room, and the Ball Room…" she shoved Fluttershy next to Soarin.
Fluttershy gulped, "O-okay. Soarin, I can show you the Kitchen…and Dining Room…and Ball Room…" the two slowly walked off.
Pinkie ran to her wagon as soon as the two were out of sight. She began to pull out all sorts of items- streamers, games, snacks- and throwing them to the others. "Study…Lounge…Lounge…Study…" she mumbled as she dug through.
She popped back up. "Okay! That should make it convincing enough!" She dashed towards the Study, pushing the group with her.
Soarin and Fluttershy stood in the Dining Room. Soarin stiffled a yawn as Fluttershy continued, "-now, this color of curtain was an odd choice, considering the color of the wallpaper, but the two match in style, so it was actually a good choice on the part of the designer. Now, the chairs-"
Soarin held up a hoof. Fluttershy stopped talking. "As fascinating as this tour is," said Soarin, "I'm actually interested in what's going on in the two rooms."
Fluttershy froze. "W-w-what two rooms?," she stuttered.
Soarin gave her a look. "The two rooms you all were nervous about? The two rooms whose doors were suddenly shut?"
Fluttershy glanced away. "I-I don't know what you mean. D-do you want to see the Kitchen now?"
Soarin grunted and walked out the door. Fluttershy followed, asking, "W-where are you going?"
Pinkie ran from the Study to the Lounge, carrying the tired Twilight with her.
"Are you…sure this could work?," gasped Twilight. "If it doesn't…"
"Absapositively!," chirped Pinkie. "We just need to get the Lounge ready, too!"
They went into the Lounge, closing the doors behind them.
Soarin marched towards the Study, Fluttershy following behind him. "And, and I haven't shown you how well-kept the Kitchen is! It's actually very impressive!"
Soarin ignored her and came to the Study door. Before he could open it, Fluttershy flew in front of him, surprising him by shouting, "No!" She trembled in front of the door, standing on her back hooves, forehooves extended across the doorframe.
Soarin spoke to her gently, "Why can't I go in?"
Fluttershy trembled harder, her mouth opening and closing. "Because…it's because…we…QC…I just can't let you in!," she cried.
He grunted and pushed past her. As he grabbed the handle, Fluttershy collapsed and held her hooves over her eyes, fearing she had failed everypony. He seized the opportunity quickly, pushing the handle down and opening the door.