The Night Janitor

by Knox Locke

Chapter 22: Hearts & Hooves, Part 3: Response

Author's Note:

It's time for the final part of the special 3-Chapter Hearts & Hooves Day Valentine's Spectacular! What will be the result of Knox revealing his feelings. However Pinkie responds, it's bound to change the nature of their relationship forever!

Pinkie Pie didn't even blink when Knox asked the question.

"Well, it's about time you asked!"

Knox was stupefied.

"Wait," he said, "you knew?"

"Yeah," she replied enthusiastically, "it was super obvious."

"Then why did you never say anything?"

"Well, duh, silly. That would've spoiled the secret! And sharing a friend's secret is the easiest way to lose a friend's trust, and losing a friend's trust is the fastest way to lose a friend. FOREVER!"

Pinkie emphasized the last word quite ominously.

"But... But I... Huh?" was all Knox could say in response.

"Why'd you decide to ask me now? Trixie's magic show is a pretty random choice of location."

"Well... You see... The picnic earlier..."

"Oh, no!" she interrupted. "You were going to ask me then, weren't you? And I cancelled! I'm so sorry Knox. If I'd known how important that picnic was to you, I definitely would've been there."

"It's not that big of a deal, Pinkie Pie. I'm just glad I got to ask you."

"Whew... Thank goodness! Hey, wait a second..."

She looked directly into Knox's eyes.

"Is that why you were following me and Cheese in the bushes all day?"

---

Meanwhile, not very far away, Cheese asked the little crying filly, "What's wrong?"

"Everything is wrong," Cozy replied. "But right now it's just that, well... My best friend had plans with a mare he likes today, but then some bigshot came to town and completely stole his thunder."

Cheese was about to say something, but Cozy interrupted.

"Also, I was a statue up until a few weeks ago, so there's that."

Cheese didn't seem to know how to respond to all that. That was just what Cozy had wanted. Knox shouldn't take long, so all she had to do was not smile at whatever Cheese did to try and cheer her up.

It was harder than she'd originally anticipated. She had to hand it to Cheese, he was good at what he did. He almost broke her multiple times, but Cozy had a foolproof countermeasure in place. Every time she felt like she was about to smile, she thought about her horrible past. She thought about her time locked in Tartarus. She thought about her time as a glorified lawn ornament. She thought about what would become of her if her master plan were to fail.

Every time she did this, she'd begin bawling her eyes out. And they weren't crocodile tears, either. She'd had the feeling Cheese could tell when somepony was faking tears. These tears were 100% genuine.

After her fifth time bawling her eyes out, it seemed like Cheese had finally given up on making her laugh. He was laying on the ground, head hung in defeat. Then, Cozy glanced over and caught sight of Knox and Pinkie nuzzling their muzzles together.

She smiled and wiped the tears from her eyes. Cheese took notice of her sudden change in temperament, so he also looked over and saw the happy couple. Then it hit him.

"I was the somepony who stole your friend's spotlight, wasn't I?"

"Yeah," Cozy giggled, "but that's OK. Everything worked out for him in the end."

"So, this was all a trick? You weren't really sad at all?"

"Oh, I was sad alright. I just channeled it in a productive way... to help a friend."

"You two must be really good friends if you were willing to do this for him."

She sighed and looked down toward her legal guardian. She was teary-eyed.

"Practically family," she said.

She wiped her eyes and snapped her attention back to Cheese.

"Sorry I had to trick you like that, Cheese. But you know the lengths we good friends will go to for the ponies we care about."

She held up her hoof towards the super duper party pony.

"Friends?"

Cheese looked at the hoof for a moment before smiling.

"Absolutley!" he said, "I never turn down a new friend! Isn't that right, Boneless 2?"

He glanced over to the side. Cozy followed his gaze and was shocked when she saw the rubber chicken sitting on a spinning stool less than three feet away from them. How had she failed to notice that?

She laughed at the absurdity of the moment, and Cheese gave her a hoof bump as he began to laugh as well.

Overall, Cozy was really happy that her plan had worked. Knox looked so happy, and his newly romantic relationship would make earning Pinkie's loyalty far easier.

'Everything's going according to plan,' she thought as she watched fireworks go off over Trixie's wagon.

Comments

[Yosh-E-O]

I believe the references in this trio of chapters were the colt interacting with Cheese and answering as the one did during one of the songs during Cheese's first episode. (I think it was Pinky Pride)

You also nailed the Season 1 episode where pinkie Pie nailed Twilight for trying to downplay Spike's crush on Rarity. :)

***

I find it interesting how Cozy can channel her sorrow. As she wasn't making 'Crocodile Tears' it shows there really is a need inside her to process out all the traumas she's experienced during her short life. I think I'd rather be in Tartarus than a 'glorified lawn ornament'.

It is interesting to consider how things will turn out for Knox. He has a very 'tragic hero' feel to him. He so desperately wants to be happy, appreciated, and be known as more than the lonely night janitor at the school of friendship. I worry for him if Cozy betrays him as a character like his is capable of just about anything when their world is destroyed.

[Knox Locke]

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Congrats on finding that easter egg with the colt's response to Cheese. I wasn't sure anyone would get that one!

Also, there were a couple light references to "Feeling Pinkie Keen" in the line "That would've spoiled the secret" and the fact that Pinkie had known Knox was spying on them from the bushes the whole time.