Sweet Apple Acres was peaceful and quiet that afternoon. The birds would occasionally tweet a song or a few notes, but other than that, the orchard was silent. Gathered on a hill beside the barn, were Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Applejack and Pinkie Pie. Rarity had brought the picnic blanket, which was laid flat against the green grass while the others brought confectioneries and food.

"Anypony know where Twi is?" Applejack asked, looking around the clearing for her alicorn friend. When everypony's head shook simultaneously, she furrowed her brow.

"I'm sure she'll show up," Rainbow assured, "She always shows up!"

Rarity pulled down her pink sunglasses to look at her pegasus friend.

"I do hope we don't have another nervous breakdown episode like last time," she said crisply, pushing her glasses back up.

A loud gasp originated from Pinkie, to which the group turned to look at her.

The group collectively turned to see Twilight, Spike and Zelgius coming towards them along with Princess Cadence and Shining Armor. All the ponies gasped in surprise.

After everypony said their hellos, they continued the picnic's proceedings. Zelgius only watched and listened to the mares as they socialized with one another with Shining adding in his own cents.. After a few moments, he began to zone out and lost himself in his own thoughts before he heard Shining get up and walked over to lean on a tree while pulling out a book, reading it. Zelgius smirked as he stood up, walking over to him.

The ponies watched confused before Cadence turned to Twilight. "When are you going to tell him?"

Twilight face blushed while her friends chuckled at her. "It's not funny!"

"Twilight,  I would like to know how you feel about him; and I want the truth."

"The truth? You honestly want to know how I feel about Zelgius?" Her gaze fell to the ground, but it could not mask her blush. "I mean, it's embarrassing coming from a nerd like me. So the truth is going to sound cheesy." Inhaling deeply, Twilight mustered every fiber of her will together before turning back to the alicorn with a stern glare in her eyes. However, the smile she bore was pitiful, full of plea. "You promise not to laugh?"

Cadence simply nodded. "Of course."

"Well, it's easy to say how much I like Zelgius as a friend. He's nice, loyal and understanding. I mean, how can you not find him appealing on that alone?" Zelgius image holding her filled her mind, causing her face to burn.

Her smile grew in width. "Honestly, he's too loyal to his duty, but it makes me want to be there for him even more. I wouldn't change him for anything, even though I wish he'd let me see his face."

Her friends didn't say anything nor Cadence. "Darling. How long have you felt this way?"

Twilight was silent before finally answering. "Since the diamond dogs."

Rainbow smirked before flying over to her and laying a forehoof around her shoulders. "It just means we going to help you."

Twilight didn't know what she meant until Cadence spoke. "They going to help you, with you feeling for Zelgius." Twilight looked over to her friends who were smiling at her causing her to smile back.

"Twilight." She looked over to see Cadence walk up to her then pulled her into a hug whispering in her ear. "Zelgius has feelings for you as well though he doesn't know how to express them." Twilight eye's widened.

"I believe you the one who can do it."  

The ponies then glanced over towards where Zelgius and Shining stood. Zelgius stood away from Shining with his sword grasped in his right hand. They heard Shining reading something out loud.

"Infinite in mystery is the gift of the Goddess

We seek it thus and take to the sky

Ripples form on the water's surface

The wandering soul knows no rest."

Though they couldn't see Zelgius smile as he turned to face Shining. "Loveless Act 1."

"You know this?" Shining asked as he sat the book down, pulling his sword out.

"Read it before."

The two stood looking at each other. Zelgius and Shining's blades met each other as they jumped towards each other, the cling clang of the  metal echoing throughout. Shining thrust with Ragnell, but Zelgius parried and used Shining's blade to guide his towards its target. Shining adjusted the position of the sword making Zelgius miss his head. Building on his initial attack, Zelgius twirled Alondite around his left hand, he then used his right hand to stop it from spinning and used the built up momentum to slash at a left angle causing Shining to jump backwards.

Blue streaks of light clashed as the two sent magic slashes at each other only for the two to send a shockwave  throughout the area only for the two to jump at each other, parrying, dodging, moving into slashes and thrusts, both pitting the entirety of their sword skills against one another.  They continued their onslaught of blows, neither one willing to give in! No words needed to be spoken during this spar no; their swords did the talking for them with every ringing clash.

Zelgius stormed forward, slashing with Alondite, Shining intercepted his strike with Ragnell. The two magic swords grinded against each other as sparks flew about. Zelgius broke off from the attack, immediately turning around; he then released Alondite and caught it with his right. He raised the sword up and then brought it down on Shining's head. Shining saw this coming, and used his telekinesis to maneuver Ragnell to counterattack. Zelgius was now fighting Ragnell itself, parrying the blows, thrusting, and slashing, taking any opening he saw to cut down Shining. The two jumped back only to jump back at each other.

As they closed the distance  between each other their blades clashed together sending sparks everywhere. Shining slashed at Zelgius’s neck to which the Knight blocked the strike and returned one of his own towards his attacker’s head. Shining  sidestepped the strike only to be met with the pommel of Zelgius sword to his face causing him to stumble back a few feet. Zelgius closed the distance swinging his sword, Shining just barely managed to block the strike.

*CLANG!*

The blades clashed loudly as Zelgius was pushing Shining back with extreme force. Their swords rang out as they clashed and slammed against each reapetedly for ten seconds straight at such a high rate of speed.

*CLANG!* *PING!* *RING!* *DING!*

As Zelgius and Shining locked blades, the two could only smile at how much fun they were having. As their blades were still locked,  Shining pushed back and leapt through the air and performed a downward slash at Zelgius’s head. The Knight quickly brought his sword up above his head blocking the attack before knocking Shining back, causing him to land on his hoof but brought his sword up as Zelgius rushed at him swinging his blade. Shining parried it then swung his sword, while Zelgius swung his.

*Clang!*

The two pushed back against each other until Zelgius pushed his blade down, then immediately brought it up knocking Shining blade out of his grip causing it to sail in the air before stabbing into the ground a few feet away from them. Zelgius stared down at Shining Armor who was laying on the ground. Zelgius sheathed his sword then offered a hand to Shining Armor who accepted it.

The two didn't have to say anything, but they turned their heads as they heard hooves stomping. Before anypony could speak, Spike burped out a letter which Twilight caught. They watched as her eye's scanned through it before looking back up.

"Princess Celestia want's us to go to Canterlot as soon as possible."

"What?"

"She says there's something they need to discuss with us."

The ponies didn't see it, but Zelgius grabbed his chest as he stared towards Canterlot.

Next Chapter: Chapter 11 Estimated time remaining: 35 Minutes