Keith and Lancelot were in the castle library looking up things about the other races in and outside the borders of Equestria like hippogriffs, yaks, griffons, dragons and many others. It had been a week since Twilight's last letter. Celestia walked in quietly to talk to Keith about something important.

"Hello Keith, Lancelot. How are you both doing today? What are you reading up on?" Celestia asked out of curiosity,

"We're doing good. Just reading about some of the other races in this dimension." Keith responded.

"That's good to know. Keith, I have something that I need to talk to you about," Celestia started to say.
"What is it? Does it have to do with Twilight's letters? If it does, I want as much to do with it as ponies want to do with other races," Keith disagreed.

"I know that Twilight's letters have not resonated with you. However, I also believe that they would do you some good as well. In fact, I've been thinking and maybe seeing Twilight and her friends in person would be very helpful for you."

"Unlikely. Though I do like the idea of getting out of the castle," Keith muttered.

"How about this? I will let you go to Ponyville without guards provided you spend time with Twilight and/or her friends," Celestia offered.

"Hey, Keith. That sounds like a pretty good deal, don't you think?" Lancelot tried to persuade.

Keith took a deep breath before he finally said, "OK, let's go."

Later that day in Ponyville

Lancelot and Keith were walking through the town looking for Twilight. Additionally, Keith was hiding his unicorn horn with magic, making him look like a pegasus to most ponies.

"Man, isn't this exciting, Keith? We get to spend the day here in Ponyville without the guards. It's kind of a relief not having the guards check in on us. Not only that, but we get to meet people and make friends as well. So, what do you think, Keith?" Lancelot said to Keith, who was walking next to him.

"What do I think? Well, for starters I am glad to have the freedom of not having to be near the guard at all times," Keith said. However, at this Keith suddenly started stomping as he walked and grew a sour expression. "However, I am also annoyed that I am only allowed outside to make friends with other ponies. I don't need other ponies to be friends with."

As Keith was saying this a fast pink blur rocketed into them. "Oh, sorry new ponies that I accidentally ran into. I was just about to grab a trampoline so that I could- wait. New ponies?! Greetings. Welcome to Ponyville. My name is Pinkie Pie. What are your names?"

"Well my name is Lancelot and his name is Keith. Also, I'm not a pony. I'm a hippogriff," Lancelot corrected.

"Oh sorry about that. I'll try to remember that you are a hippogriff." Pinkie quickly apologized. Then she proceeded to quickly say at about a mile a minute, "So, this is interesting. We have two new creatures visiting Ponyville in one day. Also, are hippogriffs related more to griffons or ponies? Because you have pony-like bodies with talons and beaks like birds. But, anyway, sorry I can't throw you two a welcome party yet, Lancelot and Keef, but I need to catch up with a friend of mine, so bye." At this, she zoomed off faster than the duo could blink.

"Keef? My name is Keith." Keith growled in annoyance.

"Hey, the mistake isn't that bad, Keef. You just need to chill out," Lancelot joked.

"Yeah, because Keef is totally a good name to listen to all the time." While Keith was saying this sarcastically, Pinkie Pie ran behind them while holding a bunch of balloons. "Anyway, can you please stop calling me that?"

"Why should I? It sounds good to me."

"Well not to me."

"OK, fine. I was just joking around anyway. You shouldn't take things too seriously," Lancelot teased.

"Thank you. Now then, where do you think that Twilight lives, anyway? Celestia just said that she lives in a treehouse library. Where do you think that is?" asked Keith. As Keith was asking this, Pinkie was flying in a pedal helicopter device into the sky.

"How about over there?" Lancelot pointed to the Golden Oaks Library that was only a few feet away.

Inside the Golden Oaks Library

"Spike. Are the cookies and punch ready for our guests yet?" Twilight asked the baby dragon a bit frantically as she finished dusting the bookshelves.

"Yep, ready and accounted for." At this, Spike ate one of the cookies.

"Good. Celestia said that there were some special guests coming to Ponyville to learn about friendship just like me, and I want to make a good first impression."

"You need to calm down, Twilight. Chances are they won't care if a single book is out of place." Spike snarked. Meanwhile, Twilight was in the middle of rearranging some of the books on the bookshelves.

"Hey!" Twilight said a bit annoyed. "First impressions do matter here Spike. What if they tell Celestia that I didn't make a good first impression and she thinks that I'm not taking my studies seriously? She could decide that I deserve to be punished and lose some traction in my studies on friendship," Twilight said full of fear for what her teacher would think.

"Relax, Twilight. Celestia won't care if the first impression isn't perfect." At this, there was a knock on the door.

"That must be them. Spike, get the door."

As Spike went to do this, he turned to Twilight and said, "Same with these ponies. I'm sure they won't be much of a problem at all."

Spike opened the door to show Harmony and Lancelot on the other side. "Hello, you two. The name is Lancelot. This is Keith. We are the fine pe-err creatures that will be hanging out with you guys today," Lancelot merrily greeted.

"It is nice to meet you two and, Lancelot, I notice that you are not a pony. What are you supposed to be?" Twilight greeted.

"Oh. I am a hippogriff in case you were wondering. Also, what do you want to do?"

"Um, I don't really know. What do you guys want to do?" Twilight tried to offer.

"Can we just go and see another one of these friends of yours?" Keith rudely interrupted.

At this, Twilight's mood immediately sank. Spike tried to fix that mood by offering, "Do you guys want a refreshment?" Fortunately, the pair were willing to accept the cookies and punch.

"So, uh, I heard that you two have a close relationship to the princess, just like I do. Care to explain what that is?" Twilight asked with the biggest fake grin she could muster.

Keith and Lancelot were unsure of what to say. They have heard quite a bit about Twilight from Princess Celestia and from what they heard, she can be prone to overreact. The last thing either of them wanted to do was to give the unicorn mare a panic attack. Fortunately, they were quickly interrupted by a knock on the door. "I'll get it," Keith offered. He walked to the door and opened it, revealing Pinkie Pie on the other end.

"Oh hey it's you two again. I'm sorry I can't talk to you both right now, but I need help from Twilight right now. Hey, Twilight, I need your help!" Pinkie called out for her friend's help.

"What is it Pinkie Pie? I'm in the middle of something," Twilight anxiously said, nervous to have an interruption at a time like this.

"I am having issues with a mean old griffon friend of Rainbow Dash's and I need your advice," Pinkie explained.

At this Twilight's mood lifted. Not only would she be able to help her friend out, but she may even be able to give a friendship lesson to both Keith and Lancelot. "So Pinkie Pie, are you sure that this friend of Rainbow Dash is really so mean?" Twilight asked her friend as she looked through a book for advice.

Pinkie responded with a frustrated groan, "Um, yeah. She keeps stealing Rainbow Dash away, she pops my balloons, and she told me to buzz off. I've never met a griffon this mean. Well, actually, I've never met a griffon at all, but I bet if I had, she wouldn't have been as mean and grumpy as Gilda."

Twilight responded with as she put her book down, "You know what I think, Pinkie Pie."

"Hmm?" Pinkie anxiously waited for her friend's response.

Finally, Twilight responded with, "Well, I think... you're jealous."

"Jealous?" Pinkie reacted, exacerbated at being given this answer.

"Green with envy. Well, in your case, pink with envy." Spike added on.

Twilight proceeded to explain her reasoning, "Well, yes. Jealous. Listen Pinkie, I don't want to upset you, but just because Rainbow Dash has another friend doesn't make Gilda a grump. I mean, perhaps it's you, Pinkie, who needs to improve her attitude."

"You know what, Twilight? That actually is a pretty good point," Lancelot complimented. "Don't you think so, Keith?"

"Eh. It seems fitting to believe I suppose," Keith simply stated.

"You all believe this?!" At this, everyone else nodded their heads to Pinkie's frustration, "Improve my attitude? But I... D... B.. It's Gilda that... D... Are you seri…" At this, Pinkie growled in frustration and stormed out of the library.

"Well, as you can see, jealousy can be a very troubling thing. So troubling that you may not want to accept it," Twilight awkwardly stated, embarrassed that her attempt at helping wasn't working out as well as she hoped. "So, what do you think of this piece of advice. Help you with friendship, any?"

"I agree, though I was already aware of this," Lancelot encouraged. "What do you think, Keith?"

"Can we just read here for a while?" Keith responded, not wanting to directly interact with anyone else anymore.

"Sure," Twilight groaned in disappointment. As the duo began to pull out books to read, Twilight turned away and walked to look over her bookshelves.

Spike noticed Twilight's dejected behavior and, concerned for her, asked, "Are you okay, Twilight?"

"No, Spike. I'm not. I am supposed to help these two understand more about friendship, but they don't want that. All they want is to stay in themselves and read. How can I help them if they just want to read?"

"Don't you read and study a lot, though?" Spike countered.

At this, Twilight blushed and nervously laughed lightly. "Well, sometimes. But they don't even seem willing to learn at all, at least not Keith. What am I going to do, Spike? Celestia wanted for them to learn about friendship, and Keith doesn't want for them to learn anything."

For the next hour, Keith and Lancelot did nothing but read. During this time, Spike was reading a comic book while Twilight was reading a Daring Do book, barely paying any attention to it as her mind kept jumping to her disappointment and fear at having failed Celestia. Before Twilight could stew in her anxiety any longer, there was a knock on the door. Twilight miserably walked to answer the door, only to see Pinkie Pie once again.

"Hello Twilight, Spike, Lancelot, and Keef. I would like to invite you all to a welcome to Ponyville party!" Pinkie said in great excitement.

"Really?! We just got here. Are you sure?" Lancelot asked, happy to have gotten such a kind gesture.

"Yep. The party is for Lancelot, Keef, and Gilda. Though, everyone in the town is invited to the party. Trust me, by the end of the party all three of you will feel right at home in Ponyville. Well, I must get going. The party is in an hour and I still need to contact more ponies." At this, Pinkie walked backwards out the door, closing it as she left.

"Did you hear that? We get to go to a party, Keith!" Lancelot said, excited and giddy.

"Parties aren't really my thing. Do I really have to go?" Keith questioned.

Twilight's mood had brightened upon hearing this conversation. Maybe going to a party would be just the thing to get Keith to open up more and want to form strong friendships with others. "Please say you'll go. Pinkie Pie's parties are the best."

"Yeah, come on Keith. Please." Lancelot pleaded with his friend.

Keith looked back and forth between Twilight and Lancelot several times. While it was true that he wasn't a fan of parties, him not wanting to go to the party went beyond that. Truthfully, he didn't want to risk making new friendships that could end as poorly as the ones he had with the paladins. He also didn't want to risk undergoing sensory overload. However, he also found he couldn't handle the sad looks he was being given by the other two. "OK, fine. I'll go to the party. But there better be sweets."

"You really got your aunt's sweet tooth, huh Keith?" Lancelot teased. At this, Keith stuck out his tongue playfully. Twilight looked at this sight with a smile on her face.