Profit And Loss
The School of Friendship students were gathered in the Magic classroom, awaiting an announcement from Headmare Starlight.
"Good morning, students." Starlight smiled. "Today marks the beginning of a special week here at the School of Friendship: charity week!"
The students shared some looks, most of them intrigued by the announcement.
"I'm sure you're all wondering what this means." Starlight noted. "So I think I'll turn things over to our resident expert on Generosity, Professor Rarity."
Starlight stepped aside, allowing Rarity to take the podium.
"Thank you, darling." She smiled. "Now then, dear students, charity is all about raising Bits for worthy causes. So all of you, whether in groups or individuals, shall enact projects where you raise money for these worthy causes."
"What kind of projects, Professor Rarity?" Ocellus inquired.
"They can be anything you like." Rarity declared. "Whatever you think can raise the most Bits for the less fortunate."
"And, er, who are these 'less fortunate', exactly?" Gallus asked.
"I'm glad you asked." Rarity nodded, overlooking the sardonic tone in the Griffon's voice. "We have a list of charitable causes over on the announcement board. Just write your names by the cause you wish to donate your profits to. You have until Friday evening to raise as much as you can."
"Do the ones who raise the most Bits get a prize?" Smolder raised her claw, her inherent dragon competitiveness flaring up.
"They certainly will." Rarity nodded. "They will have their picture taken, and put up on the notice board for all to see for the rest of the year."
"Good enough for me." Smolder shrugged.
"Wonderful." Rarity smiled. "Good luck to all of you. And if you have any questions, feel free to ask your Generosity teacher - i.e. me. Now, off to class, students."
The students began to file out of the room for their morning classes. There was a lot of chatter going on, consisting mostly of students asking others to join them for their projects - and of course, talk of what the projects were actually going to be.
"I know which team I'm going to be on." Silverstream smiled at her friends. "What about you, Chill Char?"
"Like you even have to ask." The young Kirin smiled.
"Yona is ready to make money for less fortunate!" Yona cheered. "Whoever 'less fortunate' is..."
"We'll find out soon enough." Sandbar smiled. "We just gotta pick what we think is the most needy cause."
"Whoever it is, they'll be getting a ton of Bits." Smolder boasted.
"But what are we going to do to raise money, exactly?" Ocellus asked.
"Good question." Chill Char admitted.
"It needs to be something everycreature will like, something they'll line up for..." Sandbar mused.
"Maybe we sell fresh tree root stew?" Yona suggested. "Yona no mean to brag, but Yona know recipe by heart!"
"That's one idea..." Smolder cringed.
"Ooh, I know!" Silverstream smiled. "I've got a whole bunch of seashells in my room. We decorate them, maybe make necklaces and bracelets out of the smaller ones, and sell them at the market!"
"Good thinking." Sandbar smiled. "Everypony loves seashells."
"And I've got some spare gems we could decorate them with." Smolder grinned.
"Yona love arts and crafts!" Yona cheered.
"Looks like we've got a plan." Chill Char nodded. "Now we just have to pick out the lucky recipient. Let's hope it's nowhere near as hard. Right, Gallus?"
"Yeah, sure." Gallus shrugged.
"Is something wrong, Gallus?" Ocellus asked. "You've been pretty quiet since we left the assembly."
"Oh, it's nothing." Gallus shrugged once more.
"Doesn't look like nothing." Sandbar frowned. "What's up, dude? You not up for this?"
"Not exactly." Gallus said awkwardly. "It's just that the word 'charity' isn't really one that shows up in a Griffon's dictionary. The only charitable cause most Griffons raise money for is themselves. So this is all kind of a weird concept for me."
"Cheer up." Smolder encouraged him. "Ever since we came to this school, most of us have had to deal with some concepts we thought were weird. But we got used to 'em pretty quick, didn't we?"
"Yeah, I guess." Gallus muttered.
"So why not give this a shot?" Smolder nudged him.
"Yeah." Silverstream added. "You never know, you might like it!"
Gallus quickly noticed that all of his friends were looking at him eagerly.
"Okay, sure." He suppressed a chuckle. "Consider me onboard."
"Great." Sandbar beamed. "This is gonna be a blast. Trust me."
After classes ended for the day, the seven students made their way to Ponyville marketplace. They had spent most of their lunch period painting and decorating Silverstream's seashells, and, after setting up their own little stall, were ready to get to work. The seashells, standing out in multiple varied color schemes, were lined up in a row.
"Okay, let's get to work." Sandbar smiled, carrying a jar with which they were planning to contain their profits.
"i think I see our first customer now." Ocellus smiled.
Treehugger was making her way through the marketplace, her usual serene smile in place.
"Excuse me, ma'am." Silverstream called out. "Might we interest in one of our specially-decorated seashells?"
Treehugger, ensnared by curiosity, trotted over and took a look at what was on offer.
"Far out." She cooed, gazing at the selection of colored shells on display. She picked up one in particular; a blue shell painted with orange zigzag stripes and topped with a small piece of jasper. "Ooh, this one matches my aura perfectly. How much?"
"Just one Bit, please." Sandbar answered, holding up the jar. "And all proceeds go to Ponyville Hospital's foalcare ward." He added, bringing up the cause they had decided upon.
"Groovy." Treehugger dug a Bit out of her saddlebag and placed it in the jar.
"Pleasure doing business with you." Ocellus nodded.
"How about that?" Chill Char grinned. "We've barely set up shop for a minute, and we already got our first sale."
"Not bad." Gallus smiled, eyeing the single Bit in the jar. "Good call on the seashell idea, Silverstream."
"Yeah, good thinking." Smolder agreed.
"Stop, you're making me blush!" Silverstream gushed.
"Yona think this is good sign." Yona smiled. "This going to be good venture!"
Yona's prediction seemed to be correct; by the end of the day, they had sold over a dozen more seashells.
"Pretty good start, I'd say." Sandbar announced.
"If this keeps up, we could get quite a bit of money raised by the end of the week." Ocellus noted.
"Enough to get our picture on the message board?" Smolder grinned.
"It's a definite possibility." Chill Char nodded.
"Either way, we should feel pretty good about this." Silverstream nodded.
"I guess." Gallus shrugged.
"Griffon guess?" Yona frowned.
"In Griffonstone, it's all about making as many Bits as you can, whenever you can." Gallus noted. "I know Grandpa Gruff wouldn't have been satisfied with today's take."
"Eh, we've still got a whole week ahead of us." Silverstream pointed out.
"And you never know, we might make even more tomorrow." Smolder added.
"But even if we don't, every little Bit helps." Sandbar declared.
"If you say so." Gallus said heartedly.
The next day, the seven returned to the marketplace, and started selling.
"Looks like we've got another good day." Ocellus smiled, as she placed the fourth of their new sales into the jar.
"Guess ponies really do like seashells." Silverstream chuckled.
"If this keeps up, we'll get our picture up for sure." Smolder grinned.
Suddenly, a fanfare rang through the marketplace, followed by the sound of excited ponies.
"What's with all the noise?" Chill Char frowned.
"Maybe Professor Pie holding Yovidaphone recital?" Yona suggested.
"After what happened last time, I kinda doubt it..." Sandbar grimaced.
"I think it's coming from over there." Ocellus pointed to the opposite side of the marketplace, wherea large crowd had formed. "Maybe we should check it out."
"Whoa, what about the stall?" Gallus frowned. "We can't just leave it unattended."
"You guys can go." Chill Char urged. "I'll stay and keep things going."
"Thanks, Chilly!" Silverstream smiled, as she and the others moved to investigate.
The six of them pushed and sidled their way to the front of the crowd. Once there, they saw the source of all the excitement: it was the Flim-Flam Brothers.
"Come one, come all!" Flim called out.
"Prepare yourself for a truly amazing bargain!" Flam added.
"Now you can experience the glitz and glamour of incredible Las Pegasus without ever leaving your quaint little town!" Film continued their spiel.
"Just get yourself one of these limited edition keepsakes!" Flam announced, as he and Flam held up a number of Las Pegasus-themed trinkets.
"Keychains, badges, snowglobes, t-shirts and more!" Film indicated the items decorating their stall.
"There's something for everypony!" Flam grinned.
"Hey, aren't those the guys who ran that Friendship University?" Silverstream asked.
"I think it is." Ocellus nodded.
"Whatever happened to that place, anyway?" Silverstream mused.
"I don't think that's our biggest concern right now." Gallus frowned. "Looks like they've really gotten the crowds attention..."
As Gallus spoke, ponies were eagerly forking over their Bits for the brothers' wares.
"No need to push." Film smirked. "There's plenty for the everypony!"
"And remember, no refunds!" Flam added.
"Salesponies really know how to play to crowd." Yona noted.
"A little too well, if you ask me." Smolder scowled.
"Relax." Sandbar said fairly. "The marketplace is for everypony. No harm in one more stall around here."
"Let's just get back to our own stall." Gallus said sourly.
The six once again squeezed their way past the crowd, intent on returning to their stall, informing Chill Char of the cause of all the commotion, and continuing their attempts to raise money. But it was clear that the majority of the marketgoers we're focusing more on the newest addition to the marketplace.
By the end, Gallus couldn't help but notice that they had less than half the profits they've made the day before. As they made their way back to school, he regularly eyed the jar with distaste.
"Something wrong, Gallus?" Smolder asked.
"Oh, nothing." Gallus said sarcastically. "Just that we the jar looks a little light today."
"Jar made of glass." Yona pointed out. "Always light."
"That's not what I meant." Gallus growled. "I can't be the only one who noticed we didn't make nearly as much today as we did yesterday."
"It happens." Sandbar shrugged. "All businesses have slow days. Just ask Professor Rarity."
"It wasn't a 'slow day so much as we were trounced by the competition." Gallus scoffed.
"Those two aren't our competition." Silverstream retorted. "They just happened to be have the crowds attention."
"Gallus has a point." Smolder butted in. "How can we raise money when those two have all the customers eatin' outta their hooves?"
"We still raised money." Ocellus pointed out. "And we'll raise some more over the rest of the week. It doesn't matter if Flim and Flam are also selling."
"Wanna bet?" Gallus muttered under his breath.
Gallus spent the rest of the evening dwelling on what had transpired, and considering what could be done about it the following day.
After classes ended the next day, the group split up; Sandbar, Silverstream and Ocellus went to get more art supplies to decorate shells to replace the ones they had already sold, while the others kept up the sales.
As it was the day before, Flim and Flam was holding the majority of the crowd's attention.
"Trust us, folks, no home is complete without one of our wondrous treasures!" Flim announced.
"Why, you'll light up the very street with one of our glimmering gold keychains!" Flam added.
"And with one of our Las Pegasus horseshoes, you'll be the luckiest pony in town!" Flim smiled.
"Yona surprised ponies can make so many horseshoes lucky." Yona remarked with awe.
"They can't." Gallus said flatly.
"Wait, you mean they're lying?" Chill Char frowned.
"It's just sales talk." Gallus clarified. "You see it all the time in Griffonstone. They play up what they're selling, make it sound like the greatest thing in the world, then when the customer is all awestruck, they can charge whatever they want for it."
"Whatever it is, it seems to be working for them." Smolder noted the crowd around Flim and Flam's stall.
"...So why don't we make it work for us?" Gallus suddenly smirked.
"Pardon?" Chill Char asked.
"You know, play up the product a little." Gallus smiled. "Make it sound like we're selling the best stuff in the marketplace."
"Yona don't know." Yona said, unsure. "Isn't that lying?"
"Of course it isn't." Gallus assured her. "It's just a little advertising strategy. You know, like those billboards for energy drinks. The ones that say one can'll give ponies enough strength to run around the world."
"Yona like those billboards..." Yona mused.
"I say we go for it." Smolder declared. "We can raise money for the hospital, and put those straw-hatted saps in their place at the same time."
"Exactly." Gallus nodded. He spotted a possible customer nearby. "Time to put our new marketing strategy to the test... Excuse me, ma'am!"
Berry Punch walked over to the stall.
"Me?" She asked.
"Yes, you." Gallus nodded. "You look like a pony who could use a real spring in your step."
"I do?" Berry frowned.
"Yes indeed." Gallus nodded. "And we have just the thing for you right here." He picked up one of the jewel-studded necklaces. "One of our patented sparkle-shell necklaces is guaran-teed to brighten up your day, and put that spring back in your step!"
"Oh." Berry smiled at the product. "It certainly does look very bright."
"And it can be yours, for just one Bit." Gallus added. "What do you say?"
"You've got a deal!" Berry smiled.
"Wonderful." Gallus grinned, giving her necklace and holding out the jar for her Bit.
"Wow." Smolder whistled as Berry departed. "That was some performance."
"That's one way of putting it." Chill Char deadpanned, not fully convinced by what he just saw.
"Yona not know Gallus had it in him!" Yona smiled.
"Thanks." Gallus said smugly. "But I'm just getting started..."
Gallus continued to call in passing ponies, offering them the trinkets that ways that made them irresistable.
"The color really makes your eyes pop!"
"The jewel's will draw in all the mares!"
"It'll bring you good fortune!"
"It'll freshen your breath!"
Before long, the jar was almost half-full.
"Now that's what Yona call big profits!" Yona eyed the jar's contents.
"You're a natural at this, Gallus." Smolder smiled.
"Just doing what I can." Gallus smirked.
"Hey, guys!" Sandbar called, as he and the others arrived.
"Sorry we took so long." Ocellus apologized. "There was a surprisingly long line at the arts and crafts store..."
"Wow!" Silverstream spotted the half-full jar. "You made all this Bits while we were gone?"
"Sure did." Gallus said proudly.
"Thanks to Gallus." Yona declared. "Him know just what to say to get ponies to buy stuff!"
"And what did he say exactly?" Sandbar asked.
"Just whatever made them appealing to ponies." Smolder replied.
"...Like?" Ocellus asked.
"He told one pony one of the necklaces would put a spring in her step, and told another one would freshen his breath." Frost Flare said matter-of-factly.
"But they don't do that." Silverstream frowned in confusion. "We would've known if they did, because we made them."
"Did you lie to ponies to get them to buy our trinkets?" Ocellus asked Gallus.
"Of course not." Smolder scoffed. "He just used a little advertising strategy."
"Sounds more like he was just making up a bunch of stuff." Silverstream scowled.
"Not cool, dude." Sandbar glared.
"I knew something was off about the whole thing!" Chill Char groaned.
"What's the big deal?" Gallus said defensively. "I got Bits, didn't I? And it's all for a good cause, remember?"
"Yeah!" Smolder agreed. "We keep this up, and we're a shoo-in to get on the announcement board!"
"Yona and friends all be best!" Yona added.
"That doesn't matter." Ocellus countered. "Not if we only attained it through deception and trickery. That's not what charity is all about!"
Smolder and Yona's faces fell as they realized the truth in Ocellus' words. Gallus, however, was not so easily swayed.
"I just did what I had to do to get us paying customers." He said angrily. "Besides, Flim and Flam were doing the same thing. I had to do something to level the playing field. You may all have been happy scraping together a few Bits, but I wasn't! Heck, in Griffonstone, I'd be a hero right now!"
"This isn't Griffonstone." Sandbar said coldly. "And what you did is nothing to be proud of."
Gallus looked around. None of others looked like they were going to support him, not even Smolder and Yona.
"...You know what? Fine." He said angrily. "If you don't like my methods, then I'll leave. Good luck getting two Bits to rub together without me."
Gallus stormed off, leaving his friends with hirt and shocked faces.
Soon after, Gallus was sitting on a bench, still fuming.
"Unbelievable." He pouted. "I was just trying to help them raise the money. Isn't that what matters?"
As he continued his pity party, Gallus was aware of approaching voices.
"Another wonderful day of easy profits, eh, brother?" Flim's voice asked.
"Couldn't have put it better myself." Flam's voice replied.
Gallus peered around a corner, and saw the two brothers sitting on a bench, salads and hay smoothies on hoof. Clearly they were taking a lunch break.
"Even after all this time, I can barely believe how easy these Ponyville rubes can be played." Flim gloated. "All we have to do is dangle some cheap trinkets under their nose, spin some nonsense about 'luck' and 'lighting up the streets', and they practically throw their Bits at us!"
"I almost feel sorry for them." Flam grinned. "...Almost!"
The two brothers shared a sly chuckle.
Gallus turned away, disgusted by the pair's callousness. And also well aware how similar his methods were to their's.
"Is that what I sounded like to the others?" He whispered, wracked with guilt. "I gotta make this right!"
Gallus rushed back to the stall, where his friends were reorganising the shells, having only sold one or two since Gallus left.
"Hey..." Gallus made his presence known.
The other gazed at him impassively.
"Hey." Sandbar said flatly.
"...I'm sorry, guys." Gallus sighed. "I got caught up in the old Griffon mindset of 'make as many Bits as possible, no matter what'. I thought we had to make the most Bits, and that nothing else mattered. Ocellus was right. I forgot what this is really all about..."
"Well, it wasn't all your fault." Smolder admitted guiltily. "I probably didn't help, acting like this was a contest between us and those two."
"Yona too." Yona sighed. "Yona forgot that yaks not have to be best at everything."
"It's okay, guys." Sandbar smiled. "We still made plenty of Bits for our cause, and that's what counts."
"Even after we returned the ones we got through your, uh... 'advertising strategy'." Chill Char said awkwardly.
"So let's forget about Flim and Flam, and just be happy with what we can get with the time we have left." Ocellus added.
"Sounds like a plan." Gallus grinned. "And I promise, no more fancy sales talk. We sell the product as is, and for just a Bit a piece again."
At that point, Strawberry Sunrise approached the stall.
"Excuse me, are these the trinkets that are supposed to bring good fortune?" She asked.
"...Sorry, but no." Gallus said earnestly. "They just look pretty."
"Oh..." Strawberry replied, slightly downcast by Gallus' honesty.
"But they're just a Bit each." Smolder declared.
"And all profits go to good cause!" Yona added. "Ponyville Hospital foal ward."
"Hmm..." Strawberry glanced at the shells, necklaces and bracelets. "They do look nice..." Her eyes fell on a red shell patterned with flecks of topaz. "You know what, I'll buy this one. It looks like a big, sparkly strawberry."
"Thank you very much, ma'am." Chill Char smiled as he passed her the shell.
"And I have a friend who'll love this." Strawberry pointed out a necklace made of alternating pink and blue shells. "So here's two Bits."
"Excellent choice, ma'am." Silverstream smiled, as Strawberry's Bits joined the others in the jar.
"Thanks." Strawberry smiled. "I know some ponies who're gonna love this stuff!"
To the seven students' surprise, more and more customers started coming to their stall the following day. It seemed word had spread about the quality of their products more than any of the outlandish promises Gallus had made.
"Well, whattaya know." Gallus smiled, after handing over another necklace. "Guess the straightforward approach really is the best. Who knew?"
The Griffon shared a chuckle with his friends.
Across the street, Flim and Flam watched with distaste as the line for the students' stall grew bigger and bigger, while their own sales had started to diminish.
"What is going on here?" Flim scowled. "How is it that those brats' homemade nick-nacks are selling better than our premium wares?"
"It defies all salespony logic!" Flam gaped.
As the two stared in utter disbelief, the tennis pony Ace passed by. The sight of a potential customer snapped them out of their shock.
"Pardon us, sir!" Flim waved. "Would you care for an official lucky Golden Horseshoe? Only five Bits!"
"No thanks." Ace declined. "I don't believe in luck."
"Then how about a nice keyring?" Flim offered.
"I'm good." Ace replied, starting to get annoyed.
"A snowglobe?" Flam asked.
"No." Ace frowned.
"T-Shirt?" Flim held one up. "One size fits all!"
"Nuh-huh." Ace turned to walk away.
"Hold on, just a second!" Flam learned across the stalls counter, grabbing Ace's hoof. "I'm sure we have something to suit your discerning tastes, valued customer!"
"Get off me!" Ace yelled, his patience at his limit.
Flam had had the misfortune of grabbing Ace's racquet hoof, and was thrown back over the counter and sent teetering onto his back hooves.
"Whoa!" As Flam stumbled backwards, he collided with one of the support beams of their stall.
The beam snapped on impact, and the hastily-built stall collapsed upon itself, burying everything within its confines, including the brothers themselves.
Naturally the collapse drew the attention of everycreature nearby. All eyes were on the pile of broken wood as Flim and Flam emerged from the splintery mess.
"Our stall!" Flim gasped.
"Our merchandise!" Flam yelled.
"...OUR PROFITS!!" They screamed in unison.
The two con artists began desperately scrabbling through the wreckage of their stall and the debris of their shattered merchandise, desperately hoping that the cash register and its precious contents hadn't been too badly damaged.
"Some creatures are just way too obsessed with money for their own good." Gallus smirked.
The rest of the week was fairly uneventful (due in part to Flim and Flam having decided to cut their losses and leave), with the students steadily selling their seashell-based wares.
The following Monday, all the money raised by each venture had been brought in to be counted. Despite Smolder's hopes, she and friends hadn't managed to raise the most money; that honor went to Shimmy Shake and Lighthoof's venture of cheerleading telegrams.
"Oh, well." Smolder sighed, as she and her friends looked at the two mares' photo on the message board. "Can't win 'em all, I guess."
"We still raised plenty of money for the hospital." Sandbar smiled.
"And that's all that really matters." Ocellus smiled.
"Yeah." Silverstream grinned. "That's a real win right there."
"Something we can all be proud of." Chill Char added.
"Because nothing better than helping others." Yona declared. "Right, Gallus?"
"Right." Gallus nodded. "Just don't let Grandpa Gruff know I made so many Bits and then just gave them away. He'll probably blow a fuse..."
"Your secret is safe with us, pal." Sandbar chuckled, as he and the others hugged their friend.
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Aww, good for you Gallus, you're really growing up
not too bad a chapter, but some parts were painfully cliche
especially the ending
Oh no not those two again they really never learned don't they
Look sandbar you have no idea what those two did that almost cost and try to take away Applejacks home and there so-called miracle cure they're trying to selling a doll it's not even popular and fake
And not only that that's false advertisement and that is very wrong
Two wrongs doesn't make a right kid
Well this was certainly a pretty nice chapter so a charity sale is going on at the school of friendship and it looks like the kids are preparing to sell some products and but Gallus never really do charity because well from where he's from yeah but maybe this should be good for him so the young 7 thinking that they can sell one of silverstream's shells which those are pretty cool and things are turning out pretty good but unfortunately and I'm surprised they didn't banned them flim and flam came to town selling their products again and basically lying to the customers again and gallus really want to beat them and his instinct starting to come out and not in a good way while sandbar silverstream Ocellus try to get some supplies gallus convince the others that they have to up their games and what he means is lying to the customers and giving them false advertisement and yeah it did work but it felt really bad and when they returned they were not too happy what gallus did and he tried to defend himself he was trying to make more money which I understand but this is not the way so he got mad and just ran off but when he got close where flim-and-flam is yeah of course what they did is they lie to their customers and they don't even care and gallus felt even more guilty because that's what he did so he went back and apologize for his tactic and his attitude as well and he really wanted to help the others accepted his apology and it looks like they didn't need anything fancy they just sells them how they are and that makes flim-and-flam really upset that they are being out staged so they try to sell their product even stretching the truth but some of the customers did not believe them and of course they fail spectacularly and serves there right and when the week is over the young 7 didn't win but they were still glad that they help out the hospital for a good cause and I think that's still good I really like that chapter this was pretty good I wonder what's going to happen next guess we'll find out next time
Gallus really struggled with this project, but that is because it is so different from what he experienced in Griffonstone. Good on him for breaking out of that kind of behavior.
11198562 Apparently not. I guess some creatures just never learn.