//------------------------------// // Holiday Heist // Story: Cinematic Adventures: How the Grinch Stole Christmas // by extremeenigma02 //------------------------------// The Grinch, Cozy Glow, and Max had finally gotten themselves into the rocket sleigh. The Grinch was warming up the sleigh, humming as she pushed a few lever to start the engine, turn on the radar, and one… for the vibrating sleigh seat. Frankly, the Grinch rather enjoyed the vibrations against his behind. “… Thaat feeels goood…” The Grinch uttered. “The terrible trio were made ready for their big trip, With the Grinch as captain at the helm of his great ship.” The Grinch began patting down the gas pedal with his feet, starting up the fans that would make his great vehicle airborne. Cackling at the fans working, he flicked another switch, turning the many headlights on to light the way. “Engine is running! Air-lift mechanisms are fully functional! We have visual from the lights!” Cozy declared, over the engine roar. “All that’s left is the thrust!” Cozy continued, checking the take-off list. “You sure we got enough from the boosters?!” “Only one way to find out, kiddo!” The Grinch exclaimed, gleefully. “Here goes nothing, hot dog! Hee-hee!” He flipped another switch, releasing two heavy streams of fire behind the sleigh. They both looked behind to see the vast flames hitting the metal door. The boosters were definitely giving more than enough thrust, as they turned back to face the front. “Wow…” The Grinch and Cozy uttered, in awe. “They were soon ready for launch, to take off like a shot So the Grinch declared…” “Well, baby, let’s show ‘em what you got!” He pushed up the spatula gear-shift, turning on the gas gauge… slowly lifting the sleigh into the air. As they were becoming airborne, the Grinch was simply delighted, chuckling loudly as he clapped his hands with success. “Mr. Grinch, we have lift-off!” “I know! This… is… NUTS!” He then stood up, as if to bid his imaginary reindeer forward. “On Crasher, On Thrasher! On Vomit and Blitzkrieg!” Before he could continue, the sleigh blasted from the ledge on Mount Crumpit, propelling them forward and downward, pushing the Grinch back into his driver’s seat. The Grinch and Cozy screamed with terror over the sudden descent. The Grinch quickly manned the steering wheel as he tried pulling the sleigh up and steady it. However, the sleigh had touch off one of the hilltops on the ride down, causing the sleigh to spiral causing the Grinch and Cozy to scream even louder. The sleigh spun round and round, with Cozy and the Grinch terrified from this ride. Max fell out only to begin spinning around by the ‘safety leash’ the Grinch put on him. “Ahh! Why did we not think this through?!” The Grinch exclaimed, terrified. Cozy could not answer as she was screaming for her life, questioning her every decision since arriving here. She briefly turned to face the Grinch, only to see him wearing a Grogar head mask, laughing maniacally in some fear-induced hallucination. “AHHHHH! Why did I ever land on your mountaintop at all?!” “We’re gonna die! We’re gonna die!!” The Grinch shouted. “I’m going to throw up, and then WE’RE GONNA DIE!!!” “Mommy, tell it to stop!” Cozy Glow bawled. “I wanna live! I WANNA LIVE!!!” Soon though, the sleigh began to stabilize its flight, landing Max right back in the sleigh… with a fear stricken Cozy Glow latched onto the Grinch’s side. They both trembled with fright and the Grinch slightly blubbered from the ordeal, until he looked around… saw everything was okay… and sighed with relief. “Heh… almost lost my cool there…” The Grinch remarked, like nothing happened. He soon noticed the filly grabbing his side. “Hey! Unless you’re giving happy endings, hooves off!” The yell shocked Cozy out of her trance before realizing who she was grabbing. She made a look of disgust as she got back into her seat. “All right! This never happened, okay? You tell no one, I tell no one!” “Grinch’s honor, kiddo!” With the sleigh now fully stabilized, their descent to Whoville was unhindered. “And down the three came on their great fateful ride Toward the good homes of Whoville and the Christmas inside. Yes, they planned it and prepped it, big detail to small, And they would soon get rid of Christmas, once and for all.” <> Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house, not a creature was stirring not even a mouse. Except… a little pony who was still up on this very night. Starlight Glimmer struggled to sleep, but the events of the Cheermeister celebration still lingered on in her head. The way the Who’s mocked the Grinch just made her heart break out of sadness. This was supposed to be the greatest holiday ever, where kindness was given to all… instead she felt sad. “Oh Christmas… where are you?” Starlight spoke sadly. Just then, Starlight heard the sound of a door opening. The unicorn turned her head and saw Cindy Lou wide awake and stepping out of her bedroom. “Can’t sleep?” Starlight asked quietly. “Yeah…” Cindy replied. “I got thirsty and wanted a cup of cold water.” Starlight walked toward the little Who and wrapped an arm around her. “I couldn’t sleep either,” Starlight admitted. “I’ve been thinking about the Cheermeister disaster, how the Grinch was mocked and humiliated by everyone. It was so cruel… and on a joyful holiday no less.” “I agree,” Cindy nodded sadly. “I just don’t get it. One minute, they welcome him with open arms, and they hate him the next. I feel people have forgotten how to show love for others no matter how or what they look. All they care about is buying the best presents and the fanciest lights… it just feels hollow.” That was definitely something Starlight could agree upon. What’s the point in buying gifts, with the best tree to put the lights up on if they’re no meaning to any of it? It makes the whole season feel… pointless. Then Starlight spotted a small gingerbread man hanging from Cindy’s stocking. Using her magic, she lifted it into the air and held it in front of Cindy Lou Who. “It’s like this Gingerbread Man Cindy,” Starlight explained. “You got all the ingredients to make one, the right shape for it to be a man, but everything we do must come from the heart. And when it comes to the heart, it means its full of love and care. Maybe one day… Christmas will be like that again.” Cindy felt slightly better through this little chat with Starlight Glimmer. She hoped for that one magical Christmas day again, and thanks to her new friend she has more hope than ever. “Thanks Starlight,” Cindy smiled happily. “You’re welcome Cindy,” Starlight replied. “Now then, why don’t I come down with you to get that cup of water? I could use a drink myself.” “Actually… if you would, that would be nice. Thank you.” And with that declared, the little Who and her pony friend worked their way downstairs for a quick drink before bed. <> Several seconds earlier… “All their windows were dark; quiet snow filled the air. All the Who’s were all dreaming sweet dreams without care… When he came to the first little house on the square.” “Welcome to Whoville, folks!” The Grinch declared. Sure enough, the sleigh slowly made its descent down onto the roof of the first house in Whoville. The trio knew they needed to be absolutely ‘quiet’ if they were to pull off this ‘Stealing Christmas’ heist without a hitch. Absolutely ‘nothing’ could go wrong for them, and so they needed to be ‘extra’ sneaky on this holiday night. <> Back inside the Who house, which happened to belong to the Lou Who family, Lou was stirred awake by something against the roof of the house. Tiredly, he turned toward his wife. “Betty? Betty?” Lou nudged his wife. “What?” Betty asked tiredly. “Did you hear something?” They both paused for a moment to wonder just what that might be. Then it hit Betty like bricks… “It’s Santa!” She whispered excitedly. “Go right back to sleep.” Lou nodded and the two quickly laid their heads back to sleep not wanting to be awake when Santa comes climbing down their chimney… or so they think. <> With the sleigh sitting comfortably on the roof, The Grinch grabbed for his sack and turned toward his cohorts. “Come on, fellow Grinch!” He smiled toward Cozy. “It’s our first stop!” “This’ll be like stealing candy from babies!” Cozy chuckled sinisterly. “The old Grinchy Claus and his elf hissed. And they climbed to the roof, empty bags in their fists. They’d slide down the chimney. A rather tight pinch. But if Santa could do it, then so could Cozy and the Grinch.” Cozy Glow carefully tied a holiday rope along the ankles of the Grinch’s feet ever so tightly, to secure her cohort for the big dive. Once the Grinch was properly secure, he prepared to make the dive first (‘Fleas before beauty’ as he’d say). “He’s planning a double-twisting interrupted forward-flying 2-and-a-half…” Cozy informed Max. “With a combo tuck and pike. High degree of difficulty… a hundred percent!” Cozy Glow and Max stood watch as the Grinch finally made his dive high in the air. He twirled about in the air several times before twisting himself into position for the dive down the chimney. He bellowed loudly and made his way down the chimney… only to slide down only halfway. To his shock, The Grinch Found himself wedged tightly in the chimney, his giant belly being the cause of it. “He got stuck only once, for a moment or two.” “Bit of a tight spot, huh Grinch?!” Cozy called out. “Blasted water weight!” The Grinch grumbled. “Goes right to my hips.” The Grinch struggled and squirmed trying to wriggle himself down the chimney, but it was clear to the naked eye that he was stuck. Cozy Glow slowly shook her head before facing Max. “Looks like it’s up to Cozy Glow to save the day… again,” Cozy groaned. She fluttered atop of The Grinch’s feet and proceeded to hop up and down trying to push him down the chimney. “Urgh! All I’ve got to say is this ole Grinch better appreciate… THIIIIIIIIIIIIIIISSSS!!!” Suddenly, Cozy Glow felt the Grinch squeeze down the chimney and they both were sent falling through the brick-layered tube into the house. Fortunately, the fall didn’t last long as the Grinch struck his head on the yule logs at the bottom of the chimney, and he found himself hanging upside down. Though his vision was wrong, he could see that the living room area was empty. “Then he stuck his head out of the fireplace flue…” “Shh!” The Grinch shushed the narrator. “A little more stealth, please.” “Who’re you talking to?” Cozy asked, in the chimney. “Cozy…” The Grinch looked up. “Shut… up!” “Where the little Who stockings all hung in a row.” “These stockings…” “He grinned…” “… are the first thing to go,” The Grinch concluded. “Cozy, bring me the jar!” Cozy Glow proceeded to hand The Grinch a jar containing a swarm of insects, probably moths. “Okay, fellas. Show time.” One twist on the lid, and the moths were set free to do their work. They proceeded to swarm over all the stockings hanging over the Chimney. In a matter of seconds, all the stockings were torn to shreds. While they went to work, the Grinch hoisted himself back up the chimney while Cozy Glow fluttered her way into the house. As she looked around the house, checking to make sure none of the Who’s or the Equestrians were up and about, her eyes caught sight of a rather extraordinary present. Sitting by the Christmas tree in front of all the presents, she saw what appeared to be a giant swing set with a holiday theme to it. She found a card sitting on top which read ‘For Cindy Lou’. No doubt these silly Who’s wasted a ton of money putting together some playground equipment she’s likely to use only ‘one’ time. Still, the little filly had an idea in her devious mind. “Fine workmanship…” Cozy replied. “AAAH-CHOO!!!” One sneeze and a smirk was all Cozy Glow needed as she the swing-set toppled on its side and broke into a billion pieces. <> Unbeknownst to Cozy Glow, the disturbance in the house did not go unnoticed. Starlight Glimmer and Cindy Lou were just out of the bedroom heading for the kitchen when the crash froze them in place. Their eyes went wide, and they stood quietly as they slowly faced each other. “What was that Starlight?” Cindy asked nervously. “I don’t know,” Starlight answered. “Stay close.” Slowly the pair made their way forward, with Starlight Glimmer taking the lead ever so cautiously. Just then, they heard a sound coming from one of the rooms inches away. They turned their heads toward each other as if attempting to read each other’s minds. Then Starlight Glimmer used her magic horn to cast an aura upon the doorhandle… and she swung the door open. Starlight Glimmer positioned herself for a fight… only for her face to turn red, her eyes widened, and her cheek twitched while Cindy looked over her shoulder curiously. There lying in one of the guest beds, snuggled so closely together, and staring back just as awkwardly, Rainbow Dash and Applejack stared wide-eyed toward their two friends. Judging by the commotion under the sheets, their rather ‘awkward’ position, and Rainbow Dash wearing Applejack’s hat… it was obvious to Starlight what they were up to. “Uh… can we have five more minutes?” Rainbow asked sheepishly. Starlight Glimmer didn’t award that question with an answer, merely stared blankly toward the scene. She then slowly closed the door before turning away. “What happened?” Cindy asked curiously. “I’ll… let your parents tell you… when you’re older…” Starlight murmured, walking ahead. <> A large suction tube lowered down the chimney and flicking on the switch they proceeded to turn on the suction consuming as much holiday material inside like a vacuum. Everything from the gift wrapped boxes, to some holiday decorations, and tiny presents left from the remains of the torn stockings. It took a matter of seconds for the motley trio to steal as much holiday décor as they could, with Max keeping watch on the roof to make certain no onlookers would catch them in the act. All while the large sack slowly grew with all the gifts and ornaments inside. Eventually, the Grinch returned to the living room to rendezvous with Cozy Glow. The two swarmed their way into the kitchen where ‘all’ the holiday meals were kept inside. “Then they slunk to the icebox.” “Slunk!” The Grinch remarked, hugging the fridge. “Wow… real subtle Mr. Grinch,” Cozy muttered. Ignoring the little filly’s remark, the Grinch casually opened the icebox, and both set of eyes scanned all the food sitting so comfortably in the cold. So much food for one big feast… or at least to feed the entire house. It would be such a shame if anything were to happen to all of it. “They eyed the Who’s feast. They took the who pudding; they took the roast beast.” “Set!” Cozy Glow called. “Blue forty-two! Set—” “Hike!” The Grinch shouted. The Grinch proceeded to toss the beast backward like a football and Cozy Glow caught the beast with her hooves. As she proceeded to fly back up the chimney with the whole morsel in her clutches, the Grinch proceeded to clear out the rest of the icebox of all its treasures. “They cleaned out that icebox as quick as a flash. Why, that Grinch and his elf, they even took their last can of Who hash. Then they stuffed all the food up the chimney with glee.” With the entire icebox and every cupboard in the kitchen ransacked, that left only one thing for the pair to clear away. “And now…” “Grinned the Grinch…” “We’ll stuff up the tree!” The Grinch declared. “I say we wrap this up and clear the stage!” Cozy added, bringing out the stars. “Save your ammo, kiddo! I got this one!” With great strength, the Grinch heaved the entire tree and its decorations off the floor hauling it toward the opening of the chimney. Nothing could possibly go wrong~ “And he started to shove… When they heard a small sound, like the coo of a dove.” “Yeah…” Cozy nodded, then blinked. “Wait, what?” Sure enough, stalking their way down the stairs, Starlight Glimmer and Cozy Glow came down to investigate all the commotion in their house (Minus the activity they spotted moments ago). They peered over the ledge of the stairs, trying to catch a glimpse of who was intruding in the Lou Who family’s house. “Excuse me?” Cindy greeted lightly. The Grinch and Cozy Glow froze in place, realizing they had been caught. Briefly catching the pair at the stairs, they quickly set the tree up straight and quickly hid themselves behind it. They kept their mouths shut, not wanting to make another sound. They hoped the pair were just seeing things, would turn back up the stairs, and walk away. But Starlight and Cindy merely continued down the living room, driven by a sense of curiosity. “The Grinch and Cozy had been caught By this pony and tiny Who daughter… The latter getting out of bed For a cup of cold water.” “Santa Claus?” Cindy spoke. “If that’s who you really are…” Starlight added. “What are you doing with our tree?” Behind the tree, The Grinch bit his nails nervously and Cozy fluttered his wings at an anxiously fast pace. They knew if they didn’t act fast, they would be caught, and all their holiday schemes would be ruined. “What will we do? What’ll we do?” Cozy whispered frantically. “What ARE we going to do?!” “But, you know, that old Grinch and pony Were so smart and so slick… They thought up a lie, And they thought it up quick.” One look toward one another and smiles slowly formed on their faces, for they both knew they were sharing the same crazy idea. The Grinch raised a finger up his lips and Cozy nodded rapidly, then he hurled his arms out and threw in the best Santa Claus impression he could muster. “Why… my sweet little tot!” “The fake Santa Claus lied.” “There’s a light on this tree… that won’t… light on one side,” The Grinch continued, flicking the light. “So I’m taking it home to my workshop, my dears.” Grinch proceeded to chortle out some ‘Ho, Ho, Ho’s!’ chuckling just the way that Santa Claus would act. This actually stirred a chuckle out of Cindy Lou and Starlight Glimmer, for one reason or another. Either they were actually buying into the Grinch’s act… or they decided to let him play along as he was having fun with this charade. “I’ll fix it up there… and I’ll bring it back here,” The Grinch concluded. As the Grinch positioned his arms back behind the tree, Starlight Glimmer leaned her head towards Cindy Lou. “That’s the Grinch trying to act like Santa Claus, isn’t it?” Starlight whispered. “Uh huh!” Cindy nodded. “Which means Cozy Glow is not far.” “Probably…” “We’re just going to play along, aren’t we?” “Yeah…” Once they emerged from their huddle, Cindy Lou cautiously approached the tree knowing there was one thing on her mind. “Santa, what’s Christmas really about?” Cindy asked innocently. “Vengeance!” The Grinch answered, peeking out. The pair reeled back from the Grinch’s sudden answer. All was silent for a moment as the Grinch realized what an awkward position he stood in right now. “I mean… presents…” The Grinch answered kindly. “I suppose.” “I was afraid of that…” Cindy sighed sadly. Starlight Glimmer turned toward Cindy, with a look of sympathy upon her face. She knew this was not the answer that Cindy was looking for nor was it the answer that Starlight herself hoped to hear either. But if even ‘Santa Claus’ were to say that Christmas, in the end, was truly all about the ‘presents’ and nothing more… what meaning was there to look for. It’s no wonder that the Who child seemed so discouraged. “And his fib fooled the child. Then he patted her head, And he got her a drink… and he sent them to bed.” Starlight Glimmer and Cindy Lou made their way back up the stairs after confirming their suspicions with ‘Santa’. Cindy carried a cold glass of water in her hand, generously provided by ole Saint Nick himself. The Grinch and Cozy Glow still remained hidden behind the tree, waiting for them to climb up the stairs so they could proceed with their heist. Yet the Who child and the unicorn did not get very far when something else came to mind. “We know you’re not the real Santa Claus,” Starlight Glimmer admitted. “What?” The Grinch grunted, regaining his character. “What makes you say that? Just, uh… out of curiosity.” “We’re old enough to know how this all works…” Starlight continued. “But we also know you’re working with him. That being said, we’d like for you to give him a message.” “… Shoot.” “Don’t forget the Grinch,” Cindy Lou requested. The Grinch’s expression suddenly changed from annoyance to interest in a matter of seconds. To think this child, of all the Who’s, would be asking ‘Santa’ himself not to forget spreading Christmas to someone as vile and nasty as the Grinch himself. He did not say it, but his thoughts were begging the question, ‘Why?’. Why after ‘everything’ he’s done to these Who’s for years… why would she want Santa to give him a Christmas anyway? “I know he’s mean and hairy and smelly,” Cindy Lou admitted. “His hands might be cold and clammy. But we think he’s actually kind of… sweet.” “Sweet?!” The Grinch remarked, softening. “You think he’s… sweet?” “My teacher and friend, Twilight Sparkle, taught me never to judge some pony until you’ve truly gotten to know them,” Starlight added. “I was just like the Grinch in my own way. I was callous, ill-tempered… and admittedly very ‘disrespectful’ to my fellow ponies… especially the royalty. But the moment Twilight reached out to me, even at my lowest point, she made me believe I could still be worthwhile… just as I feel someone should’ve done for the Grinch… and perhaps even Cozy Glow. “So if you would please tell Santa… that instead of presents this year… my friends and I want Cozy Glow back.” Now this stirred some confusion from the Grinch, while Cozy Glow silently shook her head and waved a hoof over her throat while mouthing, ‘No, no, no, no, no, no!’. “Um… you sure you wouldn’t want… toys?” The Grinch asked. “No toys,” Starlight shook her head. “Nothing but Cozy Glow. Despite everything she’s done, despite any creatures she tried to hurt or offend… we still want her back anyway so we could tell her… we’re sorry… I’m sorry…” “You’re… sorry?” The Grinch asked slowly. Cozy Glow’s eyes widened with confusion, wondering what Starlight Glimmer had to be sorry for if everything she did was on purpose. “We know she’s not the nicest pony in Equestria,” Starlight continued. “We know she became obsessed with power and control; to be honest, we don’t really know why. We weren’t planning to send her to Tartarus initially… nor did we plan to turn her to stone… but we didn’t know what else to do. We couldn’t understand ‘why’ she acted that way, we knew ‘nothing’ about her at the time Twilight’s school opened… we don’t even know if she had a family… who probably miss her every day. She doesn’t have to tell us about the Legion, or what they’re planning, we just want to understand her. Even if we can never ‘forget’ all the crimes she took part in, putting Equestria at risk… we ‘are’ willing to forgive her… because that’s what friends do.” “… Friends…” Cozy Glow whispered. “Oh! And before I forget!” Starlight remembered. “There’s more?” The Grinch muttered, under his breath. “If you have the time… we’d like to have Discord’s theater back. Discord may be a lot of things… but he helped bring us all together to watch our adventures so they could share our experience in some way. And even though he can be mischievous, malicious even… he’s still our friend and he ‘has’ done good for us when it mattered. So, we really owe him that much. Okay?” The Grinch stood silently hearing the whole speech from this one pony. Even though it sounded so naïve of her to think there’s any good to come from either himself or his little Grinch junior, the way she spoke out so honestly and sincerely… for a moment he felt… touched. Slowly, the Grinch shook his head from behind the tree. “Sure…” The Grinch spoke. “I’ll, uh… I’ll see what I can do.” “Merry Christmas, Santa,” Cindy Lou concluded. “And a Happy Hearth’s Warming!” Starlight added. The Grinch and Cozy Glow cringed with disgust, the former trying so hard to cover his ears despite already catching those words. Eventually, Cindy Lou and Starlight Glimmer decided to climb back up the stairs so the little unicorn can help Cindy Lou back to bed. The two villains kept their ears open, hearing the footsteps fading as they climbed higher and higher. Until at last, when they were completely alone, they had all the time to dwell on the words those two had said. “And when Cindy Lou went up with her cup…” “Nice kid…” The Grinch admitted. “Bad judge of character… that’s all they are,” Cozy Glow muttered. “C’mon… we still have Christmas to steal!” “Right!” And so the Grinch and Cozy Glow proceeded to carry on with their dastardly, dirty plan… determined to see their plans through while trying to completely ignore ‘everything’ those two girls said of them. “… they went to the chimney and stuffed the tree up.” Quick as whips, they hurled the tree through the chimney and the tree itself soared high into the air for a moment or two. Seeing that it seemed there were nothing left to steal, they made their way back up through the chimney. Cozy Glow fluttered out first while The Grinch tugged the rope and pulled himself back up to the roof so they could continue their heist… but not before leaving with a few last minute ‘purchases’. “And the last thing they took was the log for their fire. On their walls they left nothing but some hooks and some wire. And the one speck of food that he’d left in the house… Was a crumb that was even too small for a mouse.” With the Lou Who house completely empty, even taking the mouse itself for the road, our fiendish pair of thieves proceeded to continue their effort to steal Christmas… and there were tons more houses to explore and pillage from. <> “Then they slithered and slunk with smiles most unpleasant Around each Who-home, and they took every present~” In the living room of one Who-home, a giant saw came through the floorboard. It circled around a decorated tree, and the presents surrounding it. Once the saw made its complete trip, the tree and gifts fell through the giant hole. A moment after, the Grinch’s hands popped up to grab the edge of the hole. He pulled himself up while Cozy flew herself in. “Clearance sale,” The Grinch uttered. “Everything must go~” “Yeah… it’s like we’re doing them a favor,” Cozy Glow nodded. “Giving them more room to—” “Put your hands up!” An Irish voice from upstairs caused Cozy and the Grinch to fearfully put their hooves/hands up. They wondered if they just woke up a Who cop, as they heard footsteps coming downstairs behind them. “Get out of the car, you… oh what, I’m not talking to you…” They soon raised an eyebrow as they quietly looked at each other, clearly confused. They slowly turned around… to see Police Chief Wholihan in his pajamas and nightcap sleepwalking… and apparently sleep-talking down the stairs. “Yes, I see it there… you think I don’t see it, eh?” Wholihan muttered sleepily. “Oh, yes… you think I wouldn’t notice, eh? Wholihan was about to approach the big hole. Fortunately, Cozy flew up and began to whisper into his ear. “Calling all cops, calling all cops!” Cozy imitated an officer. “We got a Grinchy emergency on Whistling Who Lane. All officers, please respond, over~” “What the…?” His foot was just about to step into the hole before he stopped for a brief moment. One leg stood raised before he slowly turned himself around. “Chief Mulvaney Wholihan Who reporting in, ma’am… I’m on me way…” He yawned. He changed directions towards his closet. Cozy let out a slight snicker as she opened the door, allowing Wholihan to walk right in before falling asleep against the back of his closet. Cozy quietly closed the door, locking it tight before facing the Grinch, who wiped away imaginary sweat. “Nice save, kid~” “No prob~” Cozy smirked. “Now… let’s see what other Christmas junk is lying around here~” <> At another Who-home, the great big vacuum tube sucked every bit of Christmas cheer and paraphernalia in the house including the tree, the presents, and the stockings. Of course… the vacuum proved ‘too’ successful, as it also absorbed any unnecessary items, like an angry Persian cat from its spot on the chair. The cat was immediately sucked through the tube, which led outside towards the Grinch’s sleigh, where all the stuff gathered inside a large sack. Cozy was the first to notice the vacuum staring to jam up, even spotting some white fluff emerging from the lever slot. “Mr. Grinch, we have a problem!” The Grinch turned to see Cozy pointing to the vacuum. “What… now?!” He scowled, unplugging the tube. “Looks like something is blocking the flow,” Cozy observed. “I’ll see about that,” The Grinch uttered. He took the tube off and peeked inside. At first, it seemed like there was nothing… till his eyes widened as that angry cat jumped out with a loud shriek. The cat latched onto his head as he struggled to pry the cat off. “Kid! Help me! Get this thing off me!” The Grinch yowled. Cozy, however, had a different reaction. She sat back as the Grinch tried to pull the cat off his face. “Why? This is my favorite show,” She remarked gleefully. “When Angry Cats Attack Grinches.” She then pulled out a cup of popcorn from the sack, eating her snack while watching the cat do a number on her cohort’s face. <> Outside Martha’s home, while Cozy’s De-Decorator robots coiled at every one of her lights, the Grinch and Cozy snuck inside. As Cozy was busy clearing out the stuff from the lower level, the Grinch made his way into her bedroom. Though he was sorely tempted by any childhood affection for her, his Grinchy instincts re-took control as he shut the box holding her ring from the Mayor before grabbing it. He quickly made faces at her sleeping form before leaving her room… only to find Cozy Glow, with a sack of Christmas joy, looking inward with a raised eyebrow. “What?!” He asked quietly. “Just making sure you weren’t going soft, Mr. Grinch,” She replied, fluttering off. “Just… making sure.” <> One of their next stops was a big one for the Grinch: Mayor May-Who’s house. Once again, while the De-Decorators got to work, the Grinch, Max, and Cozy would take the inside. Of course, the Mayor’s house was highly protected against any normal prowler… but the Grinch was far from any ‘normal prowler’. Cozy watched with a befuddled look as she watched him latch his filthy lips against the glass of one of the windows before using his fingers to make a large circular cut against the glass. Soon as the tips of his fingers met, to Cozy’s amazement, the Grinch pulled his head away, revealing his lips acted like a powerful suction cup. Once the glass was disposed of, the trio snuck their way in through the window. The Grinch led them all the way upstairs toward May-Who’s bedroom. He quietly pushed the door open, revealing the Mayor wearing some curlers and a strap around his head. Likely to remedy for the ‘big shave’ the Grinch gave him at the Whobilation. As the Grinch softly chuckled at his handiwork, May-Who began to stir in his sleep, causing the Grinch to silence himself. “Martha… have you ever kissed a man who lost his tonsils twice?” The Mayor muttered. Cozy suddenly had a very wicked idea, one she quickly whispered into the Grinch’s ear. An idea which earned a very eager smile from her associate before she fluttered over next to the bed, lowering her voice to sound like Martha. “Why, no… silly~! But I’ve always wanted to kiss someone as… as… incredibly handsome as you, Augustus~” “Oh… really? Heh-heh… tell me more, Martha…” “More? Let’s see… you’re tall… cultured… well-dressed…” Cozy ushered the Grinch over, who picked up Max who gave an uncertain whine. Cozy leaned closely toward the Mayor, continuing her rather ‘saucy’ tone. “Full of Christmas spirit… and your… combover is so… sexy~” “Well… I do it all for you, milady…” May-Who sleepily agreed. “And you know… we are under the mistletoe… you know what that means, right?” The sleeping May-Who merely puckered his lips as the Grinch brought Max over towards his bitter archenemy. “As I said… to kiss such a man, I never have done so. But it’s an experience that I always longedfor…” The Grinch immediately turned Max around so his… well, ‘tail end’ faced the Mayor before lowering him close. “Oh, pucker up, Augie!” Cozy beckoned. “Kiss me, you fool~!” A loud *SMOOCH!* was heard and Max’s eyes widened, realizing what the Mayor just laid his lips on. The Grinch quickly pulled away, leaving May-Who seemingly euphoric and unaware of what he just kissed. Meanwhile, Max ran his behind along the floor to wipe away the awful experience as he whined with horror. “You know… for kids!” Cozy Glow smiled sinisterly. The Grinch soon pulled out a hook and rope, attaching it to the bed before handing the other end to Cozy. “Strap that to the squad car outside~” The Grinch uttered silently. “An unexpected wake-up call? I love it~” With glee, she flew over to the window and opened it to attach the rope to the Mayor’s new ‘Christmas morning alarm’. <> For the rest of the night, the Grinch and Cozy Glow proceed to steal just about everything in Whoville. All the gifts under the tree; every gizmo designed just for the holiday. Everything that rang even an ounce of ‘Christmas Cheer’ did not go unnoticed by the two sinister thieves. They knew they wouldn’t be satisfied not until every last trace of the Christmas season was theirs for the taking. Their sinister laughter echoed across the streets, with no one in Whoville all the wiser. “The Grinch and Cozy went to work, stealing every Who toy They raced against time, and they fought against joy Though they hit some snags as they made their way through Like an angry Who-house cat… and even a sleepwalking Who.” Speaking of which, during one stop, Cozy Glow opened the cupboard and her face dropped with shock. “YOU~!!!” The angry cat screeched and latched onto Cozy Glow’s face, sending her in a screaming fit. She flew around the house struggling to pry the vicious animal off her. “GRINCH! GET THIS THING OFF OF ME!!!” Cozy squirmed. And yet the Grinch just casually leaned on the counter, eating a leg off another Roast Beast from the house’s icebox. “Why? This is my favorite show!” The Grinch smirked. “GRINCH!!!!!!!!!!” “They stole pop guns and bicycles, roller skates, drums, Checkerboards, tricycles, popcorn and plums. Gadgets and gizmos and toys with strange names, Goofballs and shloof-balls and board games.” The Grinch and Cozy Glow had many creative ways of stealing the holiday spirit from the Who’s using an arrow to catch a few presents and blast them out of a house. Even snagging some candy apples from the dreams of a sleeping innocent Who child. They plucked every object off a Christmas tree and every gift from every stocking one by one. There seemed to be no end to the antics as their goal was nearly met. “Yes, they swiped, and they poached; yes, the stealing was on. And this day they greatly hated, well… that made it begone…” <> After all the Who’s Christmas stuff was stolen, the Grinch took one of the lights from the giant tree in the center of town, twisting it counter-clockwise which caused every Christmas light throughout the town to go out. The Grinch laughed and snickered as he made his way back to the sleigh while Cozy was busy delivering the last of her ‘gifts’ to the last Who-homes. “Well, we took all the gifts, trees, and lights,” The Grinch uttered, with spiteful joy. “We un-decked every single hall!” “Well, golly! Looks like this year there won’t be a Christmas after all!” Cozy added. She and the Grinch laughed evilly; of course, they soon realized they just rhymed. The Grinch attempted to salvage the mistaken verse. “Uh… I mean, uh…” “Oh, what does it matter?” Cozy Glow retorted. “We took all their Christmas, and I made sure to leave a nasty surprise in each home for their trouble! Let’s get out of here~” “Why not? I guess I can let it slide… seeing I am in a good mood for once~ Now then… only onething left to do before my time in Whoville is done~ We take all this stuff to the top of Mount Crumpit…” “And shove them all over like yesterday’s trash!” The two continued to laugh as they made their way back to the sleigh. The Grinch started her back up, the engines began to whir, and the sleigh lifted into the air, carrying the heavy load as the Grinch and Cozy started to laugh maniacally at the success of their Christmas scheme. However, they just reached half-way up the dimmed Whoville Christmas tree when they heard the boosters sputtering. “Eh?” The Grinch raised a brow. “Why aren’t we going any—” Suddenly, the light, fans, and boosters stopped working with the sleigh in midair. “… higher?” The Grinch whined slightly. The Grinch and Cozy screamed as the sleigh came back down onto the ground, holding onto their load to make sure nothing spilled from the crash landing. “Did we lose anything, kid?” Cozy flew up to check the strapping and the giant sack. “Nope!” She called out. “We still got everything!” “What went wrong? What could we have forgotten?!” Max barked a few times as he pawed at the gas gauge. The Grinch looked down to see that the gas level was no longer at ‘Full’, but instead went to ‘Not So Full’, ‘Going-Going’, and finally… ‘Gone’. Cozy fluttered down to see what the matter was. “Out of gas?” She slowly turned toward the Grinch with a furrowed look and a sour glare. “I told you to make sure we had plenty of gas for the return trip!” “What? No, you didn’t!” The Grinch frowned. “I did! I even wrote it on your hand!” “That’s ridiculous!” The Grinch argued, drawing his hand up. “There’s no way I remember you writing—” However, as he checked the furry palm of his hand, he saw the words ‘Fill Up On Gas!’ written in black marker all over. The Grinch looked up and forward, completely dumbfounded. “Oh crud…” “Urgh! It’s too late now! Even if we could get more fuel… from the sound of that landing, the boosters and air-lift system may be heavily damaged. In other words… this sleigh’s grounded, thanks to you, Mr. Forgetful!” The Grinch growled in irritation before Max barked some more at his master, causing the latter to face the dog. “What are you laughing at… Rudolph?” Cozy’s eyes widened as she realized what the Grinch was getting at. “Oh yeah… we already got a reindeer here~ I’ll just strap Max in while we ride the sleigh back up, boss~!” “Yeah… we’ll do that,” The Grinch nodded slowly. Except for one eensy-weensy, but ever so crucial tiny detail, my child…” “What’s that?” Cozy asked, confused. “I don’t have a reindeer… I have reindeer~” “Huh?” “I’m using the plural ‘reindeer’, as in ‘more than one’ stinking reindeer.” “No… you don’t!” “Yes… I… do…” The Grinch uttered, smirking. He leaned closely toward her, with each word spat out. Cozy could not fathom what he meant until… it dawned on her. She made herself as ‘cute’ as possible, puffing her cheeks in hopes of dissuading him from what he was thinking. “You wouldn’t make a wittle filly like me pull your big, heavy load, would you~?” <> “HE BUCKING WOULD!!!” She angrily shouted. Against the howling winds, Cozy and Max groaned as they hauled the sleigh up the snowy mountain with harnesses attached to them. The Grinch mushed them forward and upward at the crack of his whip. “It’s all you, Max! Move them hooves, horse!” “Ten thousand feet up, up the side of Mount Crumpit, He rode with his load, to the tiptop to dump it.” After what seemed like hours, the dog and pony managed to tug the sleigh up to the very peak of the mountain before exhaustedly collapsing onto the snow. The Grinch eyed the two of them, seeing they’ve reached their limits, with Max whining ad Cozy panting as she complained. “He’s… gonna… pay…” She vented between breaths. Having reached the top, the Grinch cackled as he hopped off the sleigh and looked out toward the horizon, enjoying the view and the victory. “We… DID I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-T!!!” He exclaimed to the heavens. The Grinch proceed to dance around like a sore winning, chanting ‘We did it, we did it!’ in a sing-song tone while clapping his hands before dancing over to his dog and Cozy. “That wasn’t so bad, was it, guys~?” Max gave only a whimper. As for Cozy… “That… wasn’t… fair…” She panted out. “Come on~ A little hard work never killed anyone. Besides… imagine how much later it would’ve been if I just had Max do all the work~” As the Grinch turned his gaze back toward the quiet Whoville, while Max lied on the snow, Cozy slowly found her legs as she stood back up. With the Grinch’s eyes off her, Cozy pulled out a small remote from her hat and pressed a button before quickly tossing it over the cliff. “With the Grinch’s eyes off her, Cozy did pull out a gizmo, An odd remote whose button she did press in one go. Then she chucked it right over the cliff, the sour-bratten~ What sort of wicked scheme could Cozy be plotting…?” “Oay… we got all their stuff…” Cozy sighed. “Now… let’s dump it all over the cliff. Then I’ll signal for a portal to bring us to headquarters immediately.” The Grinch, however, was silent as his gaze was unbroken. “Mr. Grinch? Did you hear me?” “Yes… I did. And we’ll get to it… just not now…” Cozy’s eyes widened like saucers as she fell back in the snow exasperated. “Why not…?” She whined. “We’ll get to it… after we see the rotten fruits of our nasty labors~” “What rotten fruits?” “Why, from the Who’s, of course~” He turned to dance towards Cozy Glow, lifting her up like a rag doll. “It’ll be quite a sight!” “The Grinch was grinchily humming…” He continued his dance of Grinchy joy, spinning the exhausted Cozy Glow around. “Why, any second they’ll find out that noChristmas is coming. They’ll be waking up any time now… and I know just what they’ll do~ Their mouths will hang open a minute or two… then the Who’s down in Whoville will all cry… ‘Boo-hoo’…” He stopped as he tossed her towards the ledge before walking himself over for a closer look on the horizon. Cozy slowly stood back up, recovering from being spun around before a pair of binoculars were dropped in front of her while the Grinch pulled out his own pair to look through. “Oh… that is just the very thing we simply mustsee~” Cozy groaned at the hold-up on their plan. However, she figured there was still some enjoyment in seeing others miserable. So she followed her associate’s lead and looked down toward Whoville. Any minute from now, the waterworks will start flowing… and at long last, Cozy Glow would truly feel like a winner.