Fibre Bearing didn’t get to come to Sugarcube Corner very often. It was one of those things where he’d do it if the route to something he was already doing came close, which always happened once every year. This was his first time since a week ago, since he was on the return trip.

“Isn’t it great?” Pinkie Pie said as he continued to stare at everything behind the counter.

“I don’t have any way to tell what ‘it’ is.”

“I finally got Rainbow Dash to admit that she had six stripes instead of a “rainbow” of colours like her name claims. I have her signature under it, you wanna see?”

“Why should I care?”

“Because it’s been five minutes and you still haven’t decided what cupcake you want.”

“How am I supposed to decide between lemon and citrón?”

“It’s pronounced sih-traw-en and it tastes like petrol.”

“Why would I eat something that tastes like that?”

“Have you ever had petrol?”

“Well, no, but—”

“Then try it out.”

“Fine, I will.”

The grey earth pony hooved over three bits and Pinkie gave him the muffin-size cupcake. He took a bite, and an initial state of shock quickly settled down into contentment.

“That’s the strangest thing I’ve ever tasted.”

“In a good way?”

“I’m not sure.”

A cobalt unicorn named Cobalt came into the building. He had only one sticker left before a free cupcake, a programme which was ending that day.

“Cobalt?” Bearing said. “I haven’t seen you since last year.”

“What a coincidence, I haven’t seen you since last year. What brings you here?”

“I was passing pretty close by, so I decided to come.”

Cobalt looked towards Pinkie. “Lethal injection of chocolate.” He looked back. “So how has your life been?”

“My wife left me and took the foals and most of what we owned, then I got it all back after she died mountain biking. Then overnight a couple months ago, Featherkvist—the older one, he’s fourteen—actually, his birthday was last week—disappeared along with most of his things, and I still don’t know what happened to him.”

Cobalt put four bits on the counter and took his cupcake. “That’s terrible.”

“Yeah. There haven’t been any signs of him dead or alive since... whatever happened, so I’ve pretty much lost hope. I’m still not able to think of him as gone, though.”

“Ag’d nemer dake that,” he said through much saliva-soaked chocolate, “Almays wonderin’.”

“Yeah. Even if he’s dead, I want to know, because right now I can’t move on.”

“Oh, I almost forgot something really important.” He put the loyalty card on the counter. “I’ll have a Cinnamon Assault when I’m done with this.”

“Well, I have to go, so—”

“Wait. First, I need that cupcake.”

Pinkie put the cupcake on the counter and he took it. Bearing then got a magic glow. “Cobalt?” he said. “Why are you—” Cobalt teleported them both away.

Pinkie looked at the card, which she hadn’t bothered to apply a last sticker to. “I can’t believe he did that, these cards are going to be collectors’ items someday.” Next Chapter: Chapter 22: The Already Out for a Year in Japan Adventures of Camerapony #3 Estimated time remaining: 17 Hours, 18 Minutes