//------------------------------// // The Starting Sales // Story: Lighting up the Sky // by JakeDrake //------------------------------// Chapter 3 The Starting Sales The week following the departure from Cloudsdale was rather slow, with the exception of the slight interactions with the odd Changelings sleeping in the upper alcove. The nearest town was a very long way away, but little work for the wagon which needed a simple supply of magic from a unicorn or a battery charged by magic. The wagon was much more orginized with plenty of the crates holding the fireworks supplies tucked to the side giving plenty room for a small table and hanging baskets of fruits and vegetables. By noon, the small town of Timberbridge was in sight, a small town compared to Cloudsdale full of ponies of every shape size and color. Stopping the Wagon on a hill less than a mile from town, Sky Light started to push different crates out of the door to be loaded on a small collapsible cart he’d pull to their small market. He smiled, he knew he would be able to sell enough to get his name out there. Perhaps he’d even get a new pair of normal horseshoes to replace the ones he had left on the side of the road, with the old bits of magic burnt out of them. “What is it that you are doing?” Asked the chittering voice which Sky Light had surprisingly rarely heard. With the Changeling sleeping above his own bed, one would think he’d be louder or at least more watchful during the day. But it seemed to Sky Light that Changelings were at bit Nocturnal, if not this one was enjoyed the night more than day. Whenever the Changeling did speak it was sudden, making Sky Light nearly jump every time. The chittering tones were...unnerving to say the least. “Just a town, I’m going to sell some of my fireworks.” Sky Light replied after shaking his head and staking the crates with his magic. He felt the huge blue eyes of the Changeling boring into the back of his head, it was unnerving as he finished strapping everything down with a quick turn of his head. “What am I to do then?” The Changeling asked not leaving the wagons dark doorway, they were far enough from anypony that they wouldn’t be seen, but it seemed that the odd creature was still paranoid from far sighted eyes. “I don’t know, whatever it is you do in your little zone when I’m driving?” Sky Light said shrugging as he moved to strap the cart to his shoulders so he would be able to pull it straight to town and back. He kept the aura going on the odd knot he was tieing when he saw a flash of green fire. He nearly yelled in fear when he saw a rather average green earth pony now standing in his doorway staring at him with bright eyes. “I am coming with you.” The Changeling said, it wasn’t a request. It was an order, he was going to come whether Sky Light wanted him to or not. As Sky Light just continued to strap the cart finally and walk down the dirt path he struggled to move much. He mumbled under his breath about packing too much stuff for the day until he felt the cart move with his pushing much easier. He saw beside him the dull green coat of the Changeling in disguise next to him and smiled, if he was coming and helping it wouldn’t be too bad. “So...” Sky Light said as they continued to push the cart down the road toward a few small homes with small ponies playing in their yards or elderly tending gardens happily. “I never did get your name, with all the driving I’ve been doing and all the hiding in your bunk you’ve been doing we didn’t exchange names.” The Changeling looked at him with a strange expression, one of distrust and interest at the same time. His ce was much more readable while a pony and much less imposing to say the least. Sky Light let himself smile a bit, he wasn’t glaring at him or bearing any fangs. “You may call me Jitters.” It said finally looking forward pushing a bit harder as they started up a small hill. While Sky Light looked at him and they kept their pace up the hill together responded, “My name is Sky Light.” He kept his eyes to the road which got a bit more level near the top and smiled. It seems the Changeling wasn’t all bad at least. Now he wouldn’t have to push and pull everything on his own to different towns. The town wasn’t busy at this time of day, the roads mostly free of other ponies except for a few school foals and other adults who had to go to different chores throughout their day so they would have time for themselves. The market place was well defined, the other small stands and stalls were set up while their owners were sitting behind them setting the different wares up to look nice for those passing by. Sky Light took a deep breath, finding a small side area where no one else was setting up and parked his cart. He smiled and started to pull a few things up to have his rather small sign with the picture of a few different fireworks. He smiled nodding to Chitters who had started to sit down at a nearby bench and close his eyes. The crowd started to wonder in, the shoppers browsing all the different stalls with their friends by their sides. Ponies buying fruit, different tools, even flowers from a different shack and eating them as they left. Keeping a smile on his face and fooling with one of the firework bags to make a sort of ‘grab bag’ of tiny and cheap fireworks to be sold to anypony wanted it. The only problem is that none of them wanted any Fireworks. Two hours went by and no one bought a single firecracker, Not a single fizzing flyer, not even his unique lanterns that glowed with the symbols of different famous pony’s cutie marks. It was rather grim from his point of view and eventually, near noon he let himself fall into a light nap in the sun. He felt himself fall into a faint dream about making great fireworks that would turn into dragons, the only problem was that it was lit by fools who ran from it and caused chaos. When he heard a loud slam on his small wagons side and bolted up, nearly falling backwards and onto the ground. He rubbed his eyes to see the calm looking gentlepony, he had an odd looking mustache. He had a foal next to him, who was staring at the different crates of fireworks. Some were so full they had bits and cones poking out of the top to give a bit of enticing images to the buyers. “How may I help you today? I’m Sky Light, crafter of these fine fireworks.” Sky Light asked the two unicorns with a smile after clearing his throat. It wasn’t a real smile, but one he had perfected to look like a ‘happy to serve’ employee. The colt, who was a light grey and had a few coins as his cuite mark looked at the older pony next to him expectingly. “Yes, Yes. Well my son here, Lucky Money, would wish to know how much some of your fire works would be.” The Older pony asked and pointed to one of the largest crates he had brought. It was full of Spitting Fires, Belching Beasts, and even a few Zebra trees. All high class, well made, and rather expensive to make. “Well,” Sky Light said smiling and pulled out one of each of the items. One was a freestanding little figure in the shape of a Manticore, another was a seemingly normal firework with the symbol of the Wonderbolts on the side, and the last was a rather normal looking fake wooden tree. “Each of these are roughly fifty bits a pop. For one of each bought at once I’d go to about...One-Twenty five.” Of course, this was a bit more than normal, but with their clothes and money related Cutie Marks he doubted they'd be too pressed for bits. "Dad, I want all three." Lucky Money said, his snotty tone nearly made Sky Bolt cringe. "Yes, yes. One of each please." Said the stallion before the colt stomped his hoof. "I want two of each!" The haughty tone implied that a tantrum would soon follow. The stallion gave a shake of his mane, his light wrinkles around his eyes had a clear source. Sky Light looked at them both and motioned for the father to lean a bit closer. "I'll bump it down another thirty. Two hundred twent bits, you need the break more than me." He offered while the six items floated onto the table. The stallion had a slight look of relief and said, "That sounds fair. Thank you." He dug out the large sum of bits, all rolled up in neat twenty bit packs. A quick count and the fireworks were bagged up. The stallion and Sky Light shared a quick nod, the two customers turned and left. The colt trying to grab at the bag and the stallion pulling it away with his amber colored magic. Sky Light smiled, his first real sale had gone remarkably well. The other ponies had caught a bit of other's interest. He had a few of the better dressed buying the more expensive fireworks, word spread and by days end most of the boxes empty. Sky Light smiled looking at everything he had sold, packing back up was far easier. The cart was pulled down and the sign pulled to be in the small bottom again to finish the deal. As he pulled out the block breaks, he looked to the nearby bench to find Chitters. What he saw was far more shocking, the particular lack of the disguised pony. His head whipped back and forth, trying to find him. Finally he saw the Changeling, the one still disguised as the green earth pony as this morning. The lack of cuts or being a shaved was a slight relief. The only problem was that he had a pair of mares hanging on his sides.