//------------------------------//
// Chapter 21: Hearts & Hooves, Part 2: The Plan 
// Story: The Night Janitor 
// by Knox Locke 
//------------------------------//

[Cozy's Perspective]

Cozy had been making full use of her alone time at home to plan out the next steps of her master plan. That is, she had been. It was about an hour before dinnertime when Knox came running into the house.

"Cozy," he said quickly, "I need your help."

"With what?" she asked. She would've rather stayed home planning her next move, but doing Knox a favor would strengthen his loyalty to her. Knox answered her question with a torrent of information.

"I was going to ask Pinkie to be my special somepony, but now this stallion named Cheese Sandwich is going around town with her and making her laugh and putting his hoof around her!"

He was rattling off information as if the words would burn his tongue if he didn't say them quickly enough.

"I need to get Pinkie away from him long enough to tell her how I feel before he steals my chance! I need a plan. Can you help me? Pleeease?" 

Cozy walked over to Knox's side and gently nuzzled his shoulder.

"No worries, Knox. I've got your back."

'That way,' she continued in her head, 'I'll know for sure that you've got mine.'





Now there were two ponies stalking Cheese and Pinkie from the bushes. The two earth ponies and their shadows were now attending one of the Great and Powerful Trixie's biweekly magic shows at the edge of the Everfree Forest. Cozy was staring intensely, trying to formulate a plan to separate them. Knox, meanwhile, was trying not to let his anger boil over.

Cheese's ears perked up as if he'd heard something. Cozy looked in the direction Cheese was now walking. For the first time since they'd begun watching them, he didn't seem at all focused on Pinkie. What had drawn his attention away from her so entirely?

As Cheese walked up to a young colt, Cozy realized why he'd been so distracted. The colt was quietly crying.

"What's wrong?" he asked the colt.

"My balloon floated away," the colt replied. "It was supposed to be a gift for my mom."

"Well," said Cheese Sandwich happily as he pulled a balloon out of who-knows-where and blew it up, "Why don't you give her this one instead?"

The kid smiled brightly and graciously accepted the gift.

"Gee, thanks mister," he said as he galloped off towards what Cozy could only assume was his mother's picnic blanket.

A mischievous smirk spread across Cozy's face.

"I've got a plan," she said.

Knox looked at her with a confused expression.

"Just be ready to go talk to her once I have his attention."

She walked out a few feet from the bush Knox was in, and she began to think about about her time trapped in stone. Before she knew it, she was crying. Cheese had almost made it back to Pinkie's side, but he came running to Cozy's side within moments. Now all she had to do... was not smile.





[Knox's Perspective]

Knox saw that Cozy had Cheese distracted, so he sprinted towards Pinkie.

"Pinkie," he said hurriedly, "I need to ask you something."

"Oh, hi Knox!" Pinkie said. "Sorry again about earlier. What's up?"

"Well..." he hesitated for a moment.

'Just get it over with,' his thoughts convinced him.

"You see, I really like you, Pinkie. So... Will you be my special somepony?"