~dakota~ is questing!
Episode 1: Once again, it's a lovely day in the world of Pets 'n' Friends. Cupig looks out at the world from the balcony of his penthouse suite in New Pork City. The world is at his trotters. But despite being universally loved, despite his riches and a life of ease, nothing ever feels quite right.

~dakota~ is questing!
Episode 2: Then one day, Cupig is mysteriously missing. The gaze that watched every move on Pork Avenue has gone. Without it, nothing is quite the same. The street Cupig built with his riches seems twisted without him. Even the perennial good weather seems to have deserted the street.

~dakota~ is questing!
Episode 3: Cupig's uncle Frank, like any good capitalist pig, knows the exact value of all his assets. He has all the drive and ambition he could ever need, but he is also wise enough to know that Cupig is the brains of his operation. Whenever a new situation in the food industry needs a smart solution, Frank turns to his nephew. So when he finds Cupig mysteriously missing, Frank wastes no time solving the problem with the only method he understands: money.

~dakota~ is questing!
Episode 4: ~dakota~ liked the idea of a reward. Without stopping to ask Frank for advice, ~dakota~ went to Cupig's penthouse to ask the doorporker if they had seen anything. Before asking, ~dakota~ saw a trail of tiny gems leading away from a wall which had no door in it. Cupig was known to carry little gems around to give as gifts. What if he had dropped them in flight? So ~dakota~ tried following them.

The trail led out into the country, to a place easily seen from Cupig's penthouse apartment. The gems ended at a strange object which pulsed and shimmered. What could it be?

~dakota~ is questing!
Episode 5: As ~dakota~ looked at the strange object, it began to glow brightly, causing the hills beyond it to seem dark and foreboding. This was the strangest thing ~dakota~ had ever seen. What could it be?

~dakota~ is questing!
Episode 6: The mysterious portal begins to draw ~dakota~ towards it. The more ~dakota~ struggles, the greater the pull. Just as ~dakota~ realises the answer is not to struggle, it is too late. A brilliant shimmering green landscape appears, in which a strange green creature is laughing its head off.

"Welcome!" says the creature with a smile. "Oh - you're not supposed to be here!"

"You're not kidding," says ~dakota~. "But who are you, and what have you got to laugh about?"

"I am a Bubble Head," it replied. "This is Bubble Land - or one version of it - and though you may find many things here you will not want to laugh at, I can't help myself, because I have seen the end of the story. It makes me happy! But anyway, you're not supposed to be here. I know the way out, so follow me. As we travel together, you will see that this is the story of someone's life, a path it is easy to follow as it only ever goes in one direction - the future. But it begins in the past ..."

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Episode 7: The Bubble Head begins its tale. "All the creatures in Pets 'n' Friends now eat Frank's bush-grown foods. But it wasn't always this way. Even a few years ago, pets were still killing and eating one another. It was heartbreaking to think that anyone would look at their precious piglets as dinner. They sent their offspring far away to keep them safe, but it was terribly hard on Mr. and Mrs. Swine."

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Episode 8: ~dakota~ was upset at the thought of pets eating one another. The Bubble Head continued:

"After many years of raising big litters, Mrs. Swine gave birth to just one little piggy. She could not bear to send him away, so she and her husband kept him at home.

The Swines usually had many children at once and just gave them each a number. But now they had only one piglet, they wanted to give him a name. Mrs. Swine refused every idea her husband had, until finally he suggested ‘Ein Swine’. She loved the sound of that (to Mr. Swine’s relief). Since he was an only child, Ein Swine got all his parents' care and attention. He had his own little trough with ‘Ein’ written on it."

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Episode 9: "Excuse me," said ~dakota~, "but I am looking for another pig. His name is Cupig. Could he be in this strange world, too?"

The Bubble Head laughed louder than ever. "You will find out soon enough! Since he never had to struggle with brothers and sisters to get enough to eat, Ein wasn’t all that bothered with food. He spent his time studying and imagining what it would be like if only he could ride on a ray of light. Most of all, he loved to spend time with his uncle Frank."

"Ohhh!" said ~dakota~. "I think I understand why I am here now."

~dakota~ is questing!
Episode 10: The Bubble Head grinned broadly and carried on.

"Frank was supposed to be very smart, because he had worked out how to make bacon grow on trees. So he was very popular with other pigs. He had saved their bacon! By trading bacon for silver, which pets can find anywhere if they only make the effort, he caused a tenfold increase in the number of pigs in Pets ‘n’ Friends. His nephew was very special to him - probably because Ein was the only pig who enjoyed listening to Frank talk about how smart he was."

~dakota~ is questing!
Episode 11: ~dakota~ continued to follow the Bubble Head through the vision. There was nothing else to do but take its word that it knew the way out. It continued:

"Then one day Frank met a seagoing mole who had no sense of direction and accidentally discovered North America (though most people think it had really been there all the time). When Frank heard what you could get for silver in America, he set the mole up as a trader, thus becoming the world’s first imperialist capitalist pig."

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Episode 12: The vision became misty and unclear as the Bubble Head described Ein Swine's thoughts.

"When Ein was just a piglet, he thought Frank was smart, because his uncle gave him the coolest toys from all over the world, introduced him to Mr. Mole and got him a luxury seat at the Super Trough every year. But as Ein grew older, he nosed around the bacon orchards and realised nobody knew how Frank created them. When Ein asked Frank, Frank would only say 'You’ll never find out unless two unicorns agree.' Ein began to realise Frank was actually quite dumb and there must be a secret to his good fortune."

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Episode 13: "Frank used to take Ein to meet the mole when he sailed home. Ein was interested in the cargo, so when he grew up, he became his uncle’s accountant - Frank didn’t trust anyone else. Ein would list the cargo, value it, add everything up and tell Frank what it was worth. That didn't take him long, so he would spend the rest of the day on his side, watching the birds fly overhead.

One day Frank asked Ein why he watched the birds.

“I have two desires," said Ein. “I wish I could ride on a ray of light; but if I can’t do that, I would settle for being able to fly. Of course, both are impossible.”

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Episode 14: Once again Bubble Land appeared to be strange and ethereal as the Bubble Head continued to tell of Ein's relationship with Frank.

"When Frank heard of Ein's desires, he laughed. “Oh, pigs can fly,” he said. “Just as soon as two unicorns agree!”"

~dakota~ is questing!
Episode 15: The vision shifted to a later time. ~dakota~ was beginning to find Frank's comments about unicorns very strange. Apparently Ein had felt the same way, because the vision showed him setting out in search of unicorns, to see what Frank was hiding.

~dakota~ is questing!
Episode 16: The Bubble Head recounted Ein Swine's first encounter with unicorns. "Unicorns are very proud. They have contempt for any creature less perfect than they think they are - which includes one another."

“What colour would you say that pig was?” the green unicorn asked the blue.
“Mahogany,” replied the blue (without looking up).
“Why do you say that?” asked the green.
“Because I’m boared” replied the blue.
“I am disgruntled,” said the green. “Mahogany isn't a colour.”
“Yes it is, you just need the right pig-ment” said the blue.

Ein heard every word they said, but chose to pretend he had not. “I say,” he said.

“You do,” they replied; then they realised they had accidentally agreed with one another.

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Episode 17: “I know how my uncle Frank became rich,” said Ein Swine. “If you don’t grant my wish, I‘ll squeal.”

Nothing squeals like a pig; so the unicorns were alarmed.
“If everyone knows …” said the blue …
“… then we’ll never get any peace!” replied the green.
They looked at each other. It was happening again. There was a long silence as they faced facts. They had to agree, even though it was distasteful. They looked at one another, then at Ein.
“On one condition,” said the green.

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Episode 18: “Hold on!” said Ein Swine. “If you’ve got a condition, I want another wish too!”
“You’ll like it,” said the blue.
“A lot,” said the green. “But what are your two wishes?”
“I want to be able to fly,” said Ein Swine.
“And the second?” asked the green.
Ein thought hard. “I wish my uncle Frank could grow every kind of food on his trees. Then he’ll be even richer and pay someone else to do my job.”
Unicorns look odd when they smile. It doesn’t suit them; they have very big teeth.
“Our wish,” they said together, “is this. When pigs can fly, unicorns cannot agree.”
Now Ein Swine smiled too. His secrets would remain hidden. “I agree,” he said.
“Then so do we,” they replied.

~dakota~ is questing!
Episode 19: ~dakota~ realised he had been shown the mysterious secret of Cupig's wings! The Bubble Head continued to smile as they saw wings grow out of Ein Swine's back. Ein was startled; then he tried flapping. He rose into the sky, and found he had mysteriously gained a bow and arrow, too. The unicorns seemed to think this was some kind of joke. As Ein fluttered around learning to fly, they realised they could get back to insulting one another, so they galloped off to argue in peace.

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Episode 20: Ein Swine rushed home to see if anything had happened to the bacon orchards.

“Oh, hi there,” said Frank, who didn’t seem the least surprised by Ein's wings. “I see you took my advice. You won’t squeal, will you?”

“What about?” asked Ein. Then they found they had no idea what there was to squeal about.

“I don’t know …” said Frank. “Never mind. Come and look at my new trees; I’m going to be rolling in it when everyone finds out I can grow every food they ever wanted – even ones that really do grow on trees!”

Pigs love to roll in it. Frank was right; soon the mole was exporting so much silver, he could return with gold.

~dakota~ is questing!
Episode 21: The Bubble Head's tale had reached the present day.

"Frank paid Ein to keep quiet about their secret, but neither of them could remember what it was. Frank hired a troll to count his cargo; the troll had so many fingers and toes he could actually do the job! Ein bought the best clothes pigs can wear (a bow tie!) and would stroll through New Pork City as if he owned it. Frank owned most of it, but Ein bought the Sowth Side from him."

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Episode 22: “You can get out of here now,” said the Bubble Head. “You will soon meet the Dreamer. But there's one last thing for you to know. The sows love Ein's money, they love his fame, they love his wings. But they have no idea who Ein is inside, so his very self they do not love at all. He is the loneliest pig in the world. Everywhere Ein goes, the sows squeal “A cute lil’ pig! A pig with wings! Cupig!” So they do not even want to know his real name, let alone who he is and what he cares about.”

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Episode 23: The vision faded. With it went the Bubble Head. Then the Dreamer appeared. ~dakota~ gasped.

"I know you are looking for Cupig," she said. "He is not here; he cannot go home until he completes his own quest. When you walk through this portal, you will be back in New Pork City, with a magnificent egg to show Frank as proof of your tale. He will reward you.

You have learned much about Cupig's life, but only I can see all of it. You and your friends will share in understanding parts of it. If you come to understand it all between you, then I will invite you to see Cupig's future."

With that, she disappeared. ~dakota~ went through the portal; there was nothing else to do.

~dakota~ is questing!
Episode 24: ~dakota~ was suddenly back on Pork Avenue. Before them was a magnificent egg, as the Dreamer had promised. Close by was Frank. Somehow ~dakota~ gabbled an explanation to Frank, but Frank just stared into the egg. He seemed to be understanding something for the very first time.

"You can keep the egg," he murmured, mostly to himself. "I will be seeing more of them. You cannot be expected to go back; I will seek others to do so. But you have earned your reward. Here are some coins - now come with me."

~dakota~ is questing!
Episode 25: Frank drove ~dakota~ into the countryside, where he presented ~dakota~ with a quaint little home in a beautiful garden. When they arrived, the moon was rising over the village. ~dakota~ would never forget the first time they saw their new home! This had made all the trouble of Bubble Land worthwhile. Frank went back to New Pork City to carry on waiting for his nephew to be found.