//------------------------------//
// Chapter 3: Surprise, Surprise 
// Story: The Night Janitor: NEGATIVE Edition 
// by Knox Locke 
//------------------------------//

Over the next few days, he spent some time with Pinkie and Rarity. He made sure they were doing things that the mares would find enjoyable. For instance, he went shopping with Rarity and attended some of Pinkie Pie's parties. Today, though, he'd been tasked with keeping Pinkie from finding out about a party her friends were planning for her. It wasn't her birthday or anything, but Rarity and their other friends had been planning on throwing her a party out of appreciation.

Knox hadn't wanted to except the task, but it was the first favor Rarity had asked of him. If he did it, he'd successfully strengthen their "friendship."

Knox had spent most of the day with Pinkie already, but she'd somehow slipped away from him. He spent at least an hour running around Ponyville, desperately searching for his "friend." After his search, he returned to Sugarcube Corner. That's where they'd been spending the day for the most part.

He was only there for three minutes before Pinkie Pie went barreling past him, crying her eyes out, and ran up the stairs.

"Oh, please don't tell me I have to go cheer her up," he said aloud to nopony in particular. Although nopony told him, he knew he'd have to do it anyways. He hesitantly followed the usually overly happy earth pony up the stairs. When he arrived at Pinkie's loft, he was startled by the lack of pink earth ponies in the room. Pinkie wasn't there. In fact, the only living creature occupying the space was Gummy, Pinkie's pet alligator. Where could she have gone?

"I hope nopony spoiled her surprise," Knox said to himself as he turned to return to the ground floor. However, his flank bumped against Pinkie's cupcake decoration as he was descending. This caused a surprisingly loud noise behind Knox. When he turned around once again, he was shocked to find that the floor had given way in the loft. It was a secret door!

"Why am I not surprised," he mumbled to himself as he jumped down into the opening on the floor. He was quickly sent careening down a slide into the darkness below.