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It'd been his mother's idea.

"You should set up a small stand!" she said, impressed by her son's crafts. "Sell these to other children and make some extra bits, you might be able to buy that computer program you want."

Paper began stacking the Treat Lanterns up on the table Silk and Mooncake had taken from the back storage room and set up outside of Pink Blossom. The lanterns, colored orange, green, deep purple, and white, had elaborate scenes of black paper glued onto them. Skulls, ghosts, witches, graveyards, pumpkins and other Halloween themes covered them. He was very proud of them.

Satisfied with his simple set up, Paper plopped his blue rump on the curb behind his table, his forehooves crossed neatly and smiled.

He was open.

Paper sat upright as Tinker got near, his little black tail flicking excitedly.

"Hi, Hello! Uhm..welcome to my booth!" he said, trying to remember all of the buzz words and things his mother said and taught them to say whenever customers entered the shop so they'd feel welcome. "These are..uhmm...I don't really have a name for them...they're lanterns that are strong enough to hold candy for Trick or Treating."

He demonstrated, taking up a white lamp that had ghosts decorating it. He slowly pushed down on the lantern, making it fold into a flat circle with one hoof, and with the other, depressed a small plastic bulb in the center. The bulb lit up with bright LED light. Letting go of the lamp, it popped back up into it's round shape. The ghosts that decorated the outside of the lantern glowed eerily.

"See the light it's very bright so any phony can see you as you're walking around and..." From under the booth, he brought up a big family sized bag of candy and with a few shakes, emptied the entire thing into the lantern. The candy obstructed the light just a bit, but it still glowed fairly brightly. Paper took the lantern in his teeth and held it up. "Shee it chan hode all tish candy an shtill be ah ligsh." He smiled big around the handle, hoping that Tink was impressed. "Dosh yoof.." He sat the candy filled lantern on his table. "It's an awesome idea don't you think? I've only got these.." he gestured to the table. "So once they're all gone, they're all gone." He said this to stress how important it would be to buy one now if one was wanted, another trick his mother had taught him.

"Oh.." Paper felt bad. Tinker was clearly interested in his product to give to his sister and he knew how it felt to want to keep a sister safe. He picked up one of the lanterns, a purple one, pushes it flat till it clicks, the top and bottom snapping together and hands it to Tinker.

"Here..for your sister..she should have to carry one thing and not two, especially if her costume is huge."

Paper paused, then picked up a green and a white lantern, and clicked the two of them closed, handing them over the green colt.

"You and your sisters should all have one, you know, so it's fair and all! If anyone asks you where you got them, you tell them where to come see me! It'll be good PR." he smiled and nodded.

Paper blushed. The redness under his blue pelt made him turn as purple as Mooncake.

"I..I..uhm..y..you're welcome!" Paper managed to stammer out before Tinker turned to go. "I hope you're sisters like them!" He waved after the green colts' retreating form until he vanished into the park.

He sighed. Ah well, free samples were ok and word of mouth was even better. With Tinker and his sisters showing off their new items, no doubt a bunch of fillies and colts would be super impressed and come rushing to him to buy as soon as possible!

Resolute, Paper nodded to himself and took back post behind his booth, prepared for the hoard of shoppers that would be flocking to him soon.

Paper perked up instantly. Oh, oh another customer so soon! This was good!

"Hello my name is Paper Lantern!" the confidence from already attracting another customer was coursing through his body. "And this is my ..uh..." Ok so he still didn't have a name for it. "Just watch this!"

He went through his performance again. He demonstrated the light inside the lantern, it's capacity for candy, how well it folded away for storage, how awesomely they were decorated. "What do you think..? Only 5 bits each!" It had been originally 10 bits, but after his encounter with Tink, he dropped the price to try and help accommodate a smaller allowance.

Paper deflated.

"Oh.." He rubbed the back of his neck in thought. "Well uhm..every phony should be safe while Trick or Treating. I'd hate to think you and your siblings would miss out on this just because you're parents were worried about you guys being out after dark.."

Paper took out a small bag and stacked 5 lanterns into it, passing it over to Blue. "Here, so all of you're siblings can be safe, even if you get separated! This should ease you're parents mind about going Trick or Treating right?"

Paper waves as Blue takes off. He was glad the colt and his siblings could go Trick or Treating soon but he was out quite a new more lanterns and he wouldn't be making at profit now.

And so the evening ran on much the same, fillies and colts excited by the lanterns that Paper made but having no way to pay for it. Paper hated that they always looked so sad and so kept giving his lanterns away.

As dusk fell and the temperature dropped, Paper started to gather things to pack away.

Paper's earns folded back. Well this wasn't something he was anticipating, a return?? Had the bottom fallen out? Was it not bright enough? Every concealable defect rattled through his brain while he tried to put on a business face.

"I..uhm..good evening Mr. Lullaby, Shrill..." he rubbed his hooves together anxiously. "Is there something wrong with the lantern..?"