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// Searching for Treasure 
// Story: Moments in Time 
// by Shingo 
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Night had fallen long ago and many in Ponyville were travelling to dreamland. The last two who needed to make the trip were in Ponyville’s library. A gentle fire illuminated the library’s foyer as Twilight sat in front of it. She had a book in front of her and was reading through it with a smile on her face. These quiet moments were rare for the librarian, and she savoured each one. Up until recently, the only company she had was the fire she sat in front of. Someone special to her had joined her in the quiet, and their company made the silence sweeter. The sound of footsteps came from behind her as she was reading. Twilight turned her head to find a zebra holding a tray with two steaming cups on it. The zebra had a smile on her face as she approached the unicorn. One of the cups was covered in a purple aura and brought to her.

“Thanks, Zecora,” Twilight took a sip from the cup. “This is delicious, what kind of tea is it?”

“Oolong,” Zecora sat down beside her. “It comes from the far east. The leaves are slightly fermented allowing flavour to be released.” Twilight flipped a page in her book. Zecora looked at the top of the page and saw the words ‘On Happiness’ written on it.

“On Happiness? Obviously this was written by one with clout. What is it about?”

“Happiness,” Zecora sipped her tea. “Well, that’s kind of obvious with the title. But it goes deeper than that. It’s essentially a collection of what some philosophers think happiness is. For example: a philosopher called Aurelius thought that the happiness in a pony’s life depended on the quality of their thoughts. Therefore, thoughts had to be protected. Another thought that happiness was balance.”

“Wise words from those long ago,” Zecora said placing her cup down. “But dear Twilight, there is something that you should know.”

“And what would that be?”

“All of those thoughts and songs are simply wrong.”

“What do you mean?” Zecora chuckled.

“Everypony has their own treasure that they are searching for,” she said. “It cannot be given, it has to be discovered while we explore.”

“What does this have to do with happiness?”

“Don’t you see?” Zecora asked. “The treasure we seek is happiness. It is not balance or thought. It is a treasure that has to be sought. Do you agree?” Twilight placed her cup down.

“A little,” she said. “How do you know that your belief is true?” Zecora nuzzled the pony beside her. 

“Because I’ve already found my treasure,” a smile formed on Twilight’s face. “I’ve found you.”

“I see,” Twilight leaned against Zecora. “Then I too have found my treasure. My wonderful, irreplaceable treasure will be cherished and loved. I will stand with her and never leave. Though many would doubt, know that my words are true.” The two of them sat together with the fire keeping them company. When the fire was near the end of its life, Twilight yawned. Zecora brought a blanket over both her and the unicorn in front of the fireplace. As her eyes slowly drifted downwards, Twilight cuddled against Zecora. After a few moments, Twilight fell asleep with a smile on her face. Zecora kissed the top of her head causing Twilight’s smile to grow. She matched her lover’s expression before falling into slumber. After a long night, the last two citizens of Ponyville travelled to dreamland together.